As an English major used to over-analyzing media, I have a lot to say on the subject of anime. To prevent myself from going on a rant larger than the newspaper, I’ll limit myself to talking about “My Hero Academia.”
Created by Kōhei Horikoshi in 2014 as a manga and adapted into an anime the same year, “My Hero Academia” tells the story of a futuristic world where almost everyone has a superpower called a quirk (Anime News Network).
That is, all (except) for one– the main character, Midoriya, whose only dream is to become a hero.
He looks up to the best hero in his country (whose alias is All Might), and he wants to follow in his footsteps to the letter, which includes attending his high school, U.A. One of his most famous lines is our lead asking his future mentor if he can become a hero without a quirk.
The anime has gained a large following within the U.S. thanks to its focus on superheroes, a subject that’s glorified within modern pop culture.
But, I believe it goes deeper than our understanding of what it means to be a hero.
“My Hero Academia” makes itself unique by deconstructing the glorification of heroism and exploring the pressure that it places on those who are expected to become heroes. All Might is the hero for the children to look up to and stands as the ultimate example of who they have to be. In doing so, this sets an impossible standard that hurts the children in the long run.
While “My Hero Academia” is a wonderful anime that can be watched simply for entertainment, it is a didactic story reflective of real-world problems.
At the heart of it, this anime tells the story of children fighting a war — a war caused by the very adults they are trying to emulate.
It’s a direct reflection of today’s world, where the next generation is expected to solve the world’s problems with little help from older generations. Until a certain point in time, problems are handed down until someone decides to put an end to them. “My Hero Academia” supports the ideals of actively making the world a better place for the next generation, while also portraying the dangers of placing immense responsibilities on youths still learning who they are.
However, regardless of how deeply viewers want to analyze, “My Hero Academia” is a series that brings people together to enjoy something they love through watching the show, reading manga, cosplaying or simply laughing over headcanons.
And during these hard times, isn’t that exactly what we need? Something to come together over and enjoy? With ETSU -Con back for the first time since 2018 (April 2-3, 2022), now is the perfect time to start watching together, reading together and simply spending time together.
And who knows- maybe we can have a little bit of analysis along the way, as a treat.
(Now, if we can just get rid of Mineta.)
