My Hero Academia

“Season Four”

My Hero Academia is one of the most important franchises in the manga and anime communities. However, it’s worth pointing out that the anime adaptation by Bones Studio can be a bit divisive among the fandom. The main reason for this begins with seasons four and five of the series: many fans claim that the anime took a dive in quality during these two seasons, leading to a massive decline in popularity for the franchise as a whole.

My Hero Academia S4 | Boku no Hero Academia S4 | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

The truth, however, can be more complicated than that. Season four of My Hero Academia has shortcomings but some of the best moments in the franchise, making it a very uneven product, although one worth watching.

This season focuses mainly on Deku’s internship with Sir Nighteye, who was All Might’s sidekick a few years ago, and his work with Mirio Togata, a third-year student at UA who was viewed as a potential successor to the One for All quirk. Along with other significant characters, such as Kirishima, this team has to deal with the Yakuza Overhaul and his crew, who are developing a drug that can eliminate Quirks, which is done by experimenting with the latter’s daughter, Eri.

As Deku, Mirio, and the rest deal with Eri’s rescue, the season also deals with the character of Endeavor, who rises to the number one hero position after All Might’s retirement. This gives greater insight into his psyche, his strained relationship with his family after his years of abuse, and his attempts to become a better man.

There is no denying that the fourth season of My Hero Academia had its fair share of shortcomings. Elements such as the animation not entirely fitting with the darker tones Horikoshi was going for in the manga, divisive creative decisions such as showing Mirio’s Quirkless battle against Overhaul in frames, and questionable pacing made it one of the most controversial and least-liked seasons of the entire franchise.

This makes the great moments of the season feel all the more uneven. That is a shame because the season contains some impressive character sequences that could have made it the best series delivery until that moment.

Mirio Togata is one of the standout characters in the season. His heroic nature, selfless attitude, and bravery are incredible reasons why people thought he would have been a better successor to All Might than Deku. His fight with Overhaul is one of the best moments in the series. It is always a treat to watch, whether in manga or anime.

Another great moment and a particular highlight of the season was Kirishima’s role. Until this moment, the hero, Red Riot, was mostly there for comic relief and being in the background, so his playing a central role here was refreshing.

My Hero Academia suffers from the supporting characters not having a lot of moments to shine (which happened to Ochako Uraraka for most of the season, if we’re sincere), so Kirishima having a great background and a last stand against Rappa was a treat.

However, the best part was everything related to the character of Endeavor. While the now-number-one hero was a minor character until this point, beyond being a crucial part of Shoto Todoroki’s motivations and backstory, here we see the consequences of finally being the number-one hero and how much of a toll that has taken on his family. Endeavor tries to become a better man, but the series doesn’t make everything look alright; his family still struggles to forgive him, and rightfully so. Therefore, it is a strong example of redemption done right without feeling forced or illogical.

The voice acting was great. There is a lot of commitment from the voice actors whenever they have to deliver some fantastic moments, which is one of the most substantial aspects of the series. Endeavor’s voice actor deserves much recognition for his performance in the Prominence Burn part, where he truly captured the hero’s passion and determination.

This is arguably one of the most controversial aspects of the season. While the initial seasons did a fine job capturing the hopeful feel of the initial arcs, Horikoshi started to implement more serious and darker tones in the manga, showing how his art became much more detailed and sophisticated over the years.

However, the anime still has the same approach as previous seasons, which is a bit divisive among the fandom. Also, the animation can be a bit hit and miss, with an example of a hit being the Endeavor fight against the Nomu and a miss being how Mirio’s fight with Overhaul was animated. That is a shame because it seems that the creative staff didn’t have a clear focus for this season, sometimes making these great moments feel like a waste.

In general terms, the animation and the visuals are exemplary. They are not a letdown from previous seasons, but considering some of the arcs that were being adapted, a bit more quality would have been helpful here.

It is hard to disagree with the fans who argue that the fourth season of My Hero Academia was discreet. While it had some great moments, such as the one mentioned in this review, there is no denying that the quality was uneven, and the people at Bones Studio, who have done a great job as a whole with the series, could have done better here. However, in the parts where they did a good job, they knocked it out of the park, which must be recognized.