My Hero Academia

“Season Six”

As mentioned before, the fourth and fifth seasons of My Hero Academia have often been criticized for not fully living up to the source material or simply being forced to adapt portions of the series that could have been more exciting. This has led to many people claiming that the series lost momentum during those two seasons, which can be both true and unfair, although the same cannot be said for the sixth season.

While some people haven’t enjoyed it, the sixth season feels like a return to form and an attempt to try something different, which was much needed for this series. The sixth season of My Hero Academia feels fresher and ups the stakes, which adds a lot more to the relevance and importance of this series.

Thanks to Hawks’ work as a double agent for the League of Villains, the heroes now have information regarding their whereabouts, which kicks off a full-blown war between both sides. This season also sees the entire rise of Tomura Shigaraki as the main antagonist, and there are also some significant revelations by the character of Dabi that shake the world of Endeavor and the rest of the Todoroki family.

Meanwhile, Deku is revealed to the world as the new user of the One for All Quirk, thus becoming a significant target for the vast majority of villains across the globe. Therefore, he leaves UA and goes solo, starting the manga's famous “Deku Vigilante” arc.

Manga author Kohei Horikoshi has had an exciting evolution with My Hero Academia. While initially a very hopeful and a bit cliché interpretation of the concept of superheroes and an academy for teenagers with powers, the series has slowly moved toward a much more serious and darker tone. While characters such as Stain and Overhaul, with their respective arcs, showed such inclinations, it can be argued that the sixth season of the anime shows this approach coming to fruition.

This season's biggest problem is not the characterization or the animation but rather the pacing. This, however, was also a problem in the manga: some of the most significant parts of the arc flow very quickly, which often hurts what Horikoshi is trying to convey. This is unfortunate because there is some fascinating stuff in this part of the series.

For example, the whole “Deku Vigilante” arc was an exciting move for the character. It’s no secret that Izuku Midoriya has been the focal point for criticism over the years as a protagonist of My Hero Academia, and while some of those critics have been warranted and others not so much, giving him this period outside of UA was a healthy change. It gave Deku a much more explicit reality check of how things work in the world of superheroes and how he is now a primary target because of the power he inherited from All Might.

This is good as it shows a change in the protagonist’s status quo. However, due to the pacing problems that the season has, it feels like it ends very prematurely, which lessens the impact of this period on Deku’s character. Also, the final resolution feels forced, with the character just talking it out and joining once again. I'm not saying that he should get aggressive and fight people, but rather show a bit more resistance to coming back because of how he would endanger others.

The best part of the season was the entire drama surrounding the Todoroki family. The character of Endeavor has arguably been the best constructed in the whole series. This doesn’t mean that he is a good man or that everything he does should be ignored, but his layers and conflicts with his family make it very realistic and exciting to watch unfold. All of this, which has been building up for six seasons, came into full fruition with the character of Dabi.

Fans had long suspected Dabi to be Endeavor's oldest son. However, the series made it shocking and impactful with the character’s mental breakdown, the exposure of his father’s sins to the world, and even showing how much he wants to kill Shoto out of pure spite. It is disturbing and shows how far gone he is, which was the season's best moment.

As mentioned in reviews of previous seasons, this has been one of the most vital elements of the series. The voice acting and the soundtrack perfectly capture the feel and emotions that the story is trying to convey, which has gotten even better over the years, so that is something worth considering.

Previous reviews mentioned how the anime struggled to adapt the darker, more detailed aspects of Horikoshi’s story from the manga. In that regard, it has to be said that the sixth season shows Bones Studio pushing the envelope and trying something different in several moments, which is a welcomed addition to the project.

The season looks outstanding, and the best moments are captured with high-quality animation, making it a treat to watch. While there might be a moment here and there that looks dubious, the animation for this season sticks to the landing, which is always the most important thing.

The sixth season of My Hero Academia feels like a return to form for the franchise. It captures some of the arc's most critical moments, adapts expertly, and flows well. The only major issue that it had was the pacing, which is something that is down to the manga. However, it was an enjoyable experience.