I’m reminded of the early eighties, when disco records were being burned and smashed, and the musical genre was condemned to stay in the seventies. But as time goes on, our hatred of disco has diminished, so one day there may even be a disco renaissance, and those groovy beats will be back with a vengeance. Everything cycles in and out of popularity. And I feel as if shounen anime have reached the point that they’re back in fashion. The quintessential comic book story has become retro, and doesn’t need to be deconstructed or challenged – when done properly, it can simply exist.
And Hero Academia is one of those shows that manages to make its straightforward story work. I would actually be disappointed if it tried doing something new. Take today’s episode – we all knew Izuku would defeat the obstacle worth zero points, and still manage to get into the Academy. But I enjoyed the ride, even when I could clearly see the destination. I mean, last episode Izuku told us that this is the story of how he becomes the greatest hero ever, so we know where we’re going.
And Hero Academia understands that it’s treading on familiar territory, and lets us in on this awareness. But the show isn’t being self-aware to be clever. I’ve grown tired of shows where pointing out a trope passes for clever writing, or as “deconstruction.” In Hero Academia, the show is simply being honest with us. For instance, I was bothered by the fact that All Might would let Izuku assume he failed, leading him on for a whole week. But All Might makes everything okay, by reminding us that he is a showman, and the point of all this to be entertained. The episode would simply be boring if Izuku didn’t squirm a little. And part of the humor is that Izuku can’t figure out he passed until All Might spells it out for him. We see at least one other character figured it out right away, so it’s not like the audience is super smart – it’s just that Izuku is a little slow.
In short, the delivery of Hero Academia is more impressive than it first appears. Making a copy and paste shounen series may seem easy, and that’s because it is. But to make it entertaining – especially to “snobby” viewers such as myself – is a real achievement. This show is almost like an inverse One Punch Man. While the joy of One Punch Man came from making fun of everything a typical shounen show does, Hero Academia genuinely enjoys all these tropes. What’s wrong with the hero getting recognition, or having a cute female friend right off the bat? What’s wrong with characters that genuinely believe in justice, and just want to make the world a better place?
Hero Academia is playing a dangerous game, by not really innovating at all. I’m not sure how long this game can go on, but so far I’m enjoying the nostalgic experience of watching a Saturday morning cartoon each week. We have heroes and villains, and all the familiar plot points that marked my childhood. I know nostalgia is a bad way to judge TV. But for now Hero Academia is going to get away with paying homage to classic shounen, and I’m going to eagerly await each new episode.
Episode Three Score: 7.8
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