I know. I am behind the eight-ball on this one. It’s easy to be behind when you have a lot going on. We, my husband and I, are catching up on all the recommended anime. So, I am doing something different with this one. I am going to be talking about the stand-outs of the anime and even some of the secondary characters. So, if you’re ready for this, click and keep reading. Keep in mind I am writing this while I am still going through the third season.
It is easy to like the protagonist in this anime. He’s got heart, a LOT of it. He’s inspirational and motivates all around him to be better. To be honest, he reminds of me of Naruto. If you compare the two, they are similar in their personalities. Deku just goes about it in a different way.
Here is a kid born in a world of superheros and quirks (For those reading and not watching the anime, that’s what they named the abilities. Also, why aren’t you watching this?) who was born without a quirk. Since he was young enough to know what a hero was, he wanted to be one, and the way they wrote and acted his heart breaking when he found he was quirkless hit home. You really feel his shock and sadness. Later in his room, you can feel his hopelessness. Yes, I reached for the tissues.
Midoriya is the diligent student. He is selfless and humble. His character is not one dimensional, though. There are a lot of layers there. He is striving to prove to himself so he can be the hero he always dreamed, but he wants all his friends to be the best they can as well.
This leads to his tenacity being an inspiration to his classmates. This is a good dynamic.
He is empathetic to others and tries to help them however he can, whether it be advice or listening. I love how he got to Todoroki and helped him snap out of his rebelliousness towards his father.
He is selfless to a fault, a dangerous one. He is not afraid to injure himself to save others. This has put him in a position where he can possibly lose the use of his arms. He is learning to be more cautious, and I love watching his growth.
He has a mother who has voiced her worry and concern about his being a hero, and I couldn’t love the way they wrote her more. She wants to support him and does, but you can see her raw emotions about how seeing her son being hurt affects her. As a mom, I feel that, too. The episode where she gives him permission to live in dorm is one of my favorites simply because when Midoriya told her not to worry, I said out loud, “That doesn’t work, hun.”
There is something I have noticed about our boy, however. Put your tin-foil hat on for this one. I think he has a quirk, just not a flashy one, and I think he had it BEFORE receiving One for All. I find it rather uncanny that he can rapidly assess any situation and take into account any quirks the adversary has before he acts. I know most of them can do it to a degree but, I can’t help but think the way he mutters to himself and the fast way he adapts is some sort of quirk.
For those of you watching the show or waiting for the next season, think about it for a second. How many times has he identified the situation faster than the other students and came up with a plan? How many times has he muttered to himself and calculated possible outcomes or solutions that worked? I find it uncanny. Do you?
What Don’t I Like?
I know it takes a while for some to find their own stride, but with Midoriya, it seems he just copies others with a twist. I am not saying that isn’t innovative, but I hope he grows out of that. The quirk he was given was not passed so he could be a carbon copy of another hero.
To be fair, when it finally sunk in, after a ton of damage done to his arms, he switched to emulating Iida’s running and kicking style, again with a twist.
I hope the future episodes I can see him further develop All for One in his own style and really shine. I am rooting for him, but if they keep him emulating others with subtle differences, I will be disappointed.
I may actually buy the manga for this one to do deeper dives, but I need to be in a better place financially first.
Until Next Time,
Anissa “Maddy” Walker
House of Geek 