Wouldn’t you know it, not a filler opener! My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1 sees the Hero Association move against Tomura Shigaraki’s forces. Let’s see how well that went in this review!
My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1 Overview
If you haven’t at least heard of My Hero Academia, I hope that the rock that you’re living under provides plenty of space and sunlight for healthy living. My Hero Academia, or Boku No Hero Academia if you want to be all proper about it, is one of the most popular anime going on right now. The series returns to us after what is widely believed to be its weakest season yet, which you can read more about here.
My Hero Academia is based on the manga series of the same name by Kouhei Horikoshi, and the anime is produced by Studio Bones, which is also is also known for working on anime like Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and Mob Psycho, so you know that My Hero Academia is in outstanding company. Season 6 is directed by Kenji Nagasaki and Masahiro Mukai. The episode is also known in original Japanese as Boku no Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1.
– Boku No Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1 Review does not contain spoilers –
My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1 Review- A Fantastic Start
Death, Taxes, and the first episode of a new My Hero Academia season being filler used to be the only three things that were certain in our world. Now? Not so much. Is nothing sacred anymore? Have we shifted timelines? Should a world where the first My Hero episode wasn’t a filler even be allowed to exist? Enough with the jokes, but I can’t emphasize enough how good of a decision this was. Not only did the previous season end at the precipice of war, almost forcing this episode into action straight away, but another filler so soon would have earned the series more negative attention, something it definitely can’t afford right now.
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What the series usually did was reintroduce all the soon-to-be useful characters of the season in a lighthearted manner, usually involving a school activity. However, the series has shifted to a much darker tone this season, which could not go back to the tried and tested. Instead, it crafted a narrative around the same characters that fit very well with the story it was trying to tell, such that even if the episode wasn’t completely canon, it didn’t feel that way. The threat of the Paranormal Liberation Front is palpable, and that engulfs everything in the show.
However, the show’s biggest strength- its characters, were still the main focus and were a big part of what made My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1 great. We got separate individual moments featuring Hawks and Twice, genuinely two of the most likeable characters in the show, alongside Present Mic and Eraserhead. They are seeking retribution for the friend that they lost, as we saw in a very emotional episode from the previous season. This makes the show feel more organic, which has always been its forte.
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Deku and friends were also integrated into this operation seamlessly, as the might of the combined forces of the Shigaraki and Re-Destro seemed to be too much for just the Heroes. It also provides a way to broaden the similarities between Shigaraki and Izuku, which was also a primary focus of My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1, and the previous season as a whole. It is going to be interesting to see how that particular story is told, as there are a lot of moving parts.
The production quality of this episode was fantastic, as it had been before the previous season rolled around. COVID and the obsession with releasing movies in the middle of the production cycle meant that the last arc of the previous season suffered some heavy production casualties. That’s not to say that the same couldn’t happen in this season, but this episode not being filler, alongside the renewed focus towards the narrative that seems to exist now, indicates we are headed towards a revival for the show. I, for one, couldn’t be more excited.
Verdict
My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 1 was a fantastic episode that served as a reintroduction to a lot of Season 5’s plot while still moving the plan forward in the right direction.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!