My Hero Academia - Season 4

My Hero Academia is a Japanese anime created by the animation studio Bones and based on the manga of the same name by Kohei Horikoshi. The review of season four of the hugely popular anime My Hero Academia is here! The anime, based on Kōhei Horikoshi's manga series of the same name, is packed with great storylines again this season. From the Shie Hassaikai Arc to the Pro Hero Arc, all condensed into 24 episodes.

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Season four continues the Shie Hassaikai arc that began in season three. In this arc, we follow the students of class 1-A as they learn more about the Hero Work-Studies. During this internship (so to speak) they are guided by real heroes and they gain real experience in the field. During his internship, Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita, Psycho-Pass) takes on the "Big 3" of U.A. against the Yakuza group, the Shie Hassaikai. The heroes must stop them from making a Quirk-destroying drug.

Also in season four, we see the Remedial Course Arc, the U.A. School Festival Arc and briefly the Pro Hero Arc. In this, we follow, among others, Katsuki Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto, Blue Exorcist) and Shoto Todoroki (Yuki Kaji, Attack on Titan) as they follow a special 'Hero License course' to obtain their Hero License. We also see how U.A. organizes a festival that is threatened by two bad guys, and how the beginning of the Pro Hero Arc is revealed, in which the new 'Hero ranking' is announced, with all its consequences. All in all, a season full of fun, but also important storylines.



Season four builds on what was established in season three. The first half in particular shows rapid progress and epic moments that are later exchanged for a more relaxed pace. This made the season both entertaining and impactful. We see how the world is dealing with All Might's (Kenta Miyake, One Piece) retirement and which bad groups are emerging from the shadows.

Overhaul shows why he should be considered a

This is the darkest season yet, not bad considering it's part of the 'Rise of Villains' saga. The first half of the season's antagonist, Overhaul (Kenjiro Tsuda, Attack on Titan), shows why he should be considered a "supervillain" through his idiosyncratic and disturbing actions. His accomplices aren't much better. It is therefore understandable that an army of superheroes is needed to put an end to this group. But unfortunately the motto 'you win some, you lose some' still applies, and we see that in this season as well.

After the epic battles and most violent confrontations seen in the first half of the season, the story settles down a bit. The pace slows down and the story becomes a bit lighter and more emotional. The story continues in a beautiful, if sometimes somewhat unclear way. There are some touching moments that get extra power thanks to the stylish animation, beautiful soundtrack and good acting. But it doesn't end there.



Season four concludes with the Pro Hero Arc, which features an epic scene that makes the entire season worth watching. Episode 88 combines beautiful animation, a fitting soundtrack and excellent voice acting in two minutes, similar to episode 49. Studio Bones deserves credit for creating these distinctive, spectacular moments that make this anime stand out above the rest.

All in all, season four is a well-executed follow-up to season three. The epic moments of the first half, combined with the quieter and sometimes emotional moments of the second half, ultimately make this a great season. The difference in pace took some getting used to, but was definitely worth it. I'm very curious if season five can continue this trend. We shall see.