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僕のヒーローアカデミア [Boku no Hero Academia] #5
僕のヒーローアカデミア 5 [Boku No Hero Academia 5]
トーナメント一回戦の最終試合。爆豪くんは強敵だが、麗日くんも気合が入っていたからな。どちらも健闘してほしいものだ。皆が友であり、ライバル！ 俺も兄さんの様なヒーローに恥じぬ戦いをしないとな！ “Plus Ultra”！！
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2015
449 people are currently reading
7,658 people want to read
About the author
Kohei Horikoshi
272?books2,415?followersHORIKOSHI Kouhei
Name (in native language): 堀越耕平
Associated Names:
Kouhei Horikoshi
Born 1986 in the prefecture Aichi, Horikoshi first attracted attention in the second half of 2006 when he entered Shueisha's 72th Tezuka Award for Newcomers with his one shot "Nukegara" and made it to the final six, where he gained himself an "Honorable Mention".
Various short stories in Shueisha's Akamaru JUMP followed over the years until he published his one shot "Oumagadoki Doubutsuen" in issue #2/2010 of Weekly Shounen JUMP.
Kouhei Horikoshi is a graduate of Nagoya University of Arts. He was previously an assistant to TANAKA Yasuki.
Zodiac: Scorpio
Pixiv:
Name (in native language): 堀越耕平
Associated Names:
Kouhei Horikoshi
Born 1986 in the prefecture Aichi, Horikoshi first attracted attention in the second half of 2006 when he entered Shueisha's 72th Tezuka Award for Newcomers with his one shot "Nukegara" and made it to the final six, where he gained himself an "Honorable Mention".
Various short stories in Shueisha's Akamaru JUMP followed over the years until he published his one shot "Oumagadoki Doubutsuen" in issue #2/2010 of Weekly Shounen JUMP.
Kouhei Horikoshi is a graduate of Nagoya University of Arts. He was previously an assistant to TANAKA Yasuki.
Zodiac: Scorpio
Pixiv:
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January 12, 2023I'm leaving this volume as a hardcore Todoroki stan. That's all you need to know.
01/11/2023 - reread: TODOROKI, YOU'RE EVERYTHING.
01/11/2023 - reread: TODOROKI, YOU'RE EVERYTHING.
April 16, 2018
?those fights were EPIC.
?Midoriya, Bakugo and (the star of this volume) Shoto Todoroki’s character development is what I’m living for right now.
?seems like the plot is getting progressively darker.
?some of the scenes almost made me cry.
?Ochaco and Tenya are the cutest I love
?Midoriya, Bakugo and (the star of this volume) Shoto Todoroki’s character development is what I’m living for right now.
?seems like the plot is getting progressively darker.
?some of the scenes almost made me cry.
?Ochaco and Tenya are the cutest I love
August 4, 2021
That’s it for the U.A. Sports Festival story arc!
I really enjoyed seeing this showcase of powers and getting to know more students than from the one class.
I also loved the particular focus it paid to Shoto Todoroki.
His backstory may not be completely original but when he walked in on his mother saying what she did...THAT was something I hadn’t seen before.
I can’t wait to see the expansion of this plot.
Izuku Midoriya continues his path to becoming the greatest hero of them all… even at the expense of his own health.
His determination and strategic skill is amazing to see as well the small amount of control he’s managed to gain.
The last few chapters started dropping hints towards the next story arc. Looks like there’s gonna be more villain appearances!
I really enjoyed seeing this showcase of powers and getting to know more students than from the one class.
I also loved the particular focus it paid to Shoto Todoroki.
His backstory may not be completely original but when he walked in on his mother saying what she did...THAT was something I hadn’t seen before.
I can’t wait to see the expansion of this plot.
Izuku Midoriya continues his path to becoming the greatest hero of them all… even at the expense of his own health.
His determination and strategic skill is amazing to see as well the small amount of control he’s managed to gain.
The last few chapters started dropping hints towards the next story arc. Looks like there’s gonna be more villain appearances!
January 28, 2018
One of the very few tournament arcs where I wasn't bored to tears (looking at you, Shokugeki no Soma) and as a matter of fact I actually enjoyed it! I'm glad it wasn't overly long and that they already introduced the character who will start up the next arc.
Just have to say though ...
? ... my kokoro ...
Just have to say though ...
? ... my kokoro ...
November 11, 2017
my love for todoroki shoto is so immense I would Die for that boy
March 19, 2018
Hell yeah! Another amazing volume full of thrills, twists and even more impressive character development. What I loved about this tournament arc is how entirely unpredictable it was until the very end, and it served as a great base for getting more familiar with the characters as well as just being an insanely entertaining action romp. It reminded me a lot of Dragon Ball’s earlier Strongest Under The Heavens tournaments, which I hold as the golden standard for all manga tournaments, and I think My Hero Academia even surpassed DB in some ways with this storyline. Get me the next volume asap!
September 9, 2017
Somehow the best on till now. Great fights but also some great feels. All in all this one is hopefully making a change for the better.
May 30, 2023
Creo que la historia de Todoroki va a tocar siempre la fibra sensible, ya quiero leer el momento en el que progrese y se superé.
Deku de verdad necesita encontrar su propio estilo, entiendo que quiera ser como All Might, pero lo que le funciona a uno no necesariamente va a funcionarle a otro.
Deku de verdad necesita encontrar su propio estilo, entiendo que quiera ser como All Might, pero lo que le funciona a uno no necesariamente va a funcionarle a otro.
January 26, 2021
El corazón de Todoroki irá sanando poquito a poquito, hay que darle tiempo... Bakugo cabron ahahahaha hasta para cepillarse los dientes anda enojado y diciendo "SHINEEEE"
December 21, 2015
This volume contained one of my favorite fight scenes in manga this year.
January 26, 2020
By far my favorite of the series so far. Not only does this give Todoroki's back story, but it was also where I first started to respect Bakugo. Despite being an angry boy, this volume showed that there was more to him. I love the character development here.
May 29, 2022
todoroki needs a hug
March 14, 2022
Since I already know so much about the manga from watching the anime and these are almost a 100% carryover, I can confidently say that THIS battle between our little Deku and half-half has got to be one of the VERY best battles in the series.
Always sticking his nose in others' business, Deku is an exemplary hero. It's an awkward comparison, to be sure, but damn if it didn't pull on my heartstrings for all that.
VERY cool.
Always sticking his nose in others' business, Deku is an exemplary hero. It's an awkward comparison, to be sure, but damn if it didn't pull on my heartstrings for all that.
VERY cool.
April 12, 2020
As a fan of the series, I loved the tournament arc. Action packed, lovely illustrations, great character development. I'll highly recommend this to all action fans or anyone wanting to try graphic novels. You won't regret it.
What I Love about My Hero Academia is the ability to develop characters & Shoto Todoroki is one Such Example!
What I Love about My Hero Academia is the ability to develop characters & Shoto Todoroki is one Such Example!
April 25, 2022
todoroki is so badass
March 26, 2018
4.5 stars. I recommend reading this volume with "You Say Run" off the official soundtrack playing on repeat.
My Hero Academia volume 5 - Todoroki Shouto: Origin, aka that volume where, if you're anything like me, Todoroki has likely jumped from being an "eh" character to one of your favorites. Shouto needs *so* many hugs.
"Aiming for the top" and "What it means to be a hero", two of the main themes of the series, are in full focus in this volume. Aiming for the top I mentioned in the previous volume's review. Those who are truly striving to stand at the summit are the ones who will ultimately get there, and in a clash between two equally earnest wills, the results will lay with the technical stuff: whoever is the more skilled will be the winner. This seems to be Horikoshi's motto throughout the tournament, and he sticks by it. For the most part. For the fights he really wanted to write. It's hard to apply this to some of the matchups that got little-to-no development, like Ashido vs. Aoyama, or Yaoyorozu vs. Tokoyami. For the ones that are fleshed out, it fits. Bakugou vs. Uraraka was a definite battle of equally earnest wills (I don't think anyone willing to take so many explosions to the face can be accused of having a shallow will), but
Todoroki vs. Midoriya is...an interesting case. "Interesting" is probably a highly insufficient, almost insulting word to describe such an utterly epic fight, but then again the word "epic" has been used so much over recent years to the point of having lost all significance anyway. Is Izuku's fight with Todoroki a battle of two intense, sheer yearnings to be number one, like with Bakugou and Ochaco? Izuku surely began the Sports Festival with the utmost determination to become Number One, to let the world know that "I am here!" as All Might, the man whom he admires above all else, encouraged him to do so. Yet, by the time of the start of their match, I don't think "aiming for the top" was the motivation for either of them. Aiming for the top was never actually Todoroki's motivation from the very beginning. He didn't care about letting the world know "I am here!" as with Izuku, he didn't care about attracting potential pro heroes to truly jumpstart his hero career as with Ochaco or be able to follow in the footsteps of an admired brother like Iida, he wasn't in it to chase his dreams and grab that thing "you just can't help admiring" like Shinsou, and he certainly didn't care about crushing his opponents to prove absolute superiority as with Bakugou. No, Todoroki's motivation is basically revenge. It's to rub in the face of his hated father his rejection of his inherited quirk. It's really not much better or any more mature than Monoma's motivation (who just wants to be able to show class 1-A up.) Following Horikoshi's insistent theme of "those truly aiming for the top will be the ones to win", he no doubt wouldn't have made it as far as he did if he didn't have the raw skill to back it up (Horikoshi probably dislikes conflicts won by sheer dumb luck).
Now onto Izuku. Despite all of his insistences that he's in the festival to do his best and to win, come the vs. Todoroki fight, I don't think his motivator was "aiming for the top" anymore. No, this is the main protagonist we're talking about now: a kind-hearted boy whose deepest desire has always been to become a great hero like All Might.
"What it means to be a hero." Being a hero is not done by winning school sports fests and garnering popularity. In Horikoshi's world, a world already brimming with heroes, to really be a hero, if All Might is the ultimate indication, is to help those in need with a smile and a simple line: "It's alright now. Why? Because, I am here." It means meddling even when you don't need to be, by those who don't want you to. And that's what Izuku does, because the deepest, main essence of his being is to be a hero, not to stand at the top. And by golly, does he want to help Todoroki.
Todoroki's main characteristic up until now is best described as "aloof". While he's not shy about showing off his Quirk (well, his ice side, anyway), it's safe to say that he's nothing like the showboating, attention whoring person his father is. He doesn't do flashy things to garner attention like Bakugou (well, except to piss off his father, mainly by showing what he's *not* doing), and he very likely isn't the type to say things to garner sympathy. His sharing of his dark childhood and motivations to Izuku isn't to get Izuku to feel sorry for him and throw the fight; if anything, it's Todoroki's awkward way of apologizing to him. "This is how it is, and this is how I feel, and I'm ashamed that I couldn't even keep my own promise to myself (to never use his fire side, which he did during the cavalry battle), and I'm basically using you as a stand in for All Might to piss my dad off, but really, I have nothing against you otherwise." The fact that Izuku would feel UTTER HORROR at being told doesn't seem to be Todoroki's intent; in fact he barely seems to realize the effect he has on Izuku's emotions in speaking with him. If all this didn't flip Izuku's Wanting to be Todoroki's Hero Switch, then I don't know what would. Shortly after the Todoroki vs. Sero fight (volume 4), while everyone else is freaked out at the scale and extent of his ice powers (and pitying Sero), Izuku is focused on how sad Todoroki seemed to him. Just prior to their match, he comes across Endeavor, who mainly just succeeds in reiterating what Todoroki told him of Todoroki essentially only being born as a tool for his father, and it is at this mindset and emotional state that the Midoriya vs. Todoroki fight begins.
So, what is Izuku's main goal right now? From the very beginning, he goes all out, prepared for all the pain using One For All is about to bring him. This is something he's been avoiding since the start of the Sports Festival, has only used once previously in an unconscious moment , and using it without reserve will seriously hamper his chances, Recovery Girl or not, in later matches should he manage to beat Todoroki here. Yet that's what he does: use it without reserve. And goes even *further* beyond that (Plus Ultra! No, that's not how you should be using that phrase, Izuku!), using it to points beyond pain that no sane person or even the most extreme masochist is likely to go. And as he does so, he eggs Todoroki on. He taunts him and sneers at him, saying that unlike him, everyone else is going full out in order to win and attain their dreams, and "your right side looks awfully cold; wouldn't you be able to fix that by using those flames you're repressing?"
Has Izuku suddenly caught the Bakugou bug and decided that he needs to draw out Todoroki's full seriousness in order to win an indisputable first place? Nah, he didn't seem to care much that even the more earnest of his classmates and rivals weren't fighting to win to the point of shedding tears of blood. He sure wasn't eager to let Shinsou get ahold of his mind again in his match with him (which would essentially be letting Shinsou fight at his most serious). Oh, but Todoroki is different, and Todoroki needs to properly unleash the full brunt of his Quirk onto him, because this sports festival is no longer about aiming for the top to Izuku; it's about being the hero for a classmate who can't move forward until he's able to embrace a very big element (literally) of himself. Throughout the entire fight, Izuku doesn't smile once...until he's managed to piss off (read: emotionally move) Todoroki enough for him to use his left (flame) side, full force. Naturally, at this point, this would be the farthest thing that is likely to make anyone hoping to win smile, except maybe someone as crazy as Bakugou.
Going back to "those who are aiming for the top are the ones who get to win", at this point it's inevitable who will be the winner. Izuku has succeeded in his goal of the moment, which was not so much to be number one, but to be the hero that Todoroki needed; unfortunately, he simultaneously lit a fire (heh) under what had always been Todoroki's true motivation in life:
Thus, in the finals, we get . I personally think this is one of the many ways that Horikoshi goes about punishing Bakugou for his younger actions.
"Don't you think you're thinking a leeeetle too deeply about a shounen superhero action tournament fighter arc?" No, not really. I think a lot of the writing is, while maybe not terribly original, quite clever and emotional, and that Horikoshi is good at rearranging old hat tropes into something fun and exciting, and sticking to his themes.
Going back to "What it means to be a hero", undoubtedly a theme that will live at the forefront of the series all the way to the end, it'll continue to be examined in the next arc, as Hero Killer Stain is also introduced in this volume.
My Hero Academia volume 5 - Todoroki Shouto: Origin, aka that volume where, if you're anything like me, Todoroki has likely jumped from being an "eh" character to one of your favorites. Shouto needs *so* many hugs.
"Aiming for the top" and "What it means to be a hero", two of the main themes of the series, are in full focus in this volume. Aiming for the top I mentioned in the previous volume's review. Those who are truly striving to stand at the summit are the ones who will ultimately get there, and in a clash between two equally earnest wills, the results will lay with the technical stuff: whoever is the more skilled will be the winner. This seems to be Horikoshi's motto throughout the tournament, and he sticks by it. For the most part. For the fights he really wanted to write. It's hard to apply this to some of the matchups that got little-to-no development, like Ashido vs. Aoyama, or Yaoyorozu vs. Tokoyami. For the ones that are fleshed out, it fits. Bakugou vs. Uraraka was a definite battle of equally earnest wills (I don't think anyone willing to take so many explosions to the face can be accused of having a shallow will), but
Todoroki vs. Midoriya is...an interesting case. "Interesting" is probably a highly insufficient, almost insulting word to describe such an utterly epic fight, but then again the word "epic" has been used so much over recent years to the point of having lost all significance anyway. Is Izuku's fight with Todoroki a battle of two intense, sheer yearnings to be number one, like with Bakugou and Ochaco? Izuku surely began the Sports Festival with the utmost determination to become Number One, to let the world know that "I am here!" as All Might, the man whom he admires above all else, encouraged him to do so. Yet, by the time of the start of their match, I don't think "aiming for the top" was the motivation for either of them. Aiming for the top was never actually Todoroki's motivation from the very beginning. He didn't care about letting the world know "I am here!" as with Izuku, he didn't care about attracting potential pro heroes to truly jumpstart his hero career as with Ochaco or be able to follow in the footsteps of an admired brother like Iida, he wasn't in it to chase his dreams and grab that thing "you just can't help admiring" like Shinsou, and he certainly didn't care about crushing his opponents to prove absolute superiority as with Bakugou. No, Todoroki's motivation is basically revenge. It's to rub in the face of his hated father his rejection of his inherited quirk. It's really not much better or any more mature than Monoma's motivation (who just wants to be able to show class 1-A up.) Following Horikoshi's insistent theme of "those truly aiming for the top will be the ones to win", he no doubt wouldn't have made it as far as he did if he didn't have the raw skill to back it up (Horikoshi probably dislikes conflicts won by sheer dumb luck).
Now onto Izuku. Despite all of his insistences that he's in the festival to do his best and to win, come the vs. Todoroki fight, I don't think his motivator was "aiming for the top" anymore. No, this is the main protagonist we're talking about now: a kind-hearted boy whose deepest desire has always been to become a great hero like All Might.
"What it means to be a hero." Being a hero is not done by winning school sports fests and garnering popularity. In Horikoshi's world, a world already brimming with heroes, to really be a hero, if All Might is the ultimate indication, is to help those in need with a smile and a simple line: "It's alright now. Why? Because, I am here." It means meddling even when you don't need to be, by those who don't want you to. And that's what Izuku does, because the deepest, main essence of his being is to be a hero, not to stand at the top. And by golly, does he want to help Todoroki.
Todoroki's main characteristic up until now is best described as "aloof". While he's not shy about showing off his Quirk (well, his ice side, anyway), it's safe to say that he's nothing like the showboating, attention whoring person his father is. He doesn't do flashy things to garner attention like Bakugou (well, except to piss off his father, mainly by showing what he's *not* doing), and he very likely isn't the type to say things to garner sympathy. His sharing of his dark childhood and motivations to Izuku isn't to get Izuku to feel sorry for him and throw the fight; if anything, it's Todoroki's awkward way of apologizing to him. "This is how it is, and this is how I feel, and I'm ashamed that I couldn't even keep my own promise to myself (to never use his fire side, which he did during the cavalry battle), and I'm basically using you as a stand in for All Might to piss my dad off, but really, I have nothing against you otherwise." The fact that Izuku would feel UTTER HORROR at being told doesn't seem to be Todoroki's intent; in fact he barely seems to realize the effect he has on Izuku's emotions in speaking with him. If all this didn't flip Izuku's Wanting to be Todoroki's Hero Switch, then I don't know what would. Shortly after the Todoroki vs. Sero fight (volume 4), while everyone else is freaked out at the scale and extent of his ice powers (and pitying Sero), Izuku is focused on how sad Todoroki seemed to him. Just prior to their match, he comes across Endeavor, who mainly just succeeds in reiterating what Todoroki told him of Todoroki essentially only being born as a tool for his father, and it is at this mindset and emotional state that the Midoriya vs. Todoroki fight begins.
So, what is Izuku's main goal right now? From the very beginning, he goes all out, prepared for all the pain using One For All is about to bring him. This is something he's been avoiding since the start of the Sports Festival, has only used once previously in an unconscious moment , and using it without reserve will seriously hamper his chances, Recovery Girl or not, in later matches should he manage to beat Todoroki here. Yet that's what he does: use it without reserve. And goes even *further* beyond that (Plus Ultra! No, that's not how you should be using that phrase, Izuku!), using it to points beyond pain that no sane person or even the most extreme masochist is likely to go. And as he does so, he eggs Todoroki on. He taunts him and sneers at him, saying that unlike him, everyone else is going full out in order to win and attain their dreams, and "your right side looks awfully cold; wouldn't you be able to fix that by using those flames you're repressing?"
Has Izuku suddenly caught the Bakugou bug and decided that he needs to draw out Todoroki's full seriousness in order to win an indisputable first place? Nah, he didn't seem to care much that even the more earnest of his classmates and rivals weren't fighting to win to the point of shedding tears of blood. He sure wasn't eager to let Shinsou get ahold of his mind again in his match with him (which would essentially be letting Shinsou fight at his most serious). Oh, but Todoroki is different, and Todoroki needs to properly unleash the full brunt of his Quirk onto him, because this sports festival is no longer about aiming for the top to Izuku; it's about being the hero for a classmate who can't move forward until he's able to embrace a very big element (literally) of himself. Throughout the entire fight, Izuku doesn't smile once...until he's managed to piss off (read: emotionally move) Todoroki enough for him to use his left (flame) side, full force. Naturally, at this point, this would be the farthest thing that is likely to make anyone hoping to win smile, except maybe someone as crazy as Bakugou.
Going back to "those who are aiming for the top are the ones who get to win", at this point it's inevitable who will be the winner. Izuku has succeeded in his goal of the moment, which was not so much to be number one, but to be the hero that Todoroki needed; unfortunately, he simultaneously lit a fire (heh) under what had always been Todoroki's true motivation in life:
Thus, in the finals, we get . I personally think this is one of the many ways that Horikoshi goes about punishing Bakugou for his younger actions.
"Don't you think you're thinking a leeeetle too deeply about a shounen superhero action tournament fighter arc?" No, not really. I think a lot of the writing is, while maybe not terribly original, quite clever and emotional, and that Horikoshi is good at rearranging old hat tropes into something fun and exciting, and sticking to his themes.
Going back to "What it means to be a hero", undoubtedly a theme that will live at the forefront of the series all the way to the end, it'll continue to be examined in the next arc, as Hero Killer Stain is also introduced in this volume.
January 29, 2023
The end of the Festival arc and we get Todoroki’s backstory! It’s just as tragic here and I love the way these characters develop over the course of the series.
August 23, 2020
4/5 stars
This review contains spoilers.
Volume 5 continues on with the sports festival, with one-on-one battles as the main focus.
While I don’t think My Hero sets out to do anything particularly groundbreaking for its genre, what it does do, it does well. Hirokoshi has set up a really interesting and engaging story, with fantastic world building. I’m consistently in awe of how creative Horikoshi gets with the quirks he’s created, and in particular Uraraka’s quirk is constantly surprising me. At first glance it’s not obvious how a quirk such as hers could be useful in battle, especially against an opponent like Bakugo, but she held her own really well. As for Deku and his quirk, something inside me always cringes whenever he uses his quirk to the highest level, but now that that is no longer a feasible option for him I’m really interested to see how he’ll overcome this hurdle. As for Deku and Todoroki’s battle, those were some of my favourite scenes, I think Horikoshi is fantastic with his action sequences, and the underlying drama taking place during the fight was great too. Deku really succeeded in pulling out Todoroki’s suppressed emotions, and I sincerely believe he’s one of the few people capable of such a feat given how genuine his desire to see others succeed is. We get briefly introduced to a new villain in this volume, and he looks super creepy and I am very much looking forward to seeing what sort of role he plays in the story. Also, Bakugo at the end of this volume, absolutely hilarious.
| | |
This review contains spoilers.
Volume 5 continues on with the sports festival, with one-on-one battles as the main focus.
While I don’t think My Hero sets out to do anything particularly groundbreaking for its genre, what it does do, it does well. Hirokoshi has set up a really interesting and engaging story, with fantastic world building. I’m consistently in awe of how creative Horikoshi gets with the quirks he’s created, and in particular Uraraka’s quirk is constantly surprising me. At first glance it’s not obvious how a quirk such as hers could be useful in battle, especially against an opponent like Bakugo, but she held her own really well. As for Deku and his quirk, something inside me always cringes whenever he uses his quirk to the highest level, but now that that is no longer a feasible option for him I’m really interested to see how he’ll overcome this hurdle. As for Deku and Todoroki’s battle, those were some of my favourite scenes, I think Horikoshi is fantastic with his action sequences, and the underlying drama taking place during the fight was great too. Deku really succeeded in pulling out Todoroki’s suppressed emotions, and I sincerely believe he’s one of the few people capable of such a feat given how genuine his desire to see others succeed is. We get briefly introduced to a new villain in this volume, and he looks super creepy and I am very much looking forward to seeing what sort of role he plays in the story. Also, Bakugo at the end of this volume, absolutely hilarious.
| | |
August 17, 2024
I love this cover! And Todoroki is so much like Zuko it’s insane and I love him. But even with their similarities they’re also very different, so I’m excited to get to know him better.
I’m also so proud of Deku giving his all to help Todoroki accept himself fully and standing up to Todoroki’s idiot of a dad? Totally slay, he’s awesome! And poor Ida, I feel so bad for him right now, and that creepy Hero Killer? *shudder* NOT looking forward to seeing more of him.
Also Bakugo needs to take a chill pill, seriously. ?
Another great volume!
??Content??
Language: gah; freaking; hell; darn it; bastard; crap; dammit; pissing; what the; damn; heck; damned; half-assed
Violence: injuries and blood (PG-PG-13); fighting with weapons, superpowers, and hand to hand (PG-PG-13); broken fingers and arm (PG-13); a guy licks his bloody blade (PG-13)
Sexual: a teen guy is a pervert; a girl’s shirt opens in the front all the down to her stomach; girls in bikinis; shirtless guys
Other: superheroes/supervillains/superpowers; explosions; an abusive father; a gross looking monster like dude; a character is chained up and muzzled
I’m also so proud of Deku giving his all to help Todoroki accept himself fully and standing up to Todoroki’s idiot of a dad? Totally slay, he’s awesome! And poor Ida, I feel so bad for him right now, and that creepy Hero Killer? *shudder* NOT looking forward to seeing more of him.
Also Bakugo needs to take a chill pill, seriously. ?
Another great volume!
??Content??
Language: gah; freaking; hell; darn it; bastard; crap; dammit; pissing; what the; damn; heck; damned; half-assed
Violence: injuries and blood (PG-PG-13); fighting with weapons, superpowers, and hand to hand (PG-PG-13); broken fingers and arm (PG-13); a guy licks his bloody blade (PG-13)
Sexual: a teen guy is a pervert; a girl’s shirt opens in the front all the down to her stomach; girls in bikinis; shirtless guys
Other: superheroes/supervillains/superpowers; explosions; an abusive father; a gross looking monster like dude; a character is chained up and muzzled
September 11, 2022
Pre-review: I admit I first read some super cute boy's love fanfics about this series first before I got to the story canon! ???
My thoughts:
So there are only 8 students left in the sports contest! It's the strong v.s. the strong, no holding back if you really want to win!
However, I like that the contest isn't entirely focused on winning. The importance of stepping out from past trauma and focusing on what really matters is highlighted. Finding your way and being yourself is also highlighted, I like that!
When Shoto said to his estranged father:" I forgot all about you.", I think it's a good start for the boy!
PS: But isn't it a bit dangerous for the students in a professional hero training school when their faces and names were broadcasted for the whole country to see? Wouldn't the villains get the information and target the students and their families?
Being the cinnamon roll that he is, Izuku is the cutest!!
My thoughts:
So there are only 8 students left in the sports contest! It's the strong v.s. the strong, no holding back if you really want to win!
However, I like that the contest isn't entirely focused on winning. The importance of stepping out from past trauma and focusing on what really matters is highlighted. Finding your way and being yourself is also highlighted, I like that!
When Shoto said to his estranged father:" I forgot all about you.", I think it's a good start for the boy!
PS: But isn't it a bit dangerous for the students in a professional hero training school when their faces and names were broadcasted for the whole country to see? Wouldn't the villains get the information and target the students and their families?
Being the cinnamon roll that he is, Izuku is the cutest!!
July 22, 2019
Probably the best so far. The end of the tournament was great and really develop and get us attach to new character. I personally really like Todoroki and have I expectation for him. The next one looking to be more villain based so that's good because as much as I like the ending of the tournament, good old heroes vs villains is going to be great! Love it!
June 2, 2023
watched the first 2 seasons of the anime last month and quick read the next few volumes!
November 8, 2024
So, villains attacked the school, caused a lot of property damage, and endangered the lives of all the students. What is the logical step that should happen next? The parents being very worried about the lives of their children? The media accusing the academy of not doing a good job? The criminals that were captured going through interrogation so they will reveal the location of the hideout of those who have escaped? The answer is, a school festival. Go home, people, ignore everything that just happened and move to the next thing. This is what Horikoshit will be doing all the time. All the nasty bits will be ignored and all the interesting plot points will be forgotten for hundreds of chapters, in favor of more school activities.
This is where the manga blew up in popularity, because the school festival was presented as a tournament arc, something which every shonentard loves to read about. And if that sounds less exciting than what happened a few pages ago when villains attacked and almost killed everyone, remember, it’s all about moral relativism. It’s what the narrative tells you and not what you are supposed to be thinking. There is a huge audience at the school festival, there was no audience during the villain attack. Everyone is cheering the students at the school festival, nobody was cheering the students during the villain attack. And that is why this tensionless arc comes off as more important than the life or death situation of the previous arc.
Bakugo proclaims he will win in this festival and he does so, instantly becoming the most popular character in the series. It doesn’t matter if he’s being completely disrespectful to the other students, or not heroic at all with this attitude, or torturing children in broad daylight. What matters is that he is a badass, and he’s not afraid to be rude, and he won, and everyone cheers for him. Because fighting shonen are empowerment fantasies. They are tickling the audience’s desire to be the winner, the most famous and the most powerful. They are not about telling you becoming a wage slave that nobody knows if you exist, somehow makes you the greatest hero.
Which is why Deku failing to be number 1 in this festival despite being the protagonist is not some sort of subversion, as every dickrider was yapping about at the time. Deku didn’t lose anything since it was just an unimportant school festival and he still used the power of friendship on Todoroki, which was more important than getting a participation trophy. Plus we are told he wins at the end, so it’s not like we were made to think he would remain a loser forever. Which was a lie, because he was a loser at the end, but that is what we were told to expect.
What was also bullshit was how he was very stressed out by how everyone antagonized him for doing well at the festival. That was supposed to make him relatable to the audience since being strong meant fierce competition and anxiety, just like in school or workforce. What the audience was overlooking because the narrative wasn’t pointing it out was that Deku was cheating the whole time. While everyone else was competing fair and square with the powers he was born with, he wasn’t using his powers. He was using a quirk that was given to him and which gave him a tremendous advantage over everyone else. It was essentially doping, let’s not pretend it was something else. Every sport competition has banned steroids because they were giving an unfair advantage to anyone using them over anyone who wasn’t using them. Plus they are destroying your body in the long-term. And what is One For All if not the greatest of steroids? It gives you a tremendous advantage and it destroys your body. And remember, just like every athlete who used doping in competition, Deku was keeping it a secret. He wasn’t telling anyone he was using steroids.
This is where moral relativism popped up again, with every fanboy excusing it as if it was fine to be given the opportunity to compete with the other athletes. That is was everyone caught using steroids are saying. I was only doing it to be given a fair advantage. Yes, by lying, cheating, breaking the rules, and hiding the truth. So to hell with Deku and anyone who found him relatable in this event because of anxiety. He was cheating, he wasn’t even supposed to be there. Who cares if it was stressful?
It feels even more of a scam when there are students that literally dropped out on their own in the final event because they didn’t find it fair to be there after they were brainwashed or immobilized. These people gave up on their chance to win out of proper etiquette. And Deku was standing there, cheating all the way, and he said nothing. What kind of a hero would do that? It is once again proven that anyone who identified with Deku was no different from the cripple and the queers who want to cheat their way to success just because they think they deserve it. Gee, I wonder why did the manga attract so many people. Well screw them and screw Deku.
Also it’s not like the winners got something out of all this fuss. Despite constantly saying they are going to get a lot of job opportunities in the future that way, we never see it. Because that’s what Horikoshit does, never using his plot threads properly. Therefore plot-wise this arc didn’t have any plot significance. It was an excuse to show the students rivaling each other and expositioning their backdrops, but it otherwise had no continuity with what happens immediately after. You can’t even say it was a good set up for things to come, because aside from Todoroki the rest of the students never played any part and their backdrops meant nothing.
Also can you fanboys shut the hell up about this stupid manga subverting gender roles? There are hundreds of articles out there about Deku breaking the mold of boys don’t cry or girls not being platonic girlfriends because they have agency. Uraraka in specific was the poster child of a strong and dynamic female character. She is not useless like Sakura and she has her own goals. This manga has done absolutely nothing different with its female characters. They are all constantly sexualized and they are all there as fuel for shipping wars. Uraraka included. Her goal to make money for her family was eventually replaced with nothing more than her being Deku’s fangirl. And I won’t even call her a girlfriend because as the ending proved, Deku was just an unmarried wage slave.
This is where the manga blew up in popularity, because the school festival was presented as a tournament arc, something which every shonentard loves to read about. And if that sounds less exciting than what happened a few pages ago when villains attacked and almost killed everyone, remember, it’s all about moral relativism. It’s what the narrative tells you and not what you are supposed to be thinking. There is a huge audience at the school festival, there was no audience during the villain attack. Everyone is cheering the students at the school festival, nobody was cheering the students during the villain attack. And that is why this tensionless arc comes off as more important than the life or death situation of the previous arc.
Bakugo proclaims he will win in this festival and he does so, instantly becoming the most popular character in the series. It doesn’t matter if he’s being completely disrespectful to the other students, or not heroic at all with this attitude, or torturing children in broad daylight. What matters is that he is a badass, and he’s not afraid to be rude, and he won, and everyone cheers for him. Because fighting shonen are empowerment fantasies. They are tickling the audience’s desire to be the winner, the most famous and the most powerful. They are not about telling you becoming a wage slave that nobody knows if you exist, somehow makes you the greatest hero.
Which is why Deku failing to be number 1 in this festival despite being the protagonist is not some sort of subversion, as every dickrider was yapping about at the time. Deku didn’t lose anything since it was just an unimportant school festival and he still used the power of friendship on Todoroki, which was more important than getting a participation trophy. Plus we are told he wins at the end, so it’s not like we were made to think he would remain a loser forever. Which was a lie, because he was a loser at the end, but that is what we were told to expect.
What was also bullshit was how he was very stressed out by how everyone antagonized him for doing well at the festival. That was supposed to make him relatable to the audience since being strong meant fierce competition and anxiety, just like in school or workforce. What the audience was overlooking because the narrative wasn’t pointing it out was that Deku was cheating the whole time. While everyone else was competing fair and square with the powers he was born with, he wasn’t using his powers. He was using a quirk that was given to him and which gave him a tremendous advantage over everyone else. It was essentially doping, let’s not pretend it was something else. Every sport competition has banned steroids because they were giving an unfair advantage to anyone using them over anyone who wasn’t using them. Plus they are destroying your body in the long-term. And what is One For All if not the greatest of steroids? It gives you a tremendous advantage and it destroys your body. And remember, just like every athlete who used doping in competition, Deku was keeping it a secret. He wasn’t telling anyone he was using steroids.
This is where moral relativism popped up again, with every fanboy excusing it as if it was fine to be given the opportunity to compete with the other athletes. That is was everyone caught using steroids are saying. I was only doing it to be given a fair advantage. Yes, by lying, cheating, breaking the rules, and hiding the truth. So to hell with Deku and anyone who found him relatable in this event because of anxiety. He was cheating, he wasn’t even supposed to be there. Who cares if it was stressful?
It feels even more of a scam when there are students that literally dropped out on their own in the final event because they didn’t find it fair to be there after they were brainwashed or immobilized. These people gave up on their chance to win out of proper etiquette. And Deku was standing there, cheating all the way, and he said nothing. What kind of a hero would do that? It is once again proven that anyone who identified with Deku was no different from the cripple and the queers who want to cheat their way to success just because they think they deserve it. Gee, I wonder why did the manga attract so many people. Well screw them and screw Deku.
Also it’s not like the winners got something out of all this fuss. Despite constantly saying they are going to get a lot of job opportunities in the future that way, we never see it. Because that’s what Horikoshit does, never using his plot threads properly. Therefore plot-wise this arc didn’t have any plot significance. It was an excuse to show the students rivaling each other and expositioning their backdrops, but it otherwise had no continuity with what happens immediately after. You can’t even say it was a good set up for things to come, because aside from Todoroki the rest of the students never played any part and their backdrops meant nothing.
Also can you fanboys shut the hell up about this stupid manga subverting gender roles? There are hundreds of articles out there about Deku breaking the mold of boys don’t cry or girls not being platonic girlfriends because they have agency. Uraraka in specific was the poster child of a strong and dynamic female character. She is not useless like Sakura and she has her own goals. This manga has done absolutely nothing different with its female characters. They are all constantly sexualized and they are all there as fuel for shipping wars. Uraraka included. Her goal to make money for her family was eventually replaced with nothing more than her being Deku’s fangirl. And I won’t even call her a girlfriend because as the ending proved, Deku was just an unmarried wage slave.
January 24, 2019
With this volume we get a rather satisfactory conclusion to the U.A. Sports Festival (...although Bakugo might say otherwise ;D)
I really loved this volume! It was great to get to learn more about the quirks of the competitors still remaining in the tournament, and seeing more of their fighting techniques. The focus on Todoroki (and his background) as a sort of "side plot" throughout this volume was also very much appreciated, though I definitely feel there is still so much more to come from this character...
And the "comic relief" from a rather... pissed off... Bakugo was GREAT. He's probably my favourite character of this manga so far - he's violent and rude and snarky and just... the sort of person you would probably hate if you met them IRL... but he has some serious depth to him, and you have to admire his tenacity and his need to win against opponents who are giving it their all in a fair match up. And I swear, his face would make small children cry so I'm really hoping that I'll get to see him doing hero work in public at some point because I really want to know how that will go... XD
Chapter notes below for reference:
I really loved this volume! It was great to get to learn more about the quirks of the competitors still remaining in the tournament, and seeing more of their fighting techniques. The focus on Todoroki (and his background) as a sort of "side plot" throughout this volume was also very much appreciated, though I definitely feel there is still so much more to come from this character...
And the "comic relief" from a rather... pissed off... Bakugo was GREAT. He's probably my favourite character of this manga so far - he's violent and rude and snarky and just... the sort of person you would probably hate if you met them IRL... but he has some serious depth to him, and you have to admire his tenacity and his need to win against opponents who are giving it their all in a fair match up. And I swear, his face would make small children cry so I'm really hoping that I'll get to see him doing hero work in public at some point because I really want to know how that will go... XD
Chapter notes below for reference:
March 5, 2021
Questo volume è sicuramente più avvincente di quello che lo precede ed è anche il primo che mostra qualcosa in più rispetto all'anime che ne è stato tratto.
Il fatto che questo volume sia migliore del precedente, credo derivi semplicemente dal fatto che gli scontri tra gli avversari in questo volume sia più spettacolari rispetto ai precedenti e al fatto che agli effetti scenici, sia unita maggiore tecnica (mi riferisco a quella dei personaggi nel combattimento).
Il fatto che questo volume sia migliore del precedente, credo derivi semplicemente dal fatto che gli scontri tra gli avversari in questo volume sia più spettacolari rispetto ai precedenti e al fatto che agli effetti scenici, sia unita maggiore tecnica (mi riferisco a quella dei personaggi nel combattimento).
March 24, 2023
Shoto Todoroki's origin story had me in literal tears. This fire-and-ice boy is so precious!
I can't--
I can't--
December 13, 2018
Kohei Horikoshi and the assistants, back at it again with another FANTASTIC volume!!! This series just gets my heart racing and feeling good so much more than any other series out there!! It really pissed me off when my (ex)friend said they didn't like the series when they watched the anime, because the manga is so good!!! All the exclamation points!!!!!!!!!
This series just gets me so hype because it's so good and I love it so much. The characters slay me and the story slays me and the fights slay me and the art OBLITERATES MEEEEEEEEEE. Everytime I read this series I can't get over how much I love the art. It just hits me in all the right spots. Especially the fully-coloured chapter covers, holy shit.
The one for chapter 44 with Bakugo on it (shown above), just, holy shit. I don't even know what words to describe it. I just had to stare at it for a good few minutes. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. *Edit:* This has the exact same effect on me every time I see it.... Wow.
So yeah I guess this series is pretty good and I guess you get it, right? But, I do have a gripe about this volume. It has nothing to do with the story itself so it's not enough to affect my feelings towards that, but it's about the technicalities of the manga.
A looootttt of times I can't tell who's talking, which is very annoying. There'll be text bubbles with words, but beats me because I don't know who's sayin' em. A lot of times there'll be no indent or spoke of any kind to indicate who the hell the bubble belongs to. So. Annoying!!! Also there were different types of bubbles that are different types of dialogue, which was confusing until I figured it out.
For future reference:
Other than those technicalities, 10/10. Unique characters, unique powers, awesome fights, and gorgeous art. My Hero Academia is a fresh new addition to the shonen genre.
Please consider giving this review a "Like" if you've made it this far, it helps me out a lot! And follow me if you want more!
This series just gets me so hype because it's so good and I love it so much. The characters slay me and the story slays me and the fights slay me and the art OBLITERATES MEEEEEEEEEE. Everytime I read this series I can't get over how much I love the art. It just hits me in all the right spots. Especially the fully-coloured chapter covers, holy shit.
The one for chapter 44 with Bakugo on it (shown above), just, holy shit. I don't even know what words to describe it. I just had to stare at it for a good few minutes. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. *Edit:* This has the exact same effect on me every time I see it.... Wow.
So yeah I guess this series is pretty good and I guess you get it, right? But, I do have a gripe about this volume. It has nothing to do with the story itself so it's not enough to affect my feelings towards that, but it's about the technicalities of the manga.
A looootttt of times I can't tell who's talking, which is very annoying. There'll be text bubbles with words, but beats me because I don't know who's sayin' em. A lot of times there'll be no indent or spoke of any kind to indicate who the hell the bubble belongs to. So. Annoying!!! Also there were different types of bubbles that are different types of dialogue, which was confusing until I figured it out.
For future reference:
? The bubbles with black spikes protruding all around them are a character recalling past dialogue. It is NOT their own thoughts which is how it is in other manga, which was very confusing.
? Internal thoughts are represented by floating bubble-less text and belong to the character in the panel in which the text first appears, and continues to belong to that character until the thought ends, even if the text is shown on top of another character.
? Square "bubbles" are the future Izuku narrating the story.
Other than those technicalities, 10/10. Unique characters, unique powers, awesome fights, and gorgeous art. My Hero Academia is a fresh new addition to the shonen genre.
Please consider giving this review a "Like" if you've made it this far, it helps me out a lot! And follow me if you want more!
Read all of my My Hero Academia Reviews:
? Volumes 1-10: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5* | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
? Volumes 11-20
? My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
*Current review
October 1, 2018
For more reviews and bookish content:
This is the best tournament arc I've ever seen done in a shonen series that wasn't sports based. I had almost forgotten that you COULD do a tournament arc without it being interrupted by villains or some other nonsense. Horikoshi does in two volumes what several series can't manage in five.
We get to see more of the one on one battles here. The action is packed and the art is stunning. There is a huge cast of characters, and Horikoshi gives them all a bit of spotlight to develop. We see Uraraka fight Bakugo. We've never had a chance to see her in a serious fight before and it's cool to see how versatile her quirk can be if she puts her mind to it. There's a good look into Bakugo's personality here too, but the main focus of this volume is undoubtedly Todoroki.
We get the classic tournament arc flashbacks and see his tragic backstory. This volume is definitely the one that rocketed him into fangirls hearts. There's nothing like a tragic childhood and a terrible scar to win girls over. Horikoshi took a character that seems a little flat/cold and gave him amazing depth.
The final big blowout between Todoroki and Bakugo, Class 1-A's heavy hitters, is exactly as exciting as you imagine it would be. The ending is a shock, and how? the winner takes his victory says a lot about him.
Compared to some of the previous arcs this one is relatively low stakes, but it's a lot of fun.?My Hero Academia seems to know how to balance the serious villain battles with regular high school arcs. It gives the series a great balance between drama and comedy. More importantly it's the arcs like this one that let us get invested in the characters. It's a lot easier to get readers worried when you get them this attached to the characters.
This is the best tournament arc I've ever seen done in a shonen series that wasn't sports based. I had almost forgotten that you COULD do a tournament arc without it being interrupted by villains or some other nonsense. Horikoshi does in two volumes what several series can't manage in five.
We get to see more of the one on one battles here. The action is packed and the art is stunning. There is a huge cast of characters, and Horikoshi gives them all a bit of spotlight to develop. We see Uraraka fight Bakugo. We've never had a chance to see her in a serious fight before and it's cool to see how versatile her quirk can be if she puts her mind to it. There's a good look into Bakugo's personality here too, but the main focus of this volume is undoubtedly Todoroki.
We get the classic tournament arc flashbacks and see his tragic backstory. This volume is definitely the one that rocketed him into fangirls hearts. There's nothing like a tragic childhood and a terrible scar to win girls over. Horikoshi took a character that seems a little flat/cold and gave him amazing depth.
The final big blowout between Todoroki and Bakugo, Class 1-A's heavy hitters, is exactly as exciting as you imagine it would be. The ending is a shock, and how? the winner takes his victory says a lot about him.
Compared to some of the previous arcs this one is relatively low stakes, but it's a lot of fun.?My Hero Academia seems to know how to balance the serious villain battles with regular high school arcs. It gives the series a great balance between drama and comedy. More importantly it's the arcs like this one that let us get invested in the characters. It's a lot easier to get readers worried when you get them this attached to the characters.
September 15, 2017
Every time I finish a volume of this series I want to say 'YES, THIS ONE IS MY FAVOURITE!' because every chapter and every page is so brilliant I want to scream it from the rooftops! Ah!
There's SO MUCH Bakugo in this volume which is great!! His character is crazy and I just want to tell him to chill for a second, but I really hope we get to see him in a more fragile manner because right now you can see the look in the teachers' eyes like 'damn this kid could be a villain instead of a hero' so c'mon Bakugo, tone it down a notch!
I have one thing to say that sums up basically all my feelings for this volume:
YES, TODOROKI, YESSSSSSSS!
My precious son is making friends I'm so happy :') the beginning of a great friendship with Todoroki and Midoriya is forming and I'm HERE.FOR.IT. I love those boys, my sweet babies :')
USE THAT RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR BODY TODOROKI. MAKE YOUR POWER YOUR OWN. PLUS ULTRA.
Midoriya needs to be protected at all costs, how can someone be so pure? Even though he wants to be No.1 he's not afraid at all to push his friends to be their best self and to try hard even though it might mean jeopardising his own victory. So selfless, so wonderful, he's my favourite kind of main character to read about (and he reminds me a lot of Hinata from Haikyu!!), I love ya Midoriya!
So now the sports event is over we have A LOT to deal with. Ida's brother, the Hero Killer dude, the League of Villains and on top of that, Hero School itself and all the stress that comes with that!
Good luck to them!
There's SO MUCH Bakugo in this volume which is great!! His character is crazy and I just want to tell him to chill for a second, but I really hope we get to see him in a more fragile manner because right now you can see the look in the teachers' eyes like 'damn this kid could be a villain instead of a hero' so c'mon Bakugo, tone it down a notch!
I have one thing to say that sums up basically all my feelings for this volume:
YES, TODOROKI, YESSSSSSSS!
My precious son is making friends I'm so happy :') the beginning of a great friendship with Todoroki and Midoriya is forming and I'm HERE.FOR.IT. I love those boys, my sweet babies :')
USE THAT RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR BODY TODOROKI. MAKE YOUR POWER YOUR OWN. PLUS ULTRA.
Midoriya needs to be protected at all costs, how can someone be so pure? Even though he wants to be No.1 he's not afraid at all to push his friends to be their best self and to try hard even though it might mean jeopardising his own victory. So selfless, so wonderful, he's my favourite kind of main character to read about (and he reminds me a lot of Hinata from Haikyu!!), I love ya Midoriya!
So now the sports event is over we have A LOT to deal with. Ida's brother, the Hero Killer dude, the League of Villains and on top of that, Hero School itself and all the stress that comes with that!
Good luck to them!
May 2, 2020
My Hero Academia is by no doubt my currently favourite shounen/action series, no matter if the anime or the manga, I love both! I am quite behind when it comes to the manga, but like this, I can re-experience the series again, and I really enjoy that! This manga volume, in particular, is probably one of my absolute favourites! I really like the UA tournament arc, and this volume especially focuses on my personal favourite character, Todoroki Shouto. We learn more about his past, about his quirk, and why he behaves the way he does. We also witness, how Midoriya Izuku influences his classmate and can see the first cracks in Shouto's cold surface, letting his hot temper sizzle through. Already knowing, how his character will develop from here on, reading this got me really excited and let me re-experience all the pain I felt with and for Shouto when I first watched this anime arc, all over again. Oh, how much I am looking forward now to catch up with this series! I got so excited about this series all over! If you like shounen manga and if you like superheroes, definitely check out this series, please!
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