VIGILANTE: BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA ILLEGALS

DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

MANGA ActionBoku no Hero Academia
ANIME ActionVigilante: Boku no Hero Academia ILLEGALS

REVIEWS

• 

  OblivionTBH

  100/100
  Living proof that spin-off's are always capable of overtaking their main series

  My introduction to this series was an uncertain one, I originally found out about this when I was just a lone anime-only, with what I had consumed of My Hero Academia being just being the first 5 seasons, and while it was a cool series, it wasn't anything to write home about. Then later on in life, I joined a Discord server with some people I knew from AniList, and met someone there who was a gigantic fan of MHA, and after talking about it a lot I decided to read the rest of the MHA manga from where season 5 ended, commentating my journey to this person - now with the side quest of finally getting around to reading this series, because it did seem interesting, as soon as I caught up to the main series. Then this happened, and I read the first chapters of this digitally, in which it struck a cord within me, and a few days later when I went to the manga shop with my friends I saw volumes of it, and as such bought 12 of them, and as time went on I read more and as such my opinion of this rose higher, and the rest of this history And now with that out of the way, here goes #- PLOT - Set somewhere after All Might's big fight against All For One (the one he has that is the reason he passes his quirk onto Deku in the main series), but before Deku meets All Might, being kind of what Better Call Saul is to Breaking Bad, a series that doesn't at all rely on its 'predecessor' to be good, and also gives backstories and development to several "ignored" MHA characters, including mainly how several UA teachers got in their line of work. Main plot line is kinda just like if Deku hadn't been simped on by Ochako and hadn't gotten into UA, but still wanted to use his abilities to do good in the world, even if it meant becoming public enemy no. #1. It follows the life of Koichi Haimawari (a.k.a. The Crawler/The Hauler/The Cruller/Nice Guy), and him trying his best to make ends meet and do good deeds with his, frankly underwhelming, movement quirk (Slide and Glide, which allows the user to move in any direction at roughly the speed of a bicycle if they have 3 points of contact on the surface they're trying to propel off). One day on patrol, he witnesses Kazuho Haneyama (a.k.a. Pop☆Step, mainly just known as 'Pop') preforming an illegal idol concert out in the street, before the police comes and everyone runs away as to not get arrested. Later on, he finds Pop being mugged in an alleyway, and attempts to stop the muggers and save her, which, of course, goes terribly wrong, and while on the verge of being murdered, a grumpy old man, known as Knuckleduster (a.k- nvm thats a spoiler) who beats the shit out of the muggers. After this, Pop and Knuckleduster take refuge in Koichi's house (against his will) and their teaming up and story truly begins). Like I mentioned previously, this manga also serves to give backstories, or just extended development, to previously neglected characters in the main series. This includes; giving Stain a backstory to why he became a villain; giving Oboro Shirakumo (the friend of Aizawa and Present Mic who is turned into Kurogiri, revealed in I believe season 5), Aizawa, Present Mic & Midnight an extensive explanation of their childhood, and explaining in detail what happened to Oboro; and finally a glimpse to Mirko as a schoolgirl, showing how badass she was even before the events of season 6 And one last thing, because of the whole gimmick of Pop being a pop(!) idol, there is a major subplot of idol culture, and every several arcs focusing on it, as to make it not just pure heroic action, but it is executed and flows with the story so well it shouldn't really take much away from you - best bet is to just read it :shrug: #- CHARACTERS - Furuhashi kinda just took all the character dynamics from main MHA, and just removed all their flaws. For starters, Koichi is kilometres better as a main character than Deku; he's not some 'chosen one' being carried in life by too much deus ex machina, he is just some guy trying to make his way through life, with development and power ups that have sensical placement (much better than One For All randomly releasing a new power stronger than the last one whenever Deku is in any minor peril - and as the story progresses, you realise every action this man makes is perfectly in characters, because he is just a kind ass motherfucker. Next you have Pop, a very refreshing take on lead female characters in shounen, as she serves a purpose to the story past as being a milestone for the main character to work up so he can finally fuck; mostly shown through all the idol debacle, she could fully lead this series herself and I would be all here for it. Her relationship with Koichi isn't even something it makes much sense to heavily ship, they are just very close friends who can perfectly operate on their own separately, and honestly I'm happy this manga is underrated so people don't ship them on the level people do in main MHA. Next we have Knuckleduster, kinda like the equivalent of All Might in Deku's life, but for Koichi. He is a lot more mysterious than the other two main characters, (which is why it's best you limit spoilers as much as possible because all the reveals are so expertly executed). He originally starts off just as this grumpy old guy who wants to the bare minimum, and while I really don't want to reveal much, you will slowly begin to realise how just wrong you were. --- Now for side characters, which this series doesn't fail in either First you have Christopher Skyline (a.k.a. Captain Celebrity), who is the Number 1 Pro Hero in America at this (which is confusing knowing about one of the arcs in the main series), who originally just seems like a phony doing all of this for clout (his name is literally celebrity for god's sake), but it quickly becomes clear that this is not the case and he instead because the actual insert for All Might for this series, trying in any way he can to assist Koichi and Pop, as long as he can get publicity from it. Next you have his assistant, Makoto Tsukauchi, brother of Naomasa Tsukauchi from the mains series (the police detective that works with All Might, funny how that works), who is just always in a positive mood, and manages to light up any room or situation she finds herself in, when she's not busy pissing off her brother and getting in his way during cases. And to add, the majority of her facial expressions are reminiscent of Noelle from Deltarune, it is scarily uncanny. Then of course we have Oboro Shirakumo who, while not entirely an original character, is giving more screen time than Horikoshi could ever dream of, so he fits here. The entire backstory arc showing his childhood, (alongside Aizawa, Present Mic & Midnight) was emotional the entire time, knowing he was not going to survive. He was a very fun and interesting character, with a really cool quirk idea - I really wish he could be expanded upon more. --- Now for the villains, and while I will say they are not as good as Shigaraki (I really love Shigaraki, possibly the best part of MHA for me), they are in no way bad The first one is a complicated case to explain, because it isn't just a single person, rather the villain itself is a quirk a parasitic 'queen bee' that inhabits peoples bodies, and turns them into villains (and of course all the people it inhabits are people important to the plot), which is honestly such an interesting concept, I can only hope Horikoshi would make a similar concept (just a rogue quirk without any actual owner). And then you have Number 6 (a.k- nvm thats a spoiler), the kind of like overarching mysterious main villain, who gets even slower reveals than Knuckleduster, but honestly the tension as you slowly find more and more about him and follow him through his shenanigans is really great, and while I do prefer Shigaraki more, if this series was as long as main MHA, and he had gotten the same amount of time to develop, who knows what may have happened. --- And then finally, there's pre-existing characters from main MHA who got more characterization within this. This series seriously made Midnight, Mirko and even one of Overhaul's random lackeys who got fuck all screen time in MHA some of my favourite characters in the series, because Furuhashi's ability to write and Betten Court's ability to draw exhillirated their every on screen moment ten fold #- CONCLUSION - If you can't tell by now (if you actually bothered reading all that and didn't just skip to the conclusion, not that I would read this all either), I rank this spin-off much much higher than main My Hero Academia, and if even if you're someone who hates MHA, I will still wholly recommend you read this because of how it improves on everything MHA failed to do while adding more, and due to it being so underrated there isn't any fucking annoying teenage fujoshis shipping all the characters. Honestly, if you like anything about superhero culture, or you're a fan of Love Live, this series should definitely be on your list. This is the first time I've written a review (that isn't empty ramblings I posted to my account), and while this will probably become a rare happening for me (because I've realised how much worse my rambling and time management gets when it's all official-like), please feel free to criticise this or whatever, I don't really mind nor care (I just wanted to finally say I have written a proper review and what better to do it on than this)
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• 

  AnotherBadger

  64/100
  A spin-off that improves on its parent series, but struggles to maintain its own identity.

  "I know I don't have a chance of going pro at this point. But still, if only for a second, I just wanna fly."

  
 - Koichi, Chapter 2



  My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a prequel series that takes the core themes of My Hero Academia and looks at them from a new focal point. While using a pre-established setting and plot, Vigilantes manages to build its own identity surrounding the world of quirks and heroes. There are a couple of elements that will be hindered due to it originally being published alongside the main series, especially in regards to plot reveals that are reflected in My Hero Academia and possibly affecting how the series might feel when being read as a complete narrative. 



  Vigilantes starts with a strong and clear focus, taking the concerns of the main series and offering a new perspective; looking at a side of society which is often brushed over in the main series. By exploring society outside of the labels of 'heroes' and 'villains', we can focus on characters that don't easily fit into these labels. It promises and tries, even if not successfully, to be a series that is less afraid to question the world that has already been established. While it does end up having a similar attitude to the main series, the beginning of the series definitely marks itself as something new and refreshing.

 

  Exploring an already established world comes with many restraints, from predetermined events to dealing with well-known characters, it can be difficult to create a plot that hooks readers in. By mixing in a number of new characters and being set in a time far enough removed that little is known about it, Vigilantes manages to maintain some tension throughout. Towards the end, as the narrative creeps closer to the story most readers will be familiar with, it begins to slip a little more into a status quo that it struggles to really interrogate as it would destabilise the world of My Hero Academia in a way that would make the main series feel too out of sync. 



   This unfortunately means that some developments are abandoned regardless of how important they initially seemed. This is a flaw that originates from how spread out the narrative becomes, trying to cover a lot of ground but not being given the necessary space to do so effectively. One of the most noticeable instances is that the darker tones and stylistic choices are lost by the end of the series. This doesn't mean that there needs to be an overbearing darkness to it (there is, after all, a problem with creators trying to make stories more 'serious' in order to appeal to a certain audience) but it does make the tone feel very inconsistent at times.

   

 Instead of trying to push its limits as far as it can, Vigilantes ends up falling into the realm of predictability, even when predetermined plot points aren't considered. This is a shame because, at least for the start of its run, the series really tried to stand out. 



   The attempts to stand apart from My Hero Academia are demonstrated in two main ways. The first is through its focus on a different approach to hero culture. Where My Hero Academia starts off with rose-tinted glasses, Vigilantes begins with a more cynical view and this works well; setting up a contrast which is reflected in other aspects of the story. This means that the world is less glamorised, especially when concerned with heroes like Endeavour and Eraserhead, as we see them from an outsider's perspective. Unfortunately, by the end of the series, it struggles to commit to this and comes to resemble the attitude offered by the main series. This is a shame as, rather than developing as the series progresses, the tonal shift feels rather abrupt. Despite this, there are a number of strong emotional moments that shine through the tonal inconsistencies and Vigilantes is at its strongest when it is attempting to challenge the ideals of both characters and readers.

  

The second way that Vigilantes stands out is through its main character, Kouichi. With his more limited quirk adding restrictions to his activities, he acts as a conduit for the reader without the potentially off-putting naivety displayed by early Izuku. This avoids some of the pitfalls which make Izuku feel like a failed representation of the idea that "anyone can be a hero." Instead of being gifted power through intervention, Kouichi uses his limited skill set in interesting ways. His struggles end up feeling more tangible and, while this element of his character slowly gets lost, it is easy to get invested in his struggles.

   

 The other important characters are quite an odd mix, some balancing each other out while others tend to be given more plot despite never being deeply developed. This is especially true with the main trio. Vigilantes could have been a little better balanced if it focused more on the student-mentor dynamic between Knuckleduster and Kouichi. Partly because both characters have unique interpretations of the world that complement each other well. It would also mean that the series committed a little more to its own characters, rather than it becoming distracted by already established heroes that the reader has already encountered.

  

 Pop*Step, despite showing the potential for a lot of character development, finds herself falling into a repeating cycle that wears her character down over time. There is little resolution for her character or exploration of her psyche in any meaningful way. This is made worse by the over-sexualisation of her at times; it is shoehorned into the narrative and often beaten over the reader's heads to a point where it becomes frustrating. It could have opened a potential avenue for Vigilantes to explore that is in keeping with its approach to hero culture, but it quickly slammed the door shut in its own face.



  An inevitable consequence of this being a spin-off series is that the original characters are often buried underneath returning characters. This is a shame because a couple of supporting characters are really well-handled and demonstrate interesting character growth that could have been utilised more. Even relying on the more sidelined heroes would be an improvement, rather than fleshing out characters that the reader will already have a good grasp of. That isn't to say that returning characters are handled poorly, it just feels as though they have been relied on too much to carry the story at times.  The original side characters often allow for the exploration of ideas that are inaccessible to the main character, especially around redemption. The slow development allows their progress to feel believable, showing the reader how they have changed rather than simply declaring it. These characters show that, despite some having copy-and-pasted personalities, there was potential for more development. 

  

The art style is engaging enough, especially with the use of shading; clearly marking it as being different from My Hero Academia without straying too far from its main style. The consistency in this, as well as character design, allows Vigilantes to seamlessly slot in without getting too lost in the noise. This meant that, when reading both series at the same time, it was very difficult to mix up or get confused. And, while it would have been nice to see some more experimental panelling later on, the art does its job well.

  

Overall, if you are a person who enjoys My Hero Academia, then Vigilantes will be a good series to pick up. In some areas, Vigilantes tackles its themes and characters in a way that is more successful than My Hero Academia but in others, it is less so. For me, this is an ideal balance for a spin-off; it should complement without directly overshadowing or regurgitating the main series. Despite this, there are a couple of issues that make it feel like it's wasting its potential at times and making it feel like a bit of a disappointment by its end.   

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