Why You Should Watch "My Hero Academia" (Season 1)

Imagine living in a world where everyone has super powers...but you're the only one without powers...

That is the situation that the main character of My Hero Academia, or Boku no Hero Academia, finds himself in while dreaming about becoming great hero. My Hero Academia is a shounen anime with a story that I think many geeks and fans can relate to, a cast of characters that it is easy to fall in love with, and action scenes that will pump you up.

When I decided to write this recommendation, I had to go back and watch a few episodes from the first season of My Hero Academia to remind myself why I feel in love with this series. If there is one thing that I can say about My Hero Academia it is that it is a fun adventure that gives you an interesting world that you want to explore and characters that you can't help but root for them to win the day and achieve their dreams.


My Hero Academia is the story of Izuku Midoriya and his journey to become one a great hero who saves lives and inspires others. The only problem with Izuku's dream is that he lives in world where everyone is born with some kind of "quirk", a superhuman ability, and Izuku is quirkless. Izuku is bullied for his lack of powers and called "useless", but he still clings to his dream and wants, needs, to become a hero.

One day, Izuku is ambushed by a villain but is saved by his childhood hero, All Might, the number one superhuman in Japan with incredible strength and an infectious smile. All Might sees the ambition and pure goodness in Izuku and tells the young boy that he can become a great hero and his successor.

With the help of All Might, Izuku trains to become a hero and enrolls in the prestigious hero academy, UA High School. At UA High, Izuku will make many friends who will join him on his hero's journey and will encounter many training lessons and villainous encounters that challenge his dreams.

I might not have been born into a world of superheroes like Izuku, I grew up with comic books, cartoons, and movies about the exploits of superheroes and I wanted nothing more than to grow up to become a superhero. I think there are plenty of geeks like me who had the same dream, and it is that dream that makes Izuku Midoriya a relatable character. 

Though Izuku Midoriya is the main character of Boku no Hero Academia, he is just one of many UA students with the dream to become a hero. Boku no Hero Academia has a huge cast of characters, and though the following season explores more of these characters, the first season focuses on just a few of these characters in Izuku's class.

You might not expect it, but one of those characters is Izuku's childhood bully, Katsuki Bakugo. Before becoming Izuku's rival, Katsuki was one of his best friends, but after Katsuki's acquired his quirk, he felt like the powerless Izuku looked down on him. Katsuki's hotheadedness and quick temper pushed him to enroll in UA High School to become the greatest and strongest hero. The only thing standing in his way...is Izuku Midoriya.

Fortunately, Izuku Midoriya is not without friends at UA High School. One of Izuku's new friends is Tenya Iida. Though Tenya treats Izuku pretty coldly when they first meet, Tenya respects Izuku's heroic spirit and literally races behind Izuku, hoping to surpass him and achieve his own dreams.

Along with Tenya Iida, Izuku is befriended by Ochaco Uraraka, a girl who is kind to Izuku from when they first meet. Ochaco is upbeat and sees the strength and greatness in Izuku even when he doesn't realize it for himself. She wants to become a great hero, and though she doesn't think it of herself, she is capable of surpassing someone like Izuku Midoriya.

I also can't forget about All Might, a Superman-esque hero who helps Izuku Midoriya take his first steps on the hero's journey. All Might is a symbol of justice who is one of the few people who sees the potential in Izuku and pushes the boy to become stronger and discplined. All Might doesn't hold Izuku's hand through this path to hero-dom, but challenges Izuku to go beyond and be a hero that can even surpass his own dreams.

There are also so many more characters in My Hero Academia that I want to highlight, but that would take up turn this recommendation into more of a character guide. Maybe when I write about Season 2 of My Hero Academia, I'll highlight some of those other unique characters.

Izuku Midoriya and his friends are not the only reason that I think that fans should check out this anime. What would a story about superheroes be without captivating fights and epic battles. Every time two rivals are pitted against each other, you won't be able to contain your excitement, and as the series progresses, the fights just become even larger and impossibly incredible. I know I'm just recommending Season 1 of My Hero Academia, but if you think that action scenes of this season are awesome, you need to watch Season 2 as soon as possible!


If you have never watched anime, but you love reading comic books and watching superhero movies, I recommend you watch My Hero Academia. If you watch anime and enjoy a huge cast of unique and fun characters, I recommend My Hero Academia. If you just love awesome fight scenes that make you bounce in your seat with excitement, I recommend My Hero Academia.