Horikoshi's biggest mistake in My Hero Academia is the beginning, not the finale

Modified Nov 18, 2024 07:30 GMT

My Hero Academia, a series praised for its fresh vision of superhero lore, stood out for its focus on the challenges that the young heroes faced while fighting the villains. The early arcs of the story balanced action with world-building, which gave fans a complete look into a world full of potential.

However, as the story advanced it proved to lack quirky slice-of-life moments and smaller, relatable stakes, these were eventually overwhelmed by ever-heavier conflicts.

Though much attention has been paid to the ending of the series, it is the start of the story that missed a chance to create a firmer foundation for it. This may be Horikoshi's biggest blunder in creating the long-term appeal of My Hero Academia.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the manga. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

How Horikoshi's biggest mistake lies in the beginning and not in the finale of My Hero Academia, explained

Izuku Midoriya as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Horikoshi's biggest mistake in My Hero Academia lies not in its conclusion but in how the series was structured from its earliest moments. The initial arcs presented a fascinating mix of slice-of-life storytelling, smaller shonen stakes, and a focus on how the students of U.A. High School change and grow as heroes.

Events like the Sports Festival, internships, and training camps became etched moments as they captured the charm of the young heroes navigating a society based on quirks, which simultaneously explored family dynamics with Endeavor and Shoto. These moments added some depth to the show and made it resonate very well with the fans and exceedingly fitting for the title, My Hero Academia.

However, as the story developed, this initial setting of a hero-centric life at school was outshone by conflicts of All For One and Shigaraki proportions. Stakes got overly hyped, and so much of the initial endearing charm and relatability for the series got lost in the process.

The balance between high-tension battles and more character-driven moments was senseless in this train of events, with little room to delve into the daily lives and personal struggles of the U.A. students. Brief instances, such as the Joint Training Arc, were interrupted and could not restore that tonal balance.

This swing hurt the potential for My Hero Academia to be an even more grounded, singular series for a society built upon heroes, and how children grow into professional members of society.

The series focused more on traditional shonen tropes of increasingly catastrophic battles, setting aside the opportunities to delve deeper into the intricacies of a hero-based society.

The core issue was in the groundwork laid out in the early chapters. Horikoshi did not dedicate himself fully enough to a consistent focus on the student's journey and their world's dynamics, thus setting the stage for a tonal inconsistency that was more and more pronounced in the series.

This lack of balance robbed the narrative of some quirky, personal moments that could have made My Hero Academia stand out in the genre. While most fans criticize the finale, the lost opportunity lies in the start when this series could have fashioned its identity based on an academic foundation.

Final thoughts

Horikoshi's biggest mistake in My Hero Academia lies in its beginning rather than its finale. While the early arcs of the story portrayed much promise in terms of slice-of-life storytelling and smaller and more relatable stakes, they failed to establish a consistent presence that welcomed the academic premise of the show.

This left the entire series to shift in tone with how the story progressed, sacrificing the charm of their journey in favor of escalating conflicts. The series missed its chance to create a lasting, unique identity by not fully exploring the hero potential of school life.