My Hero Academia: Vigilantes divides the fandom with the first episode

In light of the new My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime, released on April 7, 2025, fans of the series took to X to express their opinions. The pilot episode left the fandom divided, with some appreciating the series while others criticized it.

The story takes place before Midoriya went to U.A. High School, showing a timeline with All Might in his prime and other heroes known and loved performing different roles. From the music score to the quality of animation, fans have placed their opinions on every aspect of the episode, nitpicking every minute detail.

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Mixed reactions among the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes fandom

On April 7, 2025, Bones dropped their latest installment of the popular series, a spinoff prequel, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. As mentioned previously, the series would cover most of the timeline before Midoriya entered U.A. High. As soon as the series made its way onto the television sets, fans began critically dissecting the pilot episode.

The fandom has been divided over multiple aspects of the series. Vigilantes features a noticeably different style of animation with a more comical spin to it by using comic book annotations every now and then. While many have liked the change in the animation style, some have criticized it, comparing it with other anime released in the spring of 2025.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes explores a rather darker side of society compared to the original series. Social issues involving drugs and violence have been explored, which is quite different from the original series and brings a different spin to the otherwise family-friendly series. This contrast has been another focal point in fan discussions.

However, one thing fans were left undivided on was the opening music score. The song "Kekka Orai" by Kocchi no Kento has raised the level of music in the series, as expressed by the fans. Most fans who shared their opinions praised the opening track, calling it a standout and expressing how much they enjoyed it.

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Fan reaction to episode 1 of the anime

The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes fandom has spared no expense in praising the introduction music. Their reaction could be seen well reflected in their comments on the matter:

"real crazy how this better than all mha openings combined," said one fan.

"that's going straight to the playlist," expressed another.

"Holy sh*t!! This Season has such amazing openings!! What Band is this??" added a third fan.

"I never seen a more “Super Hero” like opening like this," claimed the third.

However, a few critics also jumped in about the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes animation quality and music, drawing comparisons to other anime released during the spring 2025 season:

"Personally (emphasis on the personally), both the visuals + song itself are underwhelming. Like compared to the other spring anime ones, this is def somewhere at the bottom for me," said one critic.

"Looks dope except did they just kinda splice in episode clips like how One Piece did for a few OPs? Not big on that part imo but I like the overall vibe of the OP," joined another.

Overall, the first episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes received mixed reviews based on multiple aspects of the show. However, given that it's a Bones anime, and as mentioned by some fans, the studio knows what they are doing, the future of the anime seems secure. More can only be known as the series progresses to the second episode, awaited by the fandom in anticipation.

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