My Hero Academia is a purely Shonen anime. The setting is rooted in the feelings of camaraderie and working hard to achieve impossible dreams, but My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a whole new territory. Vigilantes show the dark side of the world of MHA – a world that Deku never managed to glimpse or explore.
By venturing into the darker, grittier parts of being an underground hero (or a vigilante), the series completely shifts genres. The latest episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes crosses a line and takes it to the next level, venturing into psychological and body horror.
Vigilantes makes an abrupt shift in genres
Vigilantes have set itself apart and have received a lot of praise from the fans. It speaks out, being a true spinoff that explores the many hidden and dark corners of My Hero Academia that were never taken into consideration.
Koichi and the others each have the ambition and drive to be true heroes and guardians, but due to circumstances – be it a lack of talent or even Quirk, they moonlight as vigilantes instead.
Although Vigilantes hasn’t shied away from showing the darker and grittier side of society, it was still within the limits of a mature adventure-style anime. It felt like the story was taking place in the same world as the original My Hero Academia.
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But with episode 10, the latest episode, everything changes. Knuckleduster’s development arc takes the stage as he separates from the group. After Kuckleduster’s wife was found (alive, albeit a bit catatonic and without an eye), he headed out to find Hachisuka. This is already a bit gory, but there’s more.
Vigilantes shift MHA into the realm of psychological horror
Meanwhile, Soga and his two lackeys are assisting Knuckleduster in his investigation (the quest to find Hachisuka), but there is a dramatic and extremely horrifying change.
Hachisuka has been leaving victims (including her friends, who trusted her), and the horrifying truth about her abilities was revealed. Initially, it was confusing for the fans to see Hachisuka lift up her skirt. But out came a swarm of bee drones.
This power is extremely unsettling, especially considering it involves body horror and creature horror. Bees are seen as a threat even when they are alone, but in a world with Quirks, the bee drones are a calamity that cannot be faced by an ordinary person.
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By showcasing such an ability, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has left the fans and viewers feeling uneasy. Instead of an action and adventure anime, the scene seems to be something you would see in a Junji Ito story or The Boys.
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By introducing such elements, it is clear that Vigilantes is breaking away from My Hero Academia’s identity and carving a niche out for itself. The skirt scene might be a one-off thing (hopefully, for most fans), but if this continues, then Vigilantes will proceed in an unpredictable direction.
You can currently stream My Hero Academia: Vigilantes on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
