If you can’t do it legally, why not take the vigilante route instead?
I’ve sung my praises for the first episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, and boy does this anime keep going beyond my expectations. The introduction to a darker, more serious tone is a welcome change, and Koichi Haimawari, the main character of this spin-off title, has established himself as a character that any regular person can relate to.
As I’ve said in my previous review, Vigilantes isn’t about the star-studded celebrity heroes everyone looks up to, it’s an avenue where the little guys, the everymans, are given a place to shine.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead
Episode 1, titled “I’m Here” thrusts us immediately into the thick of things, and Episode 2, titled “Takeoff” finally settles us into this story's premise: how Koichi, Knuckleduster, and Pop Step have now begun to settle into their vigilante life. Considering that Episode 1 ended with an encounter between Knuckleduster and Eraser Head (welcome back daddy Aizawa!), we also learn more about Knuckleduster’s philosophy regarding hero work, and how it can foreshadow trouble as the story progresses.
Is it right to stop a villain before they become one?
Knuckleduster poses an important yet chilling philosophy throughout the episode: he’s doing a job that not even heroes can do, and that’s stopping would-be villains from becoming one in the first place.
But this type of thinking is problematic in and of itself. Even Eraser Head tells Knuckleduster that the ideology he espouses doesn’t make him any different from the criminals he’s trying to stop. It’s similar to how Light Yagami took it upon himself to rid the world of criminals by being a criminal himself–although luckily, Knuckleduster doesn’t seem like the psychotic narcissist that Light was in Death Note.
Knuckleduster seems to have a very black and white way of seeing things, and it's clear that he developed his thoughts this way because he's not like any of the licensed heroes at all. It's revealed that Knuckleduster is Quirkless, and essentially relies on his brute strength to aid him in his vigilante work. Whether this will be a detriment in the future is still up in the air, but Koichi seems to overlook this in the meantime since Knuckleduster, whom he calls shishou (or master), is his stepping stone to finally attaining his once-dashed hero dreams.
Knuckleduster may be a character I’m still grappling with, but it’s no secret that he sees the good in Koichi. Although he forcefully makes Koichi join his vigilante activities, Knuckleduster acknowledges Koichi’s heroic spirit, even going so far as to provide him with gear that better suits his Quirk, and encouraging him to embrace his desire to be a paragon of goodness.
So it’s no wonder Koichi follows Knuckleduster–Knuckleduster has a charisma to him that’s equally off-putting and alluring. Whether Knuckleduster’s methods will build a hero or break one, well, that’s the question Vigilantes is daring us to ask.
The Crawler? More like The Cruller!
Koichi settles into his vigilante role alongside Pop Step and Knuckleduster more smoothly than you would expect, considering that he was adamant to refuse it in the previous episode.
His first “mission”, besides looking for suspicious people with black tongues, is stopping two middle schoolers from brawling out in the open. There, he finally reveals the hero name he chose for himself: The Crawler!
… Or so he thinks.
The kids recognise him as “Nice Guy” and immediately poke holes in his rebrand, mishearing Crawler as Cruller–thus accidentally turning Koichi from a wannabe hero into a French breakfast pastry. They tell him to go back to cleaning like he usually does, but Koichi stands strong with a newfound confidence.
He has better things to do than be an errand boy. He’s finally stepping out of the shadows to do something that actually really matters.
It’s amazing how small acknowledgements of your potential can change your outlook completely, and Koichi embodies this the best. Knuckleduster and Pop Step ignite a fire in him that blazes brightly, but as the episode progresses it’s clear that it still sputters from time to time.
In contrast to Koichi’s awkward encounter, Pop Step is effortlessly charismatic. She quickly takes control of the conversation, scolds the kids for fighting, and even recruits them to help by keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. Although we don’t really know what Koichi’s thinking during this exchange, it’s clear to see that there’s a difference between Koichi and Pop Step; and it’s all about how you exhibit confidence.
As another drug-induced super villain appears to wreak havoc, Koichi struggles to find a way to contribute to the fight. With Pop Step in danger though, Koichi doesn’t give a second thought in sacrificing himself just so she could be saved. Although Koichi’s brash actions save him by the skin of his teeth, this moment shakes his fragile self-worth. What else can he do other than mindlessly jumping in at the last second to save someone else? Is this all that he has to offer?
Koichi still has a long way to go to see the potential that Knuckleduster and Pop Step can obviously pick up from him, but I’m invested. Koichi has all the markers of an incredibly well-thought out character, and I’m sure the growth he’ll experience in the episodes to come will be nothing short of fantastic.
But in the meantime, trouble seems to be brewing in the horizon for our trio, as the police have seemingly sniffed out their illegal activities.
If you're looking to catch missed details, dive deeper into the story, or simply read our thoughts on each episode, we've put together a My Hero Academia: Vigilantes review collection just for you!
