The new My Hero Academia spin-off Universe Vigilante is the premiere I couldn't miss. This anime shines a different light than the main series and gives a sense of a more street, underground story about characters acting in the shadows.
The main character is Koichi Haimawari, a student with a petty quirk that prevents him from becoming a licensed hero. Nevertheless, he decides to help people. On his way, he meets knuckleduster, a charismatic street fighter who draws him into his vigilante squad. This master-student account of the realities of urban dirt immediately drew me into the atmosphere of this series.
The animation from Bones Studio has the characteristic flash known from Hero Academia, but at the same time it looks more raw and street. The colors are dimmed, and the line is sharper and simpler, giving the effect as if you are watching something closer to a comic book than the classic shōnen series. This visually emphasizes that we are not dealing here with a story about big tournaments and arenas, only with a fight in the dark corners of the city.
The plot develops slowly and gives a sense of life on the sidelines of the great world of heroes. Koichi is not a blanket. His clashes are modest, sometimes even imperceptible, but thanks to this you can feel realism and authenticity in them. Many fans refer to Vigilante as slow burn, and this is true, because the tension grows with time, and emotions only erupt in later episodes.
I liked the dynamic between the characters the most. Koichi, Pop Step and Knuckleduster are a trio that at first seems random, and over time creates a unique bond. They're not perfect. Everyone has their weaknesses, past and fears, but therein lies their strength. Watching them learn from each other and slowly become more than just a group of self-proclaimed defenders gives you a lot of emotions and satisfaction.
If I had to point out the downside, it would be the lack of momentum. Sometimes I wanted the story to come to the fore in the context of the MHA world. But on the other hand, this familiarity makes Vigilante stand out from other Shōnen.
Summary: My Hero Academia Vigilante is an anime that tells its own story without the need to be a copy of the main series. It has a soul, charm and perfectly captures the atmosphere of life outside the center of events. It's a story about how being a hero doesn't always mean grand gestures and fame. Sometimes heroism is a daily, silent struggle for the good of others.
