My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

A spin-off that expands the world of My Hero Academia! I wouldn't say I loved this spin-off because I'm not such a big fan of My Hero Academia anymore, but as a separate series, I can't deny that it makes the world of My Hero Academia feel more alive. A long time ago I thought about collecting the Illegals manga, but I ended up letting it go. However, what matters is the reason for this interest. It came at a time when My Hero Academia was receiving a lot of criticism (at least here in Brazil) about the main plot, and people were comparing the main storyto Illegals, saying that this version of the work was better than the main one. I believe my admiration for this version comes from the fact that it remains more faithful to its initial premise, being more grounded and bringing the reality of an older audience (20+ years old). In my opinion, it's easier for this audience to identify with the characters' experiences. Anyway, I do recommend watching this spin-off because it has a more grounded plot focused on the initial premise of BNH. There are no promises to be fulfilled in the future or anything like that; all we have is the experience of people trying to be heroes despite all the responsibilities of their daily lives, whether it's studying or working. My final rating is a 7; it's nice to watch to pass the time. =================================================================================================================Versão em Português===================================== Um spin off que expande o mundo de Boku no Hero! Não digo que amei esse spin off pois não sou mais tão fã de BNH, mas como uma serie a parte eu não posso deixar de admitir que ela torna o mundo de BNH mais vivo. A muito tempo cheguei a pensar em colecionar o mangá de Illegals mas acabei deixando passar isso, porem o que importa é o motivo desse interesse, ele veio na epoca em que BNH estava recebendo muitas criticas (ao menos aqui no Brasil) sobre a trama principal e comparavam a trava principal com essa de Illegals dizendo que essa versão da obra estava melhor do que a principal. A admiração por essa versão acredito que venha do fato dela se manter mais fiel a sua proposta inicial sendo mais pé no chão e trazendo a realidade do publico mais velho (20 anos +), aqui é mais facil para esse mesmo publico se identificar com as vivencias dos personagens na minha opinião. De todo modo, recomendo sim que vejam esse spin off pois aqui você tem uma trama mais pé no chão e com foco na premissa inicial de BNH, não há promessas para se cumprir no futuro ou algo assim, tudo que temos é a vivencia de pessoas tentando ser heróis mesmo com todos os afazeres do seu dia a dia, seja com estudo ou trabalho. Minha nota final é um 7, é legalsinho de se ver para passar o tempo.

I was really excited when Vigilantes got an anime adaptation — especially with Studio Bones and much of the main MHA team involved. I haven’t kept up with the main series lately, but this spin-off feels like a breath of fresh air. Vigilantes focuses on smaller, more grounded stories, which actually highlights what makes My Hero Academia special. Koichi, Pop Step, and Knuckle Duster are a great trio, and their character-driven journey gives real heart to the series. It explores how unlicensed heroes operate in the shadows, doing what the official heroes can’t — filling in the cracks of a flawed system. The show also features familiarfaces like Aizawa, Midnight, and Ingenium, but in a more subtle, intimate context. The tone balances mystery, levity, and genuine emotion — all while deepening the worldbuilding of MHA. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the main story, Vigilantes is a tighter, more focused alternative. Super excited to see where it goes next!

It's not bad, but it's not great. Unremarkable is perhaps the best description. Vigilante is a series that is inevitably going to be compared to MHA, and there's no shortage of commentary claiming this is MHA 'done right', or indeed done wrong. So is it better or worse? Well, it's both and neither. The premise - vigilantes dealing with an uptick in quirk enhancing drug use locally - is better than the massively generic 'superpower school' vibe of the original. In terms of execution though, Vigilante is ... meh. It's not bad by any stretch, but it never lives up to the hype or spectacle ofMHA. Story-wise, well it's challenging to suggest Viglante does this better even with a better premise when it spends most of its second half coasting, the core plot seemingly having been relegated to the sidelines. Character-wise, it's almost worth watching for Knuckleduster alone, but I can't say I appreciated the multiple instances of damseling Pop Step either. Honestly, none of the characters are particularly interesting or engaging, except Knucleduster, whose story and character is by far the best part of the show. If MHA didn't exist, Vigilante certainly isn't the thing that would have kicked off a juggernaut franchise. Perhaps the best question to ask of this show is 'Why?'. It doesn't really add anything to the franchise. It's fun sometimes, it has its moments, but it's frequently pretty dull too. I think if you're an MHA fan you'll probably enjoy it, but if you're not and think this is what will draw you into the franchise (or like me are fairly indifferent to it), it's not worth the time.

To be honest I might be liked this series more then the MHA. It's still our beloved MHA universe but it is a huge breath of fresh air. We get to see how it is like to be a normal human in a world with overpowered quirks and super villains. This series is more like a slice of life compared to MHA and its interesting. I highly recommend to watch this. Because of the timeline this series is in, we get to learn about some characters that we saw before. Overall, I think anyone who remotely watched and enjoyed MHA should give this anime a shot.