My Hero Academia Vol. 1 is the beginning of Izuku Midoriya aka Deku’s journey to become a great hero.
The first volume includes the first seven chapters of the manga and it introduces us to the story’s colorful cast that includes Izuku Midoriya, All Might, Bakugo, Uraraka, Iida, Aizawa, and much of the first year hero class of 1-A.
It also introduces us to the superhero society that Kohei Horikoshi has created and lays the groundwork for how it operates. But more importantly, it provides the foundation or the origin of how Izuku Midoriya receives his quirk and begins a long-lasting friendship with All Might.
Given this is a first volume, it needs to succeed at both world building and strong characterization and Horikoshi excels at both.
World Building
He packs a ton of world building into a single page that lays out how quirks started, how their emergence changed society, and how society is currently structured with superheroes acting as government-backed law enforcement. After that brief bit of exposition, he shows it in action as Midoriya comes across an active villain pursuit in progress. He also provides a little bit more detail on how it is actually a profession and employment is conditional based on their performance.
Characterization
As for characterization, right from the get go, creator Kohei Horikoshi does excellent characterization work and he shows us what it means to be a hero by depicting Midoriya defending the defenseless even if he will suffer for it and can’t fight back. It reminds one of the Captain America scene in The First Avenger where he’s getting beat up in the alley or Luke Skywalker throwing down his lightsaber in Return of the Jedi to get repeatedly tortured by the Emperor. Midoriya will choose what is right and just even if he will suffer for it.
The characterization does not stop there, Horikoshi quickly begins fleshing Midoriya out showing him as an extraordinarily detail oriented hero fanatic who takes extensive notes while he witnesses the heroes working to subdue a villain.
He also does great work with Bakugo by depicting him as prideful, arrogant, and self-centered. This is shown not only in his actions as he torches Deku’s notebook, but also through dialogue as he explains why he does so mainly because he wants to be the only one from his school to ever attend the prestigious U.A. High School.
Heroism
The idea of what it means to be a hero is the overarching theme of this first volume and it provides an exceptional answer and notes that even heroes themselves need to be reminded of what it means.
Not only do we get the opening scene with Midoriya defending a classmate from Bakugo, but the theme is prominently explored when Midoriya confronts All Might on whether he can be a hero without any power or a quirk. All Might answers in the negative. It’s just not practical.
However, Midoriya proves that the answer is false when the Sludge Villain, who All Might had just saved him from, attacks Bakugo. It is Midoriya who leaps into action in order to save Bakugo. While other heroes are present including All Might in his depowered form, only Midoriya leaps into action in an attempt to save him. It’s this courage and willingness to sacrifice himself that spurs All Might into action even though his body can barely handle it.
Heroism does not require power. It’s putting one’s life on the line for the good of another. It’s risking it all for what is right and just and Horikoshi expertly showcases this.
In an interesting parallel to Christian teachings, Midoriya is then chosen by All Might to inherit his power. How many Biblical heroes did God raise up from lowly beginnings because they had the proper spirit? One thinks of David, Moses, and Joseph.
Aside from this pivotal moment against the Sludge Villain, this theme returns when Midoriya takes his practical exam to enter U.A. High. He’s tasked with earning points, but given he’s never used his quirk before he quickly finds himself behind and starts to panic. It’s when his fear reaches its height that he is confronted with a giant robot. Unlike before, Midoriya initially runs away, but upon seeing Uraraka lying helpless, he steels himself and confronts the robot to protect and save her.
Like Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Horikoshi makes it clear that the choice to be a hero is not one that you make just once, but it’s a choice you have to make over and over again. It’s a constant struggle to give in to your base passions or overcome them with virtue.
The Art
Horikoshi’s character designs are standouts. The characters are unique and many of the designs match the character’s personality. One obvious example is Bakugo with his spiky hair that matches his prickly personality.
Character emotions are expertly conveyed and are quite often done so through exaggeration. Horikoshi does this to amplify various feelings like determination, anger, and sadness. It also provide moments of levity for comedic effect or can make a scene that much more serious.
The action sequences are dynamic and explosive. He typically limits the number of panels during high-action scenes giving him more page space and he makes the best of it usually providing memorable visuals such as Deku smashing the giant robot or All Might creating a vortex to defeat the Sludge Villain.
Conclusion
My Hero Academia Vol. 1 is an excellent opening volume that not only introduces us to its vibrant superhero world and characters, but enamors us with them from the first page. Mangaka Kohei Horikoshi delivers a powerful reminder that heroism starts with the heart.
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