With the much-anticipated release of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes on April 7, 2025, fans have flocked to social media platforms like X to share their varied responses. The pilot episode has generated a spectrum of opinions, leaving the fandom notably divided between admiration and critique.
Set in the timeline preceding Midoriya’s enrollment at U.A. High School, this new installment showcases a younger All Might alongside other beloved heroes as they navigate their roles. Viewers have scrutinized every element of the episode—from the soundtrack to animation quality—leaving no stone unturned in their critiques.
Varying Opinions on My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
On its debut date, the animation studio Bones delivered a fresh prequel that delves deeper into the lore of the franchise. As the show unfolded on screens, fans quickly began to analyze the premiere episode’s merits and flaws.
The feedback from the community has been markedly mixed. One notable aspect is the series’ distinct animation style, which includes a more humorous tone supported by comic book-style annotations throughout the episode. While some fans have welcomed this change, others have criticized it, particularly when compared to other anime released during the Spring 2025 season.
Additionally, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes ventures into darker themes, addressing pressing social issues such as drug use and violence. This departure from the lighter tone characteristic of the original series has sparked significant discussion among fans seeking to explore this new narrative direction.
A key point of unity among fans has emerged concerning the opening theme. The song “Kekka Orai“by Kocchi no Kento has been universally praised for elevating the series’ auditory experience, with many comments lauding it as a standout feature of the episode.
Fans React to Episode 1
The overwhelming enthusiasm for the introduction music is reflected in fans’ enthusiastic reactions:
“real crazy how this better than all mha openings combined,”said one fan.
“that’s going straight to the playlist,”expressed another.
“Holy sh*t!! This Season has such amazing openings!! What Band is this??”added a third fan.
“I never seen a more “Super Hero” like opening like this,”claimed another.
However, some critics shared their concerns regarding the animation quality and musical selection, drawing contrasts with other offerings from this anime season:
“Personally (emphasis on the personally), both the visuals + song itself are underwhelming. Like compared to the other spring anime ones, this is def somewhere at the bottom for me,”noted one critic.
“Looks dope except did they just kinda splice in episode clips like how One Piece did for a few OPs? Not big on that part imo but I like the overall vibe of the OP,”commented another.
In summary, the initial reaction to My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been a blend of admiration and critique, particularly in relation to its unique attributes. Nevertheless, as fans hold high expectations for the upcoming episodes from a proven studio like Bones, the future of this series remains promising, leaving audiences eagerly awaiting Episode 2.