I enjoyed the second season of My Hero Academia much more than I did the first season. In fact, I actually loved it. It might be because I was more familiar with the characters and so felt a closer connection to them, but in general I think it was put across better than the first season in so many ways.
For one, the plot was way more enticing all throughout. Damn... that whole student-versus-student arc was so compelling, it had me watching 10+ episodes in a row! I honestly enjoyed it so much, and I still don’t even know why! The action, the order of events, the exploration of each character’s abilities and everything that unfolded and was revealed to us in season 2 was so much better and had me watching and watching. There seemed to be more objective, more purpose, more tangibility. It was strung out in a far more entertaining manner, with a much better, quicker and more enticing plot.
My opinions and analysis of the visuals remain virtually the same. Okay in some ways and not so good in others. Good in the fact that the animation takes on a different style, is very clear and up-to-date, but the fact that it seems quite westernised and in a perhaps childish style is not something I enjoyed. I grew up with cartoons in a very similar art style when I was between 6 and 9 years old, and I watch anime because it’s a breath of fresh air and usually different from what you could find on Cartoon Network. This is why I’m not a huge fan of My Hero Academia’s art style. It is well-made, but I just dislike it a little on a personal level.
Alongside this, what I can heavily criticise is the amount of frames that are used over and over, obviously to lighten the budget. I remember seeing one certain frame roughly 5 times over the course of the series. It was a certain shot of the crowd during the arc around the beginning, with one guy who stood out indefinitely, sausage lips highlighting the entire frame. It might be because of him that I couldn’t forget the fact that they used some frames way too much. I can understand twice, or even three if the need arises, but this was used way too many times, and if I remember correctly, so were a few others too.
I like the general soundtrack, particularly the background music. It is, in one word, epic. It’s so superhero-ish, exciting, and iconic. Saying this, I wasn’t so keen on the opening and ending themes of this season, and felt that they paled in comparison to the ones used in season one, and seemed very boring alongside not standing out at all. It was one of those openings I always ended up skipping. But I still stand by the fact that My Hero Academia has a good soundtrack overall, and that applies to both the first and second season. While the first opening theme was incredibly iconic, the rest just weren’t.
The characters - and the development of them as such - were so much better in season 2. For one, Midoriya has changed in so many ways for the better now that he’s getting more confident, more powerful and overall just a lot more interesting than he used to be. Seeing the whole cast properly use their quirks for real purposes and fights rather than just for training exercises was amazing, and while I totally understand that season 1 did need a build-up, season 2 was just so much better and I’ve found myself becoming a fan now that I’ve watched it.
Speaking of characters, I have a love-hate relationship with the villains in My Hero Academia. They are interesting, and I love their design and the intriguing stories behind them, but they seem just a little too... typical bad guy-ish? They remind me of the kind of villains from a kid’s film or a cartoon aimed at a younger audience from the way they stand atop the buildings of the city trying to look badass and have their own small hideout. It’s really overdone and the kind of thing I’ve seen in media so many times that I can’t help cringing at it.
I do still kind of dislike the general idea of the story. Superheroes and initially weak protagonists who become strong are very common and overdone ideas after all, and as much as I loved season 2, I can’t ignore this. But saying that, it’s turning into a more innovative, more entertaining and exciting story now that it’s gotten into the real character development and doesn’t just revolve around the stereotypical training and shaping of the run of the mill shounen protagonist.
I’ve just reread this and I feel bad about how overly critical it sounds, so let me add this: I really did love season 2, and even though it had a good deal of flaws, I can’t deny the fact that it was very enjoyable and for me, an enjoyable and fun to watch anime is, realistically speaking, what counts above everything else. It’s gotten me so hyped about season 3 starting and now I’m actually thinking of reading the manga even though I usually avoid ones that are ongoing. The reasons for its popularity definitely came apparent to me during this season and that’s how I can best describe the fact that I loved it.
*Please excuse the italics inconsistency, I can’t edit well on my phone.*
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