Kevlarthian

(about seasons 1, 2 and 3)

I don't like the shounen genre. It gets very tiresome for me. It's hard to get invested when the superpowered undefeatable villain of the last arc is now easily surpassed by the next class of enemies, to the point where the power climb is absurd, or when the dozens of side characters are brush aside for the "chosen one", or when a single fight takes about 20 episodes of two guys screaming, having flashbacks and taunting each other while their friends watch instead of helping.

My Hero Academia is the exception.

Not only I've devoured episode after episode but I did it more than once, in the company of different friends that were forced to glue their butts to the sofa and watch, to make sure they also witness this glorious anime. None of then regretted.

This is a smart shounen. There's no chosen one - the protagonist is flawed and grows as he learns, along with many other characters who are as important as him. They have clear motivation, they are smart, they build strategies to defeat obstacles. The fantastic elements are limited by rules, so it's easy to understand when something goes beyond the norm even in a world of superheroes. The villains grow along the heroes and they are legitimately menacing. Since its a school setting, power growth is expected, so it feels natural. Also, the arc's challenge is not always a villain to be defeated, so it makes this story of teenagers becoming heroes way more believable.

I recommend this anime - and the manga, that to the point I've read was adapted almost line by line - to anyone. Like action? Watch it. Like character depth and emotional development? Watch it. Like creative superpowers interacting? Watch it. Doesn't like shounen? Watch it. It is a pearl of an anime that deserves your attention.