The first two arcs of My Hero Academia’s junior season have now been completed. Covering the training camp & Bakugo capture/retrieval arcs from the source material, Bones continues their brilliant attention to detail with a near flawless panel to screen adaptation of the quickly rising shounen anime.

My Hero Academia is a 2016 shounen anime series, it is produced by Bones, and licensed by Funimation. It is currently available on DVD & Blu-Ray in English. Season 3 is currently airing on Crunchyroll & Funimation Now. Season 1 is currently airing on Toonami on Adult Swim.

Editor’s Note: This review contains near complete to complete spoilers for the first twelve episodes of My Hero Academia season three. 

My Hero Academia continues it’s excellent character growth and development.

After a rather slowed pace, season three fast forwards into overdrive mode upon episode three or four onward and never really stops. Covering the UA Training Camp & the Bakugo Capture & Rescue arcs for the first twelve episodes, season three boasts a large array of character development, emotional writing, and incredible action scenes that will make it hard to top once we’ve reached season’s end.

The Vanguard Action Squad makes their anime debut in season 3!

THE GOOD: When word first got out that My Hero Academia’s junior season would open with a non-canon filler episode fans were starting to worry if the anime adaptation had begun to hit it’s peak. But leave it to Studio Bones to make a filler/recap episode entertaining as all hell. The male students competing in a swimming contest while using their quirks was hilarious, especially Bakugo’s claims of “killing” everyone in victory. The last time I saw a recap episode full of entertainment was Re:Creators’ recap ep, and before that…I can’t even begin to think of one. Recap episode aside, as we finally get into adapting the canon from it’s source we see the students of UA taking a field trip into the forest to continue their training off campus again. Here we get the introduction of the Pussycats which are essentially a parody of magical girls and they’re in charge of the forest training camp.

Izuku vs Muscular will go down as one of the greatest anime fights this anime season.

The villains being teased from the end of season two make their full debut this season including Dabi, Himiko, Spinner, and others. They attack the training camp complete with a “hero/student kill list”, with the ultimate goal of capturing Bakugo Katsuki and turning him into a top villain for the League of Villains. Meanwhile, Fumikage’s quick “dark shadow” goes haywire as the villains attack at night providing a grand distraction. One of season three’s biggest highlights comes from the relationship between Izuku & Kota; a young man who’s parents were killed in action as Pro Heroes. This caused Kota to gain a hatred of heroes, feeling that it was just work leading to pointless death. When the villains invade Izuku & Kota meet the killer of Kota’s parents; the villain Muscular, who’s quick, as its name suggest can increase his muscle mass giving him immense power. After defeating Muscular in a clutch battle, Izuku becomes Kota’s first real hero since his parents.

Izuku’s greatest battle to date.

In the midst of dark shadow becoming uncontrollable this provided the villains enough of a distraction to get the jump on the heroes and take capture of Fumikage & Bakugo, though Izuku, Shoto, and some others manage to save Fumikage, Bakugo is unfortunately taken to the Villains hideout. Izuku and the other students are informed to no longer act on their own and to no longer fight villains due to the number of recent events endangering their safety, however Izuku of course decides to rescue Bakugo, along with a select group of others. When Lida & Izuku get into a heated argument that gets physical over the rules layed out by the Pro Heroes, the come to an agreement on to rescue Bakugo on the grounds that no fighting comes from Izuku & co.

All Might vs All For One.

Just when it seems like Bakugo is about to be freed from his captures, All For One begins to act sending dozens of Nomu to attack the heroes & sends the villains to him, while easily disposing of the Pro Heroes who invaded a Nomu farming lab. This leads to the first half of season three’s biggest fight even after Izuku vs Muscular; All Might vs One For All. The battle causes All Might to overexert the remaining power of One For All, revealing his true form to the public for the very first time. Expecting the people to turn on All Might in fear of his true nature, All For One’s plans backfires, having All Might’s true form only further encouraging All Might to win at all cost with the citizens fully behind him. Defeat, All For One is arrested, but not before Shigaraki & the other villains can escape. An emotional moment where All Might officially passes the torch of the “Symbol of Peace” to Izuku ends the arc.

All Might’s final bow.

THE BAD: Even after the entertaining filler episode season 3 suffers from a bit of a down time period for a couple of episodes lacking action, but that’s quickly rectified by episode four.

Now it’s your turn, Izuku.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The first half of My Hero Academia Season 3 is an emotional thrill ride full of emotion & action, and we’re only just getting started. As the season rolls on we continue to experience superb animation and fight scenes that Bones will surely look to out do one another with every passing episode. Otaku Dome gives My Hero Academia Season 3, Part 1 a 95 out of 100.