So apparently, I just can’t seem to shut up about the best stuff about My Hero Academia (Boku No Hero Academia). So here are more reasons why you should seriously binge this series. (Dont forget to check out Reasons you should binge on My Hero Academia Part 1)

SHOWDOWNS. There were many well-developed rivalries in this series is settled by the equally epic showdowns, especially during the Battle Trial Arc and the UA Sports Festival Arc. In the Battle Trial Arc, the rivalry between the volatile Bakugo and the novice hero aspirant Deku was tested in an explosive team mission while in the Sports Festival arc, Deku is faced with Shota Todoroki, one of the top students in his class and the troubled son of No. 2 hero Endeavor. As Todoroki battles Deku to spite his father and prove a point, Deku challenges him to own his powers to become the best hero he can be. This, at the risk of his own victory and physical well being, earned him the respect and friendship of Todoroki which became evident in future missions.

EPIC NON FATAL BATTLES. To say that the final battle between All Might and One For All was epic would be an understatement. The added pressure of beating his arch nemesis with depleted powers and upholding his role as the Symbol of Justice fueled the sense of urgency for the world’s Number One hero. Yet, in an ultimate sacrifice, All Might laid it all on the line and exposed his secret if only to take down the malicious villain once and for all. In the end, the villain was turned over to the police to keep in a maximum security prison.

This was the same with the Hero Killer arc. While it was implied that the hero killer has purged heroes he deemed unworthy of the title, the starting point of his story showed him injuring and not killing Ingenium. In much as the same way, he did not die during the encounter with the UA students but was instead incarcerated and made to pay for his crimes.

FRIENDSHIP AND LOYALTY. I have always been drawn to series that highlight friendship and loyalty and My Hero Academia has plenty of this with each episode. Deku has always been loyal to Bakugo even though he’s a jerk, and begrudgingly, I would think that Katsuki feels the same sense of kinship and loyalty to Deku. One might even say he understands why he was chosen as All Might’s successor but his pride just won’t let him acknowledge it. I like how he has accepted Kirishima as his friend. It was really touching how, as Tokoyama wrestled with Dark Shadow as he went berserk that Shoji and Deku never left his side and found a way to save all of their friends with Deku’s quick thinking.

YOUNG LOVE. While shonen animes often don’t sail romance ships as much as shojo manga or anime, its pretty cute to see Deku and Uraraka’s relationship evolve from friendship to the beginnings of puppy love. Its slowly dawning on Uraraka and while Deku is a bit slower on the uptake because of his preoccupation with his dream of being a hero, its pretty cute to see the girls gang up on Ochako for her to spill the beans. I think that Momo and Todoroki are being groomed to be an eventual pair in future seasons but that’s just my serial shipping tendencies speaking.

SO MUCH FUN. What I like about My Hero Academia is that it knows how to balance the heavy episodes with the lighter ones. After a particularly tragic event, the show transitions to a lighter episode like the swimming pool training, or a totally unrelated one like “Save the world with Love.” This brings back the show to its youthful premise and taps into the characters’ lighter side as they go through adolescent phases like chasing after girls (for Mineta a bit extremely) and having silly competitions like swimming (?) contests and Room King competitions.

ANATOMY OF GOOD and EVIL. My Hero Academia explores the idea that heroes and villains are only separated by a very flimsy thread and the good and evil are just opposite sides of the coin. It also illustrates how strength and weakness are relative. The show thoroughly expounds on this with the parallels of All Might and his arch nemesis All for One as well as Deku and Bakugo’s different approaches to reaching the top. This anime exposes both the heroes’ and the villains’ flaws and allows viewers to understand their perspectives with their well fleshed out backstories. The concept of heroism was also challenged by the Hero Killer’s extreme ideologies in Season 2,that had rippling repercussions in the following arcs. This approach that questions stereotypes and the standards of morality in systematic fashion makes for interesting points to ponder.

Overall, My Hero Academia provides for a very interesting binge that truly gets viewers involved in the series. I can’t count the number of times I found myself standing up or getting near the TV as if I might ease the tension of a particularly dangerous pickle the kids are in if I do so. It’s a pretty intense reaction for a series that I’ve started and finished in a matter of days.