My Hero Academia
Multiple animes have fallen under the public's radar but here is one that calls for everyone's attention.
My Hero Academia is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated in 2014 by Kōhei Horikoshi. It revolves around the premise that 80% of the world is born with powers known as quirks in the show. They awaken when they are around 5 to 12 years old. The anime was released in April 2016 and it features many heroes as suggested by the name. One of the most important aspects of the show that can’t be overlooked is the villain character design. There is no need for heroes in a world that doesn’t have crime.
The first well-written villain presented is the leader of the league of villains, Tomura Shigaraki. He believes that society is corrupt and wants to fight in order to change it. He grew up with a power that disintegrates anything he comes into contact with; this power caused him to kill his family. He grew up to be a man-kid, intelligent but moody type of guy. He is unable to take care of himself to an extent and acts upon sudden bursts of rage at times. Shigaraki blames this on the society since no one was ever there to help him get through it.
Shigaraki soon meets another villain similar to him but that is taken to another level, Kai Chisaki. Kai is an extreme germaphobe and hates feeling dirty. He obviously likes to avoid dirty places and hates when people get him or the area around him dirty. Chisaki views powers that contaminate 80% of the population as a sickness, treating them as he would with any other kind of filth.
Chisaki believes in a world with no powers, if no one has the power there will be no more conflict. It’s like what Syndrome had said in The Incredibles just in reverse, “And when everyone's super, no-one will be“. The Incredibles is a classic and the idea presented in it is emphasized even more in My Hero Academia. Both the villains and Syndrome believe the world would be a better place without varying power. That the world would be more fair and enjoyable.
A good villain is one that persuades its audience into thinking he or she is in the right or is subject to your empathy/sympathy. Scenarios that are far more in-depth than black and white conflict are what really give people a reason to consume a story, if that is what you seek then My Hero Academia is your seasonal anime this Winter.