My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 8 Review: An Unlikeable Pro Hero

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 8 Review: The 8th episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes or Vijirante: Boku no Hīrō Akademia Irīgarusu (ヴィジランテ -僕のヒーローアカデミア ILLEGALS-) was again pretty funny and entertaining. Let us see how this episode turned out.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 7 Recap

This episode starts by shedding light on Koichi’s personal challenges, particularly his ongoing struggles with social connection. College hasn’t been easy for him as he’s always had trouble making friends, which leaves him feeling isolated, especially during stressful times like exam season.

Without a solid support system, Koichi finds himself overwhelmed and lacking the resources most students take for granted. Just when it seems like he’s hit a wall, help comes from an unexpected source. It is Makoto, an attractive and confident senior student. She offers to lend him a hand with his exam preparation, on the condition that he does a small favour for her in return. Later, she even visits Koichi at home and shares detailed notes that could give him a real edge.

In addition to Koichi’s academic struggles, the episode dives into a larger theme, which is the origins and evolution of vigilante heroes. During a conversation between Makoto and Koichi, she explains how, when quirks first started to appear, society was thrown into chaos. With no legal framework in place, individuals took justice into their own hands. This early form of vigilantism eventually led to the hero licensing system we see today. It was an attempt to bring structure to an otherwise unregulated force, while still avoiding excessive government surveillance.

Makoto then tasks Koichi with investigating the vigilantes operating in Naruhata. What she doesn’t know is that Koichi himself is living a double life as one of these masked protectors. Now caught in a delicate position, Koichi must dig into the very world he’s secretly a part of, all while ensuring Makoto never discovers the truth about him.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 8 Review

This episode again begins with Koichi trying to stop someone with his powers and failing in the process. Thankfully, Koichi gets saved in the nick of time by the top-ranking American pro hero, Captain Celebrity. He has been amongst the top 10 heroes of America, and now he wants to start his work in Japan. However, there is a reason behind it, as Knuckleduster informs that Celebrity does not have a good track record, and he must have come to Japan to earn more money instead.

This theory is proved when a Godzilla-like villain wreaks havoc, and Captain Celebrity refuses to help before his crew or media comes to the scene. Koichi does not wait for him, and he rushes to that spot while Captain Celebrity finally gets the green light signal to move. He definitely defeats the monster, but Koichi is the one who rescues a puppy. The entire credit of the operation hence goes to Captain Celebrity, who even later insults Koichi for his outfit.

Captain Celebrity’s vain becomes apparent when he literally brings a cheerleading squad along to demolish a building. After that, we also see his womanising tendencies as he sets his eyes on Makoto. Thus, Koichi takes it upon himself to monitor Captain Celebrity and Makoto to ensure he doesn’t do anything to her.

Verdict

This episode definitely had a more humorous tone than a serious one, and I loved that. Captain Celebrity is an interesting character, and the way he was showcased in this episode confirms that he will be an enjoyable addition to the cast. Apart from that, there is also a very intriguing scene towards the end of this episode, so be sure not to miss it out.

Must Read: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Reviews