Here comes the fourth season of the superhero anime My Hero Academia. The Japanese animation studio Bones is behind the production and was directed by Kenji Nagasaki. The show is based on the manga created by Kōhei Horikoshi for Jump Comics. This season had twenty-five episodes and two OVAs.

Ahead of the UA school festival, fledging hero Deku (Justin Briner) takes a work-study with his mentor All-Might’s former sidekick Nighteye (Brandon McInnis), who can see glimpses into the future. He works closely with his trainee Lemillion and the two run into a little girl named Eri (Emily Neves) who is in distress when a man claiming to be her father takes her away. Nighteye identifies the man as Overhaul (Kellen Goff), a yazuka leader who has recently allied with Tenko (Eric Vale) and his League of Villains. Nighteye summons allies like the hero Fat Gum (Kyle Hebert) to defeat them. Meanwhile, citizens wonder how Endeavor (Patrick Seitz) will replace All-Might (Christopher Sabat) as the number one hero, though the hero Hawks (Zeno Robinson) seems to have an angle.

One of the cool things about this portion of the series is that raises the stakes. There are casualties, pain, and suffering. They have ramifications for the whole season and do not simply do emotional pulls. It made the season more impactful and though it does get darker, it still manages to keep its heart and humor. It also has some killer music.

If I could praise all of the characters, this article would go on forever. We see Suneater (Aaron Dismuke), a hero trainee who struggles with self-doubt. Nejire Chan (Lindsay Seidel), a confident hero with electrifying powers. Along with Lemillion, they make up the Big Three. Their plot was epic and I loved their inclusion. It is not only the heroes but the villains as well. Twice (Newton Pittman), Toga (Leah Clark), and Gentle (John Gremillion) all are highlighted, teasing the upcoming “My Villain Academia” arc which is sure to wow. I cannot wait and I think it will rock.

Update: I had not yet seen the OVAs for this season, so I was happy when they were added to Crunchyroll. Just a quick thought on them. It was a two-part story showing them do some training ahead of the licensing exam. It was fun and cool to get a glimpse of them doing normal school work. Well, normal for superheroes in training.

Check out the trailer below:

This review is based on the English dub.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Suggestive humor, Minor foul language, Violence

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This article has been updated from the previous version.