English Dub Season Review: My Hero Academia Season Three

Man, is it over already?

It’s hard to believe that 24 weeks have gone by since the start of this season of My Hero Academia. Since this season landed 6 months ago, I’ve been ravenous for each new installment of this exciting and inspirational series, and even with the season ended for now I still find myself wanting more. This is high praise, especially considering that this feeling has been with me since I first started watching this series two years ago. It’s been a long ride since things got started in this epic season, and there’s so much to cover, but one can rest assured that this season was as plus ultra, if not more, than the seasons prior.

In terms of story, this season follows several major arcs that develop our characters from minor league students to provisionally licensed heroes ready to start taking on some real baddies. Class 1-A is no stranger to having the reality of villainy butt its head into their academia, but here is when the stakes really get high. The newfound League of Villains, a frightening collection of powerful baddies, raids Class 1-A while they’re on a camping trip, and even manages to kidnap Bakugou, the student they believe can be corrupted the easiest. Not keen to just end on that downer, though, My Hero Academia keeps things moving right onto the next big arc against All Might’s nemesis, “All for One.” All for One is the complete antithesis of what our heroes stand for. Entirely selfish, deviously cunning, and with perhaps the strongest power of them all, the ability to steal and transfer other people’s quirks. He is defeated, but not before revealing to the world that All Might is losing his powers, effectively killing his role as the symbol of peace. What’s incredible is that this is only the halfway mark for the season. Following this, the season’s latter half goes in depth into the provisional license exams, which push Class 1-A to heights to their limits, and brings them upon the threshold of adulthood.

So much more happens, and there are so many great character moments at play here. Lots of attention is paid to each character, both new and returning, and even side characters like Yugo Aoyama and Yaorozu get their times to shine. Yet, despite the thoroughness of this story and the strength of its characters, My Hero keeps a breakneck speed at which it progresses through the plot. Anime, and shounen anime, in particular, is known for filler, reused animation, and dialogue stalling to pad out runtime, but My Hero Academia doesn’t do that. Each minute feels valuable, each scene is important, and the show is made with enough love and respect for its audience that it doesn’t waste your time. I don’t think there was a single episode that I would qualify as “Bad” or “Skippable.”

Of course, this is all brought together by the always sterling animation and powerful vocal deliveries from its dub cast. Funimation has brought its best and brightest to work on this series, both in its localization and delivery. Each character sounds unique from each other, while not drifting into the realm of vocal absurdity. The characters voices flow naturally through the script as if English was its original language. In my opinion, it makes the English dub the preferred viewing of the series, and that’s a rare thing to see. Special note should be made for Clifford Chapin, who delivers a performance for heroic hothead, Katsuki Bakugou that almost brought me to tears in the final episodes of the season.

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and superpowers here in season three, there are a couple speed bumps that slow down an otherwise excellent show. While My Hero doesn’t stall out for time so much as other shows do, its dialogue is filled to the brim with exposition, which can get a bit tiresome sometimes. It helps that the show goes through such pains to bring as much emotion to these explanations of what’s going on, but after a while, you start to notice when characters are speaking through their processes a bit too much. This undermines a couple fights as well, namely Yaorozu’s tactician battle in episode 55. Because the dialogue explains everything for the viewer nice and neat as it comes up, it loses the kind of pacing and tension required for a true battle of wits to immerse the viewer. Which is a shame because I’m all about those kinds of brilliant tactical characters.

But putting that aside, what’s not to love about My Hero Academia season three? You’ve got a great story that develops higher what had already been laid down without straying too far from the central themes of the show. You’ve got a great cast voiced by great people. Some of the most beautiful shounen animation money can buy, and a slow pace that makes it worth tuning in for every single week. It’s the kind of show you think about while you’re at school or work, the kind of show you can’t wait to turn on as soon as you get home. It inspired, it chills, it brings a healthy dose of plus ultra into your life. It’s a shame its ended, but the show is by no means over. Big things are yet to come, and I, as do millions of viewers, await with baited breath to see what the future will bring.