My Hero Academia: Vigilantes 2×01 Review: “Day-Tripping Down to Naniwa!”

My Hero Academia Vigilantes anime season two returned with a chapter that helped set the stage for a major mission regarding the Trigger drug. Of course, our lead characters Koichi and Pop Step will get thrown into the mix.

The episode opened with the performers of the Marukane Department Store going through their regular exercises. However, Pop Step was missing from the field. It’s revealed that she was sent to Osaka to represent the store at the idol show being held at the SS Mall with Koichi acting as her manager. I liked how the narrative kept the anime’s comedic element right from the start, with Koichi missing the train because he was busy buying a snack. And as expected, with how the writers have been handling the storytelling in MHA Vigilantes, there’s a reason behind Koichi being late.

Koichi’s Slide and Glide Quirk is going to continue evolving through the course of this anime, especially because the bad guys are not to be taken lightly. They aren’t above killing people to achieve their goals. With Koichi running after the train, I initially thought he would experience an immense boost in speed. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that his Quirk allowed him to stick to surfaces instead. I liked how the versatility of his Quirk was explained. In a sense, Koichi was already using the “adhesive” part of his Quirk when making sharp turns without realizing it. Wanting to remain clinging to the train helped activate the “adhesiveness” of his Quirk, but this time Koichi realized what was going on. Instead of pushing away from a surface, he was attracting the surface.

While I’m excited about Koichi polishing his Quirk and becoming more powerful, I do hope Pop Step also gets to experience some kind of level-up to her Quirk. I understand that she’s more of a Support character than a fighter, but still, there are ways for a Support Quirk to become powerful.

With Pop Step and Koichi arriving in Osaka, they met Pro Hero Fat Gum. There’s a big reason for Fat Gum being there. Turns out, Fat Gum was assisting Detective Tsukacuhi with a possible Trigger drug deal occurring during the SS Mall event.

Sigh! I get that Koichi and Pop Step are willing vigilantes and would help as much as possible when s*it hits the fan during the deal, but things aren’t going to be easy for those two this time around. They would be operating outside their hometown, and I highly doubt Detective Tsukacuhi will be lenient toward the vigilante duo the way Eraser Head has been. He already told his surveillance team to keep an eye on Pop Step after recognizing her through the camera feed.

Over in Naruhata, we got to see Eraser Head being busy apprehending the Hotta Brothers to learn more about Trigger’s distribution. It’s shared that there’s a somewhat “safer” version of Trigger that the Hotta Brothers used. Said version boosted their Quirks without making them lose control and go on a rampage. I enjoyed how Eraser Head handled his interaction with the Hotta Brothers. Even though he told the investigation team he was more of a fighter than an interrogator, I think Eraser Head’s got the skills required to be an effective detective. His tactic of forcing the Hotta Brothers to use Trigger in front of him and then switching the vibe to play the role of a “good cop” to get them to open up to him was a nice move.

The episode concluded with the reveal that the fiesty Monika Kaniyashiki, who was representing the crab-supplier Kanidoge, was actually working undercover for the investigation team. I mean, I did not see that coming. I actually thought someone might force her to use Trigger in a fit of jealousy after Pop Step took her place when Kaniyashiki decided to disappear right before her turn on the stage. So, good work MHA Vigilantes writers for delivering such a twist. Also, kudos to the animation team and the voice actress for how Kaniyashiki was portrayed during her scenes. I didn’t suspect her true role even once. And yeah, I’m interested in knowing her Quirk, if she has one.

A fun setup episode, I’m looking forward to seeing the trouble that is about to unfold inside the SS Mall and what new information it will bring forth about the nefarious Villain Factory.

What did you think of the premiere episode of MHA Vigilantes season two?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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