My Hero Academia’s explosive battles have been the talk of the town ever since the anime debuted, and it has only garnered more attention with every passing year. However, if one looks just a little further, the world of anime has plenty of series that handily surpass MHA, whether it’s in terms of high-octane fights, layered storyline, or intriguing characters.
While My Hero Academia delivers an exciting superhero adventure, quite a few other anime have more engaging storylines with layered characters, rich worldbuilding, and superior action. These are masterpieces that are often praised for their timeless plots, and they will never cease to be recommended.
Assassination Classroom’s Strategic Assassination Techniques Do Not Require Supernatural Abilities
Assassination Classroom and My Hero Academia both focus on school children burdened with greater responsibilities. Assassination Classroom’s compact cast allows the anime to shed equal light on each character, be they a student or a teacher, unlike MHA, which forces side characters to fade into the background.
Another advantage of Assassination Classroom is its planned narrative, as viewers are already aware of the final confrontation between Koro-sensei and his students from the beginning, and the show slowly builds up to it. MHA often faces criticism for dragging out its introductory arcs, and the story takes some time to regain its footing.
While students in MHA are armed with quirks, Assassination Classroom’s students can only rely on their wits and training. The strategies used against Koro-sensei are actually interesting and fun to watch, and each failure is a lesson in disguise. The anime does not sacrifice its assassination tactics in favor of convenient power-ups, which makes it far more engaging than My Hero Academia.
Mob Psycho 100 Focuses on Emotional Maturity Instead of Constant Power-ups
Mob Psycho 100 hails from the same studio as My Hero Academia, and is undoubtedly one of the best modern shonen anime hits. The core concept of Mob Psycho 100 is far more mature than MHA’s, as its protagonist seeks emotional maturity and stability instead of yearning to be the strongest. Like Deku, Mob stays humble despite holding immense power, but instead of glorifying power like MHA, Mob Psycho 100 teaches that restraint and kindness are what actually matter.
My Hero Academia’s animation is spot-on, but Mob Psycho 100’s animation is on a completely different level. Animators freely exaggerated expressions, powers, explosions, and psychic warfare with brilliant colors and motions. Mob Psycho 100 not only delivers great animation, but also plenty of character development.
Bungo Stray Dogs has a Darker, More Mature Take on Superpowered Conflicts
Bungo Stray Dogs feels like a more mature and realistic version of My Hero Academia, especially since it’s a seinen anime. Even though the characters in BSD are equipped with unique abilities just like MHA’s quirks, they still use modern weapons, something that MHA forgets to employ because of the quirk-centric action scenes.
My Hero Academia explores the morality of heroes and villains, but Bungo Stray Dogs takes it up a notch by blurring the line between evil and good. BSD shows heroes with problematic pasts, like Osamu Dazai (the ex-mafia who retains his sadistic streak), and also provides tragic backstories to villains. In BSD, no faction is devoid of corruption, which is much more realistic than MHA’s ultimate decision to place complete faith in its heroes and the hero system.
Little Witch Academia Is a Whimsical and Charming Counterpart to MHA
Little Witch Academia excels at fluid and vibrant animation, which adds to the anime’s charm. While MHA’s rigid aesthetic is stuck within the boundaries of shonen anime, Little Witch Academia is whimsical, playful, and also reminds one of nostalgic early 2000s cartoons. The anime itself is filled with adorable characters and themes that make one want to watch it again and again.
Both Akko, the protagonist of Little Witch Academia, and MHA’s Deku are normal kids filled with the same aspirations of becoming like their idols. As Akko trudges on, her determination to hold onto her heart and her struggles with her self-identity are not only inspirational but also relatable. The anime also portrayed the dichotomy between innocence and sin without ever compromising its cheerful disposition.
To Be Hero X Presents an Unconventional Critique of Hero Culture
To Be Hero X, the recently popular Chinese anime, shows a more realistic version of what happens when people put all their trust and faith in heroes. The heroes in To Be Hero X gain powers from ‘trust value,’ which provides a brilliant critique of public perception. Needless to say, fame takes a dark toll more often than not.
To Be Hero X shows a world where ‘Hero Agencies’ have more power than the heroes themselves, as the heroes act more like scouted idols than saviors. The anime actively explores the commercialization of heroes and the politics associated with the agencies that handle them. When compared to To Be Hero X, MHA’s hero system feels simpler and too black and white.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
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Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
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Daiki Yamashita
Izuku Midoriya (voice)
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Kaito Ishikawa
Manga Fukidashi (voice)