Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

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I don't like my hero academia.

That's probably what many people who have been recommended this manga to have said; And don't worry, I don't like it either, but please don't let that stigma become an excuse not to read one of the BEST shonen of recent years.

"This is not the story of the best, it is the story of a group of people who just want to do good and find their place in society"

Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals is EVERYTHING I ask of a good shonen and superhero story; In this review I will not only defend the reason for this fact, but ... I will also defend why it seems better than the original story.

It's hard to put into words how moving and inspiring this manga is, but I'm going to do my best to convince you guys to give it a try.


Starting with the characters, here we do not focus on many at the same time (as in the main manga) but we focus on exploring in depth our 3 protagonists and their experiences with the other inhabitants of the Naruhata neighborhood. This simple premise shows us one of the key factors of VIGS; its more reduced and daily approach makes us feel more involved, more related and allows us to get to know our protagonists in depth. there is the magic of koichi, that character that you surely heard that everyone loves and proclaims is better than deku. He's an every man, a guy who could never take the exam to be a hero (for saving anyone's life) and couldn't have gotten in anyway due to his useless quirk. When Koichi is injured or in danger, it hurts us, when Koichi grows as a person and improves his quirk we feel happy, when someone recognizes his worth, we feel proud. He has the heart of a hero, but because of the society he lives in, he cannot be one. It's a lot like "Spiderman" in a lot of ways. On the other hand we have the beloved ND, the master, a complex character who moves the plot, an unorthodox guy who is not what he seems at first glance. Telling them more about the beauty of these characters would ruin the experience, so let's leave it at that. Truly the heart of the series.

One of the most reprehensible points, at least for me, of the original manga is the poor world building. How does society work? Which are the rules? Why are fucking psychopaths like Bakugo not only admitted as heroes, but also all their attitudes of high danger to society are minimized? Why does a society with super powers work in the same way as ours? Everything is configured in an inorganic way, for much of the work we are deprived of seeing people's daily lives and it ends up being something unlikely, unidirectional and simplistic. On the other hand, vigs not only takes away from this lore but for some reason IMPROVES IT. Not only the customs, laws and rules that govern society enjoy a natural and diegetic exposure thanks to the more everyday environment in which it develops, but we also see the history, consequences and problems that a society of heroes implies. All this has a great weight in the development of the manga and is one of the central points, the so-called "sociology of the hero"

The series even goes further and dares to brilliantly tell and explore characters like aizawa and gives prominent participation to characters without much dialogue or greater narrative weight like midnight (at least at the time of publication)

One of the points that bothered me the most about the original series was how shallow the "hero" genre was in the title. Being relegated in many instances to something more stylistic and superficial because at the end of the day it was still a manga IN LARGE PART of teenagers with super powers who attend a school, must go through tests and have tournament arcs (sounds similar don't you think ?) . On the other hand, vigs opts for a more urban aesthetic that fits him like a glove, drinking a lot from superhero comics and getting closer to the idea of ​​"a superhero manga." This influence can even be seen on the covers.

Although this series will always be a 10 in my heart, my objective side does not allow me to give it more than an 8/10 (an excellent mark). This is due to some inconsistencies, some sections that are a bit simple and several asspull during the final arc (note SOME, others are well justified) and well, all might, that despite liking it a lot, it breaks too much with the tension.


There is still much to mention, such as the excellent villain, or the drawing. But going any further would be redundant and I don't want to ruin the extremely SATISFACTORY experience that is reading this short manga. Highly recommended and a must read for shonen fans.

Compared to its parent manga, Illegals has a much tighter focus.

The core cast is composed of a mere three members, as opposed to BnHA's massive cast herd. This is great for character development, with the main character and his teammates each getting significant character moments nearly every single chapter.

And even non-main-characters have it good-- The author doesn't treat them like setpieces to be moved around at his bidding, but respects their agency as individuals in a universe he's merely narrating.

Just like in BnHA, every superpower is unique and interesting, as are character designs.

Illegals' characters are perhaps the best part of the manga, and I rate ... them 9/10.

The monthly release schedule of Illegals lends itself to more episode chapters, with individually more compelling stories than any single BnHA chapter. Every month I'm excited to read the chapters because I know I'll get a self-contained experience that weekly manga can't quite match.

On the other hand, the monthly schedule detracts from Illegal's ability to significantly progress its story-wide arc, but luckily that's partially mitigated by how Illegals ties into BnHA, allowing information to be released in parallel.

I would rate Illegal's story as slightly worse than BnHA's story, but still very good on an objective level. 8/10.

I'll admit straight out that I'm not a good art critic-- I can say that the art looks good and that I personally enjoy it, but beyond that, not much.

If you liked the art in BnHA, the art here is basically identical. As a result of the smaller scale of Illegals (and presumably the smaller scale of its finances), it does lack a little of BnHA's "wow" factor. 7/10

Overall, I'm really enjoying Illegals, both as a sidestory to BnHA and on its own merits. In fact, I'd go so far as so say I enjoy it more than BnHA.

If you're a fan of street-level superhero stories, read it. If you're a fan of BnHA, read it. If you're willing to accept Pop*Step as your lord and savior, READ IT.

9/10 enjoyment, 9/10 overall.

edit: as of chapter 28, I've raised this to a 10/10. No spoilers as to why, it's just that good.

If you’re looking for something to read while waiting on MHA chapters, defiantly start this. It’s pretty freaking amazing, dare I say better or at least almost as good as the original? The MC is sooo adorable and I like his story a lot, so I get just excited when new chapters are released for this as I do when MHA chapters are released.

First of all, I love how the story doesn’t feel like it’s even a spinoff. I often find myself saying that I can’t wait until he has a run in with Deku and gets added to the main cast. It’s aligned ... with the current arc MHA is on as of now, so they’re pretty much dealing with the same problem. It’s great to see how non-heroes are handling the situation.

I think the characters are the most lovable part of this manga. At first, I figured the MC would be annoying and repetitive because Deku already has the role of “underdog with a glow up”, but it somehow manages to make this MC kinda sorta the same without it being the same kind of situation if that makes sense.

My scores (2=max *story= 3 point max*/ 0=min )
Story Dev-3
Character Dev-1
Art-2
Pacing-2
Overall-9

This review will contain spoilers for both the main MHA series up to date as well as it’s spin-off.

My Hero Academia Vigilantes started off as a spin-off to the main series, but within its 126 chapter run I believe managed to stand alone from its source as well as surpassing it to become a fairly enjoyable superhero manga. This is due to a few number of aspects I will be going over below, starting with

I. The side-characters.

I believe that due to a much smaller cast, MHA:V manages to have a much tighter focus on the character development and ambitions as a whole. There’s ... no one character that manages to steal the show and overtake the manga for sequences and arcs at a time, nor are there characters who dip in and out of the story without reason to have the reader miss them in their place. For example, Eraserhead manages to get more development within one volume than he has in the entire 30+ volume run of the main series, in part to an arc focusing on his days as a student rather than a teacher. It in part enhances the viewer’s perception of him in the main series, making the reveal that Oboro is Kurogiri hit that much harder. Likewise, Slain the hero hunter exists in the past in Vigilantes as a violent villain Hunter who crosses the line frequently, accumulating in his turn to the dark side that is both satisfying and sad to read. Even Rumi, who exists in the main series as a jobber, gets an excellent arc alongside Knuckleduster as an up-and-comer that establishes her rowdy personality and fighting style in a way that feels organic. For many MHA readers, Vigilantes is a fun way to see your favorite side characters actually get the spotlight alongside some excellent development and fights that help flesh them out better than the development they’ve received in the main series. But for Vigilantes readers only, the characters are still well written enough to where they stand alone and intrigue the reader enough to root for them. Even our protagonist’s mentor, Knuckleduster, ends up feeling much more like a cohesive character because of this. Unlike All Might, he isn’t really sidelined out of the story at any point, his vigilantism serving as both a way out for his character as well as a perfectly understandable evolution of the heroism in-universe. Once you learn of his backstory, you understand perfectly why he believes that outside of the law is the only way to work. But what is a mentor without his aide? This brings us to the protagonist,

II. Koichi and his relatability.

Within the first handful of chapters, I feel the reader has a much better grasp into the world through our protagonist Koichi AKA The Crawler. He is a much more relatable character than Deku, and this is in part to his vulnerability as well as his acceptance of his stature. He is much-more mild mannered, his love for All Might more of a side-enjoyment than an annoying re-occurring gag. His quirk is easily defined as well as not-being overly flashy, which lends itself to extremely entertaining chase and fight scenes that has the reader guessing where he’ll float next. Combine this with the fact that what he’s doing is in-canon against the code, as well as the fact that he’s just an average joe, makes both the tension and stakes much higher than most situations Deku could manage on his own. There are several points in the series where you genuinely don’t know if he’ll make it out unscathed, and due to his lack of support system with the smaller cast, means that for the most part he stands alone and fights alone for much of the series. This leads to many satisfying moments where his wins feel EARNED rather than given to as he uses his intellect and his powers to keep both his opponents fumbling. By the end of the series he feels like a fully-fledged hero, something many of the central cast characters in the main series still lack after several hundred chapters in. And finally, the aspect that I feel elevates the story is,

III. The Main Villain.

Number 6 AKA Rokuro, washes every single villain in the MHA universe and it’s not even close. Due to his screen time and the amount of disguises and scenes he has with the other characters, his drive as a villain and what ultimately turns him into a monster by the end of the series is much more focused and relatable to the reader. As a young boy suffering from Agnosia, he had no self-focus nor fit in with society. As such, All for One manipulates him and shapes him into a dark image of fanboy-ism and hero worship, making him a dark-coin flip to our main protagonist. He worships his heroes so much that he is willing to scar himself just so that he looks like the hero he adores so much, hoping that one day he may save others just like his idol. Of course, the rejection that comes from his hero is enough to push him over the line, in a scene that is both tragic and understood by anyone who’s struggled with rejection. He isn’t just some big baddie monologging from the shadows with his ultimate plan, he’s a scary reminder of what wanderers without a sense of belonging can be indoctrinated into without help from society. It also certainly helps that he pops in and out of the story as several side-characters in disguise, meaning for the most part he shapes many of the conflicts throughout the story without it being forced.

Yes, the artwork isn’t remotely as bombastic and detailed as the main series, but due to the much tighter focus on the character work, a darker tone, and the much shorter length, I believe that Vigilantes is one of the better super hero manga one could pick up and have a good time with, regardless of their knowledge of the main book.

Story 8/10
The story is pretty interesting since the beginning of the series have already foreshadow the current BNHA arc,noting more to say about the story right other then it being really decent and unexpected spin off since it foreshadows the current arc and some characters as well,so it will be really cool to the the cast of BNHA meet up with VBNHAI cast.

Art 9/10
For a spin off based on a current on going series,the art style resembles the BNHA art style but also have it's own distinctive art style

Character 10/10
The characters to be honest,are just as much if not not more ... interesting and enjoyable then the BNHA cast,koichi,the main character is an underdog who have a almost useless quirk,but despite that he still become a vigilante known as gentle man(the crawler after he meet knuckleduster) and help people by doing basic stuff like giving directions and picking things up. after he meet pop star,a street idol who got into an accident with some punk,koichi try to save her but failed.Which then,knuckleduster appear and help them.After that he made Koichi his student and partner along side pop star who tag along to fight villains who uses a certain kind of drug which power up their quirk.AS you can see,i accidentally made a summary of the story,but the characters like knuckleduster,how does he know about the drug,is still a mystery but koichi and pop star did not ask him about it,this can be a shown of trust towards him.Plus,you can see cameo of original characters from BNHA in the manga,they even show stain before he became the herokiller as a vigilante

Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals is at 33 chapters at the time of writing and is exactly what it sells itself as. The world of Boku no Hero, except instead of through the rose-tinted glasses of the societal elites who followed their dreams of becoming heroes because of their exceptional talent and outstanding quirks, through the eyes of a less fortunate protagonist and his ragtag group of misfits who are trying to undermine the law that has neglected them so.

Despite what the genres say on the MAL page I consider Vigilante to be a seinen, mostly on the tighter focused cast and plot being ... much more set in relative "reality" than shounens typically are. The main character gets his ass kicked often, the plot is about darker themes than one would expect from shounen, and the focus is much less on flashy quirks more on just the characters we follow. Which to a shounen demographic I would see getting bored really quickly of something like this. Now that's not to say there aren't flashy action scenes with fists flying, as everything in this manga while not by the original author of BNHA is drawn VERY well, I myself have fancied it better than BNHA's art at times. The action scenes are usually very detailed with a very clear sense of impact with everything that goes down, and in terms of being hype as FUCK, yeah, it does a pretty good job.

Koichi, Kazuho, Knuckleduster and Makoto are a great cast of **4** all with their own unique dynamic they add to the group of vigilantes. Which is easy to remember and a hell of a lot better than BNHA's cast of 25+, which I'm not sure where the anime is at the time of writing this but the manga only gets worse in terms of remembering characters. every arc in BNHA really feels like you have to just pretend you're reading another series just so you can re-jot down the character's names, as you know there's gonna be another 10 that are going to be introduced, and if you don't remember them then man are you gonna be confused when the new character "feather man" reveals himself to be all might's dad the whole time and gets added to the permanent cast! Whatever, this isn't a BNHA rant this is a Vigilante review. While it does include some of the pro heroes from BNHA it's mostly just them in their everyday lives, and you don't need to know them previously to get a grasp on what their deal is in this series as it pretty much re-establishes them. In fact, for some characters like Ingenium, it helps their character a lot more than BNHA thanks to BNHA giving them no screentime over whatever 2 characters they want to develop alongside deku this arc. Unlike BNHA, you can go *their* entire time not knowing any of the pro heroes' names and it won't really harm your experience of the story at all, as instead of developing their characters their role in the story is to develop our main characters more, which writing-wise is a lot more neat and focused. I know I've said focused like 3 times, but in comparison to BNHA that's really the only word I can use.

The only reason you shouldn't pick this up if you already tried BNHA is if you're a part of the subsection of BNHA that likes to ship people, as the small cast will definitely leave you wanting. Yet, at the same time, I won't miss you, whoever you are.

I am unnable to write anything bad about this manga. The hype is real, go read it, even if you don't like MHA that much.

I would like to write only that and call it a day, but MAL asks for bigger review, so here I go

Story: 9/10
Even though Vigilante has it's ups (and they are the majority) their downs are there, even if almost invisible.
Some parts of the story seems to lack explanation (but after some chapters they are explained, so I think it was to add some mystic to the characters).
The MC group is perfect and Koichi outstands, even though he is one of ... the weakest there, at first glance.

Art: 10/10
I am willing to use ANY page as wallpaper. I'll just say that.

Character: 10/10
Do I need to stress again that they are perfect? Ok, so I'll do it.
Koichi: CEO of good heart
Master: CEO of parenting
Pop: CEO of my heart.

Enjoyment: ABSOLUTELY 11/10
My favorite manga.

For me, Vigilante is the perfect model of slice of life and the apex of what a "casual" shounen like it can be. This manga should set an example to all those absurdly famous shounen or those that try to be like them and its own parent story could learn a lot from it.

Even when the chapters take a more episodic style, everything that happens manages to find its way into the bigger narrative and things tend to never be wasted or forgotten, even for characters that initially seem like really small ones. Mostly everything that's presented has some use for the rest of the ... duration of the manga instead of just being used for one or two characters to have some deeper development while everyone else are just props on a scene. That's right, characters are actually actors in the story and not only some thing hanging around in the background waiting for the main characters to give them attention. The world keeps going on even when the main characters aren't around and eventually it is shown to us, the readers, what happenned while we weren't looking. Event better, it actually makes sense for things to happen, they're not just thrown at you for the sake of progressing the story somehow.

About the characters, in short, it's something I've always wanted to see in a shounen and rarely get to see. Characters usually have great designs and sometimes have good concepts behind them, but they almost never have a proper development, not even a page can be spared for them because everything always has to be about the main character.

I'm thankful for Vigilante for having development for every minor character that appears because it actually makes the world in the manga feel more alive, like things keep happening instead of just wait for the main character to get there in the world building equivalent of Schrödinger's cat scenario. "Did something happen or is everything still the same? Wait for Koichi to open the box to find out". There's nothing like that in the manga because relevant time is actually taken to show what is going on with other characters.

Characters are the focus because they're what creates the narrative, not the other way around.

Even if it doesn't explore uncommon or greatly interesting concepts, it does deliver on what it promises and even delves in societal questions in the universe of MHA, which for some people looking for a cool shounen might not be what they want so it's understandable that it doesn't happen that often. Still, definitely one of the best manga I've ever read.

based. based is the word i'd use for this manga.
do you believe that My Hero betrayed its themes of social injustice and what it means to "Save" someone? Do you find yourself disappointed with how simplistic of a resolution the original manga finds to its conflicts?

do you believe that maybe the villains had a point?

then i humbly recommend this story.

it is by no means perfect, but it explores all of the most interesting aspects of the world that the original story doesn't. how does a society of superheroes function? what happens to people who are abandoned by the system? what role do regular everyday people ... have in a world where the spotlight is dominated by celebrities and the wealthy.

this story is so perfect at uplifting the role of the common people in society and how awful legislation built around punishment is at minimizing crime.

the protagonist being someone so pure that he is incapable of thinking that someone could be innately evil is such a perfect contrast to Izuku "sometimes killing is a form of saving people" Midoriya.

its a lighthearted story about a group of people finding their place in a society that rejects them by finding and building community with fellow strugglers in society. they dont end social injustice. they dont take out a world ending threat. they dont discover some deep-rooted government secret. they just figure out how to help themselves live their lives. they aren't heroes, they're vigilantes.

it's so fucking based.

What a fun ride it was!

After reading the last chapter of Vigilantes, I can say that it can be proud to stand along its older brother. The characters are fun and charming and it takes its time to flesh out its main cast and also pre-existing characters, for example Aizawa. Its final arc, the Naruhata war, is a solid 9 out of 10, it showed how great of a main character Koichi is and its best fight choreography in the series. I'll mention that one thing that this series does best than MHA is its consistency. Also, the last page of the last chapter ... maybe confirmed that Koichi will be in the main story, which is very exciting.

Finally, if you want a great action series or if you're a fan of MHA and you haven't read it yet, go read it, it's a lot of fun.

I don't even like MHA but this was straight fire. Top 5 for sure. Bro the characters, the plot, and the heart. This right here is genuinely amazing manga like bro this was peak. "I do what I can".. Koichi a guy with a mid quirk cant do much and saves the heavy lifting for the actual heroes, but bro does what he can. Truly one of the best manga and by far one of the best cast of characters I have ever seen. 12/10. The manga was unique and a really wonderful story that built upon the lives of our characters in a way ... that manga just doesn't normally do. The art style was peak all the panels went hard. The characters carried the shows. I don't even like MHA but this was peak.

genuinly enjoy this far more than bnha

the plot is about a group of "vigilantes " who meet by coincidence (very wholesome) there is a romance brewing between two characters and another works like a father figure while they throw all kinds of interesting characters and personalities into the fray throughout the story to shake things up and move the plot forwards , everything that happens has a lasting effect throughout the story yet it still somehow keeps the serialized kind of cartoon feel which makes it feel really wholesome , the art works perfectly with all of this , looking really cool while ... being cute and very descriptive of the characters

the characters are by far the best thing about this manga , the bnha setting helps but i honestly prefer the characters and their interactions in this wayyy more than i do in mha and for that reason id still recommend this to people who dont even like bnha

"I know I don't have a chance of going pro at this point. But still, if only for a second, I just wanna fly."

- Koichi, Chapter 2

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a prequel series that takes the core themes of My Hero Academia and looks at them from a new focal point. While using a pre-established setting and plot, Vigilantes manages to build its own identity surrounding the world of quirks and heroes. There are a couple of elements that will be hindered due to it originally being published alongside the main series, especially in regards to plot reveals that are reflected in My ... Hero Academia and possibly affecting how the series might feel when being read as a complete narrative. 

Vigilantes starts with a strong and clear focus, taking the concerns of the main series and offering a new perspective; looking at a side of society which is often brushed over in the main series. By exploring society outside of the labels of 'heroes' and 'villains', we can focus on characters that don't easily fit into these labels. It promises and tries, even if not successfully, to be a series that is less afraid to question the world that has already been established. While it does end up having a similar attitude to the main series, the beginning of the series definitely marks itself as something new and refreshing.

 Exploring an already established world comes with many restraints, from predetermined events to dealing with well-known characters, it can be difficult to create a plot that hooks readers in. By mixing in a number of new characters and being set in a time far enough removed that little is known about it, Vigilantes manages to maintain some tension throughout. Towards the end, as the narrative creeps closer to the story most readers will be familiar with, it begins to slip a little more into a status quo that it struggles to really interrogate as it would destabilise the world of My Hero Academia in a way that would make the main series feel too out of sync. 

 This unfortunately means that some developments are abandoned regardless of how important they initially seemed. This is a flaw that originates from how spread out the narrative becomes, trying to cover a lot of ground but not being given the necessary space to do so effectively. One of the most noticeable instances is that the darker tones and stylistic choices are lost by the end of the series. This doesn't mean that there needs to be an overbearing darkness to it (there is, after all, a large problem with creators trying to make stories more 'serious' in order to appeal to a certain audience) but it does make the tone feel very inconsistent at times. 

 Instead of trying to push its limits as far as it can, Vigilantes ends up falling into the realm of predictability, even when predetermined plot points aren't considered. This is a shame because, at least for the start of its run, the series really tried to stand out. 

 The attempts to stand apart from My Hero Academia are demonstrated in two main ways. The first is through its focus on a different approach to hero culture. Where My Hero Academia starts off with rose-tinted glasses, Vigilantes begins with a more cynical view and this works well; setting up a contrast which is reflected in other aspects of the story. This means that the world is less glamorised, especially when concerned with heroes like Endeavour and Eraserhead, as we see them from an outsider's perspective. Unfortunately, by the end of the series, it struggles to commit to this and comes to resemble the attitude offered by the main series. This is a shame as, rather than developing as the series progresses, the tonal shift feels rather abrupt. Despite this, there are a number of strong emotional moments that shine through the tonal inconsistencies and Vigilantes is at its strongest when it is attempting to challenge the ideals of both characters and readers.

The second way that Vigilantes stands out is through its main character, Kouichi. With his more limited quirk adding restrictions to his activities, he acts as a conduit for the reader without the potentially off-putting naivety displayed by early Izuku. This avoids some of the pitfalls which make Izuku feel like a failed representation of the idea that "anyone can be a hero." Instead of being gifted power through intervention, Kouichi makes use of his limited skill set in interesting ways. His struggles end up feeling more tangible and, while this element of his character slowly gets lost, it is easy to get invested in his struggles. 

 The other important characters are quite an odd mix, some balancing each other out while others tend to be given more plot despite never being deeply developed. This is especially true with the main trio. Vigilantes could have been a little better balanced if it focused more on the student-mentor dynamic between Knuckleduster and Kouichi. Partly because both characters have unique interpretations of the world that complement each other well. It would also mean that the series committed a little more to its own characters, rather than it becoming distracted by already established heroes that the reader has already encountered.

 Pop*Step, despite showing the potential for a lot of character development, finds herself falling into a repeating cycle that wears her character down over time. There is little resolution for her character or exploration of her psyche in any meaningful way. This is made worse by the over-sexualisation of her at times; it is shoehorned into the narrative and often beaten over the reader's heads to a point where it becomes frustrating. It could have opened a potential avenue for Vigilantes to explore that is in keeping with its approach to hero culture, but it quickly slammed the door shut in its own face.

An inevitable consequence of this being a spin-off series is that the original characters are often buried underneath returning characters. This is a shame because a couple of supporting characters are really well-handled and demonstrate interesting character growth that could have been utilised more. Even relying on the more sidelined heroes would be an improvement, rather than fleshing out characters that the reader will already have a good grasp of. That isn't to say that returning characters are handled poorly, it just feels as though they have been relied on too much to carry the story at times.  The original side characters often allow for the exploration of ideas that are inaccessible to the main character, especially around redemption. The slow development allows their progress to feel believable, showing the reader how they have changed rather than simply declaring it. These characters show that, despite some having copy-and-pasted personalities, there was potential for more development. 

The art style is engaging enough, especially with the use of shading; clearly marking it as different to My Hero Academia without straying too far from its main style. The consistency in this, as well as character design, allows Vigilantes to seamlessly slot in without getting too lost in the noise. This meant that, when reading both series at the same time, it was very difficult to mix up or get confused. And, while it would have been nice to see some more experimental panelling later on, the art does its job well.

Overall, if you are a person who enjoys My Hero Academia, then Vigilantes will be a good series to pick up. In some areas, Vigilantes tackles its themes and characters in a way that is more successful than My Hero Academia but in others, it is less so. For me, this is an ideal balance for a spin-off; it should complement without directly overshadowing or regurgitating the main series. Despite this, there are a couple of issues that make it feel like it's wasting its potential at times and making it feel like a bit of a disappointment by its end.  

This manga is tragically underrated. It takes most of what makes the main Hero Academia story great, and adds a different charm by following a group of street-level vigilantes looking to make the world a better place, rather than the heroes in the limelight. Our main character is one of those lovable everymen, who, though not the brightest guy around, wishes to help people with a charming and earnest innocence that makes him honestly one of the most endearing characters I've encountered in manga or anime. You just can't help but root for him, and every victory he earns is that much sweeter.

It's safe ... to say that the characters are the strongest part of this manga, much like the original BNHA series. The supporting cast is very different from our hero, but no less nuanced or lovable. They form a very colorful cast that manages to really feel like individuals. Side-characters are also given a great deal of development. It's clear the author puts great love and care into crafting all of them. A villain from one issue will usually become a recurring character and even receive their own small character arc. Before you know what's happening, a character you used to hate has now become one of your favorites! It's truly impressive, and every chapter bleeds its creators' love and care.

But this isn't to say that the story is lacking in the slightest either. What begins as one character's personal vendetta slowly but surely becomes a huge part of the big picture, actually tying very closely into some key aspects of the main BNHA story. It's little wonder the main series has canonized and adapted some of the ideas presented in Illegals! The transition is also smooth and subtle, going from street-level to history-changing at such an easy pace that you hardly even notice until it's already happened. There's one particular turn the plot takes (no spoilers) that ties in clearly into the main series, but it's done so subtly that you might not even notice it until halfway through that arc!

I really can't overstate the case for this manga. If you love BNHA, you will love Illegals. If you're craving a fix after reading the latest chapter, or watching the latest episode, you NEED to pick it up. And if you're already caught up on both ends, well... Welcome to the club.

If you loved BNHA, then I highly recommend reading this. Not only is the story great, Vigilante does great word building for BNHA, even though it's only a spin-off story. We get to know more about the world of heroes, villains and quirks, as well as a little deeper look into characters that we already know and love from the main series.

So the story is good! Sure, it has its moments of plot armor, etc, but that's only to be expected of a action story. Not many things are rushed, and they keep the balance between action and downtime efficiently. The main characters bring ... life to the story a lot.

Court Betten's art is one of my favorite manga styles. Lines are smooth and clean- nothing to complain about.

At first I was a bit hesitant about the main trio, as in many spin-offs the main characters tend to be a bit over the top and pretentious, following the same old script of stereotypes. Fortunately though, that is not the case. Every character has their own purpose in the story, their own story that sometimes crosses paths with the MC, but it doesn't take away from their stories.

I binge read the whole series in few days. I already love BNHA, so to be able to get more canon compliant content is great- especially since they show known pro-heroes in this! I've always been interested in their lives, but since BNHA's main focus is the kids, there hasn't been much content for them.

If you like the main story of BnHA, you'll definitely enjoy this one, If I were to compare it I'd say, it has better characters, due to the fact the manga focuses on a smaller group characters get more developed much faster and you never get confused about who anyone is, and I prefer the main character over Deku as he's a bit more interesting, the quirks are just as good as any from the main series. Story-wise each arc feels more focused, partly due to the smaller cast, the stories aren't as big but have a lot of twists and can be hard to ... predict.

Art and everything else is basically comparable to the main manga.

Just read the first volume and the only thing I could say was "wow". This spin-off is such a brilliante idea, because Koichi is basically a Midoriya who didn't get to meet All Might and One For All. As the protagonists are slightly older, I feel like I can relate much better to them (not saying i couldn't with the characters in the original work, but you got what I mean).

One of the things I like the most is how Pop *star* Step has such a huge contrast between what she wants to show to people and what she really is, definitely gets me thinking ... about how our society values more one kind of behavior and how a lot of people try so hard to fit that pattern, so they can be able to make a living out of social media and stuff.

I also really like how Koichi uses his quirk, it's a shounen after all haha

MHA vigilante took what makes MHA great to a more personal level. We get to see the psyche of the protagonist and its main cast and how people like deku are not uncommon despite the enviorment. Simply put it limits the scope of the fight to a city level unlike MHA who scope it to a global war, but by limitting the scope you get to know each character and the plot is easier to follow.

The good thing about this manga is the protagonist is more mature than deku yet still have the sacrificial mindset deku has. the plot are neatly explained with main ... villain being foreshadow from a while back and a satisfying final battle.

The bad thing about this manga is there is a few big character not making appearance in the latter arc, despite being justified not being there it still feels like a throw away character. a few main cast character development reveal was disappointing also.

if you read MHA before, Vigilante actually gave you more insight on the hero we known to love and even reveal things before the parent manga did. It is an enjoyable rereadable manga that i highly reccomend to read.

It is assured page turner and is worth the hype. I like this more than the BNHA but that's my opinion. Tales of heroism always have the problem of running into the same old cliches. Vigilante: BNHA Illeagals cleverly subverts this.

Story
The story is paced exceptionally and always leaves wanting for more. The story arcs are character driven and have definite conclusions i.e at the end of the arc the character has changed and will not make the same mistakes again.

Art
The art work is excellent

Characters
all characters inroduced in the story are 3-dimensional have their own goals and motivations

my hero vigilantes follows the same rules as the universe of my hero academia but follows a interesting twist as it allows us to see into the mind and liofe of some of the less "professional" heroes

we follow our rag tag group of vigilantes as they face countless situations even some pro heroes cannot or are too afraid to face the manga takes a interesting take on vigilantism and its necessary role even in the world of dashing professional heroes
this storyline premise is an extremely intriguing one and sets itself apart from the main storyline quite well.

the manga does well in not just ... attempting to ride the popularity of its brother series by establishing itself as a darker series more focused on the grey areas of the pre established hero hierarchy its this deeper look into the social and political hierarchy of the my hero universe the made me fall in love with this manga its darker themes also may interest older fans of the my hero academia universe