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<\/a>Boy, Vigilante<\/em> is just really good. It should be getting way more hype than it does, but when you consider that Boku no Hero Academia\u2019s<\/em> fanbase is one of the most intrinsically negative in animanga history, I guess it\u2019s not surprising. Most of these people would bitch about getting a box of diamonds gift-wrapped in $100 bills. I\u2019ve never been sure exactly why that is \u2013 big WSJ<\/em> fanbases tend to complain for fun, but it seems worse with this franchise than any I can remember.<\/p>\n<\/a>This ep was kind of a distilled essence of what makes Illegals<\/em> so damn good. Tight, focused storytelling. Total clarity on the character dynamics and the themes. Enough of the big names we all know to tie it all together without crowding out the ones this series is really about. The trio dynamic is an interesting one for sure, with Pop theoretically holding herself at a bit of a remove (even issuing legal disclaimers), but clearly emotionally committed. She and Kouichi both see the danger in Knuckleduster\u2019s approach \u2013 \u201cjust a little bit of overkill\u201d is how he puts it, but as Pop says, that\u2019s still overkill.<\/p>\n<\/a>Meanwhile, a certain cat has been let out of the bag much earlier here than in the manga. I can\u2019t imagine anyone struggling to recognize that voice on the other end of the line with Hachisuka Kuin. The anime could have worked around that but chose not to, interestingly. All For One lectures Hachisuka-kun not to go around indiscriminately distributing Trigger. There\u2019s a certain type he\u2019s looking for \u2013 \u201cpassion\u201d is needed. He also contradicts her concern about the vigilantes who keep interfering with their disturbances. Leave them be, AFO says \u2013 they enable him to gather combat data without heroes or the police getting involved. In whatever long game he\u2019s playing, the status quo with them works just fine.<\/p>\n<\/a>One of the subjects Hachisuka lures in (not with the draw of enjo kousai in this case, though she uses that too<\/a>), who\u2019s pretty pissed off to begin with<\/a> (AFO would approve I suppose) turns out to be quite the formidable foe. This is a pretty telling measure of just how badass Knuckle really is, because he goes toe-to-toe<\/a> with that monster despite seemingly being quirkless. He reads the enemy, figures out their weakness, takes his punishment and brings the beast down. Overkill or no, he\u2019s seriously impressive to do what he does against enhanced foes with only the power of his fists and smarts (and brass knuckles).<\/p>\n<\/a>A certain familiar hero, Ingenium<\/a>, has his hands full with another enhanced villain. He crashes out chasing him, forcing him to rely on his airbags to survive. On a morning jog he runs across Kouichi practicing Slide and Glide, and being a movement-based hero he\u2019s immediately interested. Ingenium gives Kouichi in invaluable tip \u2013 rather than trying to stop with no brakes, just accelerate in the opposite direction<\/a> to slow yourself down. He gives Kouichi a pep talk about the value of speed in the hero game, and even offers him a business card for his \u201cIdaten<\/a>\u201d agency. Kouichi protests that he\u2019s not licensed, but Ingenium assures him that can always be remedied on the job.<\/p>\n<\/a>In fact, Ingenium never is able to catch that bat villain<\/a> (even with agency help), who knows the ins and outs of the city better than he does. It falls to the vigilantes to do it \u2013 The Crawler and Knuckleduster anyway. Ingenium is a standup guy \u2013 he could be self-righteous or pissed, but he\u2019s happy the threat is off the streets and prepared to look the other way. He does get his business card back from Kouichi the next time they meet \u2013 illegal is illegal, and that\u2019s not something he has the power to change. But he doesn\u2019t judge, even discourage \u2013 a realistic approach if ever you\u2019ll see one. The right one for the job is key to everything.<\/p>\n<\/a>What Vigilante<\/em> ultimately stands for, I think, is exposing the cracks in the facade of hero culture in a way the parent series never could (both thematically and for reasons of simple time pressure). I think a lot of this comes to the age-old \u201chero we want, hero we deserve\u201d idea. The hero system is there to stand against generational threats like All For One and Shigaraki, sure. But those are rare, by definition. Most of the time it\u2019s there to create a perception, something society needs in order to function in this mythology. Heroes who drink the Kool-aid, like Ingenium and All Might, certainly exist. But to the people trying to get by where the cameras never go, a different sort of hero<\/a> is called for.<\/p>\n