A big part of why this works better than the first season is that where the first season could be slow at times, season 2 is perfectly-paced. It moves at breakneck speed with barely a wasted moment, even despite the presence of a single (surprisingly good) filler episode. This makes Hero Academia an excellent binge-watching experience.
Season 2 covers three key arcs from the manga, the first of which is a tournament arc (in true battle shonen spirit) based around a school sports festival. Throughout this arc, the fight choreography is utterly exceptional. Bones have always been a studio known for their impressive production, but even by their standards the animation is jaw-droppingly good, made all the better by mangaka Horikoshi Kouhei's unique sense of style. Even the directing is a notch above their standard, averting the usual use of lazy panel-to-panel adaptation that is excessively common in this genre in favour of more elaborate compositions that can only be achieved because of the change of medium.
But though the Sports Festival arc excels for its action, that's not the reason this arc stands out. Instead, it's because at its core is a strong character arc for Shoto Todoroki. The arc ultimately becomes less about who will win the tournament as whether Todoroki will overcome his inner demons. While there's nothing wrong with a standard tournament arc, this turns it into something greater, using our investment in not only Todoroki but in Izuku to create some of the series greatest emotional highs and compelling moments.
This represents one of the greatest tools that HeroAca has at its disposal - an ensemble cast of lovable characters. The characters we were briefly introduced to in season one are all given greater detail here, with their motivations, personalities, and friendships with one another all built upon (especially in the third and final arc of this season). With only these few simple details, the writing builds the characters laconically, giving even minor characters strong personalities while allowing the core cast the screentime for full character arcs.
Another such character arc comes in the story immediately following the tournament, revolving around Tenya Iida. After a traumatic event, his sense of morality is shaken, resulting in a story arc that sees him come to understand the meaning of him being a hero.
This is all brought about by the biggest masterstroke that Hero Academia has had so far - Hero Killer Stain, this arc's primary antagonist. Where the previous villains of Hero Academia are more outright evil, Hero Killer Stain acts in rebellion against society, against the nature of heroics in the universe of HeroAca, where people become heroes out of greed and pride rather than for truly noble reasons.
His presence in the story is brief, but the ramifications of it are huge. Stain's moral code turns the focus of the series onto the morality of heroics - what makes someone a true hero. Alongside some of the darker elements of hero society introduced into this series, this fleshes out the setting, sowing seeds of discontent with the world as it is and bringing an element of social commentary into the fray. The conflict from here on out isn't just one of heroes vs. villains, it's a conflict of change vs. the status quo.
But the most interesting change to the conflict in HeroAca isn't the external battle, it's the internal one. The question of what makes someone a true hero turns the development of the main cast - especially Izuku Midoriya - into more than just one of becoming stronger physically. It becomes a story about growing as people. With every step that Deku grows in power, he grows as a person, becoming one step closer to being a true hero.
It's the slow growth of Deku's character that forms the emotional core of the series, and the newfound focus on moral codes helps us become even more invested in him and the rest of the cast. This turns Hero Academia into something more than the standard shonen fare whilst keeping everything that made those series compelling to begin with.
With this, Hero Academia has become one of the greats of its genre.
Story/Plot: 8/10
Animation/Graphics: 9/10
Music/Background: 7/10
Characters: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
For Fans Of: One Piece, Naruto
