My first major complaint is that the author is good at introducing likeable characters, but fails to keep them relevant and interesting to the story after they complete their first character arc. Rather than characters overcoming new obstacles as the series advances, old characters fade into the background while we are told to care about different classmates who will ultimately meet the same fate. This could work in a different series where characters can rotate in and out of the main cast, but MHA is not one of these series. We still see characters once promised to be important who will do nothing significant or interesting for the remainder of the narrative.
The second major issue I have is the timeline and competence of pro heroes. Early on pros are established to be considerably more competent than the main cast. They are the end goal that the characters are trying to reach, and this makes sense given the premise of the series. However, as MHA progresses pro heroes start feeling more like clowns who have no right to the title of pro. While I understand the need to show our characters growing, the speed at which they grow feels entirely too rushed when looking at the timeline of the series. The growth these characters have undergone would feel much more natural to me if if the major arcs occurred over multiple school years instead of just one.
My final issue, and the one that got me to drop MHA for a time, is the author's habit of sexualizing minors. Any series whose female cast rarely feel like more than eye candy annoys me, but the fact that these characters are all 15-16 ish years old made me too uncomfortable to continue past the chapter cover of 368. I only picked it back up after my sister begged me because she needed someone to talk about the new chapters with.
To add some thoughts now that the series has ended, Horikoshi really borks the pacing towards the end. It feels simultaneously rushed and dragged out. Character moments will play out way too quickly to feel satisfying, and the fights felt like they were going on for too many chapters. I particularly hated one of the plot developments because it completely robs an important character of agency in a way that feels so inappropriate for the series. There is an argument to be made about it tying into the themes of the series, but the way it undermines what came before makes it fall so flat. The last chapter was pretty good. It had a lot that I loved as a send off to the series, but it too runs into the issue of feeling like it undercuts an earlier plot point that was crucial to the growth of a character in a way that just gives me the ick.
My Hero is so frustrating to me because I know this series could have been something amazing. Horikoshi is an incredible artist, but his writing ultimately turned this series into a whole weaker than the sum of its parts. I can understand why someone would plan on reading this series, but I would put it lower on the priority list if you do.
