Why is My Hero Academia Popular?

Dissecting why a piece of art, is popular is a nebulous and difficult task since, despite all conjecture and study, you simply can’t account for everyone’s tastes. Even so, I think we can track general trends and deduce part of the reason people really enjoy something, and that’s what I want to try doing today. Ladies and Gents, I know this is probably the millionth thoughtpiece you’ve seen about this particular show, but I’d like to examine what about My Hero Academia captured the anime community by lightly examining past popular titles and the heart of the anime in question. Oh, and full disclosure, this is not sponsored, because I’m not popular enough to get noticed by Crunchyroll-senpai though it would be really great if we could arrange a partnership because I need money

            Ahem. We should get to the meat of this post.

            So, when you think of anime, or, how anime is viewed in popular culture, what are the first shows that come to mind? For me, it’s Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan, Naruto, Death Note, One Piece, Bleach, numerous Gundam entries, and a few more recent titles, like One Punch Man, Re:ZERO, and, well, My Hero Academia. While these series arguably have no objective similarities with each other, outside of, well, the fact that they’re popular, I would like to argue that they at least have one more, very important similarity: they all take place in either an altered version of our world, or an entirely different world entirely. Additionally, each presented world has a unique aspect that hooks viewers in, and characters that are very, very easy to build merchandise around. If you agree with these observations, you’re not the only one.

            In Ian Condry’s article about the subject, “Anime Creativity: Characters and Premises in the Quest for Cool Japan,” he examines what it is that makes anime different from other media. He discusses how anime creators tend to create a world and characters before constructing a narrative, based on the theory that consumers tend to care more about the world and characters more. He also discusses transmedia storytelling, or, how the characters and worlds presented in a work aren’t completely bound by their own narrative. To clarify, let’s use the Fate franchise as an example. Shameless plug for my Fate/Apocrypha video This franchise originated from a single visual novel, and has spawned numerous anime adaptations, visual novel sequels, book spin-offs, anime that adapt those spin-offs, prequels, sequels, a ton of merchandise, memorable character designs, more games, and stuff I’m probably missing because there’s waaaaaaaay too much to keep track of. This definitely doesn’t apply to every popular anime, but this idea makes a lot of sense when looking at most popular anime, and how they influence fans’ purchasing habits. (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0263276409103111)

To aid in research, I took a look at the Top 50 Most Popular Anime on MAL, and broke my findings into three categories: firstly, anime that take place in an altered version of our reality; secondly, anime that take place in another world entirely; and thirdly, anime that take place in, for lack of a better nomer, our world. Out of the fifty, half of them fell into the first category, twenty took place in the second, and a mere five fell into the third, and even then, some of those titles are debatable. And, when you look at anime like Attack on Titan, Sword Art Online, Naruto, and so on, you also get a lot of passionate fans cosplaying, running through the streets of colleges imitating the famous Naruto run, buying figures, buying posters, making AMVs or using the show’s music in memes, and doing many, many other things to show their love for their favorite series.

From this, I think we can say two things about how to make a popular anime. Firstly, it has to create a captivating world that you can picture yourself living in, thereby creating a flexibility between fantasy and reality. To put it simply, the fictional world needs to be able to lend itself to the real one, by featuring characters that are easily recognizable, have outfits people would love to dress up in, and are, well, likable and relatable to many people. Secondly, and this is something that is admittedly conjecture on my part, is that there has to be something unique about this world and characters that goes beyond the basics I just presented. After all, there are many anime that fall into those two previous categories, but aren’t remotely popular, or as popular as the anime we’ve been discussing.

This is where I get to do what I do best, and what you’ve probably been waiting for me to start doing since the beginning of the post: analyzing My Hero Academia! Does it fit into these categories? Well, I think it does; I see fanart of My Hero Academia all over Twitter, I see people cosplaying as the characters, and I see people imagining what types of quirks (or superpowers, for the uninitiated) they’d like to have. This makes sense: the show’s setting allows fans to play around with it, since it’s based in the idea that anyone can be a hero, and the quirks are so varied that it feels like the possibilities for what quirk a person can have are endless. It also helps that superheroes are huge right now, and the fact that My Hero Academia features high school students instead of adults means it fills a void in media culture that was previously taken by franchises like Spider-Man, Sky High, and Harry Potter...kind of. As for characters, many of their personalities stem from the desire to succeed against all odds, wanting to help others, and becoming the best like no one ever was. The show also goes to great lengths to establish how different variations of this motivation manifest themselves in the characters, making the cast feel interconnected while still technically being active, individual agents. Whether or not you actually like them, I think we can agree that this is generally a good way of establishing a large group of easily relatable characters, even if most of the characters themselves are debatably a little too simple, consequently.

In spite of that...while My Hero Academiacertainly has the potential to become popular because of this, I noticed an interesting phenomenon surrounding this show that hasn’t really sprung up before. That phenomenon is the overwhelming amount of My Hero Academia analysis videos, particularly when Stain appeared in the show, and many people who I wouldn’t think would like this show completely defied my expectations. Oh, and before any of you point this out, I’m well aware of the irony here, haha, I’m adding to the pool. Guilty as charged. Regardless, this got me thinking: what is it about My Hero Academia that makes it stand out so much, particularly when there are still critics saying it does nothing new to stand out from the crowd? Does My Hero Academia somehow exist in a state where it can be praised as a thematic breakthrough for shonen anime while also being cliché and not necessarily bursting with new ideas? Well, yeah, that’s exactly what I think it is, why else would I be that strangely specific - ahem.

Anyway, this is where we have to delve into My Hero Academia’s thematics. I’d like to disclose now that I am actually a big fan of this show, before any of you accuse me of being favorably biased towards this anime and then tell me to stop thinking about a stupid shonen show so much. While the idea of “overthinking” a simple show is probably worth a whole other post on its own, I wanted to disclose my opinion of My Hero Academia because analyzing anime isn’t an objective process, despite popular belief, and I want to acknowledge my own biases. If anything, I’d like to hear what people who don’t like My Hero Academia think the reason for this anime’s popularity is in the comments, since this is just a reflection of my opinion, after all. With all that baggage out of the way, let’s do some analyzing!

Firstly, a little context. The anime takes place in a world where 80% of the population has a quirk or some sort, and being a hero is a profession. More importantly, heroes are treated like celebrities, as the society within the show heavily idolizes them. This brings us to the most important part of My Hero Academia’s thematic conceit: the character of All Might. He is the symbol of peace, the hero that rescues everyone with a smile on his face and an aura of hope. He is the main inspiration for the story’s protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, as well as many of the other characters, like Todoroki (who’s best, by the way), Bakugo, and, while more negatively, the hero killer Stain and Shigaraki Tomura. Basically, he’s the representation of the heroic ideal in the anime’s universe. However, the show makes it explicitly clear that this idea of the perfect, wonderful All Might is a fantasy that people use to cope with the reality that there are people who use their quirks to harm society instead of help it. This is highlighted when Izuku asks All Might if he’s able to save everyone, to which All Might denies. While it seems like an obvious answer, the fact that Izuku still felt the need to ask this question, despite knowing all of All Might’s weaknesses, displays how deeply-rooted this ideal is in this show’s society.

To synthesize, My Hero Academia’s world is predicated on an ideal that doesn’t actually exist, and is continually challenged by villains who wish to dismantle the fantasy. While I would like to further discuss this in terms of Shigaraki and All for One, I unfortunately can’t because that’d get into manga spoilers and I’d rather not get burned at the stake today, so let’s dig into Stain, the hero killer. The main idea behind his character is that he believes the majority of heroes do not live up to the heroic ideal. In fact, he believes only All Might does. This is fair enough; many other heroes are shown to be rather unheroic, with the worst offender being Endeavor how dare you treat Todoroki like he’s an object you terrible human being, though I think the main reason is because many of the heroes in the business do it for financial reasons; hence, it’s not the altruistic heroic ideal that All Might represents. Therefore, Stain goes around killing heroes, hoping that, as a result, heroics will return to what it once was, something that’s not motivated by anything other than one’s own altruism.

From this, we know that the heroic ideal that All Might represents is impossible for anyone to achieve, including the very person who heralded the symbol, and secondly, believing too much in that ideal can lead you to dangerous places, as what happened with Stain. In spite of that, the heroic ideal is still the main motivating factor behind Izuku’s character growth, as it’s very clearly established that Izuku’s motivations all revolve around helping others. In other words, the impossible ideal is still represented in a positive light. Essentially, My Hero Academia wants you to remember that ideals, regardless of plausibility, are important, because they help you motivate yourself. In spite of this...the show is still willing to challenge those ideals. It wants to emphasize their importance, but it also wants you to remember that they aren’t always achievable, and you should maintain a sense of skepticism regardless of your beliefs.

At this point, you’re probably wondering what exactly any of that has to do with why My Hero Academia is popular, and, to answer that, it has everything to do with why it’s popular. The fact that the show actively encourages you to be skeptical about idealism, while still encouraging you to believe in it. This gives the world of My Hero Academia and its characters a sense of intrigue and complexity, allowing for debate and theorizing. I think this also plays into how our world has evolved; with the rise of the internet, people are less willing to believe in ideals because they’re arguably more connected to harsher realities. In order for a show about idealism to gain popularity, it needs to display a degree of skepticism, otherwise it’ll be laughed off as child’s play. Essentially, My Hero Academia is, in theory, appealing to many types of fans, ranging from those who just enjoy a good world to play around with to those who like to ponder themes and societal questions. It’s an act not many are able to pull off, and one that I think My Hero Academia has succeeded at.

So, to conclude, My Hero Academia is able to present ideas pertaining to the rich thematics of heroism while also being incredibly compatible with fan culture, using well-worn cliches and traditional shonen structure to cater to the transmedia landscape of anime fandom perfectly. This, in my opinion, is why My Hero Academia is popular, particularly with its second season, which is when the show really started to develop its themes while continuing to build its world and characters. Whether or not you think the show actually succeeded at being, well, good, I think we can all at least agree that this is what fans love the show for, at least in small part. It’s certainly why I enjoy the show, and judging from how other fans have been reacting to it, I think a good portion of them would agree.

I guess, to go on a small tangent before really concluding, I do think that narrative is important to quality, and that My Hero Academia isn’t always the best at constructing one, that sometimes the writing is clunky, that the characters are arguably too simple to really sympathize with, and the fact that everything is so thematically centralized, most egregiously seen with the lovingly-called “Deku effect,” can make the world feel more contrived than realistic. However, this isn’t a discussion of the show’s narrative or inherent quality, but more how the show captured the hearts of many, which I personally found to be a more interesting topic. If you do want me to discuss the quality of the show, I’d be happy to, but another time, or in the comments below! I’m looking forward to reading your responses, and I’ll see you guys later.

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Rick and Morty: “The Ricklantis Mixup” (S3 E7) Recap and Review

After waiting two weeks after the premiere of the previous episode, “Rest and Ricklaxation,” the stellar Rick and Morty is back, and proves yet again why it’s one of the best shows currently airing on TV. With a focus on world-building, this new episode seamlessly combines four different storylines into one, laces each one with sharp political commentary addressing the numerous ills plaguing the Rick Citadel, and seems to finally continue the main cliffhanger from season 1 concerning Eyepatch Morty, though that is still left fairly ambiguous. Oh, and of course, it’s all punctuated with hilarity and fantastic voice acting on Justin Roiland’s part. What makes this episode unique, though, is that it accomplishes all this in the most Rick and Morty way; by using and expanding upon the infinite versions of Rick and the infinite versions of Morty to shape the world they reside in, and reflect our own society.

The episode begins with the main Rick and the main Morty, the ones who act as the protagonists for most of the show. They are preparing to go to Atlantis when another, nondescript Rick and Morty show up through a portal. Nondescript Rick asks Main Rick if he’d like to contribute to the Rick Citadel Redevelopment Fund. Remember that Main Rick is the one who destroyed the citadel’s Council of Ricks in the first place. Main Rick refuses, with Main Morty making some snide comments to accompany those of his grandfather. Nondescript Rick is slightly taken aback by how assertive Main Morty is, and then leaves the scene with Nondescript Morty. Main Morty is surprised to learn that Ricks and Mortys were still living in the Citadel, whereas Main Rick replies with, “Anyone continuing to explore the Citadel is either stupid, or one of the unfortunate millions held hostage by their terrible ideas.” With that, Main Rick and Main Morty then go to Atlantis, but instead of following them on their fun adventure, the focus of the episode shifts to the Citadel of Ricks.

Immediately upon entering the Citadel, the audience is given a clear picture of the power divide between Ricks and Mortys, as you see the frustrated Campaign Manager Morty (who’s wearing a shirt and tie, and who you find out is a campaign manager later in the episode) trying to get a taxi, but the taxi speeding by to pick up a random Rick in a suit and tie, much to Campaign Manager Morty’s distaste. You also see Cop Rick complete his training, and then a bunch of Mortys closing their lockers, all of which have a picture of Morty’s crush Jessica within them, as they amble off to class under the watchful eye of Teacher Rick. Then you see Factory Rick riding on a train to work glancing despondently at a Rick, who hasthe same IQ and credentials as him, enjoy the high life. After an advertisement for Simple Rick’s Wafers, the news then announces that the campaign for the new, democratically-elected leader of the citadel is beginning, and that, strangely enough, a Morty was running for the position, much to the amusement of the newscasters, since a Morty can’t possibly beat a Rick in their eyes.

From the footage shown, Candidate Morty seems to be standing up for the civil rights of Mortys, who are constantly trampled upon or straight-up abandoned by their Ricks all the time, and you can tell that tension between the Ricks and Mortys is tightening, marking a potential period of drastic change. Of course, though, the Ricks don’t catch on. Finally, Campaign Manager Morty is shown on screen again, discouraging Candidate Morty from participating in the debate, though Candidate Morty is strangely confident about it, which is more than a little strange for the stereotypically cowardly and weak-minded Morty.

Following that, you see a Morty parade, and an onlooking Cop Rick, sipping coffee and waiting for his partner to pick him up. His partner arrives, nearly running over some celebrating Mortys in the process. To Cop Rick’s surprise, his partner is a Morty, and a particularly ruthless one at that. When a Marching Morty announces that “Mortys Are Human,” Cop Morty electrifies him after screaming at him, much to Cop Rick’s dismay. They’re called in to address a robbery in Morty Town and head off.

Next we switch back to the Morty School, where Teacher Rick is teaching them how to be ideal Mortys. One Morty stands out - the Slick Morty, who talks with his friends Lizard Morty, Fat Morty, and Glasses Morty after class. They decide to go to the wishing portal on their last day together, despite the risk of ending up in Morty Town if they don’t show up for graduation. After that we cut to Factory Rick at his boring factory job, but in a turn of events, his boss announces that his position will be opening up. Factory Rick is hopeful, but then his boss announces that he hired another, completely unrelated Rick as the new boss, shattering Factory Rick’s hopes. Factory Rick raises his hand to ask why, and is completely ignored.

Next, the Cop Rick storyline is continued, and we finally get to see what Morty Town actually looks like. It bears an uncanny resemblance to real-life lower class city neighborhoods; hardened Mortys running amok, homeless Mortys sitting by the fire they made in a steel canister, and vaguely threatening music playing in the background. Cop Rick is utterly dismayed and despondent, while Cop Morty is callous and indifferent. They arrive at the store that was robbed, where Owner Morty tries to give them information. Unsatisfied, Cop Morty approaches some random Mortys on the street and violently coerces them into revealing the identities of the criminals. Cop Rick points out that Cop Morty violated many codes, but Code Morty doesn’t care, and the cops leave.

Following that, we are shown the Presidential Debate, where we see Candidate Morty face off against the entourage of Candidate Ricks. The latter all have fairly stupid and incomprehensible answers, but they still get applause based on the fact that, well, they’re Ricks that still sing praises for the Citadel despite its awful state. Despite this, Candidate Morty gets the hardest question to answer - how will he fix the intense divide between Ricks and Mortys - and is made fun of before he even answers the question. Candidate Morty, on the other hand, wins everyone over, by answering with, “The division I see is between the Ricks and Mortys that like the citadel divided, and the rest of us.” As he furthers his point, we are visually shown the different storylines introduced beforehand via montage, convincing his audience - both within and outside the show - that his words are right. Most significantly, Factory Rick gets fed up and shoots his boss, then runs to the Flavor Core and hides. Candidate Morty wins everyone over, and Campaign Manager Morty is fired.

Whoo, that’s a lot of information. And we’re only halfway through the episode. Hang tight there, reader!

After the commercial break, we see Factory Rick resisting arrest, demanding a portal gun to take him off this “prison.” We then cut to a reporter, very terribly reporting on the situation, completely ignoring Factory Rick’s arguments and just telling the viewers to stay in their place, because “it could always be worse.” The news then switches to the election, and it is announced that Candidate Morty has become the favored candidate to win. When asked about his original reality and original Rick, Candidate Morty states that he can’t remember, though his words feel fake, indicating that maybe he does remember and just doesn’t want to share? This is the instance when I first felt suspicious of him, and his possible connection to the episode Close Rickcounters of the Rick Kind. The scene transitions to focus on Campaign Manager Morty watching Candidate Morty on the screen, and my suspicions were furthered when Detective Rick gives Campaign Manager Morty some incriminating files related to Candidate Morty.

Then, we see another group of Mortys watching Candidate Morty on another television, where they talk to Rickman, who appears to be constructing something for the gang. Cop Rick and Cop Morty bust down the door, and Rickman tries to escape with his bootleg portal gun, only to fail. Cop Rick searches the place, where he comes across a crying Morty. Cop Rick picks him up and carries him out, only for Crying Morty to literally stab him in the back. Cop Rick throws Crying Morty off of him and shoots. Cop Morty walks in and explains that Mortys sometimes do that to emotionally manipulate Ricks, while bandaging his wounds. Cop Morty tells Cop Rick to go back to the car, and with Cop Rick’s back turned, Cop Morty disintegrates the building they were just in, killing the gang of Mortys inside.   

Next we see the group of Mortys searching for the wishing pool. They try to pick some exotic fruit but are verbally attacked by Redneck Rick, who owns the farm. At night, we see the friends talk about what they think they’ll find at the wishing portal. Slick Morty is the most pessimistic, and reveals that his Rick gave him a drama implant, who makes everybody sad and down. His friends comfort him. Afterwards, we see Campaign Manager Morty attempt to assassinate Candidate Morty, because of the information on the incriminating files Campaign Morty received earlier.

Following that, Cop Morty and Cop Rick go to the Creepy Morty, a bar and quasi-dance club. They meet up with Big Morty, who likes to “contribute to keeping the peace in Morty Town,” but it’s very clear that Big Morty just wants the town clear of his enemies, as he’s a drug lord. Cop Rick states that, even though Morty Town is bad, as cops, they shouldn’t be stooping down to their level. Cop Rick tries to arrest Big Morty, with Cop Morty helping Cop Rick and a gunfight going down. Cop Morty gets Big Morty on the ground, and Cop Rick tries to convince him to do the right thing, which Cop Morty does not, resulting in the death of both Big Morty and Cop Morty, the latter by Cop Rick’s hands. Cop Rick exists the bar and turns himself in, saying, “The same old story. Ricks killing Mortys.”

Next we cut back to Factory Rick, who receives his portal gun. To test it, Factory Rick unplugs Simple Rick and tosses him into the portal, but as it turns out, it was a portal to the Blender Dimension. Factory Rick screams at the cops that he’s the Rickest Rick, and to come get him, until the owner of the factory comes out and pardons him...only to force Factory Rick to take Simple Rick’s place as the source of Simple Rick’s Wafers. Afterwards, the group of Mortys come across the Wishing Portal, where each friend gives up something important for the hopes of gaining something better. Slick Morty then wishes that life on the citadel would change, and sacrifices himself to the wish portal - or, as we learn, the garbage dump.

After that, we see Campaign Manager Morty explain his actions, only to realize his efforts were fruitless, as Candidate Morty lives, and is now President Morty. Campaign Manager Morty is cast out into the endless abyss of space. We then see Cop Rick, wondering why he hasn’t been cast out into space, when he’s freed from imprisonment. Confused, Cop Rick asks why, and they say it’s because there are new departmental codes, so therefore he hasn’t violated anything. Then, we cut to the group of friends, who come to a changed school with no graduation. They celebrate how Slick Morty’s wish must have come true.

Finally, and most importantly, we focus on President Morty’s meeting with a council of businessmen Ricks. The Ricks all talk about how they don’t care who’s in the seat, since they’d been running the citadel long before the council came along. Then, President Morty orders the execution of all the dissenting Ricks, leaving the indifferent Ricks completely bewildered and terrified. He ends the episode with the line, “Speeches are for campaigning. Now, is the time for action.” We see a shot of all the Ricks and Mortys that died over the course of the episode, and then the credits roll, with foreboding music playing in the background (“For The Damaged Coda” by Blonde Redhead if anyone’s interested).

If you stay until after the credits, though, the depression and tension are diffused with an entertaining scene featuring Main Rick and Main Morty happily recounting their time in Atlantis. Morty does wonder what’s going on in the citadel, but Rick says that it will have no bearing on their lives whatsoever, and the episode ends.

There is so much information to unpack in this episode that it honestly astounds me, and all of it is presented in twenty-two measly minutes. Allusions to the real world are clearly made, including but not limited to Morty Town’s resemblance to The Hood, the struggles of the working class, the way school tries to beat the uniqueness out of its students, dirty cops literally getting away with murder, how businesses secretly control everything, and, most importantly, how politicians can target and exploit societal divisions for their own personal gain.

The episode is very clearly a commentary on how racism and classism can distort everyone involved, whether it be the Mortys forced to live in a slum or the Ricks being disappointed in themselves for not living up to the potential that has supposedly been imposed on them. Both sides are displayed to have both strengths and weaknesses; the Ricks are smart, but callous and oppressive. The Mortys are the underdogs and are clearly victims of a cruel system, but they can still manipulate and control the system in negative ways. If this divide didn’t exist, then both sides might be at peace, but the issue lies in the Ricks continually attempting to suppress the Morty population. Everything can be traced back to, shall we call it, the “Ricktriarchy.”

The most important character of the episode appears to be President Morty, since the incriminating documents Campaign Manager Morty had reveal that President Morty is actually Eyepatch Morty, last seen from the episode “Close Rickcounters of the Rick Kind.” Why is this important? Well, within that episode, Eyepatch Morty is revealed to be the mastermind behind the framing of Main Rick. It would then make sense that President Morty would want to control the citadel; he obviously has a huge bone to pick with Main Rick, and if he gains power over an army of Ricks and Mortys, then he can easily exact his revenge.

In spite of the connection to Main Rick, the true evil of this episode is the way that President Morty gains power; he exploits the clear divide between Ricks and Mortys by promising all of them happiness, while never actually explaining how he will accomplish this or showing his real personality to everyone. His supporters are caught in a daze of despair, and President Morty suddenly gave them hope, and he won the support of the masses who don’t think critically or have any skepticism of what might actually happen in the future. This shows just how diabolical people can be, and he uses the same tactic as the Morty who stabs Cop Rick; pretending to have innocent goals while secretly plotting everyone’s demise.

While the actual content is definitely the most intriguing aspect, I think it is also worth praising Justin Roiland’s incredibly versatile voice acting in this episode. It’s amazing to think that he is the sole person behind the microphone, since he provides the voices for all the Ricks and all the Mortys here. He gives each individual Rick and Morty slightly different tones and word choices, like how Cop Rick is more soft-spoken than most Ricks, how Slick Morty sounds a little more depressed than your average Morty, and how President Morty speaks with loads of confidence and is very articulate, without any sort of the classic Morty stammer. How someone has the talent to convey different interpretations of the same character so subtly and effectively is beyond me.

Overall, “The Ricklantis Mixup” is now my new favorite episode of the entire series, not just Season 3. It is the most ambitious, it is the most sharply written, it contains phenomenal voice acting, it provides biting political commentary, all its new one-off characters feel defined and real despite getting very little screen time, the Citadel of Ricks feels like a tangible place with conflicts and hardships, and is still hilarious when it needs to be. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an episode combine so different storylines in twenty-two minutes and manage to make every single one work. All I can say is, the excruciating gap between Season 2 and Season 3 was definitely worth it, if not solely because we got this masterpiece of an episode.

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Long Thoughts: Scum's Wish

Video Version: (coming soon!)

Romance stories always seem to utilize the same plot devices. There are love triangles, instances of unrequited love, innocence levels that barely resemble real life, and the masking and endorsement of relationships that may actually be incredibly abusive. Anime is no stranger to these plot devices, as stories that focus on the building of a relationship are far too common, and it barely leaves any room to explore the most interesting part of any romantic relationship: the actual relationship. Scum’s Wish, on the other hand, is a romance anime that decides to break those trends by looking at them from a different angle. It focuses on characters that are either in a clearly screwed-up relationship or are suffering from the pangs of unrequited love, and creates a web of romantic feelings so complicated it makes Mari Okada jealous. However, being different is one thing; being good is entirely another. Let’s see how Scum’s Wish fares when looked at as a show instead of as an abnormal and interesting concept. Keep an eye out for minor spoilers.

The anime is adapted from the manga of the same name, written by Mengo Yokoyari, and produced by Studio Lerche, who was also responsible for Assassination Classroom and Rampo Kitan. Masaomi Andou, who also directed White Album 2 and...Gakkou Gurashi of all things, is credited as the director. The story follows a group of people who are all having romantic troubles, pretty much creating a love...shape with an indefinite amount of sides. While many different perspectives are shown throughout the anime, the main protagonist is Hanabi, a high school girl who has a crush on her childhood friend, Narumi. This sounds innocent enough, but Narumi is her homeroom teacher, is around five to ten years older than she is, and he is in love with another teacher who is much closer to him in age, Akane.

Things start changing when she meets fellow high school student Mugi. (show picture of Mugi from K-On) No, not that Mugi, though that would be pretty funny, but this Mugi. He has a scummy wish that’s eerily similar to hers; he’s in love with Akane, because she used to be his tutor when he was younger. The two bond over this strange mutuality, and decide to become a couple...sort of. Their relationship consists of pretending that the other is the person that they desire, in an attempt to live with their unrequited love and be less lonely as a result. On top of all that, there are other characters who harbor unrequited feelings for both Hanabi and Mugi, and then there are characters who harbor unrequited feelings for them, and it all results in a huge, confusing mess of feelings and lewd urges.

Instead of taking the easy way out by, say, exploiting its sexual content for the sake of selling figures and/or uncensored cuts of the show, Scum’s Wish treats romantic relationships between teens with the maturity they deserve: they’re confusing, consuming, based entirely on impulse, illogical, and usually amount to nothing. No character in Scum’s Wish views sex as a joke; instead, it’s treated as something relatively sacred, alien, and strange. There are characters that are more experienced with it, and characters that know next to nothing about it. Of course, while the show can get a bit over-dramatic at times, there are no huge shouting matches accompanied by music that forces the viewer to cry. In fact, the contrary is true; Scum’s Wish is one of the quietest shows I’ve ever seen, with music that fades into the background and a heavy emphasis on what’s going on inside the character’s heads.

It is also worth noting that the main relationship of the show, the one between Hanabi and Mugi, is very noticeably unhealthy. One could even interpret it as Mugi taking advantage of Hanabi, since he’s more experienced and she never gives vocal consent to his advances. I like how her consent is kept ambiguous, because it adds to the overall screwed-up nature of their relationship, and in a genre that likes to sugar-coat potentially damaging relationships, this transparency is a breath of fresh air. There are even characters, namely Sanae and Noriko, who see the relationship as unhealthy and despise the fact that they’re together. Of course, this could also be attributed to the fact these characters have romantic feelings for those involved in the relationship, but it’s still an inkling of self-awareness that I appreciate.

Speaking of romantic feelings, I also really like how the show actually focuses a web of feelings instead of shoehorning it in as a plot device. By creating a show solely focused on the web, we are allowed to explore the actual intricacies, complexities, and pain of unrequited love, and how it actually defines the lives of these characters. For instance, Noriko is a character who has a crush on Mugi, because they were childhood friends. An entire episode is dedicated to developing her character, showing how he gained those feelings, and how she’s choosing to live with those feelings, knowing that they will never be reciprocated. This is accomplished by showing her on a date with Mugi, and showing her perspective on the events that follow. Through this, we are able to fully understand who Noriko is, why she’s important in the story, learn that she’s willing to move on from her childhood crush, and ultimately sympathize with her.

Another aspect of Scum’s Wish that really elevates it is that it allows us to see the perspectives of numerous characters, which therefore allows us to understand their actions more. The anime loves to utilize interior monologues, and while many of them belong to Hanabi and Akane, most episodes feature at least one other character’s perspective or backstory, which greatly adds to the mature feeling this anime creates. After all, a romantic relationship, unrequited or not, does involve two parties, so ultimately, we learn more about those relationships by understanding the mindsets of both participants.

This does lead to a downside of the show, though; the show sometimes spends too much time telling instead of showing. The interior monologues are valuable, but they aren’t subtle, which unfortunately makes them a little less impactful in a visual medium like anime. No character is a bigger victim of this problem than Akane, whose mindset is simply explained to us via interior monologue and accompanying visuals in the beginning of an episode. Then, we see her talking with Hanabi, and the same thing happens; her emotions are expressed visually, but also via her thoughts. This is valuable insight into her perspective on the events unfolding, but the show feels it necessary for her thoughts to always be stated aloud, even when the audience can piece it together through the visuals and previously provided information.

Another potential problem of the many perspectives is that many of them do blend together. They’re all delivered in a monotone voice with similar imagery, and while the backstories are different enough to stand on their own, it’s made obvious that the character’s personalities and thoughts are all focused around their romantic lives, or lack thereof. While the flat characters do serve a thematic purpose - most of the characters feel empty, don’t know much about themselves, and are consumed by their love lives because those are the only aspects of their lives that make them feel fulfilled - it does make it hard to identify with the characters beyond that, which unfortunately can be a huge problem for any viewer.

This is probably the reason many anime fans haven’t gravitated towards this show, or showered this show with appraisals. The characters, while being justified and relatively sympathetic, are all pretty awful and pathetic. Every character seems to be going through the motions, and they barely take any meaningful action based on their feelings. When they do, it rarely results in a happy ending, and passive, pathetic characters aren’t exactly people we want to sympathize with, beyond thinking, “Thank god I’m not him or her.” This doesn’t mean that the characters in Scum’s Wish are badly written or anything, but sometimes it is hard to emotionally invest yourself in characters that don’t have any meaningful, distinct, or strong emotions about anything. However, I would argue that this is the point; the characters all feel dead inside, and are all trying to find a means of connecting with other people. The main goal of these characters is to find something passionate to grab on to, but they are unable to, and continually attempt to rationalize and logically think through their emotions to find a solution, thereby sucking all the emotion out. Then, they believe that that solution is the only solution possible, in an attempt to remain in control of their own situation. These thoughts that the characters have are not necessarily logical, but they are not supposed to be, because these characters are emotionally immature, particularly Hanabi and Akane.

These two characters basically share the spotlight as the main protagonists, and are very well-developed. What makes them interesting is the fact that they are foils for the other, and develop in completely different ways. Hanabi is inexperienced, slightly awkward, and exerts no control over herself or the people around her. She never takes any action, because she’s always afraid of the ramifications, and just lets her feelings boil up inside without the willingness to act upon them. She also lets other people control her, almost willingly, as shown by how submissive she is whenever Mugi tries making advances on her. As the show progresses, Hanabi finally takes action and learns how to be more independent and less pathetic, gradually becoming more likable as she learns her life lessons. Hanabi transforms from a character that always seems sad, discontent, and trapped in her own inability to act to one who is willing to move on and look beyond her present predicaments, and it’s fairly satisfying to watch. Even if you don’t (understandably) relate to her struggles in the beginning of the show, I think most people can relate to her ultimate desire to change and become a better person as a result.

Akane, as stated earlier, is the complete opposite of Hanabi. She only feels comfortable when she controls other people, is very experienced when it comes to sex, and loves it when men shower her with attention and she sees the jealous glares of girls who aren’t as lucky. She has a strong sense of self-validation, but needs to keep reinforcing it by being with men, whoever he might be. However, despite all that, her life can still be seen as hollow. Akane has a difficult time forming true connections with other people, to the point that the only way she can get by is if men are fawning over her. She’s never felt the pangs of love, the embarrassment of the high school crush, or the simple joy of being with someone she legitimately cares about. While the resolution to her character arc is fairly predictable - she finds someone who she finally begins to share a mutually loving relationship with - she is undoubtedly the most interesting and realized character of the entire show. Her arc is so satisfying that I kinda wish there was no love web and the show just focused on her for its entirety, but at the same time, I’m good with a few episodes that are completely focused on her.

It also helps that these two characters are elevated by incredible performances in the Japanese dub. Chika Anzai, the former voice of Reina from Sound! Euphonium and Merry from Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, does a terrific job voicing Hanabi. She nails the despondency and loneliness of the character, gives her a suitable lighter side during scenes of levity, and nails it whenever Hanabi is feeling bitter or upset. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a voice bring a character to life in such a way, and it’s a welcome change from all the high-pitched happiness we normally see from female characters in anime. However, Aki Toyosaki, who also voiced...Yunyun from Konosuba and Yui from K-On...wow, that’s unexpected...definitely steals the show with her performance as Akane. She’s able to capture Akane’s fake innocence extremely well, but also is truly excellent when we see Akane’s true sly, petty, and self-centered personality. There’s a certain drawl to her voice that just fits perfectly. The other performances as also good, but these two really stand out, and the combination of the voicing acting and accompanying visuals really bring this show to life.

Scums’ Wish opts for a dusty, unfinished, chalky-looking characters and world, almost as if it were an actual moving drawing. The character designs look like typical shoujo designs, except with a more dreary edge, and there are no bright colors to be found; everything feels like it’s tinged with grey, and is desaturated. It looks weird, but it adds to the disconnected and sorrowful mood the show is clearly trying to convey. Characters always look like they have something else on their minds, with eyes that rarely seem passionate, even when the character is supposed to feel that way. It makes their interactions feel meaningless and empty, which, mixed with the dialogue and the show’s overall intent, is a perfect design choice. The lack of passion displays how each character is still looking for something - or someone - to fulfill their lives, but they're constantly failing. The actual animation is fairly consistent and fluid, with no huge drops in quality or major sakuga moments, but it’s nice to look at.

The show also likes to use split screens a lot, cutting away to a closer shot of a character’s face or something while maintaining the previous shot. As cool and different as it is, though, I personally think it's overused. There are some instances where it’s used perfectly, allowing us to see a more subtle emotion on a character’s face. For instance, there’s a scene in episode 9 when Hanabi and Sanae are in a car, and when Sanae mentions something about their close relationship, the screen adopts a white border around the scene. Right after, the shot goes back to full screen. This sudden change shows how Hanabi has trouble processing or understanding what Sanae just said, and is trying to put it out of her mind. It emphasizes the awkward nature of their relationship, and how Hanabi always tries to dodge huge, emotional discussions, which perfectly builds up to the episode’s resolution. Other times, however, it's completely unnecessary. It also doesn't help that the overuse diminishes the technique’s impact, and that does happen after a few episodes, unfortunately. If you want more insight into why Scum’s Wish uses this aesthetic technique, AniTuber RogerSmith2004 already made an excellent video about it, which I’ll link in the description.

The music of Scum’s Wish was composed by Masaru Yokoyama, who also composed for Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Maiyoga, Rampo Kitan Game of Laplace, and Your Lie in April. It mostly consists of soft piano that perfectly accompanies the somber mood of the show. There aren't many pieces that particularly stick out, but the main theme is a beautiful piece of melancholy, perfectly capturing a feeling of loneliness and despondency. Unfortunately, the soundtrack isn’t easily accessible for those who just want to listen to it casually, so apologies for those who wanted to check it out.

The opening, on the other hand, is my favorite song within the show, mainly because it's so freaking over dramatic that it's enjoyable, but it also oddly fits the show. The noise, dramatic instruments, passionate voice, and lyrics that contain every love cliche on the planet adds to the anime’s empty feeling, like the characters are struggling to find happiness through traditional means and completely failing. Regardless of its meaning, though, it is a pretty fun song, and is accompanied by pretty visuals that garner more and more meaning as the show progresses. I never skipped it, and it always put me in the mood to watch more. The ending is also pretty great, though overall less interesting and the visuals are simply...strange, to say the least. Still, it fits the show, and it’s worth listening to at least once or twice.

Overall, would I say that Scum’s Wish is worth watching? Well, despite its flaws that might turn some people away, I'd say definitely. It's not something that is absolutely required viewing, but in terms of being simultaneously different, interesting, and entertaining, it's a very solid entry into the romance genre, which sorely needed some shaking up. I would not recommend it for people who are simply too immature to watch sexual content, however. I'm not going to slap an age limit on this show, but if you're unsure, I would read up about it and decide from there. For those of you who have seen Scum’s Wish, do you agree or disagree with me? Leave your answer in the comments, and I'll see you guys next time!

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