My Hero Academia would have fared better if their entire high school period was covered in the story

When it comes to superhero manga, no work has been as influential as Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia. Since it launched, it has built an extremely large fanbase with its intricate and, at the same time, simple storytelling. It also features one of the most well-written protagonists in Shonen history in Midoriya, and a stellar supporting cast. The worldbuilding was also seamless and very immersive.

Part of the allure of My Hero Academia was its high school setting. It was reminiscent of the likes of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, as viewers could grow with these characters and watch them grow as they age. In all of MHA’s near perfection, there is one blemish it carries, and it is something that its peers, Naruto and Bleach, didn’t skimp on. It is time.

All the events of My Hero Academia seem rushed. While many viewers may disagree, and it is not surprising, Horikoshi’s impeccable storytelling abilities made them forget; the series was condensed to just one year. This means that all the events that happened at UA High, including the resurgence of All for One, happened in one year! That isn’t enough time, and that is the only unrealistic aspect of MHA; keep reading to find out why.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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Why are the events of My Hero Academia happening in one year?

The students of UA High needed more time to bond (Image via Bones)

What differentiates a good story from a great story is time. Time is one of the most underrated elements of storytelling, and it affects how the viewers interpret moments in any story. A good example of time affecting storytelling is in Naruto.

When Kishimoto does not want viewers to ponder over the death of a character, he speeds up time. He does this by focusing on something else or skipping to the end of that arc, but when he wants you to feel the death of a character, time slows down.

A good example of this was with the death of Jiraiya in Naruto Shippuden. Viewers see Naruto walk around Konoha doing nothing, but he isn’t doing nothing, he is swimming in loss. The lack of activity means that viewers can fully feel the impact of Jiraiya’s death, just like the protagonist.

Izuku should have had more time with previous One for All users (Image via Bones)

MHA also does this, and it does this well. When All Might loses the last of his embers in his battle with All for One, there’s a pain viewers feel staring at the husk of his body. In that scene, viewers also feel hope knowing that All Might’s words are directed at Midoriya. Horikoshi knows how to use time in this sense, but where she does not know how to use it is in extended periods.

My Hero Academia should have had a time skip, as the space could have benefited the story. Manga and anime commonly use time skips to show character growth. One Piece used it to improve Luffy and Zoro’s skills, and Naruto used it to do the same. Midoriya’s rise could have been done throughout his high school period, and it would have given viewers more chapters.

Another character that deserved more time in My Hero Academia is Tomura Shigaraki. The inheritor of All for One should have spent more time building his organization. Other members like Dabi should have been unveiled earlier and would have had a much slower but enjoyable burn, as compared to the quick one that was presented in the series.

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Final thoughts

This is one of the subtle reasons fans don’t like the ending of My Hero Academia. It is due to how fast the series was, which meant that the ending left fans unsatisfied, as they wanted more.

Timing in manga is not a new problem, as JJK suffers from this same issue. Due to the rapid pacing of JJK, fans don’t have time to breathe. While it is understandable that there is an impending war, fans would have benefited from a more measured story.

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