REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ Episode 4 – “Top Runner “

Slight but charming, My Hero Academia Vigilantes Episode 4 opens the world beyond the three characters we’ve met. “Top Runner” also gives us a look at a character who existed on the margins of the original series, allowing his personality to shine and work against the likes of Koichi (Shuichiro Umeda). It might not be the most exciting installment, but it remains endlessly winsome as it reestablishes a world we thought we knew.

My Hero Academia Vigilantes Episode 4 is split between the perspectives of Koichi, Knuckleduster (Yasuhiro Mamiya), Pop Step (Ikumi Hasegawa), and the pro-hero Tensei Iida (Masamichi Kitada), aka Ingenium. He’s the older brother to My Hero Academia’s Tenya Iida, one of Midoriya’s closest (and first) friends who takes up his brother’s mantle once Tensei is critically wounded by the villain Stain. Because of this, there’s a bittersweet element in watching the original Ingenium thrive as a hero and an early guiding light to Koichi as he embarks on his version of a hero story.

The scenes between the two are light on their feet and fun as they become unlikely jogging buddies. Tensei offers Koichi advice on improving his quirk and mobility while using it before giving him his business card. It’s another one of those moments in Vigilantes that puts all of My Hero Academia and Midoriya’s journey into perspective. What would’ve happened had Midoriya stumbled into someone like Knuckleduster, like Tensei, and had been given another example on the paths available to becoming a hero?

Ingenium is given the hero spotlight in his fight against the Bat Villain.

The scenes also allow Tensei’s personality to flourish. His older brother status is well affirmed in his guidance, along with his commitment to teamwork at his hero agency, Team Idaten. While he isn’t a main character, he works well in tandem with the story Vigilantes is telling. Here’s another ground-level hero who stumbles when facing villains who are fearless and take to the sky.

The sequences with Team Idaten pursuing the Bat Villain are expertly done and demonstrate the refinement of the series’ style. Director and storyboard artist Tsumiki Wada captures the relentless speed of the villain, managing to depict the difference in his running style versus Tensei’s. They’re both known for their speed, yet the Bat Villain races without fear, inhabiting him and the art direction depicts it seamlessly. The series’ penchant for crisp, stark lines and hard angles, eschewing the original series’ softer corners, works wonders in the sequence. It chases that comic panel energy.

These highway chases make for a striking contrast to the slower, character-driven moments between Koichi and his ragtag team. Following Episode 3, Knuckleduster is dealing with something, and both Koichi and Pop have picked up on it. My Hero Academia Vigilantes Episode 4 emphasizes their continued growth as a team both in and out of battle, but it’s the scenes of them relaxed and training that truly highlight how close they’ve all gotten in such a short period.

Koichi, Knuckleduster, and Pop Step continue to grow as a team.

While Koichi still lacks the necessary vibrancy to make a standout protagonist, he works as a barometer for Knuckleduster and Pop, who operate in extremes. He understands that even if Knuckleduster is rough during training, he’s still pulling his punches. If he weren’t, Koichi would be dead.

Knuckleduster gets to cut loose when he goes up against another Trigger-enhanced monster, thrilled and adrenaline-seeking as he goes toe to toe with a figure so powerful and much bigger than he is. It’s another action-packed sequence that leans into its evident comic book influences while showcasing Knuckledusters’ immense, potentially untapped power. Due to how often he’s used as comedic relief, it’s easy to forget his imposing strength and skill. Emphasis on the skill. Because he doesn’t just come out swinging, hoping to connect – he’s analyzing the whole time.

The greater, overarching plot boils as Queen Bee continues her recruitment in the background. The team has found some equilibrium, earning even Tensei’s approval for their vigilantism, and being able to achieve something that pro-heroes were not. Even as the team settles and finds their groove in working together, it still feels like we’re in the stage setting portion of the story as things slowly accelerate.

My Hero Academia Vigilantes Episode 4 lacks considerable depth but is fun regardless. Introducing familiar yet unexplored characters lets “Top Runner” thrive even in the slower, in-between moments. What it lacks in attachment, it makes up for with style and graceful direction that secures us in this world and makes us care, even if the characters have room for growth.

My Hero Academia Vigilantes Episode 4 is out now on Crunchyroll. 

Previous Episode | Next Episode