Mirai Sasaki

The fourth season of My Hero Academia ran from October 2019 to April 2020 in Japan. It has 25 episodes and was made by studio Bones, the same team behind every season of the show. It adapts a large part of Kohei Horikoshi's manga, from the middle of volume 14 to the start of volume 21. That means this season holds several story arcs: a dark crime story, a short class for students who still need their hero license, a cheerful school festival, and the first steps of a new era for professional heroes. The world of the show is a modern Japan where most people are born with a special power called a Quirk. Heroes with Quirks work like a mix of police and celebrities. They have offices, fans, and public rankings. Izuku Midoriya, known by his hero name Deku, is a student at U.A. High School, the top school for young heroes. At the start of this season, he and his classmates begin Hero Work-Studies. These are real jobs at hero agencies, done while they are still students. It is a big step up from training at school. Deku's work-study puts him with the office of Sir Nighteye, a serious hero whose real name is Mirai Sasaki. There he works next to Mirio Togata, a cheerful third-year student who is one of the strongest at U.A. Deku looks up to Mirio, and he feels he must work hard just to keep up. Soon the team starts looking into the Shie Hassaikai. This is a yakuza group, which is a kind of organized crime gang in Japan. Its leader is Kai Chisaki, a cold man who goes by the name Overhaul. The heroes learn that the group may be making a drug that can destroy a person's Quirk. At the center of this plan is Eri, a small and frightened girl. Deku meets her by chance, and saving her becomes the heart of the season. This part of the story is darker than earlier seasons. It deals with crime, fear, and the question of what a hero owes to a child who needs help. Other heroes and students join the fight, and the season gives time to side characters who did not get much focus before. The League of Villains, led by Tomura Shigaraki, also moves in the background, because the criminal world is changing and different groups want control. After the heavy action, the mood changes. Two students take a special remedial course to earn the hero license they missed earlier. Then U.A. holds its School Festival. Class 1-A decides to put on a show with dancing and a live band. They want to lift people's spirits at a time when many in the public doubt the school. Kyoka Jiro, a girl in the class who loves music, takes a big role in this part, and the season even includes original songs for her. These lighter episodes give the cast a chance to laugh and work together. The season ends by looking at the pro hero world. A new hero ranking is released, and the heroes at the top must think about what the public now expects from them. The openings for this season are "Polaris" by Blue Encount and "Starmarker" by KANA-BOON. For fans of the series, season 4 is a mix of tense battles, warm school life, and growth for both Deku and the people around him.