At Last, My Hero Academia's New Anime Will Fix the Original Show's Biggest Problem

The anime adaptation of the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes spin-off manga has caused massive hype among members of the fandom ever since it was announced. Followers of Kohei Horikoshi’s incredible series cannot wait for the release date of this show to arrive. Its characters, lore, and exciting battles promise to change forever how fans see the world their favorite heroes live in.

Studio Bones, one of the best names in the industry and the company in charge of bringing Koichi’s adventures to life, is already teasing one of the biggest changes between the spin-off and the main series. Vigilantes are expected to air late at night in Japan, a timeslot usually saved for more mature shows. Fans have inferred that this means the series will not suffer from the excessive censorship that hurt the main series.

My Hero Academia’s Spin-off Will Not Be Held Back by Censorship

The Show Will Faithfully Adapt the Manga

As April 7, 2025, the official release date for the Vigilantes anime adaptation, approaches, fans have taken to the internet to learn more about this long-awaited series. One of the first details they noticed is that, unlike the main series which used to air early in the mornings, the spin-off will be released late at night. In Japan, the nightly slots are reserved for the best mature anime, as they contain gore, excessive violence, or topics unsuitable for children. This has ignited the hopes in viewers of an uncensored and faithful adaptation of the manga’s artwork.

Although this has yet to be confirmed, as there are still months until the first episode of the show is released, this realization has only fueled the hype among the fan base. One of the main complaints fans had about the main series was the heavy use of censorship during some of the most impactful moments in the manga. This was understandable, as the show was mainly targeted at children, and it could not be overtly violent. Nonetheless, fans truly hope that the same treatment is not applied to the Vigilantes anime, as it could greatly harm the experience.

Vigilantes Will Be Much Better Without Censorship

The Manga Is Far Darker and More Serious Than the Original

Number 6 vs Knuckleduster in the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes manga.

Despite being a part of the same universe, there is no doubt that the My Hero Academia spin-off series is several times darker than its counterpart. Due to Kochi’s illegal activities, he does not have the luxury of being saved by teachers or healed by the school nurse like Deku and his friends. The protagonist of the spin-off was forced to deal with the crude and violent realities of fighting crime from his first day. There are many panels that, while still beloved by fans, can be considered unsettling for readers.

These shocking and terrifying moments are part of what makes the Vigilante manga so popular among readers and also serve to differentiate it from the main series. While the studio could have censored these events to try and keep the series family-friendly, some of the best moments and fights would have suffered from it. Keeping the series in a mature time slot and promising to be as faithful as possible to the original manga is one of the best decisions the team behind the show could have taken.

My Hero Academia Does Indeed Have an Issue With Censorship

Season 5 Is Particularly Infamous for This

My Hero Academia: Shigaraki kills X-Less and steals his cape.

Anime fans across the world know that the adaptation of Horikoshi’s manga is among the best shows in history. Still, the series is not without faults, and excessive censorship is one of these issues. While the series did its best to remain as faithful as possible to the author’s illustrations, there were certain times when its family-friendly rating forced it to heavily alter scenes. Season 5 of the anime is infamous among fans for this very reason, as its censorship diminishes the experience of the hospital raid for many viewers.

Scenes like Tenko receiving All For One’s Quirk were altered to the point where they were nothing like the original manga, removing all traces of blood. Mirko’s injuries after the battle against the High-End Nomus, considered one of the most epic and stunning battles in the franchise, were also drastically reduced, taking away from her sacrifice and pain. After season 5 aired, fans were so bothered by the censorship that they went as far as to ask the studio to raise its rating, so the story would not be altered any further.

My Hero Academia’s spin-off series has a high chance of becoming an instant classic for anime fans once it is released. The possibility of it not being hindered by censorship only serves to make it seem that much better.