[Manga Review] My Hero Academia Volumes 10-12 by Kohei Horikoshi

I recently watched the current available seasons of an anime titled My Hero Academia, a show  I have easily fallen in love with. It probably won't be until Autumn until the next season, so until then I want to try to read all of the manga that has been published and the chapters that haven't been bound yet into volumes. I plan on reviewing them in collections of three volumes (maybe five, but no more than that) so I don't have like twenty posts on My Hero Academia alone. Once I pass the volumes and I am forced to read the chapters on their own online I'll probably re-read and then review them once they are out in volumes. To avoid spoiling anyone, I am going to always have this opening in each post along with in future posts I'll have a link to previous reviews. Please understand that once I am deep into the series, there may be spoilers. It's hard to review these manga volumes without talking about specifics of what is happening. I highly recommend reading the manga or watching the show and then coming back so we can talk about how great this story is!

My Hero Academia Volumes 1-3 Review
My Hero Academia Volumes 4-6 Review 
My Hero Academia Volumes 7-9 Review 

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My Hero Academia: Vol. 10

Kohei Horikoshi 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deku is such a beast of a character. He is in excruciating pain and continues to throw himself into fighting villains despite the pain. I know I've said this a lot. but I really admire Deku for his ability to put the need and safety of others before the safety of himself. It can be seen as a flaw, sure, especially when thinking of the whole airplane rule of putting your mask on before helping others, but I think in time Deku is going to learn to balance the abilities of keeping himself safe while helping others. And when that happens  I won't be surprised when he's the #1 hero. 

This volume is where the infamous "mole" subplot is introduced (and maybe forgotten? I read somewhere that the mention of a possible mole slipped the creators mind?) I am wondering if it'll actually come into play in later volumes or if is just going to stay forgotten. 

The scenes in the hospital and before they leave the hospital are such emotional ones and they're done so well. These kids not only care about each other greatly but they are already sounding like pro heroes despite only being first years. I think the continuous experiences of being put in danger really steps these kids up and they're more advanced than most of Aizawa's previous first year classes. I am so proud of these characters. 

I love seeing Todoroki volunteer for and even be one of the leaders for the rescue team. In the beginning of this story he seemed like a solo "I work alone" type of character. I assume it was because of his upbringing and family trauma that is what made him so distant and reserved, but seeing him want to help his classmates is such amazing character development for him. 

Bakugou's attitude and overall self confidence are some of the best parts of not only this volume but him as character. He is so sure in who he is and he won't allow himself to be swayed by the villains despite his reputation. Many people worry that Bakugou would switch from hero in training to villain the moment the opportunity arises because of his overall attitude so it was great to see where he stands. 

Overall, I love this volume, and the pizza delivery scene will forever have me cackling. 

My Hero Academia Vol. 11

Kohei Horikoshi 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So far, volume 11 is my favorite one. I was an emotional wreck reading this volume from start to finish and I genuinely did not want to return it to the library. 

First, the "grab my hand" scene between Bakugou and Kirishima is one of my favorite parts of the show, and now definitely a favorite part of the manga. I really like the ship between Bakugou and Kirishima. I am not sure why, but I enjoy having favorite ships when it comes to anime & mangas. Even if they are only friends, their obvious friendship/relationship is one of the strongest in this story. I love both of them individually so much. 

Between the scene I just mentioned, the big fight scene between All Might and All For One, learning about Nana (who I really want to know more about), and the scene of Bakugou and Deku cheering on All Might, I was a hot mess reading this volume. It's all so much and so heavy with emotions that it's hard to read it and not feel a wave of every single emotion. The scene that really broke me was the one of Toshinori and Izuku (Deku) on the beach after the big fight. I expected it to hit me hard because I was a mess while watching it but I didn't expect to be that much of a mess. Of course, the scene between Inko and Toshinori had me emotional as well. I'm not kidding when I say I was a blubbering mess during most of this volume. It's one thing after another with little in between. 

I love the scene with the dorms! It was one of the cutest parts of the anime. Seeing the kids act like kids for the first time in a while brought some humor and light hearted-ness to the story, something we needed. I may have said this before, but Kohei Horikoshi is really good at splicing some heartwarming fluff in between the more serious and intense moments. The balance is really nice. 

"I want to make the world a place where everyone can live with a smile." - All Might

 My Hero Academia Vol. 12

Kohei Horikoshi 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have said this before, but I really love learning not only abut all the quirks the students of Class 1-A has but how they're improving. And also how their suits support their quirks! It's all so cool and inventive and I think it's one of my favorite parts of this story as a whole. 

I have to admit I remember  feeling less interested about some of the license test arc while watching the anime and that disinterest comes up again while reading it. I don't hate it, and I do find some events to be entertaining but there's something about this part of the story that I am less hooked versus the sports festival for example. 

Mrs. Joke and Aizawa's dynamic is so funny to me. He seems so cold towards her but he also decides to sit near her in the audience while watching Class 1-A take their test. The fact that he sits with her and talks with her (sarcastically, of course) throughout the time they sat together. I think they make a really funny friendship. I wonder why Aizawa is such a grump to everyone, is it a personality trait or something that happened in his past? He obviously acts like more of a grump than he actually is because he cares for his fellow pro heroes and even his students. I hope we get to know him more. 

This volume is where the spark of what I hope will be the change in Deku and Bakugou's rivalry/friendship. I think a lot more of Bakugou character development is going to happen onward, and I am excited about it. 

Thanks for reading!