My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime franchises right now, with six seasons under its belt. Featuring the main character Izuku "Deku" Midoriya as he embarks on a journey to become a hero at the most prestigious hero school in Japan, My Hero Academia has captured the hearts of many around the world.
A similar anime series called Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun has just started airing its third season, and it coincidentally has a very similar plotline of the human character Iruma Suzuki being adopted by a demon and sent to attend a school for demons. While My Hero Academia's formula is certainly successful, there are a few ways Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun is better.
5 The Comedy Is On Point
While My Hero Academia certainly has its comedic aspects to it, the series is largely a very serious superhero story. The main villain of the series appears very early on, casting a dark shadow over even the more lighthearted segments of the show and reminding viewers that there are always malicious forces working in the background. In addition, My Hero Academia has become more serious and less lighthearted as the series goes on.
In comparison, Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun might seem silly and inconsequential, but those aspects only serve to better frame the strength of its humor and comedy. Iruma-kun has a bevy of quirky and hilarious characters, and seeing them interact with each other is a lot of fun. Iruma-kun does have its own antagonists that occasionally threaten the peaceful life of the students, but so far these moments have been few and far in between, with much of the focus remaining on the comedy.
4 Stronger Focus On School Life
My Hero Academia, as indicated by its title, was initially centered on Deku's adventures at UA High School and his struggles to control his newly given Quirk while working to become a Pro Hero. However, as the story went on and the villains' threats began to escalate, much of the school aspect of the series was left behind as the story became more of a standard superhero action series.
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun does show some escalation of possible threats, similar to My Hero Academia. However, the escalation in Iruma-kun is not nearly as drastic, and much of the series still centers around Iruma's adventures in the Babyls School for Demons. As a result, fans who enjoyed the school aspect of My Hero Academia might appreciate Iruma-kun keeping its story centered on school life.
3 More Focus On The Main Class
Deku's class in UA High School is class 1-A, consisting of twenty students. These students form the core cast of the series, and characters like Bakugo, Todoroki, Iida, and Uraraka share the spotlight with Deku frequently. However, while other characters occasionally get their time in the sun, there are a lot of students in 1-A that often get lost in the background.
Iruma is part of the Misfits Class at Babyls, which only has twelve students in it. Though the class is smaller, this makes it easier for the series to showcase each character more often. While Alice and Clara often take more of the spotlight than the other students do, it's much easier for the whole class to get more notable scenes in comparison.
2 More Interesting Character Designs
The world of My Hero Academia is filled with a number of interesting Quirks, many of which have varying effects, including those that give characters non-human appearances. In addition, the world of superheroes often mandates costumes, providing a bevy of cool character designs throughout the series.
While My Hero Academia certainly has strong character designs, Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun might have it beat. Since the majority of the cast are demons, the series has the freedom to implement a variety of bizarre and unique designs for each character. In addition, since the series is more of a comedy than My Hero Academia, many of the designs also have the option to be goofier and sillier as well. Outfits and costumes are also a big part of character design, and Iruma-kun is certainly full of inventive and stylish outfits that stand out compared to the usual school uniform.
1 More Interesting Scenarios
My Hero Academia is an earnest homage to western superhero comics, and while that can certainly be lots of fun, it can also get a little formulaic. While Deku's adventures as a trainee hero slowly learning the ropes of hero society were fun to watch, in recent seasons it has become closer to a typical shonen action series with its big climactic fights of good versus evil. It certainly hasn't lost any of the excitement, but it has lost a bit of what made it so unique early on.
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, meanwhile, is centered around demons who are known for being liars, cheats, and scoundrels, which gives them more variety when it comes to settling conflicts between characters. In addition, the scenarios that occur throughout the series are often really interesting spins on common events, such as this season's Harvest Festival, where students hunt down rare plants and specimens while competing with other students for points. Even in more serious situations, conflicts are based less on good versus evil and more on personal and philosophical debates.