RJ Writing Ink

My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 1 Review

It’s been more than a year since the end of the last season of My Hero Academia. From the perspective of 2020, though, it might as well be a lifetime. Thankfully, the vaccines are rolling out, which means that we can slowly start returning to a new normal. And the arrival of spring brings MHA‘s fifth season! And while I may be writing more now than I was at this time last year, I can’t resist wanting to get in on the anime. Granted, I will simply be reviewing rather than recapping like I did last year in order to conserve time, so it balances out in the end. However, with that out of the way, we can dive into the season premiere. How was it, you may ask?

Honestly, it was all right. Not as fun as last year’s premiere, but still good.

Class Is In Session

So, this episode takes place the day after that big fight between Endeavor and that Nomu at the end of Season 4. Everyone’s talking about as class starts, only for class to shift into an emergency drill. As a result, Class 1-A suits up to test out how well they’ll do in a real-world crisis. In this scenario, villains, played by Nejiro-Chan and Suneater, are attacking the school, with Class 1-A having to deal with them, rescue civilians, and contain the disaster. In other words, this episode’s basically an introduction episode to let newcomers know who’s who in the cast and reminding long-time fans about what they can do.

To be totally honest, I had to struggle to pay attention to this episode. Not because I stopped like the premise of the series, but because I already know who everyone is. I’ve read the manga, I’ve watched the anime, I don’t need to be reminded on who’s who. That said, I understand that some people will need to be reminded, so I’m willing to let this slide.

It’s only in the episode’s final moments when I really start to pay attention. If you’ve been reading the manga, than you know that a lot of crazy stuff is about to go down. I won’t spoil anything for anime-only watchers, but let’s just say that this season is going to be insane. Like really insane! But until then, GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “All Hands on Deck! Class 1-A” a 2.5/5

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Amphibia Season 2, Episode 15 Review

So, remember that robot that got created in that factory in the Season two premiere? The one that followed the Plantar’s all the way across Amphibia as a running gag? Well, the episode where Mr. Frobo finally joins the Plantar’s has come at last! But first, let’s look back on Mr. Frobo as he journeyed across Amphibia.

New Wartwood

It’s already been established that Marcy’s not the best when it comes to social interaction. She means well, but her eagerness can be off-putting to some people. And in the first segment of this week’s episode, she struggles to be accepted by the people of Wartwood, much like what Anne went through.

Anne and Marcy are both alike in that they yearn for acceptance from the people around them. As we see here, what separates them is their methods. It took Anne half a season before Wartwood accepted her. So she rightfully tells Marcy that its best not to force the issue. Marcy doesn’t listen to Anne, though, and instead follows through with Mayor Toadstool’s ideas to improve the town. AKA, make it look fancier-looking and appeal to Toadstool’s own ego. It works, until the extra weight causes Wartwood to sink into the swamp its built on.

Marcy quickly rectifies her error by saving the town, but everyone’s still rightfully mad at her. But, they do admit that after getting to know Anne, that sort of thing’s par for the course for them. They even admit that they’ll eventually get around to liking Marcy, same as with Anne.

I enjoy any story that involves Marcy in some way, and to see her experience the same sort of growth Anne did is endearing to her character. Also, seeing Anne give her advice shows just how far she’s come since arriving in Amphibia.

Friend or Frobo

Now it’s time for the moment we’ve low-key been waiting for since the trailer for the second half of the season dropped. It’s time for the Plantar’s to meet Frobo!

On a typical outing to Wartwood’s farmer’s market, a bored Polly wants to cause mischief to liven things up. However, Anne and Sprig refuse to partake, with their various experiences having made them seen how it’s not worth it. Since’s Polly’s still young, though, she does it anyway…only to find it hard to do so alone. That’s when she discovers the robot frog that’s been following them since the start of the season. Enamored by the big guy, Polly names him “Frobo”, and uses him to get into all sorts of trouble.

At first, it’s fun. Until Frobo angers the townsfolk, they accidentally hurt Polly, and Frobo goes berserk and starts lashing out at them. It was like watching an amphibian version of The Iron Giant, so it was very entertaining to watch.

Ultimately, Polly learns to take responsibility for Frobo and gets him to stop his rampage, the townsfolk to stand down, and for Hop Pop to accept Frobo into the Plantar family. At least he doesn’t need to eat, so that’s one less mouth to feed.

A Good Breather Episode

Ultimately, this is what people would consider to be a “breather episode.” A light-hearted story sandwiched in between a far more serious one to keep people from being overwhelmed by the seriousness. In other words, filler with a purpose.

Don’t get me wrong; I want to see the main story continue as much as everyone else. But I’d rather Amphibia take its time doing so. Plus, these episodes give the characters sufficient time to grow and develop, which they’re going to need.

Even though the Plantar’s now have Mr. Frobo, several questions remain unanswered. Who built the factory that made him? Why did he follow them all the way to Newtopia and back? How involved will he be in the plot of the show going forward? Hopefully, the show will answer these questions given time. For now, though, I’m content with enjoying this new family dynamic. Here’s hoping that we see more of Marcy and Frobo interacting with the people of Wartwood next week.

I Give “New Wartwood” and “Friend or Frobo” a 3.9/5 and 4.5/5 Each

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 2 Review

It’s never easy to accept when someone new steps into an iconic role. No matter how good people say the new person is. There’s going to be the critics and naysayers who say “You’re not good enough”. I’m of the opinion that its best to reserve judgement until we see the new person in action. And having seen New Cap (that’s what I’m calling John Walker, the new “Captain America” until further notice,) in action , I can safely say…that this isn’t going to work out. At all.

New Cap’s Already Cracking

On the surface, John Walker seems like a worthy successor to Steve Rogers as the New Cap. He’s got three Medals of Honor, top marks in every category, the trustworthy face, and good with the shield. And he does make an effort to reach out to Sam and Bucky, asking to work with him. Altogether, he seems like a decent guy. On the surface.

I could already see the cracks forming, though. From the outset, Walker recognizes how monumental a task it is to become the New Cap. How everyone has high expectations of him to fill Steve Rogers’ shoes, and it’s tearing him apart. On the one hand, he wants to meet the expectations everyone’s got for him and be the best Cap he can be. On the other hand, he knows that he can’t live up to Steve’s legacy. In addition, we see how frustrated he is at being at the beck and call of the US Government. Unlike Steve, though, who chose to embody the best ideals of America over being just a soldier, Walker allows himself to be shackled to the bidding of the government. The contradictions are eating away at him.

Even the way he talks to Bucky and Sam after fighting the Flag-Smashers is off-putting. Despite their obvious distrust of him, Walker acts respectful to the two and wants them to work with him. It feels like someone who knows they’re in over their heads asking for help from someone who knows what they’re doing. But at the same time, it feels condescending, with Bucky and Sam thinking he only wants them to help legtimize his role as New Cap. And when they make it clear they’re not interested, he drops the niceties and tells them to stay out of his way.

Bucky and Falcon Tensions Brewing

Bucky and Sam have had six years to build up their character dynamic, and it’s one of the best things about this show. They both have similar personalities (I think) and hold Captain America in high regard, and the trailer for show makes them out to be vitriolic best buddies. However, this episode demonstrates just how high tensions are between the two.

It all comes down to Falcon’s decision to give up the shield. Bucky continues to tell Sam that he made a mistake doing so, and while a part of Sam thinks so, too, he tries to justify it by saying it was the right thing to do. Bucky doesn’t see it that way, though. He thinks Sam turned his back on what Steve stands for, that he made the wrong decision to make Sam his successor. And as he points out during their joint therapy session (which is hilariously written like couples therapy), does that mean Steve was wrong about Bucky?

I see right through Bucky, though. Even though none of what he did as the Winter Soldier was his fault, he still blames himself. And now he’s projecting his guilt onto Sam. It’s uncalled for, and it takes until the end of the episode to realize that he was out of line. The two even agree to part ways for good after dealing with the Flag-Smashers. I really hope they don’t, though.

Legacy of Racism

It goes without saying, but even fifty years after the Civil Rights Movement, America’s still trying to move past its history of racism. Recent events in society have made that obvious, but The Falcon and the Winter Soldier brings it to the forefront just how bad still are.

Firstly, there’s the unspoken issue of why Sam turned down the Shield. He’s afraid that no one’s ready for an African-American Captain America. I mean, he can’t even get into an argument with Bucky in public without some cops racially profiling him! Bucky had to outright tell the cops that he was the Falcon to get them to back off.

In addition, we see another reminder of the legacy of racism present in the form of Isaiah Bradley, a Korean War veteran who got a version of the Super-Soldier Serum. This man was a war hero that even fought off Bucky and ripped off half his metal arm. And what happened to him? He got jailed for thirty years and used as a guinea pig by the government and HYDRA. It’s unfair, it’s cruel…and it sounds like something that the US would do. And I hate every part of it.

The Return of Zemo

The big, overlying issue that the episode talks about is the Flag-Smashers. Their members were able to fight off Bucky, Sam, Walker, and Battlestar (Walker’s partner). There’s no doubt about it-someone’s making more super-soldiers. And we don’t know how. The name “Power Broker” gets dropped by the Flag-Smashers, but that’s about it. Bucky’s only idea on what to do is to go see the one person who knows more about HYDRA than all of them: Zemo.

Zemo may not have powers and he’s no Thanos, but he came closer to tearing apart the Avengers than anyone else. I hoped to see him again in the MCU, and now that wish is coming true. And the fact that he’s back is bad news for everyone.

So, in short, I liked this episode. I think it’s doing a great job at building the post-Endgame MCU, and giving us a lot to look forward to. I can’t wait to see what happens next week.

I Give “The Star-Spangled Man” a 4.5/5

Stray Observation

• We got to see Isaiah Bradley’s grandson, Eli Bradley, in this episode. In the comics, he’s the superhero Patriot and leader of the Young Avengers. Like I said in my post for The Game of Nerds, the Young Avengers are coming!

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