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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 8 Review

I know I said that I was going to wait until the dub came out, but this episode was too big for me to ignore. I mean, it’s out now, but it wasn’t when I wrote this. It’s the final battle between the Heroes and All for One. It’s actually ironic that that is the name that the villain of My Hero Academia chose to identify himself with. To him, it symbolizes his belief that everything in the world exists for him. However, that’s not what it means. The phrase “One for all, all for one,” is about how everyone supports the collective whole, and in turn, the collective whole supports everyone. Everyone helps everyone, and is helped in turn. That’s one of the core themes behind My Hero Academia, and in this moment, at the climax of the series, Izuku Midoriya and all the other heroes truly embody this phrase.

Also, You Say Run really does go with everything.

The Final Stand

So, here we are, at the Heroes final stand against the evil Demon Lord All for One, now in control of Shigaraki’s body. Midoriya is all but spent, most of the Heroes are sporting some brutal injuries, and a lot of them can barely stand, let alone fight. But since they’re heroes, they can’t afford to give up and let All for One escape. If they don’t take him out now, then they’ll never get another chance! And so, the true final battle begins.

From the moment that the fight starts, the gamer in me could recognize where Horikoshi got his influence for it from: MMORPGS. This entire fight reeks of it being the final boss of a big dungeon, and I mean it in the best way possible. Battles on that scale require everyone to work together to take down a foe that they can’t on their own. In other words, it requires unity. Or, as MHA would put it, one for all, all for one, something that All for One could never hope to understand.

All for One is a Loser

Speaking of All for One, I’m not even sure if I can properly call what’s possessed Shigaraki to be All for One. Because despite getting the new body that he wanted, he’s still lost. One for All and Yoichi will forever remain out of his reach, meaning that he will never see his brother again. Without that obsession to fuel him, he’s little more than an empty shell, going through the motions and not caring about anything beyond surviving. Honestly, it’s pathetic and fits well with who Izuku pegs the villain to be at his center. At his core, All for One is a sad, lonely man who’s spent his whole life trying to fill a void in his heart that can never be filled. And the reason it can never be filled is because he never cares about anyone but himself. In contrast, because Deku and the other heroes care about others more than themselves, they are able to do what he cannot and work together for a common cause.

But never mind that. We need to talk about what might be the final instance of You Say Run in the series.

You Say Run Does Go With Everything

Since the very beginning of the series, You Say Run has arguably been the theme song for My Hero Academia. Its bombastic nature has made it one of the most famous pieces of music in anime history. It’s gotten so beloved that it became a meme, with countless people taking epic moments and adding in You Say Run to make them cooler. Given how it exists to hype up the series, it’s only fitting that, in this final battle, we get to hear it for what’s likely the final time. And by god, did Toho animation manage to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

Everything about this final use of You Say Run is perfect. The way the heroes work to get Deku to All for One symbolizes the meaning of the phrase, “one for all, all for one.” The sight of everyone across the world, even the characters from the movies, cheering for Midoriya to win, is inspiring. Everything is pretty much perfect right up to the moment that Midoriya lands the final hit. Too bad it doesn’t work.

I would best describe what happens next as being the cutscene that occasionally follows the defeat of the final boss in a video game. Out of sheer stubbornness, All for One refuses to die, but he’s not fighting for anything at this point. His will is hollow, and everyone knows it. And he’s unable to save himself when the remnants of Yoichi’s consciousness rebel against him from within. Even better, though, Tenko Shimura gets enough strength to pay his “master” back for a lifetime of pain and suffering. And it leads to a final, satisfying scene where we see Deku and Shimura sending All for One off to Hell.

Good riddance to that waste of life.

A Worthy Climax to My Hero Academia

Wow. What a finale. No wonder this is the highest-rated episode of the entire series on IMDb. Everything about it was flawless from start to finish. It was as close to perfect as we can get. Regardless of the gripes that some people might have about the way the series initially ends, I think we can all agree that this was a good finale. And for one moment, Izuku Midoriya was the world’s greatest hero.

From here on out, the rest of the episodes will be nothing but the falling action. It’s not something I’m looking forward to, but if the anime goes as far as I think it will, it will make it worthwhile.

I Give “Izuku Midoriya Rising” a 5/5

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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 7 Review

I’ve said it once, and I will say it again: All for One is the Devil. From the moment he was born, he did nothing but use his incredible powers to make everyone else miserable. He ruined countless lives , and like so many others, I cheered when I saw Bakugo put an end to him. Yet, it turns out that Horikoshi wasn’t willing to let him go out like the chump that he is. Because, somehow, All for One not only managed to cheat death, but he robbed Shigaraki of any agency he might have had as a villain. It’s like watching what Sidious did to Ben Solo in Star Wars, except being an anime doesn’t make it better.

Deku’s Resolve

After throwing the entirety of One for All against the mental barriers that Shigaraki put up for himself, Deku managed to break through to the core of his being, Tenko Shimura. Like Nana, he was horrified to see how badly Tenko’s father treated him, with Nana regretting ever having to leave her son alone. His hatred had turned Tenko into Shigaraki, and had caused so much pain and suffering. The most she can do is help her son from beyond the grave by apologizing.

Then comes the big moment where Deku has to prove that everything he was saying about Shigaraki was true. He endures the full weight of Tomura’s unimaginable hatred for everything, but he still refuses to yield. And despite how much he denies it, Shigaraki knows that what he’s doing isn’t who he is as a person. Deep down, he’s still the same kid who wanted to become a Hero when he grew up. He even acknowledges the fact that he wanted to become a Hero for the villains. Someone that people who gave up on the world could admire. No matter what he says, Tenko Shimura would not die. It’s a pretty emotional moment where Midoriya finally gets through to Tenko Shimura. If this were any other story, this could end up being the end of things.

But this is where I feel like Horikoshi’s love of another franchise comes into play in the worst way possible. And it may arguably be an even bigger gripe about the finale than Deku having to sacrifice One for All. Somehow, All for One returns.

Somehow, All for One Returned

Now, the return of All for One from within Tenko’s mind is some evil deus ex machina. It had already been established that Shigaraki had suppressed his master’s Quirk Vestige through his sheer hatred. Once Deku mentally broke his will to keep being evil, All for One was able to reassert himself. That in and of itself wasn’t what I take issue with. It’s the big reveal of what the villain did to Tenko and his family:

• He stole Tenko’s real Quirk as a baby and gave him the defective version of Decay
• He befriended Kotaro Shimura to poison his mind against heroes

In other words, All for One destroyed the Shimura family and ruined Tenko’s life all so he could mold him into his perfect weapon. Everything bad that happened to Shimura was because of him.

All for One!!!

On the one hand, it’s almost impressive to see just how much of a hater All for One is. My headcanon is that he chose to do this to Nana’s family out of petty spite for her and her ideals. On the other hand, I hate this plot twist because it robs Tomura Shigaraki of any agency he might have had. It turns him from someone who was forged by the choices he made and those around him made into another pawn of the true villain. This is the exact same thing that happened in The Rise of Skywalker, and while I love the Star Wars franchise to death, I think that that wasnt a good movie. It was rushed, changed things up without any foreshadowing, and could have been better written. If Horikoshi was using it as the basis for this, then I think he could have done better.

The Cavalry Has Arrived

So, Deku is now down both arms, stuck with the embers of One for All, and unable to keep fighting. Thankfully, this is the moment in comics and other great stories where the cavalry comes charging in. And my god, what a glorious cavalry it is. All of Midoriya’s classmates still able to fight show up. His teacher’s show up. Any Heroes left in Japan show up using Kurogiri’s warp ability. Even better, Eraser-Head uses Eri’s horn to restore Deku’s arms, giving him the chance to fight again. And this is where the episode leaves us as we head into the real final battle of the series.

I may not like some of the story decisions that Horikoshi made with the finale, and seeing it again in anime form only reinforces this belief. However, when he wants to do a finale, he understands the assignment and delivers on it. It’s time for everyone to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “From Aizawa” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 6 Review

It all comes down to this. Deku has one chance to stop Shigaraki. By transferring One for All into Shigaraki, he can break through to the core of his mental self and do what he promised: save him. It’s the last hope that the world has, and despite knowing what will happen, I was still at the edge of my proverbial seat watching this! If anyone can reach Tenko Shimura, it’s Izuku Midoriya!!

The Whole World is Watching Deku

The final round between Deku and Shigaraki begins in the most epic way possible, with neither holding anything back. Deku knows that he’s at a disadvantage thanks to losing Danger Sense, but he’s had it for far longer than Shigaraki has. Like Spider-Man’s Spider-Sense, it has its flaws and gaps. Combined with his incredible knowledge of Quirks as a whole, and Deku is able to outsmart Shigaraki. In the fight between brains and brawn, brains often come out on top.

The fight between Izuku and Tomura is not going unnoticed, either. The entire world is watching Deku fight for his life against the monstrous Shigaraki. The anime makes it a point to extend the scenes where the Heroes are recovering and evacuating the flying coffin. In particular, I liked how we see Kaminari bursting into tears because he’s worried that some part of him fears Izuku Midoriya won’t be able to win. I felt that. No matter how much I want things to be all right, there’s always that little bit of annoying doubt in my head that won’t shut up. The only thing we can do is make sure we can’t hear it.

It’s even worse for the kids like Eri and Kota. They desperately want to help Izuku out somehow, but they can’t do anything. All anyone who isn’t fighting can do is pray. The actual fight is nothing short of epic, though, like something out of an AAA video game. When this is all over, I doubt that there won’t be a person in the world who doesn’t know who Izuku Midoriya is.

Seeing Shigaraki’s Memories First-Hand

I really like the fact that as Deku forces One for All into Shigaraki, their memories start to become all jumbled together. They both see how each others lives have gone, and how their choices have led them to be who they are now, and I think it’s great from an artistic standpoint. Eventually, though, we see that Deku manages to force most of One for All into Shigaraki, giving him the breach he needs to enter the core of Shigaraki’s mind. The only vestige left is, fittingly, Nana Shimura, Tomura’s grandmother and the one with the closest connection to him.

Nana, You Shouldn’t Have Said Goodbye like That

Despite knowing how much of a threat her grandson has become, I’ve always thought that there was a part of Nana that wanted to save Tenko as much as Izuku does. So getting to see her see her son’s home up close is a very emotional moment. A moment that only gets more emotional when Izuku and Nana see the memory that gave birth to Shigaraki: his dad beating him.

Nana, I know you left your son up for adoption to protect him, but you still really screwed up. You should have better explained why you had to leave him, and that it wasn’t because you didn’t love him anymore. If you had, then a lot of terrible things could have been stopped. Of course, there are more guilty parties at work.

Even after all this time, I still don’t know how to entirely feel about the ending to My Hero Academia. I think that it could’ve been better written at certain points, but I still think that Horikoshi did the best with what he created. But now, it’s time to finish this. One last time, Izuku Midoriya need to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “Wrench it Open, Izuku Midoriya” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 5 Review

All for One is dead. The greatest villain in history is finally dead. But the battle is not over. Thanks to All for One, Tomura Shigaraki has been molded into someone who wishes to see the entire world reduced to dust. If Deku doesn’t stop him, he will destroy everything, starting with Japan. However, this is when the series decides to do something that never sat right with me. It may have to do with the themes of heroism, or Horikoshi couldn’t figure out a better way to end this, but for Midoriya to beat Shigaraki, he has to give up something important. Something that he shouldn’t have to give up in the first place. Deku really is like Spider-Man, but in this case, that’s not a good thing.

Shigaraki is Really Just that Tough!

With All for One finally dead thanks to Bakugo delivering the final blow, all that is left is for Deku to defeat Shigaraki. A task that is made infinitely harder by virtue of the fact that Deku, despite everything, still wants to help Shigaraki. Or rather, he wants to help Tenko Shimura, the little boy that Shigaraki has suppressed for all these years. Having spent years watching Naruto try to save Sasuke from his own darkness, I get where Deku’s coming from. However, Shigaraki’s gotten to the point where beating him by conventional means may no longer be possible.

Then it gets worse. Using the All for One Quirk, Shigaraki manages to reach into Deku and grab the fourth user, Shinomori, and his Danger Sense.

Suddenly, the game changes entirely. With Shigaraki now having anime Spider-Sense, Deku’s forced on the defensive, and the show really sells to us how bad this is. Even worse, Shigaraki manages to bring their fight to Mount Fuji. AKA one of the most important symbols of Japan as well as an active volcano. If Shigaraki uses Decay on it, it will erupt and take Tokyo along with it. In other words, even if Midoriya wanted to run (which he doesn’t), Japan would be screwed. If he stays and fights in his current state, Deku is screwed. He’s effectively boxed in with no way out. And this is when Deku and the past users of One for All come up with a truly insane plan.

A Plan of Self-Sacrifice

Thanks to Star and Stripe’s Quirk Vestige, a tiny crack appeared in the mental barriers that Shigaraki created to suppress his childhood self. If Deku transfers each Quirk Vesitge into Shigaraki, they could break the sphere and let him reach his true self, taking away his reason to be evil. However, the catch to all this is that this means Izuku Midoriya will have to sacrifice One for All forever. He’ll be Quirkless once more.

I’m sorry, but even as I was reading this in the manga, I was not okay with it. Becoming a Hero was Deku’s dream, and he worked so hard to make it come true. It won’t be impossible for him to keep being a Hero without a Quirk, but it won’t be the same. And I hate that he has to make this kind of decision!

I’m Still Upset about Spider-Man: No Way Home

My reasons for hating it stem from my feelings about Deku’s inspiration, Spider-Man. I’ve been a fan of Spider-Man most of my life. I’ve read the comics, watched the cartoons, played the games, and seen the movies. For many, he’s the ideal hero. But despite deserving all the happiness in the world, the universe (and the writers) find a way to screw him over. I told myself that he could keep bouncing back, but then I saw Spider-Man: No Way Home. I watched as Spidey had to wipe the entire world’s memories of him to save all of reality, and I hated it.

No Way Home was my breaking point when it came to watching Spider-Man suffer. Yes, he did act impulsively and didn’t think things through, but he was a teenager. That’s what most teens are like! But he had to watch as his secret identity was outed, his name unfairly dragged through the mud, his aunt died, and his friends had to forget he ever existed. For God’s sake, Spider-Man doesn’t deserve to suffer that much! Is it so wrong for him to want to think about his own happiness a little? Because looking at Deku, I’m reminded of this exact thing, and I hated it!

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

In the end, though, I have to remind myself that, powers or not, Deku doesn’t need them to be a hero. He’s always been a hero at heart, and nothing can take that away from him. Granted, he technically needs those powers to have a job as a Hero, but Horikoshi has already shown us the workaround for that. In other words, I’m just bummed that Deku won’t be as strong as before. But if he weren’t willing to give up One for All for the greater good, he wouldn’t have been worthy of it in the first place. So, for one last time, it’s time to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “History’s Greatest Villain” a 4.5/5

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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 4 Review

In fiction, there are many different kinds of villains, but a lot of them can be broken up into one of two categories. There are villains who become evil because of things that happened to them, and villains who might have just been born naturally predisposed to evil. In the case of someone like All for One, though, I would say that he was born evil. From the minute he was conceived, he was going to end up being a menace to society for the next century. But despite all his attempts to become the ultimate villain who rules the world from the shadows, All for One’s story is about to come to an end. And I think the way that Horikoshi chooses to end his story is nothing short of poetic.

The First Quirks

At the beginning of My Hero Academia, we got an explanation at how mankind evolved to develop superpowers, or Quirks, as they came to call them. Officially, the first Quirk was the glowing baby in China. However, that was only the first recorded case. In reality, the first people to be born with Quirks might have All for One and his twin brother, Yoichi Shigaraki, as we see in a flashback to their origins.

The world might be comfortable with Quirks by the time of the series, but as this flashback shows, when Quirks first began emerging, the world acted in a very realistic manner. While some reveled in having superpowers, others were afraid and acted accordingly. It’s like looking at how Mutants are viewed in Marvel Comics: some celebrate them, while others fear and hate them. In a way, My Hero Academia is like looking at what the best future for the Marvel Universe could be. However, while many worked to help Quirks become accepted, there were plenty of those whose powers people should’ve been afraid of. And All for One was one such example

All for One was born a jerk!

From the moment All for One was born, he saw himself as better than everyone else alive. To him, everything existed to serve him, and those who wouldn’t would be punished. And despite claiming that he did love his younger brother, it’s clear that what he felt toward Yoichi wasn’t love, but possessiveness. The narrator even says that All for One only saw Yoichi as something that belonged to him. And despite Yoichi trying to steer his brother right, he just kept abusing him and abusing him until he gave him the Quirk that would combine with his to become One for All. Yet as we see through these video journals that Yoichi made, he still thought that his brother could do good.

And you know what? Yoichi was right!

As a Quirk, All for One is not inherently evil. As Yoichi himself points out, that kind of power could help those with unwanted Quirks and give Quirks to those who needed them. All for One could have changed the world for the better, but instead, he only cared about himself. That would lead to his brother’s death, One for All passing onto its second user, Kudo, and All for One devoting his existence to trying to get back what he saw as his. He even went as far as to wipe out the families of One for All’s users, until All Might defeated him. And now, the consequences of his life of sin have finally caught up to him in the form of Bakugo.

Bakugo Ain’t No Side Character!

After All for One first pointed out their resemblance, there was likely a fan theory that Bakugo was a descendant of Kudo, One for All’s second user. Sadly, the manga never confirmed nor denied this, and the anime seems to have taken the same route. In the end, though, I don’t think it matters. If anything, it’s more important that Bakugo isn’t related to Kudo, but is just someone who made it to where he was on his own merits. He’s a guy whose will and determination have driven him to become one of the best of his generation of budding heroes, yet All for One arrogantly considers him as a side character in the story. As we know by now, Bakugo is not a side character. He’s the co-protagonist of the series. And more importantly, he’s smarter than All for One gave him credit for.

Using his sweat as a delayed explosive implanted into the villain’s body was pure genius. It slowed down All for One long enough for Bakugo to get in close and give the Demon Lord one of the greatest beat downs in Shonen history. And the sight of All for One’s stolen Quirks turning on him from within was just the cherry on top. Absolute cinema!

Good Riddance to All for One!

By the time Bakugo is finished, All for One is reduced to being a baby, crawling around, unable to talk, unable to fight. The big bad of My Hero Academia who’s spent a century terrorizing the world with his evil is a helpless baby, unable to stop himself from fading out of existence. It’s the most pathetic that we’ve ever seen him be, and when I read it in the manga, I couldn’t help but feel how incredibly cathartic it was to see him meet his end like this. Even better, it’s fitting that he meets his end at the hands of someone he considered a side character. Like I said before, Bakugo ain’t a side character. He’s got main character energy written all over him, and he earned this win for himself!

The fight is not over yet, though. Izuku still needs to stop Shigaraki, and with everything else taken care of, our focus can fall solely on the clash that we’ve been waiting for. Bakugo already did it, but it’s time for Deku to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!!

I Give “Quirk: Explosion” a 5/5

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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 3 Review

Bakugo is back, baby! Despite looking like he might have died at the hands of Shigaraki, the universe decided to give Bakugo a break. I remember when the manga came out and how some people complained about him surviving something that should have ended him. People likely thought that they were traumatized for nothing. However, as interesting as it would’ve been to see Deku’s best friend and rival die, I don’t think that Horikoshi had much of a choice but to do this. Otherwise, he would have written himself into a corner. Also, I feel like it should be noted that in many superhero comics, characters rarely stay dead. Given how much of a fan Horikoshi is of Western superheroes like Spider-Man, it’s not like what he’s doing isn’t without precedent.

Bakugo is Back!

Picking up where we left off, the entire world is watching as All Might, the Symbol of Peace, is at the mercy of All for One. We get this montage of people watching the fight in Japan and praying for All Might not to die on them, and I think it was pretty appropriate for the theme of the episode. It ties in with the idea of the butterfly effect, which essentially believes a single, random event can have a huge impact on the world. Throughout history, there are examples of a single person doing something that can alter what the future will be like, and right now, we’re experiencing one of those moments in My Hero Academia as Bakugo wakes up.

As previously stated, I think a number of fans were upset when they thought Bakugo died, only for him to turn out fine. That sort of thing can make the grief they felt feel invalidated. However, we need to look at the bigger picture. It feels like Horikoshi had written himself into a corner by putting All Might in a fight that he realistically couldn’t win. He could have let All Might die, which would be horrifying, but he either didn’t want to go through with it or didn’t want the fans to endure that.

With all the Heroes in no position to save him, though, he had no way to justify his survival without it looking like an ass-pull. Hence, Bakugo got to live so All Might could be saved. And I think that he ultimately made the right choice, as this leads to Bakugo’s finest hour as a hero.

Dyamight Roars into Action!

The moment when Bakugo rockets himself to save All Might was incredibly well-animated. The use of lighting was amazing; it highlights the idea of a dream so powerful that it can defy fate. But what makes it even cooler is how All Might hallucinates Sir Nighteye who admits that this was the moment where he should have died. That, and the reveal that Edgeshot reduced himself to a tiny thread to save Bakugo, only for us to learn how it was Bakugo’s own Quirk that brought him back from the brink. That guy is just too angry to die, as All for One is about to find out.

At this point, All for One is in the middle of a total breakdown. His goal of reaching Shigaraki is within arm’s reach, but try as he might, the heroes keep slowing him down. At the same time, we see how most of his underlings are either defeated or dead. He’s all alone, running out of time, raging over his inability to win, and losing it. And the bad news keeps on coming as Bakugo, aka Dynamight, becomes the last obstacle between him and victory.

Bakugo is About to Have his Finest Hour

I don’t think I’ve talked about it much before, but Bakugo’s superpowers really are something amazing. The raw power of his explosions is enough to level buildings, and the speed they give him is incredible. It’s not as fast as an actual speedster, but the control he has makes up for it. Yet All for One arrogantly still considers him to be a side character, seeing only One for All and its bearers to be the only threat to him. Which only makes what Dynamight’s about to do to him all the sweeter.

We only get the first few minutes of what happens next, but that’s only going to make what happens in the next episode all the sweeter to watch. Bakugo, this is your moment to shine brighter than the stars. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!!

I Give “The Final Boss” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 2 Review

Back when the My Hero Academia manga was still running, a big question was about the fate of All Might: would he live or would he die? Sir Nighteye’s Quirk had him convinced that the hero would die if he continued down his path. However, he had said the same about Deku during the fight with Overhaul, and Deku proved him wrong. There were, in fact, moments in the final battle where I thought All Might wasn’t going to make it. They had been building throughout his fight with All for One, but it was at this point that the fears really hit their peak. All for One is just that strong a villain!

Stain Goes Out Like a Badass

This entire episode can be summed in one answer: All Might keeps getting lucky breaks. By this point, his armor and AI are both spent. He’s used up every trick in the book, and he knows that continuing to fight will lead to his death. But being who he is, he keeps on fighting anyway to buy Midoriya more time. He keeps gambling on All for One’s hatred for him overriding his sense of urgency to distract him, but even that has a limit. However, that’s when he gets the first of several breaks when Stain jumps in to save him.

Stain is not a good person, by any stretch of the imagination. He hates evil as much as most heroes do, but he was so jaded by people becoming heroes for fame and fortune that he thought the only solution was to kill the fakes. But despite his twisted nature, he does believe in heroes, and will applaud when he sees people being truly heroic. Plus, when All Might was doubting himself, it was Stain who gave him the pep talk he needed. Stain is not a good person, and he knows that he’s going to Hell when he dies. But that’s not going to stop him from helping the heroes one last time.

I won’t lie when I that I loved how Stain managed to turn the tables on All for One, however briefly it might have been. Conversely, I was equally saddened to see this final gambit fail, and end with All for One killing Stain. The man may have been a killer, but I still respected his belief in true heroism. And dying at the hands of the biggest villain in the story is a pretty good way to go out of this life.

Bakugo Comes in to Save the Day!

Despite no longer being in any shape to fight, All Might refuses to take the L. And thankfully, All for One’s ego compels him to drag the hero with him just so he can show off his broken body to the world. Once again, that almost costs All for One as it gives him another opening to try and take him out. Unfortunately, that also doesn’t work. And neither does the last-minute save by Star and Stripes squadron. For a minute, it actually looks like All Might might die, with even the episode title grimly noting this is the end of an era.

But then, we get a deus ex machina. Bakugo re-enters the fray.

Some fans have taken issue with how Horikoshi initially chose to end MHA, and part of it is how Bakugo escaped certain death. It looked like Bakugo was going to die when Shigaraki ran him through, and had he done so, that would have been legendary. I’m happy that he survived, but I also don’t like how it takes away the emotional weight of what happened. However, what he ends up doing next will more than make up for it. Trust me when I say that what happens next is Bakugo’s finest moment.

Then again, the next episode is already out, so I don’t need you to trust me. I would like to end things, though, by mentioning how much I love the final ED for the series. It’s a recollection of the entire series in notebook form, and I think that it’s the perfect way to encapsulate the series. It’s come so far after all these years. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “The End of an Era, and the Beginning” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 1 Review

Yes, I am well aware just how far behind I am on the final season of My Hero Academia. Yes, I am well aware that by the time this goes out, the climax of the anime will have already taken place. However, events in real life led me to procrastinate on the matter. That, and given how this was the final season, I wanted to wait until the dub came out, since this could be the last time we hear the cast playing their roles in the show. But that doesn’t mean my enthusiasm for the show hasn’t diminished. So, for one last season, I’m ready to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!! And where better to start than with where we last left off: with Iron All Might fighting All for One.

Iron Might vs. AFO, Round Two

The first few minutes of the opening episode to the final season are meant to serve as a recap of everything that’s happening. Or rather, at just how bad things were getting for the heroes. Dabi was about to go nuclear, Toga’s use of Twice’s Quirk was overwhelming everyone, and All for One was making a beeline for Shigaraki and Deku.

It was hard to remember at first, but this opening does a good job of reminding us just how big this final war really is. Everything that we’ve seen up to this point has been taking place simultaneously across the entire country. In hindsight, it reminds me a lot of the Fourth Great Ninja War in Naruto as well as the Marineford and Wano Country Arcs in One Piece. They are all massive wars with a lot going on, so the story has to take its time focusing on them to give the viewers the experience we deserve. Of course, the main focus of the episode has to be on something, and in this case, it’s the continued fight between All for One and All Might.

What an Epic Fight!

One of the themes that I really like about My Hero Academia is the idea that you don’t need superpowers to be a superhero. The annals of comic books are rife with characters like Batman and Iron Man, AKA heroes who have no powers. Yet despite being physically normal human beings, they’re considered heavy hitters who can go toe-to-toe with gods. Why? Because they have the resources, and more importantly, the smarts to pull it off. And as this entire episode demonstrates, so does All Might.

I’m not gonna lie: when I read this entire fight in the manga, I was having the time of my life. Without any powers and just using a suit of armor, All Might was able to push All for One into a corner, even if it was only for a short while. More importantly, though, I liked how his armor allowed him to emulate the powers of all his students. It gave the entire beatdown the feeling of a collective effort. All for One may not have powers anymore, but he’s far from powerless.

Aoyama Redeems Himself

Special mention should go to how All Might paid tribute to Aoyama with his attack. I’ve never held it against Aoyama for being All for One’s spy, and I don’t think the other fans have. Aoyama is more of a hero than he realizes, and I know that he’ll eventually return to UA with his head held high.

Speaking of Aoyama, whatever focus that isn’t on the fight between All Might and All for One winds up being on Aoyama and Hagakure pulling a victory out of the jaws of defeat. They’re not the strongest of the UA students, but as All Might has shown, brute strength isn’t everything. Plus, I did enjoy getting to see what Hagakure looks like.

The fans are right. It was a sin for Horikoshi to keep this angel hidden away from us for so long.

This was a good start to the final season of MHA. And it only gets better once you see the final OP for the series. It gives off a lot of “this is the final battle” vibes to it, and I adore that. The anime needs to go big now or go home. Better yet, go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “Toshinori Yagi: Rising/Origin” a 4/5

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