RJ Writing Ink

My Hero Academia S2 Ep 1 Review

My Hero Academia may be over, but we still got a few years and a few more seasons of the spin-off prequel, Vigilantes. I know it wasn’t written directly by Horikoshi, but like the man himself, Vigilantes shows that it understands the superhero genre pretty well. In this case, it’s through the eyes of heroes who work closer to the streets, given in the form of Knuckleduster, Koichi, and Pop☆Step. As someone who grew up adoring street-level heroes like Spider-Man, the show really captures what it’s like to be a friendly neighborhood hero, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. As it turns out, Koichi and Kazuhiro can’t stay out of trouble even when they try, as they’re about to get roped back into the conflict over Trigger.

Koichi is a Wall Crawler Now

It’s been a while now since Knuckleduster up and left Koichi and Pop☆Step, but the two have been getting by well on their own. Koichi is continuing his unauthorized hero work as the Crawler, but publicly, he’s acting as Pop’s manager. In this case, he’s acting as Pop’s manager, as she’s been asked to appear at a local idol event in Naniwa, but he ends up missing the train. Until, that is, he discovers another application for his Quirk: he can stick to surfaces.

Once again, I love how My Hero Academia wears its influences on its sleeve. If Deku was inspired by the likes of Spider-Man, but on a global scale, then Koichi is inspired by the friendly neighborhood aspects as well as his powers. That second part becomes all the more blatant with Koichi’s new ability directly mimicking the webhead’s wall-crawling abilities. That, and Koichi seems to have the infamous Parker luck, as he winds up having to intervene when he runs into another familiar Pro Hero, Fat Gum. He wins him over by saving his takoyaki, but what neither realize is that they’re both going to be at the same venue. The difference is that Fat Gum is part of a sting operation involving Trigger.

Why can’t they stay out of Trouble?

Even though Knuckleduster managed to stop Queen Bee, the distribution of Trigger hasn’t let up in Naruhata. In fact, doses that turn users into stronger Instant Villains, dubbed “Next Level Villains” are making the rounds. And while Koichi and Pop are at Naniwa, Eraser Head gathers info from some low-level dealers. Meanwhile, its revealed that Fat Gum and Tsukauchi (Makoto’s brother) are surveilling the idol event, convinced that it’s being used as a front to sell Trigger by this “Villain Factory.” To make matters worse, Tsukauchi can’t help but feel that Koichi and Pop look familiar.

At this point, there are several heroes who already know what the Naruhata Vigilantes are doing: Midnight, Eraser Head, and Ingenium. They’ve looked the other way because they aren’t doing anything too reckless and are just trying to help, which they need. Tsukauchi, though, is an officer of the law. He is supposed to arrest them for vigilantism. Plenty of cops in fiction dont do this because the heroes make their jobs easier, but this isn’t always the case. Fingers crossed that Tsukauchi is one of the former.

Parker Luck in another Universe

What makes this funny, though, is that even when they’re trying to have a day off, Koichi and Pop still get dragged into hero stuff. One of the performers they meet, Monika, is an undercover cop. And when she goes to do her actual job, Pop has to step in to cover for her. Thus, they’ve been dragged into this mess without even meaning to!

Like I said, Parker luck.

This was a soft way to start the next season of Vigilantes, in my opinion. I know this show isn’t for everyone, but for those not ready to say goodbye to MHA, I think this show will serve as a good way to enjoy it for a little longer. That being said, Im looking forward to seeing how Koichi and Pop handle themselves without Knuckleduster to back them up.

I Give “Day-Tripping to Naniwa” a 3/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

One Piece Chapter 1171 Review/Recap

There a lot of things that I like to see when enjoying a work of fiction, but one of my favorites has to be watching a villain ready to soil their pants in sheer terror. Whenever that happens, that tends to be a good thing for the protagonists. And after having to spend the entirety of the Elbaph Arc’s flashback seeing Imu acting so smug, we finally get to see them genuinely afraid of something: Loki. And now that Loki has told everyone the truth, he and Ragnir are more than ready to start throwing down to save their country. And between them, Hadrujin, Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats, Imu will be running for the hills by the time the dust settles!

Recap

King Harald is finally dead, and Aurust Castle is in ruins and filled with the dead. Gaban, Shanks, and Jarul all agree that if Harald had been able to escape, it would have been a global catastrophe. If Loki hadn’t been there to take the Devil Fruit, they would all be dead.

Shanks, in particular, is outraged at Harald’s fate, blaming himself and his heritage for this tragedy, only for Gaban to snap him out of it.

For his part, Loki is mourning his father’s death, and makes a decision: he and the remaining guards are going out to sea to make the World Government pay for what they did. The others try to talk him out of it and to honor his father’s last request, but Loki already knows no one will believe him because of who he is.

Back in Mariejois, Imu is left shaken at Harald’s death. He was the best pawn they could have asked for to subjugate the giants, and even with all his strength, he still lost. Terrified, Imu refuses to send another Knight to Elbaph, declaring it a lost cause as part of the “D.”

Back in the present day, Loki has finished telling his brother and Luffy his story, and Hadrujin is livid to hear the truth about his father’s death. The New Giant Warrior Pirates say this doesn’t change everything else he did, but they are sorry for calling Loki a kinslayer, but now that they know the truth, they’re willing to make a stand with him. No sooner do they do that that one of the monsters Qillingham brought to life comes crashing down into the Underworld. Remembering the battle raging above, the group splits up. Gaban, Sanji, Chopper and the others head topside to join the fight. Loki decides to warm up by taking out the monster while Luffy stays behind to watch. And…see for yourself.

Review

Wow, what a way to end one of the best flashbacks in One Piece history. I know I’m going to sound like a broken record, but Harald’s life feels like a tragedy. He dedicated his life to remaking Elbaph into a happy and peaceful place, only for Imu to reveal that it was all for nothing. The man couldn’t catch a break, and in the end, he had to have his own son kill him. And despite how tough Loki acts, it’s clear that having to kill his dad was the worst moment of the Giant’s life. What makes it even worse, though, is the fact that Loki chose to keep everything a secret, despite what Gaban, Shanks, and Jarul wanted.

To be fair, I think Loki was right to not want to tell Elbaph the truth at the time. Even if the Giants did believe Loki by having Gaban and Jarul vouch for him, they likely wouldn’t have forgiven him for that. And even if they did, knowing that their beloved king had been manipulated so badly and that their attempts to reform were for naught would’ve destroyed the Giants as a people. They simply weren’t ready to learn the truth, but I suspect that that will change in the near future.

Now that the World Government has openly chosen to attack Elbaph, there is no reason for Loki to keep quiet about how Harald died. Hell, if he tells them all the truth after the fighting ends, I’m betting they’ll be so enraged that they’ll decide to take up arms one last time to get justice for Harald. Ida was right; Elbaph shouldn’t abandon their warrior ways altogether. instead they should use them to fight for a cause that is truly noble, like taking down Imu.

Imu is Gonna Drop Bricks When they See Loki

Speaking of Imu, this entire flashback makes Imu’s desire to recruit Loki feel incredibly ironic. They were absolutely terrified that someone was able to kill someone as powerful as Harald and derail their plans for Elbaph. I can practically imagine them soiling themselves on their throne not knowing what could’ve taken Harald out. If they had known that it was Loki, I dont think Shamrock and Gunko would have tried to force him to join their ranks. Not killing him then and there is about to be the worst mistake Imu could make.

And that final panel of Loki pulverizing that monster! All it took was one strike from Ragnir for him to freeze it solid! The other Giants weren’t able to put a dent in Qillingham’s creations, but Loki makes it look so effortless!! Between him and Luffy, not even the God’s Knights have a chance to win.

As you can imagine, I think this chapter was amazing. Unfortunately, Oda is going on an unplanned break for the sake of his health. Which is fine by me. He works so hard to give us peak, so he deserves to rest when he can. In the meantime, Im looking forward to seeing the Straw Hats and Giant Warrior Pirates kick Imu’s tail!

I Give “Ragnir” a 4/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

One Piece Chapters 1168, 1169, and 1170 Review/Recap

Happy new year, everyone! I apologize for slacking on my reviews of One Piece, but stuff kept getting in the way, and before I knew it, I was three chapters behind. Then I realized that all of these chapters have to do with Harald’s tragic death. And while the overall outcome was exactly what fans knew it would be, it was no less tragic to see the real reason why Loki had to kill his own father. It was either that, or let Harald become an unthinking, immortal puppet of Imu, a fate worse than death. Not only that, but we finally learn what that Devil Fruit that Loki supposedly stole was, and I’m honestly beating myself up over not realizing it sooner. With all that in mind, I’m going to cover all three chapters at once. The curtain rises on the tragic end of King Harald, and it’s all Imu’s fault!

Snows of Elbaph

Fifteen years ago, Elbaph’s reputation across the world is better than ever thanks to Harald. Everyone sees Elbaph as kind and friendly instead of being fearsome warriors. Saul even managed to build the Walrus School to help the next generation of Giants grow up in peace. But all of this came with a cost. After learning his wife was dying, Harald rushed to be at Ida’s side. The two remembered how they first met and how they had changed since then, with both wanting to go traveling one last time. But it was never meant to be…Ida passed away on a snowy day, with her husband by her side.

A year later, Shanks had deserted the God’s Knights, leaving Harald free to take up the position as a full-fledged member of the God’s Knights. Despite being shocked to meet Imu, he’s overjoyed to join the Knights, thinking it means that Elbaph can join the World Government. But once he gets back to Elbaph, he is horrified when Imu commands him to turn Elbaph into an army to serve them and them alone. Even worse, he finds that the mark Imu gave him grants him immortality and strength, but makes it impossible to disobey him.

Realizing the terrible mistake he’s made, Harald orders his guards to bind him with chains and summon his sons and Jarul. Thus, we return to the start, as Loki and Jarul arrive on the day that Harald dies.

My Death Cannot Come Soon Enough

At the castle, Harald suddenly cuts down one of his guards, making him realize the mark of Imu can alter even his thoughts. Understanding how great a threat he is to his own people, Harald orders his guards to kill him. And that’s when Loki and Jarul show up: seeing the guards trying to kill Harald, only for his immortality to keep him alive, and he strikes back against his will.

Elsewhere, Shanks is explaining the mechanics of the contracts with Imu to Gaban and Ripley. Basically, it confirms what we already knew: the ultimate contract makes them immortal and strong, but they can’t defy Imu. Thus, Shanks hoped to warn Harald in Elbaph, but he’s too late.

Back at the castle, Harald clashes with Loki and Jarul, who have no idea what’s going on, with the King telling him that he was deceived by the World Government. All they wanted was to make the Giants their slaves, and they manipulated Harald to make that happen. Thus, he begs Loki to eat their great Devil Fruit, kill him, and become the hero that Elbaph needs. Tragically, this is the last free thing Harald can say, as Imu takes full control.

Loki makes a mad dash for the treasure room where the Devil Fruit is stored, with Jarul holding the king off and getting the sword in his head. When he falls, Shanks and Gaban arrive to continue the fight as Loki makes it to the treasure room, only to get attacked by Ragnir.

Contradictions

Loki is flabbergasted at Ragnir attacking him and keeping from getting the Devil Fruit. In fact, the hammer has guarded the fruit for centuries, deeming everyone unworthy. Thankfully, Shanks and Gaban can keep Harald at bay, with the latter knowing the Knight’s weaknesses thanks to beating them up whenever they tried to take back Shanks. But even knowing that weakness isn’t enough as the two are driven into a corner! Jarul orders the remaining guards to stop Harald at all costs, only for the castle to become the site of a massacre.

Loki, meanwhile, actually manages to injure Ragnir, which then reveals its true form of a squirrel. Having deemed Loki worthy, he is allowed to eat the fruit. With his new power, Loki and Ragnir return to the fight, and the battle that follows is too awesome for Oda to show in full. In the end, though, Loki wins. Very briefly, Harald regains control of his mind, and uses it to ask Loki to kill him, to his sadness. Harald has enough time to say his goodbyes to his son, asking him to get along with Hadrujin, and…thanking him for avenging Ida’s murder. And with a final blow from Ragnir, Harald, the King of Elbaph, is no more.

Review

Wow. And I thought Rocks’ end was sad. He died alone at the hands of the Knights of Imu, unable to control his own body. But Harald? He had to ask his own son to kill him to save Elbaph from being enslaved. Harald’s life was truly a tragedy. All he wanted was to show the world that the Giants could be a great force for good, and Imu used that to manipulate him into selling his soul. And to think that this is what would’ve happened to Shanks had he not run away when he did.

We all knew that Shanks was just using his Celestial Dragon heritage to gather intel about Imu. He had no intention of serving them, and he got out of there when he had no more reason to be there. That being said, everything we learn about the contracts with Imu, or Covenants, as the wiki calls them, confirms why someone as powerful as Shanks was willing to sacrifice his arm to a sea monster. The arm he gave up was the same one his Shallows Convenant mark was on, and it’s likely there was something keeping him from removing it himself. So, when he saved Luffy, it was a way to kill two birds with one stone. Another fan theory turns out to be right!

Shanks made the right decision to sacrifice his arm. The Abyssal Contract didn’t just turn Harald into a puppet not in control of his body. It even affected his mind, robbing him of his free will. Not being in control of your body like Rocks was was bad enough, but to have your own mind, the place that should be your refuge, turn on you? Imu is truly horrifying…and they need to be stopped!

Harald is Not Terrible!

That being said, I don’t think that Harald should have thought so poorly of himself at the end. Everything he did was because he wanted the best for his people. And to his credit, Elbaph has a lot to offer the world besides its warrior culture. I still think getting rid of it altogether is a mistake, as there’s no reason why they can’t have both, but use their power for good. Imu used that to manipulate Harald into becoming his slave, and while it was too late for the King himself, he was at least able to ensure that Elbaph wouldn’t be dragged down along with him. Ida, his real wife, would have been proud of him.

Yes, I know that they never married, but I’m pretty sure that me and the rest of the fandom consider Ida to be Harald’s true wife and not that ***** Estrid. And I stand by what I said about what Loki did to her family; if I were in that flashback, I would’ve joined him!

Loki is Not a Villain!

Speaking of Loki, this pretty much confirms that everything Elbaph thought they knew about him is a load of crap. He’s not evil or a monster; just a misunderstood guy who got a bad deal at life. And despite him saying otherwise, he’s still a decent person who loved his father, loves his real mother, and most of all, loves Elbaph. More importantly, it’s confirmed that Loki never stole Elbaph’s powerful Devil Fruit; he proved himself worthy of it to Ragnir, which I’m just now realizing is a combination of Ragnarok and Mjolnir, Thor’s legendary hammer.

Speaking of Ragnir, how about that reveal that it’s really a squirrel. Either it’s squirrel that ate a Devil Fruit to turn into a hammer, or it was a hammer that ate a Devil Fruit letting it into a squirrel. The squirrel thing might seem random, but if you’ve read Norse mythology, it makes more sense. In Norse myths,  Ratatoskr is a mischevious squirrel who lived in the world tree of Yddragsil and relayed insults between the eagle at the top and the dragon chewing at its roots. More importantly, though, this explains what Loki’s Devil Fruit is: Nidhogg. In Norse mythology, Nidhogg was the dragon-serpent I just mentioned, eating away at the world tree until the end of the world.

That…honestly makes a lot of sense, considering how Loki talks about wanting to destroy the world. Or at least the World Government, as some fans interpret it. None of the fans can blame him for wanting that, either. Between killing his idol, Rocks, and tricking his father into selling his soul to the devil, Loki has plenty of reasons to bring them down, and I’m all for it. I’ve been wanting to see them fall for years, and I’m convinced that we will before the series comes to a close.

How Did Shanks Capture Loki?!?!

Now that we know the full backstory of Loki and Harald, there’s only one real question left: how and why Loki was ultimately captured. We know that he only killed his dad at Harald’s request, and Jarul, Shanks, and Gaban were there to witness the truth. So why did none of them choose to explain the truth? And why did Shanks ultimately choose to fight and capture Loki years later? Given his bad reputation since birth, it’s likely the Giants assumed the worst, but couldn’t Jarul have explained everything? Or did Loki end up crashing out? Either way, it didn’t end well for him.

According to the spoilers, the next chapter will end the flashbacks and bring us back to the present day. I have to say, this has been a very entertaining part of the arc. I always enjoy these flashbacks Oda does to explain everything, but this ranks amongst his all-time greatest. The anime is likely going to have to devote an entire season to covering everything once it returns, and I can’t wait!

I Give “Snows of Elbaph”, “My Death Can’t Come Soon Enough” a 4/5, and “Contradictions” a 5/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

My Hero Academia Final Season Series Finale Review

This is it, everyone. After almost ten years, eight seasons, and four movies, we’ve made it to the end of the main series of My Hero Academia. However, this won’t be the end of the franchise as a whole, for reasons that I will go over later. It is, however, the end of the story of how Deku and his friends became the world’s greatest heroes.

With all of that said, I think I would like to just get into the final episode and see how it compares to the final chapter, as I know that the anime added a few things that made the ending, which was a bit controversial, a lot more palatable.

Another Shigaraki? NOT ON OUR WATCH!!

The final episode opens up on the best note possible: showing us that society has learned from the mistakes it made with Shigaraki. We see a new character, a boy whose Quirk led him to be abused and imprisoned by his family, only to escape thanks to the chaos of the war. As he’s walking around and seeing everyone happy and smiling, he’s on the verge of crashing out and becoming another Shigaraki. Then suddenly, an old woman, the same one that turned away from Tenko Shimura when he needed it, steps in to help him. She has no idea that that boy she didn’t help became Shigaraki, and likely never will. However, she’s regretted what she failed to do, and seeing what Midoriya did has made her want to step up and make the same mistake twice. And thanks to that, a potential villain will never come to pass.

I loved this moment in the manga, and I love it just as much in the anime, and the anime makes it better by having placed alongside a conversation between Hawks and All Might about the future of how heroes fit in society. As most people who have followed the story by now have realized, a society where superheroes are real has left everyday people complacent. When they see something bad happen, they aren’t willing to step up, thinking someone else will. But the problem is that when everyone thinks like that, no one ever will step up. Not even heroes can solve all these problems on their own. Heroes had become a reality, but in doing so, they lost sight of what it means to be a real hero, until Midoriya reminded them of that. And it seems like that lesson has begun to stick.

All Might sums it up pretty well: instead of a single Symbol of Peace, there can now be many Symbols of Peace. If everyone helps each other out, then the world will be all the better for it. And as the timeskip shows, that little boy ends up becoming a student at UA, under none other than our own hero.

An Extended Look at What Came Next

In the manga, we only managed to get a single page covering everything that happened in the rest of Midoriya’s time at UA, but in the anime, that gets extended into several minutes worth of time. We see the pro heroes returning to work, Bakugo undergoing rehab, and Class A planning their futures. We see Spinner got his book published and it looks to sell well. And most importantly, we get to see the class have their graduation ceremony. It’s a very touching and emotional moment as we see the people we’ve come to know and love as they head out into the world. And of course, Bakugo makes a big show of things!

But, while Deku did manage to graduate and get his license as a pro hero, it’s a bittersweet feeling. By the time he graduates, the last embers of One for All are gone. Considering how fast All Might used up his own embers, though, it’s impressive that Midoriya managed to hold onto them for two more years. That must have taken a lot of willpower and concentration on his part.

And so, we cut to eight years later, when everyone is all grown up.

Everyone’s Living their Best Lives

Like in the manga, we get snippets of what everyone in the cast are up to. And the world has changed for the better as we see a class of middle school students talking about their plans for high school. Whereas everyone in Deku and Bakugo’s class wanted to be heroes, others are saying they want to work in other professions, like becoming a doctor or working with Mei Hatsume or at La Brava’s cyber company (good on her!) The point is that heroes are not as needed as much anymore, with heroes finding new ways to help beyond fighting crime as the U.A. students make a splash. But there’s one kid who still wants to be a hero, and like a certain boy before him, he has his own fateful encounter.

Without his powers, Midoriya is Quirkless once more, meaning he hasn’t been able to do hero work despite having his liscence. Instead, he’s become a teacher at U.A., helping the next generation on their path. It’s poetic, if you ask me. Deku knows more about heroes and what jt means to be one, and like All Might before him, he’s there to encourage another youth to aspire to become a hero. It’s fun to see him in All Might’s position with someone younger than him. He may not have powers, but in his own way, he’s still able to be a hero. And most importantly, he’s passing that dream onto others as My Hero Academia comes to an end…is what you’d THINK!!

DEKU IS BACK BABY!!

I’ve heard rumors that Horikoshi initially planned to end the series with Midoriya losing his powers for good, and leaving it at that. While that would have been poetic in some fashion, I’m glad that he realized that this would end up making a lot of fans mad. I’ve already said it, but it seemed unfair that Midoriya would have to give up on his own dream to save the world; it’s not something that he deserves. And thank heavens, he chose to rewrite the ending. And thanks to the research done with the suit All Might wore in the final war and the funding of Bakugo and his old classmates, Midoriya gets a second lease on being a hero: his own armored suit.

I already knew this thanks to a lifetime of Marvel and DC, but you don’t need powers to be a superhero. Sometimes all you need is a cool suit of armor and training, like Batman and Iron Man. And so, the series truly comes to an end as we see Midoriya, after eight years of retirement, gets to live out his dream. Deku, the One for All Hero, soars once more!

What makes the ending even better, though, is the credits.

The Credits Really Cinched it for My Hero Academia

A big criticism of the final chapter of My Hero Academia is that we only got snippets of what Class A was up to after becoming pro heroes. It wasn’t until later that we even knew where most of them ranked on the Hero Chart! But in what has to be the best improvement the anime makes to the finale, the final credits are a montage showing where everyone is now and what they are doing. It’s glorious. We get to see everyone live their best lives, and their futures are all bright.

This is a much better way to end My Hero Academia, and one that almost brings a tear to my eye. But thankfully, this isn’t the end. There’s still one last chapter that Horikoshi wrote to wrap up another loose end, and it’s getting its own special episode this spring. In addition, this ain’t the end of our time in the MHA universe. As of right now, the second season of the prequel/spin-off, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has started to air, so we can still enjoy that. Plus, since this is a world about superheroes and powers, who’s to say that we won’t get any more spin-offs in the future? The point is that while the original series is over, I doubt this is the last time we’ll see Deku and the others. And if it is, then it was one heck of a ride. Hopefully, this series inspires someone else to write a hit Shonen series in the future. So, until that day, be kind to everyone, help out where you can, and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!  

I Give “My Hero Academia” a 5/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 10 Review

We are at the penultimate episode of My Hero Academia, and the show is wasting no time in wrapping things up with its cast. I already know what’s going to happen since I read the manga ahead of time, but it’s still nice to get to see everything play out in the anime. Whereas the last episode more or less focused on the heroes of the story, this episode shifts our attention to the villains. As I’ve said before, I think one of the best aspects of MHA was its willingness to humanize its villains. While All for One could be seen as your generic ultimate supervillain, a lot of the supporting villains were people that society failed, and thus had genuine reasons to hate it. More importantly, they were the kind of villains who inspire the heroes to change things to prevent it from happening again or being forgotten.

Former Villains Get to go Free…Except Overhaul

The episode opens up on a very positive note, as we see Gentle Criminal and La Brava reuniting. Having stepped up to help the heroes in the Final War, the two get full pardons and are free to live their lives. And, honestly, they deserve it. They’re not bad, and without them, Deku wouldn’t have been able to defeat Shigaraki. Even better, the entire world now knows how they were overlooked and will not make the same mistake twice. They deserve to live a happy future.

In addition to Gentle and La Brava earning their freedom, another villain gets a full pardon: Lady Nagant. Though calling her a villain isn’t very accurate. She was a woman who was taken advantage of by those in charge to do morally questionable actions, and when she hit her breaking point, she got locked up for it. With the former president of the Hero Commission dead, though, Hawks is now in charge, and he’s working to ensure nothing like that happens again. Nagant, though, chooses to stay behind bars. She doesn’t want to leave until she knows that society really has changed thanks to Deku. That, and she’s getting free food and lodgings.

There is one villain who doesn’t get a happy ending, though, and that’s Overhaul. The former Yakuza is back behind bars while his old boss, Eri’s grandfather, is awake. As expected, he’s furious over the hell Overhaul put Eri through for nothing, with the Yakuza finished thanks to him. He’ll be spending the rest of his life behind bars and forced to reflect on what he did, and hopefully, Eri will never see his face again. And after what he did to Eri and killing Nighteye, that’s the best ending he could hope to get. Some people deserve to be forgotten, just like there are those who shouldn’t be, no matter how bad they are, like Shigaraki.

Spinner, I Would Totally Read your Book

Now that Shigaraki is dead, the public is already trying to judge him for his actions, as the episode contains news footage of people offering their two cents about him. Some are glad he’s gone, others think what happened to him was tragic and pity him, and others say they shouldn’t pity him. However, none of them got to know Shigaraki as a person, or know what he went through, so it’s not like their opinions are wholly accurate. Part of this episode, though, focuses on two people who did actually know him: Deku and Spinner.

Spinner survived the War, and thanks to the research on Nomu, doctors were able to stop him from turning into one. Now that he’s behind bars, all Spinner can do is mourn the loss of Shigaraki, the first friend that he ever had. That’s when Deku comes to visit him and gives him Shigaraki’s last message: to the very end, he kept trying to destroy everything. He died trying to be a hero to the villains until the moment he died.

I always liked that notion of being a hero to the villains. It sounds like an oxymoron, but what it means is that Shigaraki wanted to be a hero to those that society had turned its back on or failed. As My Hero Academia has repeatedly shown, this world of heroes has managed to fail a lot of people who needed help the most, leading them to lash out as villains. Dabi, Twice, Toga, Spinner, and Shigaraki were all the results of a failed system, and I don’t think people should be so quick to judge them. After all, can these people say they could go through what they went through and not crash out over it?

Ultimately, Spinner decides he’s going to write a book on the story of Shigaraki, something that Deku encourages. Neither of them wants Shigaraki’s life to be forgotten, lest another Shigaraki or All for One rise in the future. As a fan of stories like Wicked, I think that what Spinner’s planning is a good idea. If it were a real book, I know that I would buy a copy for myself. If anything, it would make sure the heroes learned a lesson from Shigaraki’s life.

Uraraka, Live your Best Life for Toga

And with that, we have one final story to wrap up: the story of Urakaka and Toga.

Uraraka almost gave her life in the war to get through to Toga, and it was thanks to her that the Sad Man’s Parade was stopped. Fortunately, Uraraka managed to pull through thanks to Toga giving her her blood. Unfortunately, this final act cost the young villainess her own life, something that continues to haunt Uraraka.

Uraraka has tried to put on a brave face and act like nothing’s wrong, but inside, she’s heartbroken over Toga’s death. She regrets how things had to come to this, how she failed to help her when she needed it most, and how the world pushed Toga to become a villain. And now Uraraka’s, ironically, doing the same thing that Toga did: putting on a smile to keep people from knowing she’s suffering inside. But unlike Toga, Uraraka isn’t alone when she needs it the most.

Deku and Uraraka have a heart-to-heart at the place they spoke before the war, and he opens up about how much she means to him. She was the first friend he made at UA, the first one to believe in him, and when he tried to push everyone away, she stepped up for him. She’s one of the strongest people he knows, and he refuses to let her wallow in regret. Because as much as heroes have to give people hope, they’re still human. And even a hero needs help every now and then. And thankfully, Uraraka has her entire class there to help her.

The Best Heroes are the Most Human

This is honestly such a sweet lesson about what it means to be a hero. As much as we like to see them as these infallible figures, Horikoshi understands that the best heroes are still human, and there’s only so much us humans can do on our own. When we are struggling or suffering, we want help. And if we don’t get it, we risk giving in to despair and hurting the people around us. That’s as true for this anime as it is in real life, and that’s one thing that I’ve loved about My Hero Academia. It’s not just a power fantasy about being a hero. It’s about what it means to truly be a hero, and that means stepping up even when it seems scary.

And now, we are at the end of the story. The next episode is the last one. So, one last time, let’s go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “The Girl Who Loves Smiles” a 4/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

My Hero Academia Final Season Ep 9 Review

Well, the heroes did it! They won! They beat All for One, Shigaraki, and the League of Villains. Deku and his friends are the heroes who saved the world. But just because the war is over doesn’t mean that everything will go back to normal. In fact, for some people, things will never be normal again. The war has scarred them too deeply for that to be possible. With the climax of My Hero Academia over, now comes the falling action and then the epilogue. And much like how it was in the manga, I cannot help but feel like the anime didn’t do as good a job as it could have.

To be fair, though, the Naruto manga never really dealt with the aftermath of its final arc. The next chapter just skipped straight to the epilogue.

Bakugo’s…not Happy about Deku Losing his Powers

With the death of All for One and Shigaraki, the final war against the greatest villains in history is over. Now comes the harder part: cleaning up everything. The fighting between the heroes and villains tore up huge chunks of Japan, so there’s going to be a lot of rebuilding to do. Thankfully, a practical perk of living in a world where superpowers are the norm is that it doesn’t take long to start rebuilding. Japan will be back on its feet in no time.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the heroes. Many of them are scarred, both mentally and physically, some even permanently, like Hawks. Others like Bakugo are facing a protracted period of physical therapy to make up for the injuries they suffered. Bakugo even refuses to get a prosthetic arm since he needs them intact for his Quirk to work. Everyone knows that he’ll be fine, though…at least, physically. Emotionally, though, he’s devastated by the toll the war extracted. Not on him, but on Deku.

Given how badly Bakugo reacts to learning that Izuku sacrificed One for All, I think Horikoshi was using him to voice the fans he knew would be upset by this. I should know, as I was one of them! I understand why he had to do it to save Shigaraki’s soul (which he did), but it still felt unfair. Without a Quirk, he wouldn’t be able to be a hero for much longer. His dream was now over! Just when Bakugo was getting used to the idea of the two of them pushing each other to the top, this happened to them. I mean, everyone knows that Deku is a hero, but this means that the actual profession is beyond him.

Still, this is a small price to pay compared to what a family like the Todoroki’s have endured.

The End of Endeavor

The Final War had plenty of moments where each of the main cast got to shine, but out of all of them, I think one of the best were the ones with the Todoroki family. The reveal that Dabi was the brother and son they thought long-dead almost destroyed the family. But at the same time, it drove them to come together as an actual family for the first time to stop Toya. Now they all bear the scars of that fight, and they’re never going to fully heal.

Endeavor officially retires as a Hero. Not because he lost an arm, but because he doesn’t feel deserving of being one after everything he did to his family. His other son makes it clear he’s cutting all ties with him, which, while sad, is understandable. Not everyone can forgive someone even after they start making amends.

As for Toya himself, he somehow managed to survive his attempts to go nuclear. His injuries are so great, though, that his death is inevitable; the most the doctors can do is slow it down by keeping him asleep most of the day. Despite this, the Todoroki’s still reach out to him. It’s touching to see how much they care about Toya, even after everything he’s done. But they’re doing it because they want to make peace with Toya before the end; otherwise, they will never find peace.

A Celebration Overdue

The war is over, but scars have yet to heal. Yet all is not doom and gloom. The Big 3 of UA High are able to have their overdue graduation ceremony, much to everyone’s joy. Knowing them and how amazing they each are, they’ll be in the top ten heroes of Japan right off the bat. They deserve it for how amazing they were in the final war. As for Aoyama, while everyone at UA chooses to forgive him for being All for One’s unwilling spy, he still chooses to leave UA, wanting to atone on his own terms. The plus side is that Shinso will be joining the Hero Course alongside Class A. Too bad that we will never get to see how he fits in with everyone because the series is ending.

I really wish that the anime had decided to extend this epilogue for a few more episodes. Maybe build on everything that the cast went through in a way that the manga couldn’t. At the same time, though, I’m grateful that we managed to get what we did, knowing we could have gotten nothing. It evens out, and to its credit, the final chapters are pretty good at being emotional. Come back tomorrow and you’ll hopefully see what I mean as we go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Epilogue: The Hellish Todoriki Family” a 4/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.