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My Hero Academia, Season 4, Episode 10 Review/Recap

It’s just occurred to me that we haven’t seen the League of Villains since the Heroes raid started. Since the two groups formed an alliance, one would think they’d help defend the base. In this episode, though, the League of Villains makes its move at last!

Recap

As the heroes continue to break off to fight the Hassakai’s members, Midoriya’s group presses onward. In spite of Mimic using his drug-induced Quirk, the Yakuza fails to slow the heroes down. Reaching his limit, Mimic chooses to split the heroes up even further. This leaves them open to attack at the hands of League of Villains members Twice and Toga.

Several days prior, in order to cement their alliance, Overhaul asked Tomura to lend him Toga and Twice as temporary members. Even though the group holds a grudge against him for killing Magne and wounding Mr. Compress, Shigaraki agrees. His plan is to weaken Overhaul’s group from within so they may seize control of his drug. As a result, Toga and Twice decide to sabotage the Hassakai’s plans by goading Mimic into sending Deku and Eraserhead to another location.

Review

Ironically, some of the more interesting characters in My Hero Academia have been the League of Villain characters like Twice and Toga. They remind us that underneath their immoral actions, these people are still human, and therefore capable of love and affection. We see it when Toga comforts Twice when he’s having a meltdown, and in their desire to avenge Magne. Heck, we can sort of see it in Toga’s obsession with Midoriya. It’s a twisted version of love, but it still shows them capable of doing so.

This episode does a good job in building up tension for what’s about to happen. In the next episode, we’re going to see LeMillion catch up with Overhaul and Eri. Given what we hear in the previews, though, there’s cause for concern about his safety. If the League of Villains plan works, then I think Deku and Eraserhead will end up next to LeMillion. Here’s hoping. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Temp Squad” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia, Season 4, Episode 3 Review/Recap

In order to do a work study under Sir Nighteye, all Midoriya had to do was get him to laugh. However, it looks like his impersonation of All Might only offended the older fanboy. The meeting of the ultimate All Might fanboys shall commence!

Recap

Despite failing to make Nighteye laugh, Midoriya manages to turn things around by demonstrating his knowledge of All Might. Yet Nighteye refuses to let him do a work study because he thinks he has nothing to offer. So the man gives Midoriya a test: if he can get the stamp out of his hands in three minutes, then he’ll sign off on his work study.

Midoriya gives it his all, but his training’s no match for Nighteye’s Quirk. By touching his target and making eye contact, Nighteye can see someone’s future actions for up to an hour. He effortlessly dodges Midoriya’s attacks. When the test is over, though, Nighteye realizes that Deku never damaged any of his All Might memorabilia. He held back and dodged it all. Impressed, he approves Midoriya’s work study, though makes it clear that he doesn’t approve of him being All Might’s successor.

With his work study secure, Deku begins his first mission. Nighteye’s agency is investigating Overhaul’s actions and needs more intel. However, not long after heading out, Deku runs into a terrified young girl, with Overhaul in tow.

Review

I, for one, found the dynamic between Midoriya and Nighteye to be very humorous. The way that they both fanboyed over their shared love of All Might was funny, even if it wasn’t intentional. Having been a fanboy of multiple things myself, I understand how much fun it is to talk to someone about what you love with someone who loves it as much. That’s how friendships are forged.

All fanboy stuff aside, I think it’s unfortunate that Nighteye doesn’t see Midoriya as a worthy successor to All Might. In the older man’s eyes, Mirio Togata fits all the qualities of the next Symbol of Peace. Midoriya may need to work on his confidence a lot, but for all his faults, we know he has the heart of a hero. That’s why All Might chose him.

The next episode is going to see Midoriya face his biggest test yet, and I think fans have a lot to look forward to. That little girl fleeing from Overhaul is very important, and saving her is the key to stopping the plans he has in store. If Deku can’t save a single girl who’s crying, then he’ll never be able to call himself a hero.

I Give “Boy Meets…” a Solid 4.5/5

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Sword Art Online: Alicization, Episode 24 Review/Recap

They said that I was mad, doing this series for SAO: Alicization. Here I stand, having done what I set out to do. We’re at the mid-season finale of SAO: Alicization, and this will be my last review/recap until the show resumes in October; not waiting for the dub. Now, let’s get this mid-game boss fight started. Kirito vs. Quinella!

LINK START

Recap

The battle between Kirito and the evil Quinella begins, and for some reason, Kirito changes into his SAO look. Because, why not? Despite not being a fighter, Quinella knows all there is about Underworld’s system, giving her the upper hand. With Kirito on the ropes, Eugeo uses the last of his strength to give him a pep-talk, remind him of their childhood in Rulid village, and reform his sword out of his blood. In the brief clash that follows, Kirito sacrifices his left arm but deals a fatal blow to Quinella. Desperate, Quinella tries to escape to the real world. Thankfully, the still-living Chudelkin intervenes and ends up destroying them both.

The battle’s over, but sadly, Eugeo’s still dying. Eugeo says it for the best, though, because they would have fought over Alice’s fate: Eugeo to save the Alice he knew, and Kirito to save Alice as she is now. Despite Kirito’s best efforts, Eugeo passes away, and the original Alice joins him in going to the afterlife. Kirito then drags himself to the terminal that Quinella used, and manages to contact Kikouka in the real world, only to learn the Island Turtle’s under attack. An unknown force’s attempting to seize control of Underworld’s server. Kikouka gives Kirito one order: bring Alice to the World’s End Server. Right before they can do anything, though, the enemy cuts the power to Kirito’s life-support, causing a power surge that sends Kirito into a coma as the first half of the season comes to an end.

Review

Finally, it’s over! My second least favorite arc in SAO’s over! Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the idea of a virtual world filled with sentient AI, but this season was handled so poorly. The pacing was all over the place, there was a lot more exposition than I wanted to deal with, and they kept using “Swordland” in almost every action sequence. I love that song, but if they use it over and over, it loses its meaning.

On top of that, Eugeo, the only guy friend Kirito’s age, is now dead after being built up for 24 episodes. I don’t want to tell Reki Kawahara how to write his story, but I think letting Eugeo die was a waste of a character. I’m more upset about that than the fact that Kirito’s going to be in a coma for the foreseeable future.

On top of that, the Underworld equivalent of Armageddon is coming, and if the Human Empire loses, RATH will erase it. At least, that was the initial plan, but since they’re under attack by an unknown group, that changes things. I just hope this war will be as epic as I think it will be.

The only silver lining I could find here was Quinella getting what she deserves. Even then, though, I couldn’t take any satisfaction in it because of the loss of Cardinal and Eugeo. It doesn’t matter, though. She’s dead.

Overall, I think this was a disappointing end to the first half of the season. It’s like if Square Enix donked up Aerith’s death in the first half of Final Fantasy VII. It has the potential to be emotional, but then it falls flat on it. Here’s hoping that the second half of Alicization is better

I Give “My Hero” a 2/5. I’m being generous.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization Episode 23 Review/Recap

Having been drawn out of hiding to save Kirito and Alice, Cardinal comes face to face with her nemesis, Quinella. The battle for the fate of Underworld begins, and admittedly, it’s better than last episode.

LINK START!

Recap

To stop Cardinal for good, Quinella splits the 100th floor off from the rest of Underworld. To break Cardinal’s will to fight, she then reveals a gut-wrenching revelation: she made the Sword Golem from the humans of Underworld. Specifically, the memories of the Integrity Knights. Worse, Quinella’s plan to beat the Dark Territory is sacrificing half of the Human Empire to create more Sword Golems. Unable to fight against the people she must protect, Cardinal offers her life for the three. Quinella accepts, and kills Cardinal.

However, with her dying breath, Eugeo asks Cardinal to do one last thing: turn him into a sword that can defeat the Sword Golem. He fuses with Alice’s memory crystal and the Blue Rose Sword, to become an ultimate Sword.

In his Sword form, Eugeo effortlessly destroys the Sword Golem before turning his attention to Quinella. Despite his best efforts, all he can do is chop her arm off before being shattered, leaving him dying. All that’s left to defeat Quinella is Kirito.

Review

What have we learned today? That Quinella’s the worst, and that everyone except for the main character can be cannon fodder. Seriously, we knew that no one else was going to beat Quinella, so why did Cardinal and Eugeo bother? They should have let Kirito handle it like he always does.

I already know what’s going to happen next, and this may be my least favorite boss-fight in SAO. I’m bummed, though, because Eugeo’s dying. Kirito finally had another guy to hang with, and this happens! Next week’s the last episode before the break, so let’s see how this ends

I give “Administrator” a 2.5/5. I’m generous because we got to see Quinella squirm.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization Episode 21 Review/Recap

Twenty-one episodes in, and we finally get the fight that no one asked for, least of all me. Kirito’s forced to fight a brainwashed Eugeo, now the latest Integrity Knight. I stand by my assertion about the time it will take for Kirito to kick Eugeo’s butt.

LINK START!

Recap

The clash between the two friends continues as Kirito does his best to undo Quinella’s brainwashing. Try as he might, though, nothing seems to get through to him. At least, not until Kirito mentions the name of Alice. Then just like that, all his memories come flooding back to him. Quinella was in such a rush to turn him into an Integrity Knight that she didn’t seal off his memories. Instead of teaming up with his friends, though, he freezes them in place and goes to confront Quinella alone.

We all know how that ends, though. Eugeo tries to kill Quinella, only to fail miserably. Fortunately, Eugeo had already set Kirito and Alice free, and they bust in right behind a terrified Chudelkin. Face to face with the fake Pontifex, Alice declares that she will never serve Quinella; she serves the people. Rather than sully herself in battle, the hag commands Chudelkin to dispose of the three. In exchange, she “swears by the Goddess Stacia” that he may spend one night alone with her. Chudelkin then unleashes his most powerful fire magic, summoning a massive Genie to fight.

Review

What kind of fight did we watch? It’s bad enough that there was little to no build up of tension to it, but then have it end so quickly is pathetic. I knew that Kirito was going to snap Eugeo out of it with the magic of friendship, but I wanted to see them duke it out. It was a buzzkill in the end.

I also had some issues with how Eugeo and Alice acted during the episode. I fail to understand why Alice didn’t jump in and help Kirito fight Eugeo; that doesn’t make sense. Second, if Eugeo snapped out of his brainwashing, then why didn’t he come up with a plan with Kirito and Alice? They could’ve ganged up on Quinella and taken her out in one fell swoop. Instead, Eugeo went to fight someone he knew he couldn’t beat alone. If the Abridged Series ever gets to this, I hope they bring it up.

I Hate Quinella

Another problem I have is, once again, with Quinella. I hate how the anime is going out of its way to use her for fanservice shots. Seeing her naked’s This bad enough, but the close-ups on her boobs and legs are irritating. It veers into shameless fanservice.

The worst part of it is that we know that Quinella has no intention of keeping her promise to that groveling coward, Chudelkin. I could tell by the haughty laugh she gives: she expects him to die for her.

While this episode was my least favorite of the season, but it did have one saving grace: Eugeo calling Quinella out on her idea of what love is. I had done it before in a previous post, but hearing her repeat herself made me realize how pitiful she is. If that’s her idea of love, then I don’t think anyone ever loved her before, because she knows nothing about it. She’s hollower than any machine could ever be.

I look forward to seeing her get her comeuppance.

I Give “The 32nd Knight” a 2/5. Worst “Fight Btwn Best Friends” Ever.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization, Episode 20 Review/Recap

The last episode, we saw Alice renounce the Axiom Church but then deal with the Seal in her right eye as Kirito looked on. Meanwhile, Quinella was able to gain access to Eugeo’s fluctlight and began the process of turning him into her newest slave. In this episode, we get a look at how the Synthesis Ritual’s done, plus what happened to Alice before she was turned into an Integrity Knight.

LINK START!

Recap

Somehow, Kirito was able to stop Alice’s bleeding eye and then pull them both to the 94th floor. How he did it is beyond me, but it must have been a workout. Alice shows her appreciation by slamming him into the floor for getting her uniform all sweaty.

Using magic, they head down to Bercouli’s floor to retrace Eugeo’s steps, only to find the whole room frozen. As for Bercouli, he’s still trapped in that statue, to Alice’s horror. All she can do is watch as Bercouli, through sheer willpower, congratulates her for being the only person to ever break free of the Taboo Index. As a last piece of advice, he tells them that Chudelkin took Euegeo to Quinella.

The Deadly Web of Quinella

Alice remembers her first memory of meeting Quinella after the Synthesis Ritual, how terrified she was of her. She wouldn’t let that fear stop her now, even if she has to go through Chudelkin. As Prime Senator, Chudelkin oversees the Senators who watch over all in the Underworld and let Quinella know.

When they find the room of the Senator’s, its a sickening sight: pods filled with white, featureless puppets that watch everyone. They only stop to feed. The one behind them all is that worthless Chudelkin.

Chudelkin’s Confession

When Alice has Chudelkin cornered, the monster sadistically reveals what happened to Alice. After being arrested, Alice was trained to be a priest under the guise that she could return home. When she refused to undergo the Synthesis Ritual, he forced the process upon here.

While Alice processes everything, the pig flees with her and Kirito in pursuit. Before they can catch him, they’re confronted by a new foe: Eugeo Synthesis Knight Thirty-Two. Quinella turned him into an Integrity Knight. Thus, the only way to snap him out of it is by beating Quinella’s hasty brainwashing out of him.

Review

Wow, I knew that Chudelkin was evil, but after this episode, seeing him makes my skin crawl. He’s like a sociopathic, sadistic manchild who enjoys seeing others suffer. When I hear him talking about Alice as a kid, he reminded me of some sick pervert who gets off on this stuff. I know I can’t be the only one who got that vibe. Right?

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the big highlight: Eugeo got turned into an Integrity Knight. I have to give my fellow blogger, Karandi, points: Eugeo looks fantastic in his new armor. Do I think he stands a chance against Kirito? Heck no! I give it about 2 minutes, tops. Even if he didn’t have plot-armor, we all know Kirito would kick Eugeo’s ass.

So, next week’s the fans- I mean a fight between best friends. I stand by my two-minute remark!

I Give “Synthesis” a 3.5/5. Suitable for Exposition, but lacking in the fighting.

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