All Might is Here! In his Prime!
My Hero Academia Vigilantes S2 Ep 12 Review
So, where were we last episode? The Scarred Man blew the support off the Sky Egg, leaving it close to toppling over. The Pro Heroes aren’t able to do anything. And to top it off, Captain Celebrity and the Crawler are falling to a high-speed impact with the ground. If there was ever a time for a deus ex machina like All Might, now is the time!
Naomasa Does Love his Sister
As we’ve seen throughout this season, whenever he meets up with All Might, Naomasa Tsukauchi doesn’t want his best friend to get involved in his investigation of the Villain Factory. He doesn’t want to bring too much heat onto the villains make them go into hiding. But then, this happened. And now his little sister, Makoto, is in danger.
On the surface, Tsukauchi is always frustrated by what Makoto does, but it’s made clear that its anger born of worry. He knows her personality, combined with her Quirk, could land her in big trouble, so he wants to keep her safe. But now? He’s in a situation where danger has come for Makoto regardless of what he does. So he does the only thing he can do: he calls for All Might.
This treats us to a very heartwarming flashback to Naomasa and Makoto’s younger years as we see just how much he cares about his baby sister. He knows how blunt and outspoken she can thanks to her Quirk, and he’s only hard on her because he doesn’t want her to piss off the wrong person. Which is something that I can understand, as I liked to speak my mind as a kid, which got me in plenty of trouble. I’ve gotten a better handle on it, but my family still cares about my well-being at times. And when it comes down to it, Naomasa is willing to bend the rules to protect his sister.
So This is All Might in his Prime
We know darn well how powerful All Might is thanks to the main series, but getting to see him closer to his prime is still amazing. He managed to clear out the monsters, save the Sky Egg, and save Koichi and Captain Celebrity in one fell swoop. And then he obliterated the monsters again! That one man managed to completely undo all of the Scarred Man’s plans. If Deku hadn’t had to sacrifice One for All, then he could have grown up to do the exact same things. The fact that All for One falls All Might a true superhuman and living deus ex machina is a testament to how broken the character is. The Scarred Man is so impressed that he can’t even be mad over his plans being ruined. I don’t blame him, either. That tornado punch was amazing!
With his fun ruined, Number 6 tries to make a getaway, but before he can, Knuckleduster almost puts a bullet through his body. His investigation into the Villain Factory has led him to its leader, and while they’ve never met, they are connected to each other. If you’re a manga reader, then you already know this, but for anime-only people, this episode confirms what the show has been hinting at: Number 6 has Knuckleduster’s Quirk, Overclock. All for One stole it from him and gave it to the Scarred Man, who decided to base his entire identity off the former hero. Knowing how dangerous his Quirk is in the wrong hands, Knuckleduster is determined to not let the psychotic criminal leave alive.
In the main series, All Might proved that someone without a Quirk can fight even the strongest of villains, but he had that advanced suit of armor to back him. In contrast, Knuckleduster has relied on his wits, brute force, and prep time to get things done, to great effect. I’ve often compared him to the likes of Batman in the MHA-verse, but seeing him use guns, a cleverly sped-up recording, and explosives reminds me more of the Punisher or Billy Butcher. He knows he’s fighting an uphill battle and doesn’t have the luxury of showing his opponents mercy, so he chooses to go for the kill. Under any other circumstances, he might have ended Number 6 then and there, but the villain injected himself with Bomber cells, so…
Yeah, that’s not good.
There’s only one episode left in the season, so ending it on a cliffhanger feels appropriate. Annoying, but appropriate for pacing. This final episode should be very interesting!
I Give “This is a Hero” a 4.5/5
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Knuckleduster is Back, People!!
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 5 Review
Where is Knuckleduster? After saving his daughter from being possessed by Queen Bee, the gruff Batman expy disappeared without a word to Koichi and Kazuho. Even if you haven’t already been spoiled by the manga, the fact that he’s one of the main characters makes it obvious that Knuckleduster would come back in the future. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was for us to see him again so soon! While he doesn’t reunite with the Crawler and Pop☆Step, we do get a look at what he’s been up to while he’s been away, as well as his past. Even better, we see Koichi and Kazuho team up with another beloved hero from the main series, Midnight! And I think that this episode makes knowing her ultimate fate in the main series hit a lot harder.
Mixer Time
The episode starts with Eraser Head and Tsukauchi discussing the Villain Factory’s latest means of distributing Trigger: college mixers. They’re using attendees to spike the drinks with a weaker dose of the drug to help find candidates for Next-Level Villains. Since Eraser Head isn’t the most social person, though, they turn to someone who’s better suited to go undercover: Nemuri Kayama, aka the hero Midnight!
I never paid much attention to the popularity of various characters in My Hero Academia, but I think that Midnight was one of the more popular female characters. Not so much because she was well-written or crucial to the overall story, but for the fanservice. How Horikoshi got the go-ahead for her dominatrix theme is beyond me, but I’m worldly enough to understand why it appeals to some people. Even better, the first half of this episode does her plenty of justice by showing off how good a people person she is while undercover at a mixer with Kazuho.
How is Having Kazuho at this Allowed?
That’s the part I don’t entirely get. Somehow, Midnight got Kazuho, someone who can’t be older than a high schooler, into going undercover with her. Even if Pop’s a vigilante hero and idol, bringing a minor to an event like this with legal adults feels a tad reckless. Honestly, I think the story did that to touch on the subplot about her crush on Koichi, since he and the guys from the Mad Hatters are the ones attending the mixer! The irony is that he never even learns it’s Kazuho in disguise, and she has to watch as he gets attention from the other girls.
I will say this: the twist about the wallflower with the eyes obscured by bangs being the culprit was a nice twist. It helps that she’s doing all this because she’s a yandere for her friend and doesn’t want anyone else to have her. What others would see as messed up, though, Midnight sees as sweet…even if she knocks everyone in the place besides Pop out with her Quirk.
Again, I can see the appeal behind Midnight. This episode had her giving off major soft dom vibes. However, she’s not the main highlight of the episode: it’s Knuckleduster. HE’S BACK!!!! FOR A SHORT WHILE, ANYWAY!
KNUCKLEDUSTER IS BACK!!
Despite accomplishing his goal of saving his daughter from Queen Bee, Knuckleduster hasn’t given up his vigilantism. He just decided to go to the places where he couldn’t take Koichi or Kazuho, travelling internationally on the trail of Trigger. In his first appearance since the first season, we see he’s still being a Batman expy by getting intel on Trigger distribution from a dealer in Hong Kong. After that, he returns to give a friend on the force the intel, but not before going to see his daughter while she’s in the hospital.
This is where Knuckle proves that he’s always been a good dad. He’s more understanding of what she wants in life, doesn’t yell at her unless he has to, and both are on better terms. She still plays guitar to annoy him, but he doesn’t seem to care. Endeavor could learn a thing or two from him.
Knuckleduster Had a Quirk Once
Most importantly, though, this episode confirms what was already hinted at: Knuckleduster was once the hero known as O’Clock. And I think the anime does a good job with dropping hints about this. The fact that Knuckle doesn’t have a Quirk anymore. The Scarred Man’s scar mimicking the one Knuckleduster has on his face. Everything lines up perfectly, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened. All for One stole Knuckle’s Quirk and gave it to the Scarred Man. That’s why he tells his cop friend that the only way to stop him is to shoot to kill. He knows how dangerous his own power is, and thus says that with certainty.
I do wish that Knuckleduster had decided to meet with Koichi and Pop☆Step, but again, there are things that he has to do alone. It’s nice to see him, regardless. Plus, it looks like the next episode is going to be covering something much more interesting: the school days of Eraser Head, Present Mic, and their friend who will one day become Kurogiri. That is something I’m looking forward to seeing! Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!
I Give “The Man Returns” a 4/5
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Putting the “Pop” in Pop Culture!
