Deku, You Need to Chill!
My Hero Academia S6, Ep 22 Review
Okay, this isn’t cool anymore, people! It was awesome at first to see Deku kicking villain butt, but now it’s getting way too dangerous. Deku won’t eat; he won’t sleep; he won’t even do his catchphrase in the previews anymore. The selflessness that drives him to be a hero is about to destroy him! It was painful to see in the manga, and the anime makes it even worse.
Man, this arc might be short, but it’s so good! It also hammers home what Horikoshi’s trying to say about heroes.
All for One is Playing Deku Like a Fiddle
I wasn’t joking when I called All for One the Devil. He’s a master manipulator, capable of playing people even when they know not to trust him. Case in point, he’s driving Deku into a corner. Getting so many heroes to quit forces them to bet more on the young man. The end result is even more pressure getting put on Midoriya, both by himself and by the other heroes. He’s the only one who can stop Shigaraki and All for One, and the latter knows it. When the heroes think they found out where the villains are hiding, all they get is a message from All for One to taunt Deku for his failure.
Everything happening can be called organized chaos, courtesy of All for One. He’s breaking the public’s faith in heroes, isolating Deku from everyone, and wearing the young hero down until something breaks. Izuku Midioriya will break physically, mentally, or emotionally from the weight of it all…and it’s working.
Deku’s Determination is a Double-Edged Sword
I remember seeing these events when they came out in the manga, and it felt my heart breaking for Deku. He insists that he’s fine, but he forgets to eat, sleep, or look after himself. In one heartwrenching scene, All Might’s trying desperately to get him to slow down, only to be left behind. He’s left in the same position Nighteye was in all those years ago, powerless to help his student.
A common trait found in many Shonen protagonists is the sheer level of determination they possess. It’s what pushes them to greater feats even as their bodies get broken to the point of near collapse. In Midoriya’s case, it’s his selfless, almost instinctive need to help others that makes him rush headlong into danger. However, now that strength’s being used against him. In one particularly poignant moment, people talk about rumors of Deku and wondering if he’s a Nomu or working for All for One, with most scared of him. This gets juxtaposed by showing how demonic Deku looks in his current state. If he keeps going the way he is, he’ll lose.
In fact, he almost comes close to losing when a villain who can control other people’s bodies sends a mob of civilians to gang up on him. He’s almost crushed…until Class 1-A arrives.
Many Symbols, Not Just One
I really enjoy My Hero Academia and how mangaka Kohei Horikoshi’s trying to portray a world where almost everyone has superpowers. As a result, almost anyone can become a hero, but only a handful become great heroes like All Might. All Might was the symbol of peace for Japan, but when he retired, that peace began to fall apart. It’s here that I think Horikoshi’s trying to teach us an important lesson about heroes.
The main flaw with the concept of a single symbol of peace is that the whole thing will collapse when that symbol goes away. That’s why it’s not often wise to bet everything on a single solution to a problem. Or, in this case, it’s not smart to put everything onto one hero like All Might or Deku. As powerful as they are, they’re still humans with limits and can’t do everything. It’s better to have multiple symbols of peace working in tandem, not just one.
Nowhere is this more evident than when Class 1-A shows up, having learned everything about Midoriya and what he’s going through. As Bakugo puts it, they understand why he’s doing this…but they also get that he’s the kind of idiot who won’t give himself a break. Thus, they have to bring him to his senses, whether he wants to or not.
I’m giddy with excitement over what’s about to happen next: Class 1-A vs. Deku. This is going to be a very emotional conflict that manga readers have looked forward to, while anime-only fans could end up crying over it. For everyone’s sake, though, Deku needs to chill out. Otherwise, he’s letting All for One win.
I Give “Friend” a 4.5/5
Click here to see more animanga stuff
Deku Has Become One of the Coolest Heroes Ever!
My Hero Academia S6 Ep 21 Review
Okay, I remember the manga’s fight between Deku and Lady Nagant. It was one of the best fights in My Hero Academia, especially since it showed how much Midoriya’s grown since he first got his powers. However, I did not expect the anime to go that hard! This was on par with a fight you’d find between Batman and Spider-Man against their rogues’ gallery. Even cooler, Deku’s done something that only a few heroes are capable of pulling off. Like Superman, the Flash, and other great heroes, Deku’s now faster than a speeding bullet! He has ascended!!
Powers or Not, Don’t Mess with All Might
At the same time that Deku’s fighting Lady Nagant, All Might finds himself under attack from a group of villains working for her, and by extension, All for One. Thankfully, his vehicle’s built Batmobile-tough, meaning that it doesn’t go down so easily. In addition, the villain’s confidence wavers when they see they’re trying to kill All Might. They soon regain it once they remember the fact that All Might’s powerless now, though. That confidence proves fleeting, though, as All Might just looks them in the eyes and basically tells them “Step aside. Now.”
I loved this scene, because it demonstrates just how much of a hero All Might is. While there’s no denying that some of the greatest heroes also have some of the flashiest powers, it takes more than powers and big muscles to be a hero. It’s the will to help, one’s spirit, that makes one a true hero. And in this moment, as All Might uses the equivalent of Conquerer’s Haki, everyone gets chills down their spine. It only gets even better as we next shift to Deku.
Dark Deku vs. The Lovely Lady Nagant
Like I said, the fight between Deku and Lady Nagant is one of the best in the entire series. The animation’s next-level & seamlessly combines regular 2D with 3D. the atmosphere’s suitably dark and gritty to reflect the high stakes. And through it all, we see just how much Deku’s come into his own. He’s no longer the rookie student who risked hurting himself every time he used his powers. Now, he’s got almost full control over One for All, and it shows! He’s dodging, weaving, and moving all over the place as he uses everything he’s got to outwit Lady Nagant.
The best part, though, comes when Lady Nagant tries to trip Deku up by pretending to shoot at Overhaul. It’s a moment that’s meant to make him lose focus, so what does he do? I can’t put it into words, so just watch.
Holy cow. Deku became faster than a speeding bullet! That is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in a shonen anime! Horikoshi’s making him one of the best superheroes in all of fiction! I’m so glad we got to see this made into an anime.
Light Shines in the Darkness…Right?
Another big highlight of this episode is how we get to see Lady Nagant’s backstory, and how she went from an idealistic young girl wanting to do right to the jaded cynic we see. In essence, she was Hawks’ predecessor, doing black-ops missions and hunting and killing corrupt heroes and villains too dangerous to be allowed to live. As a result, she saw how gilded the hero society was, making her eventually snap and turn on her bosses. It’s gotten to the point where she thinks a Japan ruled by All for One would be better.
In spite of learning all of this, though, Deku refuses to let himself become bitter like Lady Nagant. In fact, seeing what she went through only makes him double down on his resolve to help the people who truly need it before they end up like Shigaraki. His good nature actually wins Lady Nagant over, but that victory proves bittersweet. Using the Quirk he gave her, All for One remotely detonates her body from within, almost killing her. She’ll make it, but seeing what she went through’s awoken a new emotion in Deku: wrath. Pure, unfiltered, wrath.
As cool as this arc’s been and shows how far he’s come, it’s called the “Dark Hero” arc for a reason. We see Deku at his lowest and most vulnerable, complete with the thousand-yard stare. Making matters worse is the preview for the next episode. At the end of every preview, Deku always says “Go beyond, plus ultra!” Instead, he just says “I’m fine, really.”
Deku’s not fine. He’s pushing himself to his breaking point, and he needs to rest before he destroys himself. I’m too worried to even end this review with that phrase, and I know it’s only going to get worse for Deku.
I Give “The Lovely Lady Nagant” a 4.5/5. Deku, Please Get Help.
Click here to see more animanga stuff
Putting the “Pop” in Pop Culture!
