RJ Writing Ink

My Hero Academia Season 4, Episode 13 Review/Recap

So let’s review: Lemillion’s powerless, Nighteye’s impaled, and all the other heroes are too far away to stop Overhaul. If he gets away with Eri, then it could be the end of the era of Quirks. None of that matters to Deku, though. All that he cares about is saving the crying little girl in front of him, even if it means going beyond his limits! At last, we see the true power of One for All!

Recap

On the surface, Ryukyu along with Froppy, Uravity, and Nejire-Chan are still fighting against the Eight Bullets member Rikiya. His drug-enhanced Quirk lets him suck the energy out of the heroes, making him extremely dangerous. Then, Toga appears disguised as Deku and tricks everyone into crashing into the base below, all so they can capture Eri for their own benefit. With Deku the only hero left standing, he’s hellbent on saving Eri, fate be damned. Finally realizing that the heroes won’t stop until they save her, Eri chooses to jump to Deku. Overhaul, on the other hand, uses his Quirk to merge with Rikiya, turning into an abomination hellbent on getting Eri back.

In the midst of saving Eri from Overhaul, Deku realizes that he used One for All at 100%. To his surprise, though, he realizes his body remains uninjured. It’s Eri’s Quirk: she has the power to rewind people’s bodies to a previous state. Whereas Overhaul calls her Quirk a curse, Deku calls it kind and a blessing, moving her to tears. With Eri’s Quirk repairing any damage, Deku unleashes the full power of One for All. The result is something that can’t be put into words, so I’m just going to show you the clip.

…holy cow.

Review

I’ve said this in comments on some of my friends blogs about My Hero Academia, but I’m going to say it again. In my honest opinion, Deku has the potential to become one of the most greatest superheroes in all of fiction. Right up there with Batman, Spider-Man, and the Man of Steel himself. His clash against Overhaul, while not as epic as All Might and All for One, comes close!

This episode may be one of the best in the entire anime. The animation for Deku’s final clash was as god-tier as you can get, letting you feel the raw emotion of the moment. If this is what Deku’s capable of now, just wait until the day he masters One for All; he’ll be a demigod!

Matching the action, though, was the emotions felt, especially regarding Eri. She basically has the power to say “no” to damage; if she could master her Quirk, think of all the lives she could save! Deku’s right: Eri’s Quirk is kind and a blessing, and Overhaul doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Seeing such a cruel man finally get what he deserves made my weekend.

The bottom line is, “Infinite 100%” is one of the best episodes of My Hero Academia. Not only does it see that scumbag Overhaul get his just desserts, it gave us a look at One for All at full power. Mark my words: Deku will be a demigod by the time the series ends in ten-fifteen years. Go beyond, Plus Ultra!

I Give “Infinite 100%” a 5/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

My Hero Academia, Season 4, Episode 12 Review

All her life, Eri’s known nothing but despair and suffering at the hands of Overhaul. Then she met Lemillion and Deku, who gave a sliver of hope that someone would save her. As we saw in the last episode, though, Eri’s despair reached new levels as Lemillion lost his Quirk and got beaten to a pulp. Fortunately, a new hope emerges in front of Eri in the form of Deku! Now the real fight can begin!

Recap

With Mimicry defeated and Toga and Twice retreating, Nighteye, Deku, and Eraser charge straight for Overhaul’s location. Now utterly infuriated, Overhaul uses his Quirk on himself, fusing himself to his subordinate. As a result, he turns into this four-armed abomination of nature. Deku fights him with everything he’s got, but his lack of experience shows, as the villain quickly figures out his attack pattern.

On the other hand, Sir Nighteye uses his ability to see the future to keep up with Overhaul, yet he can’t do any real damage. To the young heroes horror, Nighteye’s impaled by spikes created from Overhaul’s Quirk. As the villain once more tells Eri that she’s responsible for their suffering, the poor girl almost gives into despair. Fortunately, despite the odds being stacked against them, despite Eri telling them to forget about her, Deku refuses to give up hope. At that moment, Ryukyu, Uravity, and Froppy burst in through the ceiling from the battle above.

Review

If there’s one thing that Shonen anime have taught me, it’s that all the great heroes have something in common. When they face impossible odds, like fighting a god, or the world itself, they don’t give up hope. When people say they’re fated to lose, they’ll walk up to them and say “screw fate”. Guess who ends up losing?

Deku may still have some confidence issues and get nervous pretty easily, but he knows how important it is to never give up hope. That’s why he can’t stand to see a little girl like Eri knowing nothing but cruelty all her life. As a result, he’s not going to stop until he’s beaten Overhaul into the ground.

This season of My Hero Academia’s been a nice, slow burn, but I think that’s worked to its advantage. All the battles we’ve seen thus far have re-affirmed the driving theme of this whole arc: how heroes have the resolve to never lose hope in the face of despair. I think it’s an empowering message, and given us some of the best moments the anime’s seen thus far. So when I say I’m looking forward to Deku kicking Overhaul’s ass, I’m really looking forward to it. A new hope has emerged, Eri! Go beyond, Plus Ultra!

I Give “Unforseen Hope” a 4/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

My Hero Academia, Season 4, Episode 9 Review/Recap

While Kirishima’s Quirk, Hardening, isn’t as flashy as Bakugo’s or Deku’s, it’s still a powerful ability. As we saw earlier in the season, as Red Riot, he becomes a living shield to protect others. In this week’s episode, his status as a shield’s put to the test.

Recap

With Suneater having taken out three of the Eight Bullets, he’s out of the fight. Thus, Mimic tries to weaken the heroes further by taking out Eraser-Head. Thankfully, Fat Gum’s able to take the blow, but at the cost of separating him and Red Riot from the others. The pair are thus set upon by two more members of the Eight Bullets, the Spear and Shield combo of Rappa and Tengai. To the heroes shock, Rappa breaks though Red Riot’s.

The resulting shock reminds Kirishima of his time in middle school. His Quirk was seen as weak by others, and he lacked the courage to help others. Meanwhile, his classmate Ashido was the opposite who everyone saw as a future hero. It’s not until he remembers the words of his role model, Crimson Riot, of how all heroes face fear. However, it’s the fear of letting someone die that spurs them to act anyway. With those in his mind, Red Riot holds his ground against Rappa. This gives Fat Gum enough time to play his trump card: by burning up his fat reserves, he can absorb the blows he takes and send them back at an enemy. Thus, the Shield becomes a spear that shatters Rappa and Tengai.

Review

One of the hardest things about being a hero is dealing with the fear of death in battle. Not their deaths, per say, but the death of the people they swore to protect. But it’s that very fear that inspires the greatest of heroes to risk everything, and Kirishima faced it head-on. Like a true shield of justice.

I didn’t really care for Kirishima’s backstory, as it wasn’t that interesting to listen to. The thing I was most interested from his backstory, though, was the indirect mention of Deku. Apparently Bakugo’s encounter with that slime villain and Midoriya jumping in to save him was big news. While it makes for one heck of an origin story, here it serves as a sort of inspiration for Kirishima; I think.

I probably said it before, but I have the feeling that most of Class 1-A will end up being top-tier heroes. If Kirishima keeps training his Quirk, I think he’ll become a truly unbreakable shield. I can’t wait to see his progress. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Red Riot” a 3.25/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

My Hero Academia, Season 4, Episode 8, Review/Recap

Even though he’s one of the Big Three of UA, Tamaki Amajiki’s not like his two friends. He lacks their self-confidence, nor does he have a bubbly personality. However, looks are often decieving: underneath his shy exterior shines the heart of a hero. As the raid on Overhaul’s base begins, we learn why his hero name’s Suneater.

Recap

While Ryukyu’s group and most of the police fighting the Shie Hassakai’s thugs, Fat Gum and Nighteye lead their teams inside the hideout. However, Overhaul’s Eight Bullets stand in their way to buy time for their boss to escape with Eri. Using their powers, the Eight Bullets are able to split the team up even further. In particular, the Bullet Mimic uses his doped-up quirk to turn the underground into a moving labyrinth. As a result, they’re split up even further.

When faced with three more members of the Eight Bullets, Suneater chooses to stay behind while everyone else moves on. Despite putting up a strong fight and showing the full extent of his Quirk’s power, the teamwork and trust of the trio of enforcers almost overwhelms him. Rather than give up, though, Amajiki remembers how he first met Togata in Third Grade and became his friend. He then remembers telling Togata how he shone like the sun, to which Togata said Amajiki would shine bright enough to eat the sun. That inspired his name, Suneater, and became his inspiration as a hero. Acknowledging how powerful friendship can be, Suneater bests the three Bullets.

Review

Hot dang, man! On paper, Suneater’s Quirk may sound a little weird, but in terms of praticality, it’s one of the strongest Quirks I’ve seen in My Hero Academia. The ability to transform distinct parts of your body into various animals can be a powerful ability in fiction. However, seeing Suneater combine the different traits like he did was so incredibly cool! No wonder he’s part of the Big Three of UA!

More than his powers, though, I loved seeing the flashback of Amajiki and Togata. The friendship those two have is, in my opinion, inspiring, because they inspire each other. Having a friend who encourages you to be better is one of the best things a person can experience. In a way, friendship’s the main theme of this episode.

While we see a positive example of friendship in Amajiki and Togata, we see a negative one in the three Bullets. They trust in each other because they have no one else, and while I feel sad for them, they don’t try to improve their lives.

This arc’s shaping up to be one of my favorites in My Hero Academia, and I’m betting the action will get even better from hero. I can’t wait for next week! GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Suneater of the Big Three” a 4.5/5. Great Action, Great Flashback, All Around Great Episode.

Click here to see more animanga stuff.