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My Hero Academia S6, Ep 18 Review

We all knew this moment was coming, even if we were anime-only fans. From the moment Endeavor overheard Shigaraki say “One for All,” Deku and All Might couldn’t keep their secret under wraps for much longer. They’d either have to tell the other heroes, or let the public find out for themselves. What results is the episode I’ve waited for all season, as Deku makes a faithful decision with potentially dire consequences. 

The True Nature of One for All Revealed

The first half of the episode occurs inside Deku’s mindscape as he converses with the previous wielders of One for All. This whole scene was pivotal to the story in the manga, and the anime manages to capture that importance and improve upon it. As it turns out, there’s more to One for All than even its past wielders knew. Its raw power is too much for those who already possess a Quirk Factor, causing it to overwhelm and destroy their bodies from within. In simple terms: having One for All shortens the wielder’s lifespans.

The good news is that this drawback doesn’t affect Deku, and neither did it affect All Might. Since they had no Quirk, their bodies adapted to this new power and made it their own. The bad news is that going forward, if Deku wanted to pass his power down, it would have to be to another Quirkless person. And since they’re becoming increasingly rare…Deku will likely be the last person to inherit One for All.

Deku Will Save Everyone…Even a Villain

This whole scene hammers the point home: Deku is the last chance to stop All for One for good. And the vestiges of the past wielders hate having to do this, especially Shimura. She’s guilt-ridden, knowing that her decision to give up her son led to the birth of Shigaraki, and she’s in tears over the fact that Deku might have to kill her grandson. However, what follows is one of the best scenes in the anime.

As Deku’s gained more control over his Quirk, he’s been able to manifest more inside his mindscape. As this entire scene continues, and Midoriya’s resolve at wanting to save Shigaraki grows, his will manifests itself by letting more of his form appear. By the end, he’s gone from barely being able to speak to having his mouth fully visible. The meaning’s evident: Deku’s resolve to be a hero has matured. I loved this moment; it symbolizes how Deku’s come into his own as a hero. He’s not a student anymore, nor can he be.

What follows, though…is bittersweet.

One for All’s Secret is Out

While all this is going on, Hawks and Best Jeanist come to All Might asking questions about One for All and Deku. From the start, All Might’s reminded his student of this one rule: keep One for All secret. It’s like how Spider-Man works so hard to keep his secret identity under wraps: if people knew, he and his loved ones would be at risk. However, All Might recognizes that Shigaraki’s forced their hands and that if they don’t explain it now, things will get worse. So, he tells the heroes everything. Thankfully, they keep their mouths shut about it to the press. It’s like a lowkey equivalent of Spider-Man unmasking himself in the Civil War story in the comics. Unlike Spider-Man, though, Deku can’t wipe everyone’s memories.

Nor does Deku want to. After he wakes up from his coma, we see him write handwritten letters to all his classmates, telling them the truth. How he got One for All from All Might, how All for One and Shigaraki won’t stop until it’s theirs, and how his staying at U.A. will put everyone in danger. As a result, Midoriya drops out of his hero academia. When we see him at the end of the episode, he’s not a student anymore: he’s Deku, the vigilante.

I personally loved that final moment in the episode. It’s an iconic scene showing how Midoriya’s forced to fight alone in a world falling apart. It reminds me so much of Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PS4: the lone hero fighting evil as his city’s falling apart. It’s awesome; bittersweet but awesome.

Next week, we start the Dark Hero arc, one of the darkest arcs in the series as we begin the endgame. This is going to be good, though, so get ready to GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki” a 5/5

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When people think of bunny girls, certain images come to mind. They either see young anime waifu’s dressed in bunny girl outfits. Or they may see girls who are actual, humanoid bunnys. Either way, it feels like the last thing that anyone would think of would be a bunny girl that’s capable of being absolutely, brutally savage. However, My Hero Academia’s resident bunny girl, Mirko, casts that notion aside. She’s absolutely brutal! Like all the violence of Watership Down in human form.

Look up Watership Down. For a story about rabbits, it’s very, very violent.

As the raid on Jaku Hospital begins in full, both sides scramble to gain the advantage. On one side are the heroes led by Endeavor. On the other side are a horde of Nomu created by All for One’s mad scientist, Dr. Garaki. Much like the one Endeavor fought before, some of these Nomu are smart enough to talk. It’s just proof of how messed up the whole concept of the Nomu is. 

Fortunately, the High-End Nomu are no match for the likes of Mirko, the demon rabbit. 

When most people see rabbits, they see something that’s small, timid, and quick to run in the face of danger. However, their nature belies the fact that their back legs are crazy strong! Now, imagine if you took that and gave it to a human, and you’d end up getting Mirko. 

Mirko won fans over quickly in the manga due to her tough-as-nails demeanor and the fact that she’s No. 5 hero in Japan. Seeing her use her powerful legs to tear Garaki’s precious Nomu to shreds is like seeing a female version of Sanji, only cooler! I can totally see why the fans consider Mirko a top-tier waifu! I don’t quite remember what happens to her in the manga, but I think she beats Dr. Garaki to a bloody pulp, something that I can’t wait to see.

Mirko’s not the only hero that gets to shine, though. As the other heroes storm the Paranormal Liberation Front’s hideout, they’re almost taken out by this villain with an electrical Quirk. However, Kaminari, who’s up near the front with everyone else, manages to put a stop to that with his own powers.

One trope that I love about the shonen genre is getting to see the power growth of the characters. We get to see them do things that, at one point, would be too much for them. In Kaminari’s case, he absorbs all of that electricity without going dumb on them. He’s going to make a great hero one day. All of the people in the hero course of UA are.

First, though, they’ve got to survive what’s essentially a baptism of fire. Now, the Hero Course has had several baptisms of fire since they started going to UA, but not on this scale. Especially since Garaki’s now focusing all of his attention on getting Shigaraki ready for his ultimate evolution. When that happens, everyone’s going to be in trouble.

In the next episode, though, the character I’m worried about the most is Twice. I said before, but I can’t hate the man. He’s a good person at heart, and, if you read the manga, then you know what’s going to happen to him in this season. No spoilers, though! GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!!!

I Give “Mirko, the No. 5 Hero”

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