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My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission Review

Remember how excited fans were when My Hero Academia got its first film? Some of the most elite Shonen series have made it onto the big screen over the years; it’s like an unofficial sign of greatness. Now, MHA has its film cinematic outing available in the US, World Heroes Mission, and it opens us up to the world of heroes beyond that of Japan. Unfortunately, the villain this time around is neither charismatic nor memorable like other villains.

A World Without Quirks

Taking place during the Endeavor Agency Arc, the basic premise was hinted at in a filler episode that I covered. Essentially, there’s this doomsday cult that prescribes to the idea that Quirks will eventually become too much for humans to control and wipe everyone out. Thus, this group, Humarise, wants to eliminate all Quirks to save humanity. When the heroes attempt to stop them, Deku stumbles upon key intel that puts him square in Humarise’s sights and forces him to go on the run while abroad. Luckily, none of the Heroes buy it, and it does little to hamper the plot of the film.

Humarise: So Unoriginal

I’m going to come out and say it: Humarise is not the best villainous faction I’ve seen in a Shonen anime. Heck, it’s not even the best evil faction in the context of My Hero Academia. That’s because there’s nothing original about them.

Firstly, there have been cult/terrorist groups like Humarise in comic books for years. I could make a whole list regarding how many anti-metahuman groups I’ve seen in Marvel Comics, and a lot of them direct their hatred towards that of Mutants. Secondly, they may think they’re doing the right thing, but Humarise is doing anything but that. Their ultimate goal of wiping out Quirks would kill off 80% of the world’s population. No matter how you slice it, that’s wrong and there’s no justifying it. Lastly, they’re not even original in the context of MHA, with that Yakuza group wanting to do the same thing.

In addition, their leader, Flect Turn’s, motivation boils down to the fact that his Quirk can’t be controlled. Thus, because it’s brought him so much misery, he wants to get rid of Quirks outright. It’s Overhaul all over again.

At Least Rody Was Fun

The film did introduce us to a new character by the name of Rody Soul that was at least a little interesting, as far as anime film characters go. Rody’s a small-time thief around Deku’s age who, through fate or accident, gets embroiled in this Humarise debacle with Deku. However, his life has not been the easiest; his Dad dissappeared when he was young, leaving him to look after his siblings on his own. Because of his tough upbringing, he’s had to learn to trust only himself to survive. He’s like a less angry version of Bakugo, basically.

As far as original characters go, I thought that Rody was okay. This movie was just as much his story as it was about yet another mission Deku finds himself in. And, despite his limitations, he ends up becoming integral to stopping Humarise. Also, he gets bonus points because he works for this bar owner named Stanleyk. Get it?

Fun Film, Forgettable Plot

Overall, I thought that this My Hero Academia film was pretty fun. As far as relevance to the plot of the series goes, though, it has none. However, that’s par for the course for Shonen films. Whenever a Shonen anime gets a movie, it almost never affects the overall plot. It’s really just a standalone, extra-long filler episode where the show’s staff can cut loose, much to fan’s enjoyment.

So, while we wait for the upcoming Paranormal Liberation War, this film should be enough to tide fans over. Also, the action was absolutely amazing.

I Give My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission A 3.5/5

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My Hero Academia Season 4 Episode 21 Review/Recap

Well, the day’s finally here. The UA School Festival is about to start, and Deku and Togata are betting on it. It could be the only chance they have to teach Eri what it means to be happy and smile, after all. However, Gentle Criminal and La Brava plan on crashing the Festival and ruin everything. The fight to protect the UA School Festival starts!

Recap

On the morning of the UA School Festival, Midoriya wakes up early to get some training in with All Might before getting some last minute supplies. By sheer coincidence, though, he ends up running into Gentle and La Brava as they finish their tea ritual. When the former can’t help but gush about the tea he had, Midoriya connects the dots and figures out who Gentle is and what he plans to do. Which is something he cannot allow.

As Deku rushes to stop the villain from crashing the festival, he’s blown back by Gentle’s Quirk, Elasticity. It allows him to give anything rubber qualities, including the air around him. Were Deku relying on his normal tactics, he wouldn’t have chance. However, that morning, Hatsume gave him a completed version of the support gear he asked for: special gloves that let him use his Quirk to create high pressure air shots. With his new abilities, Deku stands his ground against Gentle. The time until the concert begins: 69 minutes.

Review

I would like to reiterate the fact that nothing this season does will top the Hassakai Arc. Thus, I don’t think the show should try and top it. The UA School Festival Arc is about Midoriya growing as a hero by putting him in a situation where he can’t expect any help. If he wants to stop Gentle from wrecking everyone’s fun, he’s got to do it on his own.

Fortunately, the episode makes a point of demonstrating how Midoriya’s improved. His new gloves allow him to create ranged attacks without One for All’s recoil, while the dance training he did for the concert has helped his coordination and reaction timing. It may not seem like much, but without either of those skills, Deku wouldn’t be able to fight Gentle. I’m still hoping that the next few episodes will make up for the lack of action. Go Beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Deku vs. Gentle Criminal” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia, Season 4, Episode 18 Review/Recap

Ahh, the cultural festival, a staple of the Japanese educational system. It also happens to be among the things that I wish we did in the US. Every year, schools in Japan have open day festivals where people come to play games, eat, and have fun. And even though its a school dedicated to training heroes, U.A. High is no exception to this common trope of anime. That’s right: the next arc of My Hero Academia is a school festival!

Recap

With the Fall semester now here, Mr. Aizawa informs Class 1-A that the time’s come for the annual school festival at U.A. , so they need to come up with an idea on what event to do. Aizawa says that if they don’t, they’ll be stuck in a lecture the whole time. After multiple ideas being thrown around, they ultimately decide on an idea: they’re going to do a concert, with Jiro leading their band for it.

Meanwhile, Midoriya and Togata are finally able to visit Eri in the hospital, but the former can’t help but notice how Overhaul’s influence still hangs over her. Thus, he’s resolved to help teach her how to smile again, and asks Mr. Aizawa to let her come to the school festival. Unknown to everyone at U.A., a new criminal has caught the police’s interest. Known as Gentle Criminal, he records himself committing crimes and then posts them online to gain attention. Right now, he’s planning something big for his next video.

Review

Well, I’d say that a villain posting videos of their crimes on social media is a first, but I’d be lying. In truth, I’ve seen supervillains in other media do that before, and some jerks in real life have done that, as well. That said, as someone who posts videos on YouTube to gain views and subscribers, I can weirdly relate to what this Gentle Criminal is doing. At the least, his video’s are good.

It’s actually not him that’s editing everything, though. He’s got an assistant named La Brava, who reminds me of a downplayed version of Harley Quinn; one without the tramuatic backstory. They’re both a big step down from Overhaul and All for One. However, after remembering the manga, I know that they’ve got some moderately interesting backstories.

The big draw of this episode, though, was about the legacy of Overhaul and the effect it’s had on Eri. When I heard her ask Midoriya and Togata how to smile, I felt my heart breaking in two. No child should ever have to grow up not knowing what it means to be happy or know what love is. Like Midoriya says, Eri hasn’t been fully saved yet, and he takes upon himself to do so. That’s why I’m invested in this school festival arc we’re headed into.

So, this U.A. school festival arc doesn’t have the action or the stakes of the fight against Overhaul. However, I still think that it’s worth paying attention to. It’s continuing the story that started Season 4, and will help Midoriya grow as a person and as a hero. That, and school festivals in anime tend to have a lot of shenanigans. Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!

I Give “School Festival” a 3.5/5. Soft Start to a Quiet Arc.

By the way, who else thought Jiro’s reaction to being asked to put on a concert cute?

A Quick Announcement

So apparently, the last few weeks have seen Kohei Horikoshi get a lot of flak. First, it’s revealed that a mad doctor in his manga has a name that, in Japanese, translates to something that references the horrorific experiments the Japanese performed on prisoners during World War II. Then, it’s revealed that Bakugo’s birthday is April 20th, the same day as a certain evil dictator. Needless to say, he’s got a lot of grief over this. Now this article from comicbook.com speculates if Horikoshi will pull the plug on his manga.

My advice: go to Twitter, go to Horikoshi’s account, and let him know that we support him. His series could become one of the best manga in history, and in this age where superheroes are in, My Hero Academia stands out like a shining star. Don’t let this gem of a series end like this.

That is all!

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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

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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

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