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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Stendhal is Scarier than the Red Hood, Confirmed!
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 6 Review
Does a hero have the right to take the life of a villain? That is a question that has been asked about and debated over for countless years, and no one has a clear answer. Nowhere is this better seen than with the likes of Batman. Despite knowing that many of his rogue’s gallery can’t or don’t want to change for the better, he refuses to take a life, and that’s remained true across most incarnations. Then we allies of his who are more willing to kill, like the Red Hood. He’s usually a good guy, but he’s willing to kill criminals if needed. And if Knuckleduster is supposed to be the Batman of MHA: Vigilantes, then the show just got its Red Hood: Stendhal.
Stendhal is Dangerous
In the last episode, Koichi and Pop wound up being saved from an Instant Villain by another vigilante, the katana-wielding Stendhal. At first glance, Stendhal looks like he would make for a capable ally. However, it’s swiftly revealed that Stendhal is not as heroic as the Naruhata Vigilantes. He is willing to kill his enemies.
As previously stated, there is no concrete answer on whether taking a life is morally justifiable. It often depends on the context of the story. That’s why Batman can often find himself at odds with his occasional ally and former protege Jason Todd, AKA the Red Hood. Ever since he came back from his infamous death, Jason has continued to fight evil as Red Hood. Unlike Batman, though, he’s not afraid to avoid killing criminals, his argument being it keeps them from hurting anyone else in the future. Given how many of Batman’s enemies regularly kill people and show no desire to change, is Jason wrong to think that way? That mindset is best shown with Stendhal, as he makes it his mission to kill the Instant Villains the Naruhata Vigilantes have fought.
So, We all Knew Stendhal Was the Future Stain, Right?
That decision, coupled with the fact that he’s working with Queen Bee, brings him into conflict with Koichi when he goes after Soga, aka the guy with the spikes they fought. And this is when Stendhal crosses lines even Red Hood wouldn’t cross. Despite acknowledging Koichi’s genuine heroism, once he gets in his way, Stendhal doesn’t hesitate to try and kill him. Then when Knuckleduster intervenes, despite also acknowledging him as a hero, the two come also come to blows. The result feels like something you would see take place between Batman and Red Hood, and it’s not pretty.
As much as Stendhal seems to be the Vigilantes version of Red Hood, he’s not; he’s worse. Jason Todd might be willing to kill, but there are lines he still won’t cross, like killing people he knows are good. In contrast, Stendhal crosses those lines and ends up proving himself little better than many villains. And after losing to Knuckleduster, he develops an even darker mindset, bringing us to the big twist at the end of the episode.
Anyone who’s seen the main series should have recognized that Stendhal is, in fact, the future Stain. Between having the same voice actors to the same Quirk, the prequel series made no effort to hide it. However, the fact that this and the previous episode serve as the origin story for the future hero killer are what make it so great to watch. Had Stendhal been more open-minded and flexible, he could’ve made a valuable ally to the vigilantes of Naruhata. Sadly, his part in the story comes to an end after this. But at least the heroes saved Soga!
I Give “Crossing Lines” a 4.5/5
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Putting the “Pop” in Pop Culture!
