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My Hero Academia S6, Ep. 13 Review

The Paranormal Liberation War has reached its thrilling conclusion. What should’ve been a triumph for the heroes of Japan became a bloodbath, and Deku and the heroes of UA found themselves in the center of everything. Everyone fought with all their strength, but sometimes, all the planning in the world won’t be enough. This week, the heroes truly lost the fight.

From the Jaws of Defeat…

At the end of the last episode, it looked like the heroes had the villains dead to rights. Shigaraki couldn’t fight anymore, the League of Villains couldn’t move, and Gigantomachia was out cold. It should have been their victory. However, at this crucial moment, the heroes get blindsided by the resolve of the villains, specifically Mr. Compress.

Through a flashback, it’s revealed that Mr. Compress is the descendant of a vigilante from the early days of heroes. His ancestor used his powers to target corrupt heroes as a Robin Hood-esque figure, and his family still sees itself as fighting for real justice. It’s this idea that gives Mr. Compress the resolve to get the League of Villains out of their seemingly impossible situation, despite badly injuring himself in the process. 

…Comes Victory for One Side…

In the end, when everyone’s spent everything they have and is at the end of their rope, the outcome isn’t due to who has the most power. It’s the one that has the most resolve to keep fighting despite the pain. As a result, Mr. Compress manages to give his comrades the opening they need to escape Best Jeanist. All for One then takes over Shigaraki’s body and uses him to order the Nomu to save them before retreating, much to the fury of Deku.

More than any other hero, Deku knows how great a threat All for One is and what Shigaraki could become. Despite being unable to move, he still has the resolve to keep fighting. More than that, though, despite all the horrible thing’s he’s done, Deku knows that somewhere, deep down, Shigaraki’s still the scared little kid who wants someone to save him. The frustration as he watches Shigaraki escape is palpable.

…And Bitter Defeat for Another 

Thus, the first half of the sixth season to My Hero Academia comes to a close. Despite capturing most of the Paranormal Liberation Front, including Gigantomachia and Dr. Garaki, the heroes still failed their main goal. Shigaraki escaped along with most of the League of Villains, who managed to level several cities in the process. In addition, many heroes gave their lives in the fighting, while many others are in critical condition. Worst of all, their reputation will take a serious hit thanks to the revelations about Endeavor’s family life and Hawks killing Twice.

The next half of the season is going to be exploring the aftermath of his massive failure. Having read the manga ahead of time, I can be honest when I say that things are about to get dark for the heroes. Darker than it’s likely ever been for them. And I’m going to enjoy every moment of it. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA

I Give “Final Performance” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia S6, Ep 8 Review

One of my favorite tropes in Shonen anime is getting to see the supporting cast stand up to one of the big bad’s at that moment. More often than not, the main villain can only be taken down by the main protagonist. Still, it’s great to see that the other heroes can kick ass if needed. In this case, the Hero Course of UA High proves that, while still students, they’re more than capable of holding their own when it calls for it

Too bad it’s not enough for the likes of Gigantomachia.

Gigantomachia No Sells Damage

Having learned about Gigantomachia heading towards Jaku City and that the heroes can’t stop him in time, the students of UA have two options: run or fight. The rational choice would be to run. However, they’re heroes, and it’s their job to save people. Thus, Momo Yaoyorozu leads the others in creating an elaborate trap to stop the monster before its too late. The trap actually works…to an extent. The League of Villains manages to stop them long enough for the giant to shrug off the worst parts of it. And while Kirishima manages to toss a sedative down the monster’s mouth, it’s not enough to slow him down.

For all their efforts, Gigantomachia is still a monster that All for One created just to protect him. It would take an army of heroes just to subdue him, and this is made apparent by how he just shrugs off everything. Only time will tell if they can stop him.

Shigaraki On the Warpath

Meanwhile, the fight with Shigaraki’s going no better. Despite the heroes managing to shut off his Quirks, Shigaraki manages to move despite being hurt beyond what any normal person could endure. It’s impressive how tenacious the man is. At least, it would be if it weren’t for the fact that he’s fueled by his hatred of heroes and the society they’ve created.

As we know, though, Shigaraki’s not wrong when it comes to his beef with heroes. Thanks to his grandmother giving his Dad up for adoption for his own safety, that boy grew up never understanding the sacrifice Nana Shimura made for him. As a result, he projected his trauma onto all heroes, and that trauma led to the birth of Shigaraki. That, and no one else wanted to help him when he clearly needed it as a boy.

As hard as it is to stomach, Shigaraki might be onto something. The society of heroes has made people grow too complacent and not address the root cause of the problems that are now threatening to overwhelm them. In the more immediate future, though, Shigaraki manages to take Aizawa out with a Quirk-Destroying bullet. Thus, Deku and Bakugo will have to step up to the plate if they want to stop the villain from destroying everything. It’s time for them to GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “League of Villains Vs. UA Students” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia S6, Ep 7 Review

Now this. This is what I’ve been waiting for with My Hero Academia. The war against the villains has descended into the biggest disaster Japan’s seen thus far. Nomu’s run rampant, the villains have the heroes divided, and everyone’s being pushed to their limits. And at the center of it all is Shigaraki, the King of Villains, and Gigantomachia, the walking disaster. 

This is so cool!

The King of Villains Rises

The downward spiral of pain and suffering for the heroes continues as they find themselves overwhelmed by the enemies before them. The only thing that’s holding Shigaraki back is Aizawa’s Quirk, and with so few heroes to protect him, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before it’s game over. 

One of my favorite tropes in a Shonen series is the moment when the young heroes charge in to save their elders, proving how much they’ve grown in the process. It’s always so inspiring to see how they’ve grown, and given what Shigaraki can do, Deku and Bakugo are right to intervene. The king of villains is too much for the adults to handle alone.

This trend of the younger heroes being forced to fight continues throughout the battlefield. As Gigantomachia makes his way to Shigaraki, the pro heroes can’t stop him. Worse, they end up in potentially deadly situations, leaving Midnight stranded as the PLF closes in. Did I also mention that the League of Villains is hitching a ride on Gigantomachia?

Shonen Tropes 101: Give Side Characters Spotlight, Too!

One of my favorite things to see in a Shonen series is for the supporting cast to get chances to shine. The genre has improved over the years, and MHA is no exception. As a result, when the fight comes to the students, they don’t retreat. Yaoyorozu leads them in a counterattack to stop Gigantomachia. And I think that it’s going to work. The students of UA are strong enough to take on villains. It’s time for them to GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I’m looking forward to seeing if they can stop the bodyguard of the king of villains. 

I Give “Disaster Walker” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia S6, Ep 5 Review

You know that moment in a Shonen anime when the bad guy gets a massive power-up? The one where they reveal how strong they really are, and how far behind them the hero is? For Deku and the heroes, this episode is that moment. If you thought things looked bad for the heroes as is, then buckle up. This entire arc’s going to be one long rollercoaster of pain and suffering for Deku and the heroes. The gates of Hell have been flung open, and demons are coming through to lay waste to the world! 

The Hunt for One for All Begins

Just when everything seemed to be going for the heroes, the tide turns against them. Having learned about Twice’s death, Toga goes on a killing spree, swatting down heroes left and right. 

Gigantomachia starts to move from his spot underneath the PLF’s HQ, which only makes things worse for the fight there.

And Shigaraki? None of the heroes can lay a hand on him. Not only is his original Quirk, Decay, augmented to terrifying levels, he now has some of All for One’s stolen Quirks, making him even stronger. In addition to all of this, his body’s as strong and durable as a Nomu, meaning he doesn’t even need his Quirks to fight the heroes. His raw strength’s enough to let him hold his own. It’s like watching the Jedi fight General Grevious, but the version from Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars mini-series. A being without the Force, but still able to kill Jedi!

Shigaraki’s not satisfied, though. Not until he gets the one Quirk that All for One couldn’t control: One for All. All for One’s influence on his mind compels him to seek it out. And, in what’s a major turning point for the series, Endeavor hears him mention One for All and tells the other heroes. They may not know the context, but to Deku, this is his worst nightmare come true.

One for All Can’t Stay Secret Forever

In a world where heroes are all public figures, the concept of a secret identity is a moot point (save for vigilantes.) Horikoshi got around this in a very unique fashion with One for All. Only a handful of people know what it is to protect it from All for One. In other words, having it is Deku’s equivalent to Spider-Man hiding his identity from almost everyone. However, now that the other heroes have heard about it, it’s only a matter of time before they learn the truth about why Deku’s so important. That could either make things harder or easier for Deku, and even with Bakugo and Gran Torino to help him…he’s not ready to fight Shigaraki.

This episode also reinforced my love for Mr. Aizawa, AKA the hero Eraser-Head. His Quirk-Erasure power is like kryptonite for Shigaraki and the Nomu’s. So long as he’s looking at them, the villains can’t use their Quirks, giving the heroes a chance. In other words, it makes him a major badass. But not even it might be enough to stop what the Villains have in store. For example, another batch of Nomu’s that Garaki’s had tucked away have awoken, and they look even more monstrous than the others. Considering how scary Nomu normally are, that’s saying something. 

Given how the next episode’s previews see Gigantomachia joining the battle, it’s clear that the heroes are about to go through Hell. This is going to be painful to watch…and yet, I will. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!!!

I Give “Encounter, Pt. 2” a 4/5

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