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My Hero Academia S7 Ep 21-Iron Might
October 13, 2024 | Roderick J "Jay" Friz

Iron Might is Here for MHA Season Finale

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 21 Review

It’s official now: the seventh season of My Hero Academia will not be the last. Nor will the series be completed in the form of a series of movies. Instead, the final season will air sometime in 2025. However, before the final season begins, the seventh season needs to clear away the board for the final battle. Thus, this season finale feels less like a finale and more like a cliffhanger for the second act for something. In this case, we finally get to see the thing that I’ve been wanting to see: Armored All Might, or as I call him, Iron Might.

Before the episode gets to the big moment, though, it takes the time to focus on bringing a close to the story of Uraraka and Toga. And, in all honesty, I’m glad that it did.

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 21 Title
Source-Viz Media, Shonen Jump, Watchcartoononline

Toga’s Final Sacrifice

Uravity managed to finally get through to Toga, but it might have cost her her life. The stab wound she got from Toga is making her lose too much blood, and there’s no time to get her to a doctor. It looked like Uraraka might actually die at this point.

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 21-Toga's Sacrifice
Source-Viz Media, Shonen Jump, Watchcartoononline

I’m sure that I said it before, but I was fully expecting one of the supporting characters to die before the final war came to an end. It looked like Bakugo might not make it, and now it looks like Uraraka might be the one to bite the proverbial bullet. However neither of them didn’t, and while I won’t debate who got the better save, I do think I like Uraraka’s more.

Toga’s decision to sacrifice herself performing a transfusion on Uraraka was a moment that really resonated with me in the manga. All her life, Toga had only cared about taking from others. It was a misguided attempt to find love and acceptance that led down the path to becoming a villain. Toga even admits to herself that if someone had reached out and helped her sooner, she might have found a better way. Her decision to sacrifice herself for Uraraka is a heartbreaking one, but it also serves to complete the pair’s character arcs. In addition, Toga chooses this ending because she knows she would spend the rest of her life in prison. Rather than let that happen, she wants to go out on her own terms. In a way, I can’t help but respect that.

I also like Hawks small moment with Toga, as he admits that Twice was a good person. I’ve always felt that he’s regretted having to kill Twice, because villain or not, he was a genuinely good guy. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.

Iron Might Sounds Way Cooler Than Armored All Might

And now, we get to the big moment: the reveal of Iron Might.

When I first saw this moment in the manga, I feared that All Might was going to sacrifice himself to stall All for One. Without his Quirk, what chance did he have? However, one of the main lessons of My Hero Academia is that one doesn’t need powers to be a hero. Deku chose to save Bakugo when he didn’t have a Quirk, so why can’t All Might do the same?

Plus, I remembered that not every superhero in comics has superpowers. Case in point, Iron Man just has his suits of armor, and as we’ve seen in the MCU, he could fight alongside gods and wizards. With his suit of armor, Iron Might (man that sounds cool) is able to copy the powers of all of his students. And he manages to pressure his long-hated enemy for a bit!

If Deku is an example of not needing powers to be a hero, then Iron Might is the culmination of that notion. With science and technology, someone without powers can hold their own against someone with them. And powers or not, All Might has always been a hero.

Next Year is the Endgame

As the season comes to a close, we’re left with the parting image of the final battles underway. Master fighting master, student fighting student. I don’t know when the final season will come out next year, but in hindsight, I’m glad that it’s not being made into a movie. I want My Hero Academia to give itself the finale that it deserves. So, 2025, we’ll get to say it one last time: Go Beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

Here’s hoping the animation gets even better.

I Give “Battle Without a Quirk” a 4/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

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My Hero Academia S7 Ep 19 Title
October 6, 2024 | Roderick J "Jay" Friz

The Rest of the Villains Might Be Down, Guys!

My Hero Academia S7 Eps. 19 & 20 Review

Last week, I forgot to make a review for My Hero Academia until it was the week was halfway done. By then, though, I decided to review the latest two episodes back-to-back. I’m glad I did, because the season might end with the next episode. This stinks because we’ll either have to wait for next season, or they’ll make it a movie finale like what’s being done for Demon Slayer. However, the good news is that these last two episodes clear out the remaining League of Villians members, Dabi and Toga . And they go out in the most epic way possible!

Dabi Threatens to Go Nuclear

In the first episode, Dabi has resorted to using his final trump card. He’s building up so much heat in his body, that when he detonates, he’ll go off with the force of a small nuke, killing everything within a few mile. Including several transports evacuating civilians at UA, with his own family among them!

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 19-Dabi the Fiery Villain from Hell
Source-Viz Media, Shonen Jump, Watchcartoononline

When we got to this point in the manga, it looked like Endeavor might have to sacrifice himself to stop Dabi. I couldn’t see a way out that didn’t involve that kind of loss. Ultimately, the entire Todoroki family comes together and uses their Quirks to stop Dabi in time. It may seem like a Deus ex Machina, but it makes sense from a storytelling perspective. But I dont entirely agree with the point I think its trying to make about the family.

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 19-The Todoroki Family Together for Toya
Source-Viz Media, Shonen Jump, Watchcartoononline

Toya Still Made the Choice to Become a Villain

The anime tries to make us think responsibilty for how Toya turned out falls on the entire family’s shoulders. And it’s not wrong…to an extent. Yes, his siblings could’ve done more to show him there was a life beyond being a hero for him. And I’m willing to bet that if his parents had looked hard enough, they could’ve found some support items to offset the damage Toya’s fire did to himself. However, that doesn’t change that Toya chose to go down that path. His actions as Dabi were still a means for him to make his Dad notice him, but in the worst way possible.

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 19-Shoto Stops his Brother
Source-Viz Media, Shonen Jump, Watchcartoononline

I’m not saying its bad storytelling; it doesn’t excuse what Dabi did. However, I will say that seeing Shoto arrive and use his ice to finish the battle was as epic as I imagined it would be.

And with Dabi down, we get to the other fight I’ve been waiting for: the fight against Toga.

Toga, the Villain Who Needed Therapy More than Anyone

I can’t help but feel bad for many members of the League of Villains, but Toga takes the cake. She is the textbook definition of someone who needed help as a kid but never got it. And, if I’m being honest, her parents should be ashamed for not finding ways to use her Quirk less destructively. That girl has been suffering her entire life and that has led her to act on her worst impulses. The result? Her Sad Man’s Death Parade becomes a flood about to drown everything! The heroes look ready to drown!

That’s when Uravity manages to pull up with the biggest clutch of her entire life.

Uraraka Finally Got Through to Toga

I dont know how fond I am of the “designated girl fight” trope in fiction, but I do like how Uravity and Toga are foils to each other. Uravity wants to see everyone around her smile, while Toga wants to smile and be happy. They both love the same boy, but go about it in different ways. Toga wanted to reach out to Uraraka in her way, but Uraraka realized too late how badly she needed help. Maybe if they had grown up knowing each other, Toga wouldn’t have turned out like she did.

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 20-Uraraka Reaches out to Toga
Source-Viz Media, Shonen Jump, Watchcartoononline

That’s why I like the villains of My Hero Academia so much. They’re not just evil for the sake of it. They’re villains because of society’s failings, and man, did it fail Toga! And now, Uravity is on the verge of death thanks to her attempt to get Toga to stand down. But it was worth it to get to see her smile. Genuinely smile because someone other than the League understood her.

My Hero Academia S7 Ep 20-Toga Looks Cute Smiling
Source-Viz Media, Shonen Jump, Twitter

And Uraraka’s not wrong. Toga does have a cute smile.

All Might Ready to Flex Against Ultimate Villain

With that, most of the main antagonists are down for the count. The League of Villains is done! All that are left are All for One and Shigaraki, the final villains. And while I’m hoping that the next episode isn’t the last one of the season, if it is, I’m glad they’re ending it with the fight we’ve been waiting to see. The manga readers know what I’m talking about! Once more, All Might is going to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “I am Here” and “A Girl’s Ego” 4/5 Each

Click here to see more animanga stuff.

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