Visualist x 100!! - My Hero Academia Season Three: Episode 10

Is this the end of All Might? Whether it is or not, My Hero Academia certainly wants us to wonder about it for the next week leaving us hanging at the end of episode 10 on a cliffhanger that actually has some bite to it. While we wait for our answer, Kapodaco and I share our thoughts on this week’s episode.

Kapodaco:

Another cliffhanger for another tensile episode. The identity of All for One has been revealed in the form of a name and a face full of All Might’s fist. The latter’s power is starting to wane and All for One’s laughing in his face. A commenter on my blog for the last episode noted that they expected All Might to die as a result of this battle. It certainly isn’t looking good right now.

At least they got Bakugo back.

Some jargon about heroism, about being confined by the things they have to protect, and the pride of being unlike villains in their recklessness made for a more creative execution of the kids’ successful attempt at saving Bakugo. What I found most interesting is that they chose Kirishima to serve as the bait to get Bakugo to act and not Midoriya, which says a lot of things about what I had perceived of their relationship and what it might actually be. Is Bakugo really just so prideful that he sees Midoriya as competition, unwilling to take his hand as a sign of defeat? I still do think there’s a deeper connection, but the choice to use Kirishima is both a safe and a smart choice. And convenient that he was there.

I also found it kind of funny that Gran Torino, whose quirk is that he’s absurdly fast, is saying that All Might is too fast. I understand that All Might’s the number one hero, but Gran Torino has a quirk specifically dedicated to being super fast. Nice that he shows up at the battlefield right when he needs to, instead of when he’d realistically show up (unless, of course, he stayed behind until an opening came through). And Mt. Lady, too; she aids in just the right moment because reasons, then doesn’t say another word outside of a one-liner. Yaoyorozu should’ve crafted a bomb or something to use in case of villain interference.

A sure sign of a good time is when I look down at the episode runtime and see that ten minutes have passed without me realizing. The absorbing quality of My Hero Academia continues to run amok and I for one am waiting patiently for each new coat of adhesive. The ride began a few episodes ago and doesn’t seem to be stopping for anyone, not even All Might.

Karandi:

Previously I wrote a feature regarding All Might and how he was more than just a character, but an idea held up by the world of My Hero Academia. Season three is taking a very long hard look at the ideals that underpin this world and while it might just seem like there’s a lot of building destruction going on, this fight more or less brings this theme out in the open rather than being something underpinning the dialogue and actions of the characters as it has been previously. I’m definitely going to have to do another feature of this anime soon, but I’m just waiting to see how this arc resolves as that is going to change how I view the situation.

Meanwhile, this episode was one of those that I had to watch twice because at the end of the first viewing I had exactly zero notes and zero screen captures. Usually I have something, even if it is just the markers for where to go back and get the screen captures. But no, nothing. There was not one moment while watching the first time where I could have looked away or paused. Even on the second viewing it was very easy to get absorbed by the characters and their current situation.

Just looking at the episode individually is a little deceptive because really it was just a fight from start to finish. But it is a fight that builds on all the character moments, all the conflicts, all the ideas and themes that this show has painstakingly constructed and it is in how it brings all these elements together that make this episode really brilliant to watch. Without the buy in of these elements, you still get a flashy smack down between super-powered characters, but you lose a lot of what sets this apart from so many other fight sequences.

The favourite moments of course go to the kids. Midoriya using his brain to come up with a desperate plan and rallying the others. Cooly evaluating their strengths and even Bakugou’s personality and how that will effect the outcome. Seeing the other kids respond to his plan and respecting his ability to bring about unlikely victories. The entire sequence was well played and speaks well for where these characters will go in the future.