What does fate have in store for the Symbol of Peace?
What They Say:
Midoriya’s first day of hero internship work drops him out of the pan and into the fire. With a helpless young girl in need of rescue, Midoriya’s hero instincts kick into overdrive as he comes face to face with Overhaul.
Later on, his mind bombarded by the revelations he’s learned about Nighteye and Togata, Midoriya confronts All Might about the falling out with his former sidekick. All Might details the grim future that awaits him, but the resilience flowing through the Symbol of Peace lingers on. How will All Might and Midoriya confront the destined fate of a fallen hero?
The Review
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Episode four kicks off with a tense showdown between hero and villain. A surprising development arises when Overhaul reveals himself to Deku and Togata, his daughter Eri bumping into Midoriya as she comes dashing out of an alleyway. Togata attempts to deescalate the situation, knowing that any further suspicion from Overhaul will jeopardize Nighteye’s investigation. But as the two heroes are about to depart, the terrified young girl clings to Deku, begging him not to leave. Our young Symbol of Peace can’t turn away from someone in need, and Deku summons the heroic spirit within himself to defy Overhaul’s obvious bluffs. Eri recognizes the impending doom radiating from Overhaul and returns to her master, leaving Deku with feelings of unease.
Togata and Deku meet up with Nighteye to explain the situation. Nighteye does his best to convince Deku that not everyone can be saved in a hurry. Erring on the side of caution is the best course they can take right now. Of course, this doesn’t sit well with our pure-hearted hero. This incident, compiled with Nighteye’s determination to make Togata the Symbol of Peace, leaves Midoriya with no choice but to confront All Might about the situation that’s hanging over their heads.
Their meeting portrays a striking resemblance to the “You can become a hero” scene from season one, but the layers of development we’ve seen to this point puts them in a contrasting light from that initial encounter. Rather than the scrawny, hopeless boy we met in the very first episode, here we see Midoriya the Hero – his body scarred and built from his experiences, the title of Greatest Hero sits upon his shoulders. On the other hand, All Might is at the lowest point in his career – he continues to run from his failures as a mentor to both Nighteye and Deku. While it was All Might that gave Midoriya the strength to carry on in season one, now it’s Midoriya’s turn to reinvigorate the hero that brought him this far.
All Might tells Deku the reason behind his and Nighteye’s separation. A flashback takes us to the aftermath from when All Might was mortally wounded. Nighteye pleads with All Might to hang up his cape and focus solely on nurturing a successor to take his place. But All Might can’t accept this condition – society cannot go on peacefully with the Symbol of Peace out of commission. Here we come to the crossroads that tore these two apart. Nighteye’s Foresight quirk saw nothing but a gruesome death awaiting All Might in the future. But time and time again, we’ve seen All Might attempt to defy his fate and continue his role as the greatest hero. Nighteye’s absolute predictions vs. All Might’s undying resolve, the future they each envisioned was the breaking point of their partnership. Midoriya is hit with a dreadful realization. Although he knew this time would come, hearing it come straight from All Might cemented his despair in reality.
But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The spirit of a true hero resides in both of them, determined that they will twist fate in order to keep their promises. All Might, spurred on by Deku and his mother, will continue to live and protect the future of hero society. And Deku, resolute to carry on the Symbol of Peace, will stand as the Greatest Hero with All Might at his side, as he reveals to the world, “I am here!”
In Summary:
The circumstances surrounding All Might and Midoriya, though grim, have been conquered by sheer willpower. As they continue to inspire each other, our heroes move forward, bending their destiny with righteous tenacity. With excellent craftsmanship from Studio BONES, episode four comes to an emotional climax, building the strength needed for our heroes to face the harsh obstacles that await them.
Grade: A
Streamed By: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu
