What They Say:
The world of My Hero Academia is changing. Endeavor faces not only the demons of his past but the current shift in society and people’s fading faith in heroes. While the old generation must face the faults of their foundation, the new generation must prepare for the aftermath. Once again, Deku faces his destiny – an inevitable conflict between heroes and villains, One For All vs. All For One.
The Review
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Putting aside the routine introductory episode, My Hero Academia picks up right where it left off. Endeavor and Hawks narrowly defeat the High-End Nomu but are immediately approached by the League of Villains’ Dabi. Before their reunion gets too heated, rabbit hero Mirko arrives as reinforcements, and Dabi retreats. He couldn’t finish off Endeavor, but the Number One hero sustained plenty of damage, both his body and his reputation.
It was hinted in last week’s after-credits scene that Hawks was working with the League of Villains, but this episode confirms that he’s acting as a double agent. As a high-ranking hero with little concern for fame or fortune, the Hero Association deemed Hawks the best candidate for infiltrating the League. Hawks and Dabi clearly have a different way of doing things, which lead to their communication breakdown concerning the recent Nomu attack. Hawks would have to bend if he wanted to gain the League’s trust. Blurring the line between Hero and Villain – how far will Hawks have to go? Despite his calm and collected exterior, ignoring the League’s activity while undercover is a heavy burden to carry, especially after the damage done to his idol Endeavor.
But Endeavor has his own burdens to carry, scars deeper than any physical wound. After recovering in the hospital, Endeavor returns to the Todoroki household. He’s immediately met with an atmosphere as cold as ice, which is fully warranted. Endeavor may have turned over a new leaf, but that doesn’t cleanse him of all his past mistakes. The Todoroki’s are still deeply traumatized; it will take a lot more time to break that point of contention. Natsuo refuses to accept his father’s attempt at reconciliation, while Fuyumi is more forgiving, wishing for them to live as an actual family for once. And Shoto, as we’ve watched him develop, falls somewhere in the middle. Midoriya helped Shoto realize that he’s more than the image his father instilled in him. His flames were his own, not Endeavor’s. But as he continues down this path, Shoto has realized the kind of responsibility a hero carries, especially someone like Endeavor. Despite his twisted methods, Endeavor always had his family in mind, and Shoto has come to terms with that. I think Horikoshi’s handling of the Todoroki family dynamic is some of the best I’ve seen in Shonen. Their relationships are autonomous, built upon individual experiences, grudges, and desires. It’s rare to see the personal blemishes of a protagonist, let alone a mentor figure, take up so much of the spotlight. Endeavor may have finally reached his long-awaited goal of Number One Hero, but the process of rebuilding his family has only just begun.
Much like the Todoroki family drama, public opinion of the Number One Hero also falls on a wide spectrum after the Nomu attack. While watching people’s reactions on TV, Endeavor remembers a conversation he had with All Might.
“I can hear it… the sound of something unseen that you built up, crumbling away.”
Endeavor’s moment of clairvoyance was starting to become reality. The era of All Might imparted a veil of reassurance in society, where civilians barely thought twice about everyday villainy. All Might, with a smile on his face and barely a scratch on him, created the idea of heroes being invincible – that no matter what, heroes would be there to defeat any villain, just like in the comics. But the balance of power was no longer heavily skewed toward the heroes. The days of a pristine, Symbol of Peace were gone. Plenty of people have their doubts after seeing Endeavor take such a beating. And for those who still believed in their heroes, like the “Look! Boy”, their sentiments were no more than content for gaining clicks, more likely to be rebranded as merchandise than discussed in a meaningful way. The conversation around heroes and villains isn’t black and white. This is the current state of hero society – the people are wavering, and the foundation built upon glorifying heroes was treading on thin ice.
Speaking of foundations, Midoriya finds himself in a phantasmal realm, surrounded by the vestiges of One For All. Standing among his predecessors, Deku watches the origin of One For All and All For One unfold before him. It’s great to have All For One back in focus, Akio Otsuka’s voice is perfect for the role. AFO’s presence is chilling, powerful, and above all, devilishly charismatic. The clash between these two brothers foretells the changes taking place in society. The golden age of heroes has come to an end. One For All desperately holds onto his ideals of a classic comic book ending where the hero always wins in the end, but AFO is re-writing the story. Society doesn’t function on such lofty ideals. There are people suffering beyond the gaze of heroes, and All For One has rallied them behind his cause, to flip this society on its head. These visions are a warning – One For All is preparing Deku for his preordained battle with All For One. The future looks grim, but One For All can see the potential in Deku. The vestiges of One For All were behind him. “You’re not alone”.
In Summary:
While a lot of Season 5’s upcoming content is focused on training at UA, this episode does an excellent job setting the tone for My Hero Academia going forward.
Grade: B+
Source: Crunchyroll, Funimation