My Hero Academia - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Here!

[Meredith Quill]

Your Characters Topic!

[Lantern7]

Who else is watching? Basically, kid lives in world where 80 percent of people have superpowers (re: "quirks"). This being a shonen anime, he's the one in five, and he feels like shit. He befriends the super hammy hero All Might, and he decides to let Midoriya inherit his power, All For One.

I'd do some cute spoof scene, but I have to go to bed. So far, it looks good after three episodes, and Midoriya isn't as strangle-worthy as Asta from Black Clover.

[Sandman87]

So far all that's really happened is that Rukia All Might has offered Ichigo Midoriya her his powers after he tried to take on a hollow super-villain without any abilities. And one of his classmates is a jerk with fire powers.

Waiting for the improvements that I've been promised. If the pace were any slower, the show would be a snail.

[Lantern7]

Well, the next episode looks promising. Also, another slightly inappropriate line of inspiration from All Might.

[Sandman87]

Ok, that's an improvement. Midoriya manifests his new powers during the university entrance exam, and they immediately cripple him. But he does it so heroically that he passes the exam even though he failed. And the school nurse kisses his owie and makes it all better.

[Matt K]

So this episode is the real start of the series.  I totally forgot how slow the first three episodes were (I watched them on Funimation's site last year so I probably just binge watched the first handful of episodes).  I was glad to see Ochako get some rescue points as well since she really saved Deku's ass.  Recovery Girl is a fun character.  Also I loved All-Might's hologram especially the "how many more of these do I need to do" which I'd say is straight from Captain America in Spiderman: Homecoming but this came out first (by a good year).  

 

That said, I wonder how some of the people with non-combat related quirks get in since this portion of the exam seems so combat focused.  I guess for them the written exam probably matters more (Deku barely passed so it makes sense he'd need to do well in the combat portion).  

 

Also apparently U.A. doesn't stand for anything.  But when written out in Kanji (yuuei) it is hero spelled backwards (eiyuu).  http://kansaichick.com/japanese-kanji-blog/the-true-meaning-of-ua-high-school-for-my-hero-academia/ 

[Lantern7]

Well, at least Midoriya is advancing, though he broke three limbs for one a single punch. And that’s after ten months of working out. Is it weird if I say All Might’s regimen made the kid look buff? I figure he’d be more confident. Then I remember he doesn’t have powers, anybody who does immediately outranks him (including Naval Laser and the guy in the first episode tugging his eyes out of their sockets), and he wound him eating hair that he hoped would give him powers.

You think anyone in the 20 percent fights crime? Maybe against the law? If this is an anime inspired by American superheroes, there has to be a Batman somewhere.

Edited June 5, 2018 by Lantern7

[Matt K]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

You think anyone in the 20 percent fights crime? Maybe against the law? If this is an anime inspired by American superheroes, there has to be a Batman somewhere.

Or an Ironman.  Apparently the original idea was an older Midoriya (in his 20's I believe) and fought crime using tech since he didn't have a quirk.  

 

Also a lot of the locations are based on Star Wars like Dagoba Beach where Midoriya trained.  I really like that they showed a buff Midoriya at the end of the training session.  It makes it clear that he really trained hard to get where he is.  Also him randomly using dumbbells while waiting for the letter from UA.

[Matt K]

I have to say I'm surprised Deku came in last.  I'd think after his training whit All-Might, he'd at least be more fit than Invisible Girl.  That said, it was a good way of showing how difficult things are going to be for Deku. 

 

This week things start in earnest and we start seeing one of the things the show does really well, pairing off students and giving at least a small spotlight to those characters. 

[Lantern7]

To review thus far:

"All For One": Basically makes one a Superman expy. I don't think it made All Might such a ham. With Midoriya, he needs to ration the incredible power . . . and he hurts himself really bad when he uses it. The old nurse lady seems nice, but she might get sick of Deku coming to her every other day.

"Engine": it's Flash power, only Tenya Iida has pipes sticking out of calves. [Note: I don't know which name to use, so I'm going with both from here on in]

"Zero Gravity": Ochaco Uraka get make things and people defy gravity with a touch, then will them downward. Also, when she overexerts, she vomits rainbows. Neat!!

"Naval Laser": what it says. Because Japan. Looks limited, and I don't think it also makes Yuga Aoyama inexplicably French.

"Explosion" Katski Bakugo can generate explosions with the palms of his hands. Aside from the obvious jokes you can make about his puberty, that's a dangerous power . . . dangerous enough for the UA staff to be okay with the kid's outfit having grenade-looking gloves. Also, I'm thinking he'd be a prick no matter what Quirk he wound up with.

"Erasure": ability to cancel a Quirk with but a glance. Yeah, that's not going to be annoying as hell. Bright side: Shota Aizawa gets the moniker "Eraserhead." Hey, no Japanese-to-legal English translation needed! Oh, and he can will bandages to grab people. I think it's stemming out his prickly attitude.

Edited June 19, 2018 by Lantern7

[Lantern7]

Person A: Okay, what do we got for a costume request?

Person B: Well, this kid wants something edgy. Really edgy. Take a look.

A: Wow. Gauntlets that look like grenades? That is hardcore. What's his Quirk?

B: Explosions from his hands. He sweats a nitroglycerin-type substance, and he produces a reaction.

A: That's a scary-ass Quirk.

B: It gets better. He wrote notes about the costume. He's asking for a tube that would collect his sweat, leading to bigger booms.

A: What's that scrawled in the corner?

B: Lets see . . . "I'M GONNA BE BIGGER THAN ALL MIGHT, AND I'LL BLOW UP THAT INSIGNIFICANT GNAT DEKU!!!"

(both look at each other)

B: Well, lets get our group to make this costume. I would not want to be that "Deku" guy. What's next?

A: Fancy suit for a twerp who can fire a laser from his navel.

B: Wow. Ever think we got into the wrong business?

Basically, the episode is mostly about Bakugo unable to deal with his punching bag now being able to punch back, and Midoriya trying not to use All For One while simultaneously trying to stay alive. Meanwhile, the ever-cute Uraka tries to figure out how to secure the bomb from wily Ilda, who tries too hard to get into a villainous mindset. In the end, Midoriya uses his quick wits to get a victory for himself and Uraka, but he All For Ones (AFO? AF1? A41) his arm to shreds uppercutting a hole in several floors. I'm really hoping UA has a lot more battle simulation building.

And damn, Bakugo is such a shit. He has zero problems hitting his opponent in the back. He and Ilda probably had the best chance to win than any other duo, but he basically said, "I'm gonna kill Deku, and the rest will sort itself out."

ETA: The teaser for next week’s episode has Bakugo looking shocked, and another group of junior heroes doing the simulation . . . including the invisible girl.

Edited June 28, 2018 by Lantern7

[Lantern7]

Heads up: Toonami has moved the series to 11 p.m. after Dragon Ball Super.

Edited July 1, 2018 by Lantern7

[Sandman87]

Seems like "Kacchan" is on his way to becoming a villain. Dude needs to get over himself.

Bad guys in the stinger wonder what will happen when they kill the Big Hero. Anyone who's ever read a superhero comic could tell them that - Another hero will rise to take his place. Duh.

 

On 6/5/2018 at 10:13 AM, Lantern7 said:

You think anyone in the 20 percent fights crime?

Sounds like Hei's backstory from Darker than Black. I bet someone shows up eventually who does exactly that. Or maybe there's a non-super organization with that job.

[Matt K]

It seems like a few may become police officers.  I'd hope to see an Iron man or Batman like character eventually but the show doesn't seem all that interested in those types yet (especially as the focus is mostly on UA). 

 

So we're entering the final arc of season 1 (season 1 only had 12 episodes, the rest of the seasons are significantly longer).  I kind of wish we would have seen a few more of the student's training sessions but they'll get their turn eventually.

[Sandman87]

The class picks Izuku to be class representative, but he convinces them to pick Tenya instead after he demonstrates some leadership during a minor non-emergency.

The class heads offsite, to a place that could be named Disasterland, for some rescue training. During the bus ride, some members of the class are openly dissing Katsuki, which he's not used to at all. And once they get there, a bunch of bad guys show up.

[Lantern7]

Lesson learned from last week's episode: Ilda needs to get laid. The boy is one ball of neuroses, and I bet his distinguished older brother pats him on the head a lot. Because anime tropes.

Lessons learned this week: Mineta might be even less qualified to be a hero than Midoriya. All he wants to girls, and his Quirk basically involves releasing sticky balls from his body. By comparison, Tsuyu can't help but look better, even though she's basically "Frog Girl."

Anyway, the mass of villains storm USJ to kill All Might, but the Symbol for Peace doesn't know about the crisis. The kids get split up and are forced to fight the bad guys, along with Eraserhead and Thirteen. Midoriya tries his best to think through his situation alongside Tsuyu and Mineta, but he's forced to use One For All. I really hope his body adjusts to the strain soon. I'm good with the whole "I can't use this unless absolutely necessary!!" bit. It's the fingers dangling with the broken bones that's unnerving.

Oh, and the bad guy covered in hands? Creepy. I think the fact that they cling onto him like they're holding on makes it way more horrific.

[Sandman87]

"So what's your quirk?"

"I have balls on my head."

"You have balls..."

"And they're sticky."

"You have..."

"And I can pull them off.

"You..."

"And throw them at people."

"I'm sorry I asked."

Mineta isn't doing himself any favors with the costume that looks like it includes a big diaper. He must have something going for him though, since he made it through the exam.

I hereby designate the guy with the hands "Captain Facepalm". I'm guessing that he can make them fly around and do things at range.

18 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

By comparison, Tsuyu can't help but look better, even though she's basically "Frog Girl."

She's basically the Toad, but with some additional powers. Plus she seems more level-headed than a lot of her classmates, which is practically a separate quirk in itself. I expect that she's the designated utility hero for whatever team she's on, dealing with small stuff and covering the backs of the big guns.

[Lantern7]

In case you never got to see the full credits.

[Sandman87]

Midoriya is showing signs that, aside from super-duper powers, he's also inherited All Might's ability to inspire others to be heroic.

[Sandman87]

Everyone pulls together and somehow manages to barely thwart the bad guys and protect All Might's secret. A classic comic book type of ending. And Midoriya ends up in the infirmary with a broken everything, as usual.

The kid with the electric powers may have an even worse disadvantage than Midoriya's. Using his power makes him completely comatose for a significant length of time.

Seems kind of like cheating that the cowboy-hat instructor with the "S" on the hat basically defeats bad guys with powers that are the equivalent of a gun.

[Matt K]

Snipe (the gun guy) and Ectoplasm (the guy who creates ghost dups) along with Nezu (the talking animal) are some of my favorites. 

 

It looks like next week starts season 2.  This is probably my favorite arc of the series so far.  Also season 2 has one of the best ending sequence.

 

ETA: So we see the police showing up in the episode.  That seems to be one of the areas that people who's quirks aren't very useful (but still want to protect the city) would go,

Edited August 9, 2018 by Matt K

[Lantern7]

In case you didn't hear, there's going to be an MHA marathon on September 1.

And before tonight's episode . . . Tsuya might be Best Girl.

[Matt K]

So we get a half recap and half intro to the sports festival arc (which is my favorite arc).  The first episode of next season is also a recap.  I don't know how long the breaks are between seasons but it seems kind of silly to do a recap.

 

Also I was wrong about the end credits, the sequence I really liked is apparently in the second half of this season.

[Sandman87]

It occurs to me that I've been hearing a lot about the kids wanting to be "professional" heroes, but haven't heard about how that works exactly. Corporate sponsorship like in Tiger & Bunny? Government sponsorship? A big hero organization doling out paychecks like in One Punch Man? Celebrity heroes doing commercial endorsements? Bounties on bad guys? GoFundMe accounts for fans to donate to?

I like the notion that there may be a school for bad guys too.

[Lantern7]

Reminder: the series has been moved to 10 p.m., starting off the Toonami block.

Didnt rewatch last week’s episode. I was irritated that the first bit of the new opening credits involved stretching, but now I’m mildly amused by the appropriateness of it.

[Sandman87]

So now we're off to the Chunin Exams, starting with a free for all. Uh...the Sports Competition, I mean. Naturally, Katsuki endears himself to everyone involved by being his usual kind and respectful self.

[Lantern7]

Just wondering if anyone saw last week's episode. I love the resourcefulness of Midoriya . . . picks up a scrap of metal, lugs it around the track, sets off several land mines, and actually gets past two of his class's three alpha males (Ilda counts as one, right?), and gets the win. Of course, the next event has points based on how people did in the first event, so taking out Midoriya would net the biggest points total. Cut to our little green-haired hero looking shook.

Nice to see the other classes' best kids, including the steel kid who's basically like the "hardening" kid from 1A.

Toonami hasn't shortened the opening credits . . . but just in case they do . . .

[lathspel]

I’m really enjoying this show, including watching it with the kids.  (I’m really hoping Midnight is going over their heads though....)

Was there an ep this past weekend?  I.e. anything from the next event after the obstacle race.  It didn’t record for me at least.  

Also, at the end of the month, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is coming to movie theatres!  I’m looking forward to that as well. 

[Sandman87]

Yes, they chose teams and started the Cavalry Battle contest.

Wondering why Midnight was doing joint-loosening arm stretches while she was explaining the rules. It's not like she's actually doing anything other than talking. And speaking of talking, that announcer guy is getting on my last nerve.

[Sandman87]

Midoriya's team doesn't come in first again, but they manage to place 4th, which is enough to advance to the next round. Also, Midoriya manages to use his power without injuring himself.

[Lantern7]

Random thoughts about the Cavalry Battle.

1. "Midoriya, I am truly sorry. I would like nothing more than to escort you into battle. But I need to assert my status as one of the alpha males of this series. Anticipating this, I have delivered a fruit basket to your mother personally. It's not very big, because you can't pack money into these uniforms." I'm exaggerating, but can't you just imagine Ilda saying all that?

2. Awesome that Bakugo stays on character. "MUST . . . KILL . . . DEKU!!!" Kirishima: "And get his headband!" "MUST. . . KILL . . . DEKU!!!!!!" Then that one asshole rips off Bakugo's headband, brings up the time he got dominated by the sludge monster, then rips off his Quirk and blasts him point-blank in the face with it. Homeboy was asking for a painful death.

3. Why "Present Mic"? Is that a tech term in Japan? My first two choices would've been "Open Mike" or "Hot Mike," but those would have been problematic at best.

4. Are Cavalry Battles commonplace in Japan? Doesn't seem too feasible unless you have superpowers. Gotta love Menzou (the freaky tentacle guy) letting Mineta on his team so he could hide in an improvised shell. Tsuyu also fit in there. If he tried anything funny, I hope she gave him a tongue-lashing.

5. We get time with Tokoyami, who looks badass as a humanoid crow than can summon a shadow crow. Nice twist that it gets more powerful at night, but gets more uncontrollable.

6. Real talk . . . is it a little "off" that watching kids beat the snot out of each other has supplanted the Olympics? I know it's a proving ground for would-be heroes, but it's off-putting to watch scores of people cheer that on. Or maybe I'm thinking about this too hard.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Lantern7

[Sandman87]

13 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Are Cavalry Battles commonplace in Japan?

Yes, they're a thing there. It's called kibasen. You see it a lot in various high school slice-of-life anime shows.

[Sandman87]

The audio for this episode and the last one was apparently produced by a drunken 4-year old. I think I understood roughly 15% of what the announcer said. By which I mean 15% of the individual words.

[Lantern7]

In case you missed the first seven matches:

Midoriya (One-For-All) vs. Shinso (Brainwashing)

Midoriya: Why do you want to be a hero so bad?

Shinso: It's something you can't understand!

Midoriya: Right . . . you don't want to be a villain. Even though you look creepy. And you had people carrying you on the obstacle course. And you hypnotized three people into carrying you in the second round.

Shinso: I'm not saying I'm good at being a hero.

Sero (Tape) vs. Todoroki (Half-Cold, Half-Hot)

Sero: (to the cameras) I hope you're getting this on tape, cuz I got him in my tape!!!

Todoroki: Ice Age

Sero: (sighing) Well, it was a fun six seconds while it lasted.

[cue giant iceberg)

Todoroki: My apologies. I have issues with my father, and I need to stay mad when I face Midoriya. You understand, yes?

Sero: [whimpering] Grandma? But you died five years ago . . .

Kaminari (Electrification) vs. Shiozaki (Vines)

Kaminari: I know how to impress her . . . defeating her in one shot with the move that causes mental retardation for me!

[ten seconds later]

Shiozaki: You know, if I wasn't presenting myself as really nice, the vines would do more than wrap around you.

Kaminari: (drooling) Guh.

Present Mic: GOOD NEWS, FANS! I GOT WORD FROM RECOVERY GIRL THAT SERO'S TESTICLES HAVE DROPPED BACK INTO HIS SCROTUM! LETS GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!!!!

Recovery Girl: (thumbs-up sign)

Sero: (tries to kill himself by wrapping Tape around his neck)

Aizawa: (to Present Mic) I hate you so much, I can feel it in my balls.

Hatsume (Zoom) vs. Ilda (Engine)

[Hatsume brings herself to orgasm for ten minutes, presenting her "babies" to executives . . . and then she walks off like a champ]

Ilda: (distressed) I feel so used . . .

Ashido (Creation) vs. Tokoyami (Dark Shadow)

Ashido: I'm getting hit from all angles! But with my intelligence and ability to create anything I can understand, I can-

Midnight: OUT! Winner: Tokoyami!!!!

Ashido: I'm supposed to be mature, so I'm just going to stand here in total shock.

Tokoyami: (to Dark Shadow) Did you think that would be this easy?

Dark Shadow: (shrugs)

Aoyama (Naval Laser) vs. Ashido (Acid)

Aoyama: (firing his laser) Merci! Croissant! Tres bien!! Vidal Sasson!!!

Ashido: (dodging) You are worse than Polnareff! At least he was French! (throwing acid at Aoyama's laser belt)

Aoyama: Merde!!! (pants fall down)

Ashido: PINK ANT UPPERCUT!!!!

Aoyama: I need a new gimmick (passes out)

Kirishima (Hardening) vs. Tetsutetsu (Steel)

Tsuya: Hey. Frog girl here. If you missed this, don't worry. You know that really old episode of Pokemon, where Ash and the samurai kid have their Matepod fight, and they basically use Harden the entire time? Same deal here, only more exciting.

Minetta: Yeah, this was a snoozer. They went to a scene with Uraraka getting ready to face Bakugo. Mmmmmm . . . boobies in zero gravity . . .

Tsuya: Who said you could talk? (wrapping her tongue around Minetta's neck)

Edited October 12, 2018 by Lantern7

[lathspel]

I really liked that sequence where Midoria and Todoroki finish their fight.

I was afraid the deal with the hot water was going to be too much for my kids, but I think the show finessed it well. 

[Lantern7]

Got any media mentions of My Hero Academia you want to share? Bring 'em here! Examples:

MHA set for Hollywood movie adaptation (yeah, like that's gonna work out)

Comic book writer Scott Snyder's family goes Plus Ultra for Halloween

And here's a "So This Is Basically" video. I don't think there are major spoilers. I'm ashamed that I never thought of calling Midoriya "Small Might."

[Matt K]

This arc really exemplifies what I love about the show.  I love how Deku won the race by thinking smart, not just having a powerful ability. 

 

As for the fights, Mei Hatsume's "fight" against Iida is a favorite of mine.  I actually kind of ship Mei with Deku.  They both have the nerd out quality that makes them endearing to me.  Deku vs Shinso and Deku vs Todoroki does what the show does best with these fights, they use the fights to showcase the characters (and their personalities, goals, etc).  Uraraka vs Bakugo was another great fight.  I like how they took the expectation that Bakugo would trounce Uraraka and turned it around a bit to Bakugo only barely winning.

 

Another thing I like about this arc is Deku looses after two fights.  Worse shows would have had him win or at least loose the last match before the finals.  Here though he's out in round 2 (of 4).  It also lets us get to know some of the other characters a bit more.

[Sandman87]

Had to work late yesterday, so of course the time change screwed up the programming on the DVR, causing me to miss the latest episode. Grrrrr...

[Matt K]

So we get Bakugo vs Todaroki.  It's nice to see that Bakugo is actually a very intelligent fighter.  It's easy to forget since he's a dick and constantly berates Deku for being a nerd.

[Lantern7]

It felt like nobody won. Midoriya is still fucked up, and he and All Might have to fight another way to heal him now that Recovery Girl isn't going to do that. Todoroki wound up losing because he only used ice. Iida's brother got fucked up really bad (and it looks like I was wrong about an antagonistic relationship in that house). And Bakugo did what he said he'd do, but because Todoroki didn't use fire, it's a hollow victory. While Bakugo does seem to be more than a thug with a chip on his shoulder . . .  that is some big chip. And his base mood is "Everybody sucks compared to me and therefore has to die. ESPECIALLY DEKU!!!!!!!!!!"

[Matt K]

So this week they pick out hero names.  I kind of wish when "Alien Queen" didn't work she'd at least try Acid Queen.  Of course Bakugo goes with "King Explosion Murder".  Unsurprisingly he's the only one without an approved hero name.

 

Also we kind of meet Grand Torino who Deku with be interning with. 

[lathspel]

I really like “small might” :)

[Lantern7]

I'm done with sketches for the year. I wound up getting three MHA characters in my books: All Might, Todoroki, and Iida.

Where I'm here . . . are the characters holding up well for you guys? Here's a WatchMojo bit on the "Best Girls" of the anime. Oddly enough, I have no argument with the top spot.

Reminder: we get to meet Gran Torino tonight.

[Matt K]

So this arc has the ending that's easily my favorite of the series.  It has nothing to do with the plot but I love the D&D incarnation of the main characters.  Deku as the RPG hero, Iida as a knight, Uraraka as a mage and Bakugo as the barbarian.  Seems very fitting.  We also get to meet Best Jeanist who's a favorite of mine (he's the number 4 hero).  It's nice to see a character who's considered one of the best because he's worked so hard on his power to essentially take a pretty weak power and make it so strong.  Also this week Deku gets his big powerup as he can now use 5% of his power at will.  It's nice that Deku will be able to use his power and not hurt himself every time as that was getting pretty old.

[Lantern7]

Best Jeanist . . . is he the Denim Hero? While this anime digs into American superhero tropes, someone like that feels uniquely Japanese. Gran Torino looks to be a hoot, and not sadly as sad an old man on Toonami is Joseph Joestar. In a semi-related note, I saw a lot of MHA cosplay last weekend at Anime NYC. Here's a Gran Torino with Eraserhead. Cute, right?

Of course Mineta would be working under Mt. Lady, and of course she'd take advantage of him in a way he wouldn't really like.

Here are the new opening and closing credits. I couldn't find them on Funimation's account.

 

[Sandman87]

I think the Hero Killer looks like a refugee from Spawn.

[Sandman87]

Captain Facepalm and Stain aren't getting along, to the point where CF decides to rain on Stain's parade by unleashing a bunch of Nomu (literally translates as "brainless") in the city that he's currently working...just as Midoriya and Grandpa Torino are in the neighborhood and Iida confronts Stain. Talk about timing.

Edited December 4, 2018 by Sandman87

[Sandman87]

Midoriya and friends manage to subdue Stain, impressing everyone who shows up to help after the fight's over.

The more I see Captain Facepalm, the more I'm convinced that he's visited Hinamizawa. That would explain both the constant neck-scratching and his epic levels of crazy. Now he just needs to start bellowing "LIAR!" at people. Or maybe he's been smoking rock with the crackhead character from Chappelle's Show.