Viewer Log: My Hero Academia ep 91

 Hero class tests are crazy.

Last time on My Hero Academia, the plot thickened around Endeavor, Hawks, and the League of Villains. Hawks is revealed to be working as a Mole for the Public Safety Commission to get intelligence on the League of Villains, to learn more about the Nomu. Endeavor recovered from his injuries, returned home, and was chewed out by his second son/third child Natsuo for being still being a crappy Dad even if he is trying to change. Izuku had a vision of the first One For All (OFA) user, who tried to stand up to his brother, the man known as All For One (AFO), despite his physical weakness and how OFA was first created. OFA talks to Izuku directly, saying that he wanted to show him more, but he’d only used 20% of the power thus far. He warned Izuku they’re past the “Singularity point” but not to be afraid because he’s not alone before Izuku wakes up. It was a heavy episode. Let’s get to it, shall we?

 

Another day, another secret meeting with his mentor.

After a quick recap of Izuku’s vision, we begin the episode proper with Izuku on a morning jog. He flashes back to Aoyama checking on him after hearing the noise, and him playing off the noise as nightmare. He remembers that the dream ended when he touched OFA’s hand, and in that moment saw the other holders before waking. It looks like the First, All Might’s master Nana Shimura, and three other unnamed holders clearly, All Might is wrapped in some kind of energy cocoon and two other holders are completely obscured. He meets with All Might and tells him about the dream. All Might confirms that he's also had these visions, as they were his main source of information and training after Nana’s death. She had told him that remnants of previous holders remain within the power, which is how he knew to trust the dreams. Izuku thinks that they wanted something from him, which surprises Izuku. All Might has a flashback to Nana telling him about the vestiges. She explains that each person who held AFO was a unique entity, with their own hopes and dreams, and they leave an imprint of themselves on the power. That the remnants are the emotions of those that used OFA are woven into the power.  Young All Might was a bit freaked out by this thought, but Nana looked at it with home. Like if she died, she might see her student again. Izuku wonders if the Singularity is the Quirk Doomsday Singularity. It’s an idea that as Quirks mix, mutate and evolve with each generation, that new, dangerous, and unstable powers would continue to crop up until they destroyed humanity. Case in point, Eri’s Quirk. All Might wonders if something Izuku did was the cause or something ese. Izuku explained about the two he couldn’t see clearly, and All Might being wrapped in light, but that doesn’t give them clues. On a cheerier note, Izuku and All Might agree his master was pretty.

 

These two are kind of weirdly perfect for a 
master/apprentice relationship.

All Might and Izuku head out, crossing paths with Aizawa. After All Might tries to claim there’s no favoritism or special treatment going on here, without Aizawa saying anything, Shinzo comes out of the office as well. Shinzo, in case you forgot, is the purple haired general studies student that Izuku fought in the first round of the sports festival. He can control people if they answer a question or statement, he makes toward them. Aizawa tells Izuku to go start warming up before he can ask more.

 

Later, we’re shown class 1A getting ready for their next big assessment. Izuku and his classmates are suited up, with many of the students sporting winterized versions of their costumes. Keep in mind, it’s like November or December of their first year. Izuku praises Bakugo’s suit, as he notes that the suit should make him sweat more which would help Bakugo’s blasts, which just pisses him off because Bakugo doesn’t take compliments well. Ojiro points out Izuku’s costume has changed the most, which makes Izuku go off about his new duds, specifically his air pressure attack gloves. Uraraka, listening, remembers her most recent encounter with Hatsume, the time the lab exploded, and she landed on Izuku in a… suggestive manner, blushes furiously and hits herself, saying “Bad thoughts!”

 

NGL, I'd watch a class 1B spinoff. If Monoma
was expelled.

Class 1B and that dick Monoma (copies a quirk for a limited time) arrive. He mouths off about how great class 1B is and suggests this’ll be the chance to see which class is best. There’s a rollcall for class 1B, but we’re skipping over that until the matches. It’s 17 or so students that you’ve seen before but have no other context for if you’ve been watching along. Monoma shows off a biased survey he took about the student’s cultural festival entries, 1A’s concert vs. 1B’s play where 1B won by two votes. He gloats loudly, and Kendo (grows her hands) goes to knock him out again, but Aizawa beats her to it and he shuts Monoma up with a scarf chokehold.

 

Vlad King joins up and explains that they’ll have a special guest for this exam. Aizawa explains that their guest is a general studies student that is interested in switching courses. Shinzo arrives. Students note that he’s wearing his over version of Aizawa’s capture scarf and some kind of mouth guard around his neck. The students remember Izuku being brainwashed at the Sports Festival and him breaking out. Izuku downplays how that situation played out, but then remembers that was the firsts time he’d seen the Vestiges of his predecessors and wonders if Shinzo caused it somehow. Aizawa asks Shinzo to say a few words. Shinzo flashes back to every damn time people assume he’ll use his Quirk for evil. He basically says he’s here to compete and not make friends. They give him a little golf clap and then get ready for combat training.

 

The training today will be a match between class 1A and 1B. Teams of four will face off against each other. When a 1B student points out that Shinzo makes it an odd number, the teachers explain that they’re will be two matches with a 5 v 4 set up, with Shinzo on 1A’s side for one and 1B’s for the other. Vlad points out that with Shinzo’s lack of experience, the 5-person team won’t have as much of an advantage as they might think. They’re going to have to capture and disarm their opponents and bring them to a special Mr. Nezu themed cage. When 4 members of a team are captured (ie, all except for the Shinzo matches) the match is over. Both sides are to treat the other as criminals they are capturing.

 

Lots are drawn, the first team is Kirishima (hardening), Todoroki (electric elemental), Koda (talks to animals), and Tsu (frog power); second Tokoyami (dark shadow), Hagakure (light refraction), Yaoyorozu (object creation) and Aoyama (naval laser); third Ojiro (big tail), Todoroki (fire and ice elemental), Shoji (extendable tentacle arms) and Iida (super speed); fourth Sato (superstrength when eating sugar), Sero (tape elbows), Jiro (extendable earlobe earphone jacks), and Bakugo; and final Mineta (sticky balls), Ashido (acid sprayer), Uraraka (anti-gravity via touch) and Izuku. Shinzo will be working with Class 1A in round one, and against in Round 5. Who’d have guessed? Everyone, everyone could have guessed he’d be fighting Izuku. Izuku digs out his journal and pen and prepares to take notes on Shinzo’s new skills. Each match will be 20 minutes, with the winner being whoever has captured the most players if the time elapses.

 

All Might and Midnight arrive to observe the test. All Might notes that 1A has more combat experience, but 1B has gotten better grades, so the match might be more even than people think. I for one feel like combat experience in a combat setting > book smarts, but what ya gonna do.

 

Furry appearance, greater intellect that his power would
suggest... this kid is literally Beast from X-Men.

The first Match starts, with Tsu using her new camouflage ability to scout around. They try to figure out a strategy for their opponents. They’re facing off against Jurota Shishida (shapeshifts into a beast mode), Hiryu Rin (grows scaled armor), Kosei Tsuburaba (Solidifies air), and Ibara Shiozaki (Vine hair).  They plan to try to take the strongest opponent out first, Shiozaki, and protect their strongest Kaminari. A pair of birds fly to Koda and let them know Shiozaki is by herself to the left. She’s using her vines to try to tack them. Before they can react, though, Shishida attacks, knocking Tsu and Kirishima in one blow each. 1B knew that if 1A had time to plan, things might get hairy for them, so they used Shiozaki as a decoy, and then Shishida tracked them down with his sense of smell. Tsuburaba is also riding on his back. He uses his power to trap Koda in a soundproof air box. Shinzo toys with his mouth guard thing, and in Tsuburaba’s voice tells Shishida to take them out. Shishida responds and then immediately freezes. Turns out, Shinzo’s actual voice isn’t necessary to control people. Interesting. We learn that the faceguard he’s wearing is called Persona-Cords just before the credits roll.

 

This was a good build up episode. Class 1A vs. 1B has been a match that I’d wanted to see since the Sports Festival. Its good to see more of them besides that overcompensating dick Monoma and Kendo with her huge hands. Having Izuku go last is a nice way to keep the tension up as the two classes face off and they inevitably get into a 2 wins 2 losses situation with Izuku vs. Shinzo as the deciding fight. What? Just because there is a formula to this doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see it play out. Also, good to see Shinzo again. He left an impression after facing off against Izuku and expositing about his desire to be a hero despite having a seemingly “evil” power. The addition of the scarf and an item that lets him use his power more actively were nice touches. Oh, and Uraraka still wrestling with her feelings for Izuku will always make me snicker. Again, it’s a bit cliché, but a funny cliché. The heightened mystery of Izuku’s power and the weird vision he had was a nice bit of world building, even though it seems like that plot is getting sidelined for the fights. It’ll be interesting to see if round 1 goes to 1A or B. We’ll see next time. Have a good night, everyone. 

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