Category: My Hero Academia

Quirks: One Even Once!

Well, one is okay. The problem with Spinner is All For One giving him two quirks. Including his originial Gecko, Body Bulk and Scalemail gives Spinner three quirks. That’s not good, Y’all. Too many quirks inhabiting one body can mess you up unless you have the body and/or a special quirk (ex. One For All or All For One) to handle them. Spinner has neither.

I feel bad for Spinner. I consider him currently the most sympathetic League of Villains member, joining the malevolent group to make the world better for all heteromorphs. And now that he’s finally back on track to do something about it, AFO takes away his ability to think, to choose his own path. Tragic.

It’s also kinda lazy. Spinner and other heteromorphs have a valid point about being treated as less than human. But instead of showing both sides in a complicated gray way, Spinner’s a hulking blood-lusted monster needing to be put down by a hero. Spinner, bad. Shoji, good. Get it? Got it? Good. And also boring.

Can Horikoshi address discrimination in a mature and respectable way without having the conclusion feel like a copout?

I doubt it. But don’t get me wrong. I WANT Horikoshi to get this right. Heteromorph discrimination in the My Hero world has popped up several times and every time it left me wanting more. From the racist group (Creature Rejection Clan) the League of Villains killed to Deku not directly addressing a mob trying to kill a heteromoph (Giant Fox Woman) simply because of her looks, I’ve wanted more scenes focused on this issue. Unfortunately, I’m let down almost every time.

Let me back up a bit. I loved the LoV fighting the Creature Rejection Clan, but looking back, it was a total copout. Horikoshi didn’t address the discrimination issue. It was simply used to show the League killing people the audience wouldn’t feel bad about dying.

And Deku… I will never get over the main character of My Hero Academia not giving those mob meatheads a verbal dressing down for assaulting someone based on their looks.

What an epic(?) fight!

I guess it is. Horikoshi’s battle scenes can get muddy. This is one of them. So, basically, Deku’s using the Second User’s quirk: Gearshift to change his inertia instantly. It’s a speed boost quirk with benefits. Not flashy looking here, but it gets the job done. I bet this entire battle will look amazing in the anime.

Gonna need an explanation, Horikoshi.

Did the Second’s quirk, Transmission, slow down All For Shiggy or speed up Deku? Or is it both? At first I thought Deku teleported, but maybe that’s just from Shiggy’s slowed perspective. In any case, it’s an interesting power. But why the five-minute limit? You darn shonens and your five-minute power limits. Yeah, it raises the tension, but since time is relative in comics, “five-minutes” can be as long as the author wants it to be. I’m on to you, Shonen Jump! Can’t fool me anymore.

He’s here. He has gear. Get used to it!

I’m sitting here trying my best not to complain about how this entire chapter could’ve been condensed into half as many pages. Seriously, what happened? Deku arrived at U.A., All For Shigaraki taunted him, and Mirio calmed him down. That’s it. I’m so over this fight. And it’s supposed to be the biggest, most important battle in the series! Oh, well. At least the art’s good.

Deku’s back! …Now what?

We have a lot to talk about. Sike! No, we don’t. Shigaraki took every hero down one by one until Deku arrived. That’s it. Oh! And Mirio’s got a fat ass. How fat? Like DC Comic’s Nightwing fat? Which heroic posterior’s bigger? Let’s discuss.

What is even happening??

You know what? I’m getting sick and tired of all the pro-heroes who appeared in My Hero Vigilantes dying and/or getting disfigured. Endeavor, Mirko, Ingenium, Eraserhead, Best Jeanist (fake died), Sir Nighteye, Midnight, All Might (Technically is gone.), and Mirko. Who’s next? Fat Gum? Burnin? And, yes, I know I said Mirko twice. It’s because she’s lost her other arm in this chapter. Yeesh!

Something’s affecting All For Shiggy’s perfect body. Did Bakugo’s attack mess him up more than he thought, or is it more psychological? Is “Tenko” at work here? Who knows? I sure don’t. Let me be honest here: I don’t like Deku wanting to “save” Shigaraki. It get it’s one of My Hero’s themes but I feel Shigaraki’s caused way too much death and destruction for that to even be an option anymore. Yes, he was groomed by All For One and yes, he’s also a victim of that monster. But, again, he’s gone past the point of no return. Just like AFO should be put down for good, so should Shigaraki.

Horikoshi doesn’t agree.

Horikoshi does it again. And not in a good way.

Crust. Star And Stripe. And, now, Edgeshot. Horikoshi just can’t stop killing heroes before they’re properly developed. Sure, Edgeshot’s been around, but did you know he was good friends with Best Jeanist since high school until this chapter? Did the two ever reference their past or joke/talk in a way showing they’re lifelong pals? Nope. It’s just thrown in at the last second. And poor Midnight had some development, but what did that get her? Off-screened killed. Yeah, I haven’t forgotten. Why are you so against giving pro heroes their proper due, Horikoshi? I-I just don’t get it.

All For One brought sexy back. You other villains don’t know how to act.

All For One’s healed?! Uh-oh! Either he’s got the world’s most talented plastic surgeon on his side or that needle we last saw him with contained Eri’s blood. Is this the final payoff to Tomura stealing Overhaul’s research? Looks like it. But instead of manufacturing quirk erasing weapons, the yummy Overlord of Evil used it to recover from All Might’s attack. Smart.

What does this mean for the injured Endeavor, Hawks and everyone else and Gunga Villa ruins? Well, they’re screwed! At least they are without backup. Um…Skycrawler? You comin’ or what?

So… is he dead or not?

Is Katsuki Bakugo truly dead? Horikoshi sure wants us to think that. Most of the chapter was dedicated to giving Dynamight a heroic end. Hori even showed Bakugo’s heart getting stabbed. Hmm… This is a toughie. The only way I see Bakugo getting saved is Eri, but she’s not there. Now, could someone have developed a tweaked version of Overhaul’s quirk erasure formula? One that could rewind someone back a minute or so? That’s the only thing I can come up with and it’s one heck of a Hail Mary.