Synopsis:
After successfully passing his Provisional Hero License exam, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya seeks out an extracurricular internship with a professional hero agency. At the recommendation of his mentor All Might, Midoriya lands a position under All Might’s former sidekick, Sir Nighteye, now a famous hero in his own right.
As Midoriya’s classmates further their own abilities through various internships, up-and-coming villain Kai Chisaki utilizes his terrifying powers to gather favor in the criminal underworld. Known by the moniker Overhaul, Chisaki’s ambitions collide with the League of Villains and its leader, Tomura Shigaraki.
Through his work with Sir Nighteye, Midoriya discovers Chisaki’s crime syndicate and the villain’s hostile relationship with a mysterious young girl named Eri. Fearing for the child’s safety, Midoriya and his upperclassman Mirio Toogata must work together to put an end to Chisaki’s reign of terror.
Yeahh this season was the one.
Shie Hassaikai arc
This arc starts off with my favorite op from the series to this point. Love everything about it. It also had me wondering early about something that was brought up in season 2. I believe then again this season. Which is the possibility of their being a traitor/spy among the U.A. staff and/or students. I have my suspicions about who that could be if there is one. But it’s fun to think about.
Continuing from last season, it’s time for work studies. I’ll say this season more than previous ones felt like it was chalked full of moments for more characters than just the usual. Which makes sense because this world is now in a post All-Might retiring world. Now more than ever, it’s time for heroes to rise up. So I very much enjoyed the moments every hero got during this arc. My favorite outside of Deku & Togata’s battles vs Overhaul, was definitely the spear and shield battle. This series has a great cast and I’m glad that they aren’t wasted and are given moments to shine and for us to learn more about them.
Speaking of a post All-Might world, a giant ghost of his past is brought to the forefront and a major theme of this season is destiny. Nighteye as a character is so great. An All-Might super fan who was once his sidekick, who saw his grim future. A future so grim it caused a rift between him and All-Might and it made him stop using his quirk to its fullest potential. It’s a sad story, but it makes for a great dynamic between him and the successor All-Might chose (Deku) and the one he believed he should’ve chosen (Togata). Him only taking on Midoriya to see him fail makes the climax and ending of this arc really powerful.
Speaking of powerful, Eri’s character is an emotional powerhouse. I felt every emotion Togata and Midoriya felt during this arc. That regret from their first meeting building into determination to save her no matter what. I loved Aizawa’s pep talk to Midoriya after the hero meeting. He was great at being a mentor this season. The tonal shift this season takes is pretty drastic. While there were still light-hearted moments after this arc. The seriousness and near helplessness of Eri’s rescue to me is a turning point in the series.
Overhaul vs. Togata and Deku were fights for the ages. Now look, this season of MHA was the last one I watched as it aired and somewhat the last time I was heavy into the Anime community as a large. In terms of per episode discussion. I saw all the complaints regarding the animation in the Overhaul vs. Togata fight. And I can almost agree with them. It was full of still shots and some of the sequencing felt weird. But, and I can’t stress this enough, while it would’ve been great to have out of this world animation for this fight. What we still got packed the emotional punch needed for this moment. Seeing Togata risk it all for Eri. Watching him shine so bright trying to pull this girl from the darkness. Every emotional beat was hit and even after the feels kept rolling with Nighteye’s injuries, which led to one of best moments in the series. Deku and Eri vs. Overhaul was amazing. Everything about it was fantastic. It was a treat to finally get to see Deku use 100% of his powers. All while Nighteye is amazed to see the future he saw be changed for the first time. Deku defeating Overhaul is, to me, the moment he becomes more than just a hero in the making, but also a symbol of change.
Nighteye’s death was heartbreaking. It almost brought a tear to my eye seeing him finally reunite with All-Might and also look into Togata’s future and reassure him that he’ll still become a great hero. For a character that was only introduced this season, his impact will be felt for the rest of the series.
To end it all off, Shiguraki’s revenge was so cool. I love that he is a growing as a villain. From the impudent child like persona he had back at the USJ to now the calculated game player who planted pieces behind the enemy lines and just waited for his time to strike. The most brutal thing is taking away Overhauls’ ability to use his quirk while still keeping him alive. I can’t state enough how much I loved the brutality of this moment and Shiguraki’s overall tactical-ness he showed in this arc.
Remedial Course arc
The League of villains stuff this arc will probably lead to some interesting stuff down the line with Kurogiri being captured and the reveal of a super strong All For One, subordinate that’s just been lying in wait. I can’t to see what comes of that.
I loved the remedial exam in concept. The world is changing and everyone can see it. And there’s more to being a hero than just defeating villains. You have to also save the hearts of people, which they had to do. Also I think for the second time the idea of a “quirk singularity” is brought up, which is a very interesting and potentially dangerous concept that’s floating around.
My favorite part about this arc though is Endeavor turning the tide. Akin to Bakugo in the U.A. Tournament, he won. He got the #1 spot, but not on the terms he wished for. Which has started to change him and make him question what and why he really strived for that goal in the first place. Asking all-might “what is a symbol?” Is a such a profound question and big turning point in his character. For me and maybe a lot of other people, this was the point where he started to become a favorite.
U.A School Festival Arc
I can always get down with a relaxing arc with more character stuff. This show knows how to use its varied cast in and out of serious moments/arcs, so it was fun to see that. Also, it’s always nice to see a public perception update on class 1-A. This is a festival for the entire school to shine, not just them, so after everything that’s happened it was very important it go off without a hitch. Especially considering that a secondary objective was to get Eri to smile, which is just so damn cute. It was noted that she still has darkness shrouding over her, so I love all the effort that goes into making her happy.
Gentle criminal was a fun villain with a relatable story. Just someone who wasn’t quite good enough who tried, made a mistake, and that one mistake spiralled to the life he lives now. Something that Midoriya acknowledges because that could’ve been him in another life. I really enjoyed his contribution to this arc more than I thought I would before I rewatched. Also, when he mentions the big villains at play, the along with the league of villains and one other, we get a first glance at the Meta Libertarian Army. Which I can’t wait to see more of and talk more about.
Pro Hero arc
This season ends on maybe the series’ best high note. The Pro hero arc is amazing. From the little moments of Eri being at U.A. and becoming more accustomed to her new life. To all for one. To the hero rankings and seeing some new and old faces. Hawks being the standout amongst them. His character design and charisma easily and instantly what made him a fan favorite. The icing on the cake for this amazing arc, though, is Endeavor’s moment.
With All-Might retired, the world needs a hero more than anything. It needs someone to fill those shoes and if it is to be Endeavor, then he needed a “I’m here, and I’m him moment.” And boy, did he get one. Endeavor versus the supped up Nomu is one of my favorite anime moments ever and up to this point, it may be my favorite moment in this series. Beating out all of All-Mights and Deku’s moments. It’s seriously so impactful and well animated. It really feels like the beginning of a new era, and the true full turning point for endeavor as a hero. It was an amazing end to this amazing season.
So yeah, My Hero continues its strong run of arcs with this season. The passing of the torch from both sides of the heroes and the villains has begun and I’m super excited to see what All for One and by proxy Shiguraki have planned as well as learning more about the Meta Liberation Army. Also the dream Midoriya has in post credit scene, can’t wait to see what comes of that. As it stands with this season though, it’s amazing as always.
My Hero Academia S4 – 10/10
