Writing About All Things Pop Culture
I know that Christmas in the Summertime is a thing, but I completely forgot the fact that the world of My Hero Academia has reached the Christmas season. It’s weird to see the anime celebrate the holiday when we’re about to head into Summer, but beggars can’t be choosers. Besides, those who’ve read the manga know that this is going to be one of the last happy moments that the young heroes will have for a long time.
It goes without saying that Dave Filoni’s just as big a fanboy about Star Wars as the rest of the fans. He wears his love for the franchise on his sleeve in everything he works on. However, as seen in The Mandalorian, Filoni’s also a big fan of old western movies. So, with The Bad Batch reaching the turning point in the series, it makes sense that Filoni pays homage to his other great love. And he does it in by bringing back another character from The Clone Wars. A character that may rightfully be considered the Clint Eastwood of the franchise.
Remember the Season One episode “Understanding Willow,” and how it confirmed that Amity Blight has the worst parents on the Boiling Isles? It was at that moment that the fandom wanted nothing more than to tell Mr. and Mrs. Blight where to shove it. Then everyone went bonkers over Lumity, and the thing with Emperor Belos, and Amity’s awful parents were forgotten. However, that changes this week as Mr. and Mrs. Blight threaten to tear Amity away from her friends forever.
Emotions can be a very powerful tool. When one learns to channel their emotions properly, they can find themselves achieving things that would otherwise be impossible. If you’re a Shonen protagonist, strong emotions can lead to unlocking a new level of power, and thus, beating the snot out of villains. However, they can also impede one’s progress. In this case, Shura and the Oceans 6 start using the heroes emotions against them.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a momentous day for My Hero Academia! Today marks the release of the show’s 100th episode!
Dana Terrace, you are a lifesaver! Just when the second season of Amphibia ended with the episode that rocked the Internet, The Owl House geared up for it’s second season. “Separate Tides” sees us deal with the new status quo. And my God, is it good!
So, the Battle of Onigashima’s been filled with a lot of twists and turns. Despite being outnumbered 6 to 1, the Alliance has done well against the Yonko. In addition, despite attempts to break them, the Alliance remains as defiant as ever. And while Kaido and Big Mom believe Luffy to be dead, they have no idea that he’s getting ready for the next round. This week, though, sees two unlikely heroes help to turn the tide of the battle. This week, Zeus and Otama are coming in clutch!
Every war leaves its battle scars on those who fought it. But as bad as physical battle scars can seem, they may pale in comparison to the ones inside the mind. They psychological scars can haunt a person, even years after the war ended. In this week’s episode of The Bad Batch, “Battle Scars”, we see the squad and an old friend face the legacy of the Clone Wars head in a fight to save Wrecker.
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Shura is an absolute monster right now. He may end up changing for the better in the future of Edens Zero, but right now, he’s an absolute monster. He treats his followers like garbage, plans to commit machine genocide, and has decided to do everything in his power to break Shiki. This week, things for Shiki go from bad to worse, as Shura ups the ante. And threatens the lives of the Shining Stars in the process.
When we last left off in One Piece, things didn’t look so good for the Alliance. Kaido told everyone that he’d beaten Luffy and dropped his body into the sea. As a result, most of the Alliance began to lose heart. However, the Straw Hat Pirates knew better. No matter how many times he gets beaten into the ground, Luffy comes back for the next round. And when he does, he pulls off miracles. Now, the Alliance has to put its faith that another one of Luffy’s miracles will occur as they collectively spit in Kaido’s face.
Do you guys know who Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, cited as a major influence when he created Izuku Midoriya. None other than the wall-crawler himself, Spider-Man. And it really shows; both start out as these nerdy kids that people look down on, only to become this incredibly inspiring heroes. However, the Spider-Man inspiration just kicked things up a notch. In the Last episode, we saw Deku suddenly manifest a new Quirk, courtesy of One For All’s ability to stockpile and pass on the Quirks of previous users. As a result, Deku’s got an even bigger arsenal of powers to draw from. As the fifth match of the Joint Training Session reaches its climax, though, he has to learn to control his powers, and fast!
Say what you will about the Battle Droids, and there’s a lot to say about them. They’re clumsy, idiotic, and for the better part of twenty years, they’ve served as comic relief/cannon fodder in Star Wars. However, it’s because they’re usually so inept that the Battle Droids remain some of my favorite characters in Star Wars. When the Clone Wars ended, though, the vast majority of them got shut down. Some got reactivated or repurposed in the decades that followed, but the rest just dropped off the face of the Galaxy. Which begs the question: what did the Empire do with all the Battle Droids? We finally get to see what happened onscreen in the new episode of The Bad Batch.
Super Saiyan, Tailed Beast Mode, Dragon Force, Second Gear, Overdrive. It seems like a prerequisite for a lot of Shonen manga to give the heroes some sort of super-powered form. Edens Zero established one some time ago in the form of Overdrive, and Shiki’s already attained it. However, this chapter of Edens Zero sees another hero reach that status. Amidst her fight against the first of the Ocean’s 6, Homura awakens Overdrive, and her inner fox spirit!
At this point, I think that we should be expecting for Eichiro Oda to take breaks in between chapters of One Piece. It may be a drag, but not even his work is worth sacrificing his physical and mental health. In addition, these breaks help to build up suspense whenever we get an important chapter. For example, last chapter ended with LUFFY BEING THROWN OFF OF ONIGASHIMA BY KAIDO!!! WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED!?!? Sadly, we don’t know how Kaido beat Luffy for the second time, but that doesn’t make this chapter any less important. For a variety of reasons.
As the fifth and final match of the joint training session begins, the problems that Deku’s been having with One for All come to the forefront. Then, suddenly, a strange, new power begins to emerge from within him! What could this end up meaning?
Rancors. Fans of Star Wars will remember them as the giant, hulking beast that tried to eat Luke in Return of the Jedi. However, that was merely one example of these magnificent and deadly creatures. In the expanded lore of the franchise, the Rancor has been used from everything from loyal pet to beast of war. But did you know that when they’re young, they look absolutely adorable? I didn’t, but after the newest episode of The Bad Batch, I am now a fan of the Rancor!