Deku Has Become One of the Coolest Heroes Ever!
My Hero Academia S6 Ep 21 Review
Okay, I remember the manga’s fight between Deku and Lady Nagant. It was one of the best fights in My Hero Academia, especially since it showed how much Midoriya’s grown since he first got his powers. However, I did not expect the anime to go that hard! This was on par with a fight you’d find between Batman and Spider-Man against their rogues’ gallery. Even cooler, Deku’s done something that only a few heroes are capable of pulling off. Like Superman, the Flash, and other great heroes, Deku’s now faster than a speeding bullet! He has ascended!!
Powers or Not, Don’t Mess with All Might
At the same time that Deku’s fighting Lady Nagant, All Might finds himself under attack from a group of villains working for her, and by extension, All for One. Thankfully, his vehicle’s built Batmobile-tough, meaning that it doesn’t go down so easily. In addition, the villain’s confidence wavers when they see they’re trying to kill All Might. They soon regain it once they remember the fact that All Might’s powerless now, though. That confidence proves fleeting, though, as All Might just looks them in the eyes and basically tells them “Step aside. Now.”
I loved this scene, because it demonstrates just how much of a hero All Might is. While there’s no denying that some of the greatest heroes also have some of the flashiest powers, it takes more than powers and big muscles to be a hero. It’s the will to help, one’s spirit, that makes one a true hero. And in this moment, as All Might uses the equivalent of Conquerer’s Haki, everyone gets chills down their spine. It only gets even better as we next shift to Deku.
Dark Deku vs. The Lovely Lady Nagant
Like I said, the fight between Deku and Lady Nagant is one of the best in the entire series. The animation’s next-level & seamlessly combines regular 2D with 3D. the atmosphere’s suitably dark and gritty to reflect the high stakes. And through it all, we see just how much Deku’s come into his own. He’s no longer the rookie student who risked hurting himself every time he used his powers. Now, he’s got almost full control over One for All, and it shows! He’s dodging, weaving, and moving all over the place as he uses everything he’s got to outwit Lady Nagant.
The best part, though, comes when Lady Nagant tries to trip Deku up by pretending to shoot at Overhaul. It’s a moment that’s meant to make him lose focus, so what does he do? I can’t put it into words, so just watch.
Holy cow. Deku became faster than a speeding bullet! That is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in a shonen anime! Horikoshi’s making him one of the best superheroes in all of fiction! I’m so glad we got to see this made into an anime.
Light Shines in the Darkness…Right?
Another big highlight of this episode is how we get to see Lady Nagant’s backstory, and how she went from an idealistic young girl wanting to do right to the jaded cynic we see. In essence, she was Hawks’ predecessor, doing black-ops missions and hunting and killing corrupt heroes and villains too dangerous to be allowed to live. As a result, she saw how gilded the hero society was, making her eventually snap and turn on her bosses. It’s gotten to the point where she thinks a Japan ruled by All for One would be better.
In spite of learning all of this, though, Deku refuses to let himself become bitter like Lady Nagant. In fact, seeing what she went through only makes him double down on his resolve to help the people who truly need it before they end up like Shigaraki. His good nature actually wins Lady Nagant over, but that victory proves bittersweet. Using the Quirk he gave her, All for One remotely detonates her body from within, almost killing her. She’ll make it, but seeing what she went through’s awoken a new emotion in Deku: wrath. Pure, unfiltered, wrath.
As cool as this arc’s been and shows how far he’s come, it’s called the “Dark Hero” arc for a reason. We see Deku at his lowest and most vulnerable, complete with the thousand-yard stare. Making matters worse is the preview for the next episode. At the end of every preview, Deku always says “Go beyond, plus ultra!” Instead, he just says “I’m fine, really.”
Deku’s not fine. He’s pushing himself to his breaking point, and he needs to rest before he destroys himself. I’m too worried to even end this review with that phrase, and I know it’s only going to get worse for Deku.
I Give “The Lovely Lady Nagant” a 4.5/5. Deku, Please Get Help.
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