My Hero Academia: All Might Returns

Key takeaways

  • Season 7 of My Hero Academia has raised the bar with impressive animation and storytelling.
  • All Might returns to remind everyone that he's still the #1 hero, showing his willpower.
  • The emotional Todoroki family arc ends in a powerful and unforgettable episode.



title

My Hero Academia Season 7

Director

Naomi Nakayama, Kenji Nagasaki (Chief Director)

Studio

the bones

Episode air date

9/21/2024

The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia, Episode 157, “I AM HERE”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

It's hard to put into words how impressive this season has been My Hero Academia It has been without sounding like a broken record, and there are still two weeks to raise the bar. Between the animation, the performances and the mounting scale of its climax, this season has gone above and beyond to deliver not just the best, but the best storytelling in the series' history.


Last week, All For One's regenerative ability, along with the rewind quirk, transformed his body into a young man and thus returned the villain to the height of his powers. But just as the previous episode was a symbolic rebirth for the central villain, episode 157 serves the same purpose for All Might, who is back to remind everyone that he is still #1, and always will be.

Here I am… again

Best Animation of the Season (So Far)

Right off the bat, a big round of applause is warranted for episode director Masayuki Otsuki and the entire animation staff. There have been a lot of impressive cuts this season and usually the artwork is already appreciated at the end, but this episode really held nothing back from start to finish. The dialogue scenes are also filled with extra flair for cinematography and line art – an early sign to the audience that this episode is going to rock, and it did. Let us not forget ourselves.


Yutaka Nakamura… And of course everything can happen, but one thing at a time. It has become synonymous with not just animator My Hero AcademiaPeaks of visual quality, but as usual of Studio Bones, and for a while, this season felt like his touch was lacking. His return this week was a homecoming worthy of thunderous applause, the sound of which could only be deafened by the sound of Iida's engine firing on all cylinders as he helped Todoroki reach Gunga Villa.

With the show's central trio being Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki, this moment felt particularly nostalgic for the early seasons, when Iida felt like a more prominent character. His teamwork with Todoroki evoked memories of when they and Deku fought Stan in season 2. The revelation that Stan was watching this very moment reinforced this old thing as a feature rather than just a side effect. An absolutely fascinating scene, advanced by one of the greatest animators alive.


All Might Isn't Done Fighting

Immediately following Iida and Todoroki's triumphant blast-off, the episode rides that high and aims to take it even higher. Eight years after the #1 hero loosened his grip on that title and passed the baton to the next generation, episode 157 shows that his continued role need not be limited to that of an observer. Here it is My Hero Academia It comes full circle in a profoundly profound way.

What has happened is, every hero is either in combat or out of commission and there are no more reinforcements to call, but all the might is still there. Seven seasons ago, it was Deku who asked him if it was possible to become a hero, without even a daze. After all, he has no reason to doubt the answer. With that, the teacher takes a page out of his greatest student's book as he stands under a gloomy sky, ready to face his strongest opponent.


All Might isn't like All For One in his prime, but he does add a strength of will not felt in the character since Season 3 when it looks like his career is well and truly over. His smile in this episode hits harder than any he's worn before, and you'll find that smile to be contagious. Even without seeing the fight or much less All Might's advanced suit, the sequence feels important.

Dabi's Dance: Prepare to Cry Edition

There have been many episodes that have attacked the heart this season, but very few have come close to the sheer emotional assault that is the latter half of this episode. With this masterstroke, My Hero Academia The story of the Todoroki family proves beyond a shadow of a doubt to be the best written arc in the series. Not everyone loves Endeavor and not everyone needs to – that was never the point.


It was about reckoning with trauma, grief and guilt. The fact that a large part of the fandom may find Endeavor unforgivable is why the continuation of this story to explore the lengths to which those sins go – and the toils required to atone – is so admirable. On top of that, it's very important that the entire family was there for that count, as the depth of this story is contingent on each family member's unique journey dealing with trauma.

Shoto saves the day

It wouldn't be complete without Shoto, whose arrival behind Iida is just as incredible as their departure, complete with Todoroki creating a jet of ice around them to make them aerodynamic. The animation is legendary, and the climax is powerful, but the anguish in the family's vocal delivery and aftermath is even better.


The tweet above about this episode calls it “generational,” and that's remarkably apt. This is the kind of episode that will be remembered in discussions of shonen anime for years to come. At least, it deserves to be. It's not just an example of what makes it My Hero Academia Very special, but that's what makes Studio Bones capable of such grandeur, and how no one else could make this show quite like them.

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