My Hero Academia Episode 16 Review: In Their Own Quirky Ways

This week’s My Hero Academia episode was so intense! I watched this with my younger brother, and we were both screaming, especially at the end of the first event! No wonder sports festivals are super enjoyable and amusing! You’ll totally never expect how things will end up!

Japanese Original Episode Title: みんな個性的でいいね

Plot

You can’t help but be proud of all these kids! Each of them had to use different tactics just to get past all those risky and time-consuming obstacles! However, even though they’re only first-years, you could already see how adept and quick-witted they were in using their quirks! Especially the students of Class 1-A, when it came to experience, because of the whole brouhaha at USJ they got a head start! A few students outside of 1-A shined as well, like Tetsutetsu who had a quirk similar to Kirishima, and the girl in the support course! But just as everyone was scrambling on to the finish line, with some having to fight others to get ahead of them, Deku caused quite the explosion, literally! And even after the first event ended, everyone’s eyes were still on him, because the next event seemed just as explosive!

Episode Highlights

In the spotlight: I know flashy quirks can definitely catch people’s eyes, but you also need to be able to use them properly! A lot of students were highlighted this time because they surprised everyone with what they can do! Todoroki was able to gain attention because not only was he in the lead for the most of the obstacle race but a lot could see that he was very adept and quick on his feet. Some people also know that he’s the son of the hero second only to All Might! No wonder they had their eyes on him! Another example was the support course girl with the pink hair and goggles. She was incredibly flashy as well! Sure, she was yelling while traversing through ‘The Fall’ and that’s a good way to get people’s attention, but her self-made gadgets were cool and handy! Plus, she had quite the confidence in using them, not worrying if they’d fail and make her fall in a ditch!

Deku’s true talent: What about our protagonist, though? How did he shine in the first game? He wasn’t able to use his quirk even once, after all! Well, his true potential was clearly seen here: his cleverness! I know that it really was fortunate that he saw that piece of metal, but other people would’ve just ignored it and would have used their quirks! But for someone who lived most of his life quirkless, he relied on his intelligence to solve his problems, and that’s his advantage against the majority! He could easily think outside the box; where the others tried avoiding the landmines, he deliberately clumped them together and set them off, making him literally and figuratively shine! Yes, he did get the idea from Kacchan, once again, but normally no one would think of other people’s ideas since they’re used to doing their own thing! Meanwhile, Deku was used to observing other heroes and their techniques and it came in handy and it allowed him to win! Seeing All Might look so proud of him was such a delightful moment!

Next game: I guess winning first place in the obstacle course isn’t that great a blessing, as Deku found out. Now he’s going to end up being targeted by all of the participants since he’s got a huge bounty on his head! The real rumble starts in the second event, and those he pissed off by winning will definitely get their revenge this time! Hope you don’t rest in pieces, Deku!

Themes & Trivia

Make use of what you have: You can easily see a lot of people envying other people’s talents, position, fame, and the like. And while this is common because we’re human and we’re never satisfied, we need to remember that we have things only we can make use of! There are things that only we can do! So, instead of being jealous or even trying to drag other people down because they have what you don’t, try to figure out the things you’re good at! There are definitely tons of things, even if you’re not necessarily the best at them! Just as Deku, quirkless as he was before, still relied on his normal abilities (albeit it needed observing other people), and the others relied on their quirks, do your best to rely on what you’ve got! Surely, no one can make use of what you have better than yourself!

Competitiveness: Everybody can agree that friends are important in our lives, right? As much as possible, we try not to pick a fight with them. However, having a friendly competition with them is a-okay, and pretty healthy in my opinion! It helps everyone push past their limits and aim higher! If we’re going to let ourselves be stuck in the back burner just to make our friends shine, then it’d be a huge disservice to them, and yourself! Try to think about your own goals as well and reach for the stars! Do keep yourself in check, though, as sometimes we get too carried away and end up picking a fight with them for real due to jealousy. Encourage one another and congratulate your friends on their achievements!

Comments

It is a much more enjoyable ride when your favorite manga series gets animated. Especially when it’s being animated by a reliable studio! Not that reading the manga itself isn’t amazing, but how cool it is to enjoy the ride twice, and see your favorite scenes moving! I’ve already read this part in the manga, but the hype was greater now that I saw the action scenes clearly! I was at the edge of my seat once again since every minute was so thrilling! My Hero Academia certainly knows how to bring excitement to every episode!

Time to call the cavalry!

What will happen now that everyone’s out to get Deku, who can’t even control his quirk yet? The preview at the end didn’t seem too good either since it looks like no one would want to be on his team! Any thoughts or predictions? Share them below! No spoilers from the manga fans, though!

Also, our Spring 2017 reviews are rolling in one by one, so please do check them out!

NEXT: Strategy, Strategy, Strategy