My Hero Academia Episode 33 Review: Listen up!! A Tale from the Past

It’s time for a bit of history in this week’s episode of My Hero Academia! A lot of you were probably looking forward to what All Might had to say, just like I did! Certainly, it was quite a revelation, and an additional source of pressure for our boy, Midoriya!

Japanese Original Episode Title: 知れ！昔の話

Plot

High school students are always so energetic, huh? More so for the heroic bunch in 1-A, since they all just got back from their internships, loaded with stories and new techniques. And if you have new tricks up your sleeves, then they should be put to the test! So, for their lesson, All Might asked his class to rescue him through a race. For Midoriya though, the test didn’t end with just that, because afterwards, his mentor told him the truth about their quirk!

Episode Highlights

Back to school: Carrying their experiences during their first internship, the young heroes are back to learning and having fun with their classmates! I’m quite happy that the first thing we saw in the classroom was laughter from Kirishima and Sero because of Bakugo’s hair that, fortunately, went back to normal, cause you gotta admit he looked really silly with that neat hairdo! Such enjoyable times like that reminded me that they’re still just children who need more nurturing and caring even though they’re the future protectors of peace. However, when they started talking about how Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki encountered Stain and got ‘saved’ by Endeavor, it also reminded me of the other side of things: that though they’re students, they’ve already got the responsibility as heroes in the face of danger.

Rescue Race: Who wishes they could see the outcome of the other groups’ races? Because I do! I’m all for the scene showing that Deku improved the most in his class, and I couldn’t be more proud of him! Now his skills and what he can do are clearer to his peers, so no one can look down on him anymore. But, I also wanted to see how the rest fared! Who else finished the race first in their groups aside from Sero?

Origin of One for All : ‘Eat this.’ Oh my goodness, I thought it was already funny in the manga, but seeing the scene animated and having Deku say the line with All Might’s voice was the best! In other news, finally, the light has been shed on Deku’s mysterious quirk that can be passed on to others voluntarily. The diversity of superpowers in this show is just really amazing, and now we know just how diverse it can be! To think that such an amazing ability was birthed from a nobody’s useless quirk and the evil schemes of his own brother! The quirk of the Symbol of Peace was because of the Symbol of Evil; truly ironic! However, it’s also fascinating to think that this quirk really is made for the ‘useless’ and quirkless, since its original wielder was one. Plus, it makes me think that it not only stockpiles power, but also the hopes of the previous generation of wielders. Now, it’s Midoriya’s turn. His predecessor All Might almost succeeded in defeating All for One, injuring himself gravely in the process. Will Deku be able to do what the ones before him could not? Or is the foe still too much for nine generations worth of power? Also, just what did All Might mean when he said he might no longer be by Deku’s side when the time for him to face the ultimate evil comes? Is his well-being that grave that he thinks he won’t live much longer, or…? Please don’t die All Might!!

The brain behind the league : And of course, the biggest bad guy was none other than Shigaraki’s mentor! To think that, just as All Might was cultivating Deku to be his successor as the Symbol of Peace, All for One was grooming Shigaraki to be the next Symbol of Evil! Not only that but, despite his grave injuries, with all the machines and tubes connected to him, he was still able to continue wreaking havoc on society by creating Nomus! He seemed so smug too, thinking that in his state or with his connections, he can ruin the peace All Might and the heroes are protecting. Just how powerful is he still? I’m sure someone as experienced as him isn’t all talk, right?

Themes & Trivia

‘One for all, all for one’: This phrase seems familiar, doesn’t it? It’s been used as early as 1618, but has become a popular phrase because it’s the motto of Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d’Artagnan, the protagonists of The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas. No matter the hardships they encountered, they stuck by each other as faithful friends and allies. But in My Hero Academia’s case, it’s, once again, ironic that the two quirks named after a quote about loyalty are at odds with each other.

Valentine’s in Japan: If you didn’t get the mental picture All Might gave about how to forcibly pass One for All to someone, then you should know about the two kinds of Valentine’s day chocolate! Honmei- choco is given by a girl to the boy they like, while giri-choco is an obligatory chocolate given to their male friends. The girl won’t give someone a giri-choco unless she wants to, so the boys can just wait and weep. Vice-versa, boys give chocolates to girls on White Day, which is a month after Valentine’s Day.

Comments

The contrast between the first and second half was immense, don’t you agree? The episode started very lighthearted, with Class 1-A having fun being students, just focusing on their own agendas. Then afterwards, Deku comes to know the truth of his quirk and the responsibility that comes with it! He’s still young, but he already has to carry a great burden. It would’ve gotten lighter when Deku saw All Might’s guidance and presence in his life as assurance, but then we’re told that he might not last for long! Ah, this show just loves to play around with our emotions with its amazing storytelling, leaving bits and pieces of information throughout the season that we have no choice but to collect and put together until everything makes sense. All the foreshadowing, all the reveals, bravo!

Enjoy the peaceful days

I can’t believe everything that the class had gone through so far has only been one whole semester! They’re having quite an eventful freshman year so far! Adding to that is the upcoming summer training camp that Aizawa announced! But first, tests. You’re still in school after all, boys and girls!

So, were you amazed at the history lesson in this episode? How do you think our kiddos will fare in their practical exams? Let’s hear it in the comments section! Our Summer 2017 reviews are worth checking out too, so go do that!

NEXT: Gear up for Final Exams（備えろ期末テスト）