My Hero Academia Episode 43 Review: Drive it home, Iron Fist!

The villains’ attack on the summer training camp continues in this week’s episode of My Hero Academia, and everything’s just so intense! You better hold on to your seats again this week, guys! Try to remember what’s happening to who, as well, because there’s just a lot going on! But don’t worry, the episode’s written very well, so you won’t be confused!

Japanese Original Episode Title: ブチ込む鉄拳!!!

Plot

Everyone’s got their own battles to face! Aizawa survived Dabi’s ambush, but still had to make some serious decisions in order to protect his students, while Tetsutetsu and Kendo went head to head with the source of the gas! Even Midoriya jumped from one agenda to the next, as after he defeated Muscular, he immediately headed on to report what he’d found out, then rushed to assist in defending Bakugo from the enemies! However, on the way there, he met with something just as dire!

Episode Highlights

Aizawa vs. Dabi: Whew! I thought Aizawa was literally toast when Dabi suddenly attacked him, but like the villain said, Eraserhead is a pro hero! Then again, maybe that’s exactly why he decided to send in a clone instead of fighting him himself, huh? Maybe it’s also because, aside from admitting to Twice that he really is weak, his other goal was to provoke Aizawa about his students and create a diversion! Dabi may have succeeded on that end, but it just made me like Aizawa even more, with his quick response and readiness to face the consequences if it would keep his students safe!

Deku’s heroism: Aizawa looking worriedly at Deku was such a big mood… We saw last week that he really needed to break [an arm] to defeat Muscular, but someday I fear he’ll kill himself over his intense heroism! At the same time, I’m also so proud of him! His strength of will, matched with the endorphin rush he was feeling, allowed him to continue being useful, which was highly important since he was the only one who knew the villain’s target! Who else also found it neat that his ‘real’ heroism saved him again, in some way? Because Spinner had his priorities straightened out as Stain’s faithful follower, he didn’t want Deku killed, though Shigaraki told them to! Kota really better thank Midoriya well after all this!

Announcements: I loved, loved, loved the part where Mandalay gave the students the go signal to engage the villains! You could totally sense the urgency of the situation! More so when we were told that allowing the students to fight back could have serious consequences on Aizawa as a teacher and hero! Sure, I get the point; letting inexperienced teens fight is dangerous. However, they already are in grave danger, and they’ll die if they don’t defend themselves! I hope the higher-ups think of that as well! Another thing I loved was Mandalay’s warning signal for Bakugo, because it was so appropriate! ‘Don’t act on your own’ might be what you’d normally tell someone who’s being targeted. But it was just so spot on since Kacchan really does tend to act on his own! Maybe that’s why he immediately thought Deku was behind it. Aside from using his nickname, Mandalay’s instructions seemed like it came from someone who knew him so well! It’s just a good thing the calm Todoroki’s the one with him!

Tetsutetsu/Kendo vs. Mustard: If it’s great that Bakugo has Todoroki, then I’m also glad Tetsutetsu has Kendo! Such a smart girl! She was able to quickly determine the nature of the gas and the location of who was behind it! And thanks to her big hands, the gas that helped Mustard sense their movements thinned out, so Tetsutetsu managed to knock him out by surprise! They were in such a pinch though, which made their time to shine even more amazing! Mustard was constantly looking down on Tetsutetsu for having a one-track mind, but it was because of his willpower that he was able to keep hanging in there! But yeah, it’s really better that Kendo was there with him to be the brains to his brawns.

vs…Tokoyami? Oh noooo!! Instead of his quirk being more helpful since they’re in the dark, it just made Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow become another hurdle to deal with! He didn’t look like he was in a good position himself; he looked like he was in a lot of pain! That shot where he was telling them to stay away was so intense!!! I felt so bad for him, and even for Shoji who lost one of his hands! Yet, Shoji still managed to be worried about Midoriya! I’m loving these kids and their camaraderie even more! Now, who bets Shoji’s hand will still grow back?

Themes & Trivia

Endorphin: This is the reason why Midoriya’s still able to move despite sustaining a lot of damage because endorphins are chemicals that reduce the perception of pain. They’re like our bodies’ painkillers or morphine. However, as Aizawa mentioned, once Deku calms down, he won’t be able to move at all because he’ll definitely start feeling that horrific pain!

Mustard Gas: No, the young villain Tetsutetsu and Kendo fought isn’t named after a condiment, but after a dangerous chemical. Also called sulfur mustard, this is used in chemical warfare and was first reported in World War I. While it was also used to cure a skin condition called psoriasis, it no longer has any medical use today. This kind of agent causes blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact.

Comments

I was so caught up with all that happened that it made this episode just flash by so fast! But it was by no means unfulfilling! All the fights, the discussions, and the events were like a full-course meal that made me want to gobble it up quickly, then left me feeling satisfied at the end! However, that cliffhanger still got me wanting more of it! I really love this show, the way it’s written and animated!

Turmoil in the dark!

From the preview, it seems like Midoriya has to make a choice between two of his friends! Will he prioritize Tokoyami, the one in front of him? Or will he ignore him to save the target of the villains, Bakugo?

Comments! Comments! Share them in the comments section! Also, if you’re looking for more series to watch, let our Spring 2018 reviews help you choose!

NEXT: Roaring Upheaval (がなる風雲急)