The first phase of the U.A. Sports Festival concludes in explosive fashion.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
After setting the stage and building the tension in its first two episodes, My Hero Academia's second season is now firing on all cylinders as "In Their Own Quirky Ways" serves up a non-stop thrill ride that wraps up the first stage of the U.A. Sports Festival in glorious fashion.
My Hero Academia is at its best when it seamlessly blends explosive action and character development, and "In Their Own Quirky Ways" delivers that in spades. Amidst the stunningly animated race through the obstacle course, we gain a bit more insight into the pressures put on Todoroki to be the best, with the revelation that he's the son of the Flame Hero, Endeavor, who ranks right behind All Might as the world's second greatest hero.
The three-way rivalry between Todoroki, Bakugo and Deku to all be number one was on full display in "In Their Own Quirky Ways." The tension was palpable as Bakugo used his explosive quirk to gain ground on Todoroki as they raced their way through the minefield portion of the obstacle course. The prideful arrogance fueling Bakugo and the family pressures motivating Todoroki made for an intense showdown between two of U.A. High's most athletic and naturally talented students.
Deku blasting his way to first place
However, even more incredible was Deku's strategic use of the landmines to blast his way to first place. Since Deku still doesn't have complete control over the Quirk he inherited from All Might, he's opted to save One For All for use later in the competition. I loved the inclusion of this limitation because it placed Deku back in the position of underdog, harkening back to the days when he carried around his "Hero Notebook" and studied the heroic ways of those he looked up to. Deku's clever use of the robot scrap metal was an excellent reminder of just how resourceful can be, thanks to his years of diligent studying. This culminated in my favorite moment of "In Their Own Quirky Ways," where we see Deku's humble reaction to coming in first place. Instead of giving himself a pat on the back or gloating with pride, Deku remained selfless and chalked it all up to luck.
"In Their Own Quirky Ways" also had no shortage of perfectly placed humor that reinforced the wildly diverse and interesting personalities of the students at U.A. High. I especially enjoyed Iida's goofy maneuver across a tightrope to clear the obstacle course's large chasm. After expressing his desire to look cool in the event his older brother was watching, we see him goofily glide across the rope while the announcer exclaims, "That's so uncool!" Mineta also gets a brief, but equally hilarious moment, when we discover he was able to clear the course by using his purple balls to stick to the back of Yaoyorozu.
Mineta clinging to the back of Yaoyorozu
Upon completion of the obstacle course, the 42 students who make it on to the next round are informed that they'll be competing against one another in a calvary battle. I can't wait to see how this next phase of the U.A. Sports Festival plays out in light of the fact that each of the participants have been assigned a point value based on how well they performed in the first round. While defeating the 42nd place participant will get you a mere five points, the point value for taking down Deku is a whopping ten million. With such a large target on his back, will anyone want to team up with Deku? Seeing Deku's horror-stricken face as the reality of his situation washed over him was a brilliant way to conclude the episode, as it left me on the edge of my seat in anticipation to see how it all unfolds.
The Verdict
Thanks to a seamless blend of fast paced action and intriguing character development, "In Their Own Quirky Ways" delivers a thrilling conclusion to the first phase of the U.A. Sports Festival that provides a bit more insight into Todoroki's backstory and reminds us just how selfless Deku can be. I look forward to seeing how Deku takes on the cavalry battle as the humble hero-in-training heads into the festival's second phase with a massive target on his back.
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