Todoroki awakens his full potential.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
To say my expectations were high going into "Shoto Todoroki: Origin" would be an understatement. Season 2 has been building up to Deku's fight against Todoroki ever since the Sports Festival began, raising the bar to what I feared was unachievable heights. However, thanks to the brilliantly delivered backstory of Todoroki, coupled with Deku's selfless actions to help his friend break free from the shackles of his past, "Shoto Todoroki: Origin" surpassed my lofty expectations and now stands as My Hero Academia's finest episode and quite possibly the best 24 minutes of television I've seen all year.
Todoroki's acceptance of the entirety of himself, and Deku's aid in getting him to that point of realization, is unquestionably the strongest aspect of this episode. Despite it being out of a desire to rebel against his abusive father, Todoroki's rejection of his flame Quirk is destroying him, both emotionally and physically. I love the way this is illustrated in their fight, as Todoroki's unwillingness to use his fiery half results in his body starting to freeze over.
In an effort to reject his father, Todoroki was actually rejecting half of himself. Deku, well aware of this fact, helps Todoroki realize he is not Endeavor and how embracing the Quirk he inherited from his father doesn't mean he will become the abusive man that raised him. While Torodoki labels his fire quirk as "my old man's power," Deku challenges that notion by delivering an incredibly impactful line that cut right to the heart of the matter, saying, "It's your power, isn't it?"
While Season 2 has already done an excellent job at making me sympathize for Todoroki, "Shoto Todoroki: Origin" takes it to a whole new level. The harrowing flashback scenes where we get a horrifying glimpse at the emotional and physical damage Endeavor has inflicted upon his family were brilliantly executed. My heart broke for young Todoroki when his father interrupted his son's longing gaze to drag him away from his siblings while they laughed and played, telling him they live in a different world than his own. Having the opportunity to see his not-yet-scarred face knowing what was to come, made these brief glimpses into Todoroki's past all the more tense and emotional, and when that fateful moment finally does arrive, it's every bit as impactful as I could have expected.
The desperate and crazed look on Todoroki's mother's face as she stood over the kettle of boiling water she would ultimately pour on Todoroki's face is an image I won't soon forget. That sequence, which is expertly placed between Deku's passionate pleas with his friend to accept his fiery half, is an incredible encapsulation of the horrors of domestic abuse and the ripple effect it has throughout a family and one's life. Even Todoroki's mother, who clearly loves her son and assured him that it was okay for him to pursue his dreams of becoming a hero, buckled under the weight of her husband's abuse.
Amidst all of this incredible character development is what is quite possibly the greatest fight My Hero Academia has had yet. Despite kicking off immediately, only to conclude at the very end of the episode, Deku's showdown against Todoroki seemed to go by in a flash. The pacing is excellent, thanks in large part to the aforementioned flashbacks and handful of cuts to Deku's classmates—where we get deeper glimpse into the insightful, albeit merciless mind of Bakugo—that were carefully placed all throughout the battle.
The rock solid art direction and animation made for a beautifully brutal fight that did an excellent job at capturing the emotional weight of each moment. We finally get to see All For One back in action, and the wait was well worth it. Since Deku still doesn't have complete control over his Quirk, every use of it during this battle came at a physical cost to his body. Watching Deku shatter each finger on his hand, one after another, to emit a massive blast to fend off Todoroki's unrelenting ice attacks was nerve-wracking. From the close-up shots of Deku's bloodied and mangled hand to his half-frozen hobble with a shattered arm encased in ice, the destruction Deku was willing to inflict upon himself to defeat his friend was on full display.
When Todokoki finally awakens his fire power, it's every bit as triumphant and epic as one could imagine. The shimmering flames that burst from his left side not only filled me we awe, but also fear for Deku as the psychically shattered boy awakened his opponent's full potential. It was especially powerful when, in Todoroki's moment of personal triumph, we see Deku smiling, hammering home just how selfless he truly is. We also get an equally powerful look at the smiling face of Todoroki, which is eerily mirrored by Endeavor upon seeing his son embrace his fire power.
While it's sad to see Deku's time in this year's Sports Festival come to a close, he went out with quite a bang. That final explosive clash between the two was a beautiful display of their destructive power that, without the intervention of Cementoss to lessen the impact, would have likely destroyed the entire stadium. While I can't see how any forthcoming battle could possibly eclipse the emotional weight and action-packed beauty of "Shoto Todoroki: Origin," I can't wait to see how the remaining matches of the battle tournament's second round pan out.
The Verdict
Deku's highly anticipated battle against Todoroki surpassed my lofty expectations, delivering the character development and heart to match its jaw-droppingly beautiful and emotionally rousing action. The expertly placed flashbacks that flesh out Todoroki's harrowing past, coupled with Deku's selfless efforts to help his friend break free from the strongholds of his past and realize his full potential, make "Shoto Todoroki: Origin" the finest episode My Hero Academia has had yet. I look forward to seeing how Todoroki's newfound potential not only impacts the rest of the tournament, but also his relationship with his father, Deku, and the rest of his peers.
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