Lord Explosion Murder!
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
After the intensity of the sports festival, "Time to Pick Some Names" slows down the pace considerably, providing the students of U.A. High some much needed time to rest and recover. As such, this week's episode may not be the most action packed or thrilling of Season 2, but its clever comedy and touching character moments make for a great episode nonetheless.
As its title implies, the central focus of this episode was the hero name selection process as the students prepare for their internships, which I found to be both amusing and emotional. I was really hoping Iida would choose to inherit his brother's alias, and was heartbroken when he didn't. Conversely, I was pleased with Todoroki's decision to go use his given name Shoto as his hero name, as it reflects his continued growth in accepting himself. I also really enjoyed Bakugo's horrifically violent name suggestions, as they were hilarious and true to his character.
I was happy to see Deku reclaim a bit more of the spotlight in this episode as well. The opening scene, where he's spotted on the train and commended for his performance during the sports festival offers a brief but effective look at the public's perspective on what transpired during the tournament. I did, however, found it a bit surprising he doesn't receive a single offer from a pro hero agency. While a comment from Mineta about his crazy way of fighting during the tournament attempts to justify this, I still found it hard to believe, especially when considering the large number of offers Bakugo receives, despite being a hot-tempered loose canon who needed to be restrained in chains on the winners' podium.
Given the secrecy around One For All, I can understand why interning at any pro agency would be problematic for Deku. The fact that Deku doesn't receive any agency offers simultaneously eliminates this issue and sets the stage for Gran Tornio's introduction. So, while Deku's lack of agency offers isn't a narrative beat I buy into completely, it's a minor qualm that's easy to overlook in service of the overall plot.
Meanwhile, I thought Deku's hero name selection was absolutely perfect. I loved the callback to when Uraraka helped him see the name Deku in a new light, changing its meaning from "useless" to "you can do it." We've seen Deku continue to grow and establish his own identity as someone very different from All Might, and this moment was a great reflection of that. Additionally, the adorable flashback to when he was a child dreaming up All Might-inspired hero names served as a nice contrast, showing just how far he's come.
I also appreciated the brief flashback to Present Mic and Eraserhead, as it offers an insightful window into the past that adds a bit more context to the entertaining dynamic the two share. Meanwhile, I wasn't all that impressed with how this episode handled Midnight. While her sex appeal has been emphasized in the past, the blatant close-up shots for the sake of fan service were tasteless and distracting.
"Time to Pick Some Names" also hints at an interesting character arc for Iida, as dealing with the attack on his brother has clearly rattled him and is affecting his judgement. The fierce and determined look that replaces his smiling face as he turns and walks away from Deku and Uraraka at the end of the episode was chilling, and has me excitedly nervous to find out what's next for Iida.
The Verdict
In service of setting the stage for My Hero Academia's next story arc, action takes a backseat in "Time to Pick Some Names." Instead, the episode serves up a mix of true-to-character comedy and development as the students select their hero names. It was great to see Deku reclaim a bit of the spotlight, and the reveal of his hero alias choice was touching. While I found it a bit hard to believe that not a single pro hero agency was interested in Deku, I'm excited to see how his internship with Gran Tornio will play out. Likewise, the episode's foreboding conclusion has me eager to see what's next for the emotionally shaken Iida.
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