Breaking free from the shackles of admiration.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
After sharing a significant portion of the spotlight for better part of the first half of Season 2, Deku reclaims center stage in "Bizarre! Gran Torino Appears" and undergoes a significant amount of growth under the mentorship of the adorable, hilarious and somewhat senile Gran Torino.
All Might's former mentor is every bit endearing and fascinating as I had hoped after our brief introduction to him at the end of "Time to Pick Some Names." While he somewhat falls into the stereotypical old wizened coot mold—much like Dragon Ball's goofy yet strong and knowledgeable Master Roshi—Gran Torino's personality is so well realized that I didn't feel like I was watching a cardboard cutout from prior shonen anime.
The drastic change in his personality, from being a silly old man facedown in a pool of ketchup and sausage links to an agile and formidable sparring partner who whizzes around Deku with seeming ease, was hilarious, especially when seeing shocked reactions plastered across Deku's face.
With Deku being the scholarly notetaker that he is, it was great to watch him grow over the course of this episode, carefully heeding all of Gran Torino's advice in an attempt to master his Quirk as quickly as possible. The revelation that Deku's admiration for All Might and his high regard for One For All is shackling him from realizing his full potential and mastering his Quirk, was especially insightful. By highlighting some of All Might's weaknesses, like not being the best teacher, Gran Tornio is helping Deku to see that his idol is not infallible and that One For All is not a gift he was unworthy to receive, but something that is now a part of him.
In some ways, Deku's struggle serves as a foil to that of Todoroki's. Deku desperately wants to be worthy of taking up All Might's mantle and has been trying to emulate him in the process. Meanwhile, Todoroki has been working so hard to deny any part of himself that resembles his father, and in doing so has put himself in bondage. As such, I find it incredibly fitting that Deku's internship creates distance between him and All Might, while Todoroki is facing his father head-on to establish his own identity that isn't dictated by the need to deny (or be like) his father.
We get only a brief glimpse at the other students' internships, some of which provide a few seconds of comedic fun, while others set up for what I hope will be some welcomed forthcoming character development. I was especially pleased to see that Bakugo's internship will likely provide him with some much needed discipline and that Mineta's internship with Mt. Lady doesn't start off quite like he envisioned.
"Bizarre! Gran Torino Appears" also offers another glimpse at My Hero Academia's villainous threat. While brief, the exchange between Stain and Shigaraki hints at the ideological differences between the two, as Stain is immediately turned off by Shigaraki's juvenile desire to kill without any motivating cause. Aside from Stain's attack on Iida's brother, Season 2 hasn't had much of a villainous threat thus far, so when they inevitably do start causing trouble for Deku and friends, I hope the dissenting views between Stain and Shigaraki offer an interesting wrinkle that results in a conflict that eclipses the first season's League of Villains attack on U.A. High.
The Verdict
Under the guidance of his new mentor, Deku makes some great strides in "Bizarre! Gran Torino Appears," moving one step closer to mastering One For All. Gran Tornio is every bit endearing as I could have hoped, as his introduction strikes the perfect balance of comedy and depth that I've come to expect from My Hero Academia's cast of wonderfully realized characters. I look forward to seeing the relationship between Deku's and Gran Tornio evolve as Deku establishes his own identity, breaking free from the chains that stem from his admiration for All Might. Additionally, the brief, but intriguing exchange between Stain and Shigaraki has me eager to see what sort of villainous conflict our heroes will have to contend with in this second half of Season 2.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire