Uraraka's showdown with Bakugo looms.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Last week's episode of My Hero Academia is one of the series' best, so "Battle on, Challengers!" had a tough act to follow. While its battles aren't quite as thrilling as the showdowns that take place in "Victory or Defeat," the episode's underlying tension as Uraraka mentally prepares to face off against Bakugo make for an engrossing 24 minutes that have me incredibly excited for next week.
Over the course of "Battle on, Challengers!" we see Uraraka grow more and more serious as the conclusion of each battle brings her one step closer to her impending showdown against Bakugo. The moment when she gets up and leaves her seat in the stands to be alone was especially impactful. She says nothing to Deku, who is too busy scribbling notes about the battles to take notice of her departure as she walks off, not even bothering to take her drink with her.
Fighting one-on-one against someone who not only has an attitude problem, but also the ability to create explosions from the nitroglycerin-like sweat from his palms, would undoubtedly be very scary, and the nervousness she feels is beautifully conveyed in her locker room chat with Deku and Iida before she steps out into the arena. Much like how Iida turned down Deku's offer to join his team in the cavalry battle in "Strategy, Strategy, Strategy," Uraraka makes a similar proclamation, professing her desire to be a rival of Deku's, and it's every bit as impactful.
Deku offers to share with her a strategy that he devised to combat Bakugo, but she turns him down, expressing her desire to do it on her own. When she tells Deku, "Let's meet in the finals" and gives him a thumbs up, her hand is trembling and her lips are quivering. In this moment we not only see just how nervous she is, but also the incredible amount of courage she has to push past her fears, determined to become a professional hero who can help support her family.
I was heartbroken when "Battle on, Challengers!" cut to the end credits right before the showdown between Bakugo and Uraraka is about to begin, especially because the battles in this episode lack the emotional punch of those in "Victory or Defeat." That said, there are eight battles in the first round of the battle tournament to get through, so it's understandable that the same amount of time and effort can't be poured into every single fight. Taking that into account, the episode does an admirable job of cramming five battles into a single episode.
While the fight between Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami is painfully short, as Yaoyorozu is pushed out of bounds, I did appreciate how each battle concludes in an unpredictable way. Tetsutetsu and Kirishima's fight ends in a draw, and Ashido takes down Aoyama with a single, super powerful punch to the face. I also enjoyed watching Shiozaki immobilize Kaminari with her vines while thumping bass and brass instruments played in the background, which made for a bit of brief, action-packed fun.
Likewise, I was pleasantly surprised to see Hatsume trick Iida into helping her turn their match into a glorified advertisement for her gear-making skills. It didn't even occur to me that support companies would be in the audience and that Hatsume would be more interested in showing off her gear than winning the competition. But when she purposely steps out of the ring, handing the match over Iida after completing her grand display, it all clicked for me, as it made perfect sense for her character and reinforced Iida's gullible naiveté.
It was also great to see a few professional heroes again. The chatter between Mount Lady and Kamui Woods regarding Shiozaki's skills and how she would make a great side-kick offered a nice change of perspective, reminding us that these kids are being scouted by the best in the business.
There was also a fair amount of comedy speckled throughout "Battle on, Challengers!" that serves as a nice contrast to the anxiety welling up in Uraraka. I especially enjoyed when Shiozaki interrupts the announcer to correct him, clarifying that she's not an actual assassin and has no intention of taking anyone's life. This moment simultaneously pokes fun at Present Mic's over-the-top introductions and offers a bit more insight into the personality of another student from Class B. Watching Monoma attempt to heckle the students of Class A after Shiozaki defeated Kaminari only to receive a look of befuddlement was equally hilarious, especially after his fellow Class B student Kendo gave him a well-deserved smack.
The Verdict
While "Battle on, Challengers!" doesn't feature My Hero Academia's most memorable fights, it efficiently crams five fun and unpredictable battles into a single episode, and offers new insight in Uraraka. Comedic moments scattered throughout the episode serve as a nice contrast to nervous anxiety bubbling up within Uraraka as she prepares for her battle against Bakugo. It was great to see that, like Iida, Uraraka wants to be a self-sufficient worthy rival of Deku's who's truly committed to becoming a pro hero. Now that the stage has been set, I can't wait to see how things play out next week in her match against Bakugo as the first round of the battle tournament draws to a close.
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