My Hero Academia 0324: “A Season for Encounters”
Season 3 of My Hero Academia is wrapping up, and we’re following every move. Just be careful: spoilers and speculation below.
What’s My Hero Academia’s favorite way to close an emotional string of episodes? By distracting its disciples and looking to the future. “A Season for Encounters” lays down the framework for Season 4, offering a glimpse of what lies ahead for both heroes and the steadily growing network of villains.
We start with a monologue (well, sometimes dialogue) from Jin Bubaigawara, the real-life and tortured alias of Vanguard villain Twice. The League is scattered and scouting, and wavering faith in heroes is juxtaposed with low-level villains organizing. Twice’s observations are echoed at UA’s opening ceremony, as principal Nezu drones on his fur’s sorry condition. It’s from all the stress of the summer, he says, and the inevitable rise of villains.
The semester officially begins, and Class 1-A (sans Deku and Bakugo) gets a look at their future, too. Aizawa stresses the importance of extracurricular hero internships — finally, actual hero work! Unfortunately, Deku can’t even find out these details secondhand, as Aizawa has forbidden relaying information to Class 1-A’s resident criminals.
Right now, all Deku can do is take out the trash. So he does, and then he gets startled by a face sticking out of the wall — it’s upperclassman who picked up the gossip about Deku and Bakugo’s fight, and wanted to meet the troublemaker himself. A few days later, Deku’s finally allowed back in class and sees the face again as the Big Three (UA’s top third year students) walk inside. Deku doesn’t know it yet, but this familiar guy’s about to become a huge influence.
The Verdict:
“A Season for Encounters” gets the hype pumping for both sides of My Hero Academia’s next big conflict, and the opening narrative is one of the strongest scenes yet.
Rating: 9.4
“A Season for Encounters” is available to stream in Japanese on Hulu and Crunchyroll. All dubs going forward will stream two weeks after the Japanese release.
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