My Hero Academia 0323: “Deku vs. Kacchan, Part 2”
Season 3 of My Hero Academia is wrapping up, and we’re following every move. Just be careful: spoilers and speculation below.
Apprehension looms over Ground Beta, where Deku and Bakugo fought with their Quirks for the first time. Now, Bakugo’s figured out Deku’s secret and wants to fight him — maybe that way he’ll see what All Might saw in Deku at the beginning. And as much as Deku’s heart is in the right place, talking won’t help Bakugo: he needs to process this his way, through violence.
Bakugo fears that looking up to All Might was a mistake — how can someone he admires value someone he loathes? But that’s not what bothers him most. It’s that he got kidnapped and All Might had to fight All For One and lose his power to save him. He’s toppled hero society because he couldn’t escape on his own, and his guilt has intensified into anguish. So Deku fights back, because it’s the only way Kacchan can find catharsis.
There’s somewhere else Bakugo needs clearance, too: all this time, he’s believed that Deku looked down on him, even though he stuck to him like glue, which is very far from the truth. In Deku’s eyes, Bakugo is victory, and he’s worked hard to be more like him. Bakugo unleashes an explosive attack and declares himself the winner, but both boys are worn out. That’s when All Might steps in and tells Bakugo everything about One For All and why he chose Deku.
And now, just for a little while, My Hero Academia finally has some peace and eagerness outweighs danger. Sure, Aizawa punished both of them and they’re stuck in cleaning duty, but Deku and Bakugo approach their competition in a new light. Classes are starting again, and the summer’s craziness has gone away, at least for a little while.
The Verdict:
“Deku vs. Kacchan, Part 2” provides the context on Deku and Bakugo’s relationship we’ve been craving for ages and closes out the license exam arc with some stability. Compared to what’s coming next, though, this summer was nothing.
Rating: 9.7
“Deku vs. Kacchan, Part 2” is available to stream in Japanese on Crunchyroll and Hulu. All dubs going forward will stream two weeks after the Japanese release.
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