“The Test” Introduces New Risks and Rivals for Class 1-A

Class 1-A is at a huge disadvantage.

My Hero Academia 0315: “The Test”

Season 3 of My Hero Academia is in full swing, and we’re following every move. Just be careful: spoilers and speculation below.

Class 1-A has had plenty of encounters with villains, but they haven’t had to compete with other heroes outside of UA. Now, as the provisional license exam looms, their possibilities are expanding along with their network of challengers.

Last-minute costume upgrades could make a huge difference.

Now that Deku and company have finished fine-tuning their ultimate moves and altering their costumes, they’ll take a perilous step along the hero’s path: the provisional license exam. The only thing higher than the stakes is the risk, and everyone’s anxious. Well, everyone except Uraraka, who is literally defying gravity over her crush on Deku. It’s the most wholesome scene since Inko Midoriya’s flashback of tiny Deku “saving” her.

The students from Shiketsu are just a handful of Class 1-A’s new rivals.

The kids finally arrive at the venue, and a heap of students from other schools like Shiketsu, U.A.’s equivalent in the west, introduce themselves. We also meet Joke, a pro hero who has a serious thing for Aizawa. Everyone seems to know a lot about Class 1-A, and it’s weird. The exam commissioner explains the rules and drops a last-minute bomb: only 100 participants can pass. The room collapses and reveals a massive arena that could swallow UA’s USJ.

Every exam starts with “the crushing of UA.”

In the audience, Joke asks Aizawa why he didn’t tell his students about how the exam always begins. That’s when it hits. Thanks to UA’s reputation, Class 1-A is at a huge disadvantage. They’ve been in the news and their Sports Festival was aired for all to see — in other words, everyone else already knows their strengths and weaknesses. The kids take the challenge head-on as Aizawa responds: UA always looks ahead. Class 1-A isn’t going down without a fight.

The Verdict:

“The Test” firmly plants us in My Hero Academia’s next arc, teasing us as usual with a cliffhanger. After some tame episodes, we’re back to what MHA does best.
Rating: 8.6

“The Test” is available to stream in Japanese on Crunchyroll and Hulu. All dubs going forward will stream two weeks after the Japanese release.

Thanks for reading The Dot and Line, where we talk about animation of all kinds. Don’t forget to for this article and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.