My Hero Academia s3 – Episode 9

Where do I begin with all of the things this episode did right? The perfection timing of commercial break and ending to create the proper amount of suspense? The absolutely beautiful art direction that clearly conveyed all the emotions that ran high in this episode? The absolutely amazing and chilling music score? There are a lot of elements to this weeks MHA that makes it one of the best episodes yet.

As Midoriya’s group goes to approach the area on the tracker that Yoyorozu made, they realize quickly that they aren’t going to get in from the front. So they sneak along the back, a small window opening is enough for them to see in. Kirishima has a pair of night vision goggles that he brought with him. They peak in through the window to see a Nomu factory. No Bakugo in sight though, they’re in danger and they know it. It would be bad, if Mount Lady didn’t kick the building in and Best Jeanist didn’t tie up all the Nomu’s. There is a sense of relief that they are saved, they gather from Mount Lady implying that All Might is busy elsewhere that he is saving Bakugo and they don’t have to worry.
The pro’s had been staging this attack. They’d even used the media and the press confrence to lie and imply that the attack on the villains was coming much later then it actually was.  Ragdoll, one of the catgirl heroes that had gone missing during the attack was rescued as well…but something felt off about her. That’s when everything goes wrong, a man approaches, he says plainly that he has taken Ragdolls quirk…he is wrapped up by Best Jeanist…

Meanwhile, as Bakugo tries to best figure out how to escape from the villains. They get a pizza delivery, full of justice! As the cops distract by posing as the pizza delivery guy at the front, All Might bursts through the wall with Kamui Woods and Gran Torino. The round up the league of villains, and honestly, things are looking really good for our heroes. Until despite the fact that the Nomu’s should of been taken care of, despite the fact that Kurogiri had been knocked out he could not use his portal quirk…a darkness starts materializing the Nomu’s.
Bakugo spits up the same darkness and it envelops him and teleports him away from the heroes.

They try to radio Best Jeanist, but something has happened…the area where the heroes were. Things have gone terribly wrong, All for One has appeared. Midoriya, Todoroki, Yoyorozu, Kirishima and Iida can only look on in absolute terror. They all look like they are on the verge of throwing up. Horrific visions of murder plague their sight.

The episode also gives us a small look into the past between Shigaraki and All for One. While the details of it aren’t clear, as Shigaraki is faced with All Might asking him about his master. He remembers their meeting.
I am fascinated to get a clearer picture of his backstory and their relationship.

I’ve said it once and i’ll say it again. I’m not a manga reader, so all of these developments are amazing to me. Though even the manga readers are saying that this episode needs to be watched in the anime. The action, the color, the perfect use of tension and soundtrack.
Everything comes together to make something amazing. I can not wait for next weeks episode, now excuse me while I go try to track down the villains soundtrack. All for One’s theme might be my favorite villain theme ever.