The Joint Training arc was a complete waste of time; Bones really didn't lead with their best foot forward, it was soul numbing. There were some saving graces that made it have plot importance though, the first being Midoriya gaining further insight on the vestiges of previous One For All users. In the final fight of the arc Midoriya goes berserk, he becomes unable to control this new power that he learns via brainwashing by Shinsou is called Black Whip. Once Midoriya learns to control Black Whip for longer periods of time it'll be invaluable and the first step of many to inhabiting all of the previous One For All quirks. This is a super cool way to have Midoriya becoming stronger and allow for more variation in fight possibilities too. I'm excited to see how fast he'll learn them and what types they will be!
The other thought-provoking character progression of this arc was Hitoshi Shinsou. With his seemingly one dimensional quick Brainwashing one would think after learning its weakness it's easy to avoid. However with the resolve of Shinsou wanting to become a hero, he progresses with a voice modification mask. How could one not root for Shinsou's story, I'd love to see him in 1-A.
Nevertheless the negatives heavily outweigh any small gleams of positives. The pace is demonstrably immobile, slow as molasses. The Joint Training Arc could have been summarized into a few episodes, meaning time could have been spent on more important storylines. The fights were pointless ways of presenting how both 1-A and 1-B's powers have evolved while dragging them out to bizarre amounts of detail. Like I stated before, Bones stumbled hard face-first into a stagnant start of a season.
The Endeavor Agency Arc is the awkward middle story in which Endeavor's character progression heats up! In terms of characters in My Hero Academia, Endeavor ranks top 3 for how well they advance as heroes/villains. Shigaraki ranks #1 in terms of evolution, however that's for later in the review. The Todoroki family is in shambles after Endeavor's feverish descent into attempting to surpass All Might at the expense of his family. Endeavor wants to be better and wants to be there for his family, I love the concept, it's eye-opening seeing a dysfunctional family mend their problems despite how difficult it is. The easy path for Endeavor would have been to avoid his family but he shows in this arc the only way to progress is not turning a cold shoulder. Natsuo, the second son in the family doesn't believe in Endeavor's atonement arc as a result he gets turned into a hostage by the villain Ending. Ending is obsessed with Endeavor's arrogant and ruthless image, he constantly pursues the latter hoping he'll be killed by Endeavor. Ending does anything and everything like having complete disregard of human life simply to attract his anger. However in the fight, Endeavor breaks down at the sight of Natsuo, this presents how he's changed as a man, no longer is he entirely merciless. This shatters Ending's image of Endeavor and ultimately allows the hero study group to figuratively surpass Endeavor and save Natsuo. It's a great example of showing without telling and paints a great picture into the deeper psychological implications of Endeavor. I'm excited where the Todoroki family storyline will maneuver into!
The Meta Liberation Army Arc is the Joint Training Arc on steroids while having a story that's actually compelling! Everything boils down to Shigaraki Tomura's Origin. Just like with Shouto or Midoriya's origin it's the peak of the season. I adore the way it's portrayed, the build up the slaughter of his family where he gains his main motive as a villain in more ways than one. First meets with All For One, the first human to empathize for Shigaraki, using his families eradication as a means of stimulating Shigaraki's newfound hatred for heroes and began grooming him as his adoptive son. It's exhilarating putting the pieces together as his second motive for being a villain is put into full force. Shigaraki feels most at ease when he's able to use his quirk without holding back, to be liberated with the power of destroying everything he touches. To become the true Symbol of Fear and to join forces with the Meta Liberation Army. I love how it powers up Shigaraki in such a badass way while also connecting it back to the morals of true liberation.
Another strength of The Meta Liberation Army Arc was the growth of other League of Villains characters like Toga and Twice. It's great how relatable these characters become from absolute dire situations that in turn makes instantaneous evolution. As an anime only viewer it's self-evident where Dabi's storyline is going with Endeavor, they even teased earlier on. Seriously that'll make the Todoroki family even more complex, I'm really excited for it. I find it comical how much I'm rooting for the villains in My Hero Academia, their transformation made that really apparent to me. With the League of Villains merging with The Meta Liberation Army, the Paranormal Liberation Front is profusely powerful! Throughout the series, Shigaraki has been lacking in the amount of support, he needed influence with numbers. The Paranormal War will have the heroes at a clear disadvantage and I'm all for it! The stakes have never been this high in My Hero Academia.
The Arc rearrangement has allowed S6 to properly build up to The Paranormal War Arc. This feels like endgame material, deaths are on the table, though it's hard to tell if My Hero Academia has the gall to commit. There's potential for something surpass season 3's All Might vs All For One fight! Nonetheless, that doesn't stop this season from being mediocre because of the beginning. As a complete package this season was a mixed-bag. Instead of spending a whole core of a season on The Joint Training Arc it could have been condensed into a few episodes. This would have made the pace not be so sluggish and allow other storylines that people care about an opportunity to shine. Nobody wants a glorified montage to present what we already know about. But it showed off the progression of the classes quirks! Sure, but that's not worth an entire arc. Anyhow, both heroes and villains have improved and each side has played their chess pieces. Hawks is a wild card in all of this too! I'm excited to dive head first into S6 with the Paranormal War Arc!
