As the UA Sports Festival begins, Midoriya and his classmates compete against other classes and each other in order to stand out.
I was not expecting the Sports Festival to happen so soon, but I guess it’s better that the show got straight to the point instead of wasting time on training montage episode. Even though training montage episodes have their place, we already got a little of that with Midoriya’s beach clean-up training back in season 1 so there is really no point in repeating this cycle here. I have heard some complaints about the idea of the Sports Festival because compared to the villain attack the USJ holds little tension. I agree on some level, however I see the Sports Festival as more of a showcase of the potential of students both familiar and unfamiliar in a more low-risk environment, before they are put into more dangerous situations.
This can be seen in two of Izuku Midoriya’s rivals: Katsuki Bakugo, a rival from the past, and Shouto Todoroki, the new rival on the block. Bakugo demonstrates his intelligence in deducing that the crowd of UA students blocking the door to their class are there to scout them out. While he’s still a bit cocky, he is serious in his determination to be the best and he’s not afraid to make enemies in the process. While Todoroki did have some standout scenes back in season 1, he did not have a major role like Bakugo. However this season has propelled him into the spotlight and his confrontation with Midoriya before the festival also shows he is just as determined to not let anyone get in his way as he makes his way to the top. He also demonstrates his rather expert use of his quirk, “Half-Cold Half-Hot,” currently putting him in the lead in the Obstacle Course.
Of course, just before Midoriya makes his move the episode ends. I guess they have to have cliffhangers if they want the audience to come back for more. For all the sports drama involved, there is always a healthy dose of humor. My favorite is when Bakugo calls Todoroki Icy Hot (English Dub) which I think suits him and his quirk perfectly. If Icy Hot doesn’t become his hero name I will settle for it becoming his nickname, even if Bakugo is the only one that calls him that. It will be interesting to see how Midoriya will compete against the other first year students and just what it is that purple-haired general studies student Hitoshi Shinso has up his sleeve.
Rating:
Fandom Factory 