English Dub Review: My Hero Academia “Unforeseen Hope”

Overview:

The fight against Chisaki becomes even more dangerous.

Our Take:

Chisaki, it turns out, does have loyal subordinates. His closest generals do genuinely believe in him, and want to keep fighting even when they’re down. Unfortunately, Chisaki doesn’t really share the same sensibilities. He will help them- if they are willing to help him. When Midoriya and Mirio push Chisaki back, Chisaki realizes that he’s out of options– and that camaraderie will not help him. If he needs more power, he will take it from whatever is available, even if that means consuming his own subordinate and himself in the process.

Nighteye really hurt my heart this time around. Even though he’s quite strict, he clearly cares so much for Mirio and All Might. His split from All Might was because he cared for All Might, and was trying desperately to prevent his death. Despite being able to see into the future, he has become so numb to the process, in that trying to change the future will result in the future correcting itself to exist on how it should be, that he has accepted that there is no changing the future. He has foreseen his own death, and is willing to take that as his reality. So he is brutally impaled in trying to fight off Chisaki, when there is no medical access available. And that’s really sad, because Nighteye feels like he’s been so beat down over the years with his own quirk, and having him accept his death is depressing. Midoriya exclaiming that he’ll try to change fate

Most prominent is how badly Eri has been gas-lit over the years. She is not Chisaki’s daughter, but rather the comatose head’s granddaughter. Chisaki’s appreciation for the former head didn’t translate to how he treats Eri, it seems. She is indeed being harvested for the quirk-sealing drug, and has been multiple times. When she breaks, Chisaki can use her quirk to repair her. He has made her life a never-ending hell, and every time she thinks of defying him, he punishes her and everyone who has helped her. Even though Mirio managed to give Eri some hope, he was severely injured in the process. When he collapses, she feels paralyzed; that the one person who did try to help her will end up dead, as always. She is called back by Chisaki’s new quirk not because she doesn’t want to be free, but because she has given up on freedom. The idea of ever escaping Chisaki is so foreign to her that she can’t comprehend it.