English Dub Review: My Hero Academia “More of a Hero Than Anyone”

Overview(Possible Spoilers):

The villain Kurogiri has been locked up for a while but no information has been gained. After a clue to his identity is discovered, some pro heroes are brought in to help.

Our Take(Spoilers):

I normally try to keep spoilers to an absolute minimum but with this episode, I kind of have to give some major ones. There’s no way to really discuss the impact this episode has or to discuss the voice actor’s performance without explaining why. Here’s your warning, if you want to go in blind (which I suggest you do) here’s your chance.

Kurogiri is a member of The League of Villains that had the ability to warp everyone. During the rescue of Bakugo in season three he was captured but we haven’t heard much since then. That leads us to this episode in which some details on his identity have been discovered. While researching nomu, they have discovered that they can find the power that was the base for others. Following this line, they find it likely that Kurogiri used to be Oboro Shirakumo. A former classmate and friend of Aizawa and Present Mic.

Aizawa, Present Mic, and Shirakumo were very close in school. They planned on opening a hero agency together but Shirakumo was unfortunately killed during his work-study. Aizawa was there to witness it and it shaped who he is today and his teaching style. We learned that he wasn’t really expelling students as rumored. Okay… he was but he would immediately re-enroll them. He did this in an attempt to change their mindset so what happened to Shirakumo wouldn’t happen to anyone else.

I love the foreshadowing in this series. That was all the way back in season one folks! I think we all knew Aizawa was a good guy but getting that little piece of misinformation cleared up was cool to me. As for Present Mic, he has always been presented as cool and nothing rattles him. Not in this episode, he is very shaken and upset and refuses to believe that Kurogiri used to be his friend. My Hero Academia does character development so well, there are areas to improve of course (mainly with the female characters) but I also have to give praise where it’s due.

Christopher Wehkamp and Dave Trosko do a phenomenal job in this episode. They portray Aizawa and Present Mic respectively, and I could feel the raw emotions. I know it’s no secret that it isn’t hard to make me cry but their reaction to their friend had me balling. They both put in one of the best voice-acting performances I have heard this year.

After this, we are going into the “My Villain Academia” arc which follows Shigaraki. It might be just as heartbreaking as this one but only time will tell. I have seen a lot of negativity for this season of My Hero Academia and I am not sure why. It has had some of the best individual episodes of the entire series. This episode for sure makes that list.