English Dub Review: My Hero Academia “The Scoop on U.A. Class 1-A”

 

Overview:

A reporter comes to UA in search of a scoop.

Our Take:

At the end of all things, this is a recap episode. I could really do without recap episodes overall since I’m the type of person that would like to jump straight into new content, but I can understand why they’re a thing. Some people do need a refresher on what happened, and recap episodes are a way to reignite people’s memories. That is important for more casual viewers.

The issue with most recap episodes is that they tend to be kind of bland. They often come off as news segments as opposed to something that would be fun to watch, so they at times tend to come off as something skippable. For such a popular show, people will still watch it regardless, but it’s not the best move. However, this recap decided to introduce some new elements, namely a framing device. This recap isn’t just characters thinking about past events offhand, but other characters trying to figure something out. Last season ended off on a cliffhanger for that outside of UA, namely what’s the meaning of All Might’s cryptic words, and the public wants answers.

Those who want answers come in the form of the press, who have pinpointed a possible drive within the next generation, and go to interview class 1-A as a result. We do get a slew of new information as the reporter follows everyone around, namely slice of life stuff with the kids in their natural habitat.

It’s also interesting to see how an outsider might arrive at a conclusion that we already know. We’re aware from the very start that Deku is the person that they’re looking for, but the public has yet to come to that conclusion. The reporter in question shares a lot of similarities to Deku; he was greatly moved and impacted by All Might, and the future leaves him uneasy. All Might was such a significant part of hero society that it does feel almost impossible to imagine him gone, but that’s exactly what the reality of the situation is for the world at large. It also leaves Deku with a realization of just how important what he inherited is, which sets up the tone for the season ahead.

So altogether, this is a recap episode I can get behind. I really wish they did more things like this because honestly if all recaps were done this way, it wouldn’t be so bad.