There’s no question that what Boku no Hero Academia did last week – deliver an astonishingly great action episode capped by a singular moment of pathos – is really, really hard.  It was the best episode of the series, probably, and maybe the best anime episode of the year so far.  But doing what the series did this week may just be even harder, and the ability to do pull it off is what separates the great shounen from the merely very good.

Just the fact that there are always reckonings in BnHA is an important element in its success.  It might even be said (maybe by me, over and over) that this is perhaps the series’ most distinctive quality.  As such, this show is already tuned to deliver high performance in an episode like this – one where everyone has to take a long, hard look at what’s just happened, assess the damage and the blame, and figure out what to do next.  It’s not as sexy as what happened in Episode 11, but it’s every bit as important – and probably even more characteristic of HeroAca.

The authorities are obviously concerned by what’s happened – the world now knows that “a bunch of idiots getting together” can wreak havoc at an institution like U.A..  But they also know that the League of Villains is getting better at what they do, and that the world has lost its symbol of peace.  All Might might be alive, but as a deterrent he’s done – the world has seen his true form, and they know his time has come and gone.

For All Might, the reckoning comes down to his perceived failure to both mentor and student.  Shigaraki is beyond his reach – and Gran Torino is quite insistent that Toshinori is in no position to try and confront him – but Midoriya is not.  Not yet, anyway – and if there was any reason why All Might needed to live on as a man even if he can’t as a symbol, it’s his duty to Midoriya.  But how to execute that duty is not an easy question, especially in light of the perceived (and real) failures of Yuuei in safeguarding its students (some of which are laid at All Might’s feet).

Toshinori and Deku’s meeting on the beach pretty much speaks for itself – I mean, these are two guys with enormous hearts who are so alike, yet on very different stages of their journey.  What most stands out for me is that Toshinori’s pride in Deku comes from the fact that he managed to work his way through a confrontation without injuring himself – a not so subtle message (only marginally less than the Texas Smash to the cheek) that Izuku needs to re-examine his priorities as a hero.

That element only comes further to the fore when the subject of Yuuei’s crisis response is broached – requiring all students to live in on-campus dorms.  That necessitates a home visit by faculty to every student’s residence, which I’ve no doubt would have been an interesting dedicated episode all to itself.  But we focus on a few cases here – Kyoka (an interesting choice) initially.  The Bakugo home is one Aizawa and Toshinori expect to be a challenge, but both his parents are quite receptive to the idea of Bakugo staying at school.  This scene is notable for the debut of Kacchan’s mother Mitsuki – a favorite of manga readers and doujin writers alike – and our first real look at the Bakugo household.  There’s a lot of yelling (as you’d expect), and Kacchan’s dad seems pretty much a non-factor.  But for all her sometimes-violent brusqueness, Mitsuki-san is self-aware enough to know that the excessive fawning her son received through his childhood is a major reason why he turned out the way he did.

Lastly, of course, is the Midoriya home – and All Might makes sure that this one he visits on his own.  As reckonings go, this is one that’s been a long time coming.  Toshinori knows it, Deku knows it – and the matter of the dorm is only the vehicle to broach the larger issue.  Inko-san is one of the all-time great anime moms, truly, but she has limits – and what her son has just been through is a severe test of them.  His arms are so severely damaged that any further injuries might render them useless.  And now she’s asked to allow her boy to live in a dorm, to be away from her care full time?  That’s a lot to ask of anyone, much less someone who’s already given up as much as Inko has.

Make no mistake, All Might doesn’t want to ask this of her – he only does so because he feels he has no choice.  And Izuku knows he’s turned a blind eye to her suffering for too long, because he too had no choice – it was the only way he could reconcile himself to his choices.  The biggest reason why this scene is so powerful, I think, is that all three of the people involved are are wholly noble, admirable and kind – yet they’re totally at odds with each other for reasons that are completely valid.  Inko wants her son to be happy – the idea of taking his dream away from him is agonizing, but even more so is the idea of losing him.  Izuku hates that he’s causing his mother pain, but the idea of giving up what he believes is his destiny is one he can never accept.  Toshinori is aghast at what his association with Izuku has already caused for the boy – but knows that this is what fate has decreed for both of them.

These poor, good people – it’s really heartbreaking to see them forced into this situation.  Deku retrieves a letter he’s received from Kota – the proof, he says, that the life he’s chosen is worthy.  To see a man like Toshinori prostrate himself before Inko-san is a reflection of just how much integrity he has – he knows what he’s asking of her, but he has no choice but to ask it.  Deku has even said that he’s willing to go to any school as long as he can become a hero, but it’s All Might’s gesture of humility that convinces her that she must give in – that for all the danger he’s put her son in, he’s the sort of man any mother would want her boy to see as a mentor.  There are no “winners” here, just as there weren’t in last week’s fight (if anything All For One won the day, because his plan of succession is right on track) – the path they’ve agreed to will cause pain for all three of these people.  But ultimately their agreement is a testament to their selflessness – and sadly enough, it’s that sort of person who you want taking responsibility for society.