It almost seems like Horikoshi-sensei was showing off with the material behind these last three episodes, but I think it just comes naturally to him.  Each of them was totally different than the others, and each accomplished what they set out to do at an elite level.  The climactic battle sequence and epic passing of the torch, the day of reckoning that follows, and the light-hearted but weary re=entry into normal life – all are integral to a really good shounen but it’s rare enough to find a mangaka who can do two of them well, never mind all three.

I don’t suppose we can say this episode was as “important” as the previous two, and it certainly wasn’t the emotional haymaker each of them was.  It won’t be remembered long after the series is over the way they will.  But I remember being especially fond of this part of the manga in spite of that, just because of how charming and genuinely funny it was.  As good as the team Bones has assembled for Boku no Hero Academia is there was no way they were going to lose that, and indeed they didn’t – it was a great reminder of just how much range this series truly has.

If any show ever deserved a breather episode, it was HeroAca right now.  It’s pretty much only Hunter X Hunter that can sustain sustain the level of intensity we saw in the previous two eps uninterrupted for long stretches – not even Horikoshi is quite on Togashi’s level in that respect.  So this interlude was much needed, and much enjoyed.  This is a show about kids, after all, and more than most action shows about kids it never forgets how vulnerable they can be.  They needed this even more than we did, and the transition to the dorms was the perfect excuse for everyone to let their hair down a little.

What I especially loved about this chapter – and episode – is the way is captured how for the students, this is still on some level one big adventure.  Think about when you were a first-year high schooler (that may be harder for some of us than others) – wouldn’t it be exciting to move out of your parents’ house and into a dorm with all your buddies?  And girls (or boys, as the case may be)?  You get to act like a kid and feel like a grown-up all at the same time.  And it certainly doesn’t hurt that these dorms, “Heights Alliance” (built in three days – I assume there was some quirkage at work there) are more like luxury apartments than school dormitories.

While Aizawa-sensei can’t resist being the heavy a little, noting that if it weren’t for the downfall of All Might he’d have expelled every student who defied orders to rescue Kacchan and the ones who knew and didn’t speak up, he’s sensitive enough to realize that what the kids need is to be left alone to try and recover and adjust to their new lives.  Once the unpacking is done and the gang assembles in the common area, that soon evolves into natural curiosity taking over – a chance to see everyone’s tastes in interior design, soon building into a “room king” contest.  Initially it’s just the boys who have to share their space, but Mineta (who’s really in his element with this sort of material) protests at the unfairness of that, insisting that the girls  – who suggested it in the first place – also open their doors.  While his motives are less than pure (as always) he’s actually kind of right.

I was disappointed then and now that we never got to see just what Mineta cooked up for his space (I certainly blame no one for not wanting to venture inside, though), but the rest of the rooms (less Kacchan – who can’t be bothered – and Tsuyu, who has her own issues) are a fairly hilarious reflection of their inhabitants.  Deku’s is a All Might otaku shrine, naturally, Todoroki’s a demure washitsu,, Iida’s filled with books and spare glasses, Ochako’s a straightforward and unpretentious comfy space.  The winner is something of an upset – Satou-kun.  There’s nothing special about his room whatsoever, but the girls love the chiffon cake he baked so much they all vote for him.

It’s a short interlude of peace, certainly – even by the end of the episode we’re already jerked back into reality, as Tsuyu tearfully expresses her anguish over having to go against the others when it came to the rescue mission.  But one could hardly have imagined a better way to reset and recharge Boku no Hero Academia, which is what these sorts of mini-arcs are designed to do.  There’s plenty of time to deal with the harsh world of trying to become a hero, but there should always be time to let these characters live the experience of being regular adolescents, too.