’My Hero Academia’ Season 7 Episode 15 review: “Butterfly Effect” plunges into darkness

For a series so embedded in the notion of hope, My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 15 treads in pools of dread. 

Of course, that could be said of the tremendous seventh season as a whole. However, “Butterfly Effect,” like “Together with Shoji,” looks hard at those who are let down by this superpowered society. Spinner’s life is a tragedy. From the start, the members of the League of Villains consisted of those left behind, abused, or misunderstood. And while some are less sympathetic due to their murderous impulses, it’s increasingly difficult to separate their past from their current desperation. There’s no justifying their actions. But what makes them so well-written is also why characters like Midoriyia and Uraraka wish to save the emotionally wounded versions of Shigaraki and Toga. It’s the win-to-save, save-to-win narrative that embodies Midoriyia and Bakugo’s relationship. They’re villains now, full stop. But they once were victims, too.

This is why Spinner, in particular, is so pitiful. Ostracized for his heteromorph nature only to ultimately transform into a truly monstrous figure, his solitude follows him even to his most self-realized moment of triumph. 

For the most part, “Butterfly Effect” hits the right marks, especially when structuring itself as a race against time. The chase of Spinner and Present Mic trying to get to the captured Kurogiri is suitably tense. This piece of the story grounds itself in loss and tragedy while also highlighting Present Mic’s immense power. The latter of which is something we’ve only seen in pieces throughout the series. The effect of his sound stripping the ‘scale mail’ quirk from Spinner’s body demonstrates his natural strength. 

Present Mic also has a personal attachment to Kurogiri, configured from the body of his and Aizawa’s deceased friend, Oboro Shirakumo. Mic, with a healthy dose of skepticism, is appealing to the soul of Shirakumo, who might still reside in Kurogiri’s form. In one of the more subtly emotional moments of the episode, he internally pleads with Shirakumo to stop dangling hope in front of Aizawa, who has already lost so much in this war. 

All of this culminates in the climatic moment of “Butterfly Effect,” where Spinner’s unlikely friendship with Shigaraki emboldens a last stand, awakening Kurogiri. The sequence of his warp unleashing itself, dragging Mic into it and to the coffin in the sky, lands with tremendous weight because of the build-up. There’s no dialogue necessary as Aizawa’s eyes widen in shock, the horror at Kurogiri and Mic appearing loud and clear. This is a definitive loss. Both for the heroes as a whole and for Present Mic and Aizawa’s desire to have their friend back. 

This entire sequence expertly weaves together expectation and tension. Unfortunately, the episode loses some of its momentum due to cutting back and further in the timeline. In some instances, such as the shocking reveal of Twice’s ‘Sad Man’s Parade’ appearing where All for One, Hawks, and Endeavor fight, this works. But others lessen the thrill, such as cutting between Present Mic and Spinner back to Shoji standing guard against the hospital. Individually, these sequences all work. The flow and editing don’t quite add up to the necessary tension. 

However, the individual moments are superb in capturing the dire circumstances. Two in particular stand out. The first is the continued fight between Todoroki and Dabi. The latter of whom, emboldened by hatred and a childish need for recognition, is on a tear of self-destruction, leaving Todoroki to find his father. We feel Todoroki’s terror and anguish through the staggering work by voice actor Yuki Kaji. He imbues Todoroki’s panic at Dabi’s retreating form with a boyishness that is a striking reminder of how young these heroes are and the weight they carry. 

The other standout is Toga, who, like Spinner, finds motivation by a connection she made while in the League of Villains. While destruction is her base level, she finally is behaving with intent. Her primary target is Hawks and while his actions are no less shrouded in gray, we are privy to the full realization of just why he saw Twice as the greatest threat to the heroes. Toga unleashes the Sad Man’s Parade, aided by Kurogiri’s warping power, and Dabi arrives in front of Endeavor, which makes for a dizzying scene of despair. The worst series of events unfold for the heroes, and direction captures as much in the dizzying final moments as the villains’ ultimate plans move into place. 

My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 15 loses some steam due to odd narrative decisions, but the emotional moments land. While the animation lacks the visual fervor of other standout episodes this season, it makes up for it in strong character work and performances. There’s still hope, obviously. The series wouldn’t be what it is if it went total nihilism. But Bakugo is still seemingly dead. Present Mic and Aizawa have possibly lost their friend for good. Spinner’s entire life is a tragedy, and the villains have the upper hand. Shoji might’ve appealed to the hearts of the protesters, but the war wages on elsewhere. 

My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 15, “Butterfly Effect” is out now on Crunchyroll with new episodes each Saturday.

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Images courtesy of Studio Bones/Crunchyroll.