‘My Hero Academia’ Season 8 Episode 6 review: “Wrench It Open, Izuku Midoriya!!”

Midoriya has always been a somewhat divisive protagonist. From his crybaby origins to the inherent appeal of the explosive deuteragonist and a well-defined, distinctive ensemble cast, it’s been easy for some to overlook Midoriya in his own story. But what makes him such a remarkable lead and what gives strength to My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 6 is just that. His journey isn’t to be a symbol of peace like All Might. Rather, since his first awkward sprint to save Bakugo in Episode 1, his narrative objective has been to inspire hope and change. And, more notably, it isn’t a solo journey but one that shows how the compassionate actions of others can inspire personal growth.

It’s what makes certain moments of “Wrench It Open, Izuku Midoriya!!” land with a blend of overwhelming poignancy and melancholy. Because, as viewers, we know just how much he intends to sacrifice to bear witness to Shigaraki’s humanity. The meaning behind his actions is doubled as we watch onlookers witness his perilous fight, transformed into a sinewy figure held together by the Black Whip quirk. It isn’t an easy fight or a palatable heroic one. It’s desperate and defiant in the face of Shigaraki’s own self-delusion and apathy—Midoriya’s desire to save, combating someone who seeks pure, unadulterated destruction.

And that’s what makes the onlookers in the series and their own exhausted support of Midoryia’s determination all the more emotional. It’s even more significant given the differing perspectives of those watching his battle. Eri and Kota offer a child’s point of view as two kids saved by his innate heroism. To Lady Nagant and her comments on the desperation he wears on his face, and how it inspires others to root for him. He doesn’t look to simply punish but looks to find the reason behind actions. Because it’s not just his altruism, but his body breaking commitment to saving others in need and reaching out with a beckoning hand, that makes him not just a hero but someone impossibly human.

Kaminari’s standout scene offers valuable insights into the series’ truth.

Which makes sense for our quirkless hero who, by definition, is more human than the rest. And it’s most telling in a quiet, standout scene in My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 6 when Kaminari confides to Momo about his worries for Midoriya. Greater still, his worry about what that concern means. He worries that because he doesn’t simply feel relief in knowing that Midoriya is the strongest in the world right now, it means he doesn’t have confidence in his classmate. However, the truth is far more complex and nuanced. Because all it shows is how, yet again, Midoriya inspires others to want to help too. Not just to rest and assume that someone like All Might will come and save the day.

For all of the strong, insightful writing, it’s a shame that some of the visuals fail to land with similar impact. The sequence where Midoriya and Shigaraki’s memories begin to overlap, accompanied by the screensaver effect movements of characters like Tsuyu and Mineta floating by, is unintentionally funny. And, for all their significance to the story, the animation of the vestiges remains relatively stiff compared to the rest of the series, which can bring the story to a visual halt.

That said, the animation of the fight scene between Shigaraki and Midoriya, with the latter in full feral mode, is beautifully done. Their battle possesses a dynamic, kinetic motion and a cohesive flow. The fluidity demonstrates the two styles as each tries to gain the upper hand. As the Black Whip recedes and we see more of Midoriya’s face, tears flowing, it helps strengthen the hope of others watching him, as the ghoulish figure slowly becomes human again, while he continues to bid farewell to the quirks. It’s a slow unraveling that is so superbly done that it’s frustrating that the direction refuses to give us prolonged sequences. Instead, the episode interrupts the flow with other character reactions or flashbacks.

Midoriya’s desperate fight for Shigaraki’s humanity.

That said, My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 6 does a phenomenal job at setting up the final battle between the two adversaries in a way that’s subtle in its devastation. As Midoriya pushes through Shigaraki’s defenses, he’s able to pass on all but one of the vestiges. Nana can’t get through, however. Nana has been a complicated character in her beliefs about Shigaraki, her grandson, whom she seemed to hold no emotional connection to after having left her family. However, her horror at seeing her son through Shigaraki’s memories offers even greater depth to such a well-written character.

It makes sense that she would be the one to accompany Midoriya to the past and to the Shimura Family home, the birthplace of Shigaraki’s corruption.

My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 6 might not achieve the bombastic, gleeful animation fans might’ve hoped for, but the writing is gripping and deceptively emotional in all that it suggests at rather than explicitly discussing. Sensations of grief and a longing for change weave themselves into the foundation of the episode as our hero gives it his all to save someone others, including his family, have deemed unworthy. It’s what makes him the hero he is. Aided by phenomenal voice performances from the entire cast (most notably Daiki Yamashita and Tasuku Hatanaka) and a fantastic, sweeping score, it’s a defiant reminder of why Midoriya earns his name as hero.

My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 6 is available now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes released every Saturday.

Images courtesy of Studio Bones / Crunchyroll.

Allyson Johnson

Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.