Boku no Hero Academia Manga – 329 & 330

The past is your present, the future is mine.

We all knew there was more to AFO’s plan than just seizing OFA. Our suspicions were confirmed during his one-to-ne with Spinner in chapter 329. In an inconspicuous cave somewhere in Japan, AFO shares some insight into his masterplan. A reign of chaos in Japan? Short-term objective. One For All? Mid-tier goal. The true scope of his real intentions? Still unclear, but the scale is international disruption. This sets AFO in a league with villains such as Palpatine and Thanos–and I’m pretty sure if Heroaca featured life on other planets, this man would be plotting to become the Emperor of the Universe.
Nothing short of a great villain, AFO fidget spins Spinner (I really had to throw this in here, it was stronger than me) with such ease I can’t help but truly pity him–who’s only being used. I’m sure Horikoshi still has a trump card stored somewhere regarding Spinner’s character, and I’m happy to bet he’ll really surprise us at some point. Spinner is different from all other members of the League. AFO mentions his turbulent life as a heteromorph and we’ve seen bits and pieces of his suffering, but Spinner’s never truly shown a desire to destroy everything and bring upon chaos on earth. Not one moment in this chapter is his expression portrayed as impressed or inspired. If anything, he wears a stoic and slightly skeptic face at all that is being said. I feel like Spinner is still making up his mind about the whole thing. I’m really curious to see how this will play out.
“And within those plans, this very moment presents me with both the greatest obstacle and the ultimate opportunity.” Star and Stripe, whose quirks AFO covets perhaps just as much as OFA. Shigaraki’s admission at not being sure of who he is ends the chapter in an ominous note. What kind of person stands before us?

The World’s Strongest Woman

Nothing short of goosebumps as chapter 330 starts, Star and her fellow fleet of jets’ complete determination in the face of a great enemy and the real possibility of death leaves a deep impression. All we see is an eye, but we can’t help ourselves when holding our breaths and praying that these pilots make it back home to their families, “let’s hope that at least one jet can make it back to base.” Don’t authors usually create distance between us and the ‘disposable extra’ characters? “If the rest of you fall in battle, I’ll make sure to return your bodies to your families!” Ouch, my heart.

My promise could be your fiend, a given end to your dreams.

All For One? One For All? Forget those, Horikoshi introduces what might possibly be the coolest quirk yet, on par with Eri-chan’s quirk, actually scratch that, it goes beyond. Star and Stripe’s quirk is called New Order. Not only does it share a name with one of the greatest bands of all time (ha ha), but she’s able to completely impose a new rule over any target after touching and calling its name. Her only limitation being two rules at a time, the first one always used in herself to ensure she has superhuman strength (alluding to All Might) and the second one free of use to whatever she needs. In an epic display of her power, Star eradicates the atmosphere that surrounds Shigaraki.

Considering how tumultuous Toshinori’s journey as a teacher has been, I was genuinely curious to learn what kind of relationship Star and All Might had if he’d indeed mentored her at some point (the only possibility being during his exchange program in the U.S. but even then he was way more inexperienced and still a student), so all pieces fall into place once we learn All Might’s role as Star’s mentor is that of an indirect one. It seems he never truly taught her personally, but did so through his work as a hero and what he represented as the Symbol of Peace. The same role he’s played for many of our favorite heroes. Star and her family were saved by All Might and that event forever impacted her life. All Might’s become her spiritual guide and even the way she styles her hair is a homage to his image.

The unaccounted variable that might be the cause of her doom? Shigaraki’s identity crisis. Unbeknownst to Star, inside of the body fighting against her, another battle is being fought. AFO’s conscience tries to overrule Tenko’s, in a fight to merge both and create a new conscience altogether. So it might just be the case that her quirk won’t be effective and we may find ourselves in a reality in which the strongest woman alive and America’s number one hero loses her quirk. But the answer to this question lies two weeks away from us as Heroaca goes on a break from WSJ. I for one was hoping Star would get to meet Deku and fight alongside them, but narrative-wise her loss of powers might be more dramatic. But like we once thought we’d seen the end of Lady Nagant, maybe this won’t be the case. I for one don’t think she’ll die, the matter in question being whether or not she loses her quirk. We still have the top heroes rushing in for backup: Hawks, Best Jeanist and Endeavor, so not all hope is lost.

Now we suffer together for the next two weeks. I accept Bakudeku and Endhawks fanfiction recommendations, thanks. LOL.