My Hero Academia Season 1 Episode 6 Recap – Rage, You Damned Nerd

First Test

Midoriya throws the ball up to 700 meters and breaks his finger. The students that came with him during the practical exam speculate on the nature of his quirk, while Bakugo can’t believe what he saw. He lashes out at Midoriya, but Mr. Aizawa stops him with his binding threads.

Bakugo remembers their childhood and feels cheated that Midoriya possesses such a strong quirk. After the physical tests, Aizawa shows them the tally of their scores, which Midoriya places last. But the teacher reveals that he won’t expel anyone, and it was merely a lie designed to make them bring out the best of their quirks.

Midoriya breathes a sigh of relief, and the teacher gives him the slip to get his finger checked at the clinic. Aizawa adds that training will be harder from now on, and he should start preparing himself.

Outside, All Might confronts Aizawa on his harsh methods. There must be some potential he saw on Midoriya. Aizawa warns him of his bias, saying it’s cruel to give hope to those with zero potential.

Iida checks on an exhausted Midoriya after school. His finger has healed, but the after-effects of Recovery Girl’s power leave him tired. He learns that Iida is quite thoughtful. Uraraka joins them and calls Midoriya Deku–a derogatory term coined by Bakugo. She thinks the name is cute, so Midoriya accepts it. He’s happy to have found his first friends at school.

Battle Training

UA’s school curriculum includes theory lessons in the morning with Hero courses in the afternoon. That afternoon, All Might comes in wearing his classic costume to teach the basics of becoming a hero. Their first exercise is in Battle Training, and the teacher hands them the costumes they designed during registration.

They arrive at a city-like training facility wearing their hero costumes. All Might expresses the importance of looking for a Hero.

Midoriya had some trouble earlier because his quirk isn’t registered. All Might tells him that he can update the status of his quirk, as it usually takes time for people to discover their abilities truly.

Midoriya’s mother then gives him a jumpsuit based on his costume design. She apologizes for giving up on his dreams back then and praises him for not quitting on himself. As a result, Midoriya can’t help but wear it to school. All Might notices his design and sees how much of it takes inspiration from his look.

Fruits of Research

All Might’s test pits them in two-vs-two battles against one another, with the villain team guarding a bomb and the hero team pursuing them. The first to capture the other party wins. They start drawing lots for teams, which results in Midoriya teaming up with Uraraka and going against Bakugo and Iida.

The rivalry between childhood friends puts pressure on both Bakugo and Midoriya. Bakugo and Iida hide inside a building with the former pissed off at his friend’s hitherto unrevealed quirk. Outside, Midoriya feels nervous. Bakugo may bully Midoriya a lot, but Midoriya admires his confidence and headstrong personality. Still, he doesn’t plan on losing.

The test starts with the hero team entering via a window. Midoriya plans to use minimal amounts of One For All, hinging on Uraraka’s quirk instead. Suddenly, Bakugo ambushes them and breaks Midoriya’s mask. Midoriya catches Bakugo’s arm in his next attack and manages to wrestle him to the ground. He’s been studying Bakugo’s moves since they were young and has since formulated strategies to counter him.

Our Thoughts

I’m expecting Midoriya to be overpowered soon, so it’s nice to see him get his start by outwitting his opponents instead of using brute force. 3/5.