My Hero Academia Season 2 Episode 7 Recap – Victory or Defeat

Brainwashed

Midoriya gets paralyzed from the first moment of the fight. Present Mic wonders what could have happened as Shinso Hitoshi from the Ordinary course class doesn’t stand out much. Could this be an upset victory for the unknown student? Aizawa mumbles that this is the reason why the practical exam wasn’t reasonable at all.

Shinso’s quirk is strong but isn’t suited to the hero practical exam. The robotic villain foes made it suitable only for those with offensive powers.

Shinso shares the same sentiment as he tells Midoriya how lucky he is. He then commands him to walk outside the bounds of the stage, to which Midoriya obeys with empty eyes. Shinso’s quirk is Brainwash. Answering any of his questions triggers a brainwashing switch where he can make people obey his commands.

Midoriya would have won in a normal fight, and now it’s a test of whether Midoriya can overcome the quirk. As he slowly moves towards the bounds, panic sets deep inside of him and with All Might, who’s watching from backstage.

Ojiro warned him earlier about Shinso’s quirk. After answering his question, Ojiro found that his memory was wiped for those few moments. Still, he doesn’t think it’s unbreakable. Ojiro came off of Shinso’s control after bumping one of their opponents in the Cavalry match. They’re guessing that a shock can get them out of the quirk, but with no indication of how strong it should be. Ojiro bumps fists with Midoriya and wishes him luck.

Faces from the past

This memory sticks with Midoriya as he’s nearing the stage line. But then he sees a flicker of multiple lights on the tunnels with faces watching him. He stops before he can step out of bounds and unleashes a wave of power, damaging his two fingers. Midoriya regains consciousness.

Shinso yells questions at him, but Midoriya keeps quiet. He keeps asking questions to trick Midoriya, expressing resentment at his substandard quirk. Midoriya closes his eyes to knock him away. They trade blows, but Midoriya ultimately slams Shinso out of bounds. He advances to the second round.

Back in middle school, Shinso finds his classmates acting suspiciously around him due to his powerful quirk. They think it’s the kind of power suited for villains.

Midoriya learns that he and Shinso have the same urge to become a strong hero. Although disappointed, Shinso finds his classmates cheering him on. Pro heroes in the audience also agree that his quirk is suited for their work. Shinso promises to never give up on his journey and wishes Midoriya good luck.

Back at the clinic, Midoriya shares how hard it is to fight against someone who was once like him. Recovery girl scolds All Might for pressuring Midoriya again. The boy explains how he saw the ghosts of One for All during the fight. All Might saw it once when he was young, but its origins remain mysterious.

Endeavor to win

Todoroki prepares for the next fight but finds his father waiting on him. Endeavor urges him to use his left side to surpass All Might. He’s the masterpiece amongst his brothers. The boy insists that he’ll only use his mother’s power.

Midoriya returns to sit with his classmates to watch the next fight.

The match is Todoroki against Sero. A highly recommended student and a regular kid. Sero attacks right out of the gates to drag Todoroki out of bounds, but the boy freezes off the whole stadium. He apologizes to Sero for going too far as the crowd sympathetically chants, “don’t mind.”

Although victorious, Midoriya sees the sadness in his next opponent’s eyes.

Our Thoughts

This episode fleshes out two great characters that parallel Midoriya so well. Excellent 4/5.