Episode 7 of My Hero Academia, “GO!!,” begins with a taut, clear, and punchy summary of every important moment from the previous episode. In case you missed the lifeless meander that was Season 4, episode 6, this refresher tells you everything you need to know in a little over a minute’s worth of flashbacks the power of Overhaul’s quirk, the quirk-draining weapon he has created, and the heroes’ mission to find Eri and keep her safe. From here, the status quo has been established, and judging from this prelude and the title of the episode, it’s a good sign that the gloves are off and our heroes are about to come out swinging. The episode’s first half is buoyed by a clever blend of disparate atmospheres which all serve to raise the tension. By the end of the first half of “GO!!” the episode wants the audience to be poised on a knife-edge excited and nervous about what’s to come. Even more importantly, we need to understand the stakes and the pressure our inexperienced heroes-in-training are under. “GO!!” accomplishes all of this quickly. It even incorporates a relatively short and static lunchroom scene in which Midoriya is feeling the weight of his burden being a part of the plan to rescue Eri, yet frustratingly unable to share the truth with his classmates. In this scene, those classmates are Iida and Todoroki, who can do nothing to help and yet are eager and willing to. Midoriya buckles under not only the weight he’s carrying, but the kindness of being offered a helping hand by his friends. It’s a scene that doesn’t dissipate the tension but expertly reinforces the stakes and the responsibility that Midoriya is feeling. The other way that the episode’s first half manages to raise tension is with its music. In the lead-up – the few minutes where the atmosphere grows taut and eager fists are clenched – there’s a piece of music that blends mariachi guitars with a kind of Nordic male choir. The music has so much power here, it almost proves to be a distraction from the scene itself. Almost. A fun technique used throughout the episode is the use of block white text on a black background, flashing up to the beat of a drum, which carefully treads the line between a campy homage to Western drama and a tangible means of establishing the episode's escalating tension. In the episode’s second half, it’s used to even greater effect as the build-up to a conflict between the heroes and the new villains comes to a 5 Best New Heroes in My Hero Academia Season 4 So Far The episode also deepens the character of Mirio. The ever-hopeful young man has been shaken by his recent decision to let Eri go when confronted by Overhaul. In the moment, he believed it to be the right choice, and the pro heroes were in agreement. However, whether it was smart or dumb, right or wrong doesn’t detract from the emotional strain it has been causing him. Mirio has learned what it means to be a hero. But unlike a lot of shounen heroes, he hasn’t learned it through making a mistake. Instead, Mirio had the strength and savvy to make the right choice in the right moment – proof that he has what it takes to be a noble hero. But My Hero Academia is so reliably good at character building that it takes a moment to show that, even if a hero makes the right choices, they will still suffer for them, emotionally and mentally. That’s their burden. In the lead up to the episode’s conclusion, and as a way to really get us almost frustratingly pumped for the next episode, we are given the briefest fight scene to kick off the raid to come. It’s fun, tantalizing, and satisfying even in its brevity.“GO!!” hits a lot of satisfying notes, and does a considerable amount with the short time that it’s allotted. Most satisfying of all are the moments of introspection for Midoriya and Mirio, which help make this a near perfect episode that firmly establishes the stakes for what’s to come. The only misstep, perhaps, is a lack of focus on Tsuyu and Ochako, who are taking as much of a risk here as Midoriya. Still, the show can only do so much with its brief episode lengths. We can only hope that the payoff will be everything this episode has hyped This ArticleMy Hero AcademiaMy Hero Academia is a Japanese super her manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It follows the adventures of Izuku Midoriya, a young boy born without super powers in a world where they are the strongest episode of Season 4 to date, episode 7 sets the stage for a major confrontation to come.