My Hero Academia Season 7 Expands The Anime’s World With A Big Bang

While My Hero Academia Season 7 starts with a brief recap, provided by Midoriya’s inner monologue, it moves on quickly. The cold open is all we get of the U.A. students in this episode, but that’s fine. Instead, the focus is on introducing the American hero Star and Stripe who wastes no time setting out for Japan, along with a squadron of fighter pilots. 

There are asides with a few other characters to catch audiences up before the premier jumps into its action. A scene between All For One and Spiner that leads into a scene of villains rallying around a poster of Spiner as a figure of liberation for those with quirks that make them appear monstrous.

There’s also a brief scene of Japanese heroes heading to a meeting location to rendezvous with Star and Stripe, which helps set up her importance in My Hero Academia Season 7. 

The My Hero Academia Season 7 premiere’s main event is the midair fight between Star and Stripe and Shigaraki. While Star and Stripe fights from the top of a fighter jet, Shigaraki rides a flying Nomu adding a unique wrinkle to their battle.

With her powerful quirk, New Order, and the aid of her squadron of advanced fighter jets as backup Star and Stripe goes toe to toe with Shikraki even with his dramatic power increase. 

In typical Shonen fashion, plot details are revealed during the fight through internal monologue and flashbacks. In a mid-fight flashback, we learn that Star and Stripe was saved by All Might as a child, serving as her origin. We also get a check-up on Shigarki’s mental state as he continues to fuse with All For One, causing their personalities to meld, which is sure to be a major plot point in My Hero Academia Season 7.  

The fight also reveals Star and Stripe’s quirk, New Order, which is one of the most interesting quirks in My Hero Academia Season 7 yet. It allows her to change the rules of anything she touches and says the name of, which she uses to create a vacuum, control lasers, and give herself super strength.

Her power is limited to two rule sets at a time and Shigaraki’s identity crisis keeps it from working on him, which prevents her from immediately defeating him. 

REVIEW SCORE

While the introduction of Star and Stripe is exciting, my favorite part of the premiere was seeing the world of My Hero Academia outside of Japan in Season 7. Star and Stripe is introduced in America, where some of her squadmates are watching a news report about the events in Japan.

That report reveals the villain revolt in Japan has inspired villains worldwide, which raises the stakes of the show going forward. The premiere blew my expectations out of the water and got me fired up for My Hero Academia Season 7.

With the fight between Shigaraki and Star and Stripe ending on a cliffhanger, I can’t wait for the next episode. While the show has had stronger episodes, it’s by far the best season premiere the show has had.