By Shanel Kamara

Okay so it’s official, Boku no hero academia is truly befitting of a place in MY top ten anime series (emphasis on mine and not on MyAnimeList). Every episode this season, so far, has been more rousing than the previous one, but this week’s episode was exceptional. All the episodes revolving around the sport’s festival have been thrilling as well as moving, but Uraraka and Bakugo’s fight was profoundly inspiring. The duration of their match was not brief like Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami’s fight, and stems primarily from the fact these two characters are part of the main cast. However, this episode was not merely about highlighting the face-off between two main characters, but it was also subtly about the enduring battle for equality among the sexes.

Unlike the previous face-offs between the two sexes, Uraraka and Bakugo’s fight was more severe and intense. Admittedly, I think it would have posed as an interesting twist in the plot if she had defeated him, but I acknowledge that that would have meant having to wait much longer to see the battle between Midoriya and Bakugo. The fact that Bakugo fought ruthlessly, as usual, against his opponent was meaningful; his question at the end of the fight where he asked what part of her was frail, spoke volumes. Dissimilar to some of the pro heroes, who reprimanded Bakugo for fighting Uraraka seriously, Bakugo did not waver in his intentions to win; he did not view her as weaker because she was female.

Uraraka may not have won the fight against Bakugo but in the end she not only managed to garner his respect but also demonstrated that true strength does not derive solely from one’s physical capabilities or sex; her mental and physical resilience both during the match and after her defeat were proof of her strength.  I cannot wait to see how Uraraka develops as one of the main characters and I’m sure this won’t be the last time we see her fight seriously against another strong opponent.

Score: 5/5

My Hero Academia E.022