‘MY HERO ACADEMIA’ Episode 55 Review: “Class 1-A”

This week’s episode is a solid showcase for the wider 1-A line-up. Unlike last week’s lukewarm display of enemies, “Class 1-A” is a great balance for several of our favorite amateur heroes. As the heroes start passing their Hero License Exam, it’s clear why U.A. is an exceptional school. MY HERO ACADEMIA excels when it puts its large cast of characters to work.

“Class 1-A” follows a few members of the class as they struggle to pass the Provisional Hero License Exam. Up until this episode, none of the U.A. first years had managed to succeed. However, several characters make it in this episode, either as a hero or a team. It’s also interesting that, out of all the characters who pass this episode, none of them are Midoriya. MY HERO ACADEMIA has a lot of compelling heroes, and “Class 1-A” proves the strength of the whole cast.

There are several strong characters that “Class 1-A” puts into the spotlight. While Midoriya is very much the protagonist of MY HERO ACADEMIA, there are several great, fleshed-out characters in his class. Shoto Todoroki, for example, leads off the episode by passing the exam. As arguably the strongest hero of the class, it makes sense we get a quick showcase of his skills. Momo Yaoyorozu also gets more action this episode, as she manages to outwit Miss Sai’s team. It’s great to see MY HERO ACADEMIA spend time within the exam to highlight all the excellent characters.

One especially strong element of this episode is teamwork. Even with Todoroki’s solo victory, so much of the episode is focused on friendship and working together. Yaoyorozu channels Midoriya as she leads her team to victory. The team then comes to her aid before she’s knocked out, so the four of them win as a team. Midoriya’s quick moment is also about leading his friends out of trouble. Bakugo is an unintentional leader, as his passion rallies Kirishima and Kaminari. The strongest storylines of the episode focus on teamwork, and specifically, the bond between the 1-A students.

MY HERO ACADEMIA puts out a great, well-balanced episode. So many great characters get a chance to be awesome. It shows that some Class 1-A heroes will pass the first round, but keeps up momentum, as we wait to see who else passes. “Class 1-A” is all about the incredible bond between these heroes in training. It’s great to see so many heroes pass, and their training pay off.