My Hero Academia Chapter 371 Review – “Together With Shoji”

My Hero Academia has switched things up with the perspective of the story as the focus shifted to dealing with the growing tension with all the Heteromorph Quirk users. All For One turned all the building anger with the Heteromorph Quirk users for the hate and abuse they’ve received to turn that against all of society. Leading that charge for All For One is the transformed Spinner, who has a new Hulk-like appearance after receiving a second Quirk that has made him stronger at the cost of his mental capacity. The hero who has stepped up to face off against Spinner’s forces is Tentacole, a fellow Heteromorph Quirk user, who has used all of his experiences as a Heteromorph Quirk user to motivate himself to become a hero. How will this all turn out? Let’s find out with My Hero Academia Chapter 371.

CREATIVE TEAM

Writer & Artist: Kohei Horikoshi

SYNOPSIS

As Tentacole faces off against Spinner the Heteromorph Quirk army wonders what they should do. Spinner stuns everyone by saying he does not care.

The unnamed Liberation soldier who made a speech earlier turns Spinner’s limited words into meaning that “History is written in blood!!”

When Tentacole calls out Spinner for his actions taking back their cause 30 years. Remembering talking with Tomura Shigaraki about League of Legends, Spinner hulks up and attacks Tentacole.

Seeing all this from the streets below Anima thinks back to Mezo Shoji talking to the rest of Class-A about the abuse and hatred he dealt with growing up that included the scars he covers up with a mask. Shoji continues by saying that even with all those experiences he would rather embrace the happy memories he has like when he saved a little girl from a flood with his Quick powers.

Back in the present, while fighting Tentacole says he understands what it means to be persecuted but there is a better way than causing a war. Spinner does not care and continues attacking Tentacole.

While the fight between Tentacole and Spinner goes on the unnamed Liberation soldier continues to try to get the other Heteromorph Quirk users to continue attacking the city and charging toward the hospital.

Done sitting back Anima uses his Quirk to command a flock of birds to surround the Liberation soldier. Anima then tells the Liberation soldier to stop mocking Tentacole.

REVIEW

My Hero Academia Chapter 371 carries the momentum created by the previous chapter and elevates it with even more dramatic tension. It makes up for how messy of a flashback transition to this part of the greater Final War arc was.

What makes it all work is that Kohei Horikoshi spent meaningful time getting you to understand what the Heteromorph Quirk users have been dealing with through Tentacole. This is an important point in the My Hero Academia narrative because up to this point we have only gotten the Heteromorph Quirk user’s perspective through Spinner. And it’s been that perspective that has fueled the point we got to with Heteromorph Quirk army that All For One has created.

Now with Tentacole we get a perspective that comes from Heteromorph Quirk user who is trying to become a hero. Even though he is going down the hero’s path it does not mean Mezo Shoji hasn’t had to deal with the hate and abuse of all other Heteromorph Quirk. In the flashback, we see that Shoji very much grew up in an environment of hate and abuse because of the appearance he had due to his Quirk powers.

Shoji’s backstory is made even more important in how he does not hide how while other Heteromorph Quirk users like Fumikage Tokoyami and Koji Koda were able to grow up in cities that were more progressive with accepting Heteromorph Quirk as part of society they are the exception rather than the rule. The impact of this is really driven home by how Shoji says all this while not wearing the mask that normally covers his mouth and we see the scars he has from all the abuse he suffered. All of this makes the fact Shoji has learned by himself to be motivated by his good experiences from using his powers growing up like saving a girl from a flood a testament to his character. It speaks volumes to who he is as a hero and person that Shoji can stay motivated to go down a hero’s path without letting the darkness consume him.

This all goes to show how flashback storytelling should be done. Because right after this we get right back into the fight between Tentacole and Spinner. But now Tentacole’s words have greater meaning because we have a better understanding of his story. There is more power in when he says what Spinner and All For One are setting all Heteromorph Quirk users back 30 years. This highlights how this is Tentacole’s break-out moment as is now a character I want to read more stories about.

Making this storytelling better was how the unnamed Liberation soldier tried his best to continue to rile up the Heteromorph Quirk users to continue their attack on society. With Spinner being negatively impacted by his body not being able to handle the strain of having two Quirks the Liberation soldier is a very important one. He is the one getting the message that All For One is trying to get over with Spinner as his poster child for the Heteromorph Quirk users. There are a lot of elements from this Liberation soldier’s words that remind me of a heel manager you would see on TV for WWE.

In the midst of all this chaos, it was great that Horikoshi is also using the opportunity to give Koji Koda some genuine character development. Koda has been the definition of a background character up to this point. Horikoshi changes all of that by making Koda part of the narrative alongside Shoji for the Heteromorph Quirk users on the heroes’ side. Seeing how Shoji’s backstory drove Koda to finally step up as Anima and use his powers to the fullest was a great way to end My Hero Academia Chapter 371.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Kohei Horikoshi knocks it out of the park with the storytelling around Mezo Shoji’s character. After My Hero Academia Chapter 371, you get fully behind the hero journey that Shoji has decided to go on as he faces off against Spinner without fear. What all of that leads to is a chapter of My Hero Academia that is an emotionally charged issue that leaves you wanting to read more.

Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10