The team affectionately known as the Wild Wild Pussycats also stop by U.A. High to see how they fare on the latest hero rankings. They mostly just reconnect with Class 1-A over the downtime, but they bring along with them Kota, who’s quite happy to see Midoriya again. This is yet another smaller moment, but it’s very heartwarming to see how Kota has come to idolize Midoriya since their last encounter together. It speaks to how all of these characters have likely made huge impacts on many lives, whether the series brings attention to it or not.
Kota’s inspiration through Midoriya is not unlike the feelings that Midoriya developed towards All Might after he was able to use heroics to save his life. It’s nice to be able to catch up with Kota and these other characters, but there are likely dozens if not more of other individuals out there who are going through a similar journey towards heroism because of the actions of Class 1-A. It’s also wonderfully juxtaposed against Eri, who is another innocent person whose life has improved thanks to U.A. High. “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart!” doesn’t hammer this message in too hard, but it’s a nice aspect to reflect on as the season comes to a close.
On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, the appearance of the Wild Wild Pussycats also draws some attention back to All For One. He remains powerless and incarcerated, but he still has many heroes’ Quirks locked away. My Hero Academia treats this like these hidden Quirks are the buried bodies of a serial killer, which is such a deliciously twisted angle to play this. So many shows like to riff on the Hannibal and Clarice dynamic from Silence of the Lambs, but to operate like All For One is Ed Kemper or Ted Bundy as they desperately question him on where the Quirks are is so much darker. I don’t necessarily want All For One to escape and become the primary villain again, but I’d absolutely love a one-off episode where Centipeder and Bubble Girl from the Nighteye Detective Agency just interrogate him for an episode and try to give some Quirk-less heroes closure.
After “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart” does its due diligence with these character reunions, the bulk of the episode is the results of the hero rankings. This ranking system has been referred to numerous times in the series before in regards to how All Might held the top position, with Endeavor set as number two, but with All Might’s retirement and the many surprising events that have taken place there’s potential to be a major shakedown in the rankings in a way that there hasn’t been for years. For that reason, this is the first episode to really spend considerable time on the ranking concept. For a minute this degree of focus seems exciting because at last Midoriya and company have an honest shot to be included since they’re in the big leagues now. That being said, it explicitly refers to the Kamino Incident as the marker for these rankings, so it’s possible that the events with Overhaul may not be considered until the next billboard charts take place.
The stakes here aren’t that high since this entire episode revolves around what’s essentially a popularity contest and a matter of reputation, but My Hero Academia finds a way to make this more superfluous content have significance. Furthermore, so much has gone on this season where unexpected characters have proven themselves, while other major contenders have fallen into the background. It seemed like Todoroki was primed to be one of the top heroes out of 1-A, but he was a silent player against Overhaul and others like Kirishima stepped up in his place. It’s the perfect time to check in on how everyone stacks up.
