My Hero Academia, Chapter 322, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight Review: The Bakugo Moment We’ve All Been Waiting For.

I can remember beginning to read the My Hero Academia manga right after I finished Season Three, however, I have reviewed very few chapters since then.
This was because, with a very frequent release schedule, I was concerned focusing on it could put other reviews I had planned on the backburner.
So, I decided to only review chapters that really impacted with me.
One of these was Chapter 290, “Dabi’s Dance”, which is currently my favourite chapter of the manga and was so good it had me reviewing its follow up chapters for a few weeks until I stopped again.
Well, I just read another top ten My Hero Academia chapter, so I just had to review this one, which is Chapter 322, “Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight.”
The reason this chapter is so amazing is because of how it masterfully delivers a scene that Bakugo fans have been waiting years to see: his apology to Izuku.
Back when I watched the first season of My Hero Academia, I could not understand why so many people liked Bakugo.
I certainly understood his character and why he was so mean to Izuku but it in no way made him a likeable character.
However, as the series went on, I began to slowly realize why people loved Bakugo’s character and honestly I came to feel the same way as I watched him progress, realizing his own weaknesses and beginning to regret his past actions.
His breakdown in front of Izuku at the end of Season Three, showing how he blamed himself for All Might losing his power, really floored me the first time I watched it because I had no idea Bakugo was suffering internally like that.
As I read the manga, I continued to watch him grow as a character, liking his development more and more, especially the moment where he recreated Izuku saving him at the beginning of the story, with his body moving on its own to save him in the War Arc.
Well, in Chapter 322 we finally get the culmination of Bakugo’s character arc, which was all building up to this moment.
As the fight between Izuku and Class 1-A winds down, Bakugo explains to Deku why he saved him during the War Arc, following this up by explaining his horrible actions at the beginning of the story, how he came to realize his own weaknesses and how the time has finally come to tell “Izuku” his truth.
And yes, he does actually call Izuku by his real name instead of Deku, the name Bakugo has used to degrade him throughout the series.
He follows this up by finally apologizing in a fantastic panel, even bowing slightly during his apology.
This, right here, is already one of My Hero Academia’s best moments.
It’s honestly baffling and kind of concerning how some people are against Bakugo apologizing to Izuku because they saw themselves in him when he was unrepentant.
Relating to a remorseless bully who doesn’t change… okay?
Thank goodness this is not what Bakugo’s character is actually like.
Not only is his apology to Izuku the culmination of his character arc up until this point, but it is also beautifully highlighted by Kohei Horikoshi how far both Bakugo and Izuku have come to get to this point.
As Bakugo prepares for his apology, explaining his actions and how he has changed to Izuku, the two symbolically change appearance throughout the panels.
First, we them as kindergarten students, then middle-schoolers, then in their UA uniforms, and finally their hero costumes.
Along with this, Izuku’s expression also changes across the panels, being as dead-eyed as Shigaraki before Bakugo brings him back to himself.
All of this comes togethor to create what is, again, one of My Hero Academia’s best scenes.
It is not the only moving moment in the chapter, though, because there are multiple parts like this throughout, like at the beginning when Mina tells Izuku to come back to UA because she cannot stand the thought of losing anyone else, obviously calling back to Midnight’s death.
Then there’s Kirishima calling back to Izuku saving Bakugo, Bakugo catching Izuku when he falls, and the final scene, where it looks like Uraraka is about to stand up for Izuku.
This scene happens when Class 1-A brings the unconcious Deku back to UA and are met by Thirteen, who we see unmasked for the first time.
What is more surprising than this, especially so for Izuku, is the state of U.A.
With its giant wall constructed to keep citizens safe, it looks a lot like Tartarus prison once did.
Let’s hope it’s even more secure than that was because, if it’s not, then we’re going to be in for a world of hurt once All For One attacks.
The citizens taking refuge at UA are just as concerned about this.
When they recognize Izuku as the one Shigaraki was after, they demand he leave for their own saftey, so Shigaraki will not attack.
Izuku is about to do so when Uraraka grabs his hand and assures him it will be okay.
She thinks about how Ida and Bakugo started to bring Izuku back, and now it might just be her turn because she again wonders who will will protect the heroes when they need it, as she appears to step towards the angered crowd.
I hope this means next chapter we will see Uraraka speak up for Izuku and convince the crowd to allow him inside.
After all, Bakugo and Ida both got their big moments in bringing Izuku back to UA and now I think it is Uraraka’s turn.
In any case, “Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight”, along with being a mouthful of a title, is one of My Hero Academia’s best chapters.
It has a lot of great moments but Bakugo’s apology scene just steals the show.
I wonder how his character will continue to grow from here?