Episode 103

One Thing at a Time (一つ一つ) is the one hundred and third episode of the My Hero Academia anime and the fifthteenth episode of the fifth season.

Summary
Hawks makes his way into a mansion, entering a room facing a board of people, which include the League of Villains’ Dabi, Himiko Toga, Twice, and Spinner, as he explains the work he has been doing in spreading the word of the Meta Liberation War. One of the men praise Hawks for understanding the words of Destro, while Twice pipes in saying he doesn’t get it, asking Hawks to teach him, which he happily agrees to.

As he continues to tell them the Commission has been focusing on connecting the League to the Deika City incident, and how they’ve started training the next generation, Himiko gleefully reacts to seeing Izuku in the footage from their recent fight. Dabi comments how they don’t appear to have grown much, which he points out that they’re still just students, as he is dismissed.

Standing outside the room, Hawks secretly leaves one of his feathers in the doorway to continue listening in on their conversation. As Spinner mentions they will continue to keep morale for the troops up, Himiko adds that in four months, everything will be destroyed by Tomura.

Hawks attempts to investigate how many heroes are part of the Liberation Army and what Tomura is planning, with some trouble due to the enhanced security in the building. He surmises that storming the mansion now wouldn’t be of use, and that he needs to determine the locations and numbers all throughout Japan as fast as possible, so they can make a move in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, Endeavor manages to decode the message: “The enemy is the liberation army. They number over a hundred thousand. In four months, to action. Before that, I’ll send a signal. In case of failure, more manpower.” He recalls a conversation with the Public Safety Commission President, who requested his assistance in helping the students gain more experience, figuring out that Hawks and the Commission are working behind closed doors to confront the enemy, and that is the purpose of the work-studies.

Outside the office, Burnin states that since Endeavor wanted to work with Shoto, the other two will probably have to work with the Flaming Sidekickers, which enrages Katsuki, forcing Izuku to try and calm him down. Shoto doesn’t agree and prepares to talk with him, until Endeavor arrives, facing the three interns and telling them he will look after them.

Hawks reflects on everything, unsure about using the students as a fail-safe, and remembering Dabi underestimating the students, which he is happy for, knowing that they would’ve easily handled it if he wasn’t there. He thinks back to his internship with Fumikage and how he was initially uninterested in training the next generation, but seeing them all work hard has made him change his mind, cheering them on to get stronger, faster, as all the Hero students each start their work studies.

In the agency’s gym, Endeavor asks Izuku and Katsuki to tell him what they want to work on. Izuku starts, saying he wants to control his power at the fullest. Endeavor recalls how he has super strength that also hurts him, with Izuku adding that he found a way control it, however that it has recently started manifesting in a different way, struggling to explain it while Katsuki looks on irritated.

Endeavor asks to see it, so Izuku unleashes a small wisp of Blackwhip, which is the most he can release without it going out of control. When Endeavor asks what he wants to do with it, Izuku proceeds to go on a lengthy rambling explanation on how he wants to use it as a whip, just like how he uses Air Force as a long-distance attack, however since both abilities require more intense focus due to the strain on his body they give him, since he currently handle about 10-15% power and they require at least 20%, he wants to find a way to easily go back and forth between them. Burnin, Katsuki, and Shoto are unable to follow along, however to Burnin’s surprise, Endeavor is able to understand and responds to his concerns.

Endeavor recalls his conversation with Izuku at the Sports Festival, comparing his power to All Might’s, turning to him and saying he’s had trouble with his Quirk so he’s “one of us”, to Izuku’s slight confusion. Endeavor then asks Katsuki, who replies that he wants to learn what he cannot do. He states that with Explosion he’s already been able to do everything he’s wanted, but since then he’s learned he needs more than power if he wants to achieve his goals of surpassing the No. 1 Hero.

Endeavor concludes the presentations, only to be stopped by Shoto asking to go next. He annoyingly responds that he knows he wants to master Flashfire Fist, but Shoto instead talks about how he had put all of his training into his right side and spent so much time with pointless hatred toward him. However, since spending time with everyone at U.A., he has started to go down the path he wanted him to do. But, he reminds him that it was All Might who’s the one who inspired him, and that he has come to the Agency as a fledgling Hero wanting to learn how to be a worthy Hero, not as his son.

Endeavor recalls Shoto’s words how “Endeavor the Hero” was amazing, but that he still can’t forgive him and wants to see where his father goes from here, leading him to feel depressed, thinking that he was starting to open up to him a little, but that he was mistaken. Accepting the situation, he turns and tells the three they will start their training.

Outside, he informs the three about how “Rescue, Evacuation, and Fighting” are the three fundamentals most Hero Agencies follow, and that while most agencies focus on one or the other, his does all three. He explains how he knows the ins and outs of his jurisdiction and immediately acts for any incident or accident he detects, using fire to keep any stray civilians away; referring to it as his “parallel processing”, which catches Izuku’s attention. He proceeds to tell them that over this winter, to capture a villain faster than him just once.

He receives a notification through his earpiece, rushing into action, with Katsuki, Izuku, and Shoto chasing behind. Izuku thinks back to his experience with One For All, how he’s been slowly starting to catch up with everyone, and how he had to practice with Full Cowling to keep it all under control. He then remembers the Fifth One For All user’s words, and that he needs to hurry up so he can master the six other Quirks.

Endeavor continues chase toward a hit-and-runner riding a motorcycle trying to make an escape, who he stops before he slips through an alleyway. While the Sidekickers arrest the villain, the trainees arrive too late, with Katsuki saying that it takes longer for him to get warmed up in the winter. Shoto tells Katsuki that he noticed the reason Endeavor is so fast is because he shoots fire from below his feet to propel himself and blast off, recognizing it since it is similar to his abilities, which Katsuki claims to have already noticed being similar to how he uses his Explosions. Endeavor then adds that the street above was an intersection, meaning he was able to determine which path the culprit was most likely to take.

While the Sidekickers deal with the villain, Endeavor blasts off again, with the students following suit. Shoto attempts to use his fire to help propel him faster on his ice slide. Izuku asks about leaving the sidekicks behind, with Endeavor responding that while he worked with Hawks in Kyushu, Heroes need to be able to do everything on their own.

He praises Katsuki for his skill in his abilities, however reminding him he is still far behind for him. Katsuki tries to make the same reasoning about the winter, but Endeavor tells him he can’t keep making excuses, as in these kinds of situations, everything is life and death, as he effortlessly stops a truck from running into a woman.

While Izuku helps out the civilians, Endeavor gives Shoto and Katsuki the same assignment, to learn how to store up and condense their powers, to be able to release it at maximum impact until they can do it without thinking. Izuku excitingly relates it to Katsuki’s AP Shot, which he angrily yells back at. Endeavor adds that since Shoto is at the pont where he can control the shape of his ice to try and do it with his fire.

During a break, Endeavor asks Izuku if he can control his maximum output without thinking, which he says yes with Full Cowling, however he still needs to think for Air Force. Endeavor tells him to focus on controlling Air Force first and worry about the “secondary ability” for later. When he asks about parallel processing, Endeavor talks about how everyone uses parallel processing subconsciously, using the example of a driver who through practice was able to do everything without thinking. He tells him that first he needs to learn how to do two things at once without thinking, and once he succeeds, to throw in another thing.

Endeavor concludes telling them to take everything they learned in school and apply it to real experience, stating that they can practice and fail as much as they want, as it won’t have any effect on his work. Izuku thinks about how much he has grown and gained thanks to All Might, yet still has so much to learn, and that he will go beyond, one thing at a time.

Anime & Manga Differences

 * Several parts about Hawks' meeting with the Paranormal Liberation Front lieutenants are changed:
 * The faces of Re-Destro, Trumpet and Skeptic are obscured, while the faces of the League members are only initially obscured.
 * Gigantomachia is nowhere to be seen.
 * Re-Destro congratulating Hawks and Twice asking for help with understanding Destro's ideology takes place during the meeting rather than in a hallway like in the manga.
 * Skeptic and Mr. Compress' lines are omitted.
 * Tomura and Daruma's scenes are not shown in the events of this episode.
 * More details about the other students' work studies are added:
 * Shikkui and Itejiro are revealed to have joined Yo and Tatami.
 * Mina, Yuga and Toru are seen alongside Yoroi Musha, whereas their work studies were only mentioned in the manga.
 * Majestic is seen earlier than in the manga, as he makes his physical debut during the Paranormal Liberation War Arc.
 * In the manga, Kamui Wood’s costume upgrade was originally shown during the Hero Billboard Chart JP.
 * Several moments from the Work-Studies montage are cut:
 * Naomasa and Gran Torino seeing Kurogiri in Tartarus.
 * Toshinori's ominous look.
 * Eri's horn continuing to grow.
 * Fuyumi praying at Toya's altar.