My Hero Academia: Here's Why Shigaraki Asked About the Date

The latest My Hero Academia chapter sees Izuku Midoriya tap into more One For All power, in order to make his stand against Tomura Shigaraki. The Raid Arc of MHA's Paranormal Liberation War event has seen Shigaraki undergo a process that has boosted his fearsome powers higher than that of any other villain before him. With a clear mind and singular vision of purpose, Shigaraki is now ready to take down the entire pro hero system - and even the might of heroes like Endeavor and Eraserhead hasn't been enough to stop him. However, one detail in My Hero Academia's latest chapter reminds us that Shigaraki isn't invincible.

Warning - My Hero Academia Manga SPOILERS Follow!

Shigaraki and Izuku's face-off in My Hero Academia chapter 283 gets interrupted when Shigaraki's body literally starts coming about at the seams. The villain leader is perplexed by the sudden halt in his near-omnipotent powers. His body enhancements make him as durable as All Might, and after nearly killing Shoto Aizawa (and leaving him crippled), the eraser effect has been neutralized. By all accounts, Shigaraki should be invulnerable - but his powers aren't quite what they should be.

The realization of his weakness quickly makes Shigaraki ask Izuku a crucial question: "What's the date today?"

If you don't recall, the prologue to the Paranormal Liberation War and its Raid Arc saw All For One's mad-scientist Dr. Ujiko put Shigaraki into an excruciating enhancement process that boosted his disintegration quirk; unlocked the All For One quirk dormant inside of him; and enhanced his body with All Might-type strength and durability. Shigaraki was supposed to undergo that process for quite some time - but the procedure was interrupted when Rabbit Hero Mirko stormed Ujiko's lab and kicked Shigaraki's stasis tank to pieces. The moment that Shigaraki asks about the date is also the first time since awakening that the villain leader realizes he never fully completed his procedure!

As My Hero Academia reminds us in chapter 283, Shigaraki was only 75% complete with his transformation process before Mirko kicked the crap out of him. Deku realizes at that moment that Shigaraki is now just like him: holding onto a power that his body can't fully cope with. Therein lies the answer to the question fans have been asking for weeks now: how can Deku possibly hope to beat Shigaraki?

Right now, a big handicap has been placed on Shigaraki's new powers, while Izuku is rapidly power boosting in his use of One For All and its secondary abilities. That new power balance actually sets the two rivals on much more equal ground - and gets fans ready for a final showdown that can actually offer a thrilling battle.

My Hero Academia is in production on season 5 of the anime. Online chapters of the manga can be found HERE.