My Hero Academia: Season 4 Episode 16 Review

My Hero Academia: Season 4 Episode 16” ReviewIt’s been quite a ride on My Hero Academia this season, hasn’t it? I feel like I’ve just been stressed every week, wondering who was going to get hurt next, who was going to die, and what would happen next in the Overhaul arc. Real talk, everything that happened with Mirio made me cry, and I’m more than ready for some laughter and lighter times.

We got…mostly good vibes in the new arc for My Hero Academia. I was super happy to see the rest of the UA students and what they were all up to. I missed all their little quirks (haha pun intended) like Bakugo’s angry outbursts, and Koda having a bunny! Koda! He’s an underrated character, and his Quirk is low-key my favorite one. I’d love to talk to animals. I know he’ll never be one of the main characters, but I just need him to be appreciated more. Also, when Iida showed up with his signature hand gesturing, my roommates and I leapt to our feet in joy. Iida is truly a gem in this show, and I want more of him too.

Speaking of the students, we have a new opening featuring what looks like a cute festival they’ll be putting on in the back half of the season. This is a nice sort of wind down from the intense fighting we’ve just seen every week. It’s kind of like the exam arc that happened last season right after the wild All for One vs. One for All fight. My Hero Academia is pretty good about balancing the serious and the funny. Even within this episode, they struck a balance between getting back to school activities while still showing the dangers that are out there. Sometimes, the tone was a little too wild. We got the recap of the League of Villains taking away Overhaul’s arms, and then a harsh cut to this super bright and cheerful opening. It was a little jarring, but it never took me out of the episode.

Getting back to that energetic opening, it’s really good, and I’m sure I’ll warm up to it more. I adored the previous one, so I’m a little sad to see it go. This one has awesome moments. I love seeing the students hanging out. I loved seeing Nighteye’s glasses falling toward Mirio, and I loved all the Jiro screen time. Jiro is totally getting her own arc coming up, and I’m excited for it. She’s been a background character, and I’m ready to find out more about her and what drives her.

To pivot toward the ending, this is another one I need to watch more to have it grow on me. The visuals are the best part. The photos of the characters when they’re children made my roommates and I pause to get a good look at everyone. I’m still gushing over tiny Mirio and Tamaki together. That’s easily the best part. On the other end of the spectrum, the mosaic of all the students being kept awake at night made me want to CRY AGAIN. In particular, to no one’s surprise, MIRIO SITTING UP IN BED CRYING IS THE SADDEST THING EVER. He was so delightful in this episode. I love his optimism and his energy. He puts a big smile on my face. I’m sorry every week with my reviews I just end up gushing about how much I love Mirio, but it looks like we won’t be seeing him too much in the coming episodes. I have to get in my Mirio time now! On the bright side, there was some sweet foreshadowing that he might get his Quirk back once Eri can control her powers. I’d love to see her rewind him back to when he had his Quirk. I will weep tears of joy.

Another great part of this episode was Aizawa. He’s seriously one of the best characters. He comforted Deku, Mirio, and Ochaco this episode briefly. He’s quiet about it. For example, the scene with Mirio was just a brief image of him putting a hand on Mirio’s shoulder and putting his head down. Aizawa cares deeply about his students, even if he doesn’t always show it.

What else can we say about this episode? Oh yeah, remember when they introduced a creature that looked like it was straight out of Attack on Titan? That scared the hell out of me. I think that giant monster man is going to come into play at the end of the season, but it was good to see him just lurking beneath the surface. Now we have an idea of the darker things to come in the season. Oh boy. I’m scared again. Either way, cheers to the other students making appearances. For example, next week we get Bakugo and Todoroki trying to herd children in what looks like a filler episode. This looks like it’ll be hilarious though, so I’m not complaining!