REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Episode 104 – “Long Time No See, Selkie”

My Hero Academia is a superhero-shounen anime produced by studio BONES. While Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki continue their work studies with Endeavor, the rest of U-A High’s hero course students are hard at work as well. My Hero Academia Episode 104 takes a moment to see what Uraraka, Asui, and Nejire are up to as they do their work studies with the number ten hero Ryukyu. Luckily for them, it’s not all work. After all, even heroes need to relax now and then.

It was only a matter of time. Even for a series that has pushed its genre as much as My Hero Academia, some traditions cannot be broken, and an anime must have its beach episode. Thankfully, Mineta is not present.

My Hero Academia Episode 104 centers its narrative around a group of smugglers trying to escape Japan with the chemicals necessary to craft the quirk amplifying drug Trigger. When the smugglers run afoul of the seal hero Selkie, they take refuge in a nearby island chain. Not able to adequately monitor the entire area himself, Selkie calls for a team-up from Ryukyu since her ability to fly should make monitoring the area much easier. Ryukyu answers the summons and brings her three young work-study students with her.

When Ryukyu and the others arrive, Selkie informs them that their smugglers aren’t likely to come out of hiding till nightfall. So rather than pass the time tense and worrying, he recommends the group unwind with a beach day.

My Hero Academia Episode 104‘s beach scene provides the series with a fun, goofy moment that alleviates some of the tension of recent episodes. And while all the young ladies are in the expected beach style attire, the sequence keeps all camera angles and character poses appropriate for both the tone of the series as well as the age of the subjects in the scene.

Once the fun in the sun is over, the heroes go to work searching for the smugglers. As always, BONES does a great job of delivering a fun sequence that gives all its participants a chance to shine as they come together to face their challenges as a team. And while everyone gets to have their moment, Uraraka is given the biggest chance to shine.

One of my favorite aspects of My Hero Academia is how it highlights how much individual moments come to shape characters. Here, Uraraka is taking her recent experience helping Midoriya and trying to approach a new crisis with that recent experience informing her decisions.

The visuals of My Hero Academia Episode 104 do a great job of balancing the episode between its two halves. The bright sunshine of the beach sequence contrasts the darker tones of the confrontation with the smugglers nicely to make each sequence stand apart from the other.

When all is said and done, My Hero Academia Episode 104 delivers a fun side episode that allows some of its cast to do some good and have some fun.

My Hero Academia Episode 104 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.