REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Episode 105 – “The Hellish Todoroki Family,”

Content Warning: My Hero Academia Episode 105 deals with themes of abuse.

My Hero Academia is a superhero-shonen anime produced by studio BONES. After last week’s fun and sun adventure, this week’s story is far more chilled as the series returns to Todoroki, Bakugo, and Midoriya as they continue their training under the number one hero Endeavor. But when Todoroki’s big sister invites the group over for a family dinner the atmosphere may prove to be less than ideal in My Hero Academia Episode 105.

This week’s episode opens with our trio as they continue to struggle to catch up with Endeavor. But even though they can’t catch the number one hero, they are making progress. As always the show does a great job of highlighting the importance of recognizing the incremental change that fills the space between a journey’s beginning and its end.

Once the patrol is wrapped up, My Hero Academia Episode 105 follows Endeavor as he receives a call from Todoroki’s big sister Fuyumi. She’s learned that the boys are with him and invites the entire group over for dinner.

Fuyumi’s character hits extremely hard for me in this episode. As someone whose family interactions are far less than comfortable as a general rule, Fuyumi’s obvious desire to see things better instantly reminded me of my mom. Always trying to patch things and mend bridges, just wanting everyone to get along. Happily, Fuyumi is reasonable in her expectations and understanding of the feelings of the rest of her family. Her positivity though is nonetheless a bit infectious, and certainly a bright spot in a dour episode.

While the episode’s approach to the dinner at the Todoroki’s is delivered with an abundance of feeling and sincerity, there is a small complaint about what leads up to the main event. After receiving the invitation from his daughter to bring the boys to dinner, My Hero Academia Episode 105 sees Endeavor lose himself in thought as he thinks back on what has transpired before with his family. And while there are a couple of snippets that are new to the viewer, the vast majority of this overly long sequence is recycled clips from the previous times the family’s struggles have taken center stage throughout the series. I wish this sequence could’ve been shortened to allow more new content in the family’s story to present itself. But, if you aren’t 100% on what has transpired before between the various family members of the Todoroki household, it will prove helpful going into the main portion of the episode.

The episode’s visual presentation provides an excellent vehicle to bring the emotional story to viewers. The discomfort that permeates the dinner is palpable through body langue that helps to further the episode’s solid voice work.

When all is said and done, My Hero Academia Episode 105 brings another well-delivered moment in the ongoing struggles of the Todoroki family. While I always hope for happy endings, Wherever the family ultimately ends up, I hope the story gets them to their destination in a way that continues to feel as genuine as they have been portrayed thus far.

My Hero Academia Episode 105 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.

rating 8/10