REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Episode 111 – “Tenko Shimura: Origin”

Content Warning: My Hero Academia Episode 111 contains moments depicting child abuse.

My Hero Academia is a superhero-shonen anime produced by studio BONES. Having finally brought the battle to Re-Destro, Tomura Shigaraki prepares to face off against the leader of the Metahuman Liberation Army. But while confronting the powerful foe, Shigaraki makes a startingly discovery. He suddenly remembers where he came from in My Hero Academia Episode 111.

This season of My Hero Academia does some interesting things with the directions it takes some of its characters. The first half of this season explored Endeavor’s desire to atone for his failures as a husband and a father, but without pursuing the redemption that one would expect the story to drive him towards. With only a few episodes left in the season, the story turns its focus to the leader of the League of Villians, Tomura Shigaraki. But just as with Endeavor, the series doesn’t take his tale quite in the direction you might expect it to.

While I don’t plan to give any spoilers about the villain’s revelations My Hero Academia Episode 111 delivers, I will say that I can’t praise the way the show delivers these moments enough. There is a nuance to Shigaraki’s story that delivers its beats with the series’ trademark heartfelt emotion. Shigaraki’s discovery of his quark and the nature of his home life goes a long way to explaining why he is the way he is, but the show never feels like it is trying to excuse Shigaraki’s actions in the present with what occurred in the past.

Along with the deep dive into Shigaraki’s past, this episode also gives us a brief glimpse into Spinner’s reason for being where he is. His origin is both mundane and exceptional. It’s mundane because his situation is one that may be familiar to many but exceptional due to the fact that he breaks from it.

Even as the show dives into Shigaraki’s history, the battle between the villains continues. While Spinner tries desperately to support Shigaraki, Twice desperately attempts to save Toga from succumbing to her wounds. The surrounding events in this episode only serve to build up the emotional tension of the episode.

The visuals throughout My Hero Academia Episode 111 are excellent. The emotional moments strewn throughout the episode are delivered with all the punch of the best the series has previously delivered. The struggles of young Shigaraki are brought to the viewer with all the force the show can muster, repeatedly showing moments from the child’s own POV.

On the other side of the coin, the action in this story delivers some huge hits. Re-Destro is shown to be a powerhouse in his own right, requiring visuals that instantly make one think of shonen anime’s trademark warrior race. This, combined with the recurring delivery of new quarks from the Liberation Army, and the action here never fails to both impress and surprise.

When all is said and done, My Hero Academia Episode 111 delivers a superbly-paced and balanced story that delivers everything the show has become famous for. With the promise of more of Shigaraki’s story to come, it will be interesting to see if the follow-up episode can bring the flawless delivery that this entry accomplishes.

My Hero Academia Episode 111 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.