REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Episode 110 – “Sad Man’s Parade”

My Hero Academia is a superhero-shonen anime produced by studio BONES. With last week’s glimpse into the life of League of Villians member Toga as she was beaten by the Metahuman Liberation Army, we saw Twice come to her rescue as the episode ended. Now, the story shifts to his struggle as the Liberation Army attempts to take out both him and Toga. In his moment of crisis, we get a glimpse of who Twice was and why he is how he is in My Hero Academia Episode 110.

One of the best trends in modern superhero storytelling is exploring the drawbacks of having superhuman abilities. Rather than these powers simply being advantageous tools, they frequently come with huge drawbacks that can hamper more than they help, whether directly due to the nature of the ability or because of what happens when overusing the gift spirals out of control. One of the best looks at this situation comes in My Hero Academia Episode 110 and its examination of Twice.

Since his first appearance in My Hero Academia, Twice has been one of the more notable personalities in the show. The portrayal of his split personality made him instantly notable in any sequence he is involved in. However, while the character has always intrigued me, there have been moments where his presence in the series could be a little much. This week’s episode pulls back the curtain on how Twice’s mind became so fractured as he struggles to save Toga from being murdered by the Liberation Army.

My Hero Academia Episode 110‘s explanation of Twice’s mental condition makes a lot of sense. It’s a unique look at what his duplication power could do if not handled with care. The potential of a fully enabled Twice is fairly impressive.

While the primary focus of this episode centers on Twice, the rest of the League is also seen as they continue to struggle to hold out against the Liberation Army until Gigantomachia’s arrival disrupts the situation. These moments see the League’s members being pushed to their limits as they struggle to overcome the overwhelming numbers advantage of their opponents.

The visual side of My Hero Academia Episode 110 gets to go all out. Throughout Twice’s story, the animation does a fantastic job of delivering the struggles the character undergoes as he suffers the mental trauma that causes him to exhibit his unique personality.

Along with the emotional delivery, this episode also gets to showcase tons of unique powers and some creative uses for them. As always, the series takes special care to show how creative it can get with how its many characters can utilize the particulars of their quirks.

When taken all together, My Hero Academia Episode 110 is everything a person could ask from the My Villian Academia arc. It manages to flesh out another League member while keeping the story moving forward in a way that keeps the episode both emotional and entertaining. Mix in the ample amount of action, and you have a standout episode for this season.

My Hero Academia Episode 110 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.