REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Episode 114 – “A Quiet Beginning”

The year-long wait for My Hero Academia Episode 114 is finally over, as the hit shonen superhero anime from studio BONES returns triumphantly. Shigaraki has complete control over the Liberation Front and gathers his forces for a climactic battle with the heroes.

The first half of My Hero Academia Episode 114 primarily focuses on Hawks’ undercover mission to infiltrate the Liberation Front. While he remains unable to secure a meeting with Shigaraki, Hawks is still able to obtain some significant information that is vital to the heroes’ success. Kyudai Garaki, a doctor beloved by the community, is uncovered as the former right-hand man to All for One. It is also revealed that Garaki, a man who has no quirks himself, is the evil genius behind the Nomu the heroes have faced off with in previous seasons. Hawks discovers a secret wing in Garaki’s hospital that only Garaki is seen entering and leaving, which leads the heroes to want to investigate.

I love the idea of someone without any powers being a significant player in the world of My Hero Academia. We see it originally with Deku before he is given the One for All quirk, so it only makes sense that there would be someone without powers having a massive influence on the side of the villains as well. The heroes have an obvious advantage over someone like Garaki when it comes to strength, but having to battle someone with wits adds an interesting layer that I am excited to see unfold.

In order to stop Garaki and Shigaraki, the heroes prepare for a two-pronged all-out assault against the Liberation Front. They are incredibly wary of the strength of the villains, seeing as the last time there was a massive battle was when they captured All for One and All Might was forced into retirement. In order to give themselves the best chances of success, the heroes decide to bring in the students of U.A. to serve as the rear guard in order to protect civilians, something Bakugo takes about as well as anyone would expect. The start of the battle is relatively anti-climactic in My Hero Academia Episode 114, since there isn’t really any fighting going on just yet, but the reveal right before the credits roll is absolutely wonderful.

For me though, the highlight of My Hero Academia Episode 114 has nothing to do with the fight between the heroes and the Liberation front. Instead, it is a brief moment between Endeavor’s kids, Natsuo Fuyumi, talking about Endeavor’s new efforts to rebuild the relationship with his family. The whole subplot of the Todoroki family has long been one of my favorites in My Hero Academia, and I’m glad it got a little screen time in My Hero Academia Episode 114. It isn’t a long scene, but hearing Natsuo talk about how he doesn’t want his dad to get hurt like before shows that there has been some slight healing there and adds to the stakes when Endeavor prepares to take on the Liberation Front.

My Hero Academia Episode 114 remains looking as incredible as the show has from the start. There may not be lots of crazy action in this setup episode, but the characters are truly brought to life in an excellent way by studio BONES. They especially do a great job of animating the pure terror in Garaki’s face when he is confronted by the heroes. I can’t wait to see how they animate the fight sequences that are sure to be right around the corner.

Serving as the start of the war between the heroes and the Liberation Front, My Hero Academia Episode 114 is a bit of a slower burn preparing viewers for the ultimate fight. While I might have liked to see some more action, I actually liked that it primarily focused on the pre-fight planning and interactions. The whole season is setting up to be one giant war, so a little calm before the storm is appreciated.

My Hero Academia Episode 114 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.