REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Episode 132 – “Full Power!!”

Having left U.A. High to protect his friends from becoming collateral damage when he has his inevitable showdown with All For One, Deku struck out on his own at the end of the last episode. My Hero Academia Episode 132 explores Deku and his state of mind as he adjusts to this newest leg of his journey to becoming the greatest hero.

This week’s episode opens with two heroes trying to get civilians holed up in an apartment building to evacuate to a safer area. It doesn’t go well, as the mistrust for heroes has reached a fever pitch. Just as the heroes are heading back, however, the area comes under attack from a familiar, muscle-bound villain that is looking to spill some blood. Long-time fans of the series will recognize this enemy from season three, as he was the one that attacked Kota and forced Deku to go to his limits to save the boy.

This opening for My Hero Academia Episode 132 perfectly showcases how far Deku has come physically since those early days. With his increased experience and a more comprehensive array of powers thanks to One For All making the full range of the forebearers’ abilities open to him, he can defeat this once-staggering opponent with comparative ease. While these opening moments do a great job of summarizing Deku’s physical growth, his mental changes are far more complicated, and the episode turns the bulk of its attention towards that side of its protagonist.

Deku can be a difficult character to read. As someone who has spent his life wanting to emulate All-Might, Deku has no problem wanting to carry the fate of the world on his shoulders. As we see him tackling the challenges ahead of him, we see a grim determination that most would never be able to muster when bearing as huge a burden as the one he has willingly taken on. But it is this grimness that speaks volumes. The upbeat Deku who wanted to save everyone with a smile on his face feels like little more than a fading dream at this point. Reinforced by the visual depiction of the tattered costume Deku now wears, the boy feels like he’s one bad day away from breaking. He’d just never show it.

But while Deku is close to the breaking point, there is one person who is well and truly already there. I speak of Deku’s mom. Appearing in a flashback to when Deku first woke up, My Hero Academia Episode 132 reminds us once again of how much this poor woman goes through as she is forced to watch her son bear the weight of others’ mistakes. Her response to Deku’s plan to protect everyone is the only one that she could possibly give. The fact that it engenders so little response from Deku feels like one more sign of how hard recent events have forced him to become.

As this episode wraps, we have the groundwork firmly placed for Deku to move forward to face his next challenge. How this episode explores the young hero’s mental state and his motivations is powerfully done and skillfully delivered.

My Hero Academia Episode 132 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.