REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia’ Episode 156 — “It’s a Small World”

With Dark Abyss unleashed against All For One (Akio Ôtsuka, The Grimm Variations), the heroes hope to hold the villain at bay till Rewind unmakes the antagonist. But with so many players taking part in the grand drama unfolding across Japan, My Hero Academia Episode 156, “It’s a Small World,” reminds the audience that new players are still left to join the fray.

After repeating the post-credit scene from the last episode, this week’s entry launches into the fight against All For One right where it left off. As Dark Abyss continues to batter the villain, the other heroes work to ensure no one can interrupt the fight. But no interruption is needed as the villain can soon drive his attacker back. Appearing even younger than before, the strength of All For One seems to have grown again, and rather than spending his fleeting time fighting the opponents before him, All For One disengages to join Shigaraki.

As the heroes give chase, huge clouds of dust appear over the horizon, heralding the arrival of Gigantomachia (Yasuhiro Mamiya, Shinobi no Ittoki). However, the happiness All For One expresses at seeing his trusted servant is short-lived, as he quickly finds himself on the receiving end of the giant’s wrath, having a huge bolder hurled at him. Momentarily confused, the situation becomes clear when he spots Shinso (Wataru Hatano, Gamera: Rebirth) riding atop the giant’s head with Kirishima (Toshiki Masuda, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom).

This opening moment for what will be the crux of this week’s story does a great job of surprising viewers. By releasing Gigantomachia so abruptly, the viewer gets a small shock that twists expectations but doesn’t come completely out of left field. After all, we saw the villains attempt to unleash the monster earlier in the battle.

My Hero Academia Episode 156 then shifts back 15 minutes to the holding cell where Gigantomachia is kept. We learn how the villains managed to release the titan while also getting some great moments from one of the more overlooked members of Class 1-A: Mina Ashido (Eri Kitamura, Street Fighter 6).

Ashido shines here as she rushes from one brawl to another, helping her allies stay on their feet. She saves Shinso and even manages to give Gigantomachia pause as she unleashes the biggest acid spray she’s ever done, singing her own hands in the process.

This showing from the side character gives her a chance to showcase everything she has become. While her displays of heroism are excellent, the best part comes after the situation has stabilized. As Kirishima cradles the exhausted Ashido in his arms, she tells him that saving everyone made her even with him for when he saved her. Kirishima tells his childhood friend that she was never in his debt and that she was always his hero.

This tender moment swings above its weight thanks to its unexpected nature. While the connection between the two is openly discussed, it doesn’t come up that often. Being reminded of it in this emotional moment after a long time gives it some extra punching power.

While Ashino holds the emotional side of this sequence together, the action is carried by Mt. Lady (Kaori Nazuka, Birdie Wing: Golf Girl’s Story). Leading the charge against the villains, the oversized hero throws her all into keeping Gigantomachia in his cell. Remembering what he did the last time he rampaged better than anyone, the hero delivers every attack with some extra force, even seen wielding a giant monkey wrench against her foes.

Once Shinso subdues Gigantomachia, My Hero Academia Episode 156 returns to the present as both Gigantomachia and Mt. Lady help to restrain All For One. The move is acknowledged as a gamble since a hard strike to Gigantomachia could break Shinso’s control. Being aware of this weakness, All For One does just that. Once his blow is struck, he commands his servant to attack his enemies, only to ignore the order as we learn that Gigatomachia is upset with his master.

Before I get into the nature of Gigatomachia’s refusal, there is a jarring moment here that I need to address. Amid everything that’s going on, All For One observes Shinso. He realizes the mind manipulator must have been how the heroes could trick his lie-detecting quirk. While this is true, bringing it up here feels out of place. With Dark Abyss, Mt. Lady, and his former servant all taking turns slapping him down, you’d think even his mind wouldn’t be concerned with such irrelevancies. And since the audience has known all along, it doesn’t even help us.

The exploration of the giant’s feelings is as well done as it is surprising. The show’s decision to allow the character to become more than just a walking disaster is a great choice that deepens the moment while providing the audience with something unexpected.

Unfortunately, the giant’s power is insufficient to keep All For One subdued. Having grown even younger, the villain lashes out, decimating the heroes. As his body regenerates, he makes a point to steal Hawks’ quirk. This will allow him to reach Shigaraki faster while removing the only hero present who could keep up with him from the chase.

During this scene, we also learn why All For One can still access his collected quirks. As they are external to him, Rewind doesn’t affect them. This allows his body to grow stronger without depriving him of his arsenal. However, it is revealed that All For One ages faster the more damage he takes. So, utilizing his quirks in combat is still best avoided if he wants to maximize his time left.

My Hero Academia Episode 156 ends as the villain races off to find Shigaraki, leaving behind him the shattered combined forces arrayed against him. While this outcome was inevitable, the episode does a great job of filling the story with enough surprising twists and emotional moments to make the narrative worth catching up on.

My Hero Academia Episode 156 is streaming on Crunchyroll.