REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia’ Episode 169 — “The Girl Who Loves Smiles”

The heroes have won the day, but that doesn’t mean their personal struggles are over just yet. My Hero Academia Episode 169, “The Girl Who Loves Smiles,” continues the emotional battles as the heroes reckon with the aftermath of the war against All For One. 

My Hero Academia Episode 169 expands on the idea of redemption that the last episode touched on. Some villains are being allowed back into society after helping the heroes in the end, but that does not mean their sins are entirely washed away. It also doesn’t mean they want to be redeemed just yet, as Lady Nagant shows. She is content to keep living off the taxpayers in jail while she reckons with her place in the world after everything.

It is a fascinating look at the psyche of a villain, especially one who used to be a hero. This raises questions over what it means to be a villain, and what would cause someone to fall in with evil. Spinner’s meeting with Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita) helps bring this to a head.

Spinner offers a new perspective on how Shigaraki saved him. 

Spinner worshipped Shigaraki, seeing him as someone who gave a voice to the voiceless. In Shigaraki, Spinner had someone willing to fight for a world that would allow him to live as himself, free from persecution. The fact that the world would only exist if they committed evil atrocities doesn’t matter to him because, from his perspective, the world is already evil.

That concept of perspective is so vital in My Hero Academia Episode 169. What makes someone a hero or a villain is not entirely cut-and-dry. That is something that My Hero Academia has often reckoned with, as we see with Bakugo’s journey from Midoriya’s bully to his closest ally, and that theme continues here.

Civilians are shown discussing how evil Shigaraki is. At the same time, Spinner puts into perspective that people joined his side because they felt he was fighting for something that would benefit the world, no matter how twisted it was.

Uraraka is still haunted by her guilt over Toga’s death. 

This confrontation also allows Midoriya to realize that saving someone’s life does not always mean fixing them. And that is ok. Midoriya does not need to fix everyone, and listening to Spinner shows how much he has grown over the course of the series. He lets Spinner take out his frustration and anger, knowing it is not his job to reason with him or change his mindset.

The other central focal point in My Hero Academia Episode 169 is Uraraka (Ayane Sakura). The heroes have been promoted to class 2-A, and everything seems to be going back to normal for most of the heroes.

The new first-year students are talking about how much they look up to class 2-A, and the heroes are shown joking around with each other as well. However, Uraraka is still dealing with the aftermath of Toga’s death.

My Hero Academia Episode 169 reminds us we’re better together. 

Uraraka has always been a smiling, encouraging character, so seeing her deal with the emotional weight of Toga’s death hits hard. Her classmates are working to rebuild after the battle, and they notice she is not herself. This is a chance for her friends to show how much they care. She is carrying so much, and she feels the need to keep it hidden to spare her classmates worry.

My Hero Academia Episode 169 uses tight shots to isolate Uraraka, further highlighting how alone she is in her recovery. She is so fundamentally changed by Toga’s sacrifice to save her, trying to understand how a villain could save a hero, and she feels alone on an island. It is also an important reminder that, no matter how much you might think you can handle things on your own, everyone is better off with friends and loved ones to support them.

My Hero Academia Episode 169 is another emotionally powerful episode, showing that being a hero is all about perspective. No one is left unchanged from the battle, and here we get to see just how dramatically different the landscape is.

My Hero Academia Episode 169 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

Previous Episode | Next Episode