Hell has Come for My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia S6, Ep. 14 Review

It’s a new year, but in the universe of My Hero Academia, that would offer little comfort. The Paranormal Liberation War ended, but it was a pyrrhic victory for the heroes. Shigaraki and most of the League of Villains escaped, dozens of heroes died, and don’t forget the cities leveled in the process. There’s only one word for Japan’s going through right now: Hell. Hell has descended onto Earth. The episode’s title even says so!

Firstly, though, I want to talk about the new opening and ending. Anime has a habit of spoiling stuff in the OP and ED’s of shows, and this was no exception. It looks like the second half of the season will also cover the upcoming “Tartarus Escapees Arc.” I’m happy about this, at this arc sees Deku go from a student to a hero in the vein of Spider-Man. It’s cool, but it also sees him pushed to his absolute limits. More on that when the time comes. It’s time for Hell.

War is Hell, and the Heroes Have Been Through It

The first half of the episode has Deku mentally recap everything that’s happened thus far. While recaps aren’t always welcome, in this case, it’s a necessity given the horrors we witnessed. The heroes managed to capture most of the Paranormal Liberation Front, but besides Twice and Mr. Compress, the core of the League of Villains escaped. In addition, the sheer destruction inflicted has left countless dead and injured. Add in Dabi’s outing of his father, Endeavor, and the public’s faith in heroes has reached an all-time low.

This whole episode leaves no doubt that the heroes have been flung into Hell, and we got several gut punches that could leave people in tears. All Might’s statue was vandalized with “I am NOT HERE,” showing everyone’s loss of faith. Seeing the UA students cry when they discover the death of Midnight. The worst moment, though? As Uravity is doing everything she can to help the victims, she hears one of the Pro-Heroes mentally shatter and decide to quit.

Absolute Lowest Point

Even though the heroes succeeded in capturing thousands of PLF members, Dr. Garaki, Mr. Compress, and even Gigantomachia, none of that matters. The fact that Shigaraki escaped means they still lost. That’s how everyone sees it.

This episode was an absolute tear-jerker, and probably one of the darkest in MHA. I remember seeing all of this in the manga, and while I thought it was terrible then, seeing it in anime form makes it seem like an actual Hell. It just goes to show you the power that animation can have on people.

For anime-watchers only, don’t expect things to get better any time soon. The ending shows that All for One’s getting ready to bust out of Tartarus, and when that happens, chaos will reign. So, spend the next week mentally preparing for what’s to come. 

I Give “Hellish Hell” a 4.5/5

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