#horikoshi……. you’ve done it again | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

darkcircles4lyfe · 10 months

Text

Love in Chaos

The way chapter 393 seized me from the inside out, brought me to my knees, smiling with fierce glee—it was all the proof I needed. All at once, a checklist I didn’t even know I was keeping started getting all its boxes ticked. I’ll admit that for some time, I haven’t been sure exactly how Toga’s story should be handled for her to get the care, nuance, and dignity she deserves. So I’ve been resigned, waiting to see what Horikoshi has to say about it. I didn’t know until I saw it, but I can tell we’re on exactly the same page.

This fight between Ochako and Toga—or should I say Himiko, since ya know, they’re both on a first name basis now—it’s a kind of breaking point for the overarching narrative and its themes. Here is where the big questions about hero/villain society are not only asked, but answered. Himiko, more than any of the other main villains, was branded with that label as far back as she can remember, without her having done anything except exist. Thus, she carries the weight of their society’s problems and becomes a symbol of the injustice in prejudice and fear, the brutal agony of being rejected by the world. I’ve maintained this resolve about the story for a long time: I will not be satisfied with an ending that constitutes a return to normal, or even a slightly amended normal. I know that it would be a disservice to Himiko if she were made to fit into society again, whether that be in death or reform or containment. Society has to change for her. After 393, I can tell that Horikoshi knows this too.

It’s the way Ochako steps up to this conversation so boldly and positions herself on Himiko’s side. When Himiko dismisses her words as fickle, claims she’ll go back on them and do horrible things to punish her according to hero society, Ochako comes right back and says no, this isn’t about what you’ve done, this is about you. I see you. I see your beautiful smile and I want to protect it.

Throughout her life, Himiko has not been treated like a real person, so of course this is what she needs. No lecture on morals could disarm her the way acceptance can. It’s also extremely refreshing and reassuring to see Himiko being taken seriously. I’m so incredibly excited for Ochako to accomplish such a completely transgressive act of unconditional love against this harsh world. I could stare in awe of the panels in this chapter for hours, how they’re drawn at the exact intersection of beauty, pain, and honesty. Grotesque violence and elegance. Power and vulnerability. I was so overcome that, for a while, I failed to register a crucial implication.

Enter: The Female Vampire Carmilla

She is referenced merely in passing, but as a rejected villain name for Himiko, speaks volumes. It’s difficult for me to find the words to summarize… perhaps you’ve heard by now that Carmilla is a gothic horror novella about a lesbian vampire. THE lesbian vampire, in fact—the one who popularized the trope. Knowing this, it is simple enough to apply the story of Laura and Carmilla in parallel to Ochako and Himiko, and register it as direct proof of the dynamic’s sapphic undertones being acknowledged and intentional. I mean. Look at them.

Yeah. But that’s not all. That isn’t what really makes it noteworthy. Put in context: Himiko has been called a soulless inhuman vampire since childhood, and shunned for it. To her, this or any villain name would be a reminder of her lack of agency in identity. Add to this the overall themes of 393 I just described, and suddenly it becomes clear that Himiko is set in contrast against much of what Carmilla, as a fearful narrative about the supernatural, represents.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me provide some details about Carmilla for those who aren’t familiar. The story was written in 1872 by Sheridan Le Fanu, and belongs to a genre characterized by a revival of Gothic aesthetics in service of providing mystery, intrigue, and suspense to a very Victorian expression of fear. On top of that, Carmilla directly influenced Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and set the precedent for many vampire portrayals to come. Many female vampire characters reference her at least in their name, and the novella has been adapted and reinterpreted countless times. Because of this, it is admittedly difficult to be sure of Horikoshi’s familiarity with the original, or pinpoint any other potential influence he may have picked up from another adaptation. One could quite literally write a whole book about the many iterations and widespread impact of Carmilla. This is why, however, I believe I can confidently say that Himiko being compared to a female vampire has implications that are felt no matter one’s familiarity with the origin of the trope. Certain things are baked into the definition through generations of media. The female (lesbian) vampire implies predation, deception, lust, a danger to innocent young women. She represents an inhuman desire that must be vanquished.

In the novella, the main character Laura becomes a fast, intimate friend to Carmilla, a strikingly beautiful and captivating young lady who has suddenly appeared in her life. Laura admires and loves Carmilla dearly, but feels conflicted in moments where Carmilla is overcome by a desire that is explicitly compared to that of a lover. She talks of blood, death, sacrifice, and unity all while holding her close and kissing her. Whether or not this is hot, or whether Laura reciprocates any desire is, I guess, up to interpretation. But one thing is for sure: the ending of the story is not in Carmilla’s favor. I’d argue it’s not in Laura’s favor either. Look, I was an English major. I’m very familiar with discussions along the lines of “is ___ gay?” and “is ___ a sympathetic portrayal of ___ ?” It’s definitely gay, but the rest is unclear. There might be a tangent to go on about how Le Fanu’s complicated relationship with religion may have informed his characterization of General Spielsdorf and the other men who hunted down Carmilla’s grave and destroyed her. Regardless, there is narrative injustice in the way Laura is removed from these events, sent home and only told about what happened later. She loses agency. Her narrations become distant and clinical. In the very end, she describes being plagued by visions of Carmilla, sometimes as her beloved companion, and sometimes as a fearful monster. To me, this represents the lack of closure she has, either to reconcile these two sides of her, or mourn her loss.

There is also so much we’ll never know about Carmilla herself. The finality of her condemnation silences the multifaceted character that was only partially revealed to us. There is an inferred humanity to her, a self-awareness, a true romanticism, that gets dismissed by the people’s understanding of what a vampire is: a deception.

Keep in mind this tragedy. Fast forward through countless vampire portrayals to the present, to Himiko. What a contrast indeed. Remember, she does not want to be called “Carmilla,” or “Vampire.” To make such a reference in a chapter that is showcasing Ochako’s acceptance of Himiko implies that the trope is being broken. It is as if Laura were to go running to Carmilla’s grave herself, throw her own body over her in protection, and shun everyone else’s superstition and desire for vengeance.

(footnote: the above is supposed to say “Himiko-chan” but you know who is a buttface)

Here’s the kicker: since female vampires are so closely tied to negative and predatory portrayals of lesbians, this humanization of Himiko also suggests that her queerness will likewise be treated openly and sympathetically, because there no longer exists an allegory that could be used for dismissing it. Ochako has already made monumental assertions in this chapter. By saying she admires her openness and envies her beautiful smile, and by presenting complete vulnerability in offering her blood, she swiftly separates herself from the lifetime of persecution Himiko has dealt with. It all represents so much more than those who mistakenly call it “yuri pandering” could hope to understand. This is the real deal.

So what is this talk about romance they’re supposed to have? I firmly believe whatever Ochako says, it has to be a very surprising revelation, for both Himiko as well as us, the audience. Otherwise all the hype and mystery makes no sense. If Ochako has something so important to say, it can’t be to confirm Himiko’s assumptions. Whenever I try to dissect the exact possibilities, I get hopelessly tangled up in semantics, but ultimately I just hope to get Ochako’s perspective in full, especially as it relates to what other people think of her.

Actually, I had an idea while writing this. I saw someone on twitter (I think jokingly) bring up the All Might doll, like oh god, what if it comes up again. Ok but listen. There’s a LOT of potential symbolism in the token from Izuku that Ochako has kept being a doll of All Might specifically. We all know it calls to mind Izuku’s emulation of All Might, which resulted in the aspects of Izuku that Ochako herself admired. We can also easily infer that during the mission to rescue Izuku, Ochako saw the darker side of these traits. Okay, so here’s another wrinkle: All Might, as a near mythical figure, represents hero society. He’s the hero archetype, an upholder of the status quo, “peace,” and his weakening under all the pressure implies a flawed system.

Nighteye predicted All Might’s death, but also admitted that a strong enough collective will can change the course of his predictions. Ochako sites Nighteye’s own death as an origin for her beginning to question who exactly in this world needs saving. If you know my meta, you know that I believe All Might needs to die in symbol only. Right now, Ochako is throwing out an awful lot of things heroes take for granted. Things everyone takes for granted. The outcome of this fight could be a turning point in the war that completely changes the tone. If Ochako is to accomplish this by way of an intimate talk of romance, well…

Bye-bye, All Might!

#for the record I love toshinori so much #bnha 393 #bnha manga #mha #toga himiko #uraraka ochako #togachako #meta #lin speaks #boku no hero academia #my hero academia

276 notes · View notes

transhawks · 9 months

Note

insanely funny how these last three chapters have built up toga/uraraka more than the entire manga has done for the main fucking pairing. horikoshi you’ve done it again.

That's just what liking shounen is about bro. The disappointment of realizing that the same-gender relationships that emerge as the strongest bonds in manga will always be more interesting and invovled than the comphet main pairings that are often written as if an afterthought.

#this post is brought to you by the naruto fandom #i still want justice for Sakura #asks

27 notes · View notes

siflshonen · 2 years

Text

The Bakugo Presentation 2.0

Sequencing My Hero Academia’s “Manga DNA”: A Breakdown of Katsuki Bakugo

Welcome to the Bakugo presentation 2.0 now with added sections and revisions based on the feedback of the Bakugo survey! If you have not taken the survey but would like to do so, please have at it! Just make sure you read the disclaimer at the start as your answers may be posted on the @baku-fessionals blog.

Link to the Bakugo presentation 2.0 Part 2

Link to the Bakugo presentation 1.0: Part 1 | Part 2

Link to the Kirishima presentation

Link to the Todoroki presentation

Link to the Deku presentation coming eventually

What you are about to read is a combination of self-guided research and absorption from fan discussions and other fans who have taught me so much. @rironomind @pikahlua @greenhappyseed @the-nysh and so many others, thanks so much! Again!

Warning: This is over 140 slides long and spread across multiple posts. I’ve put the rest under the cut because I love you all dearly and wish to spare you. Beware of My Hero Academia manga spoilers and My Hero Academia Vigilantes spoilers! I’m (almost) current and dangerous.

Katsuki Bakugo Overview

He’s the worst! He’s an asshole bully! He’s taken the current popular anime world by storm! He’s Katsuki Bakugo of Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia (MHA) and he inspires big opinions from all who know him. If you don’t know anything else about him besides his name and his face, don’t worry: he’ll probably make you hate him in the first episode!

But not for long, apparently. His fans (that includes me!) think he’s pretty great. He’s won the Japanese MHA character popularity poll seven times in a row (out of eight total polls) and the North American polls four times out of five. The image above is the fourth North American popularity poll results.

Bakugo is a jerkwad teenage boy, but apparently there’s something to him that attracts attention from the audience. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can offer a comprehensive overview on the major features of this character. Please be aware that my focus is primarily manga-specific! I’ve seen the anime and I think it’s fine and dandy, but for the sake of consistency we are going to view him from a manga-centered lens.

He’s My Hero, But He Doesn’t Have to Be Yours!

It’s true! If you’ve come here as someone who vehemently hates this character, I don’t care if I change your mind about him whatsoever. I don’t care if I influence you at all! This is meant to be informative in that it gives you, the reader, a lens into Bakugo as a character, concept, and pop culture-pseudo-it-boy. If you don’t like the character, then that’s great! You don’t like him! It’s valid! Move on with your life! I do not expect you to agree with everything I have compiled here, but I would love to hear and read your thoughts once you’re done digesting everything I’m about to throw your way.

At a glance, Bakugo sucks! He sucks so much! He’s the worst kind of smug, entitled asshole you probably went to school with or experienced in some form in your life. Or maybe you were this person at some point? Maybe just a little bit? Just a smidge? Maybe for a few qualities on this list? Like, one or two? Hm?

No? Well, all the better. It’s so great to know that some people really were born perfect. Thanks for deigning to interact with the rest of us plebs. Keep your crowns up, kings, queens, and mighty sovereigns.

One of the major drivers behind why people like certain characters is in how well they understand them. Not necessarily that they agree with them and their actions—just that they understand them. If you are (or were) any of the things I’ve used to describe Bakugo and can recognize it in yourself, you likely already relate to Bakugo on some level and see where his narrative leads. The MHA story rocks his shit from the very first chapter (especially once we get more context of his childhood and motives and what actually makes him tick) like in any stock “shonen bully gets told he ain’t hot shit” narrative, but also takes the time to give context to the world outside Bakugo’s control and how it influences him.

Context is really important. Detailed world building is really important.

So while the story takes the time to put Bakugo in his place (there’s an entire chapter called “Breaking Bakugo”), it also adds some layers of nuance to his situation. It’s important to note that the manga’s principal character and narrator, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya (y’know, the kid Bakugo bullied) is also a child with a limited point of view. He’s aware of some of this stuff, but clueless about the rest. Some of the “surprises” the story (and Bakugo!) offer aren’t actually twists, but things that Deku didn’t realize, know about, or think to tell the audience.

None of this information justifies Bakugo’s more unsavory actions, mind you. It simply offers depth to his motivations for acting in the way he does. Context is really important.

MHA as a Fictional Reflection of Modern Japan

Please keep in mind that this story is Japanese and not Canadian or from the US, so not all Western-centric thinking is going to apply to the manga’s modern-Japan-reflective reality.

I wouldn’t exactly call MHA biting sociopolitical commentary (c’mon, y’all, it’s a shonen manga and that’s what it wants to be!), but it isn’t toothless. Then again, I’m from the USA where we put just about anything on the news and say whatever we want all the time, so take that with a grain of salt.

While the slides don’t discuss this specifically, the MHA world is obsessed with Heroes as public figures. The MHA world is obsessed with their personal narratives and public presentation because Heroes are a commercialized commodity and public figure combined. Basically, the entire MHA Hero world is trying to frame its own reality as a comic book with “good guys” and “bad guys” even though real life doesn’t work that way in practice. The characters (especially the main Villain) are doing this, too, and not just as a meta-textual joke for the reader.

TLDR: the MHA world is one glutted with propaganda. Every Hero and Hero student lives and breathes it at some point in the story.

How does this tie into Bakugo specifically? One, Bakugo often refers to other characters as “extras/side characters/supporting cast.” It’s rude of him to do it, but he’s not wrong. Like, he’s not even wrong in a literal meta-textual sense. It’s very twisted. And two: this culture places a massive amount of pressure placed on not only established Heroes, but Hero hopefuls like the students at UA. I point this out because it may offer insight into some of Bakugo’s motives as I go deeper into this presentation—particularly since he’s thrown into the public eye as a celebrity victim by the end of the pilot chapter and the fallout of that affects his actions even into the Sports Festival.

MHA Is a Shonen Manga About Shonen Manga

Also, and perhaps more importantly, MHA is a shonen manga. It’s not a comic, it’s not a manhwa, and it’s not a bandes dessinée. While it includes elements from other media besides Japanese shonen manga (or anime), it is a Japanese shonen manga to its core. It embraces this fact. Kohei Horikoshi also embraces this fact. Masashi Kishimoto, mangaka of Naruto and a major influence on Horikoshi’s work, embraces this fact as well. Context is really important! Knowing your comics is important! I love deconstruction-reconstructions! I love pastiche!

So, yes, while MHA is a distorted reflection of real-world modern Japan, it is also a shonen manga about shonen manga. These two facts are almost inseparable from one another in regards to breaking down this series. To that end, you’ll notice I start color-coding words throughout these slides.

If a word is red, it’s about Japan, Japanese shonen manga, society, social expectations, the self as reflective of society, or the role of the protagonist.

If a word is blue, it’s about the West, North American comics, or deuteragonists. Why? Because in this discussion, discussion of the West is secondary! That’s the hope, anyway. I tried.

If a word is orange, it’s either a general header, highlight for color difference, or specifically about Bakugo.

If a word is teal-green, think of Deku for me, okay?

Oh, also? While most of what I’m about to say generally applies to the anime, I am primarily referencing the manga.

Bakugo’s Manga DNA: Deconstructing the Shonen Deuteragonist Rival and Protagonist Hero

MHA mangaka Kohei Horikoshi said near the start of the series that he wanted to make Bakugo “Vegeta-like”. And why not? Vegeta is among the most famous and iconic rival and late-series deuteragonist characters in the ‘biz! He’s a great template to draw forth inspiration from for a new deuteragonist character!

But what’s more interesting is how Bakugo explores and breaks down (and sometimes spoofs) the standard shonen protagonist role while being the series deuteragonist in actuality. (Mob Psycho 100’s Teruki Hanazawa does something similar within his own series. It’s likely not an accident that both characters, at times, look like blonde-and-foreign-eyed-delinquent Naruto specifically despite not being the main character. More on that later.)

Apparently, western MHA fandom social media semi-regularly gets into debates about whether or not Bakugo is a deuteragonist or not. Well, I’m here to tell you:

He is.

There can be multiple deuteragonists in a work.

Importance to a work does not necessarily correlate to how much one likes a character.

The fact that Bakugo is the deuteragonist does not negate the importance of the rest of the main cast.

Bakugo can fill the deuteragonist role while still filling, exploring, or impacting other roles.

But for this discussion, the more important thing to consider isn’t whether or not Bakugo is the deuteragonist, but rather the overlap of tropes and roles often assigned to him as they apply to the shonen genre! There’s a great many similar shonen deuteragonists throughout media history that I could pull from for compare and contrast exercises. Despite the similarities between these deuteragonist characters, there is always something new and different that can be done with the role depending on what combination of other roles a creator chooses.

I’m going to break down the roles and tropes relevant to Bakugo one at a time. But, in order to do so, I’m going to open the next section with this very charged statement: Bakugo’s Vegeta-analogous “Manga DNA” doesn’t exactly come directly from Vegeta.

Bakugo’s Deuteragonist Inspirations: Vegeta and Tetsuo Shima

If anyone reading this is going to INSIST Bakugo is “the Vegeta”, do me a personal favor and compare him to the older initial inspiration for his character type: Tetsuo Shima from Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira. And don’t just do it to indulge me, either. Do it because Horikoshi spoke about this at length in one of his interviews.

I’m not saying Bakugo isn’t also similar to Vegeta. What I am saying is that Bakugo’s influences, tropes, and general manga references involve a scope much larger than just Vegeta. Kinda like how Dragonball’s Cell was made from more than just one character’s DNA, you know?

Speaking of characters made from Son Goku’s DNA.

Embodying Victory: Son Goku’s Legacy of Heroism By Winning

Shortly after the MHA anime was first announced in Japan, Horikoshi spoke in an interview with Natalie Comics about what media he likes and what aspects of heroism he focuses on. Specifically, he mentioned Spider-Man and Dragonball’s Son Goku. While he never directly says “All Might is like Spider-Man and Goku combined”, he did point out that the two of them seem to embody the heroic aspects of “saving” and “winning” respectively. He wanted to make sure his manga did not limit the idea of what a hero should be, but rather explored the many different aspects of heroism that exist.

If you read the series, I hope I don’t have to spell out how the manga specifically references “saving” and “winning” in regards to things embodied by early-manga Deku and Bakugo, but in case I do, I’ve put a couple manga panels on the slides for your reference.

If you don’t read the series, here’s your explanation: Deku embodies the heroic aspect of “saving (others no matter what)” and Bakugo embodies the heroic aspect of “winning (the fight no matter how bad the odds are)”. (Of course, MHA has the two of them swap aspects at times, but they do it very intentionally and always with the other as their source of inspiration or motivation.) All Might, who has both, recognizes these “saving” and “winning” aspects in both of them. Ergo, Deku is “saving” Spider-Man while Bakugo is “winning” Goku.

If you aren’t familiar with Dragonball, the fact that Vegeta only wins against Goku once (and in-series it’s treated as a tie since he retreats offworld after Goku convinces Krillin not to kill his troll doll ass) and is humiliated, irked, or otherwise constantly waxing poetic about his continued losses to Goku for the rest of the series is a defining trait of his character and arc.

Bakugo continuously winning (with one notable exception at the beginning that very pointedly hinges on a technicality in Deku vs Kacchan 1!) against Deku completely flips any sort of Vegeta-Goku dynamic they have totally on its head.

To make it more complicated, Bakugo is usually completely distraught over his victories against Deku for one reason or another, so despite usually winning against Deku, he perceives it as some sort of loss or greater failing regarding himself. Given that, one could say that Bakugo is the “winning Goku” of the dynamic in reality, but in Bakugo’s own head he feels he is the “losing Vegeta”. Meanwhile, much of the real-world audience (and the MHA public) perceives Bakugo’s shitty attitude as the “Vegeta (who should lose)” but Deku perceives him as the “Goku (who always wins because he’s amazing)”. It’s a paradox. Have fun chewing on it.

Dead Dove Do Not Eat: Victory Over the Self

But why is it understood Bakugo always wins? Why is this a notable and understood feature of the character? Well, it’s written by his head in his introductory anime nameplate.

Characters in Japanese works often have meaningful names. In fiction, they often function as labels of what a character is like or signals to the reader exactly what their arc is about. While a character’s name can be given to them ironically, Bakugo’s is not.

Baku: bomb; Go: powerful/large. The reasoning behind his family name “Bakugo” (large explosion/huge boom/big bomb) isn’t that deep. Bakugo is a boy who blows stuff up. Shocker.

His given name “Katsuki” is the real point of interest. Katsu: victory; Ki: self. “Victorious self”. Or “Selfish victory”. On its face, it’s a comically blunt name for a guy initially introduced to us as obsessed with being the best to the point of self-detriment. But that’s not the only—or most appropriate—interpretation of his name.

His name is best interpreted as “victory (over the) self”. This has the double meaning of “get the victory at all costs, even if it includes destroying yourself”, which is Bakugo’s stated early-series belief, as well as “win against yourself”.

Japanese given names (in real life) often draw from the names of the parents. Bakugo’s father is named Masaru (which means victory—I’m not going to get into the weeds about why it’s pronounced differently) and his mother is named Mitsuki. If you put the last character of Mitsuki’s name on the back of Masaru’s, you get “Katsuki”. Also, to draw from real life even more: the names a child is given in Eastern cultures can also signify wishes of the parents for the child or even expectations placed upon them. In other words, even Bakugo’s name alludes to a potential obligation he carries by dint of being given a name at all.

For the purposes of this discussion, the concept of “self” in Bakugo’s name can also be “the self as molded by the society in which one participates.” The name Katsuki “victory over the (self as molded by society)” Bakugo is yet another clue that he is a character on a journey of self-improvement. Because, while many of his personal social obstacles concern his relationships with others, he is also grappling with how he relates to himself. Bakugo’s constant enemy is public expectations and opinion, but his true nemesis is himself.

Bakugo’s Backstory: The Tragedy of Self-Loathing

If how I framed Bakugo’s outsider-imposed and self-perceived “Goku/Vegeta” complex earlier in this writeup didn’t make sense to you, just interpret it as a shonen-flavored way of saying that he has a superiority-inferiority complex.

Bakugo’s backstory is not melodramatic like Sasuke’s or Vegeta’s. It is not a twisted and horrible accident like Shigaraki’s. It is not full of self-harm and murder like Toga’s. It is not flashy or cool in any way. Instead, it is utterly grounded in real-life pressures of the everyday social realities of modern Japan. In fact, even when Bakugo tried very hard to tailor his own “backstory” by ensuring he was the only student from Aldera Middle to make it into UA High, he has never denied the fact that, aside from his quirk, talents, and strengths associated with them, he is stunningly average. Actually, that’s the very thing he won’t deny but hates to admit: he is just like everybody else. It’s just that in Bakugo’s mind, there is no middle ground between “main character of this damn manga” and “extra”.

Bakugo hates himself and he makes it clear early in the series. In my opinion, the fan translations do the best job of showing this one aspect of his character as they aren’t afraid of using phrases like “a useless piece of shit like you (while clearly showing Bakugo’s own face at his most pathetic as the visual so we know he’s really thinking about his own miserable self-worth)” while the official translations limit that sort of language and keep it vague. All Might and Aizawa also point this out, albeit indirectly and through the angle of Bakugo’s fragile ego.

A teen boy bully who hates himself is pretty mundane. For some readers, Bakugo’s mundanity is a weakness of how he was written. For his fans, this is one of his greatest points of appeal.

MHA makes it a priority to openly explore Bakugo’s self-loathing using a lens specific to modern Eastern cultures. I’ll talk about it more later, but it’s best I establish this line of conversation here. The isolated, granular details of Bakugo’s character culminate in making him an uncomfortably real figure for a lot of readers rather than just, like, a generic shonen rival antihero-type.

Bakugo is also drowning in the double-standard imposed by the expectations placed on him for his talent and the reality of what he actually values.

My Antihero Academia

For those that say Bakugo isn’t exactly heroic: I agree. He’s an antihero. He’s also a trickster hero, but let’s break this one step at a time.

An antihero is a character who does heroic things for unheroic reasons. In other words, an antihero is a figure that does whatever the hell they want and finds success in it for whatever reason. Or, to use more MHA-relevant language, an antihero is a character who does “selfless” things for selfish reasons. MHA goes out of its way to point out that all of these descriptions are subjective and dependent upon the status quo.

For example, Deku’s “selfless” urges to save anyone he perceives as in need of help are born from the selfish desire to act as he sees fit regardless of what the victim of the situation feels or wants. Meanwhile, Bakugo’s “selfish” desire to win everything on his own selflessly takes the pressure off anyone else to put forth any effort in a dangerous situation at all. (And yes, both of these things are part of what screwed over All Might and the social situation in the first place.)

The MHA story as a whole throws ambiguity on what constitutes a “Hero (occupation and literary role)”, “Villain (societal designation and literary role)”, “victim”, or “extra” and by doing so is a story made, mainly, with a cast of morally ambiguous characters. “Goodness” is usually defined by how socially accepted something is rather than any true moral or spiritual failing or success on the characters’ parts. “Hero” is someone sanctioned by the existing social orders and power to do as they see fit. “Villain” is whoever the existing social orders deem as bad. And, in MHA’s modern-Japan-analagous world, “bad” is often “nonconforming”. So while I believe Bakugo–and many of the shonen rival deuteragonists before him—should be classified as an antihero, the story casts shade on what is and isn’t heroic/unheroic/selfless/selfish with the intention of making these roles harder to define.

Oh, and also? The main protagonist of a shonen does not have to be defined as a hero. They can be, and commonly are, antiheroes.

Bakugo as an Antihero Shonen Protagonist: Pastiche Costuming

Oh, beloved summer costume. Only you could make it look this good even as your fans make fun of you for it, Bakugo.

It’s “edgy”. It’s cringey. It’s got massive grenades and lots of black and scary things that a teen boy would think is cool and flashy but look absolutely stupid to the rest of us (and a little bit homosexual to those of us in the West). And yet he pulls it off! Hats off to Horikoshi-sensei for making a character with enough on-page charisma to do that. I absolutely love his costume for all of the things I’ve outlined about it, but also because it screamed “HELLO I AM TRYHARD EDGY ANTIHERO SHONEN PROTAGONIST!” from the moment I saw it. It’s so overblown that the “edgy” part of it rubs off and instead just makes me think, “cute! Little immature baby high school kid!”

MHA is a Shueisha/Shonen Jump property, so references to works like One Piece, Naruto, BLEACH, Yu-gi-oh, and the like are all fair game for Horikoshi to make. Horikoshi even dressed Bakugo up like Luffy in a little extra comic! Look!

Also, I’d like to point out that Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece (by mangaka Eichiro Oda’s own admission) is intentionally meant to be like Dragonball’s Son Goku. This is part of a larger feedback loop of “shonen protagonists are like THIS!” that has existed for decades.

I also bring before you Ichigo Kurosaki from BLEACH (arguably the best-dressed shonen protagonist in the history of the genre—JoJo fans, I am ready and willing to listen to your argument to the contrary) on this slide mostly because I love him rather than because of his costuming, but he’ll become more relevant later. (The hair. The glare. The need to maintain his reputation…)

Devilman’s Enduring Influence

Do you know the impact of Go Nagai’s Devilman on the shonen genre? No? Well, you might know the next series I’m going to bring up, so it’s fine. I don’t think Horikoshi was necessarily thinking of Devilman when he designed Bakugo’s mask, but I know he was thinking of what’s on the next slide, which was definitely influenced by Devilman in the inspirational zeitgeist if not directly.

Do you know the plot of Devilman and how it might reflect on the plot and characters of MHA? How it’s about a boy who is “chosen for his pure heart” to wield a great power that is also a curse (and also is a whole other presence living in his body) and is linked to humanity changing into beings with strange bodies and powers and how that causes an upheaval in society that ultimately ends with the world being destroyed? And how at the end everyone realizes their folly because the Devilmen are human beings who have been denied their right to exist because they are different? What? That sounds like any given shonen? Well! Looks like you might understand how influential Devilman is.

…Or, wait, no? You don’t? Well, don’t worry about it. The original Devilman is, respectfully, the worst manga I have ever read. I’ll go to bat for Devilman: Crybaby, though.

Naruto Lives On in the Zeitgeist

If you don’t know Devilman, you probably do know Naruto. And Boruto. In the crosstalk interview I’ve referenced, Naruto’s mangaka Masashi Kishimoto admits he views MHA as Naruto’s successor of sorts. I can’t speak definitively, but based on Horikoshi’s reaction to the statement as well as his direction with his manga after that point, he embraced alluding to his predecessors with aplomb. (Also, wow, he sounds so much like Deku about it all!)

It’s About the Look: The Influences in the Rest of the Cast

So, yes. Bakugo’s breakdown of the shonen protagonist role (despite not being cast in that role) is tied up in the look of it. His costume is intentionally chosen. It is purposeful. Bakugo is not unique in this—many MHA Heroes and Hero hopefuls intentionally draw from existing figures—and not just because Horikoshi likes references (though he sure does!) but because the characters want to evoke recognition from the in-story public (and the readers) about who they are and what they do. For example, Shota Aizawa/Eraserhead is an “underground hero” who is out of the public eye. He’s a ninja. (In the crosstalk interview, Horikoshi admits he didn’t initially realize the similarities between Aizawa and Kakashi but acknowledges they are undeniable.) That’s the power of good branding, baby.

Perhaps more pointed are All Might’s visual signifiers. While Toshinori is Japanese, his Hero persona is modeled after, y’know, a Western superhero. (He and his in-story retirement can be interpreted as an interesting take on American military occupation leaving Japan. Particularly in that All Might—the West-coded figure—didn’t solve crime. He merely suppressed it and upheld what was an otherwise unsustainable system while said system continued to form around him. Is this offensive? I leave that to you. This topic is not today’s discussion!)

Some Heroes, like Rumi Usagiyama/Mirko (not pictured), draw on figures from folk tales (she’s the rabbit making mochi on the moon) or mythology. Oboro Shirakumo/Loud Cloud on the top right is obviously emulating Son Goku, but specifically younger Goku and the character’s Journey to the West-inspired roots. For the purposes of this discussion, Shirakumo is splitting the difference between shonen manga, classic literature, and folk tales in his choice of inspiration. Speaking as a fan of Dragonball (and Journey to the West in concept), the fact that the character who strove to follow in those footsteps is dead is deeply upsetting. And that’s just from me making the associations in my mind based on what I know of the source material he references! That’s a separate emotional response from the absolute roller coaster Aizawa’s backstory regarding his death took me on in the Vigilantes spin-off!

All of the supplemental manga information supplies specific taste and media background on me, your presenter, but it is also a detailed example of how much the manga-savvy audience may be influenced by the characters’ choices of inspiration regarding their Heroic (or social) presentation. Much like Bakugo’s costume, the entire MHA series intentionally draws from other sources. While it’s not explicitly stated, the characters likely know about these other manga, too. These figures are part of their cultural zeitgeist! Think of it like the characters themselves are making literary allusions from other comics, graphic novels, and pop culture phenomena.

Anyway, back to Shirakumo as Goku/the Monkey King: since so much of the shonen genre—particularly in the protagonist role—is tied up in Son Goku specifically, one could argue that Bakugo’s shonen-protagonist-specific costuming choice is signaling something to the audience in a similar way as Shirakumo’s.

I know it does for me—and this includes references to other shonen staples besides Goku.

A Brief Primer on Shonen Manga and World War II

Unlike Akira Fudo in Devilman, Astro/Atom of Astro Boy is not “possessed by a devil”. Instead, he’s a robot boy who is powered by a nuclear core. Put simply: at any point in the series the main character could choose to blow everybody up. He doesn’t, but the portrayal of shonen power being double-edged is pretty much a genre requirement since then. Going back to Dragonball—the Super Sayan/Sayajin form was initially an ambivalent-to-dark power. It wasn’t until the Cell Saga that this portrayal was hand-waved (and even then, Gohan still had a personality change when he achieved the second form of it.)

Admittedly, having background knowledge and personal connection to Astro Boy is specific to me rather than the MHA audience as a whole, but I bring it up because Astro Boy is just as—if not more—influential within the shonen genre and the Japanese conscience than Devilman, which also blatantly references war and nuclear devastation in its finale.

Anyway, this association of shonen power and nuclear power in MHA isn’t subtle. Deku is called a bomb because of his power at one point. Bakugo blows stuff up with his sweat. He wears grenades on his hands. His initial all-or-nothing stance on “winning” meaning everything doesn’t just remind me of the pressures of modern academia and success on today’s children and how it warps their psyche and values. It reminds me of World War II and postwar nationalist thinking rooted in fear—for any nation—which, for this discussion, is in turn echoed in modern Japan’s academic pressures. Failure is not an option.

That may not be what Horikoshi was thinking as he was writing the character or the series, but it’s something always lurking in the background for those familiar with the shonen genre. It’s a concept and theme that is just as much a part of shonen “manga DNA” as Akira or Dragonball.

I bring all of this up because, as much as I love a good shonen series, they have (and in my opinion, should be aware of) a dark core that is, in the modern day, still shaped by the fallout of World War II. Bakugo’s hero costume, with all of its black in addition to the red and orange, really does suggest the uncomfortable reality of what a classic shonen protagonist might be like in the real world. Bakugo is dangerous, powerful, maladjusted, and unpleasant—which is a direct and honest reflection of what a shonen protagonist would actually be like in modern society. And yet Bakugo the character plays the role in this way on purpose—because that is the expectation placed on him even if at the beginning of the series he doesn’t yet realize how and why that is. Bakugo initially doesn’t realize what he is asking to inherit with his chosen shonen protagonist antihero role much like Deku doesn’t realize what sort of obligation he has received alongside All Might’s power.

THAT is an angle of exploration one can sink teeth into. It’s not always outright stated, but it is alluded to in how many of the characters—including All Might, Deku, and Bakugo talk about power. And yes, the MHA world makes reference to a great war that the younger generations cannot and do not remember but are aware of from the inherited grief of their older generation. Even when it isn’t discussed explicitly or made into a plot point, the shadow of World War II and the rememberance of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is inseparable from the work.

You know how I said most readers likely wouldn’t have a strong tie to Astro Boy? Well, Godzilla is another personification of great power (nuclear power) and the ambiguous nature of it. Obviously, this association was made within MHA and put forth into the world even if not through the lens of Astro Boy.

Presenting Bakusatsuo: King Explosion Murder… of kaiju! We love him, we fear him, and we think he’s a huge asshole. Can’t imagine a world without him.

Presenting: Mothku! Friend to the children and sometimes nemesis, sometimes, um, friend of Bakusatsuo. You know the discussions about how Godzilla and Mothra are the king and queen of kaiju, yes?

Why is it significant that both Bakugo and Deku draw from a specific mix of Eastern and Western influence?

Winner Take All: Furyo Shonen and Western Envy

The Allies won the war. Postwar Japan had to swallow it. A lot of modern Japanese youth think the West, particularly the USA and the English language, is pretty cool nowadays, but the postwar fallout persists. A good example is the introduction of certain beauty standards—like wider eyes and a more pronounced “Western” profile—throughout the East. But things like attitude, values, and self-presentation also factor into what is considered Western versus traditional. Enter: Furyo shonen—or Japanese delinquents.

Furyo shonen, or delinquent boys, are part of a subculture that was particularly common in the real world from the 1950s through 1990s. The subculture’s original “look”, the pompadour hair and (when not in non-compliant school uniform) Hawaiian shirts, was inspired by US GIs who hung around in the country after World War II and were based there during the Korean War. They definitely solidified the stereotype of Americans as loud, rude, insensitive, and also as “winners”.

I’m not the right person to talk in-depth about the complicated relationship that Japan (or any other country) has with Westernization, particularly by the US, but just know it exists, okay? The point is, delinquents, or “Yankees” (y’know, like Yankee Doodle, or the term people from the US uses to refer to people from the northeastern part of the nation) became a counterculture by emulating the swagger and abrasive individuality of these GIs. Eventually, the delinquent “look” came to be anything that flew in the face of the conventional. Tattoos and dramatically shaved or dyed hair are common looks. Usually, delinquents either fall out of the subculture and assimilate into society or they get picked up by the Yakuza. (Check out the Kirishima presentation for more about this.)

But delinquents have a totally different reputation when it comes to shonen anime and manga of the 1970s-1990s. They range from genuinely goodhearted guys with rough and socially frowned-upon exteriors to legitimate antiheroes who do acts of good for selfish reasons… usually before learning the power of friendship and community and all that stuff and turning into the first category of the trope. Or dropping the delinquent act altogether.

But, looking at this shonen trope from a distance, the furyo shonen waffles between the most iconic type of shonen hero as well as the most common type of shonen antihero. Akira’s Tetsuo Shima (early in the series) and Shotaro Kaneda are both iconic examples of the antihero delinquent deuteragonist and protagonist respectively. BLEACH’s Ichigo Kurosaki is a delinquent boy hero and, much like Bakugo, he is intentionally putting on the airs of being a delinquent for the benefit of his “image”.

Specifically, Bakugo is going for the “delinquent with a perfect attendance record” trope. I’ll admit that when I first watched the English dub of the anime, I didn’t immediately pick up on the fact that he is leaning into this trope as hard as he possibly can because strange hair colors are normal in MHA, his speech pattern isn’t nearly as contrived in English as it is in Japanese, his middle school teacher doesn’t hate him, and he’s such a little goody-two-shoes rule-follower outside of his mean personality. Even glancing the manga’s way, though, it hit me like a ton of bricks that he is a delinquent. There’s nothing else Bakugo could be even if he wasn’t so utterly transparent about it. Personally, whenever I watch Bakugo ham it up as a delinquent, I see a kid wearing a Halloween costume in my mind. I find this self-aware overcompensating hilarious once I get over the secondhand embarrassment.

The furyo shonen protagonist was outdated even in 2014 at MHA’s time of publication, so by extrapolation it would have been extremely out of fashion in MHA’s setting of 200 years into the fictional future. This is pointed out indirectly: Eijiro Kirishima’s Hero persona Red Riot is inspired by delinquent Hero Crimson Riot, whom Kirishima and Midnight both refer to as old. The delinquent thing is vintage in universe. Bakugo’s chosen day-to-day persona is vintage. It’s like seeing a modern real-life teen boy become super obsessed with The Outsiders or gangster movies to the point he decided to make it a major part of his identity. (I talk more about this throughout my Kirishima presentation.)

However, while Bakugo’s delinquent fashion is somewhat performative, there’s an element of truth to the underlying sentiment.

The most important thing to understand about Bakugo’s self-presentation as a delinquent boy is that the original subculture draws from disenfranchised Japanese youth putting on the nonconformist airs of Westerners—Westerners that won the war and colonized postwar Japan and therefore forced the nation into treating them as their, well, “victorious betters”.

To the victor goes the spoils. The winner of a war gets to write the narrative however they like. And in doing so, they make themselves a hero regardless of what the opposition might say. So, yes, Bakugo’s early-series “might makes right” mentality (and the similar real-world mentality born from Japanese academic performance rather than might as physical strength) comes from somewhere specific. And while “that comes from somewhere in real life” is true of all characters in any work that hold this mentality, the interesting thing is that the source of Bakugo’s attitude isn’t far removed from the influences of origin present in MHA’s “manga DNA”. The direct line between the Allies as ‘the heroes” because they won the war and wrote the narrative remains intact and intentional to Bakugo as a character through the direct ties modern history has to shonen manga as a genre.

Oh, and also?

The Tragedy of Self-Loathing Returns

The flipside of Bakugo being praised for his quirk and “shallow things”, as his mother puts it, is that these statements come with the unstated-but-implied flipside of “The ONLY good thing about you is your quirk and ability to win.” I find that interesting when held up to a kid who is doing his damnedest to come off as an individualistically minded hero with specifically Western-inspired affectations in the face of modern collectivist Japan. He is trying to be the “obnoxious, selfish, nonconformist Western winner” despite being raised in a society that envies and usually rejects the “obnoxious, selfish, nonconformist Western winner” because he doesn’t think he can be anything else.

This level of reality and history to Bakugo’s self-loathing and intentionally chosen presentation makes him uncomfortably real for some readers. Please see the Kirishima presentation if you’d like to follow this line of thought in more detail.

Bakugo as an Antihero Shonen Protagonist: Delinquent Archetype

I’ve talked a lot about World War II and Westernization as it relates to a meta-textual narrative. But don’t take that to mean Bakugo is directly mulling over that slice of history in the story. Initially, he’s a child who is naive to the greater implications of the larger historic and social factors that influence him. Instead, Bakugo follows his chosen archetypes using the logic of a kid who reads a lot of hero narratives, particularly shonen ones, and is trying to make himself into one of them.

Which, even with his naivete, still pits him—an individualistically-minded kid intentionally donning the Japanese stereotypes of Western affectations—against a society analogous to modern collectivist Japan. It’s a step removed from “this is about World War II”, but the line between MHA and the bigger conversation about all of shonen manga’s influences is still present.

Just because Bakugo isn’t actively aware of the past as it impacts his present doesn’t mean it isn’t impacting him. Just because Bakugo isn’t actively aware of something doesn’t mean that the audience is likewise unaware.

In this way, Bakugo’s chosen self-portrayal as a shonen delinquent is a deliberate way to show that he is, in all senses at the beginning and then later in appearance only, the most genre-savvy, on-the-nose antihero (by the definitions of what his modern-Japan-analogous world considers antiheroic) he could possibly be.

Best Jeanist Hates Your Look: Rejection of Identity and Personhood

For your reference, the Best Jeanist Award is real-world a Japanese fashion award. Meaning Best Jeanist the Hero isn’t just a fashion designer on the side. He is the pinnacle of style and appearance for celebrities and Hero society. He puts a very fine point on rejecting every nonconformist thing about Bakugo and he hates it! He cannot endure this! Bakugo is a boy who blows stuff up with his sweat! Intentions aside, HE CANNOT SURVIVE IN THIS BOX PEOPLE WANT TO PUT HIM INTO. NOT BY FORCE. NOT LIKE THIS.

But BJ does manage to put Bakugo in a pair of designer jeans that actually sit at his waistline for a chapter, so there’s that, too. BJ also smooths down his hair and gives him a side part (like the one class president Tenya Iida sports) which is emblematic of “obedient conformist polished good son Japanese youth”. And that’s cute.

I’m going to tell you an open secret: Bakugo is an insecure little boy who doesn’t totally know who he is but is desperate to figure it out. It’s another description that is true of most teen boys—particularly bullies—across cultures, but I think it’s an underrated one.

Why? Because Bakugo’s identity struggle is in part a result of his keen awareness that the spoken-about ideals of his Hero society and the ones it values in truth are not the same. Hero society talks a great deal about the value of saving others in need of help, but whenever a victim is also nonconforming to societal standars in any way (Toga, Spinner, Twice, Shigaraki, La Brava) or make a mistake and go against society for any level of infraction (Gentle Criminal, The Crawler/Koichi), they are deemed a Villain in perpetuity. Hero society wants their paragons to talk the talk of saving, but in practice they want them to crush all perceived nonconforming individuals. Their world is entirely concerned with the status quo. Bakugo’s schtick of “putting on airs” like a delinquent and leaning into his hyper-aggressive tendencies are his way of expressing what his society has signaled to him as the correct way for a Hero to be.

Bakugo is very, very aware that the concept of Hero/Villain is not synonymous with good/evil. How does Deku fit into this? Well, the fact that Bakugo always thought Deku, even when quirkless, was better than him is telling. Despite all of society signaling to Bakugo that Deku is worthless because of his lack of power, Bakugo’s doubts were still strong enough to motivate him to bully or outright avoid Deku.

Remember Deku’s internal monologue in the first chapter about needing just one person to believe in him? Yeah, that one person already exists. His name is Bakugo and he was a fucking asshole about it.

Bringing Old School Shonen to the Modern Age

This is abstract meta-talk rather than something I can back up in the work or from Horikoshi’s interviews, but I don’t think the interpretation of Bakugo as an embodiment of the classic genre learning how to interact in the pressures of a different age is an unfounded or unique one among genre fans. MHA explores the idea of people acting as symbols more than once (Shigaraki as a symbol of fear, Bakugo as Deku’s personal symbol of victory, etc) so it’s not out of the question to think of his story as an allegory of change for the things he represents (those things being “shonen as a monolith” and the “base state” of MHA society—and perhaps modern Japan—primarily.)

And even if one doesn’t agree with the interpretation of Bakugo as representative of something old becoming something new again, the impactful real-world social factors impacting the manga’s themes are certainly updated from the ones that impacted classic shonen.

Repurposing Wartime Devastation into Social Obligation

Classic shonen manga draws from Japan’s lasting national memory of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the Westernization of the postwar period. I’ve established that. But the newest generation of Japan isn’t so consciously affected by this history. Theirs is a new world with different (but related) pressures and sources of grief. So, if MHA is a shonen that draws on the history of the genre but with a new and more contemporary spin, what takes the place of the bombs?

During the manga’s War Arc, Bakugo refers to Deku’s One for All—which is basically a quirk bioweapon even by the MHA world standards—as a “cursed power.” Contextually, he seems to be thinking more of the obligations placed upon the quirk holder rather than, you know, the duality of nuclear power as shonen are wont to do, but the implications overlap significantly. This is interesting because, much like World War II cast the greatest shadow over the genre post-Astro Boy, the modern challenges affecting Japan as a whole and therefore weighing on the social consciousness are the complications that arise from peacetime. In a general sense, these are social obligations, the double-standards they impose, and the resulting oppressive and unjust status quo that arises from these conditions.

Everyone in the manga, Villains and Heroes included, are locked in a battle between preserving the social order, destroying the social order completely, or changing the social order in ways that benefit some but not others. I could talk about how Star and Stripe (hello, United States flag) butting into a Japan-centric conflict fits into this (my brief opinion: it’s a little tasteless), but that’s a larger discussion. This is meant to focus on Bakugo’s character, role in the story, and impact on the modern shonen genre.

Let’s take a step back into modern day Japanese societal conventions and cultural norms... in part 2!

192 notes · View notes

ihatetaxes99 · 1 year

Text

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, it is I, everyone's favourite favourite part-Irish, part-English, part-Welsh twat with yet more demented rambles to indulge in. I wish to talk about a problem I have felt with Boku No Hero for quite some time, one that I feel above all else has tarnished the series in regards to its quality of writing. So, here I am, jotting down my thoughts lest my head combust with it all. I shall try my hardest to keep the vociferous language to a minimum, if not outright eliminated, for I don't have much interest in hyperbole tonight. A basic little rundown of what I think may well have been the nails in BNHA's sacred palms.

Spoilers below the cut. But I'm sure you knew that already.

I would argue that this particular issue has been present in the manga persistently since Bakugo's non-sacrifice in Jaku. However, it only became truly evident to me in Chapter 295. The return of Mirio Togata. And hence, I introduce the problem.

Horikoshi has taken to writing scenes based on their emotional appeal- or 'cool factor'- first, and logic second. Yes, BNHA is a superhero shonen set in a far-future Japan, but that does not excuse it from following its own logical consistency. Every fictional world has its own logic, and that can be as different from ours as it could desire, but it must stick to that logic. In BNHA's case, Quirks have had relatively little impact on society as a whole aside from the obvious, it's still very much a world that can be compared to our own twenty-first century experience. This is all to say that yes, prioritising grandiose set pieces over common sense is not something that can be hand waved away, as this is not a series such as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which is built on an inherent silliness.

To better explain my point, I want to take a look at a few scenes that in particular highlight my frustrations. First of all, Togata's return. It's cool, he's kicking ass and taking names (not that poor Sako has any ass to kick at that point), and it's a huge moment for fans of his character. However, upon relatively brief inspection, it falls apart. Togata recovers his Quirk by having Eri rewind his body, a rather ethically questionable act that can further the already-established questions into the morality of UA and the Japanese government that this arc did serve to push. However, the act itself is never shown, nor are any potential consequences. Eri, a girl who is far too traumatised to use her Quirk, is never shown actually overcoming that fear. Neither character seems to struggle in any way with what happened. Furthermore, Togata just appears on the battlefield from nowhere, conveniently at the best possible time. What compelled UA to make such a choice? It's implied that Aizawa is now her legal guardian and with him on the front lines, who gave consent for Eri to undergo this process, in spite of the dangers to both herself and Togata? All of this to send one extra soldier into the war, a soldier who, for all his flash, only served to arrest a man who most likely would have died had he not been captured and hospitalised. Mirio Togata looks cool, his Quirk is cool and seeing him in action again is no doubt intoxicating for his fans; But the simple fact of the matter is that the terms of his return make absolutely zero sense. This is also without mentioning the fact that him reattaining his Quirk spits in the face of BNHA's main themes of taking life's harshness and making the most out of a bad situation, even when you've lost everything. Togata faced a tangible loss in the Hassaikai Arc, a loss that could have haunted him for the rest of his life. But he was content, and he refused to indulge in self-pity. He made the most out of his bad situation. Now, none of that matters anymore. And he hasn't even done anything of any relevance since then.

Exhibit B, Kaina Tsutsumi's death. I am aware that she technically is not dead (somehow; Clearly Horikoshi never realised that giving everybody absurd plot armour doesn't do anything to reduce the distraction of the protagonist's), but let's face it, she won't be returning again, so she may as well be. Tsutsumi is a character I rather enjoyed while she was around. A former government agent, the same breed as Hawks, who realised the depraved depths of her indoctrination and fought back against the system, only to be tossed into Tartarus for it. It's a fascinating idea, one that capitalises upon my love for gritty, grounded government conspiracy plotlines. What becomes of it, then? Well, Tsutsumi is blown up by All for One for disobeying his orders. How does she disobey them? After making clear her distaste for the blind optimism in the hero system displayed by indoctrinated youth, she is swayed to the side of 'righteousness' by Midoirya's blind optimism in the hero system. It is well established that Midoriya is the exact kind of person Tsutsumi despises, with his blind faith in what has been preached to him as justice and his somewhat self-absorbed hero complex, so for him to convince her, a hardened nihilist who had spent the last decade in one of the worst prisons in the country, of the light in the world by demonstrating exactly that is… Well, there are words to describe it that I'm not willing to say right now, so let's just settle on frustrating, shall we? A falling, burning Tsutsumi, caught by Hawks, the shot of her rain-swept face smiling warmly as her head blows apart is a catching visual, and that visual is what the whole scene is built on, once again sacrificing any actual internal or external logic, as well as what has been established for the characters involved.

For the final example, I want to illuminate the events of Chapter 377, the most recent to be leaked. I shan't be sharing any direct spoilers for this chapter here, but I wish to bring it in, for it perfectly embodies my point. A certain character reappears, a character with a relatively loyal fanbase, who has not appeared in many years. This character's return is no doubt cause for jubilation for some, but once again, the shock and awe of a beloved character coming back to the story is a mask for the lack of underlying logic for their return. This character's return was not in any way foreshadowed before the final few pages of the chapter. Considering that they are seen next to Tsukauchi, one would think that he would have bothered to at least hint at this at some point in the setup for the current war (even just a vague line like "We've got a few bargaining chips we can use, some strings to pull…" would be preferable to nothing). The fact of the matter is that their return has one purpose; The story's writing explicitly failed in that it made Skeptic too powerful of a threat. He is far away from any of the battlefields, has complete control over UA's systems and is clearly insane enough to kill everyone inside if given the chance. This is not something the story can allow, so it pulls out this character to correct how Horikoshi wrote himself into a corner. Of course, one should also note that, while they were shown to be fairly tech literate, to suggest that they are on par with Skeptic is utterly absurd. Once again, the wow factor is given more care than the quality of writing and internal consistency.

There are many more examples I could call upon. Bakugo's death and subsequent revival, the explosion of the Creature Rejection Clan mansion, anything involving All for One lately, the Stars And Stripes fight, I could go on. It's sloppy and it's lazy and it's killing the series that once stood at the top of the world. BNHA, like so many other shonen manga, is going out with a depressing whimper. It's almost as bad as Beastars. I said it. While it was never a perfect series, it did once have strong writing and consistency and that is why I still cherish a lot of the manga prior to the Jaku/Gunga Raid Arc.

For that reason, I wish to give an example of how in the past, Horikoshi avoided these pitfalls. The My Villain Academia Arc is heralded by many as the peak of the manga, and I am inclined to agree. Although not perfect, it has the strongest characterisation, world building and emotional draw of the series. So, I would like to take a moment to discuss how it ends. A powerful image. The great Re-Destro, always well-dressed, always immaculate, reduced to a naked, exhausted old man, bowing down to an angel of death, Tomura Shigaraki, the being he towered over mere minutes prior. It's a powerful image, one of my favourites in the series. In spite of that, Horikoshi does not use this image as a substitute for substance. Everything behind it is logical. It is well established that Yotsubashi's two key loves are for his ideology and human life, so in ceding control to Shigaraki, he is, in his mind, preventing further deaths and handing his future to who he sees as a fully liberated individual. As we soon see, this was a fatal mistake, for Shigaraki used the MLA as another tool in his path and ultimately discarded them once he was done, but it is clear to see why Yotsubashi saw it as the best option. The internal logic is consistent and sound. It's an example, one that wow factor does not have to be a substitute for satisfying storytelling, and that Horikoshi is far better than his recent output suggests. The man is ill, he's exhausted and he no doubt wants this Godforsaken series to end so that he can start writing something that he has passion for once again. I cannot blame him one bit. The reason I have written this is not to point and laugh at Horikoshi's failings; It is put into writing the heights that BNHA as a manga has fallen from, to its current point of mediocrity. No matter what, it will always be a series with moments that I shall hold dear. It was once something special, under that façade of bland shonen garbage and as much as that façade becomes the true face in the current state of the manga, I shall never forget how much it has helped me in the past.

Thank you very much for reading and I wish you a pleasant day. If you disagree, please don't hesitate to share why; Healthy discussion on opposing viewpoints is how media thrives.

#bnha critical #my hero academia #boku no hero spoilers #boku no hero academia #league of villains #Meta Liberation Army #UA #mha #my hero acedamia

20 notes · View notes

anti-katsuki-lounge · 2 years

Note

Here we go again.

I can't believe that Bakugo stans trying to point out that Bakugo complaining about helping civilian is detrimental to his growth of his character.

I never had a problem with bkg stans until Hori starting making Bakugo into a "better" character. I will state later how I believe Bakugo could have been better.

I can't believe that I have to say but did they even read the manga correctly? Can't believe I had to swoop so low. I know, you can feel disappointed in me.

Anyways even if Bakugo learned to finally show an ounce of respect to Izuku by not trying to attack him without reason, yelling and being aggressive for no apparent reason is huge of his character. I seen many people point out how Bakugo still acts like a POS after Izuku comes back to U.A and I'm so glad people are pointing it out. I seen arguments such as people don't dramatically change because old habits die hard, which is a positive way to look at his behavior.

But I don't like Bakugo and I feel he doesn't deserve that courtesy for one reason. Horikoshi never makes Bakugo regret letting his temper lose and reflect on his actions like when he yells at people. His stans always claim that Bakugo changed because you know he "apologized" to Izuku or something every minor action he did they say is subtly displayed in the manga. I'm like where is it consistently shown.

So, I shall state how Bakugo could have been a more likable character. Ok so everyone knows that Bakugo's pride is so fragile it can be hurt by someone trying to help him. But at the very least, Hori could show the readers that he does regret yelling at someone and wants to apologize to them but deep down, but his ego is just in the way. I want to him struggle with the fact he's an asshole. I want him to say, "what hell am I doing? All Might isn't this kinda of person." Or something like that.

But you know since Hori never calls him out, unless it's those one or two instances where Background characters make a remark about Bakugo's behavior. But it doesn't matter since they are literally Background characters and their words wouldn't matter anyway.

But you know how I had written how Bakugo'd character could have been developed, that's literally how these Bkg stans must think Bakugo is like in canon. There's no other way. And it's so frustrating because it isn't true and Dekucchan is going around spreading false rumors on this. I can't believe these people.

All of this 100%. A round of applause. I have nothing to add here. Literally what you’ve suggested would’ve made Katsuki 10x more likable and relatable. An inner monologue or two would’ve done wonders for his character. Izuku gets some. Ochako gets some. All Might gets some. Shoto gets some. There’s no reason Katsuki couldn’t have some.

#anti katsuki bakugou #anti bakugo katsuki #anti bakugo #anti bakugou #mha critical

42 notes · View notes

quirkwizard · 1 year

Note

Hi, it’s me again, the anon who asked about nerfing or buffing characters. I would just like to give my thanks for the answers to my asks, I hope I didn’t seem too long winded with the second message. I can sometimes get a little passionate when it comes to things that irk me. Also, I would just like to say that you’ve done an amazing job on this blog. It’s truly impressive and quite expansive of the lore presented from the story. Are you perhaps Horikoshi in disguise?

I don’t have a question but I love your blog so much it help my writing when I want to be creative you really are like Deku omg so creative with analysis on quirks.

Thank you both so much for your kind words and flattering comparisons. It truly means so much to me whenever anyone says they enjoy my work. Whether you come for help with your characters or want to explore the series, I'm just happy to have been a positive influence. And don't worry, I don't mind people sending in expansive questions. It just shows that you put a lot of thought and passion into your work. Passion is what keeps this blog alive, whether that be my own enjoyment of writing or all your enthusiastic questions. Again, thank you kindly for your words. I do hope that this blog can keep being something you enjoy.

#Not Quirks

7 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 11 months

Text

Think: A Bittersweet Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction using characters and settings from My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not claim any ownership of characters present in this piece that are owned and created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not own My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia.

Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Warnings: This work contains blood and violence.

(Ending 8 of 8)

A Bittersweet Ending

You knew what you had to do to stop this, stop All for One. You knew what All for One wanted more than anything else. He wanted to win. He wanted power. You lifted your hand when All for One’s words left Shigaraki’s mouth.

“You’ve chosen death. I’m afraid I’ve overestimated you. It will be a shame to lose such a powerful quirk with your demise—”

“The shame is you didn’t realize how powerful it was sooner,” you bit back. You didn’t know where that courage came from, maybe it was the idea that this would be protecting your friends, that your sacrifice was bigger than you.

Shigaraki’s fingers twitched, cutting All for One off may not have been the wisest thing to do. You felt the wave of rage hit you, watched Shigaraki lift his hand in your direction.

“Insolent child.” Dark crimson and black energy shot out from Shigaraki’s fingers, coming at you from all directions.

Your mind shield was already up, protecting you from all angles. All for One’s quirk cracked against the surface. You shot out another shield, stopping the oncoming Nomus. Your quirk buzzed in approval. You weren’t sure what ancient or primitive power was at work here, but it understood your objective: Give All for One your quirk. Let your quirk thrive in a new host, rather than be destroyed in this one.

Cracks. You could practically hear your skull breaking from the strain. That was the intention. Use your quirk to its limit. Get it to the point that not even All for One could keep it under wraps, especially not in an incomplete host body. All for One spoke of consequences, but he would understand them after you were done.

Blood dripped from your nose. Wind whipped through your hair. The grasp on your quirk was the strongest it had ever been. You were giving it full power to fight.

A bloody nose is like a broken bone. The words echoed in your mind, and you held firm. You would break every bone in your body if it meant your classmates would live.

“I’m stronger than you, more powerful than you,” you said, hoping your words did not come out shakily. “If you have any hope of escaping, you will have to deal with me first. I can read every thought you have, anticipate every outcome. I can keep you here as long as it takes. I’ll keep you here until every hero in Japan is outside this forcefield if I have to.”

Breaking, your mind was breaking. You felt each strand of your quirk twist and crack under the weight of the attack from every Nomu, felt the sharp points of All for One’s quirk scrape against your shield.

“You’ve trapped yourself in here with me? Unwise indeed. You dare waste my time further?” All for One questioned. “What game are you playing at? Surely you don’t believe you could win.”

You forced a smile. “I know I can.” Break. You needed to break every facet of your quirk, let it lose control in every sense of the word. Give it to him broken; let him see the power he could have and then give it over. You let every thought in Japan flood your mind, kept your forcefields up at full strength.

Shigaraki’s struggle came into view. He was fighting, fighting for possession of his body again. All for One was using him for this body. You pulled out of his mind as to not get grabbed as you had been before.

The energy continued to scrape at your shields as soon as one spike broke through, you used your mind to shove it back out.

“My patience is wearing thin, child,” All for One snarled.

“Then, end this. If you’re so powerful, then break through.” You were absolutely terrified. No amount of confidence that you’ve perceived in your existence could have matched the words spilling recklessly from your lips.

The Nomus beat relentlessly on the larger field that you made. At this point, the bubble had started to crackle with blue energy, becoming visible. The heroes that could still move, were fighting the Nomus back as best they could as you stayed within the forcefield you’d created yourself.

The air whipped harder around you. Each coiled knot of control was beginning to unravel. The wind rushed through Shigaraki, his hair blowing back. All for One sent a different quirk at you. This one rippled and sizzled through your barrier. The radio-wave quirk had more effect on your mind than physical attacks, but you stood firm.

“You misjudged me. Now, I will show you the consequences of your assumptions,” you said boldly. You lifted your hand ahead of you, and the air seemed to suspend at your will. You caught rubble with strands of your mind, whipping it directly at All for One so fast he had little time to counteract it with his own quirks.

“Such confidence from a young hero. What would happen if I stripped you of the very thing that you hoped to defeat me with?” All for One asked. He took a step toward you, lifting his hand again.

Do it. Take my quirk. Your words did not reach past the minds and thoughts you were taking in. Break it. Burn it to the ground. Let him have what you’ve struggled with your entire life.

The wind picked up, blowing the man sideways. He had to consciously keep himself upright. Your feet left the ground. Your power fully unleashed, finally allowing you the ability of flight.

“Perhaps I have been too quick to judge you. I find your quirk much more appealing now that I know that there is so much power within it,” All for One spouted greedily. “I think I will take it for myself, for my successor.”

A wave of attacks hit your mind field all at once, beating it down. Quirk after quirk stabbed at your resistance. Piece by piece your mind was being peeled. All for One placed Shigaraki’s hand onto the outer shield. Cracks, graying brittle cracks crackled up the side of the field and then your mind. You shrieked as something ancient and powerful was being ripped apart. You fell to your knees, forcibly putting all of your energy into outputting your quirk, holding that shield up against the Nomus, giving All for One the chance to receive the gift he so desperately wanted to take from you.

You heard Shoto scream out your name, begging you to let him help. You were too pained to make out his exact words. Shinso… you heard him yelling too, felt his hand beating against the same forcefield you were using to keep the monsters out.

A cold dry palm pressed into your forehead. You looked up with tearful eyes, seeing red energy illuminate your vision, but you forced a smile. The final piece of your mind cracked like a fragile egg. The tip of your head felt like it was being chipped away, like it was decaying, and you put all of your final bits of energy into trying to protect yourself from being disintegrated.

Stop fighting! you mustered the final two words, blasting it into every single mind around you, mimicking Shigaraki’s voice. The same gravelly tone you so fearfully remembered. The Nomus would stop because they knew no different. To them, your mental words were Shigaraki’s. The Nomus would wait until your final sacrificial act was complete.

The corrupt and broken quirk left your body, filtering into Shigaraki’s. You gave it up willingly, knowing the ticking timebomb that you’d given away. You knew realization had struck the man before you, when his fingers quaked near your temple. You watched as he crumpled to the floor, a mind shattered. Not one mind, but two.

You fell back, pain replaced by darkness. You’d done it. You’d saved everyone, except yourself.

…Ten Years Later…Perspective: Shoto Todoroki…

Shoto stared at the little shop entrance, frozen in fear. It had been ten years since that day, ten years since Shigaraki and All for One had been defeated. He’d passed this shop every year for the past five years it had been open, but he never had the courage to actually go inside.

The outer trim of the small bakery and sweets shop was light blue with a glitter finish, outshining all of the gray business buildings beside it. The sign was made up of bold dark blue letters, spelling out the words “Chocolate Sharks.”

Shoto felt out of place here in his hero costume. He’d shot up the ranks, pouring himself into his hero work after the incident, after Anna Kokoro lost all of her memories. He couldn’t seem to forgive himself. He kept questioning what he could have done differently so the outcome hadn’t been the loss of such a brilliant hero. Even when Shoto reached number one, he felt empty, like something was missing. It was her. It was always her.

Shoto stared absently downward. If he stood outside the bakery any longer, he’d surely cause a scene. Perhaps, he wasn’t actually ready to go inside, to face her. The adults had told all of class 1-A to give her time, to not push her too soon. Her mind had been so fragile, so broken by the time she reached the hospital. It was a whole year before anyone was allowed to even see her, and it was mainly Mr. Aizawa and her parents that could speak with her. She remembered no one, not even Ochaco Uraraka, her best friend since she was far younger than she was during the accident. She was officially removed from U.A. shortly after, quirkless and lost to everything that she had accomplished. All of Anna’s classmates were told by U.A. faculty, doctors, and the police not to interact with her in case it could cause more damage to her mind, but that was such a long time ago, it didn’t matter anymore.

A silver bell rang ahead of Shoto. He let out a small gasp, meeting the hazel eyes of the young woman in front of him. She’d bent down to retrieve a small cup of weeds that had been left outside her door, yellow heads bobbing up and down with the over-filled cup.

“Oh, excuse me. Did you want to come in?” Anna asked. She smiled warmly in Shoto’s direction, and he suddenly remembered the comfort that she used to bring him. “There are freshly baked cookies. I’m sure hero work makes a man such as yourself hungry.” She propped the door open with her arm, and Shoto instinctually grabbed it out of courteousness.

The sweet and deep chocolate aroma hit him first, making even his mouth water. He never cared much for sweets, but the smell was so enticing he felt inclined to enter. Anna gave him another smile, her nose crinkling just a bit and her eyes twinkling like they’d always done before. She adjusted her glasses before moving back into the small bakery.

Anna moved back behind the counter, waiting for Shoto to step inside. He lingered at the door like a vampire needing an invitation. Patient as ever, Anna didn’t seem to mind his hesitancy.

"You’re welcome in. If you just want to take a seat, be my guest. You don’t need to order anything if you don’t want to. If sweets and pastries are not to your liking, would you like some tea?” she asked.

Shoto cleared his throat, taking one shaky step over the wooden floor. The place was cute, decorated with oversized food items, like strawberry chairs and cake designed tables with a cherry centerpiece. The place was clean, spotless. There was not a single finger smudge on the display glass. Shoto crossed the room slowly, his eyes surveying every item in the shop. Anna went on tiptoe to replace a set of weeds on one of her higher shelves behind the counter.

Shoto jolted back when she began to speak again, was surprised to hear her voice.

“There’s a man that leaves these outside my door every week. I think he’s a Pro Hero too. I’ve told him not to do it because I worry that I’ll forget they’re out there one day. He told me not to worry about it, and it’s more of a tradition anyway. I wonder if he knew the previous owner of this building. I’ve tried to ask him before, but… he seems like a rather private individual.” Anna tilted her head to the side, wiping absently at the front of her apron covered in sharks. “She must have been a very lucky lady for a hero to be so dedicated to dropping off flowers for her every week like that. Although I’m sure most women wouldn’t be as appreciative to receive common dandelions, I find they’re rather pretty. I take them in so that they will last longer. Besides, a little yellow never hurt a room.” Her voice twinkled like a morning windchime.

Anna leaned up over the counter, glancing between Shoto and the goods within the display case. “So, what brings you all the way out here to my little old shop?” she asks.

“Me?”

Anna giggled. “Of course, you. Sure, I have some Pro Hero regulars, but I haven’t seen you come in before.” She glanced away, stepping back from the counter and fidgeting with her hands. “I do have to admit something to you though…” she trailed off, blushing bashfully.

Shoto gulped. Admit something to him? He had no idea what that could be. Had she actually remembered him, their past together? Hope filled his chest. She tugged absently at her messy braid, some flour had managed to get on the end of it, and she quickly brushed it off.

“What is it?” he asked eagerly.

Anna’s blush deepened in color. “It’s sort of embarrassing, and I hope you won’t take offense to this.” She fixed the front of her apron. “I’m actually a huge fan. I see you on television all the time, and I know it’s silly because I’m quirkless, but I had always wanted to be a hero like you are. You’re truly an inspiration to me, especially since we both have a scar…” she trailed off again, looking away. She slowly lifted a portion of her bangs out of the way to show the scar made of partially cracked skin near her temple, where Shigaraki had tried to decay her. A streak of white was permanently fixed in her hair as well.

“Oh,” his voice dropped a little in disappointment. Shoto had forgotten about the scar on her forehead. He could barely see it when he walked in. Guilt ripped the next words out of his mouth.

“I didn’t mean to say something to make you uncomfortable.” She covered her scar back up. “I just wanted to tell you. I guess that was selfish of me.” She gave a small self-deprecating laugh that made Shoto’s heart break for her. “Believe it or not, I used to have a quirk, even went to U.A., but I don’t have any memory of it myself. You might have even seen me in the hallway because you went there too, right? It’s kind of ridiculous to think someone like you would have known someone like me though—”

“I always noticed you,” Shoto blurted.

Anna blinked at him in confusion. “What?” she asked. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Ah.” Shoto pressed his lips together. He may have said too much. Would it be bad to discuss the past with her now? Could it damage her mind even this far from the incident? He didn’t want to take that chance. “I would have always noticed you if I’d seen you,” he corrected. “Maybe we were in different classes.” He hated lying to her. He hated himself for lying to her.

Anna blushed again. “I’m sure you’re just flattering me.” She waved her hand. “It’s certainly appreciated, but you don’t have to be nice to me out of kindness.”

Shoto’s shoulders dropped. He tried to cover it up by looking over the pastries inside the display case again. Coming here was a mistake. He missed her too much. He wanted so desperately to tell her everything.

“Anything catch your eye?” Anna asked. “One pastry on the house for new customers.” She smiled again.

Shoto remembered baking with Anna. He remembered how much of a disaster he was in the kitchen too. He considered buying everything, but he didn’t want to scare her. He had the money for it, but he also didn’t want all of her hard work to go to waste either. There were only so many people at his agency that would consider eating sugar.

“The chocolate chip cookies,” he said, deciding upon the very item he had worked with her to make so many years ago. “And, a chocolate ganache cake. Make those three cakes.” He would eat them himself if no one else at the office would. He’d eat them until he couldn’t stomach it, just for her.

“Of course. How many cookies?” she asked, already packing the cakes in cardboard boxes with the shark logo on the top.

“All of the chocolate chip cookies please,” he said. That should be enough. Not too much, not too little. It wouldn’t seem like he was overdoing it.

“All of them?” she squeaked out. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m not questioning how many cookies you can eat Mr. Shoto, but—”

“Just Shoto is fine,” he corrected smoothly. Of course that wasn’t a normal amount. What was he thinking? He wished he were better at these kinds of situations, but his social interactions with the public had only gone so far. Maybe, he should have just gotten one.

“Shoto, there are over four hundred chocolate chip cookies here,” she said, scanning over the amount lined up within the case.

“Seems like a fair amount for my hero agency. I wouldn’t want to leave out any of the hardworking sidekicks after all,” Shoto said, trying to come back from what he had perceived as a blunder.

“If you’re certain, then I will pack them up neatly for you right away. If you would excuse me, there are some more boxes in the back," Anna said.

Shoto relaxed, fighting the urge to slam his palm to his forehead. This little detour was far more difficult than he had expected. His eyes floated up toward the register. Out in front of it was a purple cat with a swinging paw. A small button necklace was looped around its porcelain neck. Shoto narrowed his eyes at the object. It didn’t seem to go with the rest of the shop, and Shoto suspected who the lucky statue cat had come from. Perhaps, Shoto wasn’t the only one trying to see Anna again.

“Just enough boxes!” Anna called cheerfully as she came back up to the front. “I hope you’ll be able to carry them all by yourself,” she murmured, counting each cookie as she placed them into the open box.

The entryway bell chimed, and Shoto tensed. Anna poked her head up from what she was doing to greet the new customer.

“Welcome to Chocolate Sharks! Ah, Red Riot. It’s so nice to see you again!” Anna said. “I’ll be right with you after I serve this other patient customer.”

Shoto’s eyes widened. Kirishima came here? Shoto was beginning to feel foolish. Had he been the only one too scared to reach out after the incident? Did she know everyone else?

“No worries, Princess. I’m on break. Take your time.”

Anna looked momentarily distracted from counting. She pouted. “You shouldn’t be calling me such a familiar nickname, Red Riot. People will get the wrong idea about us. You’re my loyal customer. I don’t like spreading rumors.”

“Sorry, Princess. It’s just a force of habit,” Kirishima said.

So, she didn’t know him? Or, didn’t know the old him at least. Shoto risked a glance back toward the Pro Hero. Kirishima’s crimson gaze was already scanning him.

“First time here?” Kirishima asked knowingly.

Shoto’s muscles coiled. He nodded in shame. Kirishima patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s alright man. I get it,” he whispered. “We all missed her. It takes some people longer than others to heal.”

Shoto clenched his jaw. He wasn’t the one that needed to heal. Anna had sacrificed her dreams to become a hero for ultimate peace in Japan, and she didn’t even know she’d been a hero. She had no idea that she made the sacrifice either. She was the one who needed to heal, deserved to heal. Shoto was ashamed of himself for not trying to find her, talk to her, sooner.

“You better not be harassing my new customer,” Anna said, continuing to count the cookies.

Kirishima put his hands up in defense. “I would never! What kind of a loyal customer would I be if I scared off all of your business?” Kirishima asked.

“Uh huh,” Anna said suspiciously.

Once she finished wrapping the last box with twine, she hauled the lot of them over to the register. She slowly input all of the items, hesitating with some numbers, most likely being held back by residual damage from the decay to her head all those years ago. She read out the total, and Shoto readily handed over his card. Once the transaction was complete, Anna gave Shoto a final smile.

“Thank you for coming to Chocolate Sharks. I hope to see you again.”

“You will,” Shoto said. He wanted to tell her he should have come sooner, but he didn’t have the heart. “Thank you for such a warm welcome.”

“Any time,” Anna said almost breathlessly. “It was nice meeting you.”

Shoto paused with the boxes in hand. He wanted to blurt out all of his feelings then and there. He’d put so much work into distracting himself from her that during this small moment of peace, it was killing him to even look at her. All of the past memories he’d spent with her came flooding back all at once. He wished things had ended up differently. He wished that they could have been together. He waited far too long to come and see her. He would not make that mistake again.

“Thank you,” he repeated. The sadness was clear in his tone.

Anna’s smile faltered. Shoto turned away from her, shouldering open the door. He left, wishing that he’d visited sooner. He promised himself that he would come back every week, if only just to check up on her. He hoped their next meeting would not end with so many bittersweet memories.

2 notes · View notes

haleigh-sloth · 2 years

Note

Hi! Lovely blog you’ve got here! I tend to lurk, but wanted to let you know that I enjoy seeing your takes.

Do you think being responsible for AFO’s comeback could be the plot beat Endeavor needs to (finally) realize his wrongdoings? Like, it’ll catalyze his Realization Moment™ that picking being a hero over a father was the wrong choice?

Hi! Thank you for the compliment 😭

So, um. I'll be honest with you. I really, really wish I could give a concrete answer on what I THINK is going to happen. But the dead serious truth of the matter is that I have absolutely no idea what to realistically expect at this point for Endeavor. There is a very, very sensible way for his arc to go. And Horikoshi has put Endeavor in positions for him to fail repeatedly, which is good. Like, him not getting it yet, throughout the story is good. That's the point of his character. To actually change. And literally up until last chapter it seemed very promising like we were going exactly in the right direction.

Unfortunately though, we are so far into his arc and on the downward slope heading toward the end, and as of last week we still....haven't seen anything. And last week did absolutely nothing but confuse the fuck out of me.

I'm not gonna even touch on the huge retconning issue with the dead daddy because I've said my piece on that (and I agree here with @hamliet). Instead I'll focus on his little speech and explain what the framing of it indicated to me, as someone reading this chapter, and explain why I'm super fucking confused on where his arc is supposed to be going.

Chapter 356 was portrayed as like...a big, meaningful moment for Endeavor. Right? I mean, that's how it was shown to us. We got the reason for his hero name, we saw his younger self. Which--as I have said a million times--PORTRAYS HONESTY IN THE CHARACTER. And just as a whole the chapter was dramatic in tone.

Endeavor isn't child-coded at all though, so his younger self symbolism looked a little different, which is good! But his younger self was still supposed to be telling the truth about his character. Horikoshi stuck to that pattern of Kid = Honest:

His teenage self starts off saying things that we can all agree with. And it all continues going this way and feels sensible. But when I start to feel very confused, is here:

He's grabbing his younger self, who is supposed to be telling the truth here, by the neck. As if choking and trying to silence him? That's what the art looks like to me. So like, why is present Endeavor rejecting the honest words of his past self? Literally THE chapter immediately before this he puts himself down in the same way his younger self is putting his current self down:

So I'm led to believe that chapter 356 is building off of chapter 355, but....

Then we see Endeavor burning his younger self. Which, to me looks like he's rejecting it, but let's say he's not and that he's fusing with it, I guess.

That doesn't change the fact that he basically ignores everything from the speech before hand, the chapter before that, and continues saying that "fighting until I can't anymore and refusing to give up in fights is what keeps me going, and I'm going to end this fight right now because it's my duty."

He, again, embraces his duty as a professional hero, while not once last chapter did he mention his family. Not. Fucking. Once.

So like.....what was the ending conclusion there?

I honestly DON'T KNOW. HERO? FATHER? Like, you have to choose. You can't have both. This manga has reiterated that time and time again for Endeavor specifically. He can't have both. He’s done too much damage to have both.

Endeavor defeating AFO here, only for it to have given AFO the opportunity to come back stronger and better is hilarious. AND it also leaves room for Endeavor to fail AGAIN, and reflect on what his position needs to be. But.....if that's the case, what was the point of last chapter? How close to the end is going to keep failing before he finally realizes wtf he needs to do? Because like....we're getting pretty close. And the Todofam sub plot is NOT the only plot in this manga that needs resolution. So as to why we're dragging his failures out more and more and more this close to the end, with less and less promise of success on HIS end....I don't know.

Do you see what I mean? Like....I feel like I'm going crazy trying to make sense of it, and tie it to current and past events in his arc.

So TL;DR: Endeavor is the messiest written character in this manga, imo. I'd say worse than Hawks at this point. So therefore, I have no fucking clue what to actually expect. I know what SHOULD happen, but I don't know what WILL happen.

#this is the last grievance about his arc i'm gonna type because #idk what else i can say #anonymous #bnha asks #boku no hero academia #bnha 357 #bnha 356 #bnha 355 #todoroki enji #bnha endeavor #btw i say all of this as someone who has had very little complaints about endeavor as a whole #like i get the issues that exist with his arc and that's fine #but i mostly just take it for what it is #but last week genuinely threw me for a loop and just #made me completely shut off to anything going on with him until i see actual progress #but yeah i don't bitch a lot but this i couldn't ignore

14 notes · View notes

elkian · 2 years

Text

Think I finally hammered out an analogy for the experience of trying to follow Boku No/My Hero Academia.

Imagine you’re checking out cooking videos, and you see a new one. The thumbnail has a man in a kitchen, holding a sack of flour.

You click the video. The man holds up the flour. He tells you how good it is for cake. You like cake! You continue watching the video.

He pulls out a can of Dutch-process cocoa. If you’ve had it before, you know how good it is in cake! Delicious! But if not, you may not realize. He puts the cocoa down and goes back to the flour.

He continues pulling out ingredients, sometimes talking about them, sometimes just showing them to the camera before putting them down. He keeps going back to the flour. He has a lot to say about flour! He kinda seems to be repeating himself, but, well, is there than much to say about flour? If you’re a flour enthusiast, maybe you have a deeper opinion on the matter.

Occasionally he’ll mix two ingredients and put them aside. That’s a bit weird, but you recognize enough of the ingredients to know they can make a delicious cake. You can be patient. Right?

You check the time bar. 13 minutes.

...out of how many hours?

Okay, that’s a little weird, but it’s not very far into the video. You check the screen. He’s still talking about flour.

He puts the cocoa back in the cabinet.

Confused, you check the time bar again. 18 minutes. He didn’t put aside enough cocoa to actually give the cake any flavor. That’s really weird. You guess if you didn’t know about cocoa, you’d think it’s enough, but it’s definitely not.

23 minutes in, and he’s still talking about flour.

This is really weird.

Sometimes the flour comes threateningly close to mixing with another ingredient. Sometimes, he'll hold up some almond extract or cherries or pecans and say, "wow, wouldn't these be GREAT in a cake?" They would.

He puts them back in the cabinet.

You’re starting to get frustrated. Almost a half hour into the video and he hasn’t even begun to actually make a cake. Is this video about cake? You check the title. It mentions the cocoa and flour, but it only implies a cake.

If you look closely, the ingredients he’s mixed and put aside are starting to congeal. If you know anything about making cake, you realize he’s done some of them out of order, or should have moved to the next step immediately.

Does he... know how to make a cake? Has he ever actually made a cake before?

You continue watching, hope of ever seeing a cake in this video dwindling by the moment.

He’s still talking about the flour.

Maybe a flour enthusiast will absolutely love this video. Maybe you have a friend who can watch to the end to see if there's ever a cake. But you're starting to get angry. Okay, he didn't SAY this was about cake. But he keeps mentioning cake, teasing you with really great possibilities and then just... dropping them. He may not have lied, but you still feel cheated. He implied a cake, and no cake is forthcoming.

After seeing him dump an entire carton of eggs into the trash and continue talking about flour, you're done. You stop the video. 48 minutes out of who even knows how many hours.

You try to find something better to do. None of the people still watching the video have reported seeing a cake.

Every now and again, you remember that bizarre flour video you saw, and wonder if he ever actually made that cake.

(NOTE: Horikoshi did in fact finish a series that had something of a plot line and emotional core, Oumagadoki Doubutsuen. It’s been a while since I read it but I do remember him actually finishing it. So idk what’s going on with him now.)

#elk text #26th #May #2022 #May 26th 2022 #series-critical #it is the Waiting for Godot of manga #im so tired #i prefer to consume flour as distributed by ppl who actually know how to bake #aka fanworks

1 note · View note

anxious-art-block · 4 years

Text

I don’t care if I couldn’t understand like three parts of the damn movie, going to see Heroes Rising in theaters was fucking worth it

#bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha heroes rising #heroes rising #like holy shit #Horikoshi you’ve done it again #plus ultra for horikoshi

22 notes · View notes

pikahlua · 2 years

Text

Uh oh Katsuki is in danger

I can’t believe it’s come to this. Every word in this post is going to bring me extreme agony.

I haven’t wanted to say anything about this for a while because I was a) scared of being right and b) extremely terrified of being right. I want a certain subsection of my meta posts to just fade into obscurity and have no one remember them. I want them to be wrong. I didn’t want to have to come back to this.

Fuck it. We’re here. It’s the endgame now.

Hi, let’s talk about how Katsuki is gonna have a bad time.

Horikoshi delivered unto us a terrifying message at Jump Festa 2022. @hanashimas has a good translation up.

I have desperately wanted to see the Japanese version of it, because holy shit is it cheeky. This asshole. This absolute bastard.

Towards the beginning, he states this:

MHA is at a state where it will reach its goal in a about year….if things go smoothly.

If things don’t go smoothly, then Yamashita [Daiki]-kun will probably be reading the same letter again next year at JumpFes.

I’ve been sluggishly drawing for more than 7 years now, but now that we’re in the Final Act, I plan to vent everything that I’ve been sluggishly saving up until now in it.

The way I read this is, everything he hints about in this letter is related to the endgame. It is the final arc. Any hints here are hints about how it all ends. This is it, buckaroos.

I’ve held off on my opinions about it because I wanted to see the setup of the endgame first. But I did have...feelings when I read the whole message. Those came through in my reblog tags.

I didn’t elaborate further also because I hoped to do so in a post someday (now). At the time I just was too busy and tired anyways. But you’ve asked, and so shall I deliver.

Here’s the line that sent the internet into a tailspin:

I’ve said this to Okamoto [Nobuhiko]-kun in LINE, but Katsuki will be having his greatest scene in the manga in future developments. I hope people who like Katsuki and hate Katsuki will look forward to it.

It’s cute. You’re all very cute. I’m sure Horikoshi giggled maniacally at your freak-out. I know I did.

But as a Katsuki fan, this is the part that had me screeching:

And then, we have Deku and Shigaraki.

Even though his consciousness is becoming more and more ambiguous, he’s [Shigaraki’s] a mass of destructive instincts and frustrations. He’s the greatest obstacle in Deku’s goal of “saving”.

Saving and Destroying are both born out of ego. Whose ego will win in the end? Is it even a matter of winning or losing? How will things go? What shall I do? What am I supposed to do??

Well, everything’s somehow gonna come off alright I guess!

Do your best, Deku! Destroy it all, Shigaraki! Die, All for One!!

“What? This part? Katsuki isn’t even mentioned! This is explicitly a section about Izuku and Tomura. Why on earth would you lose your mind over this vague bullshit?” - Unenlightened You, 2022

Because it’s in code, you sweet summer children.

The whole damn thing is very, very intentionally using conspicuously specific words to avoid setting off the alarms. Except they actually set off all the alarms. And that’s probably on purpose, because Horikoshi loves telling us exactly what to expect and lets our imaginations do the work to fill in the blanks and fool ourselves. He does this all the damn time.

How do I know? BECAUSE I CAN READ THE DAMN CODE!

It’s true, I’m not always right (gasp) about the ultimate meaning, but I can damn well tell when the code is there pointing in the generally correct direction.

And now I’ve gathered the signs and assembled the ruins and drawn the circles and pulled out the translation notes and done the calculations and I’m ready to motherfuckin’ do this.

So here’s the tea.

THEORY: Katsuki Bakugou is gonna be possessed

Table of Contents I. The meta warning signs II. “Wait, didn’t you say Izuku was gonna be possessed?” and other sordid tales III. Maybe Izuku is actually a reliable narrator IV. Katsuki’s greatest fear V. The history of One For All VI. Izuku’s unspoken feelings VII. Izuku vs. Tomura but not like that VIII. Decoding Horikoshi’s prophecy IX. tl;dr À̴̡͍͑͘A̵̢̼̟͘͝A̴̢̪͎͒͑̚A̴̟͓̺͛̓͘À̵̪͔͍͊͝A̴̠͖̟̒̓̚Ä̸̡̙͔́͐͠A̴͔̫̼̿͠À̵̠̠͙͒͆Ä̸̢͔̪́̔͐A̴̙͎̪͋̐̒A̵̡̞̓̓̀A̸̘͖͊͆͊A̸̢̟̝̓̐͠A̴͍̺̟͑͝͠A̸̦͍̠͑̈́Ä̵͓͚͓́́͛A̵̺͓̿̔͘͜A̴͕͔͖̽̽͘A̴͕͖͉͆͊̓A̸̝̻͉̐͒A̵̺̞̾̐͜͠A̸͓͖̺͛̐͘A̸͎̝̻̒̈́͝A̵͇̪͎̾̿A̴̪͙͖̓͒A̸̫͖͖͐͌̕A̵̙͕̙̓͘͝A̵̻̙̼͊̈́͠A̴̞̘̟͊̾̕A̸̢̪͔̓̀͒A̵͎̞̪͊͛̀Á̸̢͇̺̚͝A̴̼͕͍̓̓͝Á̸̝̠̫̿͒A̸͎̫͙͑͒Ä̴̡̘̪́͐̿

Here’s what I’m gonna do for you. First, I’m gonna tell you what’s definitely not gonna happen (section I). Second, I’m gonna point out all the allowances I’ve made in my other predictive metas (section II). Third, I’m gonna walk you through all the foreshadowing and unresolved plot points leading to this theory (sections III-VI). Fourth, I’m gonna put all the pieces together for you (section VII). Fifth, I’m gonna decode Horikoshi’s Jump Festa message (section VIII).

And last: I must scream.

I. The meta warning signs

Do you know why the MHA movies exist? Sure, yes, capitalism, money, cool movies, shiny animation, yada yada. But that’s not what I mean. Do you know why the concepts of these movies exist?

These movies exist to show us what if scenarios.

Argue until you’re blue in the face about their canonicity. I could not possibly care less if they count as canon. The point is that they are showing us really awesome things that could have been in the manga proper but for whatever reason won’t be. The movies have been crossing possibilities off the list of things that could happen in the ending.

Two Heroes exists to give us an All Might and Izuku OFA team-up

Heroes Rising exists to give us an Izuku and Katsuki OFA team-up

World Heroes’ Mission exists to give us solo spectacle battles each for Shouto (Flashfire Fist), Katsuki (the thumbs-down victory pose), and Izuku (United States of Don’t Make Me Say It Smash)

These things happened in the movies PRECISELY BECAUSE they would not happen in the manga. We are not getting these things in the manga. All Might lost OFA’s dregs at Kamino Ward. Shouto is not going to use Flashfire Fist. Izuku is not going to do that unmentionable punching atrocity again if he knows what’s good for him. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Do you understand what I’m saying here? Did y’all see my little endgame bingo card? That little square on the last row labeled “BakuDeku out-of-sync or disagree”?

Katsuki is not getting a cool solo battle where he wins. He’s not getting an All Might or Endeavor victory pose. He’s not getting a fight where he uses One For All even temporarily. He’s not getting a beautifully-synced team battle with Izuku against a common foe.

So...what the fuck is he getting?

NOW you have my permission to lose your shit.

II. “Wait, didn’t you say Izuku was gonna be possessed?” and other sordid tales

Look, we’ve all said some things. Some we don’t regret.

I’ve gone deep into my theory several times on how I think Izuku could end up possessed by AFO or even someone else. Technically, I’m not saying that won’t happen still.

I’m just saying I’ve covered my bases.

I wrote this little prediction post a while back about how the MHA ending could end up a bookend of the beginning arc with the sludge villain. I broke the first arc down into a formula I believed could make its comeback in the final arc. That formula went a little something like this:

Villain possesses Person A

Hero saves Person A

Villain possesses Person B

Person A tries to save Person B and fails

Person A’s actions inspire a hero to save both Person A and Person B

And then I spent many words explaining ad nauseum how I knew which characters would be slotted into the formula, just not which spots they’d end up filling:

[...We] know the final battle is going to involve at least these players:

Izuku Midoriya

Katsuki Bakugou

Tomura Shigaraki or All For One

[...]

Will Shigaraki and AFO both be involved in the final battle? It’s possible. Shigaraki is currently possessed by AFO, and we don’t know if that’s going to be resolved before the final battle.

[...]

Will other characters be present? No idea. The possibilities here are endless.

So I’ve broken the events of chapter 1 down into a formula, and I ran it with many different characters. Although I can’t be sure who will play which roles, this is how I currently expect it to play out[...]

The point is, I knew there was a possibility I chose wrong. I knew it was possible Katsuki could end up possessed instead of Izuku, but I went with Izuku for the sake of exploring the formula. I wanted to follow that possibility to its logical conclusion because it interested me.

But I did consider multiple combinations. I did consider that the formula could be played almost exactly the same as it had been in the first chapter. I did consider the possibility that Katsuki would be the one possessed instead of Izuku.

I just kept it to myself because I...sometimes write fanfiction and wanted to use that scenario for something else.

So if you’re interested, read that post again and swap Izuku’s and Katsuki’s roles. See how well that works out. Now panic a little.

Then come back and read through this list of points I’ve lightly explored in other metas that are totally relevant now (click the link if you’d like to read the meta posts, but you’ll find the links repeat at various points in this post later on).

Katsuki is a major piece of the story-line about victims learning to accept help

Katsuki’s name means “self-victory,” so he probably needs to “defeat himself” in some way

Katsuki’s character arc ends with him saving the ultimate victim

The only fight that can end Katsuki’s character arc is Deku vs Kacchan, Part 3

Katsuki and Izuku gotta hold hands in DvK3

Katsuki saves Izuku’s heart by relating to him and opening up

The narrative rewards Izuku for imitating Katsuki

Katsuki has spoken his truth, but Izuku has not (and that’s kind of a death flag)

We’ve seen Katsuki’s “Save to Win,” but we haven’t seen Izuku’s “Win to Save“

Quirks and personalities are tied together, potentially by the concept of “heart”

The Second and Katsuki are connected, possibly by reincarnation

AFO may have the ability to control a person’s actions against their will

AFO may have killed the First, Second, and Third users by controlling them and forcing them to kill each other

Katsuki doesn’t want to be the reason for Izuku’s downfall

Katsuki is a point of weakness for Izuku

Izuku is Katsuki’s inspiration to save people, and Katsuki doesn’t want what happened to All Might to happen to Izuku

AFO is keenly interested in Izuku’s rage state and knows Katsuki works as his weak-point

Tomura is a beautiful butterfly, and Katsuki has the bug-catching net

Katsuki parallels Tomura

Katsuki also parallels Star and that’s terrifying

No seriously, he parallels Star, whom strategically sacrificed herself to cripple the enemy and save her team

If Katsuki somehow gets AFO, it would totally complete this parallel

AFO’s plan is to overwhelm OFA with hatred, but what if the person he possesses uses their emotions to possess him back?

Izuku is walking into the final arc with a smidge of hubris

I’ve connected way too many dots.

III. Maybe Izuku is actually a reliable narrator

All right, let’s see that foreshadowing!

How does everything that came before the final arc lead to this conclusion? Let me count the ways.

We’ve already seen the above page paralleled when class 1-A went to save Izuku at Kamino, but it could absolutely come back again. This is essentially Deku vs Kacchan, Part 0. We all know the Rule of Threes. I wonder if there will be a kid for Izuku to protect from Katsuki’s wrath in the final arc version. Tenko Shimura, perhaps?

Ah, the moment I would say the narrator Izuku has gotten his closest to lying to us. When you consider how Katsuki turns down Tomura’s offer to go villainous in Kamino, it really does make Izuku’s narration above seem rather harsh.

But, uh, the story isn’t actually over yet. We can’t say for sure Katsuki doesn’t end on the “path towards bad,” now can we?

Katsuki has been set up as an example of the “heroes and villains are two sides of the same coin” plot point. There are a lot of parallels between Izuku and AFO, which you could take to mean what you want. To me, it feels like AFO and Izuku are two sides of the same coin: pure good and pure evil. They espouse the same values but from their own camps. They are endpoints on the scale.

Katsuki isn’t on that same scale. His scale is shared with Tomura.

Because they are both compact essence of pure, destructive instinct. Katsuki just represents the heroic side of that instinct as the legacy he inherits from All Might.

We even have Tenko screaming Katsuki’s catchphrase at his origin.

The Kamino Ward arc sets these two up as parallels pretty explicitly.

And now, the fact that Katsuki is going to face Tomura without Izuku but with Best Jeanist around is a giant tell that we’re coming back to this point again. Tomura tossed his coin and landed on villain, but there’s more to it than that. His scale is not on pure good versus pure evil but freedom/instinct versus restraint/rationality. His beef is with society. And he thinks Katsuki should have the same problems with society he does.

Katsuki’s coin is gonna get flipped again. And if it lands hero-side-face-up, AFO is there sitting inside Tomura’s body ready to intervene just like last time.

We’re gonna finally find out what this threat was all about.

IV. Katsuki’s greatest fear

Take a look at all the imagery of Katsuki fighting off the sludge villain’s puppetry in chapter 1/episodes 1 and 2. It’s all over this prediction meta. There’s an entire section dedicated to possession imagery in the whole series in this one.

And look at his face when he vents his guilt about how his own kidnapping resulted in All Might’s retirement.

Just so you know, he’s not over it.

I’ll say it again:

I don’t think it’s a stretch for me to say one of [Katsuki’s] worst fears is being a victim, particularly as a means of getting to someone he cares about such as All Might (just look at his trauma over what happened with the sludge villain in middle school). After all, Katsuki believes All Might’s downfall could have been avoided if only he had been strong enough to not be victimized by AFO and the League of Villains.

So it’s not that Katsuki wants to protect Izuku; Katsuki doesn’t want to be the reason for Izuku’s downfall.

Katsuki did not get his revenge against Shigaraki at Jakuu. He was blatantly denied revenge, in fact.

So he’s going into this final arc with a history of being possessed, a massive and exploitable complex about being victimized, the propensity to blame himself for his part in the downfall of his loved ones, and a problematic vengeance fantasy he’s using to mask his vulnerability.

That’s what we call “tempting fate,” my friends.

V. The history of One For All

That cheeky bastard Horikoshi actually went and left the One For All origin story a mystery until the final arc.

That spells disaster. That means it will be relevant to the ending. And we all know somehow it’s all gonna come back to Katsuki. Because of this asshole.

And that asshole is the only one whose quirk we don’t yet know.

I’ve given my general thoughts on the possible OFA history and the Second’s possible connection to Katsuki, and I would be remiss if I didn’t reiterate that there’s a possibility AFO can control people against their will and force them to fight their friends. If true, that could come back in a big way for the final arc quite easily.

And then @siflshonen dared to point out to me the resemblance between the Second’s facial scar and this page of nightmare fuel in chapter 286:

That was the moment I threw up my hands and started writing this damn meta anthology post.

Oh, and let’s not forget that time I compared Yoichi and the Second to Tomura and Katsuki:

History repeats itself or some shit.

VI. Izuku’s unspoken feelings

There’s one more important piece to this puzzle, and that’s how Izuku plays into everything that will happen.

Given this theory, the above panels are actually painful to read. “The gifted will break this world.” Izuku, please smack this upstart prick.

But the utility of this arc may have been to also serve some purpose in the final battle. There is an interesting focus on Katsuki that we could easily dismiss, even though he’s not involved in the fight.

And there’s also the question of Izuku’s emotional instability...

...which AFO learned he could use Katsuki to exploit during the Jakuu battle.

But...

There’s something else important we learned during that arc as well.

We learned that just as Izuku sees Katsuki as his Image of Victory, Katsuki very well likely sees Izuku as his Image of Self-Sacrifice.

Katsuki can probably be used as a point of weakness against Izuku, but what about the other direction? Perhaps Izuku can use himself as a point of strength for Katsuki’s sake.

Izuku still hasn’t told Katsuki he’s Izuku’s Image of Victory.

It must be said, and we’re going into the final arc now. Where do you think would be a good place in the story for this to come out?

VII. Izuku vs. Tomura but not like that

So here’s the concept:

Much like in my Izuku possession theory, let’s say Katsuki is the one who gets pulled into the Tomura-AFO singularity. He might even do it on purpose as an attempt to sabotage AFO and rescue Tenko, all in a manner similar to how Star(s) & Stripe(s) went out. In the process, he could be swallowed by the vortex of hatred inside Shigaraki and lose his sense of self to it. Izuku definitely goes after him, but how’s he gonna pull Katsuki out? What will the battle really be about here?

It’s going to be about two forces pulling Katsuki in opposite directions (either figuratively or literally).

On the one hand, he’ll have Tomura Shigaraki pulling him in the direction of destructive instincts. Katsuki will be encouraged to let go of his rational brain and just give into the instinct to destroy (or really, explode) that comes with his Explosion quirk. His weakness will be his desire for revenge that merges with the hatred Tomura embodies. He won’t be able to escape so long as he holds onto that dark wish.

On the other hand, he’ll have Izuku pulling him back to the side of heroism and saving, back to rationality, back to his true sense of self. Izuku is the best person to do it because he knows Katsuki best; he emulates Katsuki with everything he does. He’ll tell Katsuki about his Image of Victory and “talk like Katsuki because he wants to win” in order to restore Katsuki’s identity. And Katsuki’s going to finally have to take Izuku’s hand and accept help to get out of there. But, if Tomura wins the tug-o-war, Katsuki will likely pull Izuku into the void with him because Izuku ain’t letting go no matter what. If this doesn’t work, Katsuki will be Izuku’s downfall.

It’s the classic shoulder-angel versus shoulder-devil scenario. Izuku is our narrator, but Tomura jumps in as the narrator for “My Villain Academia,” and isn’t that convenient? Could it be the narrators are both in the process of trying to reach Katsuki to turn him to their side? Until he chooses, Katsuki is a coin flipped in the air. Which version of his “self” will claim “victory” in the end?

Stare harder at that manga cover!!!

VIII. Decoding Horikoshi’s prophecy

So, I promised I would translate the hidden message in Horikoshi’s Jump Festa words. Here we go now.

Katsuki’s gonna do a big thing. In light of where you suspect this is going based on this giant brainrot, you might be able to glean how this scenario could be enjoyed by those readers who both like and dislike Katsuki. There’s going to be a full reckoning of his character down to the core of his identity. And he’s gonna probably do some noble shit in the process.

And then, we have Deku and Shigaraki.

These two will definitely face each other in some way, straightforward fight or not.

Even though his consciousness is becoming more and more ambiguous, he’s [Shigaraki’s] a mass of destructive instincts and frustrations.

Shigaraki is becoming more and more defined by his urge to destroy, his instincts, the personality essence that comes with his Decay quirk. Weird that Horikoshi uses some extremely Katsuki-coded language (“destructive,” “instincts,” “frustrations”) to describe this scenario. Very meta of him to talk about Shigaraki’s consciousness becoming so ambiguous. Wonder if someone else’s consciousness is influencing that ambiguity, and I don’t just mean AFO’s.

[Shigaraki]’s the greatest obstacle in Deku’s goal of “saving”.

That’s a weird way of putting it, Horikoshi. If we were looking at a straightforward fight between Shigaraki and Deku, I’d expect you to word this as “Deku’s greatest obstacle is Shigaraki.” But no, you specifically say Shigaraki is an obstacle to Deku’s goal of saving. So Deku needs to save someone? Who could that be?

Saving and Destroying are both born out of ego. Whose ego will win in the end?

Way to imply that these egos are Izuku (Saving) and Shigaraki (Destroying) without actually naming the characters. Makes it easy for us to just assume you mean Izuku and Shigaraki. But what if you don’t, Horikoshi? What if that’s just what you want us to believe? Because I see that “win” word choice, and that’s more Katsuki-coded language, you precious madman. Could it be that these are Katsuki’s dueling egos? “Whose ego will win in the end?” Perhaps I should read this as: will Izuku’s influence or Shigaraki’s influence over Katsuki have the stronger pull? Who will Katsuki be when he comes out of this?

Is it even a matter of winning or losing? How will things go? What shall I do? What am I supposed to do??

More Katsuki-coded language! Winning or losing? “Is it even a matter of winning or losing?” Ohhhh way to hint that this isn’t a straightforward fistfight at all. I see you, Horikoshi. I see you.

Well, everything’s somehow gonna come off alright I guess!

It fuckin’ better.

Do your best, Deku! Destroy it all, Shigaraki! Die, All for One!!

HORIKOSHI, I STILL SEE YOU.

“Do your best, Deku!” Do his best at what? Fighting? Saving? Something else? That’s definitely a reference to the newer meaning behind the Deku nickname.

“Destroy it all, Shigaraki!” Give into those instincts, Handsy! P.S. What all is it he’s supposed to destroy exactly? His enemies? Society? The world? AFO? The AFO quirk? The OFA quirk? Oh hey, “all” is in the names of both AFO and OFA, huh...

“Die, All For One!!” THAT’S KATSUKI’S CATCHPHRASE, YOU MONSTER. I FUCKING SEE YOU AND YOU’RE NOT SMOOTH.

VIII. tl;dr À̴̡͍͑͘A̵̢̼̟͘͝A̴̢̪͎͒͑̚A̴̟͓̺͛̓͘À̵̪͔͍͊͝A̴̠͖̟̒̓̚Ä̸̡̙͔́͐͠A̴͔̫̼̿͠À̵̠̠͙͒͆Ä̸̢͔̪́̔͐A̴̙͎̪͋̐̒A̵̡̞̓̓̀A̸̘͖͊͆͊A̸̢̟̝̓̐͠A̴͍̺̟͑͝͠A̸̦͍̠͑̈́Ä̵͓͚͓́́͛A̵̺͓̿̔͘͜A̴͕͔͖̽̽͘A̴͕͖͉͆͊̓A̸̝̻͉̐͒A̵̺̞̾̐͜͠A̸͓͖̺͛̐͘A̸͎̝̻̒̈́͝A̵͇̪͎̾̿A̴̪͙͖̓͒A̸̫͖͖͐͌̕A̵̙͕̙̓͘͝A̵̻̙̼͊̈́͠A̴̞̘̟͊̾̕A̸̢̪͔̓̀͒A̵͎̞̪͊͛̀

Katsuki’s character arc of learning to save people necessitates that he saves an unsavable victim at the end. Since he’s going to face Tomura without Izuku’s help, Katsuki is probably going to be the one who saves Tenko Shimura.

However, MHA defines heroism as both victory and self-sacrifice. For Katsuki to truly demonstrate his mastery of saving, this rescue will have to involve a drastic sacrifice on his part. He may find some way of swapping himself in for Tomura or just dive in after him in order to save Tenko from AFO’s possession.

Izuku is the main character. He’s gotta come in and save someone. But he’s also gotta come in and win a big fight to demonstrate his mastery of victory. If Tenko can’t fill either role of victim or enemy, then Katsuki’s gonna have to play both parts.

AFO has the potential to force others to move against their wills. He has the potential to force friends to fight each other.

In all likelihood, we’re gonna have Katsuki stuck in the middle of Izuku and Tomura’s fight, but it will be one where the Tomura-AFO singularity tries to force Katsuki to lose himself to destructive instincts while Izuku vies to revive Katsuki’s sense of self and break him out. Or, there’s the possibility that Katsuki intends to self-destruct in order to take the Tomura-AFO singularity down with him while Izuku tries to convince him not to.

Hey, they’re fighting at UA! That’s where Ground Beta is! Deku vs. Kacchan, Part 3 where it ends with holding hands, anyone?

And now, I commence the screaming.

SAVE HIM SAVE HIM SAVE HIM SAVE HIM SAVE HIM SAVE HIM

906 notes · View notes

makeste · 3 years

Text

“but I thought about how I needed to say this”

a.k.a. yet another meta dissection of The Apology. I actually wrote most of this up on Friday night based on the original Japanese (@pikahlua has an excellent translation up here, and I also used @hanashimas’ translations as a reference as well), but I wanted to wait until the official release, though that turned out to be a mixed bag to say the least lol.

I would also recommend reading @pikahlua and @class1akids’ breakdowns of this scene (here and here, respectively), because they are excellent, and because if any scene deserves to have as many meta breakdowns written about it as possible, it’s this one.

anyway so here goes.

Caleb did a more accurate job with this than the fanscan, even if he did try his best to take us out of the seriousness of the moment by throwing in that swiss cheese line lol. anyway so there are two things I want to talk about here. the first is the line about Izuku not remembering, which I thought was a nice touch. of course he doesn’t remember what Kacchan said back then. he wasn’t exactly in the soundest emotional state after seeing one of the people he cares about most taking a near-fatal blow that was meant for him. I’d be shocked if he remembers anything about the aftermath (including the way he flew into a mindless rage afterwards) right up until the point when he entered the OFA Interstellar Party Void with Tomura. anyway, so I thought that was a nice callback.

and speaking of emotional states, the other thing I wanted to talk about is the part that Caleb got right which the fan scanlation didn’t. “but I had more to say.” in other words, “stop trying to win on your own” wasn’t just a one-liner; it was meant to be the beginning of a much longer speech. “there were other things that I needed to say.”

like, can we just stop and talk about that for a second. because basically what this means is that in that instant, when Kacchan pushed Deku out of the way and got impaled, his one and only thought was that he needed to apologize to Deku. his life was presumably flashing before his eyes, he had no idea if he was going to survive or not, and the only thing on his mind was how urgently he needed to make things right with his former childhood friend.

moving on!

so I have a confession to make, which is that I am relieved to see Katsuki describing this as the reason why he bullied Deku, as opposed to Horikoshi trying to retcon it into some sort of “secretly he was just trying to protect him and keep him out of harm’s way because he was worried” thing, which ngl would not have gelled very well with me. the thing is that I’m really not a fan of the whole “Kacchan Did Nothing Wrong” mentality that some fans seem to have. like, I have seen all sorts of convoluted attempts to find excuses for Katsuki’s shitty behavior, but in my view those attempts undermine what I love about his character in the first place. Katsuki is such a great character specifically because he is not perfect. his redemption arc is so compelling because he was such a giant asshole at the start. he was completely at fault, and he acknowledges this, and takes full responsibility for it. and that is fucking fantastic.

his arc is so great because it doesn’t rely on garnering sympathy by giving him a Tragic Past, or by trying to foist the blame for his behavior over on someone else. it’s an arc that acknowledges that redemption isn’t something you achieve by making people feel sorry for you; it’s something you have to earn by actively working to change and do better. and by forgoing the “misunderstood/tragic past” route, Horikoshi is making a statement that anyone can go down the wrong path, but that more importantly, anyone can also choose at any time to turn away from said path. there is only one requirement for doing so, and that is realizing that you’ve done wrong, and deciding that you want to change.

anyway, so in chapter 284 Kacchan of course had that whole speech about Deku not taking himself into account, and mentioned how that made him want to keep his distance. and a good chunk of fandom took this to mean that Katsuki’s bullying was actually a misguided response to Deku’s reckless tendencies -- sort of an “if I show him how weak and powerless he really is, I can get him to accept the reality that he’s quirkless, and that being a hero will just get him hurt or killed” type of thing. and I won’t lie, for a good while I was wondering myself if Horikoshi was really going to go down that route. and like I said, I am honestly relieved that he didn’t. not only for the reasons stated in the previous paragraph, but also because the message that would have sent -- that there are certain circumstances in which bullying can almost be excused because the bully had Good Intentions and was just trying to save the other person from themselves, and so it Wasn’t That Bad, Actually -- is all kinds of fucked up to say the least. so yeah, I’m glad we ended up steering well clear of that.

(ETA: this post was long enough already so I edited out the 3 additional paragraphs I originally wrote analyzing the dialogue from 284. but just to be clear, I’m not trying to imply that Kacchan worrying about Deku’s recklessness is a retconned thing that Horikoshi only threw into the story recently, because there are multiple instances throughout the story where he clearly is worried and in total denial of it. but I firmly believe those feelings are not what led to the bullying. they’re two separate things. Kacchan worrying about Deku is what prompts him to yell at him in chapter 1 when Deku comes to save him. but it’s not what incited him to burn his notebook and taunt him earlier in that same chapter. that action had a much meaner and more selfish motivation behind it, and I’m glad Horikoshi didn’t try to change it up last minute, because it wouldn’t have felt right.)

thankfully as of this chapter I think we can safely cross that out as a possibility, as we’re given the true explanation straight from Katsuki himself. and the truth is that he bullied Deku out of insecurity and jealousy and fear and intolerance. there was nothing noble about it. there were no good intentions concealed in his actions. there are no justifications given, no excuses offered, and no mitigating circumstances to be considered, other than the fact (which neither he nor Horikoshi bring up) that he was and is still a child, and that children make mistakes.

it’s an explanation that challenges many of fandom’s ideas on who is and isn’t eligible to be redeemed. there is no Ozai in Katsuki’s backstory. there’s no great tragedy that he spent a lifetime trying to rise above. the only villain in Katsuki’s story is Katsuki himself. the only darkness that he has to overcome is his own. and it’s challenging, because I think many people believe the only way someone can be redeemed for doing bad things is if bad things happen to them in return. but what Horikoshi is saying here is that that’s not the case. bad doesn’t erase bad. and the one and only way to truly earn redemption is by doing good.

and that’s what makes this such a phenomenal scene for me. by not shying away from Katsuki’s flaws and failings, and having him take full responsibility for them, Horikoshi keeps the apology from being self-serving, and underscores the true depth of Katsuki’s character development. the level of self-awareness he has here is something most people can only dream of. which is very fitting, as that’s perhaps the most important takeaway from his character arc -- that it’s only by acknowledging your own weaknesses and flaws that you can learn to overcome them and reach your full potential.

one last thing to point out here, which is that in the panel where Katsuki finally acknowledges his terrible treatment of Deku, Deku is not even visible. instead, Horikoshi drew the panel from a perspective that makes it appear that Katsuki is addressing this particular line not just to Deku, but to all of his classmates.

again, he shows him taking full responsibility and admitting his wrongdoings in front of the people whose opinions and approval he cares about most. and just to clarify in case there’s any confusion from Caleb’s translation, Kacchan’s wording makes it very clear that he wasn’t just “mean” to Deku, but that he full-on bullied him (he uses the same verb -- “ijimeru” (苛める) -- that he did back in chapter 284). there’s no attempt to downplay his actions here.

moving on now, this chapter also reaffirmed another thing about Deku and Kacchan’s relationship which I was glad to see revisited -- Kacchan’s unwavering belief in Deku’s ability. this is one of those paradoxical things about their relationship which I’ve always been fascinated by, but which is also kind of hard to explain, because I don’t want it to come off like I’m trying to put a positive spin on something which was unequivocally awful. like, please don’t think I’m trying to say that Katsuki’s bullying of Deku was in any way a good thing. but that being said, there’s also a strange irony at play here, which is that Katsuki’s jealousy and insecurity also betray the fact that even at his very worst, he never once underestimated Deku. he has always believed in Deku’s strength, even when that strength pissed him off and made him afraid and uneasy.

no one else -- not All Might, or even Deku’s own mom -- believed from the get-go that Deku could become a hero. but Katsuki never once counted him out, even when he was calling him a pebble in his shoe. he confesses here that even though he “tried to act superior by rejecting [Deku]”, in truth he was never able to shake the feeling that Deku was above him. long before he ever understood the concept of “win to save”, he knew instinctively that there was a strength in Deku’s heart that couldn’t be measured, and which had the potential to surpass even his own strength. and I’ve always felt that this was so important, because it’s the one aspect of their early relationship that hinted that on some level, however subconscious, Katsuki held the same type of faith in Deku that Deku always held in him. it was one of the few things that hinted at there being a possible path towards reconciliation one day. and it paved the way for the most important shift in their relationship to date, when Katsuki finally realized who Deku got his quirk from, and responded not with resentment or spite, but with acceptance.

moving on, I also really love the way we see them portrayed at the different stages of their childhood throughout this speech, and how it perfectly lines up with the dialogue. from small children (when Katsuki talks about his insecurities first manifesting), to middle schoolers (when he talks about the bullying), to high schoolers (when he talks about the past year and everything he’s learned at U.A.). Horikoshi really didn’t have to go that hard, but he did, and that’s why we love him.

and then we finally get to That Part.

where do I even start with this there are so many things omg.

the bow. this is the one and only time Katsuki has ever bowed to anyone of his own volition as far as I recall. and this absolutely is a bow, just to be clear, even though his form is straight-up garbage (very Kacchan-esque, with his feet and arms spaced apart because he’s still a punk after all). this is Kacchan showing more humility and respect than he’s ever shown to anyone else in his entire life.

regarding “Izuku”, I actually have mixed feelings about this to tell the truth. I think it was a good call here because it was incredibly effective in setting the tone and showing just how serious Kacchan is. however if he continues to use “Izuku” rather than “Deku” from here on out, that would give the impression in hindsight that all his past usage of “Deku” really was meant as an insult, which would undermine some of my favorite scenes. I would really like to believe that since DvK2 or thereabouts, Kacchan has (mostly) been using “Deku (affectionate)” rather than “Deku (useless loser)”, lol. but if he switches to the “nicer” name on a permanent basis following his apology, it implies that the previous nickname was indeed being used cruelly. and so honestly I hope this was just a one-time thing, because I do think that in Katsuki’s mind, the name “Deku” hasn’t been meant as a slight to him for a long time now.

“my truth/this is what I truly feel” -- the word Katsuki uses in Japanese is honne (本音), and if you’re familiar with the concept of honne/tatemae, that’s the same “honne” he’s talking about here. it means that he’s casting aside all of his walls and facades and expressing what he truly feels. and of course, one of the fascinating things about Katsuki’s character is that he’s the exact opposite of most people in that he chooses to put his meanness on full display to the public, and ironically it’s the kindest parts of himself which he tends to keep the most carefully guarded and hidden away. this also means that while his rage and anger are very often insincere and put on just for show, those relatively few occasions where he lets his humanity truly shine through are pretty much 100% genuine, as is the case with this one here.

and Deku’s face says it all when it comes to how powerful those moments can be as a result.

and this, right here, is why it wasn’t enough for Katsuki to atone solely through his actions, and why he needed to actually say the words as well. it’s not that the words are more important; obviously the actions are far and away the most important part, and carry far more meaning. but the reason why Katsuki needed to say the words as well is simply because Izuku needed to hear them. needed to, and deserved to, because this is one of the most important people in the world to him.

and so he deserves to know that the relationship isn’t just one-sided, and that he is just as important to Kacchan as Kacchan is to him. he deserves to know that Kacchan understands how horribly he treated him, and that he’s sorry for it. and he deserves to know that Kacchan, without any expectation of it changing their relationship -- meaning that he will continue to feel this way regardless of what Izuku says or does from here on out -- cares about him. now more than ever, with AFO out there doing everything in his power to make Izuku feel as alone as possible, this is something that he really, really needed to hear.

so this part has some interesting wordplay which neither Caleb’s translation nor the fan scanlation was really able to get across. basically, in the Japanese version, when Katsuki talks about “those ideals”, Horikoshi uses the kanji for “ideal”, but pronounces it as “All Might.” obviously the meaning of this isn’t too hard to decipher, as we all know how much both boys admire All Might. to them, he absolutely is synonymous with the Ideal. so this is a way of showing that respect they both have towards him, even as Katsuki goes on to point out the one fatal flaw that All Might was never able to overcome.

and speaking of interesting wording, as others have noted, at this point in his speech Katsuki switches from “temee” (which he was using earlier during the “your strengths and my weaknesses” part) to “omae” (“omae” being a less insulting word for “you”, though still very manly and tough-sounding), which is definitely a big deal. though fwiw this is not the first time he’s used “omae” for Deku (he switches to it briefly right after DvK2, when he tells Deku “you had the strongest guy lay the groundwork for you -- don’t lose”, and then later when they’re walking back to the dorms and he says he’ll learn and get stronger by watching everyone around him just like Deku did). it’s definitely a good choice on Horikoshi’s part though, as it makes this last part of the speech sound more earnest and sincere.

just a quick note, he does indeed use a plural pronoun here, as in “the obstacles that you can’t overcome, we will overcome.” but as @pikahlua pointed out, the “we” here is ambiguous -- it could either mean “we” as in class 1-A -- “we will overcome them for you” -- OR it could mean “we” as in all of them -- class 1-A and Deku. “we will overcome them together.” idk about you, but I know which one gets my vote.

anyway, and so this is the line that finally wins Deku over and allows him to let go of his fears, however briefly. what I love about this is Kacchan’s utter conviction. one thing that Caleb’s translation doesn’t quite get across is Kacchan’s use of the word morenaku -- “without exception” -- when he talks about how they’re going to save everyone and win. it echoes that same sentiment he showed back during the Joint Training arc -- that it’s not a perfect victory unless they save everyone. every last person. and he explicitly lists Deku among their number, just so there can be no doubt.

and Deku’s response to this (or at least his thoughts, since he’s not really able to get many words out) pretty much brings everything full circle here.

he acknowledges that everyone else has gotten ahead of him. which is especially meaningful given who he’s standing directly across from. because for most of the series, as we all well know, it’s been Kacchan who was woefully lagging behind Deku in the character growth department. but now Deku himself is acknowledging that not only has Kacchan finally caught up at last, but that he and the others have surpassed him. which is only temporary, I should add, as I have zero doubt that Deku will catch up again soon. but the fact remains that just as Deku’s rapid increase in strength and skill left Kacchan scrambling to keep up earlier in the series, Kacchan’s extraordinary character development has now left Deku in that same position. as All Might once put it, “when he’s starting at level one, and you’re already at level 50, it’s only natural that you’ll be growing at different rates.”

and what’s so wonderful about this though is that the two of them are finally approaching that point where they’ve both caught up to each other and are finally starting to level out. Deku is a full-on badass, and Kacchan is out here talk-no-jutsuing with the best of them. the two of them have been chasing and chasing after each other this entire time, and now they’re finally just about ready to meet in the middle at long last, with each of them fully embodying both of those two crucial aspects -- win, and save.

just about. because Deku still needs some help catching up. but seeing as help has already been offered -- and accepted -- I can’t imagine it will be very long now, and I can’t wait to see him finally overcoming those fears and doubts with his friends by his side. it’s going to be such a powerful moment.

and last but not least,

or, as I prefer,

you had one job, Caleb. flkjsdlk.

but at least this provides a good opportunity to note that unlike the “we’ll help you handle it” line earlier in the speech, here the phrasing is left up to interpretation, as he doesn’t use a pronoun. so it could be “we know”, or, as the fan scanlation put it, “I know.” or it could be both. regardless, it’s good stuff.

anyway, and so Deku passes out, and in the process Horikoshi gives us one last parting metaphor, just in case anyone still thinks Kacchan is all talk because they haven’t been paying attention for the past 322 chapters (more likely than you think). once again, Katsuki’s actions speak louder than his words (even his nice words) ever could: he is literally there to catch Deku when he falls.

so that’s it! my sincere thanks to anyone who actually read through all of my endless ramblings about this scene which I have been waiting for since day one. props to Horikoshi for taking on an impossibly difficult task, and pulling it off with all of the emotion and care and nuance that I’ve come to expect from his writing. imo he delivered on every single level with the exception of the aftermath, which I don’t consider to have actually happened yet. Deku’s part of this is definitely a “to be continued.” but yeah, as far as Kacchan’s part goes, 10/10. so fucking proud of this kid.

#bnha 322 #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bakudeku #bnha meta #bakugou meta #deku meta #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

553 notes · View notes