#or from AFO attacking him

[drowningin666fandoms]

BNHA Fanfic idea that won't leave me alone:

All for one is Midoriya Hizashi, but...

Nobody knows. Like, literally, nobody knows. Inko never figured out his identity, and with him getting busier after Izuku's fifth birthday it looks like he left bc he's quirkless, so she never much cared for trying to find him and neither did Izuku. All pictures of him are banished into a box in her closet and haven't seen the light of day since Izuku was six or so, when they had a fight over the telephone over him wanting to fix Izuku.

AFO himself suffered obviously a lot of head trauma when fighting All Might, and this gave him partial amnesia. He has no or only very few memories of the decade or so prior to the battle, so he has none regarding his family that he meticulously kept from everyone else's awareness, including the Doctor's. He does see the monthly payment to Inko but assumes it's from a bribe or keeping a corrupt official in his pocket. Given that he can't recall whom it's to and immortality made him extremely wealthy, he doesn't cut it off, nor tries to follow it and make the memory loss obvious.

The only one who does know?

The ghost of Yoichi, who suddenly had another person he could haunt and went to see what's going on. Maybe throw in Nana too, if you want Inko to secretly be a Shimura.

Cue Yoichi fretting over his baby nephew the very moment Izuku gets OFA, up to and including giving him in-depth instructions on how to use the quirk and helping him manage it without harm to him while the other vestiges (minus Nana) are busy laughing their asses off.

[tedthetalk]

God it’s so funny that so many random cute character traits I gave Ei is stuff AFO also does 😭 cheerful and nonchalant? Randomly floats around? Key battle tactic of talking to their enemy to distract them? How fucking STRONG are your genes man it’s just disrespectful at this point

[pocketramblr]

I cannot tell you how badly I want Yoichi to have a completely different, equally impossible backstory. They're both lying and we didn't get to know about what.

[cathnospam]

Trigger warning to those that don��t like panic attacks, but becomes fluffy at the end

“Katsuki?”

His eyes were dark, he looks like he haven’t slept in weeks, and it’s only been a year since the war ended. Granted, everybody was finally able to sleep regularly again, but apparently you must have been wrong.

“I—“

He couldn’t get the words out, his fits were shaking from how hard we was clenching them, his tired eyes began to water, you knew.

“C’mere.” You pull him into your arms, you feel your shoulder dampening and it was a signal for you to squeeze tighter once you shut your door. You couldn’t even move feeling his arms squeeze tighter against your waist. “I’m right here.”

Even though Bakugo managed to live. Managed to pass though rehab, managed to become a big part of fighting against AFO he still has nightmares.

They started off as just seeing himself nearly die but he wakes up right before it happens. But now he’s having nightmares about you. How you took his place instead of him.

This nightmare he seen your body, lying there, tears dried by your eyes, by the time bakugo ran to you Shigiraki turned your body into dust.

It was horrifying.

He woke up in a frenzy, hot, sweating, immediately running out his room to your dorm, his heavy feet nearly sprinting to your room he needed to just double check he almost bust down your door if you haven’t opened it right as he arrived.

“You—-“

“It’s okay….you’re okay—“

“BUT YOU WEREN’T…you…you….” His voice was so shattered. He couldn’t explain it to you, but you had an inkling what he could’ve meant.

He has been going to your dorm a lot lately. Using the excuse “I’m just checking up on YOU.” But in reality it’s you checking on him. He’ll come right before bed and sleep over or come in while you’re sleep and lay on your couch and once with you on the opposite side of your bed.

You couldn’t move, hearing his sniffles tore your heart a little, his breathing was shallow you could feel his heart rate grow faster, his body was shaking and you immediately began to fall on your knees, back on the wall rubbing his back .”I’m right here Katsuki…it’s okay just match my breathing.”

Not wanting to panic either you regulated your breathing for him to copy you, his teeth were gritting to hard you felt it against your shoulder, “C’mon there you go…..just breathe….”

After a few minutes He began to calm down. Your shirt was damp with tears but you knew better than to force him to look at you. So you waited until he did the first move.

Bakugo covered his face with his palm, pausing before attempting to wipe all his tears off his face.

He failed.

You took his hand, palms so sweaty it was nearly slippery to hold up with a firm grip you guided him to your bed. “Stay here tonight.”

He didn’t reply nor negate, he just followed suit. He’d usually have his back facing you, but felt himself willingly fall onto your chest.

“They’re soft right?” You weakly joke about your breast he is laid on, trying to see if he’ll respond, you smile hearing a weak chuckle come out his nose before he snuggles himself between them deeper.

Your fingers run though his soft hair, his heartbeat was in tandem with yours as you felt his chest against your belly.

Bakugo usually handles his panic attacks alone, but for the first time he actually was so happy to have someone like you there with him. His teary eye peaks from the side, you wipe the remnant of tears from his cheek and he nearly melts to your touch.

It was probably the best sleep he has ever had in months thanks to you.

[writeriguess]

Hello! I have a request plz! So I got a katsuki x reader where you are izuku twin sister. You actually got a quirk that morphed from your dad's side (plasma manipulation) which when it manifested was a LOT stronger than his so he was extremely jealous about it. Over the years he treated you just as bad if not worse than izuku. You got into UA was always top of the class in marks which made it worse. When he got kidnapped so did you bc AFO wanted your quirk. You ended up saving both of you by overloading the quirk cancel bracelets (ripping your arm out of socket to break free overloading the brain power used to push yourself past the cancelers etc) he realizes that not only your strength is your abilities but your willpower also. You saved both of you. In the field when you're trying to escape you are already severely injured and you take a devastating blow from AFO that was aimed at him. And when he sees you on the ground broken something snaps into place for him. That he can't stand to see you like this. That he has loved you since yall were 5 and he was just to emotionally constipated and jealous to realize his feelings. And when you wake up a week later in the hospital he has been there the entire time waiting for you. Where he apologizes for everything and confesses his feelings

Sacrifice

The scent of antiseptic and the quiet beeping of monitors were the first things you registered when you finally drifted back into consciousness. Your whole body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder, every nerve screaming in protest as you shifted slightly. A sharp inhale hissed through your teeth as a particularly nasty pain shot up your arm—your right arm, the one you had nearly ripped from its socket to break free from AFO’s restraints.

Memories came flooding back in a violent rush. The capture. The pain. The way you had pushed past the quirk-canceling restraints, nearly frying your own brain in the process just to save yourself and him. Bakugou. Your heart clenched as the last thing you remembered played in your mind like a horror film—AFO’s attack, the way you had seen it coming, how you had thrown yourself in the way without a second thought. The impact, the agony, and then…nothing.

A low groan left your lips, and almost instantly, a chair scraped against the floor. Then—

"Shit—you're awake!"

That voice.

You forced your heavy eyelids open, and there he was, Katsuki Bakugou, his red eyes wide with something you had never seen before—fear. For you. His face was uncharacteristically pale, his normally spiky hair looking like he had run his hands through it a million times. He looked…wrecked.

"Katsuki…" Your voice was barely above a whisper, throat raw from disuse.

"Don’t fucking talk," he snapped, but there was no heat behind it. If anything, his voice was thick, almost shaky. "You need to rest, dumbass."

You managed a weak chuckle, even though it hurt like hell. "Did…you just tell me not to do something reckless?"

His jaw clenched, and he looked away, hands fisting the fabric of his pants. "Tch. Fuckin’ hypocrite, I know."

Silence hung between you, thick with everything unsaid. You took the opportunity to really look at him. He had dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept in days. His hands trembled slightly where they rested on his thighs. Then it hit you—

"How long have I been out?"

"A week."

Your breath caught. "You’ve…been here the whole time?"

His lips pressed into a thin line. "Of course I have." His voice was low, rough. Like he was barely holding himself together. "They told me you might not wake up, dumbass. That you might not fucking make it." His hands curled into fists. "And it was my fault."

Your eyes widened. "No—"

"YES." His voice cracked, and your stomach twisted. "You—you took that hit for me. You almost died for me. And after everything—after all the shit I put you through, you still…" He exhaled sharply, his shoulders shaking. "Why? Why the hell would you do that for me?"

You blinked, stunned. Did he really not get it?

"Because I care about you, dumbass," you murmured. "Because even though you were an absolute ass to me growing up, I know you. I know you’re more than your anger. More than your jealousy. And I—" You hesitated, swallowing thickly. "I could never let anything happen to you."

His head snapped up, red eyes locking onto yours with something raw, something painful. "You should hate me." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I hate me."

A lump formed in your throat. "I don’t."

He let out a broken chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "You should. I—fuck, (Y/N), I treated you like shit. Worse than Deku, even. And it wasn’t ‘cause I actually hated you." He let out a bitter laugh. "It was ‘cause I—" He exhaled harshly, his hands clenching and unclenching.

You waited, heart pounding.

"—‘Cause I was fucking jealous." His voice was raw, cracked. "You were always better. Stronger. Smarter. No matter how hard I tried, you were just more. And instead of dealing with my own fucking issues, I took it out on you. The person who—who actually gave a shit about me."

You could hardly breathe. He was breaking in front of you. Bakugou Katsuki, who never admitted to weakness, never let anyone see him falter—was laying himself bare for you.

"Katsuki…"

His fists trembled, and then, suddenly, he was reaching for you. A hesitant, almost fearful motion, like he thought you’d push him away. You didn’t. His calloused hand found yours, grasping it tightly, like you were the only thing anchoring him to reality.

"I thought I lost you," he choked out. "And it—it fucking destroyed me." His grip tightened. "And I—I finally fucking get it now." He took a shuddering breath, his gaze locking onto yours, fierce and desperate. "I’ve loved you since we were five, and I was too much of an emotionally constipated piece of shit to realize it."

Your heart stopped.

You stared at him, wide-eyed, as his words sunk in. "What?"

His lips twisted into something self-deprecating. "I love you, (Y/N). And I know—I know I don’t deserve you. Not after everything. But I swear to fucking god, if you give me a chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you." His thumb brushed over your knuckles. "Just…please."

Tears welled in your eyes. Your body ached, your mind was still foggy, but none of that mattered. Not when the boy you had loved for years was finally laying his heart at your feet.

With the little strength you had, you squeezed his hand. "You idiot," you murmured, tears slipping down your cheeks. "I’ve loved you for years."

His breath hitched. "What?"

You gave him a weak smile. "I’ve always loved you. Even when you were a dumbass."

For a moment, he just stared at you, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And then, with a shaky exhale, he dropped his head, pressing his forehead against your joined hands. His shoulders trembled, and you realized—he was crying.

"Thank god," he whispered.

You let out a soft, watery laugh, reaching up to gently run your fingers through his hair. He melted into the touch, exhaling shakily.

"You’re stuck with me now, Bakugou," you teased, voice barely above a whisper.

His grip on your hand tightened. "Damn right I am."

[jellyfishandry]

W/ a drop-dead gorgeous s/o

(^ From this post)

Characters: Shota Aizawa, Toshinori Yagi

CW: gn or fem reader, reader is described as sweet + other things, you're married to Shota cause I said so, insecurities, slight Toshi angst, giving them flowers, uhh lmk if I missed anything

A/N: This kind of thing is like my favorite thing to write. Also I couldn't resist adding a ship dynamic picture for Toshi's. (Tags: @nnnyxie, @bingewatchintilldawn)

Shota Aizawa

No one knows how he managed to catch your attention. He had a messy appearance, and he could be harsh at times. But you were absolutely stunning. Not to mention you were incredibly polite and sweet. The first time you met his class, almost everyone was shocked. You had probably brought him flowers after the USJ attack to hopefully cheer him up. Just about everyone knew he was married, as he wore a ring, but they did not expect someone so utterly gorgeous and kind to be his partner Hizashi and Nemuri were the only ones you had met, as they had gone to your guys' wedding. But his students are a bit flabbergasted, and are mainly the ones who don’t understand why you married him. But it doesn’t mean they don’t like you, in fact, they love it when you drop by. Mainly because you’re just nice, but also because Shota relaxes more around you, and they have a lower chance of being scolded…  Or higher, depending on how you look at it But Shota is very thankful that you don’t mind the way he looks.  He was initially surprised when he found out you liked him, but he quickly accepted it. Though he will admit he was slightly skeptical at first, wondering if you had an ulterior motive. But you truly just loved him for who he was. And he did eventually understand that you just had pure, innocent intentions.

Toshinori Yagi

He himself has no idea how he pulled you. He doesn’t have a great self image, so he doesn’t understand why you of all people would be interested in him. At the start of your relationship (also when he was crushing) he could barely breathe around you. And early in your relationship people warned him that you might be using him, or something like that, and using your attractiveness to your advantage. He tells them that he knows you would never do that, and he’s correct. It just might take some time for other people to see that. But as your relationship progressed, he became less flustered around you. He’ll occasionally have doubts, and say stuff like “You should be dating someone who still has their life ahead of them.” He was at the point where he was having a hard time comprehending how he could keep living without saving people But you reassure him that he’s the one you want, and that nothing is going to change that After he fought AFO, you brought him some flowers to put on his desk. But you wanted to surprise him, so you didn’t tell him you were coming So when you’re directed to the teachers lounge, there’s some awkward silence before he stands up and goes towards you. “You brought me flowers.?”  He seriously didn’t expect you to get him anything, much less a bouquet of flowers  He’s very grateful for the flowers, and he’ll keep them and then press them when they dry out (they’re sunflowers.) He wants to kiss you, but he feels that doing it in front of the other staff members (specifically Present Mic) wouldn’t be the best idea. And out of the students, Izuku is the first to find out, as he’s known Toshinori the longest.  You probably end up calling him when he’s training him, and Izuku is able to tell reasonably quickly that whoever he’s talking to is very special to him. But he ends up meeting you when the other students do.  And when you are introduced to them, you both receive a lot of questions. But in the end everyone likes having you around, and Toshinori is thankful for you and loves you very much.

This is the vibe you and Toshi give off

(The tweet is not mine)

|| Navigation ||

[ghostcore3]

the illusion of free will

people say shigaraki is responsible for the deaths he caused, and while i don’t completely deny that, it’s way more complicated than just “free will.” what people miss is that he was groomed from the age of five, when he was at his most vulnerable until he finally broke free from afo’s grasp. afo deliberately took him in at a point where he was completely dependent on others for guidance, then shaped him into the perfect successor.

to shigaraki, his master wasn’t just a villain, he was his savior, the only one who “understood” him, the only one who gave him a sense of purpose after the world abandoned him. and that’s exactly how manipulation works. afo didn’t just take him in, he rewired his entire mind, fed him lies, reinforced his hatred, and conditioned him to believe that destruction was his only salvation. shigaraki never had a chance to form his own worldview because afo made sure to mold it for him.

look at shigaraki’s reaction when he was separated from afo, it wasn’t just anger, it was pure desperation. that’s the reaction of someone who has been so deeply conditioned that he doesn’t know how to function outside of his abuser’s influence. shigaraki was entirely dependent on afo, and when you’re raised under constant manipulation, you don’t suddenly “wake up” and realize you’ve been controlled your whole life.

it doesn’t work that way. when he saw all might trying to save bakugo while attacking the league, he felt betrayed by the world all over again. to him, it was proof that heroes will never save people like him. but that idea wasn’t his, it was something afo planted in his mind for years, reinforcing it over and over until shigaraki believed it as an absolute truth. so when afo was no longer there, what was left? nothing but the doctrine his master forced onto him. if he wasn’t groomed, if he wasn’t brainwashed into thinking destruction was his only option, then he would have taken another path. but that was never an option for him because he never had the freedom to choose in the first place. as afo himself admitted, shigaraki never had free will. none of his choices were ever his own.

compare this to dabi and toga. they were abused, but they never had an outside force controlling them like afo did with shigaraki. they became villains on their own terms, dabi out of revenge, toga out of rejection from society. but shigaraki? his entire ideology was forced onto him. if afo had gotten to shoto instead, then shoto would have ended up just like shigaraki.

and here’s the worst part; nobody in the story even questions it. if horikoshi wanted us to humanize the villains, then he should have given them a humanizing death, something that forced people to acknowledge what they went through and how they ended up like this. but instead, nobody even stops to ask why afo had to groom a child into being his successor. nobody wonders why japan’s greatest villain was so reliant on manipulating a mentally ill, traumatized young man into doing his bidding. they just see shigaraki as a monster.

shigaraki never had a choice, but the world acts like he did.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Horikoshi giving hero tropes to the villains is probably my favorite part of bnha.

He presented us with a nervous wreck of a boy at the beginning of the manga. Look, he seemed to say, isn't he creepy? isn't he evil? He met Tomura in his most lanky form. Malnourished, neglected, real dead hands all over his body and blunt nails digging mercilessly in his skin.

Sure, the story paints him as a real villain. He is there to kill kids, after all. He wants to kill the light of the hero society, to spread violence and hatred all around. He's also very very suspicious. You get that feeling that there's more to the story. It's in the way he acts, his desperation. He looks sick. What is he making him so? What is his story?

Tomura is a loser. A failure since the beginning, if you follow the narrative. Characters like Stain, Overhaul and Redestro point it out: Tomura isn't the best strategist per se, they can't understand his reasons to do what he does, there's something wrong with him in villain terms.

That's when the brain starts to pick up the signals and plants the doubt. Many people don't notice it, but something in the story gives away that he is a very special type of villain.

We see him alone in his dark messy room, staring at a screen. We see him drinking alone in a bar as he sits on his misery. Over and over, we see that evil boy and his burdened stance. Only Kurogiri is there. His master only talks to him through some radio. He doesn't mention anyone else. No one else seems to live in that bar but Kurogiri and him.

Back then, when Tomura was all about AFO and All Might and no one else, he felt hollow. Rotten.

We first saw him approach someone for help and some company after the first LOV members were introduced. We meet Toga and Dabi, then Tomura goes to find Deku. Is he still creepy? Yes. Is he still evil? Also. We have Giran talking about Tomura with the fondness you reserve for a spoiled child. The way Kurogiri and Giran talk about it, it's more like Tomura needs to make some friends. He's not used to it, so he's being rude to them.

He's a chosen one reluctant to make friends, since he's used to doing things on his own— or at least with people he didn't care about. Next time we see him, his telling Kurogiri that he doesn't want them to die, he wouldn't sacrifice them for a goal and he actually wants them to succeed. He talks like a leader, he considers them important.

When they show us the LOV around Tomura as he talks to a kidnapped Bakugo, there's something in there already. How they worry when Bakugo hits Tomura and knocks the hand out of his face. They humanize Tomura, which is a lot to say when AFO did everything he could to dehumanize him. They make Tomura be more mature, more responsible and more capable. While AFO paints Tomura as a foolish child that cannot get things right until he's guided there, the LOV trusts Tomura to take care of himself and guide them.

That's when the hero tropes with villains started.

A quick list from the top of my head:

Twice overcame his trauma mid-battle in order to save Toga and then the LOV.

Tomura was tempted by Overhaul to betray the LOV in exchange for power. He pretended to agree, only to backstab Overhaul because Tomura would never forgive those who hurt his friends and would never betray the LOV.

Magne went to attack Overhaul for offending her and her friends, defending their ideals and their right to exist 'til death.

Mr. Compress took the leading role in many dangerous situations to assure that the LOV would get their win, but also to assure they'd make it out alive.

Tomura would forgive people not on his behalf, but for the benefit of the LOV.

Giran refused to sell any info about the LOV and laughed in his captors face because he was not so important to them. Turns out he was bluffing about it being all business, since we know from Twice's flashback that he did it also for the fondness he felt towards the LOV and the LOV went there to rescue him.

The LOV rushing through a battlefield the size of a city while desperately trying to find a way to save Tomura.

Twice and Mr. Compress refusing to leave Tomura fighting Gigantomachia alone and taking the burden of his training with him.

Dabi doing all he could to save Twice and snapping when he realized Twice was dead.

Mr. Compress worried about Toga and her solo mission.

Spinner telling Toga that she needs to come back safe and sound to them.

Tomura refusing to die or give up while the LOV still needs him (to be a hero).

Twice already dead and still moving because he needed to save Toga.

The entire LOV refusing to even consider defeat because they blindly believe that there is no way Tomura can lose.

And there's so much more...

The LOV made Tomura act heroic. They gave him a reason to want to save and protect, instead of just wanting to destroy.

The power of friendship but for evil.

Isn't it the best thing ever?

[paesagex]

Shimura Koutaro and wasted occasions for depth within My Hero Academia

Thinking about Koutaro Shimura one day a realization suddenly hit me. If Gran Torino and All Might fully believed for five whole years that All for One was dead, but neither knew of Koutaro’s and his family's tragic passing in a “mysterious Villain Attack”, that means that they never tried to get in touch with him.

That’s not a big revelation, we already knew that, but the more I thought about the implications of this choice, the more fundamentally wrong it felt.

There was one sole reason Koutaro was sent away from his mother, and that was to protect him from Afo. but once Afo was “dead”, there were plenty of good reasons to try to look for him.

Out of minimum decency, Koutaro deserved at the very least an apology and an explanation for his abandonment. He also deserved to know that the death of both his parents had been avenged, as the man that is behind all his family’s trouble was believed to be dead. Besides, was Koutaro even ever informed of Nana’s death? If she tinkered with the documentation, it would mean that there was no legal proof that Koutaro was her son. Therefore, no government official would know to notify him.

One may counteract that they tried but failed, but that’s a weak argument.

Koutaro was a successful businessman who likely had a lot of social connections, and his name wasn’t even changed. All Might, with all his resources, should have been able to find out anything that Afo, the guy who Koutaro was supposed to be hidden from, could.

The motto of this story is “Plus Ultra”.

If it is the right thing to do, you should put the whole of yourself in achieving your goal, no matter how difficult.

Therefore, All Might and Gran Torino, thematically speaking, have no excuses to not have tried to make things right with Koutaro. Even if, let’s say, Afo had managed to make the whole ordeal of the Shimura’s mysterious deaths go mediatically unnoticed, the heroes aren’t excused from their inaction.

Or rather, the narrative that established this theme isn’t excused from not calling this out.

THE WEAKENING OF THE NARRATIVE'S OWN MORALS

In fact, this last consideration is really my main point. This essay is titled “wasted opportunities,” not “heroes suck,” after all.

The problem with this oversight from the two heroes isn’t really that it’s a clear show of neglect towards a man that lost his childhood innocence because of the choices heroes made for him.

It’s that they’re never called out about it.

Making characters mess up, make bad choices and ending up hurting others is not bad writing at all, actually it is very good. This shows that they’re complex and have multiple facets, and that their actions have consequences within the story, which is what makes them well written!

However, when the narrative fails to acknowledge bad, hurtful choices, especially if it is trying to frame a character as a “good guy”, then it creates inconsistency.

All Might’s arc is one of deconstruction, where he’s supposed to go from A, an untouchable idol, to B, a man with flaws and sins. However, this example I’m bringing up and many other ones people pointed out over the years shows that his arc really goes from A, to B, and then back to A again. The story never fully dives into all the things All Might could have been criticized for, it is afraid to touch upon Deku’s idolization of him.

Despite my opinion in the matter being that Koutaro and his right to know should be mainly Gran’s responsibility, as he was involved personally in the decision to abandon him, All Might is a much more important character, and should be challenged harder.

Of course though they’re both left off the hook, All Might to protect Deku’s moral integrity and refusal to question his idol, Gran because he’s specifically thought out as a stagnant old fashioned hero who represents the suppressive justice system which Deku was supposed (and failed) to surpass.

Letting the matter of these two heroes just leaving a presumably still alive man unaware of the reasons behind a huge injustice imposed on him when he was just a child makes them look bad, but not in a good sense. They seem indifferent. The fact that Koutaro was already dead by the point of Afo’s “head massage” is irrelevant. It’s the fact that they never even think about making things right with him that counts.

Heroes neglected Koutaro when they decided that his right to have a parent was less important than fighting Afo, and they just kept neglecting him even after they believed the fight was over.

WHY THIS CHOICE (in my opinion)

I thought about it, I tried to find a reasonable explanation as to why Horikoshi would just pretend this whole deal wasn’t there. And the only one I could come up with is the same one I reached in trying to explain myself why nobody ever seemed to look into Shigaraki’s past once his identity as a Shimura was revealed:

Horikoshi had already planned the whole Afo/Ofa psychic connection and wanted that to be the way Deku grew any interest in understanding Shigaraki.

All Might and Gran Torino looking for Koutaro would have uncovered part of the mystery behind Shigaraki too early, while the author wanted the protagonist to be able to look directly into Shigaraki’s heart through the power of One for All, the Quirk Created to Save.

However, as many pointed out before me, the last arc and Deku’s newfound interest in helping villains feels incredibly rushed, his empathy forced, which is frustrating since there was, through the whole time of the story, a huge pile of information just lying there gathering dust that the characters had tons of good reasons to look into and be interested in.

MISTAKES AND USING THEM TO BUILD A STRONGER STORY

I fully believe that the story building would have worked better if Deku’s interest in Shigaraki had been gradually built from the start, and Koutaro was the key to achieve this.

Heroes are “forbidden” from focusing too much on the Shimura tragedy because that would ruin the story’s strong plot twists and tragic flashbacks, which are one of MHA’s main strong qualities, one might say. However, this isn’t a true problem.

In fact, if you think about it, making so that All Might was aware of Koutaro’s and his family gruesome death would have created 1) foreshadowing to Shigaraki’s identity reveal, 2) added weight to his shoulders, challenging not any hero, but the Symbol of Peace himself to face the consequences of his neglect directly, and 3) at first, it would have made the assumption that Shigaraki was the one to kill his family even more horrifying.

If we as readers had been aware of the level of violence that the death of the Shimuras involved before Shigaraki’s flashbacks, we would have been lead to believe, just as any character who would have bothered to do any research about them, that they were a perfectly normal, loving family that couldn’t possibly have deserved this tragic fate. Making Shigaraki, who is said by Afo to have killed them, look like an innate psychopath.

For these reasons, the emotional investment of Shigaraki’s flashbacks in the My Villain Academia arc would not have been undermined at all, actually it would have strengthened it, as in this case, they would work both as an explanation of how Shigaraki was manipulated from childhood by Afo and it would unmask an impression of superficial happiness and perfection, one of Mha’s big themes.

Moreso, a gradual investigation through the whole story on the main Villain’s past would, as we already said, have created a more earned interest from the protagonist, but it would have also… made a lot of sense logistically.

His Quirk was known, so was his real surname, by this point the fact that the police never connected the dots and didn’t manage to find his old neighbours, kindergarten teachers, anyone who could have testified that Tenko used to be perfectly normal and even exceptionally gentle before he was taken in by Afo is just a huge, unjustifiable plot hole.

CONCLUSION

Keeping All Might and Gran Torino so disinterested of Koutaro’s and his family’s fate is both a bad choice in moral consideration and, because of the way it is (not) handled, in writing, just as the gaping black hole that is the nonexistent investigation on Shigaraki when there was plenty of information.

The Shimuras are not only amongst the biggest tragedies of this story, they’re a missed opportunity for a fully deep exploration of the story’s themes. One of many, unfortunately.

One that fully reflects all the things that make MHA a hypocritical, double standard narrative that parrots its desire to uncover cycles of pain and violence and hold society accountable but then never fully commits to its message.

Koutaro and Shigaraki, father and son, led sad lives, neglected by the people who should have protected them and therefore becoming easy prey for Afo, and then died horribly without this sadness ever being really acknowledged, the people responsible never expressing their guilt appropriately.

There was no improvement between their two generations, Deku’s teachers didn’t manage to be a good example to the new Symbol of Peace by facing their mistakes honestly.

My Hero Academia presents the tragedies of the Shimuras as ways to uncover cycles of violence and societal neglect, when it is actually using them to create empty emotional engagement that isn’t used to add depth to the story and doesn’t even reach a real resolution.

To put it simply, they’re wasted.

[haine-kleine]

Never gonna shut up about the mysterious behind the scenes development that led from this

to Shigaraki making Dabi his second in command and giving him a personal noumu at the summer camp.

This is Shigaraki at his worst, before the character development, before taking care of his comrades became another of his objectives. This is Shigaraki fresh after the failed attack on UA, who had left a hundred of villains to get arrested by the villains, who will soon let Muscular, Mustard and Moonfish to be sentenced to Tartarus without batting an eye. This is Shigaraki the destructive brat, desperate for respect and validation, willing to decay anyone who fails to deliver. This is Shigaraki before he realized being a leader is not sitting on a throne prepared for him by AFO, before he realized being a leader means giving back, taking care of those who decided to follow him.

And Dabi came to the bar and proceeded to disrespect Shigaraki for the entirety of their interaction. It's Dabi's behaviour alone that makes Shigaraki snap and attempt to kill both him and Toga.

0 respect, 0 participation, 100% being a bitch. Dabi, who told you this was a good strategy for a job interview. Even if this wasn't for a villain organisation, your potential employer would have ended up beating you up for this.

Both of them survive Shigaraki only because Kurogiri physically restrains him and talks him down. Shigaraki has to physically leave the bar to be sure Toga and Dabi won't end up dead from his hands.

So, once again, how on earth is Dabi still alive at the forest camp, and also the one Shigaraki personally put in charge?

[hotpotatopotat]

Quick logistical question about your mer AU; had Tomura been stung before? My guess is that he has, give the consistent abuse in canon, as well as the scars all over him, and I also think that he has built up as resistance to AFOs venom, which is why he doesn’t have a All Might level injury. However, this sting was in his gills, which made the toxins worse, and drove Tomura mad, which is why he attacked Baku!mer and his kids out of desperation and hunger. I also think the attack to the gills is much more dangerous for him and is blocking his airway.

Anywho, that’s my take on it anyway! I’m loving the story so far, and can’t wait to see what’s next!

I LOVE your take on this, and you're not far off from some secret answers! I don't want to spoil too much but I will say this: Tomura mer WAS stung on his back, and you can see his scars here! The toxins ARE getting to him, making him very sick. But... the scars are also old so there had to be some resistence built up.....so why is he getting sick now?

All for One put Tomura up to the initial attack, but thanks to Peaku's kindness... will Tomura have a change of heart? Right now, it seems Toshinori is on the hunt for answers, but he can't do it alone. Thank you for reading my comics <3 I love this level of thought.

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

Izuku vs 1-A: Katsuki’s Hypocrisy

Hey y’all 👋. I’m back for yet another rant about everyone’s favorite character 😂.

So Izuku’s fight with 1-A, the one where they try bringing him back to UA after he runs off, is a heavily criticized part of MHA, and for good reason. Today, I want to talk about the biggest flaw in the entire scene, and that’s how Katsuki proves once again that he’s really learned nothing.

Katsuki begins his portion of the confrontation insulting Izuku, claiming he’s looking down on everyone else and believes that they can’t handle themselves against AFO. Katsuki frames this as an ego thing, and the scene is supposed to show how Katsuki’s using his own personal experiences of underestimating someone/overhyping their own self to show that he knows what he’s talking about.

Thing is, Katsuki’s experiences and what Izuku is currently doing are two different things.

Izuku left to protect everyone. He witnessed what Tomura and AFO can do during the former’s attack on UA. Many heroes died and several of his classmates almost did. He knew Tomura and AFO were targeting him, and that they would attack again and again until either they were killed or he was. To protect as many people as possible, he left and kept himself hidden with the idea that Tomura and AFO would try tracking him down and he could bring the fight somewhere where casualties would be reduced, if not eliminated. There’s certainly flaws with his plan, but it was one he created out of desperation and selflessness.

Furthermore, Izuku would’ve done this no matter what. If one of his classmates was Superman himself, he still would’ve left (ok, maybe an exaggeration, but you get the point). He was willing to risk his life so that no one else would have to get hurt.

This is far different than Katsuki treating everyone as inferior to him due to him being born with a powerful quirk. Katsuki went out of his way to hurt others, Izuku went out of his way to save others. Katsuki looked down on others due to having a stronger quirk. Izuku saw that people were targeting him due to his own quirk, the one quirk that had beaten his opponents before.

This is why Katsuki comparing himself to Izuku falls flat. Katsuki’s actions were fueled by selfish reasons whereas Izuku’s were fueled by selfless ones. Izuku never saw himself as superior when making his decision, he simply realized that his quirk is what was fueling the actions of Tomura/AFO.

Another issue with the confrontation is when Katsuki mocks him for being an All Might wannabe. Bro, your hero name’s literally an homage to All Might’s. Your whole reasoning for being a hero is because you want to be like your interpretation of All Might, a powerful hero who doesn’t lose. Izuku is an All Might wannabe, yes, but he inherits most of All Might’s good qualities.

Going even further, prior to the confrontation itself, Katsuki has the audacity to blame All Might for Izuku’s decision. Yes, a lot of Izuku’s actions are influenced by his admiration of All Might and the hero’s failure to teach him to be better, but he’s not the only one to blame. In fact, he’s not even the worst offender. A lot of his issues stems from Katsuki’s bullying. His lack of self worth that he’s gained from Katsuki is part of why he’s always willing to sacrifice himself without any care for his own safety. Katsuki is who taught him to hold everything in and not want to burden others with his issues, because he doesn’t feel like he’s worth being listened to. Katsuki completely destroyed his self esteem, which is what causes all the negative traits he picked up from All Might to be amplified. His hesitancy to trust others with his burdens can also be traced back to this. Shota’s “logical ruses” also add to this, as 1-A clearly don’t trust him, and as a result, end up not always trusting the heroes to do their jobs. It’s why 1-A went out to rescue Katsuki himself.

Ultimately, Katsuki’s projecting his own behavior onto Izuku, but their situations aren’t comparable in the slightest. Izuku’s actions are fueled by selflessness and a lack of self worth. Katsuki’s are fueled by an inflated ego and his selfish desires. Katsuki’s callout fails to work because he once again shows that he doesn’t understand Izuku, the role he himself played in shaping him, and what it means to be selfless.

[arceus-insanity]

So When Did Things Start Going Down Hill

I don't mean everything is shit after this, but things looking back started getting (steadily) worse starting with. Check bottom for more indept view on each option

A) at first I wasn't going to include this one as it happened before most of what I considered shit started happening, but with how much it blatantly favours this lazy-ass child abuser, how could I not include it. And of course, it shows so much evidence that he hasn't changed at all, like only even offering to teach Midoriya and Bakugo to manipulate his favourite victim Shoto

B) when it first happened I was devastated but expected this to lead to greater change to the hero system and society. But no, just a meaningless footnote to the heroes epic battle

C) literally no one questions how a top hero was just so eager to kill someone, or buy a wife, breed her, abuse & neglect his kids to the point one of them was believed dead. Only citizens whining about how Dabi is bad for them

D) here's this apparently big shot hero from the States we've never heard of before and immediately dies. If they wanted to keep Shigaraki from having too many powers they could of just chalked it up to the heroes interupting the process

E) the Todoroki family all blames themselves, this isn't to go into the complexity of abusive households, but to absolve Endeavor's responsibility and guilt. Despite the fact that as the one who created and was in control of this situation, he should be held accountable for theirs as well. The only backlash for his shit is framed as ohh poor Endeavor, he didn't mean for the child he threw away to create consequences, and now people are being mean to them

F) what was the point of this arc? Deku barely asks a villain three questions before giving up. He learns the HPSC had Lady Nagant acting as a secret assassin against any undesireables for them, covered up her arrest and got a replacement assassin (Hawks who has at least one confirmed extra jurdical murder under his belt). Witnesses an innocent woman get attacked for her appearance and was turned away from multiple shelters for said appearance. Deku: Hero Society is the Best, Nothing needs to change, because not every single apple in this basket is rotten to the core! Looking back he just looks worse for this

G) so this child, who due to his parents mistake was blackmailed under great threat & risk, into giving information to the blackmailer, deserves to be chained up and forced to take further risk by the heroes. Remember Endeavor never faces any consequences, nor does Hawks, but this child, Yuga, gets treated like this.

H) once again what was the point? How does Edgeshot know he can do this? How does he know how to do this? Why is he a top hero who has never interacted with Bakugo before this, sacrifices his appearing to be unharmed self, for a random hero student in the middle of a war? Oh and Edgeshot is revealed to be alive at the end of the manga, because Heroes have no consequences and live in magical fairytail land. Again what was the fucking point!

I) This was originally going to be two points, Oh poor Endeavor, victim blaming part 2 and the hospital battle. But I ran out of options and Endeavor doesn't need another personal option. So we got the whole Todofam blaming Dabi/Touya this time, and Endeavor being a whiney responsibility dodging coward again. Then we see the heroes knew that the villains were going to go after Kurogiri, kept him in a hospital. We see that the people aren't going after doctors or patients just trying to get to Kurogiri, get demonized for it. We have victim blamer/ pick-me Tentacole say that their kids will be attacked for this (already happening), and that it's up to them/ him to inspire the violent quirkests to not constantly attack, assualt, and otherwise discriminate against them, no need for the quirkists to be given any responsibility or consequences for their own actions. Oh and Spinner has major brain damage because how else was Tentacole supposed to win this arguement. Bonus points for Hawks calling for Toga to be murdered, doubling right back down on his previous murder

J) in this already overcrowded 3rd act lets make sure all these background characters get a scene! And despite the fact it took years for Deku to get a powersuit in the epilogue, All Might just randomly gets one, no build up or anything. AFO's backstory is left in the past so no one has to consider anything

K) I had hope going into this, but at every turn they kept on making it worse. Deku only tries punching and attacking, rather than make any attempts to actually talk unlike what Shigaraki has been doing since his introduction. Is randomly able to enter Shigaraki's head, doesn't have to see just how fucked Hero Society is as it gets cut short by moral scapegoat AFO coming in and revealing he orcastrated everything! Oh and he flat out kills Shigaraki. Living up to his name and not his goal. Deku that could my ass

Sorry if this comes off as super negative but I've been wondering this for a while, and well I'm pissed at the ending. Here's some people I want to hear the opinions of:

@moodyvoid @nagitosstolenhand @codenamesazanka @shortstrawberryshake @darkonekrisrewrite @nothingofinterest @itsnothingofinterest @villainsandvictimsalliance

Feel free to @ more people

[gentrychild]

BNHA 407 : AFO is a lying liar who lies

Today is a very sad day because I am about to do something I genuinely dislike: I am about to defend All for One. In order to cope, I shall make fun of him the whole time.

AFO and Yoichi's backstory is finally out, with AFO narrating it, and there are two possibilities: he is either completely lying about it (boring) or he is lying a little about it (very in-character for him) because he is also lying to himself.

Lie number 1: AFO was born evil.

The narrator (AFO, seriously, it's AFO) says things such as "The baby drained the lifeforce of both his mom and his brother.", "It was born an arrogant baby." and such but it really reads at AFO villifying himself to add to his own legend.

That's what babies do. Children, before they're born, kinda have to take their strength from their mother. That's why pregnant people aren't supposed to do anything taxing.

AFO and Yoichi's mother didn't die because baby AFO drained her like a vampire. She died because she was a homeless woman who had access to nothing and had to go in labor alone.

Same thing here: during twin birth, a twin is often bigger than the other (well, probably not to extent of Yoichi and AFO, but you get my point).

Lie number 2: AFO, as a demon baby, is shown killing for no reason, just because he can.

(First slaughter by Baby AFO shown in that chapter.)

There are two things that are strange in this scene (apart from... you know.... a baby murdering people...)

AFO had no reason to go after them because they don't have any quirks to steal.

It makes no sense for someone to attack a group of people with nothing to gain. I doubt that's the kind of behavior you have when you're in survival mode as you're barely surviving in the street.

However, a previous panel points at some context we might be missing.

The same panel that indicates that those guys don't have a quirk to steal also shows that they are wiling to do some "preventive attack" on a bunch of quirked people who might or might not be those who assaulted a protest group (reminder that in this context, that protest group are protesting the rights for quirked people to exist).

I could be wrong but odds are that they did something to be qualified as a threat to All for One and we are missing the additional context.

(Second slaughter by Baby AFO shown in that chapter.)

Now, the poor souls who just got absolutely wrecked by a toddler wearing what I suspect to be a garbage bag have quirks, which makes more sense than the previous scene.

However (and thank you for @aimportantdragoncollector for pointing that out to me), we also have this panel.)

Yoichi is shown with bruises on his face and might be broken teeth.

Probably because those same people AFO is shown killing attacked him.

Lie number 3: AFO never loved Yoichi because he can't love, he just considered that he was his. That's all. Nothing more.

(Just... Just ignore the rats.)

AFO didn't care about Yoichi so much that the very conscious first act of his life might have been to swim a river upstream while dragging his brother above the surface with what must have been the deathgrip of all deathgrip.

AFO didn't care about his brother so much that Yoichi was fed and clothed by an AFO who was malnourished enough for his ribs to show and who wore what's basically an improvised toga.

But he just keeps sacrificing what little he has for someone he doesn't care about one bit, that's just his first possession. Nothing more.

Okay, I am going to be clear: anyone who sees that panel and thinks that it's the proof AFO didn't like his brother... You just outed yourself as an only child.

Siblings punt each other for no reason. (There is a reason why the first recorded murderer was an older sibling.) In this case, the reason was Yoichi throwing a can at him.

AFO: "You're not inviting me to a fun activity? You're leaving me out, in the cold, unable to partake in brother bonding activity? Oh, vault for Little Brother! Vault for Little Brother for one thousand years!"

AFO: "Nevermind, we're reading together. All is well, I guess."

Lie number 3: AFO killed the glowing baby for power, because he could, or because the Glowing Baby didn't deserve it

Still laughing about AFO's flawless reasoning... "Comic books heroes' life suck. Better to be a villain. I already did the whole struggle thing, I want an easy life."

AFO killed the glowing baby because he was jealous. It's as simple as that. The glowing baby was considered the first official quirked individual (even though it's not true), was protected by his family (if I remember correctly, the mother of quirks was his mom) while AFO and Yoichi had no one but each other (EDIT: I was wrong, the Mother of Quirks was Destro's mother. thanks to the people in the tags), and had a ton of people following him (while, for some strange reason, people start running away screaming when AFO shows his quirk... What a mystery...).

The last panel was basically AFO saying "I want to be loved' but not having the frame of reference to even know what love is.

In conclusion...

While AFO is definitely a bad guy and a monster, he didn't begin his existence as one. He just wants people to believe that. Because his pride and his ego can't allow him to admit that he lived a childhood full of horrible trauma where he was a victim abandoned by society (to an even greater extent than the LOV) or he would probably combust out of rage and mortification.

Ergo facto, AFO is a lying liar who lies, especially to himself.

[blank468]

Nothing in My Hero Academia makes any sense.

Looking back at this series made me realize how much a lot of stuff never made any sense. A lot of stuff just happens without any rhyme or reason.

1. Why does the world of MHA look the same as ours even though it went through a life-changing change?

2. Wouldn’t it make sense if there were a major increase of villains than heroes since All Might kept the rate down more than anyone else?

3. What was Deku’s plan to get into UA if he never met All Might?

4. How has AFO not already taken over the world, with his infinite number of followers, infinite number of quirks he’s stolen for decades, and being able to kill the previous users of OFA before All Might?

5. How come secret identities don’t matter in a series about superheroes?

6. Why didn’t Nana Shimura change her last name to protect her son and herself from AFO?

7. What separates those with or without quirks if they can get a suit of armor or use a gadget that doesn’t influence or affect their quirk?

8. Why did AFO bother training Shigaraki on becoming a leader if he was going to mind-control him?

9. Was the doctor aware that AFO planned to hijack Shigaraki’s body?

10. Why is there an emphasis on Bakugo being a fan of All Might when he has no respect for him?

11. Why is Shoto invested in wanting to be friends with Bakugo?

12. How come Kirishima and Mina don’t care that Bakugo was actively bullying Deku?

13. Where is this counseling/therapy session that UA claims to have to keep Bakugo in check?

14. If AFO had access to Overhaul’s quirk, why didn’t he steal it or make a copy to help him or Shigaraki manage different quirks?

15. Why does Class 1A assume Deku and Bakugo’s relationship is a simple rivalry?

16. How and why did Aizawa assume Shoto lost his drive to fight since his match with Deku in the Sports Festival?

17. If Bakugo was taking Uraraka seriously during the Sports Festival, why did he accuse Deku for giving her a plan?

18. Why did Toga need to steal Deku’s blood during the Provisional License Exam?

19. Why is it bad when Deku tries to do something in his own and risks his life, but when Bakugo does this against Shigaraki AFO, it’s okay?

20. Why is Koji Koda trying to be a pro hero and not the world’s greatest animal caretaker?

21. Why are citizens with quirks not allowed to protect themselves when there are no heroes around?

22. Why does UA, especially Aizawa, have no respect or concern for their female students when they are constantly being harassed by Mineta?

23. Why was Bakugo and Mineta allowed to take the entrance exam?

24. Why did the police let Eri live at a hero school and not an orphanage?

25. Why did the heroes become active in saving Eri from Overhaul and not earlier when learning about the Yakuza?

26. Why would the population of Japan automatically be against the heroes when the country is being attacked after the Dabi reveal?

27. Why didn’t Dabi do his reveal at a time when there is peace and not when there is already chaos?

28. What is the point of the nomus?

29. Why does the population care if Bakugo joins the LOV when he already acts and thinks like a villain?

30. Why does Bakugo use his quirk in public without a license without facing any consequences?

31. Why does the story say that Bakugo’s moves are similar to Deku’s Full Cowl when they are not?

32. Why does Deku want to "Save people with a smile on his face" other than because All Might did it?

33. What was Dabi’s plan to expose his father if he never had access to the PLF?

34. Why was there no continuation to Stain and his ideology after his appearance?

35. How are the villains inspired by Stain when they want completely different things that Stain doesn’t want?

36. Why wasn’t Muscular executed after the Forest Camp Arc?

37. Why doesn’t the series show the perspective of how the villains have a hatred for the heroes other than the fact that they hate the way the world is?

38. Why does Deku feel the need to maintain a friendship with a guy who assaults him daily?

39. What is the point of having Bakugo die if he was going to come back?

40. Why does the series make a big deal when a major event changes everything but the setting remains the same?

41. Why did All Might kept his suit of armor a secret from everyone?

42. How did Sero fail his exam by being carried out but Bakugou passed?

43. Why doesn’t Bakugo do anything different to improve his relationship with Deku while knowing that he’s the reason for his self-destructive behavior?

44. How is Deku an underdog if he is given the most broken ability?

45. How is Bakugo so dedicated to helping Deku succeed and master OFA when the only time he helped was when he tried to force Blackwhip out?

46. Why are some of the students some overactive buffoons or some unlikable and petty jerk that don’t act like heroes?

47. Why didn’t Deku tell anyone other than Uraraka that he wants to save Tomura?

48. Why does Aizawa expect his students’ problems to be fixed on their own?

49. Why didn’t Deku come up with a plan to save Tomura after being asked if he had one?

50. Why didn’t the story have the news reporters record Yoga sacrificing herself to save Uraraka?

51. Why wasn’t UA called out for playing favorites with their students?

52. How is My Hero Academia considered a progressive manga when the only trans character is a side character or a villain who gets killed off and completely forgotten about?

53. Why are so many characters and their developments destroyed and undermined to be in favor of a bunch of assholes?

54. Why do a majority of villains in this series exist to favor or give Shigaraki an unearned victory?

55. Why wasn’t Bakugo punished for using his gauntlet during the Battle Trials?

56. Why should 1A care that they lost Aizawa’s trust when they shouldn’t have any to give him?

57. Why was Hawks’ first reaction to seeing the Twice clones in the final arc to kill him?

58. Why does Rei say everyone s to blame for Dabi and his actions despite Endeavor being the abuser and everyone else being a victim?

59. Why doesn’t Hawks reflect on his idol being an abuser instead of being a cheerleader?

60. Why is the pacing of each arc all over the place?

61. Why does the hero ranking system still exist?

62. What are the heroes going to do in the future if there is another Bakugo, Endeavor, and Dabi?

63. Why did Bakugo pick a fight with Deku in the middle of the night and instead of reflecting and questioning on why the LOV thought he would make a villain?

64. If technology in this universe so advanced that you can create robots and a suit of armor why can’t Tensei have robot legs to help him walk again

65. Why is Aizawa constantly making up excuses to justify Bakugo’s behavior instead of punishing him?

66. How is Bakugo a pillar of inspiration for 1A when Shoto, Iida and Momo exist?

67. What was the point of Kurogiri/Shirakumo as a character?

68. Why did Bakugo kill Kurogiri when he was just helping the heroes?

69. Why should I care about Mitsuki and Masura when the story fails to further develop and improve their relationship with their son?

70. Why does the “Save to Win and Win to Save” motif do nothing but fuel Bakugo’s ego and his abusive attitude?

71. What is the point of chapters 218 to 240?

72. What is the point of chapters 396 to 410?

73. What is intelligent and complex about the plans that Bakugo when people praise him for being a good tactician?

74. Why does Dabi have no reaction to Toga and Shigaraki’s death?

75. Where is the Todoroki family dinner without Endeavor?

76. Why is Rei stuck with wheeling Endeavor after the final arc?

77. Why does Bakugo get to know about the secret of OFA when he doesn’t deserve it?

78. How is Shigaraki supposed to be this great fighter if he’s constantly being bailed out by to plot to save him?

79. Why is Rock Lock portrayed as being unfair and overprotective when he makes a good point as to why he does want first year students involved in the raid?

80. What is the point of showing the LOV suffering if they were going to be irredeemable?

81. Why wasn’t Midnight told or learned that Kurogiri was Oboro?

82. Why in the end there so much put on Bakugo’s feelings rather than the main character?

83. Why does the story want me believe that Dabi is sympathetic and is worth earning a redemption when he’s really an unlikable psychopath that kills people for no real reason?

84. How is Shigaraki a good leader if he spent hundreds of chapters doing nothing with no real game plan?

85. Why wasn’t Dabi blamed for letting the heroes find the LOV hideout?

86. Why didn’t Gran Torino check up on Tomura after Nana died?

87. Why didn’t Dani check to see if Best Jeanist was dead and keep check on Hawks before the war arc started?

88. How is Aizawza a good mentor when he doesn’t teach his class anything important?

89. How can 1A not take the time to visit Deku is the rate of villains has gone down after they graduated?

90. Why does everyone hate 1A and see them as arrogant for being attacked at USJ?

91. Why are the civilians portrayed as being unfair and evil for getting angry with UA and the heroes?

92. What sense does it make to have Deku place last in the quirk assessment test after he spent months doing physical training with the No.1 hero?

93. Why is there less focus on quirkless discrimination and more given to the one that enables it?

94. Why does Shisou get transferred to 1A when most of his dynamic with them is him being an asshole?

95. Why should I care that Aoyama left UA if I already know he’s going to come back eventually?

96. If the movies are canon why don’t they play a huge factor in the story?

97. What sense does it make to host the Sports Festival to the public after the events of USJ?

98. Why were almost all the females heroes useless during the Overhaul Raid?

99. What exactly did Deku proved to the world about supporting and reaching out to villains by murdering Shigaraki?

100. Why is the actual final fight against AFO a loud, obnoxious and over bearing mess that combines all the worst aspects of Horikoshi as a writer?

[kurokoros]

One thing about BNHA that I find fascinating is the way that heroics and parenthood intersect. There aren't actually many examples of Pro Heroes having families in the series. I can only remember four notable ones, and three of them are actively detrimental towards the child(ren) involved, because the Pro Hero parent(s) prioritizes their career over the wellbeing of the child(ren).

The Iidas are the only hero family that don't really have any issues, based on what little we see of them. Tenya and Tensei both seem happy to be heroes, and the family appears to support each other after Tensei is attacked by Stain. We don't actually know enough about the Iidas (or Tenya tbh) to know exactly how heroics and parenting overlapped or if there was conflict there.

Where we can see that conflict is with the Todorokis, the Shimuras, and the Izumis (Kota and the Water Hose Duo). With all three families, there's a Hero parent (parents, in Kota's case) who, in the bluntest terms possible, really fuck up their kid(s) because their career and "the greater good" were valued more than their own children.

To start, the Water Hose duo continued to work as a team despite having a preschool aged child at home. No staggered schedule, no parent on indefinite leave from their notably dangerous career. And they're both killed by a villain while protecting civilians, leaving their three-year-old an orphan. This was extremely negligent on their part, and completely unfair of them to bring a child into the world and do nothing to ensure he wouldn't end up orphaned because of their jobs. The Water Hose duo were probably very good people, and they were certainly good heroes, but they were not good parents. They sacrificed themselves for the greater good and left their son to suffer the consequences. Ultimately, Kota is left feeling abandoned, angry, and resentful of hero society. Personally, I think this is a completely valid reaction and I never liked the way the narrative pushed for Midoriya to change Kota's mind, because Kota was never entirely wrong. The Water Hose duo may not have intended to leave their son an orphan, but nothing suggests they took precautions against this. As heroes, their deaths were noble; as parents, their deaths were traumatizing and debilitating. These are both truths that can exist.

The relationship between Nana Shimura and her son Kotaro is similar and, again, leaves a child effectively orphaned and with a crippling feeling of abandonment. Like the Water Hose duo, Nana was a very good person and Hero and clearly an excellent mentor to All Might, but, while I certainly have some empathy for Nana's situation and the difficult choices she had to make, not all of her decisions were in the best interest of her child. Obviously, the existence of OFA and AFO makes the situation complicated, and these complications are only made worse by the muddy timeline of when Nana received OFA from En and when Kotaro was born. There are two hypothetical timelines, 1) Nana marries, has a child, becomes a holder of OFA, her husband is killed by a villain, and she leaves Kotaro at a foster home and cuts all contact with him in order to protect him from AFO, or 2) Nana becomes a holder of OFA, THEN marries, has a child, etc. Neither timeline paints the most flattering picture of Nana as a mother. Like with the Water Hose duo, her duties as a Hero and holder of OFA is valued more than her duties as a mother of a young child. I can't say whether or not I think Nana made the wrong decision to cut contact with Kotaro for his own safety, because it's complex situation where none of the characters win, but the story does end with a child alone and a parent who ends up dying in the line of duty as a martyr for peace.

Not much needs to be said about the Todorokis. Endeavor valued his career and public ranking as a Pro Hero so highly that he purchased a wife, dabbled in eugenics, and abused and neglected his wife and children in nearly every way imaginable. Of his four children, three of them actively hate him at the start of the series. Touya becomes a villain with an end goal of murdering his father. Natsuo is basically no-contact with his father. And Shouto is angry and spiteful. Enji is, and always was, a shitty parent.

In conclusion: Heroes in BNHA make really shitty parents because they refuse to place their children over their careers.