fuyumiis

[fuyumiis]

THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTINGGGG

[fuyumiis]

how do you think that dabi and natsuo/fuyumi/shouto's relationship could be like in the ~~future~~/post-canon? like, your "ideally", what you'd like it to be like, take and your "what's most likely to happen" take, if you will.

Mmh, well, if you've been on my blog for a while, then you probably already know I don't think the story is building up towards a jail ending. At the very least, Dabi, Shigaraki, Toga and Aoyama are not getting locked up in Tartarus after AFO is defeated. I know this opinion is not considered "realistic" enough by the fandom at large, but bnha has never been a realistic story; if Nagant—the literal hired gun executing people on behalf of a corrupt, authoritarian government—can still be understood as having an inherently heroic heart by the moral paragon of the story, Deku, then it goes without saying that writing a gritty and realistic tale on cruelty and lack of forgiveness was never Horikoshi's intention. Besides, there's already foreshadowing of restorative justice ending.

That being said, given how the Todofam plot is headed towards reconnection, making amends and eventual healing, I think the natural consequence should be depicting Touya having a more normal and healthy dynamics with his family.

Since you asked about his siblings in particular, here's my thoughts:

- for one, Touya and Shouto were never allowed to socialize or spend time together. Shouto was still a baby when Touya tried to attack him, and Enji isolated the youngest from then on. Only recently was Shouto shown to form a relationship with Natsuo, so I expect him to be stubborn and develop one with Touya as well. Reconnecting with his family is a major point in Shouto's personal journey, and it's all the more important now since he never really met his big bro but only watched him from afar.

- same but different from above, Touya should also form a bond with Shouto. Like, the effort to be a family cannot be onesided. For much of his life, Touya didn't allow himself to see Shouto as his own person, but only as his replacement. At times he was shown being rational and realizing Shouto had no faults of his own, but then it was back at square one and seeing him with jealousy and pity alike the moment trauma resurfaced. That's not healthy, and that's now what I expect their dynamic to be like after the war. If Touya is able to depersonalize Shouto into this puppet made to dethrone him, it's only because Enji's parenting and their isolation exacerbated those feelings of inadequacy. But they actually have a lot in common, and they could only benefit from talking about their similar experiences and struggles to define themselves in opposition to their father.

- as for fuyumi, she grew up acting as a substitute mother figure, and I think it would benefit her to have Touya around, and be a little sister again. Frankly, she deserves the break. Just... Having someone older she can vent to or be vulnerable around would be a great thing for her, I think. It can be so isolating, having to be the mature and reliable one all the time. And true, maybe Touya will never be the responsible big bro who packs you lunch and kisses your hair when you leave for school, but just... Not having to be the Big Sis™ around at least one member of the family? Please and thank you

- Natsuo... Well. Natsuo devoted his career to helping people in similar positions to Touya. He's studying medical welfare (not medicine!), and it's implied to be because Touya's death left a mark on him for life. Having Touya back would not only finally ease the misplaced guilt he carries since he was eight, but it would also mean getting to hang out with a big bro who isn't as unhappy all the time anymore. I expect their dynamic to build up to be like... annoying little bro being a menace to his long-suffering big bro who secretly loves the attention.

But overall, I expect them all to eventually grow into a real family. Which means having meals together, fighting over tv channels, eating each other's food hidden away at the back of the cabinet... And staying up late at night to talk instead of sleeping. That kikd of mundane stuff, you know?

Now, realistically, I don't really expect the story to show all of that in great detail. It would need to change genre and become a slice of life to do so. So what I expect from canon is that foreshadowed meal together as a family, but with Touya in it. I can see it being the final wrap up of their overarching plot

[fuyumiis]

The obi for volume 36 that mentioned that the cover is supposed to represent what Shouto is fighting for just reminds me how refreshing I find the Shouto and Touya dynamics in terms of brothers relationships. Shouto is basically fighting for his brother’s sake, to help him, to save him. Usually in shonen manga, the older brother character is supposed to be the one putting himself on the line to help/protect the little brother and they have noble intentions and fulfill their role as the eldest. Not saying it always happens, but it is a popular trope for a reason (I’m thinking of Itachi and Sasuke for example, or even Ed and Al from FMA). 

And I just really like that Shouto and Touya deviate a bit from this trope and what is expected. The roles are reversed here. Shouto, the little brother, is the one fighting to protect his older brother’s life. Touya is allowed to be something else than the noble older brother. 

I also find it really interesting that Shouto and Touya basically do not really know each other (because they weren’t allowed to). Looking back to some popular brother duos in shonen, you often have tight-knit relationships between brothers or they have happy childhood memories to fall back onto. Shouto and Touya do not have those. And it is acknowledged, too. Just like how it’s pointed out in the text that the closest sibling to Touya was Natsuo. Natsuo is the brother who has happy memories to fall back onto when it comes to Touya, not Shouto. Which I like. There isn’t only the two brothers (Shouto and Touya), but Fuyumi and Natsuo are fleshed out characters on their own and have different interactions and relationships with other family members and they add so much more depth and perspectives. The fact that there are four siblings, instead of just the two brothers, just really make the whole plot more interesting. I love it. 

I am really excited for future Shouto and Touya interactions. I don’t know what to expect with them!

[fuyumiis]

❄💨

[fuyumiis]

BNHA 3rd Popularity Poll Results (French edition)

So the French editor of BNHA, Ki-oon Editions, has been hosting popularity polls for the series for the third year in a row. This poll lasted a few months (it started around April 2022 and the results were planned to be revealed in volume 34 in October 2022) and the results are finally available now, through the released version of volume 34 and online. 

I’ll post the results and the number of votes until the 25th position.

As a personal note, my votes went for Shouto, Dabi, and Endeavor (one could only vote up to three characters), so I’m quite pleased to see the brothers up so high~ It’s quite interesting to see that the villain trio all made it to the top 10 as well! It’s kind of fun to compare which characters tend to be more liked depending on fandom spheres. 

Now, onto the top 10!

1) Midoriya Izuku (28 581)

2) Bakugou Katsuki (20 229)

3) Todoroki Shouto (15 083)

4) Shigaraki Tomura (11 202) 

5) Hawks (10 454) 

6) Dabi (10 097)

7) Eraserhead (9863)

8) Kirishima Eijirou (9680)

9) Toga Himiko (6 470)

10) Mirio Togata (5345)

From top 11 to top 15: Kaminari Denki (4724), Tokoyami Fumikage (4324), Mirko (4141), All Might (4071), Eri (3871).

From top 16 to top 20: Twice (3828), Amajiki Tamaki (3791), Endeavor (3333), Uraraka Ochako (2779), Hitoshi Shinsou (2733).

From top 21 to top 25: Yaoyorozu Momo (2319), Asui Tsuyu (2064), Kyouka Jiro (1871), Overhaul (1533), Stain (1238). 

[fuyumiis]

[fuyumiis]

I wonder if they ever think about this

[fuyumiis]

Re: Dabi's voice in the recent trailer for S6

I'm really liking how Dabi's lines sounded in the trailer? One thing I've been really curious about is how Hiro Shimono's performance would change in this season given that Dabi will reveal himself as Touya in this season. And there are already hints of the changes in performance in the few lines Touya has said in the trailer.

So far, I feel like Dabi's voice has been very controlled. It's deep, and it always feels carefully controlled too, like he is making sure he isn't letting a too strong emotion find its way in his delivery of lines. I'm really liking how Dabi mostly always sounds composed. Even in fights (like the recent ones in S5, against Geten), he doesn't really "let go" or sound "explosive" per se.

And in the recent trailer, when he says that heroes are fake and that he is the one who will make Stain's will a reality, his performance sounds really different from one line to the other. At first, he sounds composed like usual and then he puts so much more energy in the line regarding Stain, and it hits so much harder as a result. I was actually surprised because it's way different than what we got usually.

All of this is really making me look forward to the slight changes in his voice, and I am sure Hiro Shimono will nail it. I am really curious about how chapter 290 (Dabi's dance) will be handled and how Touya will sound exactly as he reveals his identity, and how his speech on TV will be directed too. The differences and gap between the two will certainly be interesting to hear, as Touya carefully prepared his speech in his pre recorded video (using "boku" among other things will be cool to hear).

Though I wonder if Touya will have a different seiyuu for his flashbacks? I think S6 will animate at least until chapter 306 (Deku leaving the school after the war), so we should be getting Touya's childhood (301 and 302) animated this season. 4yo Touya having a different seiyuu is kind of a given, since most kid characters do in the anime. Though I wonder if 13yo Touya will be voiced by Hiro Shimono as well (technically he could), and if so, how will that influence his performance.

[fuyumiis]

Touya: Can’t have sh*t in this house

[fuyumiis]

I’m back

[fuyumiis]

[fuyumiis]

A detail I liked in Chapter 363 was how Burnin’ called Shouto with his name (written in kanji) for the first time when she told him to run away.

And before that, she mostly called him with his hero name (still Shouto, but written in katakana), like during the Shouto vs Touya fight or even before that, during Shouto’s internship at Endeavor’s agency. Like in that moment, she was worried for Shouto and was addressing him as a person rather than him as a hero. 

[fuyumiis]

How Shouto calls Touya

Since Shouto and Touya appeared in this week’s chapter and that I’ve seen some talks about the way characters refer to each other, I am posting a compilation I made to keep track of the moments in the manga where Shouto thinks about Touya or refers to him. These instances are in chronological order (in terms of manga timeline). 

This post will be updated as new chapters of the manga are released. 

Chapter 302 (Shouto is 5 years old in the flashback) : 

“Touya-nii and the others” (Shouto asking Endeavor to let him play with Touya-nii and the others just once)

Shouto says “Touya-nii tachi” which basically means “Big brother Touya and the others”. I think it’s interesting that he prioritizes Touya in his wording, probably because Touya is the oldest so that’s why he doesn’t say for example “Fuyumi and the others” or “Natsuo and the others”. 

Chapter 191 :

“Dabi.. !!”

This happens pre-Touya reveal and Shouto sees Touya on TV, after Endeavor defeated the High End. At the time, Shouto didn’t know Dabi’s true identity but he recalls their meeting in the forest in Chapter 82.

Chapter 292 :

“Tou...ya...”

This happens after Touya revealed he was still alive in Chapter 290. This is the first time (as far as I can recall) that Shouto refers to Touya by his name in the current timeline. 

Chapter 294 :

“Touya-!!” (Shouto yelling his brother’s name as the latter is about to escape with Compress and the rest of the League)

Chapter 298 :

“Touya-nii” (At the hospital, Shouto is thinking he has to be the one to handle Touya-nii)

Chapter 302 :

“Touya-nii” (At the hospital, Shouto telling his dad they should stop Touya-nii together)

Chapter 319 :

“Touya-nii” (At Nezu’s office in UA, Shouto telling his dad he thought they were going to stop Touya-nii together)

Chapter 327 :

“Dabi’s brother” (Shouto telling his friends he may be a source of unease for some as Dabi’s brother and Endeavor’s son)

Chapter 336 :

“Dabi” (Shouto thinking about how he needs to not get burned by Dabi’s flames)

Chapter 342 :

“Touya-nii” (Shouto talking to Iida, saying he doesn’t even know what Touya-nii likes)

Chapter 344 :

“Baka aniki” (Shouto telling his “stupid big brother” he won’t let him do as he wants)

Chapter 349 :

“Touya... Dabi...” (Shouto facing Touya before they start their fight)

Chapter 350 :

“Baka aniki” (Shouto telling Touya a second time that he won’t let his “stupid big brother” do as he wants)

Chapter 351 :

“Touya-nii” (Shouto says “Touya-nii” twice during his phone call with Endeavor : saying he is the best pick to go against Touya-nii and that he wants to do it, and that they’ll all stop Touya-nii and the villains together)

Chapter 352 :

“Dabi” (During a flashback, Shouto tells Midoriya that Dabi is a product of his family’s sins)

Chapter 363 :

“Touya-nii” (he thinks about him as “Touya-nii” twice, reflecting on his brother’s powers)

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As of Chapter 363, Shouto has yet to call Touya “Touya-nii” in front of him, despite the fact that he quickly acknowledged him as his brother after Touya revealed he was still alive. 

In Chapter 302, we see the first instance of Shouto calling him “Touya-nii” as a child. As Shouto was isolated from his siblings and wasn’t allowed to play with them, I do wonder if Shouto and Touya talked even once during their childhood. Perhaps they didn’t but at least we do know that Shouto called Touya the same way his other siblings did (Fuyumi and Natsuo also call him “Touya-nii”). If Shouto and Touya never talked or played together during their childhood, it means that it is highly possible that Touya never got to hear Shouto call him “Touya-nii” even in the past. Taking this into account, it does feel very intentional that Shouto still didn’t say out loud “Touya-nii” during a moment when both of them are together. Shouto refers to him/thinks of him as such in his thoughts (as seen in Chapter 298, Chapter 363), and he even calls him “Touya-nii” in front of other people (with his family of course as seen in Chapter 302, but also in the principal’s office in Chapter 319 and his whole class minus Deku was there, or with his friends in Chapter 342), but in front of his brother it’s just “Touya” so far. 

It feels like Shouto finally saying “Touya-nii” in front of his brother is saved for a special moment? At least, that’s how it comes off to me.

Other than that, there are few moments with Shouto referring to Touya as Dabi (when he didn’t know his true identity, when he refers to him in the context of being perceived as a villain’s brother, when he is preparing for his fight against him which could indicate that he is slightly separating Touya from Dabi in his mind as in he is preparing to fight Dabi but he will stop Touya, when he finds himself face to face with him before their fight...). 

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Count as of Chapter 363 (how many times Shouto said Touya etc):

Touya: 3 (Chapter 292, 294, 349)

Touya-nii (out loud): 6 (Chapter 302, 319, 342, 351)

Touya-nii (in his thoughts): 3 (Chapter 298, 363)

Baka aniki: 2 (Chapter 344, 350)

Dabi (out loud): 4 (Chapter 191, 327, 349, 352)

Dabi (in his thoughts): 1 (Chapter 336)

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Last update : August 21, 2022

[fuyumiis]

Hi, I may use this blog as an archive to post some personal BNHA observations from time to time. Despite my username, my favorite character is Shouto (but I like his whole family a lot).