#Minus like aizawa and mirko i feel

[kacchanbiased]

I think it is testament to how fucked up Bakugou was that he started muttering out loud his strategy rather than doing it in his head like he normally does.

But this is really why he’s such an MVP to me regardless of how hard he went down. He’s bleeding down the side of his face, knocked down a thousand times but doesn’t really care about the optics of losing & how it “looks” for protecting his pride—the only thing on his mind is holding down the fight against Shigaraki, selflessly putting his own life on the line and putting the lives of hundreds of others before his. Like, this is what it means in My Hero’s universe to be a hero.

This whole scene though right before he goes down, he shows this almost manic or tunnel-vision focus. I saw someone on twitter describe him as “sobbing”…? Not to be pedantic but he’s not sobbing in this scene, the silent tears running down his face almost seem like his body’s physiological reflex to the sheer amount of damage and stress he’s putting his body under. Bakugou has cried multiple times throughout the series—he’s an emotional crier, but he’s almost completely devoid of any emotion right up until he is dealt that finishing blow.

He hardly notices his tears, there is no attempt to brush them away like he normally would. He also doesn’t mention or attract much attention to the injuries he’s sustained, so instead his body is essentially venting this pain for him. I always felt like he’d at some point in this fight accepted death as a possible outcome, and it seems like he’s already come to terms with that as his limit. That he would stop at nothing to help the cause to win/save, nothing except death.

[soul-dwelling]

Do you ever feel like shonen manga just doesnt appeal to you anymore? To me, it seems I have finally outgrown it mostly, even the ones I still like for nostalgia I take in more unique directions in my own stories

I've been trying to get more into certain Shonen Jump chapters each week--and some are a hard sit.

For ones I really like that didn't last as long as I would like, and that did something to modify the genre / demographics (Magu-chan is cute; Candy Flurry was fun, had a girl lead, was dessert-based powers, even if the plot wasn't anything groundbreaking), there are ones that drag.

(And, spoilers as of today, Tuesday, November 22, 2022, for My Hero Academia's chapter coming out on Sunday, because GOOD GOD, THAT CHAPTER SUCKS, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT? Like, sorry, but this manga, its plot, and its "surprises" are such bullshit and exhausting. I'm not even complaining about the mutant plot: I can point out so much that doesn't work, but I can appreciate the intention--but I am also a cishet white man who is so not being critical enough of this manga and its mutant plot given my privilege. Honestly, MHA at least tried to discuss disabilities and has at least acknowledged them [even as I think there are still flaws in the marketing--given what is coming up in the anime, I am curious whether the marketing is going to stick with pre-war Aizawa, Mirko, etc, or actually show them with their disabilities in future marketing / merchandise]. But I can't look at the mutant plot with regard to prejudice and bigotry and not find that plot lacking and flawed--and while I think it is fixable, I don't think I'm the person, in my position, to yet suggest enough fixes. God, this manga needs a hiatus and another review by editors. Sometimes, when we are in a world of fascists, we want to see a fascist lose, not constantly doing "BWA HA HA, you did not anticipate I would do this next!" If I wanted poorly thought out JoJo villain shit, I'd...not want that, because it's poorly thought out JoJo villain shit.)

Some of this I'm sure is with age--not because age brings wisdom, knowledge, or taste (it doesn't, not necessarily), but because you get exhausted seeing the same thing over and over again without something more surprising and creative. (Not to ignore the value of nostalgia letting you enjoy things over and over again to calm yourself--we'll get to that in a moment).

But then again, there are current manga for younger readers that I still get joy from reading, even at my age: Blue Box is engaging; Akane-banashi is educational; I'm not excited for the Undead Unluck anime due to the studio behind it, but I love how this supposed final arc to the manga is paying off so much setup; PPPPPP has surprising art.

Spy x Family...Maybe I'm being hipster about this, but as much as I enjoyed the manga, there does feel like a point where it got less enjoyable (Twilight's back story being introduced so abruptly after that weird choice to have Anya get in trouble due to a new character). The current manga has some surprises (Damian's mother, the current plot). But the anime? This is my fault: if I came in the anime first, it looks great; if I come into the manga first, it doesn't capture the energy and movement as I imagined it would--so, again, my fault. I've fallen off of some episodes. I mean, Nightfall is coming, and she's a lot of fun, and the story arc there has so many gags and so many moments of excellent animation...but if the animation isn't pretty enough (more on that below), why do I want to sit through the same story again?

There are definitely long-running manga that I'm more excited to see payoff and how they end (One Piece [more on that in another reply], Blue Exorcist...just being done with MHA because, again, good God, that twist and this chapter are fucking enraging and are going to piss me off all week...), but at least I'm still interested in how they end (minus MHA...seriously, that twist is pissing me off--I just want that manga to end, right now). And there are some that are shorter manga but now starting to wrap up (Servamp), and given the twists in them (you know, _good_ twists, not whatever the hell MHA just did), I'm excited to see how they wrap up.

But sometimes you want something for a slightly older audience, or something that is more challenging plotwise and characterization-wise. Bungo Stray Dogs is about the only seinen I can stomach reading right now--because it's the closest to shonen that I can think of (motley crew, broad personalities, fighting, high emotional stakes, dynamic character interactions, an entire world and history to explore not just in the main manga but in the anime, in light novels, in films).

I have more to say about nostalgia another time. But notice that nostalgia kick coming in again in anime and manga production since about 2018 up to today.

Sorry to be petty, given my lack of knowledge of series lore, but from what I've tried to watch of it, who was asking for a more faithful Urusei Yatsura anime except people who are nostalgic? It seems more, "People know Inuyasha and Ranma, let's do this now," and I try to watch and think, "No."

Why are people still invested in a Soul Eater reboot--when we know how Chapter 113 and the prequel twist crap are going to turn out when adapted?

"But I want to see pretty animation!" So do I--in a good story. If the only excuse is "to make it more pretty," I'm not here for it. That's like doing a remaster of a video game without fixing the gameplay problems.

That's not to say the role of nostalgia in driving more animation and more manga is all bad, though. I'm happy for people getting more Fruits Basket content--because the entire manga never got adapted, so, yes, go off, make that series again. I'm happy for people who like Trigun and Blood Blockade Battlefront getting new anime: I enjoyed both series, I want a more faithful Trigun anime...even as I am not into the new visual choice (the new Vash design looks so much better in 2D than 3D).

So, it's not that nostalgia is bad--it can be good to give people the story _again_ when they are older and can appreciate it in new ways. I do think there are audiences that get more out of Fruits Basket now than when they saw the first anime.

(And as I suggested above: nostalgia can calm us down--rewatching and re-engaging with something familiar makes it predictable, so you're not panicking over plot twists that seem chaotic and poorly thought, maybe because you aren't giving the story time to let those details unfold and show there was logic to the writing...or maybe because it is chaotic and poorly thought.)

But for every Fruits Basket, there is yet another Dragon Ball that, sure, fine, but I'm not sure is going to give you something new characterization-wise when it's still about power-ups, new designs, and new characters, rather than digging more into the ramifications of what Goku has done (I think Super did a great job actually reflecting on what Goku and others got wrong in the past--and need to stop doing).

So, to actually answer/respond to your question/comments:

It's not that shonen doesn't appeal to me anymore--but as a trend right now, it seems like the same as in any year: good stuff cancelled way too soon, some new exciting stuff that replenishes my enjoyment, and some stuff that really needs to end already.

I don't think I've outgrown it. Shonen keeps being though of as for young boys, when we have seen enough in readership that it is for more than just young people and more than just any one gender.

And yes, I definitely get more enjoyment writing fanfic ideas from these manga, or imagining how you could revise the stories (because, again, MHA needs a rewrite), or to fill in back stories (Mephisto in Blue Exorcist could get three or more other manga series, given how long he has been around).

[sugarbooger513]

Moving on- Chapter One

This is the beginning of my OC’s story. Hope you guys enjoy! 

Her icy eyes stare into the mirror as she tries to fix the short honey brown curls on her head. However, there isn't enough patience in the world for her to deal with it. Jasper finally gives up, tossing the comb onto her dresser before straightening the tie around her neck. "Are you decent, Jasper?" "Yeah, come in." Her roommate, Lilith, walks into her bedroom with a small smile. Like usual, she's wearing her sky colored bodysuit and white combat boots. Her hair, which reminds Jasper of virgin snow, is in a neat bun on the top of her head. "Looking like the lesbian you are, I see." "Fuck you, Lilith. My girlfriend likes how I dress." "Exactly. A les-" "Stop it." Her laughter makes Jasper smile, despite wanting to look irritated. Lilith has been her best friend for a few years now. They decided to get a small two bedroom apartment when Lilith got a full time job at the Ingenium agency. Jasper still worked as a free lance hero, until today, that is. "First day jitters?" "Huh?" "Your hands, Jas. They're shaking." Jasper frowns at how easily she can be read. In a way, it's ironic. "The All-Knowing Hero" Daedalus is the easiest person to read. "Yeah, I guess so. At least Midnight will be there." "Oh yeah, she's your old mentor, right?" Jasper nods, smiling from the thought of the kind Hero. While Jasper never bothered copying the R-rated aspects of Midnight, she certainly learned from her combat skills. At the time, Midnight was fresh out of high school, but she took Jasper's training very seriously. There were days she would come home beaten to a pulp from training, but Jasper is nothing if not headstrong. "Well, I'm going to join you at your frist day." "Wait," Jasper pauses, "why? They have the Sports Festival today. You'll just-" "I want to introduce you to my old homeroom teacher. I was a part of his first class." "I thought you couldn't stand him." "I mean," she chuckles lightly, "he really wanted to expel me. Like, REALLY wanted to." "Sometimes I sympathize with him." Lilith sends her less playful roommate a wink, which causes Jasper to roll her eyes. How do they get along so well? "Whatever, Jas. I'm going with you whether you like it or not." "Fine, but you aren't allowed to embarrass me." "Trust me, I don't think I could. Eraserhead is generally one of those guys that just doesn't give a damn about what's going on around him." 'Eraserhead,' Jasper tilts her head slightly, 'that sounds awfully familiar. Still.. I can't quite remember why'. The two of them walk outside, so Lilith pulls the mask from her body suit over her head. Jasper smiles at her friend as they start their walk to UA. The nerves seem to only get wilder in Jasper's body as they walk. Principal Nezu reccently called her about an opening at her alma mater. Not long ago, a class was attacked by a "League of Villains" at USJ. One teacher was severly hurt from protecting his class, and the number one hero, All Might, was also injured. They decided to hire a few more teachers, preferably ones with quirks that can prove useful in case this league attacks again. Jasper doesn't have a physical quirk, so she was shocked when Nezu explained the situation to her. Her quirk, Daedalus, allows her to see someone's strengths and weaknesses as long as she stares at them. However, if she blinks, her quirk is deactivated.  It also tends to give her really bad headaches if she over uses it, so she tends to only use it in short bursts. "So, what is your title now? Ms. Daedalus?" "Nah. Just Daedalus, or Jasper for the other teachers." "Are you actually teaching a subject?" "No? I'm not sure if I ever will, but as of right now I'm some sort of disciplinary officer or something." Lilith snorts. Jasper... her friend.. as a disciplinary officer. Is that some sort of sick joke that Principal Nezu has planned? If so, where's the punch line? Before they know it, the two of them make it to the now ramped up security gate at UA High. One of the police officers at the front make both of them flash their hero licenses before they are allowed to walk inside. "Man," Lilith shoves her license back into her body suit, "this seems insane. I would feel bad for the kids." Jasper waits a second, but her friend doesn't finish the thought. "Umm.. you would feel bad for them..?" "If I cared." There it is. That's the Lilith she knows. "Well, I feel bad for them. UA was always my safe place, and I had a great home life. I can't imagine if some fo these kids come here to get away from their homes." Lilith shrugs slightly, but she can't convince Jasper that she really doesn't care. She might hide her normal name from the world, but being a hero is Lilith's calling. There have been multiple times where Pro Hero Ether has put herself on the line for complete strangers. "Yo, Ether," Lilith glances at Jasper, "do you know where the otehr teachers would be?" "I do. Just follow- Tenya!" A tall, blue haired boy turn towards the sound of his name being called. As soon as Jasper meets his navy eyes, she realizes that he's Ingenium's younger brother. No wonder Lilith knows who the kid is. "Ether, it's nice seeing you here! Did Tensei give you the day off?" "Yeah, he didn't want me to join while he did his business in Hosu City. Plus, I thought I should be ehre for Daedalus's first day." The polite young man actually bows in front of Jasper. 'Man, he is a lot like his older brother'. "Uh-you don't need to do all of that. I happen to be friends with Ingenium, and I have done a few missions alongside him. It's nice to meet his little brother." "It's nice to meet you as well, Daedalus. I see that you have a UA badge on your blazer. Are you one of the new teachers?" "Oh, I'm the new disciplinary officer, so I hope I don't have to deal with you too often." The way the boy holds his arms up makes Jasper chuckle lightly. He seems a lot more.. robotic than his generally laid back older brother. "Of course not, ma'am. I believe in keeping order and-" "Yeah, yeah, all that noble bullshit. We'll catch ya later, Tenya. I'm gonna go introduce her to Eraserhead." He nods and walks back towards a group of teenagers that they can only assume are his fellow classmates. The two heroes turn and start to make their way up a flight of stairs. Lilith surprisingly pulls her mask off before knocking on the door at the top of the stairs. "Come on in." Jasper jumps a bit from the familiarity of that voice. Once the door is opened, the shocking green eyes make her smile. "Holy crap, is that Present Mic?" The enthusiastic blonde hero jumps form his seat when he sees his friend and past partner. Well, not exactly a 'partner'. If he ever needed an extra set of hands, Daedalus was one of the first numbers saved in his phone. The two of them never really went anywhere to hang out, but they considered each other good friends. "Rock oooon! If it isn't Daedalus herself! What brings you up here, baby?" Jasper chuckles before accepting a hug from the lanky hero. "I missed you too, boom boom baby. I actually got a job here as a disciplinary officer, and Lilith wanted to bring me up here to meet her old teachers that I didn't have." "Well, ya know one of 'em, baby." Jasper smiles at his sweet term of endearment. Mic has called her baby since day one, and he's the only person other than Mirko, her girlfriend, that could ever get away with it. Lilith suddenly lets out a sigh. "Eraser, you look fucked up." "Language, child." Jasper turns and winces at the man sitting in the chair behind her. The poor guy is wrapped in bandages from the waist up. She has no idea what any of his facial features look like, minus how deep grey his eyes are. Lilith sighs softly. "Jasper, this is my old homeroom teacher, Eraserhead. He's the one that always tried to expel me." "Sometimes I wonder why he really didn't Lils. It's nice to meet you Eraserhead." The man lets out a small snort, which she can only hope is a bit of laughter. "Just call me Aizawa, since we'll be working together. Without thinking, Jasper holds a hand out to him. When he glances at it, she blushes a deep red. "Shit.. sorry." "Don't apologize. I understand that it's weird. Daedalus, was it?" "Jasper, please, but yes." He nods slightly. "Sho," Mic shifts his intense gaze to his wrapped up friend, "you can't tell me you don't know her." "Oh, I remember her. I remember training her with Midnight." "Wooooah, I don't remember.. oh wait." Jasper suddenly remembers one training session when she was a teenager. Midnight had taken her to an abandoned building with two other guys. The two guys faced her and her mentor in multiple sparring matches. She always remembered Mic being one of the boys since he had taken the time to talk to her, but the other boy was more to himself. He was really cute, in a mysterious sort of way. "You seem to be realizing that you know my best buddy, Sho." "I.. Yeah, I apologize, Aizawa." "You apologize too much, seriously. I don't care. You look different than I remember, though." Jasper lets out an awkward laugh. "Yeah, I guess I do. I cut all my hair off and.. ya know, gained a bit of weight." Lilith immediately shoots her friend a glare, which isn't shocking, but Mic jumps in. "Yo yo yo, baby, you look just as gorgeous as ever. Hell, if you didn't like women, I would totally hit on you." Jasper chuckles and gives the blonde haired man a pat on his head. Aizawa groans when he laughs softly, and Jasper's first instinct is to crouch in front of him worriedly. "Is there anything I can do to help your pain a bit, Aizawa?" "Not really. It's just something I have to put up with for a while. Thank you, though." Suddenly, Mic's phone starts to ring, making the other three people in the room jump a bit. His usually bright green eyes seem to dull when he looks at the number. "Hey, Joke. What can I do ya for?" Aizawa mutters a few curses under his breath. "Joke," Mic continues with a groan, "the two women with us are not trying to hit on your boyfriend. One is a lesbian and the other is an old student of his." Jasper can't help but chuckle a bit. "Jealous girlfriend?" Aizawa's eyes hold the smallest amount of amusement when he meets Jasper's baby blue eyes. "Yeah, you have no idea." Something about the tiny giggle she breathes out makes his heart pick up its pace. He's suddenly thankful for the ridiculous bandages wrapped around his face because he's sure that she would notice the slight flush on his otherwise pale cheeks. Mic finally hangs the cell phone up, glancing over his shoulder to look at his friend. "I don't understand why she only tells me when you 'screw up'. Sho-" "Can we talk about this at home, Mic?" Mic respects his friend's wishes and stops talking about the situation. Still, Aizawa knows that he won't forget. The two girls decide to hang out with Mic and Aizawa for the rest of the sports festival. Mic and Lilith end up reminiscing about her school days at UA, while Jasper sits in the chair next to Aizawa. Most of their small talk ended in something about a shared love of cats and coffee. "Have you ever been to the cat cafe downtown?" "No, actually. My dads work as vets, so I spend time with their patients a lot." Aizawa makes a small note in his mind about her admitting to having two fathers. He would never judge her about it, but he likes to remember things he thinks other people would tend to forget. "Mic and I go there sometimes. There are two cats I enjoy the company of a lot." "Well," Jasper smiles a bit, "maybe I can go with the two of you at some point." Aizawa feels a smile creep to his face. Her company amidst the boistrous blonde he calls his best friend sounds like a nice change of atmosphere. "Would your girlfriend care?" "Mirko? Hell no. She isn't the jealous type." "I hate being the bearer of bad news," Mic sighs, "but Joke would." Jasper quickly puts her hands up. "I swear I won't jump your bones, Aizawa." "She'll jump my bones." Lilith has to add in. Mic snickers at that. "Lilith, I will break your bones." "That's hot." "Good lord." Aizawa even chuckles at Jasper's flushed cheeks. He can't help but think how cute her embarrassment is, but he keeps the thought in his head. Mic would flip his lid if Aizawa admitted that anything other than cats was cute. "Honest question, baby," Mic passes Aizawa a bottle of water, "would you jump MY bones if you liked guys?" Lilith howls out her laughter as Jasper smirks. "Nah, too loud. The whole neighborhood would hear you climax." "Damn, baby. That kinda hurts my ego." Aizawa rolls his eyes before holding the water bottle up. "You deserve it after giving me an UNOPENED water bottle. I can't open it, dip shit." Jasper giggles and reaches to unscrew the lid for poor Aizawa. "There ya go." He feels his face warm yet again. He didn't exactly mean for her to do it for him.. "Thanks, Jasper." "Anytime." "Look at that," Mic groans softly, "Bakugo wins the Sports Festival." Jasper smiles, not knowing who the kid actually is. She remembers when she won it in her third year. Her parents cried like babies seeing her on the television, and Midnight even threw her a party. 'Hopefully that kid feels good about his win. He deserves it, I'm sure'. "I'm not shocked," Aizawa comments, "he's headstrong." "He's a bit unstable, Sho." "No, he really isn't. He doesn't settle for less than what he wants, and that's how a true hero is." Lilith snorts. "Tenya has told me about that guy. He sounds like an ass, but one of the greatest heroes in Japan is a grade A bitch." She's talking about Endeavor, and the thought of that man makes Jasper tighten her fists in anger. Jasper can't stand that man. From the moment she met him, a weird feeling of absolute hatred invaded her body. Her girlfriend, Mirko, has to work with the guy from time to time, and Jasper always refuses to accompany on those missions. She just knows that she wouldn't be able to focus with that asshole barking orders like he leads something. "Jasper? What's wrong?" She jumps slightly from Aizawa's sudden question. "Oh, I just don't like Endeavor, and that's who she was mentioning. I swear, that man makes it hard to want to stay a hero." Mic tilts his head. "I mean, he's saved a lot of people." "But there's a reason All Might is number one. I'll give you a hint, All Might isn't a major douche canoe." "Being likeable isn't a necessary trait to be a hero, Jasper." Aizawa raises an eyebrow despite the fact no one can see it. "You're right, but being an ass to fans and such is just wrong. You hide all of your hero work, Aizawa, so I'm not sure if you would understand how much it means to a child when you give them a high five or sign their freaking teddy bear." Aizawa nods in agreement. No, he doesn't really know that feeling, and he doesn't care to. Lilith even snorts. "In all fairness, I don't like kids, so I never pay attention to them while they watch me work." "I love helping kids, yo. They get a kick out of my speaker." Jasper turns her attention to Aizawa when she notices him picking at the bandages on his face. "What are you doing there?" "I'm supposed to be allowed to take most of these damn things off since the festival is over." Jasper stands from her seat and walks over to where he's sitting. "May I help you out?" "Can you?" Lilith chuckles from her seat. "Trust me, she has taken care of a lot of my injuries. She should be a medical professional at this point." Jasper rolls her eyes before she reaches behind Aizawa's head to take hold of the end of his wrappings. "Anywhere that I need to be careful around?" "Oh, uhh, under my right eye is still kind of tender." She nods, thankful he's honest about his pain. Even Mic goes quiet while watching her unwrap Aizawa's face. Truth be told, it scared the hell out of him when Aizawa got the news that his quirk might not be the same. For Christ's sake, the man is only thirty. He doesn't need to retire that early. "Aaaand, that should be the last one." Jasper turns to throw away the bandages before turning her attention to his arms. "Do any of these need to be left alone?" "My right elbow. Thank you, Jasper." She smiles at his thanks and wuickly unwraps his left arm and his right forearm. Finally, she stands completely and meets the man's eyes. Despite his hair being slightly disheveled, he's a very handsome guy. He looks exhausted, but his eyes hold a sort of alertness that only the best heroes have. The deep scar under his right eye, however, makes her stomach drop. If she remembers correctly, his quirk works a lot like hers. Any injury to the eye can be detrimental to their careers. "Sho," Mic glances worriedly at his friend, "do you think erasure will work?" Aizawa closes his eyes for a second before nodding slightly. "Only one way to find out. Mic, scream." "Are you-" "Do it." The scream is enough to almost rupture all of their eardrums. Jasper quickly covers her ears and watches as Lilith does the same. Suddenly, Aizawa's eyes shoot open, and the color of them makes Jasper gasp out loud. Hopefully no one heard it. That would be a bit embarrasing. Still, the crimson color of his eyes is grogeous. Mic suddenly goes quiet, barely making a peep. Aizawa smirks, but it's quickly replaced by him closing his eyes and letting out a pain filled groan. Jasper's next movements are out of pure instinct. She quickly gets on her knees in front of his seat and her hands are immediately on his face. His eyes are squeezed shut, but he tenses at the gentle touch. Her fingers glide so easily over his now sweat glistened skin. "Open your eyes, Aizawa. Let me check on you." Usually he would push someone away for being so caring. He usually can't stand when people try and take care of him, but her voice is so fucking genuine. He can't help but open his eyes to meet hers. Her lips curl into the smallest smile hes ever seen. "Don't over use it, Aizawa. It works, and that's what matters. Let it get back to normal on its own." God, if it were Mic telling him this, he would tell him to shut up... but it's this caring girl. He finds himself nodding. Suddenly, the door is opened, and his stomach drops. "Umm... what the fuck are you doing to my boyfriend?"

@katgalle​