#also technically a tomura shigaraki post

[jennas-cemetery]

Horrified at all the birthday wishes will hit our dm's once 12AM hits.

[dead-boys-club]

†  the hero : shigaraki.

❥ scenario: tomura dealing with emotions for the enemy. ❥ uuuuuuhhhh... tw for death. technically multiple but you only read about one. ❥ i don't have any beta readers - you get what you get. ❥ half requested.

❥ this post has five parts to it and it's a shit show. if you have issues with tomura actually feeling human things - please leave my inbox out of it.

❥ the timeline here is fucked. the ending has tomura with red eyes, bite me. it's a fucking shit show. enjoy.

❥ hate me, please. even if you can't hate me more than i hate myself. this is 8651 words.

✧*̥˚ the feelings *̥˚✧

it's no shock that tomura would be confused and very much in denial. not only would he not understand his own feelings or the fact he could feel such a way but falling for a hero? he's supposed to despise them; it goes against his entire belief system. he would have trouble navigating such feelings, mostly because he wouldn't. he wouldn't want to deal with them. he would go the route of bullshitting his way through it and brush them off as fascination or curiosity, telling himself it was entirely about their quirk - yes, that's all it is. he couldn't possibly feel genuine affection towards a hero.

he wouldn't handle it very well. he'd be frustrated beyond belief. pro heroes are obstacles, enemies - the bane of his existence, actually. not romantic interests. the ingrained hatred would be significant to his frustration. he would barely be able to comprehend his own level of agitation. it would just continue to grow and gnaw at his thoughts.

the one thing he wouldn't expect was the sudden self doubt that bubbled up. was he going insane? he would feel as if he couldn't trust his own judgement. was he becoming weak? to tomura, emotions just get in the way and make someone too vulnerable. it felt like parts of him were exposed and raw. he would struggle with the uncertainty and the internal conflict would have him collapsing in on himself.

internalizing everything and trying to rationalize would only make things worse. he would become obsessed with them. he would find some way to learn more about them - he wouldn't go as far as stalking them but he needed to know more. he would analyze every action, movement, word - it would prove to be a distraction more than once. this would lead to more interactions, making sure he was part of any scene they were. he wouldn't admit it but he had a strong desire to be near them.

of course, he'd wonder why. what made them so.. interesting? was it the pseudo untouchable hero shit? he couldn't say they weren't attractive but he also wasn't sure when he started noticing those things. the way they spoke, fought, even the way they walked - he couldn't take it.

despite everything, seeing them injured would just add on to the rage he already felt, bringing it to a level he didn't even know he could feel. he would feel some weird, uncharacteristic protectiveness towards them, one he wouldn't even fully understand. he was getting sick of not understanding his own feelings. the problem started when he began going out of his way to make sure they weren't getting harmed by other villains. he'd be lowkey about it but unbeknownst to him, the hero wouldn't be as oblivious as the villains.

jealous. tomura doesn't exactly have the best hold of grasping his emotions, so seeing you with other heroes, even interacting with your fans - it all made his skin crawl in such a disgusting manner. it would only fuel his anger and confusion. his view of the world would also feel disrupted. how was he supposed to feel?

tomura wasn't built to handle moral dilemma - he simply wasn't. the hatred he felt towards heroes was deeply imbedded in his past, his goals and his ideology. having feelings for someone on the other side of the court, that he was supposed to loathe, would force him to reevaluate his thoughts and beliefs - he would have to face a lot of painful memories. he briefly wondered if his brain and feelings were pulling some sick, twisted hero version of 'daddy issues'. was there a part of him seeking something? he ignored the idea that something was looking and pleading to be healed.

why was he even thinking about it? they would simply reject him, anyway. he feared that rejection - the rejection of allegiances and of him as a human being. did they even see him as such? or, was he simply another monster? it would weight heavily on him, feeling as thought he could never make a move. that thought would lead him to his next problem: acceptance.

he would eventually accept his feelings and affections, somewhat begrudgingly. it would be slow and he wouldn't like it one bit. succumbing to his need to be accepted by them. it would have a sudden moment of clarity and being honest, he might vomit at the wave of overwhelming emotions. but, he would finally acknowledge as what they are.

slowly and subtly, he'd begin changing the way he acted towards them. to everyone's surprise and distaste, he would be less hostile, not wanting them involved in conflict. the notable change, however, wouldn't be good. as the other villains noticed, it would cause a rift and considerable tension among them. this would add only more to his plate.

drabble.

sitting in the dimly lit hideout, tomura was doing everything he could top stop the racing thoughts in his mind. the images of the pro were making a mess of his thoughts and he couldn't get any of it to go away. he hated how his heart race quickened and his hands shook just because of them. he was going mad.

'damn it,' he hissed to himself, agitated beyond comprehension. 'why them?'

their last encounter haunted him, playing on loop and reminding him of the way he was looked at. they looked at him as if they saw more than just a villain. their gaze held understanding, concern.. compassion. it made something in him flutter, something that shouldn't exist. something he so desperately wanted to ignore.

his thoughts were disrupted when toga bounded into the room. 'hey!' she chimed, eyes twinkling with mischief. everyone else may have had a problem but he didn't want to admit that she understood. 'thinking about your little hero again?'

his gaze shifted to glare at her, jaw clenching briefly. 'shut up. it's none of your business.'

despite knowing his temper wasn't one to mess with, she decided to comment anyway. 'don't be so upset! i love a hero, too!' she giggled, making her way out of the room. he did his best to ignore her but he couldn't. he was so in love and it terrified him to no end.

✧*̥˚ the hero is immune *̥˚✧

his instant reaction would be pure shock. he's never known someone to be immune to his quirk and that was his biggest weapon; what use was he against you? he would be powerless. having an immunity to his quirk sounded impossible. he would be almost like a child, having to test it multiple times, being unable to believe his eyes. you shouldn't still be standing in from of him. he was back to that disgusting, exposed feeling. he was... useless.

if he wasn't curious about your quirk previously, he was fully invested in figuring it out. he needed to understand how it worked. he would be relieved for a little while, thinking about how he actually had a sliver of a chance.. someone he could touch without worry but it would be quickly overshadowed by fear. what did this mean for him? he had no control, no power - no walls put up.

he would be even more confused at this point. tomura has a sense of superiority that seemed to suddenly be dissipated. he would get angry with the way he questioned his own power. his growing feelings for you would cause his thoughts to clash even more violently. his desire to destroy heroes would be shaken by his inability to harm one, not to mention not wanting to. the idea of hurting you made him sick to his stomach. however, that growing desire to learn more would just lead him to want to be even closer. he was spilling himself apart between fear and uncertainty against love and need.

something that would make this conflict worse would be not knowing if anything was real. the way you looked at him and seemed to not want to hurt him in return.. was it a ploy to get closer? was your immunity a threat and you were just.. a plan. a fake. he would struggle severely with paranoia. would you use this against him? his growing love for you was already a weakness but now, you could easily become his downfall.

but.. he could touch you. he could hold you. and, he kind of hated that.

drabble

shigaraki was pacing around in the abandoned building, lit only by streaks of moonlight, trying to get his thoughts straight as he battled fascination and frustration. you just watched, arms folded and hip cocked. you couldn't count the amount of times he'd taken your hand or touched your arm, expecting you to crumble but there you stood, unscathed. he couldn't read your expression.

'how?' he finally asked, stopping in his tracks. his voice was low, something anyone else would consider dangerous but you were confident nothing could really happen. 'how are you immune?' "why did you come? why do you keep meeting me?' he didn't voice the questions in his head.

'my quirk makes me resistant to certain types of physical damage. usually it's against things like fire damage, ice.. surface poisons. i'm guessing your decay falls under that category.' you brushed it off as casually as you could because in reality, you hadn't known the extent of your own quirk.

he took a deep breath, a whirlwind of emotions racing through him. 'why didn't you tell me? this isn't the first time we've met.' he hoped it wouldn't be the last.

you frowned a little to yourself before your gaze softened and your arms fell, shrugging. 'i knew you would see me as a threat,' you answered, 'i liked the idea of you getting to know me as a person. not a threat, not a hero.'

you had to be taunting him, right?

'you.. you're.. different.' it was mostly said to himself but not quiet enough to not be heard. he wanted to stop closer to you, to reach for you, but he stopped himself, hands trembling at his sides.

you, on the other hand, took a step towards him. 'tomura.. there's a lot more to you than just decay. the day i took your hand and we both learned i was immune? you realize i did that not knowing what would happen? you don't have to be defined by.. all of this alone.'

his breath caught in his throat and he looked away. the way you said his name with such gentleness, it made his heart ache. his eyes closed to attempt calming himself and he found himself imagining a world where you were right. a world where he wasn't a villain, where he could be with you without all of the complications. that wasn't possible.

but, those thoughts had to come to an end and reality was a harsh thing. 'this changes nothing,' he muttered, voice a bit shaky and lacking it's usual conviction. fuck.

you just nodded. 'it's a start.'

unable to shake the feeling he had, he knew it was best to say nothing more and turned to leave. he couldn't allow himself to show such a vulnerable side to you.. not when he still didn't know your motives. your immunity to decay could be something much more than a quirk, it was painting itself out to be a symbol of hope that maybe there was more to life, to his life, than fear and destruction.

✧*̥˚ the confession *̥˚✧

the atmosphere felt heavy and thick with the tension of unspoken feelings. you stood across from tomura once more, tucked away from the world in your usual meeting spot, one that shouldn't exist to begin with. you wanted to say it was worth it, unable to deny the growing bond between you, but was it? it was nice to have a place away from the prying, judgmental eyes of society, of heroes and villains. but, what would the cost be if you were found?

'we.. can't keep meeting like this, tomura. it's dangerous.' you began, knowing that both of you would face horrible consequences.

he shifted his weight, uncomfortable and awkward, eyes narrowing as he tried to hide as much as he could. 'you think i don't know that?' he hissed out, hands clenching, 'but i.. i can't just stay away. i..'

you furrowed your brow, trying to figure something out. you searched his features for some type of answer, even a sign of the person beneath the villain standing before you but it was useless. 'why do you keep coming back to me? what is it you want?'

a long pause followed your question, your desperate attempt for something, anything to ease the curiosity. his fingers twitched, palms burning with how his desire to destroy everything around him was clashing with his own desperate need to hold something - someone - and feel human for even a moment.

'i don't understand it. you make me.. question everything and i hate it. i don't know what any of this is or how to handle it. you've made me feel things that i've kept buried for so long.'

listening to him, you took a few steps towards him, leaving only about two feet of space. 'then tell me what they are and i can figure them out with you. i've said it before, tomura, you're so much more than you're giving yourself credit for. you're not just.. a vil--'

you were cut off. 'i don't need your pity, so stop. i'm not a lost cause that you can save. i'm not just another badge for your hero bullshit.' he spoke the words through gritted teeth, angry and confused about.. everything.

'if it was pity and i thought you were just a lost cause, we wouldn't be standing here. you'd be in custody,' you pointed out firmly, straightening your shoulders, 'it's not pity. pity doesn't make me meet up with a villain who is trying to kill everyone around me. this is.. this is something else.'

he didn't know how to respond for a moment, your words echoing in his head. his heart began to pound, his confidence shattering and his mask nonexistent under the weight of his feelings. 'i don't know how to say this.. i've spent so long hating, destroying.. being angry. i didn't know i was capable of feeling something like this.'

you knew things were bleeding into a territory they shouldn't and you should have stopped the moment you fully began to understand what he meant. but, heroes have their faults, too. instead, you moved closer and gently collected one of his hands. 'it's okay. just say it, whatever it is, say it. i'm here.'

his nerves were eased by your touch, gripping onto it carefully as it grounded him to reality, one that was becoming far too overwhelming. he couldn't remember the last time he felt the warmth of someone beneath his fingertips for so long and it broke him even further.

taking a deep breath, he let it out and met your gaze. 'i.. i think.. no. no, i know. i've fallen for you,' his voice grew quieter with each word, no longer trusting or confident in his own voice, 'it scares me.. but, it's the truth.'

you knew what was coming but your eyes still widened upon hearing it. you moved on your own, even closer, your free hand coming up to settle over his cheek. 'tomura,' you whispered and God, his knees threatened to give out every single time you said his name. 'i've fallen for you, too.' you knew the deep shit you'd be in if anyone found out but in the moment, in that place, labels didn't exist.

his eyes fell shut as he leaned into your touch, breath shaky. for the first time in such a long time, he felt a sliver of hope. he felt, even if for the briefest of seconds, some type of peace. 'but.. what does this mean for us..? what can we even do.. how can we make it work?' he couldn't believe he was asking such things.

you just smiled, attempting to reassure him as you thumb moved over his cheek. 'we'll figure it okay, okay? one step at a time.'

standing there in silence, you held onto each other tightly, both lost in thought of how you were going to navigate the world from both sides without losing yourselves. for the first time, tomura felt like had had something, someone, worth the fighting. this time, not out of hate.

✧*̥˚ the first date *̥˚✧

a couple of weeks after the confession was the day neither of you expected to come. the sun was beginning to set over the abandoned park, painting it gold and making it seem so surreal; it was the perfect spot to meet up away from the city. it offered peace.

tomura showed up first, hands in his pockets and trying not to press his nails against thighs shielded only by thin material. never in a million years did he think he would be waiting to meet up with a pro for anything other than conflict. the confession had been intense and overwhelming and agreeing to go on a date, well.. it was uncharted, somewhat scary territory.

as you approached, you managed to catch his gaze as it lifted. he couldn't help but think of how different you looked in casual attire, bringing the tiniest of smiles to his lips.

'you're here,' he mumbled, the mix of relief and nervousness making him want to curse under his breath. he still wasn't wanting to be so open with how his head was working.

'where else would i be?' you mused, offering a warm smile in return. 'come on, let's go.'

as you began to walk, he fell into step beside you, flinching when your arm looked with his own. it was quiet for the most part, the occasional crunch of leaves and rustle of wind breaking into the silence. it was comfortable, just roaming along. it felt normal.

'so,' you began, looking over to him, 'what do you like to do, hm?'

being interesting was something he wasn't and the question made him shrug a little. 'i.. don't really know. it's been a while since i've thought about those things or had the time to.. do anything outside of, you know, the villain stuff.'

'"the villain stuff"', you snickered, finding the answer amusing though not trying to mock him. 'i understand that.. i haven't had many hobbies myself since, well, the hero stuff, i guess.'

the walk lead to a small bench, surrounded by overgrown grass and little flowers, offering an odd sense of welcoming. you sat down first, followed by him, though he was hesitant. it all felt so domestic to him, like his normal life was so distant. he wasn't sure how to relax and accept how at ease he felt.

'what about.. any favorite places?' you asked, this time a little more quiet, attempting to draw him out of his thoughts.

he thought a second 'oh.. there was a place i used to go, some years back. an arcade.. i liked the games, all the lights.. the ugly carpet. i felt like i could be normal there.'

feeling the urge to frown at the last part, you shook it off and gently nudged him. 'arcade? maybe we can go find one someday.. play some games, be normal people.' you understood the struggle with being normal, even if it had two different reasonings.

he couldn't fight the smile that appeared, looking down to hide it from you. 'yeah.. maybe.' he felt like he was trying to fool himself, like he was playing a silly game. he thought back to how little kids would play house and it quickly turned his smile into a frown, realizing he was just playing the grown up version.

noticing the change, you leaned to rest your head on his shoulder. 'we'll get there.. i promise.'

you both sat there for a while, letting the sun go down and leaving you to look up at the night sky, content to pretend nothing else mattered. you talked about little things, even going as far as to share stories from your childhood that garnered your most favorite sound; tomura laughing. it was foreign but you found yourself just falling deeper.

sighing, you both leaned back, relaxing against each other. 'it's beautiful, isn't it?' you mumbled, referring to the sky.

tomura's gaze never left your face, not bothering to look up or even figure out what you meant. 'yeah,' he answered softly. a warmth spread through him that he'd never felt before, finally understanding that the connection.. you, in general, was something he'd been missing. it was so much more than breaking rules, lying, defying labels' he was finding a piece of himself that he'd thought dead and gone.

when you turned to find his gaze on you, your own softened and you leaned just enough to bump the tips of your noses together. he still wasn't used to the affection. 'thank you for tonight. i know.. this isn't easy.. and, i don't know where it's going to go but i'm glad we're here. trying.'

with a deep breath, he shifted around to sit sideways and face you, hesitantly taking your hand along the way. 'me too.'

you laced your fingers with his own, head tipped back against the bench to look at him in the new position, gaze full of nothing but warmth. that's how you both stayed for a while, well into the early morning, just talking. both of you felt a glimmer of hope, the promise of some type of breakthrough. something real. that could possibly make sense one day.

✧*̥˚ breaking point *̥˚✧

as the numbers on your clock switched to shine back at you just how late it was, you took a deep breath and decided it was finally time to try and sleep. it was normal for you to be awake past midnight but you just felt so drained. as you rose to head for bed, you were stopped by the faint sound of a knock at the front door. the sound put you on edge and you moved to check through the security screen, eyes widening at what you saw.

tomura was at your door, hood pulled low to mostly shield his features. something about it made your stomach twist, feeling like something was wrong and you were quick to open the door, pulling him inside. the last thing you needed was for him to get caught.

'tomura, what are you doing here?' you asked, concern evident in your voice. out of pure instinct, you began checking to see if he was hurt, heart racing.

he caught your wrists carefully to stop you, shaking his head. you took notice of how he was trembling, how his eyes flickered around the unfamiliar setting of your apartment as if someone was going to jump out and end your little game.

'i didn't know where to go,' he finally answered, voice raw and broken. 'everything.. everything is.. it's too much. i don't even know what to believe anymore.'

you were confused and worried. the man before you most definitely wasn't the one who was trying to kill you almost two years ago but he also wasn't the one who had spent several nights on a park bench laughing with you. you gently got your wrists free and guided him to the couch. 'talk to me, what happened?'

as he sat down, he held his hands in front of him, arms resting on his knees. he stared at them as if they were foreign to him, gaze filled with desperation and fear. 'do you know how long i've spent being told what to do.. who to hate, what's good, what's bad.. and now there's you. everything is different and it's.. it's terrifying.'

you weren't going to begin to say you understood because you didn't. your struggles were on a completely different playing field. that didn't stop you from reaching out to take his hands. 'you're not alone and you're not going to ever face any of this alone. it's okay to be scared.. you're human. i don't care what anyone else has ever told you - you are human. all of this.. it's new for both of us and while i can't say i can see from your view, i will be here and we will figure it out together.'

he flinched, watching the way your hands went around his, almost like he was waiting for what would always come. he still wasn't used to it and he was so scared the one day, all it would take was the brush of his hand to lose you. 'i don't know how to do this,' he whispered with a weak, broken chuckle. 'i don't know how to be anything other than what i am. what i've been. i've barely ever been seen as human.'

it broke your heart to listen to him, wishing you could go back and change something - anything - so that he didn't have to experience what put him in such a mindset. 'i wish i could give you all the answers.. but i can't. just.. breathe, okay? i'm right here.' you shifted closer to pull him into your arms, hugging him as close as you could.

tomura didn't hesitate to hide against you, face pressed into your shoulder as he began to shake with silent sobs. he clung to you, fingers curled into your shirt, relishing in the miracle of being able to touch someone and doing his best not to think of the fact it was also a curse. maybe.. just maybe, had you not been immune, you'd both be better off.

'i've been so angry for so long,' he finally spoke again, muffled against your shoulder. 'angry at everything.. heroes, the world, myself, all of it. but you, i can't even explain.. you make me feel so much more and i don't know what to do with it. are we supposed to just.. hide for the rest of our lives..? be.. ashamed..?'

'ashamed..' you repeated, tightening your hold on him, 'i'm not ashamed.' or, were you? you told yourself you could never be ashamed to be with him but he was right, you were both hiding. you'd both be traitors, untrusted.. unwanted. 'i.. i don't know. it's not easy and.. i just don't know.'

he didn't respond and you didn't expect him to, your answer giving him next to no relief and only giving yourself more to think about. but, you stayed put for a while, holding him as he cried, letting out years of pent up emotions, the weight of fear and doubt becoming too much. slowly, his sobs began to slow and his breathing evened out. he wasn't anywhere near done but his body really had nothing left.

'thank you,' he muttered, voice hoarse as he turned his head, coughing a little. 'i.. i really don't know what i'd do without you.. how i made it this far, even.'

'you never have to worry about that,' you promised, gently brushing his hair aside. you hoped your own worry wasn't noticeable.

leaning up to press a kiss to his forehead, you pulled back slowly to get to your feet, holding out your hand. 'stay, let's go to bed. you need the rest.. away from everything.'

✧*̥˚ golden gaze *̥˚✧

off for the afternoon, you sat on your couch, head in your hands as you reflected on the events of three nights ago. seeing tomura so broken and not being able to give any answers - it put you in a place of wondering just what was going to happen. was your quirk such an unfortunate thing to put you in such a place? you didn't ask to fall in love but you knew walking away wasn't an option. you were startled out of your thoughts by a knock and honestly, you were getting nervous about visitors and upon getting up to check, you had every right to be. behind your door was hawks, his usual relaxed expression replaced with something serious. something.. dangerous.

'hey,' he greeted when you finally opened the door, his tone telling you this wasn't just a friendly visit. 'we need to talk.'

fuck.

you nodded and let him in, door closed and locked behind him. hawks made his way into the living room, golden eyes scanning out of habit and to search for something - for someone. once you were both seated, he eyed you for a moment.

'They've got me watching you. It's been two weeks now,' he said bluntly, clenching and unclenching his jaw. 'They know something's up. Suspicious as always.'

your heart sank and you knew the way you flexed your fingers and looked away said all that he needed. 'i see,' you whispered. you knew it could happen, even being so careful, and the confirmation felt like a punch to the gut. no matter how hard you tried, lying to him wasn't possible.

hawks sighed and leaned back, pushing a hand through his hair. 'Look.. we're friends, have been for a while. So, I'm gonna be straight with you and ask. Who is it? What have you been sneaking around for and do I need to put an end to it?'

you knew that fighting your best friend wasn't something impossible and as much as you'd both be against it.. you shook your head. the weight of your friendship made you tell the truth, knowing your secrets were at least in good hands. 'Tomura Shigaraki,' you confessed, looking down as your fingers gripped at your sweatpants, 'we.. we've been seeing each other. i know, i know how it sounds and it's complicated but it's real, Kei. you know i wouldn't risk so much if it wasn't.'

hawks' eyes widened before he let out a low whistle, head shaking as he let your words sink it. 'Shigaraki.. that's.. damn, that's big.' he was still processing the information, genuinely at a head with how he was supposed to react. when he was called in, he expected it to be something small. 'Can't say I'm a fan, for obvious reasons. He's dangerous, and everything he stands for goes against what all of us are fighting for.'

you didn't need to be reminded and it brought tears to your eyes, unable to stop them. 'i know, kei. but.. please, try to understand, he's different when it's just us. he's trying.. i- i feel like he could change. i believe in him.' it sounded pathetic, betting your career on love and hope.

hawks was silent for a second, analyzing you before he scooted closer, a hand settling on your shoulder. 'i won't tell anyone. the commission won't hear it from me. as far as i'm concerned, you've just been sneaking out to catch a break.'

your head snapped up, looking at him through the blur of your tears. 'thank you.. but why? you.. why would you take such a big risk..?'

he didn't want to make things morbid but it was something you'd already heard from him. he gave a sad smile, squeezing your shoulder. 'I can't take something away from someone that i've always wanted. a real connection, real love.. someone to come home to. it's rare. and if you really think he could change, maybe there's hope for you guys. i can't.. get in the way of that. you wouldn't be here, like this, if it wasn't real.'

his words only made more tears fall, the stress and anxiety of the last several days finally hitting their breaking point. 'i.. i don't know what to do, kei. h-he's scared and doesn't know what to do.. fate is s-so fucking cruel to do this to us,' you sobbed, lifting your hands slightly in a gesture, 'to put us against each o-other.. the opposite sides of a full blown w-war.. and make us love each other? why..'

shifting around, hawks pulled you into a hug, wings folding around you in a protective manner. 'it is fucked up.. but, i'm sure you're going to figure it out. you're not alone in this.'

you clung to him, sobbing against his shoulder and letting out the tears you couldn't, wanting to be strong for tomura. hawks just let you be, whispering what he could of reassurances and offering comfort that it seemed you desperately needed. as you began to gradually calm down, finding it difficult to breathe, you pulled back slightly, beyond thankful to have the blond as such a close friend.

'thank you, kei,' you whispered, wiping and rubbing at your eyes.

he shrugged, wiping away a tear from your cheek with a small smile. 'hey, what are friends for? i'll do what i can to help.. just, be careful, alright? one step at a time.'

you sat together for a while, telling him more and getting his comments. you were thankful for the support, feeling a little less suffocated by everything. the future was uncertain but you would find a way.

✧*̥˚ confrontation *̥˚✧

tomura sat at the worn out table of the hide out, one arm crossed with his forehead resting on it, lost in thought. he seemed to be going over the same thoughts as you. what he hadn't expected was the door to swing open with a harsh bang against the wall and dabi to enter, eyes bright with anger.

'it is true?' he ask, voice dripping with contempt. 'you've got to be kidding me. you're involved with a pro hero?'

he was too tired to fight. 'what if i am?' he asked, head lifting to look at him, expression unreadable. 'it's none of your business.'

his brow furrowed when the latter slammed his hand on the table, the rattle making him groan. as dabi leaned closer, eyes flickering, he knew the conversation wasn't going to end well. 'what the hell are you thinking? they're the enemy - our enemy! you're the leader of the league of villains, for fucks sake!'

he'd never exactly seen the other show that much of a reaction to something and honestly, a tiny part of him was amused. 'you're talking like you do anything but chase after your pro hero father for acknoweldgement. you're going to lecture me?'

before dabi could respond, toga had slipped into the room, a look of concern on her features. 'i think you should calm down,' she said, stepping between them. 'do you really think it's that simple? come on.'

turquoise eyes rolled and a laugh sounded, echoing in the most empty room. 'not that simple? he's fraternizing with the enemy, toga. this could destroy everything we've ever worked for.'

toga shook her head, glancing back to tomura before speaking, her tone soft but firm. 'no, it won't. shigaraki knows what he's doing. besides.. maybe this could be a good thing?'

getting up from his seat, tomura stood up, meeting dabi's gaze. 'i'm not betraying the league. i know what's at stake but.. i won't give up on them. it's making me question things, sure, but maybe toga's right.'

looking between the two of them, the oldest scoffed. 'why are either of you even here? you both sound like lovesick morons. what's next? are you going to go and beg to join them next?'

toga frowned at the words, knowing her own interaction with heroes was just as complicated. 'he's right.. we've all questioned things but we're all still here. maybe.. it'll be a push to a better path.'

his anger wavered as he looked between them once more, feeling uncertain but he was aware no one was changing their minds. 'and what happens when your precious hero betrays us? what happens when they betray you, shigaraki?'

it wasn't a thought that tomura wanted bouncing around his head, not again. his gaze hardened and his fists clenched but he had nothing to say. he trusted you but no one was going to listen. toga just looked up to him, feeling sympathy for his dilemma. he was thankful at least one person was on his side.

dabi sighed, frustrated, and just threw his hands up. 'whatever. when this backfires, don't expect me to clean up the mess.' and with that, he was already stomping off out of the room, head shaking.

'don't worry, we'll handle it together,' toga said, regaining some of her usual playfulness as she turned to face tomura. 'we always do. i'm here for you, too.'

tomura felt a slight sense of relief that it hadn't escalated any further, humming at the girl's attempt to comfort him. '..thanks, toga.. i appreciate it.'

she winked, showing off a toothy grin. 'anytime! now, let's figure out our next move, yeah?'

✧*̥˚ the delusion of a happy ending *̥˚✧

the night was quiet, eerily so as you patrolled the outskirts of town. but something felt off and you couldn't put a finger on it. the darkness felt heavy, almost suffocating as your stomach began to twist with an overwhelming sense of dread. you couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong but what? everything seemed normal. nothing seemed out of place. not a soul was even in the streets.

and suddenly, the air began to thicken, crackling with what could only be a sinister energy. you shouldn't have turned around. you should have flagged the others and done your best to run but you didn't. you turned on your heel to face the one person you knew you couldn't defend yourself against. All For One stood before you, his presence felt like it was crushing you and he radiated malice.

'good evening, hero,' he began, voice mocking. 'i've been waiting to meet you.'

you hesitated before taking a defensive stance, deciding if you were going out, you'd at least try. 'what do you want?'

his response was to chuckle and it made your heart pound, skin crawling at the sound. 'you see, there's been something of a.. complication recently. shigaraki seems to have taken a liking to you and.. well, that simply won't do.'

your eyes widened, realization dawning on you. 'you.. how do you..?'

'i know everything,' he answered, tone laced with disdain, 'i cannot allow this distraction to continue. he must remained focused on our goals.'

before you could react, his hand raised and a malevolent energy began swirling about his fingers. moving didn't seem to be an option, feeling as if the air itself was keeping you glued to your spot. this was it - you were going to die and didn't even have a fighting chance. you almost laughed at how pathetic it was.

'this is for the greater good, you see?' he began coldly, 'your quirk has become quite the nuisance and i think it's time to get rid of such a pesky thing. you don't need it, right?'

reality was a cruel thing. he wasn't going to kill you. he was going to make you miserable. before you could speak, a sudden searing pain spread through your frame. it felt as if every fiber of your being was being torn apart, atom by atom and you screamed, the sound echoing through the streets.. or maybe not? no one seemed to hear it. your visioned was blurry by the time you were dropped to your knees, feeling empty and weak.

All For One stepped closer, his expression one of mild curiosity. 'it's fascinating how easily power can be taken away, isn't it,' he mused.'

as the pain subdued, you felt hollow.. a disgusting, heavy emptiness flooding you. you'd never fully understood your quirk but it had given you something so meaningful and it was gone. looking up to the man, your eyes filled with angry tears. 'you won't win,' you hissed out, nearly choking on the words, 'h-he'll see through your bullshit.'

'perhaps.'

with that, he was gone, disappearing into the shadows in which he came, leaving you broken on the ground. you tried to stand but your legs gave out, leaving you on the concrete to let reality fully sink in on what had happened. you were quirkless. and there was nothing you could do about it.

desperation build as you thought of tomura and you knew you needed to find him, to tell him. it took several minutes to summon any strength you had left to get to your feet, mind racing as you thought of where you could go. your secret meeting spot.. surely if he didn't hear from you, like he was supposed to, he'd look for you, right?

you stumbled through the streets, body aching and heart heavy. the cruel words of that evil man echoed through your thoughts, making you even more determined to keep going. his sick idea to not kill you but to use you against tomura made your insides burn with hatred. she felt vulnerable without her quirk but there was nothing she could do. she needed to find him.

it felt like hours before you reached the familiar spot, the bench from your first day, and collapsed onto it. your breathing was ragged and you were exhausted, pain still throbbing through your limbs. 'tomura, please..' you whispered to yourself.

it took an hour for him to appear, frantically looking for you after you didn't show up. his eyes grew wide with concern upon seeing the state you were in. 'what happened to you?' he asked, rushing to your side and instinctively reaching for you, his worry overriding his usual caution and hesitancy.

you were too slow. too slow to move, too slow to speak. before you had the chance to explain, his fingertips brushed against your arm. 'tomura, wait-!' you tried to get out, words having been caught in your throat as confusion, pain and fear filled you, overwhelming your senses. the sensation of decay was something your mind didn't even have time to describe to yourself. your eyes widened in pure horror and before he could even register what was happening, you were gone.

tomura's own eyes widened, watching his biggest fear unfolding right in front of him and it brought up too many flashbacks. 'no.. no, this.. this can't be happening,' he couldn't speak above a whisper, watching as you disintegrated and slipped through his fingers like sand. before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he fell to his knees, hands clutching the remnants of the person he'd grown to care for and love so deeply. the weight of his actions crashed down on him like a tidal wave and he could only think of one way you'd suddenly have no immunity to him.

'no!' he cried out, voice echoing through the empty alleyway, 'no, no, no..'

as he knelt there, surrounded by the dust that once had been you, someone he was willing to change so much for, he was back to the racing thoughts of conflicting emotions. the person who had made him question everything, had healed so much, that gave him hope for something better, was gone. and it was his fault. it was always his fault. he heard your voice in his head, telling him he wasn't a monster and it brought tears to his eyes.

'i am a monster,' he managed to get out, voice breaking, 'but him.. i..i trusted him.. and now.. he promised to help , to give me power.. a-all he's done it take e-everything away.. what little i had.' he didn't know how to come to terms with the new revelation, feeling like he was tearing apart at the seems. 'everything i believed in.. everything he taught me.. it was all a lie..'

'why.. why did this have to happen?' he asked himself, shaking with grief and rage. it was his fault. had he never approached you, it wouldn't have happened. the self blame hit but he was still far too angry to fully take the blame.

the reality of All For One's manipulation hit him with a harsh case of clarity. the mentor he had trusted, the one who took him in and cared for him, shaped his future.. the same man who orchestrated such a cruel fate. he felt such a burning hatred in his gut that he couldn't move. on top of his anger pressed the soul shattering guilt for what had happened, all because he was stupid enough to believe he deserved better.

as he sat their in the darkness for hours, hands stained, and weeping over the hero he loved, he no longer had any sense of purpose. who could he trust? who was right anymore..? as he let his thoughts wander, he thought back to the moment you spoke of change.. of understanding. he would carry the memory of you with him and make sure your loss wouldn't be in vain. it would be the catalyst for a new path.

as he got to his feet, elbow against the brick wall for support, he looked up to the night sky and took a deep, shaky breath. the path he was about to take was uncertain and the fight he would find himself in wasn't going to be easy - he even hoped it ended with being reconnected with you. but he would fight for a future that could honor your memory and he would find his own way, free from anyone else's control.

✧*̥˚ a tiny little bonus *̥˚✧

the sun was shining brightly over the campus, casting a warm glow over the students wandering across the grass, most likely trying to get to classes. among them, you walked between your two friends - toya and himiko. the group was chatting, laughing away as they discussed what they would get up to once all of their classes were over.

you were just starting your second year of college along with himiko, following behind toya who was in his third. the small blond girl added an bright, infectious energy to the conversation as she talked with her hands, excitedly talking about a project she was working on. toya on the other hand, while being interested, complained about his own project that he wasn't even sure would be finished in time. the day felt like quite an adventure to you, just nodded along and commenting when there was an opening.

as they walked, your attention was caught by a passing group of students - one in particular. a young man with disheveled black hair and soft red eyes, licking over his lips when one of his friends made a comment about them being dry. you bit back a chuckle when hearing a rebuttal about seasonal allergies. she couldn't ignore the way something tugged at her mind.

tenko was a transfer student who'd spent the past week unpacking and getting his schedule squared away, had somehow already made a small group of friends despite his seemingly introverted manner. as he walked, nudging one of the guys teasing him, he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation, feeling eyes on him and he stopped, turning around to catch your's gaze.

for a moment, time seemed to stand still. the world faded out and all they saw was each other, a familiar tug pulling at each other their hearts.

in your head, an familiar scene played, showing them in a pro hero costume, standing beside shigaraki in the dark alley. his gaze held fear and longing and you were brushing over his cheek, whispering that it would be okay. the memory seemed to bring tears to your eyes.

tenko, on the other hand, could see the moment he'd finally understood his quirk wasn't going to work. his hand was on your cheek, relief flooding him at the smallest touch. the raven was confused but it felt so.. familiar.

'hey, you okay?' himiko's voice broke through the spell and you blinked, head tipping towards her.

'oh.. sorry, i..' you began, pursing your lips, 'i thought i saw someone i knew..'

toya's eyebrow went up, glancing towards the young man then back. 'you know him?'

you shook your head with a frown. 'no but.. it feels like i should..? i just.. i just saw.. you know what, forget it? i sound crazy.'

tenko felt a familiar pull and as he kept walking, something told in to stop. he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew you, seemingly in another life, and he couldn't get himself to keep moving. the sensation was so unbelievably strong, he turned around and looked for you once more.

he didn't have a choice as he began moving towards you, heart beating harsh in his chest. 'excuse me,' he called, '..y/n?' he wasn't sure where the name came from but as he looked in your eyes, he felt an overwhelming wave of emotions, too many pictures rolling through his thoughts.

hearing the name, you looked up at him. 'tomura..?' you whispered.

himiko and toya had stepped back, exchanging curious glances but staying silent, not wanting to ruin the moment.

as you went to offer a hand to him, another student bumped him into you and the touch alone brought everything back. both of your memories from your past life flooding back like a dam had broken. both of you were shown the final moments of your relationship. and something in you broke, even dropping your bag.

'you.. you went against.. him..?' you asked, already throwing your arms around him as tears welled up in your eyes. you knew you shouldn't be upset but he wouldn't be standing in front of you had he not passed soon after.

'for you.' was his only answer, arms going around you tightly.

as the two of you stood, clinging to each other, whispering and sniffling, toya nudged himiko. 'did we just witness some reincarnation soulmate shit..?' he whispered, though he couldn't help but smile.

himiko nodded, offering him a toothy grin in return. 'fate really is weird, huh?' she asked, nudging him back. 'wonder if either of us have soulmates out there.'

the white haired male shrugged, tossing his bag over his shoulder. 'who knows.. wonder what kinda people we were, though.'

when the two of you pulled back, hands laced and prepared to face a whole new life together, you turned to face your friends. 'i'm sure we were friends in our past lives, too,' you chimed, being at least a little hopeful. none of your memories with each other showed them. soulmate stuff was weird, you decided.

himiko leaned down to pick up your discarded back. 'i'm sure we were all friends in all of our past lives.. just like we'll be in the next.'

everyone smiled and fell into step. tenko had waved back to his friends to go on without him and you resumed your conversation about plans, automatically pulling the raven into the middle of them.

'my dad's throwing some weird party for my brother.. you guys want to just hang out at my place?' toya asked, looking over the group. 'you can bring your new boyfriend.'

you rolled your eyes. 'wonder if your dad is this.. creepily.. attached to you and your siblings in another life. i'm pretty sure most of your house is covered in family portraits.'

'you realize i moved to a dorm just so i could breathe, right? he's like.. i don't even know how to explain it. he's like those t.v dad's that are so.. perfect? it's annoying.'

himiko laughed. 'you're upset because you have a loving family? that's soooo weird.'

toya clicked his tongue and reached to pinch her arm. 'you live on campus too, you know?'

you listened to them bicker, content to lean into tomura's side, peeking up at him as you walked. he glanced down at you, leaning to press a kiss against your forehead.

maybe, you thought, this life would treat you better.

[rhythmic-idealist]

BNHA Eyes and Mouths Analysis

BNHA has a dichotomy set up between two repeating motifs: visible eyes with covered mouths, and visible mouths with covered eyes.

For visible mouths and covered eyes, AFO and All Might are the prototype. Every instance of covered/obscured eyes with a visible mouth is, in some way, a reference to one or both of them.

For covered mouths and visible eyes, there are a couple different things one could call "the prototype," including Tomura Shigaraki (yes, the hand technically covers his whole face, but the "creepy eye peeking out" look is iconic and is what defines him early on). There's just way LESS of a "prototype" here and less of a need for one, though, because there's less of a need to allude to any one character.

But if there IS a true "prototype" covered mouths reference, I'm gonna loooosely suggest it's the Sludge Villain scene.

BNHA eyes-and-mouths theory posits two things: that eyes are the window to true emotion, and mouths are narrative-maker.

Let's talk mouths!

Covering a character's mouth is one of the quickest ways to indicate that they need saving. Not the only one, and you can't consistently expect it (Number 6 comes to mind, for example, as a character who could really use saving despite his imagery more regularly referencing AFO). But it sure does come up a lot!

When I say "mouth as narrative-maker," I'm largely talking about an association the text has between the mouth and control. The phrase narrative-maker comes from:

trying to explain the link between the mouth and control

AFO as storyteller

All Might as a symbol

Bakugo is a character whose covered-mouth imagery is EVERYWHERE. We have the sludge villain scene and the muzzle as the most obvious instances, but I would say the entire existence of Best Jeanist and relationship between those two characters—i.e. Jeanist's early distaste for the way Bakugo presents himself to the world—is another tally on this list.

Bakugo is also a character who grew up both expecting and exerting a lot of control. In fact, I would say his current struggle is defined by accepting that he is not built by his own two hands alone, so that gives you an idea of how reliant he was on building himself on his own, and how much leeway he had to really believe that. How much control he has felt until now.

We see that control challenged in the vs. Todoroki fight, when he doesn't get to win the way he wants to because how other people run their lives doesn't need to account for that. He doesn't get to rise in the way he planned to. He is not the only character in this ecosystem. And that is always, mandatorily, going to impact both his identity in other people's eyes, and who he becomes in reality.

He's muzzled and forced to take the first place pedestal anyway, and once unmuzzled, the medal is placed in his mouth—something I want to argue is similar enough to the "eat this" passing of OFA from All Might to Midoriya that I want to come back and talk imbibing at a later date.

(Also under that imbibing pin: OFA, AFO consuming those quirks/vestiges. Himiko Toga. And, and thank you Jacob for this one: Shigaraki vomiting, a recurring occurrence.)

During the Dark Hero Arc (aka Villain Hunt, among many other aka's) is the first time in a very long time that Midoriya has worn his full mask, and, specifically, that metal grate over his smile. It's reminiscent of All Might's smile, but it's him disappearing behind the weight of legacy.

Tomura Shigaraki is introduced as a guy with spooky eyes poking out of an otherwise completely covered face. He also is not the big bad.

The thing is I've been wanting to post about covered eyes and covered mouths in BNHA for MONTHS, and then I finally got this into a Twitter thread before transcribing it here. I see now that it really only covers covered mouths. We'll be back for eyes, real soon. In the meantime, here's a good thread Jacob made about it.

[pikahlua]

On your meta about Bakugo's death. Yes but also no. The fandom keeps forgeting Bakugo wasn't actually murdered. Hori drew a great deal of panels explaining the moment and how Jeanist told him not to go and Bakugo decided he was going to be the one to defeat Shigaraki and jumped in, bursting his own heart by overusing his own quirk. AfO even talks about how his body wasn't able to keep up with his technique, things Hori wouldn't have put there if the goal was just say "oh, shigaraki killed bakugo." In that case he would have just delivered a fatal blow. Tomura's murder of Katsuki is meant to be his biggest cry for help. Tomura didn't actually murder him and that's the thing. For all the beating he gave Bakugo, the fact that his demise was overusing his own quirk while rejecting a direct order of the professional hero that was guiding him in the battlefield instead of whatever Tomura did to him says a lot more about Bakugo's own character than Tomura's chance of saving.

It is important to not change/forget that part of the narrative by saying Tomura killed Bakugo, because we are actually creating an event that didn't really happen in the manga, more so when the author explained right there what was actually happening for a reason.

It'd be nicer if you just ask me clarifying questions next time. Then I wouldn't have to do this.

You can't say Katsuki wasn't murdered because we don't KNOW what happened. The ambiguity is on purpose, clearly. We see Tomura LAND A HIT on Katsuki's chest right before his heart explodes. The question of what actually happened to him at this point remains unanswered. We cannot conclude either way if technically Katsuki was murdered or blew up his own heart by accident.

What we did see of Katsuki's thoughts says nothing about how he "decided he was going to be the one to defeat Shigaraki." All it shows is that he thought whatever he was about to do was key to Shigaraki's defeat. The conclusion to this arc could potentially reveal an unexpected goal behind Katsuki's actions.

I would argue the focus with Best Jeanist was not on Katsuki disobeying orders (which would also lead to a weird semantics debate) but on Katsuki's fighting display surprising the hell out of Jeanist. He thought Katsuki jumping in would be bad, but then Katsuki predicts Tomura in battle well enough to scare the shit out of him. Whether or not there is any emphasis in the story on how this was all somehow something Katsuki did to himself and Tomura was just incidentally involved is...also up for debate. We can't know either way without the conclusion.

I was obviously being reductive in my initial post you're responding to because I was talking about the SYMBOLISM. If I were to really get into the nitty-gritty, I would've called him TomurAFO, not Tomura.

Regardless of whether or not I would've referred to him as Tomura or TomurAFO, I showed the most important panels where clearly TOMURA perceives himself as having killed Katsuki. This was what was most relevant to my point. You can even throw in the scene where he mocks Izuku for being too late if you'd like. The main point was Tomura's "cry for help" part, not the technicalities of "murder." Tomura thinks he's a destroyer, he openly takes responsibility for Katsuki's death, and he calls himself "Izuku's villain" to emphasize how unsavable he is. It all ties back to that moment in his childhood when the old lady wouldn't help him as he was suffering.

[haleigh-sloth]

What do you think the end game for Kurogiri will be? I mean like post saving/fighting. I don't think he will be killed during the battle or anything but do you think he will live at the end of the series? I feel like that is a little weird just cause he is technically a corpse lol. I feel like he could pass on his caregiver role of Shigaraki to Aizawa.

Well, I think he will be around by the end, alive as he currently is.

I used to think he’d die, die trying to save Tomura from AFO. Back when I thought it’d be a massive team effort to do so.

I don’t think that anymore, the more deeply I’ve read into Tomura and seeing how things have played out over time. In my head I have a clearer idea of what saving him looks like and ShiraGiri isn’t in the messy part of it with Izuku like I used to think he’d be.

I think he’ll be alive because I just see it in the manga, that it’s pitting people from opposing sides against each other. But not just any random people—people with connections, whether they be new ones fostered throughout the manga or old ones left behind (Aizawa and Shouto fall into this category). I don’t see any of the characters carrying this aspect of the manga out will die in the process, mostly because I feel like it’s going for a very togetherness ending. The only exception is Twice, but his and Hawks’s dynamic is a different meta that’s too much to add into this answer.

I think Aizawa will get his friend back. He lost him once already, and then he lost Midnight. I know he’s technically a corpse, but if Shirakumo is in there (and he is) then what’s the difference? That’s how I see it. It’s not like Twice’s situation where his biggest fear has no come true (he could disappear at any moment because he’s not himself). It’s not like that, it’s not NEARLY as uhh dark as that.

For Tomura’s arc, I don’t think ShiraGiri will die because that’d just be more loss and, idk. This late in the game so close to the end, it feels pointless to do that. We still haven’t even GOTTEN to the Aizawa/Shirakumo stuff, and we’re so close to being done. I don’t see him being thrown out at the end after such a short time lived with his friend and reunited with Tomura (who also isn’t fully his own person again yet either).

And then a more cynical take on it, but the stakes are uhhhh kinda low at this point lol. More like, I just feel like it’s very obvious every protagonist will get what they want—which is good for the villains because that’s what they want. It’s not a complaint, but there isn’t anything making me super worried for anybody. I think all the questionable suspense was left behind in the first war arc, now it’s just about getting shit done and getting to the end.

Also, I still think everyone in this spread will be around at the end, and he’s in there.

Of course this is just what I think. I’m optimistic he’ll stick around. I hope he does. I want to see him, Aizawa, and Tomura all three interact. Tomura with the only found family member he’s ever had and the pro-hero he thought was cool?? Those two adults in his life being friends should blow his mind lol. I see potential fun in that. Also yeah…both of them being there for him, I see that and want that badly.

I hope it goes this way, I don’t feel like ShiraGiri needs to disappear for the story to be good.

[fertilize-my-eggs]

So for my last post, my new fanfic will be called: " the night stalker " it's a title for serial killer tomura shigaraki x fem chubby woman au fanfic. I'll post this week.... maybe later on but I'm actually excited for it because the first chapter will be based on my random dream?? Idk if I'll call it that but I had it for two days in a row and it didn't happen recently but I would be half awake and see this dark figure holding a gray camera in its hands and it disappears whenever I stare at it a little long. But my little weird brain has given me this idea and I'll definitely use it in the first chapter for my fanfic. :3

I think it's probably my sleep paralysis demon idk, I need to sleep more and not wake up randomly.

Does anyone get those dreams/hallucination???

Also I forgot to mention reader will be a foreign woman that come to Japan and learning Japanese and their culture. So I want to make it where shigaraki doesn't understand what you're saying in english but will type him speaking in Japanese in the story? Probably not coz I don't know how to type it and I don't want people to be like." This is how not you spell it. "For now it'll be easier for me to just type it in english.

But I'll write some parts where shigaraki is confused and has no idea what the reader is saying and finds her so attractive because he never has foreign woman before.

So he is technically a womanizer where he murdered anyone, both males and females but he only does it at night time that why he has the tilt night stalker.

He stalks his victims for days or months if he is obsessed with them.

[violetlunette]

Why Shiggy and the Meta Liberation Army should be in BNHA:V

Okay! So, surprisingly a lot of people have taken an interest in something I said about why the villains in “My Hero Academia” and “MHA: Illegals / Vigilantes” should be switched. Everyone was super patient, and I’m really grateful for it, so here’s the post!

Now, before reading, keep in mind that this is all opinion based. Also, you’re going to be seeing a lot of “what I would have done” or “they should have done this.” This isn’t me saying that I’m better than the author (I’m not. I constantly struggle with my fanfics). This is just me discussing some things for fun.

(In other words, take it with a grain of salt.)

And please keep in mind that the Main Series is still ongoing and nearly 400 chapters long, while the Spin-off is nearly 130, so I may get some things wrong. (If that’s the case, please be polite in your corrections. Otherwise, you'll be ignored and blocked.)

Notes:

*Spoilers!

**My Hero Academia Main Series

**My Hero Academia: Vigilantes / Illegals

*Some Tomura Shigaraki Critical (Well, to be accurate it’s how the Main Series treated him.)

*Long Post, which is why there are no images

*I am writing this while sick (not sick-sick, but sick enough) so grammar may be off and I may forget a few things.

So, here’s a quick summary on both the main antagonists and the protagonist.

Let’s start with our hero first;

Koichi Haimawari is the protagonist of the BNHA spin-off, BNHA Illegals / Vigilantes. Like Izuku, he had dreams of becoming a hero. Unfortunately, he missed his testing because he stopped to save a drowning young girl. Because of this, he spent his life living as a "normal" person, who isn’t allowed to use his quirk. Even so, Koichi had an innate desire to help others. Because of this, he would secretly go out at night doing small things like helping people find their way, finding lost items, and crossing the street—actions which are technically against the law as it’s an illegal use of quirks. One day while saving a girl from a group of thugs, he meets a mentor named Knuckle Duster, who wants to train him as a vigilante. At first, Koichi refuses, wanting to be a “good citizen” but finds he’s not the type to sit back and do nothing as people are getting hurt. So, he starts training under Knuckle Duster till the latter leaves, leaving Koichi to do what he can, which amounts to usually distracting the villain till a hero shows up (though he gets a few good moments). After helping to defeat Six at the end of the series, Koichi goes to America to become Captain Sunshine’s sidekick.

Now, on to our “tragic” villains.

Shigaraki Tomura, real name Shimura Tenko, is a young man who is descended from one of the One for All users and All Might’s mentor, Shimura Nana. He grew up in an abusive home, as his father would beat him for his desire to become a hero. His father hated Nana for giving him up, believing she abandoned him for her hero work. (Not realizing that even if she retired, her enemies would still go after her and him.) One day, Shiggy’s quirk manifested. With it, he accidentally killed his entire family, including his dog. He wanders around in the street for a long time, but even though adults saw him, they would look and walk away, stating that a hero would come to help. But one never did. Instead, All for One, the main villain of the series, came. He took Shiggy in and for the next decade, or so, brainwashed him to make him his successor and his new body, choosing him specifically to try and affect All Might. Just before All for One is captured, he passes his quirk to Shiggy. Thus Shiggy becomes the “big bad” of the story (in writing, but we’ll get to it). He tries to gather villains to his aid but struggles. Eventually, he “succeeds” by beating the Meta Liberation Army leader. Now we discover that he is possessed by AFO’s consciousness which will swallow his if Izuku can’t reach him.

The Meta Liberation Army is a group of Villains with political power. They advocate for the right for normal people to be allowed to use their quirks unrestricted, which they claim is a human right. However, their methods are villainous, including domestic terrorism, kidnapping, and murder, hence their villain status. After Shiggy beats Re-Destro, they join the LoV and help in the destruction of Japan. Now that we have the basic intros, let’s move on to the reason we’re here; why do I think that the villains should be switched? As well, as some plot points? Well, first off the MLA and Shiggy fit the tone of BNHA:V better. The Spin-off is mainly supposed to be a story about “ordinary” people doing what they can. So, it would fit better with the theme of the story if the villains weren’t part of some overly complicated secret drug organization but were instead “normal” people who fell through the cracks or fighting for their rights. In this case, Shiggy and the Meta Liberation Army.

It’s actually interesting how little has to be changed for Six and Shiggy to switch places.

Merely have it that instead of Shiggy meeting AFO, he meets a member of the Meta Liberation Army. His backstory can stay the same. Abusive daddy with mommy issues (only this time the heroine is a random hero, not Nana), quirk going wrong, people being assholes and ignoring a child in distress, and being taken in by an extremist. (Serious, aside from giving a reason for AFO to take a special interest in him, Nana plays no role in Shiggy’s arc or development. Write her out, and almost everything stays the same.)

In fact, I believe wholeheartedly that Shiggy’s backstory would be better and more natural fits the overall theme of BNHA:V.

Again, the theme is about ordinary people doing what they can, and with Shiggy, no one did the bare minimum. (Serious, sit the child down, call the police, wait for a hero or policeman to arrive, then leave. Boom! There’s one less terrorist in the world.)

Aside from everything All for One did, Shigaraki only became a villain because ordinary people, for whatever reason, didn’t do anything. If ordinary people had done the bare minimum and tried to help Shiggy out, then he wouldn’t be a villain.

Plus, everything that makes him an ill-fitted villain in the main series is what makes him a great villain in the spin-off.

Now, what makes Shiggy a bad villain in the main series? Well, bad isn’t the right word. It’s more like he’s not as strong there in a narrative sense.

First, Shiggy has no personal connection to the main heroes, in this case, All Might and Izuku. The story tries to give that to us with Nana, but really think about it; how does it affect them overall? Honestly, it just gives All Might a sense of guilt that AFO is using Shiggy. That’s it. As for Izuku, the two had one confrontation one on one for over 300 chapters. ONE.

Honestly, Izuku had a deeper connection with Overhaul and Muscular. Both were the first real villains Izuku took on in a fight, who taught him what it means to be a hero and why heroes have to fight villains. Bottom line, there is one thing to connect Shiggy and Izuku as rivals; their mentors hate each other. (Okay, and Izuku wants to “save” Shiggy and Shiggy wants to be saved but still.

In addition, MHA is a story that needs an active villain to push the story along, as it's a series with an overreaching plot. Shiggy is NOT an active villain.

I’m sure others will argue, but Shiggy very rarely moves the story along. At first, he does;

He leads the villains to attack UA and introduces the main characters and the readers to the villains. After that, his actions are more like they’re filling up space as they have no real effect on the main plot. 

He reaches out to Stain? Stain gets caught in his introduction arc. (Plus that was AFO’s idea.) 

He releases four Nomus after Stain pokes him a bit; none of them have an effect on the overarching plot. (Even though Bat Nomu SHOULD HAVE but I digress.)

He attacks Izuku in the mall? The most you can say is that it encouraged U.A. to change sites but is that really such a change story-wise? 

The attack on the camp; AFO’s orders, and he didn’t go. True, he ordered the villains there to kill Izuku, but again, nothing comes from it. And the order to kidnap Bakagou came from AFO. 

Then after AFO is captured and Shiggy finally gets his chance to shine, guess what? Overhaul takes over the arc, and the other members of the league go to work. (Does Shiggy do anything there? I’ll be honest, I don’t recall.) He takes Overhual’s arms and quirks, but does use that to move the story at all? (Does he even use it? Oh well. I’ll admit that’s the one good thing he did.)

The only time Shiggy’s actions fuel the story is when he and the rest of the League fight the Meta Liberation army and convince them to join. Then after that, he goes to sleep like Sleeping Beauty till Mic’s wonderful voice wakes him up. (Is he even in the Endeavor arc?)

After that, Shiggy releases a tidal wave of death and fights for a while, but then AFO takes over as the big bad again.

(Again, I may be mistaken but please be polite in your corrections.)

My point is that Shiggy’s actions rarely move the plot along, and in a story like MHA, that’s a failure.

In Vigilantes, on the other hand? His reactionary state is perfect. Why? Because Koichi’s story isn’t an overstretching arc, it’s mostly episodic. It’s the Pro-hero's subplot that has the overreaching story (and it’s not really needed, but I’ll discuss that later).

Because BNHA:V is mostly episodic and a “simple story.” (Minus the Pro-hero subplot.) The story could focus on Shiggy’s arc more and just have him wandering around, occasionally causing trouble. After all, Koichi’s story is just him being Koichi. True he trains and fights the odd villain, but the people around him push the plot, not him.

This gives them something in common; they merely react to what happens to them. However, they’re also different in how they react.

Koichi, despite being laid back, is always active and doing what little he can to improve life for himself and others. When he reacts, he reacts to assist those around him and acts very humbly.

Shiggy, meanwhile, reacts with annoyance and entitlement for most of the story. He does as little as possible while demanding others do stuff, throwing a tantrum like a brat, and lashing out with violence at any mere inconvenience. (For the sake of fairness, in the villain arc, he steps up—but then he goes to sleep, and AFO takes over! Seriously, for most of the manga, he does less than everyone around him. But I digress.)

Having Kochi and Shiggy just wander around, living their lives would work great. Shiggy could be doing random stuff for the MLA and occasionally fighting with a hero while Koichi does what he already does, and it would fit together, even if they don’t meet much.

But more than any of that, I believe that Shiggy needs to be saved by a hero like Koichi, NOT Izuku.

The reason for this is that while Shiggy blames heroes whenever he thinks about his pain, he’s not thinking about heroes. He’s thinking about the people who ignore him. Ordinary people who decided not to do a thing.

Koichi, despite everything, is an ordinary person. In the BNHA world, he isn’t special. His quirk isn’t flashy like All Might, and he's not a chosen successor of a great legacy. Koichi is just a normal guy, inspired by All Might to do the best he could to help others. Even if it’s just in small ways, like helping someone with directions, finding lost items, distracting a villain until the authorities come, or helping a cat find a home. THAT’S the kind of hero Shigaraki needs, a normal person doing what he can.

Izuku is great, but he isn’t a normal person.

He’s not only a hero in training but the successor to the greatest hero in Japan. But he carries a special quirk that is super powerful. If Izuku saves him, it’s not an average person doing their best it’s the successor of a great hero, carrying a mantle. And that doesn’t round off Shiggy’s arc very well.

Likewise, Koichi needed to fight a villain like Shiggy so he can realize his efforts aren’t wasted, and they matter. Because if someone like him had been there, then Shiggy wouldn’t have suffered, and his actions may have saved someone else. His acts are small, but they matter, and such a thing would inspire others to do more. This is why he would be able to reach Shigaraki.

The Meta Liberation Army should also be in Vigilantes, and they should be the big bad of the story. The reason for this is that another one of the themes of BNHA:V is about quirk rights and whether or not the average person should be able to use them. Something that the MLA is all about. Koichi, despite not doing anything immoral is considered a criminal because he uses his quirk without a hero’s license. Having the MLA as the main enemy introduces a great conflict, AND shows us both sides of the dilemma; Yes, people like Koichi and Pop can use their quirks to help, but people like the Meta Liberation Army use their quirks to harm others. (Of course, to even this, I’d have more vigilantes. Have Soga’s gang and Tamao join the fight.) Having the MLA as the big bad would give the story a chance to be about people fighting for what they believe in and how it’s a person’s individual actions that make them bad or not, regardless of their cause. (Something I think the main series is TRYING to do.) And I think this message would be stronger, narratively, in BNHA:V. In the BNHA world, Vigilantes were the ones to show the world that quirks could be used to help people and introduce the hero profession. So, having a vigilante push forward the idea of Quirk rights, and quirk society, would be poetic.

And that’s it, that’s my thoughts on this subject for now! Thanks to the ones who were patient in waiting for this! I hope it was worth it. Please re-blog with your own thoughts on this. And if you’re curious about why I think Number Six and Queen Bee should be in the main series, please go here.

[echoes-lighthouse]

Ranking all of my selfships by how many other characters we interact with vs. selfships that are literally just me and my f/o in a void! My autism demands that I put my f/os in a new list format every month or I will implode.

From most important external characters to least:

1. Jester Lavorre (we’re very tangled in the Mighty Nein and while we’re not technically a polycule, we’re definitely a tight-knit found-family)

2. Himiko Toga (League of Villains polycule! It’s the post-camp-attack squad, with Compress, Magne, Twice, Shigaraki, Dabi, and Spinner: Kurogiri is there but not part of the cuddle puddle)

3. Tate Langdon (the house is full of ghosts and we have close relationships with all of them, with varying degrees of complexity)

4. Monokuma (there sure are a lot of kids in this murder school! Granted, I’m mostly invested in Monokuma, but I also have ties with the other kids)

5. Zero Rick (our grandkids are super important to our relationship! also, Beth and Jerry are there)

6. Death (Delirium is my only platonic f/o, so she’s obviously important to me as well, but the rest of the Endless also have their own places in our story)

7. Grell Sutcliffe (the story is mostly about us but we also drop in on Sebastian and Ciel occasionally and annoy the hell out of them, it’s a favourite date plan)

8. Cecil Palmer (again, I usually focus on the two of us in Cecil’s pre-radio days, but I also have a lot of emotions about my connection to Kevin, and Carlos is also there in our canon-era story arc!)

9. Dirk Strider (there’s a lot of other characters! I rarely tell stories about them, though. Dirk and I are a little too tied up in each other, but if I spent enough time on our story, we would have interesting dynamics with the others)

10. Jonah Magnus (I do have a plotline with the main Archival staff, but Jonah and I have been through a lot of different casts of characters, so I don’t expect anyone to keep track of all of them)

11. Val Frizzle (It’s just me and her and our Pines twins at the house!)

12. Toshinori Yagi (we occasionally interact with other characters, Hizashi helped him to learn JSL for me, and I’m fond of Midoriya, but we’re mostly in our own world)

13. Tumblr (it’s just the two of us in a fictional high school!)

14. Gertrude Robinson (our storyline takes place before any of the canon events and before she meets any other characters: we do have friends, though, who are OCs)

15. Tomura Shigaraki (we ran away from all the other characters and we live in Canada now <3)

[halcyonrole]

au where inko finds tenko wandering around and reaches out to help

now izuku really is his little brother  

(alternate under the cut: some things are just meant to be)

(left to right this time)

[hamliet]

What Does It Mean to Save?

I keep seeing it said that Deku, Ochaco, and Shouto will “save” Shigaraki, Himiko, and Dabi, but that there will be no redemption and/or no survival for them. I’m truly not trying to vague these posts and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but literary criticism is fundamentally responsive so I’m writing this anyways.

I personally think that’s not BNHA’s definition of saving nor of redemption. So here, have a deep dive into literary tropes related to redemption, genre, and character arcs as they pertain to BNHA and the question of: what does it mean to save Shigaraki, Touya, and Himiko?

Before we begin, let me say that while we might be personally uncomfortable with redemption (there’s a redemption arc in BNHA I am personally quite uncomfortable with), that doesn’t inherently mean the narrative won’t go there. The key principle I’m operating on here is BNHA’s message that heroes save people. It’s held up as the highest ideal. 

So let’s talk redemption in BNHA-verse. With this guy, whose redemption arc I dislike in principle but accept as part of the story so don’t come for me stans and/or antis. I’m analyzing because it shows us what redemption means in BNHA-verse, whether or not that is satisfying to you personally as it fits/does not fit with your own morality/philosophy.

If Endeavor can be redeemed and live, and he’s Bakugou’s negative foil, I highly doubt Shigaraki and Deku as well as Touya and Shouto and Ochaco and Himiko will be any different. Why? Because Enji is an adult character. The others--well, Himiko’s age we don’t know, but we do know that Shigaraki and Dabi are technically adults. But does the story consider them adults?

(It doesn’t.)

Child-coded characters are generally more likely to survive a redemption, which I’ll explain more later. First I have to define what I mean by child-coding, because I DO NOT mean this in the way it’s often (mis)used in fandom wank. Child-coding is a real thing, but it is not done to infantilize and it has nothing to do with shipping.

Child coding frames the character as a child for a few narrative purposes to convey a story’s theme or purpose. For example, if it’s a coming of age story coding a character as a child even if they legally are not emphasizes their journey to an understanding of self-actualization, or a true understanding of self with self-awareness and an understanding of self-value. An example of an adult coded as a child is The Kite Runner, wherein Amir is a legal adult for half the story, even married for fifteen years so we’re talking 30s-40s, but he does not truly become an adult until he returns to his homeland and takes responsibility for a childhood sin. In Attack on Titan, the main characters are now nineteen, but are still struggling to take responsibility as adults and have only started doing so now that their mentors/parental figures have started dying.

Along those lines, in any kind of story, you can code a character as a child of someone, regardless of biological relationship, to convey the type of relationship they have (usually a mentor one). For an example of this, see Bungo Stray Dogs’ Dazai and Akutagawa. Despite their two year age difference, Dazai recruited him to the mafia, abandoned him, and Akutagawa desperately seeks his approval. Usually in these stories a character will “overcome” their parental figure. This can be done through overcoming their need for the parental figure’s approval in stories where the parental figure is kindly (such as in Harry Potter, when in the final book Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave the Weasleys to find the Horcruxes despite Mrs. Weasley’s please) or through like, killing/stopping/leaving the parental figure when they are abusive (see fairy tales like Rapunzel and Cinderella). The parental link to self-actualization is because it is childlike (and a part of actual psychology that is reflected in literature) to see yourself as a part of your parent; self-actualized person would see yourself as a distinct person from your parent, but also acknowledge the ways in which they’ve shaped you.

So, how do you code a character as a child? BNHA isn’t subtle about it, because Horikoshi seldom is subtle about anything. The villain trio are all coded as children.

Shigaraki Tomura:

Who cannot achieve self-actualization so long as AFO has access to his body, as he’s literally trying to possess him. He’s trying, but it’s not gonna work because Shigaraki can’t keep AFO and become an adult at the same time. It’s a choice the narrative is setting up: your dream of destroying, or your freedom? (To get the latter, he’ll probably have to destroy AFO).

Todoroki Touya, who is repeatedly emphasized as a small child when compared to his siblings, and yes, I know he’s now tall. Specifically he’s spotlighted as the child of Endeavor:

And he’s the least self-actualized one in a lot of ways, contradicting himself constantly. I’m not Endeavor, DUH! But these are Endeavor’s flames! He’s gonna have to choose one or the other, because the tragic irony is that the more he takes out his rage on those around him, the more like Endeavor he becomes.

And Toga Himiko (who might well literally be a legal child), who is actually the most self-actualized one thus far, because she rejects Curious’s child insistence (Curious holds her in a Pieta pose, based on Michelangelo’s statue wherein Mary holds a deceased Christ):

She’s still got, like, a way to go though:

Because Himiko also wants to be like the people she loves to the point where she loses her own identity in them, which is er, not self-actualization. So she’ll have to choose whether or not she really wants to be like the people she loves or whether she wants to live her own way, which she herself tells us how that would end (death):

Deku said it himself: it’s good to focus on what someone is doing now. And look, I have issues with this statement and how it’s framed. I’ve talked about it at length and it was doomed to fail because Shouto himself told us long ago that it was annoying to hear a righteous speech by a stranger when you hadn’t gone through the same, plus Endeavor kinda failed by choosing being a hero over a dad here. But, the principle is that if the past doesn’t preclude Endeavor from seeking a better self, why would it preclude three characters coded as children, one of whom is literally somewhat the product of Endeavor’s sins? BNHA doesn’t think the past keeps someone from a better future. 

So what about Dabi’s counterpoint, which is indeed valid? Well, redemption doesn’t mean the past forgets, either. It’s complicated and nuanced, and we can debate how well Horikoshi strikes this nuance (it’s got its flaws), and admittedly I don’t know how this will go down in the future. But it is asking Endeavor: how do you redeem yourself to the people you’ve hurt? And we have Endeavor asking this question to Touya’s shrine. I mean, the foreshadowing is obvious. Endeavor has to redeem himself by trying to save Touya. However, it will still probably come down to Shouto to save Touya.

For our three villains, it’s a little harder to predict... well, sort of. For Shigaraki it’s extremely obvious: he has to help take down AFO. Dabi probably has to do something to help his family (siblings probably), but it’s vague. Toga needs help and not condemnation, but presumably she’ll help Ochaco with something.

So, is this redemption? I’d define it as redemption in the eyes of the narrative. To address what makes a redemption is another essay unto itself, but if we bring in the oft-compared Star Wars example: did Darth Vader get a redemption? Did Ben Solo? Everyone says yes to both. However, only Luke witnesses Vader’s redemption, and only Rey Ben Solo’s. So the rest of the galaxy? Doesn’t think so. When I say they’ll be redeemed, I’m defining it as their role in the eyes of the narrative, not whether or not society will accept them or even whether their victims will forgive them (of note, in canonical novels, Leia never forgave Darth Vader despite learning he was her father and obviously knowing Luke’s account of his redemption was true).

So, redemption in a narrative doesn’t mean all of society has to forgive and accept them. Dabi has still like, murdered 30 people--many of whom were thugs, but he himself acknowledges they didn’t deserve to die. Additionally, he himself also acknowledges that the families left behind--their feelings matter:

But why does that mean they have to die? Why even does it mean they have to languish in prison forever? (If there’s even a safe prison at the end of BNHA which I kinda have doubts about.) Heroes have also killed: see Hawks as Exhibit A. In fact, some people want revenge on the heroes precisely because they arrested or killed their loved ones (jail isn’t held up as a rehabilitative place in BNHA’s world. In most countries it isn’t in real life, either, but again that’s for another essay). So why don’t the League’s feelings on Twice’s death matter just as much as the feelings of unnamed and unseen (and thereby less important narratively) characters?

Additionally, regarding death... the villains routinely get called on their death wishes. Himiko’s determination to decide how/when she dies is called out because this is right  before Twice overcomes his trauma to save her, and the next arc they appear in is when Twice dies trying to save her again. Dabi’s suicide wish keeps him from getting close to others, and it keeps getting thwarted. Shigaraki’s obsession with destruction and death is clearly not a good thing, and his rejection of his family’s desire for them to join him in death this past arc is growth.

In other words: what Dabi said and what Snatch said about families and how they feel matter for the villains too. The villains are their own weird found family (Dabi as the deadbeat prodigal brother of both his families). Their deaths--Magne’s and Twice’s thus far, and I’m not ruling out further deaths in the future--affect the others. People’s feelings on losing loved ones matter. The villains are people, as Himiko said herself this arc:

Their feelings about each other matter:

How would Touya dying affect the Todorokis? At least they saved him spiritually, I guess, but that’s absolutely lame narratively, and if you have Enji eventually do a sacrifice to save Dabi (pretty likely, even if I personally think Enji will survive said sacrifice) then what’s the point of Dabi dying? How would Himiko dying affect society? As a martyr like Curious wanted her to be, even a redeemed one? A tragic warning story? What even is the point of Ochaco saving her if that’s the case? If Shigaraki dies, well, who would mourn besides Deku? How would Shigaraki dying affect the surviving members of the league? He just couldn’t be saved physically? 

It’s not impossible some of this happens, but it doesn’t seem like great writing, especially with panels like, oh, these that show us BNHA’s perspective on death:

Sacrificing something is a type of death that occurs in stories; this should happen in a redemption arc, which is why I’ve been saying Enji needs to sacrifice his hero reputation to help save Touya and even then it’ll still be Shouto imo who does the saving. But physical death?

If you want further analysis of the latter two panels and how they relate to the ending, see here.

We already have another villain who will definitely die redemptively (Kurogiri--an adult coded character--because he’s already, like, dead), and Spinner and Mr. Compress aren’t coded as kids so I hold them with anxiety towards the end. But again, this isn’t me being ageist or saying this is the way things ought to be in fiction or real life: it’s me looking at writing tropes and saying that child-coded characters tend to survive their redemptions. See: Zuko. Why? Because the death of children or child-coded characters is a tragedy. When a child-coded character dies redemptively it doesn’t feel like a happy ending and if framed as such, it’s often criticized for bad writing (see: Ben Solo). Curious even called this out in her fight with Himiko. I would hope Horikoshi doesn’t end the story being like yeah Curious was right that’s the best use of Himiko’s/Dabi’s/Shigaraki’s arcs:

Additionally, as for the believability of a character getting a new chance after so much destruction and murder... well, it’s kinda a thing in shonen and even in seinen? For better or for worse, it’s a thing. We have Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z and Kaneki Ken in Tokyo Ghoul (Kaneki, by the way, is absolutely an inspiration for Shigaraki). We can debate how well-written these redemptions are (I personally have been quite critical of Kaneki’s despite wanting it to happen narratively), but it can be done. BNHA’s Japan especially isn’t as harsh a world as Tokyo Ghoul’s Japan, so it would make even more sense for something like Kaneki’s ending.

The reality is that the cycle of revenge via hurting people and then leaving hurting families and loved ones has to stop somewhere. Someone has to be the bigger person and step up and be like “naw.” That’s heroic. That’s brave. That’s sacrificial itself. Justice itself doesn’t really exist in its purest form without mercy.

There’s another genre-reason I don’t see death or jail as likely (I could see, like, maybe a mental health ward like Rei’s? But it’s too soon to speculate).

If saving is considered a good thing for the story, if it’s truly the highest ideal, then saving someone should be rewarded by the narrative. The characters who save should have a positive result to show us this a good thing.

This is why it doesn’t work for the heroes’ end journey to be accepting that some people cannot be saved. The notion of just accepting that you cannot do something, you cannot save everyone, you cannot, cannot, cannot, is called out as a flaw of society. Determination, on the other hand, is rewarded.

We see it with Deku as well as with Mirio.

So, what if they save them and the redeemed characters then go on to sacrifice themselves in their redemption and die (come to the same end)? If saving changes absolutely nothing for the saved person, if it’s too late for the saved from themselves to change and/or do anything that matters besides die, then the narrative theme of saving as important is left unemphasized at best and undermined at worst. Simple intrinsic knowledge that the kids “did the right thing” doesn’t cut it for a story with so much focus on physical saving when the kids are already doing the right thing; moral struggles about whether to choose to be good aren’t really Deku, Ochaco, or Shouto’s arcs. It works for Aizawa’s arc with Kurogiri, but not for the kiddos. If BNHA was more of a philosophical/spiritual text, that would indeed make sense, but it is not. Genre-wise, BNHA is a fantastical superhero optimistic story, not a gritty real-world set drama.

[cryptidanaphafsi]

I don't know barely anything about bnha but if you want to rant I'll read it because I can tell youre very passionate about it and that interests me

OK gamers saddle up for this one. Manga spoilers ahead!

Also just for some of the things I say in this: Do not derail the post or start drama on this.

Yes, I am genuinely passionate about the villains because they're just genuinely good characters. And I care about the qurkism, because its an interesting part of canon that shows that the mha universe isn't as good as one would think

So, in the canon universe of mha , people with heteromorphic quirks (aka mutant quirks) get discriminated against. This is shown in characters like Spinner and the giant woman from recent chapters.

There are even organisations in mha canon that are so quirkist, that they want to kill people with heteromorph quirks. (The beginning of my favourite arc, mv4 is literally the league killing a bunch of those quirkists. The anime cut that scene BTW, I wonder why they'd cut a scene this important to establishing the universe. Could it be bc its spinner centric and spinner has a heteromorph quirk making him less marketable?)

And as for the villains, specifically the league of villains in this case, they are shown to be people who were wronged by the system and heroes as a whole. (most of them at least) Tomura, the child groomed to be the embodiment of destruction, who witnessed his quirk kill his family at the age of 5. Himiko, a girl who was forced to suppress her quirk based urges and was shamed for who she was from such a young age, that one day she couldn’t handle it anymore and fell into urges best left untouched. Jin, a man who was seemingly abandoned by life itself having to deal with tragedy after tragedy. Losing both of his parents in middle school, getting a criminal record unfairly as a teenager, falling into the life of crime out of necessity, losing even the ability to trust in himself only to regain it and get killed for it. Shuichi, shamed for his mere existence to the point where he cant see himself as anything but a mere side-character.  Touya, a boy who was supposed to become the number one hero, only to be discarted once he wasn’t good enough anymore, leading to him almost dying just to have his father not replace him.

Compress isn’t really that tragic, but he was raised with robin hood esque believes.

The fandom at large seems to not realize either. Starting with the villains, most people that arent intrested in the villains as a whole usually only do things with toga, shigaraki and dabi, leaving the other three to the dust. Other than the simple ignoring of half the cast, all villains suffer major character assassinations by those people. Mostly spinner. And while the misunderstanding of villains could get explained in more detail, I think the fandoms own quirkism is a more interesting topic.

Getting back to spinner being misunderstood, think about how many jokes are made about how spinner is a lizard, despite him saying in canon that he does not like being called that. Similar things happen to other characters with mutation quirks.

And while yes, people with quirks based on animals probably have some of the animals instincts, they are still human. You need to remember that technically, the only talking animal in mha is Nezu.

Another important part here is character popularity. If you look at all the most popular character in mha, how many people with mutation quirks would you see?

Probably two.

Hawks (who is a pretty boy with wings, who I could write a whole manifesto on) and maybe, if we’re lucky, Iida, who’s just a likable character.

Characters that are conventionally attractive are favored extremely, and characters that aren’t do not get the same attention by the fandom, even if they’re fantastic characters.

Using spinner as an example once more, Spinner is an incredibly well written and likable character, but he gets little the attention that other characters get.

I mean, I would even claim that spinner is better and more consistently written than Hawks, but some people would have my head for that.

Anyway yeah, can you tell I dont like the extreme preference that the fandom has towards only hot/conventionally attractive characters?

[malachiexists13]

Hello! So, I’ve recently been getting into Jujutsu Kaisen, and as per usual, I have become aware of the various ships spread throughout the fanbase. And recently I saw this argument against one of them and I genuinely can’t believe someone made this comparison.. 

Disclaimer, there will be discussion of manipulation, abuse, and childxadult relationships in this post. 

So first off, I’m in no way shape or form condoning or claiming to be in support of Gojo x Itadori or Shigaraki x AFO. I honestly don’t care for either of these ships. Okay, that’s a lie, I don’t care if people ship Gojo and Itadori together but I will go feral if people actually think Shigaraki and AFO could ever be a healthy and happy relationship. Anyways- 

So recently, I saw an argument against Gojo x Itadori in which someone tried to say that it’s like shipping Shigaraki and AFO.. These four characters couldn’t be anymore opposite so how the fuck does someone come to that conclusion?? Allow me to explain who these four are if you have somehow never seen Jujutsu Kaisen or My Hero Academia. 

Satoru Gojo is a 28yr old man who is considered the strongest Jujutsu sorcerer in all of Jujutsu Kaisen. He’s very outgoing, friendly, and seems to enjoy teasing others. He’s also one of the teachers at the Jujutsu Sorcerer school or Technical College whatever the fuck it’s called thing. Gojo also happens to be the sensei or teacher of Yuuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki. 

Yuuji Itadori is a 15yr old boy who is currently in training to become a Jujutsu sorcerer. He’s also the vessel for Sukuna Ryomen, the King of Curses and supposedly the most dangerous person in Jujutsu Kaisen but I personally can’t take him seriously because he has Itadori’s dumb face. Itadori is friendly, kind, seems a bit reckless, and is eager to help people. Stereotypical protagonist, am I right? 

Gojo and Itadori seem to have a good relationship as teacher/student. They get along and Itadori looks up to Gojo. I’ve seen some people even go as far to say they have a father/son dynamic, which I won’t argue with. However, Itadori is eventually going to be executed and Gojo is the person who’ll have to do it. In fact, the only reason Itadori hasn’t been executed yet is because Gojo’s been protecting him. Gojo’s the one who got his sentence extended and Gojo’s the one who hid Itadori after Sukuna repaired his heart. But, Gojo’s only protected Itadori at the request of Megumi Fushiguro. Fushiguro asked that Itadori not be killed, and since Gojo cares about Fushiguro, he obliged. But essentially, the two seem to have a healthy relationship whether it’s romantic or platonic. 

That is NOT the case with Shigaraki and AFO! 

Tomura Shigaraki is a 21-22yr old man who is considered to be extremely dangerous in My Hero Academia. His only goal is to not only destroy the hero society, but everything as a whole. Shigaraki does not care for creating or rebuilding, he simply wishes to destroy everything he hates. He’s essentially very unstable and extremely dangerous as a villain. Even though he starts out as immature and inexperienced, usually mistaken for a child, Shigaraki grows and matures as the series progresses which only makes him a much more terrifying threat. 

AFO or All For One, also known as Shigaraki since that’s his last name as well, his age is unknown but some believe he’s from the first generation of quirk users, making him at the very least, over a century old. He can easily be considered Shigaraki’s “sensei” or “master” because AFO has raised Shigaraki since he was 5yrs old. But AFO is considered a highly dangerous villain due to his ambitions of I think he wants to destroy the hero society and bend everyone to his will? It’s been awhile since I looked into MHA so- 

Even though AFO essentially raised Shigaraki and became a father figure to him, AFO is in no way a good influence on Shigaraki. He practically ruined the boy’s life and only uses him as a tool and a pawn for his own selfish desires. There’s a theory that AFO gave Shigaraki his decay quirk, which is the reason Shigaraki’s entire family is dead. If this theory is true, that would mean that AFO has been manipulating Shigaraki to be his little successor and pawn for over 16 years. AFO is the reason Shigaraki is the way he is. He raised Shigaraki to believe that oh, killing people you don’t like is perfectly fine. If you hate something, feel free to destroy it. Shigaraki could’ve turned out much different, had he not been raised by AFO. He wouldn’t be considered nothing but a weapon to kill. I know his father, Kotaro, is often considered pretty bad. But I’d personally say that Kotaro was a better option compared to what AFO has done to him. 

And the cherry on top? Compared to how Gojo x Itadori is actually illegal, seeing how there’s a 13 year age gap, Itadori is a child while Gojo is an adult, and Gojo is Itadori’s teacher, there’s actually nothing inherently illegal about Shigaraki x AFO.. There is an age gap, yes, but Shigaraki is not a child. He’s over the age of 18, he’s an adult who is able to consent and so is AFO. AFO is not his father and last I checked, police cannot intervene unless there is physical abuse and signs of the abuse. AFO could only get in trouble for his relationship with Shigaraki if he were physically or sexually abusing him. 

So explain to me, how is Gojo and Itadori comparable to Shigaraki and AFO? How is such a toxic relationship like Shigaraki and AFO comparable to the father/son dynamic of Gojo and Itadori? Like seriously- Is there something I’m missing here?? Comparing Midoriya x All Might or Aizawa x Anyone from 1A to Gojo x Itadori would be a more convincing argument than the fucked up relationship that is Shigaraki x AFO. I genuinely don’t see it. 

If you took the time to read my ramblings, I appreciate it. As stated before, I do not condone shipping Gojo x Itadori, I’m just so tired of this shit that I stopped caring to argue. But I mean it when I say I’ll go feral over Shigaraki x AFO, Shigaraki is my favorite MHA character and I will not stand for anyone hurting or bullying him. Let’s try to not start any arguments in the comment section. If you disagree with me, feel free to keep it to yourself. If I got anything wrong here, I’ll probably figure it out in the coming months. As I said before, I haven’t caught up with MHA in so long and I only started watching Jujutsu Kaisen a few days ago so most of what I said is going off the little knowledge I have, assumptions, and what I’ve seen others say. 

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day. 

[todomitoukei]

English vs. Japanese Mr. Compress (and Dabi) - A 294 Comparison

The past two weeks we have taken a look at the differences between the official English translation and the original Japanese version of Dabi in regards to the newest chapter. This week’s chapter mainly focused on Mr. Compress, so for this comparison, we will look at the two lines Dabi had as well as some of Mr. Compress’ lines and where/how they differ in the two versions.

Did Mr. Compress actually call them a band of egotists or was it another case of lost nuance?

One of the first things that stuck out to me when looking at the Japanese version is that there are six times during this chapter, where Mr. Compress mentions Shigaraki. While in the English translation for this chapter, he either calls him Shigaraki, Tomura, or boss, the Japanese version is pretty consistent.

There is one instance in the chapter, where it just says the Japanese word for boss - namely when he “addresses” Harima in his speech and saying that what Harima couldn’t do, Mr. Compress will “now hand off to my boss”

The Japanese line reads 「俺のボスに任せるよ」

「俺 ; ore 」-> I

「の ; no 」-> particle to indicate possession, works like an apostrophe

「ボス ; bosu 」-> boss

「に ; ni 」-> to

「任せる ; makaseru 」-> to entrust to another; to rely fully on one’s full strength/great ability to get something done

「よ; yo 」-> sentence ending particle for emphasis

= “I will hand entrust it to my boss.”

Meanwhile, the other five times he mentions Shigaraki it’s always done like here when he says that Shigaraki is the key:

The line reads 「死柄木(ボス)が。。。鍵だ。。。！」

「死柄木 ; shigaraki 」-> Shigaraki

「ボス ; bosu 」-> boss

「が ; ga 」-> subject marker particle

「鍵 ; kagi 」-> key

「だ ; da 」-> to be; is

= “Shigaraki is the key.”

You may have noticed, I put bosu in brackets. The reason for that is that the bosu is what the furigana say, even though the Kanji are read as Shigaraki.

As mentioned before, when the furigana differ from how the kanji are actually read, the furigana represent what the character says, whereas the kanji represent what the character actually means. In the case of Mr. Compress, he always says boss when talking about Shigaraki during this chapter, however, except for that one exception, we’re being shown that the meaning behind boss is Shigaraki. It’s interesting because he could just refer to him as boss all the time and we would know that he means Shigaraki, so there isn’t a need to specify the meaning with kanji. To me, this reads as a way to show that while he might use the term boss, Shigaraki he isn’t just his boss. First and foremost, he is Shigaraki, the person.

After first bringing up Shigaraki, Mr. Compress says: 

“Told us to run amok, right?!”

The Japanese line reads「皆揃ってさァ暴れましょうってこったろ！？」

「皆 ; minna 」-> everyone

「揃って ; sorotte 」-> all together

「さァ ; saa 」-> expresses the speaker’s intent to get the listener to (like “come on”)

「暴れましょう ; abaremashou 」-> to act violently; to rage, to be riotous (polite volitional form of 暴れる, abareru)

「って ; tte 」-> you said (casual quoting particle)

「こったろ ; kottaro 」-> (casual form of ことだろう) indicates that the speaker is very emotional

= “You told everyone that we should all be riotous together!”

There are two key points in regards to that part. The first one being that nuance of kottaro. That expression conveys a sense of deep emotion, so for this sentence, it shows us that he isn’t simply recalling that Shigaraki brought them together and wanted them to be violent. Rather, his inner monologue is him being desperate - worried about Shigaraki and trying to remind himself that they are currently in the midst of what they set out to do. But they’re not finished, so this is no time to give up. In a way, it’s a way to remind and motivate himself to keep going despite their current situation.

The other point is the word abaremashou. The “to run amok” phrasing in the official translation is… not that great, in my opinion. The general definition of this is someone that behaves in a violent or uncontrolled way. And yes, in essence, they are being violent. But it’s not exactly uncontrolled. The word “riotous” captures their goals a lot better considering they all have a bigger goal they are trying to reach. It’s not just being violent for the sake of violence, but rioting against a system that has denied them thus far.

Shortly after, we get this line:

“It’s just as our associate Spinner says.”

I’ve briefly talked about this already in a separate post because that word associate bothered me right away when I read the official translation.

The Japanese line reads 「スピナーの仰る通りだまだ何も」

「スピナー ; supinaa 」-> Spinner

「の ; no 」-> particle to indicate possession, works like an apostrophe

「仰る通り」-> it is as someone says (honorific)

「だ」-> to be; is 

「まだ ; mada 」-> yet

「何も ; nanimo 」-> nothing

= “It’s just as Spinner says; nothing yet.”

Notice how none of those words mean associate? Reading that in the official translation felt so stiff. We know - through various instances - that the League is close. Mr. Compress even later on in this chapter literally says that he loves the League. Associate feels like they are just business partners. I can kind of understand trying to make that capture Mr. Compress’ overall personality, but he literally just doesn’t say that, hence it just feels like another biased translation instead.

Just as a side note, I would also like to mention that this man really mixes the language as he pleases. Like most characters in manga/anime, he generally uses the casual way of speaking and yet he sometimes peppers in polite/honorific words, too? A real entertainer indeed...

Next, we got this line「俺。。。敵連っ。。。合好きだったぜ」

「俺 ; ore 」-> I

「敵連合 ; viran rengou 」-> League of Villains

「好きだった ; sukidatta」-> loved

「ぜ ; ze 」-> ending particle for emphasis (more casual/ruder version of yo)

= “I really loved the League!”

Yes, even the official translation got this one right. The main difference between the fan translation and the official translation is the “really” which I also included here. Although that word isn’t technically in the Japanese line, the ending particle does emphasize the line and with that, the word “really” captures that emphasis the best in English.

There isn’t much to say about this line other than that it’s nice to have him say this so directly and also how sad it is that he is saying this in the past tense and thus signaling to us that he does not expect himself to survive this.

After this we got the lines that really didn’t sound great in the official translation:

“A collection of warped minds who never bothered prying into each other’s pasts. Just a band of egotists.”

The fan translation on the other hand had told us this line says: “No matter who it was, one’s past never came into question, we were just a group of deviants. This was quite the unruly bunch.”

So which one is more accurate?

The Japanese line says 「誰も過去を詮索したりしなかった。歪んだ奴ばかりで。手前勝手な集まりだった。」

「誰も ; daremo 」-> no one

「過去 ; kako 」-> past (i.e. a personal history one would prefer to remain a secret)

「を」-> direct object marker

「詮索 」-> inquiry into; prying into

「したりしなかった ; sensakushitari shinakatta 」-> very strong never, kind of like “would never do that, no matter what” (attaches to the word that came before)

「歪んだ ; yuganda 」-> warped (past tense of 歪む, yugamu)

「奴 ; yatsu 」-> fellow (derogatory)

「ばかりで ; bakari de」-> only (in regards to the word that came before)

「手前勝手な ; temaegatte na 」-> self-centered; selfish (see explanation below)

「集まり ; atsumari 」-> gathering

「だった ; datta 」-> was

= “No one would ever pry into each other’s personal past. It was a selfish gathering of only warped fellows.”

I’ve seen a lot of people who voiced their dislike towards the use of the word selfish or egotists, when the fan translation was relatively harmless with the term “unruly bunch” and in a way, rightfully so. Yes, I translated it as selfish, too, but it’s a nuance that’s hard to put into a few words.

If you were to look up the word selfish in a dictionary, you would get many results, but temaegatte isn’t the top result. When you directly look up temaegatte you will see that it’s not considered a common word, either. So this word was chosen for a reason.

Temaegatte in itself is a combination of the words 手前 (temae) and 勝手 (katte), both of which have their own separate meanings.

Temae consists of the kanji hand + in front of and means before oneself; in front of one; nearby.

Katte consists of the kanji victory + hand and has two meanings: something convenient; to act in a way that is convenient for oneself, without considering others.

When you combine those two words together, you have a word that refers to behavior that is convenient only for oneself - “nearby convenience” if you want to be literal. This word can get used in the business world in response to being asked to do something when you want to decline. Instead of bluntly saying that you can’t do it, you would essentially apologize for being so selfish as to not accept the person’s request. It’s a soft way to decline something whilst simultaneously acknowledging the other person’s feelings etc. At the same time, the word can also be used when you are the one making a request and you want to apologize for being selfish for doing so.

Temaegatte is an adjective that connects to the word that follows, which is atsumari (gathering) - put together a “selfish gathering” but what does that mean?

Them getting together as the League of Villains was the result of them all having parted from society to put themselves first. They became villains for their own convenience, not necessarily out of selfishness, but rather because they are doing this for themselves, to put themselves first, without considering others. It might sound similar, but selfishness is more defined as being exclusively concerned with oneself. And an egotist is someone who talks too much about themselves or someone who has an exaggerated sense of self. There is a difference between being selfish/ an egotist and putting yourself first. Instead of just following society and suffering because of it, these people have decided to stand up for themselves and fight back against a system that has been against them for their entire lives.

So yes, you can translate it as selfish - but that only scratches the surfaces of what is actually being said.

This chapter felt a lot like Mr. Compress confirming that the League is actually close and caring about one another. Another panel that captures that, happens a little later in the chapter:

The Japanese line says 「解放戦線。。。敵連合の死柄木が」

「解放戦線 ; kaihousensen 」-> Liberation Front

「敵連合 ; viran rengou 」-> League of Villains

「の ; no 」-> particle to indicate possession, works like an apostrophe

「死柄木 ; shigaraki 」-> Shigaraki

「が ; ga 」-> subject marker particle

= “The Liberation Front’s… League of Villains’ Shigaraki.”

Funnily enough, the official translation did a really good job by translating this as “The Paranormal Liberation Front’s… the League of Villains’ Shigaraki…” -

which highlights it a lot more that Mr. Compress is correcting himself here. Though officially they still are the Paranormal Liberation Front, in their hearts they will always be the League. Interestingly, here, the furigana also say Shigaraki, so this time around he legitimately says Shigaraki instead of boss, which adds another nice, personal touch to the line and describes Shigaraki as a member - much like the rest of them - rather than dividing them by hierarchy. He might be their leader, but at the end of the day, they are all equals, too.

This chapter was definitely really good in showing that very real bond of the League and the fact they genuinely care about each other. Meanwhile, the official translation misses that nuance by just writing them off as egotists and associates, when they are actually a group of outcasts that have found a home with each other.

Before we end this comparison, I just want to quickly mention that short Dabi part of the chapter, too.

Starting with this panel:

which says「ごめん焦凍事情が変わった。」

「ごめん ; gomen 」-> I’m sorry

「焦凍 ; shouto 」-> Shouto

「事情 ; jijou 」-> circumstances

「が ; ga 」-> subject marker particle

「変わった ; kawatta 」-> changed

= “Sorry Shouto, the circumstances changed.”

And then this panel:

which says「轟炎司がまだ壊れてない上に気絶しちまったらこのショーの意味がないごめんな最高傑作」

「轟炎司 ; todoroki enji 」-> Todoroki Enji

「が ; ga 」-> subject marker particle

「まだ ; mada 」-> (not) yet

「壊れてない ; kowaretenai 」-> to not be broken

「上に ; ue ni」-> as well; in addition to; besides

「気絶 ; kizetsu 」-> faint

「しちまったら 」-> combination of しちまった (to happen completely) + たら (when) = when something happened completely (focuses on the results that come from this first part)

「この ; kono 」-> this

「ショー ; shoo」-> show

「の ; no 」-> particle to indicate possession, works like an apostrophe

「意味 ; imi 」-> meaning

「が ; ga 」-> subject marker particle

「ない ; nai 」-> nonexistent

「ごめんな ; gomen na」-> I’m sorry

「最高傑作 ; saikoukessaku 」-> masterpiece

= “When Enji Todoroki is not yet completely broken and has fainted, this show has no meaning. Sorry, masterpiece.”

This isn’t exactly different from the official translation, but it’s once again emphasizing the fact that Dabi doesn’t care about killing Shouto, the person, he only cares about doing whatever it takes to ruin Endeavor. And killing his masterpiece seems like the perfect way to hit right where it hurts. I know there are a lot of people that are upset that Dabi is willing to hurt Shouto, and again I can only repeat myself in saying that there are years of psychological issues that have led some part of Dabi to view the idea of killing his own brother as okay. But it’s also a place he can’t just get out of himself, so instead of just blaming him for being at the point he is right now, we should hope that the story will let him heal.

What’s important is that he doesn’t hold a personal grudge against him. Sure, there might be jealousy involved, yet his reason for considering harming Shouto is purely because of Endeavor. With that, Shouto still stands a chance at somehow being able to get to Dabi and help him - after his arc, of course.

Anyway, to sum this up: I continue remaining hopeful in terms of Dabi and Shouto. The League cares about each other, even if that wasn’t their original reason for getting together. They are now at a point where they are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure each other’s safety. Hopefully, and I cannot stress enough how hopeful we have to be, they will all make it out of there now and not suffer any more deaths in their little group.

[linkspooky]

Series I’m Reading in 2021

My favorite manga all come from Shonen Jump. A lot of series ended last year, and a lot of new series started, so I thought I’d do a post with a quick recap of all the manga I’m currently keeping up with in jump, and my favorite things about them. 

My Hero Academia - My two favorite manga are both reaching the ends of their biggest arcs yet, and that’s been exciting but also exhausting to read week from week. 

MHA’s strength lies in its ideas and the scope of its ambitions. There’s few stories in shonen jump that work with such broad ideas, in trying to define hero and villain and giving the villains so much depth that the main character’s ultimate foil Shigaraki Tomura, feels more like a deuteragonist to the story, a second protagonist for the other side of the story rather than an antagonist. 

It’s a creative story,  with neat little ideas. Giving an entire arc to the villains was taking an actual risk. From a story that began wrapped entirely around Deku’s perspective, the story has evolved to balance the perspective  of multiple different characters who all come into conflict with each other. The best part of the war arc is that there’s no real good guys in a story with clear and distinct entities that label themselves “heroes’ and “villains.” The heroes are allowed to have impure motives, and do impure deeds. The villains are allowed to have noble motivations, and genuinely care for one another. This is all good because it’s not boring. A boring, simple, story where good defeats evil has been told a hundred times, My Hero Academia shines the brightest when it tries to do something different. 

Jujutsu Kaisen - If MHA’s strength lies in creativity, then JJK’s is in technical execution. If you compare the first 27 chapters of MHA and JJK just in the way that they develop the stakes, story, and ideals, JJK accomplishes a lot more in the same time. 

I’m not saying JJK is better, just that it tells its story better in some ways. MHA is in the middle of a tournament arc, whereas in JJK we see the first major emotional blow of the story. A character which was set up to be saved, and who everyone expected to be saved is instead killed and this has permanent ramifications for both Yuji’s development and the threat the villain presents. 

That’s why the Shibuya Arc has so much impact , despite only having 100 chapters of build up before it. Jujutsu Kaisen introduces a lot of characters, and then quickly develops them and the ideas that surround that character in a way that it feels like every time they’re on screen they are growing and changing in a way. It’s because things are continually changing in the story all the time, that every single time the story hits you it feels like a gut punch. There’s no one safe, no status quo, just a world that you know is going to change by the end of the story. Jujutsu Kaisen is good. Everyone should read Jujutsu Kaisen.  

Mission: Yozakura Family - Katekyo Hitman Reborn used to be one of my favorite manga in shonen jump, which gave me a weakness for manga with big mafia families where everry single character has one special quirky and eccentric power. 

Yozakura Family is also reaching a similiar pont that Reborn did, where after a year of publication it’s not doing well enough as a weekly gag manga and is starting to focus to a more serious with an overarching plot, and a fighter. The main female and main male protagonist have a relationship that actually develops which makes me soft for the two of them because I want to see the story improve and see where the author wants to take them. 

Our Blood Oath - There’s been a trend towards horror series in the recent newcomers in jump, which is great because I am all about horror. A series full of vampires using their blood to cut each other up is an easy sell to me. 

Stories in jump generally don’t tend to develop until they’ve lasted an entire year, but I like a lot of things that Our Blood Oath has started with. I love the series focus on adopted family, and the relationship between the two brothers. The main character genuinely acts like a bratty younger brother, and wields unlimited power exactly like a twelve year old swinging around a blood scythe would. Which is to say, very badly.  

Phantom Seer - Another newcomer series that leaves a strong impression. The things that the series has going for it so far is a really strong main character, who’s a pretty far deviation from the standard shonen protagonist of “I want to save everyone.” Rather than wnating to be the strongest, or wanting to be a hero, he just wants a normal life, and instead gets dragged into heroics by the good intentions of the people he’s surrounded by.

The art is also incredibly strong for this series. I’m glad the artist got another chance to draw a shonen junmp series because their art really shines in both the character designs, and the curse designs. There’s incredibly unique monster designs that are equally parts horrifying and fascinating even though most of them only stick around for one chapter. 

Undead Unluck - Most Shonen Manga either figure out right away what the central conflict is, other manga never figure it out. Undead Unluck is like “fuck it, let’s kill god.” 

Undead Unluck has a bad start, and normally I would never say “keep reading and give it a chance” if it gives you a negative first impression, but Undead Unluck quickly fixes a lot of mistakes in the first chapter. Andy at first says some creepy things towards the main character, but the author seemed to learn their lesson and made a lot of changes later on to make their relationship into a healthy one of consent and mutual affection. 

The main characters and the story premise are what sell this one. A bunch of supernatural beings going out of their way to do the impossible and kill god. The plot is almost pure chaos, but I believe the two main characters are strong enough that you want to follow them all the way through it. 

Dr. Stone -  The best part of Dr. Stone is trying to unravel the mystery of the premise, how the world became turned to stone. Senku is a compelling protagonist because he’s constantly trying to solve the mystery around him, the same way the audience is. 

Senku is a strong character, and there are other interesting ones like Gen, however sometimes the series while being a fun adventure the characters don’t really develop that much. However, there’s nothing better for a protagonist than a good antagonist. The best part of the america arc so far has been the introduction of an antagonist and foil to Senku. Instead of trying to rule through strength. Dr. Xeno views everything as a problem to be solved through science like Senku. He just also sees Science as a tool to rule others, unlike the fairly anarchistic Senku who doesn’t care for leadership. 

Some of the most interesting charactermoments for Senku lies in his interactions, his similiarities and differences with Dr. Xeno, and the fact that they’re now forced to cooperate while Senku is technically holding Dr. Xeno hostage is an interesting building tension between these two. I’m following this series for two reasons, one I’m interested in how the mystery will be solved, and two I wonder what kind of person that Senku will become when he completes his goal of restoring humanity. Senku is the main draw of the series with his weird charisma, and his unique interest in science above everything else, and I think there’s still a lot of untapped potential to mine in his character. 

[pikahlua]

Im the previous anon about the brain trauma! That’s exactly why I asked you, to give some good hard takes. I honestly was not connecting the brain trauma to his actions with his brother (because yeah he was most definitely fucked up before) but more leaning towards what you said about AfO and his emotions (/seeming lack thereof) in an earlier post. It’d be cool to hear your thoughts on that further (or if you’ve already mentioned it, I’m currently scrolling through your metas so maybe I’ll find it) Also! On the inko and izuku connection, I’ve always thought, if it were ever to happen, it was a kinda quirk marriage thing that didn’t work out (yknow ignoring the possibility that izuku DID have a quirk because that’s a little too far off topic for now) I think it’s a kinda common fic idea for DfO, but I’ve always found it to be in bounds of what could happen in canon (I admit this is a bit of a stretch). Perhaps a parallel/subtle connection between Todoroki, Bakugou, and Izuku. (Bakugou was not a purposeful quirk marriage but it really worked out and on the first try, todoroki was the purposeful 4th try, and izuku was the failure/whatever)

Ahh. Hmm.

The reason I brought up the lack of emotions is because of this moment from chapter 311.

I can’t remember for sure right now but I think the Japanese version had Endeavor say that AFO lacks a heart (”kokoro,” for anyone who cares to know the word specifically).

These words seem to fly in the face of what All For One says in chapter 92:

And then there’s also this page:

But then in that bottom panel there...remember that AFO is blind.

He can’t see All Might’s facial expression...but he can sense All Might’s emotions.

And then All For One shows disdain for emotions in chapter 93:

Why is AFO’s heart missing? Where did all his stored up hatred go? Why can he sense the emotions of others? Can he sense anyone’s emotions or just those of particular people?

For me, it makes the most sense that what’s going on here is to do with a connection between All For One and One For All. All these questions could be answered by All For One’s emotions getting sucked into One For All. Perhaps his “heart” moved along with OFA when he gave the stockpiling quirk to Yoichi. Perhaps the emotions he senses all the time are those of the OFA users. If he wants to overcome OFA via emotion, namely the many generations’ worth of his own stockpiled hatred, he needs to create a stronger hatred via Tomura Shigaraki. It would also support the Izuku-is-the-unwitting-traitor-via-inception-or-sleeper-agent/bug theory.

In other words, it all comes back to the Izuku-is-gonna-be-possessed theory I really should probably update sometime.

And to be fair, that theory is technically compatible with DFO. They are not mutually exclusive theories.

Also...

The Izuku-may-have-a-quirk theory is still relevant and interesting. In theory, a body should break if it has too many quirks...and Izuku has certainly been doing a number on his own body. His body hasn’t cracked or anything yet, but those scars aren’t for nothing...

But I think the story works best if Izuku truly is quirkless. And that’s not what you’re talking about. You’re talking about AFO’s motivations.

That’s an interesting thought, because that’s also a good reason for why Izuku did turn out to be quirkless unexpectedly. AFO’s genetics could have allowed for recessive quirklessness. Then again, AFO also has family who seemed quirkless for all intents and purposes...leading to the creation of OFA in the first place.

But as far as creating the perfect quirk goes, assuming we’re relating Izuku to Shouto and Katsuki for that, I actually love the symbolism of the perfect quirk being quirklessness, because that’s the best state in which to inherit any quirk, whether via OFA or from AFO’s shenanigans. Izuku is a superior “vessel” as a quirkless person.

...and I’m back to the Izuku-is-gonna-be-possessed theory again lol.

[haleigh-sloth]

afo himself said tomura no longer exists and that they were completely merged though so people thinking he's dead, technically, are not wrong?

Yes they are wrong.

Did AFO say Tomura was dead?

Did he say it was permanent and impossible to be undone?

Not that I can recall. It’s a story. And things can and will be magically fixed in the end.

I also don’t recall him saying Tomura Shigaraki “no longer exists” either, just that he was completely integrated. So not necessarily the same thing.

Actually no, definitely not the same thing. So that isn’t even an accurate statement.

And again this take makes absolutely no sense because Tenko and Tomura are the same freaking person.

I cannot explain this metaphor/symbolism over and over again without just repeating what I, and many others, have already said.

A list of mine and a couple of other posts that explain away this tiring argument:

Post 1

Post 2

Post 3

Post 4

Post 5

Post 6

?????? Idk check those out because I’d just be repeating myself here if I went into another full explanation here.