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bnhaobservation · 23 days

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BNHA Observation: Chap 1 [Ep 1-2]

As I was rereading the manga and rewatching the anime for my "Keeping up with the Todorokis (anime version)" series, I took notes of things that weren't really related to the Todorokis but that still were worth noticing.

I thought I could as well share them in case someone else is curious especially since reading about how the series started helps to understand why it ended this way.

The things I observed are splits into: anime only scenes, characters info, continuity problems, cultural info, history time, Japanese language info, places, points to ponder, relevant quotes, timeline info, wordbuilding.

The order in which they're presented try to follow the order in which you face them in the manga, so that you can re-read the manga/re-watch the anime and, at the same time, follow them.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: ORIGIN

The first chapter (as well as the first volume and the first episode) is titled “Midoriya Izuku: Origin” (緑谷出久：オリジン ‘Midoriya Izuku: ORIGIN’).

The name of the character + the word ‘origin’ will become a recurring way to title chapters (and volumes and episodes). We’ve origin chapters for Todoroki Shōto (Chap. 39), Bakugō Katsuki (Chap. 62), Shimura Tenko (Chap 235-236), Shigaraki Tomura (Chap. 237) and Yagi Toshinori (Chap. 398) but, although those are all the chapters with the world ‘origin’ in it, in the story we’ll see ‘origin’ stories for other characters, Todoroki Tōya/Dabi, All for One, Todoroki Enji, Kirishima Eijirō, Bubaigawara Jin/Twice, Toga Himiko and so on. All this to say even if to a first reading/watching we might have missed it, the story places importance on the ‘origin’ of the characters, who they were at the start. It makes easier in a way to track their evolution and evidences how they’re characters who’re meant to evolve and yet keep something of that origin inside themselves. ‘Go back to your origin’ is what they’re told in some hard moment of the manga.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “People… are not born equal. That’s the hard truth I learned at age four. But that… was my first and last setback.” Midoriya Izuku (Deku) [Chap. 1/Ep. 1]

It’s basically the starting line of the story. Midoriya will go back to his statement “People are not born equal” in the final chapter of the story, but looking at it from another perspective.

In 4-year-old Midoriya, the fact people aren’t born equal is a problem. Inequality generally spawn division, discrimination. The fact he doesn’t have a Quirk leads to him being mocked when not outright bullied, his dream denied.

It’s worth to mention a more literal translation is:

‘Hito wa, umarenagara ni byōdō ja nai. Kore ga yowai yon-sai ni shite shitta shakai no genjitsu. Soshite, boku no saisho de saigo no zasetsu da (『人は、生まれながらに平等じゃない。これが齢四歳にして知った社会の現実。そして、僕の最初で最後の挫折だ。』 “People are not born equal. This is the reality of society that I learned at the age of four. And it was my first and last setback/failure/frustration/discouragement.”

The truth is ‘Shakai no genjitsu’ doesn’t mean “hard truth” but “reality of society” and you might have noticed that, in the official translation of chap 430, Midoriya doesn’t talk anymore of “hard truth” but of “truth about society”… which is also a call back to this first sentence.

(‘Hito wa, umarenagara ni byōdō janai. Bokura wa hitorihitori katachi ga chigatte, soreyueni tasha o omou. Katachi no chigau sono mi to kokoro o. Dakarakoso hoka e hase kōten o sagasu. Kore ga yowai 17-sai ni shite shitta shakai no genjitsu.’ 『人は、生まれながらに平等じゃない。僕らは一人一人形が違って、それ故に他者を思う。形の違うその身と心を。だからこそ他へ馳せ交点を探す。これが齢17歳にして知った社会の現実。』 “People are not born equal. Each of us is different, and that is why we care about others. Our bodies and minds are different. That is why we reach out to others and search for common ground. This is the reality of society that I learned at the age of 17.”

XX PLACES: THE PLAYGROUND

Midoriya’s living place is near the playground but not so close to it. In the anime it seems closer.

XX TIMELINE INFO: WHICH TIME IS IT?

The anime sets the time in which the kids are at the playground at 3:15 PM. In the manga the watch is barely visible but it seems to sign 12:00 PM.

XX CULTURAL INFO: THE WATCH AT THE PLAYGROUND

Often in Japanese manga you see that playground often has a watch. That watch exists so that little kids might know when it’s the time to go home.

Often, near to it, there are also loudspeakers mounted on poles, part of a broadcast system that stands ready to alert residents to impending natural disasters or other large-scale civil emergencies.

The system is tested, nationwide, every weekday at 5:00 PM (although it can be postponed at summer). It doesn’t play a scary Klaxon sound but a collection of Japanese folk tunes or other melodies (the most common choice being ‘Yuyake Koyake’ (夕焼け小焼け “Sunrise, Sunset”), a folk song popular among schoolchildren). This is known informally as the “5 pm chime”.

While this is a daily test of an emergency broadcast system, it has also come to be seen as the evening bell, a ‘go home’ signal for children, telling them to go home before it gets dark.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: THE KIDS WITH MIDORIYA AND BAKUGŌ

In chap 9 we see how, when Midoriya and Bakugō were in preschool, their childhood group had 5 members. One of them is the kid Bakugō hurt, the others are the kid with wings, that we will learn from the "Ultra Archive" guide is named Tsubasa (翼) and the kid whose fingers can stretch that will help Bakugō beat Midoriya.

When we’ll see them as older, Bakugō is still flanked by two kids and we can assume they’re the same who had helped Bakugō beat Midoriya that day. One of them is clearly the one who can stretch his fingers. The other though can’t be Tsubasa as, according to the “Ultra Archive”, he kept on playing with Bakugō and Midoriya only through Elementary school but then went to a different middle school… or, more likely, that was the time around which Garaki began working on him to turn him into a Nōmu.

The interesting part is that then the other boy could be the kid in their group, the one Midoriya defended.

BTW if you're worrying about why the hair color seems different, remember that the very first pages of the first chapter were printed colored. The other pages were colored much later, the coloring usually following the anime coloring (with the result they colored Tōya's hair red same as in the anime, even though Horikoshi left them white in the manga... and generally colored red hair in black, hinting Tōya's hair were meant to be white from the start).

On an interesting note, in the anime Tsubasa’s wings are completely foldable while in the manga they can shrink but they still remain always partially visible.

Other points to ponder is that those two kids will appear in the one-shot in two parts "Deku and Bakugō rising" printed in the 2nd volume of "Team-Up Missions" and in "A Learning Experience", a story in "School Briefs II".

XX WORDBUILDING: QUIRK, DEAD QUIRK AND QUIRKLESS

“Quirk” in the manga is always written as 〝個性〟 “Kosei”.

The kanji are always between quotation marks, likely so as to imply they don’t intend them to refer to their original meaning “Individuality/personality/individual nature/individual characteristic” but to the “paranormal abilities” (超常 ‘chōjō’) people started having. The story takes place when the 80% of the population has a Quirk. Who has no Quirk like Midoriya is starting to get always more and more rare and is called ‘mukosei’ (〝無個性〟 “Quirkless”) and yes, this too is always between quotation marks.

A word you might have missed because the English version didn't put too much emphasis on it is ‘bokkosei’ (〝没個性〟). This is how Bakugō later on calls his classmates' Quirks and, as you can see it's also between quotation marks.

‘Botsu’ (没) means “to sink, to be drowned, to die”.

Basically Bakugō is criticizing them for their Quirks calling them “dead Quirk” or something along the line that implies their Quirk are meaningless, which also fits with how Bakugō likes to use the word 'shinee' (死ねえ "die"). In the English manga he said they're 'crappy Quirks'.

This chapter will also tell us Quirks can manifest at birth (think the Luminescent Baby) or later in life, generally by the age of four a kid should manifest his Quirk though it’s possible it’ll happen later (think Yoichi). A safe way to know if one has a Quirk or not is to check the presence of an extra joint in the pinky toe. Who has two joints has no Quirk. Who has a Quirk instead normally should manifest one of his parents’ Quirk or a combination of both, though we'll later learn there are case of mutations in which the kid manifests a completely new Quirk.

XX CULTURAL INFO: THE 4-YEAR-OLD KIDS BEING LEFT UNSUPERVISED

Countries have different laws. In mine it would be a crime to leave 4-year-old kids unsupervised. In Japan it’s still okay to leave children unattended, even when they are that young (that's also why the over mentioned “5 pm chime” is used as a signal to tell small children to go back home... because their moms not only leave them to play alone in the park but won't even come to take them and bring them home).

To give you an example of how this is still okay I'll tell you in 2023 in Saitama, capital and largest city of the Saitama prefecture, it was proposed an anti-child abuse ordinance that would ban parents and other caretakers from leaving children of third-year elementary school age (8 years old) and below alone at home or in other places, as they could be vulnerable to heatstroke, accidents, kidnappings, fires and falls. The ban has stirred controversy, with criticism nationwide it could place an undue burden on child-rearing households and, in the end, it had been withdrew. Another excuse given to justify leaving children alone and fight the ban was that being left alone promotes their independence.

In the story this will have more relevance when we'll see people not being overly concerned about 5-year-old Tenko wandering alone for the streets or 3-year-old Tōya being left unsupervised and therefore free to use his Quirk, even though this hurts him.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “A giant Villain!” Midoriya Izuku (Deku) [Chap. 1/Ep. 1]

14-year-old Midoriya’s first quote.

Midoriya Izuku ‘Dekkee teki (read: VILLAIN)!!’ 緑谷出久「でっけー敵(ヴィラン)！!」 Midoriya Izuku “A huge enemy (read: villain)!”

While the quote in itself says nothing the quote as well as the structure of the spread page are repeated in chap 306, which takes place 2 years after, to show by contrast, how the situation has changed and how the back then enthusiast Midoriya now sounds void of said enthusiasm and worn out.

The panels are also reversed to underline the reverse in the situation and how they now present a lone Midoriya, clearly in a Hero pose as he stands up on a roof, where before he was clearly a civilian but, with around himself plenty of people.

The shining Hero world has turned a lot less shiny...

By the way, yes, ‘Dekkee’ (でっけー) more correct translation is not “giant” but “huge”. This will become relevant in chap 306 as Midoriya is talking about Muscular, who's huge but not a giant.

XX PLACES: TATOOIN STATION (田等院駅 TATOOIN EKI), TATOOIN STREET (田等院通り TATOOIN DŌRI) AND TATOOIN SHOPPING DISTRICT (田等院商店街 TATOOIN SHŌTEN MACHI)

The story mentions a Tatooin Station and a Tatooin Shopping district. The anime also adds a Tatooin street next to Tatooin Station. This tell us Tatooin is likely the name of a fictional ward in the city in which the story is taking place.

Tatooin is the home planet of the protagonist of the Star Wars Trilogy, Luke Skywalker, and of his father, Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader).

XX CHARACTERS INFO: HEROES

The first pages show immediately a world filled with Heroes.

We have:

Backdraft (バックドラフト)

Baseball Hero: Slugger (ベースボールヒーロー・スラッガー)

Buster Hero: Airjet (バスターヒーローエアジェット)

Kayama Nemuri (香山睡), also known as the R-Rated Hero: Midnight (18禁ヒーローミッドナイト Jū-hachi-kin HERO MIDNIGHT)

Nishiya Shinji (西屋森児) aka Kamui Woods (シンリンカムイ SHINRIN KAMUI)

Takeyama Yū (岳山優) aka Mt. Lady (Mt.レディ)

Todoroki Enji (轟炎司), also known as the Flame Hero: Endeavor (フレイムヒーローエンデヴァー)

Yagi Toshinori (八木俊典) aka All Might (オールマイト)

Mind you, we won't learn all their names and Hero names right now, I'm just listing them so as to make things simple.

In the manga some are cameos of characters who'll be relevant later in the story (Midnight and Endeavor), some others have barely a role here and later in the chapter, with the exception of Kamui Wood and Mt. Lady who'll appear short after.

The anime will give more spotlight to Death Arms and Backdraft, but will completely erase Endeavor and Midnight's cameo appearances and will never show Airjet who will appear in the one-shot in two parts "Deku and Bakugō rising" printed in the 2nd volume of "Team-Up Missions". In the manga he's mentioned in chap 27 and we see a glimpse of him in chap 370.

Midnight is in a poster commercializing BVLGORI...

...which is clearly a nod to Bulgari (stylized as BVLGARI), an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. It's also a nod at how, later in the story, we'll learn not only Heroes are often used for commercials, but we'll see that Yaoyorozu and Kendō's experience interning with Uwabami will be focused more on recording a commercial with the anime having Uwabami stating she chose them because they were cute... which is a not so subtle nod to how female Heroes tend to be used often as eye candy.

Differently from Midnight, Endeavor isn't doing a commercial but he's speaking on TV. We can see he's wearing his prototype costume.

Regarding Death Arms, his whole name "Punching Hero: Death Arms" is revealed in the anime, his name being a wordplay that seems to be a combination between the English word "death" (transliterated in Japanese as デス 'desu') and the Japanese words 'te' (手 "hand") and 'koro/goro' (殺 "kill"). Alternatively it can also be a combination between the English word "death" (transliterated in Japanese as デス 'desu') and 'sutegoro' (ステゴロ), a Yakuza term for "hand-to-hand/barehanded combat".

Backdraft was hyped by the anime, but he wasn't given an extra Hero title, the anime saying only he's a rescue specialist. In the manga he'll have another cameo in the Paranormal Liberation War Arc. Horikoshi will also use him for a 'commercial' for the Musutafu fire department on the second volume back cover.

This commercial has generated the impression the story takes place in Musutafu, when it's more likely it's not the case.

Kamui Woods' real Japanese name is Shinrin Kamui. ‘Kamui’ means “god” in the Ainu language while ‘Shinrin’ (森林) means “woods” so his Hero name is actually “God of the Woods”.

Slugger will have no other apparition.

XX HISTORY TIME: HOW IT ALL BEGAN

In Keikei city (軽慶市) in China there were news that a luminescent baby (発光する赤児 'Hakkō suru akago') was born. After that, individuals with “paranormal abilities” (超常 ‘chōjō’) started appearing all around the world. While the cause on why this started was unclear, slowly having paranormal abilities became the new normality with 80% of the people having them which lead to the emerging of the profession of Heroes.

Later though we’ll learn this is a pretty sugarcoated, when not outright false, version of what had happened that completely hides how people with paranormal abilities began appearing BEFORE the birth of the luminescent baby, or how among the causes for their appearance were listed diseases that made the individual with paranormal abilities a sub branch of humanity with new genetic factors, leading to discrimination and what could be equated to wars between people with Quirks and people without it.

Interesting enough, among the Quirks shown appearing first, there were some sort of fire monster Quirk (which we might see as a variation of Todoroki Enji's fire Quirk), an ice Quirk (same as Todoroki Rei) and a telekinesis Quirk (same as Midoriya Inko).

That's how the text narrates it.

‘Koto no hajimari wa Chūgoku Keikei-shi. "Hakkō suru akago" ga umareta to iu nyūsudatta! Ikō, kakuchi de 'chōjō' wa hakken sa re, gen'in mo hanzen to shinai mama toki wa nagareru. Itsushika 'chōjō' wa 'nichijō' ni…'kakū (read: yume)' wa 'genjitsu' ni! ! ! Sekai sō jinkō no yaku hachi-wari ga nanrakano "tokui taishitsu" dearu chōjin shakai to natta genzai! Konran uzumaku yononaka de! Katsute daremoga kūsō shi akogareta hitotsu no shokugyō ga kyakkō o abite ita! !’ 『事の始まりは中国・軽慶市。〝発光する赤児〟が生まれたというニュースだった！以降、各地で「超常」は発見され、原因も判然としないまま時は流れる。いつしか「超常」は「日常」に…「架空（ゆめ）」は「現実」に！！！世界総人口の約八割が何らかの〝特異体質〟である超人社会となった現在！昏乱渦巻く世の中で！かつて誰もが空想し憧れた一つの職業が脚光を浴びていた！！』 “It all began in Keikei, China, with the news that a "luminescent baby" had been born! After that, "paranormal" phenomena were discovered all over the country, and time passed without the cause being made clear. Before we knew it, the "paranormal" had become "everyday life"... and the "imaginary (read: dream)" become "reality"!!! In the present, where approximately 80% of the world's population has become a superhuman society with some kind of "unique constitution", in a world in turmoil, one profession that everyone once fantasized about and longed for has been thrust into the spotlight!!”

It's worth noting that in what in English was just "fantasy became reality" the kanji for "imaginary" (架空) are meant to be read as 'yume' (ゆめ/夢 "dream") which implies it's not just fantasy that become reality but that a dream came true. Keep this bit in mind, it'll come back later.

XX WORDBUILDING: HEROES (ヒーロー)/PRO HEROES (プロヒーロー)

Midoriya describes it as the profession everyone dreams about, as, along with “paranormal abilities” (超常 ‘chōjō’) came an explosion in the crime rate (or so Midoriya says... in late chapter of the manga it seems more a war between people with Quirk and people without it due to people with Quirk being discriminated). So, while nations struggled to overhaul their legal systems, brave individuals took up the mantle of Heroes straight out of comic book protecting the people form evildoers and, with public support, some quickly acquired the right to serve as Heroes in an official capacity. Depending on their performance they have the potential to earn government pay and fame and glory.

Interesting enough, when the manga describes it, it shows a cameo of Japanese and American superheroes from manga and comics.

We've Wolverine, Superman and Spiderman for the American version and Devilman (デビルマン), Kamen rider (仮面ライダー), Ultraman (ウルトラマン), Gekkō Kamen (月光仮面) for the Japanese version.

XX JAPANESE LANGUAGE INFO: WHY FEMALES TOO ARE CALLED HERO AND NOT HEROINE?

The word 'HEROINE' (ヒロイン) in Japanese is generally not used to mean "female Hero" but "female main character".

All the female heroes in the story are referred as Hero with one single exception, Recovery Girl whose full Hero name is 'Myōrei HEROINE RICOVERY GIRL' (妙齢ヒロインリカバリーガール "Youthful Heroine: Recovery Girl").

It can totally be she chose such name because she wanted to be seen as a 'youthful female main character'.

XX PLACES: KEIKEI CITY (軽慶市)

Keikei city in China is a fictional place. Keikei is the Japanese reading, the Chinese reading would be Qing Qing City. In Japanese the kanji used to write its name would mean "light jubilation" while 'keikei' can be associated to various Japanese words with different meaning which range from "glaring (e.g. eyes); piercing; penetrating" to "indiscreetly; thoughtlessly; carelessly; frivolously" to "salutation at the end of a formal letter".

XX TIMELINE INFO: TEN YEARS LATER, APRIL, 8:15 AM

Midoriya is 14 and in the last year of middle school, meaning 10 years have gone by from when he was 4 in the very first scene of the story. The blooming Sakura tell us we're in April, if it's not the first day of school (middle school start on the second week of April), short after it. The watch on the television screen on which we can see Endeavor is speaking tell us it's 8:15 AM.

XX WORDBUILDING: THE VILLAIN’S CRIME

Kamui Wood says:

Shinrin Kamui ‘Tsūkin jikantai ni nōryoku ihō kōshi oyobi gōtō chishō. Masani jaaku no gonge yo!’ シンリンカムイ「通勤時間帯に能力違法行使および強盗致傷。まさに邪悪の権化よ！」 Kamui Wood “Illegal use of abilities during rush hour and robbery resulting in injury. A veritable incarnation of evil!”

If this is an incarnation of evil I don’t dare to picture how he would define what All for One does.

The quote though is here more to inform us on how using Quirks if you aren't a Hero is illegal, in fact Kamui Wood first list ‘illegal use of abilities’ implying this crime is more serious than the crime that the Villain committed before it, the robbery resulting in injury.

XX WORDBUILDING: THE HETEROMORPH PROBLEM

Much, much later in the story it will be introduced what can be called "the Heteromorph problem", which causes people with a Quirk classified as mutant/heteromorph-type (異形型 ‘igyō-gata’ Lit. “fantastic/grotesque/strange-looking/suspicious-looking/irregular shape”) to be discriminated.

From the name of the type of Quirk, we can understand it regards not just people with an animal Quirk but people who just don't have a human shape... through it's hard to say how much of a not-human one must look.

The guy with stars on his head calls Kamui Wood 'Jumoku MAN' (樹木マン “arbor/tree man”), clearly not thinking ill of it even though h also has a shape that's slightly different from humans exactly due to the stars on his head.

Horikoshi waves away the problem saying in big cities there's no discrimination, so it's possible this man never experienced discrimination nor think his way to refer to Kamui Wood is discriminatory. Hard to say as it can also be Horikoshi hadn't planned yet the Heteromorph problem.

The anime even adds 5 girls cheering for Kamui Wood with even hearts around them the way fangirls would do which seems to further imply people has no problems with how Kamui Wood looks.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: MT. LADY (Mt. レディ)

She’s the first obvious use of ‘female eye candy’ of the story, basically wearing a skintight costume which is partly of her own skin color so that her lower body looks naked, showing her backside in a provocative pose for people to take pictures at and even making a wordplay that references it as she greets people.

Mt. Lady ‘Igo omiSHIRI oki o!’ Mt.レディ「以後お見シリおきを！」 Mt. Lady “Please look after me from now on!”

The word ‘omiSHIRI’ resembles in sound ‘oshiri/shiri’ (お尻/尻 “Backside”), which is remarked also by how ‘shiri’ is written in katakana to underline it.

The anime even underlined it by having her move said backside. Mt. Lady is also depicted as someone who's in the Hero business solely for government pay and fame and glory. Later on she'll continue on being shown with unflattering character traits until she'll fight in the Paranormal Liberation War.

XX WORLDBUILDING: MIDORIYA'S CAMPOS NOTEBOOK

Midoriya's notebook is actually based on a Kokuyo Campus Notebook. Kukuyo is a company half Japanese half Indian which produces stationery geared towards students.

Nowadays you can find for sell even ones with the same writing Midoriya placed on his own, ‘Shōrai no Tame no HERO Bunseki’ (将来の為のヒーロー分析 “Hero Analysis for the Future”). Midoriya has compiled 13 of them, the first anime opening showing them all.

Some even have the cover singed as it should have been after Bakugō blasted it and contains the drawings and notes Midoriya put on his own as well as All Might's autograph, though I'm not sure if they're original or fanmade.

What's less known is that in the "Boku no Hero Academia Jump Pack 2015" among the gadgets there's a booklet with this same cover but the content is more of a guide similar to "Ultra Archive" and "Ultra Analysis".

XX CHARACTERS INFO: THE GUY WITH STARS ON HIS HEAD

This guy who encourages Midoriya into becoming a Hero without knowing he’s Quirkless will show up much later in the manga during the Dark Hero arc in chap 325. He's the one who proposes to hear the Heroes out and let Midoriya stay at U.A. for a while.

XX WORLDBUILDING: HANDLING VILLAINS

When the Giant Villain (巨人化敵 Kyojin-ka VILLAIN) is captured we can see not only he gets tied but also muzzled, the police holding the cables tying him as the Heroes are the ones who fight and defeat Villains but the police is the one who takes them into custody... which had lead them to being nicknamed 'VILLAIN uketori-gakari' (敵受け取り係 "Villain custody officers"), often with not so positive connotations.

The muzzle will come back when they'll take Aoyama into custody, albeit it will be of a different kind.

Midoriya in chap 309 will call that type of binding '"MAIDEN"' (〝メイデン〟), clearly a short for '"IRON MAIDEN"' (〝アイアンメイデン〟). The choice of the name isn't an happy one for who lives in the west as iron maiden is the name of a torture device, consisting of a solid iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior, sufficiently tall to enclose a human being.

Although it used to be assumed this device was used in middle age, in truth this is a myth as the first stories citing the iron maiden were composed in the 19th century.

I've however seen such name being used in manga/anime for fictional, completely binding devices so Horikoshi likely chose it because it ties completely a Villain, not because it's meant to torture him with spikes.

XX PLACES: ALDERA JUNIOR HIGH (折寺中学校 ALDERA CHŪGAKKŌ)

Midoriya and Bakugō’s middle school. Usually public middle schools take the name from the ward they’re in so it’s likely that it is in Aldera Ward.

Aldera was the capital city of the planet Alderaan in “Star Wars”. It was ruled by Queen Breha Organa and represented in the Galactic Senate by her husband, Senator Bail Prestor Organa, They were Princess Leia’s adoptive parents. The planet played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Rebel Alliance against the Empire and was destroyed under Princess Leia Organa’s gaze. Aldera used to host the University of Alderaan, a renowned university with a successful philosophy of isolation to allow students to contemplate their studies.

Honestly, beyond the fact that it’s a name popular in the “Star Wars” franchise, I’m not sure why Horikoshi picked it up for Midoriya and Bakugō’s school if not to mock it as the school is implied to be definitely not prestigious.

In the manga the school is barely visible, it seems slightly different from the anime but it's hard to say with so little visible.

XX CULTURAL INFO: GAKURAN

Midoriya and his male classmate wear the ‘Gakuran’ (学ラン), a school uniform.

The color of a Gakuran is normally black, but some schools use navy blue. The top has a standing collar buttoning down from top-to-bottom. Buttons are usually decorated with the school emblem to show respect to the school. Pants are straight leg and a black or dark-colored belt is worn with them. Boys usually wear penny loafers or sneakers with this uniform. Some schools may require the students to wear collar-pins representing the school and/or class rank.

His female classmates wear a ‘sailor fuku’ (セーラー服). The uniform generally consists of a blouse attached with a sailor-style collar and a pleated skirt. There are seasonal variations for summer and winter; sleeve length and fabric are adjusted accordingly. A ribbon is tied in the front and laced through a loop attached to the blouse. Several variations on the ribbon include neckties, bolo ties, neckerchiefs, and bows. Common colors include navy blue, white, gray, light green, and black.

Shoes, socks, and other accessories are sometimes included as part of the uniform. These socks are typically navy or white. The shoes are typically brown or black penny loafers. Although not part of the prescribed uniform, alternate forms of legwear (such as loose socks, knee-length stockings, or similar) are also commonly matched by more fashionable girls with their sailor outfits.

At middle school Tōya and Shōto also wore Gakuran similar to the one Midoriya has while Himiko had a blue and white Sailor fuku.

It's worth to mention school uniforms are also considered a formal wear you can wear at ceremonies.

XX CULTURAL INFO: TANNIN SENSEI (担任先生)

It's generally translated as "Homeroom teacher" but it actually means "teacher in charge (of the class)".

In fact the Tannin follows a class through its whole permanency at school and are responsible for every aspect of the student's total education, working also as counselor and therapist for them, organizing school trips and experiences, informing them of school activities and school problems and even visiting their parents. Long story short they're supposed to establish a strong bond with their students.

Among the duties of the ones in charge of a third year middle school class there's to hand out 'Shinro kibō no PRINT' (進路希望のプリント "Career aspirations form") in which the students are meant to write the high school at which they aspire to attend and therefore for which they aim to try the entrance text exam and he's also expected to help them choosing a high school if they're unsure.

XX WORDBUILDING: EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A HERO

Tannin Sensei ‘Omae-ra mo san-nen to iu koto de!! Honkaku-teki ni shōrai o kangaete iku jikida!! Ima kara shinro kibō no PRINT kubaruga minna!!!… daitai, HERO-ka shibōda yo nē.’ 担任先生「お前らも三年ということで！！本格的に将来を考えていく時期だ！！今から進路希望のプリントを配るが皆…だいたい、ヒーロー科志望だよねぇ。」 Homeroom Teacher “You are all in your third year now!! So it's time to start thinking seriously about your future. I'm going to hand out the career aspiration forms now... I think most of you want to go into the hero course.”

While he says ‘most of you’, basically the whole class raises his hand as the kids show their Quirks.

Fundamentally the whole class want to go to the Hero course. This makes Midoriya an outcast because, since he's Quirkless, he's the only one who's mocked for wanting to go to a Hero school. This will become also relevant when Enji will tell Tōya to give up on being a Hero and make friends at school and Tōya will counter everyone at school wants to become a Hero. Probably in Enji’s school time this wasn’t that marked yet, so he had no idea of the problem, but by the time Tōya goes to school, this is a given.

Later, with Kirishima's backstory, we'll learn as they progress in their last year, many students realistically give up on such dreams as they feel they don't have the right requisites to pass the entrance exams and, among those who don't give up, some try out minor Hero schools.

XX WORDBUILDING: USE OF QUIRK AT SCHOOL

It's forbidden to use a Quirk at school, even though the homeroom teacher is clearly not enforcing that rule.

XX JAPANESE LANGUAGE INFO: BAKUGŌ'S WAY TO INSULT HIS CLASSMATES

I've already said how Bakugō calls them ‘bokkosei’ (〝没個性〟 “dead Quirk”), what I didn't add is that, to be exact, he calls them ‘bokkosei-domo’ (〝没個性〟共).

'-domo' (共) is a plural suffix which implies speaker is of higher status than those referred to, meaning he’s implying his classmates are below him.

He then will call them “mob” (モブ ‘MOB’), a reference to mob characters in video games, ‘mob’ being short for mobile or mobile object, a computer-controlled non-player character (NPC). In Japan, when referred to people, implies they’re generic people who often remain in the background and have no real role. The English version translates it as "extra".

XX POINTS TO PONDER: BAKUGŌ, THE HOMEROOM TEACHER AND BULLYING

Generally people gets upset at Bakugō for the way he bullies Midoriya but I want you to look at this scene.

Bakugō is seated in a totally disrespectful way, insulting the whole class. The teacher, instead than scolding him, informs the whole class Bakugō is going to U.A. High, a school in which it's extremely difficult to get in. As we said before, that's the sort of info a homeroom teacher would know.

Bakugō takes his chance to brag on how he aced the mock exam and even goes and stands on the table which would probably give Īda a fit as it's an extremely rude things to do.

Then the teacher catches his chance to inform the rest of the class Midoriya too is trying to go to U.A. high.

This causes all of Midoriya’s classmates to laugh at him, Bakugō using his Quirk on Midoriya’s desk to scare him (remember, use of Quirk is forbidden by law and Bakugō is risking to damage the desk and hurt Midoriya), and then points out how Midoriya is even below the ‘Bokkosei’ as he’s a ‘Mukosei’, in short he’s worse than the others who have weak Quirks as he doesn’t even have one.

Of course this scene is meant to be exaggerated because it’s a manga and normally you can't cause explosions, but I want you to focus for a moment on the homeroom teacher, who's in charge of the class and present during the whole exchange.

If Bakugō will manage to get into U.A. high the reputation of the school will increase... hence the teacher turns a blind eye to all Bakugō does as he is realistically the only one who has chance to get inside it.

However that’s not just all he does.

As homeroom teacher he's there to counsel the students... but he chooses a way that doesn't really includes talking to them.

By setting up a contrast between Bakugō and his classmates, he subtly tries to force them to revaluate their choices, they aren’t like Bakugō who aced the mock exam, dreaming is nice but not everyone is cut for the Hero course. Remember Kirishima’s friends coming up to the same conclusion they weren’t cut for it and giving up?

What’s more by mentioning how Midoriya wants to go to U.A. as well, he basically paints on Midoriya a giant target. All the class feels the duty to mock Midoriya for this, as if they’re not up to U.A. high, they think Midoriya has even less chances.

The teacher says nothing through all this, not even when Bakugō uses his Quirk against Midoriya’s desk. He’s enabling and subtly encouraging the bullying, so as to discourage Midoriya from trying for U.A. high, failing and embarrassing the school.

That's because in Japan "bullying" (いじめ 'ijime') has been handled for years as an 'educative strategy' that would force the students to conform.

'Deru kui wa utareru' (出る杭は打たれる “The nail that sticks out must be hammered down”).

Quirkless Midoriya, according to the teacher, has no chance to make it in the Hero course and doesn't have to shame the school with his failing. By using Bakugō and the rest of the class to threaten and humiliate Midoriya he hopes Midoriya will be dissuaded.

We can see something similar in “Koe no Katachi” (聲の形 A silent voice), who digs a lot more into bullying so I recommend reading it.

On a sidenote... as the bullying has grown out of proportions in Japan, now things are slowly changing (for example, as Midoriya points out, is a crime encourage someone to commit suicide) but in the past the school had more or less the same attitude Colonel Jessep had in relation to the "code red" in "A few good men". They just couldn't order it, but they surely encouraged it and turned their eyes away from it when it was committed.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: BAKUGŌ'S GOALS

Bakugō claims he'll surpass All Might and will become one of the richest people in the world.

This is interesting for two reasons.

The first is that much later in the manga, Hawks will comment no one apart from Enji was genuinely trying to surpass All Might and yet we'll have plenty of students at U.A. trying to do so. The only Watsonian explanation we can give to this, is that times have changed.

The second is that we'll learn in chap 430 that Bakugō will spend most of the money he'll gain as a Hero to pay for a suit/costume/armor for Midoriya that'll help him to go back on being an active Hero, which underlines how much he changes from how he was at the start of the story.

XX PLACES: U.A. HIGH SCHOOL (雄英高校 YŪEI KŌKŌ)

The school at which Midoriya and Bakugō wants to go. As high school isn’t mandatory, students usually need to pass an entrance exam to be allowed to enroll in whatever high school they choose. U.A. High is a national school (国立) meaning it was established by the national government, which requires a minimal standard score (偏差値 ‘hensa-chi’) of 79 to be accepted, there’s usually a huge competition to be allowed in and Bakugō aced the mock test. Interesting enough tuition is cheaper at public high schools.

Just in case you’re wondering, no U.A. doesn’t take the name from the place it’s in, it’s a word play on how, if we read in reverse the kanji used to write U.A. we’ve ‘eiyū’ which means Hero in Japanese.

As for where U.A. is, the manga will never reveal it but at June 2021 Drawing Smash exhibition they showed provisional hero licenses and the licenses had U.A. high’s address on it which was “Shizuoka Prefecture, Koriri City, 1-2” (静岡県垢離里市1-2 ‘Shizuoka ken Koriri-shi 1–2’).

Koriri is a reference to planet Corellia, a “Star Wars” planet with a strong culture of training pilots and which is therefore known for producing many excellent ones, such as Han Solo and Wedge Antilles. It would fit since Koriri, having U.A. high instead produces many excellent Heroes.

XX TIMELINE INFO: HOW LONG THE WHOLE INITIAL DISCUSSION AT SCHOOL LASTS

The anime takes care to give us the time by showing us the watch more than once.

We know the teacher starts speaking at 8:45 AM. When Bakugō speaks up is already 8:50 AM. When the teacher mentions Midoriya also wants to go to U.A. high is 8:55 AM.

XX CULTURAL INFO: THE FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

Very likely what we’re seeing is Midoriya’s first day of his third year at middle school.

SHR or ‘SHORT HOMEROOM’ (ショートホームルーム) is the morning homeroom meeting which may include health observations, announcements for the day, and talks by homeroom teachers. It usually lasts 15 minutes.

The following periods typically last 50 minutes each, for a total of 6 periods for 5 days a week with around 10 minutes of break between each period, and a lunchtime which last around 40 minutes and then there’s a recess time of around 20 minutes.

The first schoolday is one in which 3 ceremonies are held.

They have: 'Shinnin-shiki' (新人式 “Welcome Ceremony”), the ceremony in which new teachers are welcomed into the school then brought on stage to give short self-introductions. This ceremony is only for the second- and third-year students and includes a few speeches and chorus singing. This is followed by 'Shigyō-shiki' (始業式 “Opening Ceremony”), which includes another speech and more singing (including the school anthem) plus the second- and third-grade teachers now come on stage to be quickly introduced to students. Then there are speeches from the student affairs chief and student guidance chief. Everything ends with the 'Nyūgaku-shiki' (入学式 “Entrance Ceremony”) to welcome the new first-year students, which, in importance, is comparable to the Graduation Ceremony and that can be witnessed by the students’ parents. The upperclassmen sing the school anthem, national anthem, and a song for the new students. A long speech from the principal is given. Several current students read some words of encouragement to the new students. Teachers introduce themselves.

Normally in middle school joining a club is almost mandatory.

XX TIMELINE INFO: WHEN THE SLUDGE VILLAIN APPEAR

Manga and Anime agree in saying he committed a robbery at 12:02 PM.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “I am here!” Yagi Toshinori (All Might) [Chap. 1/Ep. 1]

All Might’s catchphrase is usually translated as “I am here” but it’s exact meaning is actually a little different.

ALL MIGHT ‘Watashi ga kita!’ 担任先生「私が来た！」 All Might “I have come!/I have arrived!”

All Might in fact means to put the emphasis in how everything will be all right because he has arrived, because he's here now, not on how he was always here.

By the way All Might uses ‘watashi’ (私) as a personal pronoun, which is fundamentally a polite/formal way to say “I”.

While this is All Might's catchphrase, we see that in chap 429 that it's meant to become 'everyone's catchphrase' as the idea the story promotes is that everyone can come and help others.

XX TIMELINE INFO: WHEN CLASS ENDS

The anime tells us it's 3:31 PM.

XX CULTURAL INFO: REINCARNATION AND BUDDHISM

Bakugō Katsuki ‘Sonnani HERO ni tsukiteennara, kōritsu ii hōhō aru ze? Raise wa "kosei" ga yadoru to shinjite... okujō kara no ONE CHANCE DIVE!!’ 爆豪勝己「そんなにヒーローに就きてぇんなら、効率良い方法あるぜ？来世は〝個性〟が宿ると信じて... 屋上からのワンチャンダイブ!!」 All Might “If you're so desperate to become a hero, is there an efficient way to do it? Believe that you'll have a "quirk" in your next life, and take a chance diving off the roof!!”

Although Bakugō aims at bullying Midoriya, when he mentions reincarnation he gives us our clue that the manga follows Buddhist beliefs and not Shintoist ones (Shinto is the most popular religion in Japan with 48,6% of the total population of Japan participated in Shinto practices. Closely behind is Buddhism, with more than 46% of the population adhering to its practices).

In fact Shinto does not include a belief in reincarnation. After death, the spirit of the deceased becomes a kami through prayers and sacrifice by the family. Rather than reincarnation, Shintoists believe that the kami of their ancestors will protect them from evil and harm.

Buddhists instead believe that when someone dies, they will be reborn again as something else. What they are reborn as depends on their actions in their previous life.

XX CULTURAL INFO: OSANA NAJIMI

As they know from preschool Bakugō and Midoriya are ‘Osana najimi’ (幼なじみ “childhood friends” Lit. “acquainted child”) which is kind of relevant in Japan they’ll be referred as such for the rest of their lives… even though they clearly have a poor relation. Still it’s relevant how they still call each other ‘Kacchan’ and ‘Deku’ same as when they were kids.

People generally don't think ‘Osana najimi’ should have poor relationship among them and expect them to be so comfortable among each other they can show to each other their true feelings freely.

The boy with stretching fingers and the other boy who hangs with Bakugō instead calls him just ‘Katsuki’ while they call Midoriya ‘Midoriya’.

XX HISTORY TIME: ALL MIGHT'S DEBUT

All Might debuted by saving hundred people involved in a big disaster in ten minutes, smiling and saying his catchphrase.

Midoriya loves to watch that video from when he was a kid. By the way the video lasts 7:31 minutes.

XX WORLDBUILDING: THE PLACE IN WHICH THE ALL MIGHT VIDEO IS

According to the anime it's on 'yotube.com' which is clearly based on YouTube the American online video sharing platform.

XX WORLDBUILDING: ALL MIGHT GADGETS

As a child Midoriya has already posters of him and a toy figure.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: MIDORIYA'S DOCTOR

It won't appear again for many chapters and, for a while, all we know about him thanks to the “Ultra Archive” is he's Tsubasa's grandfather, also sharing with him his surname Tsubasa (翼) owner of the Tsubasa clinic. Later, much later, he'll introduce himself first as Ujiko Daruma (氏子達磨) then as Garaki Kyūdai (殻木球大), also known as Doctor (ドクター), an underling of All for One. None of those name is his true name. He's the one who informs Midoriya and his mother of how Midoriya has no Quirk.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: MIDORIYA'S PARENTS

They're Midoriya Hisashi (緑谷久) and Midoriya Inko (緑谷引子), through we won't learn their names in this chapter.

Midoriya's father will never appear in the story and all we'll learn of him is that, thanks to his Quirk, he can breathe fire and that he's working oversea. His mother's Quirk allows her to pull toward herself small objects.

As far as Quirk go, Inko is a fourth generation, meaning her son is a fifth. This also means Quirk started appearing more than 100 years ago.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: MIDORIYA'S MOM APOLOGY

After Midoriya learns he doesn’t have a Quirk, after watching again the All Might video, crying he asks his mother if he can become a Hero as well. Inko cries too, hugs him and apologizes to him. This though wasn’t what Midoriya wanted and needed to hear.

She apologizes because she feels guilty because she believes he will never be able to fulfill his dream (and be like the other kids), but what Midoriya needed her to say was “You can be a Hero”, showing she believed he could do it and supporting him.

Inko loves her child, whom she raised basically alone as her husband works oversea, and Horikoshi said the concern and guilt she felt toward her son were what caused her to gain weight. However, by her own admission, she didn’t offer him support and gave up on him, leaving him alone to chase after his dream.

It’ll be only after he’ll gain a Quirk she’ll try to support him as hard as she can… but who basically saved Midoriya was All Might, the first one to trust in him and who told him he could be a Hero (what Midoriya wanted his mother to say).

It’s also symbolic how Shōto himself gets saved when he remembers his mother told him he could be a Hero.

Other characters like Tenko or Tōya won’t have such luck and will, ultimately, ruin themselves as no one in their family supported them.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: SLUDGE VILLAIN

The Sludge Villain (ヘドロ敵 HEDORO VILLAIN) is a robber who at 2:02 PM was spotted by All Might escaping with the money.

We aren't given his true name, same as for the Giant Villain, we only learn he is fluid and can hijack people's bodies and tries to do so with Midoriya.

Normally it takes him 45 seconds to do so, during which the victim can't breathe, weakening them and making them feel as if they're dying. It's unclear if a full hijacking would kill them.

All Might defeats him thanks to shock wave and put him into bottles.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: ALL MIGHT (オールマイト)

Right from here, we're informed All Might is the Number 1 Hero and that he's not familiar with working in that area. His profile page says he's born on June 6th, that his height (in his muscle form) is 220 cm and that his favorite things are Yakusugi (��久杉), a type of Japanese cedars from Yakushima island, and movies. His profile page doesn't reveal yet how his true name is Yagi Toshinori (八木俊典). Possibly Horikoshi wanted to let his readers wondering if the guy is a real American or a returnee... or he just hadn't chosen his name yet as for a while we won't know it.

XX JAPANESE LANGUAGE INFO: ALL MIGHT'S WAY TO SPEAK

You might miss it but All Might, in addition to have all his special moves in English, actually uses English, or more likely American words when he talks.

He starts with 'Hey! Hey!' (ヘイ！ヘイ！) where Japanese people would instead say 'Oi! Oi!' (おい!おい!), 'okay' (オーケー), shit (in English, not even in katakana), 'no!' (again in English not even in katakana) and so on, all to drive home his tie with USA.

He also writes his name with western letters.

XX CULTURAL INFO: KIKOKUSHIJO

Everyone by now knows All Might is Japanese... but All Might is also the adult version of a ‘Kikokushijo’ (帰国子女 “returnee child”), a general term for “children who have returned to their home country (after living for a period in a foreign one)” .

Those who return from a foreign country often find themselves in the middle of two or more cultures, which of course lend the terms “bi-cultural” or “multicultural”. Because Japan projects a mono-cultural society, kikokushijo are simultaneously lauded and shunned. To put it simply, kikokushijo are viewed as resilient and cosmopolitan when it’s convenient for Japan’s image in the international community. But they’re often chastised for their cultural differences by many in Japanese society because they are expected to still “be Japanese”, as in to have a perfect grasp of Japanese culture. For example, their ability to “read the room” (空気を読む ‘Kuuki wo yomu’) is supposed to be innate, as ‘Nihonjiron’ (日本人論 “treatises on Japaneseness”) —the history, collective cultural identity and borderline stereotypical representations of Japan–suggests that Japanese culture is passed down through nature rather than nurture. In truth the ability to read the room is instead really hard to grasp for who doesn’t know such unspoken etiquette without being explicitly told. This leads this people to be at the same time discriminated and privileged.

We'll learn this later in the manga but All Might is a returnee as he left for U.S.A. at 18 and studied abroad, coming back to Japan at 23 and Horikoshi remarks it by showing how he occasionally can’t read the room and uses western words. Actually in story the characters remark he’s even draw different (with the same style as Star and Stripes) and Enji will even call him with a slang word for American.

XX WORLDBUILDING: ALL MIGHT'S BOTTLE

In the manga the bottle in which All Might put the Sludge Villain has over the writing 'Coala' but it's likely inspired to Coka-Cola the extremely famous cola soft drink. In the anime it's changed to 'TORRENT'.

XX WORLDBUILDING: BAKUGŌ'S DRINK

In the manga his drink is called 'lip service'. In the anime it has no name. I've no idea on what it could be inspired... if it's inspired to something.

XX CULTURAL INFO: WHAT ARE BAKUGŌ'S FRIENDS DOING/PLAN TO DO

In the manga they're smoking which is illegal in Japan as they're below the age of 20. Recently depicting minors smoking in anime has been forbidden, so the anime had to change things. In the anime they propose to go to the arcade. The sign the boy with the long fingers is doing in Japan doesn't mean 'okay' but 'money' and, in addition to how they say there are a lot of preys there, it might imply they plan to go rob someone.

In both cases Bakugō yells at them because if he's caught with them while they commit a crime he'll also be forced to share the blame even if he did nothing.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: CAN A QUIRKLESS PERSON BECOME A HERO?

It's one of the biggest questions of the series.

What it takes to be a Hero?

Midoriya Izuku ‘"Kosei" ga nakute mo, HERO wa dekimasu ka!? "Kosei" no nai ningen demo, anata mitai ni naremasu ka?’ 緑谷出久「〝個性〟がなくても、ヒーローはできますか！？〝個性〟のない人間でも、アナタみたいになれますか？」 Midoriya Izuku “Can you be a Hero even without a quirk? Can someone without a "quirk" become like you?”

While All Might ultimately will say Midoriya has what it takes to be a Hero... and later will reveal he was Quirkless too... in order to chase his dream and enter into the Hero profession Midoriya will need to inherit All Might's Quirk. When he'll lose it at the end of the series he will have to leave the active job.

Both he and All Might, in order to fight Villains after losing One for All will need a special suit/costume that basically replace their Quirk. Ragdoll, who also lost her Quirk instead remains in the Hero work but as an office lady.

We might think the answer the series gives if that without a Quirk you can be a "hero" (英雄 'Eiyū') but not a "Pro Hero" (プロヒーロー) unless you compensate your lack of Quirk with support items.

While yes, Quirks make easy to fight Villains, not all the Quirks have fighting power. For example Shinsō' has's Quirk can't help him to fight, which is why he had to learn to fight with a capture weapon like Aizawa. So maybe the real answer isn't that you need a Quirk or a support item to be a Hero, it's just that they'll make easier for you to be one.

All Might's suit provided him the means he lost when he lost his Quirk, helping him to fight the way he knew how to fight, but in the end it was All Might the one who fought, not his Quirk.

Even without the suit, if Midoriya wanted to keep on being an active Hero, he would have had needed to rely on something to fight because, without One for All, he lacked in strength. So it's possible the grand message is that we also need to rely on support (of others, of things) to reach our dreams. I'm still pondering on it though.

XX HISTORY TIME: WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL MIGHT?

5 years before Midoriya and All Might met, not only All Might fought a Villain called Toxic Chainsaw but also All for One (albeit he won't name him in this chapter) and the latter managed to nearly destroy his respiratory system and his stomach. This caused him to waste away and rendered him unable to do his Hero work for more than three hours a day. The public never knew because All might asked not to make it public.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: TOXIC CHAINSAW

Five years before Midoriya and All Might met, All Might fought Toxic Chainsaw (毒々チェーンソー Dokudoku CHAINSAW) and won him easily as he was just a thug (チンピラ 'Chinpira'). His fate is unknown but there's who wonder if there's a connection between him and the Nōmu with chainsaws that appears in the Forest Training Camp Arc.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: ALL MIGHT'S ANSWER

All Might's first reaction is to tell Midoriya he can't become a Hero without a Quirk... albeit although the kanji say "Quirk" the reading given is the one for the world "power".

ALL MIGHT ‘Hitobito o egao de sukuidasu! "Heiwa no shōchō" wa kesshite aku ni kusshite wa ikenainda. Watashi ga warau no wa HERO no jūatsu soshite-nai ni waku kyōfu kara onore o azamuku tame sa. PRO wa itsu datte inochi gakeda yo. “'Kosei' (read: chikara) ga nakutomo naritatsu” to wa totemo janai gaa... Kuchi ni dekinai ne.' Hito o tasukeru koto ni akogarerunara keisatsukan-tte te mo aru. “Teki (read: VILLAIN) uketori-gakari” nante yayu sa recha iruga are mo rippana shigotoda! Yumemiru no wa warui koto janai. Daga sōō no genjitsu mo minakute wana, shōnen.’ オールマイト「人々を笑顔で救い出す！〝平和の象徴〟は決して悪に屈してはいけないんだ。私が笑うのはヒーローの重圧そして内に湧く恐怖から己を欺く為さ。プロはいつだって命懸けだよ。『〝個性〟（ちから）がなくとも成り立つ』とはとてもじゃないがあ...口に出来ないね。人を助ける事に憧れるなら警察官って手もある。『敵受（ヴィラン）け取り係』なんて揶揄されちゃいるがあれも立派な仕事だ！夢見るのは悪いことじゃない。だが相応の現実も見なくてはな、少年」 All Might “I save people with a smile! A "symbol of peace" must never succumb to evil. I smile to deceive myself from the pressure of being a hero and the fear that wells up within. Professionals always risk their lives. "You can do it without a 'quirk' (power)" is something I can't possibly say out loud. "If you dream of helping people, you could become a police officer. They may mock you as an "enemy (read: Villain) custody officers," but it's a respectable job! There's nothing wrong with dreaming. But you have to face the reality that comes with it, boy.”

Basically, like Endeavor will later on, he believed power is the key. He also says something that will be changed slightly later on. Here he says he smiles to chase away fear and pressure but later on we'll learn it was Nana who told him to smile to reassure the ones he saves, not himself.

It's unclear if this is a retcon or, when he spoke to Midoriya the first time, in the same way he prioritized power, he had forgot Nana's words.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE UP

After All Might tells Midoriya he can't become a Hero, Midoriya goes through a moment of great depression as he hears in his mind all the people who had told him to give up and thinks he should do so.

Midoriya Izuku ‘(PRO no... TOP made iunda.... Nakuna! Wakattetaro!? Genjitsu-sa…... wakatte takara... hisshi koi tetanjanai ka…...!! minai yō ni minai yō ni tte.)’ 緑谷出久「(プロの...トップまで言うんだ。泣くな！わかってたろ！？現実さ…わかってたから必死こいてたんじゃないか…...！！見ないように見ないようにって。)」 Midoriya Izuku “(Even the top... professional say that... Don't cry! You know that, right? It's reality...... You knew that... which is why you were trying so hard...!! Don't look, don't look, it's what you told yourself.)”

'Facing reality' for Midoriya isn't being freed from an impossible dream, it's sinking into darkness which the anime well depicts.

BNHA often points out how ripping away a dream from a person often makes more damage than good. We'll have characters that'll turn into Villains when their dream will be ripped from them.

That's why, in a way, All Might saved Midoriya by later telling him he could become a Hero.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO BUT WAIT

When Bakugō gets captured by the Sludge Villain, the manga shows how everyone just does nothing to help him (the anime shows the Death Arms making an attempt before giving up) for a reason or another.

Mt. Lady complains there's not enough space for her to pass, Kamui Wood says he is weak to explosive fire, Backdraft is busy, Death Arms says the Villain is too slippery, the civilians are just watching and cheering like usual, All Might, having finished his three hours of power, regrets he has no power to act.

Basically they're all waiting for someone more fitting to solve the situation while Bakugō is fighting alone, enduring the pain that the Sludge Villain causes him with his attempt at possessing him, fighting alone while everyone else watches and does nothing.

Midoriya too at first just watches, thinking he can't do anything else but wait for a Hero with the right Quirk.

Midoriya Izuku ‘(Boku no seida…!! Kare wa ugokenai!! Aitsu wa tsukamenai! Yūrina "kosei" no HERO o matsu shika nai!! Ganbatte…!!! Gomen!! Gomen nasai…!! Sugu ni tasuke ga kite kurerukara… Dareka HERO ga sugu…...)’ 緑谷出久「(僕のせいだ…！！彼は動けない！！あいつは掴めない！有利な個性のヒーローを待つしかない！！頑張って…！！！ごめん！！ごめんなさい…！！すぐに助けが来てくれるから…誰かヒーローがすぐ…...)」 Midoriya Izuku “(It's my fault...!! He can't move!! That guy can't be grabbed! We have no choice but to wait for a hero with an advantageous quirk. Do your best...!!! I'm sorry...!! I'm so sorry... !! Help will be here soon... Some hero (will be here) right away...)”

But then Midoriya sees Bakugō's gaze asking for help and jumps into action and while he had plenty of personal reasons to want to go there this is what really moved him.

Midoriya Izuku ‘Kimi ga tasuke o motomeru kaoshiteta.’ 緑谷出久「君が助けを求める顔してた。」 Midoriya Izuku “You looked like you were asking for help.”

Midoriya's actions might seem stupid because there's nothing he can actually do. He doesn't have the power to save Bakugō... but his selfless actions will move All Might into action as well.

All Might too will set aside the fact he might have not enough power quoting his own words "Professionals always risk their lives" and will go to save Bakugō... and he will do it.

Later the Pro will insist there was no need for Midoriya to put himself in danger and praise Bakugō for how he instead endured the situation.

While yes, Midoriya risked his life... if Midoriya hadn't done it, All Might might not have found the courage to move as well and Bakugō's life might have ended up lost. Later in the story it will be remarked how Midoriya didn't just inspire All Might but also Kirishima and Death Arms, despite scolding him, was impressed as well.

The ending moral of the story was that if everyone helped instead than just watch and wait more people could be saved so ultimately this means the story confirms Midoriya was right (if you had doubts).

Midoriya's actions also proved to All Might that Midoriya has the heart of a Hero because his body moved before he could think to save Bakugō.

XX CULTURAL INFO: NOTHING CAN BE DONE

People being passive in the scene above doesn't come out of nowhere.

Two often said sentences in Japan are ‘shōganai’ (しょうがない “it can’t be helped”) and ‘shikata nai’ (しかたない “there’s no solution”). Both fundamentally means “nothing can be done”. These phrases are commonly used by Japanese people in everyday situations where there is no alternative but to accept and move on. They convey a similar meaning, expressing a sense of resignation or acceptance of a situation that cannot be changed. They reflect the Japanese cultural perspective of embracing circumstances beyond one's control and finding peace in acceptance.

By the way, ‘shōganai’ is a casual expression while ‘shikata nai’ is the casual shortened form of ‘Shikata ga arimasen’ (しかたがありません). As you can see, the particle ‘ga’ is omitted, and ‘arimasen’ is shortened to ‘nai’, therefore, in formal situations, ‘shikata ga nai’ or the more formal ‘shikata ga arimasen’ is more appropriate.

The general idea is that Japanese people place more value in resilience, the ability to accept and withstand a disturbance/difficulty/problem more than in resistance, the ability to refuse to accept and fight a disturbance/difficulty/problem.

While this can lead people to avoid complaining, focus on the present situation and be realist, it can also lead them to be passive in face of problems and not to search for possible solutions.

This is one of the many instances in the story in which people just think nothing can be done and therefore remain passive when a person is in trouble.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “Fantasy... became reality. I forgot to mention this, but... this is the story of how I became a great Hero.” Midoriya Izuku (Deku) [Chap. 1/Ep. 2]

It's the closing line of the chapter but it's also a tie with the starting summary of how the Quirk society started and with the ending chapter... as well as with one chapter in between.

But let's look at it in details.

‘"Kakū (read: yume)" wa "genjitsu" ni. Ii wasure tetakedo, kore wa boku ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari da.’ 『「架空（ゆめ）」は「現実」に。言い忘れてたけど、これは僕が最高のヒーローになるまでの物語だ。』 “"imaginary (read: dream)" become "reality". I forgot to mention that this is the story of how I became the greatest hero.”

So the first thing to point out is in the first bit. Remember when we talked of keeping the whole "imaginary (read: dream)" become "reality"" in mind? Here's why.

If you read it in this sentence as dream, aka Midoriya's dream, it gives the sentence so much meaning... while tying nicely to how the fantasy idea of people having superpowers became reality as well.

But let's continue.

In chap 324 the following sentence comes back, this time including everyone.

‘Kore wa boku ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari soshite minna ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari da.’ 『これは僕が最高のヒーローになるまでの物語そしてみんなが最高のヒーローになるまでの物語だ。』 “This is the story of how I became the greatest hero, and the story of how everyone becomes the greatest hero.”

And then again, in chap 430

‘Kore wa boku-tachi ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari.’ 『これは僕たちが最高のヒーローになった物語。』 “This is the story of how we became the greatest heroes.”

...only to be changed again as we reach the final line...

‘Te wo sashinobe tsudzukeru monogatari.’ 『手を差し伸べ続ける物語。』 “This is the story of how we keep reaching out our hands.”

...with the story coming to full circle.