#ofa plot critical

[itsnothingofinterest]

So I think the main takeaway we all got from the last chapter, besides 'are they really doing the AFO gave Tenko decay thing,' is wondering what Eri's running off to do. Some think she'll be used to restore OFA and/or undo all Deku's damage to bring him back to full power. Others are thinking/worrying she'll be used to unsatisfyingly turn Tomura back into a 5 year old with no memory of killing his family so Deku can circumvent both Tomura's traumas & his criticisms towards hero society.

But I don't really like either of those ideas (not even the healing Deku thing at this time, it'd undo too many of his sacrifices); so me personally, I think she's going to reintroduce the rooftop trio back into the plotline. I mean with the entire League besides Tomura dealt with, they're basically the only dangling plot-thread left in this arc besides the big final fight.

What she'd do I'm not entirely sure. I don't really like the idea of her reverting Kurogiri into his past self that's most convenient to the heroes anymore than her doing that to Tomura. I guess she could heal Aizawa's injuries to let him properly use his quirk again though, that could be cool.

But I think the possibility that most appeals to me is, instead of introducing her for her quirk, instead uses her for an emotional beat for Aizawa. A big part of the Shirakumo plot (as I've interpreted it at least) has been Aizawa & Mic being too focused on their high school years with Shirakumo, enshrining that time to represent what they believe Kurogiri should be like. Mic at once point is even prepared to kill Kurogiri if he's not got enough Shirakumo in him so he can't taint Aizawa's memory of him.

So Eri coming in for an emotional moment with Aizawa, maybe to heal him or maybe just to ask he stay standing in that hero way, could disrupt that narrative; and for the better I think. Remind him that the past is one thing, but he's got responsibilities in the present, a kid he's taking care of.

And if I am so lucky, that might just cause Kurogiri/Shirakumo to come to a similar realization. Aizawa & especially Mic might have some opinions on the arrangement, but the fact is that for the past 15-ish years, their friends has been looking after a kid who's currently in danger. And while catching up has been nice, saving Tomura Shigaraki from that danger probably takes precedence over some high school friends. Sad to say, they've all grown up to take on responsibilities in conflict with each other; and if there's any resolution to that, it's probably found in the present or looking forward, not staying stuck in the past.

[class1akids]

Now that AFO is (hopefully) done, I really hope that Deku vs Shigaraki will manage to integrate Toya vs Shoto and Toga vs Ochako fights into the main plot in a meaningful way, so they don't feel like personal side-quests, but essential contributions to the final win, connecting all the Saviour Squad narratives, the way Bakugou connected all the vs AFO efforts.

Right now, from a utilitarian point of view, killing Toga and Toya on sight instead of saving them would have made more sense for the overall fight. Toga with the clones disrupted many battlefields and Toya escaping to Gunga took Endeavor out of the AFO fight.

So we saw the negative consequences, and I hope in order to change the mind of the civilians, the decision to save them will deliver a positive pay-off in the end.

If we look at Tomura's criticisms against hero society, these fights are direct examples of hero society changing:

Criticism 1: Heroes hurting their family

Answer: We have Shoto who saves BOTH his family and strangers:

In fact, choosing to save his family gives him the upgrade he needs to save strangers.

Criticism 2: Pretending not to see those heroes couldn't protect

Answer: Ochako refusing to ignore Toga's pain

Criticism 3: Passive civilians, dependent on being coddled

Answer: we see journalists, business students telling the story, we had Rei, Fuyumi, Natsuo actively run into the fire, we had "wishing energy", the doctors protecting patients, etc.

Criticism 4: This whole system has always rejected me

Answer: of course, Deku himself is actively trying to save Tomura

Now to pull it all together into a coherent whole - Shigaraki is the biggest threat created by the old hero society. So the changing hero society should all contribute to him being saved.

Option 1:

One way these fights can play into Tomura's narrative is simply learning about the fate of his allies (whether from Deku or better, seeing the Gunga aftermath play on the screens somewhere) and realize that hero society is changing. (For me, this is the weaker option)

Option 2

It would be maybe more tangible for Toga and Touya to physically come and help along with Deku's allies. I'm thinking of a scenario where Tomura is able to unleash a wave of Decay (maybe after Deku says on camera that he wants to save him). Cue in civilians faith wavering in Deku. Decay was something the heroes had no answer for in the PLF war.

However, Ochako's "remote Float" and Shoto's Phosphor (or maybe a new, fire-sided version of it that can melt rocks) could be effective counters. It would be cool and symbolic if Ochako and Toga using Ochako's quirk together and Shoto and Toya (and maybe Endeavor) together would stop the wave of destruction, offering a convincing, livestreamed pay-off for saving villains, without interfering in Deku's fight too directly or threatening to outshine him.

It would also show society that there is more than just OFA between them and total destruction. (I think it would be a good use of Warp Gate, and getting pay-offs for power-ups like Mina's or Aoyama's too).

Toga showing up in person would be also a good way also for Tomura to remember his promise, give him another reason to stop:

Not sure how Spinner and Mr Compress could play into this scenario, but I think they could also fit in some way.

I hope I'm not going to jinx it, I'd just like to see it come together all in an organic, satisfying way.

(Obviously, other things should also play a part - Deku's personal efforts to save Tomura is going to be the main driver, and Nana may get a part to play to the answer to "destruction of everything stemming from that house).

[mha-grievances]

A brief write up MHA and Subverting Expectations:

So something MHA has a reputation for is “subverting expectations”. I put that in quotes because honestly I don’t see much of this. Yeah, there are some examples such as Ochako putting her dreams above her love life, but MHA is your pretty standard Shonan anime in terms of construction. However, that doesn’t stop Katsuki Stans from using this excuse to defend Katsuki. Apparently him not having his ass whopped, him not being called out, and him not being hated by any meaningful character is Hori simply “subverting expectations”.

Again, this would be fine if the development surrounding him was any good, but it’s not. The main thing lacking is the incentive TO change. Sure, Katsuki seeing how Izuku was chosen to have OFA was upsetting, but how does that really provide a catalyst for him to change? His goal’s the exact same, which is to be the number one hero, and that’s being jeopardized by Izuku’s newfound power. So where does him learning empathy come from? You know, save to win and win to save? As of right now, it seems Katsuki’s only saving to win to be at the top, whereas Izuku wishes to save to, well, save. He doesn’t suddenly develop basic empathy, it’s just that he found a new way to “win”. It comes off as weak.

Now I know a lot of antis want Katsuki to be brutally attacked to kickstart his development, but as much as I despise this lil shit, I don’t 100% agree with this sentiment. He definitely needs to be humbled in a fight, which could’ve been done during the Sports Festival with Shoto or have him fight Mirio, but most importantly he needs to have a “the reason you suck” speech delivered to him. He needs to have all his flaws blatantly pointed out and criticized. Izuku could give a much needed cathartic speech, Shota could actually do his job for once and detail all the ways in which his flaws would get him killed, and/or All Might could tell him his heart’s not in the right place. This’ll incentivize him to actually wanna develop instead of him seeing saving as another means of wining. Rather than having Katsuki act OOC only to revert back to his old self shortly after and retconing some of the reasons why Katsuki, Hori could’ve easily done this, but that would mean removing some of Katsuki’s plot armor and apparently that’s not allowed, writing be damned.

[theloganator101]

In an ideal world, Mha's main cast would look something like:

Izuku, the protagonist: Treated well by narrative, actually develops and learns to be both stand up for himself and trust people. He still gets OFA but his quirkless past isn't forgotten because the concept of him going from powerless to powerful is interesting

Shouto, the deuteragonist: Starts the same as canon but never gets sideline by Endeavor in his own plot, actually gets focus on who he wants to be as a person and his connections to his friends, he's also one of the biggest critics of the current hero system. Shouto also learns that he shouldn't risk his own well-being and mental health to save a family that's already beyond repair (He could also be Izuku's love interest because... it just works)

Ochaco, the triagonist: Izuku's BFF who gets tons of screentime and development and is actually powerful. She wants to be the hero who saves other heroes just like in canon and calls out how the celebrity culture of heroes has negativelly affected the mental health of those in the profession (none of the bullshit with Toga happens)

Tenya: Izuku's main rival, they're still friends but they butt heads often and through that they actually help eachother grow and realize their flaws.

Eijirou: Shouto's self-proclaimed best friend who approaches him as the start because he thinks Shouto looks lonely. He's the one who starts melting the walls Shouto has put up before Izuku completely crashes through them in the sports fes. Backstory remains the same as canon.

Mina: Shouto's rival, who disliked him at first because of how he treated others initially. Higly skilled with her quirk and actually on par with Shouto when it comes to quirk proficiency and combat. After the sports fes, she and Shouto become friends but are still very competitive with eachother.

Yuga: One of Izuku's first friends after entering U.A along with Tenya and Ochaco. Actually quirkless, the belt is just a support item but he keeps it a secret. Eventually tells Izuku the truth and they both confide in eachother with Izuku also telling him about OFA (Not the traitor anymore because that plot point is just terrible)

Any thoughts?

I love all of this!

Izuku gets the positive attention he deserves.

His friends not sidelined.

Actual themes and plot points get explored instead of being used as flavor text.

A gay ship I actually love.

And my boy Aoyama doesn't get screwed over!

One thing I will add is hopefully Bakugou got expelled after the battle trials since that's where it would make sense to get rid of him after he literally attempted murder.

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

I don't see any benefit for Midoriya being dragged in ochako vs toga fight. Imo the entire time narrative in that segment treats him as weak, incompetent. Like this the guy with the legendary OP quirk which covers, strength, speed and ups all his stats and is supposed to be the going toe to toe with Shigi and yet struggles with fcking Toga.

Also when he leaves Tsuyu says to ochako that Izu can't segregate things and if he was still there he would focus on listening to Toga rather than completing the task. I call this BS also the same Tsuyu along with Ochako miserably failed to subdue Toga and what was Ochako's plan? Talk things with Toga instead of fighting and she went after toga to reason with her. The very thing Tsuyu criticized izuku about and tried to glorify herself and Toga.

Tsuyu has no agency to disrespect and judge izuku when she along with her partner couldn't get the job done.l and got destroyed.

Imo Izuku shouldn't have been dragged into their fight. It was unnecessary. It's always hyping other characters by degrading the MC.

I'm not even gonna talk about 2nd user AKA Bakuhoe wannabe. He's another prick and goes on and on about how izuku shouldn't worry about his classmates and should blindly trust their abilities even though said classmates didn't do shit even once to give him the trust and reassurance..

Admittedly I haven’t paid much attention to the second user 😂. The past users are kinda just there for me, only existing to move the plot forwards. As such, I can’t really give much thought about the second user.

Now I will say that Himiko’s quirk is arguably one of the strongest in the series. However no one knew that she had Twice’s blood on her so as far as everyone was concerned, Izuku should’ve quickly stomped her. I 100% agree that for some reason the narrative treats Izuku as incompetent despite his massive feats. Fighting Muscular twice and winning both times, fighting Lady Nagant and winning despite being exhausted, nearly killing Tomura during the War Arc with only Black Whip and base OFA, etc. The narrative is allergic to putting respect on Izuku’s name. I do think it’s true that he’d try talking to Himiko, but he’d quickly run off after remembering the main goal. Izuku wants to save everyone, but until now, that hasn’t even remotely affected his abilities as a hero.

[sapphic-agent]

In relation to your (awesome) write up of Izuku, I want to address the victim blaming (I'm not sure if that's the right word, but I honestly can't think of anything else) that both the narrative and parts of the fandom tend to place on him.

Bakugou bullies Izuku due to his Quirklessness? Well, obviously Izuku didn't properly communicate his feelings with him, so he gets the blame for that!

Aizawa refuses to give Izuku the time of day outside of criticisms and putdowns? Well, obviously Izuku's refusing to properly get a handle on OFA, so the Problem Child nickname is warranted!

Sir Nighteye takes Izuku as an intern with the sole purpose of breaking down his confidence to the point that he gives up OFA? Well, he was being selfish in offering Mirio OFA (an actual take I saw) and Mirio was way better anyway!

Recovery Girl witholds medical treatment from Izuku? Well, it's his own fault for not having control over OFA!

I would certainly call it victim blaming, especially in regards to Bakugou.

The characters, plot, and fans have a tendency to try to make it as though Izuku is an active participant in his and Bakugou's rivalry. Except he isn't. He has stated multiple times that he doesn't want to compete with Bakugou. He doesn't provoke Bakugou, he barely talks to him prior to D vs K part 2. But for some reason, Bakugou's aggression towards him is a problem that he has to take blame for.

Every single time, it's been Bakugou who's instigated a confrontation between them. And yet for some reason, Izuku is the one who has to take responsibility. He's the one who has to figure out how to get Bakugou to cooperate. Everyone, Aizawa especially, makes it out like Izuku is part of the problem when he never did anything wrong.

The Problem Child nickname came about right before the Shie Hassakai Raid because Aizawa claimed he couldn't trust Izuku after Kamino. But you know what a major problem with this is? Kirishima is right in the room with them. Kirishima was also part of that rescue plan, in fact it was his idea. So why is Izuku being the only one scolded for it? Why is he the Problem Child?

Idk what Aizawa has against Izuku, but no matter what the kid does he's wrong in his eyes.

I think people really miss the point of Mirio's character. Yes, he would have made a fine holder. But Mirio is someone who's worked hard to master the quirk he was born with. He took pride in what he was given and I would say he even loved his quirk. He would have never taken OFA even if All Might did choose him because he doesn't want anyone else's power, he's content with the one he put years of work into.

That's literally what Sir Nighteye realizes as he dies. That Mirio deserves to be looked at as more than a potential successor to All Might. That he's his own hero.

But that doesn't make Izuku selfish. This is such a bizarre take because I would say this makes him selfless. He was willing to give up his dream so that Mirio could still live out his because Mirio was a true hero. He was doing what he thought was the right thing.

Recovery Girl is the only one I can kind of defend here. She was trying to push Izuku into being more careful with and mindful of his body. That being said, she went about it in the entirely wrong way. As not only a pro hero but a school nurse, it's her job to help anyone she can recover. It's not her right to pick and choose. And Izuku was put into situations where it was entirely unavoidable. It was either break his arms or him and Kota both die. He didn't have a lot of choices.

I think a lot of this comes from the idea that Izuku is a Gary Stu (false) so Horikoshi constantly gives him flack from other characters

[irontragedyreview]

Well after the analysis or attempted analysis of Tomura, it's time to talk about Izuku. As I said with Tomura, many men who read shonen should be prohibited from making interpretations about certain character traits or even commenting the manga. Seriously, since the leaks came out and began to be commented on, a large number of men have commented on the recent events about Izuku and his arms as a kind of punishment for wanting to do a talk no jutsu (Guys, please let Naruto rest, I love Naruto but even I know when to blurt out certain things and this complaint in different fandoms is already pathetic).

Before doing any analysis of Izuku, I want to make certain points clear. 1) Izuku and his fight aren’t over yet, there is still fight in that boy and we are talking about Izuku who fought to rescue bk without his two arms too, so yes I don't think this will take him out of the fight; 2) I can't guess what will happen to Izuku's arms, the truth is that there are two possible ways for his arms to be returned by a quirk I doubt it's Eri, she doesn't have enough energy, either Chisaki, since as far as we know he can’t use his quirk without arms, perhaps Tomura when he returns can do so considering the original nature of decay, but considering that the quirk implanted in him was modified in a laboratory, I don't know if it can evolve like that. Another option is for Horikoshi to go for what we already know prosthetics after the war, so far no character with lost limbs has recovered them; 3) Tomura isn’t dead, he is there and he is going to emerge to kick AFO's ass along with Izuku; 4) Sorry to all Aizawa fans but the truth is I'm not very interested in his plot with Shirakumo, honestly the most interesting thing about seeing Kurogiri again would be to see if Shirakumo had recovered his true identity and know if there is any part of him that he cares about Tomura beyond Kurogiri's programming.

Having said that, let's start with Izuku. One of the things that led me to write this analysis of him was the number of times I saw that the loss of his arms is a kind of punishment for not wanting to kill Tomura (seriously, men get out of your edgy phase and stop of thinking that characters with compassion are inferior who don’t accept reality) and on the other hand that this was a chronicle announced by Midoriya's recklessness, on this point I don’t disagree with the idea that Izuku losing a limb hasn’t been mentioned more than once in the manga also he was obviously going to get physical injuries outside of the OFA with gearshift , but I disagree with comparing this moment to Midoriya being reckless.

I’m not going to deny that Midoriya tends to be reckless, many of his fights and his trip with the OFA were him pushing his body to the limit, but this wasn’t out of pure recklessness, no one who reads the manga and understands Midoriya's character can’t ignore the way he’s always trying to be enough, above all Izuku fears failing the people who gave him a chance. His first meeting with All Might when his hero tells him to see reality and leaves while walking home Izuku tells himself that he shouldn’t cry, that he knew it was a fantasy. I say this because one of the main points that many forget when they criticize Midoriya is that he never prepared his body, but the truth is that he was always realistic for what society told him he should expect, his notebooks and his desire to be a hero were a desperate attempt to deny that reality that everyone wanted to mark him, but when All Might his hero tells him to abandon, there is no reason to deny it anymore and it’s in this first chapter where Midoriya considers accepting his reality twice, the first once with All Might and the second time with bk before AM offered him OFA.

With All Might everything changes, for the first time someone gives him the opportunity that he dreamed so much however, we see for the first time the carelessness he has for himself, in his training he overexerts and reaches a fatigue that makes him makes him faint, AM notices the overdemand and scolds him but Izuku knows that he´s at a disadvantage against others, it’s unhealthy but he understands that everyone there has been born with quirks and has been training for longer than him, so he really wants to take this change, he’ll have to put in the effort. Here AM should have insisted that Izuku focus on his health, but again AM also doesn’t know how to set a limit to his own demands, and therefore he is not the one to set a limit, if he adjusts his routine but doesn’t prevent the overdemanding of Midoriya continued his development.

Throughout the manga, Izuku has taken his body to unexpected limits, his first fight with Muscular, Eri's arc where to stop the advance of the rewind he took the OFA to its maximum so he destroyed himself at the same speed Eri healed, the entire first war arc where his fight with Tomura is literally fierce, and his solo arc where he is pushed to the limit of standing. I say all this because Izuku's recklessness comes from his own conception of heroism that leaves aside his own well-being, but above all because Izuku separates his own self between Deku who can do it and the useless Deku who can't save anyone, He sees himself this way because he hates his old self, the quirkless, defenseless part, the one that AM saw at first and told him that he couldn't be a hero, even today no one has told Midoriya in his face that he can be a hero without a quirk, which is more than enough, no one told him that, class 1A told him that they were friends, Ochako said that he was special for himself not because of his quirk and when Aoyama introduced himself as a traitor and Kirishima said something like "what does it matter that he doesn't have a quirk", none of these are words of encouragement for someone who lived much of his childhood being bullied and attacked.

All this brings us to chapter 419, some say is the result of recklessness or in the case of many others a punishment that Midoriya deserves for wanting to save a villain, seeing compassion as weakness and harm as punishment is so stupid about all because there is something much more interesting and devastating. Izuku during all this time is sacrificing every piece of himself to reach Tomura, he sacrificed OFA and now his own arms because he really wanted to reach him, he’s fulfilling his own words he wants to know, he needs to understand so that their confrontation isn’t just senseless violence and the saddest thing is that trying to reach Tomura and finally take his hand, refusing to let him go even if it could disintegrate him, is the act that allowed AFO to take control again.

All this time Izuku is doubtful, he doesn't have a certain plan because the situation is difficult but he also can't ignore that crying child, that's why when Tomura screams that he’s beyond salvation or no longer human, Izuku continues to insist the opposite and the moment where he finally catches up to him is the moment where he loses, because Izuku's actions weakened Tomura and allowed AFO to take control, but one thing should be clear Izuku wasn’t reckless when he took Tenko's hands, he knew the consequences and he still wanted to reach him, he wouldn’t regret it because if there is something that characterizes Izuku as a character, it’s the great capacity he has to feel compassion and his kindness.

[neonscandal]

Manga with Me: MHA Crackpot (But Maybe Not) Pocket Theories

⚠️ Spoiler warning through chapter 363 with wild predictions for future stories that make more and more (or less and less) sense the more I think about it so now you have to think about it too. Plot points I'm still theorizing about are at the end so weigh in with your theories!

Rapid fire predictions startinggg now. 👇🏾

Bakugo Isn't Dead

I've thought about how the story might end if Bakugo is Bakugone but after 363, I'm positive he's alive and kicking thanks to a sweet little jeart from BJ (jk can't BJ control natural fibers so muscle by extension?). He might need a little defib action but I'm not counting him out of the fight completely. We've seen Mirko break her prostheses and have more shot put out to her while on the battlefield. I think that demonstrated that nothing's that far out of the realm of possibility, medically.

Bakugo is the Only Person Deku Told the Final Quirk To

Stage has been set thanks to Denki Kaminari. Much of the story is told from Deku's POV so we don't really get a comprehensive understanding of Bakugo's character (I talk about this here) except from his actions which seem extremely violent and abrasive. Cue neutral character Aizawa who clarifies Bakugo's character at the sports fest and during the press conference after Bakugo was kidnapped. Denki is another character who's provided critical exposition into Bakugo's character previously during the provisional licensing exam and apparently during the showdown with AFO!Shigaraki. Make no mistake, Bakugo seems hotheaded and foolhardy but he's shown countless time his combat sense and ability to strategize is top tier. With life and death on the line, I can't imagine such a catastrophic misstep fresh out the gate. If we've already seen Deku try to manifest the final quirk and it's not something we'll see in a cut scene later, I think it was either:

during the first Shiggy match where we were led to believe it was danger sense as a red herring and was demonstrably debilitating to Deku at the time

or it's the scene below which has the potential to cause more physical damage in a fight

#2 Has a Blast Quirk

PEEP THE HARDWARE 👇🏾. Homeboy didn't storm the castle with a gun, that is a support item to complement a long-range blast quirk. Not unlike Bakugo's grenade launchers. I think this would also tie into the story seamlessly since Deku's been watching and reappropriating Bakugo's moves this whole time even without a comparable quirk. It's like the stage has been set his entire life. Bakugo will be big mad.

Yoichi Isn't a Vestige

Or More Plausible Deku's Feelings Manifests an OFA Bakugo

I just feel like the language here is so very specific to suggest that quirks and vestiges ain't the only thing OFA is packing. #2 and #3 didn't materialize for sometime within OFA. Suppose there's something else being kept behind locked doors? We've already seen Bakugo talking to vestige!All Might, is that the afterlife or within OFA? Due to my first theory, I'm assuming the latter. If Bakugo has died, we know that vestiges only have corporeal appearances after dying (All Might is alive and has an ethereal form). Also, while the picture's below are decidedly ambiguous with respect to OFA (see captions for clarification), suppose this whole time Yoichi is the will of #2 and the other vestiges. Not a vestige himself.

First. This is the visual to signify vestiges, right? Are there seven vestiges because Yoichi isn't one or because All Might isn't dead?

Given the above, the stars around Bakugo are decidedly giving vestige.

Fragments of consciousness from the second through the seventh successful.. SO NOT YOICHI?

Offshoot Theory, Yoichi or #2 Has a Living Body

If Yoichi isn't contained within OFA, does he maybe also have a living body like AFO? OR, conversely and in the pic below, is #2 the one with the choice to live within OFA or not? I kind of wonder whether the room Yoichi was trapped in wasn't a physical room or rather a mental thing but I haven't fleshed out how that would play out.

#2/Bakugo is a Time Traveler

If #2 has a blaster quirk, what are the odds he's actually Bakugo (LOOK AT THEM LEGS) from another point in time or timeline? One where he never reconciled with Deku and Deku became just as twisted and evil as Shigaraki. He broke down that door and reached out a hand, head hung low knowing he's taking the long way round for redemption. Is his choosing to be there because of the above offshoot or because he's finally come around to believe Deku could really take on AFO.

The Culmination of the Fight Will Result in Deku Being Quirkless Again

What if the story of how he became a great hero is actually his one and done adventure to bring down AFO and liberate Tenko? We've seen OFA explode out of Deku but what if unifying OFA is the nuclear option? Suppose this final fight ends with its destruction having finally bested AFO and served its intended purpose. With no further need, it dispels. Deku, whose name has been erased from the annals of history, reminisces upon his great adventure fondly. For those that knew him, he served as a reminder that anyone can be a hero.

Theories Still TBD

Who was Kirishima escorting before uniting with Mina on the battlefield?

LOV has maybe 4 deleter rounds left, what's AFO got planned and why could we see his face last chapter? I doubt he used one on himself.

We've already seen there are more AFO moles laying in wait at UA but what about more hero students and pro's? Have we seen the extent of them because more than a few have been sus.

Was the blood Dabi gave Toga truly Twice's? Pretty nasty trick if not but Dabi's character isn't exactly sentimental about doing something shitty. It'd be decisively in the LOV's favor if it is Twice's blood which is in line with Dabi's desire but still? Will Ochako be able to stop her from wanting to use it?

[haleigh-sloth]

dk being so op lately bothers me because we don’t know when and how he got so good at ofa and i hate it so much, i feel we were robbed from an interesting plot line that could also throw some more light over the world of vestiges

I talked about this here

I really don’t care about the power levels here

So while you are welcome to feel that way, this ask is better directed at someone who cares enough to continue to criticize a topic in such a way that, imo is similar to beating a dead horse.

Avatar Jesus deku is not news. Still being mad about it to me sounds exhausting tbh. I would explore other things the manga has to offer. Otherwise, these asks are better sent to other people who care about this stuff.

[helenarasmussen87]

Some All Might stans are really obnoxious. “Endeavor will never be Toshi!” No shit, that’s the point of his character arc. I think they’re sour over Endeavor (and his family) taking priority and getting better writing than the OFA/AFO plot in Acts 2 and 3. I can’t fault the bitterness but as a fan of both it can get annoying how much they revel whenever Endeavor is “not Toshi”.

I'm honestly starting to get fed up with the "hot takes" I see from a lot of the fandom lately. And how they love basically making the Todorokis and even Hawks the punching bag for all of Hoshikori's writing decisions. So despite this being news to me, I can't say I'm surprised that this is making the rounds now.

I also have to wonder whether these so called fans are reading the same story as the rest of the people. I mean *Toshi* himself addressed that exact topic during the provisional license and Overhaul arc. Did we all mass hallucinate the scene where Toshi and Enji are talking about what it takes to be a number one and how to go about it?!?! How Toshi gives Endeavor the advice to take his time and figure out what works for him?

And how Endeavor takes the advice to heart and changes his approach to be as collaborative as possible instead of being the pillar that All Might was? That was the whole point of him fighting alongside Hawks, involving the other heroes and facing the war together? Or is it like Goncharov? You can't have both. It either happened or didn't.

Also, it is only natural that Toshi would step back. His arc is more or less done and it was a well written arc, in my opinion. It was what made me love and break my heart for the character. Just like how Endeavor's arcs have made me a die-hard fan of his.

They are two different men, making the mistakes that they did because they thought they were making the right choices, good or bad. But at the end of the day, they did what they did because they cared that much to contribute to the betterment of society. They are the same coin, just different sides.

To use a football analogy: It's like Messi and Ronaldo. Or in hockey: Crosby and McDavid. They both have skills, but apply it in different areas. Neither will be mistaken for the other and all parties know that.

And you can be a fan of both sides and be critical, but the way that these people are acting it makes me wonder if they really are fans like they claim.

Kind of odd that the so called faction of fans fails to see that.

Sorry for the wall of text, but yes, I agree that this is getting quite frankly ridiculous and out of hand. This is starting to make me rethink and re-examine what I liked about the story in the first place and to better curate my experience in the fandom, cause damn bro.

[the-nysh]

I love your positivity towards BNHA, I get very critical of it (like I find everything so far with Bakugou is messy and uncomfortable, but its the climax stuff like that is going to happen, hopefully Horikoshi will spread that energy around so its not just Bakugou getting whumped and actually show others (Deku) would also get very injured if they go alone - I am still unhappy with the direction of Deku and his arm situation but he's been pulling the series down for me for a long time p1/?)

[Me, astounded that this is a fifteen-part ask! O___O;;!!]

-and as corny and shoehorned in as some of these statement pieces interspersed or even mining for powerful moments that are undercut because he didn't give himself enough pace and time to write for characters, relationships or after paths, I appreciate that his art can still get the point across, he's got good ideas, its his first long running series, he's clearly felt the pressure to push the plot along and he's been very physically and mentally ill over its run and weekly series are hard p2/?

to write. Of the mainstream, popular shounen series I have read (not many) its one of the more coherent and even sensible ones so far. He's putting in a effort to do well by most characters, even if it looks messy. Horikoshi reliance on reveals I think adds to the confusion, he might want to read up on dramatic irony as a way to raise tension, have the audience know things characters don't so we can feel scared for them, too often stuff happens, there is a cliffhanger, we don't know the p3/?

purpose, or even what has actually happened or why which has some suspense and be gripping but if used too much can get more frustrating. Anyway, people called that heroes present had the skills to makeshift some surgery, just swap Mirio for Edgeshot in getting the heart going but Edgeshot makes a lot of sense, he's doing what we know the character can do. I am hoping this gives a strong reason for Eri (or Overhaul) who have history undoing chimeras can save Edgeshot (and Bakugou's p4/?

severe traumatic injuries. The imbalance between Bakugou's suffering and the passes Deku gets is a annoyance for me at this point in the story when it feels like there should be more to balance other characters accomplishments with Deku, they don't have to match him in power, but there should be a stronger sense of their capabilities. I know a lot of 'saved' for the finale but by skipping so much, what the story does show is weighed on Bakugou's set-backs, failures and suffering - odd p5/?

given how associated with victory his character is. Its all water under the bridge but does affect my feelings towards what is happening, as interesting, sensible and themeatic as it is. So I really want to know the purpose of these events and I am excited for all the potential, for Bakugou, Deku, their relationship, Bakugou's relationship with OFA/All Might, his role in the finale and role in general. Where is this going and actually as painful and messy as all this is p6/?

(the potential physical trauma that could last or the mental trauma if Edgeshot dies by doing this) are concerning because the story is as dramatic as it should be in the climax. Unlike Deku, Bakugou feels like he has stakes, bad things can stick and it’s pretty amazing the story is sticking to following what is happening with him, and how its framed is more like a growth than a death, so there are lots of questions. I am also happy to see Japanese fans happy and interested, thinking about p7/?

the potential consequences and trauma (which is where my mind went in terms of, it doesn't feel right that one of the biggest traumas for Bakugou is causing someone to sacrifice themselves for him, to be repeated during the point at first felt wrong but then if the finale is about spiritually/mentally overcoming what previously brought you down, perhaps part of Bakugou finale is to accept that others sacrifice themselves for him and instead of being tortured by that he can see the honor p8/?

in it and be strong and grateful as it connects to his weakness of wanting to do everything by himself and while he has accepted teamwork, he's so far when it comes to saving he's only experienced putting himself on the line for others, even in joint training he intercepted attacks etc. and he couldn't stand Deku being self sacrifical, he couldn't stand All Might sacrificing himself, his idea of a perfect victory is not losing anyone but there is still that gap of accepting others choices p9/?

to sacrifice themselves (for him) and while it may still be a burden it doesn't have to become a handicap. In building up to Edgeshots sacrifice, the idea of legacy and heroes do what they must to protect futures (to oppose AFO’s saying his goal is to stop futures, AFO being 1D is another critique but symbols, themes, ideas is Horikoshi’s stronger points, AFO just fills a role so things can play out with other characters, fair enough), the sacrificial aspect of heroism is front and centre p10/?

as part of what weaves and connects hearts and futures, which is no coincidence that Deku’s inherent heroism starts with his willingness to sacrifice himself or his wants to save someone else. It connects to Japanese values of community and what fundamentally makes an ideal and decent person, what sort of person to strive to be. I will admit it spiritually rubs me the wrong way, even if these ideas are at the heart of most religions and many cultures for communal prosperity and peace. p11/?

It feels to me like over glorification of sacrifice, including this theme overriding character traits (like intelligence and strategy, that being instinctive to save, overriding tactics is framed as growth in the right direction- going back to 285). Despite Horikoshi trying to show the difference between sacrifice and being suicidal, like early Deku, I still am uncomfortable with themes in BNHA and how they are shown and put across. To get to the point were sacrifices are shown in the p12/?

story, it doesn’t feel like other options are exhausted – perhaps that is a limit to how much Horikoshi wants to draw things out to get to the narrative and thematic point. The shortcuts, if they are, undermine a bit of the beauty of the messaging that I think I understand Horikoshi is trying to capture. Yet seeing Japanese fans reactions it brings up the simple ideas of the difference between someone called a hero who can’t bear to live at others expense and someone who was called a hero p13/?

who did, or how letting go of ego is a victorious path, so again, he’s a man filled with strong ideas of something beautiful within humanity and our empathy, willingness to change and the connections forged between people, and how that works or what needs to be for that to happen. Where his writing lacks more in-depth character studies, its clear the story and cast are more an essay on heroics. While personally I don’t agree with all his conclusions or more specifically how the story is p14/p15

is showing them, there are a lot of interesting sentiments to think about. There is meaning to what is happening on the page and I am still on edge to see if Horikoshi can stick the landing for Bakugou. (15/15, End: sorry to spam my ideas  kept running on >.< and tumblr probably ate half of it so it made no sense. If you managed to read, thank you. If not, that's cool too.)

So whoa! I’m honestly surprised these all came thru. Thank you anon for sharing your long, insightful thoughts. :’3

I can say of the many ongoing shonens I’ve read over the years (published til their completion) what Hori has is very solid - conveying his strong themes and messages with heart, even from the limitations/shortcuts expected of a weekly series where ‘the plot must go on’ instead of lingering for more preferred depth (or covering ALL the characters of his huge cast), or dealing with the pressure from his many changing editors affecting the pacing/delivery, etc. I feel he’s really had to weigh/balance who & what gets top priority to show in his limited real-estate, cause damn does he have MANY interesting ideas I can tell he WANTS to fully explore but usually can’t, that even he has regrets once they’re put to the page (and he doesn’t have the same leeway Murata does to go back and redraw whole chapters if he’s not satisfied - so the pressure even on Hori’s editors to get it done the first time, is quite large.) For everything else he can’t cover, that’s what fanfics are for~

So having criticism is fine, but so is having tempered/grounded expectations for what Hori is reasonably allowed to do, too (because for many readers - esp western, it’s very obvious this is their first shonen, so it’s smart to see what the more seasoned Japanese readers think - as both the intended audience AND for being genre savvy of what to expect.)

Exploring the potential weight & trauma imposed on Kacchan - once he learns that because of him (again), yet another hero CHOSE to sacrifice himself for him...well, doesn’t that become interesting. :’D (Especially when one of his values was victory with no casualties.) Looks like I’m glad to see the Japanese readers ruminating on that potential too. As Hori’s care allotted to Kacchan’s impact & real-estate, as promised for his most popular character, is going to be significant.

As for glorifying how sacrifice as a ‘good’ thing - when during 285, to me it wasn’t, cause if Kacchan role-reverses with Deku’s self-sacrificial trait all the way, even when Kacchan deliberately chooses it - he dies (bad). Or other heroes have to scramble to fix his loss. So there’s another unsaid theme (Toga parallel) that fully imitating or wanting to become like someone else destroys/kills your own identity/individuality. So moderation, seeing each other healthily half-way, supporting together instead of shouldering everything alone. All such important things (and themes!) to consider when Deku returns.

Anyway, “there is meaning to what is happening on the page and I am still on edge to see if Horikoshi can stick the landing for Bakugou” - yes I can totally relate to that and I honestly wish Hori the best. <3

[lesser-mook]

My Hero Academia: Rising Heroes (film recommendation) *some spoilers

Very plot armor heavy regarding Nine’s refusal to take advantage of his power level, usual MHA cliche’s, however:

Katsuma’s arc was wholesome, him learning to speak his mind and come into his own (building his own confidence) was a well executed little plot thread.

Bakugou’s very clear development post Season 3 displayed here (ie.he’s better written here)

Deku inspiring the youth to follow their goals as All Might did for him- a nice display of the future greatest hero uplifting the next generation.

The setting and the Class reaching out to the community on a remote little island was a nice change of pace.

For hero work, or the essence of a hero is technically the community service, which is basically most vigilante’s anyway. 

The music is top tier as usual. 

Too many characters ie. Class 1A clusterfuck as usual but they’re not in the way too much, everyone’s got something to do, but they’re not always in your face here. Standard Class 1A, just dialed down compared to the show.

It’s mainly Deku, Nine, Bakugou, and the little ones.

Better focus here vs the show.

The villain is weak as hell (not in power, but in execution) for the same reasons why CHP355 doesn’t work, yet another baddie *Clearly made TOO POWERFUL but doesn’t immediately wipe the floor with the weaker opponents or at least catch some bodies*

You’d think for someone with their life on a timer they wouldn’t be moving slower than a T-800, drove me nuts how he didn’t just wreck a lot of people. ESPECIALLY with his particular gifts.

Villains explaining their weaknesses, for some reason. (Standard Anime trope btw, it’s not a MHA thing)

And ONE FOR ALL was basically turned into a magic plot device in this movie. No longer just a Quirk compiler, it is basically just magic.

A consequence i didn’t expect to happen was teased to be permanent which would’ve course corrected Deku’s character in a way (which we know is bullshit given S4 and onward, he still has OFA)

But ofc a very convenient (Uno reverse card springs up outta nowhere resetting status quo) thus Deku’s plot armor is still unrivaled.

One For All made a decision to reinstate itself because Deku was willing to sacrifice it for the right reasons. Good idea in concept but that's bullshit, OFA is basically magic.

The way Aang suddenly got the Avatar State back in the series finale was equally bullshit convenience/contrivance but at least he DID NOT have access to it the entire season as consequence of getting hit by Azula.

Most consequences do NOT matter in My Hero, if Deku had to go through S4 WITHOUT OFA and he got it back in S5, that shit would’ve been interesting.

But i digress.

The later half of the final fight is some of the best “second wind” deus ex machina’s i’ve ever seen, the choreography felt so hyper-emphasized, like you felt the power those two wielded.

One For All, is a serious super power, one of the best in fiction. Period.

And the music playing over the action is 11/10 and i’ve NEVER praised the show like this before but holy shit- 

That’s just good directing. (*chefs kiss) When it does something right, it does something right.

I naturally took notes heavily criticizing the minute details, some nitpicks, others just overall gripes with MHA’s very braindead way of getting the message across. But overall this wasn’t a bad little movie.

Much better pacing & a better plot than the first movie. 

[class1akids]

I have mixed feeling about certain ppl entering the fight

On one hand I want a origin trio moment on the other bakugo has already done alot and has fainted twice while todoroki I feel like should do more (I don't really know why he fainted considering he didn't get to injured fighting dabi maybe bc of the mental toll?) and should have an op fight scene and power up (also I'm curious what afo would say to shoto considering what he has said to endeavor)

I also don't like the idea of everyone gathering to help like certain ppl sure but if you start putting in pros then the spotlight being on first year's isnt convincing like yes their strong but to the pint of completely outshining pros? But then again I don't want to see a bunch of pros idc about fighting

I'm really just hoping this fight ends soon bc it's really getting dragged out 😭

Yeah, I fully understand that many people wanted this fight to be Deku vs Shigaraki to turn to Deku + Shigaraki vs AFO. Or that only Class A shows up.

But in the end, what is happening is thematically sound. On the one hand AFO vs OFA - if we talk about quirk power - is their logical conclusion. AFO found home in a new host, one that's capable of accruing more power. OFA on the other hand, grew beyond it's physical vessels and has become more of an idea of heroism - one that Deku embodies and one can be chosen by anyone. A true network of power.

But as much as AFO is at the source of Tenko's misery, Shigaraki's criticism of hero society stands valid. Hero society didn't make him a villain, but did nothing to save him either. So while Deku went to the extremes to save him, a sole pillar can't do everything. Which is why it's important for Tenko to see not only that a hero has come, but that the society he hated so much for its passivity has all shown up for him. Not just heroes, but even civilians pitching in.

Now, I'd be very surprised of course if this one wave of heroes could end the fight - we are clearly starting with some of the weaker / less combat oriented heroes and students. On top of that, if they kill Shigaraki's body - how can he be saved? So I feel like the fighting will be to hold AFO away from Izuku until his time is up again, but not to kill him. Just like Shouto needed his family's help to stop Dabi, how Ochako needed a lot of support to reach Toga, how Katsuki needed everyone who protected, revived him and every blow dealt at AFO to be successful, it makes sense for Deku to also need the support.

It's a test of Deku's faith of whether Tenko can still be saved and everyone else's faith in Deku's judgement and moral code. Tenko will probably awaken to see so many hands reach for him.

As for Shouto:

Yes, he's not injured. The story emphasised however that Phosphor is an incredible burst of power, but comes at a cost of stamina drain. His first Phosphor blast froze over an entire citiblock that was on blazing hot fire. His second blast neutralized a nuclear bomb, the size of 5 kms. Not to mention that he was continuously using ice and fire during the mad dash with Iida from Kamino to Gunga. So he probably passed out from overexerting his quirk. And I'd say based on what we've seen in Ch 351, he may not just countered Touya's blast, but may have absorbed it.

I wouldn't be a least bit surprised to see Shouto come out of it with a quirk upgrade.

I'm like 99% confident that he will show up, and we will get some further closure on the Todo-fam plot, possibly also a quirk combo with Endeavor AND Touya. (Because I still think Spinner, Toga, Dabi, Compress showing up at the battlefield would help awaken Tenko - who just proclaimed himself the hero of the villains).

Now, how short or long his highlight might be - only Hori knows that - but I think we will get at least one big highlight move from Shouto that serves as some kind of cap of the family plot. If we are lucky, we may get an actual hero name chapter, like Katsuki got GEMGD after his "Rising".

As for Katsuki, I just can't really imagine Hori not bringing him in if everyone showed up. He spent 90% of his endgame brooding over Izuku, and Izuku had a hot minute of rage about his death, plus the catapult move - but they haven't really interacted truly. Bakugou hasn't interacted with anyone from the class either. So I think Hori knows that those are moments fans want and he will deliver them.

He's spent a lot of time with the pros he cares about - Endeavor, Hawks got ton of content, Hawks lost his quirk - so for both of them, I expect more emotional closure than big fights. All Might is probably done fighting, but again, he had no scene with Deku yet - so I think he'll be back too. The rest of them, I expect mostly on the background - like they were at Gunga, at Kamino, Floating UA etc. And for the kids to get the highlights.

It's very unpredictable how many chapters are left - Aizawa just announced the start of "Phase 3". I think Phase 1: was Ch 343-379 - so about 36 chapters from the initial division, until Deku and Shigaraki left the Floating UA. Phase 2: 380- 419 was 39 chapters. Now only Hori knows how long Phase 3 will be, but I note that Deku still hasn't even had a Rising chapter.

I guess we will just have to wait and see.

[stillness-in-green]

Why Deku's ultimatum to Overhaul is bad and he should feel bad

This is a bit outside my normal character wheelhouse, but I really need to get a rant about it off my chest, so here goes:

The Deku and Overhaul scene in Chapter 316 is terrible. It is fucking terrible.

I took a whirl around Overhaul's tag up through when the leaks first started dropping, but didn't immediately see anyone talking about why it's so fucking terrible, only concerns about letting Overhaul see Eri (understandable, but baseless, I think), some empathy towards Overhaul's current state (totally warranted!), some snark about Deku being So Done with Overhaul (haha because who cares about Deku's stated goal of trying to understand villains, right?), and, worst of all, some cooing about how Deku was being so compassionate and noble by offering Overhaul that olive branch.

Deku was not being compassionate and noble there. Deku was being arrogant, small-minded, and so shockingly cruel that it leaves me speechless that anyone could think his stunted and hard-hearted "offer" reflects well on him.

Deku's entire motivation in this arc has been wrestling with the realization that he might have been able to avoid some of the desperate battles of his past if he'd understood more about the villains he fought. He thought of three very specific people--Stain, Muscular, and Overhaul--as he reflected, "Maybe it wouldn't have had to go that way if I'd understood them better." He then thought of Gentle Criminal and La Brava, people who he’d come to some understanding of, who he’d been able to soften the conclusion of his battle with by going along with Gentle's fiction downplaying what had happened between them. The whole line of thought was intended to contextualize his newfound desire to save Shigaraki.

It soon became apparent that Stain, Muscular and Overhaul were, in fact, encounters that he would be revisiting, as a chance to see how he'd grown since he faced them, and as a dry-run on reaching out to villains that would give him a chance to practice ways he might reach out to Shigaraki when the time comes.

Well, based on his performance so far, the idea that Deku might be able to reach Shigaraki is laughable.

Firstly, his tentative questions to Muscular were ill-timed, all wrong for the middle of a battle. Muscular laughed him off, and I don’t think there’s any version of that scenario in which he would have done otherwise. Muscular was a huge threat, gleefully violent, disinterested in conversation about his history. Obviously, right in the middle of a fight was no kind of time to try to figure out what made the man tick! But Deku didn’t get the luxury of choosing the circumstances of that encounter, so yes, that battle probably was unavoidable, certainly if Deku wanted to stop him from doing further damage. But the idea that because Deku couldn't reach him right then and there, it's impossible for Deku--or, indeed, for anyone--to reach him at all is fallacious. Not every person has to be able to like or understand every other person. If Deku couldn't reach Muscular, so what? That doesn't mean it's impossible that someone might. And that means an obligation to treat Muscular like a human being, to afford him human rights, to not stop trying to find a way to rehabilitate him, even as you safeguard other people against him.

Deku's battle with Muscular being unavoidable was not some great triumph, for all that the narrative used it as an opportunity to let him show off how far he’d come in mastering One For All. In the way that matters, the way that Deku himself is currently trying to better, he hasn't advanced at all. Imasuji Goto represented his first test in the lead-up to saving Shigaraki, and Deku failed it.

His next trial was Overhaul.* Here, again, was someone who Deku was explicitly trying to understand. So what was the one thing that was most key to understanding Overhaul's current motivation? What was the one thing that Overhaul was ranting about out loud, incessantly? And what did Deku conspicuously fail to ask about? Overhaul's relationship with Pops.

This was so easy. So obvious. And Deku didn’t even try. All he could think about in the moment he was faced with that broken man was the little girl that man hurt--all thoughts of trying to understand where the man himself was coming from went right out the window, flown away in an instant. Instead of asking about why Overhaul feels the way he does, he demanded that Overhaul feel the way Deku wanted. He was essentially holding the only person Overhaul cared about hostage for the remorse he wanted Overhaul to feel.

I'm not going to try to armchair diagnose Overhaul with mental conditions. I don't have the educational background, and I'm positive Horikoshi doesn't. But it seems pretty clear that asking Overhaul to feel guilt about Eri was asking for something that he might not be capable of feeling, at least not without years of therapy that he was plainly not getting in Tartarus. And if Overhaul is not capable of feeling that guilt, then what does denying Overhaul his meeting actually solve? Who does it help? It doesn’t help Eri. Doesn’t help the old man. It certainly doesn’t help Overhaul himself. The only person who gets any satisfaction out of demanding remorse from Overhaul is Deku. And even Deku didn’t look like he found it very satisfying!

Another failure. A meaninglessly cruel, petty failure. A failure that served only to hurt a man who was already a live wire of agony, to sentence an old man to a coma he might never wake from without Overhaul's expertise, and to deprive Eri of the only actual family she had left.

And look, Pops might very well not be the ideal guardian for Eri, and I'm not saying he should get to "keep" her just because of the blood connection, but it's not like he cheerfully handed her over to Overhaul and walked out the door! He turned to Overhaul because he trusted Overhaul, because he wanted someone to help Eri and thought that maybe Overhaul could. And when Overhaul's thoughts about Eri took a very dark turn, Pops first denied his request about using her to further his research and then, when Overhaul kept pushing it, chose Eri over the kid he personally took in from the streets by telling Overhaul that he needed to leave the Shie Hassaikai if he couldn't muster any more respect for human life than that.

But, you know, Eri is so cute with Aizawa and stuff. And Pops was a criminal. Probably. Maybe? I mean, he was yakuza, anyway, so he obviously must have been a criminal even if the police never actually arrested him. Apparently, this means it's okay to just leave him in a coma forever! Even though Overhaul absolutely has enough medical expertise that letting him talk to a neurologist about what he did to Pops might enable them to figure out how to wake Pops up even without Overhaul being able to use his quirk to undo the damage. Hell, Overhaul is also the person alive who has the best handle on how Eri's quirk works. He might even know what her accumulation condition is. Maybe a better thing to ransom his access to Pops with would be Overhaul telling Aizawa everything he knows about Eri's quirk so Aizawa can use the knowledge to help her get a better handle on it.

But no. Obviously undoing some small part of the concrete harm Overhaul did was less important than how Deku felt about that harm.

And there's more! Oh, is there ever. I called Deku arrogant before; let me circle back to that.

Deku said that if Chisaki would feel the way Deku wanted him to feel, then Deku would uphold the promise to let Overhaul see Pops. But where in hell did Deku get off making that claim? Deku is a student. He's not a pro. He has no authority, medical, legal, carceral or otherwise. He has no say in where Overhaul goes or who he's allowed to see.

What the fuck? What the actual fuck? What kind of strings did Deku think he could pull that he could just casually make that claim without so much as going into a huddle with Hawks and Endeavor about it first? How inflated has this kid's sense of importance gotten that he made Overhaul that promise without even stopping to think about whether it was something he was in any position to ensure? It was such a bullshit ultimatum, not only because of how needlessly obstructive it was, but because it was so formless.

"If only you would feel a wish to apologize to Eri…" Okay, so what if Overhaul goes back to prison and, three days later, calls out to say, "Okay, I thought about it and I really feel like I want to apologize, now can I see Pops already?" Who gets to make that judgment call? Deku? Is he going to drop his faux-vigilante act and come visit Overhaul in prison just so he can squint at the man really hard to see if he's lying? Is Deku going to delegate the call to someone else? All Might? Hawks? A prison warden? A psychologist? Who? Who gets to be the one to say, "Okay, I think his remorse is genuine."

Then, once that call has been made, how many people have to arrange for Overhaul to be escorted out of prison and to whatever hospital Pops is in? Will Deku get to oversee that visit? Does he think he can overturn a warden declaring, "The scum doesn't deserve a visit, and the old man probably doesn't either," or a doctor protesting, "I'm not letting that man anywhere near my patient!"

The hell of it is, I think Deku could do all of that. He's got a close personal connection to All Might, who was basically a demi-god to this society for decades; he has the ear of the current top three heroes. Everyone is apparently convinced that the power to save this society rests solely in Deku's hands; I'm sure he could ask for anything he wanted. But the fact that that is the case suggests that this society is not even slightly turning away from its dependence on heroes dictating its morality. A hero having the sole right to dictate, out of hand, based on his personal feelings, the fate of people designated "villains" while the rest of society turns away is exactly what Shigaraki is angry about.

The only thing worse than Deku perpetuating the worst problems of hero society in an arc that's supposed to be about him finding a better way is that he didn’t even stop to think about it. It never even occurred to him that that was what he was doing. He thought that what he was asking of Chisaki was just and fair, and thus, he didn’t need to ask for any second opinions or permissions; he didn’t need to think about what would actually be feasible, about what was best for the people involved. He'd made his judgment call about a villain, and that's all there was to it. The villain could fall in line or--nothing. There isn't actually another choice. Hero's way or nothing

I hate it. I hate it. I don't care about whether Overhaul "deserves" to suffer; heroes making the cold decision that they will make him suffer is antithetical to everything a carceral system intended to rehabilitate prisoners stands for. And yes, Japan does at least claim on paper that the goal of incarceration in state hands is rehabilitation.

Restorative justice is superior to retributive justice. It's better for society and it's better for individuals. It is kinder, it is more compassionate. Retributive justice poisons people. It perpetuates suffering for no reason but moral grandstanding. Individuals are allowed to forgive or not forgive anyone they want, but a society should conduct itself with an eye to the long-term welfare of all of its people. That means that even the worst kinds of criminals still have human rights. It means not inflicting pain that serves no purpose.

I've gotten off-track here. Yes, I think that if Overhaul could feel regret about Eri, that would obviously be a positive development for his character. It'd hurt like hell, but it would be a hurt that indicated he was becoming a better person, a person who wanted to do more good, less ill, with his life and efforts. But you can't mandate that someone become a better person. No ultimatum handed down from on high is going to change Overhaul's heart. Telling someone, "I'll help you, but only if you only feel the way I want you to feel. Otherwise, you can just stay there and suffer," is not reaching out to help people who are suffering in the dark, which is, again, what Deku claimed he wanted to do, what he begged for Nagant's help in doing, the way he insisted to the vestiges that OFA should be used.

Deku writing people off because they don't conform to his expectations, because they can't be "good" the way he wants them to be, nor even "bad" in ways he can understand, is him failing to live up to his own expressed ideals. "I wish you'd feel bad about hurting people," wasn't enough to reach Muscular or Overhaul, and it damn well shouldn't be enough to reach Shigaraki.

Cruelty does not beget kindness. You cannot treat people with only callousness and severity, then condemn them for not taking the opportunity to grow. You have to give them opportunities to better themselves. For Overhaul, giving him an opportunity would be letting him help the man he wronged and then moving forward from there. Telling him to feel regret about Eri or else? That's doing nothing but sweeping his pain back under the rug.

---

*I have more or less exhausted my outrage over Lady Nagant in chats with friends, so I'll spare the rant on how disjointed, contradictory and ludicrous her turn was; the gist is "very, on all counts."

---

P.S. Anyone who says that Overhaul "has nothing left to live for" is being a level of ableist that defies description. Prosthetics exist. Assistive devices exist. Speech-to-text software exists. Overhaul is intelligent, driven and highly educated. Even if he never got prosthetics at all, there would still be things he could contribute to the world if he were motivated to do so. The better thing to do, though, would be to get the man some damn prosthetics, hook him up with the neurologist consulting on Pops' case, and let the two of them get on with the matter of waking up the old man.

P.P.S. Overhaul spent six months in solitary confinement. The United Nations considers solitary confinement exceeding 15 days to be a form of torture. Solitary confinement creates severe mental health issues and exacerbates existing ones. It frequently leads to a deadening of empathy, something Overhaul has in little enough amounts as it is. It is absurd to ask a man who's just come out of these conditions to "feel sorry for what you did to Eri," especially if you're planning to turn around and send him right back to solitary. Tartarus is inhuman, and the only reason more of the escapees aren't total wrecks like Overhaul is because Horikoshi clearly didn't bother to do the reading on the wide array of problems that those characters should be experiencing physically, mentally and socially.

[theloganator101]

Hey Loganator, 👋

I feel like I'm one of the few who feel quite critical of Eri and her placement in the MHA narrative. I get that she's an abused little girl who was essentially traumatised by Overhaul due to her quirk and that's not what I'm critical about.

However her quirk and how OP Rewind is, is a problem narratively! It leaves readers to wonder why the heroes don't just use this super child to fix all thier issues / injuries!

Especially as AM is permanently injured and the heroes have been shown to be content to use her in other situations I.e - to give Mirio his quirk back. Why not use her to rewind AM and give AFO two OFA's to fight against (Izuku and Prime AM) - that would be the wise strategic decision here, surely?

What's your thoughts?

As someone who actually likes Eri, I can see where you're coming from with this.

Her quirk is definitely a plot hole. If they were willing to use her to recover Mirio's quirk, than they wouldn't have any qualms using her to restore All Might to his original state.

It falls under the "it's okay if WE do it!" mentality that since they're using her power for good than it's okay.

Except it isn't.

Her quirk should've been a simple healing quirk that requires physical contact and nothing more.

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

Look, I love All Might to death and will rise up to defend him from unfair criticism, but Bakugou has not once offered ANY useful advice during those OFA meetings. All he has done is put Izuku down, put the other users of OFA down (including All Might's mother figure), get onto Izuku and All Might for wasting HIS time... in what way, shape, or form is this helping Izuku? In what way, shape, or form does this make Bakugou a "good friend" to Izuku.

100%. Katsuki was absolutely useless during those meetings. He just inserted himself into conversations, mocked the dead users of OFA, praised himself, and then put down both Izuku and All Might. He gave absolutely no good advice nor did he even try offering suggestions. Having Katsuki learn about OFA did absolutely nothing for the plot, and yet you’ll have Stans who claim that Katsuki’s essential to Izuku’s growth and that he needs him.