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[todomitoukei]

That's a good point! It's definitely disturbing either way. What's interesting is if you compare Ujiko referring to the Nomu as "kids" is that he uses the standard kanji used for children, which is 子.

People have pointed this out before, but in chapter 30 during the sport festival, we get a little conversation between All Might and Endvr, where the latter talks about Shouto, in other words his own biological child:

but instead of the standard 子 the kanji used here is 仔, which is more commonly used for the offspring of animals rather than human children.

It is creepy for Ujiko to use the word children here, but perhaps even creepier that he can view the zombies he produces as human when Endvr can't even view his own son as one. And that is why AFO respects Endvr.

I went through the old chapters where Dabi and Ujiko are included to take a deeper look at the relationship between these two.

Did you translate the conversations between the two of them into chapters 221 and 222?

I find the way Ujiko speaks to Dabi in the English translation strange. I'm curious if that's really how he expressed himself in Japanese. If I remember correctly, it seems to me that you translated a line of Ujiko's related to Dabi and it sounded less strange than in the English version. That one with "Dabi, you've got sharp eyes!" or smth like this

Hi there!

I only translated that specific line way back when Ujiko and AFO being involved in Touya's backstory was just a theory (long time ago).

I also did a translation of chapter 350, where Ujiko tells us that part of Touya's backstory, which also features a short conversation between the two.

Going back to chapter 221 and 222, here's a breakdown of the parts before the "good eye", starting with this part in chapter 221 (the first two speech bubbles can be found in the other post I linked above)

「そうじゃ違うんじゃこの子らは中位下位とは違うじゃよ～

最上位（ハイエンド）じゃよ

より「マスターピース」に近付いたスーパー脳無じゃ！

凄いじゃろうこれまでとは違うんじゃよ！！！」

「そう ; sou 」 = so 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「違う ; chigau 」 = different 「んじゃ ; nja 」 = explanatory particle 「この ; kono 」 = this 「子ら ; kora 」 = children 「は ; wa 」 = topic particle 「中位下位 ; chuuikai 」 = middle class, lower class 「とは ; to wa 」 = quotation particle 「違う ; chigau 」 = different 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「よ ; yo 」 = emphasis particle 「最上位 (ハイエンド) ; haiendo 」 = High End (the kanji mean the most upper class) 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「よ ; yo 」 = emphasis particle 「より ; yori 」 = than 「マスターピース ; masutaapiisu 」 = master piece 「に ; ni 」 = directional particle 「近付いた ; chikazuita 」 = approached 「スーパー脳無 ; suupaa noumu 」 = super nomu 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「凄い ; sugoi 」 = amazing 「じゃろう ; jarou 」 = right 「これまで ; kore made 」 = until this 「とは ; to wa 」 = quotation particle 「違う ; chigau 」 = different 「んじゃ ; nja 」 = explanatory particle 「よ ; yo 」 = emphasis particle

＝"That's right, they're different. These kids are different from the middle and lower class ones~ It's a High End (top tier). It's a Super Nomu, close to a masterpiece! Amazing, right? It's different from anything up until now!!!"

You best believe he chose the word masterpiece to piss off Touya here on purpose. Unfortunately, and maybe on purpose, we never get shown Touya's facial reaction to that, and he most likely played it cool on the outside, while on the inside wanting to set the whole place on fire.

The next little bit of dialogue between the two occurs in chapter 222:

「ならば荼毘にはハイエンドのテストに協力してほしいのう！！

趣味が！！審美眼がとても合う！！接しやすい！！」

「ならば ; naraba 」 = in case; as for 「荼毘 ; dabi 」 = Dabi 「には ; ni wa 」 = directional particle 「ハイエンド ; haiendo 」 = High Ends 「の ; no 」 = possession particle 「テスト ; tesuto 」 = test 「に ; ni 」 = directional particle 「協力 ; kyouryoku 」 = cooperation 「してほしい ; shitehoshii 」 = want you to do 「のう ; nou 」 = explanatory particle (adds emphasis) 「趣味 ; shumi 」 = preference; liking; taste 「が ; ga 」 subject particle 「審美眼 ; shinbigan 」 = aesthetic sense; sense of beauty 「が ; ga 」 subject particle 「とても ; totemo 」 = very 「合う ; au 」 = to fit/match 「接しやすい ; sesshiyasui 」 = easy to deal with/attend to

= "As for Dabi, I want you to test out the High End for me!! (Good) taste!! Your aesthetic sense matches a lot!! It will be easy for you to deal with it!!"

Obviously, in retrospect, knowing that Ujiko would have turned Touya into a nomu too, the "matching aesthetic sense" line feels even more rude now.

And finally Touya's response:

「話聞いてンのか」

「話 ; hanashi 」 = story 聞いてン ; kiiten 」 = to listen 「のか ; noka 」 = question particle

= "Are you listen to my story?"

The 'story' being him just a second prior to this having said he will go off on his own since he is in the middle of recruiting someone (don't do it!).

[todomitoukei]

I went through the old chapters where Dabi and Ujiko are included to take a deeper look at the relationship between these two.

Did you translate the conversations between the two of them into chapters 221 and 222?

I find the way Ujiko speaks to Dabi in the English translation strange. I'm curious if that's really how he expressed himself in Japanese. If I remember correctly, it seems to me that you translated a line of Ujiko's related to Dabi and it sounded less strange than in the English version. That one with "Dabi, you've got sharp eyes!" or smth like this

Hi there!

I only translated that specific line way back when Ujiko and AFO being involved in Touya's backstory was just a theory (long time ago).

I also did a translation of chapter 350, where Ujiko tells us that part of Touya's backstory, which also features a short conversation between the two.

Going back to chapter 221 and 222, here's a breakdown of the parts before the "good eye", starting with this part in chapter 221 (the first two speech bubbles can be found in the other post I linked above)

「そうじゃ違うんじゃこの子らは中位下位とは違うじゃよ～

最上位（ハイエンド）じゃよ

より「マスターピース」に近付いたスーパー脳無じゃ！

凄いじゃろうこれまでとは違うんじゃよ！！！」

「そう ; sou 」 = so 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「違う ; chigau 」 = different 「んじゃ ; nja 」 = explanatory particle 「この ; kono 」 = this 「子ら ; kora 」 = children 「は ; wa 」 = topic particle 「中位下位 ; chuuikai 」 = middle class, lower class 「とは ; to wa 」 = quotation particle 「違う ; chigau 」 = different 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「よ ; yo 」 = emphasis particle 「最上位 (ハイエンド) ; haiendo 」 = High End (the kanji mean the most upper class) 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「よ ; yo 」 = emphasis particle 「より ; yori 」 = than 「マスターピース ; masutaapiisu 」 = master piece 「に ; ni 」 = directional particle 「近付いた ; chikazuita 」 = approached 「スーパー脳無 ; suupaa noumu 」 = super nomu 「じゃ ; ja 」 = to be 「凄い ; sugoi 」 = amazing 「じゃろう ; jarou 」 = right 「これまで ; kore made 」 = until this 「とは ; to wa 」 = quotation particle 「違う ; chigau 」 = different 「んじゃ ; nja 」 = explanatory particle 「よ ; yo 」 = emphasis particle

＝"That's right, they're different. These kids are different from the middle and lower class ones~ It's a High End (top tier). It's a Super Nomu, close to a masterpiece! Amazing, right? It's different from anything up until now!!!"

You best believe he chose the word masterpiece to piss off Touya here on purpose. Unfortunately, and maybe on purpose, we never get shown Touya's facial reaction to that, and he most likely played it cool on the outside, while on the inside wanting to set the whole place on fire.

The next little bit of dialogue between the two occurs in chapter 222:

「ならば荼毘にはハイエンドのテストに協力してほしいのう！！

趣味が！！審美眼がとても合う！！接しやすい！！」

「ならば ; naraba 」 = in case; as for 「荼毘 ; dabi 」 = Dabi 「には ; ni wa 」 = directional particle 「ハイエンド ; haiendo 」 = High Ends 「の ; no 」 = possession particle 「テスト ; tesuto 」 = test 「に ; ni 」 = directional particle 「協力 ; kyouryoku 」 = cooperation 「してほしい ; shitehoshii 」 = want you to do 「のう ; nou 」 = explanatory particle (adds emphasis) 「趣味 ; shumi 」 = preference; liking; taste 「が ; ga 」 subject particle 「審美眼 ; shinbigan 」 = aesthetic sense; sense of beauty 「が ; ga 」 subject particle 「とても ; totemo 」 = very 「合う ; au 」 = to fit/match 「接しやすい ; sesshiyasui 」 = easy to deal with/attend to

= "As for Dabi, I want you to test out the High End for me!! (Good) taste!! Your aesthetic sense matches a lot!! It will be easy for you to deal with it!!"

Obviously, in retrospect, knowing that Ujiko would have turned Touya into a nomu too, the "matching aesthetic sense" line feels even more rude now.

And finally Touya's response:

「話聞いてンのか」

「話 ; hanashi 」 = story 聞いてン ; kiiten 」 = to listen 「のか ; noka 」 = question particle

= "Are you listen to my story?"

The 'story' being him just a second prior to this having said he will go off on his own since he is in the middle of recruiting someone (don't do it!).

[todomitoukei]

I thought dabi name was based on ryoutoudabi

The urge to write deep analysis on the Dabi hebi meaning resides within me.

If anyone else has suggestions do share, maybe one day I want to procrastinate and when that day comes, I shall try to justify each possible meaning.

[todomitoukei]

the japanese word for shedding skin (you know, the thing snakes do) is called dappi. I'm not saying that dappi sounds similar to dabi and that that is in any way shape or form related to dabi hebi but

[todomitoukei]

Shouto unintentionally finding a way to piss Touya off the most

[todomitoukei]

this is how touya-nii would've reacted, if he had heard shouto

[todomitoukei]

what do you think the line how sad shoto todoroki meant anything

To Touya, there is an unspoken competition between the two - the masterpiece and the failure. Unspoken because one, Shouto never cared about being the masterpiece or getting their father's attention, two they didn't interact with each other before this, and three because Shouto at that point doesn't even know Touya is alive.

The whole point of Dabi's existence is his desire for his dad's attention, something he knows will only happen if he becomes the masterpiece; in other words beats Shouto, which leads to his original plan of wanting to kill Shouto since that would mean the spot for masterpiece was open again, while simultaneously proving that Touya wasn't a failure, as a true masterpiece shouldn't be able to be defeated (especially not by a failure).

The summer camp is essentially the first round of this unspoken competition - both of them racing to the marble. Touya is, even if only by a split second, faster and thus wins this first round.

"How sad" because Touya winning has two meanings. One, he was right in that he can go up against Shouto, and two, the masterpiece lost against the failure - again, a true masterpiece shouldn't fail against the failure.

All that is to say that Touya getting the marble proved to him that he stands a chance in succeeding with his original plan (killing Shouto) and he's suggesting this win means that Shouto isn't enough of a masterpiece to win.

Bottom line, and this is the real answer: in true sibling fashion, Touya was told he can't physically harm his sibling, so he insults him instead by hitting him with a "suck it, loser!" instead.

[todomitoukei]

this is how touya-nii would've reacted, if he had heard shouto

[todomitoukei]

They finally fixed Touya's hair in the flashback!!!!

[todomitoukei]

HIM

[todomitoukei]

Touya stans 🤝 Shouto

[todomitoukei]

Look at them

[todomitoukei]

watcher announcing they're leaving youtube to start their own subscription based streaming service and indirectly calling their audience poor in the process, followed by netflix sending me an email saying that they're raising their prices... anyway

[todomitoukei]

Tomura and Dabi both telling Toga she doesn't have to get a villain name if she doesn't want one hits even harder when you finally remember the circumstances of their own villain names.

Tomura got assigned a villain name because he was turned into a villain against his will. He didn't get to choose his identity, he didn't get to choose his destiny. Someone else came to him and then changed him until he couldn't recognize himself in the mirror anymore.

Dabi was rejected by his father over and over and over again. It's not like he wanted to deny who he was, in fact, he wanted to use it as a weapon and that's why he got a villain name. Dabi is more like the manifestation of all his trauma and grief. Dabi is a reminder, a scar and a story to tell.

See their arguments against the villain naming yourselves and get some free analysis about it:

From right to left*

Dabi:

(Villain names are) stupid. That's just some crowd-pleasing crap. A holdover from before the quirk registration system.

Dabi is the first to mention the origins of the hero and villain naming convections. Before there was order in their society, people needed names to identify their powers.

He's also aware that taking a villain name is done to both appeal to the public and oneself. See how Mr. Compress mentions that a villain name gives you class, or how Twice and Spinner seem to get it as a matter of being cool.

Touya himself knew he picked the name Dabi for the show. He's not particularly attached to it and he doesn't even defend his name when Compress decides to criticize it. Being Dabi is just a tactic.

Tomura:

There basically used to be no differences between heroes and villains. One story says... The alias stuff started when you'd have an anonymous enemy and you needed to call them something. From there, some decided to adopt those very nicknames to hide their identities.

Assuming another identity —like a new skin— was a matter of survival.

At some point, they went all-in with code names, ripped straight from comic books. According to this theory, it all started with people announcing themselves by those aliases, that's why the world's turned into a comic book.

Anyway, I'm good. (The names can be cool and all, but eh).

The rest assumes that Tomura has always been Tomura Shigaraki (even after hearing during MVA his confession about his past). In truth, you see he doesn't want a villain name. Like Toga, he rejected the idea when it was suggested.

Mr. Comic Book Fan #1 (AFO) was the one who gave Tomura his name and we all know what he did with those words. Similar to Touya's intention with the name Dabi, AFO hid Tenko Shimura so he could later use his identity as a weapon against All Might.

It was a matter of survival for Touya and Tenko alike. No one could know they were a Todoroki and a Shimura. That new identity prevented little Tenko from being found and allowed Touya the freedom to plot his revenge.

It's very important to me that they are the ones who tell Toga she doesn't need a villain name. She is good as she is, she must be able to live as she is too. Somehow, they protect her in her choice of not picking a skin to hide behind.

[todomitoukei]

💧

[todomitoukei]

GUYS WAKE UP THE POPULARITY POLL DROPPED AND DABI IS ON THE 4TH PLACE!!!!

[todomitoukei]

https://www.tumblr.com/todomitoukei/745826054739034112/theres-just-something-so-deep-about-touya-holding?source=share

Your tags on this post killed me, man... The anime also gave us that scene of Enji watching footage of All Might, alone, in his room, while in the dark. It's just embarrassing 😭

Oh nooo, please return from the dead, we're about to get beautifully animated Touya!!!!

LOL, when you put it that way... there is something tempting about collecting all the scenes from the manga of Endvr and All Might and edit it together to make it seem like it's their love story. But alas, I detest having to see that man's face, so I shan't.

It feels like something Touya at some point in the future (after being saved and all) might say as a joke and Shouto would consider it for a second and take it as fact. "You know, now that you mention it, he sure tried hard to get his attention. If that's how much you have to do for love, I'm gonna stick to soba."