@animangacreators Challenge #14: Winter 2023 ✩ Fav Animanga: BNHA ✩

please can we clean the blood off him 🥺

honey wake up sexy hoovy postcard just dropped

The final arc has largely done away with all subtleties and pretense, with focus shifting to repeatedly hammering the core message of BNHA home. But not even blunt force trauma is enough to deter some of the more frustrating takes on what Tomura’s eventual fate should be–  with a large portion of the fandom seeming to feel that “death” (either through redemption or as a punishment) or “locking him up and throwing away the key”  would serve as a satisfying end to Tomura’s character arc.

Straight to the point: This series cannot end with Tomura dying or locked away from society and still live up to its core message. As a story that has been intimately grappling about what it means to be a true hero, what it means to truly save someone, and what a the role of a true hero is when it comes to protecting the future of others… taking Tomura’s future away after the dust settles is a narrative failure rather than a triumph. Because Tomura’s future was already taken away from him when he was just five years old, and it has continuously been taken from him at every turn ever since then. By MHA’s own definition of true heroism, Izuku cannot become a true hero if he continues to perpetuate that cycle.

So in this post, we’ll be discussing:

How MHA’s heroism is defined in terms of “safeguarding the future” while villainy is defined in terms of “taking the future away” (how hero society took Tomura and the LOV’s futures away, how Tomura now lashes out by taking the futures of everyone else away, and the role of a true hero in breaking this cycle instead of enforcing it, etc etc).

How imprisonment is ultimately depicted as completely ineffective in the context of MHA, and how the Shimura family’s choice to repeatedly isolate Tenko as punishment for his “misbehavior” is meant to represent that failure on a smaller scale. 

How all this relates to Tomura’s eventual fate (obvs). 

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I. “Since when did we ever need a future?” (Or: what “the future” means to tomura and how this ties to mha’s definition of heroism)

Tomura is someone who has fallen into such a deep despair that he no longer sees a future for himself– and he is gripped by such overwhelming anger that he does not want a future for anyone else, either. He longs to find the same relief he found in the destruction of his abusive home through the destruction of hero society, and he doesn’t particularly care what comes after that. This is an aspect of him that I feel should not be misunderstood, sugarcoated, or twisted into some sort of loftier goal– Because I feel understanding Tomura’s antipathy towards his own future (and the futures of almost everyone else) is fairly integral to understanding him as a both as a “person” and as a “character within a story who serves to both challenge and solidify that story’s themes.”

As readers, we are supposed to understand that Tomura’s destructive “dream” where there is no longer a future for anyone is a tragic one that’s based on A) his extremely distorted self-perception, B) his tenuous grasp on his feelings surrounding the death of his family, and C) him lacking any sort of hope for his own future and legitimately believing that things will never, ever, ever get better – therefore, we should also understand that total destruction won’t actually bring him the slightest bit of relief. And as flawed as hero society is, we really aren’t supposed to be rooting for Tomura as he tears it all down because he’s also tearing himself apart over and over and over again and becoming less and less “himself” in the process (metaphorically, but like, also literally). 

Tomura’s current path is one self-annihilation, not of self-realization or self-actualization.  Just as his family continues to haunt him long after he convinces himself that he felt ‘unburdened’ by their deaths and “wanted” them to all die, we also see Tomura being haunted by his desire to be saved by the same society he is attempting to destroy multiple times within the story proper.

“hrrrNNH I HATE YOU GRANDMA” (y-yeah, sure buddy, whatever you say)

Speaking of hauntings…! It can also be said that finding Nana’s photo was the last time Tomura had any hope for his future– and we see that this feeling is something else he can’t quite get rid of, no matter how many times he claims to have left his past behind, no matter how many times he attempts to destroy his ties to the Shimura family. When Tomura is asked to “never forget,” the elation he felt upon discovering that Nana was a hero and the hope it gave him is the first thing he flashes back to. (Something else I want to note, even if it’s going off topic: Nana foils Tomura in the sense that she completely cut her ties with her remaining family to focus on her role as a hero, while Tomura is desperately attempting to cut his familial ties to fully focus on being a villain– but in their heart of hearts, they’re both incredibly sentimental, incredibly family driven wrecks who ultimately can’t resist feeling drawn to each other in spite of their attempts to commit to their respective roles.)

Tomura resents Nana, this is true– Nana’s decision to leave Kotaro, regardless of her intentions, is a source of immense pain for the Shimura family and the series does not shy away from depicting the consequences of her decision. But in spite of this, Nana still represents a dream that permanently ties Tomura to his identity as Shimura Tenko. Her photo and all the feelings it inspired within him is his true origin– the part of himself he can’t forget, no matter how much he might want to. Nana being the last bit of hope that Tomura ever had for his future is set up to play a large part in what saves him.

So, that brings us to the role of a “true” hero in MHA’s narrative.

Keep reading

I wrote a villain!mic fic and drew some art for it!!! 

If anyone wants to read it you can check it out here!: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257786

You once mentioned that Dabi's symbol of rebirth is the Phoenix. Ever since I read that post of yours a long time ago, I haven't stopped thinking about it. The imagery hit me profoundly! Do you mind elaborating? Thanks!

Is Hawks more like Icarus or like a Phoenix? I'm not sure if it makes a difference or not...

It’s my theory the actual rebirth / phoenix imagery is associated with Dabi rather than Hawks. If only because death and rebirth symbolizes a change in a character. In Tarot the Major Arcana “13″ symbolizes Death as the idea of a great change being brought, and a symbolic death of the old previous life or old self, rather than just straightforward dying. 

This rebirth imagery is connected to Dabi rather than Hawks, because not only has Dabi already experienced a death and rebirth by fire - Toya burning to death, and ressurrecting from the ashes somehow as Dabi. His new name literally meaning “cremation” a death by fire. The way Dabi is written now is also meant to be a “change” from who Toya used to be, Toya was someone who at some point was eager to become a hero, Dabi is a villain dedicated to bringing his father down. All of these ideas of change are associated with Dabi, not Hawks. 

1. The Phoenix

Dabi has already committed a lot of symbolic steps that would make him a phoenix. As stated above, he already experienced a death and rebirth once, Todoroki Toya dying and coming back as Dabi. The first time we see him named in the manga, comes from his father staring at his funeral portrait wishing for him to come back. 

Hawks has wings, and Dabi does not. However, I would make the argument that Dabi is the phoenix because he’s the one whose entire character is written around change. Dabi has even done a few phoenix related things already. We’ve seen him fly. 

The phoenix is also a bird that famously burns itself. The fires it’s reborn out of are, flames of self immolation. Hawks quirk is vulnerable to fire yes, but using his quirk doesn’t actively harm him. Dabi is the one so committed to burning himself over and over again, and burning in his own flames, in the hope that he can make a positive change on society. 

Say whatever you want about Dabi (you won’t hurt his feelings, he doesn’t have any), but at least ideologically Dabi follows Stain’s ideals, he believes you have to commit a purge or in other words, burn the previous society so that a new society can be reborn from the ashes. This is also once again, phoenix imagery, rebirth from ashes. 

Dabi is a character written around the concept of change, and being a bringer of change. 

2. The Light

Okay, before I start let me say I believe both Hawks and Dabi have the potential to learn healthier behaviors and grow as people. Seeing Hawks deteriorate mentally, and fall back on worse and worse behaviors isn’t I want to happen, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s what is being shown in the writing. 

Hawks and Dabi both have the potential for great change, but we are shown Hawks being given the oppurtunity continually and not taking it. Dabi is set up for redemption, and Hawks is set up to take a fall. By redemption literally all I mean is that Dabi looks like he’s going to have a character arc where he improves in some way and unlearns his unhealthy, self-destructive behaviors. Hawks also has an oppurtunity to unlearn these behaviors, but he can’t really do it if he refuses to change himself or his beliefs in any way. 

Hawks moves towards the shadows, Dabi moves towards the light. The writing around Dabi also suggests several times that rather than putting down Dabi, there is going to be reintegration of both the Dabi and Touya personalities. 

If Dabi and Enji are truly foils, then if Enji is given the chance to learn to be both Endeavor the Hero, and also Enji Todorokit the father, then why wouldn’t the same chance be extended to Dabi? If the message of Enji’s arc is that you can at any point, turn around, and that the smallest things can chance people. If fire you thought once only existed to burn can be redefined in a much more healthier lens, then why would not that same idea be extended to his son? Enji even reflects on this, what about the future I cut short? 

The future he cut short, sounds like he’s referring to Toya. Natsuo also brings up Toya for the first time shortly before this reflection. Endeavor accepts the idea that like Natsuo said, Toya’s death was his fault. Enji expresses twice, first that he wanted Toya to return to the dinner table, and second that he never truly believed Toya was dead even after they discovered in jaw bone in the fire. 

Shoto’s words to his father as well, you can become a better person from here on out, even if you’re not forgiven from what you did in the past because small words, can change a person. 

The path forward is not destruction, but reintegration. In a jungian sense that means accepting both sides of yourself, both the conscious mind (the light) and the unconsious mind / repressed self (the shadow). In terms of character, it would be Enji being able to view himself both as Enji Todoroki the man who failed his family and Endeavor the hero. It would be Shoto being able to accept both his fire and ice sides. It would be Dabi being able to accept both Toya the hero-hopeful, and then Dabi the villain. You notice how all three of them are split down the middle in this way, all three of them experience a split self that they need to reintegrate. 

Self destruction doesn’t work. Enji tries to burn his past self when he kills the High End and what does everyone in his family say to him. None of us forgive you just because you beat up a hero on the television. You haven’t done anything yet to change yourself. 

Enji attempts to just kill the past and move forward and that doesn’t work for him, as Dabi himself says so, the past never dies. If Dabi insists that the past never dies, he has the same immortality as the phoenix. 

Hawks is someone when given the oppurunity to change his mind, just doesn’t do it. He has someone who sympathized with him and trusted him and offered him a path forward that he didn’t take. Let me put it simply. If Hawks is Twice. If Hawks wants to be like Twice. If Twice is Hawks path forward, and then Hawks kills twice what does that say? 

If Hawks kills the guy he wants to be like - if he sees himself in Twice then murders him then, what does that say about the way Hawks views himself? I’m not reacting to whether or not Hawks is a good or bad person, but the framing. Hawks is framed tragically, Twice even says this out loud, it’s sad, pitiable that Hawks can’t make friends or trust people. That he’s so committed to doing everything all alone. 

Destruction isn’t the path forward, but reintregration. If Shoto’s ultimate desire is to learn to love himself, and be at peace with himself, then why would he hunt down and kill the person he views as the same as himself?

“I was also burning”. I agree that Dabi does not have an arc. Rather, his arc hasn’t begun yet. That’s because we’ve only been introduced to Dabi as a character when the Touya reveal happened, before that he literally was just a mystery lingering in the background. 

However, the set-up with Dabi points to this arc of change and rebirth. All of the foreshadowing around Toya is “we want Toya to come home” and “Dabi reflects the part of myself I needed Midoriya to save me from”. Dabi and Hawks both have the potential to change, however, if you look at the framing Dabi is framed with the chance for redemption because the idea of change is written into the center of his character, whereas Hawks is someone who tragically stays the same. It’s been brought up several times, Hawks is the bird who stays in his change, who does the same things over and over. 

The bird stays in his cage because he can’t survive out of it. Dabi is the phoenix because he symbolizes both this change to society, a change in endeavor that has to take place in order for him to be there for his family, and a change in himself he needs to make in order to continue living. Hawks is icarus, because he’s set to take a fall. His inability to change in time, his desire to keep flying towards the same sun will only lead to his fall. 

Megumi and Tsumiki do not have a good relationship.

Jujutsu Kaisen is a Greek tragedy. Our heroes are flawed and those flaws bring about their doom. Plenty of people have given great analyses about how this relates to Megumi’s and Yuuji’s relationship, but today I want to talk about the Fushiguro siblings.

Initially, we only know about Tsumiki from Megumi’s POV. She’s sleeping beauty, the archetypical absent female character whose tragic fate propels the male hero forward. He clearly holds her as the ideal of a ‘good person’ in his mind.

So I was quite shocked when we finally see what their relationship was actually like.

First of all, Megumi visibly resents her. He rejects all of her attempts at caretaking, and he’s blunt and cruel about it. And Tsumiki is not the perfect patient princess we’ve been led to believe. She lashes out, kind of violently—she doesn’t regret throwing the carton at him, only that it still had milk in it. (Lol.) She didn’t throw it because Megumi got in a fight, she threw it because Megumi said he hated her. Megumi says Tsumiki was kind to him and supported him, but the only thing we’re shown is this really acrimonious exchange. It creates an uneasy feeling. Can we trust Megumi’s perspective? Is he misremembering something?

Clearly, these two did not get along. They’re both traumatized children who were abandoned by their parents, and Tsumiki coped by trying to play house, while Megumi coped by being distant and angry. They can’t understand each other or communicate properly. They must have constantly fought as kids. All they have in the world is each other, and they resent each other for it.

Immediately after this scene, Tsumiki does the test of courage and gets cursed—so this might be the last time they saw each other before Tsumiki fell into a coma. (I’m not super clear on the timeline, but it would make sense.) Megumi, like a child who only appreciates something’s value after it’s gone, finally realizes Tsumiki’s true strength of character.

And you would THINK that he’s learned something. You would THINK that their relationship would be different now that Tsumiki’s finally awake again.

But once they reunited, did he apologize? Did he say “Hey sis, sorry for being such a brat”? Did he say “I’m glad you’re awake again, I love you”?

No! Basically the first thing he says, after a brief mention of the culling game, is “You can go back to sleep.” After she’s been asleep for over a year and a half. After he’s been waiting faithfully for her to wake up for a YEAR AND A HALF.

Imagine Sleeping Beauty suddenly waking up by herself, and then Prince Charming going, wait, actually, nevermind. I don’t need you. Nobody needs you. I haven't killed the dragon yet, you're not supposed to be awake. GO BACK TO SLEEP.

That’s cruel. Tsumiki, and the curse possessing her, know that’s cruel. Nothing has changed in their relationship since before she was cursed. Megumi is still too wrapped up in himself to think about her perspective, too busy going off on his own sacrificial missions without once stopping to ask her what she wants. And in response, Tsumiki is still smiling at him with daggers in her heart.

If Megumi had paid more attention to Tsumiki, if he had bothered to try to talk to her and cultivate a real connection once she woke up, maybe he would have noticed something was off. Maybe Tsumiki would have been able to fight off the curse somewhat. Maybe Megumi would have been able to tell the difference between his beloved sister and a monster.

But he didn’t. And he couldn’t. And that’s nobody’s fault but his own.

Aki hayakawa’d

Sometimes you see a picture, and you know immediately the song that would bring it to life.

https://twitter.com/memento1113?s=20&t=NOytWLlRmIZMRLlamP3sig

where'd you go???