#BB dub vs sub

[burnsopale]

Beyblade S1 - English vs Japanese

Time for my two cents about the whole English vs Japanese Beyblade issue, put under a cut because I am not capable of being nice about this. If you love Nelvana’s Beyblade and can’t bear to see it criticised, you might not want to read on.

This is not about the dub and sub, not about the voice acting, but about the shows as wholes.

Let me start by making clear that a) if you love the English version, you rock that love and don’t let anyone tell you you’re wrong, because b) it’s not like the original anime is flawless by any means. I’m not even sure I can say that it’s good. What I can say is that I love it more than many of the “great” animes I have seen, and that’s worth something. And finally, c) my frustration is with Nelvana, for doing a terrible job of adapting this show for the Western market, delivering a final product that they should be ashamed of. You know, don’t hate on the broken product, hate the manufacturer.

The English version of Bakuten Shoot Beyblade is bad, objectively and inescapably bad, and I say that as someone who grew up with it and loved it obsessively for years.

It has its good points; some good jokes, some good voice actors, good music (the show was completely rescored), a great intro, and it even tries to fix a couple of the plot holes from the Japanese version (like the Dark Bladers getting a resolution), but for the most part, the changes Nelvana made, and they rewrote some 80% of the script, make the show dumber and shallower, as if they expected their intended audience to be morons.

Here's my go-to example of how stupid it can get: Remember when Takao is searching for Rei in episode 12? He stops an old cart-driver on the road to ask if he's seen Rei.

In the Japanese version, the man says "Yes" and points out a mountain that he saw Rei climbing. Takao now knows where to go.

In the English dub, the cart-driver answers "No".

Let me repeat that: Tyson asks if the man has seen Rei, and the man says NO. So now Tyson has no idea where to look for Rei, and the baffling change culminates in this fantastic line: "I know this is gonna sound completely weird, but I got a feeling Rei went up that mountain."

They wrote themselves into a corner FOR NO REASON, and then had to give Tyson PSYCHIC POWERS to fix it.

And that's not even the scene's only problem, because the dialogue between Takao and Max has also been rewritten to make no sense: Tyson tells Max he can't come along. He doesn't give any reason for this, he just ... tells Max he can't come. Takao meanwhile is talking about what he wants to say to Rei when they see him.

And almost every scene is like this. Takao and Tyson are so different they're almost separate characters, the Byakko clan get half their backstory removed which also takes the emotional depth and resonance out of their arc, the European team are given this weirdly abusive internal dynamic, lots of lines get cut because they need the precious seconds to have characters interact with Dizzy, and don't get me started on how they rewrote Kai's character motivation to the OPPOSITE of what it is originally.

Actually, let’s have ourselves one more example ...

[inkykeiji]

okok so i pretty much only watch bnha dubbed (bc i just prefer most of their voices for some reason) but i saw what u said ab shiggy’s sub va so i looked it up and oh my god i’m stunned…… boutta switch over to sub just to hear him

RIGHT THO?????????? RIGHT???????????????? his voice is insane like if i could i would have this man call me every single night and just read the fucking phone book to me his voice is glorious <3

[mysterylover123]

BNHA Rewatch: Episode 61 “Deku vs Kacchan Part 2″

 mysterylover123

O.T.P.

This is gonna get kinda emotional.

Deku is turning Kacchan’s fight proposal down. Dammit Deku! He’s being serious!

Hoo boy that Kacchan face. No light in his eyes. That realization, just…just bleeding through…hoo boy.

“If the way you admired him was correct, does that mean my way of thinking was wrong?” OMG ITS HAPPENING. HE’S REALIZING IT YA’LL.

The flashbacks to bb Deku and Kacchan the feels.

The white void, it’s just the two of them. 

That Deku line from the first episode. I’m transported right back, ya’ll. It’s that first love again, that same feeling I had when I first discovered this series all the way back in summer of last year.

So Deku starts by thinking too hard about what’s going on and immediately gets blasted.

“You think too much” hoo boy recently Mother’s Basement posted the analysis of this fight and pointed out that this is actually a flaw of Deku’s that he can learn to remedy by adopting some of Kacchan’s impulsiveness. Never has the phrase “you complete me” been more accurate.

This freaking animation. It’s so beautiful. OMG.

“Wait for me” OH MAN BB DEKU BB KACCHAN RUNNING I’M DEAD I AM DYING

Cause he loves ya you dope.

Cute overload

WHY WHY WHY hoo boy Kacchan flashbacks.

Dat little trip oh man. He’s so bummed Deku doesn’t wanna fight and Deku’s little kick actually knocked him down.

Ooh boy. Here it comes. The music went out

Hold his freaking hand some day dammit

Oh god I can’t watch this again I can’t I can’t

“why is to you became strong…while I - “ OH GOD HERE IT COMES HERE IT COMES

OH GOD. Slow clap. Okamoto and Chapin both deserve freaking awards for that performance. I mean holy shit. That voice acting. Those cracks. That hit. It makes me cry. I’m tearing up right now. Cause you see, this whole episode, it really rests on the ability of Bakugou’s Seiyuu and VA to pour everything into the performance. It’s not going to hit without both of them giving the vocal acting performance of a lifetime, and they both knocked it out of the freaking park. I actually love them both as his voice; I don’t have a preference for dub over sub, as regards their performances (not the dialogue translations), because both are incredible. Just. Slow clap. All of the awards, please.

Look at how Deku looks at him. He’s the best. He just…he cares, so much. I mean, you’d admittedly have to be a pretty heartless bastard not to feel a little compassionate after hearing that speech but still. Kacchan’s so fucking lucky he has Deku and he doesn’t even know it. I want one too.

He’s crying. Me too.

Kacchan no Kacchan no nononononono 

Oh god Deku you beautiful darling

“may not be any meaning” I DISAGREE THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF AN ENTIRE SERIES’ WORTH OF 100+ SYMBOLIC CHAPTERS DETAILING YOUR GROWTH FROM ANGRY YELLING RIVALS TO RIVALS WHO SUPPORT EACH OTHER DAMMIT IT’S EVERYTHING

“May not be any meaning in winning or losing” lol are you just saying that in hindsight, Future Deku, cause you know you lost?

Deku didn’t have to do this. He didn’t have to fight Kacchan or even let him know the truth.

And note, he didn’t accept until he realized there was someone he could save. Someone who needs saving, to be helped. And this is how to help him.

“The only one who can accept his feelings is me.” Ya’ll heard that haters? Say it a little louder for the people in the back, Deku. He’s got his heart.

And look who’s smiling again, eyes lighting up again, the minute Deku started fighting back?

“I couldn’t just completely reject him” Guess who also sad that about their fiery spiky blond spouse in BNHA? Kacchan’s dad in that omake about their marriage.

Their relationship was wrong, but now it’s right. 

They never talked about how they really felt. Communication is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship, folks. Go on. Talk about your feels. Your real feelings.

Of that was one hell of a hit.

That speedy recovery though. Deku is fast. 

Oh wow Kacchan hit it too

That smile. That smile OMG that is THE HOTTEST, by far, that Deku has ever looked in animation. And I don’t say that lightly.

The translation here is either “I’ve” or “you’ve” gotten stronger. Both fit fine, which is the crazy part. Deku could be either saying that he himself has improved, or complimenting Bakugou, which does admittedly make more sense with what he was saying before, while ‘I’ve’ fits his cocky grin here better. I want him to flash a cocky grin more. It suits him. (BTW The English Dub compromises between the two and says’ we’ve both’.

Katsuki assumes Deku has a plan. Always overestimating him.

“That’s what I hate about you” OMG HE FINALLY TELLS HIM HOW HE FEELS. “I can never tell what you’re thinking” Because ya know he’s so good at understanding how everyone else thinks and feels.

He’s always being mean to Deku. Deku has seen him at his very worst and yet still admires him. Maybe that’s scary, you know? Unconditional love is…kinda terrifying. But so, so beautiful. So he has to rationalize it that Deku is just looking down on him.

Wow Deku sure took you long enough! He’s been saying that since day 1!

“I wouldn’t want anything to do with them anymore” Deku there you go being empathetic and wonderful and perfect again. So understanding you darling, darling boy.

 “Along with the parts I hated about you, I saw all the amazing things you could do.” THAT’S ADMIRATION, FOLKS. ADMIRATION WITHOUT IDOLIZATION. Without hero-worship. Acknowledging the good and the bad. Seeing a person for who they really are and always, always seeing the best of them, even at their worst.

“MUCH CLOSER TO ME THAN ALL MIGHT” Do you hear him guys? The closest person to him, closer than All Might. Closer than his freaking #1 favorite hero. The dub version has “actually in my life”, which isn’t a bad idea either. Both are true. That is so powerful. The person who

Oh yeah and again how does Deku advance in power? How does he Go Beyond? KACCHAN. Full cowling, he found from him. OFA itself, he gained by saving him. And 8%.

THAT SMILE. “I thought you were amazing.” He loves you you idiot. 

He kept chasing after him. He’ll never stop. He won’t just give up.

He passed him. And Bakugo looks happy. Possibly because he wants Deku to do better. Possibly because it seems to be confirming his might-makes-right theory. Possibly both.

ANIMATION-GASM AGAIN. 

AHAHAHAHAHAH ITS THAT CUT ITS THAT CUT DEKU’S DANCING FEET

THE VOID AROUND THEM IT’S JUST YOU AND ME 

AND THE BLOCK OMG THIS IS BEAUTIFUL THIS IS THE MOST FREAKING BEAUTIFUL ANIMATION IVE EVER SEEN

I’m serious. They brought out all the stops for this one. Of course. they knew, they had to know, that this was it. The animation, too, had to be perfect, or else it wasn’t gonna come across. And it is. Even better, in my opinion, than the animation in the stuff that came before it. Bones you are incredible. 

Higher gear. Can anyone doubt that Katsuki is important to Deku’s journey after this?

“This is gross, so I can’t say it”.. “I love you?” A reactor I follow actually said that after that line. That’s how intense they are.

Anyway IMAGE OF VICTORY SPEECH. The Ep that keeps on giving. 

Kacchan is his image of victory. The other side of him. And he adopts some of his traits.

“The part of you I hate and yet” How much love can you have for a person when you can somehow still admire the darkest, meanest parts of them? I don’t have a very perfect definition of love but I think that’s probably a big part of it.

“my image of victory is of you” feels overload. Feels O.D. 

dat crane shot.

My one disappointment with this episode is that they used the US of Smash OST instead of the Katsuki and Izuku OST for this scene. CMON GUYS. SERIOUSLY. THE KATSUKI AND IZUKU THEME HAD TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN FOR THIS EPISODE AND THIS MOMENT ALONE. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING. 

“I have to beat you” the music the feels omg

Hahaha psych. Kacchan wins anyway. 

WOOF. Like OK this is in the manga, this positioning, but it’s only for one frame. In the anime it goes on for like, an uncomfortably long time, with the slow panting, and the close-ups on the twisting body parts, and…combined with the fact that all of Deku’s admiring girlfriends in this arc have also landed on top of him in a similar pose, and you can’t blame me for the fact that my mind went into rather…R-rated territory. 

Kacchan’s disappointed. He didn’t want Deku to lose. He wanted Deku to win.

That breaking  voice again. Don’t make me cry more dammit it’s too late.

ALL MIGHT! I need an MST3K style All Might commentary-reaction to this entire damn thing. Seriously Hori. If you ever do an extra, please make one that’s a serious of All Might panel reacting to this whole thing. I NEED THAT. 

Finishing each other’s sentences again.

“It’s too late” IT’S NEVER TOO LATE YOU CYNICAL PORCUPINE.

This is such a great moment of catharsis. Why Deku indeed? Well, you’re about to learn.

THAT LINE DELIVERY AGAIN. That Broken voice. Both voice actors are too good.

Deku’s legs though. WOWSA. A little detail I’ve noticed is that Kacchan has really buff, sexy arms and Deku has really buff, sexy legs. Because those are the body parts they use, while the reverse parts are more average.

“I’m weak too” You’re making me weak I can’t take it. His voice his voice that fucking voice

DEKU’S EYES. THEY’RE WELLING. 

HE’S GONNA CRY TOO.

I also need an All Might in my life. I kinda blame myself all the time for things outside of my control. Deku AND Kacchan both blamed themselves for what happened. For All Might’s end. And neither one was really responsible, but they’re just like that. I relate, painfully, to both of them. I have a Deku side and a Bakugo side - deep down, I think we all do. Maybe one more than the other, but that’s what you get when you create two characters who initially act as kind of…distilled embodiments of two sides of the super-hero coin. One all super with no hero, the other all hero with no super - at least, at the beginning.

THAT PIANO MUSIC IT SOUNDS FAMILIAR. IT’S ALL MIGHT’S FREAKING THEME YA’LL!

Ooh boy All Might’s BKDK Speech! Both of their teachers ship them, you guys. All Might AND Aizawa both give big, beautiful speeches about their compatibility. In case you somehow missed it. 

Being fixated on victory like you, young Bakugou…and wanting to save those in trouble, like you, young Midoriya…both of those feelings are necessary.” “You guys are perfect for each other”, says the reactor I mentioned earlier (who isn’t even a hardcore BKDK shipper, mind you, it’s just that it’s that obvious.) And it’s true. You need both. They want each other, they need each other, because they have what the other lacks. They complete each other.  

This is the shonen rival equivalent of having the couple in a rom-com confess at the end of act one instead of act three. It upsets all the cliches and is all the better for it. Though even the most hardcore, dedicated anime rivals, I don’t think have ever gone this married-couple with the ‘mutual respect’ and ‘making each other stronger’ thing.

WIN AND SAVE SAVE TO WIN. They look each other in the eyes.

Oh god not that voice again I’m dying. Don’t make me cry again Kacchan.  

“Don’t lose.” SUPPORTIVE KACCHAN I LOVE SUPPORTIVE KACCHAN.

“I’ll get stronger” CONFIDENT DEKU I LOVE CONFIDENT DEKU. 

“Of the students only you.” ONLY YOU. 

I put this moment really high on my list of Kacchan’s nicest moments, because it means a lot to me and to All Might. All Might acknowledges it. He’s a good secret keeper.

Oh and Deku thanks him too in the English Dub, BTW. Not the manga but nice dub touch. 

OMG he’s such a Tsundere.

He told him everything. HE KNOWS. The only one who knows. None of Deku’s other love interests do. And he has no interest in telling them. 

Kacchan asks why he told him. And I’ve got an answer, after obsessively rereading Chapter 11/rewatching Episode 8 a lot: BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU, YOU IDIOT. You were mad at him for lying about his quirk to you. You asked what was going on (loudly). You accused him of lying to you your whole life. So he told you the truth. Because he can lie to his mom, and he can lie to his friends and teachers and the entire freaking world. But he cannot lie to YOU. Because he loves you. Idiot baka. 

Oh and what’s that music playing there? Why does that sound familiar? YOU SAY RUN YOU SAY RUN YOU SAY RUN IT’S BACK. And you know? That’s I think because YSR symbolizes Deku’s heroic inspiration. The inspiration he both takes in and gives to others. And here, he’s both being inspired by Kacchan, and inspiring him at the same  time.

Now Kacchan is doing the same. “Chosen one” He knows. Deku is better. He’s gotta surpass him.

LOL THIS IS FUNNY. THEY SURE BICKER LIKE THEY’RE MARRIED.

This shot composition. Get it? ALL MIGHT’S THE THING BETWEEN ‘EM.

Oh and this. Yay some character development from Kacchan! Another nice moment of his in this ep. Three times! 

All Might Meta’s a bit about how Kacchan took responsibility and felt bad and does a Mom guilt trip on Dadzawa. They’re getting to be kinda married too now.  

“I went in pretty HARD”. OMG stop it you’re making me think bad things again. Just F*CK already.

Their first act as a married couple is to clean the house together. OMG domestic fluff. 

And now for the best Post-credits scene ever. 

Wow Uraraka ships it so bad. 

Oh and some Todobaku bonus! Aw I guess Bakugou just turned down his 3some offer. 

Ooh awkward silence. 

YAY! Though they did kinda wreck it by having Deku bring it up instead of Kacchan 

NOW THEY’RE HEALTHY ENOUGH TO TALK TO EACH OTHER LIKE HUMAN BEINGS.

Kacchan just praised me. Life is good.

Episode 61 is my favorite episode of my favorite show. I think it’s the best and will never be topped. Feels, left and right. It’s really just perfect. Funny, all 3 of the transcendent, best-of-the-best BNHA eps (This, 49 and 23) are basically just two characters fighting for 20 minutes. Nothing more or less. Yet they’re all so, so good. And this one is…I don’t even know how to put it into words. It’s a phenomenal tour-de-force of acting, visuals, animation, music, and of course, writing, all combining together to be just absolutely unsurpassable. Everything that makes this series good, boiled down to it’s essence. And yes, this did seal the deal for me with BKDK. I liked it before, but this made it a done deal. No going back. And I love it.

BEST GIRL OF THE EP: Uraraka for being so supportive.

RANKER: Top 5 Best Moments of This Episode: (it’s really more like a top 50)

5. Deku’s little Dance number

4. True Rivals at Last

3. True feelings at last

2. The Image of Victory Speech

1. “Why did I become...”

[315-no-stage]

The Anime Tag

I originally planned to do this on my book blog but I remember that I now have something for anime-related things. I found this on Oddball Books but I think the original is by simply_kenna! 

Honestly, I still would’ve posted this on there but I notice that anime content has been invading my book blog more than usual lately so how about I pay attention to this one this time.

Top 5 favorite anime?

In no particular order:

Voltes V - the one that started it all for me, for mecha and anime in general.

Haikyuu - I was terribly late to the game but I think I’ve caught up pretty nicely.

Shirobako - The anime about making anime. I watched this whole series twice in a row in about five-ish days.

Kids on the Slope - this opened me up to so many other things. From the music anime genre to future favorite seiyuus.

Howl’s Moving Castle - my favorite anime movie ever.

I get favorites easy but when pressed, these are my top 5. I do love Fullmetal Alchemist (and Brotherhood) but that’s just a given. I also obsess over Yuri On Ice but not as much as I do Haikyuu. In fact, I watched Haikyuu because of Yuri On Ice (and Yoshimasa Hosoya). It’s in my top ten but you asked for just five so... *shrug*

(Six to ten: Yuyu Hakusho, Yuri On Ice, Rurouni Kenshin, Fullmetal Alchemist full series, K-On!)

You can bring one anime character to reality and make him your friend, who do you choose?

Just one? I’m partial to the Karasuno third years. With the stage play and how much life sort of imitates art, that’s not a hard thing to imagine. If I had to pick on, I pick Sugawara Koushi. Miyu Irino’s voice acting is my weakness. I’ve met the first Suga stage actor, Hiroki Ino. I also appreciate Naoki Tanaka’s take on Suga especially his dancing. 

But talking about the character itself, I love how he humbled himself for the sake of the team; how he made his strengths work for him instead of wallowing in his “inferiority” vs Kageyama. And it looks like he’s a fun guy to be around. Easy on the eyes too. XD

What two anime characters describe your personality?

Now you ask for two. Let’s see... I’m tempted to say Hina from Hinamatsuri. Because I get those times when I just don’t give a shit. I would love those superpowers too and less of the salmon roe though hahaha.

And the other one? Hmm... OMG is it so bad that the only character in my head right now is Kanna from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid? Someone who is equally as deadpan and sarcastic as Hina. Ahahahaha, shows you the state of mind I have right now. 

No, seriously. I think Narumi from Wotakoi is a better choice. I’m a totally different person when you talk otaku to me. Much like her. 

Fav character with glasses?

How much time do you have? Megane makes everything better. Even Rean Schwarzer from the Japanese RPG Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. I can’t say that megane is one of my favorite anime tropes but I find a lot of my favorite characters in a crowd wear glasses. Just look at my bb Seiya from Tsurune. And Rei from Free. Normally, I don’t care for Oikawa but when he started wearing those glasses in Haikyuu  season 3, I was gone!

If you were in Ouran High School Host Club, which host would you visit the most?

(While I’m familiar with this anime, I haven’t watched it enough for form an opinion.)

Dub or sub?

I love a lot of English voice actors but I really truly do prefer sub anime. I mostly know of English VA work from localized JRPGs. I admit, I did watch FMA/FMAB and Soul Eater In English. I also checked out Onepunch-Man, Yuri On Ice, Restaurant to Another World, and other Gundam series dubbed. I don’t hate it but I don’t prefer it either. 

And it proves to put myself in awkward situations especially in anime conventions in a Western setting. Once I was in line at a signing and the chick in front of me said that the “voice for Sebastian from Black Butler is also holding a signing”. My mind went straight to Daisuke Ono and I was this close to a total meltdown before I realized she was talking about the English VA. I still got excited because I knew him through his video game works but it was awkward.

If you could eat any anime food, what would it be?

I urge you to watch Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori. Drop the first word if you’re watching through Crunchyroll. From their sweets to their savory dishes -- I want it all. I want their fish butter omurice the most though.

Actually, the omurice from Restaurant to Another World inspired my brother and me to make our own. 

Favorite anime fight scene?

Whenever a fight scene is mentioned, I go back to the tournaments in Yuyu Hakusho vs the Toguro team. That or the final battles in any Gundam series, including the Build ones. 

But every time Junk Dog enters the ring in Megalo Box, I hold my breath and almost fall off the seat.

Favorite genre of anime?

Slice of life, if I were to be general about it. Specifically, it’s “anything with a school setting with singing and dancing boys”. Think Starmyu or The Idolmaster: Side M, High x Joker type of guys. I’m a sucker for music anime too.

You get to have a harem of 6 anime characters of your choice, who do you choose?

Asahi Azumane (Haikyuu)

Viktor Nikiforov (Yuri On Ice)

Sousuke Yamazaki (Free)

Jirou Yamashita (Side M)

Tokitaka Nagae (Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori)

Hiroto Suwa (Orange)

As you can see, I may have a type. I tried not to fill the list with characters from the same seiyuu but as you can probably tell... I also mentioned that seiyuu’s name earlier in this post.

I can go on and on about this. And I’m glad that I’m finally at the point that I could without feeling embarrassed about it. I grew up on anime. My future kids will grow up on anime. it’s a huge part of me. 

I hope you enjoyed this tag.

[burnsopale]

BB S1 - Eng vs Jap - part 2

Following on from this post, let’s cry some more. Buckle up kids, it’s about to get frustrating.

Over and over again Nelvana makes changes for no good reason, and end up creating massive plot holes. Here is my other favourite example, and this one is especially egregious.

In the Japanese anime, we are witnessing the first official Beyblade tournament, meaning none of the characters have done anything like this before. This is good, because it means they need explanations that the audience also need (see also “why Harry Potter grew up as a Muggle”).

So in the Japanese national tournament, the competitors are divided into four groups: A, B, C and D, and each group begins with a battle royale, the winner of which goes on to the semis. In the Japanese original, Takao arrives at the stadium just in time to see that Max has won the A-block. Kai wins B-block, beating out Kyouju in the process, Takao wins C-block, and finally Rei is announced as the winner of D-block, having easily disposed of the competition.

The results: A – Max B – Kai C – Takao D – Rei

Remember what Nelvana did to this tournament?

When Tyson arrives at the stadium, Kenny tells him that Max is fighting in B-block, since Kai, who is the defending champion, has apparently already won A-block. Kenny then participates in C-block against … Kai? Who has already … participated. Okay.

Then Tyson wins D-block, and finally Ray goes directly to the semi finals because Mr Dickinson says so. No need for him to qualify like everyone else. Special rules apply! And Ray is fine with this, apparently.

The results: A – Kai B – Max C – also Kai D – Tyson Special invite – Ray

Good job breaking it, Nelvana.

And the problems compound. So Kai is the returning champion in the dub, right? And he fought in the world tournament last year. Problem is, since this is not in the original script, there are no visuals or lines supporting this fact, leading to a host of problems:

If Kai is returning champion, who was on his team last year? The Blade Sharks? Why is only Kai mentioned as defending champion?

If Kai is returning champion, why is he surprised and upset when he learns the team-related rules in the restaurant in episode 8?

If Kai is returning champion, and the White Tigers are also returning champions, meaning they all participated in the Asian tournament last year, how have they never met each other before? Wouldn’t Rei have been with the White Tigers last years? Shouldn’t he and Kai have met then? Who won last year if neither of them did? HOW-you know what let’s just stop there.

GOOD. JOB. BREAKING. IT. NELVANA.

This is the kind of mindboggling bullshit that makes me unable to watch the English dub the way I did when I was a teenager. No amount of nostalgia, good music, good voice-acting or occasional inspired changes can make up for the kind of idiocy displayed in the majority of the rewrites.

And I have barely scratched the surface. Nelvana rewrote almost every single scene.

[mysterylover123]

BNHA Rewatch: Episode 23 “Shoto Todoroki: Origin”

mysterylover123

This episode is not ok.

First. Frame. I am not ready.

We open up proper with Deku and Shoto sizing each other up in the ring. Shoto opens, same as always, with ice. Deku counters, same as always, with fingersnap. Not the Roy Mustang kind. Visually, I’ve noticed that aside from the blasts, this episode is made up almost entirely of uncomfortable close-ups.

“He’s prepared to counter me, even if it means destroying himself.” YES. (oh god the horror has only just begun)

Deku just keeps going...and going...

This part is so suspenseful. At any moment, for Deku, it’ll all be over. We’ve locked in a clear limit for how the fight can play out (and then we just throw that limit in the trash, because this is BNHA where rules are stupid).

Shoto in this scene is not looking at Midoriya. He’s thinking about his father. He thanks Midoriya for dragging things out to piss off Endeavor. He sounds condescending here - like he didn’t expect Deku to last even this long. This is a very badly influenced Shoto, one ‘drowning in resentment’, as he puts it later on.

This bit signals a sea change in the fight. Deku is aware that he’s outmatched, but then he notices Todoroki shaking. This isn’t just an opening to him, either, a chance to beat Todoroki. It’s a sign that he has, in fact, forced Shoto to start exhausting himself, but Shoto is stubbornly refusing to go all out still. And this means, to Deku, that Shoto doesn’t think he’s worth it. And that pisses him off.

yikes. 

This decision from Deku drops the jaw the first time around. He just...breaks his hand. He breaks it a second time. (and that’s just the beginning)

Deku is furious that Todoroki is disrespecting the efforts of all his friends and rivals (who we see in a montage). He is being disrespected himself too. Todoroki is holding back and Deku won’t let it happen. He won’t let Todoroki win without giving it his all. Only if Todoroki is willing to go as far as everyone else. 

Shoto assuming Deku was bribed by Endeavor to get him to use his fire side is...really sad.

For the record: I like Justin Briner just fine. He’s good. But...Daiki Yamashita is the superior Deku. I have different picks for faves in sub v Dub here, but between these two it’s no contest for me. Yamashita’s acting, especially in this ep, haunts me. This scene stands out a lot. Sinai...sinai...sinai...sinai...It’s like a madness mantra. Because Deku is crazy. Beyond crazy.

Aizawa does a small meta on Midoriya here, reasoning that he’s ‘just doing the best he can with what he has’. I’d say that’s part of it, but as we’ve already seen, there’s more going on here. Pride. Friendship. Absolute Insanity. Just to name a few.

“What’s driving him”? So so much. An internal drive to prove he can be useful for something. A desire to be just like all Might. Some pride and a need to win. A desire to help someone in pain no matter what. And a dash of madness.

ashkjhkjahrih Yep. What did I say. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING INSANE. ABSOLUTE MADMAN IS HIS NICKNAME FOR A REASON. NO SANE PERSON SHOULD WANT TO FUCK WITH HIM. HOW THE FUCK TO YOU BEAT SOMEONE WHO WILL DESTROY THEIR OWN BODY TO WIN A FREAKING EXHIBITION MATCH?!? 

“I want to be a smiling, cool hero”. This is, in so many reasons, why I think Midoriya is such a great character. What makes a great character, to me, is Motivation. 3 pieces of motive: What they want, why they want it, and how far they’ll go to get it. Want: To be the World’s Greatest Hero. Why: To save people and prove he’s worth something. How far: ALL THE WAY.

“If you become number one without using your full power, then I don’t think you’re serious about denying him everything.” OMG

no this fucking flashback “He’s only 5  years old” out of my way “ka-san?” those words have dug their way into my subconscious. the horror. shoto being denied the chance to be around his siblings. Shoto not getting a life. Endeavor’s abuse. Rei’s breaking voice. I can’t. I can’t I can’t

oh no oh no oh no

oh god this scene the music i can’t i can’t i can’t

I hate that I agree with Endeavor’s decision to put Rei in an institution. I hate seeing bb Shoto cry. the music. this scene its too good. the feelings are...every time...I just...

Daiki you need an acting oscar you nailed this. 

I’m shaking. Do you hear that music amping up in the background? That slowly building crescendo...it sounds familiar...

All Might you beautiful bastard you’ve done so much good Deku what have you done i’m smiling and what’s that sound? That beautiful song that goes with everything?

YOU SAY RUN! FULL VERSION. DRINK IT IN. ENJOY IT. BECAUSE IT TAKES A HIATUS FOR A WHILE AFTER THIS EP. MY GOD THIS MOMENT 

Endeavor: Anime’s most evil Soccer Mom.

“Why are you smiling?” Because he’s crazy, Shoto. You haven’t noticed this? “You must be crazy.” OK, he has noticed.

You’re a little unsettled yourself, I see. (I am convinced that all three of them have some kind of mental disorder. Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki. They’re all crazy. In 3 very different ways.)

The Absolute Madman vs the BiFire-IceMan. this image haunts me. 

This episode’s animation is quite possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in anime. Or animation, for that matter. There’s something about the way BNHA is animated, the designs, the sakuga, that is...I don’t know how to describe it. “Midoriya, eregato.” You said it, Shoto.

Midoriya is knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals. This, my friends, is how you subvert expectations in a satisfying manner. Jaws have hit the floor.

So there are, essentially, 3 episodes in BNHA that I consider not just the best episodes of this series, but to be episodes that kind of transcend. Episodes that are so good, so powerful, so mind-blowing to behold for the first time, that everything else feels a little bit less by comparison. This is the first of those three. Episode 23. It’s one of the best episodes of the show. I’m tempted to call it the best. It’s so hard to watch. And so worth it to see. If you watch BNHA for no other purpose, at least try and get to this one.

BKDK CORNER:

(top half is Baku)

Baku: “Quirks are physical abilities. You can’t just fire off as many shots as you want.” Izuku: “It’s easy to forget that quirks are physical abilities.” 

Izuku: “Where are you looking?” Baku, 2 eps from now: “Where are you looking, half and half bastard?” 

Izuku:  His movements are...Baku: Slower. It’s called Finishing Each Other’s Sentences.

Midoriya is not only channelling Bakugou here in his desire to win against an opponent going all out, but also thinking of people like Kacchan, who go all out against opponents no matter who they are (re: Uraraka). And Deku has come to respect this. That, in part, motivates him here.

BEST GIRL OF THE EP: ICE MOM/REI TODOROKI!

RANKER: TOP DARKEST BNHA MOMENTS

5. The Camino Ward story

4. Midoriya’s self-muliation and quirkless past

3. That Last Effing Arc of the Manga. The MLA Arc. 

2. Todoroki’s Backstory

1. Chisaki’s Torture of Eri and the Internship Arc