#Mod Tenko | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

explodo-smash · 11 months ago

Text

Tenko and Kacchan - Shigaraki and Bakugou as two misunderstood children

Now that we’re in the vestige/memory mindscape for MHA's ending, and Izuku and Shigaraki are sharing memories, this is an analysis I wrote about the connections between Shigaraki and Bakugou, and how I believe Katsuki’s role in this finale will be as another vital mirror for Shigaraki to look at.

[Can also be found on twitter]

Shigaraki and Bakugou have both been denoted uniquely with some similar words/traits:

Overt Childishness/Childlike behavior

Short fuses/tempers

Arrogance

An abundance of power/strength - In general having gross/unappealing personalities etc.

This makes sense.

Because in the original ending where Dk/Bk come together to defeat Shigaraki (as laid out by Heroes Rising) - it’s fair to say the original plan was an story where Izuku and Katsuki alone embodied what society needed as the new foundation for change.

This obviously isn’t the case now, but theoretically it seems like the plan was to make Shigaraki too far gone. His ideals mixed with an enjoyment of destruction.

However, in an ending where he is not, and we’re not getting out of this situation without him being saved, the goals for a new foundation are the same with a different outlook - just the same players.

Shigaraki is seeking to be understood, first and foremost. And he is at the point where he genuinely believes no one can, even if they seek to - however it’s funny because equivalently he severely misunderstands Izuku and Kacchan in his pursuits to be seen.

It’s worth noting that timeline wise - immediately following Deku/Kacchan vs All Might, we transition into the formation of the League of Villains, where Shigaraki is contemplating his interest in Izuku.

He leaves to then go experiment with this interest with the mall, where Izuku disappoints but also inspires him to keep going.

Prior to this, he had left the Toga and Dabi hanging with an answer about whether or not he would accept them, and upon being told again the reason he is not being seen he is not understood, upon being told he has no ideals, his next plan of action was to get Bakugou.

To me, it means something that Shigaraki sought Bakugou out where the other characters had to come to him. Back when these chapters were released, there was a genuine belief amongst readers that Katsuki would fold and join the villains.

This assumption was being made by both Shigaraki, the reporters in the story, and the readers at large despite nothing about Katsuki indicating this but his personality - Shigaraki just happened to make the same mistake readers were making.

When Shigaraki looked at Izuku, he just saw another hero with lofty ideals who was not interested in putting that action to practice with things he did not understand.

However when Shigaraki looked at Bakugou, he saw someone he resonated with being suppressed, forced to change who he is, and unprotected by society at large. Remember, prior to the sports festival the only other thing Katsuki was known for was the sludge villain incident.

And even now, he looks to Bakugou as a mirror of himself, even when AFO was trying to suppress him, the things that started to wake Tenko up were things people said/did on behalf of Katsuki, seeing all the pro heroes work so hard to protect someone already gone.

If I were to give a tentative soft take on the early read, Shigaraki’s failure at being understood by Izuku and Katsuki despite seeking them out (and with the original ending put into context) it seems like the original idea was perhaps that sometimes death is another way of saving, and that Katsuki and Izuku were the main symbolic proof that society can be better when you understand one another.

Now that is clearly being challenged and slightly inverted.

Katsuki/Izuku are still serving the purpose of being the proof and evidence of what change and understanding can do, but now it’s just not as insular.

To me, it’s not a coincidence OFA was borne in the helm of a misunderstanding. Yoichi, the one outcast, suppressed, and unprotected, is still reached out to by Kudou - because he looks like someone who needed saving.

Furthermore, Kudou is the first person to sacrifice himself in the bid to save Shigaraki, betting everything on Izuku who he only grew to understand more after seeing his relationship to himself and Katsuki. Kudou and Shigaraki had similar ideas about him.

Katsuki is consistently the thread that leads to understanding Izuku.

And so while in a lot of ways I do think Shigaraki is going to be able to see Izuku’s childhood and empathize with his own treatment in society, I do think it’d be easy to write it off as Izuku just being a better person than he is, causing him to doubling down anyways.

However, Katsuki is evidence that your origins can be treacherous. You can be a horrible, simple, and destructive child, and still come out of it loved. Katsuki is the strongest evidence everyone has that Izuku isn’t bluffing, both Izuku's persistent and Katsuki's growth.

The biggest difference between Katsuki and Shigaraki is that Katsuki was blessed to have kept love in his life despite everything, and his ideals are predicated on this.

Tenko got to experience this only for a blip in time before being left behind and groomed. Izuku in all his craziness is presenting the opportunity for Tenko to remember it’s possible for him to have love in his life as well without taking the world down with him.

He just can’t do that without seeing the clearest example of that dedication in action with one of the first characters he'd managed to resonate with.

#my hero academia #boku no hero academia #shigaraki tomura #tenko shimura #bakugou katsuki #mha #bnha #bakudeku #tagging it but this isn't inherently a romance-centric theory #mod shouto #meta

153 notes · View notes

danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 1 month ago

Text

DANGANCEMBER: Honorable Mentions:

//Okay, so tomorrow is my birthday, but it's also the day that Dangancember finally begins, and I have all the posts ready to go.

//But after leaving a vote for people, the majority requested that I talk about the honorable mentions before I get to the actual list.

//Although, I suppose DISHONERABLE mentions would be more accurate for these trials.

//While Danganronpa is known for its gripping courtroom drama and mind-bending twists, not every trial hits the mark, and by god these one's certainly don't for me. Whether it’s due to weak mysteries, frustrating mechanics, or unsatisfying resolutions, these trials fell short of the series’ usual high standards.

//Now, I need to remind you all of a few things before we get into it.

This honorable mentions catagory will cover ALL the trials that didn't make it onto the list. So if you read through them, you will effectively be getting rid of half the fun of guessing which trial and what trial makes it on. Still, everyone wanted to see these first, so I can't really stop you. Just keep that in mind.

These trials will not be in order of how much I like/dislike them. They will be in chronological order, so DR1 Case 1 to SDRA2 Case 6 kind of. I don't really want to show bias towards any particular case because these didn't make the cut in the end, and I don't feel like ranking them because that defeats the objective of the Top 24. But I still feel like I owe it to the readers to give explanations on why these trials didn't make the cut.

I won't be going into depth on these as much as I will do for the actual Dangancember posts. Just brief thoughts and feelings and a quick summary of why I think these cases kind of suck.

//So, without further ado, let's see which areas had room for improvement.

#HM1: Danganronpa 1 Case 1

//Sometimes I do think I'm a little harsh on this case, because to be honest, it's a really good introduction to the mechanics and the concept of the class trial, and is a decent opener that sets up for how crazy the rest of the game can get.

//Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for it as a mystery.

//Sayaka’s death is predictable, and Leon being the culprit is too obvious thanks to the infamous 11037 clue. While the twist about Sayaka's manipulative plan and how she tried to frame Makoto out of desperation adds depth, the trial's resolution feels unengaging.

//The chapter successfully introduces the game’s tone, rules, and tension as the characters grapple with their confinement, making the murder feel realistic and emotionally charged but while the clues connect well and offer some intrigue, Leon’s very bleedingly obvious status as the killer and how the clues are kind of laid out in a really obvious way undermines the investigation's excitement.

//The trial is straightforward, with a solid yet not groundbreaking twist involving Sayaka’s role in the events. Leon’s execution is iconic, but the overall immersion is limited. In summary, while the trial is foundational and provides a good starting point for the series, it lacks the complexity and engagement seen in later cases. Which is unfortunately enough to stop it from making the list.

#HM2: Danganronpa 1 Case 5

//This one is...kind of tricky.

//My main issues with this case is that it stands out so much compared to the Case 5's in the rest of the series because while the rest of those cases are among the greatest cases in the series, this one is short, uninteresting, and poorly executed despite its potential.

//But at the same time...that kind of feels like it was done intentionally.

//The case introduces Mukuro Ikusaba as the victim; a twist that has potential but feels rushed and underdeveloped. Mukuro’s lack of screen time and the mystery surrounding her name undermines her overall impact on the narrative. And god, later games don't really fix this.

//The case centers on Kyoko and Makoto as the two main suspects, with Kyoko’s enigmatic nature and Makoto’s absence at the crime scene creating tension.

//The trial is rushed, with characters skipping critical discussions, and generally, it primarily serves as a setup for the final trial rather than standing on its own. Kind of like this is Part 1 for the finale while Chapter 6 is part two where it all goes to a head.

//Good structure, I'll give it that, but this trial then just feels like a plot device instead of an actual victory.

//Monokuma’s actions break the rules of the killing game by manipulating the trial to frame Kyoko, which feels out of character and undermines the integrity of the trial system. It also really is taken away from when Junko is established to be a tactical genius later in the series, which makes me wonder how she could come up with such a poorly cobbled together plan that didn't even work out for her, and then the final trial kind of makes it seem like "Oh yeah, I knew it wouldn't work out. I was betting on it."

//Like, fuck off. This is why I didn't really like Junko in Game 1.

//One thing that makes this trial unique is that unlike the other games in the series, it features two outcomes: either Makoto accuses Kyoko (leading to a "bad ending") or defends her, resulting in Makoto being framed and nearly executed.

//The bad ending depicts disturbing implications, including Toko’s potential death and Hina having children with the remaining male survivors. The image, coupled with the music, is just unsettling.

//Okay, I know it's the BAD ending and all, but still, it's such a wtf moment.

//This trial had potential, but feels like an unnecessary placeholder to transition to the final chapter. While the concept of Monokuma’s desperation is interesting, him breaking his own rules, feels forced and damages the narrative, and makes the overall execution fall flat.

#HM3: Danganronpa V3 Case 3

//Yeah, in case it wasn't obvious, there are no cases from Danganronpa 2 that made it into this catagory, because genuinely they are the best cases in the franchise and I will die on that hill.

//I know I said I'd try to remain relatively unbiased with these HM's, but actualy? FUCK THIS CASE man!

//I could genuinely write an entire essay for this stuff talking about ALL the problems I had with it, but I'm gonna try and bullet point it for the sake of brevity. For starters, there's the characters.

//While Angie's motivations are genuine, her brainwashing and cult-like actions make her less sympathetic, and ultimately it means her death fails to evoke emotion. Tenko, despite her flaws, almost redeems herself in this chapter, showing genuine care for others, but the moment she does, she dies. Her death, occurring DURING the investigation, is honestly pretty creative and surprising but ultimately unnecessary and kind of dumb. Himiko is a major player here as well, and her grief and subtle redemption are meaningful, but the repetition of her being a prime suspect feels unoriginal.

//But none of these pale in comparison to fucking KOREKIYO. His character is IRREPERABLY ruined by the introduction of an incestuous motive, which breaks from his established personality, something that I find distasteful and nonsensical.

//The chapter is scattered with plotlines that go nowhere. Namely, Angie’s cult arc ends abruptly with her death, the Necronomicon motive isn’t explored and is reduced to a clue, Monodam's coup against Monokuma fizzles out without impact, and the potential twist of two killers (where one walks free) is squandered by making Kiyo both murderers.

//To its credit, the investigation is a highlight, with engaging clue-gathering and creative moments like Tenko’s mid-investigation death and Kokichi’s fake death scene, but all benefit of that is squandered horribly by the Class Trial.

//Angie’s murder sidelined in favor of Tenko’s until late in the trial, the double murder horribly overcomplicates the case, resulting in a loss of focus, and then there's Kiyo's fucking seesaw trap, which, while creative, has been memed to death so horribly that I can't even take THAT seriously anymore.

//Ultimately, I think the thing that REALLY makes me despise this case is everything that happens with Kiyo. Because I genuinely liked him for most of V3, and he goes out in the most horrible, and STUPID, way imagineable, given a motive that is not only so abhorrent, but makes no sense for the kind of guy he has been established to be.

//Kiyo’s elaborate setup for the séance trap was, in every sense, unnecessary. If he had only killed Angie and not gone through with the seance, which directly puts him in the view of suspicion, he would have likely escaped with his crime. Instead, he proceeded with the seesaw trap purely because he had spent time preparing it, even though it wasn’t required.

//His motive for the murders is deeply unsettling: he believed he was sending girls to his dead sister, with whom he had an incestuous relationship.

//(Before anyone says it, I do not give a fuck that the subtitles read "No Physical Connection," they are CLEARLY FUCKING and that was obviously the intended effect, and I hate incest so much why does V3 DO THIIISSSS!?)

//This rationale is grotesque, and the story provides no meaningful exploration of the psychological or abusive dynamics that may have led to it. While disturbing, the lack of deeper analysis on his trauma and actions weakens the narrative impact, and the incestuous element feels unnecessary and only diminishes V3's overall story.

//The chapter fails due to its predictable setup, nonsensical decisions by Korekiyo, and a distasteful motive that lacks meaningful context or resolution. These flaws make the chapter frustrating, despite its initial promise.

//And I fucking hate it for that.

#HM4: Danganronpa Another Case 3

//I generally think that, for the most part, the Another series relies very heavily on shock value and gore for the impact it has on its audience. It's something that I generally disagree with, but for the Another series, LINUJ is a good enough writer to make it work, and show the real horror of the killing game.

//He always includes horrific imagery in his games, but succeeds on capitalizing off of it. But this is one of the situations where he tried to do that, and it kind of didn't work out.

//To be fair, while the third cases are almost universally poor across the DR and another series, this one is still the middle ground between what I consider the good shit, and the bad shit.

//It's kinda just...shit.

//Although, I mainly mean this from a narrative standpoint, because the actual investigation and trial is fine. It's just the logistics and circumstances behind it that totally ruin things for me.

//The culprit of this case is the Ultimate Priest, Kinji Uehara, who was forced to act as a mole and kill to protect a group of orphans under the church's care. His situation mirrors Sakura from DR1, but unlike her noble sacrifice, Kinji succumbs to pressure and commits murder, making him a more tragic but flawed character.

//Interesting enough on it's own, BUUUUUUUUUUUT despite his sympathetic backstory, Kinji’s murders of Kanata and Kakeru are shockingly brutal. Kakeru walks in on Kinji attempting to kill Kanata, tries to stop him, and is then fatally slashed across the throat. He then makes a dying wish to Kinji to spare Kanata, but...Kinji fucking ignores him.

//And not only does Kinji kill Kanata anyway, but he does it in the WORST HUMANLY POSSIBLE WAY! She's subjected to excessive cruelty, including electrocution that burns her organs. And THEN, he FURTHER compromises himself by attacking Rei and Tsurugi, escalating the situation unnecessarily and leaving more evidence of his guilt.

//Kinji is a decent guy with a decent motive behind his actions, but these methods are needlessly sadistic, making his actions feel wildly out of character, and casting doubt on what kind of morals he has for a guy who's main character trait is that he is passive and religious.

//The big problem is that not only did Kinji ignore Kakeru's dying words like a bastard, but he legitimiately had NO reason to! Kakeru was already dead, and Monokuma didn't tell Kinji he had to kill more than one person, so he had already fulfilled his quota. Meaning more than likely, the decisions he made were influenced by the tradition of how Case 3 HAS to have two people be killed, and similar to Kiyo and THAT shitshow, he was reluctant to abandon his ongoing course of action because he had already invested heavily in it, even when it's clear that abandonment would be more beneficial for EVERYBODY, including himself.

//Kinji’s actions are somewhat redeemed by his genuine remorse and apology, and the revelation that the orphans he sought to protect were already dead adds a tragic layer, making his sacrifices not just cruel but futile.

//The fact that this case sucks honestly makes me more sad than angry. Kinji’s case balances a compelling backstory with a deeply flawed execution. While his ultimate goal was noble, his extreme and unnecessary cruelty undermines his character, making the tragedy of his situation feel hollow despite its emotional weight.

#HM5: Danganronpa Another 2 Case 2

//Ugh...Fuck this case especially.

//This is easily one one of the worst Danganronpa trials I have ever fucking seen because there is no mystery solving element to it AT ALL. And it's sad because Emma is genuinely an interesting killer, and it's interesting to see how her past trauma actually affected her actions.

//She is the only part of this that deserved better. The rest of it can go to hell.

//This trial was the first sign I got that...yeah, maybe SDRA2 isn't gonna be that good.

//I've never really been against characters in the class trials, like Byakuya or others, who kind of take charge of the case, and goad you into answering the plot points that they've already figured out in advance. Because realistically, the protagonist WOULDN'T be the only one doing everything; and all the other characters would be figuring out stuff on their own.

//It's different when the protagonist basically do fucking nothing.

//In Danganronpa, class trials are most engaging when the characters actively piece together evidence, debate ideas, and collaboratively unravel mysteries. But unfortunately, Kanade FUCKING Otonokoji just LOVES to suck the fun out of this game, doesn't she?

//Kanade effectively solves this entire trial on her own, and explains almost every plot point to you instead of you discovering them. And that undercuts the interactive and deductive appeal of the trial. This approach feels like the game is spoon-feeding solutions, which can makes the mystery feel less dynamic and immersive, and diminishes not just Sora's, but everyone else's role in piecing together clues, andd reduces the thrill of watching characters grow or clash as they work through the mystery.

//Emma is outed as the killer way too early. The trial is about 20% trying to figure out who killed Kokoro, and 80% trying to prove how she did it.

//And FUUUUUUCK it DRAAAAAAAAGS.

//Also, while I like Emma as a killer and character, her motivation is so...bleh. There's elements of her past trauma triggering, which is great, but ultimately, the main reason she killed is because she's part of VOID, and VOID does that for some reason. Despite the fact that they KNOW at this point that they are not spared from the execution.

//Side note, the way that she is first implied to be the killer is SOOO DUUUMB! Okay, so...the fucking ICICLES! In the freezer! Just so happen to spell her name or some shit!

//At least writing Leon's name on the wall in blood in a place where he couldn't see it MADE SENSE! HOW the FUCK was Kokoro supposed to expect anyone to catch on to that clue, and how the fuck DID THEY!?

//Speaking of Kokoro...Kokoro just SUCKS!

//Even before she's revealed in Chapter 5 to actually be a terrible human being, she's just nothing and nobody in the part of the game where she's relevant. It WAS a good idea to kill her off here because ultimately, her powers of deduction and human analysis are FAR too busted to have in a trial, so at least the VOID learned their lesson after that.

//And then knowing what kind of person she really was just takes away from this death even more. It WAS pretty shocking though, I will be nice and give it that.

//If there is one thing that I will give this trial major props for, it's the fact that Emma used her talent so well during her murder scheme, using her talents as an actor to pretend to be Kokoro. Like, it feels like this is a missed opportunity that they COULD have done with Tsumugi, but wrote it out of her the first chance they got. And I honestly feel the trial would have been way better if we had somehow discovered that someone was pretending to be Kokoro FIRST, because then THAT is a good segway into talking about Emma being the culprit. Not some bullshit ice cube fucking crap.

//I always like it when the killers use their Ultimate Talents as part of a murder scheme, because for me, it justifies them HAVING them in the first place. It's largely the reason why I believe Danganronpa 2 has the best trials because all the killers in that game use their talents one way or another for their crimes:

Teruteru uses kitchen tools as part of his plan, and hides the weapon inside food.

Peko uses her sword and her training as an assassin to escape from the beachouse.

Mikan uses her status as a nurse to manipulate everybody and feign an autopsy.

Gundham uses his animals to disable Nekomaru.

Nagito's luck is the biggest reason why Case 5 even happened, and it brings the full scope of its power front and center.

//Anyway, you get my point. Again, Emma is such a good killer, but she doesn't get a chance to shine.

//What if you wanted to be a decent killer with a cool overall plan to your murder scheme and a potentially really fun trial to figure out, but Kanade FUCKING Otonokoji said "nuh-uh!"

//And speaking of whom...

#HM6: Danganronpa Another 2 Case 3

//Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh...

//To be honest, I used to be...okay, with this trial. I thought it was a pretty good step up from the Case 3's of the canon games, but then I kind of had an epiphany upon rewatching it.

//Mod Bubbles hates this case and everything about it with such a burning passion, that a lot of my complaints mirror his, and he can go into a much longer rant about it than I can...

//...In fact he...did...

//But yeah, I'm gonna bullet point it and show a bit more brevity while discussing the same points.

//Let me just start by saying that, if you're planning on making a Fanganronpa where two of the characters in the killing game are siblings, for the LOVE OF GOD, do NOT do that if you are planning on doing it for no reason other than to have two killers/a killer and their accomplice.

//For THE! LOVE! OF! GOD!

//I still kind of like this a TAD more than Case 3 of V3 because Kanade is kind of the same as Kiyo, but handled and written a little better.

//But...a Kiyo emulation is still a Kiyo emulation, and of ALL characters from the core series you COULD have emulated, why the fuck is it HIM?

//It really disappoints me as well, because LINUJ changed his plot so that Kanade could emulate Kiyo, but the one thing that makes Another stand out is what it does DIFFERENTLY from the core series. But here, it blatantly copies from the original V3, and not just from V3, but the WORST PART of V3!

//I don't want to talk about this for a long time, so here is everything wrong with this trial in a very quick list:

As already mentioned, this case tries to copy V3’s Chapter 3, which results in a disappointing outcome. It also uses all the tropes from the previous Third Chapter cases that make those chapters notoriously bad among the community.

The trial lasts for SIX GODDAMN HOURS! Not only does that make it the longest trial on this list, being two hours longer than the longest case in the core series (V3's final trial), much of the time spent in this trial is completely wasted on petty arguments between characters that end in nothing.

The trial relies on heavy exposition and plot conveniences, such as synchronized murders and unexplained character traits and abilities that are introduced without prior demonstration, making them feel unearned. The biggest example is the Otonokoji twins incredible syncronization, and Kanade's supposed skill in throwing that never was established before.

The chapter is written to try and get you into Kanade as a killer, presenting her as a genius, overcompetant, badass killer. But not only does it fail show real emotional depth or humanity in her character, Kanade makes critical mistakes, such as leaving behind crucial evidence (antibiotics and pins), which ultimately renders all of this pointless and contrived.

The chapter heavily relies on shock value, such as Kanade's serial killer reveal, but this diminishes its effectiveness over time.

Kanade's actions and motivations feel disconnected from the broader narrative, making the chapter feel irrelevant. And after Kanade and Hibiki's deaths, the chapter’s events are barely mentioned, and the overarching story is not significantly impacted.

This chapter single-handedly features one of the worst-written characters in Dangan and Fangan history, being Hibiki. She is brainwashed by her sister into killing somebody who she genuinely had a connection with, it faced with the realization that Kanade not only killed everybody she loved, but her parents and the rest of their family as well, and is on the verge of getting executed alongside her for something she had no control over. Yet she is given next to no sympathy from others and faces an absolutely horrifying end...to NEVER be mentioned AGAIN.

You can completely miss everything in this chapter, and the only significant thing that happens is Kanade, Hibiki, and Setsuka are no longer part of the story anymore. Absolutely NOTHING happens in this chapter that leads to any hint to the overarching plot, or any steering towards the ending.

//Again, all of these points are kind of me parodying Mod Bubbles, so read this post if you want an actual good review of this.

//There are parts of this that I like, but ultimately, this all culminates into the absolute rock bottom of Danganronpa cases, and does almost EVERTHING wrong somehow.

//Anyway, that's the wholly negative shit out of the way. Now let's get into the actual one's that made the list, and the trials that I think are actually sort of good...

13 notes · View notes