#VBNHAC73

[thelreads]

Ah, managed to land on a heap of trash? Just like your pa taught you, right? That`s the spirit koichi, lay there for a moment and be one with the trash, I bet you`re probably feeling like it right now at least.

waIT WHAT

WHAT

IS THAT

WHAT

NO WYA

NOFUCK INGH WAY WHAT

NO

BUT HE NEVER SHOWED UP

KOICHI TOLD US THAT

WHAT THEGFUCK FURUHASHI WHAT THE FUCK

[thelreads]

"brainwashing acts ... are a bit less interesting than just an actual corruption of a character into evil" I've always agreed. It's one step above "they're CRAZY!" on the villain motivation tier list, and just means that the writers couldn't think of a good reason to make two people fight. I had to drop a certain animated DC show because it was just all mind control all the time. Also even trigger can't make Pop's quirk good.

The problem with the choice is that it takes away a bit of the moral conflict. Pop didn't choose to become evil and turn against all that the vigilantes stood for, she's no more than a prop there, her appearance is the only important part because it's not her vs koichi, it's just the parasite using her body vs koichi. She's a bit more than a damsel in distress here I'm afraid.

A corruption into evil is far more interesting, because the person took that path. Sure, most of people are guided down to it sometimes by powers beyond their control, like shigaraki was, but even so it is still him picking that path, AfO didn't just picked his brain, put it in a jar and put a new one that was evil in its place.

I feel like it could be plausible to turn Pop into a villain willingly. Like, making her try and fail in everything, her musical career, her friends, her love life, it would be possible to keep building up her frustration and slowly make her turn to crime as a way to escape reality, in which case McBee would be a really good corruptor, because it was someone that she trusted. It wouldn't be as bombastic as her grand entrance here, but it would be far more dramatic and impactful, but then again, that would require a lot more setup and care, something that Furuhashi forsake in favor of a big and loud conflict. What a shame.

And hey, don't be mean about her quirk, she's not using it to it's full power. Why would she move fast here if the plan is to make people look at her? She could break the sound barrier with a jump, but honestly, why would she want that?

[thelreads]

Bahahah- Sorry, it`s just- it was a dramatic exit alright, but it just really looks like Pop said “That`s all folks, until next time” and then fucking blew up. Just like that. Boom. Completely gone. We`d be forever waiting for that surprise, it would be the ultimate fuck you.

oh no, the weewoo mobiles are here, things are about to get messy. Now, where is the splatter that once was Koichi?

I feel like this exact shot of a creepy alleyway was used at least a dozen of times by now, but I`m too lazy too check, so I`m just going to move on and finish this.

[thelreads]

How could this happen to me?

I've made my mistakes

Got nowhere to run

The night goes on as I'm fading away

Yeah koichi, ouch. The pavement below won`t hurt as much as what pop just said to you, because, due to Knuckles incredible parenting, you are not even aware of the parasite and why she`s acting like this. To you and to everyone else, it`s like she just snapped and started laying waste to the city.

fucking ouch.

[thelreads]

Oh, that seems familiar... Yeah, that certainly take us back to the first time Koichi jumped from a building to reach a falling pop, except that this time she`s not falling per see, she`s actually going up, and she`s not in danger, she is the danger.

Sure sure, it`s all the parasite talking, but even so, he`s using her mind to know exactly what to say, it knows what she feels, and I could see it just bringing up all the pent-up frustration that she felt throughout the years.

This is not something that Pop would say, but it is definitely something she thought about before.

I can`t believe even the fucking queen is a tsundere. Fuck`s sake, I give up- Apparently there`s things that even brainwashing can`t get rid off.

[thelreads]

What the- Didn`t any of you see who made the danger zone in the first place? Goddammit, what good were those hacker bees for if she didn`t even got a crowd to watch her show?!

I mean, she`s not wrong per see, we all agree with that, but that`s not pop speaking, it`s the parasite distorting her thoughts and make her act in ways that she would never act. This is the equivalent of a kid pretending to be edgy and violent so others think they are cool, except that, you know, with brainwashing.

No Pop I think you lost me in that one, that`s usually what Detroit looks like, I don`t see what the appeal is. Anyway, Time to bomb your friends as well, right? right?

[thelreads]

Well, at least she`s having fun doing it, by the looks of it. Not gonna be so fun when they do rip that thing out of her brain, but for now...

Oh yeah, definitely having fun here. Can`t deny that I would enjoy seeing this scene animated, it seems like one of those moments that would really shine in anime form, like the class 1-A show back in the main series, except that evil.

[thelreads]

WHAT THE FUDCK

NO

KNUCKLES CAN`T BE BACK

KOICHI SPECIFICALLY SAID, THAT “MASTER WAS ONLY WITH US THROUGH PART OF THAT FIRST YEAR”, IT CAN`T BE THAT HE IS BACK LIKE THAT. WELL, I MEAN, HE CAN SAVE KOICHI IN SECRET AND HE NEVER FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS HIM THAT TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT STILL!

WHAT THE FUCK

what the fuck

oh god, my head spins, my brain trembles. What the fuck.

I- I don`t know if I want to think about it right now. I don`t know what to feel about it. I`ll focus instead on what I do know what I feel about, the rest of the chapter.

That was... surprisingly entertaining to watch. Sure, had that Furuhashi touch that just makes you go “ugh” but still, there was something that was- dare I say- fun, in seeing pop destroying a neighborhood and killing an untold number of innocent people against her will.

I have mixed feelings about those sort of brainwashing acts, they are a bit less interesting than just an actual corruption of a character into evil, but even so, that was kind of interesting. Even though we do know that this is not what she is like, I guess that Furuhashi could bring something along the lines of “the parasite brings up the deepest, most vile acts that you feel disgusted for but yet wants to do, it brings out what you want to do but restrains yourself from doing.” It would be an interesting additional layer to the whole situation, but that`s me putting way too much hope in this arc. It has a lot of promises regardless of the whole clunky and messy setup leading to it, but Furuhashi has failed me before, so I prefer to not go into this waiting for a whole lot.

My prediction: Koichi will be saved by Knuckles, but he won`t see him, knuckles will already have left, but he`ll let a note telling him what`s going on with Pop and how he can save her. Cue Koichi ripping that parasite out of her brain, Pop is traumatized but they start dating so everything is good because that`s clearly how it works, then McBee gets hit by a bus. The end. Also All Might and Phelps FUCK.

[thelreads]

Oh- Oof, okay, I take back what I said, Koichi definitely got a permanent scar there, an emotional one. The queen sure packs some sting on her words

also, no surprise there, trigger. The thing that Pop helped take off the streets is now what made her into such a dangerous menace to her friends. Tragic.

[thelreads]

Ah, there he is. You know Koichi, you need to pay attention to what I said, you almost missed the cue there. It would be dreadful if Pop actually killed or at the very least severely injured one of the people she cares about so deeply, that was dangerous we almost had lasting consequences there, can`t let that happen, we already have enough with that hole on Pop`s head.

Oh, there goes Hopper the Hop man, hopping into the fray in hopes that he can figure out what the fuck is going on.

[thelreads]

THERE ARE MY KIDS, ALL WITH FRONT SEATS FOR THE SHOW OF COURSE.

Meanwhile, I can`t help but imagine Pop singing this requiem of evil like a death metal singer. Or at least that Kawaii metal that used to be popular back in the day. Ah, good times...

You know, I understand the impact of bringing all those people that knew Pop to bear witness to her destroying their life and hurting so many innocent people all while completely oblivious to why she`s doing this in the first place but... I also have a feeling that this is going to be pretty much the last time we`ll see them for a long time and neither of them will be relevant for the arc. They are only here to add to the shock value, then they go back into the box of puppets that Furuhashi brings out when he needs to.

[thelreads]

Wait- No Pop, that was supposed to be the Last surprise, what are you doing? Are you going to Take over the stage like that? Absurd, the fame really got to your head, didn`t it? Ugh, those divas of nowadays...

[thelreads]

You know, this would be the perfect moment to give koichi a lasting scar or injury. Sure, sure, Furuhashi would never, but from a storytelling point of view, him getting a permanent reminder of this moment would add a lot of drama later on. Ah, if only...

You`re still here? fuck off McBee, there`s a show going on, we don`t want to waste time with your sorry ass.

ha ha fuck you

[thelreads]

Ah, yes, just like expected. Can`t have the whole “brainwashed into evil” without trying to kill your closest friends at least once, bonus point if it is right when they are trying to call to you, completely unaware that you are the danger. Classic move.

Oh hey look, it`s time to kill Rachel again? I think it is, gosh geee sure hope no crawling hero comes around to save her from her inevitable doom or something.

I said... Sure hope no crawling hero comes around to save her from her inevitable doom or something.

[thelreads]

Oh wow, that`s- That`s a fuckton more than what the previous queen was able to put out. Holy fuck, she`s pretty much bringing down the whole block with a single show-

wait-

POP DON`T YOU FUCKING SWEAR, THE FACT THAT YOU`RE ON THE EVIL SIDE IS NOT A FUCKING EXCUSE. NOT ON THIS GOD-FEARING CHRISTIAN LIVEBLOG. FUCK`S SAKE.

[thelreads]

Oh it was that, that there`s no doubt. It seems like since Pop was so focused in being brave enough to stand center stage, not only professionally but also romantically, the parasite is making her go all-in on being the center of attention

Well, sure, McBee also is responsible, he organized this event, but still, I bet her desires had some degree of influence on making this new “her”

oh yeah, time to burn baby, burn. Now koichi, I hope you`re sitting down, because what you`re about to witness will definitely make you fall from your chair. That is, if there is even a chair left intact after she`s through.