#and atla feels like its validating that because it says that war affects everyone and the people who suffer from it the most are the ones

[star-ocean-peahen]

im watching atla with my grandma and it is very much up her alley which is very cute. i think her favorite part is whenever momo does something funny because she smiles the most.

[shortnotsweet]

Bakudeku: A Non-Comprehensive Dissection of the Exploitation of Working Bodies, the Murder of Annoying Children, and a Rivals-to-Lovers Complex

I. Bakudeku in Canon, And Why Anti’s Need to Calm the Fuck Down

II. Power is Power: the Brain-Melting Process of Normalization and Toxic Masculinity

III. How to Kill Middle Schoolers, and Why We Should

IV. Parallels in Abuse, EnemiesRivals-to-Lovers, and the Necessity of Redemption ft. ATLA’s Zuko

V. Give it to Me Straight. It’s Homophobic.

VI. Love in Perspective, from the East v. West

VII. Stuck in the Sludge, the Past, and Season One

Disclaimer

It needs to be said that there is definitely a place for disagreement, discourse, debate, and analysis: that is a sign of an active fandom that’s heavily invested, and not inherently a bad thing at all. Considering the amount of source material we do have (from the manga, to the anime, to the movies, to the light novels, to the official art), there are going to be warring interpretations, and that’s inevitable.

I started watching and reading MHA pretty recently, and just got into the fandom. I was weary for a reason, and honestly, based on what I’ve seen, I’m still weary now. I’ve seen a lot of anti posts, and these are basically my thoughts. This entire thing is in no way comprehensive, and it’s my own opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. If I wanted to be thorough about this, I would’ve included manga panels, excerpts from the light novel, shots from the anime, links to other posts/essays/metas that have inspired this, etc. but I’m tired and not about that life right now, so, this is what it is. This is poorly organized, but maybe I’ll return to fix it.

Let’s begin.

Bakudeku in Canon, And Why Anti’s Need to Calm the Fuck Down

There are a lot of different reasons, that can be trivial as you like, to ship or not to ship two (or more) characters. It could be based purely off of character design, proximity, aversion to another ship, or hypotheticals. And I do think that it’s totally valid if someone dislikes the ship or can’t get on board with his character because to them, it does come across as abuse, and the implications make them uncomfortable or, or it just feels unhealthy. If that is your takeaway, and you are going to stick to your guns, the more power to you.

But Bakudeku’s relationship has canonically progressed to the point where it’s not the emotionally (or physically) abusive clusterfuck some people portray it to be, and it’s cheap to assume that it would be, based off of their characterizations as middle schoolers. Izuku intentionally opens the story as a naive little kid who views the lens of the Hero society through rose colored glasses and arguably wants nothing more than assimilation into that society; Bakugou is a privileged little snot who embodies the worst and most hypocritical beliefs of this system. Both of them are intentionally proven wrong. Both are brainwashed, as many little children are, by the propaganda and societal norms that they are exposed to. Both of their arcs include unlearning crucial aspects of the Hero ideology in order to become true heroes.

I will personally never simp for Bakugou because for the longest time, I couldn't help but think of him as a little kid on the playground screaming at the top of his lungs because someone else is on the swingset. He’s red in the face, there are probably veins popping out of his neck, he’s losing it. It’s easy to see why people would prefer Tododeku to Bakudeku.

Even now, seeing him differently, I still personally wouldn’t date Bakugou, especially if I had other options. Why? I probably wouldn’t want to date any of the guys who bullied me, especially because I think that schoolyard bullying, even in middle school, affected me largely in a negative way and created a lot of complexes I’m still trying to work through. I haven’t built a better relationship with them, and I’m not obligated to. Still, I associate them with the kind of soft trauma that they inflicted upon me, and while to them it was probably impersonal, to me, it was an intimate sort of attack that still affects me. That being said, that is me. Those are my personal experiences, and while they could undoubtedly influence how I interpret relationships, I do not want to project and hinder my own interpretation of Deku.

The reality is that Deku himself has an innate understanding of Bakugou that no one else does; I mention later that he seems to understand his language, implicitly, and I do stand by that. He understands what it is he’s actually trying to say, often why he’s saying it, and while others may see him as wimpy or unable to stand up for himself, that’s simply not true. Part of Deku’s characterization is that he is uncommonly observant and empathetic; I’m not denying that Bakugou caused harm or inflicted damage, but infantilizing Deku and preaching about trauma that’s not backed by canon and then assuming random people online excuse abuse is just...the leap of leaps, and an actual toxic thing to do. I’ve read fan works where Bakugou is a bully, and that’s all, and has caused an intimate degree of emotional, mental, and physical insecurity from their middle school years that prevents their relationship from changing, and that’s for the better. I’m not going to argue and say that it’s not an interesting take, or not valid, or has no basis, because it does. Its basis is the character that Bakugou was in middle school, and the person he was when he entered UA.

Not only is Bakugou — the current Bakugou, the one who has accumulated memories and experiences and development — not the same person he was at the beginning of the story, but Deku is not the same person, either. Maybe who they are fundamentally, at their core, stays the same, but at the beginning and end of any story, or even their arcs within the story, the point is that characters will undergo change, and that the reader will gain perspective.

“You wanna be a hero so bad? I’ve got a time-saving idea for you. If you think you’ll have a quirk in your next life...go take a swan dive off the roof!”

Yes. That is a horrible thing to tell someone, even if you are a child, even if you don’t understand the implications, even if you don’t mean what it is you are saying. Had someone told me that in middle school, especially given our history and the context of our interactions, I don’t know if I would ever have forgiven them.

Here’s the thing: I’m not Deku. Neither is anyone reading this. Deku is a fictional character, and everyone we know about him is extrapolated from source material, and his response to this event follows:

“Idiot! If I really jumped, you’d be charged with bullying me into suicide! Think before you speak!”

I think it’s unfair to apply our own projections as a universal rather than an interpersonal interpretation; that’s not to say that the interpretation of Bakudeku being abusive or having unbalanced power dynamics isn’t valid, or unfounded, but rather it’s not a universal interpretation, and it’s not canon. Deku is much more of a verbal thinker; in comparison, Bakugou is a visual one, at least in the format of the manga, and as such, we get various panels demonstrating his guilt, and how deep it runs. His dialogue and rapport with Deku has undeniably shifted, and it’s very clear that the way they treat each other has changed from when they were younger. Part of Bakugou’s growth is him gaining self awareness, and eventually, the strength to wield that. He knows what a fucked up little kid he was, and he carries the weight of that.

“At that moment, there were no thoughts in my head. My body just moved on its own.”

There’s a part of me that really, really disliked Bakugou going into it, partially because of what I’d seen and what I’d heard from a limited, outside perspective. I felt like Bakugou embodied the toxic masculinity (and to an extent, I still believe that) and if he won in some way, that felt like the patriarchy winning, so I couldn't help but want to muzzle and leash him before releasing him into the wild.

The reality, however, of his character in canon is that it isn’t very accurate to assume that he would be an abusive partner in the future, or that Midoryia has not forgiven him to some extent already, that the two do not care about each other or are singularly important, that they respect each other, or that the narrative has forgotten any of this.

Don’t mistake me for a Bakugou simp or apologist. I’m not, but while I definitely could also see Tododeku (and I have a soft spot for them, too, their dynamic is totally different and unique, and Todoroki is arguably treated as the tritagonist) and I’m ambivalent about Izuocha (which is written as cannoncially romantic) I do believe that canonically, Bakugou and Deku are framed as soulmates/character foils, Sasuke + Naruto, Kageyama + Hinata style. Their relationship is arguably the focus of the series. That’s not to undermine the importance or impact of Deku’s relationships with other characters, and theirs with him, but in terms of which one takes priority, and which one this all hinges on?

The manga is about a lot of things, yes, but if it were to be distilled into one relationship, buckle up, because it’s the Bakudeku show.

Power is Power: the Brain-Melting Process of Normalization and Toxic Masculinity

One of the ways in which the biopolitical prioritization of Quirks is exemplified within Hero society is through Quirk marriages. Endeavor partially rationalizes the abuse of his family through the creation of a child with the perfect quirk, a child who can be molded into the perfect Hero. People with powerful, or useful abilities, are ranked high on the hierarchy of power and privilege, and with a powerful ability, the more opportunities and avenues for success are available to them.

For the most part, Bakugou is a super spoiled, privileged little rich kid who is born talented but is enabled for his aggressive behavior and, as a child, cannot move past his many internalized complexes, treats his peers like shit, and gets away with it because the hero society he lives in either has this “boys will be boys” mentality, or it’s an example of the way that power, or Power, is systematically prioritized in this society. The hero system enables and fosters abusers, people who want power and publicity, and people who are genetically predisposed to have advantages over others. There are plenty of good people who believe in and participate in this system, who want to be good, and who do good, but that doesn’t change the way that the hero society is structured, the ethical ambiguity of the Hero Commission, and the way that Heroes are but pawns, idols with machine guns, used to sell merch to the public, to install faith in the government, or the current status quo, and reinforce capitalist propaganda. Even All Might, the epitome of everything a Hero should be, is drained over the years, and exists as a concept or idea, when in reality he is a hollow shell with an entire person inside, struggling to survive. Hero society is functionally dependent on illusion.

In Marxist terms: There is no truth, there is only power.

Although Bakugou does change, and I think that while he regrets his actions, what is long overdue is him verbally expressing his remorse, both to himself and Deku. One might argue that he’s tried to do it in ways that are compatible with his limited emotional range of expression, and Deku seems to understand this language implicitly.

I am of the opinion that the narrative is building up to a verbal acknowledgement, confrontation, and subsequent apology that only speaks what has gone unspoken.

That being said, Bakugou is a great example of the way that figures of authority (parents, teachers, adults) and institutions both in the real world and this fictional universe reward violent behavior while also leaving mental and emotional health — both his own and of the people Bakugou hurts — unchecked, and part of the way he lashes out at others is because he was never taught otherwise.

And by that, I’m referring to the ways that are to me, genuinely disturbing. For example, yelling at his friends is chill. But telling someone to kill themselves, even casually and without intent and then misinterpreting everything they do as a ploy to make you feel weak because you're projecting? And having no teachers stop and intervene, either because they are afraid of you or because they value the weight that your Quirk can benefit society over the safety of children? That, to me, is both real and disturbing.

Not only that, but his parents (at least, Mitsuki), respond to his outbursts with more outbursts, and while this is likely the culture of their home and I hesitate to call it abusive, I do think that it contributed to the way that he approaches things. Bakugou as a character is very complex, but I think that he is primarily an example of the way that the Hero System fails people.

I don’t think we can write off the things he’s done, especially using the line of reasoning that “He didn’t mean it that way”, because in real life, children who hurt others rarely mean it like that either, but that doesn’t change the effect it has on the people who are victimized, but to be absolutely fair, I don’t think that the majority of Bakudeku shippers, at least now, do use that line of reasoning. Most of them seem to have a handle on exactly how fucked up the Hero society is, and exactly why it fucks up the people embedded within that society.

The characters are positioned in this way for a reason, and the discoveries made and the development that these characters undergo are meant to reveal more about the fictional world — and, perhaps, our world — as the narrative progresses.

The world of the Hero society is dependent, to some degree, on biopolitics. I don’t think we have enough evidence to suggest that people with Quirks or Quirkless people place enough identity or placement within society to become equivalent to marginalized groups, exactly, but we can draw parallels to the way that Deku and by extent Quirkless people are viewed as weak, a deviation, or disabled in some way. Deviants, or non-productive bodies, are shunned for their inability to perform ideal labor. While it is suggested to Deku that he could become a police officer or pursue some other occupation to help people, he believes that he can do the most positive good as a Hero. In order to be a Hero, however, in the sense of a career, one needs to have Power.

Deviation from the norm will be punished or policed unless it is exploitable; in order to become integrated into society, a deviant must undergo a process of normalization and become a working, exploitable body. It is only through gaining power from All Might that Deku is allowed to assimilate from the margins and into the upper ranks of society; the manga and the anime give the reader enough perspective, context, and examples to allow us to critique and deconstruct the society that is solely reliant on power.

Through his societal privileges, interpersonal biases, internalized complexes, and his subsequent unlearning of these ideologies, Bakugou provides examples of the way that the system simultaneously fails and indoctrinates those who are targeted, neglected, enabled by, believe in, and participate within the system.

Bakudeku are two sides of the same coin. We are shown visually that the crucial turning point and fracture in their relationship is when Bakugou refuses to take Deku’s outstretched hand; the idea of Deku offering him help messes with his adolescent perspective in that Power creates a hierarchy that must be obeyed, and to be helped is to be weak is to be made a loser.

Largely, their character flaws in terms of understanding the hero society are defined and entangled within the concept of power. Bakugou has power, or privilege, but does not have the moral character to use it as a hero, and believes that Power, or winning, is the only way in which to view life. Izuku has a much better grasp on the way in which heroes wield power (their ideologies can, at first, be differentiated as winning vs. saving), and is a worthy successor because of this understanding, and of circumstance. However, in order to become a Hero, our hero must first gain the Power that he lacks, and learn to wield it.

As the characters change, they bridge the gaps of their character deficiencies, and are brought closer together through character parallelism.

Two sides of the same coin, an outstretched hand.

They are better together.

How to Kill Middle Schoolers, and Why We Should

I think it’s fitting that in the manga, a critical part of Bakugou’s arc explicitly alludes to killing the middle school version of himself in order to progress into a young adult. In the alternative covers Horikoshi released, one of them was a close up of Bakugou in his middle school uniform, being stabbed/impaled, with blood rolling out of his mouth. Clearly this references the scene in which he sacrifices himself to save Deku, on a near-instinctual level.

To me, this only cements Horikoshi’s intent that middle school Bakugou must be debunked, killed, discarded, or destroyed in order for Bakugou the hero to emerge, which is why people who do actually excuse his actions or believe that those actions define him into young adulthood don’t really understand the necessity for change, because they seem to imply that he doesn’t need/cannot reach further growth, and there doesn’t need to be a separation between the Bakugou who is, at heart, volatile and repressed the angry, and the Bakugou who sacrifices himself, a hero who saves people.

Plot twist: there does need to be a difference. Further plot twist: there is a difference.

In sacrificing himself for Deku, Bakugou himself doesn't die, but the injury is fatal in the sense that it could've killed him physically and yet symbolizes the selfish, childish part of him that refused to accept Deku, himself, and the inevitability of change. In killing those selfish remnants, he could actually become the kind of hero that we the reader understand to be the true kind.

That’s why I think that a lot of the people who stress his actions as a child without acknowledging the ways he has changed, grown, and tried to fix what he has broken don’t really get it, because it was always part of his character arc to change and purposely become something different and better. If the effects of his worst and his most childish self stick with you more, and linger despite that, that’s okay. But distilling his character down to the wrong elements doesn’t get you the bare essentials; what it gets you is a skewed and shallow version of a person. If you’re okay with that version, that is also fine.

But you can’t condemn others who aren’t fine with that incomplete version, and to become enraged that others do not see him as you do is childish.

Bakugou’s change and the emphasis on that change is canon.

Parallels in Abuse, EnemiesRivals-to-Lovers, and the Necessity of Redemption ft. ATLA’s Zuko

In real life, the idea that “oh, he must bully you because he likes you” is often used as a way to brush aside or to excuse the action of bullying itself, as if a ‘secret crush’ somehow negates the effects of bullying on the victim or the inability of the bully to properly process and manifest their emotions in certain ways. It doesn’t. It often enables young boys to hurt others, and provides figures of authority to overlook the real source of schoolyard bullying or peer review. The “secret crush”, in real life, is used to undermine abuse, justify toxic masculinity, and is essentially used as a non-solution solution.

A common accusation is that Bakudeku shippers jump on the pairing because they romanticize pairing a bully and a victim together, or believe that the only way for Bakugou to atone for his past would be to date Midoryia in the future. This may be true for some people, in which case, that’s their own preference, but based on my experience and what I’ve witnessed, that’s not the case for most.

The difference being is that as these are characters, we as readers or viewers are meant to analyze them. Not to justify them, or to excuse their actions, but we are given the advantage of the outsider perspective to piece their characters together in context, understand why they are how they are, and witness them change; maybe I just haven’t been exposed to enough of the fandom, but no one (I’ve witnessed) treats the idea that “maybe Bakugou has feelings he can’t process or understand and so they manifest in aggressive and unchecked ways'' as a solution to his inability to communicate or process in a healthy way, rather it is just part of the explanation of his character, something is needs to — and is — working through. The solution to his middle school self is not the revelation of a “teehee, secret crush”, but self-reflection, remorse, and actively working to better oneself, which I do believe is canonically reflected, especially as of recently.

In canon, they are written to be partners, better together than apart, and I genuinely believe that one can like the Bakudeku dynamic not by route of romanticization but by observation.

I do think we are meant to see parallels between him and Endeavor; Endeavor is a high profile abuser who embodies the flaws and hypocrisy of the hero system. Bakugou is a schoolyard bully who emulates and internalizes the flaws of this system as a child, likely due to the structure of the society and the way that children will absorb the propaganda they are exposed to; the idea that Quirks, or power, define the inherent value of the individual, their ability to contribute to society, and subsequently their fundamental human worth. The difference between them is the fact that Endeavor is the literal adult who is fully and knowingly active within a toxic, corrupt system who forces his family to undergo a terrifying amount of trauma and abuse while facing little to no consequences because he knows that his status and the values of their society will protect him from those consequences. In other words, Endeavor is the threat of what Bakugou could have, and would have, become without intervention or genuine change.

Comparisons between characters, as parallels or foils, are tricky in that they imply but cannot confirm sameness. Having parallels with someone does not make them the same, by the way, but can serve to illustrate contrasts, or warnings. Harry Potter, for example, is meant to have obvious parallels with Tom Riddle, with similar abilities, and tragic upbringings. That doesn’t mean Harry grows up to become Lord Voldemort, but rather he helps lead a cross-generational movement to overthrow the facist regime. Harry is offered love, compassion, and friends, and does not embrace the darkness within or around him. As far as moldy old snake men are concerned, they do not deserve a redemption arc because they do not wish for one, and the truest of change only occurs when you actively try to change.

To be frank, either way, Bakugou was probably going to become a good Hero, in the sense that Endeavor is a ‘good’ Hero. Hero capitalized, as in a pro Hero, in the sense that it is a career, an occupation, and a status. Because of his strong Quirk, determination, skill, and work ethic, Bakugou would have made a good Hero. Due to his lack of character, however, he was not on the path to become a hero; defender of the weak, someone who saves people to save people, who is willing to make sacrifices detrimental to themselves, who saves people out of love.

It is necessary for him to undergo both a redemption arc and a symbolic death and rebirth in order for him to follow the path of a hero, having been inspired and prompted by Deku.

I personally don’t really like Endeavor’s little redemption arc, not because I don’t believe that people can change or that they shouldn't at least try to atone for the atrocities they have committed, but because within any narrative, a good redemption arc is important if it matters; what also matters is the context of that arc, and whether or not it was needed. For example, in ATLA, Zuko’s redemption arc is widely regarded as one of the best arcs in television history, something incredible. And it is. That shit fucks. In a good way.

It was confirmed that Azula was also going to get a redemption arc, had Volume 4 gone on as planned, and it was tentatively approached in the comics, which are considered canon. She is an undeniably bad person (who is willing to kill, threaten, exploit, and colonize), but she is also a child, and as viewers, we witness and recognize the factors that contributed to her (debatable) sociopathy, and the way that the system she was raised in failed her. Her family failed her; even Uncle Iroh, the wise mentor who helps guide Zuko to see the light, is willing to give up on her immediately, saying that she’s “crazy” and needs to be “put down”. Yes, it’s comedic, and yes, it’s pragmatic, but Azula is fourteen years old. Her mother is banished, her father is a psychopath, and her older brother, from her perspective, betrayed and abandoned her. She doesn’t have the emotional support that Zuko does; she exploits and controls her friends because it’s all she’s been taught to do; she says herself, her “own mother thought [she] was a monster; she was right, of course, but it still [hurts]”. A parent who does not believe in you, or a parent that uses you and will hurt you, is a genuine indicator of trauma.

The writers understood that both Zuko and Azula deserved redemption arcs. One was arguably further gone than the other, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are both children, products of their environment, who have the time, motive, and reason to change.

In contrast, you know who wouldn’t have deserved a redemption arc? Ozai. That simply would not have been interesting, wouldn’t have served the narrative well, and honestly, is not needed, thematically or otherwise. Am I comparing Ozai to Endeavor? Basically, yes. Fuck those guys. I don’t see a point in Endeavor’s little “I want to be a good dad now” arc, and I think that we don’t need to sympathize with characters in order to understand them or be interested in them. I want Touya/Dabi to expose his abuse, for his career to crumble, and then for him to die.

If they are not challenging the system that we the viewer are meant to question, and there is no thematic relevance to their redemption, is it even needed?

On that note, am I saying that Bakugou is the equivalent to Zuko? No, lmao. Definitely not. They are different characters with different progressions and different pressures. What I am saying is that good redemption arcs shouldn’t be handed out like candy to babies; it is the quality, rather than the quantity, that makes a redemption arc good. In terms of the commentary of the narrative, who needs a redemption arc, who is deserving, and who does it make sense to give one to?

In this case, Bakugou checks those boxes. It was always in the cards for him to change, and he has. In fact, he’s still changing.

Give it to Me Straight. It’s Homophobic.

There does seem to be an urge to obsessively gender either Bakugou or Deku, in making Deku the ultra-feminine, stereotypically hyper-sexualized “woman” of the relationship, with Bakugou becoming similarly sexualized but depicted as the hyper-masculine bodice ripper. On some level, that feels vaguely homophobic if not straight up misogynistic, in that in a gay relationship there’s an urge to compel them to conform under heteronormative stereotypes in order to be interpreted as real or functional. On one hand, I will say that in a lot of cases it feels like more of an expression of a kink, or fetishization and subsequent expression of internalized misogyny, at least, rather than a genuine exploration of the complexity and power imbalances of gender dynamics, expression, and boundaries.

That being said, I don’t think that that problematic aspect of shipping is unique to Bakudeku, or even to the fandom in general. We’ve all read fan work or see fanart of most gay ships in a similiar manner, and I think it’s a broader issue to be addressed than blaming it on a singular ship and calling it a day.

One interpretation of Bakugou’s character is his repression and the way his character functions under toxic masculinity, in a society’s egregious disregard for mental and emotional health (much like in the real world), the horrifying ways in which rage is rationalized or excused due to the concept of masculinity, and the way that characteristics that are associated with femininity — intellect, empathy, anxiety, kindness, hesitation, softness — are seen as stereotypically “weak”, and in men, traditionally emasculating. In terms of the way that the fictional universe is largely about societal priority and power dynamics between individuals and the way that extends to institutions, it’s not a total stretch to guess that gender as a construct is a relevant topic to expand on or at least keep in mind for comparison.

I think that the way in which characters are gendered and the extent to which that is a result of invasive heteronormativity and fetishization is a really important conversation to have, but using it as a case-by-case evolution of a ship used to condemn people isn’t conductive, and at that point, it’s treated as less of a real concern but an issue narrowly weaponised.

Love in Perspective, from the East v. West

Another thing I think could be elaborated on and written about in great detail is the way that the Eastern part of the fandom and the Western part of the fandom have such different perspectives on Bakudeku in particular. I am not going to go in depth with this, and there are many other people who could go into specifics, but just as an overview:

The manga and the anime are created for and targeted at a certain audience; our take on it will differ based on cultural norms, decisions in translation, understanding of the genre, and our own region-specific socialization. This includes the way in which we interpret certain relationships, the way they resonate with us, and what we do and do not find to be acceptable. Of course, this is not a case-by-case basis, and I’m sure there are plenty of people who hold differing beliefs within one area, but speaking generally, there is a reason that Bakudeku is not regarded as nearly as problematic in the East.

Had this been written by a Western creator, marketed primarily to and within the West (for reference, while I am Chinese, but I have lived in the USA for most of my life, so my own perspective is undoubtedly westernized), I would’ve immediately jumped to make comparisons between the Hero System and the American police system, in that a corrupt, or bastardized system is made no less corrupt for the people who do legitimately want to do good and help people, when that system disproportionately values and targets others while relying on propaganda that society must be reliant on that system in order to create safe communities when in reality it perpetuates just as many issues as it appears to solve, not to mention the way it attracts and rewards violent and power-hungry people who are enabled to abuse their power. I think comparisons can still be made, but in terms of analysis, it should be kept in mind that the police system in other parts of the world do not have the same history, place, and context as it does in America, and the police system in Japan, for example, probably wasn’t the basis for the Hero System.

As much as I do believe in the Death of the Author in most cases, the intent of the author does matter when it comes to content like this, if merely on the basis that it provides context that we may be missing as foreign viewers.

As far as the intent of the author goes, Bakugou is on a route of redemption.

He deserves it. It is unavoidable. That, of course, may depend on where you’re reading this.

Stuck in the Sludge, the Past, and Season One

If there’s one thing, to me, that epitomizes middle school Bakugou, it’s him being trapped in a sludge monster, rescued by his Quirkless childhood friend, and unable to believe his eyes. He clings to the ideology he always has, that Quirkless means weak, that there’s no way that Deku could have grown to be strong, or had the capacity to be strong all along. Bakugou is wrong about this, and continuously proven wrong. It is only when he accepts that he is wrong, and that Deku is someone to follow, that he starts his real path to heroics.

If Bakudeku’s relationship does not appeal to someone for whatever reason, there’s nothing wrong with that. They can write all they want about why they don’t ship it, or why it bothers them, or why they think it’s problematic. If it is legitimately triggering to you, then by all means, avoid it, point it out, etc. but do not undermine the reality of abuse simply to point fingers, just because you don’t like a ship. People who intentionally use the anti tag knowing it’ll show up in the main tag, go after people who are literally minding their own business, and accuse people of supporting abuse are the ones looking for a fight, and they’re annoying as hell because they don’t bring anything to the table. No evidence, no analysis, just repeated projection.

To clarify, I’m referring to a specific kind of shipper, not someone who just doesn’t like a ship, but who is so aggressive about it for absolutely no reason. There are plenty of very lovely people in this fandom, who mind their own business, multipship, or just don’t care.

Calling shippers dumb or braindead or toxic (to clarify, this isn’t targeting any one person I’ve seen, but a collective) based on projections and generalizations that come entirely from your own impression of the ship rather than observation is...really biased to me, and comes across as uneducated and trigger happy, rather than constructive or helpful in any way.

I’m not saying someone has to ship anything, or like it, in order to be a ‘good’ participant. But inserting derogatory material into a main tag, and dropping buzzwords with the same tired backing behind it without seeming to understand the implications of those words or acknowledging the development, pacing, and intentional change to the characters within the plot is just...I don’t know, it comes across as redundant, to me at least, and very childish. Aggressive. Toxic. Problematic. Maybe the real toxic shippers were the ones who bitched and moaned along the way. They’re like little kids, stuck in the past, unable to visualize or recognize change, and I think that’s a real shame because it’s preventing them from appreciating the story or its characters as it is, in canon.

But that’s okay, really. To each their own. Interpretations will vary, preferences differ, perspectives are not uniform. There is no one truth. There are five seasons of the show, a feature film, and like, thirty volumes as of this year.

All I’m saying is that if you want to stay stuck in the first season of each character, then that’s what you’re going to get. That’s up to you.

This may be edited or revised.

[stephicness]

Let’s Talk About Shiro... (SPOILERS)

Contrary to popular belief, it seems, but I really enjoyed the final season of Voltron. Yeah, it didn’t wrap it up as tightly as it could, but that’s always the downside of alot of shows that have a limited episode run and only so much resources to meet the criteria for a complete show. It was really great overall, and it was super cool watching it from its first debut to its final season. It was a wild ride, and I enjoyed every minute of it!

But I can’t help but shake this thought: that Shiro would have no pleasant resolution in terms of his character -- no matter what the writers would do. But regardless of that, I think Shiro really was an amazing character who had a valid ending in the series.

Let me explain...

And WARNING! We’re getting into spoiler territory, my friends. Read at your own risk!

...And crack open a drink. This is a long read.

So technically, according to writers, Shiro was supposed to have died in Season 2, which would allow Keith to properly take the mantle of Voltron’s leader. However, it’s already a controversial idea enough to kill off one of the story’s only LGBTQ characters and villianizing the other few that existed (Zethrid and Enzor. Yeah. They were in lesbians with each other!). It would send a bad message to those of the LGBTQ community -- even though he wasn’t properly noted to be LGBTQ until interviews surfaced and Season 7 (I believe) showed his arc with Adam. Thus, Shiro was rewritten properly into the series to resume his role as a fan-favorite.

So there’s one lose-lose situation: write him in and fear him overshadowing a character arc for Keith or follow through with his death and receive a drop in ratings for killing off a fan-favorite and an LGBTQ character.

But they kept Shiro and allowed him to show himself as a clone experiment. Which, I don’t know about you, but I feel like fans were more shocked to have Shiro as a clone than they were to have him suddenly be magically resurrected. Me, as a viewer, kind of thought the clone idea was a little cheap, but it did make for an amazing fight between Kuron clone and Keith! But, for me, the appearance of this Shiro clone really did interrupt what potential character arcs other characters could have. And better yet, it kind of undermined a bit of Keith’s story because -- what do you know? Keith spent an entire season away on his own adventures because -- with Shiro there -- he wasn’t needed.

So another lose-lose there: risk losing a character (Keith or Lance) by having Shiro/Kuron remain or get rid of Shiro yet again.

And so, it felt like this weird compromise that the writers and executives were faced with. Now they needed a reason for Shiro to stay there, so boom. He’s back as the white-haired space dad we all know and love.

But now, cat’s out of the bag, and we learn about Adam officially! Which was kind of nice to see that Shiro had a life before the Kerberos mission ever happened, and how that -- I think it was referenced -- Shiro was injured but determined to continue his job and mission as a fighter for the Garrison. He and Shiro get into a discussion about Shiro wanting to go on the mission, but they disagreed: Adam wanted Shiro to be safe and Shiro wanted to continue helping the world. Contradicting ideas about what it means to protect someone: to keep them from pushing themselves or pushing oneself to the limit. It was a conflict that lead to them departing form one another until Adam’s death in season 7′s recap of events on Earth.

Yet I think this is where people misunderstand alot about why Shiro and Adam’s story was written like this: this is a story about war. It’s not about romance or love, despite Voltron always having morals of the bonds we form and being stronger together. Those are morals, but the overarching plot is that this is a story about a war between peacekeepers and conquerers. So, even though I was shocked and upset by it, I understood the writers’ decision to kill Adam: it showed that nobody is safe from what war takes from us all. It doesn’t matter what your sexuality is, what your gender is, what you look like. Violence keeps taking casualties.

Of course, this annoyed fans. Why introduce a love interest for Shiro and then not do anything with him? They didn’t even get to speak to each other before Adam was killed -- rather horribly -- for us all.

Well, I think this is kind of what shaped Shiro and his overall endgame story. He continued his mission to help Voltron end the war and stop the destruction of the universe, but that’s because Shiro’s character has always been defined by his morality: it’s what is best for everyone. But, for me, I can’t help but feel like his mission needed to come to an end. Not for the sake of the story, but for the sake of Shiro.

Because, you see, Shiro lost someone he loved before to war. And not just a boyfriend and stuff. I think they mentioned that Adam was his fiance before the argument happened between them. He picked his mission over someone he loved, and for that, Shiro was never allowed to say goodbye or to see what could have been with a happier, calmer life. Shiro’s decision to put the mission aside for the sake of finding happiness in romance? I think that’s an important choice because Shiro was so close to having it before, and I feel like that’s why he didn’t want to give up on it again when the chance came knocking.

But this, once again, annoyed fans because there was another choice made for them. It was either make him a man of war that was dedicated to the peace, or to have him finally get a happy ending that he was denied because of his selflessness. And the writers decided to let Shiro finally be a little selfish for once.

This was met with backlash because, you know, who the heck did he even marry?! Well, his name was Curtis. He was a minor character who appeared a few times, but here are the main facts:

- He sat on Shiro’s side (...Was it left-hand side?) whenever they were on the bridge of the Atlas. - He asks about Iverson’s dog because he seems like a dog person. - He’s friendly with the Atlas crew, being with them during Clear Day for part of the day. - He’s got a preciously derpy face when he feels awkward. - He’s the first one to support Shiro and his arm-wrestling career.

Those are pretty much all of the details we really get from Curtis, which I admit is really not a whole lot. But I think this was done for a reason.

It wasn’t because they wanted to deny you your main ships.

It wasn’t because they wanted to appease the LGBTQ community no matter the consequence.

It was because we didn’t need to know about it.

I think what the writers feared -- and what I personally feared -- when it came to Shiro was that his love life would be the only thing that we would focus on. We’d ignore his impact of being a great leader by stepping down to help another great leader excel. We’d ignore the sacrifices and arcs of other characters because the writers would be too heavily emphasizing Shiro’s back story and side arcs. We’d ignore the fact that Voltron isn’t a romance and that it’s a war story. Instead, all we’d be focused on was who would kiss who and what would be the dominant Shiro ship sailing.

And yet, when people are so obsessed with satisfying their own desires and cravings for ships, representation, plot, etc. and ultimately undermine a character’s integrity, I personally find that much worse than just plain writing a character in an out-of-character context. Their idea of what Shiro is kind of seemed to blind them to not just his story overall, but the fact that he probably wants something too. He’d probably want stability.

I’ve still noticed people saying that they’ve ‘been done wrong,’ or it was ‘dirty’ what they did to Shiro by giving him an off-screen marriage technically. Despite Voltron being a cartoon, it really has connected people in many ways and was one of the first cartoons in awhile to have an LGBTQ character as a main focus throughout the series. So I can see why people felt wronged by Shiro being pushed aside and given background character treatment. And yet, I disagree. Not with the background character thing, even though I feel it was needed. But with the being wronged. As much as I wanted more representation in the show, I feel like that’s all we would focus on until the bitter end, and now... Well, the issues arise with Shiro about his off-screen marriage to a character we vaguely see.

I’m a bit more of an in-depth thinker when it comes to characters. And as someone who also studied character analysis in theatre during college and high school, one of the first things you should normally think about a character is what are they striving for? Shiro’s motivation throughout the series was the defend the universe so he and the others can return home and everything will be at peace from the Galra. But this isn’t the only thing he wanted.

He wanted to start a family. You saw it when it was first mentioned he and Adam were together, and that they would be engaged, I believe. I feel like if you were a military guy wanting to marry a military guy, it would be because you wanted to settle down eventually. I think this was why Adam was so frustrated with Shiro because they were ready to settle. But Shiro’s desire to have a last moment of heroism during Kerberos before... Well, I think it was hinted that he had a disease that affected his arm or something? They were talking about Shiro’s health during their argument. But Shiro’s final hurrah ended up driving them apart because... Well, I don’t know about you, but I get frustrated and angry when things don’t follow through until I eventually go ‘Don’t bother.’

But why not give them a chance to reunite? I feel like it wasn’t done because I feel like there was nothing left for them to say. Shiro did his mission, came back a wreck because he, you know, died a little bit, and thus, it would prove Adam right. Shiro, however, has no regrets over his actions because he did what he thought was right, even if that meant following a different path from romance. This would only create tension, I feel, and make it harder for them to really rekindle things. Their stories moved on, and it was, unfortunately, a tragedy that reunited them once again.

Yet this is all background context because Shiro’s tragic love-life isn’t the main focus of the show. The writers didn’t intend it to be because that would ruin this idea that the universe is much bigger than the Paladins are. It was said in moments of the series that this isn’t just about them anymore: it’s about saving the entire universe. So of course they aren’t going to talk much about Shiro and his finished character arc. They’re not going to give you all the details of who Shiro is crushing on.

They want you to focus on Shiro, the hero, and his (and everyone else’s) role in defending the universe, and I feel like they did an amazing job of it. And even if we didn’t get to see more on-screen romance and representation, I think this was justice done for Shiro in terms of a story. His arc completed when he helped get Voltron to where it needed to be, and so now he can pick-up where he left off from what he had given up in the past.

...That, and I don’t know about you, but being tortured by evil aliens and then having to stop an intergalactic war would make me wanna take a breather too.

[writing-tips-for-dummies]

A Guide to Writing: Wars

In most forms of media, there are wars that are waged. Usually started from the bad guys because of some goal. Money, power, a diluted sense of right and wrong because without a goal in mind war is senseless carnage with lives thrown away for nothing.

Depending on what type of story your writing and the type of message you’re trying to get across, you need to know the beginning, middle, and/or end. With each of these parts of the war, you need to know the five W’s and H: who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Beginning

Who is the person/persons responsible for the war? There is always going to be some responsible for something happening. It could very well be a chain of events that started from something small. It could be a ruler looking for something more. It could the citizens wanting something better.

What is the reason behind it? There will always be a reason behind something this large scale unless the person behind said war is just interested in senseless carnage. The reason could be an issue that had been present and apparent but one event sparked the need to change something. It could be something kept secret from the people until it was too late or the citizen causing the war themselves.

Where did this start/take place? This is a question that needs to be answered because where it starts can dictate the direction of the war. If this war starts in one country, it could devastate that country and its people. If it’s a civil war then each side could very well take an environmental hit.

When did this happen? If the war is something that has already passed, then knowing when it happened relative to when the story starts is important. For example, the American Civil War happened over 150 years ago, but the effects of that way of thinking are still apparent. It feels like it happened a long time ago, put when put into perspective of the world’s history, it’s still relatively recent. Don’t forget that when figuring the time frame of the war.

Why did the person/persons believe that their reasons were valid? Everyone likes to believe that everything they do is perfectly reasonable…but sometimes they’re not. Something like the royalty still rolling in wealth while the country is actually broke is definitely something to riot over. The wealthy upset because they happen to be taxed a bit more than usual? Not so much. However, just because the reason doesn’t seem particularly valid, that doesn’t meant there can’t be a war over it. 

How is this war possible? If this is a civil war then, depending on who is fighting whom, what makes this feasible? Are the people hoarding their weapons? Did they make their own secret form of government? And regardless of who is waging the war and why, wars are expensive. How is it being paid for and by whom?

Middle

Who is fighting? All wars are fought with people risking their lives. Whether it’s the actual soldiers on the front lines or the general giving orders from HQ. Knowing who did the fighting and who did the planning and the more detailed parts of the plans will help with a better understanding of who that are and what they are doing.

What are they using to fight? This is super hella important and very much depends on the universe in which the story takes place. If the story takes place in a magical world, the type of magic that’s used needs to be clear and clearly defined. That’s not to say some things can’t be left to the reader, though. If it takes place in a world like ours, then things are kinda of already set, just adding a few things to specify is really all it would take.

Where are they fighting? This also depends on what type of universe they story is in. Is it like this world where battles were fought in open fields or more like Harry Potter where they’re fought in important places?

When, relative to the time frame of the story, are they fighting? The events of the war are what people actually remember most. When were the important events that happened and when did they happen between the beginning and the end of the war? When did the most important battles happen?

Why are the people who are fighting, fighting? Everyone will have their own reasons for fighting. To keep their fathers/mothers/brothers/sister/siblings away from the fight. Out a sense of obligations. They have something precious that they want to protect. Not everyone’s motives need to be pure or accounted for, except for when they are needed to be.

How are they fighting? People have different and varied methods of fighting. Some people fight with classical weapons. Some people fight with modern weapons. There’s magic and sorcery and a mix of each of these. If this war is something that happened in the past relative to the narrative, then specify whether or not the method of fighting is something that has grown out of style of something that is still practiced.

End

Who won? Obvious and important question to answer. History books are dictated by the victors and consequently so is the future. If your state/providence/country or whatever has ever made a mistake then maybe you learned about it. Maybe it was something that was taught because it needed to be but wasn’t told in full detail. Or maybe it was something you found out because of the internet and it was never taught in schools. It’s these kind of things that this question will answer.

What was the deciding battle/engagement? Not all wars end in an epic battle of good vs evil no matter how riveting it is. Not everyone can be Avatar: The Last Airbender. A lot of wars end with peace treaties even if hostilities between the two sides still endure. However, the battles can always end in an epic battle but always be aware of the repercussions battles like that can create.

Where was the battle won? This can also mean a lot to the narrative. A lot of battle grounds are persevered or made into memorials for the people who gave their lives there. Do these battle grounds matter to the people that come after the war or are they just land that happened to have a battle fought on them?

When, relative to the start of the war, does it end? If the war ends close to the start of the story then the repercussions are still extremely fresh in everyone’s minds. If this is still a ways away then think of the consequences that will come from the war. If it’s so long ago that at least ten generations have passed, then the consequences would be different.

Why did the battle/arrangement end the war? There are lots of ways to end a war and it’s difficult to decide how. Each potential ending could alter how others view the people who won/lost the war.

How has the aftermath effected all those who fought? The victor writes history but the victors are not always the ones to be treated with grace and fairness. Take AtLA for example, the Fire Nation won loads of battles after that started to the war, but they’ve managed to make enemies of every other nation. People of small town and cities will be affected differently than the people who are more wealthy.