#aywritings

[aysall]

It's quite intresting that as soon as Shigaraki is facing another possible defeat, this where he ends up; his unsteady tone with the wavy speech-bubbles, his hatred for the heroes, the memories of his family, they all come back together. It's almost like an involution or a glimpse of his old self, not smiling anymore and weighed down by his past. At the end maybe, a "liberation" comes from a place of dominance and strenght, and right now he's got neither of those. Is this really faltering, or another step he has to take?

One of the core themes of Hero Aca is that when faced with a struggle you must remember your Origin, because that's still who you are and that's where your motivation comes from. You can't really get rid of it, I think.

In any case, looking at him right now I don't think of freedom nor liberation. And I mean it in the most positive way possible.

[words-pics-flicks]

No writer worth his salt prints up a business card that says ‘writer’ on it.

David S. Goyer (quoting his screenwriting mentor)

[unearthlyperennial]

The world is three days: As for yesterday, it has vanished, along with all that was in it. As for tomorrow, you may never see it. As for today, it is yours, so work on it.

Ḥasan al-Baṣrī

[weepingchaosphilosopher-blog]

Anxiety

Everything is normal one second, and the next you're shaking and hyperventilating. Your thoughts go crazy, running in so many directions and you can't do anything but sit there in a still silence breathing hard. And it all gets calm and your chest feels empty. And seconds later your thoughts stab your heart and it hurts. And you can't do anything. And anxiety is something you can never get rid of.

-wannabewriter

[aysall]

I don' think we fully realize to which point Spinner is the most reckless and passionate member of the League. He's a twenty year old hikikomori kid, with no social skills, a weak and antropomorphic quirk, zero dreams nor aspirations; just your regular, depressed, young adult with no reason at all to join a villain group except that day he watched a video of a guy screaming some inarticulate shit and didn't think twice about picking up some swords, tying them up and kidnapping this teenager, which later prompted a whole other avalanche of colossal messes. Now he is a wanted criminal stuck with psychologically damaged people and this other guy who obviously doesn't care one bit about Stain nor any other ideology but is oddly charismatic and Spinner apparently has a weak spot for that type and his child-like smile so he might as well do a one-eighty, drop all reasons and logic, and stake his life on a war he wouldn't be interested in. Of course, repeatedly risking his life which is pretty useless to do cause he's not even powerful.

Giving who they are it's like the other members didn't have a choice but the League. Meanwhile Spinner doubtfully entered through sheer will power and now won't leave. What a cool guy.

[aysall]

Listen to me All For One was probably just a guy who read comic books when he was young and liked villains very much. Your regular nerdy dude rooting for the bad guy because the good ones are oh so boring and inauthentic, with their justice and morals which are just a façade to hide a massive ego and a macho man mentality. He would've been the type to yell at how cooler and groundbreaking it would be to see the supposed evil win at the end, see what comes after, how victory looks so much better on someone unapologetically human, egoistic, greedy, sincere--someone who is, at the end, probably kinda right in their view of the world...?

He was all of you, and me too.

And then he got to be what he liked.

[aysall]

on Jin, and his story.

A sort of analysis retracing Twice’s journey. It’s long and convoluted, but I wanted to give him a proper goodbye. 

[P.S. seeing a lot of discourse lately I want to specify that mine is not a moral analysis. I’m not interested in discussing who’s right or wrong in the conflict. I understand why other people do it, it’s just not me. Hope you enjoy.]

The parable of Twice’s character has been explored throughout the story of My Hero Academia in an extremely conscious way. His first appearance in chapter 77 occurs briefly and unexpectedly; unlike the other villains, he’s not depicted in a disturbing or dangerous light and that’s why at first glance he’s easy to categorize as unimportant (in hindsight, this sort of unique introduction should’ve said a lot about him). While the Forest Training Camp Arc reaches its peak Twice reappears several times in an increasingly comic light helped by the continuous, incomprehensible at the time, contradictions with himself. Still not scary, besides the funniness, he begins to be endearing.

A jump, and here comes chapter 115, the first to be completely dedicated to a villain and it really is interesting: hero society is seen through different eyes and its supposed “moral goodness” is questioned. Our gaze turns briefly towards the outcasts upon hearing «Heroes only save good people», is it really so? And why is a comic-relief character revealing this?

Jin Bubaigawara’s face is devoid of comedy as much as Twice’s mask is full of it: empty eyes marked by fatigue, a scar that divides the forehead in two, a story about losing oneself and their sense in the world. A double meaning, it’s early to comprehend it fully but My Hero Academia is opening to the other side, willingly listening and we listen with it. «By helping the League that accepted me as I am … I want to think that I am okay with the way I am, too» Mh. Okay. Let’s go on.

Twice’s development continues along the Overhaul Arc, as it opens with an error on his part which leads to Magne’s death, and from there it unfolds, in guilt, comfort and resoluteness. Toga, who until then was quite the flat character, cartoonishly depicted as creepy and psychotic, accompanies him showing a different side of herself through the first act of kindness we see from a villain. It’s worth underlining how, in regards to Twice, many of the bad guys soften, showing more delicate and empathic gestures: Giran welcomes him, Shigaraki allows (and uses at best) his sentimentality, even Dabi puts aside his indifference to encourage him. I think it’s because such dedication drives others to respond in kind.

Anyway, «I’m human too y’know… Shigaraki!» (ch.148) with this sentence, what previously was only speculation becomes clearer in the reader’s eyes and seals the promise of a conscious and attentive development: Twice’s role is aimed at opening a gash on the villain’s inwardness, invisible until that point, and it’s thanks to him that we begin to observe them in a more understanding light. Magne’s death has shaken up the League, and they find again their balance with new, stronger bonds, sealed by Shigaraki’s affirmation that they’re acting for their own sake. With Twice pouring out his feelings they’re able to build trust, work in tandem, emerge victorious. He was (and will keep being) useful, pity he doesn’t notice it.

Several and too many chapters later: My Villain Academia Arc. Twice’s humanity is confirmed yet again when he throws himself into the fray, first to save Giran, then Toga and then all his companions. In murmuring that the Legue is his home, another piece falls into place and it’s here, among other things, where we connect the most with him and his past: who has never lived a moment of loss and solitude, where the mistakes add up to one another to the point that one day you look in the mirror without knowing who you are, aware only of the ugly parts, thinking that maybe that’s why the pain doesn’t go away. You probably deserve all of it. 

Twice’s path is cathartic in regards to rejecting this view of himself because, partly by chance and partly by voluntary action, he began to recover when he built certainties in his life, realizing that it’s worth struggling for a connection with people and how much dear that becomes to you, how terrible the idea of ​​losing it (losing them) can be. The plot rewards him for his struggles.

«The important thing is to know who you are, what you want to become» isn’t it poetically perfect that when Twice decides not to run away from himself, he finally realizes that he is the original? The ground has stabilized under his feet because now he knows what his mission is, therefore the “real” Jin Bubaigawara can go back to being whole—or at least united enough to pursue the goal of protecting his home with all his power. Which is pretty fucking powerful.

Many have said that Twice is the heart of the League of Villains and I agree, he is a summary of the “good” (even if distorted) feelings that led every single member into joining the group. Misery does love company, the excluded sought each other because when one is alone reality is too scary to face. 

But a villain, however emotional, must have his tools to defend himself or his strenght will become his weakness. That’s why Twice is both the strongest and the most vulnerable and is twice (hah!) punished for this condition; the second is fatal. Despite this his narrative arc ends with a reaffirmation and reinforcement of everything he is and represents: he sees himself in Hawks and thinks he can help him (empathy), then he is betrayed and mourns and fights for his companions (self-sacrifice), he regrets his mistakes, he is ready to die (kindness). And he dies many times: protecting his home, full of anger and sadness, exposing the hypocrisy of people who are many things but perhaps not heroes—which is good, as Twice shows again and again, the world is not black and white, heroes and villains intertwine and maybe they do become “just human”. He dies without doubting himself nor his feelings, he dies in an attempt to reach his loved ones and he also dies reaching them. His last death happens in the arms of the girl who first showed him kindness, from whom he was sure he would have never received any comfort ever again. So he dies realizing that he was wrong, despite Jin Bubaigawara being the “Sad Man”, Twice is full of energy and affection to give, and these feelings are repaid by the very individuals who shouldn’t be able to do anything but inflict terror and fear. Again, that’s still because the world is not black and white and “Twice” and “Jin” are no different, one in the same.

Twice rejects Hawks’s words about his unfortunate condition. In doing so he rejects the words of himself to himself in chapter 229 «[you went wrong] when you were born without luck» and this stance can be connected to what Toga said against Curios «I’m not unfortunate at all!» (ch. 226) and Shigaraki’s response when he remembered his childhood «That was no tragedy.» (ch.237): all of them reject the inherent misfortune of their past to embrace who they are in the present, they abandon the self-pity. Therein lies the message that the choices they made are theirs alone and that no one should have the right to judge them with pity. These are all positive teachings that we are used to get from the good guys’ side, now that they’re seen through the villains everything becomes grayer and, in my opinion, more interesting.

And so, yet again, everything seems to be screaming that his death is not a tragedy because while he was looking for himself, he found a place to belong and learned to be happy with it. I like to think he also teached the League a thing or two but we’ll have to see, this is a point of no return for them; maybe it’s the start of their downfall, maybe they will change in something stronger, but Twice will keep having an impact on how things are.

I think he absolved his role.

This world doesn’t grant a just end to the outcasts, yet perhaps there is no need, if in the journey you can carve out a small space of happiness together with those who accepted you, with the good, the ugly and the incomprehensible parts all together.

I respect this, because I think there is nothing more important in the world. 

[aysall]

I still don’t buy All For One wanting to take over Shigaraki’s body. So here’s a long ass rant about it.

Other than the fact that it’d be a lazy narrative choice in most works of fiction, HeroAca has provided all the elements for it not to go this way, and if it does? Even more than lazy it’d feel like a damn waste.

The Big Bad– who is slightly more developed than other Big Bads but still can’t hold the candle to the actual enemy of the protagonist, who is his mirror, his dark side, and has in himself all the reasons said protagonist will have to acknowledge and come to terms with if he really wants to become the world’s greatest hero– the Big Bad, being the “real” final threat to defeat? After we’ve been shown time and time again that the problem is not the people but the system? Under the bus goes the development Shigaraki has had since day one, particulary in MVA; his backstory, dreams and the hype built around him as the main villain, would feel sort of underwhelming (whilst still being one of the best part of the manga because he’s good like that) and incomplete.

But! What I really want to stress here is that All For One is who we gotta look at when delving into this issue, since he states again and again that he wants to see Shigaraki flourish as his own person. 

He takes it upon himself to teach him to learn his own value, act upon his urges, accept himself since the power he has is no curse; he saves him and builds an emotional connection bordering on codependence, then proceeds to sever it when the time is right. 

All for Shigaraki’ sake, to walk on his own, with his bonds, his people, his vision. Little Tenko always wanted to get rid of his family’s «gently denying» his true nature, which then led him to exterminate all of them. All For One gets it and he wouldn’t make the same mistake. He even goes out of his way not to steal Best Jeanist’s quirk cause «it wouldn’t fit Tomura’s personality». Why go to such lenghts if you’ll possess the body anyway?

«When people know that there will be an end, they entrust.» 

It’s said that All For One realized he was bound to be defeated by a OFA’s successor hence something else–new, young, stronger, motivated by other reasons to pursue similar goals, was needed. Shigaraki declares he wants to be greater than him, but All For One has wanted that first.

Also as shown with Deku, more than “controlling” a body the vestiges pass on desires. Shigaraki feels All For One’s want for OFA and that’s the point, the urge is so strong that it guides him to act. Then he denies his master’s will for his own freedom (’cause Shigaraki is all about that) but keeps pursuing OFA anyway because he realizes that for his dreams to come true that power must be out of the picture. Could it be that he’s starting to desire it as much as his master? Maybe or maybe not, probably not in the same way, but they do overlap, sort of. And that’s all there is to it, since he was molded to carry All For One’s role. That has nothing to do with preparing a body.

Also also, with Deku’s first fight against Shinsou it’s clear that the vestiges come when help is needed and the user can’t make it on their own. Standing together makes ones stronger, so why not apply it to the villains as well? That’s what I believe and strongly hope is happening right now. It seems to be a more violent imposition than OFA ‘cause duh, All For One, villain, and maybe it’ll spiral in some sort of conflict, such as Shigaraki fighting him because the throne isn’t big enough for the two of them (fredoom again), or maybe to go beyond the 75% he needs to understand he is not alone, being a heir of something so great. Maybe he'll kill All For One at the end. Anyway their similarities and differences entertwine so well, it’s fascinating.

To conclude: there is so much potential for All For One’s character to be more human, yet still twisted and threatening. He could have genuine affection for his pupil, seeing in him his own brother (although Shigaraki sees him as a father figure so we are in a bit of miscommunication here) or–a personal favourite, maybe he has learnt to care about the kid who at first just had to be a big fuck you to Nana. He could have all the kind of reasons to be doing what he’s doing. So here’s a wish for it to be something else than just… bad, very bad, extremely flat, control body for immortality, schtick.

(I’ll wear a clown mask if I’m wrong. But I so very much hope I am not.)

[aysall]

on the disturbing Shigaraki’s faces (or as I’ve seen them rightfully named, Junji Ito Shigaraki) I’m positive we’ll get more of them in the future. The thing is, horikoshi has always drawn them in particular situations where the other characters were at least scared shitless of him, the obvious one being when he is with Deku at the mall but it also happens with Stain, Overhaul and (to a lesser extent) the UA kids from the USJ invasion. It seems to me that the Shigaraki’s represantation we get in those moments is strictly from the others’ perspective and perception of him: they see craziness and warped emotions, a man who is far, far away from their reality, hence his appearance is a monstrous one. There is a reason why the first time we got a full view of his “normal” face was when he showed himself to the League. His comrades do think of him as a person and not just “another incarnation of evil”, and even if they don’t completely understand him they can empathize; what they see is scarred face (like theirs) but human (like theirs, cause they’re human too y’know), and no matter how much unsightly it may be they are not repulsed by it because it’s familiar--in the current arc Spinner’s the one who’s narrating and magically the readers are starting to percieve all the members under a different light (playful, endearing, protagonist-like) but of course they do! The point of view does matter after all.

Now, it’s not to say we’ll be switching from Creepy Looking™ to Handsome Young Man™, but I’m betting anything you want that we’ll have again horror-inducing panels which will remind us all that Shigaraki Tomura is, in fact, a terrible villain who should be feared

[aysall]

Karen, listen. This’ll be the lesson. He has to learn this. Are you listening karen. First, conviction with Stain. Then, strategic mind with Overhaul. What’s next, Karen? The heart. It’s finally time to inspire and not in an ideological way, where people follow you for your words and creeds. It’s something more emotional and maybe irrational, Karen. He must show he cares for people to care; they have to know he’s the first to put on the line all that he has. Even if it’s just for his own sake or to destroy it all. They will follow. That’s what Spinner’s been asking out of him since the beginning of this arc. Karen you don’t listen--

[aysall]

Alright folks, after this beautiful 220th chapter I’d like to give my piece on Spinner and why I don’t think he’ll leave the League anytime soon.

(What?? No one cares about my opinion? If only I’d known before writing all of this!)

Without counting the ones who’ve been captured, the League is reduced to the bone; with six or seven active members and no money or powerful connections whatsoever, even the loss of one person would become an impediment.

But. What could be even worse? What could show the weaknesses and flaws of a group already so scattered if not the withdrawal of the (apparently) most distant member of them all? Spinner is the ideological, somewhat naïve, “good-willed” villain who’s actually closer to a vigilante than anything else--in short, he’s totally not-shigaraki-material. 

And he seems to be the only one questioning the League’s doing time and time again, to the point it looks like a recurrent situation, given the others’ reaction to his latest outburst.

Sure, it may not be a tragic loss of man-power if he were to leave to go on solo (and even this is debatable because we don’t know his quirk) or even join the heroes as someone speculated. But what it would surely be is a huge failure from Shigaraki’s part, both for his role as a leader and his character development. 

Kurogiri was the last one who supported him unconditionally and now that he’s gone too Shigaraki will need to prove himself again and again, not only to new potential allies such as Gigantomachia and the doctor, but also to the ones he already has, if he wants to keep them united and loyal. In the Overhaul arc he made clear progress with Toga and Twice and probably also with mr Compress, what with the Overhoe’s arms ordeal. Dabi’s a bit of a mistery but he seems pretty comfortable with the League as it stands. Meanwhile how could Spinner, who’s become a villain not (just) out of hate but in order to change society for the better, ever find a common ground with Shigaraki who has literally fed on anger and resentment for his whole life? 

I think the answer might be easier than one may think, because Spinner is not asking for too much. All it took for him to become a villain was to see Stain on tv:

This does not sound as “I want to rid society of corrupted heroes who only value money and fame” which is what Stain was all about. I see it more like a “I want to change a world that does not have a place for me”.

Sounds familiar?

Oh!

Oh my!

An outcast who is looking for a place to belong where he can feel accepted? 

Never heard of that one before!

What inspired Spinner was the drive to make things better, not the teachings (which I believe resonated more with Dabi for the reasons we all know and speculated about). Right now Spinner is asking to see that drive, the end-goal, a proof that he is following the right path. Therefore what Shigaraki needs to do is make him understand that their way is the only one that will bring the results he wants. Until now he didn’t, why?

I think it’s precisely because Spinner is totally not-shigaraki-material.

There is a fundamental discrepancy that Shigaraki still needs to overcome with him, which at the end is what Stain criticized when they met: he has to be relatable, be understood, and for that he has to understand people. Which is a deficiency we’ve seen him struggling with since the Hero Killer arc. That’s not to say that Shigaraki isn’t doing better than before, he is, but he has to do more and I’m sure he will; he’ll find a way to grab onto those weaknesses (just to exploit them or because he understands what is like to feel that way is a whole other topic) and win over Spinner as he did with Toga and Twice. And that may also be the point where Stain’s first judgment of him will be proven wrong, which I believe is fundamental for his rise as All For One’s successor.

It doesn’t have to be evident, the villains’ development has been good because it always happened subtly and almost unnoticed. And as with Toga and Twice who seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves, maybe Spinner too will be able to feel less empty as he says he is, finding a mutual understanding with all the other members. 

So, Spinner and Shigaraki as foils for each other? I say maybe!

In any way, from a writing standpoint, seeing the most immovable Stain's stan the series has to offer (Dabi right now is catalogued as “flippant turncoat” and as such doesn’t count) being convinced that the League’s way is the right one would be very rewarding and I sure hope it’s what will happen.

[aysall]

I genuinely think that what made Shigaraki finally snap was All For One’s first defeat by the hands of All Might, that we know happened six/seven years prior the current events. The thing is, of course he had the hate accumulated by the (induced) trauma of his family’s deaths, the hands and the very likely grooming of all those years with All For One, but what could have been the final nail in the coffin if not the maiming of the person who gave him comfort and care and a place to call home? Shigaraki says that All For One's hug was the first thing that made him come back from the haze-state he was in, basically the only thing who made him feel secure and somehow loved. We all could argue that the feelings were misplaced but we can't say they weren't positive for him; maybe, if used correctly those very nice feelings could have helped little Tenko recover from the horrific experieces he underwent. That's why they weren't good like that. All For One needed to channel Shigaraki's hate towards something specific, aka the heroes and the society that creates them, and the perfect opportunity presented itself: blaming onto them his being incapacited, blind and basically on the verge of death. That's why I think "it's all because All Might" could have more meaning to it. If it was personal before--the supposedly symbol of peace didn't come to help a small child in need, then what could have been then, when the same symbol almost torn from Shigaraki's hands the only good thing that ever happened to him? Maybe that was the time when “Shigaraki Tomura” really came to be. Maybe that was his “Starting Line”

[aysall]

also people, redemption comes in many ways. Seeing a bad guy painfully human, caring for the things they love, deeply layered... that is atonement from the readers’ point of view and sometimes that’s enough. Neither the League nor Shigaraki need to be forgiven by the Story or by other characters if there’s the risk of mining their role on a writing standpoint. Luckily fiction gives us that, a “classic” redemption is not required.

[aysall]

I’ve been wondering about how Twice’s development will occurr. 

We know that the next chapter(s) will be a pivotal point for his character to evolve, like all the League’s members are doing. However thinking about it, I’m not sure how Jin will handle the whole situation he’s in; for starters, I hope that the anger and worry for Toga will prompt him to do something and not succumb to the MLA dirty tricks but he is in a tight spot right now, reviving the very situation he’s been running from for god knows how long: copies of himself trying to maim him. 

Morover, they are already unmasking him and we know that when he’s not covered he falls into the obsessive fear of splitting up. 

So this could be it, he could split. 

But. Will he really? And what does it actually mean? It can’t possibly be that the two personalities will be divided in two different people, because what his power does is a perfect duplicate (unless we find out that copying himself sets off some hidden capacities of his quirk, which doesn’t seem the case). Point is, I’ve always seen this fear of splitting up more like a sentiment caused by his PTSD, a recurrent panic attack he can't help but fall in. And that’s why I think that, maybe, there isn't a real danger. It might be all in his head, a coping mechanism triggered by his unwillingness to face the horror he went through. Hence he does not permit himself to “split” when, actually, it wouldn't do much-- and this could also explain why in chapter 115 we’ve seen him without his mask for quite some time; he is capable of going on without it, it’s just that at times it all becomes too much.

So, onto the final point: maybe the problem here isn’t about coming apart, maybe it’s coming together with his opposite sides and understanding that he is in a different place than the one in which he lived his trauma and that it will be okay for him to split up. Cause really, it’s “just” copying.

[aysall]

Huuuh.. well, since we recently got two Toga-centric chapters I might as well point out a fic I wrote some months ago: 

In hindsight {Himiko Toga counts her blessings through days she never knew how to describe. She deems herself satisfied.} 3k words. Toga & League of villains.

I should mention it is totally a self-indulgent fic (more like an outpouring than anything else, kinda angsty) and that’s why I’m not really sure I objectively like it, but it was so dear to me while I was writing it, so here you have it. (Plus, looking back at it maybe I got some things right with her character, but maybe not)

[unearthlyperennial]

| earthy tones emerald, deep brown, tan pink roses with thorns intact i know almost nothing of their names this is called appreciation without attachment to the world’s sobriquet because indoors are more than fame and face clay shades sand envisions through blinds not blind. |