#because Touya's power wouldn't have been unlocked by Enji being a good father

[problemswithbooks]

So, the Todoroki side plot got thrown in the garbage this chapter...

The less problematic stuff, aka, Geten being a Himura--pointless and just an excuse to explain the ass pull Hori pulls with the actually relevant characters. I think it's a neat that it turns out the Himuras were just as, if not more into Eugenics type shit than Enji. But besides getting a bit more background on Rei's family Geten being a Himura isn't important at all and really didn't need to be included.

As for the rest--it's trash and ultimately could end up with the Todoroki subplot's theme endorsing abuse.

I've seen people defend Touya getting ice as a power up as it proving Enji wrong--proving that Touya was always good enough. Maybe that could have worked if his ice came out only once he was accepted by Enji and at peace, but instead it's the opposite. We are told a Quirk break through happen when people are put in life or death situations. Touya is getting his ice after burning himself into a black skeleton.

Touya getting ice does the following:

Makes Enji right about the Quirk marriage. He and Rei produced a perfect combo first try and later got a second.

Enji was wrong to stop training Touya when he started to burn himself, and instead he should have just dialed up the training and tortured him worse than Shoto because that's what would unlock his ability.

The narrative is essentially saying child abuse is good actually. Again, because Quirks only awaken like this if the person is under extreme duress, if Enji had kept training Touya, but in a way where he didn't burn himself that wouldn't have unlocked his ice. Touya would still be stuck with his handicap and unable to reach his full potential. He wouldn't have become the perfect combo. Enji being non-abusive wouldn't have solved this problem.

The only thing that would have made Touya what Enji wanted is if he'd abused him more physically. If he'd kept training Touya and forced him to burn himself to the bone. Essentially his abuse would be rewarded.

The story is saying that if Enji had just stuck with it, and ignored Touya's physical pain than he would have gotten exactly what he wanted. Yet, instead he stopped the training Touya because it was dangerous for him. He should have spent time in other ways, developed a relationship outside fighting, but that's not the message Hori sends with turn of events.

It also just ruins any growth Touya could have had. He no longer has to see beyond his Quirk. It robs him of realizing that his father should have loved him regardless of his Quirk and more about Enji not seeing him for the perfect boy he always could have been if his father had just set him on fire at four years old. Touya's no longer wrong about anything--his dad should have kept training him, he should have been beat the way Shoto was. If his dad really loved him he would have let Touya burn his skin off.

To me the way Hori has included this power up for Touya ruins the subplot. Whether Hori intended it of not, it's now possible to read it as supporting abuse and self harm. Your kid can't do a thing because they're disabled--keep making them, eventually, once you beat the shit out of them enough they'll be the perfect kid you always wanted. Can't do a thing because you're disabled and it hurts you--keep doing it, even to the point of full body break down because in the end you'll achieve your goal.

It's become "See dad, you should have loved me because I was perfect the entire time!" instead of "it doesn't matter what your kids can do, you should love them anyway".