#for perfect clarity: today is the anniversary of when I came up with the original TPiaG premise!

[sincerely-sofie]

Happy Birthday, TPiaG!

All hail the fan project that changed my life! It is now officially one year old!

Thanks so much to everyone who believed in the project and supported it along the way, and who continue to support it even now! You guys have helped me more than I’ll ever be able to say. Through this project I’ve met countless amazing individuals who have made my life so much brighter, built up my creative confidence by completing my first ever finished manuscript, and drew more than I’ve ever drawn in a single year! I’m so grateful to you all!

Thank you!

[foundouthatdabiistouyatodoroki]

Touya and LANTERNS

The kanji that we are going to talk about in Touya’s name is “tou” which translates to “lamp” in Japanese we’re going to go over his name by discussing the kanji of the first part his name “tou.” The first kanji “燈” is the old fashioned for the kanji used today “灯” which means “the small fire illuminates the surroundings” it came from the word 灯籠 / 灯篭 (tourou) it contains the kanji “灯”(tomoshibi) means one little fire like one on “a candle” which was used a long time ago when Japanese people put “a candle” or “oil and a string” in a type of lantern.

The “tou” in his name references his fire quirk: “the small fire illuminates the surroundings” and “candle” implies Touya’s constitution. It references Touya’s quirk ill-suited for his body, this applies to both his  powerful fire quirk and body unsuited for it.

This part demonstrates Horikoshi’s subtle naming themes of BNHA. But before I elaborate on what lanterns might have to do with Touya, I am going to talk about what lanterns themselves symbolize first. There are many lanterns and the symbolism is various with many differing lanterns I am going to start with “Toro” where “to” is derived from.

The Toro or “Lanterns” in Japanese are associated with Japanese gardens; it is a leading element of a Japanese garden layout. Lanterns are one of the main elements of traditional Japanese gardens. They are part of Japanese traditional garden decor used to place near water or along the curve.

Japan’s first lanterns, the Toro; are taken far back from China where they originated and were then brought over to Japan in the time of Buddha. The Buddha requested at these times and they are introduced in Japan a way of honoring Buddha. Toro were originally used in Buddhist temples where they illuminated paths they are used in shinto shrines and private homes.The lanterns can be found in temples where they lined and illuminated paths as offerings to Buddha. They were first used to illuminate pagodas and temples they are common in temples but also gardens and homes which are found in the homes of the wealthy.  In older times in Japan if you have a lantern near your house you were considered very wealthy.

The lantern’s light is considered the light of knowledge clearing away the clouds of ignorance. The symbolism that the Japanese garden lantern harbors are love, brightness, and protection from evil. But each one has different symbolism as well. Despite being the same garden lantern they are different in stone and design.

Tachi-doro - the lotus flower at the top the flower symbolizes growing wealth and career process and the other elements that symbolize it which are purity, the month of december and the first midnight or double hour of the day. yukimi-doro - translated as snow viewing symbolize the cycle of life, the figure of the mother significance of early marriage oki-doro- make the perfect fit for any garden design symbolize the nature the concept of finding beauty in imperfection the impermanence in the natural world.

Speaking of Buddhism, lanterns have a very prominent place in the Buddhist religion since the toro or lantern is symbolic for enlightenment. Toro were first original used in Buddhist temples the light of the lamp are used as an offering to Buddha. It is one of the eight offerings in Buddhism.

The candles are common and are compared to source of light. Lighting the lamps and the traditional oil lamp has reared some spiritual significance: in Buddhism, the light in a lamp symbolizes knowledge.

Lighting lamps in front of Buddha signifies inviting the light of wisdom by Buddha to dispel ignorance. The light offering to Buddha as a single lamp helps dispel the darkness and develop wisdom, the reason the act of the offer of the lamp candles with light is because the light symbolizes wisdom and dispels darkness by removing the darkness of ignorance in order to obtain Buddha’s luminous wisdom. The lamp symbolizes the light of Buddha the light itself signifies stability and clarity of patience the beauty that dispels evil. The light held in the lamp symbolizes the light of the teaching of Buddha that helped overcome the darkness of ignorance. Light symbolizes brightness and wisdom which can clear all darkness and troubles tear away the darkness of illusion through the penetrating light of Buddha. The lighting of a candle or oil lamp represent the light of wisdom illuminating the darkness of ignorance and a fundamental symbol as the source of goodness and ultimate reality which is the sun, an avenger of evil forces and darkness. The knowledge that removes ignorance just as light removes darkness keeping a lamp lit a witness to the thoughts and actions with the knowledge backs our actions good and bad.

The early lanterns were designed to hold a sacred flame to represent Buddha. The flame of the lamp burns upwards which acquired knowledge to take us to higher ideals. The burning lamp is a metaphor in Buddhist text symbolizes Buddhist teachings the light that helps overcome the darkness. Light is known as purity and morality the connected terms with its creative force and optimism cosmic energy related to light.

The lamp offerings also are associated with good fortune they are made for any individual or family life event that is celebrated, such as the birth of a child, marriage between a couple anniversary of one’s parents graduation of son and daughter. Lighting a lamp before Buddha signifies a bright future. Offering a lamp before the Buddha at the start of a year us the secret of having a smooth year ahead.

The gift of light with prayers help bring about less suffering and greater happiness in times of illness loss uncertainty and death. The offering of light symbolizes burning away desire, aggression, greed, jealousy and pride away to burn away our illness. Lamps are offered as a dedication of the dead in order to guide them through the wisdom of light. at the time someone's death it is traditional to offer a lamp for 49 days.

This goes the the next segment which I will elaborate on the toro lanterns’ other sad meaning.

The toro lantern is used it to dedicate to someone who has passed away.

The dedication of lanterns is an expression that are thinking of the deceased came from lanterns there is a lighting ceremony for the deceased which is called Toro Nagashi or flowing lanterns. Toro Nagashi take place in Bon (which takes place in mid August) and represents the soul of departed loved ones. It's a ceremony which happens traditionally on the final evening of the Bon Festival: they float glowing paper lanterns down a river to commemorate the souls of the dead. Traditionally it was believed this would help guide the souls of the departed to the spirit world. Toro Nagashi is held to honor one's ancestors and the dead. In one of the customs, families visit and clean the graves of their ancestors; traditionally it was believed that the spirits of their ancestors return to their family household altar during this time for a short period.

It's also used to think about loved ones the ancestors represent the light of the lantern they believe the spirit of ancestors will ride down the river return to the after life.  It's used for smaller family affair to remember lost loved ones the families worship their ancestors and thank them for protecting them.

You can write messages on paper of fabric surface of the toro; this is used to write messages for those who have died  it's written on the paper on the lantern to prevent the candle from being blown away it has messages of prayer for peace for those who have died.

At the coming and welcoming the new year the souls of ancestors are there to visit their family during the New Year’s festival.

What does this have to do with Touya or Dabi? Well the toro or lanterns’ facts says a lot about Touya and Dabi in the story, and its symbolism has alludes with the rest of the Todoroki family as well.

The Lanterns or Toro are used in traditional garden and In Japan old times owning a lantern around your home means your wealthy this part can refer to how Touya grew up in a traditional Japanese household and could be considered wealthy since his father is a well known pro hero.

The lanterns symbols “growing wealth and career process” can mean to how Endeavor became the number one hero, and became famous for defeating the hood nomu which was sent by Dabi his growing career as the number one hero. If Dabi is Touya than this would be him indirectly responsible for his father's growth to fame.

The lanterns elements purity, love and brightness. Purity and love refers to how Touya personality if he’s Dabi was once an innocent and loving boy until he went bad, an allusion to  someone who was once innocent turned evil. “Brightness” notes his fire quirk being powerful as Endeavor’s. The lanterns’ symbolic meaning “protection against evil” would sound ironic if Touya turns out to be Dabi.

Imperfection and impermanence are two words in the lanterns symbolism that have to do with both Dabi and Touya, With imperfection in Touya being on Touya’s fire quirk being powerful than endeavors but body made for ice a quirk for an ill-suited body, whom Endeavor calls almost perfect but refers to a failure.

The word impermanence refers to how Dabi’s own body burns away every time he uses his quirk.

The two things that came to mind hearing December and first midnight or double hour. first it the current arc that takes place at the end of December. December might be Touya’s birthdate midnight or double hour is from the old Chinese unit of time which lasts two hours. The “two hours” and “December” might imply Touya and Fuyumi are twins with the month of December containing Fuyumi’s birthdate and double hour or hidden hour could refer to how Touya is Fuyumi’s hidden twin.

The symbolism with the Yukimi-doro has a lot to do with Rei. Yukimi is translated to Snow-Viewing in Japanese refers to Rei’s ice quirk and love for cold.

“figure of the mother” means a lot about Rei’s being the actual mother, and early marriage could reference on how Rei was married off at a very young age to Endeavor.

There is a meaning for the lantern in Buddhism which correlates to Touya. The light from the lantern symbolizes the light of wisdom which dispels the darkness of ignorance implies on how we’re in the dark about Touya Todoroki’s whereabouts and have no clue on what happened to him since there are very few mentions of him in the manga.

Another thing this could mean is one how the entire public doesn’t know about  Endeavor’s abusive behavior towards his family, which is technically being in the dark on Endeavor’s home life. The light of wisdom dispels the darkness of ignorance can both refer to how the truth of Touya coming to light later and the ignorance is people not knowing about Endeavor’s abusive actions.

Light symbolizes wisdom which can also symbolize truth.  If Dabi is Touya he would know the truth about Endeavor’s abusive behavior. Light is also goodness, in Buddhism its something pure and good this could imply to Touya if we ever know his true personality.

The part said in the lantern “the knowledge that backs our actions good and bad” “a lamp lit to thoughts and actions” symbolizes both what Dabi is doing in his actions and Endeavor’s, specifically Dabi’s thoughts of when he killed the pro hero Snatch in his previous actions that are in align to his mysterious motives and Endeavor’s abusive actions towards his family to produce and stronger hear put Rei’s in insanity all for his own ambition to suppress All Might.

The part flame of Buddha that's seen in the candle or lamp. “that burns upwards mean you acquired knowledge to higher ideals” resembles Dabi who despite not getting any character development in the meta liberation arc he is getting closer to his goals who is coming higher in his villainy to his objectives.

Bright future meaning in the lamp could reference to what Dabi’s speech at the beginning of the forest raid to the vanguard action squad.

The lantern’s symbolism burns away illness loss and uncertainty and death, “loss and uncertainty” refers to Touya’s mysterious whereabouts. The illness notes to Touya’s own constitution:

The lanterns’ being used to dedicate to loved ones that passed refers to how Dabi thinks about what Snatch said and could possibly mean how he thinks about his family even now.

The sad symbolism using lanterns to honor deceased loved ones that I said in the last paragraph could be on Touya’s possibly sad fate being referred to as dead by his family and Dabi referring to his motives relating to family in what the words that were said by Snatch.

Lanterns are used in Toro Nagashi, a festival lighting festival for the deceased celebrate in Bon festival at evening. The light of the lanterns are the spirits of the ancestors; during this time family return to their homes at the family altar for a short period. The symbolism of souls visiting their family at New Year and Toro Nagashi might foreshadow Touya revealing himself as Dabi by showing up in front of his family in a long time, or Touya showing himself in front of his father by revealing himself to be Dabi, hence returning to his family after a long time of being absent in the household. The current arc takes place around New Year’s, so Dabi could possibly make his first appearance as the long lost Todoroki sibling in front of Endeavor.

Since Endeavor’s career as the number one hero is reaching new heights in the coming arc we have yet to know about Touya Todoroki. Dabi is being Touya would know the truth would Dabi be the one that can help us shed light on what we are kept in the dark about?