#hearing what lengths an abusive piece of shit like endeavor went through to try to be the best should have been a big fucking wake up call

[ocdhuacheng]

Another complaint I have is that bakugou could have gotten some good character development from this maybe some fucking self reflection but no.

[haleigh-sloth]

what do you think about the development of bakugou and deku’s relationship so far? or just about bakugou’s character development in general?

i’ve seen pretty mixed reactions to bakugou’s character development. there are some that are happy with it, there are some that are extremely critical, and i’ve even seen some people compare him to endeavor.

when i first started mha, i didn’t like bakugou at all, but he’s changed a lot since the first chapter. i personally like his development, but i still think that there’s quite a bit way to go. bakugou has atoned through his actions, but he has yet to verbally apologize.

(sorry if you’re not interested in this topic, i just like hearing people’s opinions on it.)

Any of the main characters I'm cool with talking about. It's the side ones I truly don't care to talk about lol.

So Bakugo---whenever I FIRST started BNHA (before Shigaraki's intro) I was super invested in seeing a friendship develop between him and Midoriya because I'm a sucker for enemies to friends. Idk why I just am. Not too long after starting it though it quickly became obvious that they'd become friends so I wasn't as invested. It was too obvious, and then at that point I had completely shifted my focus to the League. So I just kinda took whatever happened with Bakugo and was cool with it. But as far as forming an opinion on his character and everything that's happened so far, and addressing some of the stuff you said about Endeavor, yeah I have some thoughts.

I actually ranted a bit about what I think of Bakugo's arc here, and I'll just go ahead and throw in what I said since I was about to repeat myself. Also forgive my harsh words toward Bakguo he's on my list of favorites despite how many times I call him a piece of shit lmao:

To be honest Bakugo's arc is one of the best, in my opinion. It kinda hit that break through point in the war arc where he made a sacrifice for Midoriya, and now we need to see how it carries out from here.

But the thing about Bakugo is that he's supposed to be a POS. Like seriously he sucks. At first. Nobody in real life would ever put up with a person like that lol. But this is a manga where behaviors are majorly exaggerated for comedy (his explosive anger) and for dramatic effect (his anger toward Midoriya for literally no reason other than personal insecurities), and the people in BNHA-verse are willing to put up with said behavior. Anyway--the reason I think his arc was handled really well is because:

He's a POS person who was actually punished in-story over and over and over again. Rightfully so. He's an asshole who bullies Midoriya for being quirkless. And then he gets captured by a villain, which leads to a lot of city damage and him feeling humiliated because he had to be saved by--you name it--Midoriya. Then once again his pride causes him to lose the first match at UA. Then he wins the sports festival in a way he never ever wanted.* Then because of his asinine behavior at the sports festival the villains genuinely think he's better off with them because it seems like he's being held back by society (he was in chains after all--big yike) and he gets kidnapped. Him getting kidnapped leads to All Might retiring while trying to save him. Then he fails the licensing exam and falls behind his other classmates. He finally starts to show some progress and stops getting punished by the story right around the second Deku vs. Kacchaan fight. That's when he starts actually improving. Somewhat.

*So about the Bakugo being compared to Endeavor--I've seen two attitudes toward it. Some people think it's a horrible comparison and gross and just whatever. And other people, like myself, see that comparison as quite fair, and deliberate on the author's part.

It doesn't take much reading comprehension to see that Bakugo is desperately in need of a change, because he's at risk of becoming--well--bad.

But the thing is, he was never EVER at risk of becoming a villain. That was never going to be an issue. He was at risk of becoming a much worse person and embodying more and more of Endeavor's negative qualities. Bakugo wants to be number 1. He wants to be number 1 for the wrong reasons. This is not up for debate. Citing what I said above--he was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to win matches at school not for the sake of being a better hero, but for the sake of making him feel better about himself. It's an insecurity thing, and he needed to work on it. And he has. But before he progressed at all--he had to face narrative punishment over and over again.

Bakugo and Endeavor are similar on purpose and they're compared in-story for a reason. People can separate Endeavor from the rest of the narrative all they want but he's a character just like everyone else, and there are intentional parallels and foils in place for him. Similarities between the two:

They both want to be number 1--for the wrong reasons.

They want to go about it the wrong way. Endeavor using his children to live vicariously through, Bakugo trying to get rid of Midoriya by bullying him into not applying to UA because he feels threatened by him. Bakugo continuing to go after Midoriya for his own personal reasons, when it doesn't benefit his development as a hero.

They physically and emotionally hurt others for their ambitions. And look, I'm not putting bullying on the level of abuse by any means. But they both hurt others for their own selfish reasons. They do, and that's a similarity between the two.

They want to feel better about themselves and so they don't want their egos hurt. As it was pointed out to me today by the genius @redphlox, while we were floating in a river in Somewhere, Texas--they were both granted top positions in a way that hurt their egos. Bakugo at the sports festival, Endeavor with the hero billboard charts.

Where there are similarities, there are also differences. Bakugo learned from his punishments. He gradually changed and made progress and improved as a person. Kind of. He's still an asshole but as stated above he had a huge turning point in the war arc when he went all sacrificial on us*. I'm hoping that we'll see him start viewing the villains differently now that he's back in the picture and it's bound to be a topic of discussion with Midoriya. I don't know what Bakugo's end game is but I think we're gonna see him grow more empathic as time goes on.

*Another prediction planted in my head by @/redphlox is that Bakugo getting skewered to save Midoriya might mirror the same way Endeavor sacrifices himself to save his son. Again, I don't think he'll die but I think we'll get a "GASP WILL HE DIE??" moment.

Sooooo yeah I'm pretty cool with Bakugo's character arc so far. It all depends on how it plays out from here. I think we'll see a lot of him and Midoriya working together. I think he'll help save Shigaraki's body, while Midoriya saves his heart and soul. I think it'll be a team effort between the two to get the job done. And I think he'll be a great member of the main group in the final battle. I'm excited to see how he's used in the story from here on out.

[lainiebeauchemin]

Why I’ll Never Be Over The Mountain Goats (current obsession, prompt choice B)

“This is a song with the same four chords I use most of the time, when I’ve got something on my mind and I don’t want to squander the moment trying to come up with a better way to say what I want to say.”

We all have moments when we just want to be heard, and not be restrained by limits of artistic merit or poetic language. This is one of those moments for me. I’m gonna bust out the same four chords I use most of the time and tell you about something that's been on my mind for about four years, something that, once you get me going, I’ll gladly talk about for hours: the Mountain Goats.

The opening lyrics to the song “You Were Cool”, reproduced above, are sort of a nightmare, if you give a shit about, like, what a song is “supposed” to sound like. They’re sort of sing-spoken in lead singer John Darnielle’s shaky and sometimes grating vocals, and they’re pretty honest with the listener right up front: if you’re looking for something that sounds pretty, this isn’t the song (or band) for you. That’s not to say that the Mountain Goats haven’t proved themselves capable of creating some beautiful sounds -- the hauntingly pretty piano part in “Lakeside View Apartments Suite” and the jovial, damn-it-all-to-hell trumpet wails in “Cry for Judas” come to mind -- but the heart of the Mountain Goats, at least for me, does not beat through their vocals or instrumentals, but rather through their poetry. Every song tells a story, and that story always feels vital, as though the words effortlessly bust through the Darnielle’s heart, brain, and mouth in that order: they arise from some deep necessity in his heart, are refined into words in his brain, and sail through his mouth unhindered by regard to tone or “prettiness”. It’s a formula that’s kept the Mountain Goats’ following small but enduringly loyal throughout their 27 years and 16 studio albums, and one that’s kept me coming back to their music whenever I need to feel rage, sorrow, glee, or just understood.

John Darnielle’s lyrics manage to charm and excite with their originality while landing so precisely that the listener is left wondering why no one's ever thought to use the words that way before. Even “You Were Cool,” whose charm lies in its bluntness and simplicity, upon first listen resonated with parts of me that no other song had ever touched. True to his word, Darnielle comes right out to say exactly what he wants to say:

“People were mean to you. But I always thought you were cool.”

It’s such an earnest sentiment that the authenticity is there in every note. “You Were Cool” is a testament to all survivors of bullying and abuse, but it comes in the form of a personal address so tender and intimate that listening almost feels like eavesdropping. Darnielle, who struggled with abuse and mental illness in his youth, has emerged from the battle of his adolescence bearing the scars. In “You Were Cool,” he’s reaching out to a fellow veteran, but he’s speaking loud enough for everyone who needs to hear it, to hear it: “We held on to hope of better days coming, and when we did, we were right.”

Here are other quotes from the song that have made me a little bit stronger and braver:

“It’s good to be young, but let’s not kid ourselves, it’s better to pass on through those years and come out the other side with our hearts still beating, having stared down demons and come back breathing.”

“You deserved better than you got. Someone’s gotta say it some time, cause it’s true.”

“I hope you love your life now, like I love mine. I hope the painful memories only flex their power over you a little of the time.”

There is so much more to say about John Darnielle: what he went through as a child, how the pain he endured in his youth comes spilling through the songs of his largely autobiographical albums The Sunset Tree and We Shall All Be Healed, how he has come to renounce some of his most beloved work in the spirit of feminism, and how freaking weird he is <3.  Even scratching the surface of the Mountain Goat’s leading man (and solitary constant member in an ever-changing cast of instrumentalists) adds all the more depth and dimension to the stories he tells. But to break down and explore every song’s relationship to its creator would be impossible (or at least a very lengthy endeavor), so I’ll just leave you a list of some of the Mountain Goats’ best and most representative pieces and a little bit about what they mean to me, as well as the links above to give you a taste of the man behind the band.

Best,

Lainie <3

Mountain Goats Essentials

Your Belgian Things (We Shall All Be Healed)  - a tender, melodic funeral hymn for a friend who simply lost control, and the crashing come-down song of a tragic album. In my opinion, the most well-written Goats song of all time.

Color In Your Cheeks (All Hail West Texas) - quite simply, a heartwarming little song about making new friends. 

The Mess Inside (All Hail West Texas) - like “You Were Cool,” this song is heart-rending in its simplicity. It chronicles a couple traveling all over the western hemisphere looking for the love they lost years ago, only to find that it’s gone for good. Their exploits are framed by a wistful refrain: “I wanted you to love me like you used to.”

Damn These Vampires (All Eternals Deck) - for when you’ve reached a point where your life has gone to shit and the toxic people around you keep trying to drain you of what little happiness you have left inside you. This is a song about renouncing those who’ve wronged you and clawing your way back to where you want to be.

Palmcorder Yajna (We Shall All Be Healed) - the second track on an album about opioid addiction, this song captures the manic highs and “aw fuck it” attitude that goeth before the fall.

This Year (The Sunset Tree) - a battle cry for the troubled and the downtrodden everywhere, this song is about maintaining tenacity and grit through the toughest times in life. It’s a teenage Darnielle acknowledging that things are going to get worse before they get better, but god damn it, they will get better, and he is going to make it through this year if it kills him.

Up The Wolves (The Sunset Tree) - this song is for anyone staring into the face of adversity and trying to find the courage to overcome it. I still have no idea what the hell he’s talking about in the refrain of this song,  but I fell like my heart does, you know?

Source Decay (All Hail West Texas) - another of my favorite songs of all time. It masterfully eludes its central conflict by vaguely referencing it but never indulging the reader with the full story, only the fallout. Darnielle’s description of the moment when your heart breaks and the desperate lengths you go to to make sense of the tragedy rings so true that it never fails to make me tear up.

No Children (Tallahassee) - a pessimistic depiction of a marriage gone from broken to downright poisonous in, the style of something like a rousing sea shanty. Great for when you’re mad and hurting and need to scream-sing the phrase “I hope you die” at the top of your lungs.

Tallahassee (Tallahassee) - two tethered souls make their way down to a sleepy neighborhood in Tallahassee, Florida to drink away their sorrows. An album ensues.

Have to Explode (Tallahassee) - a rather sweet and subdued testament to the bond formed by two suffering souls hitting rock bottom together.

Old College Try (Tallahassee) - this song is like a pessimist’s wedding vows set to music: heartfelt, even romantic, but laced with dread for what’s to come. Basically “I can already tell this is doomed for failure, but there’s no one with whom I’d rather walk this path to eventual divorce.”

Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1 (Transcendental Youth) - awesome for when you want to find your inner “tortured soul,” engage in reckless behaviors, and also mourn the death of Amy Winehouse.

Lakeside View Apartments Suite (Transcendental Youth) - this song contains some of the most haunting lines in the entire Mountain Goat’s discography. The eerie sadness and ambiguity of this song are what make it so effective.

The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton (All Hail West Texas) - tells the story of two troubled teenage boys and their untitled death metal band. What more do you want?