#mha 378 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

linkspooky · 2 years ago

Text

My Hero Academia, Chapter 377-388 Thoughts

A two-fer because the pacing of these chapters is just a little bit slow. With the reappearance of Shigaraki Deku can finally act on his intention to try to reach Shigaraki instead of ignoring the crying boy inside of him. There's a pattern between all three hero / villain foils, the heroes are finally at a stage where they are willing to talk, whereas the villains are doubling down on their worst impulses and giving up on the idea that they can talk things through. Which Shigaraki even openly mocks Deku, that they're not going to sit down at the mall and have another chat. Since these two chapters revolve around the idea of villains and their origins, I'm going to ruminate on their unwilingness to finally talk and why they are doubling down underneath the cut.

1. Distortion

Tenko Shimura is the only character outside of the main origin trio to have an "origin" chapter, but before that comes a chapter labeled "Tomura Shigaraki: Distortion." In this chapter we learn that Shigaraki's own memories of his past, are missing and in fragments despte carrying the emotional burden and guilt of killing his own family.

He has full on developed dissociative amnesia and cannot even remember his origin or what led him to kill his family. For Tomura Shigarki, his origin may as well have been the moment that All For One found him in the alleyway.

When Shigaraki finally recovers his memories of his household and the events leading up to his family's death, the chapter is entitled "Tenko Shimura: Origin." Not only does Tenko Shimura have an origin chapter, but after he finishes his origin we are given an extended flashback on what led to his renaming as Tomura Shigaraki in 237, Tomura Shigaraki: Origin.

There's a distortion where Shigaraki cannot even properly remember his origin because of the trauma he carries, and when his memories clear up he essentially goes through two origins, first for how his family died how his desire to be a hero led to his father's abuse which culminated in him losing control of his quirk, and the second that led up to his adoption by AFO and his naming of Tomura Shigaraki. I don't think that Tomura / Tenko are separate entities, but rather Tomura's origin being distorted to such an extreme extent to the point where he takes on a whole new identity and is convinced he wants something separate from his original desire shows the pattern of how AFO ends up manipulating all the villains he takes under his thumb to believe what he wants them to believe, and how the villains in general have their beliefs distorted from their original origins.

Tomura's desire started out the same as Deku's, to be a hero, and to have someone in that household listen to him.

The trauma of not only having his feelings and desires rejected by everyone in the household, but on top of that, after destroying his house on accident and not being saved by a single hero in the busiest street in the middle of broad daylight led him to believe that the outside world was rejecting him the same way that his house did.

This distorted his motivation into reject them, the same way they rejected me. Not only did he convince himself that he wanted to destroy the house, but also that the destruction of the Shimura household wasn't an accident but rather something he desired all long and finally acted on.

Of course the two panels I've posted above contradict this belief that was what he wanted to begin with, because Shigaraki expresses twice a belief if someone had told him what he wanted to hear, or someone looked at him or reached out a hand to help him that day things would not have gotten that bad. Shigaraki's contradictory beliefs are on display, first that he will always be rejected and so therefore he has to respond to that rejection and fight back against it, and second a secret hope that there is still someone who can reach out and save him.

Now does that make Shigaraki's entire hero and villain speech a lie?

The part where he loudly announces he doesn't care if people don't understand him, or implies that heroes and villains can never understand each other is because of his secret desire to be understood, but at the same time, the rejection that Shigaraki has not only faced himself, but witnessed happen to others is very real. It's almost like the truth is complex... weird right?

Which is where I get to AFO's manipulations and why it works so well. AFO specifically targets the rejects who are not receiving help in order to foster their hatred against society.

Not only are they already vulnerable, but AFO knows the hero and villain game well. He sees the world in almost comic book logic, the villains will always be villains, the heroes will always be heroes, and as many Pro Heroes reflect this attitude, they end up reinforcing AFO's manipulation that no one is going to come save them and their only recourse is to strike back violently.

AFO even reinforces this idea internalized by the villains that they are internally bad, or wrong, or want to do these violent actions that are a distortion from their true desires. When they are faced with heroes who further dehumanize them by only looing at their crimes and ignoring the fact they are still human beings with emotions and people who are hurting they're then hit with the double whammy. This is the trap that AFO laid against All Might. He took Shimura Nana's grandson, spent years fostering him into a weapon, sent him basically blind into UA on his twentieth birthday because he knew All Might would beat the absolute tar out of him without even questioning who Shigaraki was or what his motivatiosn are, which only would reinforce Shigaraki's hatred for him.

In the immediate aftermath, All Might is also convinced by his fellow heroes that there's no point in going after Shigaraki because by this time he is beyond help. All Might becomes another one of the heroes who just ignored Temura Shinko on that day when he wandered around covered in blood and muck and grime in the busiest intersection in a city densely packed with heroes hoping just one of them would reach out a helping hand.

I'd also be remiss not to point out that when the kids try too hard to emulate their mentors without questioning their methods, they repeat this same kind of behavior. Shigaraki specifically mentions the mall, because that day he genuinely did try to talk to Deku and this was Deku's response.

Deku states clear as day that he can't understand Shigaraki, and then when asked if there was anyone All Might ever failed to save, he really only asked that question to All Might once before completely forgetting to follow up that train of thought. So when the villains lie and say they no longer want to talk things out and they are beyond talking, it's also basically them saying "Well, I tried to tell you X, Y, and Z and you didn't want to listen that time, but oh now you want to talk." It's the natural result of being ignored so many times.

The idea that heroes and villains cannot understand each other is a lie of course, but it was a lie that was put inside their heads by outside factors. It's also ones they spent a long time fighting against because most of these villains did try in some way to express what was wrong, only to be further scapegoated. To be told, "Oh, you're not X, you're Y." To the point where they started to believe it themselves. All of this to say it's not just AFO, it's also something reinforced by the pro-heroes, and also sometimes the kids following in their example.

Toya's backstory shows that kind of distortion in action almost as clear as Shigaraki's, but rather than being perpetuated by AFO himself who did not have much of an influence on Toya, rather it's done by his family's rejection.

Toya reveals his own origin, his desire is to just be seen by his family. In fact he mirrors Shoto in a way, Shoto wants to reassure people because he felt helpless as a victim in his own house, Toya wants to be seen because he felt ignored in his own house. Both of their motivations come from a desire to actually have a normal, healthy connection with the family they have around them.T oya even states that he was willing to just give up anything even his dreams of surpassing All Might to return home. It's witnessing how quick his family was willing to bury him and move on that made him finally distort. Toya holds onto his origin of wanting to be seen even after burning alive, right up until he witnesses the image of himself on the altar.

After which point his original desire distorts from simply wanting to be see, to harming Endeavor in any way possible and dying in order to give meaning to his death.

It goes rejection -> isolation -> distortion -> then having that distortion reinforced by the continued rejection of the heroes. Shoto and Enji can't reach Toya just yet, because Enji's decision to prioritize being the hero who defeats AFO rather than facing Toya once again only mirrors the way he's never once made Toya a priority or even looked at him. The doubling down and lying to himself isn't in response to nothing, it's the outside circumstances that drives him to do that.

Spinner also has a similar distortion of his ideals happening in real time, and in fact shows just how much AFO can convince someone that his exploitation is helping them. So many people blame Shigaraki's possession on Spinner for the hand scene, by ignoring the fact that you know... maybe AFO possessing him is AFO's fault.

Spinner puts the hand on Shigaraki in desperation because they are cornered by the heroes, and their only way out is if Shigaraki gets up and starts fighting again. At this point the heroes have shown no side they even care what happens to the villains, it's either being sent to tartarus the world's most inhumane prison, or just straight up killing them. AFO's whole schtick is convincing the villains working for them that they have literally no chance of salvation unless they stay with him. The heroes also don't do a lot of reaching out to change their minds.

Spinner notices right away that something is wrong with Shigaraki in the way he is acting, but AFO is quick to reassure him that he is not possesing Shigaraki but rather helping him, and that helping AFO is the way to help Shigaraki.

Every time SPinner witnesses that Shigaraki is clearly in pain, and expresses worry over him, AFO goes out of his way to reassure him that everything is fine and everything is going according to plan. Not only that he convinces SPinner, that by playing a role in his plan he will be helping Shigaraki. That AFO's desires are Shigaraki's desires, and therefore by helping AFO he's still serving Shigaraki.

If Shigaraki can be a sympathetic victim to AFO's manipulations and grooming, then so can Spinner and the rest of the league as a whole. Spinner's desire then goes from just trying to help Shigaraki and be equals with him, to his belief that his blind obedience to AFO is hleping him because Spinner as an average dude can't exist on his own or be helpful unless it's in service to someone like Shigaraki's greater deeds and dreams.

When put into a desperate situation where he has to rely on AFO, because the heroes aren't coming to save them, and have shown every evidence that they'll just outright kill Shigaraki, Spinner is convinced one that AFO is helping Shigaraki and probably the only help they'll receive, and two that blind obedience to AFO is what will help Shigaraki.

If anything it mirrors what he did to Tenko as a child, no heroes are coming to save you but I will. If you follow my path then you'll survive and get stronger. I am your only support, I am here to help you and nurture your growth. AFO tries to groom Tenko so hard into being obedient to AFO's desires for him, he literally possesses his body and tries to rewrite his identity for some time.

Then, there is Toga who we also see her distortion play out in real time over the course of the story. Toga's big statement that sucking blood and transforming into the people she loves is normal for her and all she desires isn't exactly the truth, but it isn't a lie either.

Toga desires normalcy and transforms into Uraraka, basically the epitome of a normal girl. Someone surrounded by high school friends, someone with a boy she likes, someone trusted by the people around her. Toga has projected herself entirely onto Uraraka, because Uraraka represents what Toga tried so hard to be in middle school but failed at because the emotional abuse in her home led her to snapping. Toga believes as shown by her parents and society labelling a middle school girl with one violent incident as a demon child forcing her to run away for her own safety rather than you know... just getting her help that there's no other way for her to live.

The same pattern emerges, Himiko is convinced no one is going to save her, she becomes further isolated and her original origin distorts. She believes what other people say about her, not that her desire is to be normal and to be loved, but instead live however she pleases and express her love by violently drinking blood and turning into people.

This is something reinforced by the heroes unwillingness to listen. Remember, Himiko's question is "Am I going to get brutally murdered by you the way I was Twice?" and most of the heroes don't even see Twice's death as a bad thing but a necessary thing. Hawks even advocates for killing Twice a second time the second he's confronted with the dead man's parade. It's a mistaken belief and a self deception, Himiko is lying to herself, but that lie is pounded into her head by everyone around her.

Himiko is even coerced into the Dead Man's parade and further violence. Dabi puts the idea of turning into Twice in her head and gives her the blood to do so, all while also giving her a speech she shouldn't cry because no one cares whether they are crying or smiling so they might as well get the last laugh. Something, that AFO seems to have had an idea about because he understood the exact chain of events that led to the Dead Man's Parade the moment it happened, that Toya gave Toga the blood because of her grief, and Toga's grief turned into a weapon against the heroes. Her speech even mirrors Shigaraki's as well, if there's nothing but rejection, there's no chance but to reject them right back.

So, none of the villains really came to these conclusions on their own, they believe they are in circumstances where no one is coming to help them, and they decide the only recourse is to fight back harder. They get hit and hit back. The cycle remains unbroken. Their origins have now become distorted, they've forgotten their original desires or convinced themselves otherwise. Toga believes what she wanted all along was to slaughter the heroes and live the easy life. Dabi believes all he wants to do is burn away everything connected to Endeavor. Spinner believes he can only help Shigaraki through blind obedience. Shigaraki himself believes that all he wanted to do all along was to destroy that house.

Obviously, the only thing that is going to break this cycle is long awaited action on the heroes part. It's what we see the easy to redeem villains taking the first step of in this latest chapter. Tsukauchi's speech being the opposite of what not only the heroes have believed, but the villains have convinced themselves of too that there is no changing them.

That instead of viewing them as villains, or internally evil, the only way forward is to try to make them remember their own humanity, and the things they originall wanted, and try to clear away the distortion and return them to their starting point, their origin, because as much as the villains listed above deny it, despite their violent and crimminal actions their original desires still exist within them in a place that the heroes can reach only if they start to look for it. And it's up to the heroes to reach them. Because you know, they're called heroes, and heroes save people. Otherwise they're just teenagers who can explode things, or breathe fire, or punch things really hard.

79 notes · View notes