#ochako whose answer to who saves the heroes is the people

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 375 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

1 奥渡島　「麗日・蛙吹 VS トガ」 オクトじま　「うららか・あすいバーサストガ」 OKUTO jima 「Uraraka・Asui BAASASU TOGA」 Octo Island - Uraraka & Asui vs Toga

tagline 1 美しき南の島でーー‼︎ うつくしきみなみのしまでーー‼︎ utsukushiki minami no shima de---!! On the beautiful southern island---!!

tagline 2 No.375 滅茶苦茶　　堀越耕平 ナンバー375 メチャクチャ　　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 375 MECHAKUCHA   Horikoshi Kouhei No. 375 A Mess   Kouhei Horikoshi

2 フロッピ‼︎ FUROPPI!! “Froppy!!”

1 姿を晦ます技術はミスディレクションの類！恐らくとても複雑で微細な… すがたをくらますぎじゅつはミスディレクションのたぐい！おそらくとてもふくざつでびさいな… sugata wo kuramasu gijutsu wa MISUDIREKUSHON no tagui! osoraku totemo fukuzatsu de bisai na... The technique to hide her appearance is a type of misdirection! Perhaps it’s very complex and subtle...

2 それ故に一度で掛けられる人数には限りがある筈 それゆえにいちどでかけられるにんずうにはかぎりがあるはず sore yue ni ichido de kakerareru ninzuu ni wa kagiri ga aru hazu Therefore, there’s a limit to the number of people she can hide from at once.

3 感知系統のヒーローと常に４人以上でマークし続けてフォローし合う かんちけいとうのヒーローとつねに４にんいじょうでマークしつづけてフォローしあう kanchi keitou no HIIROO to tsune ni 4nin ijou de MAAKU shi tsudzukete FOROO shi au With 4 or more heroes with sensory systems, keep marking and following her together.

4 止まってトガヒミコ！ とまってトガヒミコ！ tomatte TOGA HIMIKO! “Stop, Himiko Toga!”

5 こいつ…！「超再生」が入っていない‼︎ こいつ…！「ちょうさいせい」がはいっていない‼︎ koitsu...! 「chousaisei」 ga haitte inai!! “This guy...! He doesn’t have Super Regeneration!”

1 敵の数も減ってきた‼︎ニアハイエンドを抑えれば行ける‼︎ ヴィランのかずもへってきた‼︎ニアハイエンドをおさえればいける‼︎ VIRAN no kazu mo hette kita!! NIA HAI ENDO wo osaereba ikeru!! "The villains' numbers are decreasing too! If we can suppress the Near-High Ends, we can go!"

2 この島でこいつらを制圧することが俺たちの使命だ‼︎ このしまでこいつらをせいあつすることがおれたちのしめいだ‼︎ kono shima de koitsura wo seiatsu suru koto ga ore-tachi no shimei da!! "To suppress these guys on this island is our mission!!"

1 こっちの数が減る程 こっちのかずがへるほど kocchi no kazu ga heru hodo As our numbers decrease,

2 逃げられなくなってってる捉えられ始めてる にげられなくなってってるとらえられはじめてる nigerarenaku nattetteru toraerare hajimeteru I'm starting to become not able to escape and will get caught.

3 仁くんの血液量だと30〜40分の変身が限度… じんくんのけつえきりょうだと30〜40ぶんのへんしんがげんど… Jin-kun no ketsuekiryou to 30~40bun no henshin ga gendo... With this volume of Jin-kun's blood, my transformation will be limited to 30-40 minutes.

4 今飲んで数的有位をくつがえせても"哀れな行進"はこの離島で終わる いまのんですうてきゆういをくつがえせても"サッドマンズパレード"はこのりとうでおわる ima nonde suuteki yuui wo kutsugaesetemo “SADDO MANZU PAREEDO” wa kono ritou de owaru Even if I drink this now to overturn the numbers advantage, the Sad Man's Parade will end on this remote island.

5 これまでトガヒミコの行動原理に これまでトガヒミコのこうどうげんりに kore made TOGA HIMIKO no koudou genri ni Until now, due to Himiko Toga's acting principles,

6 大局的な戦術思考が用いられることはほぼなかった たいきょくてきなせんじゅつしこうがもちいられることはほぼなかった taikyokuteki na senjutsu shikou ga mochiirareru koto wa hobonaktta she almost never employed big-picture tactical thinking.

7 そもそもココで逆転しても そもそもココでぎゃくてんしても somosomo KOKO de gyakuten shitemo In the first place, even if I reverse [the situation] here,

8 戻りの船をわざわざ島に着かせてるとは考えにくい… こっちのワンチャンをわざわざしまにつかせてるとはかんがえにくい… kocchi no WANCHAN (read as: modori no fune) wo wazawaza shima ni tsukaseteru to wa kangae nikui... it's hard to imagine they'll go out of their way to let me bring our one chance (read as: return boat) to the island...

9 分断と隔離…ヒーローはもう"仁くん"のこと知ってる？ ぶんだんとかくり…ヒーローはもう"じんくん"のことしってる？ bundan to kakuri...HIIROO wa mou “Jin-kun” no koto shitteru? Separation and isolation... Do the heroes already know about Jin-kun?

10 どの道このままじゃ何もできないで終わる どのみちこのままじゃなにもできないでおわる dono michi kono mama ja nani mo dekinaide owaru Either way, at this rate it'll end with me not being able to do anything.

1 しかし shikashi However,

2 なら…！ nara...! Then...!

3 敵意と てきいと tekii to animosity and

4 諦念が ていねんが teinen ga resignation

5 スピナーくんに懸ける！私は私の為すべき事を！ スピナーくんにかける！わたしはわたしのなすべきことを！ SUPINAA-kun ni kakeru! watashi wa watashi no nasu beki koto wo! I'll bet it all on Spinner-kun! [I'll bet] what I should do [on him]!

6 トガを"敵"として完成させていた トガを"ヴィラン"としてかんせいさせていた TOGA wo “VIRAN” to shite kansei sasete ita have completed Toga as a villain.

1 来た！ きた！ kita! Here it comes!

2 血のストック！ ちのストック！ chi no SUTOKKU! Her stock of blood!

3 AFO⁉︎死柄木⁉︎誰の血だろうと オール・フォー・ワン⁉︎しがらき⁉︎だれのちだろうと OORU FOO WAN!? Shigaraki!? dare no chi darou to All For One!? Shigaraki!? No matter whose blood it is,

4-5 それをさせない為の‼︎ それをさせないための‼︎ sore wo sasenai tame no!! I won’t let you do that!!

6 梅雨ちゃんは冷静… つゆちゃんはれいせい… Tsuyu-chan wa reisei... "Tsuyu-chan's level-headedness..."

small text そこね soko ne “That there”

7 だからそれはフェイク dakara sore wa FEIKU "That's why that is a fake."

8 AFOさんがくれた"脳無を引きつけるお薬"です オール・フォー・ワンさんがくれた"のうむをひきつけるおくすり"です OORU FOO WAN-san ga kureta “noumu wo hikitsukeru okusuri” desu "It's a medicine that attracts noumu that All For One-san gave me."

1 そしてまだ油断はしない そしてまだゆだんはしない soshite mada yudan wa shinai And then, I still won't let down my guard.

2 フロッピー‼︎ FUROPPII!! "Froppy!!"

3 確実に仁くんの行進を遂げる為に かくじつにじんくんのこうしんをとげるために kakujitsu ni Jin-kun no koushin wo togeru tame ni In order to surely achieve Jin-kun's march,

4 刹那の二択‼︎ せつなのにたく‼︎ setsuna no nitaku!! for a moment there are two choices!!

5 ちう chiu (Note: This is a verbalized sound effect Tsuyu makes when she sticks out her tongue.)

6 そして soshite And then,

1 敵意は奇跡を起こす てきいはきせきをおこす tekii wa kiseki wo okosu [her] animosity will cause a miracle

1 シガ…ラキタチヲ救ケル… SHIGA...RAKI-TACHI WO tasuKERU... “I will save Shiga...raki and the others...”

2 トガヒミコ… TOGA HIMIKO... “Himiko Toga...”

3 アナタハドウシタイ？ ANATA WA DOU SHITAI? “What do you want to do?”

4 …ホークスはじめ……全てのヒーローをせん滅 …ホークスはじめ……すべてのヒーローをせんめつ ...HOOKUSU hajime......subete no HIIROO wo senmetsu “...starting with Hawks......annihilate all the heroes”

5 私を拡散して黒霧さん わたしをかくさんしてくろぎりさん watashi wo kakusan shite Kurogiri-san “Scatter me [around], Kurogiri-san”

1 待てええまだーー！ まてええまだーー！ mateee mada---! “Waaaiiit, not yet---!”

2 私まだあなたと わたしまだあなたと watashi mada anata to “I haven’t yet

3 恋バナしてない！ こいバナしてない！ koiBANA shitenai! “talked about [my] crush with you!” (Note: This is the same word Toga used back at the summer training camp when she said it was fun to talk with Ochako about their loves/crushes.)

4 お茶子ちゃん…‼︎ おちゃこちゃん…‼︎ Ochako-chan...!! “Ochako-chan...!!”

1-2 できたらよかったね dekitara yokatta ne Literal: “If we could, that’d have been good.” Contextual: “I wish that we could.”

3 群訝山荘跡 ぐんがさんそうあと Gunga sansou ato Gunga Mountain Villa Ruins

4 トガだ！分倍河原の血！ストック⁉︎解放軍潜入時にその類は徹底して洗い潰した！戦闘後の痕跡も全部ーーー…！ トガだ！ぶばいがわらのち！ストック⁉︎かいほうぐんせんにゅうじにそのたぐいはてっていしてあらいつぶした！せんとうごのこんせきもぜんぶーーー…！ TOGA da! Bubaigawara no chi! SUTOKKU!? kaihou-gun sennyuu ji ni sono tagui wa tettei shite arai tsubushita! sentougo no konseki mo zenbu---...! It’s Toga! Bubaigawara’s blood! [She had that in her] stock!? When I infiltrated the Liberation Army, I thoroughly washed away anything like that! Even all the traces from after the battle---...!

5 ……！荼毘か⁉︎ ……！だびか⁉︎ ......! Dabi ka!? ......! Dabi!?

6 もう遅い もうおそい mou osoi “It’s too late”

1 無限増殖 むげんぞうしょく mugen zoushoku Infinite Doubles

2 哀れな行進 サッドマンズパレイード SADDO MANZU PAREEDO Sad Man’s Parade

3 こんなたたみかけられる事あるノコ…？ こんなたたみかけられることあるノコ…？ konna tatami kakerareru koto aru NOKO...? “Has anyone ever piled up like this before, MUSHROOM...?” (Note: Not fully confident on how to translate this one.)

1 また見失ってたまるかァ‼︎ またみうしなってたまるかァ‼︎ mata miushinatte tamaru kaA!! “As if I’d lose sight of you again!!”

1 あなたがしまっておいた気持ち… あなたがしまっておいたきもち… anata ga shimatte oita kimochi... The feelings you put away...

2 お茶子ちゃんあなたは… おちゃこちゃんあなたは… Ochako-chan anata wa... Ochako-chan, you...

tagline 最悪が止まらない‼︎ さいあくがとまらない‼︎ saiaku ga tomaranai!! The worst [mess] won’t stop!!

[haine-kleine]

Taking a break from doomposting to once again ponder the meaning of the chapter from a storytelling point of view. It fails to complete any storyline point previously established. Ochako is still repressing her survivor's guilt and covering it up with fake sweet smiles. Deku and Ochako don't really reach any understanding nor comfort each other after this traumatic experience: Ochako still blames herself for Himiko's death, Izuku has seemingly moved on from Shigaraki's death using it as a learning example on his way forward. The party is random and the cheer is forced. Eri mutilating herself with the help of an adult hero goes unaddressed. The old lady is the only character exhibiting any development but it falls flat because we don't have much reason to care about the character who is not Tenko that she saves. It was Shigaraki who needed saving and didn't get it.

The one thing this chapter achieves is destroying any hope the readers had left. The next chapter is not necessary, judging by how meaningless most of the epilogue chapters have been so far.

But looking at this from another angle, the one thing Horikoshi can do, after killing the remaining embers of our hope, is subvert our expectations.

The only logical conclusion from the nameless boy looking so much like Tenko was obvious, but his appearance had very awkward timing if all the purpose this character has is to show the positive changes in society. He would have fit in the framing of chapter 427, which was focused on the society's opinion about Shigaraki Tomura and how they perceive him. It talks repeatedly about the collective fear of the next Shigaraki resurging and what preventive measures they can take. The old lady, whose character purpose was to not save Tenko, even appears in that chapter! If the positive change was the intended message, why cut her narrative into awkward parts and squeeze the second one in place of Ochako's supposed resolution? And once again, why show the boy so early? He appeared in the chapter that started slowly revealing the fates of the villains, and his appearance was immediately followed by Touya's. The logical connection is obvious. Teasing that not-Tenko character to leave the audience guessing for a month, seems like a red herring, and if the nameless boy being saved by a person who could have saged Tenko and didn't, is just there to fool our expectations, it's an unnecessarily cruel move from the author. He knew what he was doing. Despite his death, the epilogue heavily focuses on Shigaraki Tomura and various people's opinions on whether or not he deserved to be saved. Horikoshi killing him and saving a new barely introduced character in his place seems like a negative answer from the author himself.

Then, again

Shigaraki's death, despite being confirmed by the characters, was not actually shown on screen, with Kurogiri being conveniently close by, very motivated to save him.

So what if the not-Tenko boy is indeed a red herring, whose purpose is to fool the audience for one last time?

Here are some random ideas how this can work:

• not-Tenko is actually Tenko, his memory is just fucked up. The boy's backstory is about being kept imprisoned by his family in the house against his will. Well isn't that awfully convenient, cause you know who else hated being in his house

• Tenko is not the new boy, but he is alive, out there somewhere. Healing, being taken care of by Kurogiri, possibly trying learn using his new quirk. Watching his name being dragged through the mud on the news everyday.

• Tenko reconstructed himself back from the dust wrong, as it was his first time using the new quirk. Maybe he had accidentally merged himself with Kurogiri. Maybe non-Tenko's memories that he shares are his damaged consciousness' rendition of Tenko's actual backstory. Maybe he decided to leave Japan forever and fucked off to America, who even knows, the author clearly doesn't so go wild with your imaginations

[aashi-heartfilia]

The Ultimate Hero: Uravity

So, I guess the biggest plot point I have noticed for Ochako is to not let people go.

On one hand, we have Deku:

The greatest asset for the heroes; all tattered and bruised running away from his own comfort and happiness to protect his loved ones because the hero society has brainwashed him into thinking that heroism is all about sacrifice and he is the only one who can offer that.

And then, we have Toga.

A cunning villain according to the heroes, a constant thorn on their side.

But in reality, Toga's not a monster that she's perceived to be. She was just an unlucky girl born with a cursed quirk that led her friends and even family boycotting her.

A teenage girl, whose feelings are all over the place. A girl who loves heroes and wants to be like them. A person whose biggest question is that her life matters or not?

And then, we have Ochako.

More under the cut_

Who has failed thrice in reaching out:

First, when she didn't go after Bakugo. She convinced everyone else too, to not go after Bakugo in the Hideout Raid arc because of her own passiveness.

And then she even regrets later and tries to fix things up. But well we know how it goes.

Then she failed to save Sir Nighteye. He was a hero, that died in her arms and there was nothing she could do but helplessly watch.

We see some character development as she rushed to save Deku from the Black whip but just mindlessly running into danger without a plan in mind is not the best solution to a problem Chako cheeks.

But, baby-steps.

We have Toga. It's because she failed to answer Toga's question properly during the war (not that I blame her for it, considering the situation) that Toga turned into the villain she is now.

And finally we have Deku. A product of the society who's brainwashed into thinking that it's his Destiny to suffer in silence because he's a hero.

And yes, there is reason Ochako is highlighted here.

Deku isn't just a random person. He is her best friend and a fellow hero who is willing to suffer in silence for the greater good.

But doesn't he deserves to rest?

This is the bigger questions of the story asked several times.

Who is a Hero?

How do you define a hero?

A figure who doesn't flatter in a situation no matter how dire?

Or someone willing to stand up against the injustice?

Or just a tool of violence to keep villains down?

And that is exactly why Deku is the first person that Ochako saves. Not his life, bit his heart.

It's noticable how much importance heart is given in MHA. A story about saving the hearts of people.

This is also the reason why Ochako succeeds where even Best Jeanist fails.

The No#03 hero, Best Jeanist, a fan favourite, failed to convince the angry and panicked mob because he said that Deku is their biggest asset in this war and that they need him to win. Because in their eyes, an asset is what he is.

A tool, a weapon.

And tools can be kept anywhere. They don't have feelings. Why UA?

Because he's also a human.

More precisely, he's a High-schooler.

He shouldn't even be fighting there.

He has plenty to learn himself.

And like how All Might gave him the right to be hero..

Ochako gave him the right to rest, as human.

For Toga:

We've seen that Ochako looking back to her fight with Toga at the mansion. She was regretting about her actions as a person, something she did not considered before.

And now, she's on the battlefield ready to save both heroes and villains because they're both people. They are powerful but they're just as helpless when it comes to them.

They have bad pasts and horrible things happening to them.

They make mistakes and they're put on pedestal, but

Their lives matter.

Their happiness matters.

Their smile matters.

So, Uraraka's arc is about humanizing both heroes and villains. How they both are the victims of this superhuman society and how they both deserve peace and quite.

Which is why I think Ochako will be the turning point of this manga, now that everything have possibly gone wrong in the worst way possible.

Toga is out with her sad man's parade and dabi is there too, along with AFO all because Spinner's voice reached Kurogiri.

Ochako's name means a 'bright and sunny day' and her power is literally making things weightless. So what if she makes this entire deals weightless by getting Toga on their side?

Principal Nezu already said in his speech that they're just one step away...from understanding each other. And taking that first step is always hard...and when someone takes that impossible step, it leads to the birth of a true hero.

And yes, URAVITY is that hero.

A symbol of hope.

The greatest hero that will surpass even All Might.

[bnhaobservation]

Changing society even MORE in BNHA for a real PLUS ULTRA

So in my past post “Changing society in BNHA” I theorized that the change watching Midoriya fight was meant to bring in the society, was making it aware they should help their Heroes instead than just watching them. So far it still seems an idea that holds.

We see that the common folks as well as the U.A. first grades are all willing to help Heroes and are looking at the future optimistically and pro-active. They don’t want anymore just to be coddled by Heroes but helps them bringing them food, helping them to rebuild things.

But I wonder if this is really how it’s meant to end.

Midoriya wanted to stop the circle of hate, but until outcasts live, the circle of hate will never be broken.

Until people can’t accept everyone isn’t born equal and that’s fine, there will be another Heteromorph that gets abused and will become another Spinner, there will be another kid whose father won’t accept he like Heroes and that’ll be abused until he’ll snap and then someone else will take advantage of him and he’ll become Shigaraki Tomura, there’ll be another kid with parents that rejects and try to suppress his quirk and that will become Toga Himiko, there’ll be another kid ignored and neglected by his parents who’ll come to think they don’t want him who will become Dabi, there will be a nice man who, due to an incident, will become a homeless unable to find work until he’ll resort to use his Quirk to steal who’ll become Twice, there will be someone who’ll think Heroes just gain too much money while ignoring those who’re poor who’ll become Mr. Compress and so on.

And it was made clear that they can’t stop all this because they don’t really have that many Heroes and the refusal to stop and turn sides of Shuuichi, Tomura, Himiko, Touya, Jin and Atsuhiro in the story proves that when people are pushed too far it’s hard to save them, it might as well be too late, they’re just too disillusioned, I mean, even Himiko who regretted hurting Ochako and was touched by her words in the end chose death over living in the world in which Heroes would win because she knew that world wasn’t for her and Touya’s family reached out for him too late when his condition deteriorated too much, as for Hawks’ offer of helping Jin it came too late and at the price of abandoning the people who had been faster to help and welcome Jin.

Heroes were too late, they let things deteriorate too much, beyond the breaking point.

And they’ll continue deteriorating because Heroes more often than not step in solely when the problem is too big, when a person has turned to crime as the answer because they believes all the other ways had been cut from them (we’ll discuss in another post if this is true or not, for the sake of this post just let’s leave it as ‘they believed there was no other way’ and end it here).

Society has no plan to correct its shortcoming, Shuuichi’s book about Shigaraki Tomura is going to work like the old Destro’s book, it’s going to encourage people who’re oppressed by society to destroy it because there’s no way out. They might have kept Shuuichi alive but they didn’t save him. Tomura was his friend, now Shuuichi is alone, angry and desperate, plagued by guilt because he didn’t step in and saved his friend. It’s not just he’ll be jailed, it’s he still thinks this society wouldn’t accept him and for him there’s no way out to live if not destroying it.

So now what?

We’ll wait for the new Re-Shigaraki and Re-Re-Destro?

Well, there’s still a thing that Midoriya and Co. can do.

Chap. 428 brings up how Uraraka wants to suppress her feelings of pain for failing to save Himiko but can’t, mirroring how Himiko just couldn’t suppress her own feelings. The difference will be in how she’ll have her friends (or just Midoriya) supporting her. It also brings up how Midoriya, despite being considered a Hero for murdering Shigaraki actually feels bad for doing it. Fundamentally he hears a boy telling him that he inspired him by murdering the person Midoriya wanted to save, Shuuichi’s friend, by becoming an unwilling murderer. Midoriya feels bad but, same as Uraraka, he’s bottling it up inside himself.

People had been asking for the permission to interview class A. Aizawa refused.

However if it’ll be Midoriya and Uraraka who’ll take part to an interview and won’t just say the usual ‘oh, Villains need to fear Heroes, now we’re here, we’ll crush them’ but will talk about how Tenko and Himiko wouldn’t have turned into Villains if someone had helped them first. Shouji could help explaining how hard Heteromorph life still is outside the city, Shouto could explain the importance he had for him that Midoriya reached out for him to help him change his mindsetting and so on.

If we want to involve the adults, Hawks too could give an extra talk of how Jin was a good person and if they had helped him FIRST he wouldn't have turned into a Villain, Aizawa and Hizashi could talk of who previously was Kurogiri and how a side of him never died even if he was turned into a Nomu and All Might and Gran Torino might join to explain how they regretted they failed to protect Shimura's family.

Because really, it’s easy to criticize Tomura once he turned into a Villain, once he became a terrible person… but originally he was just a little kid who wanted to become a Hero and if people had helped him he wouldn’t have turned into a Villain and the point of understanding the root of this isn’t just to turn Tomura's story into a ‘sob story’ and feel bad for him, for the rest of the league, to give them a pass, it’s to stop the same mistakes from repeating. If society doesn’t learn anything from the tragedy of Shigaraki Tomura, that tragedy will repeat. Again, and again, and again.

So I wonder if this will be the next step in BNHA.

Class A using the League’s tragedies not to save the League’s members, it’s too late for that, Tomura, Himiko and Jin are dead, Touya is going to die too and Shuuichi’s life is likely going to be shortened by how he has more than one Quirk, saving the League can’t be anymore done… but others can be saved… if society learns from the League’s tragedies and help people not to become the next League, they will be saved and society will become the horde of ‘heroes’ the world need.

After all one didn’t need to be a Hero to save the League’s members BEFORE they become Villains, it was enough they were given a little of human warmth and care, the story proves it over and over that this is enough to save people.

But well, again this is just food for thoughts, we still have two chapters to see where BNHA is heading, if mystery guy will need to be saved by a titular Hero or if a common folk will be inspired by Heroes to extend a helping hand and SAVE HIM before he’ll turn into a Villain…. Or better, save him from turning into a Villain. For now we can only wait and see.

[justatalkingface]

The 'Great' MHA Read Along, Part Two (Chapters 5-7): The Aizawa-ing.

*checks last post, gets more than one like*

*blinks*

Huh. Well. OK then. Let's do another one, I guess.

And, literally the first panel? Bakugou. Wow, Bakugou is so great, so strong...

Bakugou scored zero rescue points. Zero. He was the only one, as far as we know, to get zero points and still pass... and that doesn't concern you at all? Considering most people didn't almost die like Izuku and Ochako, then the bar for 'rescue points' honestly must have been in the ground, like helping someone when they fell or something. And here, in UA, an elite school for Heroes, whose job is to save people, Bakugou scored zero rescue points. Like, I don't expect him to not get in over this, but it'd be nice if, instead of everyone fawning over him, from literally page one, someone could go, 'Hey, I don't like the looks of that'.

Then we transition to Izuku and All Might, and I guess that answers the question of, 'Why couldn't All Might help Izuku get in?': because he knew Izuku wouldn't want that.

I. I'm actually not sure of that? He wouldn't want attention, at least. But whatever, ultimately, the problem I have with that is All Might literally just dropped him in the exam with absolutely zero Quirk experience when, from all accounts, he could helped him get in somehow, Mr. Number One Hero, but....

Alright, bear with me a second. In theory, letting him earn his way is fine, but in practice, there's no fucking way Izuku should have passed if he didn't accidently crack the morality cheat for this exam, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize this. At the same time, though, it's clear he doesn't deserve to be recommended student, yet, because again, he's a total noob, and I doubt he'd pass that exam, either, since it's just a giant race.

I think, ultimately, the problem here is Izuku is in a position where there's no reasonable way for him to pass, period. And I can't really blame anyone other than Hori, since, you know, author, and it goes back to what I said last time about he just set up Izuku to struggle for struggling's sake. And the thing is, he could still have had a hard time at at exam, but not have been so damn helpless about it; I mean, in all honesty the only reason Uraraka survived (as far as we can tell those robots are not safety proofed) is that he just so happened to have his Baby's First Quirk moment at that very moment, and since his Quirk is on the level of a fucking god he accidentallyed a robot that could step on a fucking Gundam. If it wasn't for protagonist level plot armor, in other words, Ochako should be dead, which... is a realization. Izuku has no way to fight the robots, or win the race, other then exploding himself, and this setup, for someone who is theoretically supported by the most powerful and influential man in the country, who is literally on the staff, doesn't really make sense. It'd be one thing if was literally nobody, but he's not: he's All Might's apprentice and heir. He is the exact opposite of nobody, but the story never really treats his situation like that; it be easy enough for them to swing it as him being Heroic royalty if All Might and Izuku were more pretentious (you could debate about the destabilizing effect of that, but all things considered All Might retiring and/or having an heir before everything went to shit actually could have been helpful, even if it made Izuku's life infinitely more complicated).

I just don't like that whole situation, basiclly, both with Izuku's capabilities and how hands off All Might suddenly is when he was helping him train daily literally to the actual day of the exam.

And then All Might admits he saw the problem of Izuku's control coming and did... nothing about that. Is. Is the reason All Might is inside OFA because it took his entire personality on the way out? A few chapters ago he was worried about Izuku exercising too hard, and now he's all, 'It's fine', with this apocalyptically powerful Quirk? And, now that it's established that there is a problem with his control, why isn't he trying to help with that problem? Like... at all?

See, this is what I was talking about last time: Arc One All Might is this committed, focused trainer who is expertly pushing Izuku's body just a hair from his absolutely limits on the daily and devotes large portions of his time to helping him improve. Arc Two All Might is just letting him blow up his arms for no apparent reason, while barely ever having time for the child with the legacy of his teacher and like, the primeval spirit of heroics inside him.

And, to top it off, there's the knowledge that he's never going to recover from this change; it only get worse from this point on.

Good bye, Competent Might. I'll miss you.

...And, here's Bakugou. And, with peerless Bakugou Logic (TM), even though he's in the best heroic school period, he's still treating his classmates as extras. Literally.

Pause here; random tangent time.

You know, early Bakugou's story has the shape of a 'big fish in a little pond' story, but have you realized his Quirk is perfect for that as well?

So, the thing is Explosion is a good Quirk, but it's just that: good. It's better than... seventy, eighty percent of Quirks we see, than most of his classmates. Then there's presumably another ten percent of equal Quirks, somewhere....

And then that last ten percent make Explosion look like kid shit. It's hard to remember with how chronically underused it is, but Momo's Quirk is terrifying with some work. I would bet that there's a chemical that neutralizes nitro she could pull out, which would neatly defang Bakugou, for example. Or, a blast of water, to get rid of his sweat, so there's nothing for him to blow up. Or, his actual, canon weakness, cold; fire extinguishers, anyone?

And that's not even mentioning Shoto. And this isn't later story Shoto, who is a side character in his own story, oh no, this is Earlyroki, who can solo the entire class with minimal effort on his part (except Izuku, but that's the starting point of their relationship, Shoto acknowledge him as a potential threat). This is Shoto before the nerfs rolled in.

The set up for the 'small pond' shit is honestly perfect, but Hori just never commits to it. Worse yet, to get around the limits he put in on Bakugou's Quirk, he just... starts breaking his own rules, all the way back with the Sports Festival (coming... at some point!), and it's super disappointing when you realize how great this could have been for realigning Bakugou's ego.

...Alright. Got off track there. Let's stop talking about Bakugou, and start talking about Iida! Iida who apologizes, and acknowledges Izuku! Iida who calls out Bakugou on his shit! Far more wholesome.

And then Uraraka shows up, and I'm pretty sure this is the end of his, 'OMG a girl I literally can't talk' phase, but again, nice to see someone acknowledge Izuku's existence and not hate him...

Ah, Bakugou flashback. I don't hate this, for once, because while it's Bakugou's flashback, it's about Izuku, and his growth, and him standing up for himself, even a little bit. Self affirmation is always nice to see...

And there's a homeless man who broke in! How talented. Wait, that's not a homeless man, that's just an adult who doesn't give a shit about personal hygiene!

(If you're new here, welcome to my blog. As you may have realized, I am not an Aizawa stan.)

(And yes, Bakugou, you tell that ball to die. How dare it be round!)

Welcome, everyone to Eraserhead Land, a world where you don't need to know things like where the consoler is, because mental health for law enforcement personal armed with dangerous superpowers is for losers! Welcome ceremony? Feeling accomplishment about getting into a top school? Possibly learning important things when everyone is gathered in one place? Naaah. If you're not stressed, miserable, and on edge, you're not doing it right!

To those unfamiliar with my posts, you may think I'm joking. I'm not.

Literally, the whole, 'Last place gets expelled bit'? Is because the kids were excited. All Might confirms that, yes, Aizawa absolutely would have kicked someone out.

Dadzawa Fans: 'Ah yes, the "Aizawa Critical" theory. The idea that Dadzawa is false and that the man in question is in fact deeply flawed and acts in incredibly traumatizing and Quirkist ways that should have massive negative repercussions on everyone he has ever taught. We have dismissed this claim.'

Me, deadass watching Aizawa prepare to kick someone out of school because some kids were happy: *blinks in visible confusion*

...This is a man in deep need of therapy. Which probably explains his views on guidance counselors.

Oh, and then Izuku neatly sums up my problem with how his life goes, that can basiclly be applied at any given moment : "My (insert normal thing here) has turned into a huge ordeal!"

Anyways, time for a bunch of tests that, by design, Eraserhead could never pass. And of course, we can't go five minutes (or five seconds, sometimes), without yet another demonstration of how unreasonable Bakugou is, what with him blasting Izuku in the race, which is actual sabotage.

Aizawa... sees no problem with this, apparently. Give it a couple of years, and we'll see an enterprising class take that to its logical conclusion, and murder and/or maim one or more of their fellow classmates for the win!

And now we have a flashback where, surprisingly (? I'm not actually sure if that should be surprising at this point) All Might actually tried to advise Izuku... by basiclly telling him to dial it back, but otherwise to figure it out himself.

You.... You had this Quirk. This exact Quirk. Why is your advice so useless?

Then we have a single panel of the long jump where I half think Bakugou ended up sabotaging Izuku again; why are these kids doing all these at the same time, again?

And then it comes out: Aizawa had already singled out Izuku, even before class, for him passing the exam at all, which didn't 'make sense'.

(With how the exam was set up, Izuku could have passed with minimal stress on his part if he just helped people instead of trying to deal with the robots all. Unironically, I don't think you actually need to interact with the robots at all, in the exam about fighting the robots. This is, as far as I can tell, a valid strategy, and it's not Izuku's fault that it rewards people for helping, bloody fuck.)

I'd bet this entire thing was just because of Izuku, so he could bump him out with minimal justification on his part. He flat out says he doesn't like All Might (an 'insufferable' hero) and compares Izuku to him directly. Like, god this is so damn targeted, and we have All Might watching, internally monologuing about how Eraserhead hates him and he's helpless to protect Izuku...

...Some the fuck how. The Number One Hero is helpless to protect his heir from a clearly biased attempt to get rid of him, when the principal is in the know about important he is. And he seems remarkably fine with his student's seemingly impediment expulsion.

'I can't help him! I'm just going to stand here watching from behind a corner instead of making sure Nezu knows how ABSOLUTELY LIVID I'll be if he gets expelled, or preparing to leverage my immense fame and influence to help, or maybe threatening Eraserhead if he takes his dislike of me out on an innocent student! Nope, no way I can contribute here, oh well, sorry for being such a waste of space Izuku, you're on your own.'

...What the fuck is this? This doesn't make sense! I bought into the narrative of this the first time I read it but now that I've stopped to think about it for five seconds this entire arc is collapsing in on itself.

Why did you make Izuku's mentor the most powerful person on the planet, with the ability to command legions of devoted fans, who single handedly changed how an entire country looks at heroes, if you were going to make him so fucking helpless?!

And then, the cherry on top of all of this is Izuku 'grows' by only breaking his finger, and this fills Aizawa with apparent delight.

Bloody hell. Here, let me summarize my impression of Aizawa after reading this arc again:

"The longer Eraserhead is observed, the more terrible a teacher he becomes."

And now we reach the next chapter, where Bakugou promptly attacks Izuku for the crime of having a Quirk, and Aizawa stops him before... whining. About dry eye.

Mr. "I expel entire classes" yet again sees no problem with students fighting each other, apparently, which is more evidence for my Bloody Mist style Class 1-A theory; we already have discount Kakashi, whose entire character is basiclly badly copied copy ninja characterization, so we might as well get young!Zabuza or something as well.

Oh, I almost forgot Aizawa's first lesson to his students: you can never trust anything I say, ever, because I can, and will, lie to you, for no reason at all, at any moment at all, even when what you think are real-life consequences are on the line, and if you fall for it that's your mistake for falling for a 'logical ruse'.

Talk about a trust building exercise, huh? Clearly, this is Best Father Figure.

Meanwhile, can I mention how nonsensical All Might teaching when he has a time limit is? Why the hell is he wasting his waning moments of power, which could be used for so many more important things than standing there while the students gawk at him? Teach as Skele-Might, or watch the security cameras or something.

...Huh. My translation doesn't have 'Dekiru' in it, even though we had Ochaka accidently call Izuku Deku. Was that later or did whoever did this just not put it in...?

Welp. This was immensely frustrating. Good thing the next arc isn't going to have anything at all concerning, SOD breaking, or horrible in it, right?

[five-rivers]

Long Night in the Valley Chapter 16

"But Suzuki-san was knocked out a bunch before this," said Ochako.

"I know," said One, still holding out the little packs of pills, "but apparently going to sleep is different from being knocked out."

"I think being drugged is a lot different from going to sleep, too," said Todoroki, taking one of the pill packs.

"I literally did not make the rules of this quirk." He turned his head to the side and started muttering about how Saito's quirk could have been used for good.

"How closely are you related to Midoriya, anyway?" asked Todoroki.

One startled. "Oh, uh, heh. You know. Enough for him to use the quirk?"

Wow. That was a suspicious answer.

"Are you Midoriya's father?" asked Todoroki.

"Todoroki, what--" started Iida.

"I have been dead for over a hundred years."

"That's not a no."

"Anyway," said Ochako, taking a sleeping pill from One but not opening it. "Are you sure, completely sure, you don't want our help? I mean, thinking about it, if you can get Izuku's quirk back from him like this, can’t he take your quirks, too?"

"Probably," agreed One, casually. "That's part of the reason we want you away from him." He mixed taking a pill. "We're also trying to make him think he can't. Or at least think that we think he can't. He's never had a very high opinion of our intelligence. And if he thinks that we think he can't, he'll never think that we're doing it."

Todoroki nodded along to this sagely.

"There’s also the possibility that he won't be able to - there are significant differences between my quirk and his. He can't do a passive DNA read, for example. That and the remnants of Izuku's quirk are the main reasons we think this will work, after all."

The world trembled slightly, then shook, as if an earthquake had just happened.

"He could take our mental selves, though," continued One. "Whether or not he'd keep them once this quirk wears off is something I'd rather not know… Although it'd be interesting to see if he could take the DNA aspect of a quirk that doesn't have a corresponding mental component present, since that's what actually trips him up when he tries to take One for All - he can't take the mental aspect, so his quirk aborts the sequence."

The ground shook again, harder.

"But that's honestly academic. You see, being dead can get boring, so we've spent a lot of time running war games and fighting each other."

This time, the shaking knocked all of them but One to their knees.

"Please take the pills? Now? We're really going to be fine."

A rocket screamed in the distance, followed by an explosion.

"This doesn't have opiates in it, does it?" asked Iida.

"Nothing here is real, so, no."

.

Ochako startled awake and immediately clutched at her head. That was one heck of a headache. Driven by the need to see where she was, she peeled open her eyes.

This was… the infirmary at UA?

How'd she get here?

"Oi! Granny! Cheeks is awake!"

That was Bakugo. There was something she wanted to do regarding Bakugo. What was it again?

"Don’t shout! This is a place of quiet and healing."

"I wanna know what fffffffffrick happened to shhhhtupid Deku."

Oh. She remembered now.

"As do we all, but you shouldn't crowd someone coming out of a mental quirk like that, it could be--"

No time like the present, decided Ochako.

She snapped into a sitting position, and punched Bakugo in the face.

"Ow! Mother--!"

Recovery Girl sighed. "Dangerous. Uraraka, how are you feeling?"

.

"I'm telling you," said Suzuki, propped up in the hospital bed, "there's a whole cabal of them, telepathically linked to each other and to All for One." He swatted away the nurse's hand. "Some of them are old heroes, too. They must have gone over to him for longevity quirks or something. They were- they were joking with each other about how to kill me. That's why I had to bail out."

"I believe you," said the commission president solemnly. “We have come across some evidence of our own that puts yours into a much more… credible light than it would be otherwise. Could you identify them, the other members of this ‘cabal?’”

“Some of them,” said Suzuki, doubtfully. “But others I didn’t recognize, or see for very long.” He shuddered. “Some of them… Some of them I would very much like to be mistaken about, sir.”

“The ones you are sure of?” prompted the president.

“Skyrunner,” said Suzuki, looking pale. “We should investigate her associates, as well,” he added, as if the president was unfit for his job. “There was another… I only know him from pictures, but I’m sure it was Fidelity.”

The president let neither his annoyance at Suzuki nor the familiarity of the two names distract him. “And how did Aizawa Shouta interact with them?”

Suzuki sniffled. “He sided with them. They all tried to put up a show when I was watching, but they never attacked him like they attacked me. That woman… she kept dropping me…” He knotted his fingers in his hair.

“What about All Might?”

“I’m… not sure. There was an image of him there, but he didn’t speak, not like the others. I couldn’t… couldn’t say if he was involved like they were.”

Not the conclusive report he’d been hoping for, then, but it confirmed that Midoriya Izuku was indeed in league with All for One.

… and also that he was providing All for One with at least one link with the outside world.

If Skyrunner and the others truly were alive, that meant that he had even more.

If. If they were alive. Even for a man of All for One’s talents, he had doubts about his ability to locate so many longevity quirks. The nomu with their duplicated quirks seemed to be a recent development. Then, too, there was the matter of Midoriya’s blood sample. Skyrunner and Fidelity were both on the list of people whose DNA had been mingled with his.

“There was also…” said Suzuki. He swallowed. “There was also… Tempest. She looked just like the old posters.”

Another name from the lists. The president closed his eyes briefly and pulled out his phone, going to the pictures he had saved of the hero Lariat and the vigilante Forewarning. Lariat’s photo was obviously better, having been an official picture for the purposes of identification. Forewarning’s was blurry and at an awkward angle, but given what he’d been - and who he served - it was only to be expected.

He showed the phone to Suzuki.

“These two?”

Suzuki stared. “Yes,” he said. “How did you know?”

“As I said,” replied the president, “we’ve gathered some of our own evidence while you’ve been asleep.” He put his phone away. “I expect a more thorough, formal report of what you discovered in Midoriya’s mind by the end of the day.”

“Of course, sir,” said Suzuki.

The president nodded, and with no more farewell than that, left.

As soon as he was alone, his phone was in his hand again. “I need an emergency exhumation order for the heroes Lariat, Fidelity, and Skyrunner.”

.

Aizawa stepped into the lobby of the apartment building. It seemed normal enough, even if the finishings were incredibly old-fashioned and its emptiness gave it a disturbing quality. The overhead lights buzzed. The wallpaper peeled. The air smelled faintly of ammonia. The paint on the receptionist’s desk had flaked off in places. There was gum matted in the carpet.

It was a normal apartment building. Not a nice one.

Aizawa walked cautiously to the desk, and peered at the mailboxes behind it. He picked out the name ‘Shigaraki’ in the third row, and made note of the apartment number.

The elevator, predictably, was out of order, not that it particularly mattered to Aizawa. He wouldn’t have trusted it to bring him to his destination, regardless. He barely trusted the stairs for that, after how many times this dream world had changed under his feet.

He reached the third floor without incident, and found the Shigaraki apartment. The door was locked, but Aizawa always carried a set of lockpicks with him, something that was as true here as in the real world. He made short work of it.

The apartment was… normal. Chaotic. Not very clean. Several sets of shoes, various sizes, littered the entryway. Medical bills and homework covered the kitchen table, more than a few letters on the floor. Bowls were stacked next to the sink. One of the rooms didn’t have a door, but a curtain. There were scorch marks on the walls.

Aizawa took a deep breath, and stepped into the apartment.

At first, nothing changed. Then, the light streaming past the curtains dimmed, natural light becoming weak, flickering sodium-yellow, and the dusty silence of an abandoned place was replaced with something that was almost like city nightlife.

Almost. There was something badly off about it. More than something… Too much anger. Not a single happy voice. Too many crashes and bangs. But… also not enough. Not enough for a riot or a protest. No motors, either. No cars.

He made his way to the window and looked out. There were people there. Crowds, even. People raging. People despairing. There were people tearing at the buildings, attacking their surroundings and one another, but many simply laid on the ground. Others… others seemed to be hunting. Looking for something, armed with makeshift weaponry.

Red lightning split the sky above them. Someone wailed, and the hunting party changed direction, going to where the lightning had struck.

Aizawa had seen the footage from Kamino, the way lightning had sparked, jagged, around the villain’s arms. He didn’t know what that lightning meant here, but he didn’t intend to get close enough to find out.

But he did have to go out, to find Midoriya’s quirk, or the representation of it. Wherever it was, it wasn’t in this apartment.

Probably.

Just to be sure, he threw open the doors and cabinets, searching and not finding. However, the apartment really was as empty of people as it seemed. Part of Aizawa itched to investigate this place more, this place where All for One was allegedly raised.

He left the apartment, making his way quickly down the stairs. In the real world, he would have most likely left through the window, jumping down to quell the near-riot happening below, to pull aside some of the younger people he had seen. But none of the people below were real, and he needed to lay low, stay inconspicuous.

Walking through Midoriya’s and the others’ minds, he and his students had always been noticed immediately. The ‘vestiges’ were distracting All for One, but Aizawa didn’t want to push his luck.

He walked out into the dim street, keeping close to the walls of buildings for whatever little cover they provided. The air tasted… oddly sterile.

The ‘people’ here were most likely stolen quirks, not memories. Would Midoriya’s be out in this? Or hidden away? How big was All for One’s mental landscape? The man was more than a century old.

If the quirk acted like the child it had belonged to… most likely it would go somewhere familiar. Midoriya’s apartment, maybe? Had he lived there, back then?

It was, unfortunately, his only lead.

(He did not think highly of his chances at success.)

“Eraserhead?”

The call was hissed, hushed and disbelieving. Aizawa half-turned, thinning his profile to provide a smaller target, his hands on his capture weapon.

Then he hesitated.

“Ragdoll?”

She blinked rapidly at him, eyes tearing up. “He got you, too, Eraser?”

Aizawa took in the brightly-colored hero costume and the ever so slightly off way she held herself. “You… aren’t really Shiretoko Tomoko, are you?” He knew that, or should have known that, but it was very different to see someone he knew… the quirk of someone he knew… here.

She crossed her arms and pursed her lips, face still twisted in upset and grief. “Just like you aren’t really…” Her eyes widened, and she pushed him into a nearby alleyway. He let her, barely resisting the urge to throw her off and double-guessing that decision. “You are the real Eraserhead,” she whispered, urgently. “The real Aizawa Shouta.”

To trust or not to trust… She’d know more than Aizawa about this place and where Midoriya’s quirk might be, but she was also compromised simply by the situation she was in and what she was. He didn’t know how much control All for One had over her, nor how similar she was to the real Ragdoll.

“Why are you here? How are you here?” Her words carried an edge of desperation. “You can’t be here. This is hell.”

“It’s a quirk. I’m looking for someone,” said Aizawa, making a snap decision. “A child.”

“One of your students?”

“Younger,” said Aizawa. “About five.”

“That doesn’t narrow it down as much as I’d like,” admitted not-Ragdoll.

“A boy,” said Aizawa. “Curly green hair. Probably small for his age.”

She blinked again, eyelashes fluttering. “Green hair? Like Midoriya?”

“You remember him?”

“It would be hard to forget the student Kota punched in the…'' she trailed off with a grimace. “Is he alright? Kota?”

“He’s fine. And… you’re fine, as well. Alive, I mean.”

“That’s not really…” She chewed her lower lip. “Call me Search. Midoriya, is he…?”

“He’s… The situation is complicated.”

Ragdoll-- Search nodded. “I haven’t seen anyone that looks like that,” she said. “But I’m not the only hero-- The only hero’s quirk here.” She stepped out of the alley. “Let me show you.”

This felt like a trap.

He didn’t have any better leads.

He followed.

.

Kazuki had never been strong. As a child, he’d been sickly, and he’d grown into a sickly adult. Allergies and autoimmune disorders had plagued him growing up, as well as common viruses made near-fatal by his adverse reactions to vaccines and already-compromised immune system. Then, as a teen, he’d been diagnosed with a cellular degeneration disorder that had sprung up at about the same time as meta abilities. A disorder that, if Nine was any indicator, had never been cured.

Then his brother had given him the stockpile. And that had…

Well. It had hurt, at first. It had left him sicker than ever, confused and possibly a little delirious as his own power sheered away the ghost of a half-brother he’d never met into near-nothingness, as instincts and senses he’d only been peripherally aware of opened up, angry and inflamed by the violation.

(He wondered, now, if One for All might have manifested very differently if the stockpile hadn’t been forced on him. If the reason Izuku was drawing out the quirks of his predecessors wasn’t because of the mechanical remnants of his original quirk, but because One for All itself had finally settled into equilibrium with the stockpile.)

But. He’d had the stockpile. He’d had that well of power, shallow as it had been back then. at the beginning.

Kazuki still wasn’t strong. Never, in his entire life, from birth to death, had he been strong.

But it was a fact that, for as long as the strong and the weak had existed among men, so had equalizing devices.

Kazuki could lean on a cane. He could also beat someone to death with one. At least, when he’d been alive.

He’d done some staffwork, too, when he’d been alive. The weapon wasn’t as inconspicuous in the modern world as it had been in the past, but it had reach and versatility. Also, many cleaning implements, garden tools, and lengths of pipe could be used as a staff in a pinch.

But his favorite weapon was the sword.

(Kazuki had excelled above his older brother in only four areas: morality, med school, finishing books, and kendo.)

Force multipliers, one friend in the underground had called Kazuki’s weapons. Specialized levers.

Someone, a westerner, Kazuki thought, had once said that you could move the world with a long enough lever. Kazuki couldn’t claim to have done that, he couldn’t even move his brother, but weapons had made his use of One for All much more efficient.

Much more deadly, in some cases.

Unfortunately, his blade failed to cleave off his brother’s insufferably smug face, steel skittering off his brother’s quirk-enhanced hand. Kazuki dove past him, tumbled, making sure to keep the cutting edge of his sword pointed away from himself, and rolled smoothly to his feet, the phantom buzz of One for All under his skin making him much more coordinated than he otherwise would have been.

Daigoro and Rokuya had already engaged his brother. Ryuji was circling, unnoticeable, waiting for an opening. Miranda had summoned a dense fog that crackled with lightning (incidentally not something she’d commonly been able to do in life - for most of her feats, the prevailing weather conditions had to be just right first). Nana was minding the environment, for the moment, making sure it suited them and hindered their opponent. Although, she’d attempted a few several-story axe-kicks, when she saw the opportunity.

As for their youngest two members…

“I hadn’t expected you to let Midoriya Izuku fight,” said All for One, as if everyone involved wasn’t completely, brutally aware that he was Izuku’s father, “but I really expected more action from All Might. Are you afraid I’ll do to your mind what I did to your body?”

“Shut up!” shouted Izuku. “Leave him alone! He’s driving!”

“He’s wha--?”

Rokuya and Miranda both took All for One’s distraction as an opening to hit him with electrical attacks. Rokuya laughed wildly. “Tase him again, senpai!”

Kazuki adjusted his grip on the police stun baton he found in his hand (he’d stolen one, once, and kept it for a week before realizing it was GPS enabled) and smiled. A request like that from his successor? How could he refuse?

.

Vlad’s car, ever so gently, rolled to a stop. Toshinori cursed vigorously, though not particularly creatively, and winced. There wasn’t anything he could do about a empty fuel tank. Swearing at it wasn’t going to fill it up.

Once met someone with a quirk like…

Toshinori squeezed his eyes shut and let the foreign memory roll over him. Focus on positives. They were much closer to the Wild Wild Pussycats’ compound, almost to the cliffside that Izuku and his classmates had been tipped off of by Pixie Bob, and… Toshinori had to let that memory flicker and pass as well.

He pulled first their supplies, then Izuku, from the car, wanting to keep his student in the warmth provided by the barely-functional heating system for as long as possible. On a whim, he took the emergency supplies Vlad had stored in his car as well.

Perhaps taking things from his fellow teacher should have twinged his conscience more than stealing from villains, but, well. Vlad would have more loss to worry about than a small first aid kit, emergency foil blankets, and road flares. Toshinori had originally intended to return the car, or at least leave it somewhere Vlad could find, but his plans had changed.

The car might not be next to the cliff Izuku and his classmates had fallen from at the beginning of their summer camp experience, but it was next to a cliff.

He made sure the wheel was turned in the right direction, got behind the car and pushed. It took longer than he would have liked to get to the cliffside, but once he did, momentum and gravity took care of the rest.

The result was loud enough to jostle Izuku from his state of not-quite-sleep and left a fair amount of car-related debris on the side of the cliff, but the car itself was obscured quite nicely by the pine trees below.

He walked, slowly, back to Izuku, who had struggled into a sitting position, and was now contemplating standing.

“Don’t,” said Toshinori, softly. “I’ll carry you.”

“But,” said Izuku, looking at him with worry. He swallows, licking split lips. “You’re really not in better shape than I am.”

“You’re keeping us hidden,” said Toshinori. “I’m not.”

Izuku sagged, defeated. “Okay,” he said, softly.

.

“I was on my way when I found you,” said Search, leading Aizawa forward. “He knows everywhere here, he is everywhere here, and a lot of the quirks here belonged to his followers, or to people who were his enemies but were just as bad as he was… We have to move where we meet.”

“And who is ‘we’ in this situation?” asked Aizawa.

There was a lull in the conversation as they pressed themselves to a wall to let a large group go by.

“Other heroes,” said Search, quietly, once they were more or less alone again. “Rather, their quirks.” She looked up at him. “We might not be them, but we refuse to let him change us, destroy more of what we are.” Something more… natural, for lack of a better term, bled into her bearing.

It was then that it struck Aizawa, what had been bothering him about all the ‘people’ here. None of them moved like they were alive. Not even the vestiges in Midoriya’s mind felt so dead.

Aizawa was standing in a world of ghosts.

He forced himself to nod at her, this specter wearing his colleague’s face and memories. If what she said was true, then she was, indeed, pursuing a noble cause.

She led him to what looked like an average, middle-class hotel, except that it was painted with bright, red graffiti accusing the owners of being ‘mutants.’ They entered through a side door, and went down into a basement filled with washing and drying machines.

The room was also full of people. Quirks. All of whom became very tense upon seeing Aizawa.

“Who’s this?” asked one of them, a thin woman still wearing a blood-splattered costume. Aizawa vaguely recognized her face as that of a hero who’d been popular when he’d been a kid.

“This is Eraserhead,” said Search. “The real Eraserhead.”

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure,” said Search.

Aizawa didn’t know how she could be, seeing as she hadn’t really asked him any questions that could confirm his identity, but he didn’t belabor the point.

“He’s looking for someone,” she continued.

“Forget that, how did you even get in here?” demanded someone else.

“A quirk,” said Aizawa.

“Duh,” said a boy in an old Shiketsu uniform. “Of course it was a quirk. Can we have some more detail? We haven’t gotten any news since she came in.” He jerked his head towards Search.

“It was a number of quirks,” allowed Aizawa, “interacting in an unpredicted way. The reason you haven’t gotten any…” He looks at Search. “News. Is because All for One is in Tartarus.”

He’d vaguely expected for the quirks to be reassured by this. Instead, they frowned.

“If you manage to get out,” said the boy, “tell them that they need to kill him. He’s not going to stay nicely in prison.”

“He’s right,” said the woman, crossing her arms. “It doesn’t matter what kind of restraints, drug cocktail, or quirk you’ve got. You see the crowds out there?” She moved to point. “Every person in them is a quirk. Strength quirks, fire quirks, longevity quirks, healing quirks, you name it, he’s got it. The only reason he hasn’t sunk the country is because he wants to rule it.” There was a murmur of agreement.

“I’ll pass it on,” said Aizawa. “But I do have something I’m here for.”

“What?” she snapped.

“A kid’s quirk,” said Search, quickly.

“Why?” asked a vigilante’s quirk, stepping forward. Aizawa had investigated their death. People with healing quirks rarely died like that. “What good does it do you?”

“I know the kid in question,” said Aizawa. “The rest is classified.”

He could make things classified if he wanted to.

“Can you describe them?” asked the vigilante, making gentle shapes with their hands.

“A boy,” said Aizawa. “Green eyes, green curly hair. Probably small. Probably has a thing for notebooks.”

The atmosphere in the room stilled from merely unnatural to deathly.

“Yeah,” said the woman. “We know who you’re talking about.” She pursed her lips. “This is something that’ll make it so All for One won’t be able to use him anymore, right?”

“Hopefully,” said Aizawa. “When you say use…”

The woman waved him off. “The kid’s fine,” she said. “Just terrifying, is all.”

Aizawa closed his eyes. “Of course he is.”

.

"We decided to keep him away from the other kids," said the vigilate's quirk, "because he was freaking them out."

They were in an apartment building again, this one newer.

"We try to keep the kids away from all that in general." The vigilante waved towards the racket outside. "Wish we could get them free, but…" He trailed off, fixing Aizawa with an appraising look. "If this works with your kid, and he gets his quirk back, maybe you could try with some of the others? I think at least some of them must still be alive out there, right? If your kid is."

"I'll look into it," said Aizawa, "but I'm afraid this is a one time only chance."

"Figures," muttered the vigilante. He knocked on the door.

There was an excited gasp from the other side, and then the pitter-patter of little feet. Then, more concerningly, several metallic clanks and clicks as bolts and locks from the other side of the door were released. The door swung back, and a painfully tiny version of Midoriya beamed up at them.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 286: VESTIGE ANTICS ARE A GO

Previously on BnHA: Deku was all ��what’s the record for most consecutive bone breaks within the span of a single minute” and, without waiting for an answer, proceeded to unleash roughly 17 Smashes onto Tomura. Kacchan was all “THAT DOES IT, I’M TAKING THE REINS OF THIS SHITSHOW” and carried Endeavor and Shouto up to where the action was so Endeavor could hit Tomura with a Prominence Burn. AFO was all “Tomura would you rather burn to death or let me take over your body” and Tomura was all “...” and so AFO TOOK OVER and was all “STABBITY STABBITY” and used his Stabbing Quirk to do some Good Old Fashioned STABBIN’. First he stabbed Endeavor, and then he was all “hee and now I’m gonna stab Deku”, but Kacchan was all “SIR THAT’S MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT RIVAL” and so he rushed on in AND GOT HIMSELF STABBED INSTEAD. And so basically THIS PAST WHOLE WEEK HAS BEEN A RIDE, LET ME TELL YOU.

Today on BnHA: Kacchan is all “sup Deku lemme just downplay how I totally took this fatal blow for you just now” before he dramatically passes out and is caught by Todoroki “BTDUBS I CAN FLY NOW” Shouto, who is also carrying his dad because the kids really are just doing it all, here. AllForRaki Tomura For One is all “HAHA BAKUGOU IS PRETTY DUMB”, at which point Deku just LOSES IT ENTIRELY and ASCENDS INTO A NEW PLANE OF FURY LIKE A LITTLE GREEN RAGE BUDDHA. But then like two seconds later Tomura is all “ANYWAY, SO” and FUCKING TOUCHES DEKU’S FACE, CAUSING THE TWO OF THEM TO ASTROPROJECT INTO THE FREAKY OFA/AFO MINDSCAPE BECAUSE THIS CHAPTER IS BANANAS. Vestige!AFO is all “reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated but aren’t you glad I saved your life though, Tomura”, while Tomura is all “!!” because he’s hopefully starting to get A Clue, and meanwhile Deku just stands there watching all “what the fuck.” The chapter ends with SHIMURA MCFUCKING NANA showing up all, “HI, I HEARD SOME BITCHES WERE TRYING TO HAVE A GIRL POWER ARC, AND THEY DIDN’T INVITE ME.” Go on, Nana. Give ‘em hell.

you guys. I’m not normally one to take pleasure in another human being’s misfortune. BUT THAT SAID, there are exceptions to every rule, and so let’s just say certain events have transpired early this morning which have PUT ME IN A VERY, LET’S JUST SAY, NOT-TERRIBLE MOOD which this chapter will hopefully improve upon!!

oh my god Deku’s one non-fucked-up eye that he still has control over is SO WIDE YOU GUYS

hmm I know I shouldn’t be all (゜▽゜) while the two of them are all (； ▼ Д ▼) (⁰ Д゜;) ... and yet here we are. btw I’m worried tumblr’s formatting will ruin those two emojis which I worked so hard to get just right so I’m gonna repost them on another line here just in case

(； ▼ Д ▼) (⁰ Д゜;) that’s them. Kacchan and Deku. my boys 

HERE COMES THE CHEESY “JUST GOT STABBED BETTER PLAY IT OFF ALL COOL!!!” ONE LINER OH MY GOD

(ETA: really love how my son, with what for all he knows could be his dying breaths, decides that the absolute most important thing is to preserve his selfish asshole facade so as not to fuck up his status quo with his rival. “LOOKEE HERE I GOT MYSELF ALL STABBED AND SHIT FOR YOU, BUT I TOTALLY JUST DID IT BECAUSE I WAS TIRED OF YOU GETTING ALL THE COOL HERO MOMENTS” yeah, that’s right! SELFLESS MOTIVATIONS, WHAT ARE THOSE sob.

also tbh I’m glad they didn’t delve any further into their feelings right here and now because this really isn’t the place or time for it sadly. WE WILL JUST PUT THOSE ON HOLD UNTIL AFTER THE ARC ENDS, when they are all recovering from their various wounds and traumas and have time to catch up and have some long-overdue heart-to-hearts. it deserves its own chapter or two or three. maybe time to head back to Ground Beta once they’re healthy? “healthy” perhaps being a relative term given their current condition fjsdjkf.)

by the way it looks from here like only the ones through his torso and shoulder actually hit, so that’s something at least. WE’VE LOST ENOUGH LEGS TODAY. I need to conserve my remaining puns

MEANWHILE TOMURA IS HAVING A CRISIS

ARE YOU MAD AT YOUR EVIL DAD TOMURA. HE JUST WON’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER WILL HE, THAT GUY

anyway so it looks like Kacchan might have caught a break here because AFO/Tomura is pulling the stabby quirk activation tendril things back out! rip, “Kacchan vs. Deku part 3″ theories

p.s. I got ALL CAUGHT UP IN THE DRAMA and thus glossed over the chapter title which is “one among us”! hmmm this is definitely AFO/OFA related, calling it now. ooh lord I am excited

NOW MY SON IS DRAMATICALLY FALLING

THE BLOOD FROM THE MOUTH OOF NOT GOOD AHHHH. DEKU’S FACE AHHHH. HIS BODY JUST WENT TOTALLY LIMP DID HE PASS OUT AHHHH. SOMEONE CATCH HIM!!

BY HIS FOOT, SHOUTO?!

well NOT EXACTLY THE MOST GRACEFUL THING I’VE EVER SEEN, but we’ll allow it because HOLY SHIT BOY. ARE YOU ALREADY CARRYING YOUR DAD ON TOP OF THAT?? HORIKOSHI PLEASE CONFIRM, IS TODOROKI MOTHERFUCKING SHOUTO FUCKING FLYING AROUND UNBALANCED AF ON HIS ONE FLAMEY LEG, CARRYING HIS 500 LB POP AND NOW HIS FLOPPY PASSED OUT BEST FRIEND AS WELL?!? HOLY SHIT TODO?!?!

LADIES AND GENTLEFRIENDS OF THE VILLAIN STANDOM, FEAR NOT, TOMURA’S HAIR IS THE FIRST THING THAT GREW BACK LOL

even before his eyeballs kfldkakjk. which, btw, how does he even know what’s going on right now? “this fight has shed a lot of useless blood” sdkmkjl okay well (1) WHOSE FAULT WAS THAT, AGAIN??, (2) SERIOUSLY THOUGH, HOW DOES HE EVEN KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO YOU STABBED?? ARE YOU EFFECTIVELY BLIND FOR THE NEXT FEW SECONDS HERE, WHAT’S GOING ON, and lastly (3) I seriously can’t tell if this is AFO or Tomura talking right now. or are they going back and forth?? help this is so confusing

HEY

THE DISRESPECT. I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW KACCHAN ANGST IS NEVER USELESS!!

AND NOW HE’S BACK TO THE STABBING JFKJLKJLF I AM NOT TOO HAPPY WITH YOU RIGHT NOW MISTER

okay and now we’re cutting to some quick panels of the unconscious Aizawa, Gran, and Ryuukyuu, along with the “still conscious but in a very real sense might as well not be counted” Manual who is really having a day, that poor guy

anyway but then there’s also some dialogue boxes being all “if you act out of rage your power will respond accordingly, the most important part is to keep your head clear.” which I’m like 90% sure is Deku/OFA related, but honestly NOTHING ABOUT THIS CHAPTER IS CLEAR SO FAR YOU GUYS. except for the Shouto-is-a-badass part anyway

HMM YEP I’M GONNA GO WITH DEKU-RELATED

it must be a callback to some line I’m forgetting. maybe Lariat explaining Blackwhip to him that one time. probably should have been in italics if it was a flashback quote, but hey. anyways the point is Deku is absolutely, 100% following this advice to the letter (/s)

(ETA: yep I’m almost positive this is the same quote from chapter 213. “listen, when you use this power out of anger, it’ll really start working for you. what really matters is controlling your heart.” which is still one of the weirdest pieces of advice in the entire series, but basically I think he was just trying to tell him it’s okay to get mad, so long as it’s calmly mad. like, controlled fury, as opposed to this white-hot berserker nonsense he’s been running on as of late. anyways I do still love me some shounen rage all the same but Lariat has a point.)

...

it took me a minute to realize THOSE WERE DEKU’S EYES. holy --

AND ANOTHER MINUTE TO REALIZE THAT DEKU FUCKING GRABBED THE ACTIVATION TENDRIL WITH HIS BUSTED UP OFA HANDS AND BIT INTO IT WITH HIS RABID OFA JAWS AND SNAPPED THAT SHIT LIKE A FUCKING KITKAT KLJLKSJDLKJFLK WOOOOOOOO I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING BUT GODDAMN. POWER MOVE

(ETA: this is a two-page spread omg. I didn’t even realize at first. this scan ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT DO THIS BADASS PAGE ANY KIND OF JUSTICE but I can’t wait to see the real deal on Sunday holy shit.)

LMAO

DEKU RAGED SO HARD HE TURNED INTO AN ANGRY GHOST SONIC THE HEDGEHOG FKLSKG

(ETA: he actually looks a bit like the Vestiges/Kurogiri tbh.)

meanwhile Tomura basically has the exact same face I would have had in his position. yeah for real man. I don’t even know

p.s. WHEN will people learn to STOP INSULTING KACCHAN IN DEKU’S PRESENCE. WHEN, I ASK!!

WHAT IN THE CINNAMON TOAST FUCK

if this was a physical page I was holding I would have FLUNG THAT SHIT AWAY LIKE THERE WAS A SPIDER CRAWLING ON IT. WHAT THE FUCK

HOT DAMN. well uh. so that’s SUPER DISTURBING, what a lovely panel of Tomura’s melted face slowly growing back while his ears lag behind, and meanwhile that little scar that had been growing and growing and which at one point certain people (ME) thought might turn him into a BEAUTIFUL BUTTERLY instead RIPS HIS FACE IN HALF to reveal the KINDER EGG AFO SURPRISE UNDERNEATH AHHHHH TAKE IT BACK

THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T LET MAD SCIENTISTS PERFORM EXPERIMENTS ON YOU, KIDS. PSA. JUST SAY NO

-- NO!!!

HORIKOSHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fuck

oh my god. I almost would have rather cut away right after the Kacchan incident than freaking cut away NOW of all times, jesus. THAT’S JUST A BITCH MOVE, IS WHAT THAT IS. if we don’t cut back within the next three pages I SWEAR TO GOD

anyway so GUESS WHAT GIGANTOMACHIA’S DOING YOU GUYS. if you guessed “the exact same thing he was doing last time we saw him” then you are absolutely right, because it was actually PRETTY EASY TO GUESS

anyway but he says he detects “master’s scent”, except that there’s apparently two of them. interesting! one in Tartarus and one in Jakku, right? lol Horikoshi has burned me so many times already with his excruciatingly slow reveal of this that I’m not gonna hold my breath just yet, but I’ll get the hype train warmed up JUST IN CASE

okay so meanwhile in downtown Jakku, the heroes are handing off the civilians over to the police and rescue forces while they prepare to engage with “the villain”, by which I assume they mean Gigantomachia. does this mean Iida and Ochako are gonna fight Machia you guys omg

OOH!!!

“PLEASE INFORM THEM ON FOOT” well I know a certain SPEEDY BOI who would be PERFECT for that job oh my. make haste, Tenyar FastmLeggy

WAIT WHICH WAY ARE THEY HEADING

ARE THEY HEADING TOWARDS MACHIA OR TOWARDS DEKU AND AFO

so rather than answering my VERY PERTINENT question, Ochako is instead spending an entire page thinking about how their complete clusterfuck of a life keeps getting exponentially worse all the time! well but she’s not wrong though

NOW SHE’S ALL “GUYS...!” and, rather than explaining ANYTHING AT ALL, Horikoshi is again cutting back to THIS, OMG AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

(ETA: good thing Kacchan wasn’t awake to see his dramatic “I’ll just get myself impaled for Deku’s sake” plan result in this outcome ALL OF TWENTY SECONDS LATER smdh.)

I ACTUALLY PREFER MY DEKUS NON-CRUMBLED, THANKS. ALSO JUST ON A SIDE NOTE, POOR SHOUTO THOUGH. THE LAST NINETY SECONDS OR SO HAVE BEEN ENOUGH NIGHTMARE FUEL FOR A LIFETIME HAVEN’T THEY

so now he’s all “MIDORIYA!!!” because OF COURSE HE IS. his best friend just got impaled, and his dad too, and now he fully expects to see his other best friend crumble to dust right before his eyes holy shit. T R A U M A ™

-- !!!

somehow in the excitement of the moment I forgot his actual goal for a sec lol. meaning I instantaneously switched from HORRIFIED to GRINNING LIKE A MANIAC :D :D :D come on OFA time to show him what’s what

AND NOW WE’RE SWITCHING OVER TO EVERYONE’S FAVORITE TRIPPY DREAM LANDSCAPE FOR ADDITIONAL DRAMA, WELL OKAY

I’M ON BOARD WITH THIS, WHATEVER. also it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Deku is in fact nekkid underneath that mystical cloud bs, so let’s hope one of his remaining yet-to-be-unlocked quirks is a pants-conjuring quirk lulz

“this place...” yeah we all fucking know what this place is son, let’s get on with this. by my count we’ve only got four pages left so PLEASE BUDGET THEM WISELY

OH MY

holy shit. I have so many screaming thoughts about this lol but I just want to keep on reading lkjlkjlkjl okay I’ll come back later and edit them in, how’s that

OR MAYBE I’LL JUST RANT ABOUT THEM NOW GODDAMMIT

shit. okay let me just try and sum this up as quick as I can

so just in case it wasn’t already crystal clear, AFO’s soul being roommates with Tomura’s seems to be just about 100% confirmed now. good for you, All For One For All theory!! the “Kacchan loses his quirk” theory died so that you might live on in glory

AFO does seem to have almost fully taken control now. it looks like Tomura’s still fighting back, but AFO clearly has the upper hand now if their body language is any indication. Tomura on his knees with AFO calmly holding him down and ignoring his struggles... not looking too good for him at the moment

people seem to have somewhat lost sight of this in the midst of the great “heroes vs. villains Who Is Right Who Is Wrong What Are Morals” debate of 2020, but just a friendly reminder that AFO is in fact responsible for 100% of all of Tomura’s suffering from pretty much the moment he was born up till this very moment we’re now witnessing!! like, you can go ahead and blame Nana and Gran and The Complacent Apathy Of Hero Society and whatever the fuck else from here till Sunday, but All for One is the reason Kotarou was orphaned. All for One is almost certainly the reason why the seemingly quirkless Tenko suddenly just magically developed THE MOST FUCKED UP QUIRK OF ALL TIME at the worst possible moment. All for One is probably the reason why no one helped Traumatized Baby Tenko in the immediate aftermath (I can and likely will write a separate post about this in the near future). All for One is definitely the reason why no one helped Tenko at any point after that. All for One is the reason why Tenko grew up all fucked in the head (“HERE’S YOUR DEAD FAMILY’S HANDS, MERRY CHRISTMAS”), and the reason why he grew up blaming Heroes and Society rather than the sole person who was actually responsible who was literally standing right in front of him the entire time. and lastly, All for One is the reason why Tomura has now been manipulated into unknowingly sacrificing his own body and possibly even his mind. so THANKS A LOT FOR THAT. more like jerk for one amiright

basically what I’m trying to say is that Deku and Tomura are not actually enemies here, and they never have been. the two of them have a common enemy, and I’m convinced Tomura’s story is about him eventually coming to realize this. and this looks to be the first step towards that, for two reasons. one, because AFO is finally starting to out himself to Tomura as the rat bastard he has always been. and two, because Deku is catching a glimpse of this now for the very first time. up until now he didn’t have a damn clue lol. but this is now something for him to file away in the back of his mind, and perhaps follow up on at a later date, once all of this craziness finally subsides and he has some time to process

anyway, so that’s basically it! tl;dr AFO is the final villain and unless I’m very much mistaken, this scene is going to finally start to set that up. let’s read on!

OMG

NANA?!?

lKDSJFLKSHGLISHDOGIHOLRKL

NOOOOOO I can’t believe it fucking ended there I can’t fucking believe it, fuck everything

smdh. what a place to end it. didn’t confirm a damn thing. not even whose mental landscape all of this is actually taking place in! like, don’t mind me though Horikoshi, it’s not like THE FATE OF THE WORLD HINGES ON THIS QUESTION OR ANYTHING except oh wait it really kind of does. kljkj

but seriously. because if it’s Deku’s mind, it means that Tomura’s attempt to take his quirk wasn’t successful. but if it’s Tomura’s mind, though... well... hhhhhhkhfff

or it could be both, I guess. more of that “AFO and OFA are the same quirk and thus linked” goodness. oh man. anyways stay tuned for next week when Nana presumably helps Deku out with the rest of that black fog and also hopefully finds him some pants. or maybe Nana can just go fight AFO herself. a little payback for everything he’s done to her protege and to her grandson. either way I CAN’T WAIT omg. VESTIGE ANTICS ARE A GO

[pcktknife]

I’m not reading bnha but are we supposed to be sympathetic towards toga? Because she does kind of have to live with the consequences of being a literal murderer of many innocent people... I don’t know I just feel like her message would mean more if she didn’t do and continue to do all that stuff. If I was uraraka I would also be like uhh no thanks

I'm trying to figure out how to answer this question cause Im not good at breaking material down in an way that makes sense to other people...

 ....but I mean to some extent yes I think you are meant to be sympathetic towards toga.I think you are also meant to get a different(maybe more negative)view on ochako(and if you wanna go a little deeper a more negative view of hero society as a whole).

Does toga have to face the consequences of her actions for murder? yeah. But that's not what toga is asking or even trying to talk about.ochako seemingly brushes her question off as not important with 'you did all that just to ask me a question?' and then responds in a way that derails the topic.

"how do you deem whose worthy to save?" "I'm trying to save everyone I can.dont get in my way or else"

(from my understanding togas look is supposed to be like 'oh well why couldn't jin be saved' or 'oh this girl doesn't think of us as worthy of help' )

togas question stems from 'did jin deserve to die'.jin was a character who from our perspective as the audience didn't deserve to die.his character wasn't just some bad guy,we got insight to his life,he was a complex human being.we also got insight to toga,shigaraki,and dabi's lives as well.and we, the readers, see that like the common factor of why they are the way they are is hero society + the viewing of some quirks being inherently villainous.(which is a whole other part of this fight that if I get into I will lose myself more than I already have lmao)

the purpose of a hero is to "save every life they can" so when it comes down to the people whose live aren't all black and white (like the lov) will heroes try to save them too?try to understand them? Or will they just mark you as villain and say you're evil without giving you a second thought?

Also it's not like ochako would know any of this.her mindset is heavily influenced by whats around(plus ultra and what not ,y'know all the pro hero stuff).She doesn't understand how deep all this stuff goes.I don't think toga or ochako are completely in the wrong due to having totally different life experiences but I think their little fight was supposed to put them both in a different light. But this is all speculation I don't actually know this is what Im Assuming from the LITTLE SCENE WE GOT.If it was more in depth maybe I'd be able to draw out some better conclusions.

[rexnihilis]

... run, dodge the Air Cannon and bounce back from Forced Quirk Activation. It seems that Shigaraki is trying to copy the movements of All For One from Kamino. Although he also does not refuse Decay and the  explosion quirk...

... jump from the Decay wave, hide behind the building from the explosion and get away from the laser from the right eye.

"Kacchan. We leave closer to the city, there are more covers."

Shigaraki will definitely hear this broadcast, but Bakugo knows that we will not endanger the civilian and at the moment when Tomura tries to block our withdrawal, we will be able to break ahead...

... send an air attack towards Shigaraki, smash the ground before the Decay wave, grab Kacchan's hand and...

The calculation turned out to be correct, and Shigaraki tried to block the passage to the city, which means...

"KACCHAN, C'MON !!!" and with the explosion of Bakugo and a strike of 45%, we are leaping back to ground zero...

But then he began to choke ...

______________________________________________

How lucky! How lucky I am that the owner of One For All is this small bastard! How will it be worthwhile taking his quirk from him, and then his life, after he interfered with me in the USJ, became one of the reasons why I am considered only an appendage of Stein's ideology, as well as for the destruction of our triumph in Kamino. This is not the whole prize that I will receive for his death! The killing of the  All Might successor, gaining the power that was stolen from Sensei 200 years ago, and also destroying the reputation of the heroes with a final blow to their "golden eggs". This is the same as getting  Royal Flush in the final of the poker game.

Everything would be even better if this brat DON'T! DODGE! FROM! MY! HITS! To get on it is like trying to grab a rat by the tail. Although the comparison with the rat, for this hero, is still a compliment...

"Kacchan. We leave closer to the city, there are more covers."

Great. This bastard thinks I'm falling into such a simple trap. If I try to catch him now, then I will have to protect him from this idiot who didn’t join us when there is a chance. And now, I have a chance to get closer to residential areas where there are still a lot of civilians, so get rid of it explosive Pomeranian nor do I even have to do anything, except using the trick of the enemy, against himself!

... take on an air strike, send the collapse toward the civilians, jump into the "trap" and activate Warping. And then again that heady feeling, when his thin neck is in your hands and you just want to, and he will turn into a bunch of dust. It remains only to pick up One for All.

And again, I feel the warmth that filled me after awakening, but... It stretches, it kicks and breaks out! Now it’s clear why Sensei couldn’t take this quirk. It is reasonable, although not completely... It can take 10-15 minutes, so it’s worth knocking out this bastard and just picking up this quirk bit by bit...

While these thoughts flashed through Shigaraki’s head, his hands lit with lightning, and the caught went into the abyss of his mind...

______________________________________________

Darkness. Previously, there was only darkness, but now there, on the horizon, a white wasteland is visible, which is illuminated by a gray, dim light, which breaks through cracks.

Cracks in One for All.

Cracks in reality.

This is the end.

Cracks go faster and faster from the horizon, and hands are visible right behind them. Hands that expand cracks and absorb this world.

Izuku lost. Izuku couldn't escape from the successor of All For One, and now not only One for All, but all of Japan will be waiting for this wasteland.

He did not fulfill the request of the first, he ...

"Kidou."

These words came from darkness. Swirling darkness that always surrounded and covered him inside a quirk. Continuing to cry, he saw that now not only his fingers, but his whole hand are now not covered in this darkness. He still couldn't speak, but now he felt this world even more real. Even colder.

"Kidou. You mustn't blame yourself. It isn't your fault that your enemies are stronger and more experienced than you. You mustn't blame yourself for not being able to fulfill the request of the First."

These words were warm in Izuku's chest. The warmth that he had forgotten so long ago. The heat that filled it better and stronger, even than 100% One For All.

Tears poured from his eyes, because he had to stop Shigaraki. He was the only one capable of doing this. He...

"You don’t have to do this. You are still a child, Izuku. You are all still children, and they shouldn't have put you in such a situation. They had to do everything themselves and they failed. You shouldn't take the blame for other people's mistakes. You are already a hero, but the hero isn't obliged to solve all the problems that appear by people's actions. People must accept their mistakes and pay for them. And if they aren't able to accept their mistakes, they don't deserve to be saved. And now... Sleep. You need rest."

Izuku tried to refute his words, he wanted to say that everyone deserves to be saved, but the words of this man were echoed in Izuku’s soul. These glories lulled and offered to relax and then everything will pass. They promised hope and trust. They promised protection...

"Sleep, Kidou. Sleep and everything will pass. You mustn't solve their problems. But since they are not able to deal with this problem, I must do it."

The last words of this shadow sounded more like a threat, but Izuku was already fast asleep and there was only a person in his dreams that gave him warmth. A man whose hair was white as snow and his eyes was red as blood...

______________________________________________

Endeavor strove for the place where Shigaraki went. Midoriya said that he would go right behind him, and this conclusion was not a bit wrong.

"Burnin, report!"

"Midoriya Izuku and Bakugo Katsuki left in an unknown direction, while Uraraka Ochako and Shoto Todoroki tried to follow this idiots, but I caught them."

So Katsuki went along with Midoriya? Is he also connected with One For All? Shoto too try to run away. What is One for All and how is it related to All For One? No time to find out.

"Burnin, Shigarki headed for Midoriya. Order for you and all nearby sidekicks - take all students, civilians and injured as far away from this damn mountain! Contact the commission and ask for reinforcements."

"Yes sir!"

Well, we figured it out. Now we need to call the rest of the pro.

"Ryukyu, Crust, Wash! Answer!"

"Wash! Wash!"

"Ryukyu in touch!"

"Where is the Crust?"

"... He died saving us."

Silence hung on the channel of the heroes for a short while.

"Wash, help Burnin and warn everyone you meet that Shigaraki has several quirks. I’m also send off the coordinates. Shigaraki is there, pursuing Midoriya Izuku."

A crazy and inhuman roar filled the sound channel.

"Ryukyu, what was that?!"

"It was not me!"

“Okay, we don’t have time for that. Send as many heroes as possible there and bring the Eraserhead. While Shigaraki is distracted, we have the opportunity to eliminate him.”

And will pray that Midoriya is still not in Shigaraki’s hands...

______________________________________________

It’s easier and easier, pieces of One for All began to ripped out, only 5 minutes remained, and the void that was inside All For One should have been filled. Only 5 minutes, but nothing is ever going to be easy. There is always something that spoils his ideal plans. This time it was Hero No. 1.

"Even a step and the boy will fertilize this lifeless land."

Bluff.

It was a bluff. Shigaraki couldn’t afford to lose One For All. Not now that he was in his hands. So close that it has almost become a part of himself.

Endeavor, stepped back and looked. He was looking for a way to save that brat.

Useless hope.

A little more and it will be impossible to save him...

And then the Cold came.

It was all-consuming and murderous. It promised suffering and torment. It only wanted death...

Shigaraki used the Search to find the source of this cold and he saw darkness in front of him. Where previously there was the brightest light of all possible, darkness and cold now swirled. Something that terrified him more than anything that he had met in his life. Even when Sensei used his Aura on Shigaraki to teach him to resist, it was not so scary ... It was not so hungry. It was not so angry. It didn’t exude such a...

Cold...

Turning off the Search, he saw that the bastard reopened his eyes, but now fear and determination were not read in them. Now there was only a look of the Monster, which was troubled by stupid and weak hunters, who guessed to awaken that which would kill them, and decided how to have fun at their expense...

Not only his eyes changed, but also the color of his right eye and several curls of his hair.

The eye turned red. Pomegranate color. The fruit by which Hades bound Persephone and his underworld. The kingdom of the dead.

Hair turned white. They became even whiter than even Shigaraki’s and they were not snow, but bones. Bones of heroes and villains that gave their lives on the orders of the gods.

Seconds stretched out in a minute, and then in hours. Horror flooded Shigaraki, but this horror was dispersed by the warmth of One for All. The fire that was in the hands of the first man when he burned the forests of all those animals that threatened him...

And then this Monster touched him. He touched his face and all the warmth that was One For All went out. Shigaraki no longer felt the warmth he was just trying to steal. On the contrary, the warmth with which he woke up began to leave him. It left behind only the chill of death, which was getting closer and closer.

Shigaraki tried to activate the Decay.

The decay responded with a good old sense of dust that clogs the face and covers the body. The very disgusting, but so familiar feeling of worms dripping in the body. And so he tried to direct this force, in order to kill this monster.

But the Monster was no longer here. 

There was only PAIN. 

Trying to touch his face, Shigaraki did not feel anything until he touched his brain.

This monster ripped out his face and a piece of skull.

He ripped out his skull.

His...

Skull.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! BASTARD, BITCH, CRUD! YOU RIPPED OUT MY SKULL!"

Turning toward the Monster, he shouted at him in pain and rage. He hated him even more than All Might.

If All Might simply did not save him, then He hurt him. He took away from him what I wanted.

HE ALWAYS CRACKED WHAT I TRIED TO BUILD...

Shigaraki never hated anything so much in his life. Never in his life did he want to destroy something so much.

And now That Something has appeared.

His skull and face grew again, and Monster threw up a piece of his face with a skull several times in his hands and looked at the horizon.

He tossed the skull one last time, destroyed in the air with the help of pure darkness that shouldn’t have existed in this world, and turned around.

His hair was white as snow and his was eyes red as blood.

Instead of the green of the forests and the light of the heavens, the blood of the fallen and the darkness of the depths swirled around him.

The Lord of the Underworld reappeared in this world and now his servants were his victims.

The only thing he said was:

It’s Show Time.

[pikahlua]

I really love your analyses about Bakugo. You're one of the few people in the fandom whose opinions I value, so thank you. I have a question for you. If Deku and Bakugo were supposed to be the better versions of All Might with their ideals and Deku with his fight encouraged the public to reach out a hand and showcased teamwork, what did Bakugo’s fight do to change the status quo? Deku already gets constant feedback from the public about this. Even Ochako was rewarded in line with the themes in the last chapter. But what about Bakugo? All we see are few crazy fangirls. Bakugo saving All Might was good in the moment, but we didn't see anything after that. His actions aren't acknowledged like those of Ochako or Deku. For example, why don't civilians quote him? He's such a special character that I'm a bit sad about this ending. I can't shake the feeling that he deserved more.

If Deku and Bakugo were supposed to be the better versions of All Might

I have to stop you right there, because either I don't agree with this statement or don't understand it as written.

But if your basic question is what lasting impact does Katsuki have on society, first of all, no one says he has to have one (I mean, what is Shouto's lasting impact on society, for that matter? They're all only like 23-24 years old at this point), and second of all, it entirely depends on what you want to count as a lasting impact on society.

Option 1: He defended the spirits of those who would push for progress.

Option 2: He inspired others to dream of being heroes in the same way All Might inspired him.

Option 3: He devoted himself to restoring the major symbol that inspired society to change in the first place. He protected Izuku's dream (and thus anyone who shared his same dream) better than anyone else ever did.

I've noticed the online fandom has been extremely obsessed with this idea of acknowledgement lately, and I would caution you all to be wary of that. Acknowledgement comes in many forms, but also some things do not need acknowledgement to be meaningful. Of course he deserves the world, but what one deserves and what one gets are often not the same, and MHA has demonstrated that in spades.

EDIT: Thank you for your kind words anon. I forgot to mention that. I wrote this answer when I had a big headache and I think it came across harsher than I intended, and I'm sorry for that <3

[kewltie]

Izuku knows lost. Intimately and keenly, knows what it's like to be cut so deeply, this throbbing ache that would dull with time but doesn't ever truly go away. This wound that is left out in the open to fester and scab over; he carry these scars with him wherever he goes but he'd never been the one to leave it on others. To be the one people would mourn over—a living ghost of a future Midoriya Izuku.

Four years from Izuku’s own timeline, the League of Villains will triumph over the heroes and seven years from that he’ll break all his friends’ heart and left them with nothing but fond memories and a burnt corpse. He'll die crudely, tragically, and young on a pyre in front of thousands of people as an example: this is what we do to your best and brightest; this will be you soon.

Izuku is only nineteen years old and he is uneasily familiarized with death as much as he’s accustomed to the cadence of his own heartbeat, but then he's not in a war with a totalitarian regime and more than a decade older, fighting alongside his friends as veterans of an urban warfare where the casualties climbed exponentially whenever they don their mask and step out onto the battlefield. This is his future, this bleak existent of fighting and endless battles, and all the lives that will be lost in order to secure a world free of AFO's tyrannical grip, but he won't be able to take part of that. He was there in the beginning, but he won't have the privilege to see it through the end.

His life was snuffed out so easily and quickly that it isn't fair to his friends to have their past smacked them right in their face by not only the arrival of an Izuku who hadn't died in front of them but his future hasn't come to pass yet. Izuku is sorry that his sudden arrival in their future timeline doesn’t bring them any comfort or a balm to heal the hole in their heart that their Izuku's death had left behind, but it's not like he wish to know how he'll die before his time and this will become of his world. Of his friends.

They're his classmates, comrades, who he had fought side by side with but even as he recognizes his friends in their weathered hands, scarred face, broad shoulders, and wary stance, they're different now. War isn't kind, less so for those who step foot on the battlefield every day.

Tenya walks with a limp. Half of Shouto's body was a disfigured in a blast. Ochako's hand was replaced with prostatic. Kirishima's right arm is stuck in his quirk form. Ashido's skin is rippled with scars from torture. It's hell.

Izuku can't begin to wrap his head around to what they had experience—survived—to just live another day, but it's the way they carefully dance around his arrival into their future that makes it hundred times more unbearable. As soon as they realized who he was, they stuffed him away in one of their most secured safehouse in an underground bunker. He gets a rotating set of guardians who watched over him every waking minute.

He knows it's all for his safety, but it's a gilded cage nonetheless.

There is always someone with him at all time and it's the face of people he recognizes. Sometimes it's Ochako and her weary smiles, other times it's Shouto and his quiet relief, or Koda and his comforting hands, and then there's Yaoyorozu and her calming presence.

They all seem to deal with him in certain ways that leave him thankful if a bit confused, but none as troubling and agonizing as Bakugou, whose silence stare leaves Izuku's breathless and nervous under his intense scrutiny. He doesn't speak much. Or at all when he stay over. Barely even acknowledging Izuku's existence next to him even though the space is small and Izuku is the only other breathing soul in sight. He treats Izuku like a nonentity; his expression is so carefully blank that it's like bumping his shoulders against an impenetrable mountain.

It doesn't feel like his Katsuki, this quiet shadow of his former shelf, but sometimes, when Izuku looks back and catches him just right before his walls of cool indifference go back right up Izuku can see the raw pain in his eyes like Izuku is an open wound he'd never heal from. Izuku is not blind nor is he a fool. Whatever passes between Izuku and his Katsuki in his own timeline is nothing comparable to the weight of this future Katsuki’s stare and the barbed wire of his feelings toward a dead version of himself. That isn’t indifference. Not even close.

There is real regret. It’s a sword edge hangs precariously between them, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Reminding them of their folly—the Izuku who will let himself be killed before his time, and the Katsuki who could do nothing but watched as he died. It would be easier, comforting even, if Bakugou had resented him for it, to call out his future’s self weakness that had ultimately led to his death and the shattered heart of all their friends.

Izuku would have preferred that to this—to see him mourn over Izuku’s ghost while Izuku stands before him.

Were they close friends in this timeline? Lovers? Or perhaps something else entirely? Is that why Bakugou wears his pain like the black veil of a grieving widow. Izuku thinks of his future and the him that had caused all of this, and how callous of him to leave this all behind. How could he ever thought of leaving this man who cares so deeply about him that the wound Midoriya left behind is deeper than any deep seeded scars on Bakugou?

Izuku doesn't know the whole story, just snatches and pieces from the loose lips of his guardians who carefully filtered info coming in and out of Izuku's ears. It's for his safety and future they had insisted but he can read between the lines. They don't trust him. Not completely. Not that Izuku blame them. This isn't his fight yet. He's just an interloper into their world just like the day he'd found himself right in the middle of a warzone and the sight that greeted him was hell. A living breathing hell of dead bodies and fallen concretes and debris.

There was a war and Izuku was definitely not where, or when, he was supposed to be. All around him were fights and quirks going off in the distance and Izuku had never felt more alone or an outlier. A trespasser into his very own dark future.

And in the midst of all of that chaos, a hand roughly grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him in a brutalizing hug. Then, he was staring into the unflinching glare of an older Bakugou Katsuki with an eye patch and a deep diagonal scar cutting through his left eye and down to his other cheek.

Words didn’t need to transpire between them for Izuku to understand. This wasn’t his world. This wasn't his Katsuki but his heart had ached all the same for the pain wrought all over the man's face at the sight of him and the way he held Izuku in his grip; forceful, desperate, and unyielding like he was afraid Izuku would disappear on him with a whiff of the wind. In the startling chaos of that moment, there was no real clarity for him, but the tragedy all around him was made fleshed by the man holding him in his arms.

"S-sorry," slipped from Izuku's lips.

He didn't know what he was apologizing for just as long he can get rid of that grief stricken look on this man's face. No matter what world he was in or what version of Katsuki he encounters, he never wants to be the reason for the hurt on Katsuki. As long as there exist an Izuku in the world, no Katsuki would ever bear such burden alone. So he leaned into the embrace with arms folded over the broad figure. Bakugou stiffened against him, but slowly and surely he let himself be drown in Izuku’s hold like a parched man devoid of a single drop of water for a very long time.  

It was the only time Bakugou had allowed Izuku to touch him, because after that he was swept away and into the bunker of the rebellion. Told the devastating truth of this world as he stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar faces of his friends who had seemingly grown up without him.

"How long?" he had asked.

"Sixteen years," Tenya revealed, achingly grave.

He paused, considering the statement and the haunted expression carved onto their face. "And how long since I died?"

Solemn silence descended upon them, no one was willing to give him a proper answer.

"Five years." Bakugou was the one who finally broke the silence. Izuku turned to him and he was met with a brick wall. Eye cold and unflinching, standing in the stark contrast of the concern looks of all those around him. "You were burned on a pyre five years ago."

Izuku winced, but held his ground even with the confirmation of his imminent death in the future. "I see." He attempted a smile. "I guess this mean I have my work cut out for me when I get back to my timeline." Not even letting himself ponder the fact that he might not be able to go back at all.

No, he has to go back to fix this. To prevent the League from winning, prevent his friends and so many innocent lives lost, and to prevent Katsuki from becoming this empty husk of a man, whose grief had long hallowed him out and gutted him dry.

He can't fix the future not yet since he's trapped here, but perhaps he can do something to alleviate Bakugou's pain. He can’t stand to see him continue to silently suffer like this, to carry this sword-like grief within him, the wound slowly rotting and eating away at him like a parasite. More than wanting to go back and save this dark future from coming to pass, he wants desperately to reach out and save this man before him now.

“Would it help if you didn’t have to look at me?” Izuku asks one day when Bakugou is stuck on guard duty with him again, cocking his head curiously at the sullen man sitting across from him.

"How am I going to protect you if I can't see you?" Bakugou grunts. "Your face doesn’t bother me.”  

Izuku frowns. That a lie but he lets it go this time. "The bunker is well guarded.” Having been unconscious when he was brought here, he doesn't know where it's located and how to even get out, but he knows it's underground at least and there's only ever one permanent occupancy. It’s him.

His guardian rotates in and out, but Izuku always remain the same. Here and waiting. For what he doesn't know, but their overprotectiveness is as suffocating as the walls of this bunker. "What are you even afraid of?" That he’ll get hurt? That he’ll die like the Izuku of this timeline?

Bakugou's hand clenches on the table. His shoulders tense and his jaw locks tight. He's quiet for a moment before finally, he says, "Everything." It's just one word but it's devastating.

Izuku's heart clenches. He desperately wants to reach over and hold Bakugou's hand, but there's an impregnable wall between them.

"I'm a hero.” He shakes his head. “I can hold my own. Let me out so I can help you. Please."

Bakugou laughs, his voice quivering like brittle glass. “We don’t need heroes. Those died a long time ago with my Deku. What we need are soldiers, people who would fight because they got everything to lose.”

"And I can fight," he insists heatedly. He'd trained under All Might and UA for this. If there's nothing else he can do, he can fight at least. He can't stand doing nothing especially when every time Katsuki and his friends leave he doesn't know if it'll be the last time he'll see them.

“This isn’t your war,” Bakugou says, low and quiet and steely firm against the brewing tempest behind his only remaining eye. It’s the calm before the storm.

“But it will be in a couple of more years for me, right?" Izuku retorts, standing his ground. "If this is to be my future then I want to be able to fight for it.”

“I'm not going let you get kill on my watch,” he snaps, eye cold and furious, but his right hand pressed against the surface of the table is shaking with the slightest of tremor. “I just can’t. I already lost you once and I refuse to do it again.”

Izuku's eyes round with shock, mouth slipping open but no sounds come out. I'm not him, are the first words he thinks, but he kills it. Squashed it under the fear that he even spoke such words to this man before him, it would break him because Bakugou is barely hanging on a thread as it is.

Grief can even make the strongest of people crumble. This man has been mourning a ghost for five years and he still wears his grief like a looming black shroud over him; it's in his voice, the despair that never leaves and in his face, the barren emptiness of it.

Izuku abruptly stands up, wanting to rush over and drag Bakugou up in his arms like the first time they had met, but Bakugou is powder keg about to explode. A walking snare that would snap at him if he make the wrong move. Agitation bleeds from him, and this is minefield Izuku has to tread carefully.

So instead, he reaches over to Bakugou’s trembling hand on the table and holds it down. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry," he murmurs, desperate and urgent.

Bakugou tries to pushes him off, growling furiously, "Don't fucking touch me!" He’s strong. Undeniably so, but Izuku is persistent and bullheaded. He drags his other hand over and places on top of his own and Bakugou’s. Two hands just to hold Bakugou’s down. Neither use their quirk, but he’s barely able to keep Bakugou from sprinting out of his seat and right out here.

"Please," Izuku begs, and putting as much force as he can to keep Bakugou there in his grip. He drags Bakugou’s hand up on his elbow. "I'm sorry!" His apology less about himself but for all the sorry that Midoriya couldn't say. Bakugou is a man of impressive height and size, grown into this hulking figure, but the fight leaves him the instant their fingers wind together, his two hands clasping around Bakugou’s own between them; it’s a mockery of a prayer, but it’s a plead all the same. "I won’t go anywhere, okay?”

And just like that Bakugou heaves a long sigh, shoulders slumping and eye stare heatedly where their hands are bound together. "Don't do anything stupid," he beseeches softly, his hand still shaking in Izuku’s grip . God, Izuku had caused this. Will cause this. This is and will be his fault. "Just stay quietly where you are and let us find a way to send you back to your own timeline."

Izuku tightens his hold on Katsuki, like he can bear all of Bakugou's weight with this touch alone. "I’ll be good," he vows. Staying quietly by the sideline isn’t in him, but he can try if it help alleviate Bakugou’s fear and anxiety.

Bakugou knocks his head back suddenly and laughs, a bitter and hallow sound with his free hand clutching his forehead. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You already fucking done it once and I won’t be fooled again.”

Izuku opens his mouth to argue, but finds himself unable to do it. A liar and oathbreaker, his future self had made of him and that’s one more crime Izuku has against Midoriya. The first of many to come. He got a big shoe to fill and mistakes to clean up, but first he’ll hold on to this man and make sure he doesn’t fall apart right before Izuku’s eyes. This is the least he can do after Midoriya had already done his best to ruin this man.    

[aashi-heartfilia]

BnHA FINAL Prediction#01

Prediction#01

The next chapter starts with Toga finally declaring her villain name and that's the name of the chapter.

Suppose, her name is Bloodlust or Bloody Lily (she is always connected to Spider Lily and blood is the source of her main power)

Either way, this could be another chapter fleshing out Toga as a villain, like we got a glimpse of her childhood and maybe middle school in the previous chapters, so maybe this chapter will show her breaking point.

As someone on Twitter pointed out, she has never killed anyone on screen other than Curious and Co and that was the moment when her quirk evolved.

She didn't kill the bird in her childhood, she didn't kill Ochako or Bakugo in the forest arc, she didn't kill Camie in the Hero Licence exam, she didn't kill Eraser, and we were never shown that she killed that old lady either (in the war arc)

Most people just assumed she did that because of her nature. Then what was the turning point? We're never shown, but this chapter maybe and maybe that could lead to Ochako understanding her better and coming up with a solution with next chapters focusing on her story.

It goes with the current arc:

Chapter 391: The world that Rejected

Chapter 392: Villain Name

Chapter 393: Bloody Lily

Chapter 394: The world that accepted (Ochako's side of story, to balance things)

Chapter 395: Ochako Uraraka: ORIGINS

Chapter 396: Ochako Uraraka: RISING

Chapter 397: THE URAVITY OF DREAMS AND HOPES

Chapter 398: The two young girls (final conclusion to TOGACHAKO battle)

Chapter 399: Aftermath of TOGACHAKO battle

Chapter 400: Deku vs Shigaraki starts...

.

So, if everything goes well I'm expecting at least 7 more chapters for the TogaChako storyline because unlike other characters whose character arcs were very sorted and full-fledged from the beginning (Shouto, Bakugo and Iida) Horikoshi was saving this battle for the last. We don't know what Ochako will possibly do to reach out to Toga.

No honey, that's not good enough.

Plus we don't know much about Ochako either, like Toga said "Ochako had an easy life because rules were made for people like her and she didn't need to deal with a single inconvenience" but we know that's far from the truth.

Ochako had a rough life, her family was poor, she didn't eat her meals to save money. She got into a hero school on her own merit. She became a hero, only to give her parents a proper life.

She saw her friends crying, teacher dying (midnight) and Ochako is a hero who wants to see everyone smile, and that includes Toga (the little girl whom the world rejected).

But if she really wants to become the Uravity of her dreams, we need a solid foundation to back it up! Like how Iida wanted to be Ingenium: The hero who will dash to grab the hand of a lost child or Shouto: who wanted to be a reassuring hero like All Might.

If we want all of this to happen, we need at least 7 back to back chapters!! And that too of at least 15 pages each, since there is still so much we don't know about them.

Plus the Twice Sad Man's Death Parade! Man if that came to a halt in less than 2 chapters, I am going on a rampage!! This death parade is going on for 20+ chapters now!! No way, it can be stopped in just 2 chapters!! Plus, I need a convincing answer as to how this parade will end. How can a single person such as OCHAKO put a stop to this entire army of clones.

Can Toga dying solve this issue? No, I don't think so.

The goal is to save her, not kill her.

But can toga control her clones?

We don't know that either. So at least 7 more chapters.

Plus we can have our main Deku vs Shigaraki from chapter 400 onwards to 420. Remember, we still have All Might vs AFO and other battles remaining? So maybe the narrative can shift to that too.

All Might vs AFO can contain glimpses of other battles too that are going on followed by a finale with All Might losing and going to Shigaraki. Then Deku vs Shigaraki, where Bakugo wakes up and they both defeat AFO Shigaraki together, Heroes Rising style putting an end to the story.

Conclusion:

TOGACHAKO battle: ch 390 to 399

All Might vs AFO: ch 400 to 405

Deku vs Shigaraki: ch 405 to 420

(Here is little Deku for world peace)

~Thanks for reading

Cheers! Sunshine

[problemswithbooks]

What do the big 3 villains need to be saved?

I think that answer will very from person to person, but I'll give my opinion, mixed with some indicators from the story.

All of them of course have to realize the pain they've caused people but I think Himiko might be the one whose redemption, or "Ah Ha!' moment really focuses on that. Right now she's lost Twice, her really close friend, and is wondering what her life means to the Heroes. I think it'd be good for Ochako to point out to her that she has taken people other people's Twice away. That just as a villain's life matters so does a Hero's. 

Himiko has to learn to balance her own happiness with the happiness of others. Through Twice and the League the audience can see that she can form close, real bonds with people without hurting them. She just has to realize that too--that her Quirk doesn't require her to hurt those she cares about.

Dabi’s biggest thing is to learn how to connect with people again--how to let people in and admit he needs help. I saw a few posts talking about how it was unfair that Endeavor was surrounded by the people he hurt, while Dabi was alone, but that’s sort of the point. His destructive qualities have pushed people away. He is one of the few League members who doesn’t feel a sense of comradery. 

Like his father did, he sees people as tools. Twice wasn’t important to him because they were best friends, he was important for what he could do. Maybe deep down he does care, but at the moment he’s numb, just like he’s said. To be saved Dabi has to let himself feel again--he has to let himself be weak in front of his family, just like Endeavor did. He has to ask for help like his dad did, and try to rebuild the connections he had with his family.

Shigaraki needs to learn how to be human being again, and make his own choices. Shigaraki has twice denied his more human side, or Tenko. He walked away from his family in the dreamscape to embrace AfO. Shigaraki needs to instead reconcile himself with his past. Accept his child self, and look inside himself and find what it is he really wants to do.

Shigaraki has been controlled his entire life. His father tried to stop him from pursuing his goals, while AfO manipulated him into following his plans. Right now he thinks he wants to be destroying everything, but it’s easy to see that that idea was placed strategically into his brain by AfO. It’s why he’s still being punished, even though a lot of fans think he’s made so much progress, because at the end of the day he’s not doing what he wants. He’s following AfO’s plans to a T. To be saved, Shigaraki needs to step back and truly think about what his real desire even is. He’s freed himself of his father, but now he has to free himself of AfO and start forging his own path.  

[natsubeatsrock]

Is Stain’s ideal for heroes being accomplished?

“Hero” should not be a title given to those seeking reward and recompense, but one earned through tireless self-sacrifice. The heroes of this era are pretenders who misrepresent themselves. Only through a relentless purge can society be made aware of this truth.

Stain may be the third most important villain in MHA, behind only Tomura Shigaraki and All for One. He was only around for two arcs, but his influence stretches well beyond the Work Study arc he was captured in. Explanation Point made a great video touching on the challenge to the capitalist society Stain presents.

Though, there is a point about him I’ve seen thrown around him: his core ideas of heroes doing good for the wrong reasons isn’t fully or properly addressed once the arc ends. I don’t think this is as simple an issue as people seem to make it out to be. The issue is kind of tricky and I’ve come up with three different responses to this based on three questions I want to answer: “Is the world where Stain wanted it?”, “Is the world coming closer to Stain’s ideal?”, and “Is Stain’s ideal realized in heroes other than All Might and Deku?”

You’ll notice I’ve left out a discussion of whether or not Stain’s ideals for heroes are good. As I’ll mention later, Stain’s ultimate ideal for heroes isn’t one that is bad and that is recognized in universe. Thankfully, it’s generally agreed that this was a good ideal handled in a terrible way. I don’t want to have to argue otherwise.

Question #1: Is the world where Stain wants it?

Answer: No

When I see people talk about “Stain not doing much to influence much”, this is where I see most people getting at. The world Stain envisioned isn’t where the current world is. As slow as wide-scale social change usually takes, it’s not as if serious events can’t force that kind of change quickly. (muffled cough) If there was a big change on the villains side because of Stain, why didn’t that happen on the heroes side?

I feel that this perspective misses a really obvious problem with Stain: he was trying to achieve his ideal by killing people. I don’t say that in a “he wanted something good but people died in the process” way. He wanted to achieve a world with altruistic heroes by killing... basically every other kind of hero. This is a major pillar in his philosophy.

On the villain side, it makes sense that he’d inspire people. He gives many villains the impression that they’re more justified in being villains than heroes are stopping them. If the biggest pressure for heroes to change comes from someone literally titled “The Hero Killer”, it’s not shocking to see little if any change happen immediately.

Immediately being the key issue. The world may improve in this regard and heroes may come to be more altruistic as a whole. For now, it has a ways to go before it gets there. Though, that’s more about question 2.

Question #2: Is the world coming closer to Stain’s ideal? 

Answer: Slowly...

Before the Provisional Hero License Exam begins, Mera makes the point about Stain’s views permeating through the world and the image of heroes as professionals is being put in lower regard. He uses this ultimately to discuss whether it’s good for heroes to be paid for their work. However, there is an obvious sense in which there is a widespread recognition that the way things are in the hero world can’t stay the same.

Though this was an idea brought forth by Stain, the thing I believe caused a response from higher-ups is the retirement of All Might. Now that the Symbol of Peace is gone, the government recognizes the ways it’s lacking and that it needs to change. They even mention this as they discuss the philosophy behind the activities for the exam. The world of heroes has to adapt to a world without All Might, whether they want to or not.

For many, part of this involves looking back and seeing some logic to Stain’s ideal. Obviously, Stain was wrong to kill heroes and no one who isn’t a villain questions that. However, the greatest hero is gone, and he was the only (pro) hero Stain respected. Is there a reason to trust the heroes left?

Especially considering the guy who took his place wasn’t considered a true hero by Stain? Remember, Endeavor was at the scene where the video footage was taken and Stain wasn’t a fan of him. (To be fair, neither were most people at that point in the series.)

It seems that the obsession for glory and money is only a more recent trend in heroism. All Might came from a time where heroes had those altruistic views Stain admires in him and those values seemed to fade as time passed on. It’s why he starts Deku out by cleaning Takoba Beach. Even before Stain, there was a recognition of the world being overrun by heroes with the wrong drives and a need to return to more virtuous motives for being a hero.

As early as chapter two.

What’s happening now is that idea is spreading to more people. Shishikura has a similar desire of not wanting heroes to be terrible. Of course, it’s wrong to say that he’s on the mark about his goal either. His teacher says it’s not wrong for him to be influenced by Stain and tries to prevent him from going on a bad route.

As I said, these kinds of changes usually take a lot of time. It makes sense that we’re only seeing seeds planted for a better society. The world will hopefully see more heroes who are altruistic and aren’t seeking more fame and fortune.

Question #3: Is Stain’s ideal realized in heroes other than All Might and Deku?” 

Answer: Yes.

Were it not for my exceptions this would be a simple discussion about how All Might and Deku are already the type of hero Stain would have wanted. Stain has acknowledged both as worthy heroes in their own right. Instead, I want to focus on a few heroes whose motivations have changed over the course of the series.

You might be shocked by my first example for this. However, I think we got an interesting example of this in Ochako Uraraka. While ultimately altruistic, her initial motivation is to make money. I doubt Stain would treat Uravity’s reasons as little else than a sob story. (”Make money doing something else!”)

Though, her ultimate goal has been to work as a rescue hero like No. 13. Since the Overhaul arc, the money aspect seems to have taken a back seat to rescuing people. After seeing Nighteye die, she’s redoubled her commitment to save people. And, in the Joint Training arc, we see that this includes saving heroes like Nighteye and Deku.

One of the first pro heroes we’re introduced to is Mt. Lady. We learn very early on that her motivation in being a hero is exactly the kind of thing that Stain hated: money, fame, and glory. She’s motivated by the perks of being a pro hero as opposed to doing the good work involved with it. In the anime, Mineta’s work study with her involves maid work. Compare that with Jiro’s work study with her partner Death Arms which involves on-field experience.

However, we start to see a change in her starting with the mission to rescue Bakugo. Originally, she wishes to be part of the flashier job of stopping the League members, as opposed to arguably the more important job of destroying the Nomus, which Best Jeanist calls her out on. Later, as Midoriya’s plan goes off, Mt. Lady steps up to stop the League from recapturing Bakugo. Here she says they ought to prioritize the mission.

Later on in the manga, she helps teach a special class in handling the media. Of course, it’s easy to see that and question how much she’s grown. However, her instruction is about how interviews can help other people, whether they’re heroes, villains, or civilians. The change in demeanor isn’t lost in Mineta.

Here’s where it’s worth mentioning that both my examples so far don’t have direct connections to Stain. Neither were involved in the Hosu incident, pre-occupied with work-study stuff around the same time. As far as we can tell, their changes were more influenced by other events than anything Stain did directly.

Not so with Endeavor.

I think people discount or ignore the impact Stain has had on him. Imagine how Endeavor would feel after meeting with him. After the fact, people will credit you for taking him down. Not only isn’t that true and credit ought to be given to a bunch of high school students. He’s told you to your face that the guy you’ve been spending years trying to beat is the only real hero.

It’s important that Endeavor was present to see the fall of Stain. This is an important moment in his arc towards betterment. It’s not just that doing things the way he is makes him a hero who isn’t considered on the same level as All Might. He’s not considered by some to be a legitimate hero.

That’s why it’s such a big deal that he goes to All Might to figure out what the Symbol of Peace really means when he becomes the de facto top hero. It’s not just a matter of what it means to be the top hero. It’s a matter of becoming a hero worthy of the title itself. 

However, in all of these cases, these are works in progress. And only three at that. This isn’t the world of heroes Stain seems to idealize. The hope is that with good schooling and important events, current and future pro heroes will create a society where fame and fortune aren’t the reasons people become heroes.

[queen-ofsunflowers]

Ruby Rose of Class 1-A: Chapter Seven Preview

“We’ve been going over our own fights, but anyone have a favorite?” asked Eijirou Kirishima, a boy with spiky red hair who could turn his skin as hard as stone. “Ya know, that’s not theirs?” There was a moment of silence as the class thought about the question.

“Todoroki didn’t hold back at all,” said Hanta Sero, a boy who could shoot out tape from his elbows as he leaned back against his desk. “I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that kind of attack.”

“What about Tokoyami and Tsu?” said Mina Ashido, a girl who was completely pink, with the exception of her horns and raccoon-like eyes who was able to secrete acid from her skin. She turned to the two students in question. “You guys worked together so easily! Unlike us.”

“We did just fine, thank you,” said Yuga Aoyama, the boy from the quirk test yesterday with the belly button laser. And had also been Ashido’s partner during the training exercise earlier that day.

“You’re still mad about the acid, don’t deny it!” Aoyama said nothing. Ruby bit back a giggle thinking about their match: some of Ashido’s acid had dripped onto Aoyama’s costume. To say he was not happy about it was a bit of an understatement.

“I think the fight between Bakugo and Midoriya takes the cake, though,” said Rikido Sato, a boy who Ruby thought had one of the best Quirks in existence. “They pretty much gave it their all.”

“What about you, Ruby?” asked Ochako, turning to the girl herself. “You have a favorite?” Ruby thought about it, going through all of the battles in her head. Everyone’s was different, and everyone had something great about the way that they fought and used their Quirks.

“I’m not sure,” she said after a moment. “Everybody did so great during their mock battles! It’s hard to pick just one.”

“You did pretty good during your fight, too,” said Tsuyu. To that, Ruby only sighed.

“Could’ve done a lot better.” For one, she could’ve acted more like a villain and less like… well, like herself.

“I have to agree,” said the bird-headed boy who had been partnered with Tsu, Fumikage Tokoyami. “Yaoyorozu was right when she said you didn’t act like the villain you were supposed to be.”

“I know! Don’t remind me.” Ruby sighed again, leaning back against her desk and crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s hard. Especially when I have to fight my friends. I want to be a hero, not a villain.”

“We all do, that’s why we’re here,” said Iida, more so focusing on straightening up the classroom rather than taking part in the conversation. “But sometimes, you have to thin like your opponent in order to understand them. To counteract their moves efficiently.” Ruby nodded. No wonder he was their MVP...

“If you don’t mind me asking, Rose,” said Mashirao Ojiro, whose Quirk was his tail, “but why did you have trouble during the exercise?”

“Even if it’s fake, it wasn’t that hard. We were just training,” added Sero with a shrug. He cast a glance over at Bakugo, who was brooding at his desk. “Even if some of us did go overboard.” It took the girl a second to answer.

“I guess… I never saw myself as the villain type. Or even thinking like one,” Ruby replied. Looking in the mirror, that was never what Ruby saw. A fond grin grew on her face. “I always wanted to be a hero. My sister used to read to me every night before bed. Stories about heroes fighting monsters and saving the day. It’s one of the reasons that I want to be a hero, too!” She heard Denki Kaminari, a boy with shocking yellow hair and a tell-tale black streak whose Quirk allowed him to generate electricity, laugh under his breath.

“You want to live happily ever after?” he asked her. Ruby nodded.

“That’s what I’m hoping we all get to do.” It was her one wish. “As a kid, I wanted to be just like heroes in books or on TV. Someone who fought for what was right and protected people who couldn’t protect themselves!”

“That’s rather ambitious,” commented Iida as he passed by the group. He was slowing down, taking his time with his chores. If he wanted to listen and take part, he could just say so.

“Kind of lame,” added Minoru Mineta, the shortest member of 1-A whose balls on top of his head allowed him to stick to anything.

“But it’s true,” said Ruby with a grin. “That’s what heroes do!” Apparently, nt everyone in the class thought the same about that last thing.

“Life isn’t the same as some fairy tale,” said Todoroki about as cold and as harsh as the ice he could make. He picked up his things sliding his bag over his shoulder. He made his way towards the door. Ruby stared at him. He wasn’t wrong but...

“Well, isn’t that why we’re here? To make it a better place so that it’s like one.” Todoroki paused in the door. He glanced back at her, not saying anything. He left shortly after that, silent as he was when he arrived back in the classroom after training that day.

“I guess not everyone thinks like you,” said Tsuyu. Ruby shrugged. It was kind of sad that he said that, but it was something that she was used to hearing. Mostly from the interns she had talked with at the agency her dad ran.

“I like it, though,” said Kirishima, leaning back on his desk. “It’s nice to have a goal to work towards.”

“Thanks!” Ruby replied, her grin relaxed.

“Tch.” That single sound wiped it away.

[aitaikimochi]

I translated the entire interview with Boku No Hero Academia’s Horikoshi Kouhei, published online via Natalie Comics. He discusses many different things, from what is a hero to which arc was the most difficult to draw, how much he was involved with the new movie, and much more! The interview is extremely long but gives great insight into the creative process that he goes through! Enjoy~

THE INTERNSHIP ARC WAS DIFFICULT

Interviewer: Boku No Hero Academia will be celebrating its 4th anniversary in July. Congratulations!

Horikoshi: Ahh, it’s been four years already, huh. Thank you very much.

Interviewer: Well then, let’s discuss some of the content for Boku No Hero Academia. At the moment, the most recent volume is Volume 18, and up until now Deku and the others have been interning with pro-heroes and also came into contact with villains along the way. This is the “Internship Arc,” and it is supposed to be the longest arc within the Boku No Hero Academia story so far, right?

Horikoshi: When I started the internship arc, I was thinking that I wanted to make this the longest arc so far. Up until now, even the longest arcs for BNHA spanned no more than two volumes. However, series such as ONE PIECE have arcs that keep going and going, right?

Interviewer: The longest arc for ONE PIECE probably was more than 10 volumes.

Horikoshi: I wanted to challenge myself in creating a long arc like that. Also, I needed to introduce characters that will be present in the last arc of the Boku No Hero Academia story, so I wanted to plan this all out. To tell the truth though, when I was writing the internship arc, it was really hard to push through. In the middle of the arc I thought to myself, “I can’t do this.”

Interviewer: Is it because the arc was long that gave you hardships?

Horikoshi: It’s not because the arc was long, but more about the story that made it difficult. The story was much too dark, and during the middle of it, I just wasn’t feeling it.

Interview: The internship arc indeed also had a character who actually died, and this was a very heavy episode that had not happened thus far.

Horikoshi: When I read other manga or watch movies, I really like stories that have dark plots. I also like stories that don’t have happy endings and can totally stomach gore and horror. However, when I’m writing it myself, it gets really difficult. I’m someone whose feelings fluctuate depending on the contents that I am working on.

THIS WAS AN ARC THAT YOU WANTED READERS TO THINK WAS THE LAST ARC

Interviewer: When you were writing this dark episode, how did you keep up your own tensions during this?

Horikoshi: In the story, if I’m writing about a feel good development, then that’s where I recover my own feelings. For example, in the “Internship Arc,” the character Fat Gum really saved me.

Interview: With the name “Fat,” he was as his name suggests, and also spoke in a Kansai accent, and he was quite a comic relief character, right?

Horikoshi: In the scene with Fat Gum and Kirishima fighting against the villain, I felt really passionate, and I was able to transfer that onto my brush. From that point, I was finally able to write out the Internship Arc little by little. Fat Gum is My Hero.

Interview: On the topic of darker plot points, right now in the anime, the fight between All Might and All For One is also an episode that weighs heavily. Horikoshi-sensei, you started that episode in Volume 8 and made a comment that “This time, I want to write a bit more of a painful story.”

Horikoshi: As expected, writing out that arc was rough. Within the battle between All Might and All For One, when the rescue of (Bakugou) Katsuki, who was previously kidnapped by the villains, was finally put into motion, I myself was able to see the light, and I felt way better. That’s what I mean when I say that within the story, my own feelings become transferred on the paper, thinking “I finally drew it” at myself.

Interviewer: What kind of tensions were you feeling at that time?

Horikoshi: My goal was to let readers think that Boku No Hero Academia would end during this fight. However, the readers probably knew that this wasn’t the end, and at that point during the poll, there were really good reviews, giving me the feeling that this manga isn’t just going to be tossed aside as a one shot thing.

Interviewer: What was your reasoning of wanting readers to think that this was the completion of the series?

Horikoshi: Since All Might loses his power in this fight, I couldn’t just draw with a normal feeling of tension. It’s not really “PLUS ULTRA,” but it was an episode that I needed to break the limit in order to leave an impression on the reader. I wanted to create a story where readers could look back at Boku No Hero Academia and say that the best episode of the entire series was the fight between All Might and All For One.

WHAT IS A HERO?

Interviewer: This subject is present in the current arc, but for Horikoshi-sensei, what is a Hero in Boku No Hero Academia?

Horikoshi: “What exactly is a hero?” This is what I think about and what makes me want to draw. What is a hero? It’s hard to put it in words.

Interviewer: How would you define the image of a hero?

Horikoshi: Moreso than that, I personally do not want to define that. When Boku No Hero Academia first started, in a past interview, I remember answering “A hero would probably have this type of existence.” Recently though, I have been thinking about how there’s way more viewpoints that correlate with what is a hero. For example, some people might think a hero is someone who “even if they’re a lone wolf, they would still do their best, and that’s what you can call a hero.” There are also others who might think that heroes would be like a pro baseball player, someone who hopes to let everyone enjoy their work. There’s no single word that can pinpoint “Ah, this is a hero” in my opinion.

Interviewer: Has there been any triggers that made your own thought process change within the story?

Horikoshi: As the serialization continued, and after seeing various reviews from readers, I decided to start moving various characters’ stories forward. For example, for Deku, a hero is someone who can save people, and for Katsuki, a hero is someone who can win. When I realized that I had to write about their entire stories, I started to think that I had to figure out collectively what a hero figure would be for various people, and I guess if you call that a trigger, then I guess it is one.

A CHARACTER WHO WAS EXPANDED UPON AFTER INITIAL SERIALIZATION

Interviewer: The series has been in serialization for four years now, and has there been any characters that have been expanded upon than what you originally had planned?

Horikoshi: Hm…I guess that All Might, Katsuki, Todoroki, Endeavor, Ochako are all characters that this can be applied to, but since they are all main characters who have been progressing since their introduction, I wouldn’t say it’s an expansion of their character per se. However, if we are speaking about characters that had more plot expanded, then it would be Tsuyu and Toga. I think since they were first introduced, we took into consideration the voices of the readers, and afterwards changed their storylines. That’s why I would probably say Tsuyu and Toga.

Interviewer: Aoyama was featured in Volume 19 at the beginning of the volume. During the Boku No Hero Academia anime event, and according to the coverage, a lot of cast members said that they like Aoyama, but of course, if he’s popular enough, will he have his own feature?

Horikoshi: No, that’s not exactly true (laughs). Just because he’s popular hm…maybe he’s just popular among industry members.

Interviewer: Oh no (laughs)! Besides Aoyama-kun, if you were to feature another character from Class A, who would it be?

Horikoshi: If it’s the girls, then I would choose Ashido. She’s rather cute, and a good character, so I would like to write about her. If it’s the boys, then I would choose Sero, the guy who has Spiderman-like abilities that could have great action sequences. However, I think that including Hagakure, Shouji, etc., I would like to write more about all members of the class. We actually have a story featuring Shouji planned already, so we will probably include it somewhere.

I WANT TO REACH NUMBER ONE IN THE POLLS

Interviewer: In Kadokawa’s Da Vinci magazine, you had an interview with Naruto’s Kishimoto-sensei, and during the discussion, you mentioned that you were worried about keeping up with the demands of the readers.

Horikoshi: Yes, I did.

Interviewer: At that time, Boku No Hero Academia was only at its 3rd volume, but afterwards the anime, games, light novels, and now a movie have been released, so the series has expanded to various media. How do you maintain the demand of the readers in this case?

Horikoshi: The most important one is of course the polls. I always aim for the top and not lose any traction. Boku No Hero Academia fluctuates a lot in the polls, so there have been times where it dipped. That’s why I want to create an amazing story that can reach the Number 1 ranks, and I create the content with the hope that it will reach Number 1. At first I thought that since the anime has started, I really needed to put my all into this, but if I keep thinking that, then I would probably break from the pressure, so that’s why right now I just want to focus on the contents of the manga.

Interviewer: You mentioned before that Yahagi Kousuke, the person who initially helped the serialization of Kishimoto’s Naruto, was a great presence for you.

Horikoshi: That’s right. He’s always on my conscience.

Interviewer: Do you think about the editor who first helped you in the serialization?

Horikoshi: Sometimes. Even though we have a different editor now for Boku No Hero Academia, I sometimes think about what the first editor, Koike-san, would say, such as maybe he would get upset at that, and so forth. However, I heard that Koike-san tell my current editor that he praised the new character Hawks, and that made me really happy from the bottom of my heart. In lieu of this, my first editor does have a presence within me.

THE MOVIE HAS A COMBO MOVE WITH DEKU AND ALL MIGHT THAT WAS NOT IN THE MANGA

Interviewer: Well then, let’s talk a bit about the Boku No Hero Academia Movie “The Two Heroes,” which will release in theaters in August! When it was decided that there will be a movie, what were your feelings?

Horikoshi: I had a feeling of “wait…no way, you’re joking, right?” There was talk of making a movie previously, but I never believed it. However, when the story progressed more and more, even if we were to have a meeting with the staff, I’m sure that the plans would fall through. Because a movie requires a lot of manpower to make it happen, I truly thought that it was never going to happen, but now that I think of it, I was a bit rude in that aspect.

Interviewer: Horikoshi, you are listed as the creator and supervisor of the movie. Exactly what did you work on?

Horikoshi: I worked on many things such as the design for David and Melissa as well as what I want to have in the movie’s plot, what I want the characters to do, and we discussed this thoroughly with Director Nagasaki and the movie staff. I also read the scripts and offered my own opinions with the direction of how the story should go.

Interviewer: What kind of scenarios did the staff ask you?

Horikoshi: It wasn’t discussed in the first draft, but I wanted Deku to really try his all in the story. I also wanted people who did not know anything about Boku No Hero Academia to be able to enjoy the movie. Since it’s a movie, I wanted to let Deku and the others go to a different location! (laughs)

Interviewer: The stage is set in a floating island abroad, and we also see that a Young All Might used to study abroad in a city in America.

Horikoshi: When I create a character, I think of their chronology, and for All Might, his history is that he studied abroad in America, so that’s why I wanted to expand on that aspect.

Interviewer: In the trailer, there are scenes where they are fighting, and the animation is really well done!

Horikoshi: Yes, I actually haven’t seen the finished product yet myself, but from the brief scenes I saw, the characters move wonderfully. I hope everyone watches it in theaters! The duo combo attack scenes with All Might and Deku that didn’t make it into the manga are also a point of interest!

Interviewer: Since this happens before All Might loses his power in the manga, his power move with Deku is something you can’t write anymore in the manga.

Horikoshi: Yes, the events of the movie happen before the battle with All For One, so I want everyone to be able to watch and look forward to this since you will never see their duo power move in the manga.

FOUR CAREFULLY SELECTED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Interviewer: To promote the movie, there was a hash tag on Twitter where users could ask you a question, and these are the four questions that we hope you can answer for us.

Horikoshi: Ah, these were the four chosen ones, yes? I totally you meant that even though we had planned this, we only got four questions (laughs).

Interviewer: We got so many questions, it was way beyond even 100 (laughs). So let’s move on to the first question. “Is there club activities in U.A. Academy?” and “If there was, what kind of activities would the students of Class 1A partake in?”

Horikoshi: U.A. Academy has the General Studies and Economics departments, so there would be club activities. However those who are in the hero department would not enter those. They of course could enter if they wanted to, but I don’t think they would have time to go through that. However, perhaps the General Studies’ student Shinsou might be involved, and there might be a bit about the club activities in the main story in the future.

Interviewer: For example, what type of club activity do you think Deku or Katsuki would do?

Horikoshi: Deku would probably be in some kind of movie analysis club. Katsuki would be in…I don’t know, maybe Argument Club? (T/N: He specifically says ARGUMENT club, not Debate Club lol).

Interviewer: You don’t think he would be in a boxing club? (laughs)

Horikoshi: I think he would hate the rules and probably boxing isn’t his thing. Maybe he wouldn’t even be in a club to begin with.

Interviewer: Okay, on to the next question: “Within the series and the world, the BNHA characters feel real and have very human emotions. Did you have any of your own experiences that you wrote into the story?” Has there been any specific instances where your own personal experienced have influenced some of the story’s scenes or script?

Horikoshi: Oh wow, there’s way too many to count. For example in Volume 11, when Deku was younger he and his mom have a scene together [where Deku’s mom says, “Help me!” and Deku says “I am here!”] I actually used to do this exact same thing with my mom when I was younger, and we played at the park’s playgrounds. We called it the “King of the Jungle.” My mom would go inside the jungle gym at the playground and say, “Please save me, Leo,” which is the name that I used to call myself when we played this together.

I have that memory of pretending to be Leo and playing with my mom at the playground, so I wanted to incorporate that into the story. As a reader, it’s probably a scene that does not hold much meaning, but as for me, I cried while writing that scene.

Interviewer: So Horikoshi-sensei does incorporate your own experiences into the Boku No Hero Academia storyline.

Horikoshi: Yes, I suppose. Another experience that I put into the story was in Volume 16 where you learn about Tamaki transferring schools.

Interviewer: Tamaki transferred schools and was not used to his new class, but he soon became good friends with Mirio, who helped him feel included.

Horikoshi: Right before entering middle school but after elementary school, I ended up going to a middle school outside of my neighborhood. Since this school was outside of where I went to elementary school, I knew no one at all. Everyone else was already in their own groups and knew each other, but I was the loner, and it was a really sad time for me (laughs).

Interviewer: So then for you, a friend like Mirio was there to help.

Horikoshi: Yes, he told me, “you’re not a bad person at all” and was the one who helped me feel included. Man, when I say this now it sounds kind of stupid, huh? (laughs)

Interviewer: Not at all!!!

Horikoshi: Hopefully fans of Tamaki won’t dislike this bit of information, with an impression of like “Oh that’s actually Horikoshi’s memory” or something like that. However, that’s basically how I use my own experiences to add to my characters, and my feelings just overflow into the story.

Interviewer: Let’s move on to the third question: “If you had this quirk, you would definitely want to use it!” Which quirk would that be, and how would you want to use it?

Horikoshi: Definitely Todoroki. I hate hot places, and when things get hot I immediately want to cool down. When I draw Todoroki, I often think “It would be nice to have this quirk.”

Interviewer: That’s quite a practical answer (laughs). Here’s the last question: “Please let us know the reason why you decided to become a mangaka.”

Horikoshi: I loved drawing ever since I was little, and if you think of an industry that allows you to draw, there’s nothing else besides manga, so I decided to become a manga artist. To give a specific incident that occurred, when I was in Elementary chool, the manga “Megaman X2” came out, and I loved drawing the character called the Crystal Snail. My friends complimented me on my drawing and even said “Please give me this drawing!” and this made me really happy. At that time, I don’t know why, but I remember thinking “I want to be a manga artist in the future!”

HE IS DRAWING CONTENT THAT WILL HAVE MEANING IN THE LAST ARC

Interviewer: Well then, lastly, please tell us a bit more about the expansion of the “Boku No Hero Academia” universe. Previously in SUGOI JAPAN, you mentioned that you would like Boku No Hero Academia to be a short and concise story and not drawn out, but what percentage of the story is complete at this point?

Horikoshi: When the decision to extend the series happened, I personally thought “I guess I want to end it here” and it was around Volume 30.

Interviewer: So then are you 2/3 done with the story?

Horikoshi: That’s what I had originally planned, but when I think of all the things that must be set up before getting into the last arc, I realized, “Ending the series at Volume 30 will be impossible” (laughs). However, the current arc that is going on all has purpose that will be relevant in the last arc.

Interviewer: You mentioned in today’s interview that the “Internship Arc” had a very important character that you wanted to draw at the end. Does that mean that all the characters will come together at the last arc?

Horikoshi: All characters will come together and go forward into the last arc. However, at the moment we are not even close to the last battle, but I do have an idea of how I want it to be planned out.

Interviewer: Volume 19 covers the Cultural Festival, and there’s a lot of bright scenes, but please give us a message in regards to points of interest within the newest volume.

Horikoshi: The Cultural Festival puts a spotlight on Jirou from the girls in Class A, and I had the conscience of making sure that she has a lot of cute faces when drawing it. Of course, fans of Jirou would love this, but I hope that others will also enjoy Jirou in this arc!