My Hero Academia 3: Villainous Interlude

[LaZodiac]

Bakugo's family situation is one of the better ones because there's clearly no ill will there, BakuMom's just abusive and thinks it's good because "Well back in my day we could spank kids and I turned out great" and on the whole society will see that as "strict but fair", or argue (possibly even correctly) that Bakugo NOT getting in situations where adults told him to sit the **** down and be polite is part of why he turned into such a little **** on the outside, and so his Mom is overcompensating for a problem she should have realized but didn't because "oh he's my special boy".

Like with a lot of Bakugo, there's layers to his family.

[lord_khaine]

Oh! what a twist!
Endeavor has

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Another son that he isnt talking to anymore!

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Oh! what a twist!
Endeavor has

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Another son that he isnt talking to anymore!

You mean the last panel?

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Isn't that a shrine for the deceased? Sure looks like it, but I can't be 100% sure.

Or did you mean the brother who walked out during dinner?

[lord_khaine]

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Oh thats meant to be a shrine?
Well ill eat my hat if said child is actually dead for real.
And not running around with a flame quirk burning stuff.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

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Oh thats meant to be a shrine?
Well ill eat my hat if said child is actually dead for real.
And not running around with a flame quirk burning stuff.

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Seems to be this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butsudan Google Images has more that look like the one depicted.

And yes, it seems like more teasing for the Dabi theory. Dead people not actually being dead is a pretty common plot twist after all.

[John Cribati]

At this point in time, either Dabi is Touya, or Horikoshi has been trolling us the whole time.

[lord_khaine]

Touya is likely just dead figurative and officially.
If he is Dabbi, then he likely dont have a quirk suited for defeating AM. It seems like an amplified version of Endeavors.
Higher base temperature, but also an even bigger issue with heat buildup. So lower stamina.

And if he then threw away his name and identity because daddy didnt think he was good enough.
Well then Endeavor could have been forced to declare him dead for some reason.

[Ramza00]

Touya is likely just dead figurative and officially.
If he is Dabbi, then he likely dont have a quirk suited for defeating AM. It seems like an amplified version of Endeavors.
Higher base temperature, but also an even bigger issue with heat buildup. So lower stamina.

And if he then threw away his name and identity because daddy didnt think he was good enough.
Well then Endeavor could have been forced to declare him dead for some reason.

Not seems, but literally that is the text so your memory is correct.

Puts this in spoiler blocks just in case

Spoiler: MHA Chapter 249

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During Chapter 202, in a flashback scene Shoto remember his abuse / training by Endeavor. In that conversation Endeavor mentioned Touya / Toya had "greater firepower" than Endeavor but he had a weak constitution. Toya was almost "perfect" but not quite. Endeavor also mentioned he will pass down that "one technique" to Shoto so that Shoto can fulfill Endeavor's long ambition.

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Endeavor's long ambition is different now, he obtained what he wanted. At least what he used to want, but the taste of it in his mouth is just ash. Ironic in a Tragic way. 😈

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Sidenote about the shrine to Toya in Endeavor's house. These type of shrines are a common Japanese Buddhist custom called a Butsudan.

Also remember Japan has a Will-O-Wisp folk creature in their myth called an Onibi (the kanji is 鬼火 which literally means fire ghost.) Onibi are the ghosts who are resentful people, the people / ghosts have "literally become fire." And specifically blue fire.

So a Butsudan for Toya if Toya is Dabi encourages the theme.

[lord_khaine]

Oh i had actually forgotten about that scene.
Well hah, yeah that is even more confirmation. Since it straight up explains what Touya's Quirk were.

And yes it lovely tragic.
I am really loving Endevors redemption arc. He gets the thing he wanted more than anything else.
But suddenly finds out that what he really want now are the things he discarded to get it.

[LaZodiac]

Forgot to post this week!

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So yeah Toya is absolutely Dabi. That's the same ****ing hair style and everything.

Deku intruding as always, for better or worse, and it's... honestly really nice to hear. There's a lot of baggage in this family and I'm glad there is healing going on.

Bakugo being a very good house guest is amazing and I love it.

[lord_khaine]

It is an amusing subversion, that despite having an explosive temper, and the most foul mouth since i dont know what else.
Then he does also hide a lot of very unexpected qualities. Like actually being really good at traditional school work.
Or seemingly a skilled cook (from his knifework at the summer camp).

[LaZodiac]

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We get some cute conclusions to the visit to Endeavor's house, amidst the ramblings of a prisoner who's been released from jail... and on the drive home, the man known as Ending attacks. Oh dear.

[Devonix]

It is an amusing subversion, that despite having an explosive temper, and the most foul mouth since i dont know what else.
Then he does also hide a lot of very unexpected qualities. Like actually being really good at traditional school work.
Or seemingly a skilled cook (from his knifework at the summer camp).

He likes putting intelligence in unexpected placed, like how Mineta's the second smartest student in 1A

[John Cribati]

He likes putting intelligence in unexpected placed, like how Mineta's the second smartest student in 1A

I dont think that's right. He was definitely in the top half, but I know at least Iida, Deku and Bakugou were ahead of him.

EDIT: Found it. He was 9th. As in just barely into the top half.

[Rater202]

Class rankings and test scores are actually a very bad way of measuring intellect becuase Intellect is only one of several things that effects how well one does in testing.

I have a piece of paper that says that I have an IQ of 185. That's almost two standard deviations higher than Steven Hawking is estimated to have had.

But I was a C student through standard schooling out of a combination of occasional laziness, people not explaining what they wanted me to do properly(I'm on the spectrum, you have to be clear, and the teachers knew that but still failed to provide adequate instructions), frustration with arbitrary limits on how I could go about assignments("I'm following all the steps you told me about, I'm showing my work, but liting it out like this is faster and doesn't take up as much space." "You didn't do it the way I said to, so points off." fricking bullcrap, that's what that is.), assignments I just flat out couldn't do(I hate writing assignments based on your personal experiences becuase I universally never had the experiences they were asking about) and just flat forgetting to turn in homework.

One of my college professors, just a few weeks ago, expressed shock that I didn't have a 4.0 GPA.

I have never, once, felt as intelligent as I'm supposed to be.

Mineta can still be the second most intelligent person in class but only be placed Ninth in ranking based on other factors.

[lord_khaine]

Thats test scores based on a rather comprehensive written examination set. That as i recall (from persona 4) stretched over a week.
I trust that a lot more than just about any other thing. In particular more than the (imo) horrible american school systems system.

It is possible for the 2nd most intelligent person in a class to score 9th if the competition is sharp, the testing system
horrible and the person is lacking motivation.

But neither of those things apply here.
Yes i imagine competition is kinda sharp for the top 3-5 spots. But besides that the class seems to cover a fairly wide range.
And the testing is rigorious, while the motivation provided by Eraser were strong.

[LaZodiac]

All I care to say about Mineta is that however smart he actually is, he's smart enough to know better.

[lord_khaine]

Well.. he is smart enough he -should- know better.
He very clearly doesnt :P

[LaZodiac]

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Surprising no one, the team does a bang up job of dealing with Ending. Deku even starts to flex his shadow tendrils.

Something about Endeavor's face at the end though makes me think it's not over yet though...

[Ramza00]

Well.. he is smart enough he -should- know better.
He very clearly doesnt :P

He needs to stop thinking about "smarts" and start thinking with "theory of mind", he needs to think of how his behavior affects others and now how it makes sense from his own perspective, or other boys perspective who gets what he is doing. No he needs to think about this from the girl's perspective and how he is forever give up trust, bonds, ability to be vulnerable, ability to be exposed. No girl will expose herself physically or emotionally to this little [censored] that is Mineta when he is doing these pervy behaviors.

And he should know better if he can examine his trauma and see his own carnal hunger, emotional ache, and existential restlessness where if he turns his own "theory of mind" and sees himself as an outsider. The thing that Mineta craves most of all is recognition, for others to see him as he truly is, yet to still feel admiration, glory, vanity, at the things Mineta endeavors to do. Mineta craves respect, but respect requires trust, it requires being vulnerable, it requires exposing himself.

Mineta is afraid of pain and thus he is the pervy little boy who looks at things through a keyhole and thus when he is in the keyhole frame of reference he is so absorbed that he does not need to "remember he has a self." A self to others that is at first an object before a person learns more about them, before a person sees the true person that is a subject not an object, but this requires trust and exposure.

Mineta is a person who is "self-harming" himself constantly with his "bad habits," habits he knows are destructive and not socially acceptable, even habits he knows he wish he can abandon and he can be awesome and heroic like All Might or Izuku. Yet Mineta will not stop his "self-harming" behavior for doing so requires a leap of faith, vulnerability, exposure while he gains new social skills and Mineta just wants the end result without the process to obtain it.

Mineta is a child emotionally trapped with a teenage mind, he is still at the stage of desire which is "You can't eat your cake and [then still] have it (too)" as if you have a second cake for we have an infinite cake portal machine.

Mineta the cake eater for now and cake wanter for later, whose quirk is literally an infinity device which will always come back, which gives him the power of repulsion but also to form a more permanent bond.

[Bah the last part came out too wordy, but whatever. Editing and reframing takes energy I trust you forum people to understand what I am trying to say. ]

[LaZodiac]

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Ending is defeated, and Endeavor... lays it all out pretty clearly. He hesitated saving Natsuo because a part of him wanted to save him because it would mean Natsuo couldn't stand up to him after that and the part of Endeavor that's good got so sickened by that idea that he couldn't move. That's ****ing amazing. And... he tells him plain and straight; you don't have to forgive me, I'm looking for atonement not forgiveness. And Natsuo isn't happy with this, because how could he be? There's so much mixed up emotion here, it's great. And Endeavor solidifies it by doing something... a bit absurd, but nice. He's getting a new home built for his family, to make their lives easier and to make Rei's return from the hospital better... and he's staying away from them. That's powerful stuff.

Meanwhile, Bakugo DOES have a name picked out! But he won't tell ANYONE, even people who like him, because he has to tell Best Jeanist first. I love this boy.

[lord_khaine]

Well.. perhaps its Best Jeanist, perhaps its All Might.
At this stage its still a little to early to tell whom it is Bakugo has to tell his hero name to.
But he newer gave the impression of having a positive relationship with Jeanist. And more or less rejected his teaching.

Meanwhile Endeavor continues his path towards redemption.
Honestly im thinking he is getting more depth than All Might.
Certainly the added nuance in his character makes it one of the most interesting ones.

I still think there are something almost greek tragedy about his story.
He discards more or less everything in the hunt for a prize that eventually turns out to become hollow.
And first then discovers he discarded all the important things to reach it.
Then to make matters even better, his story still got another kick in the balls ready for him, with his missing son.
Though im not certain thats part of Todoroki's hero's journey.

[LaZodiac]

Well.. perhaps its Best Jeanist, perhaps its All Might.
At this stage its still a little to early to tell whom it is Bakugo has to tell his hero name to.
But he newer gave the impression of having a positive relationship with Jeanist. And more or less rejected his teaching.

Meanwhile Endeavor continues his path towards redemption.
Honestly im thinking he is getting more depth than All Might.
Certainly the added nuance in his character makes it one of the most interesting ones.

I still think there are something almost greek tragedy about his story.
He discards more or less everything in the hunt for a prize that eventually turns out to become hollow.
And first then discovers he discarded all the important things to reach it.
Then to make matters even better, his story still got another kick in the balls ready for him, with his missing son.
Though im not certain thats part of Todoroki's hero's journey.

Best Jeanist said the next time they meet Bakugo better tell him his appropriate hero name. Bakugo clearly learned a lot from Best Jeanist emotionally and took awhile to realize that and respect him for it. He was shown a few chapters ago to be frustrated Best Jeanist is missing because he can't go to him. We literally got like a page or two about this. It's not All Might, he has all the time in the world to tell him that. It's 100% Best Jeanist.

Endeavor is getting the depth he really deserves to sell this, and I hope the people who (wrongly) left this series because "oh eafeafheabfeajn Endeavor is a bad man he should just die" realize their mistake. People can change and it's clear Horikoshi knows how to present this in a way that doesn't minimize the pain he caused people. Have a little faith peeps.

And yeah this isn't Todoroki's journey, this is Enji's journey. This is Endeavor's greek tragedy; Shouto gets his own "coming out from his dad's shadow" story.

[Cozzer]

I'm really looking forward to the inevitable moment where Bakugo confronts Hawks, and the latter is forced to behave like he really killed Best Jeanist because the Front is listening to his every word.

[lord_khaine]

Best Jeanist said the next time they meet Bakugo better tell him his appropriate hero name. Bakugo clearly learned a lot from Best Jeanist emotionally and took awhile to realize that and respect him for it. He was shown a few chapters ago to be frustrated Best Jeanist is missing because he can't go to him. We literally got like a page or two about this. It's not All Might, he has all the time in the world to tell him that. It's 100% Best Jeanist.

Its clearly not that clear Bakugo learned anything from Jeanist :P
And it at least seemed like Bakugo loathed his time with jeanist, who seemingly tried to mold Bakugo into something he isnt.
So far the only one who has been any sort of decent mentor figure for him is All Might.

Endeavor is getting the depth he really deserves to sell this, and I hope the people who (wrongly) left this series because "oh eafeafheabfeajn Endeavor is a bad man he should just die" realize their mistake. People can change and it's clear Horikoshi knows how to present this in a way that doesn't minimize the pain he caused people. Have a little faith peeps.

Well Endeavors bad deeds were newer presented as anything but wrong.
If people leave a serie because there are bad people in it, then they are clearly better served by stepping down to something in a more relevant age brachet.

I'm really looking forward to the inevitable moment where Bakugo confronts Hawks, and the latter is forced to behave like he really killed Best Jeanist because the Front is listening to his every word.

I think people are overestimating how much Bakugo cares by a lot.
And seriously doubt such a moment will come. Ill even bet a fat stack of my internet-prediction coins on it

[LaZodiac]

Its clearly not that clear Bakugo learned anything from Jeanist :P
And it at least seemed like Bakugo loathed his time with jeanist, who seemingly tried to mold Bakugo into something he isnt.
So far the only one who has been any sort of decent mentor figure for him is All Might.



Well Endeavors bad deeds were newer presented as anything but wrong.
If people leave a serie because there are bad people in it, then they are clearly better served by stepping down to something in a more relevant age brachet.



I think people are overestimating how much Bakugo cares by a lot.
And seriously doubt such a moment will come. Ill even bet a fat stack of my internet-prediction coins on it

When I get home I'll do the proverbial pulling of receipts from the latest chapters to say why you're wrong but I'm at work right now so I can't.

People left the series because they think Endeavor getting redeemed is a Forbidden Thing. Ignoring that he's not going to be "redeemed", by his own admission he just is seeking atonement.

Bakugo is a caring and good boy and the only reason he wouldn't go ballistic-missile on Hawks is because he'd have to be shown proof.

[Rater202]

Some people got pissy and sent death threats to the author when Endovor decided to try and be a better person becuase they decided that it was saying that child abuse was okay.

Some people have a really black and white view of certain crimes: On another forums, I got called a rape apologist becuase I said that I didn't think it was fair to condemn someone for something they did when they were 10-12, brainwashed by living in what was basically a cult, literally mind-controlled, and stopped doing as soon as he was capable of his own moral choices specifically because he didn't want to pointlessly hurt people, then ran away from home so he couldn't be controlled anymore.

On the same forum, I was repeatedly called a slavery-apologist by a separate person in a discussion about House Elves when I pointed out that the elves are literally not human and thus cannot be assumed to have human psychology and thus, we can't assume that the elve's love of servitude isn't just how they are(the other person kept insisting without evidence that they were brainwashed.)

[Lord Raziere]

Endeavor trying to atone for what he has done is a risky move on Horikoshi's part and I applaud him for attempting it in principle. Portraying the complexities of a character who has done bad yet wants to atone and is trying to atone even though what he has done is unforgivable or ugly is always something thorny and fraught with risk and needs to be done carefully. he is brave to try it.

I still hate Endeavor as a person though. I see way too much of myself in Todoroki. like Endeavor is allowed to atone but if he ever came up and ask me if all was forgiven I'd just narrow my eyes and say "No." then move on with my life. some things are just a black mark on the record, in permanent ink. your allowed to be better and do good after, but don't think that will wash it away. there is just no guaranteeing it.

[LaZodiac]

Endeavor trying to atone for what he has done is a risky move on Horikoshi's part and I applaud him for attempting it in principle. Portraying the complexities of a character who has done bad yet wants to atone and is trying to atone even though what he has done is unforgivable or ugly is always something thorny and fraught with risk and needs to be done carefully. he is brave to try it.

I still hate Endeavor as a person though. I see way too much of myself in Todoroki. like Endeavor is allowed to atone but if he ever came up and ask me if all was forgiven I'd just narrow my eyes and say "No." then move on with my life. some things are just a black mark on the record, in permanent ink. your allowed to be better and do good after, but don't think that will wash it away. there is just no guaranteeing it.

And for what it's worth the series says that that's a correct choice. Probably the more sensible choice. You aren't wrong for still hating him and That's Okay. God Horikoshi is such a good author.

Also my co worker could have bought me a UA uniform but forgot I liked the series so instead did not get me one, so now I'm dying. Sadness v_v

[Ramza00]

Its clearly not that clear Bakugo learned anything from Jeanist :P
And it at least seemed like Bakugo loathed his time with jeanist, who seemingly tried to mold Bakugo into something he isnt.
So far the only one who has been any sort of decent mentor figure for him is All Might.

...

I think people are overestimating how much Bakugo cares by a lot.
And seriously doubt such a moment will come. Ill even bet a fat stack of my internet-prediction coins on it

Well.. perhaps its Best Jeanist, perhaps its All Might.
At this stage its still a little to early to tell whom it is Bakugo has to tell his hero name to.
But he newer gave the impression of having a positive relationship with Jeanist. And more or less rejected his teaching.

Bakugou learned a lot from Best Jeanist it just took a lot of time (a few months) for it to sink in. Furthermore it did not sink in till after All Might lost his powers and only via loss and pain that Bakugou blaimed on himself that he better appreciated what Best Jeanist was saying and he realized those virtues that Best Jeanist was talking about is some of the things he appreciates / should learn from All Might. All Might is still Bakugou's idol, but Best Jeanist is Bakugou's teacher who helps give him instructions on how to be more like All Might for "hero worship" does not actually teach one how "becomes" a hero. Instead that requires proper one on one instruction from mentors and not just salivating and thinking a hero is awesome since the age of 4.

Remember... Attraction and Repulsion are two sides of the same coin. Literally they are the exact same thing except attraction is up and repulsion is down but also vice versa [I am saying it is subjective and **contextual** what is up and down depends on ones orientation in the moment.]

Bakugou at first loathed his internship with Best Jeanist when he was experiencing the internship in the moment. But after given time to reflect and re-contextualize those memories and not just focusing on how "unpleasant" Best Jeanist lessons were in the moment. It was after these moments of reflection that Bakugou re-experienced and change his first impression experience of his internship. Aka only via loss did Bakugou advance, only via his weakness, his folly, his failure did he learn the insights that were always there. Bakugou had to lose All Might in order to understand Best Jeanist.

Bakugou has his pride but while it is very expressive and volatile sometimes (to the point of explosive pride) he is also able to cool it down and better apply his pride and forcefulness once he is mindful and reflective. Bakugou is extremely mindful and insightful all the time in MHA, we just do not "see it" for it is in his head ^{[we may get subtle subtextual cues with images but very little dialogue boxes]}, and the contrast difference of Bakugou being quiet and observing vs hot head and loud are so intense we often forget that Bakugou is always watching, listening, paying attention and taking in information refining his technique, his application of force, his pride. Bakugou has both excessive pride / arrogance, but he also is able to access and reach the middle way between excessive and deficiency which is "right / proper pride."

Contrast this with Izuku Midorya who has the opposite extreme where he is sometimes cowardly, sulkily, overly humble, meek, and so on. Yet Izuku is working on this and is better at creating boundaries but also standing up for himself constantly and not just in danger or when others need him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwF3Qybj7pA

This exchange is literally Best Jeanist referencing Aristotle Golden Mean philosphy, Buddhist Middle Way (which is the same concept), and so on. Heroes and Villains are cut from the same cloth, how one applies oneself matters. And the proper application level is between excess and deficiency, the proper application level is "excellent" (also known as Arete the greek word for "excellence of any kind" with sometimes it meaning a more specific form of excellence known as "moral virtue", and Virtue the latin word for excellent.)

When I get home I'll do the proverbial pulling of receipts from the latest chapters to say why you're wrong but I'm at work right now so I can't.

...

Bakugo is a caring and good boy and the only reason he wouldn't go ballistic-missile on Hawks is because he'd have to be shown proof.

Waits for the receipts. Like a good boy Tobi, I wait

Also my co worker could have bought me a UA uniform but forgot I liked the series so instead did not get me one, so now I'm dying. Sadness v_v

Sad 😢