pikahlua

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 421 spoilers translations

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

1 おまえらもかよ omaera mo ka yo "You guys too, huh?"

2 そっちもな socchi mo na "And you as well."

3 警察から"まだ戦える者は"って……！ けいさつから"まだたたかえるものは"って……！ keisatsu kara "mada tatakaeru mono wa" tte......! "[I heard] from the police, 'Who is still able to fight?'......!"

tagline A組続々… エーぐみぞくぞく… EE-gumi zokuzoku... Class A, one after another...

4 相澤先生が黒霧を味方につけたって聞いてーーー あいざわせんせいがくろぎりをみかたにつけたってきいてーーー Aizawa-sensei ga Kurogiri wo mikata ni tsuketa tte kiite--- "I heard that Aizawa-sensei got Kurogiri to join our side---"

5 友だちがまだ戦ってんの見てーー… ともだちがまだたたかってんのみてーー… tomodachi ga mada tatakatten no mite--... "I saw that my friends were still fighting--..."

6 行かずにいられましょうか いかずにいられましょうか ikazu ni iraremashou ka "And I felt like I had to go."

7 意識がある内は…どこへだって！ いしきがあるうちは…どこへだって！ ishiki ga aru uchi wa...doko e datte! "As long as I'm conscious...to wherever you go!"

8 勝つ為にここまでやってきたもんね かつためにここまでやってきたもんね katsu tame ni koko made yatte kita mon ne "We've come this far for the sake of winning."

9 今日踏んばれなきゃ きょうふんばれなきゃ kyou funbarenakya "Today we have to stand firm."

10 何の為にヒーローを夢見たかわかりゃしねえ！だからよお〜〜 なんのためにヒーローをゆめみたかわかりゃしねえ！だからよお〜〜 nan no tame ni HIIROO wo yumemita ka wakarya shinee! dakara yoo~~ "For what reason did we dream of becoming heroes! That's why!~~"

11 みんな…！ minna...! "Everyone...!"

1 オイラたちが OIRA-tachi ga "We"

2 来た‼︎ きた‼︎ kita!! "are here!!"

tagline No.421　WE ARE HERE　堀越耕平 ナンバー421　ウィー・アー・ヒア　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 421  UII AA HIA  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 421 WE ARE HERE Kouhei Horikos

1 灰色の肉が並んでいる… はいいろのにくがならんでいる… haiiro no niku ga narande iru... (literal.) "Gray bodies are lined up..." (context.) "You are all just gray bodies to me..."

2 本来ならば僕は弔の一部として…もろともう��くだかれていたのだろう ほんらいならばぼくはとむらのいちぶとして…もろともうちくだかれていたのだろう honrai naraba boku wa Tomura no ichibu to shite...morotomo uchikudakarete ita no darou Originally, as a part of Tomura...I probably would have have been destroyed along with him.

3 だが daga But,

4 与一が砕ける音を聞いた時 よいちがくだけるおとをきいたとき Yoichi ga kudakeru oto wo kiita toki when I heard the sound of Yoichi smashing to pieces,

5 僕の世界は色褪せた ぼくのせかいはいろあせた boku no sekai wa iroaseta the color of my world faded.

6 執心を喪い しゅうしんをうしない shuushin wo ushinai "I've lost my passion,"

7 故に ゆえに yue ni "therefore,"

8 喪失の穴に通る攻撃はなくーー… そうしつのあなにとおるこうげきはなくーー… soushitsu no ana ni tooru kougeki wa naku--... "there is no attack that can pierce through my loss--..."

9 僕は止めを免れたのだ ぼくはとどめをまぬがれたのだ boku wa todome wo manugareta no da "I am the one who escaped the final blow."

10 今なら理解る いまならわかる ima nara wakaru (kanji: rikairu) "Now I understand,"

11 緑谷出久 みどりやいずく Midoriya Izuku "Izuku Midoriya."

1 悲劇こそが人を強くする ひげきこそがひとをつよくする higeki koso ga hito wo tsuyoku suru "It is tragedy that makes people stronger."

2 そう思わないか？ そうおもわないか？ sou omowanai ka? "Don't you think so?"

3 どうだろね dou daro ne "I don't know about that."

4 あんたらみてーに起伏に富んだ人生じゃねえから あんたらみてーにきふくにとんだじんせいじゃねえから antara mitee ni kifuku ni tonda jinsei ja nee kara "My life is not full of ups and downs like all of yours."

5 「明日の実技置いてかれねーよーに」とか…そういう事でしか俺は頑張ってこなかったな 「あしたのじつぎおいてかれねーよーに」とか…そういうことでしかおれはがんばってこなかったな 「ashita no jitsugi oitekarenee yoo ni」 toka...sou iu koto de shika ore wa ganbatte konakatta na "I had no reasons to try my best other than things like...'I don't want to be left behind at tomorrow's practicals.'"

6 それに sore ni "Also,"

7 今日まで大変そうだったよ きょうまでたいへんそうだったよ kyou made taihen sou datta yo "until today, he seemed like he'd had it rough,"

8 かつてガンギマリだった彼は かつてガンギマリだったかれは katsute GANGIMARI datta kare wa "and one time his face was so intense and distant*." (Note: What Sero is saying here is that one time Shouto had this look on his face that is described by the Japanese slang word: gangimari. Gangimari refers to an intense, eyes-wide face that comes from a marijuana high. It also refers to a feeling of emptiness that comes with the high. If you search for images of the face, you'll see it's often a frightening look. I believe Sero here is referring to the face Shouto makes at him in their sports festival battle in chapter 34, so I believe this description is meant to refer to how Shouto was overwhelmed with anger and mentally somewhat removed from the fight itself.)

1 悲しー事なんざ かなしーことなんざ kanashii koto nan za "[I think] such sad things"

2 あるよりない方が良いだろ‼︎ あるよりないほうがいいだろ‼︎ aru yori nai hou ga ii daro!! "would be better not to have than to have!!"

3 赫灼 かくしゃく kakushaku Flashfire

4 熱拳 ねっけん nekken Fist

1 早くリカバリーガールの元へ…！ はやくリカバリーガールのもとへ…！ hayaku RIKABARII GAARU no moto e...! Quickly, to where Recovery Girl is...!

2 婆さんも怪我人(?)をX続けて限界(?)だ…XXできるかどうか… ばあさんもけがにん(?)をXつづけてげんかい(?)だ…XXできるかどうか… baasan mo keganin(?) wo X tsudzukete genkai(?) da... XX dekiru ka dou ka... (Note: This line is only partly legible. I've skipped figuring it out in the interest of time and may come back to it later. The gist of this line is something like "The old lady is also at her limit with injured persons... Whether or not anything can be done...")

3 あんたいても母さんたち熱いだけだ あんたいてもかあさんたちあついだけだ anta itemo kaasan-tachi atsui dake da Even with you here, mom and the others will only be hot.

4 行きなよ いきなよ iki na yo So go.

5 まだ少しでも まだすこしでも mada sukoshi demo Even if it's [just] a little,

6 力が出るんなら ちからがでるんなら chikara ga derun nara if you can muster [any] strength...

7 ってな！ tte na! "That's what"!"

8 荼毘に勝ったって聞いた時ちょっと思った！ だびにかったってきいたときちょっとおもった！ Dabi ni katta tte kiita toki chotto omotta! "When I heard you won against Dabi, I thought about that for a moment!"

9 ……ありがとう… ......arigatou... "......Thank you..."

10 戦える奴召集完了 たたかえるやつしょうしゅうかんりょう tatakaeru yatsu shoushuu kanryou "Recruiting of those who can fight complete."

1 ガイズ‼︎今日が分水嶺だ‼︎ ガイズ‼︎きょうがぶんすいれいだ‼︎ GAIZU!! kyou ga bunsuire da!! "Guys! Today is a watershed [moment]!!"

2 行こう‼︎最後の大仕事だ!!! いこう‼︎さいごのおおしごとだ!!! ikou!! saigo no ooshigoto da!!! "Let's go!! It's the last big job!!!"

3 手負いのヒーロー…これだけの数がいて何も感じないのは…寂しいものだな ておいのヒーロー…これだけのかずがいてなにもかんじないのは…さびしいものだな teoi no HIIROO...kore dake no kazu ga ite nani mo kanjinai no wa...sabishii mono da na "Wounded heroes... With just this number of them here I don't feel anything... How lonely."

4 オールマイトに届きえぬ屑肉に オールマイトにとどきえぬくずにくに OORU MAITO ni todokienu kuzuniku ni "You scraps of meat who can't match All Might,"

1 掃き掃除だ はきそうじだ hakisouji da "I'll sweep and clean you up."

2 逸らせえ‼︎ そらせえ‼︎ sorasee!! "Deflect!!"

1 速ぇ…！ はえぇ…！ haee...! "Hurry...!"

2 一つの挙動に数十人で対処しなきゃ ひとつのきょどうにすうじゅうにんでたいしょしなきゃ hitotsu no kyodou ni suujuunin de taisho shinakya "If dozens of you have to deal with a single action."

3 戦いになんねえ！ たたかいになんねえ！ tatakai ni nannee! "this won't become a battle!"

4 みんな離れないで‼︎ みんなはなれないで‼︎ minna hanarenaide!! (literal.) "Everyone, we can't be apart!!" (contextual.) "Everyone, we can't be scattered!!"

5 一かたまりになって戦おう！ ひとかたまりになってたたかおう！ hito katamari ni natte tatakaou! "Let's fight as one bunch!"

6 行かなきゃーーー いかなきゃーーー ikanakya--- "I have to go---"

7 体が…！ からだが…！ karada ga...! My body...!

8 戻ったのはあくまで数分 もどったのはあくまですうふん modotta no wa akumade suufun "Only a few minutes were returned [to you],"

9 腕を失う少し前まで… うでをうしなうすこしまえまで… ude wo ushinau sukoshi mae made... "to a little bit before you lost your arms..."

10 継戦のダメージは残ったままだ けいせんのダメージはのこったままだ keisen no DAMEEJI wa nokotta mama da The damage from the rest of the battle remains.

11 …どれ程長く激しい戦いを… …どれほどながくはげしいたたかいを… ...dore hodo nagaku hageshii tatakai wo... "...What a long and violent battle..."

12 …っ ... "...gh!"

13 僕は…OFAをなげうちました ぼくは…ワン・フォー・オールをなげうちました boku wa...WAN FOO OORU wo nageuchimashita "I...relinquished One For All."

1 ないのか⁉︎ nai no ka!? "It's gone!?"

2 歴代の"個性"は……でも… れきだいの"こせい"は……でも… rekidai no "kosei" wa......demo... "The successive generations' quirks are......but..."

3 短い時間だったけど… みじかいじかんだったけど… mijikai jikan datta kedo... "[I had it for] a short time, but..."

4 "無個性"の僕に染みついてる… "むこせい"のぼくにしみついてる… "mukosei" no boku ni shimitsuiteru... "it's ingrained in me [as I'm] quirkless..."

5-6 オールマイトがそうだったように OORU MAITO ga sou datta you ni Just like with All Might.

7 まだ残り火があります まだのこりびがあります mada nokoribi ga arimasu "I still have the [lingering] embers."

1 残り火があれば…AFOあいつは… のこりびがあれば…オール・フォー・ワンあいつは… nokoribi ga areba...OORU FOO WAN aitsu wa... "If I have the embers...then that All For One..." (Note: This line is partly cut off, so I made some educated guesses.)

2 ……緑谷 ……みどりや ......Midoriya "......Midoriya,"

3 傷薬と包帯あと…体を冷やしちゃいけない きずぐすりとほうたいあと…からだをひやしちゃいけない kizugusuri to houtai ato...karada wo hiyashicha ikenai "After a wound salve and bandage...don't let your body relax."

4 避難先の方々からだ ひなんさきのかたがたからだ hinan saki no katagata kara da "It's from the people who evacuated."

5 メンズノンノの全サ第五弾Tシャツ…！ メンズノンノのぜんサだいごだんTシャツ…！ MENZU NON NO no zen SA daigodan T SHATSU...! "A Men's Non-No one-size-fits-all fifth edition t-shirt...!" (Note: Men's Non-No is a men's fashion magazine.)

6 走ろう☆ はしろう☆ hashirou ☆ "Let's run ☆"

7 僕らは君の力が必要だし君も僕らの力が必要だ ぼくらはきみのちからがひつようだしきみもぼくらのちからがひつようだ bokura wa kimi no chikara ga hitsuyou da shi kimi mo bokura no chikara ga hitsuyou da "We need your strength, and you also need our strength."

8 この手を握ってくれ青山くん このてをにぎってくれあおやまくん kono te wo nigitte kure Aoyama-kun Please grasp my hand, Aoyama-kun.

1 頑張れ…‼︎ がんばれ…‼︎ ganbare...!! "Do your best...!!"

2 皆 みんな minna "Everyone"

3 一緒に戦ってくれてるよ いっしょにたたかってくれてるよ issho ni tatakatte kureteru yo "is fighting together!"

4 デクさん DEKU-san "Mr. Deku!"

5 緑谷兄ちゃん みどりやにいちゃん Midoriya-niichan "Big Bro Midoriya!"

6 デク…！ DEKU...! "Deku...!"

1 頑張れ がんばれ ganbare Do your best!

tagline 少年は走るーーー しょうねんははしるーーー shounen wa hashiru--- The young man* runs--- *(Note: This word can mean "boy," but it's also the word All Might uses for Izuku that often gets translated as "young man." Both work.)

#my hero academia leak translations #mha 421 #bnha 421 #my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers #the pothead sero fics are about to explode

[pikahlua]

Inspired by @siflshonen's fic Faster, specifically chapter 3.

"When they finally break, there is almost no sunlight in the room, but Kacchan is smiling gently and glowing like he did in the hospital. He really does glow, thinks Izuku. Or at least he does to me."

Happy birthday, Kacchan. Kiss that damn nerd to your heart's content. You both need it.

(lyrics from Pretty Please by Dua Lipa)

#reblog #bakuhatsufallinlove #fanart #bakudeku #😊 #i'm so proud you posted it! #👀 #i am looking respectfully #they hold so soft ;_;

[pikahlua]

#reblog #siflshonen #katsuki bakugou #fanart #he's beauty #he's grace #his symbolism will punch you in the face

[pikahlua]

You know what, this past chapter was a perfect demonstration of exactly what it is my translations are for. I'm not able to provide better polished translations than a professional, so my goal is to demonstrate what it is the translators are working with to an audience that doesn't speak Japanese. That way you can understand why each translator makes different decisions about a passage, and hopefully you can appreciate the way I also wait to see what the official translators do with the passage.

(vague manga spoilers for chapter 420 under the cut)

That whole bit about the Kurogiri "black and white" color theory really doesn't sound good in English for various reasons but it sounds really Japanese if you're familiar with their use of those words symbolically. It was always going to be interesting to see what each translator would do with that bit.

#about me

[pikahlua]

hi! i recently reread your answer to that one ask about izuku not saving katsuki from the sludge monster until he realized who it was (anon was arguing that izuku only helped because it was katsuki), and i just wanted to express my appreciation for how you somehow always manage to perfectly summarize my exact feelings about everything in bnha apparently????

i know you posted that almost a year ago, but i've always been a little bothered by people who believe that the only reason why izuku ran to help was because it was katsuki, since it kind of takes away from izuku's whole saving thing, and how he seemingly can't help himself when he sees someone asking for help. i've always admired that about him, and it's super cool to see someone take that long-held belief and argue the opposite (kind of??). i really like the idea of katsuki, in a moment of fear and panic and probably desperation, looking at the crowd to find the one person he knows will help, despite spending like ten years trying not to acknowledge it.

sorry this ended up being so long lol, but i just wanted to say thanks for writing your metas, and that i hope you keep writing them!

Katsuki stans gotta stan Izuku the way he stans Izuku amirite

#anon ask #ask pika #anime only friendly #bakudeku #thank you

[pikahlua]

i was wondering if you could go more in depth about monoma's way of taunting class 1a? i've seen the class 1b speech style but i was wondering if theres any cultural context that makes his manner especially strange, especially if he's using informal language with people he hasn't gotten close to. (i've seen some others mention that he talks in a very complex manner in japanese, as well as others saying that he speaks very intensity?) thank you!

I'm gonna be real, I don't know how to answer your question. To use informal speech with people you're not close to is pretty much definitionally disrespectful in Japanese, so it makes sense Monoma would do that. It's something I would also expect from another anime character like him. Perhaps this "complex manner/intensity" you're hearing about is a reference to how...dramatic and megalomaniacal he sounds? The dub isn't terrible at capture that vibe lol. In any case, there isn't anything that immediately sticks out about his manner of speech to me, but I haven't particularly paid close attention beyond what I've vaguely heard at times.

#reblog #bakuhatsufallinlove #sometimes it's really hard to describe these differences #because sometimes these sorts of speech choices create a subconscious vibe #and then comes along bakuhatsufallinlove who can actually identify those things and explain them for me lol #❤️❤️❤️ #anime only friendly #linguistics fun

[pikahlua]

Seeing the parallels even more between Eri and Shigaraki now. The way Overhaul convinced Eri she's a cursed human who kills people with every decision she makes and all that. I see now why Horikoshi wanted Eri to fix Izuku's arms that Shigaraki destroyed. Because those are the warm, caring arms that saved her (and will save Shigaraki).

I don't know what it is specifically so many people saw in Shigaraki that they feel is being threatened by recent events in the manga, but what I see is that Shigaraki had a particular view about the way the world works that he wasn't aware was imparted upon him by AFO. That's what's just been made evident to him. Shigaraki thought he was born as a thing that society automatically would always reject. AFO thinks the bombshell he's just dropped is to tell Shigaraki he wasn't born as he is, he was MADE that way by AFO's careful work, and he never had any decision in the matter. What Shigaraki is actually learning now is that he was the one convinced to reject society, to reject other explanations for his experiences, to reject the idea that he could have any agency over his relationship with the world because that's just how the world is. Shigaraki is learning that the home he grew up in was not a direct product of the world but a construct of AFO's influence on the world, that Shigaraki is not a cursed human, that he still doesn't understand the world enough to know if he will always be rejected, that maybe Shigaraki could become anything he wanted if he really put his mind to it no matter his quirk. It's like a sharp knife, right Izuku?

#my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers #tenko shimura #tomura shigaraki #eri

[pikahlua]

Pika do you have a main? We need more insightful voices in anitumblr

You're reading it, my friend! I'm just a hyperfixation person and only wanted my blog to be about MHA. I'm actually very picky about the anime I'm willing to watch.

#anon ask #ask pika #about me

[pikahlua]

when bnha finishes, will this account stay? i would absolutely love to have a bunch of rewatches/rereads eventually alongside ur essays because i feel like theres still so many details I've missed.

Oh that's so sweet! Worry not; I am a big believer in letting things remain, particularly for archiving purposes, so I fully intend to leave this blog up for posterity! I was even considering if at some point I may have time to make another blog that would reblog just the meta posts to make them more easily accessible.

#ask pika #signed ask #nameless-feathers #about me

[pikahlua]

Hi Pika, thanks for the translations ♥ I was wondering, do you think Ochako/Kacchan/Shoto/Iida have any chances of joining the final FINAL (part 2) last battle against AFO? They seem pretty out of commission but man I'd really like to see Kacchan-san join the fight 😔

I'm practically certain they'll be joining in at some point. I have been for a while, but the percent of certainty has only steadily increased. The nature of how they join in still remains to be seen, so don't go jumping to conclusions in that regard yet. I just know we haven't seen the last of them.

#anon ask #ask pika #my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers

[pikahlua]

So many plotpoints I just don't understand in this arc. Why have bkg die? Why have him fight afo? Why have izuku lose his arms? What purpose has any of it served???? At all???????

Todorki and ochakos fights were handled so well and streamlined and benefited their characters and arcs but bkgs and dekus have been a mess all bcus hori is a coward who won't just let them fight together bcus ig save to win and win to save meant nothing at all

Why have bkg die?

I think it's pretty clear from the way that whole thing was framed that the purpose of Katsuki dying was symbolic. This is a staple of Japanese drama running all the way back to kabuki. It is a trope for a main character to die to shed their mortal incarnation and come back to life as their deified form. Katsuki's death runs perfectly parallel to Tomura's from the PLW arc right down to the part where they are both responsible for their own resurrections. It's probably one of the best cases I can think of where a character's death actually did further that same character's arc without fridging them for the sake of someone else.

Why have [Katsuki] fight AFO?

Because AFO was set up as a "what if" scenario or cautionary tale for Katsuki, the other side to his "villains and heroes are two sides of the same coin" storyline. AFO in his physical form has a different character arc and story utility from AFO the quirk vestige. He provided a lot of backstory that allows us to infer the subtlety of how Katsuki is likely some sort of reincarnation of Kudou, the mechanics of which we will never need to revisit because they're unimportant. It was about karma and personal growth. It was about showcasing how Katsuki is an heir to many legacies, All Might's included.

Why have Izuku lose his arms?

Again, it's symbolic. It's been foreshadowed pretty heavily that Izuku would risk losing his arms in reaching out to save someone. This was a demonstration of his willingness to take on that risk. It also provides a moment for Eri to get in on the "everyone contributes a little bit to the fight" action all the other characters have been allowed to have. We don't even know yet what state Izuku will actually be in when this is all over, so it'd be premature to jump to any major conclusions about all of this. The story may still have a lot to say about this.

What purpose has any of it served???? At all???????

To entertain me specifically.

Todorki and ochakos fights were handled so well and streamlined and benefited their characters and arcs but bkgs and dekus have been a mess all bcus hori is a coward who won't just let them fight together bcus ig save to win and win to save meant nothing at all

Bold of you to assume you've read the final chapter in the story yet.

#anon ask #ask pika #my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers #at this point i'm just gonna have to get snarky about all of these sorts of asks #if you guys won't stop to think about this story and find the answers to your questions yourself why is that my problem #you're entitled to your own opinion #but jeez #one sloppy chapter and you all go off the deep end with it i swear #as if every story out there doesn't have a bit of this going on #seriously #is this sort of reaction really merited just by the fact izuku's arms are being healed??? #if you need context just know i've been getting a ton of asks like this lately and i'm pretty sure they're not all from different people

[pikahlua]

Can I ask a clarifying question on the last translation? The 2-3 minutes bit, is that saying how long it's going to take for them to come back or how long they'll last for?

I don't think this is a question of how long the effects will last. Eri's quirk has never worked that way before. But who knows right? lol

I think the question is more if it'll take 2-3 minutes to finish fixing his arms or if it'll only take away his injuries from the last 2-3 minutes. I kinda think it's gonna be the latter.

Notice how I can't be sure? This chapter really highlighted how ambiguous some of these Japanese translations can be, eh? XD What a doozy!

#anon ask #ask pika #my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers

[pikahlua]

Maybe it's not that Eri couldn't restore anyone, it's that she couldn't do it then. She can now. It'll be months before she can do it again (if not longer as she'll need to regrow her horn?)

Maybe in a year, she'll be able to help someone else. Maybe even regrow Toshi's stomach?

Actually, while I understand why this advent is frustrating and seems like a cop-out, it does also accomplish something else pretty notable. Aizawa implied Eri's quirk may be damaged now, which means her quirk may not be as powerful or could even be completely gone.

This means dire consequences to the final battle are back on the table, kids! Whatever wounds they have are sticking around! No rewinding!

Unless Overhaul puts Eri back together and fixes everything which is a whole other mess to think about.

#anon ask #ask pika #my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers

[pikahlua]

I think giving him back one arm is fine, but TWO? let the loss linger a bit horikoshi

Hey I mean, the story made a point about the limitations of this power. We don't know what state Izuku's gonna get those arms back in yet. They could be brittle and unusable but for the purposes of the story come back just to keep Izuku from bleeding out. And to allow him to hold hands with people lol.

#anon ask #ask pika #my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers

[pikahlua]

Did Eri really call Katsuki Mr. Kacchan? That's so adorable 🤭

Kacchan-san! ❤️❤️❤️

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[pikahlua]

I know this is normally not pretty of your metas/pieces, but I just gotta express how the marketing and merch team is just so damn good at their job. I almost want to be frustrated by it. They know what they're doing by making bkdk the it couple (not necessarily romantically, however they are very much aware of the general publics opinion of them) of the series. Bkdk is their whole farm and I have to respect them capitalizing on them.

That does raise the question of how much Horikoshi has a say in what he draws for these covers. I'm sure they want these things limited to major recognizable characters, and who is more recognizable in Japan than Kacchan at this point XD

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[pikahlua]

I was wondering your thoughts on my misgivings with the reveal that AFO meddled in Tenko’s life from birth. I’ve been struggling to understand this direction for the story for a long time because it implicates AFO too much. He made Kotarou abuse Tenko, he made Nao give birth to Tenko, he goaded Tenko’s friends to play heroes with him, he put Tenko in the perfect spot to kill those thugs…at this point you can’t even blame anyone else but AFO for how Tenko turned out. I’m really bothered by this because it dampens the whole bystander effect of Tenko’s arc for me. The only way I can see this making sense is if AFO is somehow exaggerating or acting as an unreliable narrator somehow, but I’m not banking on that happening. Please can you help me? Is there some Japanese context I’m missing or something?

Okay well first of all I think you're thinking about this a little too black-and-white. AFO didn't *make* Kotarou abuse Tenko, he encouraged Kotarou's strict mentality indirectly. He certainly didn't MAKE Nao birth Tenko XD The whole point of that reveal was that he said he couldn't do anything too obvious, it all had to be subtle nudges. It was manipulation, but it wasn't coercion. Those characters still had some agency in what occurred, even though all people are influenced by others, they just didn't realize one of the people influencing them had ulterior, nefarious motives.

"at this point you can’t even blame anyone else but AFO for how Tenko turned out" see the thing about this is, Tenko himself BELIEVED he was born this way, not that anyone else was to blame for how he turned out. THAT'S the thing that just got turned on its head. AFO is saying "You weren't born this way, this is how *I* made you. This wasn't random chance at all. You don't have free will, you never made a choice to begin with. I just let you think that."

As far as Japanese context goes, the Japanese are much more communalistic. People have some pretty heavy social pressures. AFO used that social pressure dynamic to influence Tenko's family. There is this concept in Japan called giri which is a social obligation. What sort of giri you owe to others plays a big role in how you behave and whose advice you take and such. It's all predicated on the idea that everyone in this system has good intentions, and AFO as someone who has BAD intentions could exploit that system.

There's only so much we can take away from this right now. Tenko will surely show up with a new conclusion about all this once he's had time to contemplate this revelation. Or maybe Izuku will have an answer to AFO ("Tenko isn't you!") We just have to wait and see.

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