#and unfortunately that's gonna end up being the ultimate abandonment he just can't get up from

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

okay the thing I wanted to talk about for Touya:

So over on the discord server we’ve been watching s5 of mha cause some of my friends hadn’t seen it yet, and I REALLY wanna watch s6 with them, and last night we finally finished.

I noticed something.

I and probably a ton of other people have talked about how Touya probably related to the High End Nomu he sent after Endeavor and very much sent that one on purpose. HOWEVER, I don’t see a lot of analysis about the Line Guy he also sent his way.

Here’s what I think: I think the Nomu battle was foreshadowing his battle vs Shouto, which was focused on who was the strongest and who could last out between the two of them, and I think the Line Guy is foreshadowing his “battle” with Endeavor.

I put battle in quotations because, like with the Line Guy, I don’t think it’s gonna be much of a fight.

The Line Guy is almost a 1-1 projection of Touya. One of the first thing he says to Endeavor is that he’s so happy he remembers him. The first thing he does when he gets out of prison is search for Endeavor, even before he eats. He’s obsessed with Endeavor. He’s obsessed with dying. He doesn’t want anyone else to kill him but Endeavor. He will hurt other people to get Endeavor to hurt him. He uses one of his sons to get to him.

For most of that battle, Endeavor is frozen on the ground. And per the last chapter:

he’s pretty much in the same position.

How that battle ends isn’t because of Endeavor, it’s because of the kids. They beat the Line Guy because Endeavor is just too frozen up to act. While I don’t think he’s gonna freeze up this time, I do think he’s going to refuse to fight Touya. And like the Line Guy, it’s gonna make him furious. He needs Endeavor to kill him. It won’t fit his narrative otherwise. Often when kids are in situations like Touya was, they start to believe that any attention is better than no attention, even negative painful punishments. In Touya’s mind, killing Endeavor, and therefore getting Endeavor to kill him in the process, is the ultimate acknowledgement.

But Endeavor’s not that violent guy anymore.

I personally have not seen enough from Endeavor yet to like him like some of y’all do, but it would be untrue to say that he is the same man that we started the series with. We’ve been with that man for many arcs now...but Touya hasn’t. The only father he knows is violent, ruthless, cold. He will hurt his family for the betterment of his Hero status without a second thought. He admired those traits in his father because his kid brain understood that as the source of his power. Just like the Line Guy.

And I think it’s gonna end in the same way, with Touya feeling rejected by a man who no longer exists. What’ll “save him” isn’t Endeavor, it isn’t him doing a round-a-bout himself. It’ll be the weight of his grief breaking him. He will never get what he wants now and that’ll be too much to bare. He’ll crack. That battle genius we’ve been seeing, him being always two steps ahead, all of that will start to slip away as his mental health reaches his breaking point, until he makes the one mistake that leaves him broken and sobbing in Shouto’s ice.

Cause that’s what happens with the Line Guy

#dabi #touya todoroki #mha meta #mha musings #tl;dr touya and azula sit at the same lunch table in the asylum lmfao #since the reveal I have wanted his ending to be like azulas and I am so fucking stoked that might actually happen #but seriously if you haven't listened to this guy talk with touya in mind #holy shit does it hit different #everyone has taken steps to break the cycle of violence in the Todoroki family #EXCEPT Touya #and unfortunately that's gonna end up being the ultimate abandonment he just can't get up from #in his mind it's gonna mean he's left behind again

[haunted-xander]

It's been some time since Monaca started living with them and Nagito revealing his... new hand. A couple of weeks ago, Makoto and Kyoko had visited them to inform them about the Neo World Program being under testing. Apparently, the Neo World Program is supposed to undo Junko's brainwashing and completely rehabilitate the Remnants of Despair.

Chiaki is a bit wary, simulations like that tend to have something go wrong with them, but despite that, she is excited. If there's a chance to save her old classmates and friends, she will take it, no matter the risk.

Right now, though, she has a more pressing matter.

Getting Nagito's chain collar off. She noticed he's been trying to scratch his neck a lot lately, but couldn't because of the collar. Unfortunately, Monaca lost the key during Bing Bang Monokuma's attack and picking it proved difficult, even for Izuru.

Didn't help that Nagito resisted their attempts at getting it off. Guess that's Ultimate Despair for you... They take pleasure in things they hate. It must be so uncomfortable. He'll probably get markings on his neck from all that chafing...

Everyone's sitting on the couch playing together. Today, Chiaki had set up her Gamecube and had started up Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. A fun 4-player game they can all enjoy. Nagito was having a bit of trouble, on account of only having one functioning hand, but was doing well enough. His Ultimate Luck may be to thank for that, or maybe he's just that good.

Unfortunately, their play session was interrupted by a notification coming from Chiaki's phone. "...Oh, it's work. I need to send in some reports, so we'll need to pause the game for a bit." In reply, Monaca started whining, "But we just got to the booooooss! Monaca doesn't want to stop playing. Big sis should ignore any Future Foundation work and continue playing with Monaca and Big Bro! ...Oh, and Mr. Stalker, I guess."

"Sorry, but I can't do that. I've been putting these reports off for a while already, so I really need to deliver them. Munakata-kun's gonna be mad if I put it off anymore." Chiaki put her controller on the table and stood up. As Monaca tried to grab at her skirt, Nagito gently laid his hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Now, now Monaca-san, don't be so impatient. Let's play another game for a little bit while Nanami-san does her work, alright? She unfortunately can't abandon her duty forever."

"Hmmm... Okay! But Mr. Stalker isn't allowed to play with us." Monaca brightened up instantly and made to swap over to the Switch. Chiaki didn't get to hear what they ended up deciding on, but could tell Monaca was happy with whatever she started playing.

She walked into the isolated corner she's fashioned into a make-shift office, and sat down at her desk to get started on those reports. After a few minutes had passed, she heard a knock on the door and steady, even steps heading to check who it was. Faintly hearing the door opening, she deciding to let Izuru handle it and focused back on the reports in front of her.

At least she planned to. "Hey! Nanami-san, Nanami-san! I've got great news! ...Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you while working! I'll just, uh, get back to you later...?" Makoto shouted as he burst into her office, almost completely covering up the sound of Kyoko dicussing something with Izuru and Nagito. ...With the occasional snide comment from Monaca. "No, it's alright. What did you come here for? Did something happen?"

"Yes! Or, um, kinda...? Nothing really 'happened' per say but... Anyway, it's good! Really good!"

"...Well, what is it then?" Chiaki was honestly getting a bit impatient, eager to get back to writing the reports so she can finally be done with them. "Um, I told you we were working on a way to undo Enoshima-san's brainwashing, right?"

"Yeah, the Neo World Program, right?"

"Yeah! It's finally operational! We can get started on rehabilitation now! Kirigiri-san and I have already made plans with Togami-kun to have the islands and the pods readied for the 15 of them! We've got boats and everything ready to sail them all over too! I don't know how no one has caught wind of it yet if I'm being honest, but everything's going super well!" His excited rambling almost managed to lose her with everything he was saying, but she somehow managed to keep up. Somehow, I doubt it's just that they haven't been caught. Someone must have noticed it by now, it's far too big an operation for no one to notice. Which means someone is trying to help cover it up. ...Could it be...?

"...Hey hey, slow down a bit. Islands? boats? Where exactly are you taking them, Naegi-kun?" Chiaki had a few questions regarding the plan, but decided to point out what she deemed most pressing. "Oh, sorry! I totally forgot to mention that! The server for the Neo World Program is located in a small archipelago in the Pacific Ocean consisting of six islands called 'Jabberwock Island'. Apparently, the Future Foundation reconstructed an old administration building on the central island into a base so they could rebuild the island." Why do you say that like you're reading it off a tourist guide? "...I'm not sure why they didn't go throught with that plan, but now we can use it to help the Remnants recover!"

"I see. And I guess you're planning on the Remnants continuing to live on the island after rehabilitation too?"

"Um, well, that's the plan, yeah! They... can't exactly just wander around freely, even after being freed of the brainwashing. The Future Foundation -no, not just the Future Foundation, the whole world wouldn't like it if we just... let them go. As much as I hate it, they did kill a lot of people. Rehabilitation can't undo all their crimes."

"...Yeah, I get that. They'll serve their time living on the island. ...Much preferable to prison, I'd say. Maybe... after enough time, they can get the opportunity to visit the rest of the world. Maybe they can help restore the world in exchange for getting to leave the island occasionally."

"...I hope we can get to that point. I'm just worried about if the Future Foundation will ever come to accept that they're rehabilitated, even long after the fact. These guys are a real stubborn sort, you know?" Makoto let out a sheepish laugh, trying to cheer himself up. "...Hey hey, are you going to stay on the island too?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you'd need someone to watch over their recovery after the program... probably. Some of the Remnants don't seem to be doing so well, physically speaking. I ran into Owari-san during patrol some time ago and she... looked like she hadn't eaten a thing in weeks. And everyone has heard about the ones who traded their body parts for Enoshima-san's." Nagito's hand was a prime example of one such instance, but even that was far from the most disturbing one. ...Tsumiki-san will need to be kept a close eye on. Out of everyyone, her health will probably be the worst...

"Oh, yeah, you've got a point... I was considering it, but there's no way we'd get away with being gone so long. Of course, we'll take some time to watch over them after they first wake up from the program! But..."

Chiaki understood what he meant. As the leader of the 14th division, and the fact the Future Foundation already knows he has plans of some sort regarding the Remnants of Despair, there is no way he could just up an disappear. That said...

"Then, I'll do it."

#woohoo nwp is up! #were getting close to the in-game time frame now! #chiaki nanami #makoto naegi #monaca towa #nagito komaeda #izuru kamukura #< literally doesnt say a word hes just standing there #kamukomanami #kamunami #kamukoma #komanami #< shippy stuff is like hardly there but its the Intent™ #remnant searcher chiaki au #danganronpa #super danganronpa 2 #sdr2 #danganronpa another episode ultra despair girls #udg #danganronpa 3 #dr3 #art #my art #xanders art #xanders haunting art #digital art #fan art #fic #fanfic #fanfiction

[theopolis]

Hi! I was just wondering - what do you think about Dane Dehaan being Harry Osborn? I love this movie with my soul, but can't rewatch it because of Peter's horrible atitude to Harry. It just breaks my heart everytime I think of him just did nothing to try to safe Harry's life.

I retain my opinion that Dane DeHaan was very well cast as Harry and I would absolutely love to see him have another crack at it in a different project, but the movie's treatment of his character starts out a bit of a hodge podge, and ends up being deeply disappointing.

On one hand TASM actually attempts to give him a somewhat better defined inner life than the Raimi movies did. Whereas Raimi Harry sort of just had a vague insecurity around not being good enough in his fathers eyes that was only pinned on his lack of smarts or academic success in the first Spider-Man - something that, aside from omitting a lot of crucial context from the source material, was never explored further in the subsequent installments of the franchise, where Harry's inner turmoil was only used to fuel his conflict with Peter - TASM Harry is very driven by his abandonment issues and bitterness over being disregarded and "thrown away", as well as a desire to escape his fathers legacy throughout the whole film.

I think while both of these struggles have their roots in 616 and could be compelling things to do with the character, TASM, despite actually implementing more of Harry's frailty (though that could have been an acting choice on DeHaan's part, which would be another reason to praise him in the role) ultimately ran into the same issues as its predecessor by leaving out Harry's true thematic core, his fear of and revulsion towards his own softness. The usual adaptational nonsense really, but at least there's potential to build on. Until...

The movie takes a complete nosedive wrt Harry at the end by essentially using Goblin Sr and Goblin Jr interchangably and placing him in Norman's narrative role of Gwen's murderer. Here's where my good will with the writing choices comes ot an end.

Now I'm not gonna get into discourse of when a villain, broadly speaking, is or is not redeemable, because I don't think it matters to this conversation as much as the following does; In the source material, the purpose of Harry as a character is essentialy to showcase the value of vulnerability, and the instrument through which that message is conveyed is his relationship with his foil, Peter. Whether or not TASM Harry can be redeemed in the audiences eye, his relationship with Peter has clearly crossed over into being unsalvageable. There is no convincing way for the tenderness Peter extended towards Goblin Harry in the comics to exist and ultimately save the day in this franchise post TASM2 ending. On that same note, another crucial thing to critique is that not having it in him to actually take a life - as much as the occasional comic that does not care for Harry as a dynamic supporting cast member with narrative value seems to disagree - has been a consistent trait of his in the source material. This matters, because it's one of the defining pieces of characterization showing how his soft core makes him both "weak" and "strong"

I will say that I disagree with you on Peter's attitude towards Harry - I think the movie and Garfields performance make it clear that Peter has very warm and sentimental feelings towards Harry and wants to help him, even if he cannot see a safe way of doing so. The issue is that TASM2 is juggling a lot of things at once, ends up putting the "Harry is terminally ill" thing on the backburner for a long time, and then essentially uses this fault in the script as a plot device; Harry is tired of waiting, he's gonna resort to desperate measures!

In the end, I like the idea of TASM Harry. I like what he could have been, I like the inklings of a better treatment for his character in the first half of the movie. But what he ended up being is unfortunately very, very far removed from that and the only reason I'm not actively mad about it is that TASM is rather inconsequential in the current state of the Spider-Man franchise - It's not ongoing, nor well loved by a bigger portion of the fanbase, the only thing about it that really remains in public conscious is Andrew Garfield's Peter.

I personally have deeply mixed feelings about the franchise overall, for all kinds of reasons. I can see why you say you loved the movie, because I think it has some themes that it very much commits to and manages to tackle in an emotionally resonant way. It's just that Harry's character isn't really included in any of those themes and ends up being sacrified for them instead.

#harry #parksborn #theopolispost