(L+CR) My Hero Academia Season 2

[Itlandm]

I thought the main purpose of the antiheroes Endeavor and Bakugo was that being a hero is not primarily a question of goodness, but of what side you choose to fight on. Neither of them are people I'd recommend as babysitters, but they are - as far as we know - wholehearted in their intention to fight on the side of law and order, and even to risk their life doing so. Of course, we haven't seen King Explosion Murder Bakugo being truly tested the way Deku and his friends were when going against the Herokiller, but so far he seems straight as an arrow going for his goal to be a superhero, indeed the number one hero.

[Fairy Water]

Originally Posted by Itlandm

I thought the main purpose of the antiheroes Endeavor and Bakugo was that being a hero is not primarily a question of goodness, but of what side you choose to fight on. Neither of them are people I'd recommend as babysitters, but they are - as far as we know - wholehearted in their intention to fight on the side of law and order, and even to risk their life doing so. Of course, we haven't seen King Explosion Murder Bakugo being truly tested the way Deku and his friends were when going against the Herokiller, but so far he seems straight as an arrow going for his goal to be a superhero, indeed the number one hero.

A kid said sth like this while nearly losing consciousness, I'll let him pass without a test with Herokiller.

"I break... and break myself. Even if it means twisting myself, I'll win the way I choose... I won't accept that I can't even beat you like that."

I mean if that fight with Herokiller is a bar to jugde those kids then Illda is already disqualified to become a hero but he is still there as class A's male president.

[Twi]

To be fair, he only got the position because Izuku didn't want it.

[Ghostfriendly]

Originally Posted by Itlandm

I thought the main purpose of the antiheroes Endeavor and Bakugo was that being a hero is not primarily a question of goodness, but of what side you choose to fight on. Neither of them are people I'd recommend as babysitters, but they are - as far as we know - wholehearted in their intention to fight on the side of law and order, and even to risk their life doing so.

Someone who fights for law and order is a crimefighter, but are they a hero? When Endeavor's lust for personal glory motivates him to save numerous people, and also to force his wife into marriage, then an asylum, is this someone the public can trust to always act in their interest? I would trust someone with Bakugo's anger issues even less not to use intimidation and excessive force to an extent any policeman would be sacked for.

More important is example our 'heroes' set for us. Part of the point of being a individual crimefighter in a memorable costume is to inspire every ordinary person to believe in justice and stand up for it, just as All Might inspires Deku. Endeavor inspires bitter pain in his family; his controlled public image only makes his character a monument to deception as well as egotism and spouse abuse. Again, Bakugo's public image is even worse. The real sportspeople and musicians whose personal lives set terrible examples for young people, despite their hard work and talent, spring straight to mind.

After the very ominous buildup to Iida's attack on Stain, I was half-expecting him to go full-Sasuke and reject heroism for vengeance. His repentance shows a much more heroic character than Bakugo so far.

[Gan_HOPE326]

Originally Posted by Ghostfriendly

Someone who fights for law and order is a crimefighter, but are they a hero? When Endeavor's lust for personal glory motivates him to save numerous people, and also to force his wife into marriage, then an asylum, is this someone the public can trust to always act in their interest? I would trust someone with Bakugo's anger issues even less not to use intimidation and excessive force to an extent any policeman would be sacked for.

More important is example our 'heroes' set for us. Part of the point of being a individual crimefighter in a memorable costume is to inspire every ordinary person to believe in justice and stand up for it, just as All Might inspires Deku. Endeavor inspires bitter pain in his family; his controlled public image only makes his character a monument to deception as well as egotism and spouse abuse. Again, Bakugo's public image is even worse. The real sportspeople and musicians whose personal lives set terrible examples for young people, despite their hard work and talent, spring straight to mind.

After the very ominous buildup to Iida's attack on Stain, I was half-expecting him to go full-Sasuke and reject heroism for vengeance. His repentance shows a much more heroic character than Bakugo so far.

Well, the ironic contrast between 'hero' as a profession and the actual meaning of the word is a key theme of the show. The ones we call 'superheroes' in other stories aren't all that heroic either. There's certainly a contrast there, but the whole point of the show is exactly to explore that. In other words, if someone like Endeavour can ultimately be useful to the public good, isn't that still a contribution, no matter how selfish the reasons? Hell, in the most extreme case, could it be considered *moral* to close an eye on his private behaviour because his contribution helps save many more lives anyway? Or is the only true "hero" someone like All Might, who beyond his contributions to law and order provides inspiration to people, leaving a much more lasting legacy?

[DMurphy]

Endeavour is an odd case, and I don't think you can really compare him to Bakugou -- even at Bakugou's worst, at the beginning of the series, I don't think forcing someone to marry him and bear his children was ever in his wheelhouse.

(That, and Bakugou is a stupid fifteen year old boy, and his behaviour is well within the bounds of how stupid fifteen year old boys act. Endeavour is an adult.)

Endeavour is an interesting case study as far as how the show treats rivalries, though. By and large, the show is pretty keen on rivalries being a positive thing: Deku's rivalries with Bakugou and Todoroki help both him and them grow as students and as people, after all, whereas in absence of those rivalries, it's probably fair to say that Bakugou's behaviour would be getting worse, not better, and Todoroki might well veer towards being more like his father. But Endeavour's rivalry with All Might is clearly a negative one: Neither of them seem to grow personally from it, and more importantly, Endeavour gets other people caught up in it.

[Anh_Minh]

I wouldn't put the marriage thing on Endeavor. Sure, he's not innocent in this. But he had no way to force his wife. If anyone did, it would be her family. A lot of what happened after, though, that's on him.

As for the difference between Endeavor and Bakugo... Yes, their ages are different. It's entirely possible he was much nicer when he was Bakugo's age. The present Endeavor is one who for years and years tried and failed to surpass All Might. And eternal number 2. Bakugo hasn't faced that yet. Even in the tournament, he won.

[Gan_HOPE326]

Originally Posted by DMurphy

But Endeavour's rivalry with All Might is clearly a negative one: Neither of them seem to grow personally from it, and more importantly, Endeavour gets other people caught up in it.

It's also an example of a one-way rivalry. All Might doesn't seem to really care. It's not really a rivalry, it's more like Endeavour is an envious jerk, jealous of All Might's success.

[Ghostfriendly]

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

In other words, if someone like Endeavour can ultimately be useful to the public good, isn't that still a contribution, no matter how selfish the reasons? Hell, in the most extreme case, could it be considered *moral* to close an eye on his private behaviour because his contribution helps save many more lives anyway? Or is the only true "hero" someone like All Might, who beyond his contributions to law and order provides inspiration to people, leaving a much more lasting legacy?

Thanks for giving an interesting answer. As I said, I think motivation does have a practical implication on someone's reliability and methods, even if the effect of their actions are currently positive (though the effect of his example on society is already negative). The partial cause of Endevour's abusive behaviour is that he escapes accountability by his celebrity status and public image, making him think he can write his own morality like Nietzsche's superman; power corrupts. If Endevour found someone snooping about his private life, I wouldn't trust him in the least not to secretly have them silenced by the some means. If Endevour's family life was exposed, crippling his genuine public usefulness and public trust in superheroes, I wouldn't blame the exposer, but Endevour himself. There are/were people who blame Woodward and Bernstein for throwing the Presidency into chaos, not Nixon, or the civil rights movement for inflaming racial tension by protesting segregation. To put it politely, they've got the wrong end of the stick.

I wouldn't put the marriage thing on Endeavor. Sure, he's not innocent in this. But he had no way to force his wife. If anyone did, it would be her family. A lot of what happened after, though, that's on him.

I don't have full information on this, but Todoroki seemed to be saying that Endevour, as a rich and influential hero, put secret and coercive pressure on his wife's family. There's a element of the public turning a blind eye to Endevour fairly obviously marrying his wife for her power, which shows his bad effect on society right there.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

Well, the ironic contrast between 'hero' as a profession and the actual meaning of the word is a key theme of the show. The ones we call 'superheroes' in other stories aren't all that heroic either. There's certainly a contrast there, but the whole point of the show is exactly to explore that. In other words, if someone like Endeavour can ultimately be useful to the public good, isn't that still a contribution, no matter how selfish the reasons? Hell, in the most extreme case, could it be considered *moral* to close an eye on his private behaviour because his contribution helps save many more lives anyway? Or is the only true "hero" someone like All Might, who beyond his contributions to law and order provides inspiration to people, leaving a much more lasting legacy?

That reminds me of a stand-up bit by... Dave Chapelle, I think? Where the comedian talked about pitching a movie about a superhero whose powers are activated by rape. And discussing the point at which enough people are in danger to justify said "hero" raping someone. As he put it "he rapes a little, but he saves a lot".

Originally Posted by Ghostfriendly

I don't have full information on this, but Todoroki seemed to be saying that Endevour, as a rich and influential hero, put secret and coercive pressure on his wife's family. There's a element of the public turning a blind eye to Endevour fairly obviously marrying his wife for her power, which shows his bad effect on society right there.

As it was, almost by definition, before his birth, I don't think he'd know. Besides, that family was itself rich and powerful, maybe because of that powerful ice quirk. I still don't think Endeavor was in position to force anything.

I think the family just found it profitable to welcome Endeavor in. The marriage enhanced both sides' prestige, and made powerful children likely. And how hard did they have to pressure the wife anyway? It's implied arranged marriages are common in that strata of society. Even if it wasn't a marriage of love, she may have agreed with the rationale for it.

[Gan_HOPE326]

I agree that Endeavour shouldn't have a free pass on his shit either. But putting aside his crimes, if we just consider his public persona and egotistic motives, I think those alone don't necessarily justify putting down his role as a 'hero'. Clearly the true exceptional 'heroes' able to inspire with their actions like All Might does are still going to be a rare breed - but that does not change the fact that people can do good things for egotistic reasons, and that this society needs people with superpowers who keep in check villains. If fame and money is their price, so be it - someone with the power and skill to stand at the top is a rare thing indeed, after all, and hey, still money better spent than on football players if you ask me... it's a good thing that anyway even the most powerful heroes in MHA aren't nearly unstoppable. They're vulnerable humans with ONE specific superpower, so they could all be overpowered if the others teamed up on them, which keeps the whole situation balanced. To the extent to which egotistical people will always exist, being able to channel their egotism towards relatively benign ends is actually the mark of a civilised society.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

That reminds me of a stand-up bit by... Dave Chapelle, I think? Where the comedian talked about pitching a movie about a superhero whose powers are activated by rape. And discussing the point at which enough people are in danger to justify said "hero" raping someone. As he put it "he rapes a little, but he saves a lot".

The real question would be: does it need to be 'rape' in some absolute cosmic sense, or is it okay as long as he believes it's rape? Because in the latter case the solution is obvious: train a special force of women who willingly accept for the greater good to pretend to be genuinely surprised and raped by the guy. As long as he suspects nothing ...

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

The real question would be: does it need to be 'rape' in some absolute cosmic sense, or is it okay as long as he believes it's rape? Because in the latter case the solution is obvious: train a special force of women who willingly accept for the greater good to pretend to be genuinely surprised and raped by the guy. As long as he suspects nothing ...

That subterfuge sounds difficult (and expensive) to implement. Also, who said anything about women?

In the same vein, Super Stupor had a hero with the power to force people to say the truth... provided his penis was in them. The punchline was someone wondering how he even found out he had this power...

[Itlandm]

I thought maybe the show was drawing a parallel between Endeavor, the current number two hero, and Bakugo as the future number two hero. (The narration rather implies that Deku would become the greatest hero.) Endeavor and Bakugo both have destructive powers and personalities that would lend themselves easily to villainy, but instead they chose to become heroes. Perhaps that is worthy of praise in its own way? Or perhaps it is just noted as a fact, that heroes are not necessarily born good.

[DMurphy]

Originally Posted by Itlandm

I thought maybe the show was drawing a parallel between Endeavor, the current number two hero, and Bakugo as the future number two hero. (The narration rather implies that Deku would become the greatest hero.) Endeavor and Bakugo both have destructive powers and personalities that would lend themselves easily to villainy, but instead they chose to become heroes. Perhaps that is worthy of praise in its own way? Or perhaps it is just noted as a fact, that heroes are not necessarily born good.

While there are similarities between Bakugo and Endeavour, I actually think the show intends to draw a parallel between Endeavour and Todoroki.

There's the blood connection, obviously, but more importantly, I think, Todoroki and Endeavour are both defined somewhat by their tunnel vision, their emphasis on the brute power of their Quirks, and their pride. If Deku wasn't around, then I can easily imagine that Todoroki would have ended up exactly like Endeavour, given enough time, but instead he's been pushed onto a much more heroic path.

Todoroki's relationship to Endeavour follows the same format as All Might's relationship to Deku and, from what we've seen of it, All for One's relationship with Shigaraki. Todoroki, like Deku, is the inheritor of Endeavour's Quirk and legacy, and much like One For All, Todoroki's Quirk 'builds' on his predecessor's.

If Bakugo is paralleled with anyone, it's All Might, same as Deku. All Might is the goal that both Deku and Bakugo want to reach, but they're approaching it from opposite directions: Deku is a bit of a doormat and draws away from conflict too much at the beginning, and has to learn to assert himself and push himself as a rival to others, instead of just a friend; Bakugo is arrogant, cruel (at least at first), and over-competitive, and has to learn humility and being a friend to others, instead of just a rival.

There's a decent amount of recurring themes with them, too: Deku, All Might, and Bakugo all have dangerous Quirks that pose as much risk to themselves as others, and a key part of their training is learning to hold back their Quirks; there's the recurring theme of 'fighting with a smile'; and there's the idea at play of functionally useless Quirks becoming useful -- a Quirk that can be passed onto others eventually becomes the most powerful Quirk we've seen, and the relatively bland and useless Quirks of 'sweats nitroglycerin' and 'makes small explosions' are combined to create something actually quite special.

[Gan_HOPE326]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

That subterfuge sounds difficult (and expensive) to implement. Also, who said anything about women?

In the same vein, Super Stupor had a hero with the power to force people to say the truth... provided his penis was in them. The punchline was someone wondering how he even found out he had this power...

Easy. He just finished having sex with a woman, asked if she liked it before pulling it out, and she answered "no, I was faking that orgasm, in fact I think I've had crossword evenings more exciting than this" .

[Irenesharda]

It took me quite a bit of time to finally catch up and watch the last two episodes of the series, but I really liked what I saw and I can't wait for the next season.

The Bakago and Deku vs All Might fight was great and I loved how it turned out. I still don't like Bakago as a character and I don't think I ever will at this point...but at least with this episode, I've moved from, "I can't stand him" territory, into "I really don't like or care for him." territory, so...progress?
I loved how the two boys were able to pass the exam, and yet they didn't make it unrealistic in showing that two novice kids could potentially beat the strongest hero in existence. I even liked how they made it plain that even with all that happened, All Might was still holding back to a degree and was also weighted down and dealing with his injury to boot!
But both Bakago and Deku showed so great fortitude.

And then there was the last episode, seeing Deku and Tomura meet and what a dangerous tense moment it was! Tomura hasn't had as much growth as Deku and still acts like a petulant child. That really doesn't change after the two talk, but it does allow him to get his priorities back on track. Prior to this his anger and jealousy of Stain had gotten him sidetracked from his target in taking down All Might. Now, he's been able to get passed that and just take all his resources and concentrate on taking All Might down.

The fact that the villains know about Deku and his friends, about their names and identities, does put them in grave danger. All Might is essentially putting everyone in danger by being a teacher at UA. But I don't feel he should leave. Honestly, it's too late for that now.
I will be interested in where it will go from here.

Can't wait for Season 3!

(Back to avoiding all manga spoilers once more. )

[blakstealth]

Funimation video on the simuidub process for My Hero Academia

https://www.funimation.com/shows/my-...inning-to-end/