Deku & Subaru: Portrayals of Self Worth

[@ЯБезымянный-о5ф]

Bro, thank you for bringing up that point about Subaru not actually fixing his problems. I absolutely love this character and often facepalm at people going like "Why is he doing this mistake again? He was supposed to fix it 10 episodes ago" or something. Just because he's put a band aid on a gash wound doesn't mean it will heal and not fester. Regrets and guilt just won't go anywhere.

[@AsarathaHSYT]

a pep talk from a blue hair anime girl is unfortunately not enough to fix crippling life long issues of self perception :'(

[@ЯБезымянный-о5ф]

@@AsarathaHSYT exactly. Going though a mental torture 24/7 doesn't help also.

[@3dsmaster537]

Thats why Subaru finally learning some self love in arc 6 is so awesome

[@gandalfstyle2977]

@@3dsmaster537 youre right and that why this sentence made subaru one of my favourites if not my favourite mc of all time "Natsuki Subaru. You are an amazing guy, I sincerely know that, if it’s you then it’ll certainly be alright." if you dont know the context of this sentence it will mean nothing really big, but if you know subaru, you just know how much this sentence means

[@ShuraEssays]

I read the web novel version of the From Zero speech at one point and it actively states in that moment that he still didn't love himself. He still didn't see himself as the kind of hero Rem did. But he didn't want to let her down.

[@laxyboyz8969]

I swear that Subaru is one of the most heroic characters I've ever seen in anime. Like seriously, he got killed, decapitated, sliced, and many others by his own allies, but he hates himself? A normal person would hate the one who killed them right? But no! Subaru just hates himself, blamed himself for everything, and promised to make things ‘right’ next time.

[@ProjektTaku]

I don't think blaming yourself or hating yourself is heroic. What's heroic is saitama pretending that he came in so late on purpose and one-shotted the deep sea king thanks to all those heroes who fell before him, despite it ruining his chances at becoming a popular hero like he was so desperate to in the beginning to put up his fellow heroes even when the chance easily presents itself, and he gets nothing but a mean, rude letter for it.

[@laxyboyz8969]

@@ProjektTaku Yeah, blaming one self is not heroic, but having the ability to forgive other no matter what they have done to you however, is heroic, as having that ability means that you are not excluding others who have wrong you, which I’ll say is very compassionate. And compassion is a quality of a hero along side bravery, selfishness, and courage; since Subaru have all of those quality, he is, without a doubt, heroic in some extent.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@laxyboyz8969 may be so, but I wouldn't call him one of the most heroic protags, even if he is well written. Guys like saitama, garou, all might and luffy just have alot more of a heroic factor to them. This isn't to downplay subaru as a character, its just that I don't think he measures up in that heroic regard comparatively, moreso his just general character and writing brings him to their level.

[@laxyboyz8969]

@@ProjektTaku Yes, I agree with you that Subaru might not be the most heroic protags out there, but it is in my opinion that he is the most inspire heroic person that everyone should inspire to become. And hey, this is an opinion for a reason.

[@ProjektTaku]

​@@laxyboyz8969 guess so, but I just think a hero is someone who can stand against all odds and continue to fight for the right thing.

[@Fiufsciak]

If Subaru were to act like Deku, he'd end up on the Greed IF path.

[@kreysteller5470]

Pretty much

[@xrrgr]

yup

[@jk-nz9bq]

A dream, I saw a dream. A dream that wouldn’t fade, a dream that kept repeating, a dream with no end, a dream that wouldn’t end―― Over and over again, many many times over, repeating mistakes over and over, correcting them more and more. 1000 times, spinning. 10,000 times, connecting. 100 million times, overcoming them. And before knowing it, losing count.

[@MohamIsMe]

Just saw this arc in the anime. So this is why I felt something was missing, they don't give us an internal look into Deku's mentality. We just see him doing things and looking sad without explaining what he is thinking of. and then suddenly he picks himself back up without really showing how he got over it. makes him feel so two dimensional.

[@nl396]

I'm done with the franchise. Not giving any spoilers but the execution of certain plots were incredibly disappointing.

[@freezingicy9457]

he basically is 2 dimensional. ive never seen him make actual mistakes

[@arthurmorganSUN]

Has he ever do the thinking before this, tho? Like inner monologue? I think even without telling the audience how he feels outright, a good writer could convey it through actions. I might be biased, but take One Piece as an example. From the very start 1081 chapters ago, Luffy never had inner monologue, he's outspoken and said his parts honestly, never think too deep into problems, but on important moments he sometimes spoke something so thought-provoking yet so in character of him, but most of his intention is conveyed through his actions. If Deku is so plain that the writer couldn't even convey his thoughts, I think the writer needs to stop for a bit and start doing more research to perfect his creation.

[@rabidhellhound9714]

The visualization of his costume become more and more animalistic was his inner monologue personified. I got it perfectly. But I'm a marine. I get that "soldier swallowed up by war" mentality where the only thing that matters is making sure that everyone else gets out alive. Where you KNOW that you are deteriorating. You know that your mind, your heart, and your sanity are gradually being worn away. But you have to soldier on because no one else can. You have to be a pillar for others to lean on because no one else is standing. You have to think about everyone else because there's no one else that can help protect them. And it's killing you slowly. But you do it anyways because the only alternative is to watch them die instead. Deku and his emotional challenges should have been an entire season long. Not just part of one. But they were well displayed for everyone to see. And the answer to his problems was never to pull away from friends, but to rely upon each of them for strength too. To help them become the best heroes they could be as well. As he said at the very end. I liked it far better than Subaru's constant, incredibly toxic self doubt and self loathing that he's already screaming and crying about despite the fact that he is improving with each run through he makes. And generally improving overall as he learns better tactics and fighting skills. The endless hysterics from him are annoying at best, absolutely nauseating at worst.

[@093_sadrakhzefanyaputra5]

@@rabidhellhound9714 yeah, I agree with you. It was so superficial and unrealistic and i guess it meant to be impactful (the change of deku's character), but it was never actually hits.

[@asdadd6304]

5:38 This. Hori tried to make Deku more relatable by making him implicit, leaving us to fill in the blanks so we can put ourselves in his shoes. The problem with that is just as you said, MHA is too explicit of a series to really have that kind of blank slate protagonist. It leaves Deku feeling frustratingly hollow, and because of that, people try to fill up that hole in Deku's characterisation with their own headcanons and fanfictions which leads to a whole bunch of other issues.

[@bigcereal4382]

There's also the fact that MHA revolves around Force Of Nature major characters (see Trope Talk), with a side cast of narrative characters. Deku is as much a Force Of Nature as AFO or Shiggaraki, and even All Might in some regards. Midoriya; the Quirkless Nerd who's shy around girls and acts kind of cute at times is the vessel that carries Deku; the Force Of Nature character that will not stop on his rampage to save everyone even if it's martyrdom. Deku only really reveals himself during the Vigilante arc but has been in Midoriya's character since the first episode. This gap between Midoriya and Deku is what spawns so many fics and headcannons and creates a hollow feeling. They are two conjoined characters who aren't fully merged or don't have a healthy merging point.

[@asdadd6304]

@@bigcereal4382 Absolutely. It's normal for characters to have multiple sides to them, the problem with Deku is that his two sides are so separated and distinct from one another they don't have a concrete merging point, there's no clearly defined drive there to fill the void of his characterisation and join his two sides into a single character. Subtlety is important in storytelling, but Deku's characterisation is so subtle there's nothing actually there. What would be more intesting is if Hori explained this void as a consequence of being Quirkless (literally meaning no identity in Japanese), where there's a literal void in his fundamental identity because of how society treats him, and how he tried to fill that void with hero worship, and then with One for All, leaving himself as just a hollow vessel, with no time to ever think about himself or his own feelings. The moment of reflection talked about at 9:18 should have explored this, but it's never explained, left so implicit in favour of cool anime superhero action over quiet character building moments that Deku as a character suffers because of it.

[@bigcereal4382]

@@asdadd6304 I feel the biggest part of this gap between Deku and Izuku has to exist with the pre-meeting All Might Izuku. Someone going all out and acting differently in a fight is fine. Having self destructive combat styles is questionable but can exist in a character if addressed somehow. I feel the first time we truly meet Deku is during the 10 month training arc when Midoriya pushes himself so hard, for so long that he collapses. He has shown his willingness to self-destruct to achieve his goals. That is fine characterization, the issue then becomes "Where was this character trait prior to meeting All Might?" If you straight up skip episode 1 and most of episode 2, and ignore any flashback to that middle school and beyond era, Midoriya makes a lot of sense. He's a well put together character. He shows distinct character flaws and strengths that remain consistent throughout the arcs. Sometimes his self destruction is a little more ramped up, other times not. But when you compare post All Might to pre All Might Midoriya, they're almost completely different characters. My friend talked about this and said "It's like a goalpost. His character becomes consistent in the presence of an achievable objective regardless of absurdity. Once All Might gives Midoriya a goalpost, he charges towards it, every time we see Midoriya destroying himself, it's because he sees an objective and chases it."

[@0Clewi0]

Honestly I was over with deku well before, for me his mayor character flaw is wanted to be a hero so much but never did a step to work towards it until the power fell in his lap (staking and analyzing doesn't count, I mean work your body if not in strength in technique). And indeed you're right that you can't get away from doing a character implicit personification when everything up to the point was been explicit and in your face, at this point is practically how people in that society works. And it's not like you can't mix it, for example you have Black Clover where Asta is mostly explicit and Yuno is mostly implicit.

[@asdadd6304]

@@bigcereal4382 After first reading I wasn't sure what you meant, but I think you make a good point that I didn't think about before. Maybe if Hori had developed Deku's mental state during middle school more, specifically his despair thinking that there wasn't a point in trying because no one believed in him, and he sure as hell didn't believe in himself, then that could have been explained as just him being depressed. But instead his backstory is played out for laughs and isn't taken very seriously. The issue of his character consistency can;t really be fixed I don't think, because it's not consistent at all. He didn't have the self worth to chase the goal he wants to, but when All Might gives him some belief and outside worth, like you said, he charges towards it without a care for himself. However, the problem isn't with pre-All Might behaviour, its that we never see that behaviour again in the series really. That trait of needing outside interference to get him going isn't really seen again. We don't see him falter and regress into despair again, even in the Dark Deku arc. We don't see the ups and downs of actual depression, and that's what makes it inconsistent, at least thats what I think. I'm not too sure though, there are definitely still holes in his characterisation that I have no clue how you would go about fixing without a complete character rework.

[@alexscholz3438]

The funny thing about Subaru acting like an anime protagonist is actually something that also gets called out implicitly in the Witch's Graveyard. Every single character in Re:Zero so far appear multi-faceted, each with layers of history that make them feel believable and real, even if they might have their own individual quirks. However, none of them are particularly defined by archetypes... except for the Witches. Each Witch clearly and demonstrably appears to take after a character archetype that makes them feel flat, 2D, fake, which is all the more unnerving considering what each of them represents. They're not "people" in the same way that Subaru, Emilia, Rem or anyone else in the series is; they're forces of nature, tropes, ideals and ideas. They represent their sin wholeheartedly and without nuance, and when you take their power into consideration? It makes you realise just how terrifying each sin is. There is no negotiation with a Witch, they cannot be reasoned with, because they ONLY ever see their own reasoning, and I believe that's what sells Subaru's character arc better than most: That stark contrast between who he is and what he could look like through the Witches.

[@drastia2246]

Bro just wait until arc 6, the witches have their own story and its actually kinda sad, if only they have someone who guide them to the right path then maybe they can have like a little normal life without killing everything. My favorite witch is thyphon and minerva. I resonated with their story so much and every other witches is great too.

[@alexscholz3438]

@@drastia2246 While I can't say for certain as I've yet to experience arc 6 (pls no spoils thx), I don't think a Witch can ever be reasoned with, unfortunately. Based on how they act, how they behave, it seems like they're pretty much unchangeable. Minerva could very well be a good person, and in many ways she is, but she'll never be able to see the world in a light different to the one she's shown. From what I understand of her, it seems like she can only see the world in black and white, probably a result of Wrath itself. Typhon also appears similar, though again, this is all based on arc 4 knowledge so take these observations with a huge pinch of salt. It just feels like to me that their narrative purpose is to serve as a cruel reflection of the amorality Subaru could possibly encompass (largely explored through the IF stories).

[@drastia2246]

@@alexscholz3438 yes ur right but in minerva shes alr doing all she can to not feel the wrath but the world reject her with cruelty so yeah she just sees the world dark and white while thyphon just a child that didnt know anything and bcause her enviroment dont support her to be a normal human, echidna is more kind than she is in graveyard (still mystery why shes like that), sekhmet just being sekhmet bcause she is 2D slothfull period she want to be slothfull bcause she is slothfull, daphne didnt have other choice bcause she is curse with unending hunger, and carmilla just in denial bcause her authority just shitty to her she didnt want it like that but it just happen to be that when u get close to her they die so like what can u do? Well i think thats it for me

[@seisosimp]

Hey, at least the witches are also completely dumbfounded with him the same way he's completely dumbfounded with them 😂

[@khairaniabdullah4453]

Xnbxnxbxnxbxxnxxn👾😩😩👾😩👾👾😩👾😩🌛👾🌛👾👾🌛👾😩😩👾🌛👾👾😩😩👾😩👾😩👾😩👾🌛👾😩👾👾😩😩👾😩👾😩👾😩👾 Bro what the hell happened I left my phone on to go take a piss this is what I come back to

[@Speculector]

i knew something was missing from tbe dark deku arc and this was definitely it. Then again Bakugo did mention that they had to save Deku because he never tells people how he's feeling, so it'd be weird to contradict that in the same arc, but Bakugo apologizing to Deku was the perfect time for Deku to let his feelings out, but he just internalized them like he always does. I hope Deku has his breakdown eventually, but if it turns out Bakugo's apology nipped it at the bud so he wouldn't reach that point, then i'm okay with that too.

[@hatman9609]

The thing is some people who lack self worth internalize a lot. They rather continue feeling sad than have other people deal with their sadness.

[@Rubyllim]

spoiler: he has no such moment, mha went to shit awhile ago fucking hell man, it was like one of the few shonen targeted to a younger audience that I actually liked

[@hatman9609]

@@Rubyllim im just praying he gets a break down moment in story, manga seems to be ending soon. If it isn’t in the manga Im gonna pray they make one for the anime, no chance in hell they would tho

[@marxel4444]

Bakugo also mentions that Deku is absolut crazy. I often say that Kirishima is a more sane version of deku. He is scared, he is unsure what to do. That does NOT Exist for deku. What do i mean by that? Oh if deku would need to cut off his hand to save 100 people then you better will a aizawa on him and tie him up BEFORE he finds a knife to cut off his own hand..make sure he cant gnaw it with his teeths off either. Bakugo knew about all the crazy shit deku did. He did not see Deku VS Muscular, Deku was about to actually die there if he would have given in. Izuku is like "Oh yeah breaking my bones so i can save more people!? SAY NO MORE!" Look how much he hurt himself in the tournament against Todoroki. Izuku has, since episode one , always risked EVERYTHING to help a person, even someone as horrible as Bakugo who bullied him,destroyed his stuff,thrown it out of the window..oh on the point of throwing out stuff. You still remember the "Maybe you should jump off the roof and you could get a quirk in your next life". Jup. Still went in without thinking about to get killed because "You looked like you were asking for help" There are a lot of AU versions with a darker side of deku i totaly like. But even if Izuku would have been taken in by AFO he would still have done good things in the longrun but more like stain, Purge and rebuild. But not for the purpose AFO is doing it but to create an actual good world by purging the bad,corrupt and evil people similar to Light in Deathnote when he started out as Kira

[@B3A5TorSomething]

@@marxel4444 also remember that even after he was told to leave him alone, he still chased bakugo around. Deku has literally never had the ability to leave people be or assess risk vs reward. He just thinks that as long as others are fine, he doesn't really matter.

[@messengerfrom0]

If you think subaru has peaked with his self worth turmoil, you are not going to be ready for season 4 (arc 6) ...if we ever get one

[@availing9766]

there's no way subaru has higher peaks than s2. need the anime to come back soon 🙏

[@laksharora6889]

@@availing9766 ikr, what can possiblyy be better than s2 stuff? I really hope seasons 3 and 4 come soon

[@coreymeredith4001]

He has already covered arc 6, and for the 2 other people in this thread - arc 6 is insane, arcs 4 and 6 are my favourite, but subarus named chapter. My god. Just sent arc 6 shooting past arc 4.

[@Aleq0]

I agree arcs 4 and 6 are absolutely amazing and peak re:zero. Arc 6 gives him even more character development but the Journey to that is way way darker that you might expect.

[@chara2.o803]

Yoooo S3 is here !!!!!! S4 is arc 7 Wooooh Vicent !! Vincent!! Shotabaru!! ❤❤❤

[@mso22l]

Subaru is deeply traumatized and re-zero is a deeply psychological masterpiece. What I also thought during the video was Mod-Psycho's personal journey. Immense character development there, too.

[@bigfunko1957]

You made me watch Re:Zero. If I hadn't seen the first 50 seconds of this video, I might have gone my whole life without even knowing about my favorite show. Thank you!

[@megasoniczxx]

I think that's probably why Bakugo tends to win the character polls and Midoriya is constantly in second. He's a cool character and he has his moments but he's a pretty vanilla protagonist who really doesn't fundamentally change much from the beginning of the series to the end outside of getting more comfortable with his powers unlike Bakugo who we see not only grow in strength but also grow as a character leading to that apology scene in the Dark Hero arc which we know old Bakugo would've never done if he hadn't had the experiences that he did up until this point.

[@adityapagare6026]

Mcs these days don't win polls. Also bakugo started winning since 2nd poll where there was still no character development. Imo it's more related to who got more female fans than character. Reason why shindo gets more votes ot even Iida who is very popular in Japan.

[@CollinMcLean]

There are a couple of reasons for this I feel. 1. Bakugou is very clearly the author favorite so all the best writing is going to be reserved for him. 2. Midoriya is one of the characters who underwent the most change from concept to publishing to I think I lot of stuff got left behind creating a pretty 2 dimensional and easy to project on character. 3. MHA seems far more concerned about just getting from point A to point B which may be for good reason. It became A LOT longer than Horikoshi intended and the end result in my opinion is a lot of stuff tends to just get hand waived like "It happened, let's move on" and that leaves a pretty disjointed feeling of consequence for the character's actions. For contrast let's look at Vinland Saga, because it's one of my favorites. Thorfinn's journey is very much informed by the consequences of his actions. He spent his life trying to chase vengeance in the name of his father but not in the memory of his father (what I mean is, Thors wouldn't have wanted it for Thorfinn), then when Thorfinn gets his vengeance taken from him he's left absolutely lost because he has no idea what to live for and now that he no longer has a singular focus he's left with the realization that he's done so many horrible things as a warrior.

[@noakinn]

hell, bakugo isn't even well written

[@zhavierbrown4422]

@@noakinn 🧢

[@flyingstapler1241]

@@adityapagare6026 The 2nd poll happened right after Deku vs Kacchan 2. That's pretty much where people start saying he's begun to develop into a better person. And he was already having character development ever since their first fight.

[@Ray-yn8md]

Conclusion: We need Deku POV

[@therealjason2329]

Subaru Pov is going to be playing dark souls Pain and More Pain

[@skeptical_guy]

Yea but tbh deku should snap sometimes! We get too much of his monologues but we get not as much of subaru's monologues! Yet subaru's whenever he snaps is the best thing ever

[@raulbrenes778]

@@skeptical_guy i mean, subaru cant really truly snap, like he cannot talk anout return by death, so even if he snaps, he needs to watch what he says or he may kill someone else( like when satella killed emilia)

[@saikithepsiioniic1358]

@@raulbrenes778 On one hand yeah, but on the other hand, he did a pretty good job at snapping so far (except pre-ep18 arc 3). Although yes it is hella freaking sad that he cannot share the cause of his sorrows with anyone, so it really broke me on s2 ep8.

[@catsukisubaru3715]

I myself don't watch MHA, but I always appreciate a good Subaru character analysis. There's so much present in Subaru that's missing in the character arc of other protagonists that it's quite difficult to not compare him to each MC I see.

[@saikithepsiioniic1358]

Exactly! And if you look at the better and more loved anime protagonists, then you could see they each have some aspects of Subaru's character development. But then you look at Subaru and he just has never-ending character development and overshadows basically any other character easily. Subaru is one of the few characters that are constantly changing without ever stopping. There is no "okay we developed him now he'll stay like that for a while", like most developed characters. He just never stops and that's why I love him so much.

[@drastia2246]

@@saikithepsiioniic1358 yep he change again in arc 7 after his huge change in arc 6 becaming more chad and more like a confident challenger its insane

[@wasimgreat7347]

Amazing connections and Subaru only gets better especially throughout arc 6 I genuinely think he’s the best mc in fiction and the author giving the what if stories just shows how adaptive Subarus character can get and better representing the then of virtue vs sin that Subaru constantly goes through in the show

[@milicatrajkovic7740]

I hole hardedly agree and even past arc 6 he never gets full over with his problems...its eaternal struggle tru your own feelings and world around you.

[@ProjektTaku]

I honestly prefer goku and saitama.

[@skeptical_guy]

@@niftylittlename yea that's one of the last thing subaru has to get through, He becomes entitled to the opinions of People closed to him, He would maybe have another flaw but that's it After that he would be perfected

[@dragoncat5767]

Subaru is most relatable human but actually teaches us to improve

[@raulbrenes778]

@@niftylittlename hey, i think it would be best if you would have placed an spoiler tag. Like, you almost spoiled all of arc 7 xd. But yeah, that is like its main charm. Humans do not improve from night to day. Also, next arc is going to be the worst for subaru apparently, i have seen comments saying that tappei said that its going to be the roughest arc ( arc 8) for subaru.

[@dogking4393]

I don't think re zero gets enough love or attention. It's by far my favorite or one of my favorite series because it's willing to look at the probl3ms that come with being in a new world. Watching it was the first step in me looking inward and taking stock of my mental health and taking down the mask I showed to people around me. Thank you for bringing this to light I had similar thoughts

[@R3in_Ch]

it will never be BECAUSE those generic animu fan who thinks a good main character is the character who handsome, who perfect in every way and stronk , subaru weak subaru bad. that's how the mindset of most animu fans

[@lucyadam9128]

Honestly I love deku but Subaru is just the greatest portagnest in fiction ever especially in the latest arcs

[@AsarathaHSYT]

ill read past arc 4 eventually!!

[@reguluscorneas6669]

@@AsarathaHSYT Poor little soul You have no idea

[@AsarathaHSYT]

i'm working on it! i watched the anime 3 times and then started reading arc 4 in the WN. im only at the first trial still

@@AsarathaHSYT i suggest reading the LN of arc 1-4 cause Tappei actually changed ALOT in the LN in comparison to the WN (not so much for arc 5/6 but still significant enough for future development and stuff)

[@AsarathaHSYT]

@ the main thing stopping me from reading the WN is the alleged amount of translation errors in the official publication. not that fan translations are much better tho

[@beachwitch89]

Subaru is what I've always wanted from a protagonist. He's a real person. He could literally be me

[@sauciine]

i WISH i could be half as cool as subaru

[@TheManUnderTheSun]

​@@sauciineyeah I feel as though people don't understand how badass Subaru actually is. Hes died multiple times, most of them very painfully, and yet still has the mental fortitude to keep going to save the people he cares about.

[@AlTariqLuqmanMuhammad]

Another great video Asa! I wholeheartedly agree with what you’ve said here. In particular, the moment when Satella asked Subaru why he wanted to save everyone but himself is something that would be right at home in MHA (and I really hope someone - like, literally anyone - asks Deku this one day). Side note: I was dying when “they both end up fatherless!” flashed on the screen, that was hilarious

[@xkaspergaming5668]

Satella is best girl ngl

[@maryo274artworks4]

You're right, even with everything that's been going on in the MHA manga, Deku's friends looking for him, Uraraka's speech for him, even after all that, Deku hasn't really given himself the time to really think about himself. I know the circumstances don't really give the time for that but Deku still sees himself as a vessel, as a sacrificial pawn for One For All, not as a human being that's fighting against forces bigger than himself. So far in the manga, Deku has understood that he can't do everything alone, that he's not the only hero out there who can fight, but he still hasn't recognized his own value, not as the ninth and last wielder of OFA and the one who HAS to take down AFO, but as Izuku Midoriya, a 16 year old whose life matters.

[@bandi642]

maybe they should have given a mini arc where a villain manages to capture an exhausted deku, and informs later to all for one, and in the time deku is captive and unable to think of anything but himself he starts reflecting on himself, until de UA comes to rescue or smt like that.

[@jeffali5157]

Unfortunately given how things are going, he’s pretty much the only person that can handle the burden of Shiggy and AFO. And now he’s pretty much the only student that can actually hold himself in a battle against the 2 while the rest just fell hard

[@johnworden643]

I think the hard thing about this is ultimately the context in which the two characters have been painted, deku on one hand is made to become the greatest hero ever, one who smiles in the face of danger, and to do that he needs SOME diversity, but subaru was never the main hero of the world in the beginning, he wanted to be but time and time again it's his connections to much stronger people that saves him. It's why in one moment of deku being saved by others he is forced into a shallow self reflection, because it's not really a main focus, whereas subaru is constantly having to face hopeless situations in which there are few if any ways out in which he is effectively tortured physically and emotionally having to face his own weakness.

[@drastia2246]

Yes deku is written to be a hero, to be a perfect hero. But subaru is written to be subaru itself to be a real him which make his character more heroic than the others, to keep moving forward when ur facing such suffering while also have a raw and rich human emotion and feeling is actually a masterpiece. While deku is just kinda feel not human, he never ask himself "is being a op hero is the only way?", "Can i be a perfect hero?", "Is perfect hero even exist? Even all might have flaws", "is it time to take it slow?", "Is it time to give up?". He never ask those question, all he question and think is "how to became stronger without quirk?", "i need to save everyone ALONE", "i need to become like all might". Did he ever talk to his mom about his problem like srsly just like one to one talk eps when he ask his mom "am i good enough?" I think when boku no hero have that kind of eps it will elevate the manga and anime even more.

[@marekgame1093]

I love re:zero. Just seing some of these scenes again made me cry like I was watching it for the first time.

[@JoshuaRosos]

Seing one scene of Re:Zero makes me want to push up

[@brennafren]

This video brings me to tears just remembering everything Subaru went through. I've never seen a character in media go through such intense, raw, emotional and mental anguish without a way to escape, besides pushing forward and finding a way to make it through the next traumatizing hurdle, barely allowed a moment's reprieve..

[@drastia2246]

Bro like other main character have the time to stop or take a break but subaru most time DONT have that kind of luxury which is insane how he still sane.

[@brennafren]

@@drastia2246 It's like a video game that your saves just load you directly into danger/incoming danger 💀

[@drastia2246]

@@brennafren IKR ITS CRAZY AND ARC 7 ITS LITERALLY LIKE THAT BUT MORE WORSE ULL SEE

[@brennafren]

@@drastia2246 NO DON'T TELL ME MY BOY SUBARU GETS IT EVEN WORSE 😭

[@drastia2246]

@@brennafren yeap even worse than arc 6 and im not even kidding

[@DewMan31]

Thanks for talking about Re:Zero. It's one of my favorite stories for how well written and defined it's characters and world are. Definitely one of my top 5.

[@Roescoe]

It's got investigated character growth and it deals with many of the issues modern men (and maybe even women) face today. You are powerless to stop the incoming doom of everything falling apart, yet somehow through loving those around you, and yourself, you can make it through anything.

[@R3in_Ch]

have you read the novels? especially for the upcoming season?

[@ImaginativeCorndog]

I thought the Dark Deku arc was just fine because it was about Izuku losing himself to his duty as the final inheritor of One-For-All, pushing everyone away because he was subconsciously convinced that nobody else could keep up with him in the race against All-For-One's scheme without getting seriously injured or killed.

[@kebble8136]

I know I'm around a year late to this but Izuku as a character needed this to be a addressed, the whole reason I loved his character so much was because of his self sacrificial values that were voided of self care and preservation, I loved how he put himself out there for others at the cost of himself. Slowly, after the 3rd season to be exact, I realised this ambition to save others didn't allow room for a serious talk about what actually mattered in his life. He completely has ignored his mothers wishes surrounding his wellbeing and in all honestly I can understand why she wouldn't want him going back to a place like UA that allowed him to push himself too far past his human limits. The build up this caused along with past traumatic events (Bakugo's bullying, self sacrifice, villain attacks) should've accumulated into some sort of meltdown even after Eri's rescue, we actually did get something like this but it was too small to actually remember: Izuku had actually thought about Eri and his situation, blaming himself for not saving her when he could and that had a cause and effect in which he slightly broke down, crying while eating his food next to some of his classmates. This made Izuku's character feel more human rather than a shallow "I don't care what happens to me" protagonist but we haven't had much since then other than the Vigilante arc that brushed off most of his feeling after being taken back to UA, he never thought about himself yet somehow all his other classmates have this luxury that addresses their feelings, again, Bakugo, Todoroki has had it since season 2, Uraraka somewhat, Asui and even less relevant cast members that are unpopular like shoji recently. It feels like the protagonist has been neglected compared to the other cast although, now that I've sat down to write this and think about Izuku as a character isn't MHA a retelling from his perspective in the future? I'm really hoping his feelings become better addressed; we've seen Hori do it with other characters so why not Izuku too? If he could have one meltdown other than 1A vs Deku arc it would be during All Mights probable death to the hands of AFO in later chapters, we NEED this development to reinstate the teenage focus of Izuku Midoriya. He's just a 16 year old kid trying to imitate what he believes is a hero. In all honesty I still love the character and it remains my favourite I don't think that's going to change any time soon, however I could describe his character like a night sky, mostly dark with little glowing lights each representing the past although small in appearance each one is colossal when up close. Currently Izuku isn't focusing on single stars but instead looking away from the night sky, completely ignoring them.

[@blazing1243]

Holy hell i completely not one word has come out of Deku reflecting about his bad tendencies to shoulder all the burden himself not having that much self worth, etc hope he does eventually

[@jeffreyali1456]

I’m really hoping that they explore his mental trauma soon cause they keep missing so many opportunities.

[@jeffali5157]

Still doesn’t happen at all and given that everyone else couldn’t handle Shiggy, it makes things worse in the long run

[@markramiro4354]

This is really good!! I love both protagonists equally!

[@BrynnstoneTV]

Dude. "Boku No Hero Academia" and "Re:Zero Starting Life Again From Zero" are my two favorite animes. To me, this video is super important to reflecting on two characters that are barely the same but go through the same kind of mental health struggles. Thanks for making this!

[@Blue_Glacie]

This video, unfortunately, did not age poorly.

[@matthewdiehl1929]

There are almost no shows that can compete with Re:zeros character development. I'm glad you made this video because I want more writers to write chracters like they are in Re:zero

[@TheEndlessEgoist]

I knew something was missing when watching Deku's Vigilante arc but I couldn't name what. Great video showcasing what was missing.

[@lost360p]

Wow, I almost forgot I watched this video back in January lol. still remembered how much i was moved by your analysis. Time to watch this again...

[@kiiturii]

subaru is such an amazing, well written character, I hate reading comments on the first season where people are completely dismissing him as just "cringe" and a "loser" and promptly dropping the show because of it..

[@theboyisshh]

I mean you have to admit that he was cringe sometimes 😅

[@kiiturii]

@@theboyisshh yeah but that's the whole point, hating on the show because of it is stupid

[@theboyisshh]

@@kiiturii Hello i am 17 i always wanted to read te rezero light novel , but because i am at the university i never had time . Sorry if i am telling you my life , i wanted to know peoples opinion on what makes rezero great.

[@kiiturii]

@@theboyisshh I've heard a lot of good things about the light novel, have been planning on reading it myself after watching season 3 of the anime which is coming out fairly soon

[@theboyisshh]

@@kiiturii When is season 3 coming ?

[@chief6163]

Great video! I think you put into words why I hold subaru so high above other mcs. I was shocked when I saw the subscriber count on such a high quality analysis. So you definitely earned a sub from me

[@serafine666]

For me, the difference between the two characters is more elemental than all that, although you captured it brilliantly in a more intellectual way. When Deku overcomes and kicks some ass, I think "this is a cool spectacle." When Subaru overcomes and kicks some ass, I think "this is what I've been waiting for." Subaru fighting through his self-hatred to get to the place where he is able to use the capabilities tgat he had the entire time is deeply, deeply satisfying. Ultimately, Deku's biggest enemies are external to him so he doesn't need to introspect; Subaru's biggest enemy is Subaru himself, so introspection is the only way.

[@KikyoSama_427]

"this is a cool spectacle" vs "this is what I've been waiting for" OH MY GOD YOU JUST PUT MY FEELINGS INTO WORDS THANK YOU I COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY I FELT THEY WERE DIFFERENT THANK YOU SO MUCH MY MIND IS CLEAR NOW

[@memshad]

I have only watched s1 of MHA but i thought this was a really good video. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people appreciate the masterpiece of Re:zero season 1 episode 18.

[@caper7635]

Just found your channel. Love Mha, LOVE Re;Zero, great content - instant subscriber :)

[@AsarathaHSYT]

thank you!! i hope you enjoy whats to come

[@frederikvoerts]

Thank you. I had this discussion the other day with a friend, who loved the finally of this season of MHA. I myself felt it was good but something felt it was missing. I have earlier in conversations with him referenced these exact two scenes/eipsodes from Re:Zero and why I think they are so well written for character development. You howevere went above what i myself could explain, and put it so well. This is exactly what i was missing from this season of MHA, and didn't even notice it untill now. So thank you for the insight.

[@NA-ud6qm]

I hate that this video is aging well...

[@chrishardin9774]

This dude has never put out a video that wasn’t a straight banger

[@connorross8607]

i connected to Subaru and thought " wow I can really relate to hom" but by the frickin mom and dad episode I was like holy fuck it's not that good i can relate 😢

[@hyperdeath84]

I minor artistic thing that I’m hoping is foreshadowing a proper introspective moment and culmination of a character arc is Deku’s subtle change in facial design. He’s still got the dark lines around his eyes, even during the cheesy bath scenes. The rushed resolution with All Might and seemingly resolved issues with Bakugo feel like they’re going to come up again. I also have my own head cannon as to how this ties into One For All: it’s been said again and again that OFA is power that is cultivated and passed on. The only reason it’s so insanely powerful now is that All Might added to it exponentially, but Deku still sees it as a power that he taps into, not one that he has contributed to. There have been hints toward this like in the 1st Muscular fight we see a final green light become blinding right before the 1 million percent smash. I’m hoping that this self worth issue will culminate in Deku realising what he himself has added to OFA and that just unlocking 100% isn’t the final stage, it’s that he, Izuku Midoriya has something of worth to contribute to it and that his heart will be the thing that brings victory in the end. With threads like the traitor coming back I can see Horikoshi delivering something like this. But I could also be clutching at straws and we won’t get anything that emotionally resonant.

[@jeffreyali1456]

Fast forward and it just got worse

[@hyperdeath84]

@@jeffreyali1456 Chapter 378 was awesome and had some cool payoffs to things set up ages ago. He is kinda speed running to the end but there’s some great stuff in there nonetheless.

[@jeffreyali1456]

@@hyperdeath84 I did hear they brought gentle criminal and Nagant back which I’ll admit was pretty interesting since I like them more than most of the other characters, but overall it’s still a big mess and still got worse. I dropped the series a while ago, but the only thing that were still interesting was pretty much the Todoroki plot line. Everything else just didn’t work considering how rushed and not built up it was for the most part

[@clemromy8737]

Awesome video man! You put all of my issues with how Horikoshi is handling Deku perfectly

[@thedabblingwarlock]

I haven't watched nor read Re:Zero, and I'm not caught up on My Hero Academia, but I have done some studying on the craft of writing. Based on what you've described, it sounds like it's a character-driven story vs. a plot-driven story. Re:Zero sounds like it's character-driven. The beats of the story and the paths taken are a result of the characters' own actions. Subaru breaks down because it's something that he has to do, not because it's a plot point on an outline, but because his choices and the events around him have lead him to a point where it's inevitable. MHA, based on this and some other criticisms I've seen leveled at Horikoshi over how the girls are handled, seems like it's more plot-driven. Deku does something because the plot says he's supposed to do it. It's not the characters driving the story but the plot driving the characters. That's why Deku doesn't seem to grow or acknowledge his shortcomings or even have agency at times. He doesn't. His actions are dictated by the plot, not who he is. May be I'm being unfair, but I think that it would explain some of the things that we see happen that don't make sense. Character-driven stories require characters that have motivations, flaws and hinderances that keep them from achieving their goals, and are more fleshed out in general. Plot-driven stories don't need the same depth of character since the characters are not the ones driving the story. It would explain why we see villains bowing to Shigaraki after being beaten. It would explain why so many characters in MHA can feel flat or like caricatures. Great characters feel like people because in a very real sense they are. Whenever you hear a writer talking about a character surprising them, this is why. Those characters are real in a way that can be difficult to explain to someone who hasn't written anything or played a character in a tabletop RPG. MHA''s characters don't feel real at times. Don't get me wrong, I like MHA, and I couldn't get past Re: Zero's first episode, but that doesn't mean that I don't have valid criticisms of the former or that I can't get past my own hang ups to watch and enjoy the latter. (It was the fish out of water acting like a complete idiot that turned me off.) This is mostly conjecture and opinion on my part, but I think it's good conjecture. It does make sense of some of the things that have been nagging me a little about MHA. If I'm right, I don't think Horikoshi can fix it, even if he wants to. One of the things that tends to happen when you start writing character-driven stories is that whatever plot you have planned out is going to go right out the window. You can have beats that you want to reach, but you have to figure out how your characters get to those points. It can be like herding cats. I don't know how much Horikoshi has planned out, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had everything plotted out, at least in the broad strokes, before putting ink to paper on this. If that's the case, then trying to fix it at this point would mean breaking the story in ways that he might not be able to fix without retconning things because one thing that is almost certain to happen is the characters doing something unexpected. That's my thoughts on the matter, a year late and probably a few hundred words too long, but there they are.

[@personaldomain3169]

In Subaru, you can see changes as you go along the series as he slowly loses it. Deku is always the same, had one character change arc, then went back to being the same Deku again, no permanent change in character.

[@ravaiiiii]

As a very demanding person for character development (that hated MHA for a long time because of its poor development), you just gave me the best recommendation ever for an anime, I'm definitely gonna watch re Zero

[@queenofdragons4599]

So, how are you liking Re:ZERO?

[@reguluscorneas1366]

I never thought that I would see a video comparing Izuku to Subaru. And it was definitely worth it. And thanks for understanding Subaru so well! I swear, anytime I see someone hating on him it's just for the sake of it.

[@U.S.G]

I don't know if you're an anime only in re:zero but if you aren't you should check the what if stories the that author made he really is something else when it comes things like this

[@Silver19897]

Honestly, while I completely agree with your analysis of the characters, I think the story surrounding them calls for different developments. All rogue Deku really needed was to allow himself to rely on others. We already know he’s going to win in the end and become the greatest hero, but as a character he started off with qualities that didn’t really need to change. It was just a matter of seeing him become capable of doing what we always knew he was already going to do. He struggles primarily with skills and abilities, while his mindset remains relatively unchallenged. Because his position as the protagonist was based on his mindset to begin with. Subaru, on the other hand, has to grow as a person while also finding ways to become more self-sufficient as a near-ordinary human in a world of beings that far surpass him and of which he initially knows nothing. It’s in the title; he’s starting from zero. There’s a lot more adjustments he needs to make as a person in order to succeed than there are for Deku.

[@displaynamesup4345]

No. Both of them need to change their perspective of themselves in order to protect the people they care about. They needed to value themselved in order to protect the people they care about. Also in arc 4 subaru only relied on himself aswell. So he needed to rely on others aswell.

[@displaynamesup4345]

Subaru hasn't grown as a person. He locked himself in his home and became an hikikomori. He gave up on everything because of his views of his abilities and flaws, until he got transported to another world, recieving the chance to start all over again.

[@Silver19897]

@@displaynamesup4345 if you think Subaru hasn’t grown as a person you’re not even watching the show so there’s no point in talking about it.

[@KingLAO2964]

A channel that covers My Hero Academia and my favorite series Re:Zero... nice

[@pd5147]

It is crazy how good Re Zero S2 Part 1 is now that I think about it. Really wished if other characters arcs were handled that well in Part 2. I agree with most of your points .Deku is my favourite MHA character. This type of stuff would be really cool for this character.

[@tapz02]

Wdym? Emila, ottos and garfs character arcs were lit in part 2?

[@pd5147]

@@tapz02 Emilia one was good Garf ,Otto,Elsa ,Roswal & many more were just ok

[@tapz02]

@@pd5147 ohh fair, tbf i agree. Heard it was better in the novel. S2 just didnt have a big budget, unlike s1. Not sure why tho, s2 defo felt unpolished.

[@pd5147]

@@tapz02 Yeah I heard about that some scenes from S1 were cut which leads to some moments being quite lackluster in S2 from Novel fans. Also definitely agree with S2 feeling quite unpolished I also heard same stuff about it's budget.

[@caper7635]

Novel reader here - yeah you’re absolutely right about cut scenes dampening the impact of season 2. It’s really unfortunate how many things converged in production that made season 2 seem less polished than season 1. Despite White Fox’s wonderful effort in squeezing each episode as long as it could be, there was still plenty of small things that had to be cut which, while not huge on their own, added up to make the season overall feel different from what Tappei intended in the novels, at least in my opinion. I believe if there were more episodes to work with, it could have been better, but no amount of room could fix the reduced staff and epidemic issues sadly. An example using Otto (no spoilers - this is cut content from Season 2 part 1 that won’t show up in a season 3): In the novels MUCH more time was spent on the interactions between him and Subaru, even before the sanctuary. So when “Otto Suwen” happened, it felt a lot more earned, instead of showing various frames from like, three different scenes between them. Still really appreciate White Fox, but there NEEDS to be changes if we want a season 3 that’s on the quality level production-wise as season 1.

[@blackandblackpilled]

The fatherless comparison is the best one

[@Urolling]

With Deku, even though he literally is telling his own story with his internal dialogue he isn't actually the one telling his story in the story. It's frustrating that he goes through all the struggles just for other people to talk about his struggles instead of himself. 😅

[@h4zrd-rs252]

I certainly don't blame MHA, Subaru has a top 5 character arc in anime so I wouldn't expect many characters to be that high quality.

[@siddhantchauhan1975]

Suburu’s development is so good that on rewatch u get to understand him so much better. His grand flamboyant actions of optimism were attempts to act more like his father. His distaste for julius and insulting saying that just got far due to his fathers wealth, was him projecting his insecurities on julius

[@Nephalem2002]

I was fucking bawling my eyes out when Subaru vented to REM, because I saw myself there. I had felt no self worth despite all I had accomplished up to that point in my life.

[@toongamer2810]

I've never watched Re:Zero, but based on how you explained it, I agree. I wish Deku as a character was more fleshed out, and given that villain hunt focused on him, his flaws and his understanding of hero society as a whole, I wanted him to actually reflect on himself as well. But on the brightside, the little bath scene didn't really showcase any of Deku's actual thinking. He kinda remained silent, which gives me hope for the future, as these subsequent arcs we've been having, have been moving at a fast pace. So maybe we just need to give Horikoshi time to let Deku think about these things seriously, as with everything happening in the MHA world, it's kinda hard to take a moment to think.

[@nighttimestalker]

You should absolutely watch re zero.

[@jeffreyali1456]

And that didn’t age well

[@R3in_Ch]

You should, rezero season 3 coming up it has awesome fights from what i read and some stuff too. you should avoid getting too many spoilers on the internet. watch first. opinions later

[@n3gi_]

​@@R3in_Ch Season 3 isn't coming before 2024.

[@RespecttehPixel]

Deku is my favorite protagonist and I don't even watch Re:Zero, but I have to agree with these points. Great video

[@dankl3ss194]

Bruh you should check out Black clover manga

[@Harsh1650]

@@dankl3ss194 that's random?

[@dankl3ss194]

@@Harsh1650 Its Deku but better basically

[@brylanhenderson139]

@@dankl3ss194 Hell no

[@dankl3ss194]

@@brylanhenderson139 bruh give it a try

[@icantbelieveyoudonethis4059]

I wonder what it says about me that of all characters I’ve seen in fiction I relate to Subaru and Deku most. Also I think you summed up what felt off for me about Deku. It feels like his past doesn’t matter

[@ЯБезымянный-о5ф]

I think that means both are exceptionally good written characters.

[@saikithepsiioniic1358]

I mean, Subaru is hella relatable. He is someone who felt like he was burdened with expectations, tried hard to be loved by others, failed, then continued to waste his life, and now hates himself for it. And like everyone in sitatuations like these, he wishes to escape from it all and start over so he could find an excuse to put in effort again. I can go on and on but Subaru's struggles really feel like a reflection of my own life and I'm sure many others feel the same.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@@ЯБезымянный-о5фnot necessarily. It speaks more to how that person sees themselves.

[@haznaz107]

Now that I've seen this, I want a Subaru & Rudeus video now. Great video bro!

[@red_panda5901]

One thing I wished they did more with deku is show a sort of blurred line between the heros and villains. Not every villain is good no, but specifically looking at Stain, he says he just wanted to bring change and admits he's a monster. When first seeing deku in the arc it reminded me of Stain. People even start seeing him a villain because of his appearance. Seeing deku reflect on this part, the fact he was seen as a villain, the people he's so decated to defeat would have been great in my opinion

[@jaolejeune2224]

Implicit vs explicit : deku is in a fog, unlike the rest of the series, he cannot think straight, thus the story that is told from his point of view isn't explicit on his reasoning (because there ain't much). Though some afterthought on what happened would have been needed

[@eldritchbeauty]

Agreed on all points. The key word here is agency. And for some reason, Horikoshi never wanted to give Izuku true agency. I'm not quite sure I understand why. Perhaps he wanted Izuku to be closer to other Shonen protagonists - never giving up on their ideals, never admitting to flaws in their mindsets, always moving forward. But honestly, Deku doesn't work that way and would never have worked that way. One point I don't see mentioned often is that Shonen protagonists often follow the same trope. It's the Red Oni/Blue Oni trope, where when you have pairs of opposing characters, one person will display a "red" personality - loud, passionate, boisterous, reckless, extroverted - and the other will have a blue personality - quiet, contemplative, calm, calculating, intelligent, introverted. Most Shonen protagonists have a red personality, while their rivals have a blue one. Goku/Vegeta, Naruto/Sasuke, Yuji/Megumi, Edward/Roy, etc (and they are often color-coded with their corresponding personality). Deku is the rare Shonen protagonist who has a blue personality -- he's quiet, timid, introverted, and analytical, at least when it comes to quirks. While there are Shonen protagonists who are well written, they are often well-liked because they're loud, confident, and have a certain reckless charisma. They can get away with being less introspective, because their personalities are entertaining enough to carry them through the story. The moment Horikoshi took away Deku's agency and tried to make him the standard Shonen protagonist, it failed miserably. Deku worked well enough in the first act of MHA (up until Kamino Ward) because he was billed as being analytical, and had to think in order to solve his problems. He was a character who had to rely more on his mind rather than brute-forcing his way through things, which became a problem, because after the Kamino Ward arc, he became the "punch harder" character and all of his agency was stripped from him in favor of advancing the One for All plot line. And it's really jarring, because you have a character who is supposed to be analytical and at least reasonably intelligent, but for most of the story he never turns that analytical mind on himself. And it's kind of clear why. I don't think Horikoshi is very good at writing intelligent characters. To be fair, it's extremely difficult to write smart characters and I honestly don't think Shonen Jump is the best environment for good writing in general, but I think that's the obvious problem. Your character is only ever going to be as intelligent and introspective as your talent as a writer allows. It's very frustrating, because Deku's character had a lot of potential. A good potential back story and traumatic history, a potentially intelligent mind, and all of it was wasted. All of the points you mentioned was what I wanted for him -- for his ideals to be challenged, for him to be introspective and think about his past and reconcile his destructive behavior with it. To use his analytical mind and empathy to connect with the villains and problems of society and find a real solution. It seems so obvious that that should have been the route his character took, and yet it didn't. Of course, this stems from a larger problem. Deku isn't the only main character who lacks agency. Shigaraki didn't have much agency almost until MVA, when he became a stand-out and interesting character...before it was promptly stripped from him and the series took a nose dive. Bakugo, ironically, lacks agency also. His character revolves so strangely around Deku and almost nothing else; he has no challenge to his character, no other goals to work towards other than Deku. Class 1A has zero agency post Kamino Ward, when they, too, should have been challenged about the problems of hero society since they're supposed to be the next generation of heroes. So many of the series' issues stem from this lack of agency, too. It's just mind boggling. I know you've already discussed Shigaraki at length and Deku here, but I would be interested in your take on the lack of agency for so many characters in MHA. I honestly believe it's the core issue with the series, since without agency your characters often don't even come off as relatable or human, but I'd like to see your thoughts on it. Great video as always. Makes me wish you'd been at the helm for writing Deku's character, as he would have come out far better for it.

[@SomeonesBestFriend11_SBF]

I know it's been a month, but this is basucakky what some fanfic authors do, fix issues like that. Basically, what I'm saying is, read fanfics.

[@yoobisnose7669]

@@SomeonesBestFriend11_SBF This!!! MHA in general has SO much potential and it can ask such interesting questions that our society also struggles with. But it doesn't do that, Hori tried to solve many intricate problems in a very surface level way. So yeah, fanfic all the way!!!

[@SomeonesBestFriend11_SBF]

@@yoobisnose7669 Yeah! I wrote fics, though mine don't really fix much, I jus5 have an au or three-

[@yoobisnose7669]

@@SomeonesBestFriend11_SBF haha sameeeee. I have like... 5 different AU's. Currently I am working on a fic where Izuku goes back into time and turns into the biggest little menace zdhhdsq he fixes the world in the background while 1A tries to figure out what the fuck is wrong with Midoriya

[@SomeonesBestFriend11_SBF]

@Yoobisnose My main au has Izuku as a reincarnation of a third brother of AFO and Yoichi/First. He seemed Quirkless in his first life and only realized the Quirk existed when he remembered hus first life during hus second (Izuku) and hus first life given name was Tomurw, so ywah AFO based Tenko after him.

[@Pangora2]

Subaru has been one of the most interesting character studies since Shinji Ikari. This video goes into details, but I felt Subaru was so close to home, that when he failed I was INCREDIBLY ANGRY at him, in a way at myself. How much he loves and supports others was not a thing he could easily turn around towards himself. I remember going through a divorce, and I could remember the stereotypical "I'd do anything to fix it" phase of self sacrifice. it was pathetic, and that feeling was self-centered. In the S2 part 1 OP when he stumbles by his own corpses just to help someone else, and we've seen he doesn't help out others to help them persay - he acts the hero in attempt to fill that massive hole left in his life by good, well-meaning parents. Re:Zero I think hits harder and harder the older one gets, and the more regrets one piles up, not to mention when you can see how things you didn't think left a scar when you were young becomes all the more obvious as you struggle through the years.

[@003poke]

they unfortunately did not fully address the issues izuku had, and i'm greatly disappointed with the ending

[@U.S.G]

Glad I wasn't the only one who saw the similarities between these 2

[@nighttimestalker]

Subaru remains one of my favorite protagonist. Especially when it comes to his portrayal in the web novel. His break down in front of rem and then echidna hit home.

[@geronimoespeche2891]

this was great man. i love how clearly you saw subarus process.

[@augustgurtisen]

Great vid! I like subaru as a character because he's an analogy for stoicism or at least some parts of toxic masculinity and how mentally damaging that is. Midoria is just a blank slate shonen protagonist with no real inner world besides becoming stronger to protect his friends and insecurity of being gifted a quirk.

[@Noughtgate]

thanks for the video, i felt the series became really dry, but i wasnt able to put my finger on why. His role as a hero felt more like a job than a responsibility

[@ninj45word34]

I honestly think that Izuku "Deku" Midoriya is one of the hollowest characters in all anime because of the fact that he never has a meltdown due to his conflicting ideologies of saving people with a smile as well as learning how a villain thinks to find Shigaraki and All for One. Especially because of the fact that in Season 1 Episode 1 and in the first chapter it is implied that he was ruthlessly bullied by Bakugo to the point he told him to commit suicide. In my personal opinion the reason the adults are talking about his bottling up of his emotions is because he believes that his emotions about how he feels will not make the situation better, it would probably make it worse, or possibly nobody would even care about his feelings in his own mind. He has been bullied to the point that he doesn't believe that anyone would want to be his friend, and when he makes friends in Yuuei, he tries his best to keep them alive and analyzes their fighting styles as well as quirks most likely in the event that they betray him if the event should ever happen. My personal opinion, it is just what I think. I really loved the Vigilante Deku ark btw, but I really hope that he changes his Hero Name as soon as he has a meltdown because having yourself be called useless as a Hero will only make people call you useless if you lived through that your entire life.

[@growingoaks]

0:10 currently using this monologue as a lofi intro to a sad beat 😂 i love re zero so much. Never saw the other one that you mentioned sadly tho

[@ladyellington6572]

I haven’t watched re;zero except for cute Beatrice clips online so I don’t have a lot to say here but again, good video! I did gain an appreciation for Subaru though. I hope we get a little deku angst/pov before the series ends. It feels weird not having one and we’re either not getting one at this point or it’s gonna be getting it after another event. I have to wonder if the handling of their characters originated from how the series are serialized. Like bnha is a weekly manga and re;zero is a novel series. There’s bound to be a difference in that. At the same time though, we need a deku arc. Also who the fuck named the villain hunt arc? I’d like to speak with them.

[@leehiu7459]

This is such a great video honestly! I haven't had the time to watch Re:zero yet but have always felt like something was missing from Izuku's "vigilante arc", this really made that feeling come into words. I do think that some of these problems in the manga on later chapters are related to Horikoshi pushing himself so much with it. Perhaps he just wants the story to come into a conclusion as fast as possible instead of working on the story with the same joy as before. I hope that Horikoshi is doing well and this is just a small short coming on his end that he fixes sometime in the future

[@belltempest3708]

Never actually noticed this and now that I do I 1000% agree

[@roku-casualenjoyer555]

This video absolutely changed the way i see both characters. I dunno how to put it into words, but thank you!

[@TheNman_Val]

Re:ZeRo was always a good show in my eyes. S2 P1 made it part of my top 10, and S2 P2 made it my favourite show.

[@darkblade51224]

The most interesting thing about re:zero is all the things that make it such a good show all the things that make the character so good in the world building so good ten to be the same things that make people hate it. Subaru's a cringy and uncomfortable character but he's also very real because of that. But due to his character type he has a tendency to do things that make you facepalm or feel annoyed at him. But most people won't acknowledge that in his situation they'd likely do the same thing. People don't like him because of how real he is

[@Pangora2]

I think for some people it just hits too close. They are invested in Anime purely for the escapism and not so much for the artistic introspection. I can't even watch Subaru at his worst - because its too real. That is because he is written well.

[@darkblade51224]

@@Pangora2 true but there's a difference between not wanting to watch something because it's too real and shiting on it because you can't handle it

[@Pangora2]

@@darkblade51224 I know some people that run away upset the moment it isn't comfortable wish fulfillment. They are hard to talk to since they never get challenged.

[@darkblade51224]

@@Pangora2 damn, can't imagine that.

[@Mr.No-One]

Why? Why this video have to age so well?!!!

[@delguin5447]

Amazing video, your assesment on subaru natsuki is dead on. Amazing job man.

[@kir_p00kie95]

Great video, Subaru and Deku do have a lot in common!!! I personally think Deku's self reflection is going to come in when his father gets revealed. I am expecting a huge emotional set of chapters of Deku describing his life from his own perspective and breaking down slowly as he continues conversing with his missing father figure. I do think Hori left the Villain hunt arc open with a Deku that is still broken. It was great seeing the people in his life acknowledge his issues but I think the decision of keeping Deku's own perspective suppressed was intentional. Deku hasn't genuinely smiled since the "I'm blessed" quote from the end of EA. Deku is still bottling up everything and thinking nonsensically. Deku's dialogue after his solo arc makes no sense and he hasn't learned a damn thing. This will most likely come full circle when Deku and Bakugo have a real convo. Bakugo got his say in when he apologized for everything but Deku did not really process it. I could be wrong about Hori saving Deku's breakdown for later and Deku could continue being the way he is until the end of the series. Hori handles characters very well so I am not really worried about Deku's character moving forward but I 100% agree with Deku's character handling in the entire series being implicit.

[@arielarusy8528]

I’m a huge MHA fan (I’ve only seen the anime) and after hearing what you said about what his character lacked in that arc, I agree. I also agree that I want this video to age poorly but I’ll just have to wait for season 7 to know.

[@jeffali5157]

Spoilers…… The video didn’t age poorly at all, in fact it’s all the more right

[@princeantpassy8714]

Great video man. I've seen this too. I think hori tried to say that Deku only survived in his childhood for watching that almighty video everyday(a bit strange). But only after meeting Almighty for the first time is when he was hit with reality, that his hero was too good to be true so as his dreams. He completely gave up on himself. I guess that's Why he chooses to save more that fighting. Not to mention he was given a power that grew too strong and the society at its worse. And if I remember,I think the only time Deku gave a thought on himself is when he met nighteye is when his insecurity kicked in.He felt like he robbed mirio,his hero was about to die and he let a child return to be abused. It could be nice for Deku to face his demons in the future but I doubt it. Since now he got people talking in his head and he just learn that he is the last user of the power. He got nothing to do but moving forward.

[@alis-anime5484]

This is a great analysis of the 2 characters.

[@kuj0176]

I know this video is older now, but in my point of view, and looking at how MHA has played out, I find it absolutely inspiring that Deku's perspective on his own journey is surprisingly humble and selfless. The whole point of All Might choosing to pass down OFA to Deku wasn't just the fact that the was heroic, it was the fact that he was completely selfless, and that even though he had an analytical mind, no matter what his mind convinced him (if he was getting down on himself or believing he couldn't accomplish his goals) his heart would tell him to keep driving forward. Deku's point of view changes from "It's all a pipe dream, and still, I'm going to try, because it's all I can do" to "It's not a pipe dream anymore, and I'm going to give it my all, even if I fall". I honestly haven't watched Re:Zero yet but I plan on it soon. When I look at the journey Deku takes, I compare it to what Bruce Lee always meant when he talked about persistence being key. Deku fails a LOT in the series, he constantly misses the mark and recognizes it, then tries to improve his shortcomings by coming at it from a different perspective. He doesn't give up, even when he falls, he tries and tries again. What's even crazier is that there's not just Deku who does this, there's Mirio, there's Bakugo, there's All Might (of course), but no matter what, the story is about someone who gives it his all until he succeeds, and then some. I look at other protagonists in Anime and I find it hard to see the true emotions and passions that Deku has. A lot of people don't like him because he is a crybaby, but I love him for that reason. He's extremely passionate about his goals, and he doesn't conform to the "tough guy edgy protagonist" that a lot of these guys try to be in Anime. It's refreshing. I could also go on about Bakugo being the "tries to act tough but is super kind hearted inside" character, and about how much of a gift it is to watch a character develop in the way that he does, but man, what an inspiring series and set of characters.

[@aerieleah533]

I liked hearing your perspective here. I still love hero academia, but it's legitimate to criticize it and areas they could have done better. I think tone does affect it, since even at its darkest hero academia doesn't come close to the levels of re zero. But even then, there was room to hear more of what is going on in Izuku's head beyond a few teary-eyed stares. I'm just reminded of how much of a masterpiece re zero is though. I honestly feel like it deserves to be a classic that everyone needs to see.

[@anisaaga4704]

I believe that the lack of Deku's address of his own issues is another purposeful flaw to his character, rather than the a story writing flaw. There's many things about himself that he refuses to linger on, for example his past with being a a quirkless boy in a quirk filled world and how his bullying affected him. And like you say in your video, he doesn't linger on his emotional breakdown or address bakugou's apology. Because he is inherently a selfless and insecure character so I believe that simply acknowledging himself in his own mind is something he doesn't think he's worthy of. He's too focused on "the greater good" and any second he isn't thinking of *other* people is considered selfish. The only way he's comfortable thinking about himself is how to better improve himself to help and save *other people*, never himself. This also ties in with the self sacrificial nature of ofa itself, all previous users die young and encourage selflessness to the most toxic degree. I believe that Deku's overarching journey is to realise this and break the cycle and to do that he needs to be selfish with his power. We kind of see that whenever bakugou gets hurt, he "loses control of his heart" and goes on a rampage and if he were to just acknowledge that he does that and realise *why*, he could finally break away from his character's fatal flaw of self sacrifice. He's almost there sometimes when he agrees that he needs others to help and can't do everything by himself. When he agrees that the "symbol of hope" system all might used to uphold was both toxic for am as well as society. He just needs one more little push to realise he needs to look into himself to find answers. So yes I completely agree with you that theres a problem with Deku's refusal to address internal issues, but I think all of that will culminate to a big realization in the end which will allow him to fully claim ofa as his own as well as fully come into himself as a person and hero.

[@coopertolbertsmith6067]

6:16 While I do see how MHA’s more explicit themes seem to contradict the implicit personal character ark given to Deku, I also feel like the entire point of that ark was to say that you can only go so far by yourself and that it’s ok to let your friends support you, so not seeing Deku work to improve by himself there would make a bit more sense. I do hope we get to see that internal reflection from him in later chapters though! Although with how things are currently going I’m not all that sure we’ll get the chance…

[@Celsius_03]

i agree that hunt villain arc seemed fitting moment for Deku's self reflection However, Deku's thing is neglecting himself, just like Bakugo said Remember Deku's phrase? "this is a upbringing story of me becoming the greatest hero" which means we're watching incomplete character until the end MHA took it's time with the pressure weighing down on Deku i hope they're taking their time with his self reflection and tbh, Subaru is almost forced to go through self reflection since everything was against him, whereas Deku's got his people not to mention the difference of limitations of their powers i love both shows, interesting comparison, MHA is yet to be finished, i think they've got very different settings

[@LemontheWeeb]

Subaru is both one of my favorites and one of my least favorite protagonist in anime, I love his character, I love his journey so far but God dammit I relate to him way too fucking hard! I know it’s cheesy to say “he’s literally me” or “I relate to him so hard”but in Subaru’s case, it makes sense why so many people do, it’s because his character is supposed to be the most raw and uncomfortably true and honest Otaku self insert! Subaru is ment to make Otaku or anyone with a similar personality type really uncomfortable with how much they can relate! Re:ZERO is not wish fulfillment, like every other self insert character in anime! “It’s a horror series for otaku in general” - Mothers Basement

[@kymelatejasi]

I think the differences in this also comes down to their personality types. The reason Deku hasn't yet gone through much introspection is because when us INFJs are pushed to the point that Deku is at, we tend to forego that introspection that we are constantly going through for most of our lives. It's difficult for us to ask for help in the first place, much less at this point, which, from what I've seen about the Dark Deku arc so far (haven't read it yet), is gone over from the other characters. His character really seems to play into the INFJ stereotypes pretty well. I had never looked into Re:Zero before, but this had made me consider it. It sounds very interesting.

[@queenofdragons4599]

Re:ZERO is good

[@sofakingthe2nd286]

Although I do t mind what mha has done with dekus self destruction tho it’s that being the massive speech by ochako and deku being happy again after it. But I’d rather the talk with bakagou be like a moment where deku SNAPS Maybe a very small rant/speech about the audacity he had to apologise after all this time and maybe even attack bakagou and the rest of the class but going serious on them and then leaves Maybe passes out in a building and continue the vigilante arc from there that would have been sick af🔥

[@ChikkuMinecraft]

Subaru>>Deku in everything a better mc and a better overall message for all (mha had high hopes but the war arc sucks while re zero arc6,7,8 are peak)

[@scrubzero1735]

MHA writing is at times underwhelming? That’s CRAZY who knew?! 10/10 good video

[@kiptop3418]

We will finnally get some mayonnaise in 2024...

[@DragonLandlord]

I had hoped that the Dark Deku arc would be the introspection he needed, that cutting himself off from everyone was a sign he was using the brain he had in the early seasons to finally stand on his own.

[@Dr.Jekyll_]

Deku is a poorly written character with a savior complex but I don't think the writers know that because they glorify his complex as if it was a good thing probably because they are projecting their own complex on Deku and don't even realize it.

[@peachcloudx1672]

i agree with this video, although i do wonder if deku's lack of introspection and how we were distanced even more from him during the villain hunt arc are all intentional. When deku saw bakugo after his [redacted] he almost lost it but once again, he's been taught that controlling his feelings is necessary (to wield ofa properly) although there's something to be said about how often times people think emotions make you weak, especially for boys growing up. I'm 100% sure deku will be having some sort of breakdown soon and it'll probably coincide with bakugo coming back. i just hope it'll be worth the buildup 😭

[@GeorgeCowsert]

Horikoshi's writing sin is that he has no patience. Whether it be properly setting up worldbuilding, or taking time for an arc to actually explore its proposed themes, Horikoshi has been blitzing through his own story almost haphazardly. Compare this to writers like Toriyama, whom notoriously was forced to write more and more chapters to Z despite originally intending for the series to end with the Saiyans. And yet he decided to take an absurd amount of time on Namek because he genuinely thought the Frieza fight wouldn't be satisfying without the necessary buildup. Or Araki, whom saw what was happening with Toriyama and decided to revamp his entire franchise to avoid ever having to fall into the same traps as before. I will give Horikoshi some benefit of the doubt, since a lot of decisions break of interference from Shounen Jump.

[@QWERTY-gp8fd]

thats what profit does to mf.

[@GeorgeCowsert]

@@QWERTY-gp8fd profit in storytelling comes from good storytelling and merchandising. The story is what gets people invested in the brand, the concepts, and the merch. Without a satisfying story, merch sales will dwindle. Horikoshi is lucky that he's done a good enough job for the brand to stay afloat, but it's unlikely to go the same distance as juggernauts like Dragonball.

[@QWERTY-gp8fd]

@@GeorgeCowsert mha is mainstream. it will stay mainstream.

[@SymphoniaFly]

I'd also like to add Oda onto here because he sets up things in One Piece that won't become relevant until HUNDREDS of chapters later. Example: early on in the Skypeia arc we had Sanji telling us that he was originally from the North Blue. Then hundreds of chapters later we finally get his full backstory. Man has the patience of a saint. The only thing Horikoshi really took a long time to get to was who the traitor was, and I honestly think he didn't plan that out at all because how the heck would that character (not gonna say who on the off chance someone here hasn't gotten there yet) even have gotten all the information they did? Like, if it was Hagakure I could understand because she can literally turn invisible and be anywhere to hear anything. Actual traitor, though? I feel like Horikoshi either didn't really think this through beyond "which character would be shocking" or he legitimately forgot this plotpoint until it became relevant again and just chose someone at random. The one plotpoint that he had all the time in the world to set up and it still feels haphazard. Okay, that was a tangent, sorry lol.

[@GSballreborn]

I myself really like both characters, and this is a very fascinating video