Not Created Equal - Elitism in My Hero Academia

[@normalsummonaleister8946]

You've articulated your points, but the term 'elitism' doesn't really fit in how you are using it. A meritocratic system might be closer to it, or those based from the leadership of 'experts'.

[@ExplanationPointAnime]

And that's an issue that comes from not doing enough revisions on the script. The original idea was much more tied in "Elitism" in the traditional sense. Hero Aca /does/ present a society where some people are born inherently "better" than others (some people have quirks, some don't. Those with quirks inherently have more ability than those without, and those with good quirks have more ability than those with crappy ones, etc.). And I wanted to explore how a society could structure itself around this fact, but that idea got lost and muddled as I tried to apply too many real-world examples to a concept that just doesn't really exist in the real world. Sorry about that. So how is the idea presented here different from just a straight Meritocratic system? Truth be told, it really isn't, and that would've been a better word to use for the script I wound up with. That said, because quirks exist in Hero Aca's world, there are significant, innate differences between people that give certain people an advantage just for having been born a certain way. And since the distribution of quirks doesn't have anything to do with income inequality, institutionalized discrimination, etc., and is a purely natural system, I don't like saying that Hero Aca is a "pure" meritocracy. When I think of the word "meritocracy," I imagine a society where -- assuming there are no outside influences keeping certain groups of people from doing as well in life as other groups -- everyone has the same chance to improve themselves. That just isn't how Hero Aca's world is.

[@ZoanBlade90]

@@ExplanationPointAnime Hell, imagine a world where the Infamous games were tied into this world's history. What am I talking about? It came from a discussion on a Geeks For Fun update video, and someone proposed a scenario where said games were canon in the Hero Aca universe. How would that work? As a bridge from the past to how heroes are seen in this world currently. "Conduit" was the early name for american Quirk Users.

[@johnsphpaulin1162]

@@ExplanationPointAnime perhaps calling it a Specialist Society then might be a more accurate term (even though that's not traditionally a term used to describe a society). Because as you even point out in your video the term elitism does generally imply the conflation of ones moral worth with their skill in a given field, which again as you pointed out in the video Simply isn't present in Hero Aca ( outside of bakugou but he's an asshole). In this sense the term elitism is to the world of Hero Aca what nationalism is to patriotism, or communism is to social democracy, that being a highly moralistic extreme of what is in essence not a bad idea. Also congrats on getting the sponsor, and thanks for the excellent video.

[@GreenWood9700]

You're right but by defining his interpretation of what an elitist society is/means at the start of the video this problem is largely made a non issie

[@Shockguey]

The 'experts' are always arbitrary.

[@mothersbasement]

You made it

[@jesusguadalupe8396]

That's so sweet!

[@jackunknown1692]

You've*

[@jesusguadalupe8396]

@@jackunknown1692 no it's you made it

[@vgarzareyna]

@@jackunknown1692 you've done it

[@benduford3746]

It’s always nice to see other content creators praise each other instead of feeling threatening and recoiling like a vampire being touched by the sun

[@DERADI30]

The editing at 19:46 implies that the kids ability to pull his eyes out of their sockets is not his inherent quirk but something he learned. Well done kid, you worked hard and extended your skillset, i am so proud of you.

[@korayven9255]

@@Kushrada Well, we have a guy whose power is literally 'tail' so it's certainly not _impossible._

[@growlithekid]

@@korayven9255 I mean, Ojiro's tail is pretty much an extra limb instead of a regular tail. The only way I can see the kid with stretchy eyeballs work, would be in intel gathering. Even then he'd have to get so close it's worthless there too.

[@jongameaddict]

Maybe his eyeballs are always long and one day they just kinda... drooped outta their sockets

[@timothymclean]

@@jongameaddict Maybe he had to learn to put his eyeballs back.

[@db5094]

or maybe his quirk is to be able to make his body stretchy and learnt how to do it part by part and control it instead of just turning his whole body into a goop.

[@Tyler-zx7xn]

"Turning ignorance into a sin makes people unwilling to seek help for fear of being perceived as dumb." Can I have that engraved on my wall please that's a great line.

[@shadowrain1024]

While I agree with most of the points, I think it's worth pointing out the things that was skipped: that the system of MHA's world fails at creating it's ideal, and that failure is kind of central to it's larger thematic conflicts between the LOV and society as a whole, and also in smaller ways like with Shinso. He could be an excellent hero but the "objective" measures of ability used to select the top hero candidates carry with them the inherent biases of the ones that created them. It's pointed out that the UA entrance exam for the hero course is heavily stacked towards heavy combat type quirks, but makes no accountance for the fact there are multiple ways to fight a battle beyond just smashing things. Shinso's ability is DEVASTATING against any human villain target, but that is impossible to illustrate in UA's exam, hell, it's implied that Aizawa had a similar problem during his school days. We can assume that this type of thing isn't limited to heroism or even UA, it's a filtering system that is built into most facets of this world, and means that people who could leaders of theirs fields of interest are selected out of them because the ones doing the selection lack the vision to recognize their potential and how things can be done differently. MHA's world is built around the idea that there is a role for everyone, yes, but that role is not by any means the role that they could or would be best at, it is the role that the world will allow them to fill.

[@kimarous]

Yet going back to All Might's initial speech to Midoriya, he could pursue other, similar avenues in law enforcement that don't rely on quirks. Even if Shinso didn't make it into the hero course, did he ever consider the possibility of entering law enforcement as a police negotiator instead of being headliner big-time hero? Basically same role, is it not?

[@seanfisher6904]

@@kimarous From what I understand, it's explained in season 2 that only heroes have the legal authority to use their quirks on other people. Even as a police negotiator, he wouldn't be able to use his quirk to his advantage, and even if he could, he still wouldn't be in his most effective role, since he still wouldn't be authorized to fight villains. Shinzo could potentially stop the most destructive villains incredibly quickly, maybe before they even have a chance to do any harm at all, so even as a negotiator or investigator his natural abilities would be squandered.

[@shadowrain1024]

@@kimarous you're also assuming that the police service have adopted a similar ethos of selecting those "best suited" to the task, which may be incredibly limiting due to how they define that. Would Izuku and Shinzo be great cops, who would make a great buddy-cop spin-off? Yes, absolutely. Would the police recognize how valuable they would be? Maybe not.

[@badassoverlordzetta]

But... aren't you just describing the entire premise of the show??? Neither Japan, nor America, nor any pseudo-hybridization of their cultural ideals exists in a state of perfection. MHA as a Manga and an Anime is a call-out to the reality that we are trending towards a society that reflects these failures that you and others have correctly pointed out. And perhaps most importantly, while it is praised in a "elitist" society to use the terms in the video to strive for perfection, self-improvement, to go further beyond, etc, said perfection is, in all likelihood, impossible. And if it looks hard for people to find a role in the world of HeroAca, just consider how much more difficult it is to fit in in such a way in our own society. We live in a state of constant struggle to improve not because there is a conclusion that we're seeking, but living virtuously and to our best effort is an end that is justified in and of itself.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

shadowrain1024 Exactly! Like all problematic societies, it’s issues are of distribution and representation. There needs to be an equity of opportunity among the working class.

[@rileymoore7025]

-good looks -does not show their face in most videos Makes sense to me.

[@austinryder2622]

What about the 3 times he's showed his face in a video?

[@brennanruiz1803]

What do you mean??? Their face looks like an exclamation point???

[@tablesthetablegod]

I thought it was Flinn Rider!!

[@Thunder-Sky]

Showing his good looking face too often would cause a meltdown of the romantic system we have established, clearly

[@Thunder-Sky]

Case and point, Tables. Case and point.

[@phazing9]

I generally agree with you, but find it worth highlighting how poorly many real elitist systems, and indeed MHA, fail to properly evaluate what makes people good at a thing. The classic MHA example is rejecting a person with the power to instantly subdue many villains without conflict in Hitoshi Shinso. Often people at the top overvalue people who do well in a way they know how to measure, and fail to value those who don’t.

[@unlimited971]

That why aizawa said the exam of entry at ua is not rational

[@shorewall]

When people and organizations don't set appropriate values, that creates a competitive advantage for those who are able to see more. The big problem is the over-regulation of quirks. The Super Power Liberation Front was right. People should be able to use their quirks freely. If you commit a crime, whether with a quirk or not, it is still a crime. If Shinso could be a hero, even if UA didn't value him, some small school or hero could sponsor him, and if he could be a good hero, then people would see that.

[@unlimited971]

@@shorewall waiiit waiiiit....aizawa ..the traitor?....that would be hard twist.

[@TheJolteonMaster]

Also, Horikoshi seems to go out of his way on occasion to show how having a quirk isn't even necessary to be a hero (although it is a HUGE advantage). Midoriya won the obstacle course race without his quirk, and Toga frequently gives experienced fighters a run for their money in hand-to-hand combat (something unrelated to her quirk). Not to mention the Vigilantees spin-off manga has a major character who's quirkless and fights crime a lot.

[@amberdent651]

The other main issue with elitist systems is that it fails to understand the usefulness of Jacks of all trades. The first episode hammers it home: when outside their area of expertise, an expert is useless, which is an unacceptable thing to be in unpredictable life or death scenarios. So Backdraft being a rescue hero specializing in fires is perfectly fine, but don't put him on a squad with Kamui Woods, who is useless around fire (where Backdraft is sure to be), and not have any heroes with proficiency in many aspects of heroism. Canon addresses this through All Might being the Symbol of Peace. He is the ultimate Jack of all trades _type_ but with the mastery of an ace. Useless in no scenario, and skilled in all of them.

[@ValeTheOwl]

To be fair, the society of My Hero Academia is, despite all its flashiness, a dark dystopian world. Because of Quirks, scientific advancement has crawled to a halt (they said it so, that humanity would have invented space travel by that point if Quirks didn't appear). Also, some people are then MUCH above the rest of humanity in term of individual power, which is unheard of in human history. You can argue all you want that the My Hero Academia is meritocratic and elitist like a real one, but in reality no one has such overwhelming advantages over the others. In our society, a naturally strong person would get their butt kicked by an expert martial artist. The so called "geniuses" still need countless hours of study to perform well, and usually hard work and tutoring can actually make someone as effective (if not more) than a naturally gifted person. Meanwhile in the world of My Hero Academia some people can topple skyscrapers with a sneeze from birth. Hard work is just 10% (and I'm being generous) of what defines success in the world of heroes, as someone who has a weaker quirk simply cannot compete with someone who has a strong one. The "Hero" job in itself is just a show, a palliative to prevent people from realizing that some individuals can destroy the whole society if they wish to.

[@ded4lyfe1]

Well, billionaires can wreck my shit easily.

[@hannibustoogfyrre6074]

The setback was a result of all the war and chaos that was caused when Quirks first emgered. Both the series and especially the movie show us how now that things have been put back together, scientific advancement is, if anything, going much more quickly than before.

[@ValeTheOwl]

@@ded4lyfe1 They could, but: 1) There is a minimal chance for you to become a billionaire. 2) They can't do it alone. You could beat most billionaires.

[@RedneckRapture]

@@ded4lyfe1 Except if a billionaire just wrecked your shit for the hell of it, you could take a substantial chunk of his money and make it your own via lawsuit. You can't take a superpower away using a court order.

[@trent800]

@@RedneckRapture no you cannot You literally cannot win cases against people with that much more money then you

[@kimarous]

So... TLDR: "Self-improve and find your niche instead of striving for unattainable goals." Honestly, kinda inspiring. At my workplace, a law firm, I perform a menial task: disassembling files and scanning them onto a computer. That's almost all I do most weekdays with only small alterations here and there. I'm not a big-brain lawyer or busy-bee assistant; I'm the cleanup guy with the repetitive task. My coworkers do not envy me, stating how they would go mad under those circumstances. Meanwhile, I'm content - it's a low-stress position on a foundation of consistency that gives me plenty of mind space for thinking. In a niche others dread, I find comfort and excel.

[@Icynova]

Kimarous do what you do the best you can do it

[@aelinaelin666]

honestly same, working in a low stress position that has consistency is much more preferable

[@hoangquanle3310]

Based

[@FlutterSwag]

So your saying UA is a super prestigious trade school ??

[@kintsuki99]

Isn't it pretty clear from the story of HeroAca alone?

[@nickpowell2449]

obviously

[@JohnDoe-fe9zx]

Liberals hate hierarchy. Go figure.

[@MoonMoverGaming]

I mean. That’s text.

[@Yal_Rathol]

they have an entire fourth of the school dedicated to engineering. they're a trade school at the high school level. if there are any hero universities, then they'd be a polytechnic.

[@JH-ph4qb]

This is quite good but I think you left out an extremely important thing, the economic component. The reality is that not all roles/jobs have the same economic reward and that effects peoples decisions, often leading them to pursue careers that they hate/ are not suited for because they will get more compensation from it. Just because a person might be suited for a certain job/role doesn't mean that role is going to be rewarding or profitable and that is true even in an super power society. People are going to go for what most benefits themselves first and then worry about 'the best use of there abilities' second because at the end of the day people are more worried about surviving and living comfortable lives than any philosophical good they could do. It doesn't matter how important that role is, if it doesn't provide the level of compensation people want , or need to live, then the job falls to people whom have no other alternative to said job.

[@robynhoodie]

I was hung up on the same point. The ideals painted in the video are almost communist in a way. The part of communism that assigns you to the task you are best suited to and removes the financial element so ever piece of the society matters, replacing those incentives with the incentive for personal growth. Hero Aca obviously isn't communist since they establish people go into hero work for the financial benefits. But they also don't ever show much in the way of crippling poverty or anyone who is stuck in a job they hate. I suppose that fits into the idealistic part of the video, not a true road map for society but an ideal to strive for.

[@najadamu2724]

@@robynhoodie I suppose the closest example we see is Uraraka, but she's still somehow able to pay to live in an apartment on her own closer to UA. But I imagine she's the exception.

[@codybarnhill506]

Well he already did 2 economic videos recently. He probably didn't want to mention even more economics. Besides, that's just why a lot of people don't go to the job that supports their skills. Literally everyone already knows this so he probably didn't want to waste time saying things that are common knowledge.

[@imaginaryboy2000]

This isn't what we see in HeroAca. While the world likely has some people who aren't happy with their jobs, for the most part the people we see in the jobs we see them are suited. Granted, this mostly includes heroes, but considering the focus of the show there really isn't much room to explore elsewhere without dedicating an entire arc to it.

[@GonnaDieNever]

@jocaguz18 Mcdonalds workers can live from their salary in the US, the question has more to do with how you define "living." Is it surviving? In that case you can live off of a macdonalds wage literally anywhere, because that is what minimum wages are traditionally set off of. If it means having enough to support a family or purchase luxury goods than you are sorely mistaken, that ship sailed the minute women weren't expected to stay at home anymore and low end wages could correspondingly no longer be expected to support families, or hobbies for that matter.

[@researchinbreeder]

A Code Geass video as a counterpoint to this video could be nice. Not only does Emperor Charles use the phrase "All men are not created equal" as well, but the show takes the meaning in a different direction, referring to those with power ruling freely over those without. Framing it as a comparison could also give it the requisite HeroAca tie-in :p

[@npc6817]

he might want to wait for season 3 to end before that

[@Shockguey]

"those with power" It just means violence. If they can be overthrown then they inherently don't have it.

[@ded4lyfe1]

@@Shockguey Or it can mean those that are best at what they do. If you can only produce a little stream of water vs spout a few fire hydrants' worth to combat a fire isn't violence.

[@Shockguey]

@@ded4lyfe1 It has literally never meant that. Even in physics it's about exertion of force. Furthermore if we follow your implications it is no different than the Divine right to rule.

[@ded4lyfe1]

@@Shockguey not really. Because in the end, decline happens. So you can be the best at something, but not for All Time. See All Might.

[@ThatRandomEncounterGuy]

“There isn’t one singular way to be useful, but there is *only* one way to be useless: the refusal to better yourself or move forward.”

[@henrygreen2096]

“This being a contradiction Of Thomas Jefferson- _The slave owner._ “ I subscribed literally because of that lol.

[@rinokumura7371]

In Reality, He Was No Better Than The People He Helped Overthrone.

[@mobiushelldoctor1423]

I didn't expect him to hit me with a baseball bat this early

[@jackbishop8610]

@@rinokumura7371 The people he overthrew mandated his slaves and he tried his best to legally release and give them all he could.

[@kingjonstarkgeryan8573]

By the time he was alive I was literally illegal to free your slaves with the exception of when you die but that loop jole as closed by the time he actually died

[@RedneckRapture]

@@kingjonstarkgeryan8573 Don't forget the original Declaration of Independence he made ragged about slavery and called it evil, only to be changed because of the slaveholders in the south.

[@aresrin]

I agree with the fundamentals of your analysis, but for real world application I feel like it's necessary to really emphasize that this competitive mentality only works if society is structured to be fundamentally cooperative. If living in society is framed as a competition, and losing in that competition results in not having the resources to live a decent life, then helping or teaching others becomes counter-productive, since it wastes time and resources, that could have been spent on improving yourself, on improving the abilities of your potential rivals to out-compete you. If maximizing your own place on the totem pole is the primary objective, then keeping others down is often more effective than raising yourself up. So yes, we should absolutely have competition for luxury, or status, or positions of authority, but we must ensure that we are not competing against each other for the fulfillment of basic needs, because that turns society into a zero-sum game, that incentivizes sabotage over upliftment, and turns constructive good-natured competition into cut-throat, socially destructive competition.

[@frisater96]

This comment is good. You good

[@aliensinnoh1]

Aaron Jaworski I agree with you here.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Aaron Jaworski Societies that pit it’s people against each other in order to succeed within it’s arbitrary hierarchy will always be unjust. This includes competition for luxury, status, and authority.

[@shorewall]

I disagree with all of you. You are all wrong. Competition creates abundance. Giving people a free lunch contracts resources and creates want. In the old days, most people had to work the land in order to feed everyone, and famines were common. Now, almost no one is a farmer, and we have more food than we know what to do with. When you let the best be the best, then everyone wins. And when you lose at a meritocratic competition, that isn't game over, it's telling you that you are playing the wrong game. So you try again at something else, until you find out what you are good at. And while that may be difficult, it is fairer and more noble than telling people what they are to do. Someone might be the next Einstein, but if they want to be the next Quinten Tarantino, then they have the right to try and fail or succeed at that. But if they were to focus on finding their niche, they would succeed and be able to support themselves. All men are not created equal, and people don't deserve an award just for playing. You are responsible for yourself. At least, that's the way it should be. We don't completely live in that world, but we should strive towards it. And your erroneous ideas of zero sum games and conflict marxist theory are what is leading to a backsliding of humanity, that will be as arresting for our world, as the discovery of quirks was for the Hero Aca world.

[@R0s3456]

I agree up until the end, competition is the way of life naturally both in a primitive and modern society

[@williamreturner3001]

There are two ways I like to watch an Explanation Point video: 1. Listen to Mr Point's calming voice as he dives through his carefully written script filled with every kind of tool a writer needs to master their craft, and ponder the meanings and significance of what the video discusses. 2. pWeTty EDitS WEHooooAAA~!!!

[@kiggerst]

That's why vigilante is a good addition to mha world. It shows us the normal heroes dealing with ur everyday street villain and how those who arent gifted or lucky like midorya still can perform heroic deed through little action like picking up trash, helping others in their daily live, or provide assitance when u saw a hero on duties. Also we get to see aizawa when he is still an active hero.

[@ObserveTheCelestial]

I absolutely love how you Worm in parahumans references. You should be awarded. It's so well pact in.

[@angeldude101]

Shut up and take my thumbs-up.

[@tiny4141]

"WORM in" i'm going to die now

[@jbark678]

To bad you couldn't fit Twig in there.

[@ObserveTheCelestial]

@@jbark678 That would be very twiggy to pull off.

[@lolAvalanche]

Ohey, is you, now I can actually find your KZbin.

[@sesereddead465]

“Mineta’s a better best girl than you!” -Explanation Point, 2019

[@Karma-pq9fi]

If he’s best girl then who’s perving on him.

[@sesereddead465]

One Punch Fish probably kohei horikoshi. I mean he has said that mineta is his favourite character...

[@emili878]

That's just a fact tho

[@gregoryspersonalbodyguard]

Woah don’t try to turn me gay

[@cjr4908]

"...power-hungry villains and natural disasters and Endbringer attacks..." Dangit Expo, every single video you remind me why I _love_ you. The one-two punch of that particular natural disaster followed by the frigging Worm reference was... _just_ perfect.

[@rubenthiel1214]

I was not expecting endbringers to be brought up

[@hockeater]

I mean... My hero aca is basically just more lighthearted worm when you get right down to it.

[@sirapple589]

Out of curiosity, which Endbringer is your favourite? Mine definitely has to be the Simurgh. I really like the idea of corrupting the mind so that years after the attack you can still cause more damage.

[@Lumancer]

@@hockeater I don't think MHA is as much of a deconstruction of the genre as Worm is. MHA explores some of the same ideas, but largely plays them straight.

[@kiaraplumridge4223]

Had to stop the video when I heard Endbringers mentioned to go back and check that I hadn't misheard what was said. With all the light novels getting anime we just need a bit of a shift to web serials. I would.do terrible things for a Worm or Practical Guide to Evil animated series.

[@CynicalZielony]

@@sirapple589 Call me basic, but I like Leviathan since until it appears in Worm you don't really know what endbringers are and the 'weakest' one is still practically unstoppable and causes a shit ton of damage to the point an area not being completely underwater is considered a win. I also like the ideas behind Tohu and Bohu, but the story doesn't spend much time on them.

[@whatsinadeadname]

Created equal doesn't mean created the same. Rather, it refers to what society owes individuals by default. This is clarified by the followup line "...that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The fork you present is a false dichotomy, one used within individualism to imply those with power should be given more power, and those without should remain without, even unto the removal of access to fulfillment of basic needs.

[@alexsere3061]

Also the problem with his logic is that he constantly goes "there's no problem being a police it's equally honourable" when it isn't, as in, society doesn't treat it that way. In mha policemen have less money, prestige, autonomy, power, etc... One job is clearly more respected than the other. To say "go be a policeman, it's respectable" is at worse an argument in bad faith to don't look like a dick by condemning someone to lesser status. Kinda like people who say "we don't need as many engineers, a lot of those people should become plumbers, they are an equally respected profession" eventhogh they are less respected and earn wayyy less

[@lunarshadow5584]

One of my favorite lines to combat "Life is Unfair" is that "Just because Life isn't Fair doesn't mean you have to be". It is a line I carry heavily because it is meant to shatter the idea that just because life isn't fair, you can at least be a decent person, helping when you can without being an idiot and throwing your own life out the window. But knowing your limits is one of the most important things because if you know your limits, you can either grow to pass those limits or strengthen what hasn't reached its limit yet, when it comes to the teaching system of most schools, it can be considered a fact that it isn't the best, filled with flaws in the attempt to teach its students lots of things that honestly aren't necessary. Elementary School should teach the most necessary of how to read, write, 1+1, and why NOT to be a butt hole while middle school should go into the little more advanced forms of necessary learning like history, basics of science, HEAVILY WHY NOT TO BE A BUTT HOLE, and maybe anything else that should be learned for day to day life (Maybe some basics of computer since that is a staple of everyday life currently), Highschool should be where we teach them more adult stuff like how to do taxes (which i personally think should be the state problem), maybe some schools teach students how to drive, but the main goal should be helping students figure out what they are and aren't good at, help them learn what they can do for a living so they have freaking options instead of saying "Good luck". Colleges should focus on teaching specific fields. I honestly feel like the continuous comparison between colleges honestly shows how schools are more aiming for fame and money rather than helping people learn, and considering that Hero Academy is based off of current school systems, it would almost be safe to say that SOME colleges and SOME of the professors teaching in those colleges aren't staying in their lane, and I am not trying to be rude when I say that, I am saying that personal thoughts and feelings affect what you are teaching and students will take your own personal opinions like fact, making so many lies be considered "Part of life" when it is an option. (It is the slave effect of not teaching them that they CAN be free to do what they want almost on purpose so their wants are made a reality)

[@moosesues8887]

Nah that ain’t me I’m a hater and another hurdle in someone’s life

[@GaionSputro]

Deku would destroy this system! Mark my words!

[@Xtreem50]

Did my man here really reference Worm? Mr Point is a man of intelligence AND refined taste

[@Sharky4152]

>endbringer attacks Someone's been reading Worm

[@Karlos1234ify]

Same

[@matthewmcgovern3274]

Who hasn't

[@KW-lb2mj]

@@matthewmcgovern3274 Lots of people, sadly.

[@timothymclean]

@@matthewmcgovern3274 It's hard to gauge reader statistics from something like a web serial, but it's pretty clear that _Worm_ is far from mainstream. Heck, it's not even _internet_ mainstream; the /r/Parahumans subreddit (which technically covers everything that Wildbow writes) only has about 70% as many subscribers as /r/TeamFourStar* ...despite /r/Parahumans being both far more central to the Worm community and _several_ times more active than TFS's subreddit. *Chosen because I happen to have it bookmarked.

[@Alex.R.L]

I F searched "worm" on this page just to make sure someone mentioned this. Signal boost that shiz. Some one go out there and convince Netflix to make the Worm Show. After The Boys, I'm pretty sure Worm would find its audience.

[@EditDeath]

After the Endbringer reference, I want nothing more than to hear you do an analysis of Worm. I feel kinda like Abridged Kayaba right now. "You get my references?!"

[@zanrakey4140]

The funny thing about All Might's teaching style is that is actually one of the better possible ones. It heavily emphasizes problem solving and active recall, the most important skill, and the most effective study style respectively. By giving the students self directed tasks he teaches them to solve problems on their own and avoid the trap of learned helplessness, and subsequently by having the students explain what the lesson was all along he encourages active recall thus better encoding the lesson in their memories. Now there are certainly flaws in his style, for example Momo almost ALWAYS is the one to explain the lesson, meaning that not all of the students are getting the best learning experience, and he has a tendency to leave the students almost completely directionless, which could easily kill any motivation on their part. However, other than those kinda minor issues he might actually be a better teacher than Aizawa.

[@ProjektTaku]

I'd actually say no. Aizawa teaches them fundamentals but also lets them develop their own styles, and he doesn't try to give them any advantages, instead he believe's that if they can't succeed without being told beforehand, than they shouldn't succeed. Basically, he understands the problem of practicing for the test.

[@amberdent651]

A counterexample would be people that aren't _good_ at what they _love_ to do. We all know that football player in high school that loved the game, put their all into playing and playing exceptionally, but their inherent talent wasn't all that great. They can practice thousands of hours and give it their very best, but they're just not good at it. In fact, that's a better interpretation of Deku in an elitist society, in my opinion. What he wants to do and what he's good at were in conflict until All Might gave him a quirk, and therefore it's not that crazy of an idea to think that Deku wouldn't have been very happy in another career, even if he was good at it. The biggest issue with this societal structure is that people want to do things they aren't good at all the time. While we tend to gravitate towards things we're talented at, we also are limited by the resources of our upbringing. What is talent to begin with? Why are you good at the things you're good at? HeroAca handily side steps it by making heroism something to do with delineated quirks, but even in HeroAca, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu and Iida were always going to start out better because they're from pro hero families and therefore had access to training, equipment, and handed down experience that most others don't. It's not nature _vs_ nurture, it's always been nature _and_ nurture. Not to mention the big gap of leaving out support items. With the kind of gadgets that exist, I'm _very_ surprised that a hero a la Batman or Iron Man isn't around. Nothing about HeroAca's world makes it clear that Deku couldn't have become a hero, just not via his super cool superpower. This society also assumes that more than one skill at a high proficiency isn't possible, nor desirable to have. I don't mean tangentially either. It's possible to be really good at math and also be a great artist. Typically people will put more time into what they like, so the skills may not develop evenly, but that's not always true. I mean, look at some of those Renaissance dudes that were inventing shit and painting historically revered masterpieces and composing music and learning like three or four languages, etc. As a modern example, look at Lin Manuel Miranda or kpop stars that can do a shit ton of different things at high levels. My last point is more to do with the source material, but it's interesting that so many philosophies like this exclude the Jack of All Trades because they're so integral to society. Being able to pick up almost any skill to an average or maybe slightly above average proficiency is so incredibly useful, and it brings an entirely different perspective to the table. Imagine Deku as the Jack of All Trades hero that maybe can't fight the most dangerous of villains, but he can also help out police, is a trained paramedic or EMT, can sort agency logistics, maybe is good at dealing with politicians or private companies. A hero that does some of this, some of that. ...Fuck dude good video. Now I'm gonna go write some fanfiction lmaooo.

[@Emarella]

I'd never thought about the plausibility of a support item-based hero! It really ruins the argument that a quirkless Deku couldn't become a hero of at least a middle-ranking, doesn't it? I mean, what gadget couldn't make him just as helpful in a situation as Best Jeanist, for example? However, I guess the counter-argument to that is that Deku wasn't really just aiming to be *A* hero. He wanted to be *the* hero: to be the Symbol of Peace, the best of the best. And in that case, I think the case could be made that even with gadgets, Deku couldn't have necessarily become the number-one hero. Fascinating stuff.

[@Dragonrider1227]

@@Emarella I do remember thinking it would've been really interesting if Deku became a gadget and strategy based hero and rose to the top without a quirk.Especially with those support based items. What's stopping someone like Mei Hatsume from being like Iron Man?

[@connormills1413]

@@Dragonrider1227 She's already halfway there.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

Dragonrider1227 yeah but it would be unrealistic I mean with the crazy powers people have in this world it would be impossible to be a hero without a versatile or very powerful quirk useful for hero work. Like sure Mei could be like Iron man, but what happens if a villain like Kaminari shows up or someone with a metal manipulation quirk. At that point she would be fucked.

[@amberdent651]

@@Dell-ol6hb That's true of almost every hero. What if an earth manipulator or earth-mutant type fights Kaminari? What if a fire user goes up against Tsuyu? Or it's so cold outside/an ice user makes it very difficult for Bakugo to sweat? Couldn't a metal manipulator also destroy Iida's engines? Everyone has a counter except All Might because All Might (aka OfA) has Superman's power basically: close to invincibility, super strength, super dexterity and reflexes, etc. There's no hard counter because the power is so broad, but otherwise quirks have pretty harsh counters for the most part. We're not sending Tsuyu to take out the desert villain nor would we send Iron Man!Deku to take out a metal manipulator. This is why I say this society suffers without Jacks of all trades though. They demonstrated it in the first episode with Mount Lady and Kamui Woods. Outside of their areas of expertise, people are useless, and that's an unacceptable thing to be in life or death scenarios that you can't always predict to have the "right" guy on site.

[@theseceratary2307]

Anime KZbinr spends 24 minutes talking about how we really do live in a society

[@envysart797]

By comparison, Mob Psycho actually makes kind of the exact opposite point. As best boy Reigan Arataka repeatedly points out, everyone is born with a different talent for everything and being talented in something makes you no better or worse than the next person. What matters is being a well-rounded, mature person, not the degree to which you perfect your one talent.

[@jaybird1650]

There's also the fact how Bakugou finally recognized his mistakes in the past, and even explicitly stated how he was a bully towards Izuku due to the fact that he was insecure with himself, but his pride and ego had covered it up and made it seem like he was angry at Izuku for 'looking down on him'

[@Sabshark]

...and now I kinda want a Worm video

[@salmadys]

The biggest issue with the type of meritocratic society described here is that it presupposes that A) Said society is a natural system B) That this system is perfectly balanced to accommodate all individuals and their skills. Both assumptions are wrong and i feel these are issues that are not tackled in the show: There is some odd double standard set where people must find "their skill" as some sort of predestined fate and at the same time adapt to what society wants from them. In real life we might be born with the potential to develop great skills, but grow up in an environment that does not care for that skill in particular. Some skills might fall out of favor; this is particular daunting in old age when people is out of time to learn and hone new skills to adapt in order to survive in society. The mere act of survival is not addressed at all in this example: There is people out there that hone their skills to stay alive and can't even think of succeeding in a social hierarchy. All of this issues are exacerbated when you notice that meritocratic societies in real life are both imperfect and artificial: All human societies and systems are the result of centuries of social engineering and the way we measure merits is not set in stone, it changes through the course of history along with moral and material values; In a society that has no crime a Hero would not be able to sustain itself just by preventing disasters; Then the world would look like that show "the boys" where the value of heros is enhanced by publicity and a *perception of status* And the demand for their skills would be created artificially.

[@werewolf873]

You're being too granular I think. No society is perfect but the meritocratic society ensures the best outcome for the largest number of people. Or at the very least, creates the potential for the best outcome.

[@salmadys]

@@werewolf873 My comment was not concerned with a meritocracy being imperfect; I am not putting a value or score on the system; It is implied to begin with that an artificial system is always imperfect and meant to be improved. My last comment was pointing out that the set of rules set in the video for this highly meritocratic society presupposes that there is a "state of nature" in the supply and demand of skills that society asks of it's individuals. And given that this meritocracy is artificial to begin with; This state of nature is unattainable. In this case, for this type of society there would always be at least two maladies: (A) The value system that controls what merits are the most demanded could be easily tampered with; Since there is no "natural" value system It is easy to pervert it. (B) A system such as this could potentially convince itself that it's values ARE natural. That it is the best and only system and that it produces the best outcome; And then it would become unmovable; It would shield itself from critique and stagnate, slowly rotting from the inside to the point that it is completely detached from the real world; clinging into a power system that is outdated.

[@luismartinuz1681]

​@@werewolf873 Except it doesn't. There's always this huuuuge void gap when people try to exactly determine what "merit" is and what counts as "meritorious" . It completely ignores the fact that people are NOT born into the same circumstances and that one skill highly valued in one strata of society while being considered completely useless in another. Furthermore, who exactly is deciding who is getting the merit of things? It's not a natural process, society decides that either through social consensus or it is directly decided by whoever is the dominant class in that society.

[@werewolf873]

@@luismartinuz1681 it doesn't really matter if its natural or not. Organized society by nature of being organized is unnatural. You're confusing "merit" with necessity. There is merit in being a biologist. But that doesn't mean anyone is going to pay you for it. Its up to the individual to decide what is more important, doing what you love or doing what makes money.

[@KingHalbatorix]

Alejandro Rodriguez smol brane koment

[@tychohero]

6:40 "endbringer attacks" I see you're a man of culture as well.

[@kinzieo4195]

i’ve been ready for this one for a while!!! love all these analyses :)

[@ThiagoSilva-lg7tj]

Who else did the biggest double take when Endbringers were mentioned?

[@kiaraplumridge4223]

Literally had to stop the video and go back to make sure I hadn't misheard it

[@Marcu3s]

He's already done some Worm references in previous videos. I know of at least one before. It is very irksome. You can't casually drop Worm and not explain anything.

[@darthsonic4135]

Marek Homsi Andráši in this case? Yeah, he can. Big ol’ Kaiju called an Endbringer ain’t exactly hard to parse in the context of that section.

[@gaarasandguy]

Who else came down to the comments to find the Worm bros?

[@JadenTSlime]

EP: Endbringer attacks Me: [Spit takes] Did somebody just out himself as a Parahumans fan!? BROTHER!!!

[@jacob9673]

I think a lot more of the disparity in real life is economic. Labeling kids “bad at something” isn’t wise, I was labeled “bad at math, good at reading” or whatever in highschool, and not pushed in math. That stereotype was somewhat accurate; however, when I got to college I pushed myself and now I have two bachelors in chemical engineering and chemistry, with a minor in math. I’m working on getting a graduate degree too. In a society with hard cutoffs like quirks this works, in the real world it doesn’t. We can change economics, you can’t change quirks. We should avoid labeling young people “an artist” or calling then a “dancer” or a “chemist” these are learned skill sets. It’s about what you enjoy and if you have curiosity. Also, I wouldn’t call MHA an “elitist society” it’s a *meritocratic* elitist society. Elitism is always bad, but if it’s based on merit and skill, then that’s different. Overall I don’t think this video was well thought out. Other ones have been, but I can’t get behind the mislabeling here.

[@HK556]

"Not being the best cannot be a source of shame in any elitist society that expects to function" My new favorite line

[@calliopeirwin712]

6:40 is that a worm reference i see? thank you

[@GlassedGamer]

"If you're not cut out for a job, then don't do it. Find something else to do." [Shows an image of the *_F¤CKMOTHERING LEVIATHAN_* ] Imma be honest with you Point, I don't think there's _anyone_ in BNHA that could do _shit_ against Levi.

[@Itzhak1997]

To be entirely fair, there wasn't anybody in earth bet that could either if the training gloves came off.

[@Yal_Rathol]

considering the biblical origins of the leviathan state that it's massive enough to make the seas stormy by thrashing around and that only god could kill it? also, it's likely based on a nile crocodile, which are super strong, capable of sprint-speed lunges and hunt whatever they damn well please, even humans? yeah, supernatural giant croc-snake that can breathe fire and summon storms sounds like it would give AFO a run for his money.

[@cjr4908]

I personally would've censored the "u" with an "Ω," myself.

[@GlassedGamer]

@@cjr4908 I tried using a #, but KZbin seems to be of the mindset that that means something entirely different.

[@tablesthetablegod]

Especially titans

[@SnowfallSummit]

What a great video dude, keep up awesome work. Also congrats on your Crunchyroll sponsorship!😂

[@spacepenguins8939]

“All men are not created equal” So you better hope you get the best power from the best hero ever or you’ll never succeed

[@sirapple589]

I’d argue that Izuku didn’t get the best power, he got a great one yes indeed he did but not the best. The best/strongest Quirk in My Hero Academia I would say is Eri’s. I won’t spoil what it is for non-manga readers but with training, she will be straight up unstoppable. Attacking-easy Defence- Can’t be hit if the attack never happened Healing- Hahahahahahah!

[@nullakjg767]

Vigilante actually proves you dont need powers to be a hero.

[@spacepenguins8939]

Sir Apple Even if you don’t think it’s the strongest it’s top 3 easily with its only rivals being AFO and Eri. Even then with the most recent revelations about OFA it’s only getting more powerful by the day. It’s got more attack power than Eri she needs to touch someone to effect them deku has massive range attacks and short range ones as well

[@SuiteLifeofDioBrando]

True

[@spacepenguins8939]

null akjg I dunno the vigilantes don’t fight massive threats, Knuckleduster’s 2 biggest fights have been against 1) Stain- a man who is quirkless unless he gets your blood and 2) someone who has his old quirk- so he has the advantage of knowing all of his weaknesses and gets a surprise attack in In vigilantes our hero goes from just sliding on the floor to now being able to have limited flight and shot beams of energy, the most they can do is take down some thugs that a real hero would beat *very* quickly and when things get difficult like with the sky egg they just call all might and in the sky egg incident it was Captain Celebrity who was doing most of the work anyway

[@almondandfriends]

The issue with this form of ideals is that its proven both in the my hero academia and the real world not to work. It fails to take into account that although natural abilities and proficiencies do exist very rarely unless you unfortunately suffer a severe disability are these unable to be overcome, an example is i have a terrible sense of rhythm right now and i know friends who were rather gifted at instruments but the reason i cant play the piano as well as they can is because i put no effort into overcoming what would in the end have been a rather small hill in the grand scheme of things. On top of that the idea of trying to structure societal classes based of this is mental, it either relies on the fact that as children we are fully capable of dividing ourselves into our preferred career paths based on our skills or that some larger authority should dictate such a thing. We see quirks in My Hero Academia that would have been unbelievably fantastic for heroes but would have had a nightmare facing any of the exams to enter an academy like UA. Similarly heroes like Mirio is able to competently defend himself against Overhaul for a considerable period of time both with and without his quirk, on top of that the original practicalities of his quirk disadvantaged him heavily in his path towards becoming a hero. One of the biggest things about Mirio is that his quirk is not naturally fantastic but rather his ability to become a hero stems almost entirely from his training so much so that he fights competently without his quirk. The problem with the mantra not everyone is created equal is no one truly thinks everyone is 100% equal in ability but rather the natural skills you show are secondary to the experience you choose to accumulate, everyone deserves an equal access to the opportunities present because to dismiss someone for the rest of their life based either on their current skill or their natural abilities is ridiculous in all but the most extreme examples. It lowers the quality of skill all around and relies on an outside authority to determine. In My Hero Academia this idea is taken to the extreme but even then we still see its failings. The Gentle Criminal is able to competently and effectively take down multiple heroes and has mastered abilities that would have greatly enabled his pursuit as a hero but due to what was his skill at the time he has been unable to ever pursue such a career regardless of any later improvements. The assumption that skill levels are static would completely fail. There is no honest assessment of ability here but rather a reliance on natural advantage to the dismissal of all else, training is second in My Hero Academia and it is to its detriment, for every one person who gets in the way there is many who could be overwhelmingly beneficial but dont. Tomura himself comments on this when he points out at the mall that there are so many people here that could effectively stop him regardless of his power level but they wont.

[@raeldri5867]

6:37 That WORM reference!!! 🤯🤯🤯

[@metageek7878]

never really thought about it this way before, but it is kind of inspiring, I won't go into detail but recognizing my own skills or lack there of in certain areas is something I really need to seriously assess here in college and this gives me the ideal to not be ashamed if I need to not do a path I am simply unskilled at or maybe actually work hard to make myself passable at it, and that both ideals or choices are equally valid and I should do what is best in the long run for not just myself but others. Who says spending all my spare time on anime and KZbin was useless.

[@jefferybrown6473]

6:40 Hey a "Worm" reference.

[@McHelterSkelter]

This was really inspiring for me. Why should I feel shame at not being good at things? I am naturally good at some things and bad at others. Yet I feel so bad about not being the best that I completely shut down and perform poorly, and continue to feel bad about doing poorly, even when that won't help at all. Just because I fail at the job that pays the rent, doesn't mean that I am a bad person. I will be able to do what I am good at for a living soon. I cant expect to have that level of ability in places where I don't.

[@artofzaromi]

"Aizawa has as much compassion as a republican bear trap" Oh my gosh, this line is GOLD great job haha

[@sephyrias883]

6:40 Worm is an anime confirmed.

[@chosoistryinghisbest]

The elitism in BNHA is very real and very canon. The idea that as long as you have a quirk, you are automatically better than people without them. Having a quirk is what people think makes them elite and this is seen in Deku being bullied by EVERYONE around him. And I feel like people put too much emphasis that Bakugou bullied him rather than recognizing that EVERYONE around Deku bullied him. Of course Bakugou bullying Deku is a main part of Bakugou's arc and Deku's beginning, but when talking about Deku being treated before he got OFA, we HAVE to discuss about how the society around him treats quirkless people. People talk about Bakugou bullying Deku so much, I think they forgot that Deku was bullied by ALL the people around him. No one ever stood up for him and everyone made fun of him. They all degraded him, laughed at him, and dehumanized him. All of this treatment just because he is quirkless. this shows the power balance between those with quirks and those without quirks.

[@blackicemanu]

ALL OF THE WORM REFFERANCES MORE PLZ

[@Przemko27Z]

Part of the issue with that kind of ideal in the real world is that as not everyone is created equal, some people largely lack a thing they're particularly good at or the chance to develop their skills. Or they do not find fulfillment in that particular thing and would rather focus more on things they like doing. In general, it seems to focus a lot on insisting every individual be, well, productive, which sounds reasonable but becomes quite toxic when applied as a blanket requirement.

[@McHaven07]

Do a video about the weird trend in anime and manga regarding ranks and having tiers of people. I find it weird that there are literal ranking systems in series like MHA and OPM and even Fairy Tail, but in western media Superman isn't graded and given a big star for being #1,we just sort of know he is. I'd love to learn more about why the Japanese do things that way.

[@Underworlddream]

Ya. I read a lots manga were a slave were saying and justifying how they should be a slave. How minority character talk about how they are less then other and get angry at people for trying to treat them as equal. They often portray these view as right and those that are aganist it are wrong. I feel deeper look into Japanese view on people and other.

[@npc6817]

card game tie-ins

[@nosferatu3726]

well in OPM the ranking system is there to show who are the strong and how are the weak Weakest being in C-class and Strongest being in S-class with that comes monsters whixh are also ranked with the weakest being Tiger ( if i remember correctly) and strongest being God level. they usually send C-class heroes to deal with weak monsters or to do menial jobs that aren't to important or world ending and strongest against monsters who pose a more of a threat to lives of humans.

[@pablo9234]

6:42 you mentioned worm. i love you now

[@Aloemancer]

More Worm references hell yeah

[@sarahrahrahrahrahrah]

15:54 ah yes my favorite character, _run fast man_

[@williamwalton9154]

Terms to consider: Meritocracy and/or Meritorious. I think your attempt to recontextualize the term 'elitist' is difficult to impossible due to the significant negative conotation the word has accumulated. (Edited from contagion)

[@npc6817]

I am no philosophy/politics/big brain much knowledge man myself but doesn't meritocracy deny that different individuals may have different worths in different scenarios and that the only distinction between people should be based on their efforts and actions alone? meaning that it doesn't believe in disparity and so it disadvantages those who have difficulties?

[@DBZHGWgamer]

He's not recontextualizing it. Being elite means being among best at something.

[@williamwalton9154]

@@DBZHGWgamer the distinction is between what a word means objectively and how it's common use in society colors/adjusts its meaning. Elitist has a significant amount of negative conotation in the current political climate and this causes unessesary burden/distraction from the otherwise excellent point that is being made.

[@williamwalton9154]

@@npc6817 my intention was to provide alternative terminology to avoid unessesary distraction from his principle point.

[@android19willpwn]

related, but not the same. An ideal elitist society as described here would ideally also be a meritocracy, but the core philosophies and extended effects are different. A meritocracy means everyone finds success proportional to your ability. An elitist society as describes here means everyone performs the tasks they are best suited to. That doesn't inherently mean that the best in a field are the most successful in that field, it just means that they're in that field because that's what they're best at, and people in other fields will defer to them when their skillet is the most applicable to a situation. Similarly, finding success in a meritocracy doesn't require you to be doing what you're best at, it just requires you being better at what you do than everyone else. The core philosophy is also different between the two. Meritocracies are inherently competitive. The worse everyone else in your field is, the easier it is for you to outdo them, and the more skills you excel in the more success you can find. Elitist societies as described here are inherently collaborative, as everyone who is better than or equal to you is a chance to improve yourself, and the better you support others with your best skill-set, the better they can support your with their best skill-sets. Edit: basically there is a meaningful difference between striving for maximum personal perfection and striving for maximum interpersonal superiority, despite the outward appearances being very similar.

[@alljammedup6781]

His enthusiasm about Crunchyroll is so precious and pure~♡

[@johnathanjjohnsoniii8019]

As my homeroom teacher always said: "if you're good at something, you would be insane to not try to pursue it. Trying to do something else would be like swimming upstream. Sure, you could do it, but it would be a hell of a lot harder than swimming downstream and doing what you're good at."

[@aablanco48]

@@adenbishop9683 a little bit late so sorry but.... I that case there are several different professions that do benefit form that type of skills, the more easy to think will be the ones dealing with preventing Fires, Firefighters obviously, but others like designers, architects, security consultants Being good at something "harmful" makes you also good at avoiding said harm

[@chongwillson972]

@@adenbishop9683 maybe join the fbi or some other military force

[@FerunaLutelou]

Didn't expect Endbringers from Worm being mentioned here

[@josephsweijd3168]

Is that a worm reference?

[@G_br__l]

I am the only one that would love to see a video about Worm? Because I would

[@hii-fii]

4:47 Took me a while to realize that you're roasting the living shit out of schools

[@LoverOfMuch]

I got goosebumps watching this because you’ve summarized the main lesson of my latest self-discovery journey. It’s always good to see your videos in my subscription feed

[@malcomchase9777]

The Chemist example is the big problem with the argument. A painter could help them come up with clearer models to use in teaching, combining design with the knowledge of chemistry they would get out of the class so it's a good and clear representation. "Sails on the waters they know" is *stagnation*. I understand you will create different classes for different levels of knowledge, but you go farther and into their merit of even taking the class unless you are predisposed towards chemistry, saying they shouldn't "drown" by doing something new.

[@malcomchase9777]

@erni muja But that bad example is crucial. It deals with learning, and that can happen on the job. You can't just say an artist can help out the field of Chemistry. Mixing natural aptitude with learned skills is another big issue in this video, but I wanted to focus on the part that says a dancer shouldn't learn chemistry, that they should just dance. That's crazy.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Malcom Chase Arbitrarily assigning people a lot in life, and asserting that such a system is natural and just is criminal. Especially when that very same system assigns value and reward disproportionate to need or worth, and hold standards of living hostage in an effort to forces people to compete for such standards.

[@thebasementweeb4909]

6:44 I love that he compared sonic boom: rise of lyric to a natural disaster

[@catdogfishdogcats]

21:14 the pause that tells you to get out while you still can

[@uta63]

I think 'all men created equal written by Thomas Jefferson the slave owner' was the best line in this video and it in the first like 20 seconds minus the ad read. Seriously it hit me like a truck and I love that.

[@jiggiesplanet]

I’m so happy to see a worm reference. Yeee

[@ponpon_27p]

My teacher told us that the US school system is built to have students excel at multiple things like art,English,math, etc. She said this is being a renaissance man, being good at more than one thing. The purpose is to have people who can have multiple skills or interest and be good at more than one thing. Like having a plumber who’s good at their job and also good literature. While in Japan they have to pick their career before they graduate highschool so there’s more pressure on them

[@timothymclean]

Just to add my voice to the wave: This feels less like a complete statement and more like building up a narrative before pointing out its flaws in a Part Two video, except that its conclusion is conclusive enough to make it clear that no such conclusion is coming. The flaws in this meritocratic system you describe are not only obvious, but often addressed in MHA-in fact, some are the core of entire arcs.

[@Abdega]

Last comment, You made me realize something; Aizawa talks about how the world isn’t fair and neither are his methods, but he also complains about how the entrance exam is unfair for Shinso

[@RHJunior]

The thing about Aizawa's "the world is not fair" argument is that he refutes it in the very next sentence when he says "a hero's job is to COMBAT that unfairness." That's right, Hangover Man-- COMBAT unfairness, not ENFORCE it. You're about to expel someone who literally risked their LIVES passing your entrance exam, based on how they THROW A BALL. So which are YOU doing?

[@fireofargentis]

To be fair, nobody has what it takes to defend from Enbringers attacks, but you got to do what you got to do.

[@rogofos]

TLDW: idea here is old meritocracy but now its even more fantastic.

[@TDOTCRFH4]

the big problem with MHA's meritocratic society is the same as our allegedly meritocratic society - capital. if citizens need an income to survive, and different roles come with different wages, then people aren't actually encouraged to pursue less glamorous yet necessary talents, nor are they encouraged to act in the interest of the collective. the show itself even touches on this

[@NintenNessLucas64]

"In the matter of boots, I defer to the authority of the bootmaker."

[@TheJolteonMaster]

I never thought "Mineta's a better best girl than you" would be funnier in-context.

[@mikerueffer579]

there is a good counter point to this video showing that my hero academia's society doesn't reward those with talent and that is the character of gentle. when he's introduced he is capable of taking on 5 pro hero's at once and he give's midoriya his toughest fight yet he could have been a great hero but the sad thing is he did want to be a hero but he couldn't pass certain exam's required to be one. and it seem's rather then help him out and show him how to study better or something they just told him to give up. and then there's twice who because he got into an accident but the police deem'd him responsible even though it was the other guy's fault. and ended up with a criminal record. and he got fired from his job because of that and later went insane and turned to villainy. His quirk double is the most useful in the series so no this society doesn't reward those with the best quirk's or with the most talent just those who got lucky.

[@shorewall]

Which is why the Superpower Liberation Army was right. Their society is great, it just needs less regulation.

[@LimeyLassen]

That's what I love about Heroaca, it's full of contradictions and acknowledges them.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Shorewall LESS regulation?!

[@abzofmn7062]

Nice Worm reference at 6:40

[@TDSFounder]

Endbringers? Is Worm anime now?

[@Sabshark]

Please, let it be a worm anime, please

[@GigaChadh976]

All the best anime become bug anime. Just look at berserk

[@althelor]

So basically, MHA is the ideal world Sylvester described in arc 5 of twig? “A world where everyone is surrounded by people who are striving to be their best, because we only grow as people when we’re around people who are equal to or better than us in intelligence, skill, and industry. It’s in stupidity and stagnation that we fail as a species.”

[@nosferatu3726]

Eugenics edition

[@dangerouslydubiousdoubleda9821]

but thats exactly whats going on in My Hero the stagnation has led to societys biggest attack

[@sadpersona1610]

I LOVE YOUR VIDS SO PLEASE BE HAPPY FOREVER

[@kacperchainmail2293]

Now after mentioning worm i need you to make a video on it. Its like the bestest deconstruction of comic type superheores ever!

[@zulephizus1212]

"Good looks, good looks, and good looks" _citation needed_

[@chronowolf4734]

Oh man, it took 4 years for me to see the Worm reference

[@Specsboy1999]

18:24 - 18:29 "Everything would be fine." Well, if Izuku didn't get OFA then we would enter a darkest timeline of sorts (without him becoming a villain), let me explain. (Warning: Manga spoilers) For starters, Uraraka would get some form of trauma from a robot almost crushing her which would negativly affect her work in the field. Bakugo would continue to be an elitist asshole, probably only seeing Todoroki as a threat until he learns that he is holding back. Tsuyu and Mineta would probably not get out of their predicerment in the USJ without some major injuries from the villains or Shigaraki. Momo would be class president (I know that isn't bad but I wanted to give you something nice before shit hits the fan). Tenya would either be killed or servely crippled by Stain, leading to the Ingenium name dying. During the Summer Camp raid, Muscular would of taken Kota as a hostage and then killed the Pussycats (or at least Mandaly and possibly Tiger) while the villains have an easier time capturing Bakugo (only losing Mustard and Moonfish at most). The raid could go horribly with Bakugo staying to fight, being pulled out by Gran Torino or another hero as a best case scenario or being recaptured by Shigaraki or All For One, but All Might would defeat All For One still finding him unable to continue as the number one hero (or dying, depending on how you prefer things to play out). You can argue the above could of not happened and things go as canon (minus Izuku somehow) but now we get into the real darkest timeline worthy moment, the Shie Hissaki raid fails horribly. While everything up to Mirio vs Overhaul goes the same, Mirio will still lose his quirk (and if he has OFA, then thats gone forever) and then he will be killed along with Sir Nighteye as Overhaul and Chronostasis leave with Eri and begin their quirk destroying bullets production. (Manga spoilers) Overhual soon comes into conflict or agreement with the Quirk Liberation Army that Shigaraki soons takes over and he gains access to the bullets. Shigaraki gets his powerup and has his war, using his new powers and supply of the bullets to easily kill off the heroes and take over. Overhual also continues his plan and supplies his bullets to groups who are against Shigaraki, starting off a new war. As for Izuku, probably killed in the crossfire of that war along with many civilians.

[@ProjektTaku]

yeah, but couldn't All might just give someone else OFA, like mirio or monoma (the copy kid from class 1-B)? That's kinda why he came to U.A, to find a successor.

[@Specsboy1999]

@@ProjektTaku Well, (manga spoilers) it turns out that giving One For All to a quirk user is a bad idea as it plaees a burden on their body which causes accelerated aging which killed the fourth user who died after having it for 18 years. That time limit is even shorter now that it is on user number nine, I would say that a quirk user with it has a good year or two before expiring. Also, some events require the OFA user to be at certain places at certain times, such as getting to Overhaul during the battle some time after Mirio died to save both him and Eri, if they are too late then Mirio dies and Eri is moved beyond their reach. Mirio is mentioned in my original dark timeline (still loses his quirk plus ofa now during fight with Oerhaul). As for Monoma, he kind of has an ego problem and giving him an extra power like OFA might make things worse, plus I don't see him completing actions like Izuku (such as not going to save Tenya or Kota when they are attacked by villains), while I don't know how the Shie Hissaki raid will go down 100% I do get the feeling that Monoma might fail and we get the bad ending.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@Specsboy1999 then its better to give monoma it, since his body can already handle the strain of multiple quirks. Plus, its not shorter now due to being on the 9th users, since we know all might had it for longer, at 40 years, than the 4th user, its just that with the shrinking quirkless population its harder to avoid this weakness. And I mean, I feel like mirio wouldn't die or even lose his quirk with ofa since his speed and strength would be greatly improved along with his agility and his quirk. If he gets shot tho then yeah its a bad ending. But as for monoma, he's actually really insecure because his quirk relies on others so he acts cocky but in truth doubts himself. But with ofa, a strong, powerful quirk, his insecurities would be fixed and he'd probably be closer to bakugou, but we know that even tho everyone else told him that with his quirk he can't become a hero he still decided to (similar to izuku in a way) I think he would save kota, especially since he could just copy muscular's quirk and get a better version of it due to ofa and then stack it ontop of ofa and easily beat him.

[@Specsboy1999]

@@ProjektTaku I will grant you Monoma could have better resistance as he can hold up to four quirks at once (all with a time limit of 10 minutes) so he might last longer than any other character in the series (I give him 3 to 4 years). All Might was born quirkless so he wasn't affected by OFA's body strain as it had no other quirk to cause the damage that was inflicted on the 4th user. It is like filling a glass with a set amount of water that is increased per glass, All Might & Izuku have empty glasses to start with and can hold all of the water but those with quirks have some water already and could cause a spill (in this case their bodies expires from the strain). Also the quirk still gains power from sharing, just by giving it to a quirkless person doesn't reset that (as discussed in chapter 304) otherwise Izuku would be as strong as if he was the first user. Mirio only loses his quirk as he had to save Eri when she was targeted by a quirk eraser bullet, just giving him OFA doesn't change that due to his personality and his shooter being a member who Mirio wasn't actively stoping as he was focused on Overhaul, but I will grant you that Overhaul might choose to transform to a merged form with one of his subordinates earlier than in canon as canon Mirio and Overhaul were on near equal footing. I can understand your point about Monoma insecurities being from his copy quirk (relying on others/being unheroic) but giving him OFA might cause him to become overconfident unless those mental issues are dealt with. As for his relationship with Bakugo, it depends on which class he ends up in as his cockey attitude in canon is because he wants class 1-B to do their best but he could be turned off by Bakugo's arrogant personality (No Izuku = very little reason for him to go "oh shit, some people are stronger than me in this class" outside of Shoto but him holding back with his hang-ups could counter that). I only mentioned Kota as it was shown that Izuku tried to reach out to him during the days before the assault, he then rescued him as he was the only one who knew where he was outside of the Pussycats who were occupied with their own fights at the time. Unless Monoma makes an actual effort to connect with Kota (plus the only time that a student could get information about his parents was from Shinso after Kota's fall in the bath house scene which only happened for 1-A), that kid is probably dead. I will give you that Monoma could beat Muscular by quirk stacking but Izuku was only able to win when Kota made an opening by distracting Muscular (plus the guy was holding back and I can see him choose not to if Monoma copies his quirk), also Monoma may gain the quirk but no knowledge of how to use it and we don't how fast he can figure out during an active 1 v 1 fight. Plus this still relies on him not failing his prior exam (which could be against pro heroes as well) otherwise he would be trapped at base camp by Dabi and Kota is killed by Muscular.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@Specsboy1999 I mean, I'd say he'd probably have more than 3-4 years since the 4th user got 18 years and he couldn't handle 2 quirks. And I wasn't saying that the quirk doesn't gain power anymore (of course it does, otherwise how would all might beat AFO?), I said that the time limit (I guess you could call it that) isn't shorter now just because its on the 9th user, since the problem is with the amount of quirks, not power. As for mirio, the reason I believe this is because OFA would give him enhanced speed so that he could push eri out of the way along with dodging the bullet (as I think izuku can dodge bullets with like 10%, atleast in the movies, and mirio would be able to use more higher percentages) or he could just make himself intangible after pushing eri. Although I do see your point about monoma, I believe he would be able to get past his issues, although since I doubt he'd get into 1-A kota would probably die (although maybe with one for all he wouldn't fail the exam?) and I'd get pretty dark, but if he doesn't then I could see him maybe being curious about the kid and learning of his past.

[@thehermitman822]

I love how the show makes any querk potentially incredible with training and persistence.

[@capemorning2451]

6:41 oh my God you read Worm. :D

[@benscan4642]

There was a Worm reference!!! Instantly subscribed to this man of culture.

[@MasterofFates]

We have *A S C E N D E D*

[@brandonclarke436]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I JUST REWATCHED GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE TOO IT DRIVING ME INSANE. I CANT FIND ANY GTO VIDEOS ANYWHERE. PLEASE MAKE ONE

[@Icynova]

Meta Jericho it's so good, but it's Oldtaku and the art can be hard on the new anime fan's eyes. I get why it's not a bigger deal.

[@Catpuff818]

US schooling system: take three different courses in math and a bunch of other things that have nothing to do with your major before you transfer. ONE ETERNITY LATER Me an art major: God I suck at math, I'm so glad I wasted my time trying to pass these classes.

[@GaleGrim]

4:24 My problem with that scean is Uraraka says "Sending us home on the first day is unfair" and Eraser says "Yes well, disasters aren't fair, and villains aren't fair" Here the hitch with that logic, HE ISN'T A NATURAL DISASTER OR VILLAIN. Eraser is teacher and beyond that a hero, he is being not just unfair here, but unreasonable, and unpractical. People are obligated by society to be as fair as possible. Sending a bunch of willing students with amazing powers home from hero school because they don't met your personal expectations on how a hero should think or be on day ONE? expelling 1-20 teens from the high class high-school they worked there ass off to get into for any reason not to do with breaking the rules/law? He has gotten EXTREMELY lucky that the media or even a group of parents hasn't gotten wind of that bull crap. UA could get in real trouble if it was ever learned they unfairly expelled the amount of students eraser expels...

[@AJ-ox8xy]

"Bakago tried and now everything is on fire." 😂😂 Made me laugh so hard.

[@HarrisBoe]

3:52 “best girl Ochacko” Ah, I see you too are a man of taste.

[@bbobjs]

Holy shit! As the only other person on the planet that watched Lost Song, I'm VERY hype to see it get some attention! Thanks Explanation Point-sama, my only regret is that I have to Naruto run into Area 51 before the video will drop :(

[@ericabailey9002]

Why did this video lowkey inspire me do stop eating my chips, get off the couch, and go do something great, like finally end my sleep deprivation that was caused by me staying awake all night watching KZbin videos.

[@jamesgilmore7659]

I feel everyone who watched this should watch/rewatch Gurren Lagann 1: it’s always a good idea 2: I feel kamina is good counterpoint to the video kamina is ill suited to leadership but puts his entire heart and soul into it for his and Simon sake