Discord mootsđź’ś
Ive been saying this for over 2 years now, i dont even care if the cost of endeavor’s death is the narrative acting like its a tragedy. Come on stain lets fucking GO
i think if i were to make a small correction to that post, it’s that i would emphasize that pedophilia is already normalized and that’s why writing about it for titillation does not invent the issue of societal pedophilia, but rather is the manifestation of and contribution to it.
for example, it is also true that “bury your gays” is not the cause of cishet voyeurism towards lgbt suffering and death, but it’s one way for cishets to stoke their own desires for seeing it; and minimizing characters of color in a narrative doesn’t create the problem of poc being overlooked off-screen, but rather characters of color are overlooked on-screen because poc are overlooked irl.
so it’s correct that if we got rid of every piece of fanfic or fanart featuring underage sex, the problem of pedophilia would still persist because it is built into our system and society, in the form of widespread child abuse, victim-blaming, and lack of legal rights for minors. images that normalize pedophilia would still proliferate in the form of "art,” in the ways that underage celebrities are sexualized and adultified (as well as their less-known peers on insta or tiktok trying to look older and sexier), in modeling, in marketing, in off-handed comments about “jailbait.”
by and large, societal abhorrence toward pedophilia goes only as far as an abstract concept—like trying to dismantle the wayfair conspiracy—rather than taking actual substantive measures that would actually protect children. that would require we didn’t live in a society that largely condones child abuse and abuse in general.
the expansiveness of the issue, however, doesn’t mean anyone should brush off fictional pedophilia because it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. part of being against pedophilia means being vocal against its normalization in all respects, it means supporting systemic changes that give children power to leave dangerous situations, and it means watching out for the minors around you. it means you have to do all these things simultaneously, and not just shrug your shoulders under the illusion that you are somehow not part of any system because you fancy yourself that way.
heyyyy i know we’re all annoyed about mva but can people stop blaming the japanese fandom for it bc they supposedly dont like the villains?? its getting racist. japanese people are not a monolith. please stop acting like they’re a hivemind who all hate villains when we know the western fandom also hates villains. i’m seeing shit like “fuck the japanese” and my guy do you not realize what you sound like? just stop. be annoyed at the studio all you want but stop blaming japan as a whole.
In chapter 187 of BNHA Natsuo and Fuyumi visit Rei in the hospital at the same time that Endeavour is fighting High End.
Natsuo ends up commenting on his fathers recent promotion as number 1 hero, and though chastised by Fuyumi he expresses resentment with everything Endeavour put their family through. He claims Endeavour left them behind. This is when Rei chimes in and says she doesn’t belive that, and that she thinks he’s trying to face the family.
What proof does she have, though? After all, she herself says she hasn’t seen Endeavour in ten years. Well, the proof to her claim is this:
Rei says that Endeavour brought her that flower and remarks he remembered she liked them despite her only telling him once.
Here’s the problem I have with this though: this chapter is the one that started building Endeavours atonement, and yet for Rei to be the one to create its foundation doesn’t sit well with me because she shouldn’t be having those opinions about Endeavour. He was her abuser for a decade, and the one responsible for her pain.
A single flower shouldn’t change Reis mind.
This fixation on the flower is what reminded me of a scene from another work that creates some unnerving similarities between the two
This is the flower scene from chapter 187:
And this is the flower scene from the DC comic Mad Love:
Some context about Mad Love:
It was a comic published in 1992 by DC comics, with Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as the writers and it was the first canonical backstory of Harley Quinn (other backstories would follow after, as is the case with American comics). The comic was all about Harleys abusive relationship with the Joker and how she seemed to be unable to realise just how bad he was for her. At the end it looks like she finally realises (after Joker throws her off a building)…. and yet, while still covered in bandages from the injuries he inflicted on her, she notices a flower he left her… and changes her mind once more.
Of course it must be said that Harley is a very, very different character from Rei, but these two scenes have a lot in common:
Both are women that experienced abusive relationships
Both of them are hospitalized because of their abuser
In the hospital, both receive a flower from their abuser as a form of “apology”
In both cases the flower seems to be proof enough for them to change their mind about their abuser for the better.
Perhaps the only difference is that in Mad Love this change of heart from Harley is framed as wrong and tragic. In the foreword of the comic, Paul Dini wrote he saw Mad Love as “… a cautionary [tale] about what happens when someone loves recklessly, obsessively and for too long”.
Horikoshis intent with his scene however, seemed to be the opposite. As I said before, what Rei says about Endeavour sets up his atonement. Its meant to be a hopeful moment, a good moment. But not for Rei. For Endeavour.
Mad Love tells the victims story. Chapter 187 is there for the abusers benefit.
Now. After writing all of this:
Do I think that Horikoshi made this connection with Mad Love on purpose? NO
Do I think these similarities with Mad Love are unfortunate and damaging to Reis story? YES
Every time I read that scene in the manga or watch it in the anime I cant help but remember Mad Love. And it’s endlessly frustating that BNHA tries to frame that scene as good when it very much shouldnt be. Because there is already a story that framed a similar scene as the tragedy it very clearly was.
Reis two appearances outside of flashbacks in the manga have mostly served to develop her abusers story, but I still have some hope that she’ll be able to escape Endeavours suffocating presence in the manga and break free of his influence.
Just like Harley eventually did.