Boku no Hero Academia

[DarthEnderX]

If it is unrelated to One for All, you're basically saying a quirkless person who has atrophied like him can suddenly become buff for short periods "like holding a flexed muscle."

That's exactly what I'm saying. If the show was realistic, I might think that was ridiculous. But it isn't. So I don't.

As it is, I think it's literally just Master Roshi's ability to make himself buff again for a short time even though he normally looks frail and old.

[shinta|hikari]

If this is what counts as believable in this show, everything just gets thrown out the window (if it wasn't out there already). Like, what stops them from just suddenly saying humans can sprout wings if they try hard enough?

It'd really make more sense if it was related to a quirk, which is kinda the main premise of the story. If normal humans can puff up, like wtf?

[shinta|hikari]

Finally got to watching the episode and wanted to comment on this statement.

Focusing on legs feels a little forced.

If the idea is that he's permanently screwed up his hands and we expect them to never take on 100% One For All ever, then this makes sense, but it makes him into a crippled version of All Might.

This is exactly what happened. He damaged his arms too much and making them do any more risks permanent disability, so he is now going to use his legs (with more care to avoid damaging them like his arms). As for him being a crippled version of All Might, I tend to disagree. He can still use his arms, but he wants to avoid doing so because of how damaged they already are.

Also, All Might is a terrible fighter. In all of his fights, he only used his fists to fight, which is a retarded way to do battle (i.e. why MMA is superior to boxing in actual combat). Izuku has always been more flexible and smart (All Might is as dumb as bricks and always has been, as explained by people who know him). Izuku can become an all-rounder, using his punches, kicks, and wiles to defeat the enemy. All Might has always just been about pounding them to death, which severely limited his prowess.

With these things considered, he will probably surpass All Might in overall effectiveness in the future.

Edit: BTW, I searched around for explanations about All Might's muscle form, and it seems even the fanbase is confused about it. The best I could find is it's something separate from One for All and is there for comedic effect and therefore completely unrealistic.

Edit2: To be fair, the reason why I am confident about my interpretation is because I can understand Japanese. After Izuku kicked the rock, he said, "If I'm worried about my arms, I should use my kicks as my main (weapon)." He never intended to stop using his arms but to simply use kicks more because his arms aren't in perfect condition. The horriblesub translation omitted the main part, implying he'd just stop using his arms.

[DarthEnderX]

I like that this episode clarifies that he didn't just decide to start kicking. He'd already altered his suit for kicks and had Iida teach him how to fight with kicks. They just skipped ahead last week for dramatic effect.

[neflight86]

Here comes the UA beatdown! Commander Deku reporting in?

I like that we got to see some of the special moves they've been working on, like Mineta's grape-chain.

[David75]

Finally got to watching the episode and wanted to comment on this statement.



This is exactly what happened. He damaged his arms too much and making them do any more risks permanent disability, so he is now going to use his legs (with more care to avoid damaging them like his arms). As for him being a crippled version of All Might, I tend to disagree. He can still use his arms, but he wants to avoid doing so because of how damaged they already are.

Also, All Might is a terrible fighter. In all of his fights, he only used his fists to fight, which is a retarded way to do battle (i.e. why MMA is superior to boxing in actual combat). Izuku has always been more flexible and smart (All Might is as dumb as bricks and always has been, as explained by people who know him). Izuku can become an all-rounder, using his punches, kicks, and wiles to defeat the enemy. All Might has always just been about pounding them to death, which severely limited his prowess.

With these things considered, he will probably surpass All Might in overall effectiveness in the future.

Edit: BTW, I searched around for explanations about All Might's muscle form, and it seems even the fanbase is confused about it. The best I could find is it's something separate from One for All and is there for comedic effect and therefore completely unrealistic.

Edit2: To be fair, the reason why I am confident about my interpretation is because I can understand Japanese. After Izuku kicked the rock, he said, "If I'm worried about my arms, I should use my kicks as my main (weapon)." He never intended to stop using his arms but to simply use kicks more because his arms aren't in perfect condition. The horriblesub translation omitted the main part, implying he'd just stop using his arms.

As an individual Deku will probably surpass or at least be on par with All Might for all the reasons you exposed.
But there's another quality to Deku: he's an incredible strategist, knows every fine details about the quirks and characters of all his teammates and more. For someone so shy and weak, he's able to lead the people around to victory. And above all else, he does so not by overpowering his teammates, but by having them to willingly participate.

[DarthEnderX]

And above all else, he does so not by overpowering his teammates, but by having them to willingly participate.

Unless your Bakugo. Who has to Vegeta his way off on his own.

Or Todoroki, who has to Android 17 his way off on his own.

[David75]

Unless your Bakugo. You has to Vegeta his way off on his own.

Or Todoroki, who has to Android 17 his way off on his own.

They were not that willing to participate... but Deku still managed them before.
As for Bakugo, I think he has an inferiority complex with Deku. I wonder when and what Deku did to impress him that much when he was still quirkless.

[Buffalobiian]

This is exactly what happened. He damaged his arms too much and making them do any more risks permanent disability, so he is now going to use his legs (with more care to avoid damaging them like his arms). As for him being a crippled version of All Might, I tend to disagree. He can still use his arms, but he wants to avoid doing so because of how damaged they already are.

Deku's issue is that he's damaged himself from using One for All, because his body can't handle it.

To discuss this a little more, I'm going to outline how I understand his damage model works:

We've seen 2 damage models for Deku / One for All so far:

1) Safe zone (currently 10% for Deku), and ?100% for All Might.
-within the safe zone, you can punch and do whatever you want without accumulated damage.
-All Might hasn't shown any evidence of accumulated damage being true
-Neither has Deku whenever he operates in his safe zone.
-the "ligamentous damage" explanation is kinda vague and doesn't make sense but I'll leave it.
-they haven't equated this to "osteoarthritis" or other such overuse diseases.

2) Break zone (whenever Deku goes 100%)
-so far, Deku has either been 0%, 10% or 100%
-when he goes 100%, shit breaks and never heals right again.
-That's why his arms are fucked now.
-That's what he's got to stop doing.
-I think that braces reducing damage from further Break Zone attacks wound be unrealistic.
-I think Deku needs to stop doing this shit, and focus on building his body's tolerance.

-----------------------
I'm going to throw a hypothetical one in now:

3) "Yellow Zone"
-This hasn't been shown yet, but I'm adding it here for illustrative purposes.
-Let's say there isn't a single fatigue point, and that past Safe Zone, there is an area where damage slowly accumulates with repeated use.
-This is the Yellow Zone that Deku hasn't been shown to use.
-It is in such a zone where his braces and kicks are useful from a damage-mitigation perspective, if
-----a) damage accumulated here can heal 100%, thus making load-sharing a good idea, or
-----b) impact to limbs in the Yellow Zone is small enough that braces can actually absorb them - effective extending Deku's safe output level when he wears his suit.

Now let's talk about how Deku is addressing his issue:

In the latest episode, he's told us that he'll use his legs to position better, use cleats to increase attack effectiveness etc,
He's maximising his damage for a given output, which is just smart fighting. Good on him, but that doesn't solve his core problem unless he intends to keep using the "Yellow Zone", has never been proven to exist.

Deku's injuries stem from one core issue: He keeps using 100% All for One and hurts himself.
His being different by kicking and modifying his suit doesn't address this at all.
-If he sticks to his 10%, he won't need braces at all.
-If he intends to go into Yellow Zones with this without hitting the Break point, they did a poor job of explaining it. (By poor, I mean they didn't explain this at all).
-In the end, Deku needs to work on
1) Not using 100%, and
2) Increasing his limit.

Now, why do I feel badly about kicking being introduced as a solution?

Fighting with his legs neither addresses 1) nor 2), which has been my biggest beef. We're not getting any answers on how Deku will actually get better.

What he's done is given himself some armour, some claws, and learned how to kick on point. It'll make him a bit stronger and help him pass this provisional exam, but that's not how he'll be the next All Might.

[shinta|hikari]

I don't think Izuku sees this foot thing as the solution to all his problems. He still has to work on strengthening his body and mastering All for One in order to reach All Might's level. However, he also needs a more immediate power-up without risking his future, which is why he moved on to kicks.

If he was put into a situation where he needed to use 100% again, using and breaking his feet is an option because those haven't been mutilated as much as his hands. Also, any form of strenuous use of limbs, much more for injured ones, will deal accumulative damage. It doesn't have to be caused by going past his current limit.

Wall of Text

[DarthEnderX]

Fighting with his legs neither addresses 1) nor 2), which has been my biggest beef. We're not getting any answers on how Deku will actually get better.

He'll get better just by training. The more he trains his body, the higher the % Full Cowling will be able to utilize, and the higher the % of his power he'll be able to use without hurting himself.

Eventually, he'll surpass All Might, because that's how OFA works. You add your own power to the power of all previous OFA users. So he'll eventually have all of All Might's power, plus whatever he himself brings to the table.

[Buffalobiian]

.. he still needs to train

So where's the full body resistance suit man?
That's his ticket to getting to All Might's level the quickest, and replacing him is the only goal that really matters since he's out of action forever.

As for training his feet, sure it's a good idea in general. He doesn't need to learn moves in order to break a leg when shit hits the fan though. He didn't know how to punch and he's already destroyed both enemies and his arms plenty.

As for him being able to surpass All Might by default and adding his own power to the mix, that may not necessarily be true. He's not guaranteed to have his body adjust to to being able to handle 100% output. This is both in terms of during his lifespan, as well as in terms of reaching proficiency before hazards cripple him.

That's why his primary goal should be changing his body. They even mentioned that partway through, where they need to build on quirk strengthening. We're moving back to techniques now because they're flashy and visible. Izuku strength-training his way through the next three years in order to 100% Full Cowl makes a shit anime, even if that makes the most physical sense.

This is the same reason martial arts school probably teach techniques a lot earlier these days than in the past, where it was focused way more on conditioning and lower body strength to begin with. You don't keep students with boring shit that way, unless they were really dedicated to get good in the long term.

[shinta|hikari]

It's not just for flash. Izuku needs effective techniques now, not whenever he manages to master One for All 100%. The enemies are already moving and have attacked them several times. He needs a way to fend for himself immediately, even if that means delaying his final goal a little.

So where's the full body resistance suit man?
That's his ticket to getting to All Might's level the quickest, and replacing him is the only goal that really matters since he's out of action forever.

As for training his feet, sure it's a good idea in general. He doesn't need to learn moves in order to break a leg when shit hits the fan though. He didn't know how to punch and he's already destroyed both enemies and his arms plenty.

As for him being able to surpass All Might by default and adding his own power to the mix, that may not necessarily be true. He's not guaranteed to have his body adjust to to being able to handle 100% output. This is both in terms of during his lifespan, as well as in terms of reaching proficiency before hazards cripple him.

That's why his primary goal should be changing his body. They even mentioned that partway through, where they need to build on quirk strengthening. We're moving back to techniques now because they're flashy and visible. Izuku strength-training his way through the next three years in order to 100% Full Cowl makes a shit anime, even if that makes the most physical sense.

This is the same reason martial arts school probably teach techniques a lot earlier these days than in the past, where it was focused way more on conditioning and lower body strength to begin with. You don't keep students with boring shit that way, unless they were really dedicated to get good in the long term.

[DarthEnderX]

As for him being able to surpass All Might by default and adding his own power to the mix, that may not necessarily be true. He's not guaranteed to have his body adjust to to being able to handle 100% output.

Except it's a shounen series, so it is guaranteed.

[Buffalobiian]

Except it's a shounen series, so it is guaranteed.

Sure, from the outsider's perspective it is. From his perspective there's no guarantee, and his actions should reflect as such.

This episode they've cleared up his intentions. It seems that he will just let his body get used to his quirk rather than train specifically to achieve this more quickly. His choice then. Interestingly for him to place a pile driver into his shoes.

I applaud his resolve to not use 100% One For All ever again until he's ready. Thank fuck.

[neflight86]

...until he has to, anyway.

[shinta|hikari]

Dumb as bricks episode.

How can a person whose quirk is to transform even keep up with Izuku in full cowling? How could she even push him down? He breaks huge rocks and creates aerial shock waves that disperse thrown objects, but somehow, he gets pushed down and pinned by a physically normal human? Instead of pushing her off, he should've just grabbed a part of her body, like her elbow which was in reach of his free arm, and crushed it with his fingers. Then while she is in pain, he should just press his balls onto her sensitive spots and be done with it.

When Izuku realized that Uraraka was fake, why didn't he just smash her face into a wall or something? It's clearly the enemy. Why turn your back to her? He didn't even try to confirm it proactively and just waited for the enemy to reveal herself... WTF. Why did he slap the ball away instead of grabbing the wrist and kicking the shit out of her? Sure he doesn't want to kill people, but hurting them is necessary if they are your enemies. He doesn't even need to injure them seriously.

And why the hell did he explain his reasoning to the already revealed enemy? He just gave up info about Uraraka's new abilities... Geez.

I hate the concept of physical training somehow making up for or competing with quirks. It is ridiculous and denies the very premise of the show.

I swear, people who create shounen manga know nothing about real fighting.

[neflight86]

Not spectacular, but a few levels above masonry, as far as intelligence goes, in my opinion.

It's not impossible to be thrown off balance and held in a locked position by in postures you don't normally use, like how police restrain people by placing arms behind their backs; its more difficult to muster strength from that position, and the natural range of motion is limited.

If he grabbed her, what if her quirk was capable of altering what she physically touched (or touched her)? It seems reasonable to distance yourself from someone who's power you don't fully understand. Deku's had disintegrating fingers on his neck at the end of season 2. There are plenty of theoretical quirks that could punish trying to actively restraining a person first hand. That, combined with a snap decision doesn't make his swat seem silly at all.

Midoria realizing she was fake seemed not-dumb as well. First, all he had to go on was her behavior in a time of crisis; but her features looked the same. He may not have pieced her inconsistencies together until just before he slapped the ball out of her hand. Weather he had realized or not, he said she could have sustained a serious injury falling from that height if he hadn't caught her. His character meant he was going to save her either way. Grabbing and pummeling somebody on a hunch are a bit extreme for a reasoned character, I would argue.

Sure he doesn't want to kill people, but hurting them is necessary if they are your enemies.

I don't buy this for a student taking a license exam. Even a pro would not likely resort to violence off the bat, even if it would put their safety at risk. This is the advantage villains have; their rules of engagement suit their purposes because they are designed to. Pro heroes aren't allowed to use their quirks to harm people without licenses and guidelines for the "good" of society. Yes, they are adversaries, but I don't expect students here who greatly (unnecessarily) injure other students before tagging them to get a license, but that's just my take.

His reasoning was surely to clue the audience in, if we hadn't caught on, and also because the fake hadn't abandoned the form yet; she could still actually be Uraraka under the influence of a quirk or something. He gave her an opportunity to explain herself, if you wanted to be generous (and I obviously do).

Physical training versus quirks? In season two, they established that quirks were, being an extension of their bodies, able to be trained and strengthened. I've come to accept a certain level of base-line human ability being increased in addition to peoples' quirks or many more people would be dead (Aizawa, All Might, Deku or anyone else who's body has been made to break concrete from an impact). Stain's physical speed and skill overcame many quirks, his own being rather lackluster. Last I recalled, the premise of the show is that the desire to help people and the strength to do it are what makes a hero. I don't see what has been undermined here.

If shounen authors wanted to mirror real fighting, everyone fighting would carry firearms and drop drone bombs on each other, because one on one combat is inefficient in the first place. Certain concessions on 'reality' simply have to be made when narrative fighting itself wants to be lent to spectacle.

[shinta|hikari]

Here's the thing. I've always been complaining about this from the start, not just now. The lack of realism is the greatest flaw of this show.

First of all, why does Izuku ever turn off his full cowling? Was there ever a drawback established from keeping it on?

About violence, did you not listen to the part about how the vibration dude just shattered earth to separate the UA students and everyone reacted to it saying "people might have gotten seriously injured?"

About not grabbing and kicking... Is it a better option to just slap a hand away and discuss confidential info vs grabbing and kicking and see what happens? Really..?

I also think Stain's abilities were bullshit. That's the point. The entire concept of people whose quirks don't strengthen their bodies competing with people whose quirks strenghten their bodies is nonsensical, and I've always been against that,

[neflight86]

Then that's the thing. I didn't realize how long you've had a problem with these happenings, so forgive me for not taking your complaints in the context of the latest irritation in a long line of irritations.

I figure Midoria turns full cowling off for the same reason we don't walk around with training weights on all the time. The constant strain could damage muscles, and be a detriment to his efforts to gradually increase what he can handle.

Vibration dude did use a potentially dangerous move that did not appear to have much margin for control. Someone getting hurt in that seems like it would reflect different on the perpetrator than someone turning on their strength quirk and point blank wounding or worse a single target, assuming that is what you meant when you said "why didn't he just smash her face into a wall or something?" One could be an accident as there was no single target (though harm was likely intended), while the other looks more premeditated, though I admit that's splitting hairs. I'm not saying that everyone should be above violence. I was challenging your assertion that "but hurting them is necessary if they are your enemies." from the establishment's perspective. the goal is touching a rubber nerf ball to a set of Velcro targets. Yes, if they are injured/crippled it is easier, but is that what the examiners envisioned when they set this test up?

About not grabbing and kicking... Is it a better option to just slap a hand away and discuss confidential info vs grabbing and kicking and see what happens? Really..?

Perhaps not if these were hunters, or ninjas, or pirates, or kids on a playground, but MhA portrays, at least so far, the story of a boy aspiring to become a professional hero who reports to a governing body in a somewhat realistic way. In the context of being judged for a provisional license to essentially use their powers in public to project force on other people if necessary, I don't think it is too silly to show some restraint when granted an opportunity or excuse to attack. The closest IRL approximation I can think of is a concealed carry license. It grants you immense power; but, in theory, you are first trained, tested, and found worthy of brandishing that power before it is signed off on and granted. I think an immediate assault on that girl, especially when she looked like Ururaka, would betray the judgment a pro hero could be expected to have. They are not simply government muscle, but keepers of the peace.

As far as confidential info is concerned, they already stated, and I believe that Deku might have mentioned last episode, that pro heroes could expect to have their quirks known by adversaries in the first place, so I don't put much value in their confidentiality. That doesn't mean there is no value, though, so I concede that it was largely to catch the audience up and, as I suggested, give the fake a chance to explain herself or drop the act.

The entire concept of people whose quirks don't strengthen their bodies competing with people whose quirks strenghten their bodies is nonsensical, and I've always been against that

It is a blurry line. Since the powers themselves have to be somewhat abstracted, I figured it was a given other parts of human physiology would be likewise... flexible. Stain's "training" shouldn't have made him as fast as Deku, who is enhanced, but Todoroki's repeated exposure/contact to sub frozen temperatures and searing heat hasn't eaten away at his nerves, or given him frostbite or something? I'll point again to Nomu slamming Eraserhead's head into the concrete in season 1, making visible cracks and indentation into the floor. That goes beyond mere damage to his eyes, and his quirk isn't "hard face", so him not dying then and there was likely problematic for you, I suppose. I suspect then, that you find other things about this show to be enjoyable if you are still watching it, because those low-key superhuman characteristics are all over MhA, and shounen anime in general, not that you needed me telling you.

Inconsistencies can be found in almost any fiction if you look deep enough. I guess it's up to the author's skill as to how deep you have to dig before they bother you.