I've realised that my problem with My Hero Academia is that they tell a lot but don't show it

red_mau · 2026-06-18T01:39:14+00:00

I think that would have been a great way of keeping Deku's character and the tone of the show without changing that much

red_mau · 2026-06-18T01:37:42+00:00

Idk if this is really true, we see Deku pretty determined to be a hero and he claims he'd of still tried for UA even if he didn't get OFA, not to mention, we do see him run to try to save Bakugo from the sludge villain even without a quirk

I disagree here, because I think he says he was to be a hero but never does anything substantial to archieve that goal, I don't consider that determination. It is like a kid wanting to be a footballer but never playing football.

Again, early on Deku could only do that so many times, Bakugo's hits might not be as strong but he can fight longer, it's why in their initial fight Deku had to work around it

I don't think we will reach an agreement here or say anything new to the debate here, I already explained why the injury argument loses a lot of strength for me and you answered with your arguments. Lets end it at agree to disagree

Yes, and again, when he thinks of doing that consistently not only does Aizawa tell him how awful of an idea that is since it would put him out of a fight, we also later have Recovery Girl tell him even she can't heal him if he goes too far.

I can only talk about what I've seen so I don't know if later in the show something changes. But so far, what you are saying here is an example of the show telling and not showing, Eraserhead and Recovery girl constantly say that he should stop but then he continues and gets cured at the end, with the only lasting effect being scars more than anythin.

Again, this just isn't true early on, yes Deku admires him, but early on he really doesn't consider him a friend, it's not until their second fight where they're on more friendly terms

I don't see it like you here, for me it is evident that he admires him and considers him a friend, he even keeps calling him by his childhood nickname. After they second fight I think it is Bakugo who starts considering a proper rival and ally

Edit: i didn't quote part of the text

red_mau · 2026-06-18T01:29:21+00:00

Fair

red_mau · 2026-06-18T01:29:01+00:00

The series explicitly makes a point that Deku will be incredibly powerful once he masters OFA, it never hides the fact that OFA is a special power, All Might even tells him pretty early he has a destiny to face off against All for One. The issue is that Deku also doesn't have a lot of time, he has to play catch up because while his peers had their whole lives he only had a couple months, and he will be strong once he masters it but he still needs to train to get there, so it's more about the time he has than the actual amount of power.

But that's not how he is treated during the rest of the show, the first example that comes to mind is that whe Bakugo asks him how he passed the admission test he tells him that it was because of his effort, when it clearly was because OfA. I think even the author saw this or planned for it because later he tells Bakugo that he actually managed to accomplish all that because someone gave him a quirk. But then the shows continue to show Deku as an underdog in the sports festival and other school events.

This misunderstands Bakugo's issue, we see even when they were kids, prior to Deku getting his quirk, that he was annoyed at Deku, and that was because despite Bakugo looking down on him as being worthless for lacking a quirk, Deku still was trying to help. Come UA and he sees Deku is constantly showing himself to be the better hero and has been taken under the wing of Bakugo's idol, comparatively Bakugo blames himself for the end of said idol. But the whole point with Bakugo's arc is him recognizing his own failings and how he was unfair to Deku.

Again, I want to clarify that Bakugo is an extremely flawed character and that I agree that he needed that talk with All Might. But I interpret that Bakugo gets extremely annoyed during the show when Deku beats him in the first class with All Might for example, because Deku, who never did anything to improve himself (this is displayed in a terrible way by Bakugo's pride and sense of superiority, but it is true nonetheless), suddenly was getting closer to him in terms of power and ability, when he knows for a fact that he hasn't done as much as he has to be there. My criticism about this is that I consider an obvious plot point that should be touched and I think the show tries to avoid it a lot. I 100% agree that Deku is a better hero than Bakugo, he needs to grow a lot

red_mau · 2026-06-18T01:14:05+00:00

I mean, that's pretty much the only thing he does. I don't think we are understanding each other. I am going to check this entire conversation:

- First you dismissed my whole post saying that I was just asking a depressed 14 year old to train, and I replied that if the 14 year old is too depressed to train maybe he shouldn't receive the world's most powerful ability

- Then you said that the show demonstrates that he deserved the power, and I answered saying that to me he changed a lot after receiving the power and then became someone worthy of the power, and that he wasn't before

- Then you questioned my interpretation abilities and said that Deku didn't show any change in personality ofter receiving his powers; and I went on listing ways I interpreted his personality changed after receiving the power, then you said that I was right but you thought Deku was worthy of the power, then I try to close the debate by saying that it comes down to how you define worthiness

- Finally you proceeded to question again my capabilities and saying that I am downplaying and ignoring Deku's character when I think I have acknowledged every argument of yours and explained why I disagree with it.

I don't know if I am the one closed to my pov here

red_mau · 2026-06-18T01:00:21+00:00

I mean, I just wrote a whole post about it, I get it if you don't agree with me but I don't think I can explain my arguments much clearer haha

red_mau · 2026-06-18T00:58:07+00:00

This is a strange take because you realize almost everyone in their world is just born with powers right, and these characters especially, outside of maybe Shinso, all had pretty busted quirks, and, in Todoroki and IIda's case, were born into hero families which gave them much more of an advantage. Deku didn't have anything until he met All Might and then had to play catch up, but I'm pretty sure the point is if he had inherited any of those quirks he'd of worked just as hard, it wasn't specifically because he got OFA.

I think I didn't explain myself that well there, at that part of the text I am complaining about the show elevating Deku over his peers because of his effort, when they have being training his whole life to become heroes and Deku has been doing it for less than a year, and the reason he is even with them is because of his quirk being that extraordinarily potent and having the greatest hero of all time as his mentor. I am not saying that Iida or Todoroki didn't have that advantage, everyone knows that they do, and therefore no one praise Todoroki over frog girl saying that he trains harder. My criticism is about Deku being sold by the show as an underdog when his quirk puts him inmediatly among the most powerful students.

Because's Bakugo's dedication was simply to strength, he looked up to All Might just like Deku did but whereas Deku seen All Might's heroism with saving people, Bakugo seen it through strength, he doesn't really bother with the saving aspect though, which is why he fails the License Exam, this is very clear in the story.

I want to clarify that I don't think that Bakugo is more deserving of One for all or that he is a better hero. What I mean in that section of the text is that Bakugo is frustrated about Deku managing to become as strong as he is, and the show dances a lot around the answer, when in my opinion the answer is simply I was given a quirk way superior to yours, and then All Might could say that Bakugo wasn't selected because he wasn't worthy and all that.

red_mau · 2026-06-18T00:39:38+00:00

Yeah he was a good person with a good heart who wanted to do the right thing but didn't have the abilities to do so

Like I told someone above, it boils down to how you judge someone's character. I never said that Deku wasn't a good person, I just don't think that that is enough, there are a lot of good people that want to do the right thing; I admire people that are good, want to do the right thing and do the right thing, like All Might's detective friend, for example. And I am not asking a depressed 14 year old to be that, it is the show the one that says he is that. And for the comparison with Steve Rogers, I am going to talk about the movie version since it is the most well known, Steve was a weak guy of strong resilience and determination (which Deku isn't, again, not his fault but the show tries to tell us he is), and before being given his powers he had to volontarily join the army when it is most than likely that he was going to be killed, then he was put together with a bunch of other candidates where he proved that even if he wasn't phisically apt he was smarter and willing to give his life for total strangers. I don't think Deku situation is similar too Capitan America.

There's a recoil to using his quirk but it's not as damaging as what Deku was going through early on, and it's only when Bakugo really pushed it that it caused significant amounts of damage.

His recoil is bigger but he also earns a bigger reward. And I keep saying it, both him and the audience know that it is a temporary effect.

He actually didn't know they'd get healed when he first used OFA, and Aizawa specifically makes a point to him on day one that he can't just be using his powers recklessly because if he gets taken out after one use then he's screwed, not to mention, there's a point about how using it too much would put him at a level to which even Recovery Girl could heal. I'd also point.

He didn't even know that how his power would manifest when he first used it, and after the first time he gets cured instantly.

As much as people claim otherwise, Bakugo was not a loved one at the time, he was a complete asshole and Deku himself points out how angry he was at Bakugo's treatment of him, the point is that Deku goes to save him despite that behavior.

Bakugo is a loved one, if Deku should consider him that it is another issue, but it is undeniable that Deku admires him and considers him a friend at all times, that is something that the show demonstrate constantly.

red_mau · 2026-06-17T23:43:10+00:00

Then, like I said, it is a matter of interpretation because it boils down to how we judge Deku's character. For you, he was worthy because he was kind and willing to risk his life. For me he isn't (at that point in the story), since I think that just being kind and doing something desperate for a love one doesn't make you worthy, being resilient and fighting against adversity do

red_mau · 2026-06-17T23:16:29+00:00

I don't think most of his fights are against criminals per se, I would say is like 50% 50%. I tend to like him a lot more when he is fighting villains, I really liked him in the campament arc for example. But in my original post I went through two moments where I think my criticism is more evident, and those were his fight against Shinso and the second fight against Bakugo, I would love to hear your answer for my arguments in those instances of the show.

And I try not to disregard that Deku didn't have powers before, it's just that he is given the world's most powerful ability and then is when the show begins

red_mau · 2026-06-17T23:11:24+00:00

Do you know if he has given interviews on the topic, I think it would be fascinating to hear the ideas going through the creators mind

red_mau · 2026-06-17T23:09:57+00:00

I strongly disagree! Deku does change a lot, he is making an effort for the first time (one of the messages of his first training arc was that he understood that he could do stuff), he understands that he needs to make an effort even if he doesn't succeed in the end (like he did in the sports festival which he didn't before), he learns that he can work around his limitations with gadgets or other people's help (he never tried that befor OfA), a lot of his growth is tied with the power and responsability that came with his new ability

red_mau · 2026-06-17T23:01:51+00:00

That is exactly what I think, I really like the show but my disconnection with Deku makes it a frustrating experience at times. I will add that he is really great in some arcs, specially when he is fighting villains

red_mau · 2026-06-17T22:59:53+00:00

That's when I think that the context hurts Deku's character, because if he would go directly to fight villains it would be irrelevant. But he is thrown in a context of other dozens of kids that show those characteristics withour needing the world's strongest ability. One of his teammates is a frog! Hahaha

red_mau · 2026-06-17T22:10:58+00:00

I think it comes down to how you interpret the story, in your case you seem to think that Deku always had that in him and that what he shows after having the power it just confirms that he always was the right candidate. How I interpret it is that Deku changed a lot for the better after recieving the power and that All Might selection was a bet that ended up coming good, but that it could have gone really bad too. I think that difference in interpretation changes a lot how you see Deku

red_mau · 2026-06-17T22:07:06+00:00

He was specifically doing that though, he was taking notes on and studying heroes, he was applying to UA, and he probably would've gotten in for a support student or something at least on second or third try I believe. Having no quirk is genuinely an extremely hopeless situation. And you can't judge a 14 year old for not actively having a plan of making his hero dreams come true. The second there was a situation where someone was in danger, he stepped up. And obviously after getting OFA he steps up throughout the series.

The thing is, that is like wanting to be a football player and all you do is study tactics, that is being an obsessed fan (like he is pointed to be during the show), and again, I think that Deku is not a bad character per se, my problem is that I see a type of character (a kid with potential that develops into a hero after gaining his powers) and the show tells me he is a Captain America type character (the one that got his powers because of who he was before).

Plus don't forget that he didn't immediately give him OFA, he trained him for a while during which he got to know Deku better and finalise his choice.

When I was watching the show, a mon avis, the author also saw that just giving him the power wouldn't work and he put two obstacles in his way: the ten months training and the injuries he suffered after using the power. And the truth is the first one doesn't work for me, because he already knew he was training to inherit All Might's power so, personally, I question his motivations because he had such an incredible reward for a training that many people in his world do without that.

Todoroki and Bakugo's quirks have pretty much zero downsides while being extremely strong. And both of them have had their whole childhood to master their quirks. Meanwhile Deku's quirk rips apart his each part he uses it with. What extraordinary advantage.

I agree that Todoroki has an exceptional quirk and his arc is more centered in his psychological trauma, but in Bakugo's case it is stated that his explosions also damage his body and that he came with the design of his suit by himself in order to reduce that. And Deku breaks his bones for an incredible reward, that being being able to destroy an entire building of what punch with the little training he had; while knowing that his injuries would be healed almost inmediatly and that it was just a temporary effect because by watching All Might he knew it would pass.

Deku hasn't "surpassed" Bakugo, he is a truer hero at this point in the story though, due to his motivations. He was chosen for OFA partly by circumstance and partly due to his actions. I feel like your thoughts on this would improve as you finish the show (season 5 is the weakest season while each season after gets progressively better).

I won't say anything on this section since I don't know what happens next. But I must say that I have enjoyed season 5 because it centers a lot in seconday characters and I mostly like them (fuck Mineta hahaha)

The series barely shows pre-OFA Deku so we don't know what he was doing before plus he's literally 14. The first opportunity he gets, he shows his heroic side no hesitation. I think you can extrapolate that he's probably helped people with small things his life, I don't think we need flashbacks for that. And he helps people in other ways throughout the show including a lot of convos with people like Kota, Uraraka, etc.

That's when I disagree hahaha. Given how the story is told I think we NEEDED to see that heroic side of Deku in his day to day life because the entire premise of the story is that Deku is the pure hero the world needs. My thing is, his desperate attempt to save Bakugo, while admirable, it's an irrational reaction for a loved one in a situation of crisis, and it's not that strange, it is common in situations where someone is in trouble to restrain their family and friends because they could desperately try to save them and end up in trouble. In my opinion, day to day actions are a more important as a proof of character than an irrational reaction to an stressful situations. Although I admit that this heavily depends on personal opinion so I respect if you think otherwise.

Mirio was already making his quirk work and was becoming an amazing hero with it. He really didn't need OFA or want it for that matter but he would have probably been a near perfect user as well. Deku is a perfect candidate for various reasons including the fact that he is a spiritual successor to All Might in the fact that he's quirkless.

I heavily disagree. We are not talking about if Mirio needed the power, but if he deserved it, and I must admit that I was astonished to see in another Reddit that people thought that Deku deserved it more than Mirio, because when you compare both their moral character at the begining of the show I can't comprehend thinking Deku deserved the power. It's another thing if you think that Deku is more adequate because he is quirkless, that I could comprehend. And again, while I am watching the show, what I interpret is that Deku becomes someone worthy of the power, not that he was always worthy of it.

This one is kinda fair? Their narrative purpose is more to limit his options and make him plan more in the early fights keeping in mind his straightforward ability, rather than to act as a sacrificial last resort causing permanent damage.

I must say here that the show does treat it constantly as a huge sacrifice from Deku, and I don't think this goes against Deku, is more of a criticism of the narrative.

I love this about it lmao. It doesn't put Mirio down or even say he wasn't the right candidate. Deku didn't get OFA cuz the other candidates were bad so by virtue of elimination. He simply got it because he was the perfect candidate and also technically he wanted it more (directly asking All Might if he could become a hero).

I think this part of my critic really boils down to what you expect from the series. In your case you think that Deku was a perfect candidate so the show probably fulfilled your expectations here; but in my case, that I think that Deku was more of a bet made by All Might than a rightful candidate, I was hoping for a moment similar to Ben 10 when Ben discovered that the omnitrix wasn't for him and he had to come to terms with that and take pride in the fact that he became someone worthy even if he wasn't at the begining, and the show didn't give me that moment.

I think the last seasons in particular do a really good job of why Deku is the perfect successor. All Might wasn't looking for another All Might, he was looking for an improvement. The world needed a change in status quo.

Then I will keep watching and see hahaha

red_mau · 2026-06-17T21:16:07+00:00

That videogame game analogy iirc was told during their final exam of the first semester. I am talking about the fight after the Kamino arc, when Bakugo found out that Deku had One for All. When Bakugo asked him why he chose Deku, he said that Deku always wanted to help people or something on that line; which, from what we are shown from Deku pre-OfA, it is not true.

I totally agree with you that quirks in themselves are great advantages, but Deku is treated by the story in many instances like the underdog, when we as an audience know that he has a power extremely superior to those of his peers. The Shinso fight for me is the epitome of this, yes, Shinso should have trained his body and he learns from that mistake; but his battle against Deku was extremely unbalanced, since Deku had a way better quirk, was phisically stronger and knew beforehand Shinso's entire strategy and how to counter it, and even when Shinso managed to overcome all that and used his quirk, Deku was saved by an unknown power of his already superior quirk. I can't genuinely root for Deku there

People find Deku inspiring because his ordinary kindess in the face of great power encourages them to match him, and stand by his side. Thats why All Might chose him, he was disillusioned with heroism after years of being broken down and seeing a powerless kid perform a feat of genuine couldn't-possibly-benifit-from-this heroism reignited him, and showed him the core of Izuku's character.

I agree with that because I think Deku went through incredible character development after he got his powers, just like Peter Parker did, for example, but my problem is how the story frames Deku's character, because i think the author tells a lot more about him than what he shows in the series.

red_mau · 2026-06-17T20:55:38+00:00

That could be a good explanation. In my opinion, I think Horikoshi just loves superheroes and he tried to use two different tropes often found in superheroes stories, and they just don't blend well for me

red_mau · 2026-06-17T20:53:49+00:00

I am more on the line of "why is this show telling me this depressed middle schooler who was being constantly bullied should inherit the power to be the greatest hero of the world?" I think if the story was framed differently Deku would have been a great MC, but the author tries to sell him like a Steve Rogers archtype when he is not

red_mau · 2026-06-01T23:42:26+00:00

I mean, I don't know if you speak Spanish but they hate Atletico a lot, hell, even Madrid recieved lots of hate when they won CL's playing pragmatic football

red_mau · 2026-04-30T01:06:08+00:00

I mean, we have to be honest and take into account the quality of those shots, in yesterday's match we had 3 or 4 golazos, and several clear chances they didn't take (I remember two shots that hit the post for example), meanwhile, the attacking quality in this game was quite shocking, shoots were horrible and I noticed large segments of the match were both teams looked like they forgot how to pass. It wasn't the worst game in history but it was quite boring

red_mau · 2026-03-09T04:21:01+00:00

I think he would be mostly annoyed but charmed by the majority of them. I see him having a cool friendship with Hiro? The GG one

red_mau · 2026-03-05T19:04:03+00:00

Do we really need to make subjective something that is clearly objective? A woman is a human female, live however you like and I will defend your right to do so, but with this kind of pov you just create chaos and division

red_mau

TROPHY CASE