C&C - My Hero Academia - "The Unforgiven" [9/4]

[marklungo]

1. So did Ending ever say why he wants to die?

2. If Endeavor really does start avoiding his family, I hope he tells them why. Internal monologues are fine for informing the audience about the characters' motivations, but they don't cut it in-universe.

 

[Light Lucario]

I thought that this episode was really good. Given Ending's backstory and it seemed he was released with the same costume he wore before, I really wonder how he managed to be released from prison without police or someone keeping an eye on him, especially with Endeavor being the new number one hero. Just one image of Endeavor on the news made Ending want to go to his house, kidnap his son and basically setup his own suicide attempt. Although, given the previous villain Endeavor took down, they could be hinting at something with these different villains targeting him.

Endeavor was quite enraged to see Natsuo being used as a hostage. He wanted to save him, but Natuso kept being used as a shield. I also wonder if Endeavor was seriously considering killing Ending just to save Natuso. That would have been really bad given his new status as the number one hero and it would have made people afraid of pro heroes, but I wonder if the thought still crossed his mind. It was pretty cool to see Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo work pretty well together. Midoriya even called Todoroki by his first name. That might have been just a way to make sure it didn't distract Endeavor, but considering how rare it is for characters to be called by their first names in this series, it stood out to me.

Midoriya being able to use Black Whip successfully was pretty cool. It might have been a bit too fast for him to gain control of it, but it was an emergency situation and they established how hard all three of them had worked during the winter break. Plus, I'm sure that they wanted to have all three of them make major progress with their attacks by the end of the arc. I think one major reason why Endeavor couldn't stop Ending was because he was never put in a position where he had to save someone he cared about or where his stance as a parent and pro hero collided. The old Endeavor might have been able to save him or at least not been so frozen with fear, but he wouldn't have really cared about Natsuo's safety. Bakugo being able to save Natuso while Todoroki froze Ending in place was pretty cool.

Endeavor rushing over to hug Natsuo was surprisingly touching. If nothing else, Endeavor's concern for his children is genuine. I'm sure that it was more intense because Endeavor was already reflecting on Toya, so the idea of losing another child would have been overwhelming. Bakugo's calling the background characters Extras was pretty hilarious. He really needed to read the room since that was not the time for him to brag about beating Endeavor, but I think his cocky attitude made him want to brag about their accomplishment. I really like that being relieved at Natsuo's safety didn't instantly fix everything. He was still upset with Endeavor and rightfully so I might add. I think it was helpful for both of them to talk about the situation, even if doing so in the middle of a street after a villain attack wasn't the best place for it.

Endeavor's "I didn't mean to neglect you children" was such a line. Oh boy. Oddly enough, I can believe that he didn't recognize how terrible his behavior was. That can be pretty typical of abusive people. Endeavor was so obsessed with surpassing All Might that nothing else mattered to him. He was constantly angry, even assuming that random police officers preferred All Might over him and was narrowly focused on surpassing him to an unhealthy level. He didn't see his wife and children as people. He saw them as objects for him to indirectly surpass All Might. He married Rei for her Quirk and had children just to find the best one to train. He was such a monster. A part of me wonders if it would have been better to make him less of a monster since I assume redeeming Endeavor was planned early on, but that would have really affected both his and Todoroki's storylines. I also wonder if Endeavor has ever made a genuine connection with other people even before his obsession with All Might took over. Even now, he's calmer, more rationale and a surprisingly effective teacher, most of which I assume is the result of reflecting on his past after gaining the position he wanted in the most unsatisfying way possible, but he doesn't really connect with people. Fuyumi might be the only exception, but I'm not sure about that given she just really wants their family to be whole again.

Natsuo was so sure that he wasn't a good person like his brother because he couldn't stand to forgive their father. But he was crying and still making an effort for the shake of his sister. Maybe a part of him does want a happy family, but he's too overwhelmed with all of those feelings and memories of the past. I like that the show never really said that he was in the wrong to feel this way either. It's a messy, complicated situation with no real easy solution. It's a lot to expect for anyone to be able to let go of years of abuse, let alone a child dealing that from a parent. Endeavor asking to atone instead of forgiveness is probably more plausible, but even that might be too generous. He was a heartless monster towards his family, so that kind of damage isn't so easily mended. The damage he caused can't really be fixed completely either. Endeavor straight up said that he might as well have killed Toya himself. They don't expand on that further and I'm sure that they will later, but that alone is a huge whole in their family that can't be fixed. Their mother was in a metal hospital for about a decade, all of them suffered abuse and neglect and Todoroki has a scar that is ultimately the result of his father's abuse. Abuse can often linger and there are both physical and emotional scars left by Endeavor, so how much he can atone for it or if that can be done remains to be seen.

Bakugo having his own code name but refusing to say it was pretty on brand. Although, it seems like he wants to tell it to Best Jeanist first. It would be a nice way to show that he did reflect more on his time there and that Beat Jeanist had an affect on him.

Endeavor choosing to leave his family alone might help in the long run. I've often thought that he's trying too hard or thinking that it would be easier to reconnect with his children than it should be. It might not be the best solution, mainly due to how Fuyumi wants their family to be complete and it doesn't really change everything Endeavor has done, but it's less overwhelming for his kids and wife to manage right now. Natsuo already said that seeing Endeavor just bring those memories back to the surface, so removing himself from the equation might help at least for awhile. Honestly, the entire family needs some kind of group therapy. Overall, this was a really good episode.