I swear that Subaru is one of the most heroic characters I've ever seen in anime. Like seriously, he got killed, decapitated, sliced, and many others by his own allies, but he hates himself? A normal person would hate the one who killed them right? But no! Subaru just hates himself, blamed himself for everything, and promised to make things ‘right’ next time.

Bro, thank you for bringing up that point about Subaru not actually fixing his problems. I absolutely love this character and often facepalm at people going like "Why is he doing this mistake again? He was supposed to fix it 10 episodes ago" or something. Just because he's put a band aid on a gash wound doesn't mean it will heal and not fester. Regrets and guilt just won't go anywhere.

5:38 This. Hori tried to make Deku more relatable by making him implicit, leaving us to fill in the blanks so we can put ourselves in his shoes. The problem with that is just as you said, MHA is too explicit of a series to really have that kind of blank slate protagonist. It leaves Deku feeling frustratingly hollow, and because of that, people try to fill up that hole in Deku's characterisation with their own headcanons and fanfictions which leads to a whole bunch of other issues.

i knew something was missing from tbe dark deku arc and this was definitely it. Then again Bakugo did mention that they had to save Deku because he never tells people how he's feeling, so it'd be weird to contradict that in the same arc, but Bakugo apologizing to Deku was the perfect time for Deku to let his feelings out, but he just internalized them like he always does. I hope Deku has his breakdown eventually, but if it turns out Bakugo's apology nipped it at the bud so he wouldn't reach that point, then i'm okay with that too.

Just saw this arc in the anime. So this is why I felt something was missing, they don't give us an internal look into Deku's mentality. We just see him doing things and looking sad without explaining what he is thinking of. and then suddenly he picks himself back up without really showing how he got over it. makes him feel so two dimensional.

The funny thing about Subaru acting like an anime protagonist is actually something that also gets called out implicitly in the Witch's Graveyard. Every single character in Re:Zero so far appear multi-faceted, each with layers of history that make them feel believable and real, even if they might have their own individual quirks. However, none of them are particularly defined by archetypes... except for the Witches. Each Witch clearly and demonstrably appears to take after a character archetype that makes them feel flat, 2D, fake, which is all the more unnerving considering what each of them represents. They're not "people" in the same way that Subaru, Emilia, Rem or anyone else in the series is; they're forces of nature, tropes, ideals and ideas. They represent their sin wholeheartedly and without nuance, and when you take their power into consideration? It makes you realise just how terrifying each sin is. There is no negotiation with a Witch, they cannot be reasoned with, because they ONLY ever see their own reasoning, and I believe that's what sells Subaru's character arc better than most: That stark contrast between who he is and what he could look like through the Witches.

If you think subaru has peaked with his self worth turmoil, you are not going to be ready for season 4 (arc 6) ...if we ever get one

Conclusion: We need Deku POV

If Subaru were to act like Deku, he'd end up on the Greed IF path.

I myself don't watch MHA, but I always appreciate a good Subaru character analysis. There's so much present in Subaru that's missing in the character arc of other protagonists that it's quite difficult to not compare him to each MC I see.

I think that's probably why Bakugo tends to win the character polls and Midoriya is constantly in second. He's a cool character and he has his moments but he's a pretty vanilla protagonist who really doesn't fundamentally change much from the beginning of the series to the end outside of getting more comfortable with his powers unlike Bakugo who we see not only grow in strength but also grow as a character leading to that apology scene in the Dark Hero arc which we know old Bakugo would've never done if he hadn't had the experiences that he did up until this point.

The problem here is that horikoshi sets everything up perfectly to give development to Deku, give him some moments of self reflection but he devolves it into a slice of life moment, he gave most character self refection like bakugo, todoroki, iida and even uraraka but he's not giving the moments to Deku that Deku deserves. I personally think that after the current second war Deku will crack and will finally reflect on himself and his situation, not to mention the whole all might death plot point being hinted at could be the best Segway Into Dekus personal growth after he realizes that nobody except him can stop AFO, not even all might would be there for him. That could absolutely crack Deku like Subaru, let me know what you think

Amazing connections and Subaru only gets better especially throughout arc 6 I genuinely think he’s the best mc in fiction and the author giving the what if stories just shows how adaptive Subarus character can get and better representing the then of virtue vs sin that Subaru constantly goes through in the show

Honestly I love deku but Subaru is just the greatest portagnest in fiction ever especially in the latest arcs

Subaru is deeply traumatized and re-zero is a deeply psychological masterpiece. What I also thought during the video was Mod-Psycho's personal journey. Immense character development there, too.

You're right, even with everything that's been going on in the MHA manga, Deku's friends looking for him, Uraraka's speech for him, even after all that, Deku hasn't really given himself the time to really think about himself. I know the circumstances don't really give the time for that but Deku still sees himself as a vessel, as a sacrificial pawn for One For All, not as a human being that's fighting against forces bigger than himself. So far in the manga, Deku has understood that he can't do everything alone, that he's not the only hero out there who can fight, but he still hasn't recognized his own value, not as the ninth and last wielder of OFA and the one who HAS to take down AFO, but as Izuku Midoriya, a 16 year old whose life matters.

I love re:zero. Just seing some of these scenes again made me cry like I was watching it for the first time.

I think the hard thing about this is ultimately the context in which the two characters have been painted, deku on one hand is made to become the greatest hero ever, one who smiles in the face of danger, and to do that he needs SOME diversity, but subaru was never the main hero of the world in the beginning, he wanted to be but time and time again it's his connections to much stronger people that saves him. It's why in one moment of deku being saved by others he is forced into a shallow self reflection, because it's not really a main focus, whereas subaru is constantly having to face hopeless situations in which there are few if any ways out in which he is effectively tortured physically and emotionally having to face his own weakness.

I don't think re zero gets enough love or attention. It's by far my favorite or one of my favorite series because it's willing to look at the probl3ms that come with being in a new world. Watching it was the first step in me looking inward and taking stock of my mental health and taking down the mask I showed to people around me. Thank you for bringing this to light I had similar thoughts

Subaru is what I've always wanted from a protagonist. He's a real person. He could literally be me

You made me watch Re:Zero. If I hadn't seen the first 50 seconds of this video, I might have gone my whole life without even knowing about my favorite show. Thank you!

Holy hell i completely not one word has come out of Deku reflecting about his bad tendencies to shoulder all the burden himself not having that much self worth, etc hope he does eventually

Another great video Asa! I wholeheartedly agree with what you’ve said here. In particular, the moment when Satella asked Subaru why he wanted to save everyone but himself is something that would be right at home in MHA (and I really hope someone - like, literally anyone - asks Deku this one day). Side note: I was dying when “they both end up fatherless!” flashed on the screen, that was hilarious

I thought the Dark Deku arc was just fine because it was about Izuku losing himself to his duty as the final inheritor of One-For-All, pushing everyone away because he was subconsciously convinced that nobody else could keep up with him in the race against All-For-One's scheme without getting seriously injured or killed.

I know I'm around a year late to this but Izuku as a character needed this to be a addressed, the whole reason I loved his character so much was because of his self sacrificial values that were voided of self care and preservation, I loved how he put himself out there for others at the cost of himself. Slowly, after the 3rd season to be exact, I realised this ambition to save others didn't allow room for a serious talk about what actually mattered in his life. He completely has ignored his mothers wishes surrounding his wellbeing and in all honestly I can understand why she wouldn't want him going back to a place like UA that allowed him to push himself too far past his human limits. The build up this caused along with past traumatic events (Bakugo's bullying, self sacrifice, villain attacks) should've accumulated into some sort of meltdown even after Eri's rescue, we actually did get something like this but it was too small to actually remember: Izuku had actually thought about Eri and his situation, blaming himself for not saving her when he could and that had a cause and effect in which he slightly broke down, crying while eating his food next to some of his classmates. This made Izuku's character feel more human rather than a shallow "I don't care what happens to me" protagonist but we haven't had much since then other than the Vigilante arc that brushed off most of his feeling after being taken back to UA, he never thought about himself yet somehow all his other classmates have this luxury that addresses their feelings, again, Bakugo, Todoroki has had it since season 2, Uraraka somewhat, Asui and even less relevant cast members that are unpopular like shoji recently. It feels like the protagonist has been neglected compared to the other cast although, now that I've sat down to write this and think about Izuku as a character isn't MHA a retelling from his perspective in the future? I'm really hoping his feelings become better addressed; we've seen Hori do it with other characters so why not Izuku too? If he could have one meltdown other than 1A vs Deku arc it would be during All Mights probable death to the hands of AFO in later chapters, we NEED this development to reinstate the teenage focus of Izuku Midoriya. He's just a 16 year old kid trying to imitate what he believes is a hero. In all honesty I still love the character and it remains my favourite I don't think that's going to change any time soon, however I could describe his character like a night sky, mostly dark with little glowing lights each representing the past although small in appearance each one is colossal when up close. Currently Izuku isn't focusing on single stars but instead looking away from the night sky, completely ignoring them.

This video brings me to tears just remembering everything Subaru went through. I've never seen a character in media go through such intense, raw, emotional and mental anguish without a way to escape, besides pushing forward and finding a way to make it through the next traumatizing hurdle, barely allowed a moment's reprieve..

There are almost no shows that can compete with Re:zeros character development. I'm glad you made this video because I want more writers to write chracters like they are in Re:zero

Thanks for talking about Re:Zero. It's one of my favorite stories for how well written and defined it's characters and world are. Definitely one of my top 5.

I knew something was missing when watching Deku's Vigilante arc but I couldn't name what. Great video showcasing what was missing.

subaru is such an amazing, well written character, I hate reading comments on the first season where people are completely dismissing him as just "cringe" and a "loser" and promptly dropping the show because of it..

Dude. "Boku No Hero Academia" and "Re:Zero Starting Life Again From Zero" are my two favorite animes. To me, this video is super important to reflecting on two characters that are barely the same but go through the same kind of mental health struggles. Thanks for making this!

I minor artistic thing that I’m hoping is foreshadowing a proper introspective moment and culmination of a character arc is Deku’s subtle change in facial design. He’s still got the dark lines around his eyes, even during the cheesy bath scenes. The rushed resolution with All Might and seemingly resolved issues with Bakugo feel like they’re going to come up again. I also have my own head cannon as to how this ties into One For All: it’s been said again and again that OFA is power that is cultivated and passed on. The only reason it’s so insanely powerful now is that All Might added to it exponentially, but Deku still sees it as a power that he taps into, not one that he has contributed to. There have been hints toward this like in the 1st Muscular fight we see a final green light become blinding right before the 1 million percent smash. I’m hoping that this self worth issue will culminate in Deku realising what he himself has added to OFA and that just unlocking 100% isn’t the final stage, it’s that he, Izuku Midoriya has something of worth to contribute to it and that his heart will be the thing that brings victory in the end. With threads like the traitor coming back I can see Horikoshi delivering something like this. But I could also be clutching at straws and we won’t get anything that emotionally resonant.

i connected to Subaru and thought " wow I can really relate to hom" but by the frickin mom and dad episode I was like holy fuck it's not that good i can relate 😢

Just found your channel. Love Mha, LOVE Re;Zero, great content - instant subscriber :)

For me, the difference between the two characters is more elemental than all that, although you captured it brilliantly in a more intellectual way. When Deku overcomes and kicks some ass, I think "this is a cool spectacle." When Subaru overcomes and kicks some ass, I think "this is what I've been waiting for." Subaru fighting through his self-hatred to get to the place where he is able to use the capabilities tgat he had the entire time is deeply, deeply satisfying. Ultimately, Deku's biggest enemies are external to him so he doesn't need to introspect; Subaru's biggest enemy is Subaru himself, so introspection is the only way.

Honestly, while I completely agree with your analysis of the characters, I think the story surrounding them calls for different developments. All rogue Deku really needed was to allow himself to rely on others. We already know he’s going to win in the end and become the greatest hero, but as a character he started off with qualities that didn’t really need to change. It was just a matter of seeing him become capable of doing what we always knew he was already going to do. He struggles primarily with skills and abilities, while his mindset remains relatively unchallenged. Because his position as the protagonist was based on his mindset to begin with. Subaru, on the other hand, has to grow as a person while also finding ways to become more self-sufficient as a near-ordinary human in a world of beings that far surpass him and of which he initially knows nothing. It’s in the title; he’s starting from zero. There’s a lot more adjustments he needs to make as a person in order to succeed than there are for Deku.

I wonder what it says about me that of all characters I’ve seen in fiction I relate to Subaru and Deku most. Also I think you summed up what felt off for me about Deku. It feels like his past doesn’t matter

I have only watched s1 of MHA but i thought this was a really good video. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people appreciate the masterpiece of Re:zero season 1 episode 18.

With Deku, even though he literally is telling his own story with his internal dialogue he isn't actually the one telling his story in the story. It's frustrating that he goes through all the struggles just for other people to talk about his struggles instead of himself. 😅

It is crazy how good Re Zero S2 Part 1 is now that I think about it. Really wished if other characters arcs were handled that well in Part 2. I agree with most of your points .Deku is my favourite MHA character. This type of stuff would be really cool for this character.

The fatherless comparison is the best one

In Subaru, you can see changes as you go along the series as he slowly loses it. Deku is always the same, had one character change arc, then went back to being the same Deku again, no permanent change in character.

This is really good!! I love both protagonists equally!

I haven't watched nor read Re:Zero, and I'm not caught up on My Hero Academia, but I have done some studying on the craft of writing. Based on what you've described, it sounds like it's a character-driven story vs. a plot-driven story. Re:Zero sounds like it's character-driven. The beats of the story and the paths taken are a result of the characters' own actions. Subaru breaks down because it's something that he has to do, not because it's a plot point on an outline, but because his choices and the events around him have lead him to a point where it's inevitable. MHA, based on this and some other criticisms I've seen leveled at Horikoshi over how the girls are handled, seems like it's more plot-driven. Deku does something because the plot says he's supposed to do it. It's not the characters driving the story but the plot driving the characters. That's why Deku doesn't seem to grow or acknowledge his shortcomings or even have agency at times. He doesn't. His actions are dictated by the plot, not who he is. May be I'm being unfair, but I think that it would explain some of the things that we see happen that don't make sense. Character-driven stories require characters that have motivations, flaws and hinderances that keep them from achieving their goals, and are more fleshed out in general. Plot-driven stories don't need the same depth of character since the characters are not the ones driving the story. It would explain why we see villains bowing to Shigaraki after being beaten. It would explain why so many characters in MHA can feel flat or like caricatures. Great characters feel like people because in a very real sense they are. Whenever you hear a writer talking about a character surprising them, this is why. Those characters are real in a way that can be difficult to explain to someone who hasn't written anything or played a character in a tabletop RPG. MHA''s characters don't feel real at times. Don't get me wrong, I like MHA, and I couldn't get past Re: Zero's first episode, but that doesn't mean that I don't have valid criticisms of the former or that I can't get past my own hang ups to watch and enjoy the latter. (It was the fish out of water acting like a complete idiot that turned me off.) This is mostly conjecture and opinion on my part, but I think it's good conjecture. It does make sense of some of the things that have been nagging me a little about MHA. If I'm right, I don't think Horikoshi can fix it, even if he wants to. One of the things that tends to happen when you start writing character-driven stories is that whatever plot you have planned out is going to go right out the window. You can have beats that you want to reach, but you have to figure out how your characters get to those points. It can be like herding cats. I don't know how much Horikoshi has planned out, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had everything plotted out, at least in the broad strokes, before putting ink to paper on this. If that's the case, then trying to fix it at this point would mean breaking the story in ways that he might not be able to fix without retconning things because one thing that is almost certain to happen is the characters doing something unexpected. That's my thoughts on the matter, a year late and probably a few hundred words too long, but there they are.

I was fucking bawling my eyes out when Subaru vented to REM, because I saw myself there. I had felt no self worth despite all I had accomplished up to that point in my life.

Great video! I think you put into words why I hold subaru so high above other mcs. I was shocked when I saw the subscriber count on such a high quality analysis. So you definitely earned a sub from me

Suburu’s development is so good that on rewatch u get to understand him so much better. His grand flamboyant actions of optimism were attempts to act more like his father. His distaste for julius and insulting saying that just got far due to his fathers wealth, was him projecting his insecurities on julius

This dude has never put out a video that wasn’t a straight banger

I've never watched Re:Zero, but based on how you explained it, I agree. I wish Deku as a character was more fleshed out, and given that villain hunt focused on him, his flaws and his understanding of hero society as a whole, I wanted him to actually reflect on himself as well. But on the brightside, the little bath scene didn't really showcase any of Deku's actual thinking. He kinda remained silent, which gives me hope for the future, as these subsequent arcs we've been having, have been moving at a fast pace. So maybe we just need to give Horikoshi time to let Deku think about these things seriously, as with everything happening in the MHA world, it's kinda hard to take a moment to think.

As a very demanding person for character development (that hated MHA for a long time because of its poor development), you just gave me the best recommendation ever for an anime, I'm definitely gonna watch re Zero

This video absolutely changed the way i see both characters. I dunno how to put it into words, but thank you!

I honestly think that Izuku "Deku" Midoriya is one of the hollowest characters in all anime because of the fact that he never has a meltdown due to his conflicting ideologies of saving people with a smile as well as learning how a villain thinks to find Shigaraki and All for One. Especially because of the fact that in Season 1 Episode 1 and in the first chapter it is implied that he was ruthlessly bullied by Bakugo to the point he told him to commit suicide. In my personal opinion the reason the adults are talking about his bottling up of his emotions is because he believes that his emotions about how he feels will not make the situation better, it would probably make it worse, or possibly nobody would even care about his feelings in his own mind. He has been bullied to the point that he doesn't believe that anyone would want to be his friend, and when he makes friends in Yuuei, he tries his best to keep them alive and analyzes their fighting styles as well as quirks most likely in the event that they betray him if the event should ever happen. My personal opinion, it is just what I think. I really loved the Vigilante Deku ark btw, but I really hope that he changes his Hero Name as soon as he has a meltdown because having yourself be called useless as a Hero will only make people call you useless if you lived through that your entire life.

I don't know if you're an anime only in re:zero but if you aren't you should check the what if stories the that author made he really is something else when it comes things like this

Thank you. I had this discussion the other day with a friend, who loved the finally of this season of MHA. I myself felt it was good but something felt it was missing. I have earlier in conversations with him referenced these exact two scenes/eipsodes from Re:Zero and why I think they are so well written for character development. You howevere went above what i myself could explain, and put it so well. This is exactly what i was missing from this season of MHA, and didn't even notice it untill now. So thank you for the insight.

Awesome video man! You put all of my issues with how Horikoshi is handling Deku perfectly

Deku is my favorite protagonist and I don't even watch Re:Zero, but I have to agree with these points. Great video

A channel that covers My Hero Academia and my favorite series Re:Zero... nice

One thing I wished they did more with deku is show a sort of blurred line between the heros and villains. Not every villain is good no, but specifically looking at Stain, he says he just wanted to bring change and admits he's a monster. When first seeing deku in the arc it reminded me of Stain. People even start seeing him a villain because of his appearance. Seeing deku reflect on this part, the fact he was seen as a villain, the people he's so decated to defeat would have been great in my opinion

Implicit vs explicit : deku is in a fog, unlike the rest of the series, he cannot think straight, thus the story that is told from his point of view isn't explicit on his reasoning (because there ain't much). Though some afterthought on what happened would have been needed

Now that I've seen this, I want a Subaru & Rudeus video now. Great video bro!

I never thought that I would see a video comparing Izuku to Subaru. And it was definitely worth it. And thanks for understanding Subaru so well! I swear, anytime I see someone hating on him it's just for the sake of it.

I certainly don't blame MHA, Subaru has a top 5 character arc in anime so I wouldn't expect many characters to be that high quality.

this was great man. i love how clearly you saw subarus process.

This is a great analysis of the 2 characters.

Agreed on all points. The key word here is agency. And for some reason, Horikoshi never wanted to give Izuku true agency. I'm not quite sure I understand why. Perhaps he wanted Izuku to be closer to other Shonen protagonists - never giving up on their ideals, never admitting to flaws in their mindsets, always moving forward. But honestly, Deku doesn't work that way and would never have worked that way. One point I don't see mentioned often is that Shonen protagonists often follow the same trope. It's the Red Oni/Blue Oni trope, where when you have pairs of opposing characters, one person will display a "red" personality - loud, passionate, boisterous, reckless, extroverted - and the other will have a blue personality - quiet, contemplative, calm, calculating, intelligent, introverted. Most Shonen protagonists have a red personality, while their rivals have a blue one. Goku/Vegeta, Naruto/Sasuke, Yuji/Megumi, Edward/Roy, etc (and they are often color-coded with their corresponding personality). Deku is the rare Shonen protagonist who has a blue personality -- he's quiet, timid, introverted, and analytical, at least when it comes to quirks. While there are Shonen protagonists who are well written, they are often well-liked because they're loud, confident, and have a certain reckless charisma. They can get away with being less introspective, because their personalities are entertaining enough to carry them through the story. The moment Horikoshi took away Deku's agency and tried to make him the standard Shonen protagonist, it failed miserably. Deku worked well enough in the first act of MHA (up until Kamino Ward) because he was billed as being analytical, and had to think in order to solve his problems. He was a character who had to rely more on his mind rather than brute-forcing his way through things, which became a problem, because after the Kamino Ward arc, he became the "punch harder" character and all of his agency was stripped from him in favor of advancing the One for All plot line. And it's really jarring, because you have a character who is supposed to be analytical and at least reasonably intelligent, but for most of the story he never turns that analytical mind on himself. And it's kind of clear why. I don't think Horikoshi is very good at writing intelligent characters. To be fair, it's extremely difficult to write smart characters and I honestly don't think Shonen Jump is the best environment for good writing in general, but I think that's the obvious problem. Your character is only ever going to be as intelligent and introspective as your talent as a writer allows. It's very frustrating, because Deku's character had a lot of potential. A good potential back story and traumatic history, a potentially intelligent mind, and all of it was wasted. All of the points you mentioned was what I wanted for him -- for his ideals to be challenged, for him to be introspective and think about his past and reconcile his destructive behavior with it. To use his analytical mind and empathy to connect with the villains and problems of society and find a real solution. It seems so obvious that that should have been the route his character took, and yet it didn't. Of course, this stems from a larger problem. Deku isn't the only main character who lacks agency. Shigaraki didn't have much agency almost until MVA, when he became a stand-out and interesting character...before it was promptly stripped from him and the series took a nose dive. Bakugo, ironically, lacks agency also. His character revolves so strangely around Deku and almost nothing else; he has no challenge to his character, no other goals to work towards other than Deku. Class 1A has zero agency post Kamino Ward, when they, too, should have been challenged about the problems of hero society since they're supposed to be the next generation of heroes. So many of the series' issues stem from this lack of agency, too. It's just mind boggling. I know you've already discussed Shigaraki at length and Deku here, but I would be interested in your take on the lack of agency for so many characters in MHA. I honestly believe it's the core issue with the series, since without agency your characters often don't even come off as relatable or human, but I'd like to see your thoughts on it. Great video as always. Makes me wish you'd been at the helm for writing Deku's character, as he would have come out far better for it.

Glad I wasn't the only one who saw the similarities between these 2

I loved your thoughts and I also subscribed

This is such a great video honestly! I haven't had the time to watch Re:zero yet but have always felt like something was missing from Izuku's "vigilante arc", this really made that feeling come into words. I do think that some of these problems in the manga on later chapters are related to Horikoshi pushing himself so much with it. Perhaps he just wants the story to come into a conclusion as fast as possible instead of working on the story with the same joy as before. I hope that Horikoshi is doing well and this is just a small short coming on his end that he fixes sometime in the future

Subaru remains one of my favorite protagonist. Especially when it comes to his portrayal in the web novel. His break down in front of rem and then echidna hit home.

Great video, Subaru and Deku do have a lot in common!!! I personally think Deku's self reflection is going to come in when his father gets revealed. I am expecting a huge emotional set of chapters of Deku describing his life from his own perspective and breaking down slowly as he continues conversing with his missing father figure. I do think Hori left the Villain hunt arc open with a Deku that is still broken. It was great seeing the people in his life acknowledge his issues but I think the decision of keeping Deku's own perspective suppressed was intentional. Deku hasn't genuinely smiled since the "I'm blessed" quote from the end of EA. Deku is still bottling up everything and thinking nonsensically. Deku's dialogue after his solo arc makes no sense and he hasn't learned a damn thing. This will most likely come full circle when Deku and Bakugo have a real convo. Bakugo got his say in when he apologized for everything but Deku did not really process it. I could be wrong about Hori saving Deku's breakdown for later and Deku could continue being the way he is until the end of the series. Hori handles characters very well so I am not really worried about Deku's character moving forward but I 100% agree with Deku's character handling in the entire series being implicit.

Damn this was a really great video

Glad yt recommended this loved the vid

I know this video is older now, but in my point of view, and looking at how MHA has played out, I find it absolutely inspiring that Deku's perspective on his own journey is surprisingly humble and selfless. The whole point of All Might choosing to pass down OFA to Deku wasn't just the fact that the was heroic, it was the fact that he was completely selfless, and that even though he had an analytical mind, no matter what his mind convinced him (if he was getting down on himself or believing he couldn't accomplish his goals) his heart would tell him to keep driving forward. Deku's point of view changes from "It's all a pipe dream, and still, I'm going to try, because it's all I can do" to "It's not a pipe dream anymore, and I'm going to give it my all, even if I fall". I honestly haven't watched Re:Zero yet but I plan on it soon. When I look at the journey Deku takes, I compare it to what Bruce Lee always meant when he talked about persistence being key. Deku fails a LOT in the series, he constantly misses the mark and recognizes it, then tries to improve his shortcomings by coming at it from a different perspective. He doesn't give up, even when he falls, he tries and tries again. What's even crazier is that there's not just Deku who does this, there's Mirio, there's Bakugo, there's All Might (of course), but no matter what, the story is about someone who gives it his all until he succeeds, and then some. I look at other protagonists in Anime and I find it hard to see the true emotions and passions that Deku has. A lot of people don't like him because he is a crybaby, but I love him for that reason. He's extremely passionate about his goals, and he doesn't conform to the "tough guy edgy protagonist" that a lot of these guys try to be in Anime. It's refreshing. I could also go on about Bakugo being the "tries to act tough but is super kind hearted inside" character, and about how much of a gift it is to watch a character develop in the way that he does, but man, what an inspiring series and set of characters.

THE GOAT!

Amazing video, your assesment on subaru natsuki is dead on. Amazing job man.

I myself really like both characters, and this is a very fascinating video

Why? Why this video have to age so well?!!!

Never actually noticed this and now that I do I 1000% agree

Great video

good video no matter what anyone says, Keep Going!!

The most interesting thing about re:zero is all the things that make it such a good show all the things that make the character so good in the world building so good ten to be the same things that make people hate it. Subaru's a cringy and uncomfortable character but he's also very real because of that. But due to his character type he has a tendency to do things that make you facepalm or feel annoyed at him. But most people won't acknowledge that in his situation they'd likely do the same thing. People don't like him because of how real he is

I haven’t watched re;zero except for cute Beatrice clips online so I don’t have a lot to say here but again, good video! I did gain an appreciation for Subaru though. I hope we get a little deku angst/pov before the series ends. It feels weird not having one and we’re either not getting one at this point or it’s gonna be getting it after another event. I have to wonder if the handling of their characters originated from how the series are serialized. Like bnha is a weekly manga and re;zero is a novel series. There’s bound to be a difference in that. At the same time though, we need a deku arc. Also who the fuck named the villain hunt arc? I’d like to speak with them.

thanks for the video, i felt the series became really dry, but i wasnt able to put my finger on why. His role as a hero felt more like a job than a responsibility

0:10 currently using this monologue as a lofi intro to a sad beat 😂 i love re zero so much. Never saw the other one that you mentioned sadly tho

Great video man. I've seen this too. I think hori tried to say that Deku only survived in his childhood for watching that almighty video everyday(a bit strange). But only after meeting Almighty for the first time is when he was hit with reality, that his hero was too good to be true so as his dreams. He completely gave up on himself. I guess that's Why he chooses to save more that fighting. Not to mention he was given a power that grew too strong and the society at its worse. And if I remember,I think the only time Deku gave a thought on himself is when he met nighteye is when his insecurity kicked in.He felt like he robbed mirio,his hero was about to die and he let a child return to be abused. It could be nice for Deku to face his demons in the future but I doubt it. Since now he got people talking in his head and he just learn that he is the last user of the power. He got nothing to do but moving forward.

Great vid! I like subaru as a character because he's an analogy for stoicism or at least some parts of toxic masculinity and how mentally damaging that is. Midoria is just a blank slate shonen protagonist with no real inner world besides becoming stronger to protect his friends and insecurity of being gifted a quirk.

Cool vid bro.😺

Subaru has been one of the most interesting character studies since Shinji Ikari. This video goes into details, but I felt Subaru was so close to home, that when he failed I was INCREDIBLY ANGRY at him, in a way at myself. How much he loves and supports others was not a thing he could easily turn around towards himself. I remember going through a divorce, and I could remember the stereotypical "I'd do anything to fix it" phase of self sacrifice. it was pathetic, and that feeling was self-centered. In the S2 part 1 OP when he stumbles by his own corpses just to help someone else, and we've seen he doesn't help out others to help them persay - he acts the hero in attempt to fill that massive hole left in his life by good, well-meaning parents. Re:Zero I think hits harder and harder the older one gets, and the more regrets one piles up, not to mention when you can see how things you didn't think left a scar when you were young becomes all the more obvious as you struggle through the years.

Re:ZeRo was always a good show in my eyes. S2 P1 made it part of my top 10, and S2 P2 made it my favourite show.

We will finnally get some mayonnaise in 2024...

underrated yter man

very cool man👍

Horikoshi's writing sin is that he has no patience. Whether it be properly setting up worldbuilding, or taking time for an arc to actually explore its proposed themes, Horikoshi has been blitzing through his own story almost haphazardly. Compare this to writers like Toriyama, whom notoriously was forced to write more and more chapters to Z despite originally intending for the series to end with the Saiyans. And yet he decided to take an absurd amount of time on Namek because he genuinely thought the Frieza fight wouldn't be satisfying without the necessary buildup. Or Araki, whom saw what was happening with Toriyama and decided to revamp his entire franchise to avoid ever having to fall into the same traps as before. I will give Horikoshi some benefit of the doubt, since a lot of decisions break of interference from Shounen Jump.

MHA writing is at times underwhelming? That’s CRAZY who knew?! 10/10 good video

Interesting video

I hate to say it, but this video aged well I'm getting hyped for season 3 of Re:zero

GO GO GO GO

MHA basically got the right idea, but the author just threw it there. In the start it didn't felt like he was crying from the burden of One for All, but because the MC was just a sensitive kid, and when it was revealed this was the reason, it felt almost like a Soft Retcom. Now the author wanted to explore this without any actual build or preparation, and the manga already reaching its planned end. Which led to the lackluster Vigilante Arc, being so short and so lacking, and with a jarring conclusion for the Character. It was all not planned at all, and with the author suffering from health problems, it truly didn't help in this whole situation at all.

As you said “I hope this video ages poorly.” Deku is easily my favorite character in anime and is one of two characters that got me into anime in the first place. I read MHA because I was tired of the lack of progress in character when it came to Spider-Man comics and was taken aback in awe by the character of Midoriya and how well his character was. Now it feels like I’ve come full circle; I read 2024 Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman and I’m so happy by how Peter can grow as a character and now I’m frustrated that Horikoshi just won’t write the Deku POV story we all need to read about. All I can do now is hope and wait when or if it comes. If not, than this series has been a blast but a missed opportunity.

Very interesting maybe I’ll check out that anime