In Light Of Recent Events (bllk Manga 282 - 283. Im Crazy About Them) I Wanted To Post A Part Of The

kevin had seen worse

kevin had seen worse

kevin had seen worse

mannn i love this sm

TW: ABUSE, CHILD ABUSE

“He wants to air this dirty laundry to the world does he…? Dabi, you fiend…you’ve been waiting for this moment…when they couldn’t prevent mass destruction…and faith in heroes is wavering.” - chapter 292

I truly, wholeheartedly, believe that MHA as a story upholds the myth of the perfect victim. I do not want to discuss if Horikoshi did that on purpose, or subconsciously because of inner bias – I find no meaning in doing so. For me the execution of an idea, in the grand scheme of the narrative, holds more value than the intention of the author. I’ve also had my fair share of people infantilizing Asian authors in the anime community for their poor writing decisions for one lifetime. It’s patronizing to both the author and the people reading it. Whether or not Horikoshi intended for his themes of abuse to paint the picture they did does not matter, because that’s how it reads as.

MHA puts victims of abuse in narrow boxes and softly dictates what’s an acceptable reaction to said abuse. Victims are continuously walking a tightrope between being deserving of compassion and sympathy and being unredeemable monsters who are too far gone and are only good for martyrdom after being put down.  

Eri fits the clean cut depiction of abuse victims that media usually gears towards. She is untouched by the cruelty around her - she preserves her innocence and kindness. She isn't assertive, but rather meek and passive. She doesn't fight back with force. And when offered help, she is receptive to it. That is not to say that Eri's depiction doesn't have a place in fiction, or that her portrayal can't be representative of the experiences of some - as we all deal with trauma and the inhumanity people throw at us differently. We see the same thing in the portrayal of Fuyumi, who shares many of the qualities discussed above. The same thing applies to her - i personally love the idea of all the siblings having different reaction to their childhood trauma and abuse. It shows that victims are not some type of monolith.

But the narrative treats the "forgiving" or "receptive to help/support" victims of abuse with more grace and with much more kindness. if you are willing to forgive, or the very least be quietly tolerant, the story grants you a happy ending. Forgiveness isn't a bad thing, it is an individual choice - but an abuse victim shouldn't have to do it for them to have a happy ending.

In a vacuum Eri and Fuyumi's character arcs and depictions of abuse are good but it becomes a problem when that's the only experience and type of victim we ever hold in high value or recognize as valid and deserving of compassion. Which the story reinforces.

Touya and Tenko's backstories aren't pretty nor comfortable or easy to sit through. Their responses to abuse aren't either. Reactive abuse is very much real.

Thinking about how we never saw Tiger Funeral, the only Ten Shadows Shikigami that's never been shown, and how it was only mentioned when Sukuna created Agito using Nue, Tiger, Serpent, and Deer.

There's:

Divine Dogs

Nue

Toad

Great Serpent

Max Elephant

Rabbit Escape

Round Deer

Piercing Ox

[Tiger Funeral]

Mahoraga

Hope it makes an appearance some day in the future 🥲

they match each other's freak

i am haunted by the character of nakahara chuuya. knowing there was a life before becoming a monster but not remembering it. questioning if you were always like this or you were made into this. trying to find a piece of the self that doesn't crawl to violence. being good despite all the odds. being good despite the self. being good in this twisted way because nobody believes youre capable of that anyway. not recognizing oneself as human but wanting it. violence and pain being the only thing you know. because even knowing that there was something before it doesn't change at all, you are what you are because the thing, the rage, the pain, within you, and thinking that taking this part away from you might just take all of you as well.

there must be more than blood by car seat headrest is a touya song btw. nervous like a wild dog waiting for the attack. you go back to the old house but you've been locked out and it wasn't for love that you went back home. they had all of your life to get it right they had all of that time just to change their minds. how could they treat you like a forgotten card? dear dad, I'm sorry thank you very much. what difference does it make when they throw you away?

this is like 9/11 to me

kevin day is like. he's a child star. he's experienced an incomprehensible amount of labor abuse and inhumane working conditions. he was taken from his home country by a close relative with bad intentions. he's a cult baby. he grew up in captivity underground. every bad thing that could happen to a human being has happened to him at some point. he is happier than most of us when he can kick a ball for a living.

Kevin Day pov fic rec list that no one asked for but I’m gonna make cuz I’ve been really feeling the Kevin Day brainrot lately

Canon and post-canon:

how will i know (when it’s gonna come back round?) by nebulousviolet

Neil says something to Andrew – Kevin doesn’t catch it, too busy gathering his things, but what he does catch is the look Allison gives Matt, and the way Matt’s eyebrows knit together in response.

And Neil – Neil doesn’t say anything to Kevin. Later, Kevin will wonder why. Later, Kevin will wonder if there was even anything to say.

The 1st half of Baltimore from Kevin’s pov

biting down by pipe_dream

kevin learns that in order to understand something, you have to allow yourself to learn, and talks to andrew about neil.

Good Kevin and Andrew friendship content

Proof of Life by mostly_maudlin/ @mostlymaudlin

Realistically, Kevin knows he is safe now. No one is after him anymore. No one is plotting to drag him down into the hole he’s clawed out of. He has people who will fight to keep it this way.

A morning in the life of Kevin Day, 10/10 characterization all around here

202607 by abramdeath/ @abramdeath

The Olympics and his life collide into one. Kevin is just trying to win gold with the people he trusts most in the world.

(or, a roulette of dreaming with your eyes open, loving too hard, and winning.)

Kevin has a sports anime flashback moment at the Olympics

Au:

Signs Of Life by moonix/ @annawrites

In which Kevin works the graveyard shift, Andrew is the witching hour cryptid, and Neil guards the ice-cream freezer.

Kevin works at a convenience store and gets befriended by his two strangest customers

Fuck Riko: The Musical by justwhatialwayswanted/ @birlwrites

“Okay, but we still need a show,” Dan says. “A very cheap one.”

“Andrew,” Aaron says.

“No,” Andrew says.

“You didn’t even wait for me to ask my question.”

“I know what you’re going to ask, and it’s a stupid idea.”

Neil looks back and forth between them and says, “But it would make Riko so mad. You could write him out of the show.”

“Fuck.” Andrew sighs. “I don’t know anything about music.”

“I do,” Jean says, so quietly that for a second Kevin thinks he’s imagined it.

“Just to be totally clear,” Nicky says. “Are we talking about Andrew and Jean writing us a musical?”

*

or: What happens if you piss off every other theater kid in your very insular theater kid friend group?

If you’re Riko Moriyama, they write and perform an entire musical as revenge.

Absolutely unhinged theater kid au