Boku no Hero Academia, Chapter 69: An Interview with Midoriya
So, right off that horrid Fairy Tail chapter, we have the perfect example of how a proper manga chapter should be. This chapter of Boku no Hero Academia isn't the best chapter in the world, no, and it just happens to be the next in this week's reviews that I am going to review. And nothing happens but people talking... but it's absolutely interesting and holds my attention through the twenty pages, delivering tension, developing both the main character and the current main villain, and is not at all boring.
Anyway, apparently the mall that Midoriya and Shigaraki met up in is called 'Wookies'. Or rather, 'Wookiees' with an extra E. Excited much for Star Wars, mr. mangaka?
We open a bit with Shigaraki's monologue, thinking about killing without a creed, about how the Hero Killer is more popular than him even though they're both technically just destroying the shit they didn't like. That was when he met Midoriya, where we left off last chapter. We know a bit more about Shigaraki's powers, that he needs to have all five fingers come in contact for his quirk to activate, causing his victims to crumble into dust. He makes this chilling description about how he can easily kill 20-30 people before being captured if Midoriya resists, while talking about how so many people around them have quirks and how laws are based on people's individual morals.
Speaking of which, absolutely appreciate the background people with all the fancy quirks and wacky appearances.
Midoriya and Shigaraki just sit and talk, with the threat of dustification looming over Midoriya's head. Shigaraki asks Midoriya about the whole 'why does everyone like the Hero Killer?' question, and he does raise a good point. No one but the Yuuei students have seen Shigaraki in the flesh, not the way how Stain was broadcasted and shit, but Stain's everywhere in the news while the Yuuei invasion and the Noumus unleashed during the whole Stain saga are swept under the rug. And Shigaraki's pissed because in his eyes they're both the same people destroying the shit they don't like.
We get a short scene of Uraraka getting flustered before pulling a Midoriya and having a wall of text overthinking stuff.
Then we go back to Midoriya, who tells Shigaraki that he doesn't understand him, nor does he accept him. Whereas for Stain, Midoriya doesn't accept him either... but he understands him. And Midoriya very nicely exemplifies the difference of people's opinion on a villain with a creed -- a nice critique on how villainous characters are sometimes far more popular than their well-doing counterparts. Midoriya talks about how Stain doesn't destroy because he wants to, they both are inspired by All Might, Stain doesn't give up easily (with a nice flashback to Shigaraki just going game over game over) and despite the wrong methods, Stain tries to live by an ideal and that makes him more likeable.
Midoriya's just so honest, isn't he, even with the threat of Shigaraki dustifying him. A loud sound effect I can't read pops up, and that art makes the situation feel more tense. Apparently Midoriya's answers satisfied Shigaraki enough, noting that everything is about All Might and he's far more clear about the situation. We also get this nightmare face that will make Junji Ito proud. See, the thing about anime is that they probably won't be able to capture the sheer creepiness of the art shift and the sudden addition of shading and additional lines, and images like this work far better when they're not coloured.
SERIOUSLY MAN WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT FACE?
Shigaraki goes on about how "the reason all these people are spending their days laughing with shit-eating grins is because All Might is too!" and he flashes back to finding a dismembered hand in a pool of blood while a child looks on, drenched in blood. Did Shigaraki accidentally kill someone (his parents?) as a kid with his quirk, which is why he brings that hand all the time? Did his parents die in an incident involving All Might? Yeah we need flashbacks for this dude.
Shigaraki's absolutely delighted, all happy and insane and shit, monologuing to himself about how despite being polar opposites with Stain, his creed ends up becoming a stepping stone for Shigaraki. Midoriya is panicking because, well, Shigaraki's a nutcase, but Uraraka shows up and kinda panics over the fact that some random creepy dude is choking Midoriya, but Shigaraki lets go and is all smiles and happy and shit and he looks so cheerful and not at all like that nightmare face up there.
Midoriya's recovering from the coughing as Shigaraki disappears into the crowd, warning Midoriya not to try anything funny because there's a lot of people he can dustify... but Midoriya asks Shigaraki what All For One's ultimate goal is. Shigaraki just answers whatever, but he notes how next time they meet, he'll kill Midoriya.
Shigaraki heads off, still happy, noting that he does have a creed, like the Hero Killer: that is to kill All Might. It's nice to see how he grows from a petulant manchild with no real ambition other than to cause chaos and be an asshole to everyone ends up being such a complex character, yeah? Man, Shigaraki, you're insane. And you get all the best expressions in the manga. Fuck All For One, you need to be the main villain real bad.
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