It’s happening again. I’m ready for this series to just…………. be over already; ready to close the final volume and leave this series on my shelf for good- never to pick it up against because of what it did to me. Trying to guess when we’d be getting to the Finale, seeing what the inevitable Flash Forward/Sequel Bait would do. And then……………. I look at the art. I see it, and I see that Horikoshi- despite everything that crafting this series has done to him between his mental and physical health- he’s still drawing his heart out; no matter the quality of the writing– Man can draw a Battle Shonen Manga. It’s killing him, but he’s doing it. And in looking at it; I just can’t help but talk about it. That being said; this- much like the recent One Piece dump- was meant to be a Short Review. One of 3 that I’m trying to work on, and of 2 that I am working on. I’m trying to do Dragon Ball Super and Boruto, too, but……………. well, now I remember why I said “Dumps Only The Week of Monthlies.“ But……………………. I WANT to talk about this series. It’s like……….. I don’t know; it feels like I’m never going to look back at the series once it’s over, but…………….. gah. It’s just DIFFICULT to work out how I feel about this series ever time I think about it. 

This story has gone this long for a f*ckin’ reason, and I’ve continued to follow the series FOR that reason. Something about this series just won’t let me go. As I speculated: It might be the art. ‘Cause what Horikoshi does in these 2 chapters we’re about to discuss- makes it a shame that he won’t be back to the manga making world for a while. No matter how I or anyone else(Shueisha Included) feel about it, this man is not coming back to make a manga of any kind any time soon. It’s not even just that he doesn’t want to right now because of what this serialization has put him through- the rejections of his other series, his idea’s for this one getting scrapped all because they didn’t sell well with the wider audience, and the way this series has pushed him to his physical limits- it’s that he physically CAN’T come back soon. At least he shouldn’t. He should take all this time to rest and just let the profits roll on in from selling one the most successful manga in ages. Genuinely, I hope this man just takes it easy once the final chapter is wrapped up. Just hearing that story about his editor that pushed him to make an extra page for the chapter………….. made my skin crawl. 

But let me start this post before I ramble on about something I’ve talked about already. I’m running out of time as it stands……………..

Chapter 412: “History’s Maddest Hero“

A little over 200 chapters after its introduction and Horikoshi is STILL finding new ways to use it: Because his body more or less focused on Not Getting Dusted, Izuku is using “Black Whips” on the inside of his body to expand his muscles, making his body and fingers strong enough to pull off a Full Hand Delaware Smash, blowing Tomura back and halting the spread of “Decay.” But it’s only a fleeting delay- ’cause Tomura’s not gonna stop ’til the Japan is nothing but ashes in the wind. But as he dives back in he notices that the “Dust Cloud” still hasn’t cleared. What Deku Did was apply “Gear Shift’s” First Gear to “Smokescreen” to keep it in overdrive, keeping him covered long enough to come up behind Tomura and break his arm off. He’s got “Hyper Regen” and is going through Singularity, so…………… not like it matters.  But he managed to pull it off by “overloading” “Danger Sense.” He knows what happens when one become too reliant on that one. 

He starts building up energy for “Fa Jin,” but Tomura’s “Search” tells him the location and weaknesses of up to 100 people he’s laid eyes on. And HE knows that Dear Little Deku can’t catch his d@mn breath. And “Fa Jin” is suited for rapid fire battles like this. Then again- it’s not like Izuku’s saving up for a “Kill Shot.” He’s still trying to save Tenko Shimura. But as Tomura tells him: His thinking’s to “narrow-” when people come up against what they can’t explain, they begin think up some rationality to comprehend what they don’t understand. And what Izuku needs to grasp is that that “crying child” is in lock up– TOMURA SHIGARAKI is in the driver’s seat. And he Couldn’t Be Happier. 

Nana comes to Izuku, recalling his goal in saving Tenko. But looking at the monster before them, she has to agree and tells Izuku to let this go; “Some People Are Beyond Saving,” and that wall isn’t something that needs to be overcome. So it’s time to start building towards a Finisher. But…………. he just can’t do it. Because Tomura can’t let go of Tenko; all he did was lock Tenko in a ball– he didn’t “get rid of him” out right. To put it in Tomura’s OWN words: “He Swept It Under The Rug.” And it’s Izuku’s job as a Hero to Shred. That. Rug. PAUSE. And that’s what bothered Kudo in the beginning: The desire to “save” the Ultimate Enemy? A Naive Thought Born From A Peaceful Era. Or so that’s what he saw in Izuku. But peering into the past a little- seeing how he was with that Bakugo guy- he chose to see what Izuku Midoriya could do. And what he JUST saw in there…………… confirms that this was the right idea. However, there Is just the ONE catch: 

Izuku’s Gonna Have To Let One For All Go.

Chapter 413: “Leaden Mass“

FLASHBACK: Star And Stripe is defeated– her quirk “New Order” rages against all the other quirks within the Vestige World, burning itself out and leaving All For Nothing with a few “parting words.” But as her Vestige starts to dissipate, she got to have a closer look into the tetanus of hands, and sees him: Tenko Shimura who started it all. And he’s NOT fully locked up in that lead ball– she made a crack in the barrier. That’s how they’re going to hit Tomura where it hurts- and hopefully save Tenko. Her “Embers” tell this to Small Might’s vestige, who relays this information to the others. They contact Izuku silently, letting him know that Tomura used all of his rage and frustration to confine Tenko, turning him into Hatred Personified. But that small crack- one likely made by Star during their encounter- isn’t something any “Super Regen” quirk can heal. With All For One’s vestige now absorbed, Tomura’s basically Invincible- even Kudo admits Izuku won’t be able to win this if things keep going like this. So the plan: Throw One For All In His Face. 

Think of it like when Bakugo has to pass Izuku a test: He throws it in his face. It’s like that: When Tomura pulls– Izuku pushes it on him, doing some actual damage in the Vestige World and harming Tomura from the inside– throwing each factor at him so hard they break. And because of who they just lost, they know that the quirks within the core of One For All can be “transferred” one at a time. And they’re stronger the longer they’ve been in there. Thus- seeing as it was his idea- Kudo decides to be the first test subject. Everyone else is against it because of just how powerful “Gear Shift” is right now, and worry that Tomura will actually be unstoppable with it. Best Case Scenario: Izuku no longer suffers the “Recoil Damage” from using “Gear Shift,” and Tomura does. WORST Case: Instant Death. “All Or Nothing” Gamble Time, Folks. Banjo is ordered to stick by Izuku right up to the end, since he’s so proficient with “Black Whips” at this point. Tomura moves in for another attack, but Izuku gets back up– taking a form Very Unheroic for the situation. And one of his fist glowing, ready for the Hammer Throw…………………

REVIEW

Okay, finished with Dinner on Saturday, January 27th, 2024, 9:27 pm- some time after wrapping up the recent One Piece Dump. Took some time to digest my food and all, and had some time to think about what I was going to say this time around. Unlike with “One Piece,” I hadn’t written anything down for this one yet. Comin’ in to this one fresh. But I still have the original notes I was going to used, plus the ones for the latest chapter. And in those notes, what I said I thought about more before starting this point. And that point was: What Exactly Is Tomura Shigaraki? I’ve come up with some idea’s, sure- all of which going back to that All For One quote I keep using. In short: My thinking is that Tomura Shigaraki is the will of the “Decay” quirk itself– the quirk by its nature seeks the destruction of all things. Tenko may have wanted that at one point, but, uh……………. he pretty much got all that out of his system that night; I don’t think he actually wants to hurt anyone anymore. But then you have chapters like these 2 that make me rethink the way I think about “Tenko Shimuar” and “Tomura Shigaraki.”

Tenko Shimura’s dream…………….. was to be a hero. And it very well still might be, but…………. I don’t think that Tomura- the “Decay” quirk itself- will let that happen. Something “poetic” like “His Body’s Betraying Him,” but also- in the literal sense. I’m thinking that Tomura– the “Decay” quirk- wants to protect Tenko Shimura from the world that allowed him to exist. That when Tenko awakened to his quirk, it latched on to his desire to “Destroy-” the reason being for his own Protection. Because of what happened that day. “Fight Or Flight” kicked in that day, and his body chose to Fight. And it won. And to this day- through all of All For One’s manipulation and body jacking hijinks– Tomura has continued to protect Tenko from the world. And he’s still trying to do so. 

For Tomura; Tenko will always be the scared little boy that gave birth to him- and the world a constant reminder that he was born. So he wants to Destroy it all- destroy the world that allowed him to exist- the world that allowed for All For One to pull Tenko out of the gutter- In his mind: He Was Born To Exact Revenge On The World That Hurt Tenko. Whether he wants to admit it or not. That’s part of why he locked Tenko in that iron ball: His Own Protection While He’s Destroying Everything- Izuku Midoriya; One For All; The World- all of it up in a cloud of Dust if he has things his way. So when it comes time for the 2 of them to ultimately split as I’ve speculated; I think Tenko might be the one thing in this life that Tomura won’t try to decay. That’ll be a big advantage for the Heroes, though I don’t think they’ll use a SCARED 5 YEAR OLD BOY as a way to deter the progression of The Ultimate Villain. I would hope not, anyway. Who knows; maybe Deku will pass One For All on to Tenko just before the FINAL Final Bout. I have the Final Panel of the Penultimate Chapter in my mind- a parallel to when Izuku was given One For All in chapter 2 of the story. Sitting there- soaked in blood, sweat, and rain- someone who’s able to move brings Tenko before Izuku, who thanks him for saving him, and asks the question “Do You Think I Can Become A Hero?-” calling back to chapter 1. 

I don’t know if the end goal is for him to die or not- maybe he will; maybe he’ll give up One For All and become a “Quirkless Hero” like people say he should have been. TOSS UP. Either way– using the last bit of strength he has before he…………….. either dies or just loses consciousness– pulls a strand of that green curly hair and tells Tenko………….. you know that line; I don’t think it appropriate that I say it. Flashforwards Final Chapter Sequel Bait. End of story. But yeah; I’m thinking that Tomura is acting as Tenko’s Guardian against his will- protecting Tenko from a world that’s ready to reach out its hand. 

Another thing I wrote in my notes: Izuku’s Proficiency With “Black Whips.” I remember reading chapter 211- REVIEWING the series for the first time– thinking that this series was destined to be “One Of The Greats.” 1)Reality Hits Like A Ton Of Bricks and 2)I recall how I thought that the emergence of “Black Whip” would lead to a “Black Suit Deku” type of storyline- a reference to Venom in the Spiderman comics since Horikoshi is such a fan. That and I thought it be cool for Izuku to use it to make his own suit. We got a “Dark Deku” type of story, but it came from his negative traits rather than his emotions. But looking at this, it seems like Horikoshi is just going all in one the Symbiote reference. Someone even found a drawing of the Spiderman villain Carnage that Hori might have taken inspiration far when making………………. that last panel. That, plus him using “Black Whips” inside of his body to contract his muscles and make them stronger– even using it to keep his bones from breaking with these higher levels of One For All. Because he’s definitely using 100% on top of “Fa Jin” and “Gear Shift” at this point– his body can’t handle it, so he’s making it handle it. 

There was also a panel on line that showed Izuku using that “Flame Arrow” thing that Sukuna used in “Jujutsu Kaisen,” but with “Black Whips,” but that panel seems to have been a fake panel. Cool, but not real. Could he do something like that? I don’t know, but it’s just nice to see how far he’s come with the first quirk he unlocked. Though in saying this, and taking in what’s happening- I’m starting to think that Tenko won’t be getting the same “benefits” Izuku’s gotten. Because now I’m starting to think that all of the other quirks are about to be stripped away from One For All. 

Tomura’s shown us that it’s possible to take each of the quirks by themselves as opposed to just pulling them all at once. “All For One” the quirk gives the use holes on their hands that allow them to steal the quirks, so………. maybe part of why All For One could never steal it was “the opening was too small to take  factors at once, let alone the whole “core” of One For All. But I’m saying all of this to say that Tomura might be planning to steal One For All from Midoriya “piece by piece” rather than “all at once-” not because he wants the quirk, but as because he knows that killing Izuku and destroying Japan is going to be way easier if Izuku doesn’t have One For All anymore. But it’s also shown that they can do a coordinated attack by having Izuku “throw” them at the crack in Tenko’s ball. They’re going to break it, and pull Tenko out in the Vestige Space- while Izuku in the physical world pulls them apart. If I’m right and Tenko becomes Holder #10(write there in his name, huh?), then it might be the case that he starts with One For All at “level 50” instead of 95 like Izuku. I mean…………….. they just order Banjo to stay with Izuku right up to the end, but………………. he’s going with them, too. Because he’s a “Hero” at the end of the day. 

And the idea is for Izuku to throw em so hard that the actual “Factor-” the Vestige’s themselves– shatter on impact with the ball. Along with chipping away at the crack with no more than what they have to throw. But the end result- whether this works or not- is that these factors are gone for GOOD; Izuku- One For All- right back to a regular “Stockpiled Power” ability. A pretty good way to “nerf” the ability for Tenko to use comfortably in a sequel series; have him a basic “strength” type opposed to “6 Quirks man,” and have him be a much more “balanced” main character……………. I guess. He’s still probably going to “grow up” with One For All- his body acclimating to the quirk over the course of years as opposed to 1 like Izuku got. And we’ve seen how far he came in just a year. Though in Deku’s case; he didn’t get any “downtime” to let it happen- he had to get accustomed to that power all at once. Huh………….. maybe it won’t be an anthology series like I thought it would be………………… but still plausibly One Punch Man-esque…………….

The last thing that I wanted to talk about: Star’s Presence. I had thought of it as just an “Audience Only” type of visual- an indicator that this crack came from that fight. Because I don’t actually know what the f*ck this is supposed to be. Like…………. do Ghosts exist in this story or not? ‘Cause I don’t see any way for her to appear to All Might’s Vestige and not to the “All For One” quirk user. The best way I could put this: “One For All” and “All For One” share a Vestige space- the more the 2 “resonate,” the more they start to link up- they’re vestiges can actually start to interact with one another. And just like One For All users are left with “Embers” after they pass on the quirk- all quirks leave behind “traces” once they’re gone; maybe the former user is able to use a “lesser” version of their abilities. Or- in the case of a “Destroyed” factor- those “Embers” linger within the Vestige space some time after it’s been destroyed. And she came back one last time show them that crack. That’s the best I can tell you for that one. Maybe we’re not meant to think about it that much. Maybe it was just an “Audience Only Visual” to represent All Might’s Vestige seeing the crack. I don’t have any other idea’s for what that was…………………… 

Conclusion

The only other thing I wanted to talk about was how Izuku is looking more like a “Villain,” while Tomura- in a lot of scenes– is portrayed as a “Horrifying Butterfly” type of monster. Something “thematic” in there; maybe it has something to do with the “Shade Of Grey” mentality Horikoshi’s tried to portray in the series since the beginning of Final Act. But I don’t know what it’s supposed to represent, so I won’t say much more on it. Maybe “Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover: A Hero The Looks Like A Villain and a Villain That Looks Beautiful-“ something with the Heteromorph racism or something. Though saying that now, I kind of hope not. Um……………….. Yeah, that’s all. I don’t even know what I’m going to use for the Featured image this time around, honestly. Uh……………. enjoy this fake panel and until Next Time, Everyone- Catch ya later!!