At first glance, the world of BnHA seems like it might be a fun place to live, but that’s because we’re viewing it from the perspective of the top 1%. For most people, the only difference between their world and the real one is that they are in constant danger.
Let’s review what we know about quirk law. Only licensed heroes are authorized to use quirks in public. You may use quirks privately, but they must be registered and there are myriad restrictions. You must obtain a license to use quirks for your job, also with various limitations.
On the surface, pretty commonsense. In practice, these laws target the lowest common denominator and thus punish everyone else. If you ever had a teacher who demanded silence from the class because one person misbehaved, it’s like that on a societal scale.
(excerpt from the spin off “BnHA Illegals”) This guy can move slightly faster than a brisk walking pace by holding 3 points of contact with the ground. He’s not allowed to do that. He becomes a vigilante hero, which is a crime.
The “Illegals” manga features several people who turned to the “crime” of vigilante heroism because of the draconian regulation of quirks. It’s on the level of thought-crime, guilty until proven innocent.
While licenses make sense in the real world with regards to vehicles and guns, it doesn’t make sense for quirks because A) nearly everyone has them, and B) it’s not a choice to obtain it.
(excerpt from chapter 85) Let’s talk about a case where these laws don’t just inconvenience an individual, but harm all of society. Momo has the quirk “creation” which is very tightly regulated for the sake of the economy. With a hero license she can create anything she needs for heroing, but anything else is (officially) off limits.
This is legislating to the worst case scenario, which, I contend, is a poor strategy in this world. It works from the assumption that she would use her quirk selfishly and excessively. If she created billions of dollars, she would ruin the economy and we would all suffer.
But what if she used her quirk selfishly and in moderation? She could make anything she needs for a modest life, or the money appropriate for a modest living, and it would have no impact on the economy. A good outcome for her and a neutral result for the rest of us. There’s no reason to prohibit this.
And, of course, the law doesn’t consider the best case scenario. What if she uses her quirk selflessly? What if, for example, every couple years she set aside a month to create smart phones for everyone in the world? Would that wreck the economy? One particular industry, sure. Would it benefit literally everyone but electronics CEOs? Would it save thousands of child laborers in sweatshops? YES! That’s a brilliant trade off! But, even if she applied for a business quirk license, I think she’d be denied for the potential disruption of the economy.
(Side note: It has been a topic of many forums whether Momo can make things as complex as a smartphone. I say yes. Recall in the School Trip Arc, she made a tracking device and matching GPS unit. It’s absolutely within her ability.)
Rapid fire round: what should these people do if society was more lenient? Shinso: suicide hotline operator. Todoroki: work inside a nuclear cooling tower, heat up water at the bottom, cool down steam at the top, infinite energy. Uraraka: construction worker work at NASA.
As civilians these quirks would be restricted. Even as heroes these quirks are going to waste from a utilitarian perspective. No one benefits from this arrangement. There is so much potential in the world, and its governments seem dedicated to squandering it.
This is a society that is oppressive to the majority. Quirks could fuel the next stage of human evolution, but laws keep society grounded in the stone age. How can anyone in that world (aside from the 1%ers in their ignorant bubble) not resent that? This is the philosophy that breeds villains, and I can’t help but agree with it.
It’s quite in the early morning throughout the 1-A dorms. Sundays before six a.m. are often like that, Shinsou thinks as his eyes force themselves open. The sun is hardly peaking through his blinds even though the sky is light. It’s not surprising for him to be awake so early. He’s never slept well through the night no matter how hard he tries to. Sighing, he turns into the warm body sprawled softly next to him. Shinsou blinks more of the blur from his eyes and lets a private smile slip on to his lips as he takes in his sleeping boyfriend’s expression.
Midoriya’s lips are parted just the smallest amount, his breath fanning gently on to Shinsou’s cheek and his brows are furrowed as he dreams. His green curls are haloed by the slowly rising sun and become a hundred different shades in the peaceful morning light. It’s breathtaking. He shuffles just a bit in his sleep and sighs as he slips closer to Shinsou’s body. Shinsou doesn’t always like waking up early, but he supposes it’s worth it if he gets to wake up to this.
He’s content with staring at Midoriya’s sleep slack face when a small explosion from above rocks his room and is just loud enough to rouse his boyfriend from slumber. Shinsou promises himself he’ll get Bakugou back in some way before days end. Green eyes blink open sluggishly and then Midoriya’s lips are splitting into a bashful, tired smile and it makes Shinsou’s stomach flood with happy warmth.
“Mmmm,” Midoriya hums, then inches the rest of the way to the other boy, letting his head fall forward on to Shinsou’s chest, likely in an attempt to get comfortable again and fall asleep if he’s lucky. “Shinsou,” he says in a lulled sleepy tone and the warmth in Shinsou’s stomach flares to the rest of his limbs and makes him so indescribably happy.
“I like it when you say my name like that,” Shinsou admits quietly into Midoirya’s mop of curls. Midoirya, in response, hums again but pulls away, a little more awake but still sleep-soft at the edges.
“Why’s that?” he asks, so much more honest about his curiosity when he’s not sharp with consciousness. It’s something Shinsou loves to exploit. But this morning it seems like it’s his turn for confessions.
“Because when you say it like that it makes it sound like you don’t want me anywhere else but right here,” he punctuates his words by wrapping an arm loosely around Midoriya’s waist and pulling him just a little closer, giving himself the ability to hide his face in his boyfriend’s hair. Midoriya wiggles one of his arms free and slips it around Shinsou’s waist as well.
“It sounds like that because it’s true.” Shinsou hadn’t thought he could get any warmer that early morning but Midoriya was someone who seemed to always be able to prove him wrong…
*fond roll of eyes* At this point, I think I have to be grateful almost all the time now, Lang, because you have really good timing. Even when I’m reading this almost 24 hours later, the story still warms my heart because of how funny and enjoyable it is.
Reviewing, here I go. I’m a bit more well-rested, with not so many classes today, so I can do this. Though, I’m starting to think I can only do one ramble a day now, considering my stamina when it comes to words and how writing anything seems to take something from me every time. *shrugs helplessly* I’ll try to sleep more in that case if it means giving something, because gosh, the workaholic in me wants to do more. Buuuuut I know that would just give off so many alarm bells because I’m not a robot.
*waves hands in the air* Anywho.
Training! That’s certainly one way to go about things. Half of me wants to giggle at the antics between Shinso and Kei when it comes to the trade-off between the two; the other half of me wants to just feel bad for Shinso because I’ve been in his shoes plenty of times. The number of moments that I’ve had to (1) either exercise with my exercise-junkie family, who can do a lot more than me in push-ups and so on, or (2) stick along with them for a bike ride back when I had more free time meant I was trying to hold back groans and complaining as much as Shinso is doing right now. Like, gosh, Kei, I know you’re used to ninja-standards, but bring it down a little. =-= *speaking from experience being on both ends of the problem*
On a more positive note, this chapter certainly gives a lot of background and (possibly coincidental or not, I’m not sure) foreshadowing as to how Kei became a Jounin-sensei to the Dragonlings later on in CYB! I’ve been reviewing a lot of the earlier chapters for the sake of S&S research, so to get some extra idea on how Kei conducts herself when training others is kinda sweet. Though, then again, Tomoko and Shinso are two very different people. The way Kei is patient when correcting Shinso’s posture and her trolling him all the same, it is endearing.
Any last notes… Obito! Obito, I missed you! I know it’s only been a chapter or two, but hey, resident Uchiha who didn’t get corrupted by Madara, welcome back! It’s good to see you be an oblivious doof as always to Shinso’s thought process, and to finish a run like it was nothing… pfffft. That emoji was also really cute, since I have yet to actually figure out how to do those emojis. I’m just limited to smileys and things like =-= since I don’t know much else with my keyboard. Though, seeing Kei correct Shinso on Obito being her best friend and not her boyfriend is already having me giggle a bit inside, because we both know who’s getting that title in the next few in-story years. Hee hee. But at the same time, it’s good to see the characters in their teenage years again, because it’s only these times where sillier moments can happen, at least in my opinion. Adults can still be silly and dorky of course, I mean, my dad recently bought a drone to play around with, hah, but maybe I’m just too used to being serious almost all the time. Oh well. Friends say I’m easy to tease as a result of that, but eh. I ramble, and this is working as a review, I hope.
🙂 You did good on this so far, Lang. Nothing bad to note as always, and I enjoyed the read. Keep up the good work. I’ll make sure to rest as much as I can to give more rambles when necessary. *salutes*
I’ll see you at the next update for the next ramble!
It is hard to get in shape! If exercise was easy, it’d be a lot more simple to persuade kids to actually do it. Kei is just spoiled by her ninja upbringing, since she never really got a chance to be anything but a tiny warrior. Means gym class is a cinch, though.
Poor Shinso. He’s in hell now.
And Obito likes being able to help! And his presence let me obliquely point out that the ninja-verse characters are substantially more casual with each other than Kei is with anybody in Tokyo. Even her narration doesn’t ever call Shinso by his personal name, and she hasn’t changed “-san” to “-kun” or anything.
Cheloneuniverse 