Heteromorph Lives Matter [My Hero Academia 370]

Can Horikoshi address discrimination in a mature and respectable way without having the conclusion feel like a copout?

I doubt it. But don’t get me wrong. I WANT Horikoshi to get this right. Heteromorph discrimination in the My Hero world has popped up several times and every time it left me wanting more. From the racist group (Creature Rejection Clan) the League of Villains killed to Deku not directly addressing a mob trying to kill a heteromoph (Giant Fox Woman) simply because of her looks, I’ve wanted more scenes focused on this issue. Unfortunately, I’m let down almost every time.

Let me back up a bit. I loved the LoV fighting the Creature Rejection Clan, but looking back, it was a total copout. Horikoshi didn’t address the discrimination issue. It was simply used to show the League killing people the audience wouldn’t feel bad about dying.

And Deku… I will never get over the main character of My Hero Academia not giving those mob meatheads a verbal dressing down for assaulting someone based on their looks.

Koda. Shoji. We’re only now having heteromorph heroes address discrimination? Sure, Koda grew up in the city, so he probably didn’t experience that crap. But, Shoji? We’re waiting until the final arc for him to talk about it? For any hero to talk about this? When Giant Fox Woman mentioned getting turned away from a shelter based on her looks, where were the heroes’ reactions? We got nothing. Even a panel of Shoji looking sad or upset would’ve been something. It all comes down to my lack of faith in Horikoshi successfully addressing this issue.

So what happens now? Horikoshi has kept all his heroic characters from addressing this enormous problem in their society until this very moment. Is Shoji gonna Talk No Jutsu his way out of this mess? Is he just gonna spew some “Hey! I’m been there. But I’m sure things will work out because we want it to.” garbage? Society in My Hero Academia has to change. And not just with “hope” and “friendship”. There needs to be real societal movement in the right direction? How? I don’t know. But Horikoshi’s got one hell of a job trying to convey that in a way that doesn’t seem cheap.

This was a good chapter! I’ve got no problems where the story is going, just with how it may not be resolved in a satisfying way. Discrimination is a hard subject to get “right” in fiction, depending on the author. And I’m not sure someone who may not have firsthand experience can do it justice. Guess we’ll just have to see.

Oh! And All For One pumped Spinner full of quirks. He’s gonna die and become a martyr. Elton John’s already set to play Candle In The Wind (Spinner Edition) at his enviable funeral.