Boku no Hero Academia

[Ryllharu]

And yet you didn't notice the series subverting many of the shonen formula tropes?

Foremost this episode being the assertion that a hero that hurts themselves overdoing it is completely worthless. Most shonen series will make such an action the pinnacle of heroics as some form of noble sacrifice. This one states unequivocally that if the hero themselves has to be rescued, they're better off simply not being in the field in the first place.

Kacchan is also one of those "rival" characters who comes off definitely more as a villain than he does as a hero, but overall, his motives seem pretty pure aside from wanting to be the center of attention. He hasn't been beating up Deku the way he used to ever since Deku saved him. I'd be pretty interested where it goes from here. How else can someone like him get ZERO rescue points, yell "DIE!" when he uses his powers, but not actively bully Deku? Something doesn't quite add up here.

[neflight86]

And yet you didn't notice the series subverting many of the shonen formula tropes?

Foremost this episode being the assertion that a hero that hurts themselves overdoing it is completely worthless. Most shonen series will make such an action the pinnacle of heroics as some form of noble sacrifice. This one states unequivocally that if the hero themselves has to be rescued, they're better off simply not being in the field in the first place.

I would disagree with you here. Firstly, the series does not unequivocally suggest that 'heroic sacrifice' leading to a exacerbated need to rescue is worse than inaction. Eraserhead does. In the second episode, All Might praised Deku for trying to save Kacchan from a quirk user (slime) he had no hope to defeat. There was no way he could expect to get out of there without great harm to himself, yet good somehow came from it. Silly or not, that line of thinking (moved before I could think about it) worked out.

What Eraserhead is saying is that fully disabling yourself every time you use your quirk because you can't control it is unsustainable as a professional crime fighter. I think his delivery is a bit 'school of hard knocks', and merely sounds like he is Jaded against underdog overachievers.

Deku never planned to destroy himself after each attack (his image training shows this), but Eraserhead has no way of knowing this. Not knowing the circumstances, he sees a boy unable to control his quirk that will not make an effective Hero unless something changes. It would be irresponsible to certify him as a hero (or waste school resources fixing this fundamental problem) to the same degree All might said it would be irresponsible to tell him he could be a hero without power.

In short, I strongly believe the shounen 'noble sacrifice' trope to be in full effect in this show, even if sensei Eraserhead won't tolerate Deku requiring noble sacrifice for every little thing he does.

But we're on the same side here. I think we both enjoy the show.