endhawksenjoyer

See below

MHA hot takes day. I have Enji thoughts. This is reminiscent of my ramble on ‘Katsuki faces consequences’ sentiment.

To believe that the league can be redeemed if they survived the war, but Enji needs worse or to die is a bit curious. Can one genuinely say the league, who fought to commit mass casualties and plenty have done so, are any better than Enji who was an abusive father and husband? Who, while it never absolves his abuse, fought to save everyone he could?

I think part of it is the aspect of his abuse depicted as more ‘realistic’, which hits harder than fictional death and murder via superpowers. I understand it from a reader’s perspective. But when placing judgement on characters and if they deserve consequences, you have to consider their crimes in-universe too, adjacent to other characters. I just find it strangely… ironic? Some people believe in the league’s redemption via spending time in reform, meanwhile wishing worse consequences onto characters like Enji (or even Katsuki). Because the villains are more sympathetic, we’re victims too. But also, they are criminals and perpetrators and almost all killers. You cannot say they are morally better.

I think Enji dying also undermines the point of the Todoroki family arc, which explores themes of how victims respond to abuse and handle it, as well as his own character growth. If he dies, no one gets a choice anymore, and I sincerely think it would be worse on the family and their complicated unresolved grief for him to die, than for Enji to become a better person in his own right and atone in every way he can for the rest of his life. The whole point is not everyone responds to abuse the same, and to say no one should have forgiven Enji is to take away their agency and choice as the victims. It’s why Fuyumi’s decision is equally as valid as Natsuo’s, and Dabi’s is painted through the lens of both the consequences of Enji’s actions, and how when hate consumes you to where you’ll hurt innocent people just to hurt who you hate most, it has to be stopped.

Enji already got hit pretty damn hard in terms of consequences. Lost an arm. Limited mobility. Had to essentially kill his son alongside the rest of his family. Live with the consequences of his actions physically and mentally forever. His abuse exposed for the public to pass judgement. And he himself genuinely, truly felt remorse for his actions and tried to atone in the way best for his family, not just himself.

To think he should have been judged harsher, hated more, I wonder what would be enough? And is it genuinely in terms of characterization, or what one wished would happen for their own contentment? This mostly applies to those who think no one should have forgiven him, or people who think Hawks should have hated Enji, a surface level read of his character negates and why he supports Enji to the bitter end.

I’m not saying anyone has to decide to forgive Enji. Or even like him as a person. Or that it’s bad to dislike him. Or that his abuse is at all excusable or not uniquely triggering compared to the league’s actions. That isn’t the point at all. I’m simply talking how, the call for his death or torture always baffled me when compared to the crimes of the villains. And I’ll always love me a morally complex character with a good ass growth arc.

even him? 😢