#ask to tag...

red being a fujoshi does kind of explain his obsession with nick

Up until chp 192 my main reservation in redeeming Endeavor was my full expectation for Horikoshi to move in the direction of having his entire family forgive him immediately after the High End fight, which would have disappointed me for numerous reasons. Such an outcome would have 1. promoted the idea that the victim of exploitation MUST forgive their oppressor once the due apologies and re-compensation is paid and 2. suggested that the damage committed by an abuser can be forgiven, forgotten, and nullified once they have given a set amount of re-compensation,, in other words, that forgiveness can be earned through an appropriate amount of concrete action. This was what Endeavor appeared to be doing in wrestling High End, paying an eye for an eye in injuries for what he did to his wife and youngest son. So -- though I do recognize and appreciate Endeavor’s gradual improvement -- I was expecting (and dreading) the arc to end in a typical 'forgive & forget' reunification.   Which is why I was pleasantly surprised by 1. Shouto and Natsuo's denial of forgiveness, and 2. Endeavor's acknowledgement that his change in attitude and his deeds do not guarantee nor entitle him to said forgiveness. To me the Todoroki siblings' sentiments might mirror the conflicting sentiments within a victim when faced with the decision of reconciling with an abuser: Fuyumi's wish to overlook the past due to the desire for closure and stability (which is the viewpoint I feel is over-represented in general media and feared would have dominated here too) VS. Natsuo's (very valid) refusal of this because he desires remembrance & acknowledgement of their trauma VS. Shouto's synthesis of these two opposing forces (kinda), recognizing both Fuyumi's view that their father has changed and Natsuo's residual hurt & resentment. This leads to his decision to provisionally offer Endeavor a 2nd chance at recovering their parent-child relationship while still withholding his full trust & affection.  To me this portrayal of opposing reactions and its conclusion being a conditional acceptance avoids the easy and harmfully pressurizing trope that obliges victims to forgive and forget.   That's on the victim's end -- on the abuser's end, I'm quite relieved by Endeavor's sobering awareness that his atonement does not guarantee nor entitle him to forgiveness -- it is fully the victims' choice to bestow it. He doesn't continue his acts of atonement with the expectation of receiving a full pardon (what amount of reparations can possibly offset his past brutality?) -- he does it because he sees it as his moral obligation. This was a turning point in my personal view of him -- it gave me greater confidence that this character has transformed morally. DISCLAIMER: This is just my personal reading of the chapter's handling of abuser-victim dynamics and reconciliation ... I still have reservations re: the writer’s sensitivity of course (eg. I'm still utterly dumbfounded that Rei -- who was to me essentially bought as a baby-making commodity -- isn't calling a divorce lawyer as we speak... is it stockholm syndrome?!?) NEVERTHELESS I am cautiously appreciative that the outcome exceeded my expectations by subverting some harmful tropes.