#grape analysis

I've seen a lot of people confused on Mineta's grape stem, since it wasn't formally addressed. Even Mineta's wiki page doesn't mention any of the uses. So I'll address them here.

Latest episode. I was unsure if those ropes were regular ropes Momo created or Mineta's grape stem. I leaned way more towards Mineta's stem because he wasn't wearing it after Machia escaped the defenses. The anime seems to confirm that it is, in fact, Mineta's stem.

Here are some other instances the grape stem is utilized:

Super Move: Mineta Beads

Provisional License Exam

Joint Training Arc

Villain Hunt - Mineta Beads: Ten Fold

So ever since I found this Mineta meta by cosmix (HIGHLY recommend to check out), an interesting comparison has been made between a chivalrous character like Kiri and of course, the perverted gremlin Mineta.

Kir1//shima and Mineta are both complete opposites of each other. Their goals are different with Kir1//shima's goal to selflessly protect others (which is noble) and Mineta's self-centered goal of wanting to be popular with girls. Their appearance with Kiri having more spikes/pointiness and Mineta having a more round, circle appearance. Mineta has higher grades than Kiri. Fighting styles are difference with Kiri's being more straightforward and Mineta relying on support and traps. They even have certain views of what manliness means to them with Kir1//shima taking a more positive, uplifting view and Mineta with the more misogynist and incel views. They are, in a way, foil characters. However, despite the many differences both characters have, they both still share interesting similarities.

I have rediscovered the Mineta and Kir1//shima a few months later. It seems like it isn't just a coincidence that Mineta and Kiri share similar dialogues in both the USJ incident and Kiri's backstory, which are both their origins for their development.

Kir1//shima in middle school and Mineta at USJ were at first too scared to act in the face of danger. Kiri wanted to help but froze when Machia was scarring the girls, and Mineta was crying for the pros to save them in USJ instead of taking action like Midoriya did. Mineta and Kiri also look up to heroes that are both regarded as reckless and would put themselves on the line to save others. They view both heroes as "cool" and think "how can I be a hero like him."

Another unique thing about Mineta and Kiri is that both characters in the Villain Hunt arc were the only ones to tell Izuku that his power is not what made him special, but rather his actions that make him heroic. This connects with the idea that a good hero should simply take action to do what is right, and they do not need a flashy power to do so.

These parallels are a reason why Horikoshi PURPOSEFULLY put both characters together to fight the gas mask guy in the Machia containment area. They ARE thematically connected to the idea that a hero should take action even while being scared. I hope Hori will address this connection some day.

When people think of Minoru Mineta, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that he is a pervert that preys on the girls. He groped Tsuyu, attempted to peep in the girls locker room, tricked the girls in cheerleader outfits, tried to peep at naked girls in the hot springs, creepily talks about a female reporter's breasts, the infamous Eri scene, and purposefully slammed into Mina's breasts while trying to protect her from twin impact. His own motivation for being a hero revolves around wanting to be popular with girls and wanting to get laid. Due to his behavior, Mineta is very unpopular both in-universe and within the fandom. His gross behavior stands out more to the audience, and his other traits do not stand out as much.

However, there IS some hope with Mineta's character. After Joint Training ended, we do not see him attempt to touch or to peep at the girls. Horikoshi is putting more emphasis on Mineta's relationship with Midoriya and his arc about moving while being scared. Mineta was supportive of Midoriya's progress with blackwhip. He was worried about the heroes doing the right thing against Machia. In the Villain Hunt arc, Mineta declares his admiration towards Midoriya stems from him taking action despite being scared and not his power. Like the other classmates, Mineta was shocked when Aoyama was revealed to be the traitor. His latest gags don't involve a girl being victimized. Instead, it's much more humorous with Mineta wanting free time to tell lewd stories, copying Todoroki's handsome looks, or even being a censor for Iida.

What's with this sudden change? Is Horikoshi finally taking Mineta’s character more seriously? One could argue that since the current events have a much more serious tone, there’s it’s an inappropriate time to sprinkle these “jokes.” However, there may be another explanation for such a change.

Right after the Joint Training arc, both Class A and B come together. As punishment for his behavior during the match, Mineta is strapped to a chair and forced to watch something as Mina crosses her arms. This is the last time we ever see any of Mineta's shineanigans. My theory is that the clockwork orange that Mina used on Mineta is actually supposed to represent Mineta's role transitioning from a simply annoying pervert to a better role of being a more supportive teammate and friend, especially towards Midoriya.

Horikoshi has used gag scenes to give some importance to the story before. One example is Bakugou being chained on a podium. As a result of such treatment, the villains saw someone who they could recruit as one of them which led to the kidnapping. Another example is Aoyama's fourth wall breaks and "sparkling" effects which were a cry for help and to make the audience notice him as the traitor. There's also "jokes" about mutant characters' appearance such as when Sero called Shoji an octopus, and Mineta sexualizes him based off of his quirk; however, this is supposed to show the problem of quirk discrimination that many mutant quirk users face in hero society.