Any favourite fics with Shouji?
Oooh boyyy.. See, the thing with Shouji is that there aren’t a lot of fics that feature him as the main character. And because he’s such an enshrouded individual, some writers who actually have him as the protagonist within their stories tend to portray his character in a way that’s deviated from what the original series delivers. So I have a hard time finding good fics about him that both abide by the original concepts, yet remain loyal to the writers’ own unique depictions, which are traits I look most often on. But good Shouji fics are worth all the hard searching. It saddens me on how some are underrated, as they didn’t seem to get much attention like hits or kudos (note that all my favorite fics with Shouji are from the site “Archive of Our Own”), so I’m really glad I could talk about this. Anyways, let’s cut to the chase, shall we? >ㅅ<9 Here are my 5 favorite Shouji-centric fics!
“Masks” by Aglo - This is a character study fic, the main topic of the story being quirk prejudice against heteromorphs. I really like how the fic displays discrimination in a realistic way, to the point where it mirrors the appearance-based prejudice that exist within our own world. The narration is in first person, so it vividly conveys a lot of Shouji’s inner voice and thought to the readers, plus hinting tangibly of his belief, motivation, and intention whilst pursuing the “hero’s path” within the society that stigmatizes him. The author does an excellent job implying within their story with references of Shouji’s character concept, such as the fact that he began wearing his mask after making a child cry with it and there being prejudice within his hometown (Fukuoka), plus referencing Horikoshi’s note beside a Shouji sketch stating that “a hero must not inspire fear”. The fic in general is quite critical on society’s prejudice and really shows well the perspective of heteromorphs on this issue, which is always a topic I love knowing more of. I read this whenever I want to further understand Shouji and find closer connection to him, as the fic really does well in making me sympathize with Shouji (perhaps even empathize), due to how the depiction of his character seem rather “realistic” and “human”.
“One Week in Kyushu” by ZeroUnitRGB - This is probably my first Shouji x Tokoyami fic, as is the reason why I ended up liking the ship. This fic has a slower pacing, the two characters slowly developing a bond throughout the course of seven chapters. The narration mainly focuses on Tokoyami’s perspective, but as the two get along, it opens up more on Shouji’s secrets. The build-up is really intriguing and the author does well one manipulating mood through the depiction of vivid tone that’re dependent on the characters’ feelings. As the fic focuses more on “emotion” than “action”, I like reading this whenever I want my attention to seep into the character-based story world, as I imagine the scenarios while reading.
“A Hero for a Villain” by ZeroUnitRGB - Another character study fic I enjoy reading. It’s one of the shorter ones (3000 words), but due to how short and straightforward it is through superb usage of literary devices, such as the stream of consciousness, I think I’ve read this most often before going to sleep. As I’ve mentioned before, I REALLY love the issue of mutant prejudice in association to the MHA world, as well as favoring the characters that have fallen victim to it. And this fic specifically shows the interaction between Shouji and Chimera, a villain from the movie “My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising”. Shouji and Chimera, two people who’ve suffered prejudice from society that ended up in different paths.. The poignancy of juxtaposing the two characters that’re alike yet different is something I always found favor of seeing. I have high appreciation for this fic because it’s one of the earliest stories I’ve read about in regard with the topic of quirk prejudice. It granted me a new perspective on Shouji’s character and his potential for growth as a hero.
“The Maiden and the Monster” by Luneth - It’s a “Beauty and the Beast AU” fic which handles a rare ship: Shouji x Shiozaki. The main concepts are derived from the Disney movie, but some are altered to match with the MHA characters that’re featured within the story. The concepts are interesting and the ideas are enchanting. Also, the author does a really good job displaying the characters in a way that’s loyal to the original series. The narration is really expressive, the dialogues are realistic, and the paralinguistic features that depict the traits of the characters are likely and accurate in the comical sense of MHA (I still wheeze at the concept of Iida being a roomba X’D). This fic is probably one of the more wholesome and adorable ones; I smile every time I reread them huehue...<3
“Wisdom Teeth” by Luneth - This is an extremely goofy fic looooool. So it’s basically a slice of life fic, where Shouji’s being all drowsy and clumsy after his wisdom teeth removal. What makes it even more hilarious is that two characters that take care of him are Iida and Tokoyami; their dramatic personalities being reflected through their reaction to Shouji makes it even better *lmbo*. The fic contains lots of humor within both the narration and dialogue, so I really enjoy reading this whenever I wanna feel lighthearted or entertained with cuteness >w<
And that’s it! Those are my 5 favorite fics with Shouji. Wow, uh.. seems like I got a little excited here;;; Props to you if you actually stuck around till the end loool Xd Hope this answers your question, Anon! (now will you excuse me, Imma head out and reread all these lovable fics from the start -w-)
