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Natsuo Todoroki hasn't changed
Since he was introduced, I have always considered Natsuo troublesome for his family. He doesn't respect Rei and Fuyumi's choices to forgive Enji. He spreads the false rumours that Toya said to him as a kid. Despite Enji already atoning, Natsuo gets aggressive with him, stressing out the whole family and preventing them from healing.
As the manga reached its finale, I hoped that Natsuo would realise he was going down a dangerous path and apologise for his mistakes. However, this turned out not to be the case. Natsuo hasn't changed and is set to turn out like his father, if not worse.
When it comes to stopping Toya, the Todoroki family is inconsistent with their choices. At first, the family's civilians remained safe, and the heroes were allowed to do their jobs. Otherwise, they could get into legal trouble for vigilantism. It doesn't matter how personal the stakes are. Additionally, Shoto could focus on his fight with Dabi and not worry about his loved ones.
Natsuo fulfils his promise at first, remaining in the shelter and keeping his sister safe.
It was reckless enough when Rei got involved in Toya's fight. Then, Natsuo and Fuyumi had to disobey their mother. Three civilians had stuck their noses in hero work. Luckily, it all ended well in the end.
Who knows, this plan change could be better in the long term. They are in the middle of a war, and sometimes, you can't wait for legal permission. The ice users have no hero training but could negotiate as the criminal's family. Natsuo claims he is the closest to Toya, so he must step up the most here.
For a brief moment, Natsuo seems he is on the right track. He remembers the night when Toya called the women "useless", and he refused to refute it. He enabled Toya for too long and now Natsuo must take responsibility.
Instead, he unhelpfully insults Toya. Where is Natsuo admitting his own guilt? Where is his meaningful speech? He hardly tries for the brother he claimed to be close to and enabled.
This is why non-professionals getting involved was a bad idea. He could have angered Toya further and made everything more dangerous.
After this brief line to Toya, Natsuo gives up on negotiating. Instead, he focuses on using his untrained quirk and trying to overpower Toya. This could have been disastrous.
When Shoto finally defeats Toya, Natsuo makes his loyalties known. He doesn't rush to check on Toya, who is likely dead. Instead, he keeps his distance. Natsuo is simply flunking his duties.
Natsuo doesn't even acknowledge or thank Shoto for saving everyone. It is Fuyumi who speaks up.
Despite having his thoughts, Natsuo doesn't say any of them aloud. He completely ignores his villainous brother dying on the ground and the complicated history that led to this point.
Enji's apologies revealed the bitter truth about Natsuo. He had it the easiest out of the entire Todoroki family. Enji and Shoto have put their lives countless times on the line to save them. Rei has spent ten years in a mental hospital. Fuyumi had to do the housework and keep the family together from a young age.
Meanwhile, Natsuo can fulfil his dreams at college, get a girlfriend and barely phone home. It is time for him to do his fair share and do some emotional labour. He can ease the load of his loved ones. However, he selfishly makes them do all the heavy lifting.
Even after his 16-year-old brother faints, Natsuo doesn't move to check on him. Toya is one thing, but Shoto is the most innocent one of all.
Even at the lowest possible point, Natsuo can't help but insult Enji: "Mom and Fuyumi had enough heat for one day." He indirectly throws shade on Shoto as well, just because he has a fire quirk.
Worst of all, Natsuo demands that Enji continue fighting despite losing his arm and having third-degree burns. Ignoring the family aspect momentarily, Natsuo is incredibly ungrateful as a civilian towards a serving hero.
After the war, the Todoroki family visit Toya in the hospital. Despite his brother dying and everyone being scarred, Natsuo just coldly stares. Rei and Fuyumi pipe up, but the thirdborn thinks he can ignore the past.
Worst of all, Natsuo decides to make it all about him and suddenly announces he is disowning Enji. Is he going to abandon his mother to look after his wheelchair-bound father? Will he ignore all the effort that Enji has put into atoning?
A child unnecessarily disowning their parent will leave an emotional scar on their very soul.
Has Natsuo reflected on everyone's part in the family's dysfunctionality? Does he not understand how sociopathic Toya was as a child and responsible for his parents' poor mental health? He remembers that Toya called the women "useless", but he doesn't acknowledge all the other horrible things Toya did.
Will Natsuo be a hypocrite and not disown the relatives who sold off his mother?
Despite Natsuo's stinging words at Enji, he gives him emotional whiplash by praising him. Deep down, Natsuo knows Enji deserves better, and he wants a connection with his father. However, he is overtaken by childish stubbornness and pettyness. Natsuo is the only person preventing Fuyumi's dream of their family being complete and he is denying her that. He is holding everyone back. He is a coward and ungrateful.
I'm seriously convinced that Natsuo will continue the cycle of abuse. He is already making the same mistake of marrying at the young age of twenty.
I'm wondering what Natsuo's girlfriend feels about this. Why did she agree to never meet her father-in-law? Why did she agree to a non-ceremonial wedding? Did she agree that her future children would never know their grandfather? She looks like she has a shy personality, and I wonder if Natsuo likes to take advantage of that. Is he controlling towards her?
What will his attitude be towards his future children? What if they become curious about their family history? What if they have fire quirks? What if they look exactly like Enji?
I fear that Natsuo will become like Kotaro Shimura, Shigaraki's father. If this happens, the ice user would be worse than Enji. Endeavour lost his father at a young age and didn't have a good example for his own parenting. Meanwhile, Natsuo has a long history to learn from. Multiple loved ones are reaching out to him and begging him to heal. Natsuo should know better, yet he chooses to fester on his grudges and potentially carry on the abusive cycle.
Natsuo already has a fierce temper and a habit of hitting things. How long before it turns from objects to real people?
The world is a Florapunk, where all things technological are replaced with plant life. Explore the daily life of this world’s equivalent of a hacker.
Imagine being a kid born in this day and age, growing up a bit and then while playing in the playground with other kids (or whatever kids will do in x amount of years) just going like “oh yeah, my mom got cancelled on YouTube/ TikTok ten years ago, I saw the video” as a way of bonding and finding things in common with others
Trying to live by this question. I want my answer to be a completely genuine 100% YES!
i think “video games aren’t really the violent child-corrupting threat some parents worry they are” and “certain circles of gamer culture are incredibly toxic and can lead people down dangerous/hateful ideological rabbit holes” are ideas that can absolutely coexist
hold this thought because I still don't fully get it but maybe bullying and humiliating someone actually is more likely to teach them pride and maybe the only way to teach someone true humility is through building them up idk
you know what i think. i think women are starved for meaningful art and that’s why they get into witchcraft/wicca/tarot/etc. I stay as far away as possible from that stuff now, but I have to recognize that it is visually attractive. it has a history. it has a metaphysical meaning that tells a story. where else in our culture can we find that? we may see some in certain movies and video games, but those are inherently escapist; the art contained within them is not something we live out in our day-to-day.
I also think there is art in nature and our technological age is so cut off from nature, whereas witchcraft/wicca is very nature-based. it is the same sort of reaction to modernism the romanticists had, but much more nefarious. that’s why pre-Raphaelite art looks Like That. and it’s why the witch aesthetic borrows so heavily from pre-Raphaelite art. this is why Christianity must reclaim the arts and a high view of nature. in this essay i will —
You know, Kilgharrah never prophesied that everyone would return for the reuniting of Albion, just Merlin and Arthur. So there's technically no guarantee that Lancelot, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Gwen, Elyan, etc. will come back, too.
NHL PROSPECTS ON CAMPUS | NHL Productions x Hockey East
I feel like Lockwood is the type of person to make dad jokes.
Terry Pratchett, you goddamn genius wordsmith. The world is poorer for your absence.
Just a little something I came up with while reading my scriptures today.
thanks for @saspas-corner for being my personal adviser in designing it 🧡☝🏼
