Hancock [staring At Sole]: They Could Fix Me.

Yes please write more about Mic and Aizawa being foils to one another! I enjoy reading your in-depth posts!

OH BOY

okay, let’s talk a little about foil character in writing. foil characters are characters who commonly display opposite traits to another character they are closely tied with. it’s a common misconception that foil characters are always the rival to the character they foil and that they have to be opposite in every way–neither of these are true. it’s actually fairly common for a foil character to be set up as the character’s best friend and contrast only the traits the author wants to highlight in that character. i like talking about foil characters a lot because i feel as though they are very good in narratives when written correctly. 

like i said in that one ask, mic and aizawa read like foils to each other to me. or more, mic is a foil to aizawa, since aizawa is far more of a main character than he is. 

let’s start here–there was a post going around about how hizashi and aizawa’s hero names are pretty much opposites of each other, with erasing something being the opposite of presenting something and a headphone being the opposite of a microphone. that’s a good place to start, because those names are:

1. something that defines them, their careers, an who they are as people

2. fundamental to their relationship and their interconnectedness as characters, given that mic gave aizawa the hero name that he’s kept for 15 years and counting and the name that he operates his entire career under. mic essentially gave him part of his identity, and the name itself is pretty much the opposite of mic’s.

going a bit further, aizawa is characterized as not caring about appearances, introverted, and relying far more on technique than words when fighting/acting. mic is the opposite in every way, with his characterization being primarily very extroverted, obviously putting care in his appearance (i will never forgive him for That Hair), spending most of his career in the public eye, and literally using words to speak. mic is characterized as a person who pretty much never stops talking, while aizawa is much quieter and seems to pick and choose more when to speak. similarly, mic is much more visible about his emotions, whereas i think aizawa would rather die than admit he actually has feelings. mic is always moving, whereas aizawa relies a lot on stealth and being still. mic has neverending energy, aizawa can often be seen in the background asleep or just generally very lethargic. i could go on, but you get the point here for the most part. 

also, their designs are opposite of each other, too. i realize that both mic and aizawa wear all black, but you cannot tell me that the thing that sticks out with mic’s design isn’t his hair. it is literally the first thing people notice. the fucking cockatoo hair. and it’s bright fucking yellow. the closest to the opposite of black you can get without going for white. because of this, people assign bright yellow and bright colors as mic’s coloring, whereas with aizawa, everything is just black. dude literally does not wear any color (unless you count his goggles, in which case, bright yellow. literally the same color as mic.). going a step forward, mic obviously puts care into his appearance and has that weird 80′s aesthetic where all he wears is tight leather. meanwhile, we have aizawa, who wears a baggy enough jumpsuit that he could probably just wear a garbage bag instead and no one would be able to tell the difference. mic, who seems to meticulously care for his appearance, if that hair and weird mustache says anything, and aizawa, who looks like he hasn’t had a haircut or seen a razor in 14 years.

then we get to the whole style thing. mic lives his life in the spotlight. dude is a radio (and also television, maybe?) star who is well known, the head of a department, and a well-known pro hero. aizawa, on the other hand, very specifically stays out of the spotlight and works in the underground and acts like he is in actual, physical pain every time he has to talk to the press. with their fighting styles, aizawa is far more passive and would be categorized as either a support or a defense hero, since his quirk is purely non-physical. his gimmick is stealth. however, mic is completely offensive. even in the final exams, mic didn’t even chase the kids down. he literally just stood at the entrance and screamed, while aizawa has to get the drop on his opponents to attack them and usually has to be the first to attack.

speaking of quirks, i made a post a while ago about this, but mic’s quirk absolutely does not have many counters. the best thing mic has to a counter is aizawa’s erasure. mic is insanely powerful and knows how to control his quirk and would’ve easily won the final exam battle had it not been for his fear of bugs. i mean, when aizawa got hurt at usj, he easily leveled a bunch of villains with a single attack. countering mic’s quirk is very hard since he has so much control over it, and really the only counter he has in canon is aizawa right now. which, is pretty significant when you consider that these two are pretty interconnected. 

so yeah, i do really think mic is a foil to aizawa. mic usually doesn’t show up by himself in the manga or the anime–aizawa is usually somewhere to be found either directly or indirectly in the scenes he’s in. mic is used to highlight a lot of aizawa’s quiet nature, especially since these are the first two veteran teachers we see in the series–aizawa, who’s quiet and strict, and mic, who’s loud and pretty friendly. i think mic is set up to be his foil and i hope their relationship is expanded upon more in the future, since i personally think it’s one that’s important to aizawa’s character.

kazuichi soda! except uhhhhh he’s dressed like this mechanic girl from final fantasy

KISSES!! (Part 1)

Redraw of one of those kiss memes that were on deviant art back in the day. I drew THE ORIGINAL back in 2017. Yeah, this pairing has been around for 8+ years, OUGH. I’m happy to give it attention again and flesh them out, now that my art and writing have improved (writing still needs work but hey, baby steps).

I really wanted to update this and wow, the difference in style, THE IMPROVEMENT?? ;;;;;;;;

Hope you all like it too!

Just two bros sharing advice and a smoke … . thats all!

Sole: So there's this... guy that I like. Hancock: A guy, huh? That's a little vague. You wanna describe him to me? Sole: Well... he wears a coat and a funny little hat. Hancock: Oh, does he now? Sole: Yeah. He's got these really interesting eyes, scarred up face, bald... Hancock: *Flirting* Oh yeah? Tell me more. Valentine: *Walks towards them* Sole: Oh, and here he comes now! Hi, Nicky! Hancock: Hehe. Hey Nick. WAIT, NICK!?

I love how we say "PROTECT THIS CHARACTER AT ALL COSTS" and then we go and hurt them like they have never been hurt before

🙊 not ready for THAT confession

Oops.

In Defense of Mondo Owada

Please be warned. The following rant/review contains heavy spoilers for case 2 of Trigger Happy Havoc. If you have not reached that point in your gameplay, please click away now.

This is a bit more of a rant/matter of opinions than a formal character analysis, but I still encourage readers to voice their disagreements.

Enjoy the little artwork I made to pass the time :)

Case 2 of Trigger Happy Havoc remains among one of the most controversial class trials ever conducted in the danganronpa series. Not for the quality of the trial itself or the death of a major character, but because the victim, Chihiro Fujisaki, was revealed to have been assigned male at birth and lived his life as a woman in order to avoid harassment and torment over his supposed weakness. His killer, Mondo Owada, accepted his fate and did his best to keep Chihiro's secret, even in death. Until relatively recently, Mondo was rarely acknowledged outside of Ishimondo and butter jokes, but as of late, I noticed that his character has been on the receiving end of quite a bit of backlash. Viewers are quick to label Mondo as "transphobic" for his behavior in chapter 2, if not, bash him for killing Chihiro because they felt as if Chihiro deserved a better fate. Furthermore, I noticed an increasing amount of individuals pitting Chihiro (and by extension, his fans) against Mondo (and by extension, his fans) often praising Chihiro for his courage, but demonizing Mondo for his behaviors.

As someone who adores both Mondo and Chihiro, I would like to refute the various accusations in regards to Mondo's character.

Point 1: Transphobia

One of the most common accusations I have seen levied at Mondo are claims that his murder of Chihiro was a hate crime of some sort. At surface value, this holds some water, as Mondo did technically kill Chihiro after revealing that he was a man who wanted to become stronger.

However, this claim is easily refuted in the trial itself. Mondo, in his confession, admitted that he did not remember killing Chihiro, but rather the moments leading up to it and the moments following the murder. This brief stint of amnesia is known as a blackout.

When a person becomes overwhelmed, particularly in instances of traumatic events, post traumatic stressors, or extreme anxiety, the mind often "protects" the individual by "blocking out" memories of the specific incident. An individual in a vehicular accident may not remember the impact itself, but is more likely to retain memories of the moments leading up to and following it.

Mondo did not necessarily kill Chihiro because he was a man, but rather because the revelation (by his own admission) reminded him of his own weaknesses, triggering memories of his brother's passing. Monokuma had already held this over Mondo's head,

Furthermore, it is strongly implied (if not outright stated) that had it not been for the killing games, Mondo's reaction to Chihiro's would have been wildly different. In the Ultimate Talent Development Plan, it is revealed that Mondo is aware of Chihiro's secret, and is currently training him so that he can become stronger. While Mondo is still somewhat envious of Chihiro's courage, he clearly admires Chihiro, and wishes to gain the same strength.

Point 2: Mondo's Remorse

In Trigger Happy Havoc, the killers were generally portrayed as cold, short-sighted, and unwilling to face the repercussions of their actions. In most trials, the Blackened has a minigame of some sort (Bullet Time Battle in THH). Mondo, however, confessed to his crime midway through the trial. Kiyotaka Ishimaru, left in a state of shock and disbelief, tried to prove the Blackened's innocence, even going as far as to vote for himself instead of Mondo. So why is it that the characters in the game (and by extension, the writers) portray Mondo as if he killed in cold blood when evidence in the trial itself contradicts this?

Mondo made it very clear that he was not conscious during Chihiro's murder. He was one of only four killers to confess to his crime amidst the trial. Mondo was also one of two killers who had no intention of killing their victim. Yet, the characters in the trial say otherwise. While this is expected of a character like Byakuya Togami or Monokuma, what makes Mondo's case stand out is the fact that Makoto Naegi, the protagonist, makes no effort to refute it, as he normally would.

The protagonist serves as a vessel between fiction and reality. In Danganronpa, the protagonist often acts as an audience surrogate, and possibly a "stand-in" for the general consensus. While later protagonists were far more distinct in personality and backstory, Makoto arguably played the role of an audience surrogate the best out of any protagonist in the series. He, for the most part, acted in good faith, and rarely allowed his personal biases to deter any decision. He felt sympathy for almost all of the killers, and grew enraged when Monokuma made a game of their lives and deaths.

Why is it that Makoto, who is clearly meant to portray justice, correctness, and mercy, essentially agreeing that Mondo is weak, killed in cold blood, and killed Daiya.

While Makoto negates Chihiro's fears (albeit after death), he affirms Mondo's fears in the moments immediately preceding his execution. He refers to Mondo as "cold blooded" after hearing his confession

Firstly, I find it very strange that Makoto says this as Mondo expresses remorse for his role in Chihiro's passing, with a clear look of schock and regret on his face. Additionally Mondo clearly states that he was not conscious at the time of Chihiro's murder. Secondly, Mondo, alongside his status as one of four killers who confessed and one of two killers that had no intention of committing murder, Mondo was the only killer in the franchise that at least tried to dignify his victim after death. Clearly feeling remorse, he placed Chihiro's body in the girl's locker room, and destroyed his e-handbook so that he wouldn't have his secret revealed against his will, seeing as it was made very clear that Chihiro wanted to reveal his secret on his own terms.

It was Byakuya who witnessed the incident, took no action, and crucified Chihiro's corpse after Mondo had placed him in the Girl's Locker Room. While I appreciate Byakuya's role as an antagonist, I find it hypocritical that fans are willing to label Mondo (alongside his fans) as transphobic, but rarely discuss Byakuya's part in all of this. While I recognize that Byakuya was clearly meant to be an unsympathetic character, one could argue that Mondo was also meant to be portrayed in an unsympathetic manner as well, seeing as damn near the entire class (including the player) agrees that he caused his brother's death, and refuse to acknowledge Mondo's remorse and struggles. If we as an audience are meant to see Mondo as a man who killed in cold blood because he was too "weak" to face his struggles, then why does the trial itself contradict this information? Why does everyone seem to agree that Mondo killed Daiya when it was made very clear that Daiya's choice to sacrifice his life for Mondo was made on his own volition? And why do the writers make an utter joke of his death after an incredibly emotional trial?

Point 3: Signs of a Trauma Disorder

As a person with mannerisms somewhat similar to Mondo's (ex: intense feelings of guilt/shame, survivor's guilt, hypervigilance), I firmly believe that Mondo suffers from a trauma disorder of some sort. It was stated that Daiya was Mondo's only family at the time of death, and based on context clues (mentioned in a previous post), it's highly likely that Mondo was raised in an abusive, or at the very least, unstable household. While Daiya had made the choice to sacrifice himself, Mondo evidently felt as if he was fully responsible for Daiya's passing, and that he needed to stay "strong." While he's very clearly in a state of mourning, he does his best to conceal it from the people closest to him, such as Taka, Takemichi, and his classmates/gang. Mondo carries with him a deep sense of shame, and almost lives as if any sort of "weakness" is disrespectful to Daiya's memory. Furthermore, Mondo is said to black out in moments of extreme stress, and describes what is clearly a moment of extreme anxiety during the trial. While this most certainly does not *excuse* his actions, I think it's important to consider that Mondo not only struggled, but did so alone. He truly believed that he needed to face this alone, and that he didn't deserve help, support, or mercy of any kind, which may explain why he was quick to turn himself in.

My Personal Thoughts

As a person who appreciated and related to Mondo's struggles, I was somewhat upset to see that the fans were quick to dismiss his character. While you are entitled to like or dislike Mondo (or any character) for whatever reasons you see fit, I noticed an influx of outright misinformation circulating about Mondo's character. It doesn't feel fair that this fandom seems quick to defend characters who commit morally ambiguous deeds, such as Byakuya Togami, Nagito Komaeda, and Kokichi Ouma (all of which fall into an archetype of some sort) but refuse to acknowledge characters who are also morally questionable (though on a far smaller scale), but don't fall into the same archetype as the aforementioned three. While it's impossible to achieve true impartiality, one should at least attempt to put their personal biases aside when making accusations such as these, and even going as far as to claim that his fans somehow support toxic behavior.

TL;DR I don't think Mondo is anywhere near as bad as the fandom portrays him, and I'm tired of seeing the blatant circulation of misinformation surrounding his character.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

Day 6: Last wish

I could've choose something easier but my dumb ass decided to make an animatic. It's not as good as I wanted but I just don't wanna work on it anymore. So sorry for all the imperfections!

The text:

...

"It's so fucking funny that yall mourn the killers much more that the victims. Actually the only victims someone cared about were Angie and Tenko. But even they mattered only for Himiko. And you've gone along with it just 'cause nobody cared about Kiyo. But yall were oh so upset about Kaede, Kirumi and Gonta! Much more than about the ones they killed! Nobody gave a shit about Rantaro, Ryoma or Miu. And you know what? You know what?! Nobody would give a shit about me!"

"That's not true-"

"Not true?! You wanna bet?"

"What are you-"

"Let's make a deal, Kaito! If they hate me and blame me for killing you, I win. If they're upset about me and actually give a shit, you win. If I'm wrong you can do whatever you want. You can tell them about everything that happened here, or lie about it and make up some heroic story. You can safely assume that I admitted that I was wrong about everything, and you were always right.

But! If I'm right you're gonna have to agree with them. Say you hate me. Spit on my grave. Not tell them about anything other than what you're asked about. And admit that I was right."

"I'm not gonna do that!"

"That is my final wish. My will. That shit have to mean something to you, hero."

"...Why are you so obsessed with always being right?"

...