Tag: Aizawa

Eri’s First Smile and a New Home

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Having overcome so many challenges in her life, like accidentally rewinding her father’s existence by an uncontrolled quirk, abandonment by her mother, grandpa in a coma, and abuse at the hands of her guardian, it was heartwarming to see Eri so happy, finally! Eri’s first smile was at the UA High School Festival during class 1A’s performance. Check out the festival episode, as well as the rest of Season Four of My Hero Academia, on Hulu!

Before the Festival, Mirio Togata gave Eri a tour of the UA campus. For some reason folks thought Eri was Mirio’s daughter. Also Mirio tried to pull a prank that didn’t quite go the way he wanted. But his reaction to Deku ruining it was funny.

Eri now has wonderful mentors and role models like Aizawa, Mirio, and the rest of UA. She even has a new home with a new family! And look at that smile!

Katsucon 2020

Yesterday was my first time attending Katsucon, held at the Gaylord in National Harbor. I didn’t dress as a character, but I did wear an Aizawa shirt with a giant red heart (also it was Valentine’s Day). Someone told me in the Merchant Hall Aizawa would never do that! (I could see it as him capturing someone else’s heart, like Ms. Joke’s, but I could see how the guy thought it was Aizawa, himself, presenting his own heart lol). A girl can dream!

Redbubble

I’ve attended several conventions and by far Katsucon’s line for pre-registration was the worst. Maybe there were tons more attendees than they expected this year. The registration line was basically nonexistent, so everyone who waited until last minute, definitely had a leg up on the rest of us in the terms of waiting time (not sure how much they paid for entry). I stood in line for about an hour. And this isn’t to knock the volunteers, they were all very helpful, patient, and friendly (especially the fellow who helped me find the Merchant Hall), but I do think it would be beneficial for future events if they can either have more laptops to check folks in or allocate more volunteers to that task, at least for the earlier part of the day. That’s the only difference I can think of, as I compare it to the other events I have gone to. The other events just had more folks to check attendees in and they had clearly marked signs so you knew where to go. Katsucon did not have the giant signs directing people or the big map print outs. They did have maps in their guidebook. If you’re crap at reading maps, which I am, it is helpful having signs. The other hiccup I noticed, but I don’t know how you’d fix this, is intersecting lines. So the line for pre-registration (people who paid ahead of time for entry but needing to pick up their badges), stretched almost the entire length of the first floor. While everyone in line was respectful of other people’s space, at least near me thankfully, I noticed later when I was looking for the Merchant Hall that their entrance was near the pre-registration line. This caused a giant mass of people to accumulate with everyone totally confused. The volunteer there tried her very best to make herself heard, but with the ginormous group of people, it was difficult to sort out who was supposed to go where. This made me very glad I had gotten my badge in the morning! An hour in line was enough, an hour in line, plus confused people messing up that line would’ve been trying for anyone’s patience.

That’s the almost non-existent line for registration, versus the pre-registration line. When I took this photo I was towards the front of the line, but the pre-registration line stretched all the way back into the hallway and the length of the first floor.

The Merchant Hall had so many things! I got a cool hat to wear to my Burn Bootcamp workouts. And some Aggretsuko items for my friend. In case I cosplay as Ms. Joke again, I grabbed a plush Aizawa. I am excited about this All Might pin for my gym bag. My sister got me into Princess Jellyfish so I had to scoop up that dvd. I started feeling light-headed (definitely should’ve eaten something since I went straight from a Reiki session to the con) and felt claustrophobic, so I didn’t tour the entire Merchant Hall, but I’m sure there were lots of cool items at other vendor booths. But my sanity and wallet appreciated my early departure!

The Breakfast Club!
I stared at this bag for a very long time, upon realizing it wasn’t practical for the office, I slowly sadly walked away. I only looked back once…or twice…

I saw great cosplays, but my two favorites were a home made Baby Yoda and Muriel from Courage the Cowardly Dog. I love how happy and excited people are to show off their handiwork, and to display their passion, and support for their favorite characters! Love seeing families in cosplay together and fans of various ages! (I may take some classes at Joanne’s, because I am not skilled when it comes to making things. Just to give you a glimpse; during middle school, in sewing class, we were supposed to make gym bags. And I was stuck at a sewing machine in the dark trying to make my project while the rest of the class watched Flubber because they finished on time). When you think about the aspects of a character that makes them appealing to you, it’s fascinating to see others dressed up and to wonder what appeals to them. It could be as simple as liking an anime character and wanting the challenge of creating and conceptualizing that in real life. Or seeing how a character never lost hope, stayed true to his vision despite the doubts of others, displayed heroic attributes, and trained heard to achieve his goal and wanting to emulate that in your own life (any Deku fans? I know I am!).

She crocheted Courage! She did a phenomenal job!
For some reason my photo of Baby Yoda came out like this, but when I checked it after the photo it looked good ughhhh but he did an amazing job on his costume!

Line and crowds aside, which people can expect at most cons anyways, I enjoyed the event! There was an even a Funimation room when you could just relax, watch anime, and get comfy with pillows. National Harbor is beautiful, with great restaurants, and the Gaylord and surrounding area is beautiful (also a great venue if you’re into cosplay photo shoots). Katsucon had other events too, like this healthy lifestyle panel I wanted to attend but missed while in line. Maybe next time!

https://guidebook.com/g/katsu2020/#/session/25288451
I did watch a few Dagon Ball episodes with my brother. The episode where Piccolo and Goku take their driver’s exam made me laugh.

Even my Lyft driver was an anime fan. He recommended I check out Colorful and FLCL. And of course I made him take a card to check out my blog! Lol hi and thanks for the ride!

If you’re in the area, check out Katsucon. Sunday may be the better day if you’d like to avoid some of the crowd (hence my reason for going on Friday, not a bad way to spend Valentine’s Day!).

Blend S! Funny with a bit of romance!
Tada Never Falls in Love, is one of my favorites! Romance, whimsical music, plus that cat!
I really want to see How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?
Love is War! Romance and Humor! Yeeeeeessssss!
A little treat for the way home! The cashier was incredibly friendly and had great recommendations. If I find myself at National Harbor again, I would drop by for sure. What a tasty treat! And good customer service. They were playing anisongs too!

Bright Future (Post 2 of 2)

“Smile; a society without cheer and humor will not have a bright future” – Sir Nighteye

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Pro Hero, Sir Nighteye, was All Might’s sidekick for a number of years. He looked up to All Might as a mentor, but also cared for him as a friend. Sir took being a hero seriously, but also appreciated humor. He was overly cautious, likely due to his quirk Foresight. He’d send chills down people’s spines due to his stern piercing gaze. Thanks to an introduction by Mirio (that All Might helped facilitate), he took Deku for the work studies program. Sir really agreed to it because he wanted to show Deku that Mirio was the better candidate to be All Might’s successor. While on patrol with Mirio, Deku runs into Eri and Chisaki. Deku wanted to save Eri, because she’s clearly frightened and does not want to go with Chisaki (Overhaul). For wanting to save her Nighteye chided him (although later they all wondered if it would’ve been better to save her then). Sir did not think Deku was useless, but he definitely gave him a hard time.

Having been a sidekick to All Might for years, there is history between them. Sir Nighteye saw with his Foresight, that All Might would die a gruesome death at the hand of a villain, and he wanted him to find a suitable heir and retire. At that point in time, Sir’s Foresight had never been incorrect, so there wasn’t a precedent for the future being any different. They also disagreed with who should succeed him as the Symbol of Peace.

Not knowing the history behind them, Deku wanted to work with Sir Nighteye. All Might doesn’t feel comfortable introducing them, plus he was against first year students doing work studies. But he does introduce him to Mirio who is currently working with Sir. All Might reflects upon the idea, presented a while back by the UA Principal and Sir, for him to pass his quirk, One for All, to Mirio (before he ran into Deku trying to save Bakugo from Sludge).

This episode really illustrates the meaningful relationships between mentors and those they inspire. Some of the relationships that came to mind as I considered this were All Might inspiring Sir Nighteye, Deku, Bakugo, and countless others, Mirio mentoring Deku at work studies, Aizawa inspiring his students, Sir Nighteye as a mentor to Mirio, Bubble Girl, and Deku, and Nana Shimura and Gran Torino helping train Toshinori Yagi (All Might). There are countless people in the world inspired by the actions, personality, quirks, skills, traits, and outlook of others, not just in the world of My Hero Academia and anime land, but all around us. You likely inspire people by being your true, authentic self, in your daily life, even doing what you consider mundane things.

As Deku works with Sir Nighteye at his agency, alongside Mirio and Bubble Girl, we gradually feel Sir warming up towards him. He is hard on Deku, but since he doesn’t see him as useless, he must see his potential. He is appreciative that Deku showed him the future can be changed.

In the episode, Infinite 100%, we see Sir dejected. He is mortally wounded and the future he sees, shows Deku dying. He doesn’t see a point to the pro heroes and students, especially injured, risking more to fight. As the crew on the podcast Popped Off (@popped_off) pointed out this seems unusual for a hero. But given that Sir’s Foreight has never been wrong, there isn’t a precedent for him to think it can change, so his outlook is understandable. Thankfully, the future is different than he envisioned. Overhaul is defeated and Eri is saved. Sir Nighteye received his wish, through Deku, and the energy and efforts of those helping. But now, in the episode Bright Future, Sir Nighteye (not All Might), has been mortally wounded due to a villain.

Cue my uncontrollable crying and sobbing, which only got worse as the episode progressed….watching on Hulu if you want to cry with me…

New Opening and Ending for MHA in Episode “Smoldering Flames”

We got a new opening and ending, with music of course, for My Hero Academia! It was a total shift in tone. The opening felt bright and uplifting, with moments of reflection for Bakugo, Todorki, and Endeavor. Looks like we have a festival to look forward to! Aizawa has a little coat, is that for Eri??? And the ending scene had old photos of some of our favorite heroes (and some villains) at festivals. Let me know if I missed anyone or if I had any incorrect names. I’m watching on Hulu!

All Might!
Of course Deku has All Might’s Funko Pop! Ha!
Love the image of everyone’s reflection on their day and current events, as they’re getting ready to sleep…because isn’t that what we all do?
The villains look happy and dare I say, not corrupted? What happens to people and characters that put them on a dark path? Is it a major incident? Is it life circumstance? One small thing leads to another? Negative influences? Lack of morals? Survival tactics? Etc? At one point they were just having fun with friends at a festival. I do want to know who is in these photos, like that little girl in the door frame by Shigaraki.
Family photos….there was one image of a burned photo in the ending credits, I wonder what happened there…what was the photo of? Check out Todoroki in his little hat!

Bright Future (Post 1 of 2)

“Smile; a society without cheer and humor will not have a bright future” – Sir Nighteye

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Thank goodness for Aizawa and his quirk! If it wasn’t for his subtle finger motion to Froppy (or as Amajiki cutely called her, “Miss Ribbit”), and her lifting Aizawa’s head, Eri’s quirk may’ve caused irreversible damage to Deku. During Deku’s fight with Chisaki, Eri’s quirk was the only thing allowing him to fight at 100%. But being able to control her quirk, is something Eri still needs to learn (similar to Deku’s hurdle when he first used One for All). Eri develops a fever after the fight and is later quarantined in the hospital. Since Aizawa is the only one able to stop Eri if her quirk gets out of control, keeping her quarantined will let them assess the situation, and hopefully be able to work with her as she learns to regulate her quirk safely.

Did you catch Uraraka using her skills from her internship to capture Chisaki as he was flying midair? She did a great job of staying grounded and focusing on the mission, even in the moments of chaos. Although she was premature in thinking that everything was over, as Amajiki was right to question.

The aftermath of Chisaki’s fight with Deku, and the battle with the heroes, has taken a toll. It leaves little time to celebrate since several of the heroes have been injured. And one mortally wounded.

There would’ve been more damage and injury during Deku’s battle with Chisaki, but Deku was very mindful of the environment he was battling in, so the damage was minor. This reminded me of his earlier interaction with Sir Nighteye, when he was trying to grab the stamp from his hand. Deku was unable to get the stamp, but he did impress Sir by avoiding any damage to his All Might collector items.

Meanwhile, Shigaraki and the League of Villains are causing mayhem on the highway. What an ominous scene of the three of them walking. I’ll write a proper post on one hero’s ultimate sacrifice shortly. I’m watching on Hulu. Check it out if you haven’t already!

Problem Child

I love Aizawa. He’s such a great teacher and mentor.

LOL aww Kirishima

Anime USA

This was my first time attending Anime USA, described on their website as ” a three-day convention celebrating Japanese animation, art, culture, history, and fashion.” It was held at Washington Marriott Wardman Park . If you’re local, and still want to attend, you can! I went yesterday, but it continues today, and Sunday. Since D.C. is having a parade to celebrate the Nats winning the World Series, it may be hectic getting to the event, so metro may be your best option.

I was on the fence attending this event. I know the volunteers worked hard on organizing the event, but it didn’t have anything that I was excited about, and it’s a smaller event than Otakon. But it’s worth checking out their site and seeing if there’s anything that piques your interest. I stumbled across a Groupon and that’s how I decided to attend last minute.

Marriott Wardman Park is a lovely place. With the autumn leaves, it was picturesque. I wish I had gotten an outside photo for you. And the staff was so sweet, especially the lady helping clean up the area near the market cafe. Later I saw an employee on a ladder, supported by other colleagues, trying to reach with a broom for a giant 30th birthday balloon that had flown out of someone’s hand and was lodged near the entrance. There was a collective sigh of relief, and one happy guest, when the balloon was safely retrieved.

Upon entering the hotel, from the main entrance, you first head down the escalators and then the registration table to pick up your badge. There’s an Anime USA merchandise table (previous year shirts were on sale for only $5.00!) and the Dealers Room where you can check out a few vendors. That level also has the Artist Alley and Game Room. Perhaps I missed seeing a booth, but I only noticed one vendor selling anime dvds (I bought xxxHolic). There are three animes I always keep my eyes open for (Elegant Yokai Apartment Life, Poco’s Udon World, and Kodocha Seasons 3 & 4), but alas, I did not find them at this event. The vendor said they may be unavailable in the states, so that’s a bummer (the search continues!). I saw an All Might shirt I liked and one vendor booth and two keychains, but otherwise nothing caught my eye.

On the main level, there were workshops, panels, and special guests. You could also make crafts. It’s worth checking out, if any of the events appeal to you. The was a Host Club and Maid Cafe on the main level (right above the entrance to the Dealer’s Room). I did not go, but the folks who did looked like they were having a great time. I just grabbed a bite from the market cafe.

I am glad I attended this year’s Anime USA so I could see what it was like. If you’re in the area, it’s worth considering. Personally, I enjoyed Otakon more because I had more of a vendor selection, so given an option between the two I would attend the other. I am going to Anime NYC later this month, and will let you know how it goes. I’ll be doing my first cosplay. Well kind of. I’ll explain later. For Anime USA, I just wore an Aizawa shirt (but I did get a compliment from someone while in line for registration!).

Redbubble

Looks like My Hero Academia was delayed a week. Ah well. Look forward to that next weekend!

Meat Buns (The Scoop on UA Class 1A)

Season 4’s opening for My Hero Academia has a different feel to it. As a character we sense that Deku is stepping into his own power and fully embracing One for All (just not at 100% yet lol). He’s further along on his path to becoming the next Symbol of Peace, and he, along with his classmates, are working diligently to become heroes capable of saving people with a smile.

Anyone who knows me IRL, knows I detest projecting false images, or pretending to be different than you are (because ideally everyone should be their true selves and feel their own feelings without a mask), but after hearing All Might and Deku in an earlier season discuss how a hero smiling (especially All Might) puts people at ease and feel at peace, I get it. Hence the reason he says, “It’s fine now. Why? Because I am here!”

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Like the previous seasons of My Hero Academia, the first episode was a brief overview and synopsis of Deku, All Might, and UA from the first three seasons. It hit the major points, and even gave a nod towards the film, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. I thought they used a clever tactic by presenting the summary as background to the media, Juko News, trying to get an All Might article. With his retirement, there’s general unease, and an All Might article with new insight would be profitable.

In walks reporter Taneo Tokuda.

He has a hunch that “You’re Next!”(as declared by All Might after his final battle against All for One) wasn’t a threat to other villains, but actually a shout out to his successor that it was his time to carry the torch. Taneo is not alone in picking up on this, last season Bakugo and Deku both knew All Might was speaking to someone in particular, not to the villains. Which reminds of the line “give me my one chance to grab the torch and properly hold it” from the remix from My Shot (Rise Up Remix) from the Hamilton Mix Tape line courtesy of Busta Rhymes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TCVAl8j218

But back to My Hero Academia! Under a false pretense Taneo comes to UA to interview the students. After scolding Mineta for his usual perviness, their homeroom teacher Aizawa, has the students meet the reporter who is there to supposedly write an article about their happy dorm life (more like Taneo invited himself in before Aizawa was ready to introduce him but eh).

Are you doling out punishment Aizawa?! The line starts after me, ahem.

Perceptive as usual, Aizawa can tell something is up with the reporter.

Keeping up the charade, Taneo observes the UA students, and is with them as they have breakfast, and live their usual lives. Some students love it (especially those with sparkle who have laser belts), but others hate it.

Taneo has always gotten good stories due to his instincts and he suspects All Might has a successor, and that individual is in class 1A. For obvious reasons he does not think it’s Bakugo (see image above).

Meanwhile, All Might is returning from a doctor’s appointment and stops at a shop for food and finds out he has a fan club!

Since All Might’s fight with All for One was televised, the public knows his true form so the privacy he once had is no longer a thing. But he seems to be handling it well. And so far the public has been positive in their response and appreciative of his hard work as the Symbol of Peace.

Now that All Might has all the meat buns, he brings them to Deku to share with his classmates.

Good thing there aren’t any pesky reporters hanging around to catch moments that weren’t meant for the public…

“You’re Next!”

Sir, I can neither confirm nor deny that.

Taneo’s dad was saved by All Might!

I really want some meat buns now…

This is my first time watching an anime episode “live”, I usually prefer watching shows a season at a time, at my leisure (perhaps “my bingeing” would be more appropriate). But MHA is one of my favorites, so I may stay current instead of waiting for the end.

I was very impressed with Hulu, they had the first episode of season four available early this morning. I look forward to watching the rest on their site. I tried watching on VRV, since I can watch all of Crunchyroll’s shows on there, but the episode might be exclusive to their Crunchyroll platform? I was unable to watch on VRV (at least this morning).

While this post did include some spoilers, I hope you’ll watch the entire episode to learn more about the article that’s posted by Juko News and enjoy the other moments from the first episode. Looks like the next episode will have the UA students doing work studies and learning more about the new villain Overhaul.