His tendency to cry, gush about his favorite heroes, and be vulnerable with others make him a positive role model for younger male viewers who are shown through Izuku’s personality and his own particular brand of determination that strong heroes can also display strong emotions – ones that are not just perceived as anger, frustration, or obsession, but rather a vast variety of feelings, all of which (from rage to sadness) are valid. Izuku is certainly a refreshingly sensitive and wholesome protagonist. There’s a balance to be reached in terms of shonen anime’s displaying of masculinity both Izuku and Bakugou are heroes, even if they deal with struggles in different ways. It’s important that young boys know how to handle their feelings, whether they tend to behave more vocally and aggressively as Bakugou (who learns to control himself through the course of the show) or they tend to let their vulnerabilities show like Izuku does (and he also works on not bursting into tears as often). The knowledge that there are different sorts of heroes (and they don’t all have to scream and blow things up to get stronger, or to prove strength) is essential when taking into consideration shonen anime’s target audience. Nonetheless, Izuku’s brand of bravery is no less masculine than Bakugou’s – it’s just less loud. The ability to feel as deeply as Izuku does and to be honest enough to display these sensitivities in front of others (while still kicking butt as a hero) is a trait rarely found not just in anime series, but also in general. Bakugou’s behavior makes others perceive him as villainous (something that various characters point out throughout the show), while Izuku, though seemingly soft upon first impression, usually walks away having earned the respect of others and the title of true hero. While this may seem to be a critique of toxic masculinity, it is important to remember that there are different types of masculinity. Izuku is the opposite of what a proud, vocal, and aggressive shonen protagonist can often be perceived as. They are very different characters, but they do mirror each other. However, the show chooses to highlight the worst qualities of Bakugou’s brand of toxicity and aggression with the purpose of contrasting these qualities with Izuku. In other words, any typical shonen anime would cast Bakugou as the protagonist instead of someone as sensitive as crybaby Izuku. Bakugou is vocal, aggressive, determined, smart, and physically imposing. The very existence of Bakugou is one of My Hero Academia’s best qualities. While Izuku is clearly the protagonist (he all but says as much during his narration of the first two episodes), he is an interesting choice. Other instances highlight Izuku’s almost too-good-for-this-world wholesome attitude by contrasting his behavior and actions with his character foil, Katsuki Bakugou ( Nobuhiko Okamoto). This, paired with his tendency to jump into action and protect people even though he has no power himself, makes Izuku incredibly likable. His passion (everything that has to do with superheroes) is often a point of admiration (and amusement) from the people around him. Izuku interacts with the world through wide-eyed wonder and gushes about his interests endlessly. This is shown from a comical angle by the running joke that Izuku cries often and wholeheartedly (the sudden, forceful fountain of tears shooting straight up into the air could easily be confused with an undiscovered superpower in and of itself). Izuku is, by nature and upbringing, an extremely sensitive person. The difference between your classic shonen protagonist and Izuku Midoriya lies in attitude. But My Hero Academia also retains the core elements of your typical shonen protagonist: a young boy who is passionate about his interests and almost scarily determined to become stronger, both physically and mentally. For instance, 2019 anime The Promised Neverland introduced the very first female shonen protagonist. Modern anime has begun to play with this type of protagonist in new and interesting ways.
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