I know I've commented on this enough, but! People comparing Alastor and Vox's career trajectories like radio and TV work the same are so confusing to me.
Yes, Alastor didn't need to kill anyone to get his position, but his position doesn't really change? He gets better numbers as he continues on, but there's not really a change seen like we see with Vox. Weatherman to talk-show host are just completely different positions, completely different types of scripts.
Acting like Alastor got everything on merit and Vox didn't makes no sense. He kills to get an opening, but Vox excels in every position we see him in. The show explicitly shows this. The fact that he's a control freak and wants to be the one to decide when and how he gets the position doesn't make him untalented?? I'm honestly so confused where this is even coming from other than people wanting to shit on Vox.
I was today years old when I realized Vox hosts his cult in an abandoned aquarium
I randomly noticed the fish and what looks to be an info plaque when watching Brighter and then I paused to look at the entire room and yeah dude is in an aquarium. What a nerd.
So Vox is my favorite character (ever since S1) and actually, to my understanding, my take on him is actually pretty polar opposite compared to what I've seen some people try to explain what makes him a likeable character, in the vein of "If you like Vox, you like him, but mainly you probably love to hate him".
So I wanted to try and put into words how and why I personally understand him to be likeable:
So to start, to me, at least, I actually love both how intelligent he is clearly shown to be and also how clear his flaws/weaknesses are.
And the way his strength/ambition and his biggest weakness really are rooted in the same core aspect of his person.
For starters, to me, I enjoy the season by rooting for him and the vees for how smart his execution of his plan is, and I enjoy him even more by also almost unapologetically letting myself root against the 'heroes', because of how honestly unprepared (sometimes almost 'incompetent' in a way, i guess...) they seem, be it in narratively justifiable ways or not, throughout the season (like, Charlie's spiral and the multiple instances of very avoidable damage she causes, the Angels showing up with gift baskets, the heroes' side's entire approach to the Genocide topic up until ep8, etc).
Like, I already liked him a lot from the little we got of him in season one, but this season I got to enjoy him for his charisma and his fun, yes, but also for how naturally it came to me to root for him and for his plan, since it was genuinely so well executed and well played.
When you see how well he had it figured out in his head by like ep5 "Silenced", during like Vox Populi and Vox Dei, at least to me, you can't help but go "Oh this is going exactly as it should, planned and executed perfectely, and they played right into his entire manipulation game even more. These unprepared Angels and Charlie honestly had it coming and it makes total sense that Vox came out on top of that sitiation".
Something else I also enjoyed a lot about him tho was the fact that besides all this well established competence and intelligence of his character, his weakness/falat flaw is still also set up really well, in a way that frustrates you just enough to see him clearly going down a way that'll ultimately be his downfall (flying too close to the sun, essentially). For all his intelligence and cunning and competence to pull everything off, wherever it concerns Alastor, Vox always falls for the bait. Always. And it's understandable why, it makes sense, considering the core of his character ("You were broken from the start, no victory will ever be enough").
And so that fatally flawed aspect/weakness of his character being consistently shown to us alongside his cunning and his actual thriving throughout the season is what makes him feel like such a well developped and deeper character to me.
You see him have reasons to win, that you can honestlly admire for how well planned and executed they are, but you also have all the puzzle pieces throughout the season to know what would be his fatal mistake(s), his undoing at his own hands, because it's something that's rooted in the core of his character, something that directly explains his motivations but also explains why he's so weak to his weakness: His hunger for power is actually really a desperate need for validation, especially and specifically Alastor's. It's what motivates him to strive for greatness and his doomed hubris at the same time. So interesting.
guys are we all collectively forgetting that not only did Alastor put both his hands on Charlie’s shoulders he also like. Slapped Vaggie’s ass?
I just rewatched the pilot and oh yeah he also you know . Touch’s husks and angels shoulder without asking which husk shows some very honest discomfort with
look im not trying to start any fights but to say Vox deserved to be reprimanded should also coincide with the statement that Alastor is a hypocrite and also a…. Creep…..
The narrative that many have in mind in which Alastor is a perfect and justified victim is just . not fair lol
everytime I see a "Iruka is weak cus he only got one big shuriken to the back and dipped!!" I get physically ill.
he had a kunai to the back of the head, two in his thighs and a GIANT MEGA SHURIKEN TO THE SPINE . AND HE PULLED IT OUT. AND KEPT GOING. AND WALKED IT LIKENIT WAS NOTHING.
the fact that they changed it in the anime makes me so ill. bro was not a chunin for nothing bro was BUILT you just didn't see it.
Beacause every time I say I'm a sn shipper they keep saying that 'They're reincarnation brothers' or 'They have a brother bond' or 'kishimoto based them of him and his brother' what do you think?
The question of whether Naruto and Sasuke are "really brothers" touches on a aspect of the pseudo-incest trope prevalent in East Asian storytelling. When fans invoke the "brotherly bond" argument against romantic interpretations, they're actually identifying a well-established literary device that often serves as the foundation for romantic narratives rather than precluding them
Consider the numerous Shoujo romances where the main character develops romantic feelings for a sibling or guardian like figure. In Vampire Knight, both sibling and romantic feelings co-exist between Yuki and Kaname. Special A Class, Full Moon o Sagashite, Bunny Drop ( a particularly egregious example ) , Cherry Juice, Marmalade Boy : Each centers on step-sibling or guardian figures whose bonds, though initially framed as familial, develop into romance.
Pseudo-incest narratives explore romantic relationships between individuals who occupy familial positions but are not blood-related. The prevalence of this trope stems from Confucian family structures that emphasize hierarchical relationships, with narratives exploring what happens when these rigid lines are blurred by emotional attachment.
The sexualization of brotherly terms like "oppa" (Korean), "gege" (Chinese), and "oni-chan" (Japanese) in romantic contexts demonstrates how familial language becomes eroticized in East Asian media. These terms invoke the psychological comfort of being cared for by an older brother-like figure, which then transforms into romantic attraction.
This is one of the scenes that is used as an example of Naruto and Sasuke sharing a 'brother bond'
" I imagine... maybe that's what it's like to have a brother "
This statement is not incidental. For Naruto, an orphan lacking biological kin, Sasuke occupies the symbolic role of family. Sasuke’s departure produces visceral grief precisely because he embodies one of the only semblances of familial intimacy Naruto has ever known. Many would argue that Naruto does not know what having a brother feels like, which is true, but this only reinforces the projection: Naruto imposes the category of brotherhood onto Sasuke as a means of filling a void.
This does not imply incestuous desire. Rather, it follows the usage of the surrogate-brother-as-love-object trope. The framework allows the narrative to heighten emotional intimacy, stage betrayal in familial terms, and later transform the bond into something that transcends brotherhood. The conclusion of Part I derives its pathos from this construction: Sasuke, in choosing to leave, enacts loss upon Naruto. He experiences the collapse of his family, his most important bond shattered. By the end, however, this "brotherhood" ceases to define the relationship, which in turn makes space for the bond to be reinterpreted in more personal terms.
The Indra-Ashura reincarnation element serves multiple narrative purposes. By situating Naruto and Sasuke as chakra reincarnations of mythic brothers, Kishimoto simultaneously reinforces the motif of brotherhood and undermines it, since the characters ultimately reject their predetermined roles. This dual purpose situates them in a narrative of eternal conflict while also emphasizing their defiance of fate. In this sense, “brotherhood” functions not as a literal familial category, but as a narrative mechanism binding them, two halves of a whole.
Kishimoto’s broader body of work reveals his fascination with pseudo-incestuous dynamics. For instance, In Samurai 8, Ann explicitly compares her romantic interest, Hachimaru, to her brother and even projects him onto Hachimaru.
This demonstrates the same narrative device: the slippage between familial roles and romantic attachment. Thus, Naruto and Sasuke’s relationship should not be dismissed as uniquely ambiguous; rather, it is consistent with Kishimoto’s larger thematic interests.
Finally, regarding the oft-repeated claim that Kishimoto modeled Naruto and Sasuke on his own relationship with his brother, Kishimoto explains what he drew upon was the emotional resonance of shared suffering. He explicitly referred to the way friendship and by extension, bonds such as Naruto and Sasuke’s, resembled the mutual recognition of pain he experienced with his brother. He did not mean to equate Naruto and Sasuke's relationship to literal siblings, but to emphasize the intensity of empathy and shared struggle.
In conclusion, Naruto and Sasuke are not “brothers” in a straightforward sense. Instead, their bond is constructed through the aforementioned trope, where familial terminology and structures are invoked to intensify emotional resonance. Their relationship is deliberately framed in ways that echo traditions of conflating familial intimacy with romantic possibility.
One of the My Hero Academia OC's I've made. Original design on the left. Current design on the right. The first one I did on my phone and I drew the second in my sketchbook.
The leaves are supposed to be from a Poplar Tree, and the flowers are poppies. Most of the time, when I see fanart of greek gods, they're always super toned and slim. So, I made him chubbier. I know you can't really tell because of his robe.
Y'all mind if I talk about Present Mic's quirk for a second? Great.
So, my partner and I have been having Erasermic brainrot lately, and while we were binging content with them, I became interested in Hizashi's voice quirk. I began searching stuff about how sound/volume works, and linking it to his canon stuff.
I'll just say, the info I found makes him a pretty scary guy. It's a shame he's so underused in both canon and fanon.
Frequency
First of all, I want to talk about something everyone knows about him: his quirk is potent enough to shatter glass. Now, when it comes to decibels, it's always important to consider the time and distance a certain note is held for, since these can impact the "hit" a certain sound wave can have when influenced by effects such as the air or vibrations.
(Please keep this in mind for the reminder of this post)
When it comes to glass, however, it breaks almost instantly under the pressure of his voice. Our most constant example of this is the man's poor lenses, but there is a scene I'd like to talk about the most, it being he one where he completely shatters Shigaraki's tank.
One might argue that the glass was already weakened from Mirko's kicks, but that's honestly part of something that makes this so impressive to me; Mirko's legs are strong enough to straight-up rip a high-end Nomu's head clean off, yet this tank was tough enough to withstand two attacks from her - including her ultimate move - before starting to leak; and the fact she was heavily injured doesn't fly here, as we very clearly could see she wasn't holding back one bit.
Now, let's get technical.
According to Google, a normal tone of voice would be around 50 decibels, while the required to shatter glass would be a minimum of 105. For comparison, that's roughly the same volume as a jackhammer. Now, you might be thinking, "Oh, that's not so bad! Some singers can do that!" and you'd be right, but there's also some other things to consider. Allow me to explain.
Some singers can reach a pitch that can make glass vibrate enough for it to break, but I've personally only heard of this happening if the person has their mouth close to a smaller, empty cup, and even then the volume would be distributed around. Hizashi, on the other hand, was standing several feet away from this reinforced tank and was able to shatter it immediately, using the directional speaker around his neck to aim the volume. This would naturally require for him to hit even higher decibels, specially when you take into consideration that one's frequency must match the glass' for it to vibrate, which drastically increases when it's dampened. (Read next topic for more info on this)
And then there's his glasses which, like I've stated before, are the most common thing he breaks with his voice. Obviously, this is not directed and it's not a total shatter, but there is something to be observed; say, did you know the necessary volume for lenses to crack, when not being directly aimed at, would be that of a nearby shot from a highcaliber gun? That's roughly 140-170 decibels.
Harm factor
Boy, oh boy! I'm betting most of you were looking for this part when you clicked the read more, right? Look no further, I've got you covered, you just better remember what I mentioned before about distance and duration.
Hizashi's parents were unfortunate enough to have a mutant child that was born with his quirk already active, and I'm willing to bet a newborn doesn't have the slightest bit of control over a power as destructive as a sonic-powered voice, which immediately resulted in everyone in the room bleeding from the ears.
Sound-related ear bleeding is most commonly associated with a ruptured eardrum, which can happen at around 150 decibels and is about the same as a jet engine taking off. While a baby most likely unleashed his maximum voice power on the first breath, I believe something like that would, thankfully, only develop fully after puberty, just like with non-powered people like us, since his quirk is a drastic intensification of a common function and not a new ability altogether.
With that being said... The Finals Exam.
In this, Hizashi was standing very far and, even with the directional speakers, there were many obstacles in the way that kept him from landing direct soundwaves on the students. Regardless, Jirou's ears bled in less than 30 minutes being exposed to this.
This could have happened due to the fact that she has a hearing quirk, which would make hers much more sensitive, but let's study this, shall we? We don't have the exacts of what happened there, but the students are visibly uncomfortable upon the first soundwave, which would suggest it was at about 120 decibels upon impact (with 85 already being enough to cause damage to your ears) and being emitted even higher by him, considering distance muffles volume. Still, I think all that would be nothing compared to the scream he let out after those bugs started crawling on him, with how unfiltered that was.
With Jirou, it comes to no surprise this volume at this distance and time almost rendered her deaf, and realistically would take several months of healing time. How much do you want to bet Hizashi got a solid scolding from Shouta? I mean, it was supposed to be a challenge, but homeboy came this close to breaking her quirk.
Another thing I want to point out is that his voice is powerful enough to actually fucking launch people, and this only happens due to an event called acoustic trauma, basically meaning Hizashi can surpass supersonic levels. Although, it's important to note that this effect is caused mostly due to pressure and not so much as sound, so while it's not freakishly loud (about the same as thunder), it can still cause hearing and psychological damage.
! WARNING !
The following part contains graphic mentions of injury, and death. Do not proceed if these are sensitive topics for you.
Now, we look at the disturbing side of Hizashi's quirk. Buckle in, because it's a wild ride.
Remember what I commented earlier, about him having to hit even higher frequencies to be able to shatter Shigaraki's tank? First of all, as the doctor was sent flying, this qualifies as supersonic, but that's not all. To shatter such a protected tank, with liquid inside increasing the density, he'd have to hit over 200 decibels; which is considered extremely dangerous and most definitely fatal, as the threshold of pain is of 115-140 - this can cause damage such as crushed ear bones, ruptured lungs, or embolism. For comparison, this would come close to standing right next to a Saturn V Moon Rocket during launch, and is no longer considered a "sound" due to the vacuum.
With that being said, the man came very close to dying by Hizashi's hands (voice?) twice. Not only was he so close during the lens incident, literally being inches away from his face and in risk of getting his eardrums ruptured already, but if Mic had decided to raise his voice even more during his rage, it'd be possible for the frequency to make the doctor's inner organs malfunction, or straight-up burst from the pressure.
But that's not the worst part.
After establishing that the lethal amount of over 200 decibels would be necessary to shatter the tank given the circumstances, if he exceeded 240 and the doctor happened to be in the way of this, it would be enough to cause his head to explode upon impact. That old man better be grateful that he was standing a feet few away, and that the supersonic blast blew him away a bit more, or it'd be an immediate game over.
With all this being said, how devastating would it be for this guy to scream his rage out?
(Please keep in mind that many of the extreme cases in this are actually impossible to happen in a real-life scenario and are purely speculation!)
Run Sweet Like Oil - This is my contribution to the @harringrovezine inspired by Sergio Cupido's artwork "Romeo and Juliet". Happy to post it here now, too. :]
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