Why I liked Hawks from the Start (and not as a simp)
I want to be clear that I have been a Hawks fan from the beginning. Not a simp, especially since at the time I first watched MHA I still wasn't used to anime style, so he looked ugly to me (sorry Hawks, I have seen the light now. I mean, who doesn't like fried chicken? Yo eyebrows are still crazy tho. I forget about them and then see 'em and it physically hurts.) And there was no English dub yet, so no smooth voice that everyone loved so much. It was his character and role he played in that episode that intrigued me.
His introduction as youngest debuted top ten hero ever and made it to No. 2, immediately showcasing his awareness of public opinion when he took control of the crowd at the hero award ceremony. It showed a level of awareness that is odd for a so-called cocky young hero.
Then we see his interaction with Endeavor, the whole 'I see myself as your producer', and his fake smile as he speaks his concealed truth of a wish for freedom. (Specifically, not just freedom as in i can do whatever I want, but as in nothing bad is happening and he doesn't have to get involved. He doesnt have to suffer for doing the right thing. Because of course he'll get involved if something bad is happening. (A bit of a tangent, but its important to me)(we dont know this much about him yet, but it was implied, so im including it, or at least, this was my impression then)).
For someone who calls himself lazy, he's oddly efficient and hardworking. Someone too fast for his own good. (Also, saying he want to have a world with no villains, with no need for him to work on patrol and calls it being lazy. It makes me think of Cale Henituse, saying he wants to be slacker and everyone thinking it odd and a little funny. Then finding out its bc he's so weary from his hard life that he just wants to rest.)(tbc, I had not found TCF yet, so i hadn't the same link between them, but i had the same impression, which is what made me very sober when Cale first revealed he just wanted to be a slacker for the rest of his life.)
The fight is what sealed the deal for me. His willingness to involve himself when he's a speed based hero with the kind of quirk that lets him work from a distance, the complexity and implied hardwork towards controlling said quirk, and his intellect. Saving ppl, managing the situation, and also giving Endeavor the perfect time to shine in place of All Might's defeat? I was impressed.
Mind you, he's not some mastermind, controlling the whole ordeal like a man with a God complex. The man's fast, planning and reacting. He predicted, and adapted. That reveals a certain kind of person, someone smart and aware. And not using it to climb the ranks, but help someone else. That intrigued me. (It reminded me a bit of Gilderoy Lockhart-- odious man-- for his awareness and ability to capitalize on a situation. As awful as Lockhart was, he did successfully build a career off of awareness, public management, charm, cunning, and adaptability. Unlike Gilderoy, we see Hawks do this for other people. And not through lies(mostly, i have to double-check, but Hawks actually rarely lies outright if at all.), but by making openings for them to do it themselves without manipulating them into it (at least in this instance).
And then, finally, there's the reveal of Hawks and Dabi interacting (the theories were so fun and insane then! What a time to be alive). I was already intrigued, and had latched onto him a little, like ohh, this one knows things and is trying to help without being put in the spotlight for it unless he wants to. But now, it goes even further, bc what is this? What new tidbit is here? And dabi was a mystery then too, and with the addition of his speech and vendetta against Endeavor, we have two people who have an active interest in Endeavor's capability and worth as a hero in the public, someone who has just replaced no. 1 and been challenged and pushed in different ways by these ppl.
I could go on more, tell you different things like how I genuinely thought his outfit was so ugly and weird, and that his choice of wording made my brain spin in so many directions trying to figure out where he'll take the plot, but this is already a long post. I do want to say that I dont ship him with anyone; initially bc, again, thought he was ugly and weird, but then bc it didn't fit his story really. I think he could find someone, but with everything implied later on, I wouldn't be surprised if its something he just never pursues for the rest of his life. There are other ways to fulfill yourself, although a career is not the answer to that, hopefully with his role revealed at the end of the series its not a lifelong job. Please retire and have a happy life Hawks 🙏
Still a Hawks fan BTW. I'm glad he caught my interest early on, I got to watch this character unfold and see him keep going in the face of everything that happened and hold on to hope.
Not someone to reduce to being either 'hot' or 'victim'. This is someone who suffered and loved despite that. With strength. Tried again. That's the kind of Hawks fan I am.
