Shigaraki's Mall Scene is actually SUPER SAD!
I want to write some thoughts about Shigaraki's mall scene. It's always been a sad one to me.
The more you find out about what AFO did to him the more you realize that it's not the turning point he thinks it is; it's proof of his indoctrination.
When I first watched/read this scene, I always thought it was odd how Tomura shows up hating and wanting to kill All Might, and then somehow has a moment of clarity later…about the same thing?
Why would he be excited to find out that nothing has changed?
In the context of a cult though, it makes total sense.
the victim learns the doctrine and parrots it.
they are challeged by someone, and cognitive dissonance kicks in.
Tomura's cognitive dissonance moment was Stain.
Some cult victims go through "consolidation".
It's when the victim decides to take ownership of the cult's ideals as their /own/ in order to gain relief from challenge.
This is MY conclusion. These are MY thoughts and I've ALWAYS felt this way.
In reality, this wasn't some big revelation moment for Tomura. He consolidated AFO's indoctrination as his own.
That is a devastating step in AFO's favor, and that is why it is sad. Honestly I doubt Tomura had any other choice here but to consolidate for his own comfort.
And that's why mha379 is important. It's when Tomura breaks free from AFO's doctrine for good.
It's no longer about All Might or society, it's about That House. The thing that speaks to Tomura the most.
HIS thoughts and HIS hopes alone.
