#on the side note: the manga is catching up to webcomic chapters | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-nysh · 6 years

Text

The Will to Power

A comprehensive theory of the core concepts within opm, and its relevance towards future character development. Here it is: a breakdown of the explanations provided within canon, connected through consistent character examples, and applying that towards how Genos can grow stronger too. Aka: formally presenting the long-awaited GENOS POWER THEORY.

Disclaimer: subject to revisions as more gets revealed within canon. Contains lore combining both manga and webcomic spoilers.

Words: ~5500

The often overlooked, yet most vital component

As of the manga’s chapter 92, we now have two explanations for the pathways of power within the world of opm. From Dr. Genus’ explanation of his genetic research and the mechanism of limiters, to Psykos’ experimental method of monsterfication…both sides have spent ages and countless sacrifices attempting to find the secret to greater power, to ‘break through the limit of growth,’ but one of the most vital components they’ve always failed to account for was the individual’s inherent willpower.

Which is the inner, mental drive that compels one to keep going, the tenacity to stand up again and fight for one’s convictions, despite all other hellish external factors endured. The ability to consistently survive the absolute worst and then miraculously overcome what would otherwise become fatal. Both scientists can experiment to induce change indefinitely by forcing outward pressures upon their specimens all they want. But if the individual never had the drive or mental fortitude to endure the stresses to being with, the will to change for themselves (to truly desire it at their cores), or if they end up losing the will to live by giving up partway during the torturous process, then of course they will always fail, either by succumbing to compromised mediocrity or merciless death on the path towards greater power.

The exemplary outlier

Saitama will always remain the original successful exception. So far, he’s the only example of one who’s achieved limitless power (successfully broken through his limiter) through the merits of his own willpower. He persevered through an uncompromising training regimen, personally tailored to his own skill level (a personal hell scaled to his ‘ordinary’ limits; aka it would not be enough for those with higher potential), all for the sake of a simple, yet dedicated goal that aligned with the core values of who he truly wanted to become. An undefeatable, strongest hero with the ability to win in one punch. Yes, he had the focused (will)power to change and improve himself, to keep pushing himself with the intent and effort to achieve what he wanted without ever giving up, no matter how hard it got, and it was strong enough to break past his average body’s given limitations. That achievement is miraculous, remarkable and praiseworthy.

The important key distinction is that Saitama is NOT a monster. Dr. Genus explained why: monsters are those who have fully forsaken their humanity and succumbed to their base complexes, so they are transformed/mutated/reborn into another being with a whole new limiter. Saitama has retained his original self and his humanity, but at the cost of his baldness and the growing feelings of alienation and boredom apart from all others who don’t sit at the same pinnacle as him. (With the extra meta layer on whether or not it was even worth it to burn that much effort into achieving the pinnacle of his craft when the results became personally unsatisfactory.) Unless others can figure out how to successfully break their given limiters too, Saitama will remain peerless in power and will never find the fulfilling, challenging fight he’s always longed for. (His ongoing dilemma and search for life’s fulfillment will then need to be found elsewhere, such AS…genuine relationships with others.) All of this will remain canon until ONE presents information otherwise to either further or challenge the lore of these established explanations.

‘Limit,’ ‘willpower,’ ‘half-assed,’ ‘compromised,’ ‘goal,’ ‘mindset,’ ‘seriousness,’ ‘spirit,’ ‘determination,’ …they’re all important and consistent, reoccurring keywords to keep in mind through the entirety of the story. Whenever they pop up in panels, declared in chapter titles, or are offhandedly mentioned by Murata or ONE in streams/interviews (look where Murata mentions ‘will’), then aha! Those moments become clues worth paying attention to that link back to the overall core concepts of the series itself.

Given explanations within canon

One of those core concepts (aside from the limiter concept) is that of 気合 (Kiai), chi, aura, willpower, fighting spirit…they’re ALL synonymous names for the same general, encompassing idea: one representing the inner strength/energy that everyone in the opm world naturally possesses, the only difference is in the potential/ability to hone, channel and manifest it over the course of people’s lifetimes. Existing varying levels depending on individual effort, training, or natural gifts. This energy is also closely tied to psychic power, where psychics can learn to directly manipulate this energy against one’s will. HOWEVER those with a strong enough willpower/spirit become ‘unbendable’, or ‘too heavy’ and can resist such psychic effects. ONE explains it all here (webcomic ch102):

Tatsumaki: “Even non-psychics have energy flowing throughout their body. Scholars call it things like ‘chi’ (気) or ‘aura’…I couldn’t bend them (Garou and Golden Sperm) either.”

Fubuki: “Strength of will is directly connected to psychic resistance. The reason (her power) doesn’t work (on him) is thanks to Saitama’s unusually thick spirit.”

This spiritual ‘power’ is therefore something internal, originating in the mind, that’s neither inherently good nor bad, and that everyone has the capability to possess (even non-psychics). But when channeled and/or honed correctly, its resulting force can manage to surpass beyond the body’s own physical limitations. The House of Evolution arc proved that one’s biology or physical status doesn’t matter. One’s level of intelligence or talent doesn’t affect its strength either. What does matter is having the persistence to endure, with the determination/mindset to never give up or falter, towards a serious goal that’s true to oneself. (Moral alignment doesn’t matter either, but only in the case if it conflicts with one’s true self/desires, as we’ll see.) One also cannot be held back by regrets, wavering second thoughts, or lapses in self-confidence. (Examples of this would be both Mumen and Fubuki’s complexes thinking they’re aren’t ‘good enough’ to compete and progress past a certain hero rank, so they are mentally limiting themselves on top of their current capabilities.) In essence, it’s like the liberation to freely set out and achieve what you truly want to do, without letting anything else limit hold you back (which is precisely what Saitama did).

Applied character examples within canon

This webcomic content (ch102-104) explaining the mechanics behind ‘strength of will’ came out from Sept-Nov 2015, the same relative timeframe the manga introduced the similar concept of ‘fighting spirit’ in the Metal Bat vs Garou fight:

(THESE definitive manga pages came out in Dec 2015, just slightly later than the webcomic’s). This publication overlap was not just coincidental; ONE was likely covering his bases through both mediums, by adding foreshadowing to the manga based on what he’d developed at the same time in the webcomic. (Which is also why reading BOTH at the same time is fun to catch writing parallels like this. :D) Establishing concepts that would only become relevant in the manga again much later. And this fight, which does not even exist within the original webcomic, is important for introducing this physical application of mental strength: every time Metal Bat tanks damage, even severe enough to take him out, he gets stronger. Why? It’s him channeling his willpower to keep going, aka ‘fighting spirit.’ Visualized though the literal aura effect steaming off his body...and bat, as an extension of himself. (This will become important. Also keep a lookout for whenever Murata repeatedly uses this same visual effect on other characters too.)

Some may say this ‘fighting spirit’ is an ability only unique to Metal Bat, but that’s not true. Because ch102 of the webcomic had already immediately established that everyone possesses this energy within them. So it is a universal trait that has the capability to be honed, channeled, and potentially even manifested as psychic power. (The latter would be fascinating if true!) And we SEE a combined application of this mental power come back in full swing in the manga’s ch92: where Garou now demonstrates his growing psychic resistance and ‘fighting spirit’ (気合):

To make this recollection even more blatant, Murata even went back to edit in a panel of Metal Bat where Garou remembers this:

To clarify, this is not Garou somehow simply ‘copying’ or ‘absorbing’ Metal Bat’s ‘ability.’ Even Psykos is surprised at what’s happening here and doesn’t understand it either (despite all her research, she’s failed to account for this key component). Just how is Garou able to move and resist her psychic bindings? Yup, it’s precisely that same mental ‘power’ as introduced in the webcomic’s ch102: his own strength of will, aka ‘fighting spirit.’ Even Garou did not fully understand it when he faced Metal Bat, but now, after enduring so much sustained lethal damage himself, adapting and coming back stronger each time, he recognizes it as the same thing happening to himself.

But it was no easy feat for Garou to even survive everything’s he’s been through up to this point! He’s fought and endured it all: fevered, outnumbered, poisoned, gunned down, beaten, sliced up, impaled, incinerated...all in rapid succession with little to no pause for rest. (Fun fact: note the keywords used in the ch titles during all those events.) He could have died any number of times (very dangerous, even called out as recklessly ‘suicidal’ at points), but according to Psykos’ observations, overcoming all of that is the contributing factor towards his rapid growth in physical strength. But forcing external stressors on him isn’t everything; the reason why he’s survived it all isn’t just plot armor, but rather because of his tenacious willpower to never give up. He’s never succumbed because his adaptive level of ‘fighting spirit’ has honed enough to resist both psychic powers and endure sustained physical torment. Truly, his stubborn resilience towards everything thrown at him has become so extraordinary that even Garou wonders (on several occasions) how his body has been able to keep up and endure it all too. This is the concept of ‘strength of will’ at work here, enabling him to persist past his body’s expected capabilities. When continuously put to the test under harsh conditions, it steadily adapts and grows stronger. If he keeps it up, he has the potential to eventually break through his limits, just like Saitama did.

However, Garou won’t be able to achieve it the same way as Saitama, because while that method was plenty to push past Saitama’s ‘average’ capabilities, the same muscle training (especially for someone already thoroughly trained in martial arts) won’t be anywhere near enough to breach the ceiling of Garou’s prodigious potential. While the story has set many similar parallels between them and their growth, they have different set limits. For Garou to even succeed the same, his tailored ‘personal hell’ to overcome must be scaled comparatively harsh and ravaging, as we have seen...

Its internal, driving source

Then, the only missing factor is just...where is the source of Garou’s tenacity, his willpower, his drive that compels him to keep standing up, coming from? Both the manga AND webcomic (double bonus: same ch92!) ask the same thing:

Psykos: “This determination of yours, where does it come from?”

Genos: “Where does he get this blood-curdling tenacity from...?”

WHERE indeed. And it does matter. Because while the origin for a strong willpower exists in everyone, for its strength to persist and adapt further, it must be sustained or based on something in the first place... Fueled by some unwavering conviction, ideal, belief, mission, feeling, desire, or goal that’s important enough to commit one’s life towards, up to the extent one would rather risk certain death than fail to achieve. Ranging from what drives us to get out of bed every day, all the way towards a potential willpower (essentially, a life force) so tenacious enough, it can best the pull of death. Otherwise without that motivation behind one’s actions, there’s nothing to channel into the eventual superpower that can miraculously move mountains. No prospect to succeed at breaking past one’s limits to achieve the otherwise thought impossible. However, it’s something that can’t be simply granted/received from the outside or others (exception: the powers granted to Homeless Emperor from ‘God’); the influence or spark of inspiration can, but the answer for the willpower itself, the driving force to act upon, must birth from somewhere genuine deep within.

SURELY, for Garou to have endured all that he has, by overcoming so many tortuous near-death experiences so far, there exists some origin for his ‘fighting spirit.’ And yes, we’ve seen the basis for his convictions formed since his childhood, with him assuming a role he believes is most appropriate, and then adhering to a misguided method he thinks will influence the change he wants to see in the world...but he (manga Garou especially) is still in the process of defining precisely who he is and what he fights for. The more he experiences, ‘it’ gradually gains in strength while steadily rising in clarity.

He’s always had genuine, strong feelings that motivate him (absolutely no doubt!), but there’s always been a lingering contradiction between what he says he wants to do and how he applies that into actual action. Like a mental set-back (hmm, another so-called limiter?) from all his stubborn denial that’s preventing him from realizing who he actually is, and therefore not fully understanding where his deeper feelings lie... Fortunately and interestingly enough, the incidents that forcibly put those feelings and his character to the test the most – the times that push him further beyond what he ever thought possible, resulting in his greatest bursts of strength – are actually those where his true self is brought to light in sharper clarity. Namely...all those impressive feats he’s chosen to overcome for the sake of protecting Tareo. Shielding him from a bullet rain, shrugging off getting stabbed and sliced to death, resisting absolute incineration...each time, Garou never had to risk himself that far to face any of that, yet he conjured the resolve (the willpower!) to stand up and fight for what he truly cares about. Compelled to risk his life for the sake of something that runs deeper than he can fully comprehend...truly, that kind of unconditional sentiment channeled into an unstoppable force is strong indeed.

But, protecting what he cares about (Tareo) isn’t the only thing that drives him. His personal ideals and worldview get further challenged the more he fights alone in the MA base. Repeatedly pitting his life against any injures or opponents he faces, as he comes to a greater understanding of what brought him here in the first place. Defining his determination and raison d'être as he goes, such as in his important fight vs Darkshine (webcomic ch68):

Now, it’s possible ONE may rework what happens in the manga’s version of this fight entirely (and beyond; EDIT: except for the narration, the manga’s adaptation has kept most of Garou’s words here intact!), but at least here, Garou solidifies a conviction worthy enough to bet his life against, overcoming his lethal injuries and absolutely refusing to lose no matter what...but will the reason he concludes bring him accurate enough clarity for the path he swears to take? Enough to forge a will strong enough to succeed at breaking past his limiter? (Manga edit: presented as, “Garou’s limiter seems to be breaking!”)

To simplify an analogy of the mechanics behind this mental process would be like finding the proper fuel to push the horsepower of a car/vessel past the output of its own frame. Where the key components are 1) fuel: goal, 2) horsepower: willpower, 3) frame: limiter. Compromise the fuel as an unfit source for the (will)power, and the overall performance either becomes substandard or falls apart entirely. And what do we see happen?

The consequences of a ‘wrong’ path

Fast-forward to his arc’s conclusion in the webcomic, and we see the consequences of settling for a compromised goal that conflicts in accordance with one’s true self/desires. Garou gets so close to breaking his limiter, but ultimately fails. Why? He showed so much promise and unshakable resolve to get here, so where on his path did he go wrong? As we learn, he fought so hard (continually risking his life!) not for the benefit of monsters, but rather to unite and reform society enough (through fear) to incite the arrival of a true hero. Choosing the contradictory role of the ‘evil’ aggressor to bait one out, when Garou himself was never truly evil at his core. As Saitama perceptively puts it: he was always a rather ‘soft guy’ with an ideal image of a hero in mind all along, but thanks to all his deep-set stubborn denial, he never allowed himself to fully realize this. (In this case, all his stubborn tenacity became a blinding fault that ended up holding him back from realizing the truth.) So Saitama calls him out for taking an indirect (half-assed) approach for his goal, rather than directly work towards becoming the ideal of a true hero himself:

Saitama: “It was a mistake to lower the hurdle right before the goal. A half-assed objective can’t succeed.”

Saitama’s words give Garou the wake up call, reality check, and clarity he’s always needed to hear...but the harsh truth becomes will shattering. Thankfully, all hope isn’t lost, because the one who actually picks him back up again, and ‘saves’ him by resparking his will to continue, is Tareo. By finally getting through to him and vouching for the heroism Garou’s always shown...Garou gains the basis to try again ‘next time’ in a more appropriate, constructive manner that’s truer to himself. He still has the potential and power to succeed, but now without being bound limited by the misguided mindset from his childhood anymore.

Garou’s arc shows us this huge, sweeping, in-depth example of what it takes and then ultimately what NOT to do (can’t end up choosing the ‘easy way out’) to truly succeed at something. And he’s not the only character to which this applies. Everything presented thus far will now culminate with Genos, and the speculative steps he can take to achieve greater power too.

The next who can succeed: GENOS POWER THEORY

(The following has been in the works since 2016, but nothing since then has disproven it – on the contrary, waiting for more content has only built on it – so now is as good as ever to finally present what I’ve had in mind for him this whole time. Everything ONE has shown only leads me to believe that the possibility is there for Genos to have his ‘next time’ to succeed too.)

From the panel above, ONE framed it in a way so that Saitama’s words apply to Genos’ situation as well: in his desperate haste to gain power and seek revenge against the Mad Cyborg, he chose to forsake his fleshy body and become a cyborg himself. Essentially, like choosing the more enticing, easily available approach with the quickest results (not unlike monster cells by the way, which are confirmed unsuccessful methods too), by looking outside for the solution (looking to both Kuseno and Saitama for the answers to power), instead of working hard to achieve that goal within himself directly. Without the logistics of his cyborg transition/rehab into account, it’s like in his young mind’s insatiable impatience for power, he sought the equivalent of instant gratification. Logically, now his choice appears like a short-sighted, fatal mistake that’s permanently screwed himself over, since now his body’s performance will always be limited (on top of his given limiter) by the output of his technological parts and Kuseno’s knowledge on how to improve them. (Kuseno won’t live forever to keep up with him either.) Time again, he’s faced with the bitter reality that he cannot rely on parts those alone.

So then, where is his hope? What about his own power? This is precisely why I believe ONE designed him as a cyborg in the first place. (His struggles facing personal weakness and powerlessness were never just for the sake of reoccurring gags, and ONE would never keep him stagnant as the deuteragonist either.) Because now, Genos is forced to figure out the correct solution the hard way, by overcoming THIS extra physical limitation imposed on him, to realize the answer he’s always sought MUST come from within. It shouldn’t matter that he doesn’t have his original body anymore, because in the opm world, greater power doesn’t come from having the chosen biology/genetics, specialized parts, or even natural born talent/gifts (remember the House of Evolution arc)...it comes from the process of strengthening one’s inner willpower itself. The remaining key to all of this lies in the fact he still has his organic brain, the place where everyone’s capability for this mental power originates, so that means Genos still has the potential to utilize it too.

Then, why hasn’t he? (Or has he but never realized?) What is his problem? What can he even do to reliably harness that kind of power? That same power as demonstrated by others (if Garou can develop it and figure it out, then why can’t Genos)? Intelligence, battle experience, reacting and analyzing are strengths he’s currently working on that will help, but shouldn’t Genos already have enough determination for a set goal in mind? If that’s not enough, then what is it exactly that he lacks?

As it turns out, Genos is not just limited by his cybernetic body, but also by the mindset he carries himself. His main problem has always been a mental one. (Doubled down by the frustrations caused by his self-defeatist attitude and disappointment when things go wrong too.) No matter the shinier upgrades or battle experience he receives, he cannot progress past this vital barrier if he always treats himself as a replaceable, disposable weapon. It’s then no wonder his body always turns so inexplicably frail, prone to breaking and losing limbs all the time, when he jumps headfirst into battle with such a lifeless disregard for his own being. Such a hollow shell for armor can’t possibly stand up to greater opponents with the will to pierce right through that.

But then, it’s curious to me that his head remains his literal strongest defense.

(Genos no, that’s recklessly dangerous!) Now, why would this be? Did Kuseno only reinforce the encasing of his brain (his most vital part), while purposely leaving the material of the rest of his body more vulnerable? Sending him out in the field with only substandard weapons and armor as his defense? While Kuseno giving his brain extra protection is smart, him lapsing in thorough efficiency for the rest of him seems unlikely to me. It becomes a much different picture when realizing this is likely not Kuseno’s doing or fault at all (or even just ONE playing with Genos’ plot armor). Because if Genos only sees the body granted to him as a replaceable tool, then where does he keep his sense of self, if he doesn’t even regard himself as human anymore? Hmm, it’s like all his desperation, resolve, and internal feelings are suck inside his mind without getting anywhere. Like his will itself is trapped within the cold metal encasing of his chassis without getting properly channeled.

Channeled? Yes. Remember back to what the Metal Bat fight showed us. Not just the introduction of ‘fighting spirit,’ but THIS as well:

Where Garou even makes it a deliberate point to emphasize just how much power such a simple, metal weapon holds. Of course, later in a bonus chapter, this is said:

Hmm, the explanation for an ‘unbreakable’ metal bat, huh. Conveniently provided for by the HA whenever requested/needed too. Now that feels like a red herring to me. Instead, even if he’s not consciously aware of it (his intelligence is rated a 3 in the databook after all), the likely reason why he’s able to turn his bat into an unbreakable weapon is because during his increased moments of desperation, he can channel his ‘fighting spirit’ through it as a natural extension of himself. While Genos, who’s entirely built from metal that Kuseno could manage to acquire from various ‘unbreakable’ sources too, but who is still fighting with such flimsy defenses, is most definitely not. Any willpower/fighting spirit that Genos has is still pent up within the confines of his hard head without correctly reaching the extremities of his own limbs. He’s not effectively using his body as an natural extension of himself when he can’t even see himself as human anymore. Again, he’s mentally bound. Oh, Genos...

Metal Bat is just one example allowing for the possibility of strengthening the inorganic, Garou is another for showing the grueling process of developing ‘fighting spirit’ too, while Saitama is the ultimate example of everything coming together in a complete package. For Genos to successfully develop the same, to the point he can push past the output of his own frame and achieve greater power too, we need to reexamine his key components: his fuel (goal), willpower, and limiter(s).

Just how exactly can Genos improve?

First, what fuels him to keep going? For whenever he flings himself into battle, with deadly precision and almost an entire lack of self-preservation, what does he have that’s so important to him, it compels him to resist and keep going no matter the hopelessness of the situation? He’s already established upfront that his mission in life is to become strong enough to find and defeat the Mad Cyborg that destroyed his hometown and family. For 4+ years, he’s been running on those intense, pent up feelings of hatred, rage, frustration and grief…manifested into the desire for revenge, and by dedicating his remaining life and humanity for the sake of the dead. Without having a proper emotional outlet or time to grieve and heal from his trauma, he’s essentially been running around this whole time chasing intangible phantoms from the past. Is that even a goal viable enough for the long-term? (It’s definitely not a very healthy or constructive one, that’s for sure.) What about his plans after?

Ch108 of the webcomic even asks the hypothetical questions, what if the Mad Cyborg’s already dead, what would Genos do then? Or if he’s still alive, how can Genos even gauge if he’s strong enough to defeat him as he is now? He can’t know. Based on memories he can barely remember and leads that are virtually nonexistent, it’s still too fuzzy and inconclusive of an objective to adhere all his efforts towards or use as a guidepost for his progress. He needs something with much more reliability, clarity, and viability, because in the desperate throes of the moment, something vague won’t help him when his actual life depends on it. So Genos, what else is there? Attaining the S Class top 10? Still not strong enough, or even with enough personal value to risk his life for, when it’s incomparable to the heights of Saitama. Ah. There it is. Saitama. As Genos progresses over the course of the story, his priorities have started to shift as he reflects on what is most important to him. Rather than focusing all his intent and efforts on those who are already dead, it’s much better to live and fight for those who are still alive. For those who matter to him: Kuseno and Saitama, who are now part of his new makeshift family, they allow him the chance to finally heal emotionally and find new inspiration to live for. By living with Saitama, Genos has even started to form another goal that’s worth striving for that will sustain him through the long-term even after the Mad Cyborg: to become strong enough to remain by Saitama’s side.

Next, his willpower. Some of his most defining traits are his dead-set seriousness and determination. (To the point it’s comically and affectionately referred to as ‘no chill.’) He should have loads of useable willpower/fighting spirit at his disposal, yet his performance still turns up short. Having a viable goal to work towards and sustain it, and then being able to correctly channel it (as mentioned with Metal Bat’s example) are important, but so is overcoming the subconscious mental barriers holding him back. For one, is Genos even aware of the current power he holds, without attributing the credit to others or his special parts? Because there is at least one instance where he demonstrates the willpower to achieve the otherwise thought impossible:

Not just a moment to simply dismiss as a freak incident, because here (during the fight he was directly inspired by Saitama by the way), his refusal to be dismissed compelled him to fuse his severed body back together again. A feat previously thought impossible for him (just how on earth could he ‘heal’ severed metal?!), yet right then, he momentarily gained the power to surpass his body’s limitations. And yet, the incident practically goes by unacknowledged by him, as he’s shortly taken down by acid and distracted by Saitama’s answer for ‘more power.’ But the potential is still there for him! He can do it if he only perseveres and realizes! (And not by asking or relying on others to just give him all the answers either!)

So what is ‘more power’ to him? How can the willpower he already has be developed and trained even further? We’ve seen what Garou’s had to endure to get stronger, but to Genos, suffering the same physical pain won’t have the same effect on him. Instead, his tailored ‘hell’ to endure and overcome must come significantly much more from the psychological side. Through stressors that repeatedly tax and test his mental state to the brink rather than just his body. (The mental factors for Genos just keep piling…) And so, much of the growth we’ve actually witnessed from him over the course of his development comes from overcoming the torment of repeated failure.

A harsh punishment that could discourage and/or break the will of anyone, so it’s quite miraculous that even after all his losses, he’s still never stopped coming back to try again later or permanently gone off the deep end by now. It’s a strength that he’s never mentally succumbed under the relentless frustration and pressure. Instead, he always analyses what he did wrong, learns from his mistakes, and applies that into how he can improve next time. Little by little, by comparing him from the start of the story to now, he’s definitely improved. By becoming more aware of himself and his surroundings (to not always let his guard down!) and utilizing more efficient battle tactics, he’s turning into a much wiser fighter. Even coming to acknowledge the value of his own life much more than before.

^Yes Genos, be aware of your limits, because in this story, you are forcibly bound by many that you’ve yet to overcome.

Then what are his limits? Can Genos eventually break his limiter too? Does he still even have one? It’s a question often debated. His brain certainly still has one (along with many compounded mental barriers), but if his curious placement on the monster side of the spread during Dr. Genus’ limiter explanation means anything (EDIT: Murata’s since edited that spread for the published volume), would his similar ‘transformation’ into a new body make him gain a new limiter EACH TIME it’s replaced? Then uhoh, Genos needs to slow down and stay with one to acclimate as his perceived, natural ‘body,’ or he’ll be stuck in an endless loop trying to surpass his rebooted limits every time. (And he won’t get anywhere like that!) If that’s not the case, and his cyborg body doesn’t even have a limiter anymore (unlikely, because the output of his physical frame is always limited), then his brain’s still applies anyway. In either case, he will need to learn to fully accept, cherish, and value himself (as human!) first.

That’s why it’s so important he remains in contact with Saitama. Saitama’s calming influence is extremely vital to the stability of Genos’ wellbeing. Before they’d ever met, Genos was heading down such a self-destructive path, he really could have gone off the monstrous deep end to no return… ONE could still take his character arc down many dark possibilities, since Genos will likely have to endure much more psychological torment to grow stronger… (And then his once hidden placement on the monster side of the limiter spread becomes that much more ominous. But ONE won’t simply make his story a rehash of Garou’s either; he’s got different, long-term plans for Genos.) His road will be long and arduous regardless, as a gradual slow burn over the course of the story rather than neatly contained within any single arc. But no matter what happens, Saitama will be there.

If Tareo is Garou’s important link to his humanity, preventing him from fully becoming a monster, then Saitama (and Kuseno) are that vital link for Genos to remain in touch with his humanity as well. Vital enough to bring him new inspiration and newfound purpose in life to the point he will no longer have the necessity to think of his ‘self-destruct’ option as his last resort anymore.

Therefore, the words Saitama gave at the beginning of the story:

Where he mentions the familiar terms of ‘mental strength’ and ‘spirit’ in his advice to Genos...have actually always rung true. What the reader was originally supposed to take away as a throwaway line within Saitama’s bs, has in fact been a relevant chekhov's gun all along. This whole time, ‘a change in mindset will yield to greater strength’ has always been a viable approach in the path towards achieving greater power. :’)

Thank you for reading, and always keep an open eye out for what ONE has in store next! :D

#opm #saitama #genos #garou #metal bat #meta #manga spoilers #webcomic spoilers #long post #IT'S FINALLY HERE ;A;#who’s ready for some meta meat and potatoes!? 8D #this took a while to cook up but hopefully it’s savory enough food for thought!#simple in theory but complex in execution...gave me so many headaches aha #basically everything is connected; opm is mental and meta af; and ONE is the sneakiest bastard of them all

257 notes · View notes

tren-fraszka · 3 years

Text

Chocolate Box Letter 2021

Dear creator,

Thank you for taking your time to check my requests. I know my requests can sound a bit tricky, but please don’t be discouraged. I wish you will have good time writing first and foremost!

My AO3 is Tren, if you wish to check it out.

Likes: comedy, casefics, canon compliants, AUs, time loops, bodyswaps, roleswaps, fantasy AU, urban fantasy AU, “being hoisted by your own petard” plotlines, snark, pettiness, rivals, enemies to friends to lovers, complicated relationship, violence, friendships, character bonding.

DNW: explicit sex (makeouts and fade to black is okay), A/B/O, mpreg, rape depicted as positive (so no “it’s okay, because the other person enjoyed it/it was what they truly wanted”), trans headcanons, soulmate AUs, stories ending with surrender to fate/destiny, fourth wall breaking in canons where that doesn’t occur, character has cancer or other real-life terminal disease AU, word “queerplatonic”.

Also, I included what ships I’m okay with in each fandom. Please do not include any ships that aren’t canon and I have not allowed in those sections (if you feel really strongly about a ship I haven’t mentioned, you can always ask through mods just in case).

Additionally, while I almost never request fanart as possible medium, because I prefer my main gift to be fic, I would be very okay with receiving fanart treats. On another note, feel free to use my old letters if you get your hands on them. I never stop being interested in fandoms, and if I requested something once I will still want it in the future.

REQUESTS

FFF-CLASS TRASHERO| FFF급관심용사 (WEBCOMIC)

I’m caught to the current translation of webcomic. Feel free to include any new developments in webcomic, but please avoid spoilers for the original light novel.

Kang Han Soo/Nasus

Kang Han Soo is a terrible human being and I thrive on his sociopathy. I love the perfect mix of justification that we get for his action through his backstory and unrepentant self-serving attitude this webcomic has. I love that the elf prince is the only person Kang Han Soo seems to have any modicum of respect for and actually gets along with. At the same time Nasus is one of very few characters who seemingly saw through Kang Han Soo upon meeting, knowing exactly what to do to get him on his side. The way Nasus usurped throne with Kang Han Soo's help was great and I would love to see more of their teamwork.

Maybe Kang Han Soo growing more and more fond of Nasus with each timeloop, because while the world is shit at least the overpowered elven prince seems to understand him a bit. I would love to see Kang Han Soo getting into compromising situations and being in utter denial about having a crush, because anything that doesn't fit his vision of the world can't be true. I can see him convincing himself that sharing long makeout sessions with elfish prince is totally a part of his strategy to get reputation points. He's just building a trust between the nations of elves and humans, okay?

On that note, I don't mind Kang Han Soo exhibiting internalized homophobia if you want to include it. I feel like it fits his character to be in denial about also being interested in men, but I'm also completely okay with different takes on that.

Feel free to abuse the reset mechanic to your hearts content. I love timeloops, so having one baked into the canon is just great. I would also love an AU where Nasus somehow becomes aware of the resets and also starts to retain his memories through them.

TALENTLESS NANA

I’m caught with manga up to chapter 56.

Hiiragi Nana/Tachibana Jin

I love that Jin is the first person on the island that actually has some understanding of Nana. I absolutely love their dynamic of Nana trying to kill him, but Jin always being one step ahead. There's just something fascinating in their back and forth, and constant mind games they have going on. Feel free to slip in any extra murder in between the canon to give them some extra opportunity to just be their terrible selves.

I would equally love some calmer moments between them. Maybe an AU where Nana starts to take care of cat!Jin and talks to him when no ones there to fight off the loneliness, since obviously a cat won't snitch on her. And well, he won't snitch, but not because he can't.

Or maybe Jin feels bored and promises to share some critical information with Nana if she goes on a date with him. And Nana is pretty sure he is just trolling her, but at the same time she has little to lose and everybody needs a day off from killing at some point. Bonus points for Jin constantly shapeshifting into Nana's classmates to hide his identity.

I would like to note that since we don't know Jin's true identity at this point, I'd prefer for it to be kept ambiguous for the purpose of this fic.

FATE/GRAND ORDER

I’m up to date with NA server. Please don’t include any spoilers for jp server.

Ryoma Sakamoto/Okada Izou

I love that the first we see of their relationship is Okada being absolutely pissed about Ryoma betraying him and leaving to die, and Ryoma being like "that's fair", and letting himself get stabbed because he has absolute confidence that Okada doesn't actually want to kill him. If that's not great ship material I don't know what is.

I love how thin the line between Ryoma caring about Okada and manipulating him into doing what he wants is. And that Okada is aware of it, but at same time he's completely unable to let go despite constantly proclaiming that he won't get tricked again. And yet he gets tricked. Every. Single. Time.

I would love both some shenanigans in Chaldea, as well as a look into their lives before they became Heroic Spirits. I'm not very versed in history of Japan though, so while I'd love a more history based story please assume you are telling it to someone who needs a quick history lesson at the same time. For Chaldea shenanigans I would enjoy Okada picking up fight with everyone who catches his attention and then inevitably getting his ass kicked, because he's used to being a big fish in small pond, while Ryoma tries to make sure he doesn't kill himself in the process. Or helps him get along with other Heroic Spirits. I would love to see Okada being pacified with some food. Maybe discovering liking for a dish he had never tried before.

Any mission gone wrong would also be fun. Maybe they Rayshift with Master (I'm fine with both male and female Master for this request) but end up stranded during the mission. Maybe they have to camp somewhere and it results in a lot of bickering. Or they very unsuccessfully try to stealth.

Inclusions of Oryou is welcome, and you are free to make it a threesome. Just please don't forget to include some flirty Ryoma and Okada interactions.

MAIRIMASHITA! IRUMA-KUN

I’m up to date with manga. Feel free to include any new developments.

Ami Kirio/Suzuki Iruma

There are many good ships with Iruma, but this one just has a lot things I like. I love enemy ships with both sides being way too emotionally invested into each other so this was inevitable. I love how this relationship starts as this really wholesome friendship and school festival preparation, except Kirio turns out to be a bit messed up and wants to blow up everyone. But then they both accept the outcome and go on with their lives still thinking about each other. Iruma goes through a lot of trouble to keep the club operating even though Kirio has been pretty much expelled. And then Kirio is now obsessed with Iruma as his anthitesis and perfect enemy. And probably wants to eat him. In which sense of the word is yet to be determined.

I’m okay with the potential story happening at any point in the canon. I would love both a story set before the festival while Kirio is still hiding his true colors or a story set after festival. Maybe Iruma runs into Kirio somewhere after he escapes prison and instead of calling an adult, he tries to stop Kirio from causing trouble on his own. Or maybe Iruma keeps accidentally preventing Kirio's terrorist plans without even realizing, while Kirio keeps pining and probably salivating from distance. As for pre-festival story. Maybe some upperclassmen steal important parts from the club and Iruma and Kirio set out to get them back.

I would definitely love an AU where rather than getting summoned to demon world, Iruma accidentally summons Kirio into the human world. Maybe Iruma’s parents try to use him as an offering, but instead he ends up bound to a demon. I would love to see Kirio excited to unleash suffering (even if his weak powers severely limit him in that regard) onto human world just to discover that he made contract with the biggest pacifist possible.

If you want to explore Kirio's hunger for Iruma I would prefer if it turned out to be that something got lost in translation through all those centuries and it's less about literal consumption and more about intense lust for humans.

TALES OF CRESTORIA

Velvet Crowe/Milla Maxwell

I thrive on the twisted codependency those two have in Crestoria. I will take both good, tragic and/or ambiguous ends for this relationship. Whether Velvet decides to forgive Milla or kill her it will be great. Give me all those twisted emotions, the hesitation, and pain both of them are carrying.

For straightforward approach, maybe the two of them stop in a town while chasing the last Incarnation and Milla decides to throw a party (because it's some sort of festival, or maybe she found out it's Velvet's or Laphicet's birthday and wants to make some amends however small). Or maybe one of them gets hurt during the fight with an Incarnation and the other ends up nursing them to health.

For some more levity, maybe Velvet and Milla ran out of money and pick up some side-job to have enough money for an inn. Maybe they work as waitresses and are both great and terrible at it at the same time. Or they have to take care of kids. Any other amusing job is also good.

Feel free to include other Tales characters. My faves are the cast of Xillia, Symphonia and Graces, but feel free to include others (I would appreciate proper introductions in that case, I still haven't played some of the games, so I might not recognize everyone just by their name).

#exchange letters

1 note · View note

the-nysh · 7 years

Text

Saitama Cares Masterpost

PART ONE

Yep, THIS IS a comprehensive and ongoing list + commentary (with pictures!) of every moment Saitama shows care/concern for Genos in the story, to eliminate the common misconception that Saitama is either ‘heartless’ (no way) or that the sentiments between them are only one-sided from Genos (not true; the characters just express their outward emotions differently). To establish that Saitama does not treat Genos with the same indifference of a complete stranger/acquaintance, but rather in fact grows fond of him to the point he treats Genos noticeably different than others. With particular emphasis on moments from the original webcomic, AS PROOF Saitama’s subtle way of caring originates from the source material itself. Feel free to use as a reference list or supplemental material to enrich fan content or expand people’s positive perspective of the egg!

Current chapters covered: up through the meteor arc (ch23) Words: 1800+

Chapter 6, the moment they met. They don’t even know each other, yet Saitama genuinely thanks and compliments Genos as ‘awesome/amazing’ for saving him from the mosquito hoard. Not even caring or noticing that his own clothes have been completely burned off in the process. No complaints from him at all, just that he’s pleased and impressed by Genos, even making chance lighthearted puns during the moment too:

Chapter 10, vs Asura Rhino/Carnage Kabuto, which was their first outing together, the same day as, and immediately after Genos arrived to Saitama’s door, with his backstory given and disciple proposition declared.

The ‘Modern Art’ scene, where Saitama stares in stunned, confused concern at Genos getting embedded into the wall, IGNORING the face of the monster, with his attention only on Genos until he declares, ‘you’ll pay.’ The manga increased this to two pages, with wider body shots of Saitama’s stunned reaction, however, his ‘ignore the monster’ pose was changed to 90 degrees instead of how the webcomic shows his head turned at an opposite 180:

The catching scene, (the ‘leg hold’ in the anime). The manga has an extra panel of Saitama watching Genos’ fight (and swoops in off-panel to catch him), but the webcomic has Saitama suddenly appear at his side. His supportive hand on Genos’ shoulder was changed to his waist in the manga too. The manga further shows Saitama kneeling at Genos’ side while supporting his back for the ‘don’t push yourself so hard’ panel.

The ‘afro’ scene. The egg OVERTLY CONCERNED if Genos is ok from the blowback, yelling with visible sweat drops over his condition (same worried reaction in the manga). The webcomic’s ‘son of a bitch!’ line in response to the monster doing this to him is a personal fav of mine (even if it’s just the translator’s personal choice to use that language). 8D As is his raised fist with his serious expression, ready to dish out retribution. He looks angrier here, so I definitely prefer it to the manga’s version:

Chapter 11, when prompted by the monster to explain his strength training regimen, rather than simply answering him, Saitama directly addresses Genos about it instead, instructing him to ‘listen up’ and focus on the important parts:

Two birds with one stone here, yes, but Saitama makes sure he has Genos’ attention first and performs his ‘teacher role’ mainly for him, and not caring as much for the other two in the audience (barely even notices the scientist in the room). When Genos responds in a furious fit at him, Saitama is visibly shocked (stress sweat included), but CALMLY meets his distress with open honesty. Caring about Genos’ reaction and making sure he understands the truth. Not caring at all for the monster’s version of rage (sales are more important than that).

Chapter 15, while Saitama is at first in shock over the news of his nonexistent popularity (and wants to be left alone in his distress, telling Genos to go home), after learning why, he’s then interested whether Genos has already registered as a hero or not, with neither of them wanting to register alone. (Genos was never interested in joining in the first place: “no, I wouldn’t do something like that/I’m not interested.”) Genos gives him the necessary background info and exposition, but Saitama is the one to initiate the idea they register together, with the deal that if Genos comes with him, he’ll make him his disciple ‘for real.’ Of course Genos elatedly flips his mind right there and agrees to go along! (This agreement was allll on Saitama’s insistence here; in fact, you could say it was Saitama who bribed him to register because he didn’t want to do it alone.)

Chapter 16: Upon passing together and Genos beaming to him that he’s looking forward to his official teachings, Saitama contemplates that maaaaybe he was too quick to make that promise, especially to the type of guy Genos is (cyborg, upstanding, diligent, serious, hardworking, loyal, overeager, honest to a fault). Essentially, feeling wholly unprepared to have signed up for a task (and tutelage over a person) that’s much more than he’s comfortably qualified (or even really wants) to handle. But, he has to step up and take this teacher role (and hero job) seriously now. Does he fall back and refuse? No, he takes responsibility for his actions and makes the most of it. When alone, he reviews their hero ranks, with himself in Class C and Genos in Class S, contemplating the gap he has to climb to reach him and thinking about him: “could it be that Genos is actually really amazing?”

Chapter 17, their spar. Indulging on Genos’ request for a match, as their first test bout as newly appointed teacher-student. Saitama keeps it playful and not too serious, as it’s not fighting ‘for real’ to him. Tagging Genos with the cute cheek poke (with a fun smile!) and forehead flick after demonstrating a fist of his power to his face. Important to note that a parallel scene happens much later in the manga vs Suiryu in the martial arts tournament. Also not fighting ‘for real’ there either. Both of Saitama’s ‘opponents’ want him to get serous and display his power, but the difference between Saitama’s two punches is that he shreds Suiryu’s clothes in humiliation (Saitama’s close-up afterimage behind Genos could have shielded him from some of the blast too). Saitama was not having the same fun in the tournament (or smiling during that match), unlike in his spar with Genos, nor does he care for Suiryu the same way (flat out refusing his disciple request in comparison too). Saitama asks Genos out for udon, which the anime even shows in full with a competitive, fun eating match (which Genos wins this time, and Saitama, genuinely impressed, tells him he’s amazing again).

Chapter 18, Genos moves in. It’d been 5 days since their spar in the webcomic/manga, but the anime changed it to that very same night (after the udon). Webcomic Saitama doesn’t mind that Genos regularly comes over, but moving in is another story. Immediately changing his mind upon seeing Genos’ loaded rent money (offering payment upfront IS polite & proper boarding manners, whether or not Genos was aware of Saitama’s tight finances then to legitimately bribe him). However, ONE’s stated that Saitama has never used Genos’ rent money.

Genos came prepared and eager to learn (with his notebook), but conversely, Saitama believes he has nothing to teach him (muscle training is useless for a cyborg after all), and importantly, doesn’t want to play at this teacher charade any longer if it’s like he’s deceiving or taking advantage of Genos:

It would become all the more morally unacceptable (really, Saitama would feel bad) to continue half-assedly and meet Genos’ high & honest expectations of him with deceit like that. Genos has raised the bar to the point Saitama’s been put on the spot and can’t simply mess around with this anymore. Establishing right here how much Saitama’s conflicted about this: even if he’s empty handed, ideally he wants to match Genos’ eagerness with open honesty and NOT deception or having to abuse his position of power. (Saitama is a good egg and he’s TRYING to do this teacher thing right!) But he doesn’t know how or what else to teach him aside from what he already knows, (knowing Genos won’t simply accept his training method either). Scrambling and pressed for time (gotta juggle his hero quota deadline), he settles for a temporary, on-the-spot goal for Genos to aim for in the meantime (top10 hero spot). Saitama assumes the advice he gives is bullshit, but it DOES logically consider Genos’ limitations and key mental aspects he needs to improve, so it is viable insight and not as far-fetched as Saitama thinks (it’s actually pretty spot-on):

Chapter 20, interested whether Genos has done any hero work yet to raise his rank too (popularity a different story). RECEIVES GENOS’ PRAISE HERE. In contrast to the comments from fans who don’t personally know him, Genos gives his honest opinion of Saitama, ‘the most incredible man he’s met,’ since he knows him. While Genos doesn’t value what his fans have to say (and Saitama shocked he isn’t embarrassed reading them out loud), the same can’t be said whether Saitama doesn’t appreciate what this particular ‘fan’ has to say about him. ;3 He brushes off Genos’ words as flattery (in anime, as ‘buttering him up’), but the manga and anime show him with a little pleased smile. So while Saitama is bad at receiving/taking compliments from him, on some level he IS glad there’s someone who finally appreciates him.

Chapter 21, THE METEOR. Arrives in impeccable timing to save Genos. Saitama probably heard the news on his own, geared up and rushed to the scene, witnessed Genos’ whole flashy attempt to blast the meteor, stood back for him, and only approached at the last possible moment when Genos absolutely needed his help. He personally instructs Bang to take care of Genos for him and evacuate to safety while he takes care of the meteor:

The manga has Saitama arrive in extra dramatic flourish (+color in the digital version), hidden behind his speech bubble until Genos turns and lightens up in astonished recognition (complete with shoujo sparkles). :’) Saitama went through the trouble to do all of that and arrive directly at Genos’ side, when he could have simply destroyed the meteor by jumping from the vicinity of his apartment. Not only that, but he gave Genos room to finish his attack without rushing in and ‘stealing his thunder’ so to speak. Saitama knows Genos is usually strong enough to take care of himself, which is a reoccurring sentiment from him (even repeated by ONE & Murata in interviews), so he only intervenes and steps in when he sees Genos rendered helpless to fight anymore, which here, also revives Genos’ hope at his lowest moment (when he pretty much accepted his grave). :’)))

Chapter 22, the meteor aftermath. Genos laments that the HA didn’t call Saitama in the first place (instead of him) to more effectively handle it with Metal Knight to reduce damage to a minimum. But Saitama immediately rationalizes Metal Knight wouldn’t have been a team player anyway and that he (himself) handled things just fine since no one died. Coolly assuring Genos not to brood/worry over what didn’t happen and to focus on the positive outcome instead. Like for instance, interested in whether their ranks went up (specifically asking Genos in terms of ‘we/our,’ not just for himself). Plus, when Genos starts talking threat levels, Saitama freely asks him to clarify what they mean. At this point in time, Saitama is comfortable with Genos’ level of intel/knowledge, and is fine asking him about things he doesn’t understand. (aka when the student informs the teacher, and the teacher’s totally cool with it! :D Never has been seen again, ch7′s 20-words-or-less policy!)

Chapter 23, the tank top rookie crushing. Where Saitama bellows to the crowd how he doesn’t care about their approval or whether they hate him. Interestingly, neither the webcomic nor the manga show how the scene resolves (it just cuts to a several day’s time skip), but the anime resolves it by having Genos arrive at the scene to pacify Saitama’s anger with a simple but effective, ‘let’s go home’ (with sustained, sincere eye contact too). This is ALSO where the anime places Genos’ praise from ch20, now as the iconic ‘sunset confession scene’ with Saitama’s ‘you don’t have to butter me up like that’ line as he turns around with a pleased little smile. Here, it’s in direct contrast to how Saitama views the public, because he DOES appreciate and care what Genos thinks of him (no matter how humbly he accepts it). When even one person’s support more than makes up for the combined hypothetical cheers of a whole fanclub or the voices of the public – right now, just Genos’ words are enough for Saitama. :’)

TO BE CONTINUED

#opm #saitama #saigenos #meta #ref #saitama cares #OHOHO definitely not messing around here 8D #it's become more and more imperative to do this after so many doubts (particularly against webcomic saitama) have surfaced lately #I SHALL PROVIDE~#to defend the good egg!#dunno how many parts this will be but i can assure the project will be thorough #originally this was gonna be ALL the chapters at once but dolltrash and the image limit convinced me to break this in parts :P #(and this would have stayed a super wip for ages XD)#main intention to be a refresher from saitama's side - and his feelings #will eventually cover the whole webcomic (with supplemental caps from the manga and anime)

446 notes · View notes