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My Hero Academia is an inspirational series in many respects, motivating viewers to celebrate their unique strengths, work hard, and help others at every moment. A video has just surfaced on X, posted by user @everendering, revealing another touching way that My Hero Academia has changed lives.
The video features a young girl holding a plush doll of the character, Shoto Todoroki, and admiring it for an adorable reason. Both the young girl and Shoto Todoroki have marks on one side of their faces, and in the video, the child excitedly exclaims, "He has a birthmark like me!"
In a Heartwarming Video, A Girl Admires Todoroki’s "Birthmark” That Matches Her Own
Unaware of the Painful Origins of Todoroki's Burn Scars, the Child Appreciates the Character Who Looks Like Her
In the viral video that has blown up on X and TikTok, the young girl lovingly cradles the Todoroki doll in her arms, appreciating the character's red and white split hair, heterochromatic blue and gray eyes, and, most of all, the "birthmark" on one side of his face that matches her own. The caption of the X post reads, "This is the most wholesome thing I have ever seen NO ONE DARE TELL HER THE REAL BACKSTORY," since the girl believes that Todoroki simply shares her birthmark, unaware of the more tragic origins of Todoroki's facial scar in My Hero Academia.
Of course, My Hero Academia fans are aware that Todoroki's backstory is heartbreaking and this facial burn appeared after the most traumatizing moment of his life. During his childhood, his father, Endeavor, was harsh and cruel to not only Todoroki, but other members of the family too, like his mother, Rei Todoroki. Rei was so broken by Endeavor's mistreatment that she lashed out at Todoroki and threw boiling water on the left fire side of his face, because it painfully reminded her of her husband and his abuse, since Todoroki got his fire Quirk from Endeavor and his ice Quirk from Rei.
Everyone Deserves To See Characters Who Look Like Them, and This Todoroki Viral Video Reveals Why
Although Todoroki's true origins are distressing, the young girl in the video clip does not possess this painful knowledge, and is able to appreciate Todoroki's mark as something they both have in common. Both Todoroki and the girl's birthmarks cover one side of their faces, making the marks an exact match. The young child seems incredulous and delighted to find a character who finally looks just like her, birthmark and all, which proves why representation is so important on a larger scale, and why every viewer deserves to see themselves reflected in the media they watch.
Related
10 Best Todoroki Moments in My Hero Academia
Shoto Todoroki is one of My Hero Academia's most powerful and emotionally complex heroes, and these ten moments prove how incredible he is.
Movies, television shows, and other forms of media are paying more attention to diversity and representation, especially in recent years, which is a very positive development. This viral video is a concrete example of why children deserve to grow up watching characters who look just like them thrive and become successful, because that can be not only extremely validating, but show them that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. This My Hero Academia Todoroki viral video is cute beyond belief, but also a heartwarming reminder of why representation really does matter and can have a massive positive effect.
Source: @everendering on X
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
Release Date April 3, 2016
Number of Episodes 159
Franchise My Hero Academia
Seasons 7
Characters By Kohei Horikoshi
Main Characters Tsuyu Asui, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, All Might
Production Company Bones
Story By Kōhei Horikoshi, Yōsuke Kuroda
English (US) ·