phantomrose96:

You know, the older I get, the more I appreciate when adults
in anime are actively horrified and angry to learn what sort of things the
children main characters have been through.

Like, I get that a lot of kids programming is about wish
fulfillment for its viewers. There are a lot of absent adults, a lot of worlds
where kids hold all the responsibility, do all the fighting, because that’s an
understandable thing to appeal to. Kids often feel over-controlled so a world
where kids like them are free to travel and explore and fight and triumph
without any adult supervision sounds pretty rad. I’m sure I was into that when
I was younger.

Years down the line, it strikes me though how young these kids really are. And on the
cusp of Real Actual Adulthood, I’m much more aware of how huge real
independence is. I’m all the more appreciative when an older, more experienced
person steps in and takes the reins, takes responsibility for me in a situation
that’s asking more than what I think I can handle.

I think that’s why I’m so emotionally moved by adults in
anime stepping in for the kids, taking up the responsibility or else feeling
genuine anger over the realization of what these kids have gone through.
Because responsibility is scary, and responsibility when you’re young is scary,
and seeing these older characters understand that and step in just fills me
with such relief and appreciation. And it’s better even if the adult characters
are still fairly young, and still afraid of the situation, yet willing to
sacrifice their own safety and comfort on the behalf of actual children who—all
wish fulfillment aside—should never be placed in the situation they’re in.

Roy “we left children on the battlefield to do our fighting”
Mustang, feeling so outraged, so powerless over what he just let happen, that
he’s moved to break all his careful protocol so Ed, Al, and Ling aren’t left to
face danger alone. All Might, Aizawa, and Thirteen fighting to the bone against
the villain invasion, All Might losing his characteristic smile for the first
time we’ve seen, because the children under their watch have been placed into
danger that they should not have to face at such a young age. Reigen alone
insisting Mob shouldn’t feel cornered into using his powers, shouldn’t force
himself to suffer while fighting Claw, that Reigen himself will fight them
instead despite his own lack of powers because he feels responsible toward Mob.

It’s a trope that means a whole lot to me and I live for the
anime that acknowledge it.