My Hero Academia fans refuse to forgive the "old lady" for spiraling Tenko into a cursed fate

Modified Jul 09, 2024 13:16 GMT

My Hero Academia fans refuse to forgive the "old lady" for spiraling Tenko into a cursed fate — Tenko Shimura as seen in My Hero Academia anime (Image via BONES)

With the release of My Hero Academia chapter 427, the manga series saw the return of one character from the past. While the character did not have an extended appearance, their actions at the time had a huge impact on the story's development.

If fans remember, during the flashback to Tomura Shigaraki's past, several people were shown to ignore young Tenko. As evident from the latest chapter, the "old lady" amongst them has made her return. However, unlike other characters that receive a warm welcome upon their return, the fans were hostile towards the "old lady.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga.

Why do My Hero Academia fans refuse to forgive the "old lady" for Tenko's fate?

The "old lady" as seen in My Hero Academia anime (Image via BONES)

When the My Hero Academia anime depicted Shigaraki Tomura's past, it saw young Tenko Shimura walking aimlessly through the sidewalk after he killed his entire family. Many people were concerned about him but chose to ignore him after seeing blood on his hands.

One such person was an "old lady" who asked Tenko if he was alright. However, upon seeing the eerie look on his face, she felt terrified and left Tenko, stating that some hero might help him. Unfortunately, no hero helped Tenko, instead, it was All For One who offered him his hand and adopted him.

The "old lady" as seen in My Hero Academia chapter 427 (Image via Shueisha)

These developments had left fans to believe that young Tenko Shimura could have been saved had any of the people who had seen him helped him out. Hence, when the "old lady" reappeared in My Hero Academia chapter 427, fans were furious as they were unwilling to forgive her for ignoring Tenko.

In the latest chapter, the "old lady" made her return as she was seen answering the question "Who was Tomura Shigaraki, really?" during a TV program.

The "old lady" shared:

"I can't help but wonder...if they couldn't have stopped him sooner."

The manga does not reveal if the "old lady" recognized Tomura Shigaraki from the time she spotted him on the street but her statement infuriated fans.

All For One meeting young Tenko Shimura (Image via BONES)

My Hero Academia fans should remember that, as revealed by the manga series, Tenko Shimura's fate was carefully planned by All For One, and facilitated by an apathetic hero-obsessed society. While the "old lady" played a key role, it wasn't due to any personal folly of her own but AFO's understanding of society. As evident, it was not only the "old lady" but several citizens who had chosen to ignore young Tenko's plea for help.

However, what fans found irksome was how the "old lady" tried to say in the interview that Tenko should have been stopped sooner. This did not sit well with fans as she was quite literally one of the first people who could have stopped him but rebuffed his plea and chose not to help him.

Soon after, All For One met Tenko Shimura and adopted him as his son, and renamed him Shigaraki Tomura.