World of Figures: Izuku

I'm usually not a very proud person; despite my blended family background, I've always kept that feeling hidden away even when I felt accomplished. In this case however, this shot of my Izuku figure is perhaps one of my favorites. I love that I managed to capture his raw emotion and the level of detail to the figure. Izuku Midoriya is from the hit anime Boku no Hero, or My Hero Academia in English.

As the main protagonist, he goes through an endless series of trials and tribulations; and in this figure, he's facing his toughest one yet. He's trying to prove not only to the world, but to himself, that he has what it takes to become both a hero and the new symbol of hope. I really enjoyed the series enough to get a detailed figure and several pop figures. I was going through a really difficult time when I bought this figure, I was feeling stressed with my workload and the lack of respect my supervisor had for me.

Actually, the lack of respect people had for me in general. In this day and age, people seem to think less of a 23 year old a lot, even when you show them you're not someone to be taken lightly. There were plenty of times that I felt like kicking the bucket and giving up... but then I watched Boku no Hero and I felt guilty for wanting to quit so easily. Every time I see my figure of Izuku in my display case or on Instagram, I feel a sense of pride. I feel at peace.

Suddenly the anxiety I held in my heart vanished and I wanted to keep trying. Even now as I type this, after being ridiculed for wanting to write an article about this figure, I feel less agitated and restless. This is how much my Izuku Midoriya figure means to me. I bought the figure on Amazon on the 28th of May during a time where I felt I wasn't worth anything.

Buying figures has always been a way for me to relieve stress, and now that it's become difficult for me to do so, I've felt the darkness creeping up within my brain. It's telling me to give up, to throw in the towel... but I've never been much of a listener. Even now, I want to survive more than anything; I want to prove my value and place in this world to myself even if no one else can see it.

Izuku wanted to do the same thing and it's that message, that beautiful storytelling, that made me buy the figure. Even though I'm more of a Katsuki fan, I bought Izuku first because of the raw emotion I saw in the design. I love the pose and the way he seems to really be giving his all. I wanted to emulate determination in my own life by any means necessary, even if other people couldn't tell what my intentions were.

I wanted to break out of my shell and be more assertive, even if it meant losing the people I had in my life. I spent half my existence being quiet and calm, not using my voice in moments where a voice needed to be heard. I felt ashamed and pathetic constantly... and then I would see Izuku's face in my mind, urging me to do more. Say. More.

The process was a very slow one for me; even now I still struggle with getting my point across vocally. It feels as if ice is lodged into my throat, refusing to let me utter even a word. Izuku often struggled with using his voice, but throughout the series, we eventually begin to hear him loud and clear. We see the growth within him in every episode, the scars he's earned, the backbone he's gained. He's transformed into a beautiful butterfly, a beautiful hero.

I yearn for the same transformation myself one day.