Kirishima and Positive Masculinity

 A hot topic of discussion in our modern culture is the concept of masculinity. Specifically, the different “types” of masculinity, so to speak; and what defines healthy, positive masculinity over other forms. 

I got the idea for this essay by watching Oceaniz’s amazing video “Masculinity in My Hero Academia,” but the basic ideas have been brewing since I was first exposed to the series. In his video, Oceaniz examines masculinity in three main characters:

• Bakugo is overcome with an idea not inherent to, but tragically common in toxic masculinity: that hard work and success determines one’s worth

• Todoroki struggles against his father, Enji, who fell victim to the same mindset years ago. 

• Finally, Midoriya exhibits a healthier, more emotional breed of masculinity from the get-go; he doesn’t shove his feelings down to accomplish his goals

Again, it’s a great video, and I highly recommend watching it. But the whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it all relates to Kirishima, one of my favorite characters in the series...and then I learned Curmudgeon Media already beat me to it and made an entire video essay about Kirishima’s masculinity…and it’s absolutely amazing. 

Oh well. 

I decided to make this anyway! Like I said, Kirishima really is one of my favorite characters in the series. After taking a break from My Hero Academia for a bit, it was refreshing to come back and witness him as this positive beam of energy, support and friendship. 

Without further ado, let’s get into the Positive Masculinity of Kirishima. 

Part 1: Definitions:

To explain how Kirishima fulfills the guidelines of positive masculinity, we have to first define what positive masculinity is...but to do that, we also have to look at what toxic masculinity is, and what traditional masculinity is. 

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: we are not attacking traditional masculinity or men at large by using the phrase “toxic masculinity.” Not all rectangles are squares, but all squares are rectangles; not all burgers are cheeseburgers, but all cheeseburgers are burgers. In much the same way, not all masculinity is toxic, but toxic masculinity is, by definition, a subtype of traditional masculinity. 

Traditional masculinity is something of an umbrella phrase, referring to many ideas associated with (but not exclusively used by) men. I’m sure we’ve all heard them before: courage, strength, assertiveness, independence, that sort of thing. 

Toxic masculinity is when those traits are used to encourage and enforce unhealthy behaviors. The phrase “Men don’t cry” is a prime example of toxic masculinity. In traditional masculinity, men are expected to be competent, in-control and role models. Toxic masculinity twists it by claiming that, as a result, men cannot show emotion because that is weak. And to clarify, both men and women can encourage these negative behaviors with a variety of phrases and stereotypes. At its worst, toxic masculinity teaches men to forgo empathy, basic safety, taking care of your body, accepting help, and helping others. Putting oneself in danger and taking risks is often justified in a toxic masculine mindset by saying that danger or risk-taking is “manly.” 

Those unhealthy behaviors didn’t come out of nowhere: they’re perversions of otherwise neutral masculine ideas. Independence---a key facet of traditional masculinity---is taken to such an extreme that toxic masculinity would have you believe it’s wrong to offer or accept any help to anyone. Assertiveness---another key facet---is taken to mean outright aggression, often when it’s not wanted or needed. 

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So if traditional masculinity is a group of neutral ideas associated with men, and toxic masculinity perverts those ideas to justify unhealthy behaviors, positive masculinity does the exact opposite: it supports healthy behaviors through the lense of masculine ideas. 

Whereas toxic masculinity might discourage mental health treatment (as it’s a sign of “weakness”), positive masculinity does the exact opposite, encouraging treatment as it takes strength, fortitude and bravery. 

Whereas toxic masculinity would have you bottle up your emotions (again, as a sign of “weakness”), positive masculinity embraces them and says that emotions make us who we are. 

So, where does Kirishima fit into this?

Part 2: My Boi Eijirou Kirishima:

Kirishima should seem familiar to anyone familiar with Shonen anime: a shredded, meatheaded himbo dedicated to his own strength, who appears shirtless more often than not. But he’s also an intentional subversion of the tropes we normally see, openly ignoring toxic interpretations of masculine ideas in favor of positive masculinity. 

I took the time to describe Oceaniz’s video earlier because Kirishima sticks out like a sore thumb compared to characters struggling with toxic masculinity. He doesn’t bottle up his emotions like Shoto; in fact, he cries on all sorts of occasions. He doesn’t put down people like Bakugo; he helps them up, just as others (like Mina) helped him. His aspirations don’t destroy his relationships, like with Enji; rather, his aspirations serve as a vehicle for new friendships. 

Ambition and Independence are two of the most important facets of masculinity, and two major themes of My Hero Academia. Certainly more so than its peers, like Black Clover, Demon Slayer or JuJutsu Kaisen, and maybe more so than the manga that came before it, like Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto or Eichoro Oda’s One Piece. Every character of My Hero wants to be the best (whatever that means for them), and everybody wants to do so with their own hard work and talents. 

Kirishima is no exception: he has his own ambitions and a desire for independence, but unlike Bakugou, Shoto or Enji, he isn’t consumed or warped by them. He wants to be a great hero, but not necessarily the #1 hero. He wants to achieve this with hard work, but he acknowledges that he’ll need help along the way. He takes pride in his accomplishments, but he doesn’t hinge his self-worth on them. 

In essence, he’s the antithesis to an increasingly prideful, toxic community of heroes. It’s no wonder that he gets along with Midoriya so well; Midoriya is also an altruistic, caring, emotionally available young man who wears his heart on his sleeve and challenges the very community he idolizes. I’m inclined to argue that this is why Kirishima is Bakugo’s best friend: because like Midoriya, Kirishima’s kindness juxtaposes with Bakugo’s rudeness and hostility, and Kirishima isn’t afraid to call out Bakugou when the need arises. 

Being exposed to Kirishima’s more healthy breed of masculinity (and, potentially, Midoriya’s) challenges Bakugo’s destructive mindset. Now, Bakugo thinks about more than himself, he wants to help his classmates, and he’s willing to accept help from them in turn. All because of the time he spent around Red Riot. 

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At his best, Kirishima feels like he could be the protagonist of his own story. This is very intentional, and nothing new, of course; Horikoshi is well-known for introducing boatloads of characters, but waiting patiently to give them their own individual time to shine, so they all feel like the heroes they were born to be. That moment for Kirishima was in the Overhaul Arc, when he revealed Red Riot Unbreakable. But I’d argue that the Bakugou Rescue Arc speaks much more about the sort of person he fundamentally is. 

Kirishima choses to go save Bakugo, not just because Bakugo is his friend, but because all of Class 1A are his friends. He is the one who comforts Tsuyu when she breaks down after the rescue, the one who condemns Mineta for his perversions, the one who befriends Bakugo, who calms down everyone when Todoroki picks fights during the Sports Festival, the one who assures Midoriya that he’s being too hard on himself. 

Kirishima is the glue that holds Class 1A together and the shield that protects them from harm. He bears their burdens with a smile on his face. He inspires everyone around him. He’s an emotionally-intelligent young man, a team player, and a great friend. 

Eijirou Kirishima isn’t just a pillar of positive masculinity in a world devoid of it, he’s a fucking hero. 

My name is Jonathan, and thanks for reading.