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i fear ive fallen back into the kuroken mines

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kuroken vs daishou [ids in alt]

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It seems like they are discussing someone

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did you mean it? 🐈🐈‍⬛

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retro haikyuu!! 🧡🏐✨

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Make out

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💥: stop trying to outkiss me dammit! 🥦: i'm not- 💥: attacking me while i'm asleep is weak 🥦:

💥: it's a tie you know, you have to try harder 🥦: are you really keeping score

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Some thoughts about 431 or smth

Izuocha my notp honestly but my problem with them not because of ship itself

Ochako said about her feelings for Izuku only to Toga and not Izuku himself is so cringe if u connected it with 431 like. Earlier Ochako hid her feelings and now she.....hides her feelings again......for 8 years.......when some of her development kinda was about NOT hiding feelings........and not even she starts "I want to talk more!!!" thing.....but Izuku 😭😭😭😭 and for 430 it makes sence because it seems like she's just outgrowing her high school crush and that's why she doesn't tell him about her feelings but whatever man

Use a queer girl who died 8 years ago just for push straight ship is.....definitely a choice. Also I reread 429 and I really hope Hori didn't kill Toga only for Izuku would have someone who suffer with him for the same reason

This fucking handhold scene bro i'm gonna cry why bro did all the Katsuki scenes with river and even connected bkdk to kudoichi just for????? give two scenes for izuocha????? AND WHY U FINISHED MANGA WITH THIS.......evil work. And yes handholding scene from 403 is very important but since it was on the battlefield I thought they would hold hands in a calmer and more emotional place again while discussing their dreams or smth!!! 😔

Bkdk again! I really think izuocha talk in 429 was very good and cute and tragic and I love them both but i just think it's reasonable to give bkdk talk as well 😭 the fuck you mean one of you died and back and other was INSANE about it but u didn't even talk yeees whatever

Simple last reason why Hori didn't even care about izuocha development as couple earlier then???? why the BONUS CHAPTER which wasn't even in magazine 😭😭 the shonen curse fr. Izuku didn't gaf about her in a romance way bro!!!! (few blushing scenes are Not indicator btw) and Ochako's crush through the manga connected her more with TOGA than Izuku and that's why 431 even more hilarious for me

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It's actually amazing how okay I was with 430 being the ending for mha - despite all the villains dying, despite izuku and katsuki never getting a proper conversation despite it being lampshaded all series even by all might himself, despite wasting the final couple of chapters on bs we could've had in 1 chapter, despite not focusing more time on HOW MUCH society has changed to really hone in on the themes, despite not having most of the characters we've come to love converse/interact in the final goddamn chapter - I was still fine with the ending. That is until I had read the dumpster fire that is 431. Forget the whole weird ship confirmation(??) that was pushed onto the final page instead of including it in the actual main manga, I hate how this chapter essentially shits on most of what we've built on for the past four hundred chapters?? Like the problem isn't the ship, the problem is more so of how much was needed to be sacrificed and have characters behave ooc for it to happen? Especially when hori could have still made an iz//cha ending without doing all that. We could have confirmed that ship while also giving proper care to the other characters and also finally getting more on deku's thoughts on all that has happened to him from the series to the man he is now. The man he has had to become in the last 8 years and what that means now that he can be a hero again. We could've finally ended on the note of Izuku and Katsuki emulating the win to save, save to win as a hero duo, cementing them as proper childhood friends again after spending the majority of the manga with them apart and in deep miscommunication.. Instead we got whatever the fuck 431 was while leaving most things implied or done away with abruptly. And don't even get me started on why hori felt it was needed to shift focus and POV to someone else when this was a time it was very much needed to be deku's POV

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I really can’t believe that katsuki stopped chasing his dream of becoming the number one hero, saved money as fuck, died because of izuku, did the fucking foursome TO NOT RECEIVE A THANK YOU AND BE USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR IZUOCHA SINCERELY FUCK YOU, he’s not even in the top 10 i’m so angry u guys don’t get

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Collection of shotos from this chapter because I love him

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mha fans: can you believe they made Izuku and Ochako canon in the timeskip me: oh, you mean they got married and had kids or something? mha fans: no me: they kissed? mha fans: no me: but Ochako told Izuku she likes him, right? mha fans: no me: so... Izuku told Ochako he likes her...? mha fans: no me: do we see them at an amusement park sharing a crêpe or something?? mha fans: no me: what happens then mha fans: Izuku says he wants to talk to her more from now on and Ochako is like "same here!" and they shake hands me: mha fans: they're blushing me: mha fans: me: buddy you need some higher standards

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i think its really normal that people are upset over mha ending??? like i’m sorry but have u guys EVER been passionate about ANYTHING. I don’t agree with the bullying aspect of this but these people who are getting upset over mha ending are the same people who have cultivated the fandom. Who have written multiple fics, published artworks for this piece of media that queerbaited them SO FUCKING HARD. And the problem isn’t the ship itself it’s rather the corruption of character’s original beliefs that shaped the very narrative itself. Do you not realise that Izuku’s sudden apathy towards Bakugo is literally contradicts his stance on their friendship that shaped the very narrative itself. For Horikoshi to randomly jeopardise what he built for over a decade just to propel a relationship is simply unbecoming and especially since a major part of the fanbase was deeply connected to both bakugo and izuku. Expecting people to be nonchalant about such a drastic change that literally ruined every character’s development, including Uraraka, is simply stupid lol.

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all right, fine

let's play ball

that bkdk car conversation is really fucking gay

I made this blog to talk about language because I find it fun and fascinating, so while I'm not thrilled to acknowledge 431 any more than I have to, there's really hilarious shit happening in this scene and the people need to know.

So, the first fucking thing we hear outta Katsuki's mouth is this:

"Jeez, why the hell do I gotta be Deku's private little chauffeur!"

There are a few ways you could translate this. It's an indignant complaint with some rudeness, but comparatively mild for Katsuki. Some people might rephrase this to something more like "why do I gotta drive Deku's ass around" but I'm keeping the original, possessive grammar of デクのアッシー (Deku no asshii) because I think it highlights an important implication.

Sooooo... the word Katsuki uses here アッシー (asshii) is uniquely loaded slang.

Jisho.org

This term originates from Japan's bubble economy era of the late 80s and saw continued use through the 90s. During the economic bubble, the unemployment rate was very low; the related increased presence of women in the workplace led to a cultural perspective that women were gaining social power and financial independence.

From this new social dynamic emerged several terms:

Asshii-kun, Messhii-kun, and Mitsugu-kun.

English Journal, written by University of Kitakyuushuu linguistics professor Anne Crescini

There's also the lesser known Tsunagu-kun, who hooks up electronics for a woman, and Keep-kun, a "backup boyfriend" for when a woman's preferred partner dumps her.

A couple Japanese websites I looked at talked about luxury vehicles gaining in popularity during this time, so Asshii-kun are associated with expensive sports cars, something Katsuki is probably referencing since his car is fancy as fuck!

It's not a well known term anymore, to the point that I saw a number of jpn fans joking about having to look up what it means, haha. Katsuki's dialogue often has interesting, unusual word choices, and of course, reigning queen of up-to-date slang Camie teased him about his delinquent shtick being "out of fashion"!

In that journal article, Crescini explores English terms which roughly convey the same meaning as asshii. I've used google translate here to show you what is written, so let's take a look!

O--oh.

Oh.

fdkjslhsmh;lkshm;

LISTEN I WAS TRYING TO BE FUCKING EMPIRICAL AND SHIT

oh. is that right.

yeah

yeah he is

FYI shiri ni shikarareru of course carries the implication of a man being dominated or bossed around by his wife.

Now, on social media, I saw people (likely in their 40s and 50s) using the term jokingly to describe having to chauffeur someone around for errands. It was mostly men talking about their wives, but there were a couple instances of it being used for friends and family members. It definitely has the energy of "being forced to drive someone around without getting anything in return."

But notice that Katsuki voices this complaint about Izuku specifically, even though Kirishima is also in the car. Like yeah, he yells about Kirishima threatening to scratch his car, but he doesn't fucking call himself Kirishima's asshii!

He could have used a plural "you" pronoun or even pluralized Izuku's name with Deku-tachi to make it "Deku and the people with him," but no, it's "Deku's asshii."

Tell me, Kacchan, when it comes to Izuku, are you hoping to get something in return?

"If somebody'd just said the words 'I wanna surpass Dynamight,' I'd have taken 'em." "You ain't gonna give up teaching?"

date me date me date me fucking do hero work with ME Izuku be a hero with ME

[sigh...]

"Man, you got dumped, huh, Bakugou!!"

Listen. My jaw dropped when I saw Kirishima say this.

Weblio (google translated)

This definition specifies "amorous feelings of being in love" (恋愛感情). I'm not joking when I say I've almost exclusively heard this word used for rejected confessions or couples breaking up.

Japanese Stack Exchange question, "Can フラれて be used in any non-romantic sense?"

The Japanese example sentence describes a business proposal being immediately rejected. The comedy here is inherently tied to the verb being used for romantic rejection, like someone saying "I applied for a promotion, but those fickle hiring managers went and broke my heart."

Even if you aren't literally suggesting romantic love, the association makes it sound over the top and dramatic.

Kirishima is drawing attention to how serious and emotionally invested Katsuki is in making this offer and affectionately teasing him for it. Note that he doesn't just use the simple past tense for this verb (フラれた), which would have sounded direct and not particularly sympathetic. He's using a [verb] + shimau construction (further contracted as slang to "-chimatta") which makes it a "regrettable" outcome, like an "aww man!"

You can add that construction to any verb and it would sound funny/sympathetic, so he could have phrased it differently:

断られちまった ("You got turned down," common word used for all kinds of rejection)

拒められちまった ("You got denied," used for romantic, platonic, and familial relationships)

撥ね付けられちまった ("You got totally rejected," used for when someone coldly or flatly rejects an offer or request)

撃沈しちまった ("You got shot down," uses battleship sinking imagery for failure in daily life, business ventures, romance, hopes and dreams, etc.)

轟沈しちまった ("You got crushed," similar to above, but more severe and instantaneous sinking: instant kill, KO, torpedoed, etc.)

The last few in particular are very dramatic and humorous, so they would work well if Kirishima wanted to joke about the speed or bluntness of Izuku's refusal.

BUT NO.

DUDE USED THE VERB SPECIFICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ROMANTIC REJECTION, which centers the feelings of heartbreak and disappointment.

He is commiserating with Katsuki for "putting his heart on the line" and getting the cold shoulder, and then he fucking wingmans for Katsuki by spelling it all out to Izuku!!

You can say all you want "it's just lighthearted banter, they're joking!" Sure. You're right, this is a funny scene.

But the joke is that Izuku is a cute girl Katsuki keeps trying (and failing) to woo. That he's taking advantage of Katsuki's feelings for him and stringing him along.

The joke is that Katsuki wants Izuku at his hero agency so bad, the rejection is essentially on the level of getting dumped or having your love confession rejected.

The joke is that Izuku is completely oblivious when it comes to love.

oh interesting doesn't that sound familiar

LITERALLY EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS NERD WOULDN'T NOTICE LOVE IF IT PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE

'cause Katsuki already tried that one

But I will say, for all Katsuki's complaints, the problem is obviously not a lack of reciprocation. The problem is that Izuku doesn't recognize what Katsuki feels for him. He doesn't get what Katsuki is trying to express to him. He can't answer honestly if he doesn't even understand the question.

The comedic parts of MHA are often wrapped up in important plot points and messages. Sure, it's funny, but why does that mean we're supposed to dismiss it?

Also, Kirishima says this:

"Midoriya sure is dense when it comes to these things."

その辺 (sono hen) is a perfectly ordinary phrase for "that area," "that topic," "in that regard," or "around there," and I wouldn't think anything of it if not for this next bit:

"On that note, what about you guys?"

They are talking about the Class B students who started dating, and Sero uses the same phrase to ask whether Jirou and Kaminari are a couple. Again, this isn't unusual, and if these moments were separated by whole chapters, it would not read as notable in any way. その辺 is a common enough phrase that it's not something you could pin down as a "thematic phrase" or anything like that.

But the repetition struck me. Sero could have said, そういえば (speaking of which, now that you mention it, on that subject), this is a very common sentence starter, but he also could have said things like 付き合ってといえば (speaking of dating) to be more specific.

In this conversation, その辺 is framed as the topic of dating or romance by the preceding remarks. Meanwhile, the "topic" Kirishima suggests Izuku is thickheaded about is only really defined by his own previous comment...

which framed Katsuki's rejection as romantic heartbreak.

anyway

here's the funniest translation of Katsuki's asshii comment I could think of:

"Jeez, why do I gotta be Deku's vehicular bitch boy!"

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Was there anything in particular about Deku’s words that prompted Katsuki to give him that advice? Reading the chapter, it kinda seemed to come out of nowhere to me

Katsuki was prompted by Izuku saying he was blessed and content with what he had going on in his life. Izuku basically says he doesn't have anything he wants to pursue, and Katsuki hears it as a lack of drive and essentially answers "Dude, you deserve what you have and you're also allowed to want more. You're allowed to like what you have and ALSO not be satisfied yet."

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If y'all think my desire to ignore chapter 431 is motivated by shipping you're delusional and have been too focused on ships to think real hard about the implications of what this chapter says. I've already stated my feelings about the shipping aspect days ago. The problem with the chapter is that by itself it shits on so many themes in the story about dreams, inspiration, aspirations, and heroism, it shits on what All Might stood for and relegates heroism to basic law enforcement bullshit, and it destroys the fantasy at the end just like timeskip epilogues fucking love to do. It's atrocious. Horikoshi saying this chapter is after the cameras have been turned off allows me to sever it from the actually good parts of the story that were consistent and robust, and now I treat it as a fun little whatever. That's the only possible way I can excuse this tepid crap.

The only part that gets to stay is the creepy occult implication that Himiko is living inside Ochako as a vestige and somehow gets to enjoy both her crushes this way. That shit is amazing nightmare fuel and I expect 10 fanfics about it on my desk by the end of the week.

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With the final chapter of Mha being published and canonised (even if it was indirect) I just wanna say that Mha really did dismantle everything it built up for over 430 chapters. Because what was the point of telling your readers that you need to keep your dreams alive, even if your very anatomy renders you incapable of pursuing this dream you must not give up on it. It is what makes you. It is your dream, yours to have and yours to cultivate, even if this dream of yours is a hopeless one, there’ll be a will, stronger than yours, that’ll make this dream a reality. Because when you extend your hand, this dream becomes a shared reality.

Only to end with the bone crushing revelation that adulthood will infect this dream of yours and all your ardour, all your insanity, all these fervent emotions that you harbour for this dream will be reduced, and you’ll be nothing more than a flickering flame on a wax candle that is about to burn out. That is your reality, and you must face it.