#Kacchan's bullying is NOT the only reason for Izuku's self doubt

[atalkingrat]

Deku's final battle: recognising his self-worth

I really wanted Kacchan to tell Izuku he could be a hero without a quirk, but I just realised how important it is for Deku to come to that realisation on his own.

...

Everyone always told him he could never be a hero. Even though he was persistent in pursuing his dream, he was still desperate for validation, haunted by his mother's apology to him after finding out he was quirkless. When All Might tells him he can't be a hero without a quirk, Deku seems to give up. He only accepts the chance to stand in the ring that AM offers him with OFA.

We have yet to see Izuku break free from the feelings that he has to make himself worth everything he was given. While part of this is his own satisfying journey of self-improvement, as Kacchan points out: "deep down, he doesn't take himself into account" (ch284). Izuku lives to be useful and approved of by others.

I would love to see Izuku recognise his inherent worth and unique skills, and to reconnect with a desire to save people, not out of necessity or to be a satisfactory successor, but because it fulfills him.

As for what quirkless hero Izuku could look like:

I don't think AM was wrong for telling Izuku he needed a quirk to be s hero. His logic was sound, and AM has the irreparable injuries and decades of experiences both quirkless and with OFA to back it up. However, AM does not have Izuku's creativity. While they have the same spirit, Izuku' ingenuity, intelligence, and appreciation for different kinds of quirks is his own unique combination. He was never going to be a hero like All Might, as much as a desires it. His stature does not allow it, and the damage he has done to his body means his fighting style is completely different. Izuku has to find his own way.

This could be through support items. I believe All Might's super suit demonstrated his own admiration of Deku as a hero, and teased what Quirkless Pro Hero Izuku could look like.

[yami-kada]

Mission 2

Recently I read a fanfic on AO3 called Interlude - Class 1-A by @itslivybear and was inspired a bit to write a fic based on that! Well really I got inspiration for a single line (you'll know it when you see it) and then had to write a whole thing to be able to share that one line, but oh well. This is my first time writing a chatfic or even any BNHA content at all, so I hope it doesn't suck! Thanks to @shadesofflame for being an awesome beta!

(Quick FYI in this AU M*neta and Bakugou are replaced with Shinsou and Monoma, sorry for any confusion. Also a name guide can be found at the bottom.)

RockSolid: Um, so.

RockSolid: Remember the missions during the Sports Festival?

PurpleGrape: Oh hell yeah.

PurpleGrape: Still cherish the look on that bastard's face.

Spoderman: jehxgjc Kiri I got it on video!!!

JazzHands: You've had video of the capture of the bounty this whole time and never showed us???

LSD: I thought we were friends Sero!

Spoderman: omg no not that I totally would have shared earlier if i did

Spoderman: im talking about That.

RockSolid: no Sero don't tell them!

RockSolid: it's embarrassing!

PikaCHU: Tell us, tell us!

NYOOM: Kaminari-kun! If Kirishima-kun wishes to keep his privacy, then it is our duty as his classmates to respect that!

Spoderman: ok but consider: he already gave them a major hint and they are about to POUNCE

BreadIsPain: As a witness as well, I must say that Kirishima was si attirant que j'ai failli m'évanouir~*

RockSolid: thanks, I think?

MOMo: To paraphrase Aoyama, he is essentially saying you were very manly, Kirishima!

RockSolid: aw thanks bro!! Don't believe you but thanks!

Spoderman: you take that lack of confidence back I have evidence right here that says you are super fucking manly!

LSD: ok please now we have to know so that we can show Kiri how great he is!!!

MOMo: I must admit that the commentary seen thus far has me rather curious as well.

RockSolid: You guys…

RockSolid: alright then, I'll tell you!

Spoderman: sweet ill pull it up!

RockSolid: bro don't you dare! my story, I get to tell it!

Spoderman: oh yeah of course bro!!

Spoderman: but if after you wanna show it then i am READY.

JazzHands: This is very sweet and all but I am very thirsty for this TEA.

RockSolid: on it!

Kirby: Kiri you've been typing for so long that I'm getting Izuku vibes here.

GreenGrape: Hey!

RockSolid: sorry! this is harder than I thought!

Spoderman: want me to start it off?

RockSolid: you know what, sure.

Spoderman: aight so,

Spoderman: Council, what qualifies as capturing the bounty?

GreenGrape: Guys no the bounty is over please no more bounty-hunting Kacchan.

MOMo: Your objection is noted and overruled, Izuku.

MOMo: For your question, Sero, I do not believe we ever set specific limitations on what qualified, but I was under the impression that it was limited to the Sports Festival. Why do you ask?

Spoderman: just double checking

Spoderman: because my bro here just totally shot both missions out of the park!!!

LSD: gaSP!!!

JazzHands: bOTH?!

RockSolid: no not both!! we have no confirmation for either, technically!

Kirby: Technically? What do you mean by that?

RockSolid: ahhhh ok so Sero and I were eating lunch in the courtyard because it was nice out, right?!

RockSolid: and we were chillin, being bros, birds were singing, all was good.

RockSolid: and then we heard a small explosion before the bounty walked in at the other end of the courtyard and started kicking at the wall.

PikaCHU: omg so angy.

RockSolid: and like fine, we can tune him out, just try to act like he's not there, you know?

RockSolid: But then he started yelling at random people in the courtyard, just acting pissed as hell.

PikaCHU: oMG so ANGY.

RockSolid: and that's just not manly at all, you know? going off on people like that just because you're in a bad mood.

GreenGrape: Yeah… that's Kacchan for you.

RockSolid: so he's making his way around the courtyard now, like everyone needs their daily dose of asshole for him to be happy, and the closer he got the more annoyed I got.

Spoderman: here it comes!

RockSolid: and eventually I get up, because I have had just about enough, and walk right up to him.

RockSolid: he doesn't see me coming, because he was too busy yelling at some girl, and I get right up behind him.

RockSolid: and then I just called out to get his attention, and spun him to face me while making sure I end up between him and the girl.

RockSolid: and well I told him off a little bit and got him to back off then left in a hurry.

RockSolid: and that's it!

Spoderman: oh no you don't

BreadIsPain: Oui! Monsieur Kirishima, you must tell the climax with just as much zest as the build-up!

Spoderman: what he said! no skipping out on the best part!

RockSolid: but!!!

Jacked: No buts, mister. We're all way too invested now for you to back down.

RockSolid: :(

RockSolid: fine! you win!

RockSolid: so uh when I got his attention, I also got my hand onto his shoulder, and used his surprise to knock his feet a bit off balance and pulled him back, but then I ended up with him in my arms and could tell he was about to start yelling so I just…

RockSolid: you know…

RockSolid: flirted?

LSD: oh my GoD this is great!!!

PikaCHU: Hell yeah Kiri! Go get yourself a manz!

RockSolid: I'm not getting a man! He's probably going to kill me the next time he sees me!

Spoderman: i dunno, it took him a good long while to reboot after what you said there

Spoderman: you might have a shot

PurpleGrape: Well if you're not going to get a man out of this, mind telling us what you said so I can bait him next time he tries to be an ass?

RockSolid: uhhh…

RockSolid: I'm nervous.

BreadIsPain: If you will allow me, I shall finish your tale off dazzlingly!

RockSolid: Thanks Aoyama.

BreadIsPain: Bien entendu!

BreadIsPain: While holding him in his arms tightly in a dip, faces inches apart, Monsieur Kirishima leaned impossibly closer to emphasize his point.

RockSolid: oh god I regret everything.

LSD: Hush, it's getting good!

BreadIsPain: With a growl to his voice and his eyes burning above a smirk, he said "You know, you're damn cute when you're angry, but you'd be downright sexy if you shut the fuck up." Then he straightened up to fling the lost soul to the side, and saunter off like the devil was guarding his back, leaving the bounty terribly confused in his wake.

PurpleGrape: Whoa.

PikaCHU: Holy shit?!

RockSolid: what is that description?!?!?!

JazzHands: Kiri that was PERFECT oh my god?!

LSD: It's ART is what it is!

Spoderman: don't forget how red the guy was! Kiri was cool as a cucumber but the other guy couldn't stop blushing after seeing his face!!!

MOMo pinned a message

RockSolid: Yaomomo!!!

MOMo: My apologies, Kirishima, but I felt it only right to ensure easy access to your most manly moment.

LSD: Yeah Kiri! Then one day we can all look back on this and celebrate how everything started!!

RockSolid: How what started???

LSD: E v e r y t h i n g

RockSolid: @Spoderman bro hide me I’m scared.

Spoderman: hey guys, wanna see a GREAT video?

Spoderman: the stars are our main man, Kiri, and the bounty!

PikaCHU: hell yeah!!!

Jacked: Lay it on me.

PurpleGrape: Sure.

JazzHands: Do you really have to ask????

RockSolid: but I already told you what happened!

RockSolid: why do you want to see me being so embarrassing?

PikaCHU: bro we all appreciate you so much of course we want to see you being manly!

LSD: Just from what you all said there is no way you don’t look great in that vid, Kiri!

PikaCHU: gotta give support where support is due!!

PurpleGrape: They’ll all bully Sero into showing them one way or another anyways, might as well give in now.

RockSolid: but...

BreadIsPain: Nous devons vous montrer à quel point vous brillez et dissiper ces pensées douteuses!**

MOMo: I could not have said it better myself, Aoyama!

RockSolid: I don’t even know what he said though?!?!?!?!?!?!

Spoderman: Kiri.

Spoderman: Bro.

Jacked: Well shoot he’s using proper grammar and everything.

Spoderman: Rude.

Spoderman: Anyways Bro.

RockSolid: yeah?

Spoderman: You are epic. This video shows you being epic. And putting an asshole in their place.

Spoderman: You have nothing to be ashamed of, and every reason to be proud. So please let me show the video so that everyone can appreciate you like you deserve bro.

RockSolid: bro…

Spoderman: Bro.

RockSolid: bro -

Spoderman: Bro?

RockSolid: bro!

Spoderman: aight everyone down to the common room its up on the big screen

Spoderman: i have popcorn too

Jacked: Not even gonna question that.

LSD: Finally!!!

JazzHands: Yuss!!!

BreadIsPain: Je vais regarder avec enthousiasme!***

MOMo: As will all of us I’m sure, Aoyama!

RockSolid: Thanks guys!

RockSolid: Now get down here and watch me maybe get a man!

Translations:

*so attractive that I almost swooned.

**We must show you how much you shine, and dispel those self-doubting thoughts!

***I shall excitedly watch!

Guide to names:

GreenGrape - Izuku

PurpleGrape - Hitoshi

CopyCat - Monoma Neito

MOMo - Yaoyorozu Momo

datBoi - Asui Tsuyu

JazzHands - Hagakure Toru

NYOOM - Iida Tenya

SnowWhite - Kouda Kouji

LifeIsPain - Tokoyami Fumikage

BreadIsPain - Aoyama Yuga

Kirby - Uraraka Ochaco

LSD - Ashido Mina

PikaCHU - Kaminari Denki

RockSolid - Kirishima Eijiro

RipHarambe - Ojiro Mashirao

IcyHot - Todoroki Shoto

MuffinMan - Sato Rikido

Octodad - Shouji Mezou

Jacked - Jirou Kyoka

Spoderman - Sero Hanta

[burnedbyshoto]

the most important relationship in bnha is the one between midoriya izuku and bakugou katsuki.

now shut up and let me explain:

they are the first people seen and named in the story. they are the two main characters, and without a doubt the future successors of all mights will.

they have been by each other’s side through thick and thin, and even if they weren’t friends at all, their connection whether obvious or not, has always been a driving point to this series.

this is a story not only about the rise of midoriya izuku coming to be the greatest hero ever, but about their relationship and how despite the horribleness and terror that bakugou instilled on izuku, they were able to move on. bakugou is atoning and he hasn’t said shit because by telling izuku he’s atoning that would selfish and more of a selfish way of growing so in reality there’s a fat chance we never get a verbal apology which is actually okay... I mean look at bakugou... he’s an actions over words man. he would rather help izuku become a worthy competitor and a solid rival then just give some verbal apology especially after everything he’s done.

you don’t have to agree that bakugous atonign or whatever, but you have to understand that he’s been trying.

moreover, think about it... if izuku can’t forgive bakugou, if bakugou can’t ever come to understand his own emotions and feelings for izuku, how do you expect them to find a way to relate and save the villains???

now i’m not trying to say that bullying is okay, or anything that bakugou did in middle school was okay, but izuku has come to understand that bakugou acted in the way he did for a reason. not because bakugou is childish and immature, but because he can’t speak up about it. this is a vital, pivotal skill he needs in order to understand and help villains. to try and be the middle ground between good and bad because we all know that the government like always is the reason why people are fucked over. he has learned to listen, understand, and forgive where forgiveness is earned and allowed. this is important.

oppositely, bakugou has always been a him versus the world individual. he doesn’t relate to people, he doesn’t understand complex people. the villains presented in bnha arent the joker (except maybe AFO), they aren’t wrecking havoc for the sake of chaos but are complicated, complex individuals that frankly, are hard to understand. congrats, bakugou was smacked in the gut with the person he will forever have the hardest time gaging in midoriya izuku. he doesn’t understand him, doesn’t get the reasons why he does what he does and why he does it. so bakugou, as the child he is, lashed out immaturely and irresponsibly. but, we see that after deku vs kacchan 2 their relationship seems to finally... shift. bakugou is now actively looking outside of himself, trying to understand the depths and complicated twists of other people even if he doesn’t particularly like/understand them. in practice, bakugou can now apply what he’s learned in trying to atone for his bullying towards izuku and apply it to his position as a hero.

being a hero isn’t about being the strongest, being the heaviest hitter. we see that constantly in all mights downfall and endeavors constant struggles to be more. we SEE what happens when a hero actually plays a hero towards a villain when izuku fights gentle criminal!!! gentle steps down and decides what’s important to him, and hopefully, i’m not sure, he’s being rehabilitated correctly and fairly because yeah, he’s done crime and although it’s still his fault in a way, there’s an underlying, indisputable issue with the government that causes villains to manifest.

so, to me, the most important relationship is the one between the self sacrificing idiot and the temperamental asshole of class 1-a. they’re inseparable entities and maybe they won’t be the strongest relationship in each other’s life, but without a doubt, their relationship is the most important and pivotal to the storyline.

[bakugou-simp]

⚠️SPOILERS for bnha, and the heroes rising movie⚠️

I have rarely voiced these opinions, but I think it's about time I did.

See, there is a fine difference between ships and what is more likely to be canon, for me at least. As of right now I do not believe that bkdk will come anywhere near to being a canon romantic relationship, not only because of the type of manga/anime bnha is but also because of the development and change that would need to happen in order for it to even be possible. For the type of manga, I also believe Izuku or Katsuki being with anyone of the same sex is also out of the question. Horikoshi has put two transgender characters (and supposedly a bisexual character) in his manga, yes, but I do not see us getting anything more than that.

I am a multishipper through and through however, and I ship almost anything you can name that isn't incest, pedophilia, or abusive. Kirideku, for instance, and Todobaku as well. I like those ships, I think they're very cute and make a lot of sense. The only ships I don't like (I won't name them) I dislike purely because of the people who ship them. The way they act completely disgusts me.

But let's take a look at why BakuDeku, in my opinion, is commonly misunderstood.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about the BakuDeku ship, and I don't say this just because I personally ship it.

Katsuki

Season 1, as soon as Katsuki was introduced I hated his guts. I couldn't stand watching him bully Izuku, let alone telling him to go and jump off of a building. I wanted to reach through the screen and punch him myself. I don't take things like that lightly, and so I thought to myself I will never like this character. Even as time went on, season 2 and all the way up to season 3, I couldn't stand him.

He was an abusive person terrified of his childhood friend becoming something that perhaps he feared that he himself could not. He's disgusting towards everyone, showing only disrespect and arrogance.

When he was kidnapped is when things started to change for me.

Not just his reaction alone-- "Deku, stay back"--but also Izuku's. Izuku is one to forgive way too easily, in my opinion, but I doubt he forgives someone if he truly doesn't think they deserve it. So for whatever reason, Izuku thinks Bakugou deserves his trust and forgiveness.

If you look at it like this-- Izuku knowing Katsuki better than anyone else, not only from his observations but as well from his up close interactions with the other. Taking this into account, maybe Izuku knows something we don't about Katsuki. We know for sure his mother was borderline abusive--as seen from that conversation with Todoroki as well as just how she treats him--, but is that all? We can't know for certain, but it seems that Izuku might.

Let's say that none of that is true, let's go ahead and say that Katauki is just what he seems to be: an arrogant prick with a superiority complex. Even so it's impossible to say that he hasn't changed at all.

Take this scene for example. Just from this scene alone, from this one thing that he tells a kid he doesn't even know, you can see how much he's grown from when he was 14 years old.

This is turning into more of a Bakugou thing rather than a bkdk one, but hang in there. This is important too.

He has gone from believing that he is the best of those around him, thinking that everyone else will only get in his way, to recognizing that he has weaknesses just like everyone else. That in its self is a feat to be praised, but top that off with the realization that if he keeps putting others down he'll never see his own weaknesses and you've got one heck of a character development process. Granted, that won't be enough to make up for things he has done in his past.

So let's take a look at his past, shall we?

Raised in a home with, while loving, a push over father and a brash and aggressive mother. Whether or not she realized what she was doing, or even if she had been raised in the same way and doesn't see it as wrong, the way she yelled at him undoubtedly rooted something not short of some sort of trauma (disclaimer: I am no expert on trauma) into him. Not only that, but she probably pushed him to be better. Constantly; be better, you aren't good enough, you call that trying? So on, and so on.

Being told his entire life that his quirk is amazing, those around him letting him believe he is an undeniable leader, all of that has made him into what we see in the beginning.

Even before he got his quirk he probably thought he was better than those around him and that they also knew that, that they would follow him for protection or some sort of recognition from great power.

So, we have a 14 year old who thinks the world eats out of his hands. He sees Izuku, quirkless Izuku, as something not worth his time. Someone as great as him has no reason to play around with someone as worthless as Deku.

There is obviously the hinted at miscommunication, as shown during the Deku vs Kacchan 2 fight. The fact that apparently Katsuki sees everything Izuku does as looking down on him, mocking him, calling him weak and so on.

As a person who struggles with this, I can assure you it really is hard to tell the difference between someone genuinely wanting to help and secretly saying they don't think you can do it. Obviously I realize not everyone looks down on me, but because of the need to be independent and to prove myself to those around me, it feels like every outstretched hand is going to burn me when I grab it. Katsuki is far worse in that regard than I am, so I can only imagine how hard it is to admit to himself that someone is offering help and not mockery.

So let's say this entire time, their entire lives spent together, Katsuki has seen Izuku--someone who was quirkless--as one of the many people who doubts his abilities. Of course he's going to treat him worse than he treats others, but none of that makes it okay. None of that, any of this, erases what has been done.

That being said it does create a bridge for his redemption, for a deserved forgiveness, and yes I truly do believe he will earn that forgiveness.

It's going to take a long time for him to grow into the fact that accepting help doesn't equal to accepting defeat, and that offering it doesn't equal to the belief of weakness.

Katsuki, in my opinion, started to see his faults around the time be befriended Kirishima. Kirishima is strong, so obviously Katsuki is going to want him on his side, but there is more to it than that. I truly believe that Kirishima sparked the change in Katsuki, or at least held the match for the flame to be sparked.

Kirishima and Katsuki's friendship is what I imagine Izuku and Katsukis's might have been like if Izuku had gotten a quirk, as that is all that mattered to Katsuki. He never cared much about the person attatched to the quirk, only how it might help him. Meeting Kirishima, a person who believes everyone is strong and that they can do anything they want with the resources handed to them, must have irritated the piss out of him. Another person who seemed to think that the weak could be strong.

Being around that kind of thinking will eventually rub off on you, however. Even off onto someone like Katsuki. Especially after seeing Izuku's potential with his own two eyes.

So all of those thoughts of Izuku being a weak nobody turned instead to thoughts of Izuku being a threat to him and his goal. It's better than the first, but it really doesn't do well for them being anything other than rivals.

So, right now in his character development process? BakuDeku even being friends seems like a far off thought.

So now, let's take a look at Izuku.

Izuku

His entire life he's been told by Katsuki that he is lesser, he will amount to nothing, he's completely worthless. That never stopped him from arguing, denying, or wanting to be a hero. Finding out he has no quirk didn't stop him, and being told he might as well die didn't stop him.

Izuku is a wonderful person with a huge heart, a heart that wants to save every single person it comes across, and a heart that sees the best in everyone around it.

He went from being someone in the background, never standing out or doing extraordinary things to a person who will stop at nothing to save one single life. He no longer lingers at the sides, or fears his own abilities. He strikes with confidence in himself, in his peers, teammates, and all of those around him. He uses the hearts of those he wishes to save as a boost to help him win the day.

Meeting Iida and Uraraka, and many other amazing individuals, helped him realize that there are people who believe in him and want to see him succeed. Not everyone will treat him like Kacchan, or only see him as being in the way.

Do I believe that he had to have resented Katsuki in some way for some amount of time? Absolutely. In fact, he might still.

Him forgiving Katsuki wasn't out of the others development at all. It was out of his own achievements, his own confidence, that he was able to come past all of that negativity and believe in himself as a hero. For that reason, he was able to at least not hurt from what Katsuki done to him, if he hasn't yet forgiven him.

Sadly I don't have a lot to say about Izuku's development, or his thought process, but I do know that Katsuki has always been his image of victory, and I do now believe that he can finally see himself as his own image of victory. Or at least, more than just his tormentor.

Heroes Rising

I want to talk a little about the events of heroes rising, dispite it not being a canon part of the universe. It has been said that the movie was what Horikoshi imagined the end of bnha to be, and that is what I'm going with here.

In the movie Katsuki is still his usual superior self, treating Izuku the same as he always has. When there is no immediate danger, and even during a fight neither of them expected to walk away from. Now this may be do to Horikoshi changing it to fit more into just an alternate period of the present instead of perhaps a more time skipping version, but I am not aware of that being false nor true.

Even so, Izuku showed the same amount of care for every individual person as he always does. Katsuki on the other hand, he seemed to care just a little more than his typical self.

Even going as far as to use Sero's actual name when he's calling out, concerned for the other.

Especially, in the way he treated Izuku suggesting giving him one for all just so they could win the battle.

They both knew what this would mean for Izuku, and it's pretty obvious Katsuki didn't want to do it at first, but he's not clueless. He knew that Izuku was right, without two one for all's they and everyone on the island would have died. Throughout the process never once does he say anything about himself, he's only ever concerned about what would happen to Izuku and about saving the island.

Izuku was willing to give up his dream for an entire island, because that is his dream. His dream is to save lives and become the greatest hero, and saving an entire island is exactly that. He trusted Katsuki because he knew All Might would, and if All Might would trust this quirk with a person such as Katsuki, clearly others besides us, Katsuki and Izuku can see his development.

Their Relationship

Now, in regards to the actual conversation of misconceptions. I do believe that at first glance, that being not taking into consideration home life and miscommunications among these two in their own time, any sort of romantic relationship for these two would be seen as abusive. Because right now, if they both weren't more busy with training to be heroes rather than relationships and for some reason decided to be together, that's what it would be. Katsuki has a lot of things to sort through in his own head, and after he gets that settled they both have a long road to being able to be anything close to friends.

So being rivals is the best for them at the moment. They are each others core motivation, the reason they push and push themselves even when there's nothing left to push. Which over time is going to build a strong connection, more than what they have.

Eventually I do believe they could be friends, a hero duo is even more likely as they've already proven just now as training heroes that they work well together.

That being said if anything romantic were to come of it, it would be in a much later date.

Another misconception might be that bkdk shippers either ignore the way Katsuki has treated Izuku or just don't see it at all, which may very well be true about a lot of younger (or even older) people who might just see their rivalry as some sort of romantic tension. Which happens a lot in anime. However many of us see this ship and see the development, the huge development that will take place in order to be something more, and that is something we would absolutely love to see.

Shipping (for me personally)

I think that most ships in this fandom have good reasons for being shipped, and even if they don't as I've said there is a difference between shipping something and thinking it will become canon.

Personally, I think any ship becoming canon would ruin the manga. I see bnha as something that is perfect without any building romance, that being said a little background romance wouldn't hurt.

As far as relationships among the students goes, I'd hate to see any of them actually start dating. At this age, when they're doing things that are far more important, it doesn't seem like the right decision at all. That doesn't stop me from reading fanfictions, or looking at fanart, or saying that I ship two or more characters together. It's all harmless fun, until you turn into an Anti. I have absolutely no respect for antis and I severely hope they never interact with me.

In conclusion

I do not think that bkdk will be a canon ship in the mangas current timeline. That however, doesn't mean I can't ship them or think that eventually something could come of all of their character development.

Like it or not a good part of Izuku, his development, his personality, his dreams and life goal come from Katsuki. They come from knowing him nearly his entire life, from seeing him as a symbol of victory since they were kids and even up until now.

You can dislike bakudeku as a ship, you can ship other things and all that, but to deny that they aren't important to each others entire character-- and yes I do mean both of them, Katsukis's character also revolves a lot around Izuku--is to be blinded by your "hate" for the ship or even for Katsuki as a character. BakuDeku as a friendship/rivalship is way more important than as a relationship, and I think that's something everyone who loves either of them needs to respect.

The entire reason that they are were they are right now is because of All Might, their shared admiration for a strong hero for different aspects of said hero. That he never loses, and that he always saves everyone. Both traits make up their own respective heroes, Izuku and Katsuki happening to be opposites on that spectrum.

Their current existence thrives off of each other. Where they once looked to All Might for motivation, they now find it amongst themselves. As seen many times, when Katsuki asks Izuku "when are you going to hurry up and make that quirk your own?" You can choose to see that as him looking down on Izuku, but all I see is him wanting Izuku at his fullest potential so they can both give their all against each other, while at the same time with each other (though I doubt the second part is what Katsuki is thinking, those are just my thoughts.)

All in all, they push each other to be better, and I can't help but respect that.

(I'm sure there will be at least one person who will come around and reblog this just to say how much they disagree with me and why I'm wrong, so if you're that person I'd appreciate it if you just didn't. Your opinions are your opinions, but I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong so I don't want to see you telling me that. Thank you.)

posted on tue, Aug 25th

[mariisseething]

Top 5: Who Could Beat Bakugou?

I’m kind of obsessed with over-analyzing My Hero Academia, so here you go. Prime insanity.

Note: I am only using STUDENTS in this list! (From any school we’ve seen).

Technically speaking, Bakugou has never been beaten in a fight. During the training exercise in Season 1, he and Iida were outsmarted by Midoriya and Uraraka, but I’ve decided not to count that as a victory won in a fight. So yeah, he’s a strong little gremlin! But who could/can beat him under the correct circumstances.......

#5. Yaoyorozu Momo

It’s rather difficult to gauge whether or not Bakugou would be a tough match-up for her, as we’ve never seen them engaged in a conflict. But due to the vast range of her quirk, I firmly believe Momo has the capability to beat Bakugou in a one-on-one battle. The only set back being her confidence issues. As we saw in her and Todoroki’s fight against Aizawa in the second half of Season 2, Momo tends to lose confidence at the worst possible moment. I think Aizawa summed it up pretty well by saying, “She’s decided that he’s (Todoroki) better than her, and has begun to doubt herself.” And since most problems in life don’t just vanish, I’d say she still struggles with that.

Nevertheless, Momo has the ability to focus primarily on defense while Bakugou tires himself out on the offense. We don’t know exactly where she placed in the recommendation exam (since we only saw a glimpse of the boy’s exam during Inasa and Todoroki’s fight in the second half of Season 3), but it’s safe to say she scored within the top three spots. Especially since the exam looked like something right up her alley!

#4. Shinsou Hitoshi

(Now this is a match-up I would LOVE to see)!

It’s no secret that Bakugou Katsuki is easily provoked, and provoking people is a prime aspect of Shinsou’s quirk. When a person knows what his quirk is, his only choice is to get under their skin. (Which we saw him do during his fight with Midoriya at the sports festival). And he seems to be rather good at it too. Ojiro hammered Midoriya on NOT answering any of Shinsou’s questions, which he did almost immediately. Imagine if that’d been Bakugou instead of Midoriya, the reaction would have been 10x faster.

The only issue I can foresee with this match-up is Bakugou going all in at the beginning. Since Shinsou’s quirk is not showy, Bakugou could decimate him in like thirty seconds flat. That’s why, if Shinsou wanted to beat him, he would need to work on hitting him where it hurts, and dodging attacks. Which would most likely prove difficult, considering Bakugou’s quirk covers much more ground than Midoriya’s, for instance.

These two are a great match-up in my opinion, because they test each other’s biggest weakness. Shinsou’s being physical attacks, and Bakugou’s being anger management. In one of the last episodes of Season 3, we are informed that Shinsou has “bulked up”, meaning he has been working on physical training.

#3. Kirishima Eijirou

Kirishima is is one of the only people who I believe Bakugou would tolerate being beaten by. As we know, Katsuki considers Eijirou to be his equal, and wouldn’t be too hurt if he lost in a fight with him.

During the sports festival, Bakugou beats Kirishima in their bracket fight. He seems satisfied with his win, because he feels like Kirishima put his best foot forward. And he really did use all of his power during that battle, but since then, he has significantly improved.

In either volume 15 or 16 of the manga, (I’m not sure), Kirishima develops a new ultimate move during a street fight with a villain hyped up on “quirk steroids”. This move is called his “Unbreakable” form. (Note that this move was only made possible by Bakugou’s encouraging, supportive words). If Kirishima had had his Unbreakable form during the sports festival arc, he would have beaten Bakugou fair and square.

Not to say that Bakugou hasn’t also gotten stronger, but unlike Kiri he doesn’t have the ability to “power-up” even further. Which is simply due to the different nature of their quirks.

In addition, during Kirishima’s backstory retelling in the manga, we find out that he actually placed second in the U.A. entrance exams! Though he did not beat Bakugou, his score was much more well rounded than the latter. Meaning he had nearly an equal amount of rescue and defeat points, whereas Bakugou did not have ANY rescue points.

This match-up has very promising results.

#2. Midoriya Izuku

In Deku vs. Kacchan Part 2, Bakugou declares himself the victor of a match that I would personally define as a draw. I’m going to be quite blunt and just say it, Midoriya is stronger than Bakugou. It’s not too shocking, especially when you consider that Deku is the protagonist. The only reason he didn’t beat Bakugou in their most recent animated fight is because he had to repress his full power, i.e. “One For All, 5%”!

With Izuku’s handicap in mind, consider the main reason Bakugou struggles to beat the prior. Midoriya makes him angry. Depending on the exact nature of his emotions, Bakugou’s performance varies from an irrefutable victory to a slippery, emotion-heavy defeat. Battles with Deku tend to lean towards the slippery, emotion-heavy defeat outcome.

Deku is rather empathetic, thus he feels bad when Bakugou can’t fight like his normal self due to emotional turmoil. Or, in simpler terms, he has a soft spot for his rival. Though Izuku is not immune to the same type of emotional turmoil, he is much better at working through it. Bakugou gave Midoriya one of his greatest strengths, emotional intelligence and control. His relentless bullying of Deku as a child and pre-teen resulted in the latter retaining a strong grasp on his feelings. In parallel, Bakugou did not prepare for these struggles since he was coddled and praised for everything he did.

Midoriya can absolutely beat Bakugou, he just needs to work on not literally killing him in order to do it.

Honorable Mentions:

~Monoma Neito~

During the sports festival, Monoma seriously misjudged Bakugou by picking a fight with him. Due to his lack of knowledge on his opponent, Neito lost. Had he known what buttons to push, he could have beaten Katsuki with his own quirk.

(Which would have been pretty badass, let’s be honest).

~Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu~

Based on what we know about Tetsutetsu, which is not much, he might be able to defeat Bakugou. Though his and Kirishima’s quirks are ridiculously similar, Kiri has something that Tetsu doesn’t. His special move.

I couldn’t omit him from the list entirely since he Kirishima are on just about the same level. And besides, Tetsutetsu placed in the Top 10 during the entrance exam.

~Inasa Yoarashi~

Since he placed first in the recommendation exam, I had to include him. Theoretically he could beat Bakugou, but scientifically he would fail miserably. As we all know, heat makes air rise. But more importantly, air makes nitroglycerin EVEN MORE explosive. Inasa would most likely end up fueling Bakugou’s quirk and scoring on himself.

(I honestly just put him in the honorable mentions so I could talk about science, because science is cool).

~Mirio Togata~

Considering Mirio is in the running for #1 Hero, he could probably beat Bakugou instantly. It’s unfortunate we didn’t get to see Katsuki test his skills against Togata. His skill is truly unparalleled by any other student, but sadly this match-up is no longer plausible. Maybe in another timeline :(

#1. Todoroki Shoto

This kind of goes without saying, honestly. Yes, Bakugou beat Todoroki in the sports festival, but that was due to Shoto not putting in his best effort. Had he fought the way he did with Midoriya, I have no doubt that he would have beaten Bakugou. And Katsuki knew this too.

Since the sports festival arc, Todoroki has worked hard at overcoming his childhood trauma, and even though I’m sure this will become a problem again in the future, for the time being he’s free from emotional distress. Also, placing second in the recommendation exam is nothing to scoff at.

Bakugou is beginning to view Todoroki as an equal, like he does with Kirishima, so someday being defeated by Shoto might not seem as painful as it is now.

Unlike with Midoriya, I believe that Todoroki and Bakugou are equal in terms of power. So I could imagine their victories against each other flip-flopping all over the place.

Shoto earned the #1 spot because currently, in the manga, he is the most likely to beat Katsuki.

[heroes-never-discourse]

Hello and wellcome to the (not so) comprehensive analysis of Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and his “it’s ~complicated~” relationship status re: Katsuki Bakugou.

Before I begin, keep in mind that:

a) I’ll mostly focus on things I believe people overlook or get wrong about the subject instead of the overall development of Izuku’s character or his relationship with Katsuki (though obviously I don’t claim to be The Only Correct Fan and I hope I don’t offend anybody);

b) despite shipping BakuDeku, I’ll leave my shipping goggles at the door, this analysis is about their dynamics stripped of any romantic subtext (which I doubt Horikoshi intended anyway lmao);

c) this will be all over the place, I’m not ready for this, help.

****************************

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s look at how the fandom, antis and shippers alike, view Izuku himself. To summarize, most fans see him as a kind-hearted, selfless, empathetic, forgiving, generally too-pure-for-this-world kid whose goal is to save people with a smile and whose only notable character flaws are his self-confidence issues and resulting self-destructiveness and recklessness. They’re not exactly wrong.

Enter Katsuki. Kacchan. The person Izuku admires and seems to care about despite him being, frankly, a complete jackass, both in general and to Izuku specifically. How does that add up with the things listed above? Why would someone like Izuku feel that way about someone like Katsuki? The fandom’s answer seems to be: Izuku’s inherent goodness, nostalgia for the friendship they used to have or just straight-up Stockholm Syndrome. Or a combination.

Here, I believe the fandom is wrong. Maybe not entirely, but for the most part.

The thing is, Izuku does not admire Katsuki because he’s somehow blind to the kind of person Katsuki is. He’s well aware that Katsuki is an asshole and a bully. He does not deny it and, as far as I remember, he never attempts to defend or justify Katsuki’s behaviour, not to himself or to others. He also generally doesn’t go out of his way to interact with him (not anymore, anyway, Katsuki pushed him away successfully, it seems).

In fact, he’s one of the only characters who consistently stands up to him and seriously calls him out on his bullshit (the other 1-A kids see him as more of a tryhard edgelord that’s not to be taken seriously, to be avoided at worst, but then again, he was never that nasty to them).

Can we stop it with the “poor innocent Izuku doesn’t know he’s being abused and defends and protects his abuser” fanfic trope now? No? Okay then.

Okay, so Izuku knows Katsuki is a piece of work. So why does he still admire and care for him? Well, while nostalgia and heroics are part of it, there is one thing that drives Izuku throughout his childhood and beyond and pushes him to chase after Katsuki - desperation.

At four years old, Izuku was told he was Quirkless. He was told by everyone around him, including his mother, that his dream of becoming a hero is impossible. He couldn’t accept that (who could?), he was still in awe of All Might, the symbol of peace. He wanted to be just like him. But he knew he couldn’t, not with his heart alone. Even if he wasn’t completely powerless, All Might was an insurmountable wall to every other hero and he was so far ahead, so far away and beyond reach it seemed pointless to even try, let alone go beyond. And so Izuku likely felt hopeless and lost.

Enter Katsuki, again, the kid who turned on Izuku with no explanation. Also the kid who had a strong Quirk and seemingly boundless confidence, who had grand ambitions and the will to see them through to the end. The boy who wanted to win, at all costs, against anyone… Including All Might. (When he sees a wall, he laughs.) Yet Katsuki is also the kid capable of falling in a river and getting hurt. He was not far away. He was just in front.

In other words, Izuku saw Katsuki as both an example of a person chasing Izuku’s impossible dream and, more importantly, a tangible goal. Katsuki wasn’t exactly wrong when he said Izuku was chasing him because he wanted to surprass him, he was just wrong about Izuku looking down on him or trying to bring him down. Katsuki had everything Izuku wanted, he envied him but was also in awe of him, but he did not put him on a pedestal, he used him as both inspiration and a measuring stick.

And as long as Katsuki was in front of him, Izuku had something to work towards. A reason not to give up.

(Sidenote, this is honestly the greatest unintentional “fuck you” to Katsuki on Izuku’s part ever. XD “Oh, what’s that, Kacchan? Wanna push me down? Just makes me get up and chase you harder!” Okay that sounded wrong.)

This is the reason why Izuku did not run from All Might during their End Of Term Exam. He didn’t think he could possibly stand a chance, but he didn’t run because Katsuki didn’t. This is the reason he punched Katsuki, not for punching him earlier or because he refused to cooperate or because of their past, but because it looked like Katsuki would give up on the one thing that Izuku always admired about him, the one thing that kept Izuku going all these years until that fateful meeting with Toshinori.

This is the reason why Izuku is so beside himself at the mere thought of Kacchan being taken away from him. And I use that wording deliberately, this is not just Izuku’s hero complex or him being concerned for a classmate/frenemy. Even martyrs are not above selfishness. He tells Mr Compress to “give Kacchan back,” but the word he uses in Japanese is strange, which is why Compress mocks him by saying Katsuki doesn’t belong to anyone. Hard to explain, but it’s like the difference between saying “you kidnapped Kacchan, give him back” and “you stole Kacchan, give him back.” Give me back my lifelong goal.

And that is, in essence, what Kacchan is to Izuku. As for why Izuku would be willing to forgive him (I mean, aside from the fact that he’d likely forgive Shigaraki despite everything lol, if he chose to abandon villainy), well, the person he chased after looked back at him, chased after him, walked side by side with him and promised that things would be different now, that there will be no more pushing down and that he’ll keep going and Izuku better not stumble or stop, you hear?

See you at the top.

~B (Wheeeew, how do people keep up this tone?? So many words??? Anyway voila, I’m going to sleep. P.S. check the fake email name. ;))

also adsghdjskghs:

is that a harambe reference in 2019 b-non you absolute madman

[chatterbox-meta]

(Originally submitted to @heroes-never-discourse here.)

Hello and wellcome to the (not so) comprehensive analysis of Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and his “it’s ~complicated~” relationship status re: Katsuki Bakugou.

Before I begin, keep in mind that:

a) I’ll mostly focus on things I believe people overlook or get wrong about the subject instead of the overall development of Izuku’s character or his relationship with Katsuki (though obviously I don’t claim to be The Only Correct Fan and I hope I don’t offend anybody);

b) despite shipping BakuDeku, I’ll leave my shipping goggles at the door, this analysis is about their dynamics stripped of any romantic subtext (which I doubt Horikoshi intended anyway lmao);

c) this will be all over the place, I’m not ready for this, help.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s look at how the fandom, antis and shippers alike, view Izuku himself. To summarize, most fans see him as a kind-hearted, selfless, empathetic, forgiving, generally too-pure-for-this-world kid whose goal is to save people with a smile and whose only notable character flaws are his self-confidence issues and resulting self-destructiveness and recklessness. They’re not exactly wrong.

Enter Katsuki. Kacchan. The person Izuku admires and seems to care about despite him being, frankly, a complete jackass, both in general and to Izuku specifically. How does that add up with the things listed above? Why would someone like Izuku feel that way about someone like Katsuki? The fandom’s answer seems to be: Izuku’s inherent goodness, nostalgia for the friendship they used to have or just straight-up Stockholm Syndrome. Or a combination.

Here, I believe the fandom is wrong. Maybe not entirely, but for the most part.

The thing is, Izuku does not admire Katsuki because he’s somehow blind to the kind of person Katsuki is. He’s well aware that Katsuki is an asshole and a bully. He does not deny it and, as far as I remember, he never attempts to defend or justify Katsuki’s behaviour, not to himself or to others. He also generally doesn’t go out of his way to interact with him (not anymore, anyway, Katsuki pushed him away successfully, it seems).

In fact, he’s one of the only characters who consistently stands up to him and seriously calls him out on his bullshit (the other 1-A kids see him as more of a tryhard edgelord that’s not to be taken seriously, to be avoided at worst, but then again, he was never that nasty to them).

Can we stop it with the “poor innocent Izuku doesn’t know he’s being abused and defends and protects his abuser” fanfic trope now? No? Okay then.

Okay, so Izuku knows Katsuki is a piece of work. So why does he still admire and care for him? Well, while nostalgia and heroics are part of it, there is one thing that drives Izuku throughout his childhood and beyond and pushes him to chase after Katsuki - desperation.

At four years old, Izuku was told he was Quirkless. He was told by everyone around him, including his mother, that his dream of becoming a hero is impossible. He couldn’t accept that (who could?), he was still in awe of All Might, the symbol of peace. He wanted to be just like him. But he knew he couldn’t, not with his heart alone. Even if he wasn’t completely powerless, All Might was an insurmountable wall to every other hero and he was so far ahead, so far away and beyond reach it seemed pointless to even try, let alone go beyond. And so Izuku likely felt hopeless and lost.

Enter Katsuki, again, the kid who turned on Izuku with no explanation. Also the kid who had a strong Quirk and seemingly boundless confidence, who had grand ambitions and the will to see them through to the end. The boy who wanted to win, at all costs, against anyone… Including All Might. (When he sees a wall, he laughs.) Yet Katsuki is also the kid capable of falling in a river and getting hurt. He was not far away. He was just in front.

In other words, Izuku saw Katsuki as both an example of a person chasing Izuku’s impossible dream and, more importantly, a tangible goal. Katsuki wasn’t exactly wrong when he said Izuku was chasing him because he wanted to surprass him, he was just wrong about Izuku looking down on him or trying to bring him down. Katsuki had everything Izuku wanted, he envied him but was also in awe of him, but he did not put him on a pedestal, he used him as both inspiration and a measuring stick.

And as long as Katsuki was in front of him, Izuku had something to work towards. A reason not to give up.

(Sidenote, this is honestly the greatest unintentional “fuck you” to Katsuki on Izuku’s part ever. XD “Oh, what’s that, Kacchan? Wanna push me down? Just makes me get up and chase you harder!” Okay that sounded wrong.)

This is the reason why Izuku did not run from All Might during their End Of Term Exam. He didn’t think he could possibly stand a chance, but he didn’t run because Katsuki didn’t. This is the reason he punched Katsuki, not for punching him earlier or because he refused to cooperate or because of their past, but because it looked like Katsuki would give up on the one thing that Izuku always admired about him, the one thing that kept Izuku going all these years until that fateful meeting with Toshinori.

This is the reason why Izuku is so beside himself at the mere thought of Kacchan being taken away from him. And I use that wording deliberately, this is not just Izuku’s hero complex or him being concerned for a classmate/frenemy. Even martyrs are not above selfishness. He tells Mr Compress to “give Kacchan back,” but the word he uses in Japanese is strange, which is why Compress mocks him by saying Katsuki doesn’t belong to anyone. Hard to explain, but it’s like the difference between saying “you kidnapped Kacchan, give him back” and “you stole Kacchan, give him back.” Give me back my lifelong goal.

And that is, in essence, what Kacchan is to Izuku. As for why Izuku would be willing to forgive him (I mean, aside from the fact that he’d likely forgive Shigaraki despite everything lol, if he chose to abandon villainy), well, the person he chased after looked back at him, chased after him, walked side by side with him and promised that things would be different now, that there will be no more pushing down and that he’ll keep going and Izuku better not stumble or stop, you hear?

See you at the top.

[greyliliy]

You know what? It’s after midnight and this is when I should be asleep but instead make random posts, so here’s another one:

MY FAVORITE MY HERO ACADEMIA Characters (in order from Top Favs to wherever I stop listing):

1. Iida - Look, this boy had me in the first episode he showed up where he asked Present Mic about the robots and then later when he accused Izuku of trying to interfere with other contestants. It only solidified when he immediately apologized on the first day of class and it’s just been downhill from there. Iida’s adorable & I literally had to stop watching the show during the Stain arc because I was not ready to see Iida go through all that.

My Ships for Iida: Midoriya’s first up because CUTE & Todoroki’s second because bonding over having family members who are Pro Heroes. Uraraka is third because also adorable.

2. Bakugou - I have a weakness for unrepentantly angry & violent characters. They’re like walking catharsis for all the angry emotions I can’t do anything with because I generally try to be a nice person. Bakugou can be a horrible person all he wants with zero consequences and I kinda love it. Don’t get me wrong, I also like his character development and how he’s learning to care about others like Izuku & Kirishima, but I also kinda hope his overall character doesn’t change much. His fixation with Izuku is also super fascinating, won’t lie. But I mostly like him because he’s a violent little brat with feelings.

My Ships for Bakugou: Izuku because they’re like fixated on each other and it’s fun, and because I’ve always been weak for a Bully x Favorite Victim when it comes to unhealthy relationship pairings (when it’s Bakugou pursuing; when it’s Izuku playing the “I’m gonna’ make Bakugou Mine” game, I downplay that aspect more). Kirishima is kinda a given second fav as long as they’re more Bros than sappy because their canon friendship is amazing. Todoroki is also growing on me as an option. Same for Kaminari.

3. Shigaraki - If we ignore the part where I hate his costume (the hand on the face is okay, the rest of it can go), I love Shigaraki because he’s a spoiled brat. He’s got his own personal babysitter/butler, and his Master actually cares about him, and Shigaraki himself is just a great blend of being completely insane and also intelligent/knows what he’s doing. Also on the more shallow spectrum: I love his Quirk. You do not understand how much I love his stupid, angst-for-days, terrifying Quirk.

My Ships For Shigaraki: Dabi. Aesthetically they look good together & personality wise they’ve got great bicker-buddy potential. Toga because I kinda OT3 Shigaraki, Dabi & Toga and like all versions of the three of them interacting. Kurogiri also makes the list because I’ve read a lot of “Butlers/Servants of some sort x their Younger Spoiled Masters” BL plots and well, *waves hand at them* that’s what they are. XD

4. All Might - One hundred percent confession, the first time I saw the My Hero opening, I had convinced myself that All Might was gonna’ be some sort of scam or fraud and Izuku would have his dreams kinda crushed somehow and then go on to be the real hero. But I was wrong. I was so wrong. All Might is 100% legit and amazing and I love him. He loves everyone (even Endeavor!), and he’s strong, and even has the decency to be human with doubts and mistakes and just. All Might.

My Ships For All Might: Endeavor. They’ve got the Izuku/Bakugou thing going on and I like it. Though I kinda ship it as more of a “what could have been” Melancholy thing. I really don’t have a lot of ships for him but I can say for absolute that my NoTP is All Might & Inko. Just no. Inko is a married woman and until we’re told otherwise she loves her husband who’s working abroad. I’m really sick of everyone assuming Izuku’s dad is a bad guy because he works abroad and doesn’t get to see his family often. WAIT. Tsukauchi. The cop dude. Him & All Might are adorable. There’s a ship. xD

5. Todoroki - This brat grew on me so hard. He was always a character that was just sort of “there” for me ‘cause I wasn’t too invested in him, but then he let Iida be on his team in the Sports Festival & when he apologized to Sero and started to melt him from the ice I was like “Okay. You’re adorable.” And then again, it just went downhill from there. Todoroki’s adorable and awkward and he’s trying so hard. *pinches his cheeks* Also he’s super over powered and I kinda love it.

My Ships for Todoroki: Momo is first on the list. I like their interactions and I think they’re sweet in general. They’re both quiet and smart and I think they’re good for each other. I mentioned it above, but I also rather like Todoroki with Iida & Bakugou. Last on this though - I don’t like Todoroki & Izuku. At all. They’re great friends, I’m really glad they had their awesome canon moments, but I don’t ship it at all and I’d rather not see it either. XD;

6. Aizawa & Present Mic - They’re sharing a slot because I’ve just started thinking of them as a unit. Their best bro friendship & contrasting personalities is just that amusing to me. But yeah, Aizawa’s awesome and I love that he seems like the only person on the planet who kinda doesn’t like All Might (I mean, he does, but he acts like he doesn’t and I love it) and he’s got “I’m super strict but I actually care” vibes all over the place. Kinda like Piccolo in DBZ. Present Mic is just fun.

My Ships for Aizawa & Present Mic:  Each other. Friendship or more are both acceptable. I got nothing else for them, really.

7. Kirishima - Boy needs to start wearing his hair down & stop dying it, but aside from that, I love this boy. He’s bright, he’s happy, and under it all he’s got as much self-esteem issues as everyone else in this school. I like that he reached out to Bakugou & was cool enough to impress him, and I enjoy that he’s just a generally uplifting and spirited person who connects a lot of people together in the class.

My Ships for Kirishima: Bakugou, first off. Kinda easy to see why - they play off each other well, and if I want some happy/healthy relationship goals for a change, they fit the bill nicely. Mina is also a very good option, especially after hearing about their shared schooling days in Middle School.

8. Sero - I just like Sero. He’s walking common sense with a touch of ego that makes him a well rounded character in the side lines. And I love his smile/teeth. They just look nice.

My Ships for Sero: I don’t...really have any. Maybe Mina? Mineta? I don’t know. Psh. Maybe Todoroki because their Sports Festival match is what made me start to adore Todoroki.

(Okay, I had to open up the wiki at this point to browse characters to see if I missed anyone, so I think we’re down to the wire. Plus, I’m starting to fall asleep so you can see these posts get more rambling as I fade out. :D)

9. Endeavor - Don’t look at me like that. The dude’s freaking awful but he’s also the number two hero for a reason. He’s a horrible person who’s also like...awful in that way I love--like that “He’s almost unaware that he’s horrible” kinda way. Obliviously awful. And as messed up as it is, you can’t argue that Endeavor doesn’t adore his kid (or at least one of them...). He’s good at what he does (the dude’s kinda bad ass when he’s working), and I’ve seen previews of recent manga pages and it looks like he’s getting an attempt at a little redemption arc. I’m weak for horrible people who realize their mistakes and try to make up for it. It’s not realistic by any stretch of the imagination, but it is still really nice to see. Some of my all time favorite characters in fiction are horrible, “irredeemable” monsters turned good guys (*cough* VEGETA and like half the cast of DBZ *cough*) and I kinda want to see it here.

10. Dabi & Toga - I don’t actually know anything about them yet other than the fact they’re both aesthetically pleasing & I like their general character tropes (the cool jack ass and the yandere). Plus they OT3 with Shigaraki like WOW and I love it.

11. Tsukauchi - How do you not love Normal Guy in a case of super heroes and quirks? Nice guy. Super cute with All Might. Awesome side character for the win.

12. Bakugou’s Parents - Look. His parents are adorable together and I love them. Also Bakugou’s mom is basically a grown up Bakugou and I’ve already established I love Bakugou so why not her to?

And I think that’s it. That’s what I’ve got. Generally speaking I love everyone in the show (even Mineta) and I just realized Izuku didn’t make the list and that’s kinda hilarious. He’ll get an honorable mention. But for real. I love everybody including Uraraka and Momo and Aoyama and all of them. Good show. Good cast.

HONORABLE MENTION: Izuku - I like Izuku a lot, but not as much as everyone else. I think my favorite thing about him is his obsession with Bakugou (”Kacchan” - I love it.) and frankly his fixation is like my favorite thing to play with fandom wise in this show. I love that he’s a reckless, anxious, unstoppable force and generally Izuku’s a great character. I think the only reason he’s not higher on the list is I always felt there was a bit of missed potential by having him be a Quirkless, BadAss Normal Hero (kinda like his prototype) that kinda lingers whenever I’m watching the show.

My Top Ships for Izuku: Uraraka is, funny enough, up first because I think their canon, mutual crush on each other is freaking ADORABLE and I think they have great chemistry. Bakugou is up second for obvious reasons *cough Izuku is obsessed with him cough* and I kinda picture that no matter who Izuku ends up with, they’re going to have to tiredly condition themselves to getting used to the fact Bakugou’s a huge part of Izuku’s life and he’s not going anywhere. Iida is also a fav for this ship because of awkward cuteness.

Now I’m done. *passes out*