#also hope you like the bkdk in there !!

[flying-cat]

people who undermine the importance of izuku and katsuki's relationship throughout bnha because of "annoying shippers" or because they just don't like katsuki are insane because their relationship is literally so? important??? to the entire story???? katsuki is the deuteragonist of bnha. he was one of the first characters to show up. he was the first other person to know about OFA. so much of the manga is spent showing his development. if you deny his character development and relationship development ("relationship" does not always mean romantic relationship) with izuku, you are quite literally denying a massive part of the series. the manga starts with them and ends with them. you're allowed to dislike him but if you dislike him so much that you, in turn, start hating how izuku is a "punching bag" or a "doormat" for the entire series because he doesn't stay angry and vengeful at people even though a massive part of his character is that he's compassionate and kind even to people who aren't to him or used to not be, and you seriously think that that makes him weak, and you just start to dislike the main two characters of the series, i think you should. idk. stop reading, probably. read the revenge fantasy shit that you obviously want to read. there are like seven million manhwa available to you where the character gets the revenge you so desperately want to see.

[habken]

kung fu panda x bnha crossover doodles

+ panda!deku cause I couldn’t decide what I wanted him to be

[seagreenstardust]

Okay but Katsuki definitely does not know Izuku’s on the fast train back to quirkless. “Don’t let me surpass you” has to hit SO different when Izuku gets a chance to process it

[comfortyart]

Oh my gosh. Love your art.

Would love to see a busted up kacchan holding his arms open in awkward invitation to a suprised and emotional, and also kinda busted up, deku.

Thanks for the feels anon 😩

[summershouto]

A tad controversial, but what’s your take on MHA’s Deku/Katsuki Bakugo? Just curious. (Reminder that I’m a critical fan>stan of the ship.)

ooo good question! btw I love getting these mha asks even as I've been one piece recently. mha is so familiar its comforting and fun to think about.

tbh im pretty neutral on izuku x bakugou. I personally don't ship it but I can understand why others do. I like/reblog art or comics sometimes but I don't read fics for them. I also don't follow the bk dk tag just because its sheer popularity would overwhelm my feed ajhfjfamfd

in canon izuku and bakugou have a very interesting dynamic and I do think that they're always going to be each other's Number 1 in a sense. They've had such a large impact on each other's lives and have an unspoken connection that can leave others feeling out of the loop sometimes.

I guess I just see their relationship as Complicated.

I don't really ship it but their relationship is a core part of the story so it's totally understandable why people would explore/analyze the dynamic further in a romantic way, but if I had to summarize my thoughts I'd say that someone's most important relationship doesnt /have/ to be romantic. I can easily see Izuku/Bakugou married to different people but still going to each other first for help, to tell good news, etc. they hold a special place in each other's hearts in a way that even they may not be able to describe.

I think my favorite scene with them that I rarely see people talk about is when Shiggy starts to pursue OFA and bakugou wordlessly joins Izuku as he flees. I know Bakugou has his own reasons too, but the whole situation of bkdk about to face a terrifying villain escaping together to protect information that not even the other heroes know about yet (OFA)...it's a powerful way to show their importance to each other. like yes, bakugou was the only one to know about OFA and therefore help, but theres a REASON he's the only one who knows. izuku cant keep things from bakugou.

Im rambling but theyre very interesting and I don't talk about them often! theres sooo many ways to read them and while I don't view it as romantic I still believe theyre each other's "person" ..even if some read that as a negative thing. I've read analysis before about izuku having romantic feelings are suppressing them, etc, and it was a good read. I'm suppose open to the ship but like what they have now

[acanvasofabillionsuns]

agh it's kinda late but i really wanna make this list so <3

cute outfit ofc, given, more importantly comfy outfit <3

cleaned up my room some!!!! i'm really happy with it aklfjas;d especially bc i have plans to buy stuff and do more and i'm excited about them

I GOT THE YARN FOR MY PROJECT THAT I MENTIONED I BOUGHT IT ONLINE AND WENT AND GOT IT TODAY I'M !!!!!!!

did a few dishes!! really not even that much but it makes me happy that i could help out in that bit

did my laundry AND folded it!!!! how does ne do it!!!!!

so i've been on and off reading this delightful fic and i read the last 4 or 5 chapters today and it is the cutest fic ever oh my goodness. if you like bnha??? oh my gosh o)-(

and when i finished it i came online to immediately rec it to my friends and i opened my dms and AH?????? kris killed me dead i'm writing this from the grave (<- did a commission and received an in progress sketch and :LKSDJFS:LKDFJS:D !!!!!!!)

had another frozen thing for lunch that's the same thing as the pineapple chicken i had yesterday?? but this was penne and chicken and broccoli with some marinara sauce and it was v good !! could've used a bit more sauce imo but i'm not complaining

had a small variety of cookies for a snack al;sdkfjasdl;f 👍

sloppy joes for dinner!!!!! delicious, i'm just now realizing that idk if anyone put away the leftover meat but i really hope so bc that is my plan for breakfast tomorrow

spent most of my work out of the way doing inventory sorting things and that is one of my favorite working things la;kdjfa i'm going to be doing something similar tomorrow too which i'm looking forward to :-)

set up an appointment to get a car headlight replaced after like a month of it being out !

listened to a lot of bops today!!!

[doctorweebmd]

on a scale of 1-1000 how pretentious is it of me to start my hero academia fanfiction with charles bukowski poetry

[lilybecca1]

Wait, Bakudeku is literally considered canon in the Japanese fandom???!!! Like no joke, in Japan Bkdk being canon is actually a widely accepted thing?? Like, let me get this straight.

The manga was meant for Japanese audience mainly, so the romance would also be something that is suited for Japanese audience, not the direct and straight forward approach that non-japanese shows have when it comes to romance. And you guys remember the "Rest of our lives" scene? Well yeah, that's actually a marriage proposal in Japan. In Japan they don't say Will you marry me? Some of the most common proposal lines are literally:

“Let’s spend the rest of our lives together.”

“Having you by my side is what completes me.”

“I can't imagine my life without you in it.”

“I wish I could give you everything, but I hope that this ring is enough.”

"I will protect you forever."

Like bro what?? These are literally Bkdk coded. Like Izuku fr thought once that he can't imagine his world without Kacchan in it. And the “I wish I could give you everything, but I hope that this ring is enough.”?? Replace ring with hero suit and you get the freaking ending of the manga. And I will protect you forever is also so them like I just can't yjxnsjxjnxjdkkxkxkxkxkkdk

I know we were all waiting for Horikoshi to make Bkdk canon in some big way like at the end they're revealed to be together or some confession or some shit but we do forget sometimes that this is set in Japanese culture and in Japan things are very different. Much more subtle and way less straight forward and obvious. Most japanese husbands and wives don't even normally say I love you to each other, because they express love through different ways, like action. And that is very hard for our non-japanese brains to understand cause it's just so different over there and instead of being expressive, love in Japanese culture is more about gratitude expressed through actions and devotion. It's much more symbolic.

So then when we think back on all those Cherry Blossom official arts, well NOW it doesn't seem too far fetched to think it might mean something, does it? For us, all these little hints and symbolism are just that. Hints and symbolism. But for Japanese people? They know how to read it very well and it's common in Japan to express certain things through symbolism. Like "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" Is a full on marriage proposal line. It doesn't seem like it to us, but to them yes. Also let's not forget we literally have a scene with Deku looking out at the moon and Bakugo too 😭

So, if we look at it in a Japanese sense, and that in japaese culture, love is expressed in a more symbolic way, and through actions and devotion, then it isn't so hard to believe anymore that Bakugo and Deku are actually fully implied canon in the manga. I mean talk about devotion..Bakugo literally spent 8 YEARS to help fund that suit for Izuku. He took "actions speak louder than words" fcking seriously.

Like would it be better if Horikoshi actually made them say they were in love or made then kiss or something? Yeah, but realistically speaking that probably wasn't gonna happen either way. And the fact that the Japanese fandom, who the manga is literally meant for, is fr congratulating Bakudeku for being canon!!!! Like y'all if the japanese fandom thinks that they're canon then it's safe to say that they are. Because in a sense, Japanese people can read and understand that "language" behind those hints better than us. And if they say it's canon, then I bet my ass it is.

TOO BAD I AIN'T FCKING JAPANESE

Like seriously why is it so hard being European. We wouldn't believe something was true until the cold hard evidence was literally laid right in front of our freaking eyes.

[angel-sweets666]

Hallway crush

katsuki bakugo x general studies! Reader

Bakugo never had a crush before, now he’s got his eye on a girl from general studies.

Mentions of Hitoshi Shinso

a/n tbh w you I think the bakugo photo is a bkdk photo (IM SORRY I JUST DONT SHIP BAKUDEKU I DONT SEE THEM TOGETHER)

It all began on your first day at UA. Bakugo noticed you in the halls, walking with a certain purple-haired boy named Hitoshi shinso . He couldn't take his eyes off you; you were just his type, even though he never realized he had a type until that moment. He had never really paid much attention to girls before. Sure, he had a few girlfriends in middle school, but he never felt anything special for them.

As you strolled down the hallway, your smile lit up the entire space. Bakugo watched, captivated, as you giggled with your violet-haired classmate, practically skipping along down the hall. You seemed to be in such a good mood for someone who hadn’t made it into the hero course. Your positivity was infectious, making him actually want to be around you

Every time he saw you, his heart would beat a little faster, and he found himself wanting to know more about you. What made you laugh so easily? What was your favourite food? Did you have siblings? Would you like a hot head like him? Could you even handle bakugo? You were a mystery he wanted to solve. Bakugo didn't understand why he felt this way, but he couldn't deny the growing interest.

You were always surrounded by friends, your vibrant energy making you the center of attention. Despite the fact that you weren't in the hero course, you carried yourself with a confidence and joy that Bakugo couldn't help but admire. It was as if you had your own hero-like aura, one that drew people in and made them feel at ease.

Bakugo began to realize that his feelings for you were more than just a passing curiosity. You had awakened something in him, a desire to get closer to you and understand the person behind the radiant smile. And so, he watched from afar, waiting for the right moment to make his move and hoping that one day, he could be the reason for your laughter and joy.

Kirishima raised an eyebrow as he watched Bakugo turn his head in your direction, his usually rough and angry face softening into an unexpectedly tender gaze. Bakugo was actually admiring someone? The redhead grinned, his sharp teeth flashing. "Has someone got a crush?" he teased, nudging Bakugo playfully on the shoulder.

"Shut it, shitty hair, I do not have a crush," Bakugo growled back, his entire face turning a shade of pink from embarrassment. Kirishima chuckled at his friend's flustered reaction, but Bakugo's glare was deadly serious.

Kirishima placed a reassuring hand on Bakugo's shoulder. "Hey man, it's okay! She's cute."

"Back off," Bakugo interrupted, his voice low and dangerous, as if claiming dibs on you.

Kirishima raised his hands in mock surrender, stepping back. "Backing off. I'm backing off," he said, showing respect to the blonde. He couldn't help but grin at Bakugo's protectiveness. It was rare to see this side of him, and Kirishima couldn't resist giving him a hard time about it.

As Bakugo tried to shake off the embarrassment, his eyes found you again. Despite his rough exterior and harsh words, there was no denying the softness in his gaze. Kirishima had never seen Bakugo like this before. It kind of scared him, but it also made him realize that Bakugo wasn’t some heartless, angry boy. He was just a teenage boy with a crush on a girl. A hallway crush

on the day Bakugo finally grew the courage to talk to you, which was the first day he ever had to muster the courage to do literally anything, was a couple of days after the sports festival. You had performed well enough in the festival that he actually had something to talk about.

As you were eating your lunch in the cafeteria of UA High School, you felt a strong hand tap your shoulder. “Hey… you… you fought Denki Kaminari,” Bakugo said, his cheeks pinker than usual.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to send his quirk into overdrive!” you gasped, looking genuinely concerned.

“No! No, it’s fine… it was funny… he’s dumb,” Bakugo tried to calm you down, stumbling over his words in a way that was very uncharacteristic for him.

You laughed softly, the sound easing some of Bakugo’s tension. “Well, I’m glad it was entertaining,” you said, smiling up at him.

Bakugo’s heart skipped a beat at your smile. He had never been this nervous about talking to anyone before, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. “You did good out there,” he mumbled, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the admiration in his voice.

“Thanks, Bakugo. That means a lot coming from you,” you replied, your eyes twinkling with genuine appreciation.

Kirishima, watching from a distance, couldn’t help but smile. Seeing Bakugo like this made him realize that even the toughest people have soft spots. And for Bakugo, that soft spot was you.

And that’s how your friendship blossomed. Bakugo would practically run out of his classroom every day, with Kirishima trailing behind him, usually shouting, "Wait up, man! You'll see her soon!" But Bakugo wouldn't listen. He just wanted to see your sweet face.

You developed your own crush on Bakugo. For someone so accomplished, who believed he was better than everyone else, he was surprisingly a good friend. He always grabbed your bags for you, helped you with your homework—hell, he even did your homework for you sometimes! He made sure you had all your stationery before class. It made you want to kiss him all over his pretty face.

In your eyes, Bakugo was a sweet boy, while in his classmates' eyes, he was rude and loud. You rarely saw him in that state. Sure, he called you "dumbass" from time to time and scolded you for doing something silly, but he never outright yelled at you. He could never bring himself to yell at someone so pretty.

Bakugo’s friends noticed the change in him whenever you were around. His usual fiery temper seemed to mellow, replaced with a gentleness that was almost unrecognizable. They teased him about it, but Bakugo didn't care. Seeing you smile made everything worth it.

Your friendship grew stronger with each passing day. You found yourself looking forward to the moments you shared, whether it was walking to class together, studying side by side, or simply talking about your dreams and aspirations. Bakugo’s rough edges seemed to smooth out when he was with you, and you cherished the soft side of him that he showed only to you.

The day he asked you out was adorable and you’d never have it any other way

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of another intense day at UA High School, Bakugo had a plan in mind. He had been working up the courage to ask you out for weeks, and today, he decided, was the day.

"Hey, dumbass," he called out as he approached you in the hallway. His tone was gruff as usual, but there was a hint of something softer in his eyes. "Got a minute?"

You looked up from your locker, surprised to see Bakugo waiting for you. "Sure, what's up?"

"I was thinking… maybe we could hang out for a bit. Just the two of us." He shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to play it cool.

You smiled, delighted by the idea. "I'd like that."

As you walked out of the school together, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the campus. Bakugo led you to a quiet spot behind the school where you often studied together. It was a small garden area, secluded and peaceful, away from the hustle and bustle of the main campus.

You sat down on a bench, and Bakugo joined you, his usual confident demeanor somewhat replaced by a rare nervousness. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

"Look, I've been meaning to talk to you about something," he began, avoiding your gaze for a moment before finally looking directly into your eyes. "You're important to me. More than anyone else. I… I like you. A lot."

Your heart skipped a beat. You had always sensed there was something more between you two, but hearing Bakugo say it out loud made your chest swell with emotion.

"I like you too, Bakugo," you admitted, your voice soft but sincere.

His face lit up with a mixture of relief and happiness. "Good. 'Cause I wanna be more than friends. I wanna be your boyfriend. So, what do you say?"

You reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'd love that."

Bakugo's trademark smirk returned, but it was softer, filled with genuine affection. "Great. Now, let's get out of here. There's a café I know nearby. I'll treat you to something nice."

As you walked away from UA, hand in hand, you couldn't help but feel that this was the start of something wonderful. Bakugo, despite his rough exterior, had shown you a side of him that was caring and gentle.

[aromanticannibal]

... do you know what anti bkdk means or

izuku blushing at katsuki, who is not a girl.

[flying-cat]

It was crazy watching bkdk go from the most hated ship to the most popular ship in the fandom

[siflshonen]

I’d love to interpret bkdk as romantic but I will be honest, it is difficult to do when a het ship is being hinted at more explicitly. I’m still glad Horikoshi did not include a full-on confession though. We can do what we want in fics without having to rework canon.

Love your posts, thank you for your wonderful insights into bkdk. Your meta is always well-done.

I know this ask was originally meant for someone else, and you’re absolutely right that bakuhatsufallinlove does fantastic meta. You’re very wise to see how great of a job they do and it’s kind of you to say so. It’s also very kind of you to read my posts.

I’m about to not be quite so kind.

I hate Izuocha. And I’m annoyed by the insinuation that Ochako breaking down in tears over Himiko to Izuku - her big moment of bearing her emotions out in the open to him - is seen as an endgame romance, especially since the only other detail we have to go off of is Ochako smiling at Izuku in their hero suits when Todoroki is kinda doing the same thing, AND when I should DAMN WELL hope Ochako and Izuku are still friends and looking out for each other, especially since they bonded over the traumatic deaths of those they failed to save.

I’m insulted that Ochako’s confessions to Himiko are disregarded like that, or the tumultuous chaos she grapples with in her heart is brushed aside. I’m insulted by the insinuation that Ochako’s known love of seeing happy, smiling people is not acknowledged and instead her expressing joy over seeing that on Izuku’s face is painted over as being implied, for-sure romantic endgame. Maybe it is, sure. Anything is possible. I’m sure Himiko wants the best for Ochako and for her to be happy, and would probably think it was romantic that her feelings also reached Izuku by way of Ochako as being someone they mutually loved.

But Himiko is dead and it ripped Ochako apart, and her reaction to that is the last in-depth look we get at her feelings. Izuku recognizing that Ochako is a hero in her own right (not a heroine, aka a damsel for the hero to save and then end up with romantically per Japanese storytelling roles, not just “a female hero” like we think of it in English) is gratifying and wonderful. And I’m insulted by the insinuation that just because Izuku acknowledges that Ochako is and has been his hero and always saved him that this must mean that they are implied to be the romantic endgame. God forbid they mutually admire each other and respect each other and the story just ends there, and god forbid Izuku calling her his hero sends a totally different message.

Now, as for Katsuki. You cannot tell me that he doesn’t have some kind of deep feelings for Izuku. @bakuhatsufallinlove has posted extensively about unspoken feelings with a likewise unspoken understanding are common for Japanese romances, but I’ll admit I’m not here to talk about that.

Do you really want to tell me that Horikoshi-sensei allowing Katsuki and Izuku to keep their arms and have an implied handhold at the end doesn’t mean as much as whatever the fuck Ochako is doing in the final panel?

In Naruto, which BNHA takes many cues from, Sasuke and Naruto had their arms ripped off because the editor didn’t approve of the two of them holding hands in panel. Apparently, that’s too romantic and inappropriate for the male leads of a shonen. Given that, how interesting that the doctor recommended that Katsuki’s hand-holding arm be amputated. How interesting that Katsuki refuses. How interesting that Katsuki refuses while thinking not just of All Might, probably not really of All Might, but Izuku. How interesting that Izuku also keeps both arms, and we as readers are very certain they held hands even if it is not shown.

How interesting that Katsuki is not just the heart of Izuku’s mech suit project (and, in some respects, of the class,) but of Izuku’s image of victory, Izuku’s “Pro Hero with a quirk” origin, the heart of what he believes a real hero is like, and the literal actual heart of what he wanted to defend from ShigAFO multiple times over. How interesting that Katsuki’s story is in part him learning how to not be a burden to Izuku or used against him like, say, a heroine-damsel-in-distress might be used, AND it is also in part him learning to come to terms with his feelings for Izuku. In fact, we spend basically the whole manga dwelling on this with him. It’s that important that he reconciled Izuku with his heart and desires.

Izuku, who is so tearfully happy that Katsuki wants to be with him for the rest of their lives in whatever form that takes, even when they weren’t sure he was going to have a quirk and be able to be Katsuki’s superhero rival. Izuku, who is so happy to be with Kacchan and the class as a hero again, in part BECAUSE it is with Kacchan………….and everyone else on the next page.

Nothing is for sure. Nobody kissed or got married or whatever, sure. But you really want to tell me Izuocha is more heavily implied based on the ending?

Thanks for the ask. I’m sorry you feel that way. Get off my lawn.

[thebest-medicine]

The Harm in Trying

MHA - BakuDeku & the Bakusquad lee!Bakugo, lers!Izuku Kaminari Kirishima & Sero - [read on ao3]

Summary: Bakugo is put into a ticklish situation by Midoriya with the rest of his friends… and of course he denies he’s ticklish.

A/N: I am so weak for giggly smiley Kacchan…it’s a problem and I’m making it all of y’all’s problem now. On a fucking roll with these BNHA fics lately, sorry not sorry for my bkdk brainrot~.

Words: 2.3k

…

“Wait, no way! Kacchan! Are you still ticklish?” 

Bakugo can feel the heat of his blood burning across his face and ears with embarrassment. “The fuck? Of- of course not!” He dares a glance at Midoriya—and finds a knowing grin on his classmate’s face, instantly regretting the decision. “Don’t even think about trying—”

“Aw, why not? If you’re not ticklish~, then why does it matter?”

“Shut up, Deku!” Katsuki hisses. 

“No, no, Midoriya has a point.” Kirishima agrees, holding up a finger to get the attention of the rest of the group.

“Seriously, what’s the harm in trying~?” Kaminari grins.

Bakugo rolls his eyes at Izuku despite his prominent blush. “Look what you did. Damn it, nerd!” He cracks his knuckles and shifts his weight so he’s in a good place to spring up from his seat quickly if he needs to. “Hope you guys know, if you try this, I’m gonna kill—”

Sero is quick with his tape and has the advantage of being out of Bakugo’s line of sight. At the first sign of movement, explosions start to crackle off of his hands, and Katsuki leaps to a stand to put up a fight with his classmates. 

Instead of a fight, it’s over in moments, to Bakugo’s dismay, as tape wraps its way around his arms, legs, and whole body tightly. There’s a tug, and Bakugo feels himself tumbling backward, only to be caught short of the floor by Midoriya. 

Katsuki’s eyes flare with alarm as he realizes the brief battle has taken a severe turn out of his favor, and fast. He also notices Izuku looking down at him with.. Amusement? Concern? Interest? 

“What the hell?! You guys are seriously dead! Let me up! Now!” 

“…Sounds like something a ticklish person would say.” Kirishima smirks, moving closer.

Kaminari laughs, joining in. “Hehe yeah, you seem worried Bakugo… What’s wrong? Are you like reeaaaaally ticklish or something?”

“No you idiots! I just don’t like being jumped by my so-called friends! What the hell?!” 

Ignoring his barking, they reach in to help Midoriya lower Bakugo gently to the floor of the common room. Kaminari throws a leg over Bakugo’s legs while Kirishima untangles one of his arms and drags it up over his head, exposing his side. Sero sits down beside them. Katsuki’s other arm is taped against his side, and his legs are haphazardly wrapped together, meanwhile his idiot best friend now has one of his arms in a vice grip over his head. Kaminari settles into a spot just above Bakugo’s bound knees, holding him in place further. 

Midoriya leans in closer, shifting around the Bakugo’s side opposite Sero, clearly remembering the tickle fights they had gotten into as kids. “Uh oh, you’re in trouble Kacchan~.” 

All four of his classmates have excited grins on their faces. Fuck. Fuck. Red blooms across Katsuki’s face.

Kirishima brings a super wiggly teasing hand down slowly, frustratingly slowly, toward Bakugo’s exposed armpit, and he can’t help his eyes locking to it. “Seriously, cut this crap out!” 

“Not a chance!” Kirishima exclaims with a giddy smile.

Bakugo growls in frustration as the claw draws closer, just a few inches from his skin. Suddenly, it dips down faster, and a gasp fills the room just as quickly. 

Bakugo growls again when he realizes the trick… and his mistake. His attackers snicker with glee.

“Did you see his eyes just now?” Kaminari observes excitedly.

Sero chuckles along. “Yeah, oh man.” 

“You’re totally ticklish Bakubro.” Kirishima laughs, delighted, and continues his teasing descent.

“Bet you we can get him to giggle.” Kaminari suggests.

“I don’t fucking g-giggle.” Katsuki swallows, quick to stop talking as Kirishima’s fingers touch down, poking curiously. 

“Actually, Kacchan, I’m pretty sure you do have some giggle-spots.” Izuku chimes in, biting his lip to fight back his grin. 

“You’re gonna be the f-first to die, Deku!”

“Hey! That’s not very nice.” Izuku chuckles. “You’re not really in a good position to be rude right now.” He pokes his fingers into Kacchan’s tensed abdomen which jumps slightly under the touch. 

Bakugo’s skin is alight, his nerves tingling in anticipation. His focus is forced in on the points of contact his friends have with his underarm and stomach. “Don’t.” He grumbles weakly, energy focused on keeping his composure intact.

The hesitant yet curious fingers pick up pace, encouraged by his stonewalling. Kaminari joins in, pinching the tops of Bakugo’s thighs, and Sero starts poking at his exposed ribs. 

Katsuki twitches more and more under each touch, his chest starting to rattle a bit with held back laughter. This led him to the conclusion that he was absolutely, definitely, undeniably still ticklish. It was much worse than he remembered.

As his friends grow more and more confident by the moment, he finds it harder and harder not to laugh. A wide smile works its way onto his face and Katsuki curses himself internally. Soon, giggles are starting to slip through. He only wishes he could at least have a hand free to cover his ridiculous face. 

“It’s working! Look!” Kaminari concludes triumphantly, reaching up further to prod at Bakugo’s hip bones. 

“Ah! Stahahhop it—”

Kirishima and Sero grin in turn, encouraged, and start to tickle with more determination at their respective spots. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds for Katsuki’s laughter to begin leaking out.

“Nahahaha- idiots! Cuhuhuhut it out! Thihihis is stuhuhupid!” Bakugo complains, chuckling through his torment.

“It’s working, let’s get him worse!” Kirishima and Kaminari agree, suddenly tickling with fervor over their respective spots. 

“No!” Bakugo shouts, panic rising with his laughter as he realizes he can’t move.  

“Guys…” Izuku clears his throat for a moment. “Wait a second.”

They pause, turning to look at Midoriya.

“Let’s just… take it easy ok? I don’t think we should be too mean…” 

Kaminari shrugs. “I mean… He’s already gonna kill us all for this, regardless of what we do going forward.” 

“Yeah but.. I still think we should be...” Izuku pauses, drawing a lazy finger down Bakugo’s midsection, feeling the muscle tremble beneath it. Little protection is offered in the form of casual dorm clothes. “—well, try to be… nice. I think.” Izuku brings the rest of his fingers out into a spider-y crawl up to his ribs. “He always hated it if you went too hard, back then.” 

“Sh-shuhut the fuck up!” Katsuki growls between fading laughter. “Stop tahahalking about mehehe- while you’re—”

“Hey! He’s trying to stick up for you, bro.” Kirishima chastises, pinching Bakugo’s upper rib cage, sending his head back with a shout. He keeps up wiggling his fingers softly into the ribs.

“I don’t cahahahare! All of you shut uhuhuhup! Gehehet off already! It’s ahah- hahaha obviouslyhehehe not wohohohorking!” The fire of Katsuki’s embarrassed rage burns its way into the words, finding its way through despite the cackling laughter surrounding his words.

“Listen.” Kaminari leans in, trying to force eye contact with the flustered, angry blond. “Even though you’re being a big fat liar and a total jerk right now and you totally deserve to get it worse… We’re gonna listen to Midoriya and take it easy on you.” 

Part of Bakugo wants to scream, ‘don’t you dare take it easy on me! Ever!’ —but the ticklish part of his brain keeps that other part silent. He scoffs instead and tries again to kick his legs out unsuccessfully. “Whatever! Either get off or get whatever the hell you’re gonna do over with already!” 

Kirishima beams. “…That almost sounds like an invitation.”

“Shut up!”

“You need to work on your attitude, Kacchan~.” Kaminari snickers, poking a few times into Katsuki’s sides, and Bakugo tenses again, face still lit up with a warm blush. Midoriya continues to scribble gently at Bakugo’s stomach and up to his lower ribcage, searching for the perfect spot on his ribs that always made him.. Ah, there it was.

“Ehehehe, stahahaha— Deku d-dohohon’t!” Katsuki giggles.

“Are your feet ticklish too?” Sero asks, happy with his tape bonds and feeling a bit crowded with the other two up near Bakugo’s chest. 

Bakugo’s toes curl in his stupid, measly, unprotective slippers. “N-no! I told you— I’m not fucking tihihicklish!” He blatantly lies. “Sh-ahaha-shut up, stupid ehehextras!” 

Kirishima sighs dramatically over the sound of Bakugo giggling. “Sounds like we’re gonna be here a while guys…”

“That’s fine by me!” Kaminari adds gleefully, pinching at both of Bakugo’s hips every few seconds and watching him buck faintly at the touch.

Katsuki continues his mantra of cursing and denial, only encouraging his tormenting friends to push him, tickling and teasing with a greater boldness with each passing threat he makes. And well, damn if his own competitive steak isn’t to a fault — he can’t help the instinct that he doesn’t want to lose. He knows it’s stupid at this point to keep denying that he’s ticklish. And yet…

“Shuhuhut up! I’m nohohohot! I’m not! Ahahah- don’t! Shihihit-fuck you Deku! Hahaha nooo—”

“Ooh what’d you do?” Curious voices crowd Izuku, faces trying to catch on to what he did to attract Bakugo’s ire.

“Nothing—” Izuku lets out a little laugh. “Just—”

“Nothing!” Katsuki reiterates, interrupting and glaring up at Deku. 

Midoriya laughs awkwardly. “I think Kacchan would actually murder me if I showed you… sorry guys.”

They think for a moment, then shrug in agreement. “We’ll just have to keep doing this until we find whatever that spot was, then, I guess. Start a weekly tradition.” Kirishima says as though it’s a new chore they have to complete. 

“Don’t. Don’t you fucking dahaHAHAhahare!”

“Wow, Bakugo, for someone who’s definitely not ticklish, you’re laughing a lot.” Kaminari teases. “What's so funny?” 

“Your stuhuhuhupid fahace!” Bakugo laughs back without missing a beat. 

Kaminari narrows his eyes, then pulls away his hands. He pulls his hand in close to examine it, flexes his fingers a few times; he rests his fingertips gently on his other forearm, watching thoughtfully. Electricity crackles, quiet enough to miss over Bakugo’s strangled laughter. With a grin, both of Kaminari’s hands are back, reaching down toward Bakugo’s middle, who groans with frustration. 

When Kaminari touches his stomach this time though, he pushes his hand under the shirt and against the bare skin. Bakugo tenses even further, his mind stumbling between a mixture of embarrassment, lightness, anger, laughter, and an overloading nervous system. 

“The fuhuhuhuck are yOU-HA! STAHAHA-NO! WHAHAT!? WHAahahaha whahahat iS THAHAT!?” Comes Katsuki’s increasingly frantic response to the feeling of tiny, popping electrical stimulations pulsing out from Kaminari’s nimble fingers. 

“Oh man, seriously what is that?” Kirishima asks with a grin.

“If you want us to stop, all you have to do is admit that you’re ticklish~.” Kaminari reminds a cackling Bakugo. He drags his fingers in light, slowly closing and widening circles along the skin he can reach under Bakugo’s shirt that isn’t fully closed off by tape. “It’s nothing really, just getting a little creative with my quirk.” He says casually to his friend as though there were not a writhing Bakugo between them.

“That’s so cool! How’d you come up with that? Is it easy to manage the minimal electrical output? Oh man, it seems like it tickles really bad! Poor Kacchan..” 

“Hey, if you want to try it out next…” Denki snickers.

Izuku holds his hands up, crossing and uncrossing them in front of his chest quickly. “No! No, I’m, heh, I’m already really ticklish so…” He blushes crimson with a nervous smile.

“Oh are you now?” Kaminari winks, grinning. “Maybe we’ll have to test that some time.” 

“N- uh. Heh.” Midoriya’s face is red as he stumbles over words and eventually just turns to focus on poking at Kacchan in front of him rather than his future possible victimhood.

Sero, meanwhile, tickles up and down Bakugo’s soles and pinches at his ankles and calves and shins, gaining him some suppressed kicks and jerking muscles.

When Midoriya returns to tickling along his ribs, Bakugo feels that he isn’t going to be able to take this much longer, with Kirishima on his underarm and occasionally neck, Sero on his feet, and Kaminari spreading his terrible little sparking tickles all over his sides and stomach now.

“Fuck! Stahahahahop- ehehehehenough already!” Bakugo growls through his increasingly desperate laughter. 

“You just have to admit it~.” Kirishima sing-song’s.

Bakugo shouts through his laughter, frustrated and nearly at wit’s end. He grapples with the few options he can think of right now, landing on nothing but the obvious out. Deku’s fingers start crawling back up toward his ribs and he panics, shouting out between laughs. “Fine! Fihihihine I’m ticklish! It fucking tihihihihihickles! Ahahahahhare you happy nahahahow? I am! Ahaha- haha is- is thihihis what you wahahahanted?!” 

Everyone slowly pulls their hands away, leaving a panting, flustered, still-giggling Bakugo taped up between them all. 

“See, that wasn’t so hard!” Kaminari laughs, starting to tug at the tape securing their friend. 

Bakugo flinches when he first reaches in, which makes everyone laugh again. Soon, everyone is helping, and Bakugo is quickly free enough to stand up and rip the rest off. He tries to glower, to stare them all down, but the red hasn’t left his cheeks yet, and the smile is still fighting its way onto his lips. 

“You’re all gonna fucking die. I hope you know.” Katsuki cracks his knuckles, then turns and points accusatorily. “Especially you, Deku!” 

“Wha- me?!” 

“Obviously! This was all your fault!” 

Midoriya squeaks, shrinking in on himself and putting distance between him and Kacchan. 

“I have better things to do right now. But you’re all gonna get yours.” Bakugo threatens as he heads toward his dorm to ‘do better things’ (totally not just take a nap because he’s exhausted from laughing so hard).

[pikahlua]

Control your heart, but not like how you think

I've tried so many ways to write this idea out before. Hopefully I get it right this time.

There's a widely-accepted fandom interpretation going around a lot lately that I think needs to be challenged. Perhaps I won't be able to express it in its complete version because I don't subscribe to it, but I'll try my best to approximate it and hopefully most of you will know what I'm generally talking about.

It seems like a lot of people believe "control your heart" is a plot line that refers to Izuku's inability to contain his love for Katsuki, that "control your heart" is advice from a well-intentioned but ultimately incorrect adult who wants Izuku to suppress his feelings for Katsuki, and that Izuku is hiding his feelings but will eventually let go and embrace his love for Katsuki in an explosion of anger. Or something. Admittedly this interpretation varies a lot depending on who's talking about it, and I cannot hope to encompass every interpretation of it with one paragraph. But it always boils down to some version of "control your heart is about Izuku repressing his feelings for Katsuki."

Let's discuss.

Table of Contents I. Why I want to challenge this aka false dichotomies II. What Banjou said III. Katsuki's rage IV. Tomura doesn't control his heart V. The AFO connection

I. Why I want to challenge this aka false dichotomies

I want to challenge this interpretation of "control your heart," but my main goal here is not to shoot down BKDKs. I want this to be understood more than anything: the goal here is to help BakuDekus.

You see, fandom and shipping arguments--they're very susceptible to false dichotomies. I believe this is the source of a LOT of certain shipping interpretations that seem to go so far in one direction they fall off the rails.

I'll give you an example. I vividly remember how an anti-BKDK once went for chapter 1 in which Izuku rescues Katsuki. They started with the argument "Izuku didn't save Katsuki because he loves him, he would have saved anyone else in that situation."

This is a false dichotomy. "Izuku loves Katsuki" and "Izuku would have saved anyone else in that situation" are NOT mutually exclusive. It's very possible for both statements to be true (and I would argue they both ARE true). However, in the heat of an argument, it's very easy to accept the framing of these statements as mutually exclusive without stopping to think. You can try to argue against the premise. You can try to argue "no, Izuku saved Katsuki BECAUSE he loves Katsuki, and he wouldn't have done the same for anyone else," but you have to ignore or distort so many canon elements to get there. That makes it very easy for your opponent to point and laugh about how your interpretations are so wrong that they have to bend the story to make them work.

But there's another option: reject the framing. If you accept the framing, you're allowing the other person to dictate the discussion.

What does this look like? Let the evidence lead you to the conclusion and not the other way around. And that's a difficult thing to do. I would never say I'm perfect at it either. But if you are convinced Izuku loves Katsuki, then whatever evidence lies in canon shouldn't scare you. In some way, it doesn't MATTER what happens in canon--in that you're invested in their dynamic together and you'll ship them regardless, because there's ALWAYS an interpretation that will support the ship. But you can read the ship into whatever the canon provides. If someone says "Izuku would save anyone, so the reason he saves Katsuki is not because he loves him," one potential response would be "Izuku would save anyone, and also he saves Katsuki because he loves him." Don't let others control how you interpret the story with their words.

To take this back to "control your heart," there may or may not have been a shipping argument that spawned this--I have no idea. But there doesn't have to be. The point is to challenge the framing of the assumption, because there may still be another shipping interpretation if the original assumption doesn't hold up.

"Control your heart is bad advice that causes Izuku to repress his love for Katsuki and he will end up exploding" is one way to frame this.

But consider this new framing: "Control your heart is about Izuku using his anger/love as a source of strength so long as he doesn't let it control him--just like Katsuki does."

II. What Banjou said

The "control your heart" line comes from Banjou in chapter 213.

But I think people really gloss over the part that comes before:

This isn't about repression. Banjou says, "It's okay to get mad. That rage can be the source." Control here is not about repression at all.

This is about whether or not the rage controls Izuku instead. This is about Izuku going berserk and losing his senses. I've discussed the phrasing in Japanese before:

The phrase in Japanese is "kokoro wo sei suru" (心を制する). The word in question, kokoro, does not have a direct translation into English. It is often translated as "heart," "mind," or "spirit." The meaning of sei suru is "to control," "to command," "to get the better of."

The notion that "control your heart" means "don't let your rage get the better of you" is supported by chapter 367.

Tomura reveals that the reason he wanted to leave Izuku the "presents" of his comrades beaten and Katsuki dead was to anger him--which would cause Izuku to fight poorly. Mirio talking Izuku down after this further supports that "control your heart" is meant to be a good thing, something Izuku should do.

We also see a precursor to this in All Might vs AFO in Kamino (you know, the first one). AFO was determined for years to find something to "steal a bit" of his heart away--and he came up with using Nana Shimura's grandson.

Tomura himself stokes All Might's anger by attacking his students at the USJ.

But each time All Might gets angry, he keeps control and saves the day.

All Might is able to be effective despite his anger--or perhaps even because of it. Izuku needs to be able to do the same.

III. Katsuki's rage

In a weird way, the poster child for using anger as a source of strength is Katsuki Bakugou.

I say "in a weird way" because Katsuki's anger is often used as a front for something else. He hides behind anger. But at the same time, since he seems to be angry constantly, he surprises everyone with how much control he has over himself...

...to the point where Tomura even misjudges Katsuki's veil of anger at the sports festival to be resentment towards society.

And we know a big part of the dynamic between Izuku and Katsuki is about emulation.

We've just had a grand battle between Katsuki and AFO in which Katsuki achieved his strength by emulating Izuku--his battle analysis, his tolerance and willingness to endure pain, his use of his own pain as a weapon, etc.

So what if "control your heart" is the corollary to what Katsuki just went through? What if Izuku's "control your heart" is about him learning to use anger to win in the way Katsuki always does?

IV. Tomura doesn't control his heart

If Izuku does need to "control his heart" to be like Katsuki, this provides an opportunity for a moment in Izuku vs Tomura where Izuku can acknowledge Katsuki's role in Izuku's growth. This will depend on Tomura acting as a foil.

I start with the assumption "control your heart" means “if I want to save the people I love, I can’t let anger in the moment control me. I have to use my anger, which comes from my love, to reach the bigger goal.” In this case, Izuku has to control his heart long enough to get what he wants (to save Tomura), and he may have to go even further by applying this ability to someone else who doesn’t control their heart (Tomura).

I do think Tomura can represent a person who is not in control of his heart--which is why he lashes out and destroys everything. He gives in to his instincts to destroy. He loves destruction. And he represses the child inside him who has to explode out when someone like Mirio says he doesn't have any friends. If there's any character who represses his true desires, it has to be Tomura Shigaraki. He denies the idea that he's human, that he's saveable, that there's a crying child inside him--things Izuku asserts because he has seen the truth of them. So Izuku learning to control his heart may be what allows him to save Tomura, and if so, he can give some credit for that to Katsuki (and to All Might as well).

V. The AFO connection

I think one of the major details people discuss surrounding "control your heart" is this notion that Izuku lied about what triggered Black Whip in chapter 217.

"Any clue what set it off? Maybe something's triggering it." "I dunno..."

There's this assumption by the fandom that Izuku is lying because he should know that Black Whip going berserk was triggered by Izuku's anger at Monoma insulting Katsuki. Honestly, I think this is a misreading of the above scene. I don't blame anyone for the misreading because the scene is written in a confusing manner, but I think this page is talking about something else.

Katsuki isn't asking "What caused Black Whip to go berserk?" (answer: Izuku's emotions). He's asking "What caused Black Whip to become accessible?" In other words, why is One For All evolving in this way now? Why didn't All Might have access to these quirks when he had One For All? Why didn't you, Izuku, have access to these quirks until now?

To which all Izuku can say is, "they [the vestiges] just told me the time was right."

If you think about it, it doesn't make sense that Izuku's emotions triggered the "unlocking" of Black Whip and Izuku's sudden access to all these new quirks. If all that was necessary was for Izuku to have a surge of emotion and the desire to "catch" something to unlock Black Whip, he should have unlocked it back at summer camp when Compress kidnapped Katsuki or when Katsuki was about to disappear through Kurogiri's portal.

So in the above page, we're really meant to hone in on Katsuki's suggestion: "Yeah, something to do with All For One..."

There's evidence to support All For One is connected to One For All's evolution. In chapter 209, right before Izuku's team's match in the joint training exercise (where Black Whip first appears), we "randomly" get a cut to All For One in prison:

There are plenty of hints scattered about that this all has something to do with AFO. Remember, Izuku has a dream where Yoichi spoke to him the night before the Joint Training Arc begins--and the dream included a bit of AFO's backstory. It's very possible this was the true "unlocking." I would argue the best hint we have about what's happening with OFA is AFO's line of "I hear my little brother's voice!"

...because it sounds like the AFO-OFA resonance from chapter 369.

Putting all these pieces together, I would like to share with you my current theory about "control your heart." You don't have to subscribe to this idea, but this is where I personally am at right now.

I think the fact Black Whip went out of control in the Joint Training Arc reveals this evolution is about the resonance between OFA and AFO (the QUIRKS, not the people) that we’re seeing in the story right now. Katsuki’s role in this is that he’s the trigger for Izuku’s anger, which didn’t unlock the quirk factors but allowed them to go berserk in the moment. The idea of "control your heart" most likely means “anger is good, but don’t let your anger control you, you should be the one in control.” And Shigaraki understands this because he tries to provoke Izuku’s anger to defeat him. Izuku has to keep his own anger from interfering with his heart’s desire to save Shigaraki, and Katsuki is horrified that he’s a trigger for Izuku in this way (which is why he freaks out when Izuku attacks Tomura in the Paranormal Liberation War, and why he tells Izuku "stop trying to win this on your own" after he gets stabbed saving Izuku). This informs Katsuki's desire to "no longer stand in Izuku's way," because Izuku can only be triggered when Katsuki isn't strong enough to keep himself from being exploited. Izuku was triggered by Katsuki's death, but he managed to CONTROL his anger, not suppress it. He's still angry, he's just channeling it to achieve his goal of saving Tomura. And it's likely this point could come up in Izuku's attempt to save Tomura as Tomura is someone not in great control of his heart. And in the same way Izuku was an example for Katsuki to emulate so that he could use his pain and analysis as a weapon to defeat AFO, Izuku can use Katsuki's example to emulate "controlling his heart" aka controlling his rage to be his power in battle.

For your consideration.

[lilybecca1]

So I noticed something when I was looking at how Izuku smiled at Katsuki...something about it just seemed familiar and I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

Until NOW

Like the way his smile just looks so fond, it's different than how he usually smiles at other people. There's just something about it that just screams that it's the look of love to me. But I couldn't really explain it or compare it to anything else before.

Well now I finally put two and two together and realized what it reminded me of...THIS MF

The way he looks at Marinette, he was so obviously in love with her, like can y'all see it too? The way his eyebrows relax and scrunch upwards, that fond smile.. IT'S LITERALLY THE SAME

I think generally animators have similar ways to show expressions, and this fondness, this genuine awe is something that I have also seen quite a lot of times before. That smile and that expression that you hold for the person that means so much more to you than anyone else, who you genuinely love from the bottom of your heart because they've shown a side to life and feelings that you never knew before. That smile is reserved for the person who your life wouldn't be the same without.

And his small laugh here ahhhyhshxhsjsj

It's such a sweet laugh like how Adrien laughs at Marinette too because he finds her awkwardness sweet.

And when you look at the parallels, it's so obvious. Like the moment Cat Noir realized he was in love with Ladybug as he looked up at her in awe:

And Katsuki's proud smile as he was looking up at Deku:

Then there's the fact that they both blindly trust each other because they know that the other would always win and save the other, no matter what:

Even Cat Noir sacrificed himself so much in the past for Ladybug to win, because he knew she'd always win..just like how Bakugo sacrificed himself for Izuku because he knew he'd never give up

"You know I like to fight by your side. But against you? Never"

"I could never hurt the person I love"

But that's not all. Remember the APOLOGY scene IN THE RAIN when Marinette fell in love with Adrien?

Yeah, now look at the Bakudeku version of it. The fact that Adrien and Bakugo both opened up and apologized and both of it happened in the rain..and look at Izuku's reaction to the apology. You can't tell me that he didn't fall in love a little at that moment just like how Marinette did. It's literally the same minus all the blushing and the smiling.

Want more? Well, here's Season 4 ending when Cat Noir reached his hand out to Ladybug, giving her back the hope after she has already lost all of it. Showing her that they can still do it, together. That she hasn't lost everything as long as he's still there. Reminds you of something?

And then as they look out at the distance with newfound hope...just like how Bakugo and Deku did at the cliff in that one Memories episode.

There are literally SO MANY parallels between them, and this is a CANON COUPLE that we are talking about, who are CANONICALLY IN LOVE. This is NOT a coincidence. Even if these are not meant to be parallels, the fact that they are so similar means that their dynamic, their relationship is very similar. So if we took bkdk in Miraculous context, then they'd be a couple. If there was even a tiny bit of flirting between them, it would be undeniable. In Miraculous, they are meant to be a couple, so it's obviously portrayed in their interactions that there is something between them. In MHA however, they are not specifically made to be canon, but their dynamic is essentially the same. They are the person that they trust the most, they rely on each other, trust each other with their life. They have no doubt in the other, they know that the other would always win. Their life wouldn't be the same without the other. They're Yin and Yang, just like Marinette and Adrien. The Sun and Moon.

Bonus:

The way she holds Cat Noir's tail reminds me a lot of how Izuku was holding Bakugo's tie lmao

When their eyes meet

Ladybug getting angry at the villain for hurting Cat Noir like Deku losing it when Bakugo gets hurt

[explodo-smash]

Are you one of the people expecting bkdk to be canon? I just learned that there are people that sincerely believe Hori would have Deku and Bkg have an explicit confession of love. That he's going to be the first popular mangaka to have a endgame gay ship. I am in so many mlm ships of shounen but I've never had the delusion that the author would make them canon despite the evidences otherwise. Like I thought it's fine to ship mlm as long as we stayed in our lane and never harassed the author.

After speaking together, we do believe based on the evidence in the series that BakuDeku being canon is not an even vaguely unreasonable conclusion to reach. We think the story is written in a way you can reach that conclusion easily, so much that even casual viewers who aren’t shippers are questioning the nature/potential conclusion of their relationship.

One of the most consistent and convincing lines of evidence for us has been Katsuki taking on roles/positions traditionally reserved for female heroines/love interests (if you’ve seen anyone call him “narratively androgynous,” this is what they’re referring to). In the context of Jump magazine, we have a number of shonen heroines and love interests to compare Katsuki to. The similarities are so striking that many notable people (including the VAs for the anime) have taken to calling him the heroine of the series.

However, we do think things like homophobia (whether it’s the writer or the audience/consumerbase at large– in this case we’re primarily referring to the audience), the safety of everyone involved, and timing are all unpredictable factors people have to take into consideration when writing/reading a story of this magnitude. Needless to say, if Horikoshi is indeed planning an endgame for bakudeku, he’d also have to take these factors into consideration.

Horikoshi has a record of being pretty in-tune with his fanbase. He definitely keeps some eye on bnha’s reception–for example, he mentioned a while back that both the people who love Katsuki and the people who hate him will have something to look forward to in this finale (we can now see what he meant lol). He’s very likely aware of the people who love bakudeku and the people who loathe it. 

Taking into account that he tends to be very intentional with his writing choices, he’s written this story in a way that not only centered bakudeku’s relationship over others (notably Izuku + Ochako’s, the character he’d presumably end up with if things were going predictably?), but also went the extra mile to distinguish their relationship as unique, closer than all their other relationships, the “biggest pillar of the story” (x, x). He didn’t have to do all of this. This extra push is what’s giving bakudeku that undeniable chance at an endgame right now, because it’s come to a point where no one can ignore the implications of scenes like this:

On the flip side, we don’t think people’s hesitation is unreasonable. It’s scary! If bakudeku were to fall flat of all this buildup/our expectations, it wouldn’t be the first time the romantic implications between a pair of boys in a story like this was ignored. Hell it wouldn’t be the first time a popular pair in general, (gay or not) got ignored in favor of what the author just felt like doing, regardless of what any previous developments in the story or interviews or official artwork would have us believe. There’s enough written evidence that canon bakudeku wouldn’t be surprising, but there’s also (at the time of writing this response) still room for things to go another direction, for all of this to be recontextualized and passed as something else. 

As per social norms/patterns of behavior, this would be disappointing as hell but not surprising. Especially for people who have been let down before, we completely understand the need/impulse to distance oneself from the idea/hope that bakudeku may become canon.

In all honesty, if it turns out bakudeku isn’t canon or left open-ended (say, an ending where they’re partners of some kind/the closest to one another without that explicit romantic confirmation), we would be frustrated/heartbroken. Not because we feel like Horikoshi shouldn’t do what he wants, he should. But because there’s been a clear effort to bring LGBTQ+ readers into the fold, and tell and portray our experiences in MHA. Horikoshi has done a beautiful, incredible job of writing various LGBTQ+ and marginalized experiences as a metaphor in his stories. Toga is a prime example. This is something that readers around the world have noticed, and it’s something MHA is special for (see this data x, and the further context/commentary on it given here x). 

We think it’s intentional. This story and the relationships in it have invoked experiences close and personal to many of us. Things are in a state right now where we wouldn’t just feel baited, we feel like readers would have a right to feel unsatisfied.

That being said, feeling unsatisfied doesn’t equate to feeling empowered to harass or bother others. Especially not Horikoshi himself, and also including other readers who had differing expectations. This is really the case across the board. We should all be able to control our anticipation/expectations without becoming assholes. 

It’s not just the shippers, by the way. People who work on the series or work closely with Horikoshi have rooted for bakudeku to go beyond. Izuku and Katsuki have already done what a good chunk of the readerbase thought impossible and became friends. People see their writing, their potential, and they want more. The voice actors (x, x sorry for the crunchy pic it's all i've got atm), academics (x), musicians (x, x) , editors (x) and more have all kind of rallied around Bakugou and Deku’s bond, with a particular sensitivity towards the deeply and uniquely intimate nature of it + how it evokes romance.

We’d like to see MHA exist free of the burdens previous popular shounen series have had placed on them. But that’s a conversation for the ending. As far as the fanbase goes, I think it’s super important people practice humility and caution when speaking to others. We have NO way of knowing what will happen. People who have been traumatized by situations like this in the past have a right to be anxious, people in general are allowed to withhold judgment until we have all the information we need. However, we don’t think having hope or confidence that this narrative might lead us to a canon bakudeku is unwarranted or delusional.

At the end of the day one thing is true, and this was something we had to fight to “prove” much longer than we had to prove Bakudeku had romantic potential - it’s that Kacchan and Izuku’s lives are going to be forever intertwined in this new era of their world that births from the finale. 

They’re forever intertwined in a way that’s not replicable for any other character in the series, and that’s amazing all on its own. We’ll just have to wait and see how far they take it! Thanks for reading if you got this far, and Happy Holidays!