#anyway I think the only thing that chapter had to do with bkdk was the fact that Ochako isn’t involved with Izuku anymore

[dekusleftsock]

Toga Himiko - To want a savior

When we think of Himiko, we often come to the conclusion that she is a girl of tragedy. Someone who has repeatedly been rejected by the society around her, and turning her into a “real villain”.

But have we stopped to think that Toga has already chosen to be saved? Let’s talk: the mind and choices to Himiko.

What is a hero?

Now, I’ve kinda talked about being a hero a lot. But I wanna ask the question, what does being a hero mean to Himiko?

Lets go back to our first introduction to Toga, why did she join the league?

Horikoshi often describes Stain as a “dark hero” or vigilante over an actual villain, making Himiko’s inspiration feel out of place (im not completely sure on this, I think he did? If I’m wrong sorry!! Working off of a vague memory I read of an interview). Stain has always had a motive, and that motive is to rid the world of “bad” and “corrupt” heroes. In stains belief system, a Hero is someone who is willing to sacrifice everything for the safety of others. Things like monetary pay or an egocentric Justice, things that Iida or Ochako have as reasons to be heroes at the beginning of mha, are villainess things in his mind. (Stain also questions the ideas and boundaries of what “true villainy” is because, to be honest, it’s a pretty relative term. It depends on your morals and ethics over anything else, and that kinda gets muddled and fuzzy the bigger the group. Also, are villains and criminals different? Like aoyama?)

So what does this mean for Himiko? Well, we don’t really know. We’re working off scraps, a vague idea of “being free”. Maybe she believes that fulfilling stains ideas will somehow bring this freedom, because she will only be around “true heroes”.

What we do know, is that she sees Izuku’s sacrifices with his beat up body, and Ochako’s impressive tenacity and empathy for others, and she adores it. She LOVES THAT SHIT. Of course, she could also just be attracted to Dekus blood or Ochakos life, but I think it’s more than that. Other than age, there’s no one in the league or general villains (that we know of) that she has developed these admirations or crushes on. She loves the league, but she certainly doesn’t admire them.

But she does admire Ochako and Izuku.

She “chose” two hero students specifically. Two students that have repeatedly proven themselves for their heroics. They are the ideal heroes in Stains eyes, because they repeatedly sacrifice.

Because Toga Himiko, would like to have someone who would sacrifice for her.

Do you want kill me too?

Himiko doesn’t hate heroes. She never has. Heroes have never been considered to her as a direct issue. Everyone else in the league was somehow done wrong by a hero, one way or another. Usually, this wrongness is then taken in as a vulnerability for someone else (like afo) to nurture into a festering hatred. Shigaraki and Dabi both experienced this, and spinner simply followed in Shigaraki’s footsteps after the (poorly written) fantasy racism that he experienced. (I refuse to just say racism, because it’s not at all an accurate portrayal of how racism works and it will continue to NEVER BE an accurate portrayal. Ever. I want to make that clear)

Himiko, however, has had an indirect grooming to some extent. This puts her in an interesting place of vulnerability; one that afo exploits and Ochako ignores.

Going all the way back to 289, this chapter encompasses two things: Himiko’s crush and Himiko’s hope.

Her crush, not understanding of what she’s saying or asking, is obviously confused by this inadvertent confession. Ochako doesn’t realize until 348’s “unrequited love” chapter what this whole scene meant to Himiko.

Because, not only is this her direct confession, but an inadvertent call for saving. Of course, Himiko’s idea of being saved by Ochako, and Ochako’s idea of saving Himiko, would be very contradictory.

But it’s still there.

This is Ochako’s chance.

And she BLEW IT!

And god, she knew it. She knows that’s what this is, that’s what this realization was.

Because Ochako is supposed to be the hero that makes other people smile, not to be the one smiling.

Her thinking of Himiko during her speech? That was Ochako realizing her call for help.

Thinking of Himiko after her confession to Izuku? She realized that it was, not only a call for help directed at Izuku, but that her previous interaction was a confession.

The real Himiko Toga

So, that begs the question hero, who is the real Himiko Toga?

I don’t think this is about not loving someone. Himiko does love people, she only wanted to “become” Jin when she desperately needed to be. Because Jin loved Shigaraki and Dabi, Jin loved Toga Himiko.

And that’s something that she can’t do right now. She can’t love shigaraki, she can’t love afo, she can’t even love dabi, the man who gifted her that vile of blood. She can’t even love herself because of it.

That is, if love is the only factor here.

She can still love Dabi or Shigaraki, she can still admire afo, but that doesn’t mean she admires their hatred or loves their destruction. Jin loved people, he loved the life he built in the league. Himiko admired that happiness, she loved and cared for him. Thats why she can use his quirk but no one else’s.

What if, she needs to both love and admire someone? What if she never loved Izuku, but admired his heroics, like Ochako?

The scene that ochako thinks of here is actually Himiko calling out Ochako directly on loving someone.

This is about their shared crush, but was that crush ever real? Did it ever even matter? Is it just about their first interaction, Ochako’s obsessive rumination over this one interaction? Is this a callback to “ever since I met you, I just couldn’t stop thinking about you”?

What if it’s all of those things? It’s not so far fetched to believe that Ochako needs to use her thoughts, her love, and her admiration to save Himiko.

Because this is Ochako and Himiko’s acceptance of their crushes, heartbreaks, and admirations. Admiration and love get so muddled over time. There is a difference, especially when that admiration only holds you back, like in Ochako’s case, like in Himiko’s case. But they’re still apart of the same concepts.

Himiko’s love also isn’t just romantic, it’s familial or platonic. She’s rough around the edges, but the Himiko that went to Ochako to see if she would be saved is still there. And that’s why she’s not letting her go anymore.

Because Himiko Toga, the real one, still wants to be saved.

[class1akids]

And as a bakugou fan, I don’t understand how his ending was in anyway balanced. He didn’t get the worse ending, but his ending wasn’t great either. It was incredibly lack luster and revolves around Deku. I know you like to say that his character is more than deku, but in those last chapters, his character literally only revolves around Deku and nobody and nothing else matters.

We don’t get to see him get his card singed. And when we do see it signed, it’s just All Mights name and nothing else. Nothing personal or anything. Which pretty much sums up their entire relationship. Impersonal

We don’t know anything about how he feels about dropping to number 15 and he doesn’t say anything about it at all. Which seems to me like that competitive spirit doesn’t exist in bakugou anymore and he’s content at where he’s at.

We also don’t know anything about his hero career at all. He’s starting an agency even though heroes have more free time and there’s not that much villains anymore. For what? We have no idea why he wanted to start an agency, what type of agency he wants, if he wants anyone else to join it. It’s just about Deku.

So as a bakugou fan, his ending wasn’t great. It was lackluster and lacking because it wasn’t about him. It was strictly about Deku. There was nothing balanced since Bakugou’s character is mainly about Deku and he doesn’t have much going for him as a character

His ending has been balanced to fit with everyone else's shitty endings - that was my point.

Up until then, everyone got shitty endings, except Bakugou, who somehow ended the manga in Ch 430 on a much higher note than the rest of the cast (which prompted all the Deku-cuck memes). And a large part of the fandom was not satisfied with the ex-bully "winning" everything, while the MC being what was widely perceived by the dude-bro audience (which I guess is important to WSJ) as a "loser teacher, with no powers, no girlfriend and nothing but a pity-suit".

To respond to these criticisms, Hori wrote / was asked to write (idk) Ch 431, where he puts the emphasis on countering these Deku-cuck allegations - and overall prioritizing Deku over Bakugou in this chapter. He also somehow wasted 22 pages on Uraraka, trying to make her extra hot and extra successful, so she can be a good prize for Deku which apparently pleased the crowd it was aimed at.

Look, I'm not defending Ch 431 - I am incredibly irritated that after 428 and 429, Hori made yet another Uraraka chapter, while neglecting every other character. I wanted to know more about everyone, including Bakugou.

Btw, I think you are not reading carefully the dialogue - Bakugou didn't just start an agency. Kirishima is the one who started recently - he was Fatgum's sidekick up until then. Bakugou is implied to have had his own agency since the start when he entered the chart as No 4 (as sidekicks don't get ranked).

Anyways - things we learn of Bakugou:

He entered the charts at No 4 - and has been falling in the ranks due to his attitude

He was very popular and admired due to his fight against AFO and was always flooded with sidekick applications

He's refused many applicants, because he is seeking someone who really challenges him

He got his All Might card signed

He's driving a Porsche, so must be doing really well financially

He's keeping in regular touch with Edgeshot

He's keeping in regular touch with the Bakusquad

He is a guest lecturer at UA from time to time

So yeah - not that much, but I think it shows that he does have a life outside of Deku. It also shows his big yearning for the rivalry he had with Izuku - and it becomes his karma for pushing Deku away for so long. At least, that's how I read it.

Fwiw, I'm sure that after the criticism of Ch 431 from the BKDK corner, those "short chapters" Horikoshi was mentioning in the Jump Festa letter will swing wildly in the other direction again to please the disgruntled Bakugou-fanbase. That's literally his writing "method" - he's just reacting in panic mode to whatever fan complaints reach him without a single thought to how it will affect the rest of his writing.

He's flapping from one corner to another, and can't commit to anything which is how he destroyed his own manga.

[dodzishere]

Don't you think it's funny cause actual canon gay characters in BL manga/manhwa will say "I love you" but only the shounen bromance can spew out some of the most romantic shit akin to a 19th century poet writing a letter expressing his surpressed love for his lover 😭.....

NO BECAUSE WHY!?!? THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE DOING THAT MUCH

"their feelings become one." From chapter 404 of mha is actually gay. There is no way. Not only that, but Ochaco is out of the picture. She had her thing with Toga and has put her feelings for Izuku aside. Mr. Horikoshi didn't have to do that, but I am extremely grateful he let that go because it was very shallow. I wish that their romance was better written and fleshed out, but now we have bkdk, so a win is a win.

In kingdom hearts, Riku and Sora's hearts tunes combined is the main theme of the entire series. Not Sora and his love interest Kairi, Sora and his best friend since diapers Riku. There is an entire 6 hour video (plus two more 30-45 minute parts) called "Riku is Gay and Why it Matters" on youtube and the fact that its 6 hours should be enough alone to tell you they are gay.

Don't even get me started on Seraph of the End/Owari No Seraph. All you have to know is that a big theme is vampires, and you should be set.

I know Naruto was really homo too but I never watched it so I have no idea. Same with jjk. You said shounen so I'm kinda just listing off random popular ones at this point.

Anyways, thank you for giving me this. I could go on and on and on about some of my favorite ships in shounen animes/mangas, but I honestly don't want to type all of that rn.

[oshiawaseni]

What pulled me into my love of MHA is the relationship between Bakugo and Deku... and seeing out they are now after reading recent manga chapters makes me so excited about all that is coming up... I don't know what about BKDK speaks to me... but I can practically feel the love between them, and complex, deep, and layered love is my biggest weakness. (I envy them.) <3

I cry over bkdk because their love for each other now is just so perfect, but circumstances kind of outside their control have torn them apart over and over. And it’s so hard to see characters who love each other as much as they do never get to tell that to each other, and knowing that both of them have gone through Katsuki’s death without having said everything they wanted to say. In that same kind of desperate way Katsuki went feral over Izuku falling into a coma and not being able to tell him everything that was now filling his head up completely. That he is sorry for all he has ever done to hurt Izuku and that he cares so damn much about him.

"You better not die on me Izuku, because I need you, and there's still so many things I have to tell you."

This was also probably why they added that extra scene of Katsuki thinking of Izuku after waking up. It helped convey his new and open concern for him. His "tsundereisms" until now had only been assumed, because the “dere” side of his "tsun" had been almost impossible to see. Hori had kept this side of him very well hidden - possibly with an intention to get his desired bkdk romance across the shounen jump finish line.

So all of Katsuki’s hospital scenes confirmed suspicions that this soft side has potentially always existed, only now he was no longer holding back his “dere” for Izuku. He wasn't keeping it caged inside his heart anymore. And this is why I started getting my hopes up for for bkdk canon.

Anyway, they wanted to be the one that’s always there for the other but they kept failing in that, lzuku’s many failings to save Katsuki up until now or the way Katsuki had failed to see Izuku’s love for him, which lead to the breakdown of their relationship for so long. The failure of both of them to connect to one another emotionally, communicate how they feel and really fight for each other and overcome the issues before so many misunderstandings had the chance to take such stranglehold over their lives.

Narratively, all of their problems and lack of understanding each other's emotional selves, despite being so close, has been built up to culminate in a singular point that we are still yet to see.

The purpose of showing how well they know each other and can predict each other’s future strategies and their connection in the battle sense… Hori wrote them like this to juxtapose it against their never ending misunderstandings of the heart. It highlights how connected their emotions should also be, hinting that that their feelings were headed straight for each other until the day they crashed into each other violently and beautifully. All the events as of late have mostly been about Katsuki coming to terms with the contents of his heart and now the time has come for Izuku to do the same.

A lot of what has been shown is Izuku’s tainted vision of their relationship, or Katsuki’s lonely perspective of never being able to say what he really wants to say the most. And sometimes it’s been about both of them not feeling heard. There has been a veil between their true feelings for so long and it’s high time it is lifted and they meet together as two hearts that can truly see each other without anymore of the pretence. That’s what some of us think will happen in the upcoming chapters, and why Hori keeps having the other couples make references and parallels to them in a lead up to “?” and also why this was drawn:

I take issue with people who don't acknowledge these overarching narratives that are guiding their characters together - and that they are very much "Not Done" with Katsuki's apology. Their many misunderstandings and hidden feelings for each other must be revealed to reach the conclusion of this story. Because bnha is THEIR story. The only reason I can come up with as for why people deny this future intimacy they'll share... is that if people were to admit these two aren't done with Katsuki's apology, they're also admitting the fact that BkDk are going to become even MORE closer, and they can see the writing on the wall if that ever were to happen...

[kacchaaaaannn]

An izuocha shipper said this about us:

Bkdks are just so transparent and easy to read. The people who rant now and want "justice for iida" are the VERY SAME people who always call him irrelevant to the story, boring, annoying, talk down his friendship with izuku and still havent forgiven him being rude ONCE to izuku in the very beginning of the manga before he and izuku even were friends (ohhhhh but anti bakugou people have to forgive bakugou ABUSING izuku for 12 YEARS, right?) and unlike bakugou didnt need over a century to apologiez! Lets be real, there is maybe just 1% of bkdk shippers who are really mad that it wasnt iida. For the majority thats not what the real problem is. They arent mad, because iida was "swaped" with ochako in the opening, they are mad because it was ochako and NOT bakugou! NOT ONE OF THEM would complain if instead of ochako reaching her hand out for izuku, if it would have been bakugou! Despite that there is no such moment in the manga between them! Its all about their shipping agenda. The anime can be as inaccurate as possible, bkdks dont care as long as bones highlights izukus and bakugous relationship even if its not manga canon.

What do think about this? I would like to know your opinion.

I mean, maybe, some of us just wanted Bakugou, personally, not me. I am mad about it, tho, because Bones pushed THEIR shipping agenda making it seem like Ochako was the only one saving him.

We weren't mad when the manga chapter dropped and it was Iida who brought him back to have the talk, were we?

We weren't mad when Uraraka convinced the citizens to let Izuku in UA, were we?

Also, while they made it seem like she saved Izuku on her own, Bakugou, who has half of the vigilante/class 1a vs Deku arc, had only 1 to 2 STILL shots, that was all. And of course, even if they made an intro starring IzuOcha, they won't be able to change the anime, unless they want to get bullied by the whole MHA community, but then, why lie to the people?

Ochako won't have any big scenes until the school ones, so, if this is Izuku's vigilante and Bakugou's redemption arc, why not have at least a few scenes similar to the manga?

Also, another thing, they didn't just swap Iida with Ochako, the also swapped Bakugou. In the manga, Bakugou finds Izuku, they have their little chat and then the fight and all that, but in the intro, the one who finds Izuku, is, again, Ochako.

I loved everything about the intro : the song, the animation, the colors, the setup with all the ruins and stuff, but when that part came it just threw me off.

Idk, again, it's not like they're going to change the arc and become like tpn s2, but still, I find it a bit shitty that they got IzuOchas hope up just to crush them later on, like it's not cool, even if some of them are shitty people, it's still kinda mean.

Anyway, hope you liked my response and I hope that it made sense!

[bdekurecs]

Cantor's Road by EtherealBeing

Rating: E Status: 1/? Chapters Word Count: 15,225 Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

As a self-described supernatural journalist, Izuku had learned to temper his expectations. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe, but the simple truth was that most paranormal allegations fell apart under scrutiny, and he had no reason to think this would be any different. Until he met Katsuki, at least. “Don’t do it,” he told him, the way you’d beg someone not to jump off a cliff. “I’m not an idiot, Deku. I know why you’re here.” He leaned in close. “You’re looking for Cantor’s Road. And I’m telling you right now—if you find it, you’re gonna wish you hadn’t.” How quaint it was for Izuku to realize only after he arrived: he should have listened to Katsuki.

my notes: of course tumblr doesn't allow double indented stuff. sigh.

anyways!! the author has done it again. reccing this because it only has one chapter at the moment, and i'm sure from the author's note that the author has absolutely incredible plans for this, so go give a kudos and comment, maybe even consider subscribing to this one if it's your jam? regardless, etherealbeing has a ton of other bkdk stuff, as well as non mha stuff!

things i loved: the STEPS. OH MY GOD THE STEPS. AAAAAA. definitely some incredible worldbuilding down the road (ha), just know that it's a bit uncanny valley. i usually can't do uncanny valley, but even though i know what this author is capable of i was pulled in by the summary alone. and then i started reading and ooooo boy, izuku WHYYYYYY would you do the things you did!

i'm having so much fun that by the time i got to izuku actually investigating cantor's road i was HOOKED. i said, okay, well surely the uncanny valley stuff won't be too too bad... and then i was back to screaming at izuku like he was in a horror movie. the author does some really great stuff with the actual cantor's road and how it works with the levels of danger and all that. and i always do love to see that kind of american gothic(?) trope of 'listen when people tell you to not go to the spooky place. it's not spooky, it's terrifying'. and AAAA THE RED PAINT THING!!! you'll see what i mean when you get there, it was actually kinda cute if it was done by who i think it was done by :)) but also really unnerving until i finished what there is and had that mental light bulb go off lmaooo.

SUPER excited to see where this goes!! the author even has a video of cantor's road linked in the author's notes for that sweet, delicious immersion.

remember to read the tags on ao3, be respectful and always follow the golden rule of fic: don't like, don't read.

[cherusake-art]

Destined: Without You

Chapter 5 - The Dormitory

Bkdk / DkBk RP fanfic -  18+ NSFW

-------------------------------

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41562954/chapters/111904204

You asked for it! Things are only gonna get spicier from here on out! (18+ NSFW) Cover art by me, written by myself and @tavvyboo

--------------------------------

Preview below:

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Bakugou asked before opening the door to the Class 1-A dorm building. "These clowns can be..." The freedom that came with not having to filter himself anymore went full tilt. "They're fucking annoying."

His tone was controlled, but he was considering how Deku would handle the boisterous and generally over enthusiastic bunch.

"Let's just get this over with." Deku muttered, pulling up his hood self consciously. He still wasn't thrilled about this arrangement. But he wasn't about to get Bakugou expelled either.

Bakugou sighed and pulled open the doors.

In the common room within, a cacophony of chaos was occurring. Several of the students of Class 1-A were seated on the couches, gossiping, reading, and laughing. Some were running around, while Iida, the one who Deku had stabbed in the leg, stood flailing a rigid arm scolding their raucous behaviour. A few more were crowded around a table eating.

"Hey! Bakugou-" Kirishima called out to him, but stopped when he saw Deku behind him. The rest of the room instantly froze, their attention pulling to the two at the entrance.

"Isn't that..." Kaminari began, pointing.

"That guy from USJ?" Shoji finished for him. Uraraka made some sort of strangled squeaking noise.

"What's going on, Bakugou?" Yaoyorozu questioned.

"Nothing!" He barked, "This is Deku. He's staying with me for a little while, and if any of you losers have a problem with it, you can take it up with me? Got it??"

"But isn't he the leader of the League of Villains?" The astute Asui asked point blank.

"Are the teachers aware of this?" Tokoyami continued the line of questioning.

"Do you think he'd even be able to get through the gates if they didn't?" Bakugou yelled back.

"If Bakugou trusts him, and the school says it's okay, it makes sense that we should give him a chance." Todoroki offered.

"Should we, though?" Hagakure asked, "is it safe to?"

"How can we be sure he won't try to kill us all in our sleep??" Mineta chimed in, only increasing the collective panic.

Bakugou growled. "I said if you've got a problem with him, Pee-wee, take it up with me." He was getting defensive of Deku, and the others recoiled a little.

Deku glanced around the room, taking in the same lot of students he'd attacked back at USJ as they argued amongst themselves. Mixed reactions. Some more logical and calm than others. He could tell right off the bat who he was most likely to get along with. If he even bothered to try getting along with any of them.

"I'd say it's nice to meet you all, but frankly I don't really care. I'm sure none of you care either." He muttered, putting his hands into his hoodie pockets. "I'm not staying here for very long. I'm not happy about it either. But at the very least, I'm unarmed."

"None of them would attack you, anyway, Deku." He flashed a glare around the room, his eyes landing on Iida.

Talk about a mixed reaction, indeed. Iida understood that Deku was important to Bakugou, but the kid had literally tried to cripple him. The man's lips pursed tensely, holding back anything he might say until he calmed his temper a bit.

"Come on," Bakugou said, lightly grabbing Deku's arm. "We'll go to my room. Give them some time to get it out of their systems." But at that, the whole group exploded with excitement, some clamouring and even falling off the couches.

(Continue reading at AO3, link listed above)

[osakakitty]

Super sorry if someone asked you before! But I read your metas on katsudeku and I love them, though they're pretty early on with everything. How did you feel about chapters 284&285? Scratch that. What did you think about volume 29? I'd love to know your thoughts!

I'm honestly really surprised to be getting so many notes recently on those meta posts, since they're 5 years old now (existential crisis). Like, how did you all find them??? I can definitely write my thoughts better now in hindsight;;; Plus, my opinions have changed on a few things, but that's neither here nor there.

ANYWAY, of course I loved vol. 29! I bought it in Japanese way before I got my English copy, and I'm absolutely doing the same with vol. 37 (bkdk just keeps winning, thx horikoshi). Most of it is fight scenes, but you can really see how much Horikoshi has grown as an artist in his facial expressions and dynamic poses. Love me some good art and we stan a king. The Kirimina moment is controversial for some, but I liked it. Even Bakudeku get some good battle couple moments in the first half.

But yes, the fruity, jam-filled center of this donut is chapters 284 and 285. I only just came back to Tumblr a few months ago after living on the bluebird hellsite for years, but I'm sure these chapters have been talked about to death by others. The revelation that Kacchan bullied Deku because he was scared of him is something I don't think anyone at the time had really considered. It sheds new light on his actions in past chapters, especially his words to Deku when he was kidnapped. "Don't come" now means "don't come because I know you'll hurt yourself trying to save me."

I also don't think I have to explain why chapter 285 is great. We all know why. :)))))

[darkcircles4lyfe]

reddit users often have awful opinions, but every so often i do enjoy going on the bnha subreddit and seeing what people have to say about the newest chapter. sometimes it's funny even if most of the people there annoy me lol idk. but anyway, something very curious that i'm seeing about the comments regarding the ch 359 leaks is people acknowledging that the original text seems to directly say bakugou is not just "close" to deku but "the closest" to him (obviously not an Exact exact translation but that seems to be the intention) while also being quick to denounce any potential romantic meaning to that lol. now, bkdk doesn't Have to be fully romantic for me to appreciate their relationship (i really appreciated ur queerplatonic post about them btw) but it is very funny to see people rushing to go "but friends can be this close it doesn't mean it's anything romantic!" before anyone even suggests that it could be. all it took was someone asking for clarification on what the proper translation is, with no mention of shipping or romance, for nearly every reply to bring romance up. it just feels like they're basically admitting that they themselves see a statement like that and naturally take it to mean something romantic, and are desperate to prove otherwise. it's very... interesting to say the least hehe.

I also think it’s really interesting to see their genuine point of view sometimes. This right here is getting right to the heart of the societal connotations of different kinds of relationships. They’re quick to attach “friend” to it because that puts Izuku and Katsuki in a neat little box that’s safe from their ship. Romantic relationships are generally ranked highest for most people (this is not a good thing nor how it should be imo, but that’s another story) so when you translate Shigaraki’s comment as “closest friend” it still leaves room for someone else to be even closer. “Friend” brings them down a notch since romantic partners are automatically closer than friends. When you translate it as “closest person” or “closest relationship” not only is it more accurate to the original Japanese which uses a term with no specific platonic or romantic connotation, it implies that Izuku and Katsuki are so close to the point of usurping the throne of romance. It implies that this isn’t some cliche story where the girl can suddenly waltz in and become more important to the main character than the guy he had more chemistry and emotional connection with the whole time.

The fact is, though Izuku and Katsuki are currently more friendly with each other than they have ever been, “friend” is not and never has been a word big enough to describe their deeply complex relationship. I have always loved this about them. Shigaraki calling them friends would seem trite and it would lack all of the emotional weight that’s sure to be reflected in future chapters.

This ask was sent before fanscans came out but I’m ranting about that too. If Caleb also calls them friends in officials it will be because of the fact that “closest friend” does not mean the same thing as “closest person,” and because he and others expect—not understand, expect—that title of closest person to belong to Ochako. Not because that’s what Horikoshi actually meant.

[dekusleftsock]

Sigh… the newest chapter.

Very beautiful, very wonderful. It’s gorgeous looking, so much time and meaning put behind every single panel.

These two panels have been the most interesting to me though.

The first, where the last tear falls away, and the second, where the first leaves flow freely through the spread.

And don’t you worry, I saw that parallel immediately.

“And save people by winning.”

Still, I can’t help but feel as though these panels are still SO DIFFERENT from then!

First of all, the light in Izuku’s eye, the one that really makes the admiration and love pop in this image—it’s missing. Completely.

And, in the second one, where the tears have fallen and the leaves have come, that one is still shaded in darkness. Izuku still has no light.

So yes, has Izuku calmed down? Absolutely, but it still has this underlying melancholic atmosphere. Everyone else has a sense of success, everyone else is THANKFUL that Katsuki has saved allmight from the brink of death, he has won by saving someone—but don’t we all remember Bakugou Katsuki Rising?

You know, the chapters where everyone thought Izuku was just SO heroic and SO amazing, except for Katsuki who knew that something was very very wrong.

And this time it isn’t Izuku almost dying for everyone’s safety, it’s Katsuki—can Izuku’s heart really handle that right now? Right after he just got up?

Can Izuku control himself under all this weight?

(Ofc I gotta throw in the girls, they’re the representatives of love for this series for christs sake)

Izuku is selfish, we all know this now, so where will this selfishness take him?

Because I know for damn sure that, if I have Izuku’s character right, if I have Hori’s themes down…

Idk I just wanna see him lose control. Right in front of Katsuki. Because my god this boy can mask his queerness when he wants to.

Because what happened to THIS?

Where’s that melodramatic passion?

Why is he not allowed to see it Izuku?

So I can see two ways this can go:

Izuku, at some point while Katsuki is awake and alive, loses his shit at Katsuki getting hurt or a comment that targets Katsuki. The way he WANTS to lose his shit.

Izuku attempts to sacrifice himself much like Himiko did for Ochako, solidifying their parallels even more. (Himiko is not dead and I don’t mean that in the “oh I’m delulu!” way. Y’all it just doesn’t make sense you guys realize that right. The same way it didn’t make sense to kill Katsuki. LIKE COME ON)

Personally, while I COULD see Izuku doing that, because he would do anything for Katsuki, I don’t think he’s gonna have the option to. Not only that, but I think that the first option is far more interesting for ALLLLLL the reasons above.

Izuku is known for being sacrificial, it would be far more interesting to have Katsuki have to assure him and calm him down in some way (it’s also the queer connection. I find this extremely important. We need a scene for bkdk like we had for the spirited away scene for tgck). Not only that but Izuku very much needs to have that moment where the story creates that wall that directly tells him he needs to change. It needs to challenge him, emotionally. And not in the panic, big fight way, but in the “Katsuki has to see the things Izuku still performs for him” way.

Katsuki needs to see how Izuku feels, because Izuku isn’t good at telling him that.

AND HE STILL HASNT

HOW LONG WILL YOU DRAG THIS SLOW BURN HORI IM SO.

Anyway, my main point is that Izuku WONT be able to control himself anymore. Just one more thing, one more comment said in just the right way, and it’s over.

That confrontation is the one that I’m waiting for. Because Izuku still isn’t happy, this chapter isn’t happy—it’s laced with insecurity, despair, heartache, and a deep sense of loss.

And it’s hopeful! Very very hopeful, because that’s what mha IS, but you can’t read this chapter and tell me that Izuku right now is happy, in love, over the fact that it’s Katsuki who has to save allmight.

[marunalu]

It's funny that fandom complains that IzuOcha doesn't have develop but some of them ship Bakugou with Uraraka, two people that barely interact and if they do it's always about Midoriya. Besides, the ship screams self-insert where women can insert themself in Ochako because they want to be the sunshine girl with the bad boy that has a soft spot for her same happends with Bakugou and Kirishima. The worst it's that the same people complain about IzuOcha because she can't develop or her whole plot it's about her feeling for Izuku but then they ship her with Bakugou.

Besides, I don't know why bk and bkdk stan are so worried about Ochako's develpment or hate her because her plot is ruined for her feeling when Bakugou's plot is all about Midoriya and his rol focus on him too.

Its super ironic right?! Izuku and ochako have one of the best developed relationships in the story, something bkdk shippers can only dream about, not that they would ever admit that of course! And the best part about it is that ochakos character (unlike bakugous) can stand on her own, has a plot on her own that doesnt circle around her romantic feelings for izuku and has her own villain foil who serves as the anti thesis of ochakos character. Compare that to bakugou. His whole character and plot circles around izuku and izuku alone - and thats NOT a good thing, no matter what bkdk shippers want to believe - but for them the story is only about their ship anyway. And ironical exactly THAT was now confirmed in the latest released chapter with shigarAFO telling bakugou to his face: "you are NOTHING! The ONLY interesting thing about you is your relationship with izuku midoriya!" Ohhhh the humiliation bakugou must feel! Gets completly DESTROYED in just a few seconds and on top of that gets told that the only usefull thing about him is that he can be used as bait! BURN!!!

Its so hilarious hyporitical of bkdk shippers how they ship ochako with toga, a mentally unstable MASS MURDERER to get her out of the way for their own ship with the argumentation: "sHe dESerVeS bEtTer tHeN juSt tO Be dOWnGraDeD aS a loVe INtErEst fOr iZUkU!" just to do exactly THAT with bakugou! Downgrading him as nothing more then izukus love interest! Holy shit even bakugou deserves better then to be seen as nothing more then the mcs love interest! But bkdk are a bunch of big hypocrites, so you cant expect much of them!

Personally I dont have much of an opinion of kacchako shippers. Like you said its mostly a self insert ship, because people like the "bad boy gets the nice girl" trope or "nice girl turns the bad boy into a better person, because for some fucking reasons thats her job". The last one is very toxic in its own way and I hate it, but personally I dont really had bad experiences with kacchako shippers. They left me alone so far, so I dont really have a bad or good opinion of them. I just think ochako deserves WAY better then bakugou (everyone does) and both show zero interest in each other anyway! People mainly seem to ship them, because of their fight in the sport festival, but neither before or after they really interacted with each other and bakugou shows absolutely ZERO romantic interest in ANYONE anyway!

Ochako has her eyes set on izuku and the only reason why she hasnt told him yet about her feelings, is because she wants to concentrate on her hero carrier first and thats a GOOD THING! It shows that ochako is more then just a love interest. You cant say the same thing about bakugou, whos whole character centers around izuku and their rivality!

[mimuranda]

BKDK fic recommendation

23/09/2022

And now that I've expressed all my frustration in previous post, I am going to talk about BakuDeku and THE recommendation of the month.

So, yes, as already stated I love this ship (call me basic, but the rivals to lovers dynamic is one of my favorites) and more since Bakugo seems to have a REAL evolution in the cannon story.

He is exactly the kind of character I love (I accept I have a problem with secondary bad boy characters).

But, as usual, that does not mean I accept everything. My criteria for any prompt -including ships - to be sold to me is it to be well-written. If you are to tell me their relationship, I want you to convince me. And so I am particularly strict with fanfics.

I am a big fanfic lover, and I've been reading fics for SO LONG that I've now come used to filter them so I can find the hidden gems under the high amount of not-so-good stories. I know that fanfics are usually underestimated, and I want to fight that misconception, even if it comes from the fact that, as anybody can write fics, the level is not always that high (still very legitimate for these fics to exists, anybody should write fics if they want too). What I mean is that I am very exigent regarding fics.

And it has been a long time since I read an excellent one. Who could have told me that the first one I would look for in the BNHA fandom would be so PERFECT?

I've already talked about this fic (I shared the first chapters comics one marvelous user made- thanks @twyutd) , but it is time to talk about it properly:

THE WAY YOU USED TO DO , by edema_ruh on Archive of Your Own is the MOST AMAZING THING I have read in a while.

It had me completely scotched to my computer 3-days-long. It is so beautiful, well-written, and the pace! The scenes! The battles! The characters! Their development! The slow-burn love story! The longing! The friendships with the other members of the academy! The angst!!! I WILL REPEAT IT: THE ANGST!!

It is undoubtedly and INCREDIBLY well-written story, but of course, what your preferences are will have an impact on how do you like it.

For me it was perfect jam. Long, very long fic, with slow-burn love story, bkdk-centered, with changing point of view, and with A LOT OF ANGST and a happy ending. AND THE IDEA IS SO ORIGINAL. It is a soul-bound story and I just could think that if one day I want to write a romantic story it should be inspired by this one.

If you like any of this elements, you'll immensely enjoy it.

I am frankly obsessed, only can think about is drawing my fav scenes (omg the bkdk moments... ) I think the author really mastered their personality all that while telling an entertaining story.

The only thing I did not enjoyed that much was the least chapter, I found it too long, but I'll accept it anyway because this is 30 long chapters of GOLD.

Just seriously, if you like BNHA and ship BKDK go, now.

The fic:

Art from @YukarietD on twitter .

"We're really sorry," his father says, in a teary-eyed, wobbly way. "But your friend, Izuku, he's... He's gone, son."

Katsuki can do nothing but blink up at them for moments that feel like an eternity, eyes darting between both his parents in obvious confusion, disbelief, and, more than anything, indignation. "What the fuck are you two talking about? The damn nerd is standing right beside you!"

During a battle, Midoriya gets hit by a villain whose quirk detaches his soul from his body. Stuck in a ghost-like state, the boy enters a race against time in order to save himself from permanently dying. Much to his luck - or lack of it -, the only person who can see and talk to him in this state is no one other than Kacchan.

Alternatively: Deku and Kacchan are soulbound.

The link:

What are you waiting for? I on my own will going praise the author for such an amazing piece of art:

@edema--ruh thanks, thanks, thanks for this!!! I cannot express more my admiration to your AMAZING story.

And if you guys happen to discover and enjoy this story because of me please let me know and share impressions!

(I will maybe create a whole tumblr account for sharing my fav fics... still thinking about that possibility).

[astersofthesky]

I decided to reread the MHA LN Chapter 4, you know, the canon bkdk angsty slow-burn fanfic 😌😌 Spreading the BKDK LN agenda because WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORE !!

Anyway, I FOUND ANOTHER TRANSLATION but sadly OP haven't finished it yet 😢

And since I need an emotional outlet so I can scream at how they're so canon, Im'ma do it here ahwjdhfjsh 👀✨

Warning: Long post; potential manga spoilers

– I forgot that this chapter literally started with the angst 😭 Deku saying that he can't imagine having lunch with Kacchan is like a pain in the gut. He just wanna be friends with his Kacchan again 😢

– One word, ✨SOULMATES ✨ afshshahah PLS, even the universe can't help but ship them together 😩✋ they're fruityness is on whole a new level I CAN'T 💚🧡

– I see what you're doing Bakugou 👀 You really can't leave your sweet broccoli behind huh?? Also, crybaby Macchan and aggressive Takkun?? 🤔 Do I need to say more? 🧐

– If that's not flirting then idk what is 🤷 also, "In front of my soba? Really?" (Todoroki, probably)

– There's no ss but I just wanna give a special mention to jealous!Bakugou. No cos srsly, implying you're not friends with Deku as if you're not dying to hold his hand then getting irritated over Todoroki claiming the "friend" card 😩 Just, Bakugou, don't @ me ☺️💢

– The angst had reached full force it seems ಥ‿ಥ The line was cut but it actually says "Not friends, just childhood friends" 😭😭 and I am telling you Im'ma throw my brand new book when Bakugou explicitly acknowledges Midoriya as his boyfriend. Because before they were rivals, Bakugou and Midoriya were first friends. And I'm not saying that they aren't one now because we as readers, can definitely see they care for each other. But the question is, do they already see the other as a friend and not just a mere rival? They don't cos they're boyfriends your honor

– Tbh, It still haven't sinked in that this is kind of canon 🤧 This is such a cliched romantic scene like wtf?? So what's next? The full moon is illuminating half of Bakugou's face, red eyes glowing and face soft from the natural white luminescence or something sappy like that?? 😩😩 I love it

– Izuku in this LN chapter whenever he talks about Bkg: ✨ THEIR RELATIONSHIP ✨

– I know, I get it. You don't have to shove it my face every single time Deku 😌 and pls, why are you still flirting at the middle of the night?? Or was it pining that I see 🤔 i mean comparing each other to their kid parallels 😕 hmm a severe case of mutual pining indeed

– Yes yes, of course you're only looking for food stalls Mr. Bakugou "Tsundere" Katsuki, I completely don't believe that you're worried about the kids. No! of course not! Who says you want the kids to reconcile so they wouldn't experience the pain that you and a certain green had gone through?? Hahaha I mean It's not like they're your parallel what??hmmm no no, go on, look for takoyaki or smthn ☺️☺️

– Wait, did the last part say '"Bakugou grabbed Izuku's face and pushed it away..." Aksfksjdhdisjs what in the actual gay fanfic is this??!! Or wait, is this what Bkg usually do to Deku in the official art he's like, I love agressively gripping your head as I entangle my fingers on your soft curls but no homo💀

Since OP's translation isn't complete, I'm going to use Lau Ren's translation and yes I'm continuing this shit even though Tumblr mobile only lets me post 10 pics per post

– Bkdk domesticity with children pt. 95736 💚🧡 They love kids so much 😩 Yk I'd donate my kidney just to see this ANIMATED ✨ like this has so much fluff potential 🤧 Or at the very least a drama CD. I'd ascend 😭

– WHAT THE FUDGE ?!! I'M SCREAMING 😭 I SAY IT AGAIN 💞 SOULMATES✨ and pls, it has my favorite fic trope, Bakugou Katsuki is Bad at Feelings. Anyway, I need a minute to collect myself cos I can't move past the "With the said person himself nearby, Kacchan thought his fate had gone crazy" ( ≧Д≦) dammit Katsuki, why r u so gay. Izuku loves you, you emotionally constipated gremlin

I have reached my 10 picture limit so I'm just gonna copy paste some of the twts 💀 I hope I don't get in trouble lmao Xd

- Kacchan fixed his gaze to Deku who looked relieved. "He..."

- Somehow, Kacchan remembered the fight they had after All Might's retirement. It was the first time they were able to let out their conflicts sincerely. Although his fear towards Deku had decreased since then, there was still a feeling of disgust about Deku being a hero who save others residing in Kacchan.

- He couldn't understand it. But he knew, there will always a being whom he cannot understand

– Bkg rlly said 👀 on Deku while having angsty thoughts ಥ╭╮ಥ Looking back on this tho, I just can't help but be proud when I remember 285. Bakugou is loud but he is very rational in battles. He thinks of a plan on the spot meaning he's mind is on work 24/7.

– When he had his "My body just moved on its own" moment, Katsuki had understood Deku and his nature to "Save to Win." It'ss that Katsuki must not analyze it with his brain, but instead feel it with his heart 💚🧡 And this is the reason why I badly want to see him on the manga 😭 that was some MAJOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I'm ahwjdhfjsh

– Takkun and Maachan's pinky swear deserves their own mention. They're so pure 😩✋

- He said he still hasn't done hatsumoude so Kacchan can go first, but Kacchan refused and wouldn't let Deku do hatsumoude before him.

- Kacchan tried to take a head start, but in the end, they ended up visiting and praying together.

– AND WE'RE BACK with the gays 😌 hsjdjajs they compete with every single thing it's honestly cute. Also YES THEY PRAYED TOGETHER and shoujo scenes with the main couple praying on the shrine but make it BKDK flashed before my eyes 😖✨

- After finishing their prayers, Deku looked at Kacchan, "What did you wish for?" "Shut up."

- Even with Kacchan's sulking expression seen from the side, Deku felt that they had wished for the same thing.

– DEKU YOU'RE BEING TOO LOUD!! I just can't with these two 😩✋ Both of them are down so bad for each other and you can't tell me otherwise 💚✨🧡

- With those serious eyes, Deku knew they were aiming for the same thing. Win to save, save to win. To be the best heroes.

- Deku knew well that he and Kacchan are polar opposites. But even so, Deku couldn't imagine a world in which Kacchan doesn't exist.

– Deku just went 😍 on Kacchan and thought "I CAN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT YOU 🧡💚" (insert Imagine by Ben Platt)

– I can't even stress how much I love this line, y'all this is so misleading I-- this is too much 😭 Anyway, I believe this go both ways. Bakugou can't also see a world without Deku in it, and since Deku decided to be the self-sacrificing person he is, I'll just SCREAM IN CH. 304 ( ≧Д≦)

- Seeing the two praying side by side, he commented, "so you've become good friends now, huh."

- Both of them immediately opposed, and Kacchan threatened to explode Shoto's mouth for saying such a disgusting thing.

– Let's go Todoroki, best wingman 🤣 And flustered Bakugou makes a reappearance hdjsja Dammit half n' half I ain't flirting with Deku fvck you

And this is where it ends afshshaha anyway bkdk canon 💚🧡

[venomremmy777]

-sigh-

A lot of you did not understand my last post, so let me explain

I KNOW THAT SAYING A SHIP IS CANON IS MEMEING

Hell, I do the very same thing MYSELF. I know they’re just enjoying ships, but some people GENUINELY think the ship is canon. As usual, the MHA fandom took this too literally, and too generally, so let me walk you through this-

Horikoshi: Makes Deku play a big role in helping Todoroki from his trauma, and gives fanservice

The Fandom: OMG TODODEKU CANON

I know when people say TodoDeku is canon, if any, they’re joking. I originally wasn’t going to put TodoDeku, since it wouldn’t make much sense to put it. But I decided to anyways, but just as a lead. That’s all it was, a lead, into this-

Horikoshi: Has Uraraka get a crush on Deku

The Fandom: NO! IZUOCHA CANON NOW, NOT TODODEKU

Honestly this doesn’t have much importance either, I was just adding the TodoDeku vs IzuOcha stuff for relevance, and the fact I wanted to include as many mainstream ships as possible, without targeting one group.

Horikoshi: Writes an intimate and relationship between Momo and Jirou

The fandom: THEY’RE LESBIANS! 🥰

A lot of people GENUINELY think this. Jirou has been shown to blush or get shy around girls, and her Momo are often featured next to each other in Horikoshis sketch’s, BLUSHING. No, no- I’m not saying they’re canon, I’m just saying canon things. Take it as you will.

But…

Horikoshi: Makes Jirou the most important person to Kaminari

The fandom: IF THATS NOT ON THE ROAD TO CANON IDK WHAT IS! 😍

Okay so, now that Jirou is important to Kaminari, all of a sudden the MomoJirou stuff is irrelevant? KamiJirou is considered one of the most canon BNHA ships in the MHA fandom, because of this. But how come people considered MomoJirou a possibility, but they don’t now? And yes, I know, not everyone thinks that. Some people think KamiJirou is canon and others think MomoJirou is, I don’t really think anyone changed their minds on this one.

Idk if you’ve caught on, but I was mainly targeting a certain group, I just added other ships for fillers and meme- purposes. I also didn’t want to seem biased or like I was attacking, but I suppose I’ll have to since y’all did an r/whooosh

Horikoshi: Says he likes TodoMom-

The fandom: cOnFiRmEd

Again…we’re just going to brush off the MomoJirou progress? Or the fact Todoroki and Momo don’t have a lot of screentime. Yes, Horikoshi likes Todomomo. That does give it a high chance and I DO Love this ship! But a creator liking a ship doesn’t make it canon! Trust me, other fandoms, other experiences…

People genuinely think TodoMomo is canon too. Not like a funny “Haha Todoroki is looking at her in this background panel” No, I mean FULL ON, SERIOUS, ESSAY-LENGTH EXPLANATIONS and GENUINE beliefs

Horikoshi: Writes an arc about KiriBaku and their importance to each other, giving subtle hints and a shit ton of “coincidental” evidence

The fandom: GUYS LOOOOOK! MORE KRBK PROOF! KIRIBAKU CANON! 😍

Welp, here it is. The first of the three I was targeting, and my own fandom. I am, in fact, one of those delusional people, who thinks it’s actually canon. But I am well aware the LGBT does not have the upper hand in a Shounen genre, but I like to hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, we can find peace here. I wasn’t really talking about the fact of Krbks calling KRBK canon, cause that would have been hypocritical of me. I meant the fact that at a certain point, Kirishima and Bakugo’s relationship was focused on so much in 2018, it basically became this trend. Where EVERYONE thought this ship had a chance. Because they seemed to ALWAYS BE NEXT TO EACH OTHER

You’re probably thinking,”What’s the point of this then?”

Well, here’s the point-

Horikoshi: Drops them to focus on Bakugo and Deku’s redemption and relationship building

Fandom: Oop- GUESS BKDK IS CANON NOW 😄🤭 So sad, I wanted KiriBaku/ IzuOcha oh well 😔

Okay here’s the thing, with the KRBK vs BKDK, I meant it more of a platonic or general sense. People seem to think that just because Kirishima and Bakugo haven’t interacted in a hundred chapters they’re suddenly irrelevant to each other?! As if they aren’t at least friends anymore?!?! I’ve seen people say “Kirishima was used for Bakugo’s redemption so he could get along better with Deku, so now there’s no need for him anymore” Um…no? KiriBakus development is a WHOLE OTHER THING FROM BKDK DEVELOPMENT. And all of you fellow Krbks- Stop crying a river because they haven’t interacted for 100 chapters! Bakugo and Deku redeeming their friendship is important!! LET THE BKDKS HAVE THIS! It’s what they wanted. Just because Deku and Bakugo are becoming friends, doesn’t mean Kirishima and Bakugo aren’t. So, just stop. Please. You don’t become best friends with each other and then all of a sudden say “Hey dude, your important to me n’ all, but there’s this other guy who I used to be friends with, but I kinda bullied him, so…Kinda gotta fix my relationship with him. Anyways lmao bye sEe yA nEVEr-“ I’m preeetttyyy sure that’s not how it works.

A lot of you might say, “No one says that” Oh, Ho, Really?

Now, finally, the last serious one…

Horikoshi: Gives Kirishima and Mina a chapter

The fandom: KiRiMinA cOnfiRmEd

This one I am being DEADASS serious. Horikoshi decided to finally introduce the arc where Kirishima gets over what happened in middle school, and Minas importance or lack thereof, whatever, to him. He saved her, and Mina did a new move “Acid Man” inspired by “UNBREAKABLE”. And apparently, this was leading to the road of being endgame. HELL- Even some Krbks were pouting like, “Yeah, but with the way the manga is going KiriMina is going to be endgame” OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS. Again! Just fuck the Krbk development right?! Just fuck it all! Because apparently, they can’t have other relationships of them focused on, without you thinking THATS going to be canon instead. Before you call me biased and delusional, MORE PROOF 👇

The last “IiDaDeKu” one was clearly just a meme, a funny, trending note to end on.

Please oh please understand the purpose of this!! It’s too make those of you doing this award of how guillable you’re being- and that NO SHIPS ARE CANON UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY ARE, FOR NOW ITS JUST POTENTIAL

And as a joke!! So we can LAUGH together about how much of a MESS this fandom is!

I mean- Fuck- I just had to explain a joke to you!!!

Also I’m sorry about my attitude but the replies made me pissed- Y’all made me sound like an Anti or a dude bro

WHO I HATE WITH EVERY SINGLE FIBER IN MY BEING

So don’t compare me to them again!!

I have a feeling- A STRONG feeling, some of y’all will think I’m just being rude and stupid, and I have no right to be mad, and STILL won’t get the purpose or joke of my last post, but if you do…

THANK YOU

BONUS:

Yes I do understand enjoying ships actually. Shipping is my whole life, I more than understand the difference between shipping for fun and shipping for a purpose. I get that some people ship as a comfort and others a hobby. I know it’s both platonic and romantic. I understand it’s not only to pair people together but to explore different possibilities. I know the difference between wanting your ship to be canon and genuinely thinking it is. I know shipping is for enjoyment, and it’s not about which becomes canon. I KNOW people are joking when they say it’s canon, but in the case with some of these they aren’t. And yeah, I know it’s a minority, but it’s an annoying, LOUD minority. No shit Sherlock people say certain ships are canon as a joke when they get crumbs

NO FUCKING DUH

[mysterylover123]

MHA Chapter 336 “My OT3s compensate for the Traitor Twist”

So yeah I really need to keep off spoilers on Thursdays. Anyways, on to the review!

It’s nice to know that even when the plot is disappointing me we’ll always have BKDK sparring to make me smile again. Also will somebody please do that “distracted girlfriend” meme with this shot of Deku ghosting Kacchan to fanboy over Todoroki? (Also Kacchan is sooo pretty in this panel).

Speaking of pretty! Following Deku’s distracted gaze we now check in on Todoroki. Damn I don’t like that cough though.

From one OT3 onto another! Momo JIrou Kami (who are also all three at this point shippable with Bakugou too). Jirou I remember doesn’t like gross things so hence why she’s reprimanding Baku. Momo sure is taking the stats in stride huh. Kaminari is like the only one having the appropriate reaction here.

IICHAKO AND TSUCHAKO VIBES. OMG I love it. And it’s Iida again who is praising Ochako, BTW. And Tsu who’s smiling at her knowingly. (step on it Deku if you’re REALLY supposed to be her love interest man. Everyone else is outdoing you.)

So yeah Plot Time. Honestly I feel like what annoys me here isn’t so much who it is as the fakeout last chapter. WHAT THE FUCK DUDE. I don’t think we’ve ever had an MHA chapter pull something like that before - fake us out completely for no reason other than shock value. It always seems like such a lame trick to me. I mean I’djust gotten used to Tooru being it and started rereading her passages for clues and now I have to start all over again!

OK now that I’ve calmed down it seems like the twist does answer some issues I had with Tooru being the traitor last week. Mostly in that Aoyama is someone Deku has a connection with, so we get the emotional catharsis stuff. There were some hints before that people picked up on so it doesn’t come completely out of nowhere.

AH I get it he’s like Deku. I guess this was foreshadowed a bit with AFO giving quirks to people.

So this is what Tooru was doing there. Damn Hagakure I spent the last week reimagining you as a villain and how I have to erase all that. 

Well Deku time to test your Villain Redemption Arc skills! The real Training Ground for the Actual Fight of the Finale: How to somehow reach out to the League emotionally instead of just beating ‘em up again. Which hey Kacchan apparently has covered! You two lean into your strengths. Anyways so I’d imagine tumblr’s gonna be pissed as hell about this twist fakeout, but I’m pretty attuned to it now so I’ll hopefully be able to move forward. 

Anyways I like the Deku and Aoyama parallels here. Hopefully this interaction set will FINALLY move the freaking “I’m gonna reach out to the villains who can be save”D plot forward after a freaking year of nothing. You go do your thing Deku. God knows you’ve wasted enough time doing goddamn nothing all year. (I’m still bitter about the stupid Sasuke arc, can you tell?)

[darkcircles4lyfe]

I know we talk of how romantic bkdk is as it falls into all of the classic tropes and how it's weird how Katsuki doesn't have a love interest when Izuku has one, but barely pays it any attention. But. Do you think they are romantic in general?

I think what fucks me up more was how Heroes Rising had so much involvement to Horikoshi and the little references in the manga, and that OFA parallel with Nana talking to All Might.

And another thing, was the "love = immitating" where instead of equating Toga's (and by a little extention Uraraka's) love and admiration to Katsuki, he equates it to All Might, as he could never see himself "sharing the same heart and mind" as him. But, we know exactly who he can do this with. We even get the exact reference in the narration. Over all, we were supposed to think of Katsuki.

But is it really romantic? Just strong friendship? A little queer platonic?

These are some very big questions! haha. My headcanon leans queerplatonic, as you may have seen, but that's such an obscure subject of queer representation, I only expect to see it in cases where the creator is expressing their own experiences. For example, the way Suzanne Collins writes her protagonists (in The Hunger Games and The Underland Chronicles) is very aromantic/asexual-spectrum, but I'm guessing it wasn't done for the sake of representation, just her personal projection. Anyway, I have to admit I think Izuku and Katsuki turning out to have a romantic relationship in canon is more likely than a queerplatonic one.

As for friendship, calling Katsuki Izuku's closest person was a bold move considering society places romantic relationships at the top, ya know? So he is either stating that they defy this societal norm (which would be very queerplationic) or that they are romance-coded. It's between those two, in my opinion. No more room for simple uncomplicated friendship (as if they have ever been as such, lol).

I talked about the love = imitation thing back when that chapter came out, but my thoughts on it have oscillated ever since, to be honest. There's the possible implication that Ochako is mistaking admiration for love, and that she has this in common with Toga, and thus Izuku mentioning All Might was a way of pointing to this misunderstanding (my good friend @dekacchannn popularized this idea). I also think it could be a sign of Izuku's repressed feelings for Katsuki. The phrase "sharing the same heart and mind" seems to go with that, like you said, except that it turns out that was a very bizarre mistranslation on CC's part. Oh well. Still, since Izuku imitates Katsuki a lot, without intending to and while feeling embarrassed about it, yes, I think we are supposed to think of him in that scene.