#bakugo katsuki character analysis

[kworus]

i have a small analysis of bkdk's nicknames for each other so let me yap for a bit

they are parallels of each other, save to win and win to save, and this is reflected in the nicknames they gave each other. deku always had the heart of a hero despite not even having a quirk. He had a kinder soul than most heroes, yet he lacked the external part. 'deku' is a mean nickname that reflects bakugo's way of thinking. despite this, izuku sees bakugo as his image of victory, and he recontextualizes this nickname and it ends up as his hero name, the one he will be known for by most people, what became his public personality. bakugo shaped his exterior as a hero.

on the other hand, bakugo had everything set for him to become one of the greatest heroes from the beginning. his quirk is powerful and aggressive, he's strong and incredibly determined. but he lacked a lot of what being a hero means at its core. and this isn't to say bakugo was completely selfish and evil cause we know he wasn't, but he was terribly self-centered and let his insecurities shape him. and so izuku called him 'kacchan', a deeply intimate and childish nickname that remained after decades, and reflects izuku's views and character, despite it not looking like it would fit someone as loud and sharp as him. bakugo didn't use 'kacchan' as a hero name, yet during his fight with AFO, one of the moments that cemented his growth as a character he didn't introduce himself as katsuki or dynamight, but as 'kacchan bakugo', because that's who he truly is on the inside, izuku shaped his soul to one of a hero

[itsabouttimex2]

man I NEED to hear what you think about Bakugo

Alright I dropped MHA (because of Mineta, Bakugo, and Aizawa, mostly), so I’m going with maybe half the series in mind, but I’ll try to compose my thoughts on this pretty quickly, going of my own watching and some general pop-culture osmosis.

Katsuki Bakugo’s very existence in the story of My Hero Academia breaks an extremely important core message that the show tries to send- “You should intervene in situations when wrongdoing is occuring, even if the victim is “good” (eg: stoic, strong, handling it well, Shouto being extremely composed and powerful, Bakugo being attacked by the slime monster, Eri holding herself together in spite of everything she’s gone through) or “bad” (eg: unattractive, poor, manic, Shigaraki being turned up by the old lady, Toga being forced suppress herself), because even trying and failing or just reaching will at least make an impact or offer a light in that dark tunnel (All Might selecting Izuku after he saves Bakugo, Shouto accepting the fire half of his Quirk after Deku reaches out to him)-

In other words, “Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a hero!”

So when MHA shows me this whole cast of children who are supposed to be “the next generation of heroes” and expect me to root for them, I can’t help but note that none of them ever try and stop the violent bully in their midst. They might disapprove or refuse to engage, but there’s never a moment that any of these “heroes-to-be” say “Hmm. Maybe if someone is threatening the life of my kindly classmate- especially in a form as immediate as unleashing literal explosions at him and needed to be physically restrained, I should intervene.”

They, and almost all of the faculty and staff, ignore this legitimately unhinged and violent child running amok, are not “true heroes” by the messaging and morals of the narrative itself, because they sit on their asses and allow a bully (and Mineta, the rat fuck) to do as he pleases- when a reaction does occur, it’s more along the lines of scolding/laughing at a toddler for cursing/throwing a fit than “holy shit, this kid is a violent threat to at least one of our other students, we need to intervene now”.

I don’t know, maybe this is addressed later in the series, maybe Horikoshi pulls some crazy shit to justify it, that could be what happens by the end.

I just couldn’t watch to that point, if it does exist.

TLDR: Katsuki Bakugo you will never be Cristopher Skyline

[fireheartwraith]

I don't understand people who say Bakugou's bullying got to extreme physical levels to the point that he would burn Deku. I get saying that for ✨️angst✨️ in fanfics, but I genuinely don't think that’s the case in canon. I think the most extreme his bullying got is exactly what we saw: verbal abuse and destruction of property. Which is still bad, by the way (this is the way I was bullied too, so I know it's not fun), but also aligns more with his personality

Bakugou may be brash and aggressive but in some ways he is also a goody too shoes. He was top of his class (still is top 3 at UA) and knew that to achieve his goals of becoming number one hero and going to UA he would need a clean record. He stops his friend from smoking next to him just in case people smell the smoke on his clothes and think he was the one doing it, he would NOT be physically hurting Deku in a way that can so obviously be traced back to him.

Even if the teachers did nothing about the bullying, students are not supposed to use their quirks in non-hero schools, so he would at least get in trouble for that. There’s a reason he waited until there were no teachers around to bully Izuku. He’s too smart to leave any evidence of it on Izuku's body, as Izuku himself points out that Bakugou telling him to kill himself was reckless because if he did do it Bakugou would get in trouble.

TLDR: please stop thinking angst fanfics are canon, Bakugou was not going around burning Deku and breaking his arms

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Tbh a huge amount of the issues MHA has could have been fixed had Bakugo just been expelled from UA in the first season or not gotten in at all

[xexiar]

Nothing like chatting with a friend and they go “Bakugo is a spoil brat.” While I’m over here telling them “Nope! Bakugo suffers from Gifted Child Syndrome.”

Let me explain.

Bakugo is smart af. Like at a very young age he was smarter than other kids his age. He’s even highly praise for his “amazing” quirk. So, he’s put in the spotlight on having extremely high expectations.

So, he’s constantly having to keep the image that he’s perfect. Because if he doesn’t there’s likely a lot of negative pressure from the adults in his life. He pretty much wasn’t allowed to be a kid.

And how does someone who has to constantly being the spotlight would behave after a while. He’s not allowed to be weak. So what’s the only acceptable emotion he can show? Anger. Pure aggression. Because it’s the only thing left.

At that, a spoiled brat typically doesn’t know how to cook and care for themselves. And Bakugo over and over again proves he not only takes care of himself, but also in under a lot of pressure.

Most likely he whole life nobody ever treated him as a person. Everyone saw him as a “thing”. Yet the only one who saw him for him was Izuku. Hence why, I believe, is another reason he lashed out.

Bullies are usually lashing out due to not having any other coping skills to handle their personal issues. And so lashing out at the one person that understands is the only thing he thinks he has to do.

When Bakugo gets to UA is when he finally gets the chance to have a reality check. He finally sees that he’s not at the top and it’s ok. That there’s people, besides Izuku, that sees him for him.

He gets a chance to truly breathe and isn’t pressured to be perfect. He finally got the chance to freely explore options he didn’t think were possible. And I can strongly sympathize with both him and Izuku.

I was bullied my whole childhood. Heck, I was also put on the spotlight to be absolutely perfect. That’s a lot of baggage that not a lot of people get. It doesn’t help that I wasn’t allowed to be a kid. I had to grow up without getting a chance to grow up.

But unlike Bakugo, I pulled a Izuku. I had pent up anger and I was extremely aggressive during my high school years because I didn’t know what else to do.

Basically what I’m saying is that since Bakugo is in high school, he’s getting the chance to find himself. He’s not a brat because of money. He had an ego because that is all he knew.

Which makes it even more enjoyable to watching how to trauma babies slowly heal from what they been through and find each other. Especially accepting the feelings that they always been told shouldn’t be there.

And I’m trying really hard to make this point as I write my BKDK fanfic, Keep Watching.

[lazywriters-blog]

Just a short rant… I hope.

It makes a bit more sense why Bakugo bullied Deku (I am not condoning his actions) the main reason being that he was quirkless of course and to some extent, that he was a crybaby. But after reading the final chapters and learning that Bakugo was avoided by the girls— due to his personality, his harsh nature and even his bullying, I'd also add that to the list, it’d makes sense why he was extra explosive, he was probably salty.

Like a little too much… that could also explain why he got way worse than usual, he just thought that he was so much better than everybody and everyone, inflating his ego, and to a great extent his skills and quirk, maybe even his good looks, backed that up for him so there's that. The dude had to have been at least a little salty cause the girls didn't see him for his strengths and only his flaws I would guess, of course, he would never admit that.

And he does wear saggy pants— to look cool and stuff so there's that. And he and his middle school friends could have possibly sneaked into some shady place, like a bar. Of course, we know that Bakugo was worried about getting into trouble since he was going to apply to U.A. They ended up not going.

Then we know he got attacked by the sludge villain and the rest is history—

I don't know what to call this. Character analysis?

[neonscandal]

If you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from BNHA? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

My faves, I've been asked a few times so I'll be light on explanation, but, honestly, I'm liable to switch up depending on whatever I just read or watched.

Katsuki Bakugo - I just expanded on this but I just generally think more people could give more grace to the traumatized little demon child who has, for reasons against his will, largely been put through trials not only as Midoriya's rival but also as a potential love interest (re: damsel in distress trope)

Izuku Midoriya - I kinda touched on what makes Midoriya interesting but realize it's kinda in the context of the chemical reaction between he and Bakugo. Simply, I like Midoriya for a few reasons that I may not have previously intimated. Those being he is a certified chaos gremlin which is sometimes lost on us as the reader/viewer because he's our narrator (Bakugo only seems insolent. He'll say "don't tell me what to do", but do exactly as you've asked. Midoriya will smile in your face after being told what not to do and adapt the most pants shitting plan to break his bones and risk fatal injury known to man right after.), he's such a fucking nerd, also, kin.

Shouta Aizawa - I love a good traumatized character. But his characterization is so stern, rough around the edges and nonchalant (I usually like trauma with a side of silly goofy✨). It truly belies the fact that he's just a big ole softie who understands the nuance of his students in such an endearing way. Like, I just love him.

Shoto Todoroki - Character wise, Shoto is really entertaining because, while he is a nepo baby, he is skilled to back up why he should be in class 1A. He is not dumb but he is simple. I appreciate that he is regularly unexpected comedic relief and it definitely comes at the price of something neurospicy. Additionally, he and his family situation are just as integral to the story as Midoriya and Bakugo's evolving relationship and power dynamic and it adds texture to him as a tritagonist.

Eijirou Kirishima - My fifth is an oscillating fan available for whoever last occupied my mind but this comes from a recent ask where someone mentioned being a kiribaku because same. Kirishima is the first to earn Bakugo's respect because of his earnest and unrelenting attempts to befriend him. He and Denki are good indicators that Bakugo is, perhaps, not as enigmatic as the narration leads us to believe. His veneer of manly bravado barely covering his insecurities and lack of confidence? The fact that he thought the best way to be a new person was to dye his hair?? KIN. He is precious to me.

⚠️ Spoiler Warning through chapter 411.

These moments are not in any particular (in terms of favorite or chronological) order.

Feral Deku Being Found By Kacchan - Just, the whole arc of being found by Class 1A, beaten down by them, apology in the rain, and being advocated for by Class 1A against an angry mob? The whole thing was goosebumps inducing, just the way they've all grown.

Discovering the Sir Nighteye's Prediction Saw Deku Dying in Action - Toga is a disruptor but also, perhaps, so are all those OFA quirks. Even so, Sir Nighteye not only resigned to his own death but also Deku's which is so wild of him when he so earnestly wanted to discourage All Might from the path to destruction he saw ahead of him. He really had beef with a kid. BUT ALSO Sir Nighteye coming back to be like "All Might... this isn't a comic book, you don't have to die here,". OMG the boomerang arcs all of these characters get is just so heartwarming/wrenching depending on who it is.

Bakugo, With No Other Choice, Facing Off Against Shigaraki - We got so much from that, including, confirming that he cared about that whole host of extras so much that he would think to pass along their care to someone else. That was just so beautiful for his development but also real tears. I remember I was in the midst of reading the manga for the first time and saw a hint of a leak and I read like 150 chapters in a matter of days to get caught up.

Heroes Rising - Literally, that whole movie. GOOSEBUMPS.

Bakugo vs Uraraka at the Sports Festival - This fight was so brilliant for so many reasons.

1. Uraraka gave Bakugo a legitimate run for his money all on her own 2. It demonstrates sexism in universe based on audience perception of the fight as well as how much public opinion bears on the split between a hero and a villain 3. Aizawa gave an unbiased interpretation of the fight and continues to defend Bakugo's character later in the story when people bring up his "villainous" behavior at the Sport's Festival 4. Bakugo is shown to be really noble where other boys from Class 1A seem to think they need to go easy on girls (who end up handing them their ass later) during the Sports Festival but also during the Class 1A vs Class 1B joint exercise 5. It spurred Uraraka to push beyond the confines of her quirk and seek tutelage under Gunhead which is like.. so huge in terms of her development but also pushes her outside of a perception of helplessness that would typically befall a main female lead in a shonen series.

Thanks for asking!

[teenandbeyond]

Random BNHA Analysis (Again)

Hiii, so since yesterday I went on a whole 30 min long analysis after my first post. So today I'm going to be ranting about....buhbumdadaaaa

Katsuki Bakugo's Mentality! 🤯

It's long, but analysis usually is, so, oh well! Don't read if it's a problem for ya! 😜🤪

If you like this, check out my BakuDeku analysis!

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

From the beginning his brain is warped into thinking he's the best. Those with Quirks on top, Quirkless the bottom.

Him? He's above them all.

He was taught that from the beginning.

"Your Quirk is so amazing."

"Your Quirk is the best."

Constantly getting those statements before you can even explore the world with this Quirk... Leads to a type of brainwashing.

So now as a child he has a superiority complex, due to society.

But then there's someone who breaks this molded ideal.

Izuku.

See, Bakugo is taught that people without Quirks are less than. Yet this little boy is brave and saves people despite not possessing one.

This makes Bakugo get angry because he contradicts what he's been taught, yet deep down he admires him for it.

In his mind he feels like he has to remind Izuku of his place. "I'm just helping you, maybe you got lost, this is where you're supposed to be. That's what I learned."

Izuku never stayed in that place, he always hoped for more. And when someone is brainwashed, it really ticks them off if someone breaks the mold they learned.

And when Izuku actually had the guts to stand up to him, it was past just the hopefulness. It probably scared him a little. "That's not what you're supposed to do!"

When you're brainwashed, something contradicting what you've been taught can be scary. Because then it makes you question what's really true.

I feel like the icing on the cake was the Hero versus Villains lesson.

First, the one who he thought was weaker than him stood a chance against him and WON.

This contradicts that people without Quirks are weak, especially considering Izuku had one now.

So in his mind, he probably thought he was tricking him. And if anything, mentally reassured him and disappointed him.

Assurance because, "Okay, now you're not contradicting what I've been taught."

But deep down, "I admired you because you didn't have a Quirk and did what you did, but you have one you've been hiding the whole time?"

Then also because of his superiority complex, "How dare you think you can trick me? You think you're better than me?"

But all this time something else has been building, and it cements itself in his brain when he sees Shoto's skill.

Bakugo gets a reality check when he sees that someone is stronger than him. And it scares him.

It's the start of his inferiority complex.

So now he starts to feel inferior, and tries to find ways to still prove to himself that he's the best.

The Sports Fest was about proving to himself that he was still good enough, not everyone else.

But when his win wasn't because he actually won, but because Shoto fell unconscious... He wasn't assured. If anything, it made his inferiority complex worse.

Then comes his internship. He was chosen because Best Jeanist wanted his personality to be corrected, his appearance.

Usually people fawned over his Quirk, but B.J. kind of brushed it aside.

"Yeah, you're Quirk's good. You know how to use it, but your personality sucks."

And this made him defensive, cause time and time again he'd been getting comments about his personality. And this is another contradiction, because he'd been raised this way. This is his normal. But there are people telling him it was wrong. Which makes him question things.

He also gets upset because he felt like he didn't learn anything to help his Quirk grow...

Not even realizing how much this would help him later. Which is why Jeanist became special to him after, too.

But back to that later.

Exams.

That also made his inferiority complex worse. It wasn't an easy win and he had to count on Izuku of all people.

This made him feel inferior to even him.

He was relentless and didn't want to give up because he didn't want to let himself down and feel like he's less than.

But he fell unconscious and needed Izuku to help him win.

I feel like because of that, he didn't want to be seen by anybody. So he avoided the class shopping trip.

Then I Island happened, again, he felt like he got to prove himself a little.

And after, camp.

The kidnapping.

Which was a lot more traumatizing to him than he let on.

His inferiority complex really hit him in the chest when he was the only one who got kidnapped. (After people already recognized him everywhere for the Sludge Villain incident where he was helpless ((which was also more traumatizing than he let on)).)

The only one people thought would go to the villain side.

And All Might stepping down from number one after saving him.

He was probably already beginning to blame himself, but what cemented the feeling, I think, was his mother's words.

"It's your fault. All this trouble is your fault."

Because that's what he says to Izuku when he confesses how he feels.

"It's my fault."

He sits in the blame he feels like everyone has on him.

Then once it's confirmed that Izuku gained the Quirk from All Might, his admiration is back.

And slowly, in this time, he realizes what Best Jeanist's point was.

Not everything is about Quirks, he needs to work on who he is.

So he starts working on his personality slowly outside the spotlight in season 4 (anime). Then it shows in Season 5 (anime) when he works with his team much better than before.

Season 6 (anime) he finally apologized to Izuku, which he had to grow past his pride to do.

And as time went by throughout the series, he desired to be Izuku's friend, like it should have been. He just had to learn to jump over the wall society put around the two of them. To learn that it was okay to be friends with someone Quirkless. To learn that there was more to people than their Quirks to define them and what they'll do.

He had to break from the mold.

And Izuku was a piece of that puzzle, as well as Eijiro, who opened him up to feeling equal with other people. Having people he could feel equal to. Having those he could appreciate even if they weren't at his level in terms of power. Someone real, who wasn't only his friend because of his Quirk. But really wanted to get to know HIM.

He's continuing to grow.

Just jumping in to save someone without thought? And Izuku at that? He wouldn't have done that months back.

If you think about it, his development has been the most teenager like.

But I think his pattern of development was different and made sense. He needed to learn how to focus on himself more than growing his already powerful Quirk because it was all that mattered to him.

And needed to learn how to love himself genuinely and love others.

Everyone else majorly needs to develop their Quirks, so outside of it being society's focus, that's where they need to grow the most.

Katsuki, on the other hand, is strong in what he can do with his Quirk. Just...not his identity outside of what he was told and molded to.

And how much he's grown so quickly shows that he probably already had a desire to, but didn't realize.

And even though he's fictional, as someone who loves to see people real or not grow...

I'm SO proud of him.

I can't wait to see how else he develops.

[ace-touya]

Parallels of Katsuki Bakugo and Dabi/Touya: an Analysis

The wiki already mentions parallels Katsuki has to Endeavour, but I’d like to raise another character who he’s just like. First off, something that goes without saying is obviously their appearances - both spiky-haired with eyes that seem to glow

But disregarding appearance, they also have a lot of similarities in their relationships with others. They name-call the people in their teams (e.g: Dabi calling Spinner “Lizard” and Toga “Crazy”, any of Katsuki’s nicknames for the 1-A kids), and they refuse to refer to those people as their friends, despite the fact we all know they see them as such (Katsuki insists him and Shoto aren’t friends, Dabi inisists he doesn’t care about “Shigaraki or the league”)

Furthermore, their attitudes also have similarities. Both wanting to be the best - for Touya, moreso when he was younger, whereas Katsuki never grew out it.

In some ways, Touya’s family situation seems like a ‘more extreme’ version of Katsuki’s. Both have one parent who doesn’t seem to understand them or appreciate them very much (Enji and Mitsuki) and the other parent doesn’t really do much against that parent (Rei and Masaru. This is definitely more of a Masaru thing but Touya absolutely believed that Rei was like this, though the audience know she was trying). While in Touya’s case we don’t exactly see evidence of Enji being physically abusive toward him, he is physically abusive toward other people in the household, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was to Touya as well. Mitsuki, who hits Katsuki over the head at least three times in one scene, has this in common with Enji also - again, Endeavour is just a very extreme case in a very specific context.

There’s absolutely more parallels that could be drawn between the two that I’m forgetting, so feel free to add on (if you do, please be mindful that I’ve only seen the anime). I also can’t come up with a clear conclusion or takeaway from this, other than the fact that I think the way Katsuki is might be how Dabi would have turned out if he’d not gotten into a depressive spiral that makes him seem unbothered about a lot of things, or if he didn’t burn up and had stayed in his childhood home.

[die-mitri]

Hello folks! Just dropping in to let y'all know that I'm currently working on a pre-apology Bakugou character analysis. It's gonna be one of 4 or 5 analyses. I'm also gonna write a post-apology bkg analysis, as well and companion analyses for Izuku. Maybe even one to analyze their relationship, its changes, and some predictions. All of this is in preparation for a slowburn, canon-compliant bkdk fic. I just REALLY want to get into their heads so I can keep them as in-character as possible.

Anyways, all of that is to say the current analysis I'm writing is 3,705 words and it's not even done. I still have a conclusion to write and some editing to do lol.

So keep an eye out if you're interested and feel free to bug me about finishing them so I can have proper motivation.

[writing-bakugo]

I’ve been studying gothic literature in uni and basically to sum up gothic as quick as possible: 

The gothic embodies and explores what a culture fears, shames, or believes is a sin either from their past or present. 

GUYS 

Bakugo is an exploding guy... Japan has a history with explosions...

Bakugo is gothic not because we all jokingly see him wear black and be all negative and stuff all the time (how society sometimes defines gothic people)

Katsuki Bakugo is gothic because he embodies one of Japan’s greatest fears.

(according to literature)

[garrodin]

Bakugo Analysis Part 2

Third and final part of this presentation. Bakugo’s dilemma of being a loser in his own story comes from his inability to accept anything less than complete and total victory. And yet time after time he is shown up by someone who for years, ever since they were children, has clearly been a loser, a failure, the antithesis to everything great about him. And so like Vegeta looking down on a low class Saiyan Warrior like Goku, he is forced to question whether his worldview he’s had for most of his life is correct or incorrect. And of course, like Vegeta, he believes he’s correct about everything because he’s the strongest, and that means he can’t be wrong. (Caption: Vegeta does eventually see things differently while their rivalry remains, but that’s after so much loss and growth.)

While Bakugo in the manga eventually does come to respect Midoriya, that too comes after much change. The insecurity he has about being a loser swells more and more like when we see him duel Izuku in season 4 after All Might’s forced retirement. He blames himself for being captured and being the cause of his hero no longer being able to be number one. That teetering of roles with winner and loser is something he has hidden for so long and finally came to a head in that fight, so to reassert himself he tried to be a winner against the person he had deemed the biggest loser of all time. 

Except he failed. The match ended in more or less a draw, which did impact how Bakugo viewed Deku, especially when he saw Deku’s resolve and how he was standing up for himself finally. The change in his old victim brought him to realize that Izuku could indeed be a winner, and be successful, even if Bakugo was still gunning for that Number One spot. I doubt that he may ever be free of this dichotomy, even if he makes it to the end of the series, but if Endeavor’s change is anything to take note of, it’s that even if it takes years, people can change. I hope you enjoyed, follow for the next character analysis.

[themattress]

I Think I Know Why I Dislike Bakugou's Writing

Yes I know I just did the AFO/Asano Meta, but I feel like I need to do this too

To clarify: this is not me bashing on Bakugou. I want to like Bakugou. If you like Bakugou, you aren't wrong. You just deserve better for him.

Let's begin.

For at least a week now, I have had a picture open in a tab on my browser. This picture is something that I was beginning to think was made up by an Ao3 author because I had only ever seen one mention of it. And now that I've found it for myself, I found myself holding on to it and trying to figure out how to feel about it.

But now that's led to me finally having a way to verbalize the issues I have with how Bakugou has been written throughout the series.

On paper, Bakugou has one of the most interesting character arcs in manga. He goes from being a self-absorbed asshole with a superiority-inferiority complex who only wants to be a Hero because they win fights to the genuinely Hero Midoriya believes he can be.

In practice... well.

Let's play a game really quickly. I'll describe a scene from My Hero Academia, and I want you to guess what chapter it is. It doesn't have to be exact, just a general idea. Here's the scenario:

Midoriya manages to use a Quirk that's destructive to him without seriously hurting himself, and is proud of this accomplishment. In response, Bakugou gets incensed and physically attacks him.

Thought about it? Got an idea? Keep that in mind for later.

So here is my issue with Bakugou: there are two Bakugous. I know that sounds weird but let me explain what I mean. I'll call them Interim Bakugou and Dramatic Bakugou.

Dramatic Bakugou saw his classmates at the Battle Trial and realized that he wasn't the Big Man on Campus. He was furious with Todoroki for not using his fire at the Sports Festival, and infuriated by his internship with Best Jeanist. Dramatic Bakugou was kidnapped by the League because he's an asshole. He blames himself for All Might retiring, and he failed the Provisional License Exam because he's a asshole. Dramatic Bakugou told a kid that he needed to acknowledge his own weakness, took a hit for Midoriya in the War Arc, and apologized to him.

Dramatic Bakugou is improving as a person and a Hero.

Dramatic Bakugou also barely appears in the manga.

We are instead left with Interim Bakugou, the Bakugou who exists in the interim between dramatic moments. Interim Bakugou has not changed from his first appearance on the first page of Chapter 1, when he was five, beating the shit out of Midoriya.

Interim Bakugou tried to attack Midoriya on Day 1, and tried to kill him on Day 2. Interim Bakugou listened in on a private conversation about how Endeavor's obsessions broke him and learned nothing. Interim Bakugou told the League of Villains that he wouldn't join them because he likes how Heroes look when they win. Interim Bakugou told the Help Us Company actors to fuck off. Interim Bakugou dragged Midoriya out to Ground Beta to beat the shit out of him because he was butthurt about his exam and making it all about him. Interim Bakugou won the Joint Training Battle because he wanted to be the Undisputed Best. Interim Bakugou never calls people by their real names.

Interim Bakugou called himself Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight. Interim Bakugou told the class that Deku is fucked in the head and doesn't care about what happens to himself, while ignoring that he called Midoriya 'Useless' so often Midoriya responds to it like his own name. Interim Bakugou uses Deku right up to the moment that Dramatic Bakugou apologized for inventing it in the first place.

Interim Bakugou never changes, no mater how much Dramatic Bakugou tries.

Here, let me prove it. You remember that game I had you play a few paragraphs ago, yes? What chapter did you say? Chapter 7, during the Quirk Apprehension Test?

Well, I have to admit that I lied a little. That picture I've had on my browser for the past week or so? It's actually a screencap of the manga.

This is from Chapter 253, after Midoriya shows his progress with Blackwhip.

This is five chapters away from the start of the War Arc.

This is 69 chapters before he apologizes, most of which aren't focused on him at all.

This is within the Final Saga, as Horikoshi puts it.

And Interim Bakugou is indistinguishable from Orientation Day eleven months ago

I will freely admit that this is clearly meant to be a joke, and that he did not hurt Midoriya as severely as the class is acting, but the behavior is still there. It hasn't changed a bit. Interim Bakugou hasn't changed a bit.

Dramatic Bakugou, in a flashback, confessed to All Might that he used to bully Midoriya.

Interim Bakugou still does.

This is why I don't like how Horikoshi writes Bakugou. I want to like Dramatic Bakugou and follow his journey, but for every step forward he takes, Interim Bakugou takes two steps back. All of his apologies feel hollow because Interim Bakugou is demonstrably the same.

And that's why his apology rings hollow. Here's a transcript of it from my fan translation of choice:

Do you remember what I told you after Shigaraki stabbed me? (...) "Don't even think about winning this alone!" After yelling that out, my body moved on its own, and I was impaled. Yet I knew that I had to tell you those words.

I always looked down on you, just because you were Quirkless. You were always far away behind me, yet, I felt that you were somehow miles ahead of me. I hated that. I didn't want to feel like that. And I didn't want to recognize that. It's why I grew so distant from you and always tried to beat you down.

I opposed you and tried to show my superiority over you. But I always lost. After entering UA absolutely nothing went as I thought it would. I spent all my days trying to figure out your strengths and weaknesses.

It probably doesn't mean anything telling you all this but that's what I really think. Izuku... I'm sorry for everything I've done up until now.

The path you took as a successor of One For All is exactly what All Might did. Your choices weren't misguided at all. But as of now, you can barely stand on your own. Your ideals alone can only take you so far. If you ever encounter a road bump, you can always count on us for help. To surpass All Might, your ideal Hero, we would all have to protect UA and the civilians in there together. It's the only way.

There are three parts to an apology.

You have to be sorry for the harm you caused. Bakugou says that he is.

You have to understand how you hurt them. Bakugou... acknowledges that he "grew distant" and "beat Midoriya down."

You have to either ask how to make it right, or promise never to cause that harm again. Bakugou... promises that they'll all surpass All Might.

Though I will give him credit for acknowledging the protection of civilians, good job Dramatic Bakugou.

Dramatic Bakugou seemingly can't apologize for Interim Bakugou, because Interim Bakugou isn't sorry. Interim Bakugou is the same as always.

So the truth is that I love Dramatic Bakugou's character arc, and I hate Interim Bakugou for not having one

[gaypinebabe]

.

[xexiar]

Character Analysis: Bakugou Katsuki. Part 3

As always: Disclaimer: This is for fun. I am not a professional psychiatrist, nor claim to be. These are my thoughts and opinions. If you do not agree, thank you for at least reading, but DO NOT comment!

——

Bakugo Katsuki acceptance.

This layout interesting. That’s because it’s not a linear course of events. But instead it shows the contrast between Katsuki’s conflicting beliefs.

Starting with the two memories on the right. Katsuki starting belief “I am superior.” Then to be proven that he is not. Which starts breaking into his insecurities. At that, he’s very uncomfortable understanding or managing. But instead of accepting to understand these emotions he fights back.

Then we have the two pictures at the far left. Where he needs help and is feeling of desperation but refuses the notion of Izuku saving him. He was physical vulnerable but his beliefs wouldn’t accept someone lesser as his hero. But next to that we see him accepting the notion to work with Izuku, even if temporary.

This a sharp contrast to everything he believes in growing up. It shows how much progress he’s done to break down his beliefs and questions them. Questioning the concept of “perfection” and if he even deserves to be helped. To be able to question his self worth is a huge step for him.

Now for the 3 middle images. Katsuki is at his lowest again, but this time he has new skill sets to help process things. At this point he have heard genuine admiration by the adults he looks up to. Along with having Best Jeanist as a mentor also helped challenge in internal beliefs.

I can only assume that while under Best Jeanist, Katsuki was being truly seen by an adult. Since growing up, adults were the only source to know where his self worth was. It is proven with the right help and encouragement a child’s self confidence can grow.

I like to believe Best Jeanist became a therapist to Katsuki. Where Katsuki learned to communicate and express in a safe environment. We see how he values his mentor. Which gives evidence to my suspicions.

But because Katsuki still is struggling to be emotionally vulnerable, he still tries doing things he always done. So when he challenges Izuku, it’s more along the lines that old habits die hard. Yet, when he sees that fighting isn’t getting the results he’s seeking he finally breaks down.

Katsuki has always been blamed for smallest mistakes. So, this has more of an impact on him because of his core beliefs making him take this as his fault. He does not see or comprehend anything outside of it’s because of him.

Up until this point, because of Katsuki mixed beliefs has him at a crossroad. So, he turned to someone who has always been there from his highest moments to his lowest. He finally accepted that he needed help and that nobody would be worthy enough than the person who has always reached out to him.

Due to finally allowing himself to be vulnerable he comes to a realization. Being vulnerable is ok. Allowing oneself to express and experience different emotions feels like a burden has been lifted. Katsuki even allows himself to accept genuine support without fighting back or performing.

We see this growth in accepting that his previous beliefs were wrong. That he’s not alone and can safely be himself. And due to this acceptance of self he also allows himself to re-evaluate all his past actions through a different mindset.

Katsuki admitting certain aspects of himself is still a struggle. But he comes to a lot realization that he’s struggling to process. So, for him being worried isn’t just due to past mistakes. This isn’t just about making up for his actions. Katsuki is also attempting to return the hand Izuku always gave him.

But Katsuki’s old habits still has him struggling with communicating verbally. Up until this point, his verbal breakdowns were all with intense self worthlessness being the focus. And when he experience a lost he does not know how to handle, is where the final wall of his belief system breaks down.

Where actions speaks louder than words. Katsuki always having to perform never thought about questioning this one simple yet impactful belief. So, to have Izuku just leave after Katsuki worked so hard to show that he’s doing better, it breaks him. For once he’s rejected by the one person who had never done so. To him this is a fail.

And the way Katsuki reacts to failure, time and time again, is a full panic attack. But this time he has nobody to blame for this failure. There’s no fingers to point, no one person to accuse. There’s not even a point of references on how he’ll be able recover from this failure.

But unlike the many times before, he does have better coping skills. He now has a different point of view on what is and isn’t possible. Yet, it takes some time for him to allow himself to process his emotions. Because the major skill he has learned to put into practice is acceptance.

He has to accept his failure. He has to accept the emotions that is washing over him. He has to accept the rejection that he feels. He has to accept every last ounce of thoughts and feelings for him to move forward. And when he’s done he is able to think clearly on what his next step is.

The next step is to vocally express his thoughts. Katsuki’s apology is much more than just stating that it was never Izuku’s fault. He’s apologizing for not accepting his own flaws. He’s apologizing for putting the blame on Izuku when that never should have happened. He’s apologizing for feeling so inferior that putting down someone else was all he could do.

The key component I took from this apology was that Katsuki is telling Izuku that it was never Izuku’s fault. That Katsuki blamed Izuku for something he never did. And when he states he doesn’t expect things to change, it has a double meaning.

Things between Katsuki and Izuku has long been changed, but I don’t believe Katsuki sees this. With how trapped he is struggling his belief system, he’s blind to what’s in front of him. So when he says “change” I took it as he’s referring to his dynamic with Izuku.

Katsuki’s and Izuku’s dynamic had long changed up until this point. But I don’t believe Katsuki is aware of this. Because of his internal struggles he seems to take information as symbolic, compared to Izuku. And because of self worth, he doesn’t believe that change is possible.

This apology also came off as a plea. Almost pleading Izuku return, if not for Katsuki than for everyone else. Katsuki insecurities doesn’t see him worthy to plea for himself. But he would do anything to that not fail again.

Which this all comes back to how Katsuki fully and whole accepts that the core belief of “perfection” is wrong. He accepts he isn’t this ideal and takes in all his flaws. Katsuki comes full circle back to the day Izuku reached out to him. That Katsuki is just another person and it’s ok to accept help.

——

Part 1 Part 2

——

That’s that. Next will be Izuku. If you think I missed anything please leave a comment.

[neonscandal]

So, if you asked to write your top 5 fav characters each from JJK & BNHA, what genre will you put them (or you agree that they should be in shounen)....

My asks are getting funnier. 🥰 As always, thanks for asking, lets dig in.

Look at these knuckleheads.

JJK Top 5

I've seen people make really funny observations about how every character in JJK belongs in a different universe but was shoehorned into a horror battle shonen and it delights me to no end. I'm not sure if Gege Akutami actually penned characters that are typical of other anime genres, in a sense, but do believe we all collectively just want our faves to have better odds of survival. At this point, Gege looks at fan polls like a dead pool. I think a story where characters are so obviously not meant to be there would be hilarious if done intentionally, camp even.

Satoru Gojo - The duality of a man who is "The Strongest" in universe while maintaining a girly pop facade to circumvent feeling othered by his strength? Two of my favorite things about Gojo are that he is 1) traumatized 🤪✨ and 2) down astronomically for the days he spent with Suguru Geto. Put this man in a shonen ai, stat.

Nobara Kugisaki and Maki Zenin - Yuri. I feel like I don't need to explain myself here except to say that I put them as one item on the list because I didn't want a list of 6 (I have so many faves). Both iconic, both bad ass. No notes. On the other hand, I would never want to rob Maki of her revenge story so... grain of salt if she stays in universe.

Kento Nanami - I was going to say "this man wants to be in an office sitcom so bad" but, truthfully, would not find the overdone gags and antics palatable. Nanami deserves to rest at an even, dulcet tempo. Traumatized in his youth, he really only returns to jujutsu because office work is unfulfilling but imagine if he were in an office shojo with a found family that he had to provide for? I'm not saying this anime is particularly good but plop him in something cozy like "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" but with the home life of "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid". He'll work for the money because it provides for someone else, you know? Let him suffer fools in peace.

Yuji Itadori - Sweet baby angel. Yuji follows the "best of both worlds" phenomenon that we see in other horror anime like Chainsaw Man, Tokyo Ghoul and Attack on Titan wherein he is both human and curse (avoiding further spoilers). But his disposition, his resilience, his pure physical prowess before he ever ate Sukuna's finger? Put this boy in a sports anime and let him thrive. While he'd absolutely body in a fighting sport, what if he was plopped into "Blue Lock"? Sports anime with a dash of horror aesthetic. He'd crush while being as upbeat and hilariously chaotic as Bachira.

Suguru Geto - Baby Girl is one of the most compelling villains we have. I'd say across multiple anime, honestly. He's what happens when a good person, someone who aims to be so morally upright, is faced with the reality that being good actually guarantees you nothing. With someone so unwavering, someone who can't live in shades of grey like Gojo, he can't bend. So he breaks. Honestly, it adds a layer of complexity to the overall story where... can we really, as the viewer, fault him? I feel like he wouldn't have this evolution anywhere else and that there's something to be said as to whether Geto was always doomed by the narrative.

There's never not been a good time to celebrate this frame, honestly.

BNHA Top 5

What's cool about BNHA is, it is authentically a shonen manga/anime while subverting a lot of it's tropes. BUT, we see this really interesting progression in the art that drifts into horror. Not aiming to spoil anything that's to come in season 7 (body horror, it's body horror. Bones better come through) but you see the beginning of it with the change in vigilante Deku's appearance. If Horikoshi felt inclined to do a horror anime post-BNHA, I'd definitely read.

Katsuki Bakugo - Hilariously, Bakugo wants to shonen so bad but is actually so damsel in distress/love interest coded that it almost undermines his role as Midoriya's rival. Almost. Shonen, shonen ai, I don't think he's out of place in either.

Shoto Todoroki - Todoroki's entire personality and character arc being so intrinsically linked to his family is honestly so amusing given the universe. Like, people have real life superhero powers but awful parents are very much still a thing. So it's interesting to expose the complexity of their family dynamics in tandem with the overarching story because, in every way, the Todoroki family are very much members of the Have's of BNHA society but they are still hopelessly miserable. TBH he could be in a slice of life just experiencing and resolving family trauma. "Kotaro Lives Alone" comes to mind.

Shouta Aizawa - I would cast Aizawa in "Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan" but he wouldn't have the decency to show up to work without a sleeping bag. I'm not saying it wouldn't look out of place in universe but do better for the kids. Joking. He's honestly both the perfect teacher but also a big ole hypocrite. He condemns Midoriya for his recklessness and self-sacrificing (re: breaking bones to use his quirk) but didn't think twice about hacking off his own leg, logical though it may have been. I know All Might is cast as the quintessential mentor in the shonen dynamic but Aizawa is the real MVP when it comes to mentoring and guiding the Class 1A competently. Shonen all the way.

Izuku Midoriya - I can't say Magical Girl Anime, I can't say Magical Girl anime. I appreciate Midoriya's similarity to eponymous crybaby hero Sailor Moon, tbh. She too was OP and with the fate of the world on her shoulders, just saying. He falls in line with the shonen trope of eating something and powering up (re: JJK, One Piece, Attack on Titan) but has emotional range that is not typically seen in shonen which, honestly I love. He is masculine while still being aggressively expressive (even if he struggles to articulate his feelings). His character and subsequent development is another way that Horikoshi subverts shonen tropes and I can't wait to see how his story wraps up.

Dabi - This crispy piece of bacon is a walking, talking and dancing personification of resolute rage. He is quite literally a vendetta held together by staples. Later chapters especially, he just gets unrelentingly grosser and more unhinged and it's both disgusting and emotional. To be honest, between him and Shigaraki, they are undeniably horror fodder by design. In fact, the reveal that he was a little misogynistic extremist radical was particularly wild of Horikoshi. Like, basically if he hadn't self destructed on that mountain he'd have been some incel plotting violence on the deep dark web? I'm trying to think of what to plop him into (maybe not his charred body but just his general... maliciousness, conviction and extremism). I feel like something horror, psychological with a sprinkle of thriller? What comes to mind is a dark series on my TBR but the name escapes me about a kid getting revenge one by one against sadistic bullies though its unclear where Dabi falls on that spectrum.