#he has challenged and called out Izukus flaws too

[marimeeko]

If we are really getting the Quirkless Izuku ending, once again manifesting that we get some form of Katsuki wanting Izuku to be his Hero partner or something in the future, despite him being Quirkless

Including some form of the convo of Izuku saying, "but Kacchan I'm Quirkless, I can't be your Hero partner" and Katsuki basically telling him he IS a hero with or without a Quirk

Bonus points of Katsuki calls Izuku HIS hero.

The story would have started out with Katsuki telling Izuku there was no way he'd ever be a hero without a Quirk and pushing him down

And ends with Katsuki telling Izuku that his heroism has nothing to do with his Quirk(or lack thereof) and everything to do with HIM, and picking Izuku up.

Idk if that is what hori will go for but it would be neat 🤷‍♀️

[rewrittenmha]

Hero Killer Stain Arc

As far as arcs in MHA go, this is the only one I would call almost perfect.

This was the arc that (should have) set the tone for the rest of the series. It was dark enough to show us the severity of being a hero, laid out the flaws of hero society, and tells us why Izuku (our main character) is different and has the power to change things.

I hesitate to change much about it.

I think there's something to be said about Izuku's reaction to Stain. As far as people who call out society, Stain is the only one who gets through Izuku's ideals if only a little bit. No one else- not even Lady Nagant, who had the most valid argument- made him stop and think.

I do have to wonder if this was because of Stain's admiration for All Might. And that... isn't a great look for Izuku in all honesty.

So instead, I want Stain's words to really affect Izuku. I want him- as someone who's studied heroes all his life- to really think on the things he's seen. Thing he might have justified in his head at the time. I want him to reflect on what Todoroki told him about Endeavor and Quirk Marriages. I want his idealization of heroes and the societies heroes protect to be challenged.

This will be the start in deconstructing not only Izuku's blind hero worship, but also the circumstances in which he grew up in. What allowed Bakugou to torment him all those years? What was it that decided that he wasn't equal to his peers?

I mentioned this before on my main, but the one thing I always thought would benefit the Stain arc was also breaking Tenya's idolization of Tensei.

Stain brings up great points in canon, but they're undercut by the fact that Tensei- as far as we know- is a good hero. So Stain targeting him really undermines his actions and goals. Sure, you can make the argument that it's all heroes other than All Might that he sees as the problem, but it just makes Stain look like a hypocrite because we have no proof of that either.

So, Tensei won't be as innocent here.

It happened when he was just starting out as a hero. Tensei Iida had just graduated from UA and became the hero Ingenium. He was dedicated to upholding his family's ideals: noble, honest, and good.

But as a rookie, he came across something he wasn't supposed to see. He was investigating an underground drug ring where he witnessed Lady Nagant- one of the top 10 heroes at the time- kill another hero, albeit one a lot less known.

Tensei panicked and demanded to know what she was doing. But her eyes were so haunted and empty that he couldn't bring himself to move. When she answered him, her voice was hollow. She told him that this was the society they were tasked with upholding as heroes. And that if he had a problem with it, he could take it up with the HPSC. And then she left, like nothing had happened.

She was arrested just a few months later.

Tensei never said a word about it. And the guilt has been haunting him ever since.

He confesses all of this to Tenya after Tenya's confrontation with Stain. Tenya is confused and upset; all his life he has been taught that standing up for what's right is the foundation of the Iida family. He doesn't know how to feel about this information...

But then he remembers how Izuku had rushed in to help him without hesitation. How he always stood up for others, no matter what. How he never gave up.

Izuku... inspired him. Izuku made him want to be a better hero. A hero who always did the right thing, regardless of if it followed all the rules or not.

Shoto has never had friends before. He was never allowed to. He was told he was better than everyone else, including his brothers and sister. But being there for Izuku and Tenya felt... good. Like others relied on him, and he could rely on them too.

He's been sheltered all his life so outside of Endeavor he doesn't really understand what Stain is talking about. Heroes are usually good, like All Might, right?

But what if... more of them were like his father than he had previously believed?

Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu- upon learning that Uraraka is interning with Gunhead- decides to take the invitation from him that was also offered to her. She wants to know how Uraraka held off so well against Tokoyami when she couldn't. Uraraka thrives under Gunhead's tutelage, but Yaoyorozu struggles. She, no matter how hard she tries, can't seem to learn how to think on her feet.

Yaoyorozu comes off as cold at first which intimidates Uraraka, but then she realizes "Oh, this rich kid has never had a normal social interaction in her life." She makes the effort to be kind to Yaoyorozu, who has never had a real friend in her life and doesn't know how to respond to this compassion.

Uraraka helps her to stop overthinking. Tells her to stop thinking about what her opponent will do so much and look at what they're actually doing. It improves Yaoyorozu's already decent combat ability, which she's grateful for. She sincerely thanks Uraraka and confides in how she felt like she failed at the Sports Festival. Uraraka sympathizes; it's hard to be overlooked and cast aside when you know you're capable of doing so much more. For the first time in her life, Yaoyorozu feels understood

(They're besties, your honor)

Notes:

This one's more of a summary because there really aren't many changes to this arc other than Tensei's flashback. I was thinking of making him an HPSC assassin too, but a) I thought it would be more meaningful if he just happened to be in a place where he made the wrong choice and b) I like to think that the Iida family is descended from some of the first heroes. I feel like the HPSC couldn't sink their claws in them

The "main trio" as of the moment will be Izuku, Tenya, and Shoto as was (presumably) intended. I loved their chemistry in this arc and I feel like the three of them balance each other out really well

I almost forgot to take Momo out of that terrible internship. Having her work with Gunhead along with Uraraka was a great opportunity for Momo to actually connect with another girl. I feel like Horikoshi had all the girls like each other and get along for no other reason than they're all girls. Even MomoJirou and TsuChako are like that to an extent

To add to that, I also felt like Horikoshi focused way too much on Momo becoming an even better planner instead of being able to think on her feet. Her and Izuku are kind of opposites that way and it would have made for some great parallels between them

Do you guys think Best Jeanist would still take an interest in Bakugou? He lost pretty early and didn't have the chance to throw his tantrum at the awards ceremony. He definitely wouldn't get nearly as many offers in canon. I feel like him being mentored by Jeanist or not is an indication of whether or not he'll be redeemed idk it just feels that way

[darkonekrisrewrite]

Bnha heroes vs villains honest trailer (parody) Part 1

*Roll Film Reel*

From the manga creator Horikoshi Kohei, proving that for his Shonen Jump career, the third time really was the charm.

Comes a hit series that gives the premise of heroic academia in a famous school for heroes-

-that then focuses a lot of it's time and attention anywhere else but the school.

Unless the real hero academia was the friends and frenemies we made along the way??

Well played Horikoshi, well played.

Say hello to Izuku Midoriya, the hero (not always affectionately) called Deku, as he is finally able to live out his dream of being a hero in a world of superpowers.

Quickly finding out that living the hero dream requires kicking ass and getting your ass kicked, hopefully not in that order.

Although for Deku it's a more of a revolving door.

And joining him on his heroic hurt train is Ochako Uraraka and Shoto Todoroki.

One is the product of hero society's flaws, showing early on the darker side of heroes and their actions, having to grapple with his upbringing and who he wants to be-

-only to have his main character arc pretty much resolved early in the series and only getting some small moments of development in between arcs until his villain shows up to challenge him later.

But it's fine, dirty looks are serious business guys.

Whispers: Bad Vibes.......!

And the other, Ochako Uraraka, fulfils the role of Deku's female love interest, playing a game of "will they-won't they" in her own head-

-before deciding that having this role is too distracting and she'd rather focus on her other goals and dreams than Playing the Shipping Game.

Priorities girl!

But appearing to thwart and/or improve on the heroes and their goals-

-The league of villains.

Proving the contradicting truth that, depending on which fans you interact with- 

-literacy and nuance, is and is not dead!

Shigaraki Tomura.

With such a tragic and compelling backstory that people will understand exactly why he turned out the way he did -

-while at the same time, having so much fun being a villain, people will still say that he's pure evil.

Shigaraki just has that gamer in him, that's all.

(See Part 2)

[justatalkingface]

So this was something I asked my Discord Buddies a while back but I wanted to hear your opinions on. What rules from here do you think BNHA needed the most?

...Huh. Alright.

1. This is something that, if anything, MHA is committing to too hard, with how they're 'redeeming' flawed heroes and the villains; the fact they're trying is basiclly absolving them, or for just wanting things to be better so... not that one. Effort alone isn't everything.

2. Yes two. Definitely two. Like, Mirko's entire creepy thing falls under that, and I guess how Shigaraki went full Eldritch Hand later on (I think that's cool, personally, but I'd bet that'd be unpleasant for a lot of people). There's also the lack of focus on so many things, and Izuku's entire dismissal of his character in particular, under this rule.

3. ...This goes back to how unfocused Hori seems on whatever his end goal is, and how hard he seems to be trying to dodge various themes that are still present and relevent (corruption, villains with points, etc), so pass.

4. I'm not quite sure how that's a rule... I assume that means, have a simple story in mind or something like that? Stay on target? In that much, Hori is covered, it's just the gaps between 'Izuku becoming a hero' and 'saving the day', or 'becoming the Number One Hero' that need work, so not this either.

5. This. God this. MHA has so much bloat, so many one-off characters awkwardly being brought back for the final arc, or just made for this arc, or plot threads that seem to exist just to exist (that reporter? Really? Really?). Underline this one.

6. ...Actually, yes. Like, Izuku is never challenged beyond, 'Fight this', really, and he's still got shy bones to him, so forcing him to social situations, or into the more public end of heroism, could have a lot of plot to play with and general story development.

7. I'm assuming Hori has this covered, though I get the feeling that ending may have changed? It's hard to tell with how muddied things are. Still, he does seem to be going somewhere, even if it's badly, so I'll call it a pass.

8. ...I. Don't think Hori has much of a choice at this point, on this. Jump is going to make him finish this even if they have to bring him back from the dead.

9. This seems ultimately a writer only thing, so... call it irrelevant? Then again, I wonder at what his list of 'impossible' would be....

10. I get the feeling he does this; Mineta, probably, and I think he's got to see something of Endeavour in himself for him to go to bat for him so hard. Ultimately, though, don't know enough about him to call it, but I don't think that this is a major concern.

11. I like this. This is related to the whole theme thing I keep talking about; Hori doesn't know what he wants this story to tell, and so it kinda wobbles all over the place, message wise. Mark this one, for sure.

12. Yeah, he probably could have used this once he got going. A lot of the stuff after MHA took off has been way too predictable, though I wonder at how much time he had at that point.

13. This! The reason so many people like the earlier characters compared to later ones is they had opinions; it fleshed them out, made them feel human. As time passed, there was less focus on the characters beyond their narrative role, which makes them feel hollow.

14. And this, I think, is my theme diatrade, if put in different words. Hori has lost his plot so he can't tell his story right. The theme now isn't the theme it was at the beginning, which is very bad, but worse than that he never replaced that theme. I'm not sure there is one anymore. If I had to name the 'essence' of MHA at this point, it'd be, 'I don't agree with you, so let's fight'.

15. *taps it rapidly* Izuku says 'Hi', Hori. Also, the entire Todoroki family, and basiclly everyone Bakugou has ever talked to. This story needs a heavy dose of this so damn bad, because people don't act like people in the situations they're in would, which makes it all feel so artificial.

16. Stakes are covered. Stakes are almost nonsensically covered, really, so we are more than good here.

17. ...I. If Hori had committed to it, actually committed to it, dropped the themes that he started with, full out, and gone with something new, instead of half assing mentioning them every other minute, I think the story would be better off. I also feel like his approach to main character could have used this, though ironically, I'd like it he'd stop dropping every other character willy nilly.

18. Considering he's throwing the story out the window to be done with it, irrelevant. Quality has got to be one of his last concerns at this point, and things would have to be changed on such a systemic level to improve the situation to make this kind of thing pointless.

19. This is more of a late-game problem, but yeah, shit like SFO being shot just before killing someone, which is miraculously able to actually do enough damage to matter, with no story prep before hand hurts the suspension of disbelief.

20. Irrelevant for our purposes.

21. I've said this as well, but too much stuff is happening just so it can happen, just because it's cool, at the cost of plot and character, and he's never realized that that is a bad deal to make. Very much yes.

22. Toga alone proves MHA needs an infusion of this; he clearly has ideas on how certain characters are like, where they're going, and what people think of that. The reality of the matter, on the other hand, doesn't agree with that idea.

This was pretty interesting, actually. Some of these are bit too geared to the actual writing process to translate well, but still, definitely good stuff here.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

Main Hero Trio Potential

I would like to talk about Izuku, Ochaco, and Shouto and why they deserve better as characters. The theme of Bnha is about true heroes, asking the meaning of hero, and it's a story about how kids should learn to be better heroes, not just as jobs but as real heroes. Deku, Ochaco, and Shouto are characters who are shown their overwhelming empathy abilities, and kindness. The meaning of hero is saving others so it fits, they are naturally kind people who want to people but at the same time, they are more than that. They are not just good kids who always do right. Their characters are more than that and I would like to focus on how the story could/can/should focus on that.

Izuku;

Izuku is a character who is always shown as a kind kid but his main flaw is he is really obsessed with heroism too much. On one part; he hurts himself and makes him unable to see the flaws of society but on another part; this is the reason he could see Shigaraki as a victim. He didn't just magically see Shigaraki’s childhood/past, his one look was enough for him to want to save. Once again, let's remember that Izuku is the only one who talked about ‘saving the villain’. Not even Todoroki’s or Uraraka’s thought about it. It's just Izuku finding an excuse to save anyone.Another interesting detail is the difference between class 1 A and Deku. Compared to blessed kids or ‘normal’ kids, Deku doesnt seem to belong in there because he is an outcast. He is not golden child, a not lucky kid who was born with an amazing quirk, he is the kid who is constantly rejected and bullied by society and people for something over which he had no control.

Deku is a lot like league of villains. Shigaraki is literally his foil. Deku is like Toga who obsess and imitate their idols. Both Touya and Deku idolized their abusers and it lead them to self destruction because they feel worthless and they do everything they do feel worthy. Deku is like Spinner who is just ‘normal dude’, bullied for something he had no control. Deku is like Twice, failed by hero system.

The thing about Deku and what makes him different is he is or at least he was written to be challenge against system and even the world. He would save Shigaraki even whole world said No. He would speak up for abuse victims and started questioning the system he blindly followed and even Allmight. I mean remember the time Deku call Allmight out for hiding things. Remember the time he called put Endeavour for what he did at spor festival. Remember the time he asked Allmight what Shigaraki said about not being able to save everyone.

Since Deku is written to be outcast, it makes more sense him to empathize with people like league, just like Batman who had ‘one bad day’ and wants to help people/even villains because they had ‘one bad day’ too, just like him. If Deku’s unable to criticize the system challenged and let him have the great potential he always has would be amazing.

Ochaco;

Ochaco gets less screentime she deserves, she gets shine whenever she gets involved with Toga and thats the thing. Even though, Ochaco seems to have character flaw (that her repressing her own needs), for some reason, story doesnt focus on it enough. The parallels between Ochaco and Toga is more than just ‘romance’. Ochaco isnt just repressing her romantic feelings, Ochaco is repressing any kind of ‘negative feelings’ to not be burden to others. She displays toxic positivity, she always notice people’s feelings because she pay attention to them all the time because she cares. Story should’ve this part of Ochaco more. Same as Toga who was once just like good, well-behaved girl like Ochaco but had mental breakdown at some point. Its fine to talk about romance and honestly, IzuOcha can be great, if it gets developed properly but their story is more than that and deserve focus on how to neglecting your own needs for others make you end up crazy.

And another interesting detail that wasnt talked enough. Remember when Shigaraki talked about ‘how heroes hurt their families only to help strangers’ and guess who isnt doing that? Ochaco. She always prioritize people around her and honestly, that actually makes her true hero but its hardly mentioned. Deku and many heroes should learn this from her. Ochaco is kind of hero who is also reminding of the humanity of heroes and honestly, let her interact with Shigaraki or Dabi, let Deku interact with league of members more, they have so much potential in there.

Shouto;

I think the most important part of Shouto’s story and the difference between him and other kids is his goal isnt really getting stronger. Every hero kids focus on trying to be more tough, stronger (well, thats how heroes are raised in this society like soldiers) while Shouto is getting softer because he was already treated like a tool as child so he knows thats not gonna work to be better heroes which is something Deku and Ochaco lacks. Shouto desperately wants to be invidual, just a person with feelings and by focusing on that, thats why he could easiely see the similarities between him and his villain brother. He can speak up his mind more than others. He is a lot more honest and his dark feelings than other characters.

I think this is why his character arc is a lot about inviduality. He is one of the prime examples of why kids shouldnt used as child soldiers and groomed. This could go anywhere. He or other characters who knows his story could speak up about why they shouldnt use kids for this.

Just like Ochaco, Shouto is kind of hero who prioritize family and invidual feelings over strangers, something Deku needs to learn. Tododeku has potential there. Honestly, Shouto and Ochaco would get along well since they have so much in common and Ochaco would realize when he was in trouble and Shouto would know how to show his graditute.

- - -

Of course, other hero characters and hero students have interesting potential too. Bakugou doesnt need villain foil, his dark foil is Endeavour, he is supposed to learn not to be like him and him learning Todoroki story and being called out for his actions could actually be good start of his change and redemption. He could learn the real meaning of winning and be the one who can turn toxic competition to healthy one.

Aoyama and Deku’s quirkless arc could’ve exlpored with this tratior plot, instead of ‘you being quikless is the reason you can hold one for all’. Iida’s obsessions with rules eventually could turn into questining them so that he can help his friends. And honestly characters like Monoma and Shinsou’s story would be really interesting to explore. And honestly Endeavour’s story makes more sense as villain. Dark heroes like Hawks and even Lady Nagant or corrupted side of hero society hsould’ve explored and adressed more.

- - -

What getting away of their potential is simply author’s writing story as black and white. Story stopped adressing the social issues which became the biggest fall of almost all charcters. At some point, kid heroes vs adult heroes shouldve happen, not necessarely as fight but as mindset. Deku’s getting bullied because of being quirkless isnt exlpored and since heroes have to be right, heroes lost their character flaws. Deku used as narrative tool to make heroes better, you can tell its not Izuku is talking, it is author’s talking and defending bad heroes. Since Izuku is good person and mc, he always is right so he is used for this purpose. It ruins Deku’s character more than Ochaco and Shouto because Izuku is the kind of character who supposed to empathize with villains side because he was once outcast too.

- The scene Deku rejected Toga only happenned to make Toga-Ochaco interaction. Dabi doesnt need Endeavour’s appravol. We could get a scene where both Toga and Dabi give up on their obsessions to help league and Shigaraki since league is exist in story for a reason.

Ochaco isnt explored well because author doesnt know how to handle female characters. I think Shouto is luckier compared to those two since he is not written to be outcast like Deku so it makes sense for him to not think about saving them and he is not female character so he gets better fihgting scene and more screen times but his character is not explored and his feelings is not explored enough, despite being one of the main characters. Other than this, someone else already mentioned this before, i think Shouto’s liking and worrying abour Endeavour doesnt make sense. I mean, how could you care about someone whom you doesnt have one good memory with? I didnt think about this before but they are actually right. I always saw Dabi as proof that Shouto still secrelt despises his father but respressing it because of system and eventually confronting it which would be better writing, in my opinion. Unfortunately, story started to focus more on power and less on characters.

Well, we dont know how story will goes or end up but at least, i really wanted to talk about their great potential as heroes. Especially Deku, Ochaco and Shouto. Their characters is actually interesting and they have great potential both as heroes and characters. I also want those three to hang out together with villains at the end.

[allmightluver]

I simply do not understand what people are doing on your ALLMIGHT CENTER BLOG commenting on how he's a fictional character and you're a moral egoist for applying critical analysis to the fandom's respond to his character.

I mean, 1. All fans apply some level of analysis to characters they like and fandom reactions to them, that's what fandom spaces are for, so it makes no sense to come on a fan blog and be upset about that, 2. You're absolutely correct, it is weird that so many bnha fans think Allmight has outlived his purpose when he's now a canonically disabled character.

I get that a lot of people are stuck on their perceptions of him being this golden idol that fulfilled his character purpose during his fight with AFO and passed the torch off, so to speak. But bnha isn't a basic Superhero comic (if any truly exist). Bnha, at it's core, is about the societal ramifications of mutant abilities and trying to find what is right and good in a world full of problems. It focuses on power and culture and class and governing systems and many many more social/cultural/economic issues that can be applied to our own world.

So I think the fact that so many fans completely ignore both the plot relevance and the cultural relevance of a canonically disabled main character (who is a retired crime fighter that single handedly defined the "golden age" of heroes in his country and now has to live with the fallout of his decisions as they impacted the world around him and his health as it impacts his entire personal and professional life) is just a really sad failure on this fandom's part.

I just think Allmight's story has a lot of relevance both as a plot device for a story centered around a Superhero society and the lesser thought about ramifications of that and as a cultural icon for disabled characters in anime and manga. There's a lot more we can learn from his character, flaws and all, aside from him just being Izuku's childhood hero.

(Sorry for the long ask btw)

I 100% agree with this, thank you!

People tend to think that his character is washed up, that there's nothing left for him to be doing. But the fact of it is that, aside from the fact that he's an amazing representation for so many people to the public's eye, as a character Toshinori's story isn't over yet. Which is actually so relieving to hear after what this poor man's been through.

He never took time for himself throughout the years, and he's suffering consequences now for it. I believe he had a challenging time being genuinely happy for a long, long time. Of course he was happiest when he could help someone, but when you're at the top and expected to take care of everything without taking care of yourself, and then receiving hardly if any help in return, it's an exhausting and depressing existence. Expected to be everyone's everything because he's the best, but in return other heroes fought as a child who could run to their big brother for help if things got too scary. Of course there were plenty of heroes that gave their all, and many that still do. But it was made pretty obvious that they all had a big wakeup call when the realization that All Might wouldn't be there to call on any more fully sank in. Expectations, responsibilities, opinions; too much was unfairly placed on Toshinori's shoulders. Now the world can see just how much he did, how much he protected them from. He was the shield keeping out the evil, worries, and fears from the world so they could continue to live their lives in the false peace they knew beneath his own bleeding body. Toshinori did his best to save everyone from that.

It was made canon that All Might literally worked until he dropped of exhaustion in Vigilantes. I highly doubt this was a one-time instance knowing Toshinori, and Nighteye was concerned in the moment, but not shocked as if this was an out of the norm event.

My hope for Toshinori is that he can finally be truly happy. That the regrets he carries no longer weigh him down and bury his head beneath the surface. I want him to finally be able to sit back and rest, like he deserves, knowing that he doesn't need to worry constantly.

And please give this man a therapy dog for goodness sake.

[itsclydebitches]

About Bakugo, I actually think his original characterization is partly why his arc doesn't work for me: it seems like his contempt for others and desire to hurt them is innate, because he was already insulting and humiliating Deku for fun when they were in kindergarden, and at this age I'm not sure it makes sense to blame the adults around him for this behavior. This is also why I don't buy the "childhood friends" narrative, even before the infamous river scene Bakugo was toxic to Deku.

Hard agree, anon. I'm willing to give some wiggle room to the "Bakugo had a messy childhood and that's why he's like this" argument just because I'm not caught up (and thus might be missing some flashbacks/revelations), no one's life is ever perfect, and there's a subjective line between what we read as innocuous tropes vs. realistic traumas (example: is his mom hitting him something we take seriously, or just classic anime "comedy"?), but honestly I'm... not persuaded by that stance. Largely due to what you've said about this contempt being around since the very beginning. Bakugo's cruelty is the introduction to the entire series, the very first thing we see:

First, they're young here. Maybe not kindergarten young, but as we see in the above narration, it's at age four that Bakugo acquired his "I'm the best" thinking (more on that in a second). They're kids. This is not something that developed slowly over the years until Bakugo crossed some kind of line, he's been like this since the very start. Since a kid is capable of forming thoughts, opinions, and making decisions: like attacking another. In what way does this establish them as friends? Izuku literally shaking as he tries to protect another kid Bakugo is has hurt? Bakugo calling him worthless? Gleefully attacking and punching Izuku in the face? They were never friends! Izuku followed Bakugo around because he was paid some kind of attention by him and Bakugo poisoned the well — no one else in class will befriend Izuku. We see this both by the two willing to help beat him up here and, later, when Izuku says he wants to got to U.A. the entire class laughs at both the idea and Bakugo blowing up his desk in response. The bullying is the only kind of "friendship" Izuku has, so he embraces it with a smile and a nickname. Meanwhile, Bakugo allows Izuku to tag along because he makes him feel good in comparison. All Bakugo needs for an ego boost is to look at Izuku. He's the useless, quirkless nobody whose name can be read as "Deku." What's not to like? Izuku makes Bakugo feel good because Bakugo will always come out on top — always win — when pit against him. Did they have a few good moments gushing over All Might? Yeah, but anyone who has been bullied knows that it's not a clear cut "They were consistently awful every second of every day." Sometimes, those moments of pretend or conditional friendship make everything worse.

(As a side note, I keep hearing the more intense fans of Bakugo saying that those who criticize him identify with Izuku "too much" and it's like... yes? He's the protagonist. You're supposed to identify with him. To say nothing of the question of why you'd include such an explicit bullying subplot — arguably at the heart of the narrative in regards to characterization — if you didn't want readers who had experienced bullying to relate to this story. So it's all about victims like Izuku, you're allowed to care, just don't care in a way that holds Bakugo responsible?)

"But Izuku cares about Bakugo. He tried to help him out of the river." Yeah, because Izuku cares about everyone. Overlooking his warped idea of what friendship is due to having no one but Bakugo, Izuku is the kind of person who is going to extend his hand to anyone who needs it, just like All Might would. His extreme compassion and lack of other friends is not good proof that he cares for Bakugo in any true, healthy fashion, let alone that Bakugo cares for him.

As for when this all started, yeah, it was when they were even younger than in the scene above. Toddlers when Bakugo realized he had a strong quirk and Izuku was told he had none. Bakugo's reaction to these events — deciding he's better than everyone else and that justifies harming those "lesser" than him — is instantaneous. That desire was there all along. He just needed an excuse to act on it. After the conversations about the adults' influence on him, I went back to the anime scenes of Bakugo showing his quirk to his class and it's... pretty normal? I mean yes, there's praise, but in what world wouldn't there be praise? A bunch of other kids are going to ooh and ahh over mini explosions and the two teachers, unless they're entirely heartless, are going to tell this kid that he'll indeed make a wonderful hero someday. Those are standard responses for very young kids who aren't going to understand something like, "That is a powerful quirk and you could be a great hero... just don't let that potential go to your head!" There's nothing in those scenes that imply an excess of praise, at least so much that it would totally warp a kid's perspective of others to the extent Bakugo has going on. If I recall correctly, Bakugo's parents are quite disappointed in his behavior, but that never had an impact on him. And as I mentioned previously, we have incredibly talented characters like Momo (getting into U.A. on recommendation), people like Ida who come from families with other heroes they want to impress, Todoroki dealing with a crazy legacy to live up to, tied up in his abuse... yet none of them turned out like Bakugo. All of that didn't kill their compassion, but adults telling Bakugo he has a strong quirk made him into this person? Bakugo wanted to be that person, right from the start.

Honestly, I think a lot of fans latched onto Bakugo — which is awesome! — but didn't want to admit how horrible he actually is. So they took moments largely out of context and repeated them enough until they became fandom staples. Bakugo and Izuku were close childhood friends who just had a falling out they need to come back from. Bakugo was only like this because the adults in his life drove him to that behavior. Izuku loves Bakugo because he can see how good he is, deep down inside, and definitely not because he's been stuck with him since they were toddlers, unable to escape him even at U.A. It's a very sanitized look at their relationship, embraced because fans want them to be friends or lovers. Which is fine! God knows I'm into a ton of "problematic" ships, I just like acknowledging that they're problematic, not trying to sweeten the situation because fandoms have made others feel guilty for liking anything that's not squeaky clean and pure. Bakugo tormented Izuku for their entire childhood. He encouraged him to commit suicide. He tried to keep him from achieving his dream, both by undermining his confidence and outright threatening him (remember burning his shoulder?). He then reworked that obsession when they both got into U.A., trying to prove Izuku's uselessness, failing, and continually struggling with the thought that he's actually a great hero. And it's like... why do I care? This guy is a horrible person, he's been a horrible person since he was a kid, and his greatest challenge for more than half the story is acknowledging that other people aren't worthless trash. His improvement still hasn't gotten him to the standard of an average person, let alone a hero. If Bakugo were a villain, great, or if the story was going to really highlight the corruption of the hero career as a whole (we take anyone with powerful quirks, no matter how awful they are), great, but as a main character hero whose behavior is supposedly just a cover for a fantastic guy, please overlook everything he does and assume he's worthy of your respect anyway? Ehhh. Why do I care about him as a good guy when there are characters like Ida and Uraraka I could stan? To be clear, I'm not saying other fans can't enjoy whatever characters they enjoy, just that from a storytelling perspective I think it's a failure to introduce Bakugo as such an extreme, make him one of the heroes, give him such a selfish struggle, and then expect a lot of the audience to care. Bakugo either needed to be more balanced from the start — regular flaws instead of such an intense adoration for cruelty from the age of four — or the story needed to unpack his behavior in a way it never bothered to.

[codenamesazanka]

Warning: Rant, character bashing, lots of opinions

I'm saying it outright. I hate Deku. He is entirely underwhelming as a character, much less as the main character, the shonen protagonist of the series.

It's a 'different' type of dislike, though. I feel like I could've like his character. There's nothing greatly disagreeable about him, he's as inoffensive as can be, he's an optimistic, considerate, and polite boy, he's as plain as he is said to be, and that's fine.

My issue is that he's not the character he's said to be. I, personally, just don't buy that he "possesses a drive to save others that eclipses all common understanding", or that he's super intelligent with great analytical abilities that he actually applies on the battlefield, or, in general, he's as amazing or heroic or compassionate as he's apparently supposed to be. How can he be inspiring if he barely challenges any aspects of the society he lives in. Deku is a super good example of the terrible use of "Tell, Don't Show". We're told about his amazing traits, but he rarely follows through; when we do see hints of it, it's lauded but frankly I think it's typical behavior and (this though is not quite his fault) written so stiffly and awkwardly I'm not convinced.

(Honestly I might even call him a Canon Mary Sue. He has no interesting or distinguishable flaws, unless having a shit for brains attitude is one but that's not acknowledged by the narrative. Breaking bones is not a personality trait. If he has a Hero Complex, it's not even the interesting ones where he fucks things up even more; or carries crippling guilt about circumstances beyond his control; or focuses completely on saving people to the point of rejecting almost all human connections and keeping deadly secrets - which is All Might's big flaw.) (Well fair, he does this in the most recent chapter but did it need to take 300+ chapters? Plus I sense the way it's framed is that it's the radical, but right course of action.)

Say what you want about Villains and redemption/shouldn't be redeemed/too evil to be saved/justice/etc, but I think this 'Incredible Drive To Save' should've included Villains from the start. Why does Deku want to "Save people with a smile on his face"? Assuming it's empathy, he should have felt some towards everyone he encounters, whether it's sensible or not. "Why are you so angry?", "You shouldn't go about things this way", "What caused them to be like this?", "Why is there evil in the world?" even. I'm still fuming over his Mall Encounter with Shigaraki, where Shigaraki pretty much reveals his damage: "All Might acts like there's no one he can't save"; but ultimately Deku goes "Wow, that sure is an opinion."

What kind of inane response is this??? There's little pushback from the narrative either, so this isn't pointed out as a failing of his (because, again, he has no big flaws). And he's supposed to be smart and caring. Yes, he does ask All Might right after the Mall Encounter, "Was there anyone you can't save?"; but essentially the replies he gets is "Don't worry about it" and Deku immediately largely puts it out of his mind "Oh whew, I was about to do some introspection and reflection". There isn't even the daunting, kinda-existential anxiety that people get when they realize it's impossible to save/help everyone - which is something, like, medical workers have to learn to deal with - that sharp sense of the inevitably of death, of loss, failure, guilt. I'm not asking for him to come to the conclusion that everyone should be saved - he could've decided nah, Shigaraki is too ugly to be saved and I would've been fine with that, it's part of the character role and potential development - just that he should've had a conclusion at all.

There are the latest chapters where Deku decides he wants to try saving Shigaraki first (though killing him is still on the table), true. Him wanting to save Shigaraki after seeing AFO merged with him, after seeing The Crying Child - but see, I don't think it qualifies because I think it's the bare minimum about of consideration, the typical response to seeing the body horror of warped, fused flesh, to seeing a small sad little boy. I think it shouldn't require "You look like you needed saving" for a true Hero to consider saving someone. Not for someone who is supposed to be unique and special in this regard.

*

I've complained about this before, but the trouble with Deku was evident from the very beginning.

Again, Deku wants to save people with a smile on his face, and again, I’m assuming it’s empathy. We're shown this on the very first page, as he attempts to protect a friend(?) from bullies, but imo like it felt groundless because who was the kid he was protecting? We never see him again. Did Deku's standing up to Bakugou work, and the kid was saved? Or did they both got beaten up; but afterwards, being the kind boy Deku is supposed to be, he still gets to his feet to help the boy, to apologize for failing.

But more significantly, this theme of saving was overshadowed immediately by his focus on superpowers - that he was quirkless. Next page, his focus was on ‘Woah, giant villain and superpowers!’ Instead of like. Helping people. (Though I chalk this up to early installment weirdness)

What should’ve happened if the theme was ‘SAVE PEOPLE’ Is something like: The opening sentence being “People are not born equal. This is the harsh truth I learned when I was four. I knew that... but despite my powerless, I still wanted to help. That was my first and last setback.” And the panels/images themselves (of little Katsuki and his friends) implies that people on the world thinks you need power to help people.

When he saw the villain attack on way to school, Deku can be wow’ed by the spectacle! But then he notices a kid crying and offers to help find his mom. He can be interrupted by a Hero saying he (the hero) will take over, he can find the mom and realize he’s late for school (and so that shows he’s willing to sacrifice something of his to help others! Because of his altruistic nature!). A scene like that, of him helping the lost kid, we would know that he wants to help *anyone*. At school, though, he still gets bullied for not having powers. So he’s mulling over that when he meets All Might, and asks the question.

It proceeds as usual for the next few events: When the sludge monster attacks Katsuki, he can still go gawk at the scene. He can still hesitate. In canon, it's only when he realized the victim was his friend that he jumps into action, which I thinks undermines the theme of 'wanting to save indiscriminately'. IMO, it would've been better that Deku sees it’s his friend, but he still hesitates. “There’s nothing I can do right? All Might himself said so...” But when he sees Katsuki’s *face* of fear, he runs to help. Instead of seeming like he helps only because he realizes it’s his friend, he helps because he feels too deeply about trying to save Katsuki.

Admittedly these are minor, personal critiques; but all in all, the first chapter fails to establish Deku is the willpowered, champion of wanting to save people he's supposed to be.

--Which is fine, if it's acknowledged in the story later, that maybe he wasn't the True Blue Hero he's supposed to be at first, but he can change and still become one. But it's not - Deku is apparently special, without anything special to show for it.

*

I read the one-shot "My Hero" - the prototype for this series - that Horikoshi published years ago, before My Hero Academia was created. I also found it underwhelming, but that was due to personal tastes (I wanted more explosions and dumb violence); as a story on it's own merit, the logic and progression was solid.

The Villains Heroes fought were 'Aberrations' - true inhuman monsters that showed no sentience that would eat people - so the focus could be solely on saving humans. The main character - Jack Midoriya - his original goal was less 'save people' and more 'become a cool hero', before learning that saving people is what true heroism is about, hero license unneeded. (Moreover, he really did 'save' someone without being a hero - by working hard, he was preventing the company from becoming ruined completely, which the CEO had confessed and thanked him for. )

This version of Midoriya didn't exactly needed deep empathy or compassion for that, just a strong willpower, which he effectively demonstrated by chasing after a childhood dream even as an adult salaryman in a tanking company, even though he had anemia and no training and no license. He insisted on this, to the point of getting hurt by being dumb, of being petty over someone dissing the Hero who inspired him in the first place, of skipping out of work and going vigilante. Not the most upstanding guy, but he came through in the relevant themes of the story, in being the character the story needed him to be.

Jack Midoriya was an unimpressive, weird-looking, weak, pitiful, somewhat selfish, awkward salaryman with no great aspects that 'eclipses all common understanding'. But he was a far stronger character than his incarnation Izuku Midoriya could ever be (so far).

[palbabor-writes]

KDJDJSLSKS OK SO- ik it’s widely accepted for Tomura to be kind of an asshole to y/n, but what if 😌 he had the kinda “asshole to the world but never to your girl” thing going on? 😌😌😌😌 I live, I love 🥰

Hey, hi, hey ✨

So, I pretty much exclusively write Tomura with that idea in mind. For me, it’s just a...if I can say this, a canon compliant concept.

Moar under the cutttt + spoilers for post Overhaul arc & MVA arc.

You opened a can of worms nonnie. I’m going to answer the ask, but imma hop on my soap box first ✨

Tomura I would argue, is less of an asshole and more of a sassafras. He is snarky, snarky & I love his attitude.

I feel like early Tomura is the main font of this “asshole” misconception within the fandom. Horikoshi wrote him very differently in the beginning of BNHA. Pretty much everyone who met him called Tomura a “man child.” And he kinda is. He’s impatient and short tempered, but not once did he react to these slights with what I would classify as asshole behavior. Even when his life is threatened, he’s being a little sassy boi.

He’s annoyed in these panels. But he’s not like, hey, you fucking dick, get off my nuts before I kill you. If anything, he elaborates on his thoughts and is challenging Stain to pick up the crappy pieces of his own shoddy “theories.” To Tomura, killing heroes is only breeding MORE heroes. He feels Stain’s plan is flawed & he tells him so.

Tomura is also easily able to slip into different roles. He can fit in with others and make himself part of the crowd. He’s got mountains of self control. When he spies Izuku in the mall he doesn’t come at him with some angry outburst, instead he reverts to snark:

Look at his voice bubbles! They’re a little wavy, but they’re nothing like his usual bubbles. This man can modulate and control how he sounds. He’s going for something open and friendly, albeit, his general demeanor is creepy, but he still manages to get close to Izuku and catch him off guard.

This is the worst outburst we see from Tomura. He’s not spewing vitriol or degrading dialogue, if anything, he’s controlling himself. He’s not wanting to kill these guys anymore and he’s scratching out some space for himself. He needs time to process. He’s a little rude, I guess, but who hasn’t told someone to shut up? It’s a normal piece of conversation when you’re annoyed.

But ken, what about asshole behavior that is visible in the manga? I gotchu, don’t worry.

This guy? Dabi? Yeah, this guy is an example of an asshole. He’s abrasive and confrontational from the GET. Tomura only responses to his aggression, he doesn’t project his frustration until after Dabi has called him fucking GROSS. You talk a lotta shit when you look like THAT king. Like, the morgue called, and they want their burn victim BACK.

Again, Tomura is snarky, but he only calls Toga a freak after she spouts some nonsense about loving Stain so much she wants to kill him. These people are wild and he is not pleased. His ad in the paper asked for COMPETENT villains, not teens, tweens and anything in between.  

Plus, Mr. 3rd Degree Burns keeps ignoring his questions. I’d be peeved too, y’all.

Dabi is the asshole in the LOV. He goes out of his way to be nasty, especially to Spinner:

How does Tomura deal with Spinner? He treats him as an equal, even asks his opinion on battle strategy when they are in Deika City.

Tomura has changed a toooon over the course of this manga. Horikoshi has deepened his growth and created a very well rounded and complex character. He cares about his people and he hates being disrespected. Hell, he hates when his people are taken advantage of.

This man, if you are on his side, will fight for you.

So, I don’t write him as an asshole. To me, that is fanon and not canon. Now writing him as blunt, snarky and impatient? Sure. Because, to me, he IS all those things and we can see him being all those things.

ANYWAY. If you made it this far, here is the Drabble:

“They haven’t checked in for two days. Should I call them? I told Toga she needed to-“

“Don’t bother. If it exposes our hand, then this whole mission is a waste.”

“But if they-“

“Why do I need to repeat myself? Like I said, if our plan is revealed then Mange’s death, and your fucking arm, were sacrificed for no reason. Don’t call them, Compress.”

You’re perched on the edge of a large box, watching the tense exchange. Tomura has been quiet the last few days, even keeping you at an arms length. He’s upset, and he’s been brittle, jagged in his recent conversations and movements.

Compress tosses you a quick glance and shrugs, his light brown eyes darkening. “All right, I suppose we can go off of the old saying that: no news, is good news. However, I am going to ask Toga to maintain regular check in’s the next time she calls.”

“Fine,” Tomura grunts, following Compress’ line of sight, his eyes lingering over your seated form. “Is that all?”

“Yes, yes,” Compress nods, his gloved hand waving in the air beside his head. “That’s all from me. I’ll check on the van. Giran said it would be available this afternoon.”

Tomura continues his silent observation of you, barely lifting his chin to acknowledge Compress’ statement.

“I’ll be back this afternoon,” Compress continues, letting out a soft chuckle as he turns on his heel, closing the heavy door behind him.

“You think they’re ok?” You ask, your voice soft.

Tomura removes Father from his face, his long white hair falling around his cheeks. “I told them I trusted in their abilities. It’s not sending the right message if I pester them for intel and their whereabouts every few days. Don’t you start up, too.”

You laugh and hop off the crate, your feet padding you over to him. “I’m not, it’s just...it’s so soon after...I mean, Mange’s death was...”

“Yes. Chisaki is an idiot if he thinks one lackey of his is equal to our Mange. This has to work.”

You lift a hand, pressing your fingers across his jaw, cupping his warm skin. Tomura leans into your touch, his vermilion eyes slipping behind his hooded eyelids.

“It will,” you confirm, pulling him down to your lips.

∩(・ω・)∩

Sorry for the lecture. It was a fun ask to answer! 

Bonus!

[tillyblogs]

WHY DEKU IS A GRYFFINDOR AND BAKUGOU A SLYTHERIN

OK Imma go into EXCRUCIATING DETAIL about why I totally believe Kacchan is a Slytherin and Deku a Gryffindor 😊 And check out my Hogwarts Au for the story and headcanons! 

VERY LONG POST AHEAD SO PLEASE READ CAREFULLY and take your time :3

First Bakugou…

Before anything I NEED to point out that Katsuki DOES have Gryffindor traits, but he has MORE Slytherin traits. I do believe people do have traits for all the houses but the traits that stand out the most are the ones that determine which house you go in. I dug A LOT of Slytherin and Gryffindor meta to make this analysis so yeahh 😊

ALSO ALSO I want to say that I DON’T PUT BAKUGOU IN SLYTHERIN CAUSE HE HAS THE BAD GUY VIBES AT FIRST OR USE TO BE A BULLY. NO. I actually hate that stereotype and I want to break it. I DIDN’T put him in Slytherin for that. It’s because he does have almost all the traits that ACTUALLY define Slytherin. Slytherins are NOT bullies, are NOT evil, are NOT always the bad guys and are so misunderstood most of the time. So no... I think Katsuki is a Slytherin for a LOT of different things that are NOT negative. Slytherins are characterized for being cunning and ambitious and those are not inherently bad things. You just need a little push sometimes.

ALSO ALSO ALSO, I need people to understand that Slytherins are actually very highly regarded as excellent students and people who accomplish things. Forget HP and what most people’s perceptions of what Slytherins are. Their traits are NOT inherently bad and just like Bakugou… The drive to succeed can be good when pointed in the right direction.

OK Now Izuku…. This one’s even longer

I think People perception of Izuku is just SO WRONG most of the time, specially from people who hate him and say he’s bland and has no development. To those people I say screw you cause after MUCH further analysis you understand that he’s actually just SO DEEP and multilayered that you don’t have to rely on your typical character development to understand how his mind works and how he works in the setting of MHA and how deeply flawed and has so much to learn and he’s actually such a great character.

Ok so as I said before, having traits from other houses is normal and you can have more than one inclination… that being said… This one is a bit complicated… most people think that because Deku is a soft bumble of goodness and joy he’s instantly Hufflepuff… of because he’s analytical and strategic he’s an instant Ravenclaw… But I disagree… after A LOT of research I understood a LOT of things about Gryffindor. As a Gryffindor myself I understand that, it’s a complicated house… Not because you’re “brave” of want to “do the right thing” it means you’re Gryffindor… ANOTHER stereotype I want to break. But I do think it goes deeper than that.

Now I DON’T MIND putting Deku in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, I have mad respect for those houses. He DOES have a lot of them traits specially Hufflepuff, but LITERALLY the first episode we see how his most prominent traits (just like Hermione or Ron) are his daring, justice-seeking hero-like personality that actually puts jumping into action even if you’re scared, even if you’re chances are slim, above all his traits. His analytical and soft side are actually BELOW this one HUGE and most important trait he has: the daring desire to do SOMETHING no matter what. This is inherently a Gryffindor trait. Izuku cannot stand still and do nothing, it will legit drive him crazy. It’s what he values the most that matters. Even with his wit and analytic skills, his raw desire to act is very much his core trait and that’s Gryffindor right there.

KEEP READING TO SEE THE ANALYSIS OF EVERY TRAIT PLEASE

WHY BAKUGOU IS A SLYTHERIN

OK so I’m going to explain every trait in detail:

·         Ambition: I think this one’s pretty self-explanatory. Katsuki aims to the moon. His ambition is pretty much fixed on a single goal and that is being number 1. His drive to succeed and be number one is also aligned with the fact that he has such high expectations of himself and wants to meet those expectations. I believe that his ambition comes from a place of self-completion. He wants to prove to himself and others SO BADLY that his skills and his quirk ARE worthy of him. He wants to surpass AM cause he’s the epitome of greatness, he knows that with a great quirk he has SHOES to fill.

·         Competitiveness: Again, another one I don’t have to explain, this is also a trait they share with Gryffindors. He competes with Deku in an idealistic kind of sense. Not that Katsuki is an idealistic, he’s not. THAT’s why he can’t stand Deku at first cause he challenged his very image of what he’s supposed to be. His competitiveness comes to a drive to want to prove others that what he believes is the only way to be number 1. He also competes with himself, by constantly pushing himself to be better. Taking into account all his flaws and other people’s flaws to up himself.

·         Determination, this is too a Gryffindor trait, but I still believe that a lot of houses have similar traits cause we’re still people and we can have many traits from all the houses. He IS determined as he is ambitious.

·         Self-preservation: This one’s important, I do think Katsuki takes very good care of himself, he wants to be the best he can be, so he worked on himself a lot. Self-preservation also includes insuring survival when he is in a dire situation, he’s quick to act on his natural instincts.

·         Shrewdness: Yes, Katsuki is very aware of his surroundings and has exceptional judgment in practical matters and he’s very observant, that’s what helps him win most of his battles, he’s hardheaded and uses cleverness to discern situations.

·         Exclusive about who they let close and selective/Protective of their own: This one is just starting to show since we’ve seen it protect his own in his recent battles. Also, when he fought along with Kami and Kiri in the license exam. I believe that Katsuki definitely is self-preserved but when he finds people, he tolerates he would stick to them.

·         Not very idealistic: even if Katsuki shoots for the moon, he’s not a dreamer. He is very realistic and knows his boundaries, he isn’t like Deku in this aspect. He knows what he’s capable and doesn’t go searching for something he knows he can’t do.

·         Resourcefulness and Knowledge to put into use: This one is VERY MUCH IT. Katsuki’s way of fighting and thinking is this. THIS trait I would say is the most defining of Katsuki. He puts all his knowledge of EVERYTHING into use. Everything he learns he use it to develop himself and grow stronger. He is resourceful with everything. That’s why he’s so close to number 1.

·         Cocky/Borderline narcissistic personalities: he has humbled himself a bit, but he is DEFFINITELY proud of himself. He knows what ‘s going on for him, specially on his quirk that’s why his expectations for himself are so high.

·         Get shit done: Slytherins want to get results. Katsuki is definitely not patient. He wants to get shit done as fast and efficient as possible.

·         End justify the means/ Goalgetter/drive to win/ born winners: Also, a Slytherin trait that he has cause since he wants to reach his goal, he (at least at first) would do anything to get to that end. And since he’s not very idealistic, he knows he can and WILL do.

·         Leadership and taking charge in a group: this one also is a Gryffindor trait they share. But we’ve definitely seen this in Katsuki, he is a leader group, people do follow him, he didn’t know how to work a in a group but now we can definitely see that now. Slytherins ARE group oriented and take care of their own, even though they do seek for personal greatness like Gryffindors.

·         Fashion sense: I know this one can be superficial but... Slytherins appreciate sharpness and aesthetic. This is not NECESSARILY a Katsuki trait, but I would take into account the official art on his casual clothes like… this boy KNOWS what he’s wearing.

Few Gryffindor traits he has tho 😊

-Determination (above)

-Individualistic

-Persistence

-Desire to prove to prove himself and others

-Impatience

-Remembered from their great deeds.

ALSO I wouldn’t put him in Gryffindor cause Katsuki DOESN’T charge before thinking (unless he’s being really unreasonable which hasn’t happened since SEASON 1) I’ll explain all this in the Deku section. He’s NOT idealistic (above), he’s not really interested in being trusted but followed. He’s not so keen on friendship (not yet) and jump first to defend their friends, which is DIFFERENT from being protective. Also, he’s not the “hero” stereotype. His desire for glory has different bases from what normally Gryffindors are known for. It’s more like self-fulfillment than seeking approval from others.

WHY DEKU IS A GRYFFINDOR

·         Bravery: I think I need to explain this one right of the bat cause people thing that being brave is not really a trait, but I think it’s more like fearless. Taking risks. Which he did… in chapter freaking 1. That gut feeling to save Kacchan, THE most unaccountable risk, he HAD to do it. THAT’S his defining moment. That’s what changed EVERYTHING. He acts on instinct. Those are all Gryffindor.

·         Daring: DISPITE his wits and his analytical skills (which are not inherently Ravenclaw), his raw instinct to ACT is what sets him apart from the rest. THAT’S what makes people look at him, not his wits but they way he uses them to reach his own goal. He’s a secret badass tbh… He can take down ass when pushed and he will fight to win when that happens. His instincts are to save but when you push him he’s capable of MURDERRRRASCHNASO

·         Passion and Persistence: Yes, Gryffindors are passionate as HELL. He’s very passionate not only to reach his goals but also in what he likes. We call him a nerd but his PASSION for what he loves is what makes him want to pursue things (like All Might).

He’s ambitious YES. That’s a Slytherin trait he does have but that trait is not ONLY Slytherin. Also, they HUGE difference he has with Slytherin is that Slytherins really think before they act. Deku doesn’t. YES he analyses his situation very well and that’s AMAZING BUT. He acts mostly on instinct, like All Might tells him.

Deku’s ambition comes from a place of borderline crazy ambitions of a LUNATIC. Like breaking himself? My boy… A Slytherin would never do that unless it’s ABSOLUTELY necessary, they would think of every option, every angle FIRST like Katsuki. But Deku just think that’s the ONLY option and IMMEDIATELY jumps to that first instinct and does it without thinking too much of the consequences. Granted this was AT FIRST, he IS getting A LOT better in this aspect and THAT’s where his development is at now. THAT’S one of the biggest differences between these two.

·         Individualistic and independent: Ok I’m gonna take my sweet time with this one. This one drives me crazy cause some people do not see that Deku is SO INDEPENDENT. He’s been alone most of his life and yes, he loves his friends and family, but he does his things his OWN WAY. He beats to his own drum. He looks for self-fulfillment and self-improvement. But he helps people in his own way. THAT’S HIS CORE. Like when he fought Kacchan and Todoroki, he refused to follow the norms. He saved them his OWN way even when people told him he was crazy.

He leads by example, he’s not very group oriented, granted WORKING IN GROUP DOESN’T MAKE YOU ANY LESS INDEPENDENT. He KNOWS how to work as a group, and he knows how to adapt to environments BUT he does it when he NEEDS to. He will still do fine on his own. He has MANY times.

He wants to save others OF COURSE, he wants to make everyone smile, but he DOES NOT conform. People tell him over and over but he doesn’t listen, WE HAVE SEEN THIS IN CANON. He’s NOT part of the crowd, he stands out for his individualistic nature, he LOVES being welcome don’t get me wrong, he LOVES being with people and his friends but at the end of the day he will do things his own way. He’s not willing to conform, he’s not like every hero out there. He has his OWN goals and All Might saw that. THAT’S why he chose him. But he cares for having the approval of people, SPECIALLY ALL MIGHT and Kacchan. He seeks to prove himself to himself and to others mostly. Which bring me to…

·         Care deeply about people/ The first to defend their friends/ Want to be trusted: Like Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors are very social and love to be around people, they also care deeply for their friends. This is also a Hufflepuff trait that Deku def has. BUT. BUT… As I stated before.. Deku is VERY independent and individualistic… He has responsibilities… one’s that sadly his closest friends don’t even KNOW about. He keeps a LOT to himself. He’s loyal YES. He cares for them and will defend them ALWAYS (like he did with Kacchan when Monoma insulted him) He’s fiercely loyal to him specially… But he still does what he wants more than what needs to be done. Which ALSO drives Katsuki crazy. I’d say that Deku is selfish in this aspect sometimes.  He doesn’t NEED his friends to sustain himself he’s pretty self-sufficient actually. He has been most of his life.

I know this one hurts a little but… He almost never cares about the people he leaves behind. He’s so self-sacrificial like that. Like what happened with his mom. And Kacchan… like 3 times?? Let’s be honest here, Deku’s ideals and his drive to do what’s right overweighs the care he has for himself and his friends…

·         Justice greater than loyalty: Again, as stated above… one of the mayor differences between his Gryffindor loyalty and Hufflepuff loyalty. Deku IS loyal but to a fault, his loyalty is to his ideals most of the time. He will not hesitate to bring justice over loyalty, like what happened with Nighteye. He was told to do as he was told and to wait, but at the end of the day, the NEED to bring Overhaul to justice overcame that loyalty he has to his superiors and what people tell him to do.

·         Stubbornness: As I said above… Deku doesn’t listen. He IS getting better at that but you can’t tell him off of reaching his goals. He WILL do what he wants if it means doing the most good for himself now AND for others. Honestly people don’t really give Deku enough credit on how stubborn he can be… he’s very open-minded yes cause he wants to learn everything he can but, he’s VERY idealistic. Which brings me to…

·         Idealistic/Having beliefs and standing up for those beliefs: Yes, Gryffindors can dream too much tbh… Deku in chapter 1 was shooting for the moon but he didn’t have the means, but he kept believing anyway. Katsuki particularly hated this cause he’s a REALISTIC. He KNOWS how the world works. That’s why Deku wanted to believe so hard that he can still be a hero against all odds and his world came crushing down when AM told him otherwise.

·         Acting out/Leap before they look/Recklessness: I think this one’s also a bit obvious… His instincts make him jump into action ALWAYS. He CANNOT stay still and do nothing which brings me to:

·         Physical discomfort doesn’t bother them: yeah… he’s pretty self-destructive… he’s working on it. Another thing he bears to reach his goal.

·         Impatient / Hates boredom: Deku always need to do something. Specially with such a big responsibility on his shoulders now. He hates not doing anything specially when action calls. That’s why when he let Eri go the first time he was OVERWHELMED, he hated standing still. Like Hufflepuffs he’s VERY tolerant but UNLIKE Hufflepuffs, people confuse tolerance with patience and Deku is def impatient and WAY too much excitable.

His Ravenclaw side (not much tbh)

Unlike Ravenclaws, Deku they doesn’t seek out knowledge for knowledge’s sake (maybe a little at first but now he’s REALLY putting it to use) BUT NOW if he learns something, it’s going to be something that enables him to better himself TO SAVE OTHERS, and if he want to learn something, it’s going to be something that allows them to pursue his goal - ways to get stronger and faster TO SAVE people.

As stated WAAYY ABOVE, being analytical and having observations skills are not inherently Ravenclaw (Slytherins have them too), but Deku puts them into USE. Now more than ever because he HAS A PLACE to put them into use. Also, I need to point out that he changed DRASTICALLY after he met AM in Ch 1… His self before that WAS seeking knowledge for knowledge’s sake cause he loved taking notes of heroes BUT that was BECAUSE he wanted to become a hero himself someday, he wanted to put them into use. Also like I said before, he’s very passionate so of course he would try to get himself into ANYTHING he’s interested in.

Also, another trait he definitely doesn’t have on Ravenclaw is… thinking outside the box… he’s not very good at coming up with new things. He uses what he’s learned in a practical sense, but he doesn’t INVENT anything. He’s not as OUT there as people paint him out to be cause you have to understand where those tricks come from… from SOMETHING ELSE, or someone else, not him. Hell, it even took him A LOT of time to figure out Shoot Style cause he was so determined to follow AM and not seeking out ANOTHER way to do something original… my baby…. Another flaw that DOESN’T MAKE HIM STUPID BTW I WILL FIGHT YOU I YOU CALL HIM STUPID. It’s just a CHARACTER flaw, rooted DEEPLY in who he is and how he sees the world but literally EVERYTHING I already wrote above.

Ok now Hufflepuff… (disclaimer: I ADORE Hufflepuff this is just an analysis on why Deku is not a Hufflepuff, any comparisons are NOT to downplay the house or other characters in it)

Why I DEEPLY think he doesn’t belong in Hufflepuff is mostly cause Deku is REALLY NOT a rule follower, he doesn’t COMFORM like Iida or Kaminari… He’s hardworking HELL YES HE IS, but that’s cause he’s determined and persistent to reach his goal but PLEASE don’t forget his CORE. Working hard is a MEANS to his goal, that’s not what comes first in his heart. He works hard BECAUSE his goal is being is being number 1 and he kinda HAS to now?? Before he got his quirk he pretty much stalled most of the time and nerded out and dreamt BIG. He didn’t actually WORKED to be a hero. Which is what people use as an excuse to hate on him… He mostly didn’t do much TO BECOME a hero. If he was a Hufflepuff, he would’ve worked WITHIN the system. He would’ve become a cop, he would’ve found other ways that included actually following the rules and CONFORMING to the norms, but he didn’t. Deku doesn’t conform. He does his things his own way, which is another interesting flaw AND a Gryffindor trait.

Don’t confuse hard work with determination. Determination is not a Hufflepuff trait.  'Not willing to back down' is not a Hufflepuff trait. Being friendly is also not an only Hufflepuff trait. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs actually are the most extroverted and friendly houses so I understand why these two are mixed. They BOTH are friendly and welcoming but Deku definitely has more Gryffindor traits that Hufflepuff.

Deku avoided confrontations at first but he still fought. He ALWAYS fought for what he stood for and now more than ever that he CAN. He’s very respectful but that doesn’t mean he will not accept a fight when it’s in front of him i.e. Kacchan. ALSO, super important to take into account, if he needs to use deception he will.  He has A LOT of times.

Also Hufflepuffs tend to be suspicious of the extraordinary, like Iida or Kaminari or Ojiro, Deku on the other hand is enthusiastic and doesn’t avoid danger. He’s flashy and risky. He will NOT avoid confrontations if it means miscarriage of justice too.

And finally, compassion… compassion is not something that puts you in Hufflepuff. Everyone has compassion and Gryffindors def has it too. So yeah..

[nanayoungishere]

History Repeats In Mysterious Ways AU

The most self indulgent AU I can think of. 

Basically it’s a universe where Izuku has a twin (who eventually becomes evil but more on that later) who ends up getting One For All. Izuku, meanwhile, accidentally stumbles upon a half-dead All For One in some filthy alleyway and ends up getting All For One’s Quirk foisted upon him before the evil bastard dies. 

You see in this AU, the final battle between All Might and All For One happens super early. As in, several months before the series originally starts. And since it happens so early, All Might still has his quirk and was able to fare much better in the final battle. 

Moreover without the added stress of trying to rescue a kidnapping victim, the rest of the heroes were able to take care of All For One’s forces much better than they did in canon. All For One’s organization gets dismantled, the Nomus are gotten rid of, the Doctor is arrested and his research is destroyed in the struggle, Kurogiri disappears to parts unknown, and Tomura dies in the crossfire. 

Basically All For One is not having a good time in this AU. Everything he worked for, all the preparations he made, were basically made pointless. He has no legacy, no successor, nothing left. And while he was able to drag himself away before getting brutally killed by All Might, he knew he didn’t have much time left. He was fucked and he knew it. 

He only had one thing left in him: the ability to pass his quirk on to someone else. It was something he and the Doctor had been working on for some time now, a way for Tomura to finally succeed him as the Symbol of Fear. Because of All Might’s constant and unrelenting pressure on him, All For One hadn’t gotten around to switching his quirk out for a copy. He made enough adjustments so that he could switch it out, but didn’t get the chance to before All Might busted in and started kicking his ass. 

So when Izuku happens to stumble upon him while he’s bleeding out in an alleyway, he takes the chance to foist his quirk on him as a last ditch effort to keep his legacy alive. After all, all quirks have an imprint of the user hidden within, and All For One’s imprint on his quirk is basically a second him. He figures that, given enough time, his imprint will be able to take over Izuku’s body, giving him a second chance at life and revenge. 

So that’s how Izuku ends up with an absurd quirk, along with an evil voice in his head that tries to take over his body/tempt him into villainy. He also has to deal with all the other voices of the many, many quirks All For One stole over the years, as well as all their conflicting memories and feelings. 

A huge portion of the story is just Izuku struggling to stay sane and in control even as All For One tries to mindfuck him into surrendering his body or becoming evil. There’s also the fact that a lot of All For One’s quirks are too much for his teenage body to handle, so he ends up having to keep himself from ripping his body apart like in canon. There’s also all the suspicion from everyone else, All For One’s old minions showing up and pledging their allegiance to Izuku, villainous rivals challenging Izuku for territory, and much, much more. 

Basically, things aren’t going well for Izuku in this AU. And that’s not even going into his (future evil) twin. 

Izuku’s twin (whom I will be calling Zukin for now) is considered to be much better than Izuku in the eyes of others. He has a telekinetic quirk that allows him to control, manipulate, and enhance fire/heat so long as he has a prior heat/fire source. He’s very outgoing and overtly friendly to others. He’s selfless and makes a point to reiterate his love for heroes and how he wants to be one. He constantly looks out for his quirkless brother, protecting him against bullies and thugs. He’s considered by many to be Bakugou’s rival of sorts, even by the kid himself. He’s athletic, strong, skilled -- pretty much perfect in the eyes of others.

He does, however, have one main flaw: his need for external validation. 

See, a large part of the reason why Zukin wants to be a hero is because he wants to be validated by others. It’s something he’s always felt, ever since he was young: a need for positive attention. He wants it all, all the praise and respect and love from the people around him. It’s not enough that a few people like him; he wants everyone to like him. He has a need for it, a craving that won’t go away. And since everyone treats heroes like living gods/celebrities, he quickly decided that he needed to be one too. 

Which in of itself isn’t too bad. Craving attention from others is something everyone feels, and wanting to go into heroism for your own personal goals isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it’s normal. 

But Zukin often allows his need for validation to get in the way of doing what’s right. Which is how he managed to get One For All. 

In canon, Izuku managed to get One For All by risking his life to save Bakugou from the Sludge Villain even after All Might himself told him he couldn’t be a hero. In this AU the exact same thing happens -- only Izuku gets mistaken for his brother and Zukin is the one who gets attacked. 

Basically, when Izuku latches onto All Might and asks if someone quirkless can be a hero, he uses very vague terminology and wording that implies that he’s talking about someone else. Part of the reason why is nervousness -- he’s talking to his idol after all and the stress of almost dying ends up making his kinda delirious. 

So All Might gives him the no and Izuku walks off. The Sludge Villain gets away and ends up attacking Zukin while he’s walking home with a friend of his. Zukin, shocked by the sudden arrival of a villain, panics and ends up pushing said friend into the Sludge Villain’s clutches and makes a break for it. The villain snatches him anyway and in his blind panic, he uses his quirk to no avail. It just makes everything worse, just like it did with Bakugou in canon. 

Izuku arrives just as the Sludge Villain is about to suffocate Zukin and his friend. He jumps in, tells his brother to snap out of it, and manages to free the friend just as a crowd and the heroes arrive. 

So the thing about Izuku and Zukin is that they look exactly alike, down to the freckles. Sure Zukin is a bit more buff than Izuku, but you wouldn’t be able to tell at first glance, especially in their school uniforms. So when the heroes arrive and they see one bother bravely saving the other and their friend -- and when they later find out that one of the brothers is quirkless -- they immediately believe that the one with the heroic/powerful quirk was the one who saved the day. 

And Zukin goes along with it. Partly because of the whole external validation things, but mostly because of shame. Shame that he panicked, shame that he pushed a friend towards a villain to escape, shame for his own cowardice. He knows he didn’t act like a hero in that moment, that he acted like a selfish coward and he hates himself for it. And the thought of other people hating him too -- the thought of everyone whispering about how much of a coward he is -- makes him panic. So he takes the credit for the save before he can really think about it. 

And because both Izuku and Zukin’s friend sustained a good amount of brain damage during the struggle, they can’t exactly remember what happened during the fight or even what happened that day. So when Zukin says he saved them, they believe him. 

So everyone heads off to the hospital and that’s when All Might meets up with Zukin. The kid’s awestruck but more than a little confused when All Might makes a casual mention to his and Izuku’s conversation. He quickly realizes that Izuku and All Might must have met before though and -- not wanted to out himself as a coward in front of his idol -- acts as though he was the one he talked to. He talks about his brother, how he’s quirkless, and and says that he just wanted to see if it was possible for him. 

All Might smiles, makes a big speech about how he’ll make a good hero one day before offering to train him. And Zukin, struck by hero worship and a rising sense of glee, immediately agrees. 

He feels bad about it later, when he tells Izuku and realizes that he essentially stole All Might’s training from him. He justifies it by saying that it’s for the best; Izuku is quirkless after all and that sorta training would be wasted on him. Zukin is the one with the best chance of going to US and being a hero. Izuku just needs to face facts: quirkless people can’t be heroes. The sooner he realizes this, the better. 

So Zukin trains with All Might and, eventually, gets offered One For All. Zukin immediately thinks of Izuku and how by taking credit for his actions, he essentially stole a quirk from his own brother. Izuku’s one chance of getting a quirk and Zukin stole it. 

It makes him feel so, so guilty. But not guilty enough to turn down All Might’s offer and admit the truth. Because the thought of his idol realizing how he lied to him -- the looks he’ll probably give him -- makes him swallow back his words. 

He takes One For All and vows to make it up to his brother later, ignoring all the guilt and the voice in the back of his head that calls him a liar. 

So a huge part of Zukin’s story is his decent into selfishness and cowardice, how the residue guilt and paranoia ends up turning him into a monster. Because taking Izuku’s spot as the rightful user of One For All isn’t the only shitty thing he does. Over and over again he does shitty things in order to maintain his image as the perfect hero, to live up to the legacy All Might has given him. Zukin acts like he can handle the pressure, the responsibility, but it becomes increasingly clear that he can’t. And eventually, it turns him into a villain. 

So that’s the main idea of this AU:

One brother given one of the most heroic quirks in existence, surrounded on all sides by heroes and heroic personalities, mentored by one of the greatest heroes in history, and who still ends up becoming a villain due to their own choices. 

Anther brother, spat on by society and the world at large, forced to use a villainous quirk that he never wanted, with an ancient villain whispering within his mind, surrounded by all sides by villains and villainy, and who ends up becoming a great hero despite it all. 

A heroic All For One vs a villainous One For All. The irony of it is delicious. 

[mysterylover123]

My Top 10 Favorite (and Top 5 least favorite) Izuocha moments

  mysterylover123

OK, to explain that title and why I didn’t have a “least favorite” for any other ship: While I have moments for other ships that I don’t like, none of those ships are canon. I have no interest in making people feel bad about shipping things. I do feel it’s ok to critique writing choices you don’t agree with in the actual show, and there are a few big Izuocha moments I don’t like, so I needed to cover them. I do like this ship, for the record - but the canon handling was odd to me, so I thought I’d do a favorite and least for this list instead of just a favorites.

#10. Battle Trial Arc Teamwork 

From: Episodes 7-8

What Happens: Deku and Uraraka are teamed up to fight Iida and Bakugo. Uraraka is very reassurring to Deku about their teamwork and at the climax of the arc, they work together to defeat their opponents in awesome fashion. Uraraka also goes up to Deku post arc with concern

Why I Like It: I do like me some battle couples. I love seeing Deku talk to Uraraka about his feelings (albeit for Bakugo) and Uraraka calling them a team and working hard because Deku inspires her to try harder. Deku showcases his scheming brilliant brain here too.

#9. Voting for Deku 

From; Episode 9 “Just Do your best Iida”

What Happens: The voting happens. Bakugo pitches a fit that two people voted for Deku, and Uraraka whistles while thinking “I’ll just keep my vote to myself”

Why I Like It: Uraraka voted for Deku, like Shoto did for Momo, and keeps it a secret. I’m hoping we get a similar scene to the Todomomo one where Ochako reveals this, though I’m not sure how that would play out.

#8. Someone you like  

From: Season 3 Episode 15

What Happens: Uraraka, embarrassed about her classmates grilling her on her love life, floats to the ceiling - and sees Deku out the window practicing ultimate moves. She seems very smitten.

Why I Like It; This is a more pure Izuocha moment as she responds to him romantically, reaction to how cool he is and how much she admires him. I’m not wild about Mina telling Uraraka she likes Deku, but I do like he actually acting like she does.

#7. Cavalry Battle Teamup 

From: The Sports Festival Arc 2.04-2.05

What Happens: Ochako teams up with Deku in the Cavalry battle, hoping to as she later puts it “rely on him to get by”. She gets jealous of how much attention he pays Mei. Deku thinks about her support of him and all she’s done for him as he fights hard to win.

Why I Like It; This is actually more of a Deku on Ochako moment, since she later complicates her own role in this with her admission about Iida. But Deku says that he wanted her for his team, and thinks how cool she is, and is inspired by her support of him to fight Todoroki. It shows how much he values her support.

#6. Joint Training Arc Teamwork 

From: Chapters 209-216

What Happens: Deku and Uraraka watch each others’ backs in combat. Uraraka saves him from his powers gone mad, hugging him to calm him down. Afterwards she blushes about it, and he possibly blushes too though it’s not clear.

Why I Like It: Again, love some teamwork pairings. I wanted a little more from this arc (Uraraka talking Deku down instead of Shinso) but we still got her hugging him and blushing about it while thinking about her new “who saves the heroes” motivation. Deku is also grateful to her for saving him. Uraraka works well with him, worries about him, but now she doesn’t let it distract her.

#5. First Meeting and Rescue 

From: Chapters 2-4

What Happens: Uraraka saves Deku from tripping over his feet. Deku is attracted to her; she gets trapped in the fight and Deku saves her. This gets him into UA. She also offers him her points to Present Mic.

Why I Like It; It’s such a sweet first impression. He thinks she’s cute (she finds him plain, which annoys me - someone call Deku pretty before the series if over.) He saves her, she saves him, she offers him her points, he thinks about how she helped him before and tries to go talk to her. I like how he compares it to saving Kacchan from the sludge monster too - saving Uraraka is put in the same category as saving his lifelong acquaintance, despite having just met her.

#4. Deku means you can do it 

From: Episode 6 Rage you Damn Nerd

What Happens: Uraraka greets Izuku as “Deku” based on Bakugo’s name. Izuku corrects her but she suggests Deku could mean “you can do it.” Izuku immediately changes his attitude on the name. Later that ep he takes her name as his “you can do it” motto, which she finds touching.

Why I Like It; The Deku name is one of my favorite Izuocha bits. I love how she gives his nickname a new meaning and he likes it, takes it for himself, and finds strength from this support. (Of course, this is one of many moments on this list that some how also connects with Bakugo. There’s a lot of subtle parallelism  between Ochako and Kacchan, probably since these three were the first three characters designed for the series).

#3. Giving her a plan  

From: Season 2 Episode 8 Battle on challengers

What Happens: Deku notices how upset Uraraka is before her match and offers her a scheme to use against Bakugo. She declines and heads out to her match; post fight, he comes in to comfort her and is touched again by her support.

Why I Like It; Deku noticed she was upset! He offered to help her, wanting to support her like she’s supported him! He roots for her and admires her techniques, corrects Bakugo about her hard work, and tries to be there for her when she loses. She’s so sad about her loss, and I wish she’d cried on his shoulder instead of shutting him out - one day, she will, I hope.

#2. The real Uraraka 

From; Shiketsu High Lurking 3.16

What Happens: Deku, while fighting Camieraka, recognizes that she isn’t Ochako. He runs down all of Uraraka’s features and why Camieraka can’t really be her.

Why I Like It; Deku shows here that he actually knows Uraraka pretty well, understands her, knows what she would never do and guesses that Camie was impersonating her. I like when people show they know their dates - once again, he knows her by now to the same degree that he knows his lifelong acquaintance Bakugo (in S1’s BTA he also knows Bakugo’s techniques in the same manner). I like that kind of familiariity.

Extras

Movie

Filler

#1. Deku, that has to be my codename

From: Season 2 Episode 13 Time to pick some names

What Happens: Midoriya picks Deku as his hero name, explaining that Uraraka made him see it in a different way, and smiling about it. We see Kacchan and Ochako both reacting.

Why I Like It; This simple scene is my favorite Izuocha moment, because I love how much the Deku name means to Midoriya. It’s kind of a motif among friendships in the show, this “picking your hero name” thing, and while Bakugo did come up with the name, Ochako gave it its new meaning. I like seeing them happy.

Top 5 Least Favorite

#5.  Putting those feelings away 

From: Provisional License Exam Arc

What Happens: Ochako decides to put her feelings for Deku away instead of acting on them in a little monologue.

Why I Didn’t Like It; While I’m glad we get to focus more on Ochako being a badass, as a shipper I found her decision frustrating. It just makes no sense that she can’t just tell Deku she likes him, date him and be happy. All that buildup doesn’t seem to be leading towards anything but delaying the inevitable. I find it really annoying when series up off the inevitable get together till the end just because it’s expected.

#4. Running away at the mall 

From: Season 2 Episode 25 “Encounter”

What Happens: Ochako, left alone with Deku, runs away yelling about bug spray. He gets attacked by Tomura while she freaks out about her feelings.

Why I Didn’t Like It; Well for one, we miss a chance for them to hang out one-on-one. Two, Uraraka indirectly calls Deku a “pest”, hurting his feelings. Three, we juxtapose her feelings with Tomura nearly killing Deku. Forth, she finds the idea of liking him so scary and off-putting, and this becomes her story for the next two arcs, which I find annoying since it just repeats the same thing over and over again.

#3. Because you like him? 

From: Final Exam Arc

What Happens: During their fight with 13, Uraraka is thinking “what would Deku do?” Aoyama asks Uraraka if she likes Deku. This freaks her out and nearly gets her killed.

Why I Didn’t Like it: I don’t get why Aoyama did this. Why? What was he thinking, why ask this during their test, why does this lead to Uraraka beating 13, why was this the way we made Izuocha canon? I don’t get why Uraraka’s crush on Deku has to be something other people tell her she has, can’t she just figure it out for herself? Aoyama what is your deal? I legitimately don’t get what Horikoshi was going for her.

#2. Hey jealousy  

From: Various

What Happens: Uraraka freaks out when Deku gets near Mei, Melissa, and Camie, burning with Jealousy. Most recently she punched herself in the face for doing so.

Why I Didn’t Like It; I didn’t mind the first time with Mei, because it was Deku complimenting Mei, or Melissa in the film. But the other times, Deku is getting felt up and creeped out by invasive girls who scare or harm him, and Uraraka reacts by getting jealous of him, instead of trying to defend him. Try flipping their genders and see how disturbing it comes across. Like a “Nice Guy” getting mad that his crush is daring to get felt up by other men. Even if she says it makes her uncomfortable.

#1. Himiko Toga’s monologue 

From: Training Camp Arc

What Happens: Toga recognizes that Uraraka likes Deku and creepily tells her that she has “her smell”, that they’re both obsessed with copying and replacing their boys. She later says “a great deal of faith is placed in you”.

Why I Didn’t Like It; Toga is Uraraka’s evil foil. If liking Deku this way is Uraraka’s flaw, that places a really negative spin on Izuocha. It makes it seem like liking Deku is only going to lead Uraraka down a wrong path and make her fall. Why? Why does her main romance have to be something that apparently scares and hurts her? It’s Deku for crying out loud! He’s a sweetheart, he likes her, they get along. This implies that Uraraka’s feelings for Deku are similar to Toga’s for Stain - she wants to kill and replace the person she admires. Also, the “trust in you” line sounds like blatant Traitor-Uraraka baiting, like that line in her bio about there being no “hidden side to her”. I love Toga, I love Ochako, I want them to be great foils, but I don’t want that to be in a way that makes Ochako’s romance look creepy.

So that’s my thoughts - read my meta for the whole story. I ship it but I want the story to start handling it differently.

[viidoll]

A Multi-Shipper’s Hot Take on BnHA Ships: Todobaku

Todoroki Shouto/Bakugou Katsuki: Oh my gosh. The dynamics in this relationship. So freakin’ good. Mwaah. Delicious. These two can both bring each other up and support each other when they’re down. They challenge each other to be better, Todoroki to overcome his obstacles and Bakugou to become a better, kinder version of himself. Bakugou and Todoroki were societal creations in different ways, the culmination of warped ideals and a culture obsessed with perfection and becoming stronger. The world and its messed up values were what created them, and they are both fighting to be who they want to be instead of who the world sees them as. Bakugou has always been at the top. He has always been the strongest. He has known nothing but praise for his strength and has had his flaws overlooked and ignored, and therefore thought those flaws were strength as well. He’s now at the age and in a place where he’s slowly learning, “hey, maybe this isn’t okay after all” and he is slowly deconstructing and reconstructing himself into a better person, into a better hero. True change comes about slowly. The parallels between Bakugou and Endeavor are likely intentional, but as the series continues, the differences between them grow larger and larger. Bakugou is not too far gone. He hasn’t made the step from bully to villain, like (I personally feel) Endeavor has. And this is so incredibly important for Todoroki to see - that people can change, that people can grow, that people can be rash and short-tempered and passionate all while learning not to hurt others. Endeavor always acted believing the ends justified the means, but Bakugou is learning that that really isn’t the case. Having a solid relationship with Todoroki, who has seen and experienced real evil in his own home, can ultimately only change Bakugou for the better. And Todoroki has never been afraid of calling anyone on their bullshit, so he is uniquely equipped to help Bakugou grow into the hero he’s going to be. And Bakugou would do wonders for Todoroki too. Todoroki needs to know that vigor and passion and ambition don’t always lead to horrible things. He deserves to see that such ferocity can also lead to positive things, like unwavering devotion and the inability to give up. Todoroki deserves to have such passion directed toward him in a positive way, out of love for him as he is instead of who Endeavor wants him to be. If Todoroki didn’t hate Bakugou the moment he saw him, then he could clearly see the differences between Bakugou and Endeavor. He has never once seen Bakugou as someone to hate, unlike Endeavor. He isn’t in the least bit intimidated by him either. Todoroki has spent his whole life defying his father; he never gives up either, and he is always ready to face any challenge worth facing. Todoroki deserves to know that passion doesn’t always lead to violence and hatred. That there are people with aggressive personalities who still value the lives of others, who won’t take their inner fire and burn him with it. He deserves someone strong and passionate who will be strong for him and passionate about him. We already know how Todoroki looks danger in the face and defies it with every fiber of his being. He grew up under the abusive rule of his father, and has rebelled against it for fifteen years. Todoroki has seen real bullies, has lived with one his whole life, and never once thinks of Bakugou in the same light as his father. He doesn’t shy away from danger. He flirts with it. He is fearless in his interactions with Bakugou. In turn, Bakugou needs someone who can both handle him and help him to learn some self-control. He’s the only one other than Izuku who knows Todoroki’s past, and he wouldn’t have found it so horrifying if he was just as bad as Endeavor. He has shown that he is mindful of it, and has deferred to Todoroki because of it. He doesn’t look down on Todoroki for his experiences, but he doesn’t dismiss and forget them either. He gets frustrated when they fight and he can’t break through the chains binding Todoroki like Midoriya could. He wants victory over Todoroki, the real Todoroki who isn’t shackled by his past. He wants Todoroki to break free and get stronger, to be who he is meant to be. These are interesting dynamics that work romantically or platonically. Whether you see them as romantic, as friends, or as rivals, all of these dynamics stay exactly the same. These are the foundational aspects of their relationship. Bakugou and Todoroki are fun because they both have their different brands of sass. They both fight with everything they have and have a strong, deeply-ingrained belief system. They are both changing slowly to become better people, to step out of the mold that society has tried to fit them into. For me, nothing is more fascinating than seeing a relationship built upon mutual growth with a copious amount of sass and banter thrown in. This is a relationship built upon passion and wit, competition, mutual growth, and shared core values.

[izupie]

I’m about 1k words into this fic and I am L O V I N G it. Thanks for all the support and the comments encouraging me to write what I want to - I’m having so much fun so far I literally can’t type it fast enough to get it out of my head! I haven’t felt like this while writing for a while! I’m keeping the tone and the mood very loose, rather than the polished stuff I’ve been doing, just as a change of pace.

Changing into present tense is actually harder than I thought too though, because I’ve only ever written in past, so I’m constantly going back and editing like No. Bad. Present Tense.

But I’m finding it a challenge that’s keeping me on my toes!

It’s called ‘It’s Our Love Language’ and it’s going to be a medium-burn Kirikami story - University/College No-Quirk AU - with side characters being Mina, Ochako and Sero. But most of class 1-A is going to show up in some form or other. Kiri is taking a degree in Journalism, Kami is taking a degree in Computer Science, Ochako is taking a degree in Dance and Mina is doing Fashion Design. Ochako is already in an established relationship with Izuku, but he’s a firefighter in the city over, Mina is,, playing the field and keeping her options open, Sero works at a local pet shop, and it’s fun thinking of their degree courses and their relationships with each other.

Here’s a sneaky peak if you want one....

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The key doesn’t fit. Eijiro pulls it away and tries again, but the key still won’t quite go into the lock. He can hear his parents arguing about what boxes should be unloaded first at the car nearby, and he’s tempted to turn around and tell them they’ll need to go back to the Estate Agents because they’ve clearly given him the wrong key, but a slam from above his head startles him and he jumps as he cranes his neck up to see a boy leaning precariously out of the window upstairs.

“Hey man, you’ve gotta wiggle it. Like, hard.”

“Uh, what?” Eijiro shields his eyes and squints, trying to get a look at the source of the voice, but the sunlight is fierce and it’s too bright to see him properly. He thinks he can see blond hair.

“The key,” the voice repeats, yelling like he isn’t right above him, “shove hard and wiggle!”

Eijiro brings his hand away from his eyes and does as he’s told; pushing on the old key with his weight (which isn’t a whole lot, he admits) and wiggles it rapidly in the lock. “Could have just come down and opened it from the inside,” he mumbles as he finally hears it catch with an audible clunk. “Alright then, here we go.”

He takes a breath, opens the door and yanks the key back into his hand before he steps into the hallway. The first thing he notices is that the paint is chipped; along the whole long corridor he can see grey patches underneath the gaps in the cream that was painted over the top, and there’s an old fashioned fabric lampshade that looks like it’s been in the house since the day it was built and has never been dusted since (he has no idea what colour it was originally beneath the dusty grime). The black and white tiles on the floor look just as impressive in real life as they did on the photos he’d seen online, though he can see some of them are starting to lift up at odd angles, making it look uneven and easy to trip over. An alarmingly fatal flaw in a house filled with students, stumbling through the hallway in the early hours.

“Oh, I like your tiles,” his mom’s voice says just behind him. Eijiro nods, feeling a rush of pride in thinking these are his tiles and this is his house for the next year. Or at least, it’s all a quarter his. 

He’s full of excitement and eagerness to explore the rest of the house but knows the door on the left is the door to his room and his parents are struggling to carry as many boxes and bags as they can. He gives the rest of the house a quick glance while he unlocks the door to his new bedroom (with ease compared to the entrance) and notes that there is a staircase next to his room, an open doorway opposite that leads into the living room, and the corridor they’re in extends for a surprisingly long way into a dining room and the kitchen beyond that. No sign of the boy from upstairs.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 2/16/20

Black Clover, Vol. 19 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – The nature of these volumes is they tend to be between 9-11 chapters no matter what, and while some thought is always given for an appropriate “cliffhanger” (and there’s a good one here), it does sometimes mean that the emotional beat can happen earlier than the author might like. That’s definitely the case here—this book is front-loaded as hell, with the absolute highlight being Noelle reuniting with her family, kicking ass, and her older brother apologizing for the constant abuse he hurled at her. It’s really fantastic. The rest of the book can’t help but feel like an anticlimax, though there is a nice bit at the end where Asta and company make a chaotic entrance to join in the fight. Which isn’t over yet, so next time? – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 13 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – This manga has too many cast members in it we have to remember, especially given that it only comes out now about once every six months or so. We see Iura dealing with his younger sister, who is having exam worries, and it’s meant to contrast to his “the guy nobody likes” persona at school, but I can’t really retain enough about what he was like for it to really impact. One good thing about this volume is that Hori is relatively behaved, so there’s a lot less of the “wacky” consent issues we saw in prior volumes. When she acts relatively normal, she and Miyamura remind you why we loved this manga in the first place. That said, it really does not appear to be headed towards any specific conclusion. How long will it go on? – Sean Gaffney

Levius/est, Vol. 1 | By Haruhisa Nakata | Viz Media – I probably should have read the Levius omnibus before picking up Levius/est. As far as I can tell, the first volume is mostly a recap of the original series told at an astonishingly breakneck speed. (Levius ended prematurely when Ikki ceased publication; Nakahata essentially had to restart the series in a new magazine, Ultra Jump.) It’s admittedly impressive how much ground Nakata manages to cover in such a short span, but I’m hoping that Levius/est finds a more sustainable and enjoyable pace soon. I want to see the mixed martial arts matches between cyborgs that will either save or destroy the world. I want a chance to actually get to know the characters beyond a surface-level lightning overview of their tragic backstories. I want the worldbuilding to not need to rely on heavy-handed exposition. Right now, Levius/est‘s greatest strength is Nakata’s stylish artwork, but something more would be welcomed. – Ash Brown

Magus of the Library, Vol. 2 | By Mitsu Izumi | Kodansha Comics – Having enjoyed the first volume of Magus of the Library, I was looking forward to the second, even if the series is not always the most subtle of works narratively speaking. But I can’t help but love the underlying message of libraries (reading in generally, really) as a method of gaining knowledge, expanding one’s horizons, and developing empathy for others. At the same time, the work acknowledges the potential harm the written word can cause depending on its use. As a librarian, I can especially appreciate Izumi incorporating real-world social, economic, and political concerns surrounding libraries (fairly accurately, actually, although with simplification) into the fantasy setting of Magus of the Library. Other related areas the second volume of the series specifically addresses include bookselling and bookbinding. The volume also serves as something like a travelogue and introduces new characters destined, I’m sure, to become Theo’s cohorts in training at the Central Library. – Ash Brown

Murcielago, Vol. 13 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – OK, the master swordsman arc did not finish off quite as fast as I’d hoped, but that’s fine, as it gives us a chance to see Kuroko in action some more (and still really struggling, which is cool), as well as Himiko’s dynamic entrance in her car, always a treat. After that’s resolved, we start a sequel arc, as Goldmarie’s body is not lying mouldering in the grave as it should be, but has gone missing. And now there’s a bunch of murders happening in and around the sewers, which gives the artist another chance to lovingly depict a lot of corpses and gore. Murcielago is never going to be children’s entertainment, but it’s a lot of fun provided ultraviolent lesbians are your bag. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 23 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – So Izuku has multiple powers now. That said, he’s still having trouble learni8ng about them at all, so has to finish the fight quirkless. Honestly, Uraraka is the MVP of this battle, and there’s some nice ship tease with her and Izuku as my reward. After that, we switch over to the dark side of the cast—it even gets pointed out, with one chapter being called “My Villain Academia,” and a heavier focus on the League of Villains, who are falling on hard times at the moment. Things are not helped by a new, more corporate set of villains trying to get their foot in the door, and the volume ends with a confrontation. This has become one of the biggest Jump series, and it’s well deserved. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 23 | By Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – There is so much going on in this volume. As the battle training with class B comes to a close, Midoriya learns that he will eventually inherit six additional quirks from past wielders of One for All and Shinso gets to use his power to save someone and earns admission into the hero course. Mina gets a couple of badass panels while Uraraka gets several (as well as a rare smile from Aizawa). I love how much Aizawa has taken Shinso under his wing as well as a glimpse and a reference to someone he and Mic knew when they were students, a boy called Shirakumo. We also meet the Meta Liberation Army, who are determined to take down the League of Villains. Todoroki and Bakugo get their provisional hero licenses and we learn a little of Shigaraki’s backstory. Phew! I love this series so much. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 3 | By Hirofumi Neda| Viz Media – Again, I like how this gag series is handled. It’s character-based exaggeration, but it also follows the main storyline for the most part, so it can use multiple modes of humor. It’s also not above pointing out its own flaws—when Momo is lacking confidence, Eraserhead tells her to spend a week living with Uraraka, and the latter is quick to point out that “my poverty being of service to you” is offensive. Of course, the series is also not above mocking her love of rich person’s food over and over again, so. We even get a good look at the league of villains here, and they’re just as goofy. This is still a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 7 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – Somehow I missed reviewing the sixth volume of this series, and it’s a shame, as the seventh book is fantastic, possibly the highlight of the series in general. After spending about half of it leading up to the exams, and reminding us what’s at stake, we see the girls taking them one by one, each flashing back to their own issues and challenges—the biggest of which may be Yotsuba’s, as she reveals she’s the one who failed the makeup exam at their old school, and the others left with her in solidarity. The results are brought off perfectly, but Nino is saved for last, and she’s the one who gets the best part, right at the end. Still one of the best romantic comedy manga we’ve seen in some time. – Sean Gaffney

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 | By Kousuke Oono | Viz Media – There’s not really much here in plot or characterization beyond the surface. But when the surface is this, you absolutely don’t care. Househusband is all about style, and in that the book succeeds dramatically. I liked that it featured his wife a bit more in the various chapters, and you can see why he loves her. Everyone keeps mistaking him for doing horrible yakuza deals, even when he’s pushing spices for birthday parties. That said, you really can’t blame them given he’s also pushing his yakuza thoughts into his everyday life, such as the yoga poses, which was absolutely hilarious. We also meet his wife’s family, and their desperate attempts at bonding, which they do after a fashion. This is a whole lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 22 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – This volume begins with the aftermath of the adventure in Sei, with Lady Riri dealing with the gratitude of her people, which she doesn’t feel she’s earned; Hak reflecting on adolescent memories of Su-Won, whose ability to see the world impartially means he has no special attachment to anyone; and the Four Dragons working to get back a hairpin for Yona that Su-Won gave her. Then we’re off to another adventure in a foreign land. One of the princesses of Xing is sure they’re Kohka’s next target for expansion and proposes war while her younger sister proposes preemptive surrender in order to save lives. Would-be assassins raid the latter’s compound, where there are a couple of badass fighters and lots of kitties. It’s very much a transitional volume, but still quite good. I’m always bummed whenever I run out of Yona to read. = Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[ficmylife4]

First Reading BNHA 100-108

I saw clips of Camie/spoiler and Izuku in the provisional license exam before. I really enjoyed those scenes, and sadly the manga didn’t match it in atmosphere, smooth movements, or quality. By now I’m pretty sure the anime is better than the manga, but I really don’t have all the time needed to watch all those episodes. I’m reading the manga to catch up to the current chapters because I really want to have all the background so I can make my own opinions on Dabi and Shigaraki. So I know I sound nitpicky, when I’m not just enjoying each conflict accepting it as it comes, but thinking about where it came from, how is hero society working or failing, and flaws in the heroes.

First thing, I don’t think Aizawa has a “special move”. He really seems to be the exception, I’m leaning toward underground hero not being a category in canon.

I appreciate all the thought put into the provisional licensing exam so far, as it isn’t just about combat but strategic thinking, teamwork, ambushes, and thinking beyond what is first expected--like the fact that balls don’t have to be thrown. And all of this while under huge pressure and time constraints as only 100 out of 1500 applicants can pass. 

Kaminari’s cool moment and Aoyama’s inspiration taken from watching Iida were very nice. All of Class 1-A were impressive. 

Kaminari standing up for Bakugou and what he can see in him was nice, and I see what All Might meant at the final exam about how Bakugou always has such a fierce smile on his face. He might not be doing it to be reassuring like All Might, but Bakugou’s wild smile is bolstering to those around him, excited instead of scared, and always seeming to say he’s facing the next challenge head-on and sure he can win, no fear or admitting if it’s a bad situation he has to struggle in. There is potential in a hero there, but it needs some self-awareness too.

I thought advertising weaknesses and quirk activation in the Sports Festival wasn’t the best idea, but Aizawa’s take that all heroes are revealed by the media and UA is preparing them early to work against that disadvantage was new. 

I really expected Yo Shindo’s quirk to be activated by skin contact, as he went out of his way to be super-friendly and shake everyone’s hands on first meeting UA’s class, and kinda smirked after Bakugou called out his fake smile and smacked his hand away. Because Bakugou still touched his hand, and if he was setting up something with his quirk... But then he had a ground-shaking quirk, so apparently the friendliness and hand-shaking was no nefarious plan.

Meru from the Hero Public Safety Commission had an interesting speech. I even agree that it shouldn’t be required that heroes get nothing for their work, and if their motivation is acknowledgment or praise or even money, that doesn’t change the fact that they are risking their lives and helping people. We don’t blame surgeons, who have to go through a lot more effort, schooling, and high-stress and act to save lives, if they first decided on the career because of money. The reason I’d be wary about other motives in heroism, though, is if they prioritized that motivation over the job. Uraraka wanted to earn money for her parents to live comfortably. But if it came down to a villain offering her a lot of money to let them get away, and possibly kill or harm people on their next heist, Uraraka wouldn’t take it. Because while money was motive, it wasn’t her highest priority. But how can you tell what other heroes might choose? I think that’s part of why Camie asked Izuku why he wanted to become a hero.