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aashi-heartfilia · 5 months ago

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Deku and Ochako: Two threads running in parallel

MHA has a vibrant cast with each character having its own quirks and perks. We often find ourselves shipping them and rooting for them to become cannon but in the midst of these shipping wars, we often overlook their personal journeys become true heroes.

One such pair is IzuOcha.

People often view it as a straight vanilla ship and ignore everything that makes it special/different from the other so-called vanilla ships. The fact that their journeys were always running in parallel, fighting side by side, inspiring each other in a give and take relationship...but let's start from the very beginning....

Chapter 3: The first time we meet Ochako, she saves Deku from falling on his two feet. She's nervous, but not as much as Deku. She wishes them both good luck and leaves. Now, this was their first meeting, and this is where their "Do your best" starts.

They both did their best in the exams, where Deku saves Ochako from the giant robot and Ochako in turns saves Deku from falling, like literally saving his life this time around.

Chapter 4: Then, the next time we see her, she was vouching for Deku, even at the cost of her own points. This also parallels her speech later in the manga.

Chapter 7: They enter UA, finally meet each other again, and become friends. In fact, on the very first day, Ochako says that she likes the name Deku, as it kinda gives a "You can do it!" vibe. Another fun thing to note here is that in Japanese she refers to 'gambare' which literally means "Do your best!".

She changes the meaning of his name, from an insult to something inspiring and it might have looked like a comedy gag moment at that time, but when you look at future chapters, it was much more than that.

Chapter 8: The very next chapter, we see Deku facing off Bakugo and saying "He's the Deku who does his best!". And we even see the importance of what Ochako said as she inspired him to do his best. In that test, they both pass with flying colors.

Chapter 22: Then not after too long, we find out about Ochako's motivation to be a hero, which was to earn money so that her parents can have easier lives. Some might say, there are other ways to make money, why choose heroism?

Well, you need to look deeper into the character, especially for someone like Ochako that has layers to her character. She's not someone you can tell by looking at first glance. From outside, she might be all sweet and cherry but from the inside, there's a storm. She has an iron will, and that she depicted again and again, be it her battle with Bakugo in sports fest or her quirk awakening and battle with Toga in the 2nd war. She has always been like that.

On the surface, she presents herself to be your average girl next door, but when you look behind that facade, you'll see a plethora of emotions.

She laughs with everyone but cries alone.

Her crying after Deku leaves (ch 37) or her thoughts about "who saves the heroes", or her "I didn't know the first thing about Toga" thoughts...

She has thoughts and emotions that are deep and not for not everyone can comprehend them. Some people might still see her as nothing more than a blatant love interest but we know that's far from the truth and that's why we'll deep dive into her character a little more.

Ochako has a lot of self-respect >>>

Despite what inspires her to be a hero, she refuses to take help from anyone. This is depicted when she refuses to take help from Deku in the SF. She felt embarrassed when Iida challenged Deku as that made her question her own ideals.

They were all there to become heroes and that makes them all rivals, even if they are friends and thus she challenges him to meet her at the finals.

I think that was a very underrated Ochako moment. (can't present all the pictures because Tumblr only allows less than 10 pics, but you can see it in the collage above)

From the very first day, her "let's do our best!" moment to their battle with Toga in the final war, she has been challenging / inspiring Deku but due to her soft personality, it gets overlooked very often.

It parallels Bakugo in a way and I love the parallels between Bakugo and Ochako but that is for another day.

So it's safe to conclude that just like Bakugo who has been a hardcore rival in power and ideals, Ochako has also been a friend / rival both in terms of power and ideals, although it might be more of her morals that inspire him the most. He even thinks about her in his final battle with Shigaraki, because she was the only one that resonates with his idea of saving villains but more on that later.

Chapter 37: After her loss, Deku goes to check on her and it turns out she was doing fine. She has taken it very positively or so it may seem but as soon as Deku leaves, she starts crying and Deku overhears her. He even feels guilty about not being able to do anything for her.

And that shows you how perceptive Deku really is. He's not some dumb, dense MC that has no clue how others are feeling. He's very sensible and wouldn't cause unnecessary trouble.

Chapter 45: After the sports fest, we see everyone choosing their hero names and Izuku chooses Deku. We even get a reaction panel of both Ochako and Bakugo. Bakugo always looked down on Deku and used it as an insult to call him 'useless' but Ochako changed its meaning to some positive, more meaningful.

Then in the following chapters (ch 46) they both go for their internships where Deku learns to control his 5% from Grand Torino and Ochako learns combat from Gunheads and I might say, IzuOcha might be the only people who learned the most from their internships, lol.

From then onwards, they both continue to grow in terms of power, as the story starts focusing on other characters as well, and we see less of her. Plus, her slight crush starts to develop from that point on, which made most people overlook her entire story.

But let's go over some of the key moments from that time:

Aoyama and Ochako vs 13: Aoyama teases Ochako about Deku, and this might be the first mention of her having a crush on Deku (ch 67)

Izuku encounters Shigaraki at the mall: If it wasn't for Ochako, everyone in the mall, including Deku would have died, making it the 2nd time Ochako saved Deku's life, quite literally (ch 68 and 69)

God knows what would have happened if Ochako didn't come back at the right time. She called the police and alerted everyone. Ochako doesn't get enough credit for her responsible and mature nature.

Chapter 76-77: Deku vs Muscular and Chapter 80: Ochako and Tsuyu vs Toga 1.0 where Deku and gang's interference saved them kinda like how Ochako's presence in the mall saved Deku from Shigaraki, although that was more serious.

Chapter 100: Ochako, Iida and Deku meet Hatsume. Yeah, that iconic encounter that has another parallel.

Chapter 102: Ochako realises her feelings for Deku.

Chapter 105: Deku realises it's not Ochako.

The thing is, Deku knew from the get go that the stranger is not Ochako. He even says "Ochako has been training to use her quirk and now she can float herself for some time, ignoring the side effects. In a situation like this, she wouldn't forget to use it and to reveal herself to the enemy without a plan?"

No, you're not the Uraraka I know.

And that, says volumes out there relationship! Even though, we saw how Ochako had romantic feelings for Deku in the previous chapters, she still kept on improving and Deku acknowledged that!

Even if we don't see him analysing her quirk again and again like Bakugo, he always keeps an eye on her, because note that in the manga, she never specifically tells him about her improvement but he still noticed it!

He knows Ochako enough to know that she's smart and strategic and that she would never reveal herself in front of the enemy without a solid plan. So when he saved Toga (disguised as Ochako) he knew that it wasn't Ochako!

And that's pure respect.

It is one of the examples of "Show, don't tell".

Chapter 107: Ochako quickly followed Deku's idea because she trusts him so much.

Chapter 109: And later, we see her struggling to keep her feelings under check. Because she's so inspired by Deku to do her best, it becomes an internal battle of emotions. At one point, she wants to compete with him, on the other, she has feelings for him that she can't control.

After that, it's a brief period of self-reflection from Ochako. We start seeing her less and less. She gets busy with her internship with Ryukyu and the team and we later see that they help defeat that giant villain in ch 156.

We later see that one of the biggest developments of Ochako comes from ch 163, where she regrets not being able to save Sir Nighteye.

In the class 1a vs 1b arc, she saves Deku when his quirk blackwhip goes haywire. If it wasn't for her quick thinking, again God knows what would have happened.

She may not have numerous power quirks like Deku but she's a capable hero in her own right and that is depicted in the Joint training arc when not only does she save Deku, but also manages to KO 3/5 people in the opponents team (Monoma, Rei, Poltergeist). She was literally the MVP of that arc.

Plus we get to see more of what runs inside her brain. Her ideology about forms the basis for one of the greatest arcs in the story.

"Who saves the heroes when they are in pain?"

After JTA, they again go to their internships and when they come back Deku apologises for what happened during JTA. Note that even though it was never shown, he was still concerned about Ochako.

He was sad that he unknowingly hurt her (much like how he says thank you very later after her speech). But Ochako on the other hand brushes it off, saying it's not a big deal and it inspired her to use wires much like Sero and Deku.

So, we see this relationship of give and take come into play again and again where they both inspire the other to do their best. Then they share a cute fist bump.

On Christmas, out of pure coincidence (wink** wink** Horikoshi) they both receive each other's presents.

Also note that, Ochako gets her hero costume upgraded after JTA, where she starts using those grappling hooks to grab and throw stuff, much like Deku and also attaches tiny rockets in her heels for more mobility.

Plus, that cute tiny pocket where she keeps her AM plushie❤️(that she got as Christmas gift from Deku). I think, after Bakugo and Deku, she has the most useful costume upgrade in the entire class!

Also, when Deku has a battle with Shigaraki in the 1st war, there is an entire chapter dedicated to Ochako vs Toga. Plus, she also gets to witness the aftermath of the war and her face, even now serves as the highlight for that chapter (ch 295).

The ragged blanket of heroism shed that day and what was left was the remains, of what it means to be a hero.

And for someone who was initially there for the money, it is especially important that she gets to witness this. It was the true horrors of hero society. She witnessed all this and still chose to stay in that line of work already says that she is way past her old thinking.

She's not some government agent like Hawks or Nagant or training to become the No 1 hero like Deku, Bakugo or Endeavour. Her life is simple, much like the citizens she saves, but it still matters.

And that's what makes her a People's Hero.

And finally after the first war, Deku leaves UA and Ochako rethinks "Who saves the heroes when they are in need?" and after that point onwards there was no looking back as her character arc takes a great turn!!

We get an entire arc of Dark Deku, indulging more and more into the darkness of his own powers and almost 10 chapters later we see a completely different Ochako.

I still remember people talking about it when ch 319 dropped.

This Ochako is ready to take action and takes shit from no one! One of the greatest character developments if you ask me. Ochako in a way is more like Lucy from Fairytail. Gets ignored most of the time but their moments are just as important.

Even though Deku went around saving people for days, people started viewing him as a villain. Ochako's speech brought him back to being a human.

Not a hero, not a villain, just a human.

And then we see her thinking about Toga, and how she didn't know the first thing about her in ch 342. She had a chat with Deku, where she confided in him. I think that kind of emotional intimacy is what makes their relationship interesting.

Her morals matter a lot to Deku, believe it or not! And that's why when she asks him to leave and take care of Shigaraki in ch 348, he thinks back to this conversation and unwillingly obliges.

Because he has faith in her, the kind that cannot be expressed in words. That comes from a long time understanding of each other...that is beyond comprehension for many people and that's why her "Do your best!" matters because that's what they have been doing since the day they met!

~Sunshine

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missyaess · 2 years ago

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Maybe Meant To Be - Fake Dating - pt.1

pt.2 pt.3

Katsuki bakugo x Jealous Reader x Midoriya Izuku

You were all training together when the familiar uncomfortable feeling made its way in your stomach.Uraraka was a great friend of yours,always has been.Still,you couldn’t help but get angry at the way she was standing so close to your crush during sparring.Especially with the way you knew she used to have a crush on him for a few months at the start of the year.You knew it was childish so you never said it out loud,but you didn’t need to with the way you were staring daggers at the poor girl.Noticing this,Mina put a hand on your shoulder.

-Uh oh, we might find a certain floaty girl murdered tonight in her bed.

At this you scoffed and removed her hand from your shoulder.

-Stop it.

You weren’t mad at Mina,she was just trying to help.But you were so on edge you could just blow up any minute.You’ve been staring too long that Uraraka noticed you and she smiled nervously with a hand on her neck.You smiled back but dropped it instantly as she removed her gaze from yours.You honestly felt horrible but still couldn’t help it.

-I honestly don’t get you two.

Mina said as she gestured between you and Bakugo who was uncharacteristically laughing at something Uraraka said.You huffed and averted your gaze to Mina.

-What do you mean?

She laughed and pulled you closer as you two started walking away from the scene to somewhere more secluded.

-You two are always competing yet somehow you have a soft spot for each other.

You blushed and smiled at her comment.That was true and you loved your relationship the way it was.You both challenged and brought out the best in each other.You studied and fought harder just to beat Bakugo.

You were smiling to yourself when you heard a laughter and you found yourself brought back to reality.Uraraka was laughing at something Bakugo said like he was the funniest guy alive.A scowl started to form on your face.

-Hey Y/N!

You didn’t even notice Midoriya approach you two.He waved a hand in front of your face to break you out of your trance and smiled kindly.That’s what you loved about Izuku Midoriya,he had the kindest smile.

-Hi Izuku.You done for the day?

-Yeah, i was wondering if you guys wanted to study together for the test coming up.

As you talked about the upcoming tests and exams and more school stuff,you forgot all about Bakugo and Uraraka.You were thankful to Midoriya for the distraction.

-Okay,I’ll see you later then.

As Midoriya left with that,Aizawa announced that the training session was over.You all went to your dorms and after you took a shower you lied down on your bed,scrolling through your phone.That’s when you saw it.

Uraraka had posted a picture of your crush with the caption ‘best teammate!!’and he was smiling in the picture.He was smiling?He didn’t usually smile to his friends.You couldn’t help the growing feeling of jealousy in your stomach.Your heart dropped when you saw Bakugo liked it.This was it.They were going to date and you would die alone.Oh god,why was this happening to you?Tears started forming in your eyes but you blinked them away.You weren’t going to cry because of something like this.You just needed a distraction.As you were about to call Mina she called you first.

-Y/N DID YOU SEE WHAT URARAKA POST-

-Yeah I did,don’t remind me please.

-Girl are you okay?I can come over if you want.

-Actually that would be great,thanks.

You hung up and as you waited for Mina,you opened up the post again.Were they dating?Did Uraraka confess and he returned his feelings?You hoped this was just their way of showing their friendship and nothing more.As you were lost in thought someone knocked on your door.Thank god Mina’s finally here.

You jumped out your bed and went to open the door.When you opened the door it was not who you were expecting.

-Midoriya?What are you doing here?

The shy boy scratched his neck.

-I needed to talk to you.

-Oh,is there something wrong?

-Well,kinda.

He mumbled something’s to himself while you invited him by stepping away.Sitting on your bed you invited him near you.

-Look,I kinda noticed the way you look at and act around Kacchan and I think you like him.

You were full on panicking mode.If the most oblivious boy ever knew,everybody could figure it out!Were you that obvious?

-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about I don’t-

-It’s fine!I like Uraraka-chan.

He cut you off uncharacteristically.You were shocked at his confession.Of course you noticed,but why was he saying these things to you?

-Oh…I’m confused Midoriya.

-I’m sure you saw the post she posted…With Kacchan.

-Yeah…Are you okay?

-Same as you I guess…No.

You both stayed in awkward silence for a while before there was another knock on your door.

-Oh,were you expecting someone?

-It’s just Mina.You can stay if you want.

-If it’s not a problem I’d like to stay.

He smiled and your heart warmed at his smile.He was such a sweet boy.

As you both filled Mina in on everything,she had this mischievous smirk on her face.

-Why are you so happy about our tragedy again?

You asked as Mina put her arm around you.

-Because, my dear friend, I have an idea.That involves the both of you,Uraraka-Chan And Bakugo.

Midoriya and you looked at each other before looking back at Mina.

-What is it?

-You two should date each other.

-WHAT?

You both said in unison,Midoriya getting redder by the second.You were not much better.

-Not like that dummies!Fake dating,to get Bakugo and Uraraka jealous!

-But…would that work?

Midoriya’s question surprised you.Was he really willing to do this?Then again,weren’t you?What did you have to lose?

-Look,I think they both have a thing for you but I don’t know what’s going on between them either.Let’s try this and find out,plus wouldn’t it be fun?

You talked about the plan for an hour before Mina decided it was time for her to leave and you were left alone with Midoriya.

-So…we’re really doing this huh?

You asked to break the silence.

-Yeah…You want to right?

-Of course!Even if it fails we won’t lose anything.Right?

-Yes,of course.

Midoriya got up slowly clearing his throat.

-I better leave too.See you tomorrow.

-Yeah,see you.

You knew what Midoriya said meant more than I’ll see you tomorrow in class.It meant we’ll be dating from now on.And you were really excited to see how things would play out.

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