#pikahlua asks

[chocmuffinsscones]

This is by far the best theory I've seen out there. The weight of characters' thoughts and feelings are handled with so much care, considering the possibility by the details of the panel and angle of shots as well as their respective speech/narration bubbles, pikah either you share the same brain as hori's or you're him basically.

Going from the movie to the ongoing development of Katsuki, I fear hori will take the fanfiction route so hard all the readers gonna be so dumbfounded at the end. Truly, what's the ultimate character development for Katsuki and Izuku if not Katsuki himself accepting and proclaiming that Izuku can be a hero even without ofa? And whose acknowledgement would mean the most to Izuku besides Katsuki?

However tho I do think Izuku is still gonna have the remnants of ofa in him even if he gave it up - same concept as how AM had been and currently is, which is in a way suggesting that he finally made the power his own. That he'll be given access to the last piece of ofa, without any of the vestiges residing in it besides his own, and that it's a time-limited one since the essence of his heroism isn't relying on quirks but of utilising it to maximise his heroic activities. And for the bittersweet embellishment on top, I hope Izuku's gonna remain servicing as a pro hero with the remaining embers for as long as he has it and switched to available social community services after his fulfilling retirement. He would be the greatest hero ever in history for saving tomura, for concluding the era of ofa/afo, and Katsuki, AM, as well as all the 1A's gonna be the ones to witness his unrelenting growth, both inspiring themselves and each other to be better heroes for their recovering society.

I'm saying these because these are the limited idealistic possibilities I'd wish to see in the least. I know hori is going to gift us the best ending we'll never see coming (besides pikahlua, you're going to get hit so hard by the dodgeball of prophecy 👀) . On a final note, I do hope hori will surprise us more and enlighten me of how ingenious he's going to bring the story around. MyHeroAca is going to make history in SJ if he continues down that road.

Wait pika do you really mean don't ask you about predictions? Some of my favourite Tumblr posts of all time are your thoughts, theories and predictions! :((

Please sleep also, but when you can let us know what's going on in that head of yours. I'm desperate for someone with a brain cell to discuss this chapter! (Twitter is a cesspit)

I mean, you can ask lol. I just sometimes get these vague "any predictions?" asks and it's like, YES. YES I HAVE SOME. BUT IT'S FAR TOO MANY TO JUST LIST LIKE THAT, CAN YOU PLEASE BE MORE SPECIFIC?

Okay, I'll tell you about my thoughts.

This is a new frame of the scene in chapter 1. This perspective doesn't exist as a drawing in chapter 1, but we know pretty easily what this scene was about. Why is Horikoshi putting the scene here though? Why does this scene have the line "Let go of One For All"? Why not draw Kudou saying it, or Izuku's reaction to it? Is it because this is a memory of the scene where Izuku receives OFA, so giving OFA up is coming around full circle to this moment again?

I don't think so.

This is not the moment where All Might proclaims "you are worthy of inheriting my power" and Izuku looks up in shock. This is the moment where All Might says the words Izuku has longed to hear his whole life: "You can become a hero."

We're coming back to this moment now because the emphasis is on Izuku's upcoming choice. This is about the MEANING Izuku places in OFA. All Might told Izuku "you can't become a hero without a quirk," then shows up to tell Izuku he can become a hero...by giving him his quirk.

To Izuku, letting go of One For All is sacrificing his greatest dream. He believes by giving up One For All, he can no longer be a hero. Even though there have been moments where All Might let on that the reason Izuku deserves to have OFA is because he's already a hero, Izuku never seems to internalize that answer. He thinks his heroism is tied to being the bearer of One For All.

No one has ever told Izuku he can be a hero without a quirk.

I said before I had a big guess about why Katsuki's memory was wiped at the end of Heroes Rising. Notably, he is allowed to remember most of what happens. His memory cuts off from the moment Izuku passed One For All onto him. Do you remember what Katsuki said after he got OFA?

"This is the end of your dream then, too, huh?"

That's the last thing he ever says on the matter. Sure, it's the moment where Izuku answers with "It's okay if it's you" and all that, but Katsuki never responds to that. We don't know what he's thinking about this moment.

The only clue we have is the fact that he accepted the quirk from Izuku, and how he reacted to that. He seems quite upset by the prospect, but in the end he relents and accepts OFA willingly.

Perhaps the issue he is grappling with in his heart in these moments is not the fact that he has to inherit OFA but that Izuku has to lose it. Which means...the reason he loses his memory is because his reaction is important. It's a moment we will have in the manga, which makes it a spoiler.

We've never heard Katsuki tell Izuku what he thinks of quirklessness now. All he's ever told Izuku is that way back when, he thought it meant Izuku was supposed to be beneath him. He doesn't even tell Izuku why he felt like somehow Izuku was actually above him.

He's also only ever told Izuku his actions were correct ever since he received One For All, nothing about before.

I think Katsuki's reaction to Izuku losing OFA--which could come before the final battle or after--will have to be about his feelings regarding Izuku's quirklessness. I think Izuku is going to be incredibly hurt by losing One For All because he'll think he has lost his dream, and Katsuki is going to have to set him right, because only Katsuki knew who Izuku was before he had One For All. All Might is the only other person who had at best a glimpse of Izuku.

I think Katsuki has been coming to terms with just how special Izuku is, how heroic he always has been, and that he's the only one capable of acknowledging it in a way Izuku will be able to hear because he knew Izuku before he got One For All. I think he's been grappling with this possibility ever since DvK2.

And I think he grapples with it again in Katsuki Bakugou: Rising.

In the same way Izuku saw something great in Katsuki that he wanted to cling to so he could see what Katsuki would one day become, Katsuki has always seen something great in Izuku, which awed and scared him. Their greatest divide was in not knowing what greatness the other saw in them. Katsuki has to tell Izuku what Izuku is to him.

Katsuki has to tell Izuku the words he's always wanted to hear, that he can be a hero, quirk or no, that Izuku always has been a hero, more than anybody else. Katsuki knows the truth of it firsthand.

[aromanticannibal]

The pattern is that people straight up do not read™. or they read a 3-5 tweet summary of what happened and treat it as if they did. or because shonen expectations based on "the classics" is bullshit and significantly rotted people's brains when deciding wether an ending is good or not.

Which could be nothing right

yeahhh. i will forever regret reading the last chapter through leaks because it was a dreadful experience, and watching everyone ever shit on it for like a week after genuinely made me want to just get off the internet forever or something because i felt like an idiot for liking the ending (all this is my fault for getting too invested in both tumblr and mha etc etc).

All the "it's rushed" and pacing complaints barely matter to me at this point because you just cannot feel the pacing of something correctly when you're reading it exclusively through leaks. you can't absorb info like that. And don't get me started on the number of complaints and criticisms I've seen of the last chapter that are just provably bullshit (I saw someone say Izuku didn't get a statue lmao. yes he did, you just read the fucking leaks and watched twitter drama unfold instead of reading the actual chapter i fear).

[atalkingrat]

LEARNED MY LESSON ABOUT WAITING FOR THE OFFICIAL TRANSLATION (ch429 spoilers)

The fan translation and a Plot Armour video really had me thinking that chapter 429 ended with Izuku and Uraraka sneaking off together (it didn't).

I'm talking about this:

The fan translation, Iida says, "Hey! What are you two doing?"

Clearly, in the official translation, he is asking "Is all well, you two?" after seeing them share a look. They're sharing a look because the just witnessed "Granny" saving that mysterious kid, not because they were caught heading off together someplace.

Here is them doing that on the adjacent page:

As @pikahlua always warns, wait for the official translation before casting judgement.

[siflshonen]

Hi, I love your analyses and your fics! 💕Especially that Eureka Seven AU man ngl it lives in my head and starts playing in my local theaters every other night at 2 AM, but *clears throat* I'm getting off topic lol :D do you have a bakudeku fic/authors rec list?

I'm honored you read the Eureka Seven one!

Good Bakudeku authors... the truth is, there are SO MANY. Just in general, and so many that are really, truly excellent. I have begun consuming more and more fic lately as I feel the itch of the subtext of what's happening in the manga rapidly becoming text and just plain consuming me, but many of the individual stories I've read can be GREAT as a story but perhaps not so great as a canon-faithful representation of Bakudeku - so I'm not entirely sure what kind of Bakudeku you're asking for ("fun and good story" versus "horny vignette" versus "that's totally Katsuki and Izuku.")

Also, like, for several of these authors, their Bakudeku portrayals evolved as the series progressed and we all learned more about these characters and the varnish of what BNHA pretends to be (superhero stock shonen!) peeled off to show what it actually is (The newest generation of something that should never have been domesticated now outgrowing the limits of the modern genre.) This is always good to keep in mind when looking at the dates of each work published.

Um, it's hard to pick just a few, and even harder when there's no specific direction about what TYPE. So here's a scattershot off the top of my head:

Me. My work. Read Mundane Crimes, Public Displays of Affection and I Want What I Don't Deserve. Those actually have some substance to them. The rest are kind of whatever, but you may still find them fun.

Kickass AUs and All-Rounders

chymerical is my favorite author on this list. They can do anything. I care about sports now because of chymerical. There's your fuckin' fadeaway.

young_crone - some are truly Bakudeku and some are just great stories that are using familiar names. Read all of 'em.

SmartiMart - Variant Edition is a sweeping epic and fascinating enough that the Bakudeku isn't actually its primary draw for me. Please also read Where in the World is Marigold? It's not Bakudeku, but I love it. SmartiMart is clever, inventive, and sometimes so much of a romantic that it makes me go, "woah, now! That's a bit much!" but in the best way.

iphido - this author has only one work for bakudeku, and it is worth it.

nicc - bite-sized sweet scenes, though many are very NSFW. Consistently excellent.

pikahlua - Dragonheart. this is your kick in the pants to finish those scenes, Pika.

Romantic Comedies

qodqodqod - Cringe comedy where love always, always, always prevails and bakudeku can't out-stupid their way out of it. Great job of not making the miscommunication, or lack of communication, a bore or overdone past what it needs to be.

heartsinhay - the cringe comedies are named that for a reason.

Darker Stuff

rironomind - apparently published something new earlier this year and I missed it??? DAMN! Existential, experimental, melancholic, high concept, fantastic. Rom's work is mostly in this category because it tends to throw curveballs at the reader. This is the category that just felt the most right by its vibes.

bkdkink - Lemonhead specifically.

Roadtripwithlucifer (read their new stuff too) - horny, but focused and full, full, full of ennui and anger and love and grief. It's the confidence of handling the last four that makes these works shine.

Surveycorpsjean - hit or miss for me personally, but always well done.

majjale - always great work; sometimes hit-or-miss for me personally on the bakudeku.

[chocmuffinsscones]

OMG I know this is my brainrot speaking, but I've been following up with lots of pikahlua's theories and remember that one anon asked about what would be a surprise if things didn't go close as pika's latest ofa theory? Pika said it would be a kiss if they honestly mean a surprise out of nowhere.

BUT.

What if that wouldn't be a surprise after all?

Katsuki was meant to become a transcendent one just like his supposed route in heroes rising. Paralleling Tomura with AFO, now that when he wake up, the next step to complete that parallel is to gain a power equivalent to afo. But how would he obtain that?

Seeing Izuku struggling to breathe, maybe slowing down in the heat/middle of the fight, realising that it was ofa that was causing his suffering. Katsuki would definitely, desperately wants to help him. So maybe. MAYBE, they would finally have their talk and with Izuku's consent of transferring ofa to Katsuki, they sealed it with a kiss!! PLEASE IGNORE OR READ THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT THIS IS LITERALLY MY BRAINWORM TALKING

Will that be a surprise? TREMENDOUSLY

Would that work as a different, better version of heroes rising? WITHOUT A DOUBT

Would that work logically in the narrative? Symbolically, yes. (something about reconciliation of the great divide)

Conclusion?

There's more to expect from Hori. But most of the time Hori loves to come up with the unexpected. Maybe he would let Eri rewind Izuku's condition. But that wouldn't tick off one of the point from the checklist(not that it has to, only that it will feel slightly incomplete for one of the ongoing theme of the story). Maybe he would miraculously let Izuku overcome it with his protagonist plot armour but left with a lingering side effect. Maybe Katsuki gained ofa equivalent by his own quirk awakening/through the vestige realm anyway and they still kiss have that cpr for helping Izuku breathe.

Firstly tho, Hori needs to rest before getting back to drawing. I know how much it hurts with a shoulder problem. Hopefully him rushing isn't a manga studio's decision

Ok, I hate to be the person in the corner screaming about Promare relating to MHA and even BKDK again, but, I can't help thinking here----

(spoilers below cut of Promare(Studio Trigger)

OK so it's being said that due to the 2nd's Gear Shift Quirk, Izuku could soon start feeling some heavy consequences of its use, including NOT BEING ABLE TO BREATHE, which, everyone is thinking could be a death flag maybe? At the very least, it would be a huge problem. Especially since Shigaraki isn't KO'd yet and AFO himself is on the way, no doubt to fuck everything up for the Heroes even more(and likely target Izuku and even Katsuki)

Obviously, grain of salt since the chapter isn't officially out yet, and we don't exactly know all the details of what this means.

BUT OK going on this not being able to breathe thing, Remember how in Promare, (SPOILERS, and forgive me I'm a bit rusty on all details) Lio nearly dies at the end, having used all his flame, but Galo, having seen earlier in the film how to revive a Burnish with a Kiss of life--Specifically Breathing their flame into the mouth of the other, does so for Lio.

(I didn't even use the best/most iconic shot of this moment bc I highly recommend you see it for yourself if you haven't and have decided to read my post anyway--)

It's a Burnish version of CPR but the one between Galo and Lio is treated very tenderly, like a kiss...I'm serious; the scene is slowed down, multiple shots, lighting is immaculate, Galo's tilting of Lio's chin, as shown above is JUST SO GENTLE... Paired with all the tension between these two leading up to this point, this READS LIKE A ROMANCE AND A KISS. (also this is either here nor there, but there's also an instance of what many call Straight-baiting XD)

But do we see where I'm going here?

So, Izuku pushes himself all the way to the brink, and stops being able to breathe as a consequence. The tides turn in ShigAFO's favor as Izuku loses the ability to keep up the fight. Katsuki comes to and pieces together what he's missed while being dazed and confused. Finds that Izuku has been fighting but is not reaching victory, and even worse, is now on the ropes; his time limit is spent. His body is breaking down.

He can't breathe.

And while a lot of them looking on don't know the whys or the details; it's obvious that Izuku is dying, suffocating.

Katsuki, knowing that OFA is a cursed power, can put enough of the puzzle together to know that this is a Quirk that is killing him.

He becomes involved again. He can't stay back anymore. HE IGNITES. He jumps in against everyone's advisements, rockets to Izuku, fights Shig and/or AFO off if he has to.

He hopes it's not too late as he presses his lips to Izuku's, he breathes for him.

Obviously this is a BKDK pipe dream and I know it will not occur but it was a brainworm nonetheless XD I'm sorry/not sorry, I saw Promare and that kiss of life won't leave my brain. It's such a beautiful movie.

Bonus, this is also how the two characters in Promare START:

I--I'm just saying.

The AU writes itself and Lio reads like a Vigilante Hero Deku. Galo is the fire fighter with the Burning soul and wants to burn brightest, I mean, if that is not BAKUGOU...

[that-spider-fan-over-there]

So I've read Chapter 427: "Who Was Shigaraki Tomura?"

Or as I am calling it in my head: *lights up candle* ... Is it a safe space to be a BNHA Hero and Villain fan yet? 

Okay, this is gonna be a long one- Prefacing this:

I love Izuku. I really really do. And I also wanted Spinner to lash out at him. This was even more than I could've asked for- I'd have been 100% on board with Spinner's vengeful widow arc if he wanted. Jokes aside, I liked. 2/3 of the chapter, would've been fine without the Overhaul stuff. I'm switching typing "Tenko | Tomura", probably, so please bear with me.

Spinner's been called a hypocrite for calling Izuku a murderer. I don't think Izuku is one; he wanted to save Tenko, broke his mental barriers to reach out when he gave away OFA, not to destroy his body. I don't think he knew the end result until Tomura!AFO was really breaking down. He failed, and he’s drowning in guilt (eyebags, repression, war veteran look, letting Spinner take it out on him).

In Spinner's defense: he's faced discrimination from society. His first friends were the LoV. Outcasts like him, no one would've been surprised if Spinner killed someone, sad as it is. Stain spared Izuku as a worthy hero, yet he fought Tomura, and no corpse was left. The flawed logic of Ch. 19: Heroes and Villains commit violence, but a hero was seen killing a person, and is praised for it. Who cares "Midoriya Izuku killed a person"? Hero Deku defeated a villain. Of course he'll be a "hypocrite" and say that.

Late add-on: It can feel worse because even Spinner fell into the bystander mentality; even he knew he could've helped Tomura before the final battle but didn't, and is dwelling on "what if a hero rescued him then?" Izuku technically is the only person to extend a hand, even if the results were. Well. Izuku tried and still was not enough. It's a gut punch on both.

Izuku saying he won't deny the murder comment, though? Cheers, I want him to have a mental breakdown. (I mean, he didn't have to talk to Spinner personally. I think it's both him wanting to honor Tenko and being driven by guilt).

People calling Tomura a monster is justified, even if it sucks. Tenko never had a choice in believing he was anything other than that and It's 100% AFO's fault. But in the end, Tomura still made the kill, unfair as it is. Not humanizing him, however, is a mistake; he should be humanized. Anyone could've ended up the way he did. Spinner is just on the extreme of sympathizing way too much to acknowledge how much suffering he brought. Society isn't better, they've regressed into Pre-AM paranoia. 

Pikahlua (here and here) and Kikibats (Twitter, here) said Ch. 322 scene was paralleled, and I'm kinda relieved— I thought I was brainrotting the parallels. So I'm just repeating them rn:

Scarred right side, the "regretful murderer" facing a grieving Spinner vs. the intact left side, the "child soldier young hero" bearing too much, listening as an apology for Spinner? From stranger danger to a connection no one else has. And then they stop facing each other when Spinner breaks down from how much Tomura meant to him as his first friend, hero and hope, something Izuku only saw a glimpse of!? (likely foreshadowing Izuku's own emotions yet to burst) Damn that was good. (I hate the scar but that was a good use I gotta admit)

(Parallels of fanboys with identity issues following someone like them, seeing them as their heroes, and when they died, lost control of themselves and their Quirks and now they're lost as to what to do next?! Being a Spinneraki shipper paid off in a way I didn't expect but should've.)

(Also every duo that has "My Hero/Hope/Light" is romantically canon I do not make the rules take it up with Horikoshi- /j)

Izuku's repressing for taking Spinner's grief and letting him manhandle him (really, just Spinner doing the equivalent of grabbing him by the collar and breaking down, but angst's angst). Taking a step further: Ch. 118, Someone wanted to fight and be punished for something that wasn't on them, after weeks of hiding their guilt. Time for Someone to be there 'cause Izuku ain't handling it alone. And I miss emotional Izuku I want him back, but His Trauma Also Has Hands.

Spinner writing a book to spread Tomura's gospel and Izuku suggesting to make it a comic makes sense; Quirk Singularity/Meta Liberation book (as he narrated the My Villain Academia Arc) vs. the OFA/AFO conflict that started through comics Toshinori, Yoichi and AFO read as kids. Those books were taken as bull or rewritten to fit the times/ideals, and only a select few read it. Comics would play into the reality-fantasy themes and reach the younger generation. Past doesn't die but if you don't let it haunt you it can be a lesson to take for the future. How would that be executed depends on how much Tenko is romanticized or sympathized with.

Izuku says he won't forget the LoV (and let's be honest, neither will Shoto, Ochako and Katsuki. And Iida, with luck) feels a little empty for now, so I'm betting on hindsight to see what he will do with this knowledge. After all, Izuku is (supposedly) the symbol of hope and the reality check everyone needs. It's still there, tangled in that trauma, the silly hero fanboy who's way too selfless, reckless and willing to fight for what he loves at the cost of himself. He just gotta let it sink; he doesn't have to hide and do it alone.

Waiting for Izuku to prove everyone wrong is just common sense :3

And the "Joki Joki" guy is being set-up to be either Tenko (ideal scenario) or someone who'll stand in as him (not-so-ideal in my opinion), and will definitely face the shunning from the civilians. They want to return to their fantasy, but consequences exist for a reason.

I'm convinced this is the beginning it was being referred to in 403: An era of reform for the world of BNHA. And it's part of the reason I am sold on the idea of a sequel; if that's the end of it, then that's a hell of a lead for a bittersweet/bleak ending for a story all about hope and bright futures. What does it mean to be a hero in a world that doesn't trust them anymore? Well, why not explore that?

Okay, with that out of the way. Overhaul. I don't care for him, so: he's pathetic, cry harder and maybe I'll feel bad, Izuku may hate him but still. Too kind to save him. His boss woke up to put him in his place (as if growing up in mafia didn't mess him up too. Joy /s.), too little too late, I hope Aizawa has official custody of Eri, otherwise she's gonna have to go back (adoption in Japan is only for 6yo and under so they can absorb them into their family. Eri is 7 so I hope she's staying with Aizawa). I'm sorry but. No.

After that, not many thoughts, but I see possible foreshadowing of Hawks bringing in more heroes, maybe a rehab for both villains and heroes? I hope so. (Izuku asked if he had that much power. I say: He should have. As a treat. :3333)

And as for the last page: Weird that it wasn't a Himichako cliffhanger but I guess it's because they'll be the last plot point of 428 and it'll lead up to "Joki Joki". I'm also expecting Hawks to be there, because of Twice.

And 2-A will be good role models, teaching 1st years blind worship is not good but that aside. Those fangirls better pack it up Shoto doesn't care (glad the family stuff didn't affect his school popularity) and if Katsuki isn't enjoying the attention then we got confirmation he swings for the other team- /hj

And with that, I finish this by saying: Fuck everyone who ignored Tenko, especially that hag who didn't help Tenko and led him to a hero or the police. She just had to drop him off with someone. It wasn't like he was gonna kill her back then as a traumatized 6yo fearing his own hands.

Thank you for reading!

[transhawks]

sorry for the cringe ask pls ignore if you want but with these chapters of the todofam do yuo think it is like "wrong" to not see anything poetic/pretty/anything like that about the family and mostly touya and endeavor situation? ive seen all these texts (not here though) abt how touya loves his father and is a Liar™ while also ignoring most of what he went through and his feelings of anger and bitterness i mean... sure there is/was love behind the hurt but i feel like i read the story wrongly

Okay, let's break down your ask a bit because it's not that I think you read the story wrong, it's that there's a missing component that I see a lot of people miss when it comes to stories like this:

you can love your abuser.

you can love your abuser.

most of us love our abusers.

Now, and I think this is something I believe that uhh I've argued with my friends over - I don't know how much parents who abuse their kids "love" them. It's complicated and a case-by-case basis, but I want to say that often it's love for what they want the child to be, not the child themselves. I've said it a few times over the years: out of the all the Todoroki children, the only child that got Enji as an actual father from the start was Touya. Toddler Shouto is scared of him, Enji seemingly didn't interact much with Natsuo as a baby or toddler, maybe to avoid the issue he had with Touya. And, well, bluntly, Fuyumi was essentially a baby sister for Touya's sake. Add to that the Japanese tradition of male primogeniture, and you get a very, very strong reason for why Touya loves his father and hates him at the same time, especially since this is met with apathy from Enji's end (as Touya thinks). As @pikahlua said recently, the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. The actions and desperations of Todoroki Touya to be seen by the man he loves, no matter if the man in question doesn't deserve this adoration, are signs of a child yearning to be loved by his father, not ignored. Now, let's break down your ask: "Poetic/pretty"

Abuse isn't poetic or pretty. It's abuse. It's messy, and it creates rifts and broken, messy people who don't make sense and move through the world breaking things further. I know that's quite a harsh thing to say about other victims like this, but I'm not going to candy-coat it - victimhood is not virtuous. Being abused and victimized doesn't automatically make you good person or a better person, and you are not a better person for having struggled. In fact, honestly, trying to do good will be that much harder. And this is exactly why cycles of abuse are replicated.

Touya is both a liar and he isn't - because he's abused and that creates irrational feelings about the abuser and what happened. His lies are mostly to himself. That's how you get Touya maniacally making a video decrying all of hero society propping up abusers while trying to murder his younger brother in sheer jealousy that he wasn't abused the way he was.

I'm going to use the same words I use for Hawks: when are you people going to understand people who are fucked in the head are fucked in the head?

To me it makes sense that Touya has conflicting thoughts and feelings because people, especially mentally people who got there due to abuse, have conflicting thoughts and feelings. That's what you go to therapy to fix. (no one in BNHA goes to therapy) So, where does that leave you, anon? I think it's again about a greater question of what kind of stories you want to read. I will always agree we need more stories where child abuse victims walk away from their families and get to be happy about it. I get that the reconciliation stories like Encanto have their place, but for so long that's been such a big narrative in why people like me have to continue to have ties with people who hurt us. But BNHA isn't bucking that formula.

Horikoshi's own experiences and perspectives on abuse want wish fulfillment. And in his wishes, he wants the abuser to say sorry. Most abusers never get to where Enji has gotten. However, a good chunk of people don't want Enji to even say "I'm sorry" in the first place, and that's where I feel the story was just not written with them in mind. So, if you read the story wrong, it's because you wanted something different from it. You wanted a different type of narrative of abuse. Neither Horikoshi or you are wrong in wanting or writing this sort of story, it's just that the story is not for you. And accepting that will make you a happier person in the long run. Sometimes stories just aren't for you. I keep beating this like a dead horse; a large amount of the fandom, especially among my fellow villain-stans, didn't heed my warnings that the story wasn't going to end with what they wanted and they'd end up frustrated and angry at spending so much time for something that feels flat to them because they couldn't adjust their expectations. Lo and behold, it's too late now and now people are in their feelings about something they could have simply dropped or accepted. I'm sorry the story isn't for you and I hope you find a manga that suits you better in the future.

[granny-griffin]

If you don't mind sharing, what were some of your favorite bnha fics you read in 2023?

Sure! Sounds super fun!

my mother cut a hole in the air (and vanished into it) by ghostwriterofthemachine

Todoroki Fuyumi character study where she gives herself an angst haircut.

There is no love that is not an echo by LenaTheOddity

Shinsou brainwashes All Might to send him into the vestige dreamscape of OFA so that he can talk to Shimura Nana.

water under the bridge by orphan_account

Midoriya and Bakugou go back to the log bridge and it’s super nostalgic—this fic has ideal vibes.

wet matches, heavy summers by notreally

I read this fic so many times before going to bed when I had exams coming up, its such ideal whump hurt/comfort. 

Gauntlet Thrown by pikahlua

Future fic where Aizawa interviews Bakugou who is applying for a job at UA. It’s so funny they are in a psychological battle the entire time.

suspend disbelief by mystyrust

Quite possibly the best use of html in a fic I’ve ever seen, also a cool meta commentary on the process of growing as a writer.

incredible things by iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid

5 + 1 about Aizawa teaching Eri how to control her quirk and their relationship developing.

unconditional within reason by konan_konan for Effervescent_Gem

Uraraka and Midoriya and I have no idea how to keep describing it without spoiling it. It’s good and you should read it.

Throw The Last Door Open by the_crownless_queen for Withstarryeyes

Bakugou and Midoriya try to visit All Might inthe hospital, but the elevator breaks and the shenanigans do not slow down from there.

Operation Cheer Up Kacchan! by blossomshed

Kirishima and Kaminari keep asking Midoriya for advice for cheering up Bakugou, but everything Midoriya suggests keeps backfiring despite being well thought out—a whole comedy of errors ensues.

after whiskey, saint anthony always gets mean by ArsenicInYourPudding

Midoriya is found after being kidnapped but doesn’t remember the last several years, so Bakugou has to act like his younger self in order to convince Midoirya he’s with people he knows and not under some kind of illusion quirk. 

Heavenly River by vannahoneshots (vannahfanfics)

Bakugou and Midoriya go to a festival—there’s lots of cool descriptions and details!

Also check out my ao3 bookmarks if you want more recs!

[bury-me-in-potatoes]

BNHA 426

I'm very satisfied with this chapter! While I wasn't expecting the focus to shift away from the Todofam so quickly, I'm glad to see that Touya is still alive (for now lol), and that the entire family is taking steps to reconnect with him, especially Enji.

There might be some backlash over the fact that he seemingly hasn't really been punished for what he did, but I think having to live with the fact that he ruined his family with his own hands is probably more than enough. I'm not sure if jail time is in his future, but I'm sure if it came to that he'd accept it, unless it meant going back on his promise to Touya.

The scene where Shouto asks Touya what his favourite food is and Touya says it's soba was equal parts heartwarming and funny, even if I did call it a little bit lol. I'm glad Touya seems to have let go of his hatred for his younger brother. Hopefully they can begin to repair their relationship before Touya (presumably) dies.

I wasn't expecting Touya dying to be confirmed, but most of my worry was that he'd die before the family got to speak with him and reassure him of their desire to reconnect, so now that that's happened, I feel better about this. I don't think Touya was ever really making it out alive, due to turning himself into a charcoal briquette, but hopefully he still has some time left before he passes.

Another thing I wasn't expecting was Hawks being with Lady Nagant! I never really considered them as a duo before, but I'm glad they get along. I think Nagant is right in not immediately trusting to not be used again, especially since it's happened twice now, but it still sucks. Gentle and La Brava are always super enjoyable to watch lmao and I'm glad their contributions were recognized.

I never really considered that Hawks might be made the new chairman for the PSC, but I'm looking forward to what he does. I'm sure he's clever enough for the job. To be honest, I still don't really know what they do, but I'm sure he'll do better than the last couple chairmen. And I'm glad Spinner seems to be alright, albeit unconscious (?). I'm assuming that we'll get a scene where Izuku relays Tomura's last message, which I'm excited about.

This chapter was kind of bittersweet in that the Todoroki family storyline does seem to have been wrapped up nicely, and things are really looking up for everyone, but at the same time I know this means the manga is coming to an end. I'm still excited to see what Horikoshi has in store for the rest of the chapters, though. Thanks to @pikahlua as always for translating the chapters!

[mamapyjama]

Ahh thank you so much for adding so much beautiful context and extras! I’d forgotten about the romantic tag in that chapter. OOF. Masterful.

Someone else asked lovely Pikahlua about the kare thing too, and I completely agree with both your readings of it. And yes, it is absolutely Enough that we have this incredible confirmation that Deku is the one Kacchan has been holding out for all this time. It’s mind blowing!!

As usual, I didn’t make overt theories as I really enjoy watching others put their own spin on it—bouncing ideas off each other and getting excited together is a wonderful part of fandom. When I’m analysing I’m never saying ‘this is what this means’ since Japanese (and in fact English) is just not like that, and I don’t even know Japanese so there’s always a contextual/cultural element I may miss! I spent enough years analysing texts to know that reader bias will always play a huge part in interpretation.

But, as you implied, that’s kind of the point! Horikoshi wrote these lines knowing very well that it was odd to shoehorn in a vaguely romantic pronoun, and that it would draw attention to that sentence. He’s totally playing with us, which is why I feel we’re okay to keep playing with him and looking for more hidden clues he may have dotted around the text.

Thanks for jumping into my sandbox with me, I’m glad others are having as much fun as me! ☺️

I’m having a breakdown. So the back cover of volume 37 is out, and by now we’ve all heard the preliminary translations of Edgeshot’s spiel to Kacchan.

But we didn’t have the images! Now we do, and I have Observations. Please note that I have used a combo of Google image translate and Japanese language websites for this. I don’t read Japanese but I’m fascinated by language and can’t help analysing it.

Firstly, I just want to comment on how bloody romantic the last line is, “Connect yourself to your future where you dreamed of your ideal”, considering he does exactly that, and thinks only of Izuku.

Risō: Ideal

Yumemita: Dream

Mirai: Future

Jishin: Self-confidence, assurance

Tsunaide: Link or connect (as if tied together—nice)

Misero: Show

Gorgeous, beautiful, fantastic work Edgeshot! It also really reminded me of Jeanist’s line to him about his hero name being a representation of his ideal self. These Heroes care about him so much 😭😭😭.

BUT, but but but, the part I really want to talk about is “Omae ga matsu kare wa… Deku wa kanarazu kuru!”

Omae: very informal ‘you’. Edgeshot is literally inside him so I think he’s allowed to be casual.

Matsu: Wait or look forward to

Kare wa: ‘He is’ or ‘boyfriend is’ (bear with me)

Kanarazu: Without a doubt

Kuru: Come or arrive

The sentence is very deliberate in the way Edgeshot says “He is… Deku is definitely coming.” So, what’s interesting about that? I WILL TELL YOU.

In Japanese it’s unusual to use pronouns, which is why you hear Deku saying ‘Kacchan’ directly to Kacchan all the blinking time. If it’s obvious who you’re talking by about via the context, then they don’t say he/she/they/you if possible. Here, have some evidence from translation websites and Japanese speakers:

So we already know Edgeshot is being extremely casual from his use of ‘omae’, and ‘kare’ is a casual term for boyfriend. It is unusual for him to unnecessarily use a pronoun that could also be interpreted as a reference to Deku as his boyfriend, no? He could have very easily just said “Deku is definitely coming!” without adding that ambiguity, But He Did Not.

I just think it’s interesting. And I do believe I will be thinking about this for the rest of the manga.

Edit to add:

1) Yes, ‘kare’ is the pronoun used to refer to Deku in the infamous 348 narration. 👀

2) ‘Tsunaide’ is also used in that same chapter, when Deku describes a boyfriend as someone you hold hands with: “te wo tsunaide”.

I’m not saying either of these things mean anything, it’s just interesting! * shakes uncontrollably *

[pikahlua]

Pika, hiiiiiii, I hope you're doing well ❤️. I've been wondering for some time, is it pronounced /ˈpaɪkə/, /ˈpɪkə/ or a secret third thing (/'pikə/)? Also, if you don't mind me asking, where does pikahlua come from?

It's pronounced like this

and these images provide a much easier explanation of where it comes from than the story of the linguistic evolution of my internet nicknames.

[assassyart]

Why are we blocking Hori???? and why is bakugou in the tagS WHAT HAPPENED 😭

Spoilers

horikoshi earned that block i regret nothing.

[bitchlessbkg]

you know what’s been on my mind recently? allmight the hero has always had part of OFA lost (and inching closer to his end as a hero) due to him sacrificing himself for katsuki.

during the sludge villain his time in his allmight/OFA form was lowered, during kamino he lost OFA entirely and couldn’t be “allmight,” but Allmight still existed as a vestige in OFA, and now once again we are setting up for “allmight” (OFA) sacrificing itself to save bakugou from death. it’s interesting because as allmight he always failed to reach katsuki’s heart, only saving him physically, but it is when allmight (with OFA) no longer physically existed — when he is toshi — that he connects to katsuki and is reminded that he too, is only a boy, and who gives him the formula to become the greatest hero.

it makes this card moment much more impactful, because it reminds us of that fact — katsuki is just a boy who wanted to be like his favorite hero, and in an act of self sacrifice to save/win (that hypocritical gremlin) he is regretting not asking for an autograph.

there’s an interesting concept to discuss surrounding allmight the hero as part of OFA slowly going away as bakugou is growing into his own hero who saves to win. each moment of allmight saving him has been a big step in changing how he sees the world and his ideals in relation to allmight, and each time he grows closer to the hero to occupy half of allmight’s legacy (the one who’s a leader that inspires others to win just as allmight inspires him to win) allmight with OFA gets closer to becoming toshi and him being quirkless again.

from @pikahlua’s post/meta about this chapter with 2nd’s quirk being switch and bakugou’s vestige being in place of allmights in OFA and izuku becoming the greatest hero with katsuki together (in his head lol), i honestly believe that toshi sacrificing his vestige self (allmight the hero as apart of OFA) is him taking a back seat and letting katsuki and izuku fulfill their greatest heroes destiny/goal seeing how bakugou grew as a hero and matched izuku — his sacrifice this chapter mimicking izuku proves it. he’s preventing bakugou’s death (his spiritual one at least, i do think bakugou physically is dead for the moment) and giving him an opportunity to still be by deku’s side this fight. “allmight” is no more both physically and in OFA, but katsuki and izuku in OFA = allmight, and izuku is still there physically so together they’re allmight physically too (pika explains it better lol).

also, if the 2nds quirk is switch, it gives deku a chance to save bakugou by returning his spirit to his body! it’s about time bakugou accepted deku’s hand for him to save him, right?

i do think this moment had so much emotional weight behind it because bakugou truly believes he’s going to die despite his spirit going into OFA because his physical body is dead, and even if second’s quirk could give his spirit/soul back to his body it has no life in it. no doubt the news of his temporary death is going to impact a lot of people (the class/friends/teachers) as well and the morale of everyone in this battle (i want hori to milk the bakugou-dying-inspiring-them-to-win-and-stay-alive angst out of this lol).

i believe that physical toshi is fine (in fact, i believe kamino did the duty of separating toshi and “allmight the hero with OFA” as allmight uses up the last embers he had of the quirk to defeat AFO. OFA is no longer inside of him, but his heroic will as allmight still resides in OFA). i want him to see his legacy and impact stretch from izuku and katsuki to the class like what stain told him about and aizawa foreshadowed before. i want him to witness the new generation upholding what he represented, but making society better. there’s been too much riding on changing fate and him choosing to live and find purpose as toshi for him to die now. (i could go into detail about how bakugou really sees toshi as a person outside of OFA and his flaws, and how him being in toshi’s life brings out a bit of his humanity seen from his connections with bakugou and how it connects to all this but that’s a post for another day lol).

[bakugou-klancey-lance]

oh! maybe my ask wasnt clear, so sorry! i meant tumblr blog recs! as inany bkdkbk focused bloggers who r good for me to binge through their posts and reblogs!

@deadwriter16

@collisiondiscourse

@anqelbean

@kutiepied

@misplacedgamer

@irresia

@hellaephemeral

@rrandomtthings

@chandralia

@an-austere-weeb

@pikahlua

@eleiwitch

@minisheku

@ratretro

@firyfox

And there's a ton more

[siflshonen]

Your metas are really good, great analysis and really well written! 🙂👍 Given your feelings on deku I wanted to ask you, has it been frustrating especially lately, that even after all this time as we're nearly at the end of the manga, that deku hasn't really learned anything? Or worded better, that he hasn't learned then acted any differently?

Because while it is true that deku did eventually go back to working with others, his friends and other heroes, he really didn't trust them with everything, everything as in seeing tomura(and kid tenko) in the vestige world and his plan to try to save him.

Looking back now I wonder if deku had told everyone, especially bakugou, would things have turned out differently in the fight and it's fatal results, do you think?

Other examples of this include deku meeting lady nagant and learning the darker truths of hero society then after he gets back to UA he says he'll 'bring it all back'. Like what??? I don't think he tells anyone about that either, and doesn't even address it (nagant assassinations/societal corruption) any time afterwards.

Can I ask you your thoughts on this?

Aw, thank you!

I think a lot of this (regards to the "bring it all back" and Nagant thing) will be brought up again in the story as we go on. I don't think it's right for me to speak to all of that until we get the resolution, and I get the sense that these things will come up again if even just a little bit. I was never expecting, like, a deep n' juicy exploration of the most nasty parts of the reality of the world taking over for a long period of time given the optimistic nature of the series, but, you know, SOMETHING would be good.

So, uh, to your other question: do I think it's frustrating that it seems like Izuku hasn't learned much/hasn't changed up his approach much? Uh, yes. It's closely related to why I have always favored Bakugo. I was frustrated with Izuku since pretty early on, and it just grew from there. Not to put you in a circle of the two of us referencing each other, BUT... @pikahlua kinda shares my point of view about Izuku's function as the main shonen protagonist, so as frustrated as I am about it, I do also view it at least somewhat as a feature and not a bug.

If this was a seinen instead (and HK wasn't currently literally destroying himself by creating this manga as Japanese mangaka seem to inevitably do), I think the manga would more readily dive into a deeper discussion regarding the societal corruption and Izuku's vigilante arc. I think we also wouldn't be stuck at UA so much. I'm pretty sure HK originally conceived this series as having a cast of adults rather than high school kids, so I wonder how he feels about these things being portrayed within the parameters of a shonen story, too, yanno? I still like the series, lumps and all, and if I'm upset with something I guess I'll just explore it in fanfiction. :)

[kingkatsuki]

im dyslexic af so i wanted to ask something about the leaks but i want to make sure we saw the same one. was it the one posted by pikahlua?

I just check them on twt lovely!