Because of the names! There’s a lot to unpack and if you’ve seen the numbers bit before then I’m sorry but here goes!
Shimura NANA –> a pronunciation of the number 7,
七
YAGI Toshinori –> the kanji for the number 8,
八
Midoriya IzuKU –> a pronunciation of the number 9,
九
…Then you have…
KiriSHIma –> a pronunciation of the number 4,
四
BakuGOu –> a pronunciation of the number 5,
五
Which supports that, somehow, they (or their ancestors with the same family name), are the shadowy predecessors of OFA. It also suggests that Kirishima would pass it on to Bakugou and not the other way around. And then fans start thinking about dramatic ways that Kirishima would pass the power, thus the comics where he is seen as dying and giving OFA to Bakugou in desperation.
There is a little more to it though. The SHI in Kirishima’s name that corresponds with the number 4,
四 , is ALSO the pronunciation of the kanji for death, 死 . This is why the number 4 is unlucky in Japanese culture.
So, again, if this crazy fan theory was somehow true and Bakugou and Kirishima are past users of OFA, this suggests that Kirishima receives the quirk, and then passes it on to Bakugou possibly at the time of his death.
Just like Slughorn, Albus Dumbledore collects people. Only, instead of focusing on those with influence, he looks to the outcasts.
The expelled half-giant. The young werewolf. The repentant Death Eater.
He protects them and gives them a second chance. All he asks in return is their loyalty.
And, if on occasion he requests that they undertake a certain task, invoking their debt of gratitude – well, that is no more than he is owed.
He once thought to add a certain disowned Black to his collection, but quickly realised his mistake.
Sirius is not an outcast, but a rebel. He knowingly chose his path, and chooses what price he is willing to pay for it. He refuses to be used.
So Albus Dumbledore abandons him.
Who gave you the RIGHT?
Dumbledore knows Sirius’s loyalty lies with Harry instead of him, and he has no use for someone who is not willing to follow his orders without question.
Ooooohoo if there’s ever a post that fits my aesthetic…
okay but then where does Harry himself fit into this collection? Is he an outcast because he is “the Boy Who Lived”?
Nooonono, my friend, that’s what makes this post so beautiful. Because it fits the meta I’ve been trying to get people to accept for years.
Harry was an outcast due to a childhood filled with abuse and neglect.
Vernon made him an outcast by dismissing his claims of magic, berating him, locking him in a CLOSET and putting bars on his window, and let’s face it, even though her editor made her cut it out, Jo intended for there to be physical abuse.
Petunia made him an outcast by enabling and contributing to this abuse, as well as making Harry do dozens of chores while doting on Dudley.
Dudley made him an outcast by bullying him and threatening any students at school who wanted to be his friends.
And the rest of the wizarding world made him an outcast when they bullied him for being an outsider.
Harry James Potter became an outcast the moment he was placed with The Dursleys.
And who put him there in the first place?
I’m here for this Anti-Dumbledore discussion.
This makes even more sense when you consider why Dumbledore deliberately made Harry an outcast.
Think about it What would Harry have been like if he had grown up in the wizarding world? Or, to put it another way, what would Harry have been like if he had grown up in a world where magic was the norm?
He would have taken magic for granted. He would have been less likely (especially as he got older) to view Dumbledore as a wise mentor and more likely to see him as flawed and capable of bad decisions. He would have seen both the world and Dumbledore as ordinary, with their good points and bad points.
But Dumbledore didn’t need a well-adjusted boy who took magic and the magical world for granted. He needed a child who would love the magical world unstintingly, even irrationally, because it was a haven from neglect and abuse. Even more, he needed a child who feared this world becoming evil and who therefore would not question someone that he saw as the ultimate authority, especially if he believed that obeying that authority would keep the world safe.
Even if obedience meant his own death.
Dumbledore wanted a martyr who would die for the wizarding world, because he believed that Voldemort could not die until Harry did. Which was why he left Harry with the Dursleys and let them neglect and emotionally abuse him for the next ten years.
I’ve commented on this before and I know exactly why it is, but it’s still kind of hilarious that out of all the things that Vriska did (murders and mind control and lying and betrayal and hubris and really stupid decisions and general assholery and narrative hijacking), what bothers me the most are the things she did to Tavros – except for killing him, which is the one part she actually felt bad about but also the… cleanest thing she ever did to him.
The absolute healthiest that Vriska’s feelings towards Tavros got in canon was “angry, so I’ll kill him. *kills him* haha I win”.
its been years so i might be misremembering but wasn’t it also in self defence, like she was about to get lanced for murders she (for once) didn’t do
He was trying to kill her, but that was part of the reason she was angry, I think, rather than something she considered a credible threat.
…Also I think it wasn’t because of the murders, I think Tavros was first of those – I think he was nominally trying to kill her because she admitted she’d helped engineer the creation of Bec Noir?
that was it, exactly, and Tavros was not remotely a threat to her at the time (her being god tier and him being barely able to walk down a flight of stairs)
She was annoyed that of all times he had to pick that moment to grow a spine, when it was the least useful to anyone.
eeeh, see, the thing is it wasn’t useful because her deeds were done, but it was the right thing to do as far as he was concerned.
she actually set out to cause the horrible situation they were stuck in, and not only proudly confessed to it, but also stated her intent to go face Bec Noir alone (which as we know would only result in a total party kill). At that point it wasn’t about him or what he could do, or whether it would solve their current problem; she had to be stopped because she had to be stopped, and she would only stop once dead (as far as he was aware).
vriska was pissed because he didn’t take a stand on her terms, or didn’t choose to develop a spine and fight the enemies she picked for him to fight, on her terms. She didn’t contrive this scenario for him to show his “courage”; she didn’t control the situation at all. Simply, when she was about something else, he decided to fight her, and it wasn’t for her or about her. It was for himself.
that’s why she killed him. and that’s why she was unhappy and confused about it afterwards.
I can’t even be mad at her about any of the Bec Noir stuff, it’s just so. Completely divorced from reality.
–Although it is VERY interesting to me that she gives the same “I encouraged it to happen, but it would have happened anyway, so no fault attaches to me” excuse that Doc Scratch gave to her.
Oooo good question anon! I will try to answer this as best I can!
So in American culture, the most common gay male stereotype is a man who is extremely feminine. This is probably because of our heteronormative culture — if a man enjoys receiving gay sex, then this makes him “like a woman”. But in Japan, the most common gay male stereotype is a man who is extremely masculine. I don’t know why this is the stereotype, but perhaps it has to do with this “obsession with the masculine” being a sign of also wanting masculine/male partners.
So, when Kirishima calls everything good and honorable “manly”, especially anything done by his male classmates, and when he does this all the time… To a Japanese person, this might come off as being, well, pretty fucking gay. A sign that he wants male partners and not female partners. Which leads me to my next point.
Probably the most telling sign of Kirishima’s possible LGBT status is in his character page. This is in Volume 3 of the manga. In the official English translation, it says that his favorite things are “hard-liners” and “tough guys”.
…… And, the ‘tough guys’ is not a mistranslation. At least, not entirely. If anything, it doesn’t even begin to cover just how fucking gay it actually is.
In the original Japanese text, it says here that one of Kirishima’s favorite things is “Kouha” (硬派), literally “the hard school”. This was a youth subculture in the Meiji Era (1868-1912 for reference), categorized by male students who dressed in tough clothing and honored the masculine so much that they “engaged in male-male sexuality since they believed that relationships with females would feminize them and make them ‘soft’.”
Y’all. I couldn’t make this up if I tried.
So there you have it! That’s how, in Japanese culture, Kirishima might be gay-coded. This is what I know on the matter, but I am no expert, so if anyone else has additions or corrections, please feel free to leave a reply to this post!
it depends, in large part, to how much you read into bakugou’s reactions to various situations and people. it’s taken as given that bakugou has never had real peers before entering ua (midoriya and their changing circumstances in relation to one another notwithstanding). so while we’ve seen bakugou with his cronies in the earlier chapters and flashbacks (the kid with the wings, the kid with the extendable fingers), ua is really the first opportunity he has to meet people he is able to recognize as equals. he has various responses to those people, initially— he feels inadequate compared to todoroki, he’s threatened by midoriya’s very existence, he responds with hostility to kaminari’s teasing and asui’s assessments. his default mode is to disregard others, or to respond to them with derision and anger. but this is just an initial matter. over time, his relationships with every single one of his classmates has changed considerably— not just in how he treats them, but in how they see him in turn. and i think that progression is exemplified by his relationship with kirishima.
to break things down a little more—
bakugou and kirishima end up together when the class is split up at usj. kirishima explicitly reachesan epiphany about bakugou here— he looks beneath the surface, and reads bakugou’s lack of concern for his classmates as confidence in their abilities. from there, he decides that he’s willing to go along with bakugou’s plan. and i think this is also where kirishima learns to read bakugou, or at least learns that how bakugou comes across and what’s actually motivating him might be quite different. this is important, because throughout the series kirishima is able to sympathize with or understand bakugou at points where other people don’t really bother to try.
during the sports festival, bakugou agrees to build a team with kirishima. this is pretty pivotal, because up until this point we’ve only ever seen bakugou react viscerally and negatively to the idea of help. of course, according to the rules of the game, he had to form a team. but kirishima is someone he knows, and who’s quirk he probably actually remembers. after usj, kirishima at least registers on bakugou’s radar. this might seem like the bare minimum of human decency, but remember that bakugou was surrounded by classmates whose names he barely knew. he knows kirishima’s name and respects his strength— a pretty pivotal distinction, coming from bakugou.
it’s made clear in the tournament portion of the sports festival that bakugou shows respect to others by giving his all when he faces them in battle. this is his side of his battle with uraraka, and why he reacts so violently when todoroki doesn’t use his full power against him. bakugou offers this same level of respect to kirishima, facing him with everything he has and developing a strategy unique to defeating him. so at this point, bakugou at the very least respect kirishima.
in between the sports festival and the training camp arc, there are a bunch of little moments that show bakugou and kirishima have kept up contact. kirishima invites bakugou along on class outings (even if bakugou doesn’t agree to go), and kirishima asks bakugou to tutor him, and deliberately asks in a way he knows bakugou won’t say no to.
this whole time, bakugou is simultaneously softening towards his classmates and building up a lot of resentment about himself and his own perceived lack of growth. he’s more natural when his classmates tease him, he and todoroki have a more amiable relationship, etc. but he’s festering with resentment and doubt this entire time, and i think that’s pivotal to reading his character.
during the training camp arc, kirisihima freaks out when he realizes bakugou is the villains’ target. he’d probably be similarly affronted if any of his other friends were threatened, given his backstory, but bakugou does seem to be someone particularly important to him. he takes his inability to protect bakugou as an indictment of his own character, to the point where he works with todoroki to engineer an illegal rescue operation.
the hideout raid/kamino ward arc is probably the defining bakushima moment in canon, up to this point, but it’s also the part of canon that best addresses your question. what does bakugou think of kirishima? he sees kirishima as an equal. as far as we know, he hasn’t given that distinction to anyone else, ever. midoriya knows bakugou won’t respond to him as an equal, and also dismisses putting yaoyorozu or iida in that role. he also doesn’t ask it of todoroki, who ostensibly has a good relationship with bakugou at this point. kirishima is explicitly called out, by the most observant character in the series (and also the character who has observed bakugou for his entire life), as the one person who has built an equal relationship with bakugou. a relationship that allows for challenges and teasing, but also camaraderie and mutual respect. this is like, pivotally important. we do not have on-the-page evidence of bakugou giving that level of respect and care to anyone else.
bakugou takes kirishima’s hand, and that’s a turning point in an arc that could have turned out very differently otherwise.
during the license exam arc, kirishima chases after bakugou (along with kaminari), and they both look specifically happy to be fighting side by side. their teamwork is old hat, by this point. they’re comfortable around each other and work well together, in various combinations of larger teams. this arc may have been the last time we’ve seen bakugou smile that triumphantly? and it’s with kirishima by his side, for what that’s worth. kirishima, kaminari and bakugou are all friends by this point, even if bakugou still isn’t particularly effusive.
and then, during the internship arc, which is specifically kirishima-focused, we see kirishima airing his own insecurities to a group of the 1a boys. (and bakugou is casually and comfortably among them! they’re in a dorm, if he was just tolerating their presence in class he could go up to his room and avoid spending any more time with them. but he doesn’t.) when kirishima voices these insecurities, bakugou gets angry not at him, but on his behalf. he tells kirishima how he views kirishima’s specific strength, and again expresses how much he respects kirishima. this is a big deal for bakugou, who has only ever reacted to others’ strength with challenge or insecurity, before. he admires kirishima’s strength without being threatened by it— not because kirishima isn’t strong enough to be a threat, but because their relationship has so many other layers and a level of comfort, at this point.
anyway, there’s probably a lot i’m forgetting, here. but the takeaway is that bakugou and kirishima’s relationship as equals and friends has been very deliberately built up and carefully tracked throughout the series. they both have important relationships outside of each other, but it’s clear that their development hinges on each other in many ways, too. bakugou has expressed care and concern over kirishima in ways he hasn’t for basically anyone else (other than all might). he cares about how kirishima views himself, because he has deigned to see kirishima as an equal. and that’s pretty significant.
because bakugou doesn’t respond typically to people, it can be hard to read his reactions for what they are. but the series is deliberate and careful about how bakugou categorizes people and what they mean to him. his own emotional language is consistent, if not particularly typical. so through that lense, kirishima’s importance to him is stated pretty clearly. even if he doesn’t show affection or care in the same way as other people, he still expresses those emotions. and kirishima has been set up as a character who knows how read bakugou’s reactions and expressions of emotion.
it’s easy enough, from there, to bridge the gaps and see bakugou’s feelings however you wish. but he definitely doesn’t just tolerate kirishima. it’s a relationship meant to specifically illustrate how differently bakugou is able to see and treat people now that he’s changed as much as he has.
I love Midoriya and Kirishima’s friendship. I know their relationship isn’t prominent, but they have a healthy and solid friendship that’s often overlooked. I don’t have a specific theory on it, but I’ll talk about it.
Midoriya and Kirishima have had a decent relationship from the start.
While Midoriya is against Bakugou during the Heroes vs.Villains exercise, Kirishima is concerned for Midoriya’s well-being.
Even though running away isn’t manly to Kirishima, Kirishima understands why Midoriya has to run away while fighting against Bakugou.
Kirishima really starts to respect Midoriya after he beats Bakugou during the Heroes vs. Villains exercise. Kirishima is one of the first classmates besides Iida and Uraraka to befriend Midoriya.
Kirishima thinks so highly of Midoriya that he’s fine with Midoriya being student council class president even after it’s proven Iida should be class president.
Midoriya and Kirishima both like each other’s Quirks and find each other’s Quirks to be very useful.
Kirishima keeps a watchful eye on Midoriya after All Might’s Fight with noumu.
And even runs over to make sure Midoriya is okay even though Kirishima should be heading out of the USJ right now.
Kirishima tries to protect Midoriya when it looks like Todoroki is being hostile towards Kirishima before the Sports Festival.
Not only does Kirishima think highly of Midoriya, but Midoriya thinks highly of Kirishima as well. Midoriya thinks Kirishima is very cool.
Kirishima understands the pain Midoriya feels for not being able to reach out and rescue Bakugou. The two of them relate to not being able to do anything to help Bakugou.
Kirishima uses this understanding to successfully convince Midoriya to help him rescue Bakugou.
Midoriya and Kirishima are such good pals, that Kirishima gives Midoriya advice on how to act like a thug. XD
Kirishima notices that Midoriya’s mumbling habit has toned down lately and makes an observation when the habit suddenly comes back
Midoriya understands Kirishima, particularly his relationship with Bakugou, well enough that he uses that understanding to rescue Bakugou. He knows Kirishima would be the only one who can reach out and rescue Bakugou. He understands how important Kirishima is.
Midoriya’s understanding of Bakugou and Kirishima is correct. Kirishima can reach out to rescue Bakugou.
They’re both pretty good friends throughout the series even though the relationship isn’t a huge deal. It’s very mutual, nice, simple, and drama-free.
They get a lot of meaningful interactions during the Internship Arc. I’d argue their relationship gets a lot of development and importance. Kirishima is Midoriya’s number one supporter during that arc and loves how pumped up Midoriya has been.
As I said before, Kirishima is such a Midoriya supporter and raises Midoriya’s spirits.
They work really well together.
Also, Midoriya singles out Kirishima as someone he could share his problems with specifically. He specifically says he can’t talk to “Kirishima and the others” about his problems, implying Kirishima would be one of the first people Midoriya would turn to in order to talk about his issues.
Midoriya and Kirishima both have heroic spirits. They both want to help people and both can relate to not being able to help others. They can certainly bond over that.
Their friendship makes sense since they both have similar values and are nice people. They both look up to each other and both work well together. They did well together while rescuing Bakugou and breaking down walls.
I hope Midoriya and Kirishima talk more and team up more. They’ll probably both face hardships, fight tough bad guys, and get injured during the Internship Arc, and that will help them grow and bond together. That’s the closest thing I have to a theory on their relationship.
(I have such a love/hate relationship with this Ask. I loved making it, but when I was done making a long answer to this ask, I accidentally deleted my answer and had to redo the whole LONG answer again. I was tempted to just give up answering this Ask. Thank god I finished it.)
Okay, so, literally how come everyone in the comic and even outside of it, in the fandom, is ignoring John Egbert’s depression?? How is everyone ignoring his blatant self hatred, expressed clearly through the writing on both the walls of his room on Earth and Prospit??? How come that nobody notices, in spite of popular opinion that John cries at literally anything, that the only time John has cried in the comic, out of actual sadness at a tragic event, was when Jade died and John only she’d a single, restrained tear.
Like???? This really ain’t adding up???
I get it, everyone has a favorite character and not everybody is going to focus on John Egbert specifically, but!!! Everyone’s legit turning a blind eye to what is so clearly written on the walls, literally! John’s hostility on the ship might not be the result of cabin fever, when you realize that depression in young men often take the form of aggression and anger. John’s lack of tears or outwardly showing sadness other than him saying “aw that’s sad” makes a lot more sense if you think about the fact that he repressed it, might not be able to cope with negative emotions, or never even learned how to express them in the first place!
And think about the credits, it’s time to face facts: Nobody’s come to John Egbert’s birthday party in years, but his party banner still remains up, nearly in tatters… He’s alone. In fact, I don’t think anyone’s seen John Egbert in a VERY long time. They’ve forgotten. Rose, Dave, Jade, Karkat. They all forgot. Everyone. Not out of malice or hatred. But because John is the Heir of Breath. He inherits freedom, even freedom from the ones he keeps himself tied down for. He’s all alone and doesn’t fit anywhere. His father is gone and so are all his friends.
Nobody’s reaching out to him, no ones contacted him. He’s all alone. He’s a young man stuck in his house, doomed to repeat long day after long day once again, but this time there’s no one on the other side of a computer screen to make it seem bearable. No one to make it seem that he isn’t so alone after all.
And even the ones who have made the long days seem not so long have hurt him, in spite of not meaning to. On the lily pad, Dave implies that John and Rose didn’t have much to complain about with their guardians, but that’s simply not true. Rose was raised by an alcoholic who, despite her genuine love for her child, was neglectful. John was raised by a good man, a good father, but not a perfect man. Instead of trying to seek treatment for the strangle, self-loathing messages and drawings on his son’s wall, he buys harlequinn-styled paintings and jester sculptures.
Then, Dave and Karkat both push Teresa’s black flirting onto John, which makes John EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE. This makes John so uncomfortable that John EXPLICITLY STATE that he is going to BURY THOSE FEELINGS DOWN AND TRY TO NEVER THINK ABOUT THEM AGAIN. And what does Dave, John’s friend, say?? How does Dave respond to something that sounds almost exactly like a cry for help?? He says that it’s a “weenie thing to do” and wishes John luck with that.
And you know? This would all be okay, if it were the fact that people in the fandom acknowledged it. But there are so few that can’t accept the fact that he’s been forgotten, that he’s depressed, that he’s been depressed for a very long time and it’s only getting worse.
But, then again, if John’s friends all so easily missed the warning signs, who could blame us for also turning a blind eye to what is right in front of us?
so if deku gets injured a couple more times he won’t be able to use his arms anymore but he also knows losing the use of at least one arm is a shonen protag requirement so there’s a big dilemma here.
IIda is so mad about Midoriya doing stuff when he is injured bc!!!! it’s like his brother!!! that he punches him. Iida. I don’t think giving him more injuries is the solution.
Momo insists on going with the Gang so she can physically prevent them from doing anything stupid. GOOD PLAN MOMO I APPROVE. Iida decides he will do the same thing because he’s a copycat.
Then we have this conversation which is the best:
Kirishima: so Uraraka made a good point, that Bakugo will hate it when we rescue him
Todoroki: oh GOD yes he definitely will
Deku: It’s going to scar him psychologically. so deeply that it will never heal. it would probably be kinder to let him die. I know this better than anyone.
Todoroki: so just to be clear we’re doing something literally no one on the planet wants us to do, including Bakugo.
Kirishima: But we’re doing it! solely because we have a lot of FEELINGS!
Deku: YUP. LOVE THIS SQUAD.
IIda: oh my god
Momo: what is wrong with y’all.
then:
I LOVE MY SONS.
so they need to GET DISGUISES to be COVERT and Momo practically jizzes herself on the street like “LET’S GO TO THE THRIFT STORE” and it is instantly the best thing I have ever seen:
DEKU IS A GANGSTER NOW AND HE IS TERRIBLE AT IT
TODOROKI IS THE OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB MEMBER HE WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE DEEP DOWN. (~*THE STOIC BUT TROUBLED TYPE*~)
Momo is the slightly buzzed, bling encrusted uptown mama OF HER DREAMS
Oh man, I totally didn’t pick up on Bakugo’s motivations. I just pegged him as an insufferable sadistic shithead, really. As much as I enjoyed the dunking-on I couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t just yell at him to STFU every time he opened his mouth.
I mean, he IS a insufferable sadistic shithead who enjoys feeling dominant over others and crushing them or whatever, his motivations are entirely selfish, they just happen to align with the side of good, which is kinda hilarious. A Villain can never be the best in Bakugo’s eyes because they rely on subterfuge and catching people off guard. The way they took Bakugou- they didn’t fight to the finish. They came in, used the advantage of surprise, hit weak spots, caused distractions, took hostages,then retreated strategically.That’s just like, admitting you’re vulnerable and wouldn’t win in a head on fight (to Bakugou). They also have a ~cause~ with the whole “hero system is unjust” thing which Bakugou doesn’t care at all about. As far as I can tell, he honestly doesn’t feel like society is holding him down nor does he want to Change the World.
Bakugo just wants to be the BEST and nobody like Deku will ever think he’s vulnerable!!! And All Might, someone who can win even when caught off guard, is the best and most invulnerable in Bakugou’s view. NO ONE thinks All Might needs help! All Might doesn’t ever feel vulnerable or afraid!
What will be interesting is what will happen when Bakugo finds out All Might IS actually vulnerable and gets afraid and CAN lose. And chose someone very vulnerable and afraid and capable of losing to be his successor. That’s going to be the thing that has the potential to break his worldview.
As for why no one tells him to shut up, I don’t think that would have much point, he’s not going to listen. Tuning him out is the most effective coping strategy if the adults aren’t going to discipline him properly.
Mmmm! And all that leads into “why does he fear being vulnerable so much”.
And you know, that’s probably going to be a plot point. Like, I noticed that Muscular looked an AWFUL lot like Bakugo, wouldn’t be surprised if he factored in. Though I’m actually really into that? Like, I’ve seen enough media by now to be tired of the “every major character flaw has a cause trope”. I kinda want Bakugo to just be a shithead because…he’s like that, ya know? That’s just his base personality, no real reason, he’s just a straight-up asshole, he doesn’t need healing or redemption or closure, maybe he’ll grow up and learn to stuff it, but don’t pathologize it, some people are just frickin awful for no real reason.
Also I mentioned this already but since I’m already typing – I noticed how Shigaraki’s whining abot heroes being paid clashed with Uraraka’s motivation and I really want her to have a big showdown with him. Like, not that predictab;e Shonen Protagonist vs Act 1′s Villain showdown, but give that fight to HER, make her prove herself, see how she grows. That would be beautiful.
Well, I think that the explanation for that is fairly simple and was already demonstrated- because of his talent he was told by everyone that he was cool and invincible and invulnerable as a kid and was repeatedly sold this idea that’s how people like him SHOULD be, so the idea of NOT living up to that image of himself he now believes in so strongly makes him really upset. A superpowered version of toxic masculinity, if you will. It IS just how he is, but how he is was shaped by how people treated him and the narrative he came to believe in.
I don’t really believe people are ever awful for no reason, just that reasons aren’t necessarily tragic or sympathetic- if you’re born into power, the idea of losing that power is terrifying. If society tells you that you should be this way, you’ll come to believe you should. Bakugou’s circumstances aren’t tragic, what is tragic is the society that taught him winning is the only thing and vulnerability must be avoided at all costs. I don’t think the manga is going to pathologize it or make it something beyond that. It’s probably not too late for Bakugou to be corrected and see the flaws in his worldview, especially since he’s still a kid
. Whether he will or not remains to be seen. if we’re going from a realistic standpoint, it could go either way. If we’re talking the way shonen narratives go, I expect he’ll develop in a positive direction, though i don’t think anyone should hold their breath for a complete personality change.
That’s a good idea with Uraraka, I’d really like that conflict and it has great potential. I wish I had faith that Horikoshi would also see the potential there and give Uraraka that role, but…I don’t. I’d love to be proven wrong though.
also, knowing shiro and adams relationship actually makes me like … pretty 👀👀 towards keith’s “like a brother” lines bc to me,,, that feels a lot like Heavy Repression and pining.
imagine, keith falling for his older mentor who is in a happily committed relationship and trying to suppress those feelings because he doesnt want to lose what he has, he doesnt want to make shiro uncomfortable, he doesnt want to push too hard.
shiro is like a brother to him. he repeats it like a mantra every time shiro looks at him to the point that he starts to believe it himself. they cant be real feelings. shiro’s just like a brother, after all.
First off, I just wanna say that I don’t pretend to know for even a second what Horikoshi has planned for this series and for these characters. All I have is general knowledge of how to build a character, and my own speculations. Also this is gonna be long because my thoughts are a little bit everywhere about this so please bear with me ahaha
It has been ages since I saw the translation for the Prototype Kirishima page. My Japanese is not the best, and to make things worse, I’m really bad at reading handwriting. But I do know that, somewhere on this page, it says that Prototype Kirishima was originally supposed to be a delinquent who applied to UA just to try and impress a girl – for what are probably romantic reasons.
The girl’s identity is unspecified, but since he and
Ashido
went to the same middle school, fans have kinda put two and two together and assumed that
Ashido
is the girl that Prototype Kirishima was trying to romance. Although I do wanna point out that this is just an assumption, and has not been confirmed. However, because this assumption is so widely accepted in the bnha fandom, we’ll assume that this is the case for this post too.
Now, Horikoshi has stated before that he is not confident in his ability to write romance, so maybe he felt uncomfortable making Kirishima’s pursuit of Ashido so central to his character. But, lets say for the sake of argument, that this is still the route that Horikoshi intends to take in the future. What would have been some nice, subtler ways to hint at romantic interest, or even possibilities, between Kirishima and Ashido without making it a major focus?
Well… what happens in canon is not what comes to mind. Not even close.
According to actual canon (chapters 144-145), it becomes pretty clear that Kirishima applies to UA for reasons other than impressing Ashido. Her role in his backstory changed, and she no longer acts as a major inspiration for Kirishima applying to UA… However, she no longer act as even a minor inspiration, either. Nope, Ashido’s actions don’t inspire Kirishima at all. In fact, they have the opposite effect.
The very first time we see them in middle school, upon hearing from his friends that Ashido is applying to UA, Kirishima immediately compares himself to her, and wonders if he can even hold up to someone like her in the entrance exams.
Even just seeing her around the school grounds reminds him of his own downfalls and insecurities, to the point that he even feels a little embarrassed about his aspirations to apply to UA.
But at this point, he’s still holding onto hope that he can get into UA. That is, until he sees Ashido stand up against the villainous figure while he can only stand frozen at the sidelines.
The shame that he felt for not acting like Ashido did, is what made his hope completely disappear. Thus, he convinces himself that he can never be a hero, or a man, and he literally crosses off UA as an academic option.
The only thing that finally convinced him to apply to UA was hearing words of encouragement from his idol Crimson Riot.
(at this point I feel like I must add: it is not Ashido’s fault that her bravery and badassery made some insecure, sad little boy cry…. sorry Kirishima, I love ya, but it must be said ahahah)
But the facts still stand: In his past, Kirishima had consistently compared himself to Ashido and allowed her actions to hold him back. Because of this, not only is Ashido not the reason Kirishima went to UA as Horikoshi had originally intentded, but she was part of the reason he almost didn’t even apply to UA to begin with.
In this way, Ashido was detrimental to Kirishima’s character and growth.
In fact, Ashido herself mentions it when they see each other again at UA. She is unapologetic about her actions, but still recognizes that Kirishima has a tendency to compare himself to her and feel down about himself because of it. Ashido knows that Kirishima was beating himself up over his inability to act as she was able to, and because of that, she sees herself as detrimental to Kirishima’s growth, too.
While these words of encouragement are certainly nice, they are words that Kirishima tries but ultimately fails to take into stride. Despite her words, he continues to compare himself to his classmates – even just a few days later, on the bus to the USJ…
… and throughout the sports festival with Tetsutetsu…
… and a couple other times throughout. Seems as though Kirishima’s insecurities are a hurdle that is going to take a lot more than one line of encouragement to overcome. Too bad Ashido never bothered to help him overcome his insecurities again. Not even once. Not a single solitary time, in all of canon thus far.
(Of course, it is not Ashido’s responsibility to make Kirishima feel good about himself. But, I have seen far too many fans add depth to their relationship that simply is not there and I wanted to address it.)
Although, in recent canon, Kirishima has gotten better about his insecurities. He was able to overcome them in several important battles, even debuting his new Unbreakable form. Wonder where the turning point was? Wonder who actually helps him overcome his insecurities when it matters most…?
Now, I’m not saying that this interaction between Kirishima and Bakugou is somehow romantically coded. I’m just saying that, if ya gotta give credit to one of Kirishima’s peers for inspiring him to overcome his hurdles of insecurity, ya might as well attribute it to the right one lmao
I guess my point is, there were so many ways Horikoshi could have written Kirishima and Ashido’s backstory with current or even future romantic interest in mind.
Horikoshi could have stuck to his original Prototype Kirishima plan from the start. Horikoshi could have scrapped the explicit romantic interest and just made Ashido Kirishima’s main motivation to apply to UA by inspiring him to act heroically, rather than inspiring the opposite. Horikoshi could have let Ashido be even a secondary motivation in another way. Horikoshi could have written in subtle support in more recent interactions, just sideways comments here and there: “Who cares if your quirk isn’t flashy, it’s how you use it that matters” on the bus to the USJ, “That Tetsu guy from 1B’s got nothing on you” after the sports festival. Something. Anything.
Horikoshi could have done this, he could have done that, he could have, he could have, he could have… And he didn’t.
So, you know. Take of that what you will.
TL;DR: For some reason, Hirokoshi decided to change Ashido’s role in Kirishima’s backstory from that of a romantic love interest to someone who was actively detrimental to Kirishima’s growth, while simultaneously failing to use any opportunities thus far in canon to set this pairing up for romantic interactions in the future.
just moving along like everyone else 