ayeliiss is depressed #justiceforkacchanbakugo

She/her, 20+ and profic I write garbage and stuff on AO3

[ayeliiss]

Izuku when Katsuki ignores him and calls him names: "KACCHAN, KACCHAN, KACCHAN! Kacchan sugoi! Kacchan and the others!"

Izuku when Katsuki wants to spend the rest of his life with him and finally shows him respect by calling him 'Izuku': "nope, sorry, I can't join you! See you later! *walk away without even looking back once*"

Izuku after Ochaco ignored him for 8 years, called him 'not special' and 'ugly' twice: "Ochaco... I've suddenly realized you're my special person..."

I just think Izuku is into degradation atp lmaoo (pretending to laugh but actually depressed and trying to conceal sadness through stupid jokes)

[is-bakugou-alive-yet]

Hey Izuku, can I still catch up to you

No one is actually special

[ayeliiss]

All this for a girl who claimed in front of the whole city, in a microphone, that Izuku wasn't special. Fml

[ayeliiss]

#mhaspoilers

Queer people will always remain a mere tool to push some random, senseless shit and I'm tired of being a witness to that

We can't ever win or get our happy ending, can we?

[ayeliiss]

“Did you just call me an idiot?” Shoto frowns, offense fully taken.

Katsuki ignores him for a moment, leaving the dense question unanswered. His gaze remains set on his dumbass partner though as he stares and gets increasingly irritated at the sight of those ill-colored irises.

His head then pivots to the side and a desperate breath flies from his nasty mouth. "Y'know, there is one thing that's good about you, in the end." “What is it?”

“Your hearing,” Katsuki mutters with a proud scoff, teasingly dismissive. And when he returns his regard to Shoto, expecting to witness a deeper pout etched on that usual unfazed face, disgust takes over him in a flash. Shoto, cheeks flushed bright red and shifty-eyed, tucks a strand of hair behind his ear, in a languid motion. "You... you really think so...?" He stutters, voice softer than usual and gaze faltering while throwing timid glances at Katsuki's flabbergasted expression. Katsuki blinks. Once. Twice. Thrice. He's momentarily dumbstruck. "I—" Katsuki stammers back, unable to keep his cool as heat rises to his own face. "I WASN'T FLIRTING WITH YOU, YOU FUCKASS!!!"

[axonomi]

Thanks for the new suit 😘

[burquillos]

Thoughts & Restraint

[ayeliiss]

Teacher Izuku, who has planned an oral exercise for his students to improve their skills in quirks analyzing. He's prepared a list of 20 pro-heroes (matching his pupils' number) and asked each of them to choose one for their presentation.

Bad news: none chose pro-hero Dynamight, who is obviously at the top of the list.

It's not that they dislike him or anything. It's just that they know how obsessed Izuku-sensei is with Dynamight. They're scared of providing wrong information to the person who knows this extraordinary hero better than anyone, and risk their lives the worst punishment ever after that.

But when Izuku senses the lack of enthusiasm from his students toward the Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight, he doesn't understand and feels downcast. He expected them to fight—figuratively—to be the lucky one handling Dynamight's name with great care.

Izuku has no choice: while he'd initially decided to leave the choice up to them, now, he's changed the rules and turned to a lucky draw. Like this, a poor victim was picked and had to live with the most intense pressure they'd ever experienced in their short life. When presentation time came, what had to happen happened; from their first slide, briefly introducing Dynamight's body and constitution, Izuku-sensei stood with such vigor that his chair flew right against the wall behind—as if the fate of the world were at stake. As if a villain had appeared and was ready to put his student's life at risk.

Nope. They had simply mistaken Dynamight's weight, and Izuku couldn't let such misinformation be spread around, especially knowing that Dynamight's weight was much less than what had just been told! After rectification, Izuku didn't sit back. Most naturally, he started rambling about other facts regarding his childhood friend's body, and ended up giving a whole ass presentation instead of his student, who was still awkwardly standing next to the projection screen, waiting for this all to end. It only ended when the bell rang and Izuku realized he'd ruined his student's hard work. What grade was he even supposed to give him now? xxx sorry, it's not really elaborated but this shit popped up in my mind at 3am while trying to sleep and I ended up laughing with myself like a crazy hag in my bed lol. I wanna write a fic like this so bad... I'm keeping it in mind teehee.

[mamapyjama]

I’ve been rereading the current anime arc in the manga, and finally got to The Apology™️, and I wondered what words Katsuki used before translation.

Disclaimer: I’m sure others must have posted about this before but I couldn’t recall reading it myself. I do remember there was a lot of talk about the way he used “gomen” as the Japanese fandom were saying how cute and childlike it sounded, so I thought I’d see if there was anything else interesting there.

Oh, my sweet sweet baby boy…

So, just before he says ‘Sorry for everything’ (ima made gomen), he says:

言ってどうにかなるもんじゃねェけど

本音だ

出久

“Itte dōnika naru mon ja nē kedo… Honne da…Izuku”

Which in the English translation, gave us:

And “speak my truth” is lovely and all, but the word from the original that stuck out for me was ‘honne’.

I’m not sure how familiar most people are with honne–tatemae (I only know about it because I go way way too in-depth when researching for my fics lol), but it’s a concept that every Japanese person is deeply aware of, and underpins much of their society.

Here’s the Wikipedia intro:

Ohhh, that is some extra juicy context for Kacchan’s speech. Essentially, he is saying that everything up until now has been his tatemae, a public façade to protect his own position (strong, powerful hero etc), but that he can’t keep that up and he wants Izuku to see his honne, his true, private self.

Excuse me while I melt from the cuteness.

But WAIT! There’s more!

How much do you know about second-person pronouns in Japanese? (Nope, this isn’t about ‘kare’ again this time hehe).

You’ve probably noticed in the anime that Kacchan says “Temee” a lot, and you may have also noticed that it tends to get translated as cursing. So it actually just means ‘you,’ but like a really rude way of saying it, such that the only way of reflecting that in English is to replace ‘you’ with something like Bastard or Asshole.

Again, have an expert explain:

This and the below are from a very excellent article about second-person pronouns and how they are used for context and drama in anime specifically. I’d recommend reading it as the context is really interesting!

So although pronouns aren’t actually commonly used or necessary in much spoken Japanese, when they are used, it’s a deliberate way to tell you about the relationship dynamic between two characters.

But why, you may ask, am I talking about pronouns again?!

Because, dear friends, throughout the first half of his speech, Kacchan uses ‘temee’ as usual to describe his past with Izuku. I’ve highlighted it below, and pls also note the shaky speech bubble showing his nerves during the ‘honne’ section. 🥺

HOWEVER, straight after he says he wants Izuku to see his Honne, Katsuki switches pronouns from ‘Temee’ (v rude), to ‘Omae’ (very casual/familiar). Below is the page after the apology.

Considering we now know pronouns are not necessary to convey meaning, that’s a hell of a lot of omaes on one page!! Boy cannot get enough of saying it.

If you want more about the different pronouns, see below for a helpful table of common uses for both. And please indulge my shippy heart for highlighting the second usage (but, like ‘kare’, you never know)…

Katsuki is showing Izuku immediately and repeatedly that this is who he wants to be to him and how he wants the world to see them. His honne, his inner desire, is to be close to Izuku, to treat him as an equal.

He’s not just saying sorry, he’s showing that—at least from his perspective—things are going to be different from now on. But, like, also, that this was how he felt about him in private the whole time?! GAHHHH.

So there you go, the apology that was already a massive turning point in their story/relationship was actually even deeper and more beautiful than we all thought. Yet again, Japanese conveys nuance and intention far beyond what can be translated. 😭💕

[eosphoria]

Oh so your couple spent MONEY on a 738282 carat diamond ring to propose or whatever? What about the money you earned for 8 years to fund your partner's support items so you could go back to be heroes together again?

[spinji]

Do you love the color of bakudeku?

Which one?

Happy Bakudeku Day 08.09.2024

[katsuizu-stuff]

Katsuki Bakugo

Katsuki ‘Kacchan’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘Stay back Deku’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘Keep your eyes on me’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘I want to keep him at arms length’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘I’m sorry Izuku’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘I know Izuku the best’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘You’re the closest person to Izuku Midoriya’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘Kacchan Bakugo’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘For the rest of our life’s’ Bakugo

Katsuki ‘We were inseparable’ Bakugo

[vaguelyaperson]

i love ph!bakugou/teacher!deku because i need izuku to witness katsuki continue to be utterly obsessed and encaptivated by him, even tho izuku is a quirkless civilian now, ok? i need izuku to slowly realize over those eight years that it was never ofa that allowed him to stand by kacchan's side, that kept kacchan coming back to him again and again. look, i need him to recognize that katsuki's been obsessed with this damn freckled faced nerd since childhood - before the quirks, before the heroics - and that ain't gonna change, ever.

[annluvazzel]

☆ U.A. teacher Deku x pro-hero Dynamight!

•

Clip Studio Paint | August 2, 2024

•

They look so cute here I want to put them in my pocket ☹️

l've been thinking it'll be so cute if he visits him in the middle of classes bc his schedule is really busy as a hero, so he just goes to see Deku at any chance he gets 😊 maybe they have lunch together and Bakugou tells him about his missions and Deku gives his insight and also tells him about the interesting quirks of his students...

Bakugou trying to act normal and not spoil the big surprise he's been preparing for Deku with the rest of their friends... 🥲 and being so excited to tell him, but he doesn't want to spoil it...

[ayeliiss]

My two cents on MHA430 and Izuku's character

Disclaimer: this is NOT a hate post against Horikoshi and his manga. Simply, I need to lash my disappointment out somewhere and write my feelings down before I implode. I'm not trying to sound like 'ugh, I know better than them' at all, although I am aware some of my claims may give the 'why does the author think he knows so much?!' vibes, but keep in mind this is just my irrelevant opinion and it won't change anything anyway. So, please, don't come at me with 'lacking reading comprehension' or 'you're coping' (yes, I am) because I feel like fans are allowed to be upset at this ending even if you think differently! To each their own opinion, as long as it's respectful! Also, this might be unnecessarily long so, I apologize in advance.

Discussion about Izuku's character

First of all, if you're satisfied with the ending and what Izuku did/became, I'm genuinely happy for you. Truthfully, I envy you so damn much because I personally couldn't stop feeling empty and crying at night for him, and before you come at me with 'girl, he's fictional, it's okay you'll move on', yes, I know I'm a drama queen and I shouldn't be in one hell of a state for a fictional character, but I can't help it. I've grown as attached to him as I've ever grown to any character before, and there's no turning back. MHA is the first manga that ever moved me this hard and it'll forever remain a masterpiece for me, but it doesn't mean it's not flawed and should be free of criticism (always with respect for Horikoshi's work).

Funny thing is, I didn't even like Izuku when I first met him. He was the typical crybaby and too-optimistic MC I tend to dislike when I read a manga. Yet, the more I read, the more I started to understand him, the more I sympathized with him, and the more I loved him. I realized I related to him to such an outlandish extent, though I know we remain different in the way we act or think. But Izuku, even before Katsuki (and my friends know how obsessed I am with this blond lmao), became my first and greatest over-fixation and my main reason to continue reading/watching MHA. This manga changed my life; Izuku did too, and this isn't an understatement.

Just like him—and probably just like many of us—, I've endured bullying, been made fun of for being different, felt unwanted and hated, been belittled, and treated like shit for most of my teenage years. I think that's what really endeared him to me. I wanted to watch him grow, to watch him make real friends, to watch him receive the apologies and respect he deserved, to see him succeed. I wanted him to realize he was worth it and loved and, oh God, I wish he could know just how much his fans do love him.

And for 200+ chapters, I got what I wanted. Izuku got to live his dream, be around his idol who recognized him, and made new friends who admired him and wanted nothing but to be by his side. Then, the Vigilante arc happened, and everything changed. I won't dwell on the fact that, for me, this arc was the beginning of the decline of his character. It's worth noting though that it's at this precise moment that we've lost track of all his thoughts, but I'll focus on the ending, and how the way Horikoshi handled Izuku's character remains my biggest disappointment.

I sometimes joked with a friend of mine, saying, "Hori's favorite character is Katsuki and it shows so much, he even forgets he isn't his MC!" but I don't think it's much of a joke anymore.

Again, I'm very happy for those who are pleased with Izuku's closure. But, honestly, I can't grasp their process of thinking (I wish I could) because there's no way I can understand how it makes sense. It's not about him being quirkless—actually, I think this choice was cool—, it's about his obvious fucking depression.

After his initial withdrawal, there is never any resolution. He has never talked about his feelings to anyone, never opened up about all the things that bugged him, never taken it out on anyone. He just stopped having development, and never learned how to 'control his heart' (one of the biggest plots of the story, remember???). So, he continues to take everything up on his shoulders by the end of the story, and eight years later, he is feeling lonely, as he says himself:

Yes, I can read, and I know he's also saying he's happy with helping/encouraging other people. But it's literally denial. Izuku is in denial and it hurts me so much. He's alone (I'm not talking about how he's barely seen his friends, I know they didn't abandon him or anything, I'm talking about how he is feeling in general), deprived of his dream, and never got to talk about it to anyone (at least, on-screen. And if it's not shown, then it didn't happen). Even the adults around him don't see he's in pain—or, at least, don't think it's worth addressing. Aizawa can't even simply answer 'yes, you're cool' when Izuku obviously seeks praise and needs nice words after everything he's been through. He doesn't even get fans (except for two, waouh!) after saving the fucking world. He doesn't get a statue, no recognition. Katsuki leads a project for him to get a suit, but not the government? After everything he did? Why isn't he more recognized and acknowledged for his hard work? Killing him would've almost felt like a better choice lol (#it's a joke).

Even if, in the end, he gets to join his friends again and be a hero with them, he's still not opening up. How is it sane/healthy for him???? How will he even be able to maintain good relationships of any kind if there are already so many and huge miscommunication issues?

I hate this—I dislike how it's basically saying 'his feelings weren't that important!'. Izuku deserved better, a better closure. So much is missing from him; from this bitter ending, and I can't find any way to make myself feel better or to cope with it.

I am devastated, I feel empty for him, I just want someone to take him to therapy, to help him.

Some rumors have started to spread, about how 'Horikoshi has been forced to shorten his manga' but I don't believe this—MHA has been SJ's money-maker for a while. And even if it were to be true, the epilogue could've been handled differently. Hori could've focused on the most important parts (that he hasn't even shown/resolved at all) and left the irrelevant ones out (why introduce a new character if not to make us feel hopeful to see Tenko again, lol). He chose to not address the most important aspects of his story (including his MC's resolution and growth) and left us with huge plot holes. And now, we're stuck with our imagination, as usual.

I just can't with 'open endings' and 'it's left to interpretation' stuff. It's too easy to do that. I'm tired of mangakas not taking risks, rushing their own plots, and not digging deeper into their own MCs' traumas. I don't know what happened, but among the many issues left regarding this last chapter, Izuku's conclusion remains my greatest ick. I'm so sorry to say this, but Izuku didn't grow. He never learned from his mistakes and just didn't change—oh wait. Yes, he did change on one crucial aspect—his biggest trait, being obsessed with his childhood friend, totally disappeared! Maybe he started to stop caring about 'Kacchan and the others' and put himself first, to the point of forgetting the said childhood friend died twice for him, who knows? :))) (yeah, I'm especially pissed off at this lol don't mind me).

In my imagination, I see him being a pro-hero who continues to suppress his feelings and continues to act recklessly, to risk his life in the face of any danger that shows up. This is what happens when you leave it to fans' imagination, after all.

I know fanfictions exist, and I'm very happy this unclear ending motivated some writers to challenge their creativity. For me, it had the opposite effect. I'm disgusted, I am angry at Izuku and I know I'll struggle to finish my fics where he's involved because I don't want to deal with his character anymore. I'm too attached to canonical representation.

Man, I'm just devastated. I have no other words. And I'll have to live with this for the rest of my life. I feel betrayed. Shitted on. I'm dying inside and there's nothing I can do because it's over. Just like this long-ass essay, btw lol. Thank you if you're still here, thank you if you've read this! I'm pretty much open to discussion so if anyone wants to try and reassure me over some aspects or respectfully explain why I am wrong (I know I probably am, yet again those are my own feelings), please don't hesitate to do so. Also, I definitely need friends with whom I could talk about this deeper... so, my DMs are open too if you'd like to!

Much love to Izuku though; one of the best MCs I've encountered in my life, despite how he turned.

[rowanwithaz]

I agree with this so much.

I've seen a lot of people say that the story was never about Izuku's feelings in the first place,so they didn't need to have any real closure on them. But I disagree. This story was meant to be about Izuku and his dreams,not about fucking war. Like,I enjoyed some of the moments in war,but a lot of those moments;Katsuki's death,Izuku losing his arms,Katsuki coming back,ect,are never brought up again in a meaningful way.

and I was really,really trying to give Horikoshi the benefit of the doubt. He would bring up black whip then that would lead to going over the feelings in Izuku's heart. Something like that. But that never happened. I think the chapter is a good way to end the series,but the biggest problem are the things that the epilogue SHOULD have gone over. I think Ochako,Todoroki,and Spinner were things that needed to be taken care of,that's why I was hoping 430 would be all about Izuku and his feelings,so we could wrap this up. But that obviously didn't happen.

I love 430,but I also find it so unsatisfying. I'm trying to focus on what I like about it,but there's just so much that bugs me that it's difficult to enjoy to its fullest. 430 feels like a chapter that should happen after going over Izuku as a character,but we never really do. (I also feel the epilogue didn't focus on Katsuki in a meaningful way,like at all? Like his guilt for Edgeshot is kinda just shoved to the side and never fully resolved,just like his death)

I've also seen people say that Izuku just isn't "that kind of character" for the criticism he's meant with. And I feel Izuku is such a fun,interesting,and sweet character,and it bugs me to no end that he never got to actually feel and speak about his feelings. I love this series still,and I love Izuku still,but the lack of him actually speaking about his emotions really frustrates me. And a big argument I've seen for that is the "open ending","you don't need all the answers" stuff like that,but his control his heart arc feels so forgotten. What about that? The build up for that? I think when Katsuki died and Izuku had that whole flip out,it means literally nothing now because it was never addressed. People forget there was build up,and along the way it somehow got so forgotten.

Like,403. Not only did Katsuki come back,Izuku's reaction,the thumping heart,I was so excited because I felt this was foreshadowing a talk about black whip,a talk about how Katsuki's death effected Izuku,a talk about how Izuku felt. But,there was nothing.

I feel you,and I understand your frustration. I'm still trying to find some way to crack his character,find something they may hint at closure,but there is nothing. I love Izuku and I love MHA,and I didn't hate 430,but God I just wish all that build up wasn't for naught.

[ayeliiss]

Genuinely, thank you for understanding me, completing some of my thoughts, and wording some of my feelings better than I could've. I wanted to say so much more in my initial post, but I didn't want it to be too long. There are things you've pointed out here that I would like to answer though!

First: how are people saying it was never about Izuku and his feelings when... MHA is his story? I sincerely do not understand that claim! This is why I fully agree with you and everything you said. I had also decided to believe in Horikoshi, and Katsuki's revival was the moment I told myself 'I knew I wasn't clutching hope for anything! Now, Horikoshi will feed us!', aaand... it didn't happen. He had so many opportunities to make those following moments relevant and linked with the rest of his story (with the epilogue too) and he didn't take any of them.

"People forget there was build up,and along the way it somehow got so forgotten."

God, I love this sentence so much. That's exactly it. You can't tell someone 'not everything does need answers' when the author spent so much time trying to convince you that there will be answers. It's one thing not to introduce Izuku's father (we can be curious, but it had no real relevance); it's another thing to leave the most important arcs unaddressed at all.

Additionally, there is something I would like to add since you mentioned Katsuki: because his death wasn't addressed, and because his apology to Izuku wasn't either, their relevance just feels meaningless. It makes it look like Katsuki's apology was only for himself, only for his character's sake/development, and makes him look selfish too, which... I dislike a lot.

In the end, though, MHA will remain the manga that has left the greatest mark on me and I still love it too. The last chapter wasn't bad but it didn't add to the story and almost gave us nothing. But it doesn't ruin the entire story, fortunately, and I'll always be grateful for Horikoshi and his work. I just wish he would have dared to resolve what he decided to bring up. I just wish he would've given Izuku more credit.

[ayeliiss]

My two cents on MHA430 and Izuku's character

Disclaimer: this is NOT a hate post against Horikoshi and his manga. Simply, I need to lash my disappointment out somewhere and write my feelings down before I implode. I'm not trying to sound like 'ugh, I know better than them' at all, although I am aware some of my claims may give the 'why does the author think he knows so much?!' vibes, but keep in mind this is just my irrelevant opinion and it won't change anything anyway. So, please, don't come at me with 'lacking reading comprehension' or 'you're coping' (yes, I am) because I feel like fans are allowed to be upset at this ending even if you think differently! To each their own opinion, as long as it's respectful! Also, this might be unnecessarily long so, I apologize in advance.

Discussion about Izuku's character

First of all, if you're satisfied with the ending and what Izuku did/became, I'm genuinely happy for you. Truthfully, I envy you so damn much because I personally couldn't stop feeling empty and crying at night for him, and before you come at me with 'girl, he's fictional, it's okay you'll move on', yes, I know I'm a drama queen and I shouldn't be in one hell of a state for a fictional character, but I can't help it. I've grown as attached to him as I've ever grown to any character before, and there's no turning back. MHA is the first manga that ever moved me this hard and it'll forever remain a masterpiece for me, but it doesn't mean it's not flawed and should be free of criticism (always with respect for Horikoshi's work).

Funny thing is, I didn't even like Izuku when I first met him. He was the typical crybaby and too-optimistic MC I tend to dislike when I read a manga. Yet, the more I read, the more I started to understand him, the more I sympathized with him, and the more I loved him. I realized I related to him to such an outlandish extent, though I know we remain different in the way we act or think. But Izuku, even before Katsuki (and my friends know how obsessed I am with this blond lmao), became my first and greatest over-fixation and my main reason to continue reading/watching MHA. This manga changed my life; Izuku did too, and this isn't an understatement.

Just like him—and probably just like many of us—, I've endured bullying, been made fun of for being different, felt unwanted and hated, been belittled, and treated like shit for most of my teenage years. I think that's what really endeared him to me. I wanted to watch him grow, to watch him make real friends, to watch him receive the apologies and respect he deserved, to see him succeed. I wanted him to realize he was worth it and loved and, oh God, I wish he could know just how much his fans do love him.

And for 200+ chapters, I got what I wanted. Izuku got to live his dream, be around his idol who recognized him, and made new friends who admired him and wanted nothing but to be by his side. Then, the Vigilante arc happened, and everything changed. I won't dwell on the fact that, for me, this arc was the beginning of the decline of his character. It's worth noting though that it's at this precise moment that we've lost track of all his thoughts, but I'll focus on the ending, and how the way Horikoshi handled Izuku's character remains my biggest disappointment.

I sometimes joked with a friend of mine, saying, "Hori's favorite character is Katsuki and it shows so much, he even forgets he isn't his MC!" but I don't think it's much of a joke anymore.

Again, I'm very happy for those who are pleased with Izuku's closure. But, honestly, I can't grasp their process of thinking (I wish I could) because there's no way I can understand how it makes sense. It's not about him being quirkless—actually, I think this choice was cool—, it's about his obvious fucking depression.

After his initial withdrawal, there is never any resolution. He has never talked about his feelings to anyone, never opened up about all the things that bugged him, never taken it out on anyone. He just stopped having development, and never learned how to 'control his heart' (one of the biggest plots of the story, remember???). So, he continues to take everything up on his shoulders by the end of the story, and eight years later, he is feeling lonely, as he says himself:

Yes, I can read, and I know he's also saying he's happy with helping/encouraging other people. But it's literally denial. Izuku is in denial and it hurts me so much. He's alone (I'm not talking about how he's barely seen his friends, I know they didn't abandon him or anything, I'm talking about how he is feeling in general), deprived of his dream, and never got to talk about it to anyone (at least, on-screen. And if it's not shown, then it didn't happen). Even the adults around him don't see he's in pain—or, at least, don't think it's worth addressing. Aizawa can't even simply answer 'yes, you're cool' when Izuku obviously seeks praise and needs nice words after everything he's been through. He doesn't even get fans (except for two, waouh!) after saving the fucking world. He doesn't get a statue, no recognition. Katsuki leads a project for him to get a suit, but not the government? After everything he did? Why isn't he more recognized and acknowledged for his hard work? Killing him would've almost felt like a better choice lol (#it's a joke).

Even if, in the end, he gets to join his friends again and be a hero with them, he's still not opening up. How is it sane/healthy for him???? How will he even be able to maintain good relationships of any kind if there are already so many and huge miscommunication issues?

I hate this—I dislike how it's basically saying 'his feelings weren't that important!'. Izuku deserved better, a better closure. So much is missing from him; from this bitter ending, and I can't find any way to make myself feel better or to cope with it.

I am devastated, I feel empty for him, I just want someone to take him to therapy, to help him.

Some rumors have started to spread, about how 'Horikoshi has been forced to shorten his manga' but I don't believe this—MHA has been SJ's money-maker for a while. And even if it were to be true, the epilogue could've been handled differently. Hori could've focused on the most important parts (that he hasn't even shown/resolved at all) and left the irrelevant ones out (why introduce a new character if not to make us feel hopeful to see Tenko again, lol). He chose to not address the most important aspects of his story (including his MC's resolution and growth) and left us with huge plot holes. And now, we're stuck with our imagination, as usual.

I just can't with 'open endings' and 'it's left to interpretation' stuff. It's too easy to do that. I'm tired of mangakas not taking risks, rushing their own plots, and not digging deeper into their own MCs' traumas. I don't know what happened, but among the many issues left regarding this last chapter, Izuku's conclusion remains my greatest ick. I'm so sorry to say this, but Izuku didn't grow. He never learned from his mistakes and just didn't change—oh wait. Yes, he did change on one crucial aspect—his biggest trait, being obsessed with his childhood friend, totally disappeared! Maybe he started to stop caring about 'Kacchan and the others' and put himself first, to the point of forgetting the said childhood friend died twice for him, who knows? :))) (yeah, I'm especially pissed off at this lol don't mind me).

In my imagination, I see him being a pro-hero who continues to suppress his feelings and continues to act recklessly, to risk his life in the face of any danger that shows up. This is what happens when you leave it to fans' imagination, after all.

I know fanfictions exist, and I'm very happy this unclear ending motivated some writers to challenge their creativity. For me, it had the opposite effect. I'm disgusted, I am angry at Izuku and I know I'll struggle to finish my fics where he's involved because I don't want to deal with his character anymore. I'm too attached to canonical representation.

Man, I'm just devastated. I have no other words. And I'll have to live with this for the rest of my life. I feel betrayed. Shitted on. I'm dying inside and there's nothing I can do because it's over. Just like this long-ass essay, btw lol. Thank you if you're still here, thank you if you've read this! I'm pretty much open to discussion so if anyone wants to try and reassure me over some aspects or respectfully explain why I am wrong (I know I probably am, yet again those are my own feelings), please don't hesitate to do so. Also, I definitely need friends with whom I could talk about this deeper... so, my DMs are open too if you'd like to!

Much love to Izuku though; one of the best MCs I've encountered in my life, despite how he turned.

[ayeliiss]

mha430

Bakugo: *screaming at civilians for filming him from too close*

All Might: Bakugo-shonen, if you keep screaming at civilians, it'll make you fall down the rankings...

Bakugo: Hah?! As if I gave a damn fuck!!! Those freaks should know better about privacy!!

All Might: If you fall down the rankings, you'll make less money and it'll take longer for Midoriya-shonen to return by your sides.

Bakugo:

Bakugo: *turning around to face the crowd he's just yelled at, guiding a flat hand to his waist, and posing with his other hand on his hair* alright, ya know what, never mind.

[ayeliiss]

#mha429

Izuku to Ochaco in this chap: "you're my hero!"

Izuku to Katsuki +200 chaps prior: "All Might was my hero but you were the one actually in my life!"

I don't want to see anyone complaining about "OOC" stuff anymore in takes/fics/arts when Horikoshi himself is mischaracterizing his own characters!!!! (/half-joke tho)

[angy-grrr]

it’s not ooc bc ochako parallels all might’s savior heroism thru the manga -some of her more important moments, like when she screamed at civilians to let Deku in, are direct parallels-, and Izuku does strive to be like that. This is a discussion about her being a hero, not about romance. Also you think clueless Midoriya the nerd is confessing by saying you are my hero when he sees All Might as his hero too and already denied romantic feelings for wanting to be like that when he rejected Himiko? Heroism is the furthest thing from romance he could think of, and that’s how he was able to reject Toga without getting all nervous and embarrassed. That’s his comfort platonic place.

[aashi-heartfilia]

I don't understand how Izuku calling Ochako as his hero has anything to do with Katsuki?

Like can you not have more than 1 hero in your life?

Plus that was waaayyyy back....in season 3!!!

The story has come a long way since then and everyone has gone through some serious shit.

Idk what anyone has to say but Izuku calling Ochako as his hero is completely valid cause Katsuki was his 'image of Victory' but that was way before during the provisional license exam but ever since then Ochako's character arc about saving heroes and villains has only grown.

Her season 5 JTA Arc showed how she has started to question the society with her 'who saves the heroes' and when Deku left UA, she had a big role in bringing him back. Plus she has a lot of parallels to All Might, so it's not like it came out of nowhere.

Plus she has been saving him since the day they met!

The chapter even mentions sooo many moments!! Even I forgot some of them!! So when Deku says that 'Ochako is his hero' and that he can't rely on her strength anymore, it is completely in character and perfectly valid.

[ayeliiss]

As I said in the comments, I totally agree with such analysis!!! I'm allowed to be pissed at a sentence tho T_T I don't think they're romantic or anything, and yes, people can have multiple heroes with different meanings!! Ochaco is important to Izuku and has played a hugeeee role in his life, affecting him positively, ofc! I am not going to deny that. I am frustrated, that's all, but I simply hope the next chapter will give Katsuki some recognition too! I'm literally part of the bkdk-canon truther crowd, but I think it's valid for people to feel discontented despite loving MHA. Anyway please, joking is my way of coping, it wasn't that serious!! I know they're not OOC, but I still think Izuku's character has been weird for a little while now though.

I'm open to discussion and pretty chill, also in the meantime, I've read different takes and new theories so I'm also feeling better about it in general ^-^!

[aashi-heartfilia]

Ok ok, I guess I went too hard 😅 but it was just really confusing and I'm not saying it from a shipper pov but there are already chapters dedicated to showing how important Katsuki is to Deku, even Shigaraki AFO going as far as saying 'you are the most imp person to Izuku Midoriya' so I don't understand your reasoning cause no matter what Izuku says about Chako, it cannot diminish the bond/relationship bkdk have 🤷 it's already very special and you can have more than one special relationship. Plus didn't they already get a proper conclusion when AM praised them in the hospital and they both became the greatest heroes? I think that was a very good conclusion.

[ayeliiss]

No problems, all good lol!

To be honest, the joke wasn't supposed to be taken seriously at all or to be based on a reasoning, so I don't know what you expect from me and how you can think it was unclear, since... well, it's just a jest 😅 But I can still answer the points you brought up if that can help (if it's too long, I'm sorry, you're free to ignore of course!).

The main problem I have, personally, is that those chapters where Izuku used to be open about Katsuki's importance to him date back to... more than 100 chaps ago, more or less? I must admit I don't know the chapters by heart, I'm sorry ^^' but for a while, we've been missing how important he still is for Izuku. It almost looks like, since the apology, Izuku has decided to take a step away from Katsuki, which is understandable considering what happened to Katsuki 'because' of him (according to Izuku's thoughts). Yes, they have a special bond it's for sure! But as soon as Izuku shut himself down, he gave the impression that he 'broke' that bond (I'm so sorry if it doesn't make sense, English isn't my first language ghjklm-). And of course, Izuku is allowed to have more than one relationship lol I've never said the opposite? The hospital 'talk' wasn't a proper conclusion at all though (for me). It was, once again, only Katsuki leading a sort of monologue. Sure, Izuku responded, but only to say weird things, such as "stop, this isn't like you!" in the face of Katsuki crying, something that should have elicited a bigger, and better reaction according to me. Plus All Might was here, thrid-wheeling like lol please, old man, give them some intimacy!! xD

Anyway, I think Katsuki deserves more than that after everything he did for Izuku, and I'm not saying this as 'Izuku owes him everything holy shit', that's not what I mean, but damn Katsuki sacrificed himself for him, and wants to make up for all his mistakes, while Izuku seems to... want to keep a distance. Again, understandable because he must be traumatized. But, personally again, I think we need a more proper conclusion for them, and I think (hope) the last chapter will be dedicated to them. We still didn't get anything about 'control your heart', we've been deprived of Izuku's pov for so long--hell, we didn't get a proper interaction between the two of them for so long whereas they're the heart of the story. Another reason why they need more chapters just for them! Ofc, our opinions can differ and if you're satisfied with the hospital scene, I'm not going to tell you you're wrong or anything, to each their own! But yeah, I am waiting (craving) for more! And again, I'm pissed at that line because it just feels like Izuku is acknowledging Ochaco before acknowledging Katsuki, which feels so wrong to me, the two just can't compare. I am a shipper though, so yeah, I am biased and I can't do anything about it xD Yet again, I do know IzuOcha interaction wasn't meant to be romantic, and yes, he is allowed to have another kind of relationship with her! Hope it's clear enough? My brain's a mess lol. But as I said, joking is my way of coping and even if it wasn't... well, I'm sorry but I feel like making jokes in this fandom is totally forbidden ;_; you're immediately jumped on as if MHA was a sacred relic excused from any kind of criticism... MHA is amazing, but it has flaws and isn't perfect, I feel like it's valid to sometimes discuss the problems it has, whether in the form of jokes or serious talks. No hard feelings though, as I said, to each their own and I don't want to seem rude or anything! Sorry if I gave this impression!!

[manny438]

Ochako is Deku’s first friend. Ochako’s the one who changed the meaning of his hero name. Ochako’s the only person in the whole series who never doubted him at all and that includes his mom. It does make sense why she will be the one that he calls his hero in the show.

As much as I love bakugo and deku, their relationship was always strained and it took until season 6 when he apologized for the relationship to basically heal however that was on bakugo. Deku never had malice with bakugo since he looked up to all might, bakugo was the closest thing to a hero when he was growing up and quirkless. So obviously once he got a quirk, got closer to all might and they were on equal footing, it changed from his image that inspired him to a rival for him to beat.

Bakugo is not hero. Bakugo is his inspiration. Same with all might. All might is not his hero. He never called any of them his hero throughout the show because that is not their dynamic. They are important to him but the show never put them as hero’s to him

[ayeliiss]

Not disagreeing with any of this, I've already explained everything several times! ^-^