just in time for pride month: here it is, the rant on BD canon status I promised!
in the BNHA fandom, as in any big fandom, there’s a lot of discussion going on surrounding the subject of whether slash ships will end up canon. this conversation is as old as the hills, happens in every fandom, it can be lots of fun, and I’m not trying to end it!
but as your local fandom elder who over the course of the last 20 years has consumed more shonen manga/anime than you can name, I still wanna add my two cents to the discussion of BakuDeku canon likeliness, maybe dampen some expectations, but ultimately also bring you some good news.
I don’t think BakuDeku will become canon. but I also don’t think it should matter to you whether it does.
just the other day, I saw someone say that Deku and Bakugo being narrative foils might point to them becoming canon endgame. and to whoever said that, bless your soul. I wish I had your optimism. because you are right: if this was about which relationship is the most pivotal to both characters and the entire plot, BakuDeku would without doubt be the one to end up canon. but here’s what you need to understand: generally, shonen manga doesn’t care about narrative foils when it comes to picking and choosing what ships to make endgame.
shonen manga rivals can have the most intense relationships, they can proclaim their undying loyalty to each other, they can have the most profound connection - none of that matters when it comes to deciding who will end up married. ask the SasuNaruSasu fans.
I feel like there is a fundamental disconnect between what we (women and queer fans who create and consume transformative work) consider good endgame material, and what shonen manga considers good endgame material.
there’s a pattern here where the character the protagonist marries is not supposed to be someone he’s fought countless battles with or who spurs him on to become the best version of himself. instead, it’s supposed to be someone the protagonist can come home to in order to escape his every day struggles, the intensity of his rivalries, the hardships of his fights. shonen spouse material can be someone who’s been with the protagonist every step of the way, but not necessarily someone he’s had a lot of interaction with. someone who’s nurturing, someone who takes care of him, someone who is always there for him. not his Sasuke, but his Hinata.
aaand in some cases it feels like the less the two have interacted on screen, the better their chances are for ending up married.
in that, shonen manga works a lot like the ancient Rome’s idea of love. only a man can ever truly understand another man, a true connection of profound respect can only be possible between two men, etc.
but if it comes to who you marry, who you have a family with, who you create a home with, that’s what women are for. this reflects a certain image of women, and how manga approaches that subject could fill an entire essay on its own. but I feel like someone more educated than me should be the one to tackle that issue. so we are going to try and phrase this as neutrally as possible and leave it at that: shonen manga has a sexism problem.
Japanese culture is also permeated by some strong conservative values. according to those, boys having crushes on boys and girls having crushes on girls is one thing, sometimes tolerated, sometimes romantically depicted. but growing up, you are expected to leave these things behind as a “juvenile phase”, have a heterosexual marriage, have children, and become a respectable, productive member of society.
another matter we encounter is how we define what is gay.
you might look at Deku blushing at Bakugo, calling him Kacchan, calling him the most amazing person he knows, and for you these might be obvious signs that Deku has a crush on Bakugo.
[long post, lots of images and BNHA MANGA SPOILER WARNING]
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