So why do u ship Izuocha? Not insulting u or anything just curious and interested to see what u had to say
Boy, am I glad you asked! Get ready for an essay ‘cause I love talking about my ships!
I’ll put this under a cut since it’s like a lot
I could use easy reasons like “They’re super cute together!” (Which they are!) or “They’re the main male and female protagonists!” (Which, yes, is also true). But I do wanna touch on that latter point before I continue. Horikoshi very well might have first drawn Ochako with the intention of pairing her with Deku at the end, and he very well may not have, I don’t know. But it is very clear from what Hori has said in interviews and notes and stuff that he did create her to bounce off elements of Deku’s personality. He doesn’t explicitly use the term “best friend,” but that’s basically what he gets at. And it’s pretty clear from how often they’re paired in merch and from merch descriptions (and Smash Tap as well, which can be considered an extension of canon— or is at least kept as canon as something like it can be) that they’re meant to be viewed as such. However, the potential romantic aspect doesn’t negate the importance of Ochako’s friendship in Deku’s eyes, and it also doesn’t negate the separate and standalone character that Ochako absolutely is. She was created to be his best friend but that does not take away from the character that she is on her own! And that’s why I believe that they would make a good couple:because of their friendship.
Now, I have a bias, because best friends to lovers is my jam. But there’s a reason why that’s often portrayed as a healthy trope! Also Ochako/Deku was the only thing I knew about when I started watching MHA, even before I knew their frickin names. I like for my adventure stories to have a splash of romance, so that was a big draw for me. Little did I know they would be so wonderfully written in such a vibrant world!
They’re protective of each other.
Holy crap, are they ever. That’s always good ship fuel. Remember when Deku was quick to shield her during their first exercise against Kacchan? Or how Ochako saved Deku in return for him saving her during the entrance exam? Or how Deku was so concerned about Toga hurting her? Or how Ochako literally ripped her shirt in half to splint his broken arms?
But it’s not just each other’s physical well-being that they’re concerned about, either. One moment I adore comes in the post-final exam omake, when Ochako pleads with Bakugo to repair his relationship with Deku. A lot of people read this as a K**chako moment, but I absolutely don’t. Ochako literally teleported into Deku’s seat because Katsuki was breathing in his direction. She was so ready to defend him even in his absence, to the point where she was ready to square up with him all over again.
At the beginning of the series, she points out that Bakugo calls him names and bullies him.
She doesn’t like watching Kacchan be mean to him. She knows it hurts him deeply, even though she doesn’t quite know the reason why (though we as the reader know that Deku just really wants them to be friends again, and really wants for Katsuki to be a better hero). And it does hurt him deeply, even if he’s grown used to it over the years. Growing used to bullying doesn’t make it hurt any less. Kacchan has grown a lot as a character and it’s very fun to see, but he still was kind of an asshole to Deku quite often at the beginning. Ochako recognizes how much strain his and Katsuki’s relationship puts on Izuku, so she wants them to make up, because she knows Katsuki is above being that cruel (Hence, the “you were so cool at the Sports Festival” line).
Personally, my interpretation of Deku’s character is that he has anxiety. Like, pretty bad anxiety. Ochako recognizes this pretty easily. Heck, she’s good at reading all kinds of people easily! She saw Tsu’s sadness about Kamino, didn’t want to go rushing after Bakugo because it would hurt his pride, and is always supportive of Izuku since at the very least she knows he’s sensitive, and has had bad experiences with social interactions in the past. She really tries her best not to scare him because she thinks he’s a good person and doesn’t deserve that.
Have you guys ever noticed that Ochako doesn’t insult Izuku? Like, ever. To be fair, she doesn’t insult anyone, but that’s a trope seen often with shounen love interests. Ochako doesn’t even playfully tease Izuku or the others with harsh words, because she doesn’t want to encourage meanness of any kind! She even shoves down her jealousy because to her, it’s unbecoming of a hero. That’s just the kind of character she is.
But Izuku is quick to defend her, too! He takes up for her against Katsuki of all people when he accuses her of conniving with Deku during her match against him. And, during her fight, he was one of the only ones other than Monoma and Aizawa that truly believed she had a fighting chance against Bakugo. He knows her strength and doesn’t want a soul to doubt it!
(A fun little thing outside of canon is found in One’s Justice, too. In the game, you have an arcade mode, which has a series of battles with conversations afterwards. Izuku fights most of his classmates, but Ochako is the only one he’s worried about after their fight! He doesn’t think she’s weak, of course, but it’s a natural reaction to have after total KOing ur bestie tbh)
They’re mutually supportive of each other
Really any of the above examples can count, but to add onto that:
Ochako doesn’t stop Deku when he tries to go after Kacchan, even though he’s hurt, even when it’s against the rules, even when he doesn’t stand a chance. She knew he needed to do it, she knew he had to try, because if he didn’t at least do that, he’d never be able to live with himself.
Deku knows her strength and her battlefield prowess. He instantly recognized that the Ochako he saved during the license exam arc wasn’t Ochako, because as others have pointed out, if it was Ochako then he wouldn’t have had to save her. He’s impressed with her wanting to train outside the box at a fighting internship! And if you look at some of the Smash Tap descriptions also, he speaks so highly of her. They’re adorbs.
Plus they really are good friends. I made a pretty popular post about how she basically adopted him to be her bestie. They hang out and talk and have fun just like best friends do! +Dad Friend Iida, ofc
They hurt for one another
In the anime, pay close attention to certain cutaway scenes. After Deku is hospitalized after the USJ incident, Ochako looks up to where Recovery Girl’s office is. Also, after Deku loses Kacchan to the League of Villains, she gets a special closeup looking to him screaming on the ground. She worries for him, probably more personally than anyone else in the class except Iida Dekusquad forever fam. Also vice versa. Deku literally started crying when he realized that Ochako hid her true feelings from him during the Sports Fest arc in order to cheer him on instead. Deku will cry about accidentally stepping on an ant but you bet ur shit he wanted to comfort her. They care for each other so much.
They inspire one another
This one goes without saying! Ochako always tried to justify her crush as just being ultra inspired by him because she thinks he’s amazing because he works so hard to become a hero!
But Deku is inspired by her, too. She was the very first person who ever made him feel like a hero. All Might trained him to be one, sure, but Ochako is the first person he saved, the first person who reached out to him. Just his face when he watched her praise him in his acceptance letter gives me chills, he was so happy. And she changed the meaning of “deku” to something that became hopeful. She played a key part in restoring his hope, along with All Might. Because Kacchan’s definition of Deku meant something like “hopeless.” Please excuse me I’m crying rn
Deku thinks she’s pretty
That’s canon, folks.
Ochako already has a crush on him anyway
So why the hell not!
They’ll no doubt continue to influence each other in the future, so at this point, I’m just enjoying the ride, seeing how she plays into the overall plot and how she and Deku will continue to interact as the story progresses. My favorite ships actually don’t ever become canon. The fun is in the “will-they/”won’t they” slow burn of it all, which is a huge reason why Izuocha appeals to me.
Plus they’re damn good children ok.
Thanks for reading. I know that got a little long and rambly, and I pointed out my favorite moments more than anything, but I hope that answers your question sufficiently!
