Iāve been thinking a lot about patterns that Iāve seen in series like Bleach and Naruto, and how it feels a lot like theyāre showing up in BNHA, no matter how much I donāt want to accept it. These are a specific type of shounen that, while carrying several major differences, do have some things about them that are formulaic (at least in terms of how certain characters are used).
My kneejerk response is to want to deny it all- to say that Uraraka isnāt being forced into the same kindof box as characters like Hinata and Orihime who, while being given some truly interesting potential, were both HEAVILY made to revolve around their love interests (the main characters). You can say Uraās more of a Sakura- but she hasnāt gotten that much focus. Sakura was given the star treatment in comparison to what Uraraka has gotten at this point in both series runs.
Yes, Ura had a good start (which is why I love her straightforward, friendly and goofy self so much) and yes her crush is painted as something that is a negative thing which is distracting her (which is why I still have some hope, as I havenāt seen that done yet!)
ā¦but itās also not taken very seriously, more often than not just being painted as a cute gag that is fun for the straight teenage boys that this series is directed at (if you disagree check the stats of who shounen jump is marketed towards. Fanart is not a good indicator of everyone who buys shounen jump in Japan). Of course they love the idea of a girl pining for them while being cool and oblivious, only thinking about getting stronger.
Think back to that scene where she decided to push down her feelings and look at the scenes immediately taking place around it. The placement makes it clear that it served a simultaneous purpose to build up the idea that Deku inspires his classmates (just as Kaminariās moment right around then was focused on how Bakugou also inspires classmates). That wasnāt really THAT MUCH about her. (Especially when we get nothing more about her struggle to deal with those feelings for a long time, aside from her punching herself in the face.)
I love Uraraka so much but donāt think she was placed in this series to have anywhere near the level of importance as the other āmain charactersā.
We all want more for Uraraka and a better written romance than āgirl pines for guy until he notices her at the end of the series and we just have to accept that theyāre in loveā, but our complaints are merely us yelling in an echo chamber.
Is anyone in Japan aside from a handful of fanartists upset about her lack of big, emotionally weighted (non romantic) focus in comparison even to āsideā characters like Kirishima while sheās being touted as a āMain Characterā?
It doesnāt feel that way.
From what Iāve seen, like a lot of people here, they just go on to say āThatās just how this genre is, get over it. Teenagers get crushes, so even though everyone else gets to focus on their big struggles, itās okay that sheās focused on this. Be glad she gets more focus than other girls!ā
Thereās so much thatās good about BNHA that itās easy to just shrug it all off and enjoy how great a lot of the characters are- but since Uraraka is my favorite character itās constantly irking to me. I know Horikoshi is not done developing her character, but I donāt have any high expectations.
Itās easy to ignore until I start reading and watching other anime- and remembered that series DO exist that allow the main female cast to be involved in major plot events and they CAN have deep/developed friendships with the MC. It is not that unreasonable to want more. (And no, Iām not attacking hori or saying this series is trash. I get that this is just the kind of character Uraraka was made to be, and I get that this is a common trope in shounen- doesnāt make it any less sad.)
I dunno. I could be wrong, I hope Iām wrong. My bet is if I am wrong, we wonāt see the fruition of her deeper development for a long time.
I have a feeling Iāll have left the fandom by then and will only read the series from the sidelines long before that point- because the passion that inspires me to create content or look at fanart will probably disappear with my waning hope for Uraraka getting momentum ever again.