#bakugou meta

[makeste]

I honestly feel bkg and deku got one of the best rival dynamics in general and I read a lot of stories not just in shounen

agreed. it's got pretty much everything.

long personal history - they've known each other since they were little babies and know basically everything about each other.

intense emotional connection - their emotions become heightened whenever they're around each other. they bring out feelings in each other that no one else does. it's a tangled web of feels that neither one of them has the slightest idea how to begin sorting out.

yin and yang - they clash and contrast with each other, but they also complement one another.

parallels - in spite of their differences, they're also far more alike than they realize, and as the relationship progresses the similarities keep growing stronger to the point where they both openly draw inspiration from one another and mimic each other unconsciously.

there and back again - the relationship pretty much runs the full circle. they start out as friends, then turn completely antagonistic, then slowly mellow out into rivals, and then eventually back into friends again. it's a whole damn journey.

supportive rivalry - they egg each other on and push each other and help each other grow.

protectiveness - no one else is allowed to fuck with them!! they will fuck you up so don't even try it!!

acceptance - "huh, okay, so Deku has six extra quirks now. whatever. I hope they're not lame. I should fight him right now and test them all out."

faith/trust - unspoken and instinctive. in spite of everything they've been through, Katsuki has always believed in Deku's strength (even when it pissed him off), and Deku has always believed in Katsuki's potential.

relying on each other when nothing else is constant or secure - when Deku needs saving, Katsuki is there. and when Katsuki needs saving, Deku is there. they know how to get through to each other in ways that nobody else can. they know that they can depend on each other.

symbolism - the hands!! the reaching!! the hesitation!! the regret!! the longing!!

being complete morons - "hey Deku idk what to do about all of these stupid feelings I'm having, let's go sneak out of the dorms and have a dramatic therapy fight." "idk Kacchan, we probably shouldn't be doing this, I say as I follow you without hesitation and get totally swept up in the fight within five minutes and ramp my quirk up to 8% while we both beat the living shit out of each other."

not having a fucking clue - "oh whoops I meant to just tell Kacchan that I wasn't lying to him about not having a quirk, but it appears that I have accidentally told him my biggest, most important secret instead. just a small slip of the tongue there. I wonder what brought that on."

seriously - "I hate Deku so fucking much. but secretly I'm really just scared of him. and also scared for him?? and also I actually care about him a lot. but if he ever finds out I will literally die so I guess I better just sit back and call him names all day long for the rest of my life instead."

just making it up as they go along - "Izuku I'm so sorry for everything, I was a complete asshole and you were right and I was wrong and I fucked up and I really regret it and I just want to let you know. also we're still rivals and nothing has changed between us. let me show you my new cluster move."

literally no one else understands it but them - "I'm so happy and thankful to be able to have a semi-normal conversation with Kacchan again after all this time. [flashback to earlier that day with Kacchan when they spent fifteen minutes squabbling about who's better in All Might's office while Kacchan made bizarre faces and All Might was all 'lol these two really are a riot I fucking love their dumb asses.']"

and on and on. I'm basically just scratching the surface here lol. it really is the dynamic to end all dynamics. it's hilarious and deeply affecting and inspiring and compelling and poignant as hell and the slow burn to end all slow burns. and also never forget how, unlike certain other iconic shounen rivals who shall not be named, they got their shit together after 120 chapters and became a team, rather than breaking up and joining opposite factions and spending the rest of the series separated except for their periodic reunions where they wistfully try to kill each other. I'm just saying lol. we really are blessed.

#bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bnha meta #bakugou meta #deku meta #bakudeku #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #asks #anon asks

[love-too-believe]

I know it was a brief moment, but remember when Hawks showed that he disagreed with Stain’s ideology? (as everyone should btw)

With the information on Hawk's character that we have now it makes even more sense.

Because Stain’s ideology goes against everything Hawk’s stands for.

Which is the human ability to change and grow at any point in your life.

As many have already pointed out (including the series) Stain’s ideology is incredibly flawed on a fundamental level. Because it requires the idea and only idea, that people never change or are uncapable of change and remain stagnate.

Which is inherently untrue. Even on a small scale.

Think about who you were when you were 10, 13, 20. What you use to believe in, what you believe now, how you use to act, how you act now, what type of friends you keep.

It’s all part of growing because that’s just how humans work. Whether for bad or good depends on the situation.

On a hero scale we see this first with Mt Lady

Mt Lady started off as someone who only became a hero too seek fame. But as the series progresses we see her go through events that make her realize what it really means to be a hero and make her willing to put her own life on the line for others.

With Stain’s beliefs she should have died before she could even come to this point.

That’s how power change can be for some people. 

To the point where some people are vastly different from who they use to be.

Because it’s easier to think someone is one thing, rather then accept that if they are willing, they can change for the better.

#hawks meta #bnha meta #bakugou meta #mt lady #yu takeyama #hero killer stain #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha #mha #bnha fandom #keigo takami #takami keigo #bnha 315 #bnha leaks #bnha spoilers #katsuki bakugō #bakugou katsuki

[wrathspawn]

you know what i love about bakugou’s character development?

he doesn’t make it deku’s burden to forgive him.

bakugou knows he’s messed up, and he wants to atone for that. we have canon dialogue expressing that.

but instead of telling deku “hey, i’m actually trying to make up for bullying you by helping you out, so...” thereby making it weigh upon deku, katsuki just does his shit. he became self aware, and realized what he did was a misplaced outlet for frustrations he didn’t understand as a kid. now that he knows, he’s changing.

BUT HE’S CHANGING IN WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE.

katsuki is always going to be himself, we aren’t seeing his PERSONALITY change so much that he feels like someone else entirely. no. we are seeing real growth. his core has always been the same, but he’s learning how to let out what’s inside him in healthier ways, and show how much he cares without pushing people away.

and he’s doing it in a way deku may never even fully realize stems from him. because bakugou isn’t about to make it deku’s problem. he’s gonna atone. he’s gonna protect & build deku up, all while being his ultimate rival.

and that is so much more powerful than just asking for forgiveness.

#bakugou #bnha #manga #mha #mha bakugou #mha manga #my hero academia #bkdk #bakugou x izuku #bakudeku #bnha meta #meta #bakugou meta #bnha bakugo katsuki #katsuki #bakugou katsuki #izuku mha #izuku midoriya

[bitchlessbkg]

Some Thoughts on Chapter 318

I don’t want this to be Bakugou and Deku taking each other’s hands (for multiple reasons), i want this to be Bakugou’s hero debut to the public. Allow me to explain -

Kamino is where Allmight fell, something that Bakugou blames himself for and carries the guilt regardless of Allmight himself saying that it’s not his fault. It’s where he was targeted, kidnapped, painted as a villain in the eyes of the public, and needed saving from the LOV. Now, doesn’t this sound familiar?

Currently, Deku is ->

1. Targeted by AFO

2. Not necessarily kidnapped but was led into a trap by AFO that he struggled to get out of alone

3. Was painted as villainous by the public

4. Is in need of saving

Now, we know that in order to save Bakugou, Deku and others (Kirishima, Iida, Momo, Todoroki) joined together in order to rescue him. The same thing happened with Bakugou I’m assuming, since he said “I found him” on the phone. In this Kamino parallel, I want Bakugou to be in Allmight’s position->

1. Allmight arrived first and found Bakugou while taking down the villain/group (for a short while) -> Bakugou was the first to find Deku and is working on taking down the villain

2. When Bakugou’s rescue squad arrived and got Bakugou out of there, Allmight was left to deal with AFO -> the rest of Deku’s rescue squad (I believe it will be Ochako, Todoroki, Tsu, and Iida along with Bakugou) will show up and get deku out of there so that he can be safe while they trust Bakugou to handle the villain

3. Allmight defeats AFO and this was his final battle as a hero, his last victory for the public -> Bakugou would defeat this villain, his first TRUE debut to the public as a hero (his interviews and stuff were cut off) in contrast to where Allmight’s career ended

This is the perfect opportunity for Bakugou to make a lasting impact on the public as a hero while showing what type of hero he is and what he fights for. For him to rescue the civilians under the control of the Dictator, to reassure them through victory that they will be saved, and to include himself as a part of Allmight’s legacy while announcing his hero name that pays homage to him, officially starting his hero debut -> Great Explosion Murder God (lmao) Dynamight!

He’ll be the justice aspect that Allmight once was, because when Allmight was around he had that confidence/arrogance of assured victory that people had no doubts or worries about, and knew that they would be saved against all odds or impossible challenges. The public will know about Deku, the one to inherit Allmight’s power and chosen successor, but Bakugou will not be excluded from that legacy or responsibility just because he wasn’t chosen. It’s him going against the status quo of their only being one singular pillar, because he’s there too, and these “regular heroes” shouldn’t be ignored. It’s also him declaring that he will surpass Allmight and Deku, his original goal, and bring new meaning through leadership and teamwork for assured victory of what it means to be Number One

Also, it would be great for him in respects to both Allmight and Endeavor, who both won aganist a powerful foe to ensure the public’s safety as the Number One hero who saves through winning! He has that connection with the both of them, so it would be great for him to have a big battle like that as well, showcasing that victory

#midoriya izuku #bakugou meta #bnha bakugou #bnha 318 #mha 318 #izuku midoriya #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #bnha deku #deku #bnha parallels #bnha critical #bakudeku #dekubaku #katsudeku #all for one #all might #bnha meta #bnha ofa #ochako uraraka #uraraka ochako #iida tenya #tenya iida #eijirou kirishima #kirishima eijirou #momo yaoyorozu #todoroki shoto #shoto todoroki #bnha endeavour #bnha enji

[engeldreamer]

so i was just thinking about this: kiribaku shipper do nothing but think that kirishima is very important to bakugou’s character, but i don’t think it’s true. like, i don’t think is true at all.

i mean, it's undeniable that bakugou is important for kirishima’s character (though mina is even more important imo) because he was the one who encouraged him, and during kiri fight with rappa, when he did unbreakable for the first time, there was a flashback to the conversation he had with bakugou. (plus the whole kamino arc).

but bakugou has never had such a moment with kirishima. whenever bakugou was feeling down or when he was fighting, he never thought about kirishima or their friendship. when bakugou was having problems (in battle or psychological problems) he never looked for kirishima nor he has ever thought of him. he has always thought about deku and their past and their relationship. he always looked for deku.

and you might say "lol of course, deku is the protagonist!" and you are right, but if kirishima was as important as kiribaku shippers think, don't you think horikoshi would have shown it in at least one flashback every time bakugou has had character development or a crisis? don’t you think that if their friendship was so fundamental for bakugou, horikoshi would’ve shown it more?

in conclusion i don’t think kirishima is that important for bakugou.

#don’t come for me #it’s true that bakugou never thought about kirishima in this kind of situation #also i didn’t write this to start ship wars #it’s just that i hate when shippers mischaracterized bakugou and his relationships #my english is bad sorry #bakudeku #katsudeku #midoriya izuku #katsuki bakugou #kirishima eijiro #bnha meta #bakugou meta #bakudeku meta #character analysis #i didn’t re-read the manga so if i didn’t notice something please let me know!

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

You know what parallel I like to think of? The one between Bakugo and Touya Todoroki when he was a kid.

They both had flashy quirks and people held them above the average, praising him, telling them who special and important they were. They learn to depend on those compliments, constantly showing off their quirks to get people to love them. And when that stopped working, when they were no longer the center of attention, they started going down a dangerous path, a violent one.

Well, they were violent before. Both Bakugo and Touya were really mature to their age. They are very observant, they analize everything they see and try to go one step ahead the rest. Sadly, this also means they misunderstand a lot of stuff, because they're trying to read people and that's not a exact science.

The problem with people raising you in a way you think you're above average is that you're gonna feel ashamed if you ever need to ask for help. Specially if that helps come from someone that should be pathetic to social standards. Both Izuku and Fuyumi tried to help Bakugo and Touya, but that only made them angrier. How can them, the strong one, accept the help of a weak one? They were genuinely trying to understand it. They were kids.

This works perfectly when you remember that Bakugo is also a parallel of Endeavor. Don't get angry, hear me out first: Endeavor, as Bakugo, was obsessed with being number one. With the years that obsession blinded him so much that he stop caring about others when it wasn't ralated to the hero work. Or rather, his obsession made him violent and ignorant, until he was a monster in the eyes of the people that were close to him.

Bakugo is a way better version, because he's a version that was rescued on time. Thanks go his friends and his teachers, and specially thanks to Izuku, he understood that it was not about just being stronger than anybody else. It was about being a hero at heart. He's getting so much better, doing so much better, he's just a better human being because of course HE WAS A CHILD, and one that was blinded to how things should work. Now he's growing up and that means he's taking a conscious decision to change. Really, the road is long and the steps are slow, but that's life. He's gonna get there and he's getting there already.

But still, when it comes to Touya and Bakugo.

Touya was somehow a little of a bully too. We learned from the manga he didn't want to go play with other kids because he found them inferior. At least Bakugo had friends (being an only child, he found the help he needed within other children), but Touya only had his siblings and: 1) To his eyes Fuyumi was weak because she was a girl and had a weak quirk, 2) Natsuo was okay but Dabi got the feeling he was bothering him and annoying him so he stopped trying to find comfort in Natsuo, 3) Shoto was the personification of his failure, so he hated that baby because he hated himself and he's dad.

The way they moved and acted was also kinda similar. Even their hair. And then you have the parallel between the scene where Bakugo cries because he thinks he's not enough or not worthy, and the scene with Touya whefe he cried because he wanted to assure his father he was valuable, he was not a failed experiment.

They both struggle with communicating what they feel. They both are grumpy and sarcastic, edgy and stubborn. Even when they follow other people, they still think they are better than them.

And that's all for now, a tiny silly comparison that I like to think about when I have time to.

#Shan's mha rants #Shan's bnha rants #Mha #My hero academia #Boku No Hero Academia #Bnha #Touya Todoroki #toya todoroki #Todoroki #bakugo katsuki #bakugou katsuki #Bnha spoilers #Mha spoilers #Mha meta #Bnha meta #Bakugou meta #Touya meta #dabi is a todoroki #Dabi #Dabi meta #League of villains #LoV #Shan's parallels #Shan's mha meta #Shan's bnha meta #Endeavor #enji todoroki #Fuyumi #Natsuo #Shoto

[incorrect-bkdk-quotes]

Hello! I hope it’s okay to ask you questions! I recently re-joined the fandom, bkdk being my main ship had me rewatch and re-read all of their moments! I have some doubts and wanted to ask you about them! We know that bakugou was insecure and punished deku for that. I never understood tho, where exactly is the correlation in this? Also, has he always been worried for deku? Should we see every past moment as him worrying for deku in his own toxic way? ( before actually realising what he felt? ) like when he didn’t want him to join U.A. ? worrying about the quirk? There are these things that I’m not so sure about and I know that are pretty important for them.. so I hope you can explain them to me! I’m sure there’s more I would like to ask, but I don’t even know if I have enough space for my ask eheh

Anon before you decide to hate me, pls understand that I wrote a v nice long meta on this and thought it had been uploaded and I was VERY confused to see that Tumblr just,,,, ate my post,,, :(

I want to rewrite everything I did, but idk if I'll manage to be that eloquent again gdi-

Anyway hello!! I joined the fandom pretty recently myself and I do relate to your experience of combing through the manga + show looking for any nods to your favourite characters and ships!

Before I start rambling, I would like to remind everyone that this is Art, and art is meant to be interpreted.

This is just how / interpreted the story, and it is definitely not the only way to interpret the material, nobody reads into the nuances exactly the same. Also this is bakugou centric bec that's what the anon asked, but dw I have put as much thought into izuku's side of the story too!

Correlation between Bakugou's insecurities and his treatment of Izuku

Ok so I think the correlation comes from the fact that Bakugou has been raised as a typical gifted child, being told he is the best and special and better than everyone else by all the adults or authority figures in his life. However he has also been raised to think that all his "special-ness" comes from his powerful quirk and not him intrinsically. How does he deal with this? By basing his entire identity around his quirk and his sheer power of course and ends up with a self esteem is based in what he can do, not who he is.

This leaves a gaping hole at the core, that's his biggest insecurity. "Who is he without the flashy quirk?" So instead of dealing with that (understandable, he's like what 5? when the quirk kicks in?), he accepts that this is just how the world is. He's just better. More worthy. And everyone will just have to deal with that fact. Not his problem.

Now comes in quirkless izuku, weaker than katsuki in everyway that he saw, but clinging to the same hopes, same ambitions that katsuki did, and it pisses him off while also scaring him. Not exactly in a sentimental i-secretly-worry-about-my-old-friend kind of way.

I just think he's intimidated by Izuku's hero spirit. His insecurity complex manifests as the question- Would he be as driven as Izuku is, to be a hero, if he didn't have the backing of his quirk? That's a hard fucking question that Katsuki is definitely not ready to ask himself. (Oh source? Uh the remedial arc dialogue "if you keep looking down on others, you'll never see your own weakness")

Everything about izuku challenges his perception of the world and he lashes out and tries to squash his own feelings of inadequacy.

And he is convinced Izuku can see through him, and that izuku thinks of himself as a better person and hero than katsuki. Which almost definitely fucks his already fragile self esteem.

Obviously he's wrong to do so. On the other hand he's a child, he's not emotionally mature enough to realise what he's thinking, or contemplate what he's saying before he's said it and that definitely fucks up his relationship with midoriya.

Should we see every past moment through the lens of bakugou being secretly worried for midoriya?

I don't know what we can and should do, I just know that I do not exactly do that. Bakugou wasn't a nice kid and that's just how it is. (What matters is that he worked on himself till he got better and he cares now. He's cared since the early days of watching Deku at UA I'd guess)

I will always view their interactions after UA began with leniency because they're both growing so much.

I do not know how universal this experience is, but a great change, something like going to college, or in this case high school, really Fucks with your world view.

Katsuki has always been the best, far outclassing his peers at everything he did. For the first time he is amongst other strong individuals who can keep up with him, including Deku. Katsuki's still brilliant, but he has to work for that number one spot. (I would go into how his inferiority complex makes it hard for him to accept anything but first spot but we don't have the time)

Just as importantly, Katsuki has also found something at UA, guidance from adults who still expect brilliance, but for more than simply due to his quirk. He also finally makes actual friends (yay bakuquad) who don't turn and flee at the first sign if trouble (.. yes I'm looking saltily at those kids from Aldera who ditched him withinn 2 seconds during that sludge villain attack)

To paraphrase from The Good Place "People change and grow when they receive external love and support, how can we hold it against them if they don't"

With so much changing in his life, is it that hard to believe that Katsuki Bakugou gets better as a hero and as a person?

I am not touching the manga, because idk how much you've read anon, (really the current arc just says it all so clearly!) but even before the end of Season 3, you can see the change in his behaviour.(Yes I'm talking about his acknowledgement of izuku's strength, and yeah Obviously I'm talking about the vulnerability he displays in Deku vs Kacchan 2.0)

And yeah like they say- "the best apology is changed behaviour"

[sorry anon, this veered a little off topic by the end but I hope I hit all your queries??]

#bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #my hero academy #bakudeku #bkdk #mha #bakugou katsuki #bakugou #katsuki #midoriya izuku #midoriya #izuku #deku #kacchan #bnha meta #bakugou meta #correct bnha #serious post #asks #2k #not a quote

[prince-liest]

Please consider: Bakugou doesn’t wear makeup on the daily, but his hero costume has a black eye mask and you can bet your ass he’s going to do black shadow and eyeliner behind it, because when you do a hero costume, you do it right. It makes his eyes blend really well with the look, but the moment he takes the mask off, he has one hell of a smoky eye.

After his debut, makeup companies catch on eventually, and he’s stupidly popular enough that it’s an opportunity that is not to be missed despite his general demeanor and aesthetic.

Bakugou in a makeup advertisement is Glorious. They're usually so feminine and sex-appeal based but he is willing to do one (1) ad and goes all-in. It's the sort of niche thing where the promo goes, “Our heroes deserve the best makeup out there, and so do you! Which is why we had Ground Zero personally test the staying power of our eyeliner - sixteen hours and a flood-zone rescue later, his eyeliner is still sharp enough to kill a man if he doesn't do it with his bare hands first!”

#bnha #bakugou katsuki #bnha meta #personal #I was talking about this with Indra on Discord and I'm shameless enough to post it bc I cracked myself up a little #it's a random bnha meta snippets kind of day #bakugou meta #op meta #p

[class1akids]

bakugou figured out his hero name during work studies under endeavor? i thought it was after the remedial classes? he got his hero id after finally passing the provisional license with todoroki and there's your hero name on it (we've seen dku's) so he had to give them one and it was way before the work studies. or did i miss something and he was given a nameless hero license (i don't have access to the manga to check)?

Aizawa explains when they pick hero names that it’s tentative only (but to still be careful, because it maybe what the world will end up calling them - like it happened to him.)

Bakugou fails to come up with an appropriate name, so he’s just called “Bakugou”. 

After he gets his licence, this is the close-up we get to his licence. 

After their fight with the Soda-Pop villain, Bakugou and Todoroki are doing the hero-circuit on TV, then the interview training with Mount Lady, where it’s obvious that Todoroki’s hero name has become known:

So if Bakugou had a real hero name at this point, it would have been widely known as well. Yet, when Natsuo asks Bakugou’s hero name, even Deku - who pays minute attention to his classmates, and especially Bakugou - doesn’t know it and thinks it’s just Bakugou. 

Since at the very beginning of the Endeavor internship arc, Bakugou is thinking back to his internship with Best Jeanist and remembers his advice, I think it’s a logical conclusion that he went into the internship without one. 

Also, Endeavor calls Shouto and Deku by their hero names, but calls Bakugou “Bakugou” and when they accepted the internship, it’s sure his agency would have had all their paperwork, including copies of their hero licences.

So yeah, I’m 100% certain Bakugou went into the Endeavor internship arc without a proper hero name and came out having one (but won’t have it put on his license until he’s had his chance to tell it to Best Jeanist)

#bnha #bakugou katsuki #hero name #endeavor agency arc #best jeanist #bakugou meta

[carma-bis]

Hey guys, Zuko here.

Who’s ready for the 5000th piece of Bakugou meta no one asked for? You’re not, but I am. Let me know if I’m being biased because I grew up labeled a gifted child who tanked in high school and ended up dropping out due to a lacking support system.

So to start, let’s state some factors as to why Bakugou is obsessed with winning and his equation that failure = weak: A) day 1, people he trusts obsess over how strong his quirk is gonna be and how cool it is, B) society itself supporting this narrative and this is inescapable and he has no reason to believe otherwise, C) only being praised for how strong his quirk is when taken HOSTAGE and never being asked once if he’s okay after suffocating and fighting for his life, D) his mother blatantly emotionally manipulating him by calling him weak after being KIDNAPPED by crazy, dangerous villains under the guise of it being for his own good (she insults her kid because she loves him ): /s), E) All Might, his number one idol of someone who wins all the time, the epitome of a winner, losing his ability to win because Bakugou was weak and a failure. (What’s interesting is that on top of these points, every single one of his wins in the series is completely unsatisfactory to punish him for his mindset. His wins change once his mindset starts to.)

I grew up with a narcissistic mother also afflicted with borderline personality disorder. I was the youngest, diagnosed autistic, gifted golden child. This lasted until she ran out of steam to get pissed off at my siblings and then my bubble popped with never being able to meet her ever changing needs of attention and expectations. I was always left with an emotionally abusive/distant mother and 3 siblings who despised me for the way I was treated when she was in a “good” mood. This was a repitive cycle because all I wanted was to get my family to like and accept me; the zinger is there’s no way to do that by playing into their game: by trying to meet the ever changing standards, to prove them wrong. They don’t care about what you can or can’t do for them, they just want to see you dance; they want to see the power they have over your emotions.

Bakugou doesn’t know this. Bakugou dances for his mother (keeping power over her INCREDIBLY intelligent and strong child by the only way left - emotional manipulation) and society (the weight of societal standards is heavy), because what does he have if he doesn’t? What’s left when all he ever knew about himself was that he had to be a winner?

Midoriya, the consistent catalyst for this mindset, is innocent in all accounts - objectively. For Bakugou? Midoriya is someone who was there always reminding Bakugou that he wasn’t a winner, because he needed help. Always reminding him that he was the one thing he absolutely couldn’t be, and there was NO WAY he could get this kid to leave him alone! Nothing worked and then he was forced into a situation where he now has 3 completely different forces all feeding a staggering inferiority complex with no escape from any of them.

I told my dad he wasn’t my real dad anymore when I was like, seven, cause I heard my step-brother say that to him. He was always deployed, and as nice as he was to me, he didn’t know what I went through and because it was nicer when he was around, it was his fault it happened when he went away (as a child’s brain works). Of course, he was my actual dad, but he divorced my mother and it made sense - I wanted to hurt him because I was hurt and I thought I was hurt by him. I get there’s a gap between 7 and 12, but that’s what kids do when their other means of communication don’t get through and they don’t feel understood. I’ve cried over it and apologized for it years later (13, specifically), but I didn’t even have time to think about it until I had 2 years away from my entire family.

Bullying is bad, yes, we get this. Most people would agree. But by ignoring the nuance of Bakugou having to face those 3 factors with the only one he can TRY to have control over absolutely refusing to leave him alone, we are doing a disservice to Bakugou’s character development and Horikoshi’s writing. He acted out to what he thought was hurting him to get it to stop because nothing else worked. We cannot expect any different from a child in this position. And don’t forget these factors have NOT left him cause he’s smack dab in the middle of it all still, only 16. 0 help to date.

I know I’m making this way too personal, but MHA has a running trend of showing how hero society fails those it’s meant to protect. Bakugou, gifted kid extraordinaire with an abusive parent and inferiority complex, was failed by hero society. Even his win of having a good quirk is completely overshadowed by how much having it has absolutely ruined him before he even knew who he was, another unsatisfactory win he had no control over.

Even if I end up being called a Bakugou stan unironically or whatever, I think Horikoshi has written the single most accurate gifted kid I have ever seen. Just as characters in the series gloss over Bakugou’s weaknesses, we do the same with kids who barely look like they’re holding it together. Kids who are just smart enough to not know how to ask for help because they should know how to do it, kids who are terrified of being bad at something because they were taught that being bad was just them not trying hard enough when actually it was initial expectations being too high, kids who learned to avoid things they would be bad at because admitting it was lame and not worth the effort was better than a chance of failing, kids who missed out on friendships and social development because they were conditioned to endless competitions of skill and prestige.

As I said, I’m probably biased because I see not only my younger self in Horikoshi’s character, but I see my current self shown the choice, for the first time, that I can grow from this. I can grow from my past of being a bratty kid too smart to ever get help and feeling like an absolutely tool trying to complain about how being overly praised for results rather than effort destroyed me.

And that’s my Bakugou meta.

#i ask myself ‘what would bakugou do’ daily #and then i clean my apartment #my hero academia #boku no hero acadamia #mha #bnha #katsuki bakugou #bakugou meta #gifted child

[makeste]

“De -- Izuku!”

anyway so here’s my BakuDeku essay from all the way back in chapter 327 lols.

so back when The Apology Chapter came out, I mentioned that I had mixed feelings about Katsuki calling Izuku by his actual name. here’s a quick breakdown of my concerns.

I am deeply invested in both Katsuki’s character arc and the entire BakuDeku relationship trainwreck.

owing to the above, questions like “do these two actually respect and trust each other?”, and more specifically, “does Bakugou actually respect Deku?” are really important to me, and I would dearly like to believe that the answer is “yes.” on a similar note, I would also really like the answer to “is Bakugou really as much of an asshole as he makes himself out to be?” to be “no.”

however, if these things really are true -- that Bakugou’s genuine asshole days are behind him, and he really does trust and respect Deku -- then at some point the follow-up question needs to be asked, “why does Bakugou keep calling Deku by a cruel and insulting nickname?”

and again, if we assume that Trust and Respect and Not-An-Asshole are all in fact true, then the only acceptable answer to that question would be, “because he doesn’t actually think of it as an insult, anymore.”

which makes sense, actually! because Kacchan has unflattering nicknames for just about every person he interacts with. Shitty Hair, Half and Half, Dunce Face, Ears, Ponytail, even Hag and Old Man. it’s just his thing, and we all know he doesn’t mean anything by it. so why should “Deku” be any different? it’s just him doing the same thing he always does. hell, if anything, he put a lot more creativity and effort into “Deku” than he does with most of his nicknames lol.

so yeah, not only do I have a vested interest in Kacchan using “Deku (affectionate)” rather than “Deku (derogatory)”, I think it’s supported by canon as well. but here’s the problem, though. if “Deku” isn’t an insult, then the symbolic gesture of switching from “Deku” to “Izuku” is basically meaningless. or at least it should be meaningless. because basically all you’re doing is switching from a nickname to the person’s actual name. the only way it would actually have meaning is if it truly was an insult after all. because in that case, then it’s obviously a huge fucking deal. it’s powerful af, and shows how seriously Katsuki is committed to becoming a better person and doing right by Izuku. which is good stuff, actually.

but anyway, so that’s my dilemma. on the one hand, “either Katsuki didn’t respect Deku, or else he was still being a straight up dick to him all the way up until chapter 322” is a thought that takes a lot of the wind out of my sails, and retroactively makes a lot of my favorite moments in the series much less appealing. but on the other hand, that scene in chapter 322 truly was excellent, and the emotional impact of him switching to “Izuku” at such a crucial moment was a big part of that, ngl. anyway, so I’ve been kind of torn on the whole thing.

until 327, that is.

I read this, and everything just clicked at last. it was like, ohhhhhhhhhh. because,

when he starts to address him, “Deku” is what automatically slips out. it’s what his mind naturally defaults to when he isn’t consciously thinking about it. (in fact, the name “Izuku” apparently feels so unnatural for him to say that it’s spelled out in hiragana -- “いずく”, rather than “出久.” almost like he has to sound it out in his head lol.)

BUT, he then catches himself and makes the correction.

so that’s two reveals there. the first is that he genuinely does think of Deku as “Deku” first and foremost in his mind, just like Deku thinks of him as “Kacchan.” meaning that it definitely is not meant as an insult. it’s just his name, like how I’m using it myself in this very post. Deku is Deku.

and the second reveal is that the apology wasn’t just a one-time thing. he is actively committed to making this change moving forward. he is trying very hard to do right by Deku, and he thinks part of that is calling him by his actual name.

so he doesn’t think of it as an insult, but yet he still feels obligated to make the change. ??? what exactly are we missing here.

and actually, the answer to that is pretty damn obvious in hindsight lol.

character development!!

because the Kacchan we are dealing with now is a Kacchan who finally has learned to see outside himself. meaning that he’s no longer looking at things from just his own perspective, but from other perspectives as well. in other words, I was overlooking a very simple explanation for “Izuku” this whole time. he’s not doing it for his benefit. he’s doing it for Deku’s.

doy. everyone else probably figured this out ages ago and I’m just really slow lol. but the thing is, I was just so used to analyzing pre-Jakku Kacchan that I didn’t take into account just how much he’s matured. the old Kacchan would have never stopped to consider how Deku might feel about the nickname “Deku.” so long as Kacchan himself knew it wasn’t an insult, it was fine. Deku should just be able to read his mind, obviously!!

but this new improved Kacchan keeps surprising me by doing these absolutely wild things like considering other people’s feelings and shit. maybe Deku doesn’t like the nickname, huh?? ever stop to think about that?? maybe he doesn’t like being called “useless” by the guy who bullied him for an entire decade. what a concept! maybe you should stop and think about these things every once in a while!! fuckin’ geez. anyway so that’s what I imagine Kacchan’s brain must be like nowadays, and it’s just the greatest thing lol. keep it up, kid. you’re doing great.

anyway, and there’s a whole second essay’s worth of content I could (and hopefully will, at some later point) get into about whether or not he’s actually right, because I suspect Deku’s feelings about Kacchan are extremely complicated. and it wouldn’t surprise me if, prior to the apology, Deku (who as we know doesn’t take himself into account) wasn’t even aware of how complicated those feelings really were, or how deep they actually ran. and I think that’s one of the reasons why he hasn’t given a real response to said apology yet. he has a lot to sort out.

but that said, I do think he is being 100% truthful now when he says that “Deku” is fine. now that he is finally on the same page as Kacchan, and knows that Kacchan doesn’t mean anything by it. to be clear, I’m not saying that Deku actually was bothered by the nickname in any tangible way prior to this, or that their renewed post-DvK2 friendship was secretly toxic, or anything like that. but what I’m trying to say, I guess, is that there is a small -- but significant! -- difference between understanding the concept of “Kacchan is actually a very caring person, but he tries very hard to hide it, and his bark is definitely worse than his bite”, and understanding the concept of “Kacchan cares about me, too; I am also included in the Caring.” and I think that Deku understood the former, but not necessarily the latter. not until Kacchan finally opened up in chapter 322.

but now that he does understand, there are definitely no further objections to be had. Kacchan can use the name. he has permission. not only that, but unless I’m reading Deku very wrong in that bath scene, he actually prefers “Deku.” no reason to bring it up, otherwise. “oh btw Deku is fine”; translation: “okay seriously though, now it’s starting to feel weird.” agreed, Deku. agreed.

anyway so that’s it! btw do you know that it took me a month to realize that I was trying to fit two entirely separate essays together into one post for absolutely no reason? and that it turns out that when you don’t try and do that, posts are actually very easy to complete? anyway so yeah, we’ll save the “Deku and Kacchan are both utterly blind to the fact that the other one cares about them (not just in a general way, but in an Important Way), and both of them are equally unaware of just how badly they secretly need the other’s emotional support and approval and forgiveness, which is why Deku had his mind completely blown in chapter 322, and Kacchan is inevitably going to get his own mind blown at some near point in the future, and they are both definitely going to cry, and it’s going to be fucking great” essay for another time lol. these fucking kids.

#bnha 327 #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bakudeku #bnha meta #bakugou meta #deku meta #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #that's one meta down! #and like ten more to go #sob #everyone please pretend like these are timely #'preciate it

[stereonightss]

this is the face

of someone who’s about to have a tragic fall.

257 was so good for so many reasons. The time skip, the cliffhanger, the mood leading to that set up, it was delightful.

We got Todoroki being his adorable food-motivated self and Mineta being a butthead about his literal thinking (you can pry my autistic Todoroki hc from my cold dead hands).

We get some really cute moments cementing Kirishima and Bakugou as friends again. Through the Christmas chapter I had this feeling that they were being distant, like something was off (and BKG was extra moody in that chapter), but now we’re back to them being boyfriends best bros.

What I love most about this next panel is how it subtly shows that Kirishima’s relationship with Bakugou had a positive effect on Bakugou’s relationship to Izuku.

Which leads me to my most favorite development of late: Bakugou, in his own brash way, taking care of Izuku. Mediating his emotions when he gets anxious or paralyzed.

Bakugou is calm and astute and involved and mature in the discussion about the successors. He’s clearly thought it through—he’s not just an observer at these meetings, he’s a contributing member.

Then we get a panel of Izuku panicking, and then Bakugou jumps in with some ridiculous rivalry bluster. Like he noticed Izuku getting in his own head and decided to snap him out of it (very similar to the way in which he seems to hover and intervene every time Izuku’s motormouth runs close to spilling a little too much about his quirk).

It’s my understanding that Bakugou is in on the OFA meetings not just because he knows the secret, but because Toshinori feels that Bakugou is already involved. Like on some level, Izuku wouldn’t, couldn’t be who he is without not only Bakugou’s influence but also his direct involvement. I can very easily see a scenario in which Izuku gets hit with everything the story can possibly throw at him, coming close to giving up or fumbling in a moment of terror or hopelessness—and then Bakugou stepping in, reminding him who the fuck he is, and all is right again.

I love the idea of Bakugou caring for Izuku in these subtle ways because it shows his commitment to making amends. At first he only begrudgingly accepted their tense friendship; after all, he was still parsing so much of his own inferiority complex as it relates to Izuku’s sudden strength. But now that Bakugou seems more seated in himself, more mature and introspective, he seems to intuitively grasp that he not only has to apologize to Izuku, but also make amends for everything he put Izuku through.

Bakugou’s repeatedly shown to be very intelligent, even emotionally intelligent, and he seems to have figured this one out all on his own (thanks Todoroki family soap opera). Now we have him not only tolerating Izuku, but directly supporting him. What a big turnaround from the Bakugou we get in the first chapter.

And then we have Toshinori himself. I’ll admit, I resisted reading BNHA for a long time because All Might put me off. Just the image of All Might was enough for me to go “nope, never reading that.” (Never say never, I suppose.) I still somewhat detest the character of All Might. I don’t find him appealing or reassuring or cool or anything like that. I’m with Aizawa: All Might is obnoxious.

But Toshinori, on the other hand, is an incredible character that I’ve become deeply attached to. Even Aizawa seems to have come around:

supporting and treating this man, whom he once said he couldn’t stand, as a friend. I think it’s a really nice nod to the thematic core of the series, which is that there are problems endemic to hero society, that the safety of the many is purchased with the health and happiness of a few individuals (sound familiar?).

I really do fear the moment we lose Toshinori. I just can’t see him living through this final clash. But again, I can’t help but feel like Izuku is being set up for a very big fall, a lot of heartache. As Shigaraki’s foil, something has to even out the gap in their experience. Ending the chapter with Ujiko is a nice reminder that while Izuku is having a big lovely family dinner with his friends, Shigaraki is literally enduring months of torture.

Very excited to see what the next chapter brings.

#bnha meta #mha meta #bnha spoilers #spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha 257 #meta #my hero academia #krbk #toshinori headcanons #bakugou meta #supportive kacchan

[wrathspawn]

nah, i’m sorry, i’m really not done

this COVER might be the most meaningful one we see in the entirety of this manga’s run.

why? because it is the summation of so much growth that is literally inextricable from the main plot of the story. it is a representation of so much development for the central relationship that is the BACKBONE of this whole shebang.

from this

to this

bakugou fucking katsuki you glorious bastard!!!!!! horikoshi is not leaving this shit up for interpretation, so anyone who still peddles the “they hate each other” bullshit is just being willfully obtuse at this point.

bakugou has metabolized his feelings around deku (at least to a certain extent). he now knows that it was wrong of him to think that being offered help made him weak, and that lashing out was even worse.

he now sees deku’s heart without a film of resentment & fear clouding his judgement & actions.

he’s ready to take his hand.

#no you’re crying shut UP #bakugou #bnha #manga #mha #mha bakugou #mha manga #my hero academia #bkdk #bakugou x izuku #bnha bakugo katsuki #bnha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #bakugou meta #izuku mha #izuku midoriya #bakugou katsuki

[bitchlessbkg]

honest opinion? deku accepting bakugou’s hand/help now would be underwhelming for their relationship buildup. the hand holding between them and reaching out was the first step leading to their misunderstandings of each other, and in the end when they accept each other’s hands it will be when the misunderstandings are cleared, and they just aren’t there yet.

bakugou would fight it, of course. he’d be persistent, but just because that’ll happen doesn’t mean deku’s gonna willingly do it. deku is stubborn as hell too, and this is about deku trying to protect him. i feel like if bakugou were to help him now it’ll be the “giving help that’s not asked for” aspect of what makes a true hero, what deku has done for him many times before (think of their fight aganist allmight where deku carried bakugou out of the gates despite bakugou’s wishes for deku to cross the gate without him so they can pass).

also, deku’s like, FRESHLY TRAUMATIZED from watching his mentors/teachers get hurt in the war, and the very guy coming to be by his side now was the one who took a fatal hit for him. let’s not forget about nagant either, who also gave deku hope but exploded once deku a and her accepted each other’s hand. expecting the person who almost died for deku to ease his worries about the people helping him getting hurt because of him? highly unlikely. i’d actually hate for deku’s trauma to be sped through like that. he needs more than one person to be alright and ease his worries, and bakugou may be the last person he speaks to, and when HE’S ready to speak to him (like bakugou came to him in deku vs kacchan 2. deku didn’t seek him out, bakugou went to him willingly).

one more thing - this is about the CHASE. deku hasn’t directly pushed bakugou specifically away yet (he left ALL of his friends, and hasn’t singled out bakugou like bakugou has to him. it’s about the parallels). i believe this is the time where bakugou will be rejected outright, the first of MANY. his atonement is going to be a struggle, there’s no easy way to atone and the person you’re atoning to won’t always accept you as easily. it’s bakugou’s turn to chase deku now and clear up the misunderstandings and fear that deku has. remember, deku may misread bakugou’s atonement. he may not even KNOW that he’s atoning, and this newfound explicit care from bakugou could be confusing and overwhelming. dude took a fatal blow out of no where for deku after telling him that he only followed him because of his own personal grudge (you know, like a liar, because we all know that he was worried about deku and also went because he was scared for him). having bakugou’s chase be mostly off screen and have him just accepted like that when they still have misunderstandings and unsolved business and deku’s trauma still present? no. i actually believe that will be a disservice to their relationship and deku’s character growth. deku tried many times to get through to bakugou and failed many times, and only when bakugou was ready was deku able to get an understanding of him. bakugou needs to work for that now and put in that effort. again, it’s about the parallels.

#midoriya izuku #kacchan #bakugou x midoriya #decchan #bakudeku #katsudeku #bnha manga spoilers #dekubaku #bakugou katsuki #bnha 318 #bnha parallels #bnha meta #bnha critical #bkdk #dkbk #izuku midoriya #katsuki bakugou #bnha spoilers #deku vs kacchan #bakugou meta #bakugo katsuki #deku

[seina-keigo]

chapter 192 thoughts:

so endeavor is on the road to forgiveness..... it seems like the todoroki siblings are all just as conflicted abt this as i am.

should enji be redeemed? idk. he seems like he is trying, and obviously fuyumi wants to be a family again, but the shit enji did to them was REALLY fucked up. especially to shoto and his mom.

natsuo is entirely valid in his ”fuck enji” approach. it seems like shouto is waiting to see how enji does; if he is worthy of forgiveness. but if endeavor‘s abuse never is revealed to the public, and he basically has no consequences to his actions, then should he get redeemed?

there seemed to be many bakugou/enji parallels drawn in this chapter too which hurt my feelings. when i first started bnha i hated katsuki’s stinky guts but now he is my favorite character. is it fair to compare a cocky 16 yr old to a full grown old man?

they both abused (bullying is not exactly abuse but lets say it is because of the effects) someone for years but obviously have some sort of goodness under their hard boiled personality and their “be #1” ideals.

i would argue that the differences are that bakugou is a child. an especially arrogant one. the stuff he did to deku was practically unforgivable— but the fact of the matter is izuku has forgiven him. i think that the victims have the right to decide the sentence, and tbfh all izuku has ever wanted was katsuki to be his friend. they have started to respect each other but they are not there yet. i think for bakugou to actually be redeemed they have to tear up the old gross stuff, not just let new skin grow over it. in a perfect world bakugou would face major public reaction to his past behavior as consequence, but i dont think hori will go that route so all im really hoping for is realistic development and at LEAST an apology. and an attitude adjustment.

with enji we have some very similar issues. i dont think he would ever face the true consequences he deserves unless his abuse was somehow leaked to the public. and considering that would ruin his career i dont think that will happen.

he hasnt really apologized, either— just states he wants to move forward. katsuki was trusted with a very important aspect of izuku’s life and immediately jumped into the role of a very abrasive coach; which izuku obviously appreciates, especially now that they respect each other as equals.

enji hasnt proved he can really be trusted with the todorokis— he has proved he can be a good and strong hero, yes. good person, kind of. a good relationship with his family... not even close.

what im saying is even if shouto does end up forgiving him i dont feel it is deserved. even if there were some sort of life-or-death sitch, that reflects on endeavors hero self. not his ability to parent. he may care, but that doesnt mean any of the todorokis have to forgive him for the physiological or physical abuse. they are the victims, so they decide the sentence.

imo anyway lmfao

in more important news hawks is like, actually me, so uh *sips from the “stupid fucking kinnie juice” mug*

#bnha reactions #hawks #endeavor #ch 192 #character analysis #chapter thoughts #bakugo and endeavor parallels #bakugo redemption #endeavor redemption #todoroki meta #bakugou meta

[shprka]

I have this thing when I always at some point ask myself a question, why I this thing that I like. I never really understood myself well, and it started as a kind of I suppose a thing to make me understand myself better. Why I am hung up on this one film or character so much? Why I can’t let it go? Why I was immediately drawn to that person or that character?

If you thought it would be a deep post about myself, not today folks. I literally figured out today why I like Bakugou from Boku no Hero Academia so much.

He’s the kind of character I would never expect in a million years to be in this kind of super hero shounen jump story. I watched most of the same genre of anime (Naruto, Bleach, Fairy Tail, One Piece) and superhero films (Marvel, DC films, animated shows, some comics) and I absolutely love this kind of story when kids are born or develop some kind of powers, and better yet go to school with other powerful kids. So you can trust me when I know the kind of story Bnha could have been and is half the time.

But then I got this fucking angry gremlin with so much personal issues and a powerful quirk and he was given the same amount (or mostly the same amount) of screen time as the protagonist? And he has this complicated relationship with the protagonist, not quite rivals, not quite enemies, not quite friends? And from the first minute we see him he wants to become a hero? Like, two main dudes, almost rivals, in the same class with the same goals, having to work together sometime for it to work? And this angry gremlin that most people call a villain already (and he’s literally 15 year old) doesn’t even entertain the idea of becoming a villain. And he goes to every class and he studies harder than anyone and he never gives up. And he is not in any way portrayed as a villain, just an asshole. But he is and wants to be a hero like everyone else.

That’s a powerful and complicated character if I ever seen one. He’s so captivating even for the people around him. Your eyes go to him first thing, he stands out and even if he’s a dick most of the time his class, the teachers and others can’t help but admire or respect him in some way. Wether you like him or not, you can’t help but think about him and talk about him. And that’s exactly how people in universe of bnha feel about him, and you know how hard it is to actually make real people percieve your character how you want them to. Horikoshi is powerul, my dudes

But what got me today was the realization that his personality and general state of being is so raw, it doesn’t fit the 15 y o boy that he is, it fits a fucking fantasy viking/warrior, who is thirsty for fight, for blood and relishes to be on the battlefield pushing his body past its limits, who shouts curses at the top of his lungs and growls like a beast, who can never be restrained, who’s name and presence makes people shudder and he loves all of it

#bakugou katsuki #Idk man I think my inner fantasy fangirl is screaming #the bnha fantasy au shouldve been canon #bc then baku’s personality would fit and make so much sense #and in the real world he’s kinda out of place #bc normal ppl generally dont like bloodthirsty fantasy warriors ready to kill in their classrooms #bnha #bakugou meta #boku no hero academia