14DaysofMHA - Day 11 (August 2nd): Symbol (of), Name

14DaysofMHA - Day 11 (August 2nd): Symbol (of), Name

What's in the names, GEMGD?

According to fanon, his deity, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight uses someone's name if he respects them, and a nickname if he doesn't.

Examples that are often cited, are either Bakugou calling Uraraka by her name instead of "Pink cheeks" during their sports fest match, or him calling Deku "Izuku" during his apology to the latter.

Only, it's not as clear-cut.

Bakugou refers to his bestie as both, "Stupid Hair" and "Kirishima" - without one displacing the other.

Bakugou refers to his... frenemy (?) as both, "Icyhot" and "Todoroki" - also without one displacing the other.

Instead of "real name = respect, and not-real-name = no respect", it seems more like Bakugou uses nicknames per default and switches to their actual names, whenever a serious moment calls for it.

One more minor example:

During the second movie, he yelled out Sero’s name in worry for the latter, and everyone awed about how much he cares about his friend Sero.

But I'm not so sure.

As in, I don't think it's an indicator about anything special about their relationship, not that Sero isn't his good friend (...although. Is he?) or that Bakugou doesn't care.

I just can't remember any other instance of Bakugou using Sero's name. I believe it was simply to show Bakugou's worry and horror about a comrade saving him, and then getting hit in the head for that.

I can easily imagine, that if it had been Mineta who had done the Bakugou-saving and gotten punished for it, Bakugou would have yelled out "MINETAAA!!!" instead of "LITTLE SHI RUNT!!!"

...

There's only one instance, where Bakugou evidently tried to change how he refers to someone intentionally, and only one other instance, where Bakugou apparently made a permanent change.

Firstly, with Deku:

After making his apology to Deku, Bakugou tried to switch to "Izuku" permanently - he almost got constipated while trying to do, which was lampshaded by Deku himself.

Now, Bakugou does refer to Deku as "Izuku" in his mind. But for the most part, he resorts to the nickname that he had given him in mean spirit - it's just that Deku has changed its meaning.

Secondly, with Iida:

When 1-A launched Iida at a runaway-Deku, Bakugou calls Iida "Prez" for the first time, instead of the previously established "Four-eyes".

(I don't count Uraraka, because I don't remember him ever calling her by anything after the sports fest ever again.)

Apparently Bakugou never switched back, because (spoiler alert!) by chapter 428, he still calls Iida "Prez" instead of "Four-eyes".

By the "real name = respect, not-real-name = no respect"-philosophy, Bakugou doesn't respect anyone, as he doesn't call anyone by their actual name consistently - which I don't think, is the case.

By that philosophy, Bakugou switching from "Four-eyes" to "Prez" permanently has no significance at all - which I don't think, is the case.

E.g., I'd argue that Bakugou has held Deku in high regard, at latest, when he witnessed how the latter struggled against Shigaraki during the PLW.

I don't remember when, but Bakugou has also called Todoroki by his name, long before the latter "defeated" Dabi at the beginning of the Final War.

...

What I actually mean to say is:

I don't think Bakugou started the whole nickname thing to insult people on purpose (aside from Deku ofc). He was just too busy being up his own ass, that he didn't care to remember anything about anyone else - including smt as basic and simultaneously important as their names.

However, just because Bakugou apparently continues to use nicknames, doesn't mean that he doesn't respect the person in question.

I actually would like for him to continue to keep using nicknames. It's fun to think of how Bakugou (consciously or subconsciously) modifies nicknames, when he's updating his impressions about certain people.

E.g., For some reason, I just find the limited interactions that he and Asui had with each other quite fun:

In the episode “Bakugou: Rising”, we can observe how in the background, Asui and Uraraka (and Sero?) are hounding Bakugou after he repeatedly blew Deku up for fun training. When the other two get distracted, Asui just keeps going.

Horikoshi’s sketches of these two with each other: One, of Asui finding Bakugou sitting in a box in the rain like an abandoned puppy. Two, of Bakugou getting splashed with water by Asui, and him... simply taking it?!

The thoughtbunny:

Asui has potential as a Bakugou-wrangler.

Imagine both of them doing a team-up mission together, and Bakugou finally experiencing the versatility and value of "Frog-face" first-hand.

What would Bakugou call Asui afterwards?

My BNHA scribblings

(updated: September 2024)

Observations, interpretations, some dashed hopes and wishes, and a couple of appreciative musings:

About the characters

To have: Jammingwhey’s social intelligence

and have not: Jammingwhey's darkness

Why Tapeman is an awesome guy and a great hero

Why 1-A's loving Class Rep is the best

Hanta embodies characteristics we should strive towards

Why Red Riot is the best fan friend one may have

Salvaging trash: A role model for Minoru?

About their interpersonal dynamics

The girls of 1-A

Mina’s hero training

Iidachako friendship

Shouto and Fumikage: Cold Hams of 1-A

Class 1-A band

Eijirou's POV on the dynamic between Bakugou and Midoriya

Katsuki and Izuku are not best friends, part 1, 2, 3

How a school class became home to a traumatized boy

What's in the names, GEMGD?

Fumikage and Mina

Misc

Petition: "You Say Run" for Fumikage and Kyouka in S7

I wanted to see more of 1-A's dorm life

I wanted to see more of academia in 'My Hero Academia'

I wanted to see more 1-A shenanigans with 1-B

---

Observations, interpretations, some dashed hopes and wishes, and a couple of appreciative musings + a bit more creative liberties:

Headcanons

Eri's princess guard

1-A’s most popular guys

Shouto and his adoptive sisters, part 1, 2

The parents of class 1-A, and their favourite kids

1-A's most popular girl

Who got Bakugou to wear a tie?

The Bakugous are not involved in the ad & modeling business

Fumikage and his 1-B friends

Kouji is 1-A's makeshift mental health care coordinator

Team "Dabohaze no fun"

"Shippy" headcanons

Deku kept the empty mochi bag

Kyouka: Friendzoned and friendzoning

Katsuki’s precocious crush

Tenya and the madwoman

Ficlets

Katsuki's 17th birthday

Saying their goodbyes

Shouto, Katsuki

Kyouka

Ochako

To me, these characters are not really in any particular order.

Especially since I do like more characters than these, e.g. Deku.

Alas, the generator only allowed five highlights...

So, I guess, the first three are those characters that I found myself relating to the most often.

While the last two feral kids are among those, that I enjoyed watching the most.

Create your own here.

Katsuki's 17th birthday

Katsuki dragged his feet towards the steps that lead up to 1-A's dorm.

There was a pounding in his left shoulder. Still less annoying than the twist in his lower abdomen, anytime he made sudden movements.

No wonder.

It has been all but a few weeks, since that cackling-crackhead had ran him through with those freaky spikes.

But every single one of Katsuki's peers who had been admitted to the hospital with him, had picked training back up immediately after their release. There was neither enough manpower, nor enough time for anybody to rest like they were supposed to.

This morning again, 1-A had quietly made their way to the training grounds, before even just a hint of yellow had shown itself on the horizon.

Katsuki's class had spent all morning and noon running through combat exercises - all of them, the ones usually more focused on rescue and reconnaissance included.

None of them knew, what they would soon be up against. But the PLW had taught them that there might come a moment, where every single one of them would be needed at the front-most lines.

No one complained, not even Sparky or the runt, when they sweated and struggled straight through lunch time. It was only thanks to Awase and Shitty Hair's twin, who turned up to usher them towards the cafeteria - apparently at 1-B's Class Rep's behest - that 1-A managed to get something into their stomach, before it got closed until dinner time.

After their belated lunch, 1-A had ventured outside UA's barriers on their first authorized Deku-hunt. When they returned, unsuccessful and frustrated, Katsuki had trodded over to his parents’ temporary quarters. The hag had demanded that he have dinner with his family today. Katsuki only went because he had missed his parents, and his mom always made his favourite spicy curry for his birthday wanted to shut up her yapping.

With flavourful curry warming his stomach, and his soft bed on his mind, Katsuki pushed the frontdoor open.

The entrance hall was dark and quiet.

No surprise here either.

These days, when class 1-A arrived home after a day full of physical exercise and working as substitute volunteer heroes, nobody had energy left for anything else, beyond cleaning themselves up and dragging themselves upstairs to their beds.

Katsuki frowned.

Not too long ago, in front of their ridiculously oversized TV screen, Shitty Hair almost crushed his gaming controller in his palms, while he groaned.

Not too long ago, Sparky almost choked on himself because he was laughing, while jumping up and down with another controller in his outstretched hands.

Not too long ago, Soy-sauce Face almost fell off their equally ridiculously humongous couch, when he leaned over multiple of their classmates, to explain to Icy-hot whatever was happening on the manga pages, that the latter had held out towards him.

Not too long ago, in the kitchen, the tea kettle screeched for way too long because Ponytail got caught up with scolding Raccoon Eyes, for whatever the latter had said that had made Round Cheeks squeal like a guinea pig and circle the lights over their dining area.

Not too long ago, at one of the many tables, Four-Eyes and Dek...

Katsuki closed his eyes and allowed himself a small sigh.

It had been a long day. He should feel glad about some peace and quiet.

But his once buzzling home felt... dead.

And it wasn't supposed to be like th-

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

For a split-second, the flooding lights felt blinding, and Katsuki recoiled slightly from the popping sound of those ridiculous confetti poppers.

Suddenly, he remembered one of the video recording that his old man had taken of him many years ago: His five-year-old self had just managed to activate his explosions on purpose for the first time... and then he had promptly fallen over, because the impact of his own quirk had startled him.

Katsuki bristled and shook his head, hoping to rid his hair of some of that glitter trash. These idiots are annoying.

But before he could fire off a string of curses, a heavy arm that was flung around his shoulders stopped him.

Shitty Hair murmured into his ear, “Hey, I know you don't like fuss, but Iida insisted. He said that people should know, when other's are grateful for their existence. Don't worry. Everyone is feeling rather dead on their feet, and will want their beds soon. But we really wanted to do at least this much. Please don't go off, 'kay?"

Katsuki scowled. That reasoning was annoying.

Raccoon Eyes saved him from having to reply to Shitty Hair, "Bakugou, look! Satou made this just for you!"

And he did, because that beauty deserved to be looked at. The cake was just as massive as the one, that Satou had made for him and Icy-hot, when all of 1-A had finally gotten their Provisional Hero licenses.

"Huh? What are chili peppers doing there?! Hey Satou, are those made from sugar, or actually real ones? I thought we would have some fruit cake!"

"Technically, Kaminari-san, chili peppers are fruit. They have the same prop..."

God, Ponytail should save it! If Dunce Face couldn't appreciate Katsuki's birthday cake, then he should shove it!

But before Katsuki could voice those thoughts out loud, his attention got caught by a pair of bespectacled eyes that were watching all of them with a tired, but soft expression.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. That sight was annoying.

Using the inane fruit discussion that had broken out between his classmates, he marched over to Four-eyes.

“Hey. Thanks... Prez.”

It was only fair. Four-eyes was the only one of these idiots, who had taken his chosen hero name seriously.

To his credit, Four-eyed Prez seemed surprised but caught himself, before Katsuki felt itchy again. With an easy smile, Prez simply said, “You’re very welcome, Bakugou-kun.” Then he turned to the other idiots to lecture them about washing their hands and sitting down, before stuffing their face with cake, and...

"WHAT THE CRAP??! THOSE ARE TWO SLICES, DUNCE FACE!! GET YOUR OWN DAMN BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!

...

I like the subtle changes between these two classmates. I think that over time, Iida gets better with knowing when to give, and when to hold back with his input. On his part, Bakugou also shows some improvements in regards to not dismissing what other people tell him right away, and to actually give some of them his consideration.

The BNHA school briefs have a story about Iida's birthday, in which Bakugou actively tried to prevent 1-A's surprise for their Class Rep from failing - even though he still opted out of celebrating with them himself.

I headcanon, that Iida made a mental note to enforce some Bakugou-celebration in return.

14DaysofMHA - Day 1 (July 23rd): Family, Home, House

How a school class became home to a traumatized boy

Todoroki's path to gaining friends and a place he could comfortably call home, essentially started like this:

Todoroki: I have to win. Therefore, I will defeat you! Deku: … aight. Let’s give it our all! But, uhm, my friends wanted to get donuts afterwards... Do you want to join us, after we're done with beating each other up? Todoroki: … aight. Actually, I never had donuts before. Deku & friends: *les collective gasps* And then they took Todoroki to the donut place right away.

Headcanon: This ED occured a couple of weeks after Hosu. The kids wanted to cheer up their Class Prez, so one of them suggested a small outing to get donuts.

Unlike the typical stock-shonen rival-to-friends-trope, Deku & friends didn't had to drag a kicking and screaming Shouto into their midst (there’s another character for that. Who, ironically, ends up getting dragged around by Todoroki in the third movie).

Basically, Deku & friends pointed into the direction they were heading towards, with an encouraging look... and Todoroki gave an affirmative nod, and trailed after them immediately.

BNHA felt like such a breeze of fresh air, because Horikoshi did have good moments of utilizing and subverting common tropes at the same time.

And thank god, because...

My word.

Sero lampshading how much edgelord Shinsou reminded him of Earlyroki, is more than enough reason to be grateful to Deku and the rest of 1-A.

Thanks to them, we got this instead:

Thank you Deku, for reaching out to a rude, sad kid.

Thank you, 1-A, for following Deku's example without any hesitation, and giving that lonely, socially-awkward kid a safe space to grow.

And thank you, Todoroki, for taking their hands, even though you've only had a very rough reference framework for positive interpersonal relationships.

14DaysofMHA - Day 6 (July 28th): Minor Character

I wanted to see more 1-A shenanigans with 1-B

We deserved more bonding time with them.

Class 1-B are good and kind kids - including my favorite 1-B brat, Monoma Neito. (With the current season, no one can deny his heroism anymore.)

The KiriTetsu bromance that we got to see, was quite sweet. As the other potential background friendships between 1-A and 1-B could been: MomoKendo, TokoKomo... Not to mention the crushes: YaoWase, TsuyuTsubu...

...

Horikoshi, I empathise with the desire to finish a decade long work, and to finally move on with your life.

However.

Would it have been that bad, if you had utilised the full three years of japanese highschool to tell your story in a slightly more realistic timeframe, instead of cramming all that trauma and character development into one single school year?

Would it have been that bad, if you had given those lovable characters that you've birthed, the chance to connect more with your audience and each other?

Some uncultured (jkjk) fans might have liked to label everything that wasn't 'My Hero Smackdown', as filler.

But personally, I will mourn the lack of "slice of life"-scenes (aka. the unshown, unseen character and relationship developments outside of the action scenes, that are necessary to feel organic and more believable) in 'My Hero Academia' for a while.

...

Obviously Horikoshi can do whatever he pleases with the world that he created. Still, I'm praying that he didn't rush through the story at such neck breaking speed, just to do the MHA equivalent to Boruto next. I believe that would break many fans' hearts.