“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.
Yes! Yes! Fully agree but, forgive me, I also have to add THIS!!!
Deku changed “Deku” to the meaning that Ochaco placed on it, the Deku who does his best. But the Deku who does his best, no matter what happens to him CLEARLY became a toxic mindset that hurt him! So stripping Deku entirely of “the Deku who does his best” and the “useless Deku” and calling him “Izuku” instead humanizes him and helps him see himself as the person he always was as long as Bakugo has known him! Izuku, the child who held his hand out at the river! A true hero at heart! Izuku, who should really maybe realize that he himself matters!!!
I would add this panel but the official translation fucked it up, I find it curious how when All Might fails to reach Izuku, he thinks to himself “I wanted to tell you, you DONT HAVE to do your best”. Which again, no offense to Ochaco, goes back to how Deku internalized the name to something that clearly was damaging. So for Katsuki to call him “Izuku” instead, is very meaningful and also like a way to take off the burden of the “hero” Deku. And place value in the “human” Izuku.
@eri-cheri it’s amazing how many different layers of meaning there are to Deku’s name. to me though, his decision to reclaim it, and make it such a huge part of his identity, was the opposite of him devaluing himself. that was one of the few times he’s really put himself out there and made a statement about who he wants to be. changing the meaning from “useless” to “you can do it.” and I think it’s the perfect blend of his “win” and “save” sides, because it’s obviously a very humble-sounding name with very modest origins – but to him, it’s a reminder that he can get it done. something that he draws inspiration from, especially in those moments when he starts to doubt himself.
if anything, he draws so much inspiration and strength from that identity that he was able to cloak himself in it entirely during the Dekuangst arc. it basically became a crutch, not a burden. the Hero Deku was someone who could tirelessly carry on even when he, the boy Izuku, was exhausted and scared and lonely. but the problem was that it was ultimately just a farce. he was trying to create a separation where there wasn’t one. Deku and Izuku aren’t two separate identities; Izuku is Deku, and Deku is him. and he was trying to run away from all of his trauma and his fears, but in reality they never went anywhere, and the whole thing was just a burning powder keg waiting to explode.
anyway, but thanks to his friends who took great pains to remind him that it’s okay for heroes to be human too, he seems to be working his way through all of that now at long last. which means we’ll hopefully soon see the return of the original Hero Deku, who has always been just as strong and determined and tough, but who also allowed himself to be vulnerable around others, and took that vulnerability and turned it into empathy, which has always been his greatest weapon.
anyway so this was very rambly, but basically my point is that “hero” and “human” Deku/Izuku are one and the same. and I think it’s fine for him to embrace the “Deku who always does his best” thing, honestly! even Kacchan said there was nothing wrong with it. the problem was just that he tried to do it all alone, which was always going to be impossible, because he was one of the people that needed to be saved. because sometimes heroes need saving too.
laisleite