My Hero Academia fans have some big questions about Minoru Mineta's sexuality following the newest chapter of the series. The manga is currently in its most intense arc yet as Izuku Midoriya has separated himself from not only his former classmates, but All Might and the other pro heroes lately as well. This all changed with the newest string of chapters that have pit Izuku against his former classmates in an attempt to save the young hero from destroying himself, and one particular plea definitely caught the most attention from fans due to its wording in the newest chapter of the series.
Yes, we are gathered here today in honor of Mineta Minoru. The boy may not be one of the powerhouses in Class 1-A, but he does get a lot of attention. Sadly for him, the attention is never a good thing, and many fans have longed for My Hero Academia to write Mineta out entirely. His obnoxious personality and perverted tendencies have made him few fans, but the manga did something with Mineta no one ever expected.
And what might that be? Well, as you can see in the slides below, the most recent My Hero Academia update seems to imply Mineta is queer. During chapter 321, fans watched as Mineta made his own plea to Izuku as the whole of Class 1-A tried to bring their friend home. And in order to help Izuku, Mineta opened up about his feelings for the boy.
In English, the moment is intimate enough as Mineta says Izuku's power is not what makes him awesome. "I fell for you when you were scared and sweating buckets and quaking in your boots," the boy shared.
However, things get even more intimate in the Japanese translation. Kohei Horikoshi used the phrase "惚れる" in his script, and that means "to fall for" or "to be enamored" with a person. In Japan, this phrase is used most often in a romantic context. In rare cases, the phrase can be used platonically to show the upmost admiration, so fans are left wondering how they should interpret this take.
Of course, some My Hero Academia fans have latched onto Mineta being bisexual or queer at the most vague. This kind of representation is craved by so many, and the script is ambiguous enough to allow this interpretation. Others aren't quite as convinced, but the fandom isn't about to let bisexual erasure rain on Mineta needlessly. So if you interpret the hero as being part of the LGBTQ community, you gotta do you!
What do you make of this entire debate? Do you suspect Mineta might identify as LGBTQ? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.