'My Hero Academia' Fans Weigh In On Uraraka's Big Decision

My Hero Academia is charging through its third season, but it isn't simply focusing on Izuku's trials. With Class 1-A in the midst of a big test, it is Uraraka who is coming to light, and fans have a lot to say about her latest moment in the spotlight.

Over the weekend, the anime shared its latest episode, and My Hero Academia put Uraraka through the emotional ringer. The show started off with the girl in the rough place as she watched Izuku, her best friend, undergo some ribbing from Kaminari and Mineta over Camie. The lewd students teased Izuku about seeing the other girl naked thanks to her quirk, leading the two to wonder aloud how much the boy enjoyed the moment. While Izuku said he didn't care for the peep show, Uraraka was struck by jealousy over the teasing, and she couldn't stop thinking about how much she hated the feeling.

When the Provisional Hero License Exam moved into its final phase, Uraraka was still plagued by her jealous thoughts, and she decided it was time to make a decision. While Izuku went off on his own rescue operation, the girl watched his back and told herself it was time to put away her feelings or else she may never become the passionate Pro Hero she's always dreamed about. In an emotional turn, Uraraka chooses herself ahead of her crush on Izuku, and fans have a lot to say about the big moment.

As you can see in the slides below, audiences are praising Uraraka's decision as it marks a shift in how shonen usually tackles love interests. The genre has a dedicated focus on its protagonists and the action they face, but heroines are often relegated to simple love interests who value their crushes above all else. Naruto exemplified this painfully well with Sakura Haruno pre-timeskip, but My Hero Academia is taking Uraraka a different path. The girl recognizes she has feelings for Izuku, and she isn't demeaning her feelings; Uraraka is allowed to have a crush like any other high school girl, but she will not let her emotions get the best of her. For right now, Uraraka wants to focus on her dream of becoming a Pro Hero, and fans are ready to defend her decision to the very end.

For those unfamiliar with the My Hero Academia juggernaut, the series was created by Kohei Horikoshi and has been running in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump since July 2014. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, who lives in a world where everyone has super powers, although he was born without them. Dreaming to become a superhero anyway, he's eventually scouted by the world's best hero, All Might, and enrolls in a school for professional heroes. The series has been collected into 15 volumes so far, and has been licensed by Viz Media for an English language release since 2015.

So, how did you react to Uraraka's big decision? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!