'My Hero Academia: Two Heroes' Has Bakugo Shippers Freaking Out

A new My Hero Academia novel was released in Japan this week in preparation for the movie, and it [...]

By Michael Hein

A new My Hero Academia novel was released in Japan this week in preparation for the movie, and it had fans who ship a certain fiery pairing jumping for joy.

The novel Boku no Hero Academia: The Two Heroes was released on Wednesday, two days before the movie iteslf. The CEO and Founder of Aitaikuji.com, Audrey, posted a hasty translation on Twitter, calling specific attention to a scene between Katsuki Bakugo and Kirishima Eijirou.

"During this time [after the group had split up], Bakugo and Kirishima were in the hotel room that they were staying at during their trip," it read. "Bakugo lied down and sprawled out on the wide bed in the room."

"Bakugo grumbled, 'who the hell would want to go to a party anyway? Listening to some guy I don't even know make a speech, expecting us to applaud him and s—? Freakin' ridiculous!"

Not only do the two "friends" share a bedroom, they seem to have an intimate knowledge of each others' schedules, habits and even clothing sizes, as Kirishima tries to persuade Bakugo to go to the party as the winner of the Sports Festival.

"'There's supposed to be a buffet of delicious food though!'" Kirishima says.

"Bakugo replied, 'Well, I didn't even bring anything to wear anyway.'

Kirishima looked at Bakugo as he said that and smiled, 'I knew you would say that... So I brought a suit for you as well!'

Kirishima brought out both of their suits and showed it to Bkugo, who then yelled 'You're too damn prepared, s—y hair!'"

Of course, anyone familiar with the inner workings of online fandom knows that it does not take much for devotees of a certain ship or O.T.P. to interpret things romantically. However, as My Hero Academia has gone on, the evidence of a connection between Bakugo and Kirishima has stacked up, and the ship has gained a massive following.

Known as "KiriBaku," the pairing is accepted as an unspoken fact of the story among many anime viewers and manga readers. To them, the only question that remains to be answered is whether Horikoshi and the various studios and networks he answers to will allow an overt expression of their love on screen.

The duo's fast friendship has played out slowly but steadily in the backdrop of the series, but it becomes very clear during a re-watch. As most of Class 1-A comes to see Bakugo as an arrogant jerk, Kirishima is one of the few with the patience to engage him consistently, leading to their collaboration in the second part of the Sports Festival.

As many online have pointed out, their quirks match up on an elemental level as well. Bakugo's explosive power makes him an "unstoppable force" while Kirishima's invulnerability makes him an "immovable object," essentially setting them up as the perfect power couple.

For what it's worth, the novel was written by woman named Takashi Anri, who may be more prepared to put the suspected romance on display than Horikoshi himself -- or, at least more willing to indulge the ship's many fans.

No matter what, there is simply too much going on for KiriBaku to take center stage in My Hero Academia any time soon. The movie -- Two Heroes -- debuted in Japan on Friday to overwhelmingly positive reviews. Limited screenings in the U.S. and Canada begin on Sep. 25.

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