Could you recommend some SasuNaru fics?
SASUNARU FIC RECS
Alright, so here's a collection of some of my favorite, re-read worthy SasuNaru fics of all time. The list is bound to expand, but for now, we have these gems.
i'll let it grow wild in my veins by thunderpoint
Summary:
“That’s good, right?” He feels somewhat out of his mind. It's a rush he's not used to, something he doesn't particularly like, and it leaves him wondering if this is what he should have felt when this whole thing first started. “When your future brother-in-law says shit like that it means that he approves of you, right? Fuck, I’m getting married to Uchiha Itachi’s little brother, Shika. What the fuck-”
Shikamaru’s face twists, “Naruto-”
The kitchen door bursts open, and Temari steps into the living room, gaping at them both. “Naruto’s getting married?"
Status: Currently Ongoing, 11/?
Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Slow Burn.
Thoughts: One of the best arranged marriage fics ever, the writing is amazing and out of this world, and if you haven't read this masterpiece what are you even doing with your life?
(You can also find the author on tumblr @thunder-point.)
2. everybody knows that you cradle the sun by Lyxxie
Summary:
“Y’know—before mom passed—she used to tell me about my dad. She'd tell me the kind of person you wanted to end up with, someone you kept around. She'd tell me about opposites, about calming the other one down and bringing them back up, about how they'd do the same for you. She'd say that you wanted someone who remembered things about you, not just the big stuff. Mundane shit that doesn't need to be remembered, but they do anyway. She'd say 'keep those who chronicle your life because it's theirs, too'."
OR:
Naruto challenges Sasuke to a game of “who knows the other person better.” Sasuke panics when he realizes that he might be the winner because what in the actual fuck does that mean?
He doesn’t know. Naruto tells him.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Roomates, College/University. Humor. Domestic. Explicit Sexual Content.
Thoughts: A fic I would sell my soul for. You haven't lived if you haven't read this fic.
3. Waiting for an Answer by KinomiAkai
Summary:
After eight years of struggling, Naruto finally caves and confesses to Sasuke. But it's okay; nothing is going to change between them. Everything will be the same.
...The moment Sasuke stops bringing it up every twenty seconds, it'll be the same.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Roomates. Fluff, Humor, Idiots in Love.
Thoughts: Sasuke is an Asshole and I am here for it.
(You can find them on tumblr @kinomiakai)
4. It's All In The Kiss (And Bondage) by Dhampir (Dhampire)
Summary:
Sasuke never looked at Naruto as anything more than an annoyance like all his other peers, but a kiss, and a little bondage, is about to change all that.
Reddit Crack Fic Idea: After getting kissed in the academy and then attacked and tied up by Naruto, Sasuke realizes he has followed all the steps of the traditional Uchiha ninja courtship(An old process inspired by the kidnapping of a rival clan kunoichi). Sasuke feels really touched and starts acting like a Yandere, being really nice to Naruto in his withdrawn way and getting really mad whenever someone says something bad about Naruto.
Tags: Accidental Engagements, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Humor. Tsundere to Yandere.
Status: Completed, 11/11
Thoughts: Anything by this author is an absolute masterpiece, so do check out their other works! They manage to perfectly balance humor and fluff!
5. you and me, that's my whole world by cloudyheaven
Summary:
“If you wanted me to be your Valentine this bad, you could’ve just said so,” Naruto said. The cheeky grin he was giving him made Sasuke want to kiss him again just to wipe it off his face. However, he wasn’t one to waste a good opportunity.
“That’s exactly what I want,” he said, matter-of-factly.
The grin fell off Naruto’s face. “Shit, are you serious?”
The one where Naruto and Sasuke have been in an unofficial friends-with-benefits arrangement for months, completely unaware of their feelings for each other.
Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Jealous Uchiha Sasuke, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Valentines Day, Love Confessions.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: A perfect fluffy fic for grey days. Always makes me smile whenever I read it.
6. wear my heart on your sleeve by cloudyheaven
Summary:
Sasuke coughed into his hand and simply looked down at his ass. Naruto followed his gaze and found another uchiwa sown on his left buttcheek. “Oh, this is ridiculous,” he said. “Wait, is this why people have been looking at my ass so much lately?!”
He turned to look at his boyfriend again. “Is this why you have been staring at it more than normal?!”
Sasuke simply avoided his gaze again. “Not like I need an excuse to look at your ass.”
Or, how possessive boyfriend Uchiha Sasuke found a way to mark Naruto and make it sociably acceptable.
Tags: Established Relationship, Post-Chapter 699, Fluff and Humor, Fluff Without Plot, Soft Uchiha Sasuke.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: Perfectly balanced fluff and humor fic by the godsend cloudyheaven.
7. all the small wild things by GreatLoversLieInHell
Summary:
Naruto doesn't like to be touched. Sasuke asks him why.
(To be loved is to be changed)
Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Child Abuse, Touch-Starved Naruto.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: A fic that makes my soul ache. The author is simply amazing.
(You can also find them on Tumblr @greatloverslieinhell)
8. the vines that grow by GreatLoversLieInHell
Summary:
After getting discharged from the hospital, Naruto returns to a home that’s no longer standing. Sasuke, who doesn’t do well in cages, flees the first chance he gets. Unmoored, unsettled, Naruto looks to his motherland for answers. Uzushio calls her son home. The road to Uzushiogakure is long, but Sasuke walks it with him.
Sasuke, who looks at him, hungry.
Sasuke, who sees him, wherever the light gets in.
Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-War, Uzumaki Naruto-Centric, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Angst With Happy Ending, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village.
Status: Completed, 14/14.
Thoughts: I shall create a shrine for this fic one day, for the adoration is not nearly enough as it deserves.
(You can also find them on Tumblr @greatloverslieinhell)
9. A Thousand Summers More by bluelikeskies
Summary:
Sasuke has seen a million sunrises, a thousand summers, but he has never seen anything like the way Naruto smiles at him, brighter than all those sunrises and summers combined.
Tags: Pining Sasuke, Soft, Prose, Mythical Beings and Creatures.
Status: Complete, 1/1.
Thoughts: Beautiful. Simply and utterly beautiful.
10. syzygy by glassedplanets
Summary:
In which Sasuke comes home, an errand needs to be run, several people tell him things, and he realizes just what home really is, for him.
Tags: Not Canon Compliant, Reunions, Homecoming, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending.
Status: Completed, 6/6.
Thoughts: Ethereal, I adore the writing style of this author.
11. kiss me (under the moonlight glow) by ashmes
Summary:
“You count what happened in the Academy as a kiss?”
Naruto’s gaze snaps towards him so quick when he asks, “You don’t?”
Tags: Post-Canon, Post-War, Post Chapter 699, Soft.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: I would sacrifice anything for this fanfic. It is utterly amazing.
(You can also find them on tumblr at @sapphicvevo.)
12. Let me help you (this time) by Here_to_procrastinate
Summary:
Sasuke really kind of loves his boyfriend and wishes the idiot would start looking after himself at least a little bit.
~
After the war Naruto can't stop helping everybody and is slowely but surely running himself into the ground. With a bit of help from others Sasuke tries to finally be what Naruto needs.
Tags: Whipped Sasuke, Jealous Sasuke, Everybody Loves Naruto, Fluff, Humor, A Bit of Angst, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Protective Shikamaru & Sakura.
Status: 1/1, Complete.
Thoughts: Perfect feel good fic.
13. Overcoming Distance by Athqh16
Summary:
It starts with a bento box. Black with a white cover and a red strap to keep it together. There was nothing actually pernicious about it except for the fact that the person who'd suddenly placed it in the middle of Naruto's lonely cafeteria table was his one and only rival, Sasuke motherfucking Uchiha
Status: 7/7, Completed.
Tags: Modern Au, Angst, Love Confessions, Hurt/Comfort, Friends To Lovers.
Thoughts: An absolute classic, I adore this!
(You can also find the author on tumblr @atqh16)
14. homeward by mnee
Summary:
Sasuke returns to Konoha.
Or, more accurately, to Naruto.
Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Chapter 699, Soft, Boys in Love.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: Utterly divine, it's so soft I want to cry.
15. a public display of affection by fiveandnocents
Summary:
In the three hours since their arrival, Gaara has stumbled across them kissing no less than seven times. Considering that they are all ninja, he is very aware that this is no coincidence.
Or, five times Naruto and Sasuke get caught (plus the first time no one was around).
Tags: 5+1 Things, Possessive Sasuke, Kissing, Post-Canon, Not Boruto Canon.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: This story could not be any more perfect.
16. The Way To A Man's Heart by littledust
Summary:
Sasuke has no idea how to woo Naruto.
Tags: Fluff, Humor.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: Perfect fic for a pick-me-up. Makes me smile everytime.
17. the time traveler's husband by blind_io
Summary:
Throughout his life, Naruto travels to different moments in Sasuke’s timeline. It changes them both.
Tags: Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Alternate Universe, Inspired by The Time Traveler's Wife.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: Brilliant. Simply and utterly brilliant.
18. The sun is too bright, it hurts by waywardfacegarden
Summary:
The first time Sasuke sees Naruto, they are six years old. Sasuke is not stupid, he learns fast, and there are three basic things about Naruto you can know after being five seconds in the same room as him: first, he’s noisy. Second, he talks a lot. Third, he’s annoying.
Years later, Sasuke thinks the same, but Naruto is much more than that to him.
Tags: Childhood Friends, Enemies To Friends To Lovers, Everyone is Alive, Modern AU.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: chefs kiss Magnifique. Deserves all the kudos in the world.
19. i want you to want me (i'd love you to love me) by Aethelar
Summary:
Five times Naruto kissed Sasuke and he left, plus one time Sasuke kissed Naruto and stayed.
Tags: 5+1, Angst with a Happy Ending.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: This fic is something to live for. It is just so beautiful.
20. Red or Blue? by ReleasedFromHisCage
Summary:
Naruto took over his godfather's store so he could retire and creates a safe space for his regulars and one-time customers alike, mostly his regulars though.
Sasuke Uchiha is one of these regulars.
Tags: Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Mild Hurt/Comfort.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: It's everything I've ever wanted in a fic.
21. don't stay away for too long by kintou
Summary:
With Naruto living there Sasuke's apartement has finally turned into a home. So what he doesn't quite get is that Naruto is here, in his pyjama's, telling him he's going to move out.
Tags: Modern Au, Roomates, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Breakfast.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: And they were roommates. Oh my god they were roommates. I am a puddle on the floor. This is simply too precious. It's not good for my heart.
(You can also find them on Tumblr @soft-fics)
22. Killing it by dawnstruck
Summary:
A year after Jiraiya's death, a new Icha Icha volume gets published. Self-declared Number One Fan, Hatake Kakashi, grows suspicious, but keeps buying them anyway.
Tags: Humor, Mid Crack, Mind Angst, Kakashi POV.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: From the summary to the last line this fic had me hooked. Witty and charming and just the best.
23. The Color Of Your Heart by RedRemember
Summary:
The Uchiha were blessed ninjas who possessed demon-like abilities and demon blood. Their race had been wiped out almost to extinction, but a survivor sat in Kakashi’s midst. Kakashi felt apprehensive about training such a child, not wanting to train a bloodthirsty creature how to be a better hunter.
&
“You’re experiencing your first heat.”, and “You’re an omega.” These were phrases his caretaker kept saying to him. Naruto felt extremely weak, but he understood one thing, and that was he would never be an alpha like Sasuke.
Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Naruto, Alpha Sasuke, Personal Growth, Blood and Violence, Mating Bond.
Status: Ongoing, 7/12
Thoughts: When I tell you I hit that subscribe button so fast. Simply perfect. All my hopes wrapped into a beautiful fic.
24. Bouquet of hate by FoolishFortuna
Summary:
Sasuke confesses his feelings with an unusual bunch of flowers. Humorous fluff!
Tags: Fluff, Flowers, Humor, Getting Together, Confessions, First Kiss, Sasuke's a Dick but he's adorable.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: Hilarious, sweet and amazing - a perfect fic to cheer you up on bad days, sad days or just any day in general.
25. Bare by KinomiAkai
Summary:
He's too bare. Too awake. Too used to the night and too desperate to leave it. Naruto's hand is a lifeline.
Tags: Sasuke POV, Love, Poetic, Romance, Ficlet.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: Simply gorgeous, ethereal, beautiful. Short and Sweet. It's perfection to the very T.
26. Just kiss me, you idiot. by yes_iamafrog
Summary:
Ino decided to have the annual New Year's Eve party at her house.
Or: Naruto and Sasuke kiss at midnight on January 1st.
Tags: Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Pining, Idiots in Love, Domestic Fluff, New Year's Kiss.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: The sweetest way I have ever been destroyed.
(You can also find them here on tumblr at @whatisgrass!)
27. i love chaos, i love toxic by minttens
Summary:
Sasuke cannot handle the gossip that Naruto is in love with someone, and he makes it his mission to find out who.
Tags: Angst, Fluff, Post-War, Jealous Sasuke.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: I'm gonna be honest, I cried. This fic is absolute perfection, someone please build a temple in it's name.
(Also, you need an AO3 account to read this fic!)
28. unforgivable by eloquentstars
Summary:
Lesson one in Dating Uzumaki Naruto 101 is: Never get between a man and his food.
Tags: Fluff Without Plot, Modern Au, Cute, Tooth-Rotting Fluff.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: Sobbing for the tragic ending of Naruto/Pizza, but Sasuke/Naruto are too cute for me to mourn too long.
29. Blue Oceans and Summer Suns by orphan_account
Summary:
“Stop fucking lying to me.” He knows he isn’t, but it’s difficult for him to accept that it’s Naruto’s genuine feelings.
“It isn’t a lie,” Naruto insists, leaning in once more to peck his lips as if to prove a point. He’s half on top of Sasuke now, who lays flat on his back staring up at him. “You should see yourself right now. You look as if you’re looking at something worth more than your own life.”
Tags: Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Sleepy Cuddles, Smitten Sasuke.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: I’m, like, one hundred percent super duper unbelievably in love with this fic.
30. Inevitablity by Sanauria_Maldhun
Summary:
Naruto's stressed and pining after a man who views him only as a friend. Deciding to get married to Ino isn't the best decision he's made (ever), given that they had been absolutely drunk while making such a declaration, but it's... a decision. Besides, what does he have to lose?
Tags: Background Sakura/Ino, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mutual Pining, Angst, Jealous Sasuke, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending.
Status: Completed, 4/4.
Thoughts: It's like a cup of coffee/tea that perfectly hits the spot. I love this fic, I've re-read this so many times and it always make me feel. I love Ino & Naruto's friendship.
31. Armistice by surveycorpsjean
Summary:
Sasuke is still here.
Or maybe; love hasn't passed them yet.
Tags: Fix-It, Getting Together, Pining, Takes Place Three Years After The Boruto Movie, Where Naruto Gets Divorced and Sasuke never gets married.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: Best of the best. Like, the best.
32. speak now or forever hold your peace by frogsterz
Summary:
Will the ceremony be over by the time Sasuke makes it back? Is the news even accurate? Maybe Naruto’s not getting married, he’s getting…carried, somewhere. On a palanquin. Or he’s getting buried. No, that’s worse.
(Sasuke is convinced by a passing rumour that the love of his life, Uzumaki Naruto, is about to throw the biggest and most extravagant wedding ceremony in Konoha's history...but he's not the groom. How could such a disaster have happened to him?)
Tags: Misunderstandings, Idiots in Love, Sasuke Has The Emotional Intelligence of a Wet Loaf of Bread, Post-Canon, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: These idiots, I love 'em to death.
33. symbol of the uchiha by humdrum_hummingbird
Summary:
Sasuke can't sleep, which, even after the war, is pretty typical. Instead, he stays up and watches Naruto sleep, and tonight, like most nights, Naruto is wearing a shirt with the Uchiha fan emblazoned on the back. You can't really blame Sasuke for being a little possessive after everything they've been through.
Tags: Sasuke Returns To Konoha, Possessive Sasuke, Naruto is a Ray of Sunshine, Comfort No Hurt, Soft Fluff, Boys in Love.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: This is so soft and gentle and tender I'm crying.
34. Final Destination by chaosxxx
Summary:
“The future is never set in stone. Even the smallest decision can alter its course. One action, be it accidental or intentional, can result in you meeting the love of your life! Or it can leave you alone and miserable… or dead. What I have here in front of you are the cards that show what lies at the end of each broad road.”
There's a festival in Konoha, and Sasuke and Sakura visit a fortune telling booth. They just wanted a bad palm reading, not this disturbingly accurate nonsense!
(SasuNaru fic. Pre-timeskip. Happy Ending)
Tags: Fortune Telling, Humor, Romance, Happy Ending, Confused Naruto, Pining Sasuke, Flirting, Cute.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: Everyone needs this fortune teller. Where can I meet her? Simply amazing and precious. Confused Naruto is just so adorable.
35. You Taste Like Coffee by itadakimasu
Summary:
All Sasuke really wanted was his nightly caffeine fix. How did it turn into this?
Tags: Coffee AU, Barista!Naruto, Confident!Sasuke, Oneshot, Sexual Content, Cute, Fluff.
Status: Completed, 1/1.
Thoughts: Perfect, like a good cup of coffee. Kicking my feet giggling throughout the entire thing.
36. Curiosity killed a cat by LydiaClairvoyanne
Summary:
Naruto realizes Sasuke behaves like a cat, and in his last attempt to make friends with the Uchiha, he tries to treat him like he would a scared, lone, traumatized, stray kitten. (I wonder what can go wrong with a plan like this.)
(Nothing, the answer is. Nothing, because the plan works.)
Tags: Sasuke Behaves Like A Cat, Naruto Notices This And Treats Him Like One, Fluff and Smut, Fluff and Angst, Sleepy Cuddles, Traumatized Boys, Soft Boys.
Status: Completed, 13/13
Thoughts: One of the best fics, it manages to give such a good character study without even trying. I love this fic, I would like to marry it.
37. in his arms by loverofgaydragons
Summary:
Naruto was there the night Sasuke left Konoha.
Tags: Angst, No Happy Ending, Hurt No Comfort.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: I sobbed so hard while reading this. It's just so beautiful, it's so beautifully written, it make me choke on sobs, I had to clean my glasses due to the tears, it's amazing. A heartbreak that hurts so good I will let it continue.
38. Time to Smile by hinata22
Summary:
Sasuke is on the verge of leaving the village forever. Naruto has other ideas.
Tags: Boys Kissing, Confession, Happy Ending.
Status: Complete, 1/1
Thoughts: If you thought the last one was sad, here's a happier version. I read this fic back when I didn't have an AO3 account and would desperately keep the tab open as to not lose it. This fic is heartbreaking in it's beauty and lifting in it's sweet moments. A blessing, this fic is a true blessing.
39. The Master Plan of An Uchiha Husband-To-Be by Watermelonsmellinfellon
Summary:
Uchiha Sasuke is determined to marry his new best friend Naruto so he can share his family with the blond boy. He'll be the best husband ever and Naruto won't want for anything ever again!
Tags: Humor, First Crush, Pre-Relationship, No Uchiha Massacre, Fluff.
Status: Complete, 2/2.
Thoughts: Simply adorable, from start to finish.
40. Unrequited: sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't by KizuKatana
Summary:
Naruto hates to hurt people's feelings. So when Hinata puts him on the spot about dating her, he doesn't want to come straight out and tell her he doesn't like her that way. Instead, he comes up with a poorly thought out idea to tell her he is dating someone already. All he needs to do to convince her is to show her a photo of the guy. He just needs to get a picture of someone so ridiculously hot she will know it's hopeless. He actually has someone in mind, a guy he'd had a one-sided thing for from his gym. Although, the guy is sort of an ass and probably wouldn't agree to posing for a picture. Naruto decides to ask him anyway. What's he got to lose?
Tags: Fluff, Unrequited Love Or Is It?, Humor, Cute.
Status: Completed, 1/1
Thoughts: Absolute blast, had a lot of fun reading this!
Aight, that's it for now.
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I just saw the worst takes about bnha’s ending on Instagram (three days ago now, as of posting this). So, today we’re gonna talk about Izuocha, shonen homoeroticism, and fandom… not in that order though…
I: Fandom
Fandom culture for all media has basically always been a war zone that you have to actively avoid, usually with two defining sides: people who try to enjoy media the way they want to enjoy it, and the people who say that everyone is wrong and attack others who they don’t agree with. There are shades of gray on both sides, but in general this is usually the case. It’s never been “‘alphabet mafia’ vs ‘normal’” or “fanon vs canon” or “right vs wrong”… I almost always see people having fun being attacked unwarranted (I am not saying that people being legitimately problematic shouldn’t be called out, pls don’t get me wrong. I’m talking about innocent fun!). And I’m not just talking about dudebros attacking shippers, I’ve seen a lot of shippers attack non-shippers/other shippers of a different ship, and it’s almost always people just saying “you’re wrong, I’m right, and your take ruins this media piece of media for everyone else.” That being said, I wanna talk about the highlighted parts of these comments, okay? But first I need to explain the video that these comments were on.
It was a video by @/d_rich7 on Instagram, a big anime creator, talking about this tweet:
To summarize the video, he went on to say that he’s not surprised because bnha has the worst shipping community since Naruto and how Horikoshi probably felt forced into not confirming any ships because of “threats and hate mail” that he got from his fandom. I’ll come back to that but first I’ll talk about some of the comments:
“At least, they can say they weren’t the reason for the downfall of their anime.”
I've seen this take from different parts of the fandom, whether it was in regard to ships, todofam, or the villains. Just because the narrative of a story ends up matching the theories of people you disagree with, doesn't mean the story is going through a downfall. Just accept that you were wrong and move on. It is okay to not like certain aspects of the story and it's okay to discuss and criticize it, but pinning the blame on people who just happened to be right, no matter how much you hate it, is not okay.
“People need to stop demanding the literal CREATOR of a series to do things how they want it done…They to learn it’s not their story to tell…”
“…like I don’t get how people who have no impact on the writing of a story get mad because the CREATORS don’t wanna use their personal ideas.”
“…from now on imma blame the fandom for fucking up the anime/manga, we could’ve had a better ending if it wasn’t for them…”
Outside of the context, I actually agree with the sentiment that fans shouldn't feel so entitled that they think they have any control over the media they're consuming. But, the commenters don't realize that they're doing the exact thing that they’re talking about. They're convinced that the queer shipping community is the reason the creator decided not to confirm any relationship and are pissed off that the ship they were rooting for, didn't happen. Why are they exempt from this rule? Because straight ships are supposed to happen and queer ships aren't? Because the boy is supposed to win the girl at the end in order to develop a good shonen? I'll go into the misogynistic implications of that later.
Other than that, I have seen a lot of people on tumblr get mad about other things, like before, regarding to the villains and todofam drama to the point that they started insulting Hori. Like I said, it's okay to be mad. Being mad about something doesn't make you a bad person but it was never our story to tell. Criticism and hate, are two different things and come off very differently.
“MHA’s fandom is filled to the brim with toxic, no shower taking, furry loving, lgbtq idiots…”
Honestly I added this one because he's right. We're here, we're queer, and we're idiots in the best way possible. However, I think this also says the quiet part out loud when it comes to the hatred towards bnha and it's fandom.
Shipping communities in other fandoms don't get anywhere near as harassed as often as the shipping communities in the bnha fandom despite not being much different. The difference is, a lot of us identify as and are recognized as queer and Hori himself even recognized that the LGBT community especially took a liking to his manga. But, in other fandoms, it's only okay to consider queer ships if they're recognized by the cishet audience.
Most people in the aot fandom don't have an issue with eremin because it was something recognized and memed by straight men, even if it was mostly as a joke. The kny fandom doesn't care about inotan because it was also recognized and memed by straight men. Narusasu doesn't get much hate anymore because the straight men of their fandom also started to recognize the characters weird obsession with each other and it became more difficult to ignore the ship since there was literally multiple accidental kiss scenes--one of the few times where the source material actively encourages shipping. I can keep going too.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, non-shonen animes with majority cishet women as their audience, no one bats an eye at their ships either, because there's not enough men in their communities to tell them they should feel ashamed for their fanon content and their words hold no weight… and there’s a lot less queer people in those fandoms. You see the trend, right? It's almost like queer shipping is perfectly okay and mostly accepted as long as the community is either majority cishet men, or those men grant permission/approval for the specific ships or the piece of media wasn’t “meant for men.” Otherwise, it's seen as gross and cringe.
There was one other community that was kind of similar to bnha in a sense that it was mostly consumed by queer people and cishet men, where there was a lot of discourse on whether the two main characters were queer or not… which is the Buddy Daddies fandom. When the show was airing, those two sides that I talked about earlier were pretty apparent, with people having heated arguments about whether there were queer undertones or not. The cishet men of the fandom didn't give their approval to ship Rei and Kazuki, so it became an issue. Same with JJK now, more so with itafushi though. SatoSugu was given a somewhat stamp of approval but itafushi is still seen as taboo.
However, for some reason, every queer ship and character (even if it's canon) in bnha is seen as something shameful to recognize which I think is very telling considering how large the queer and disabled part of the fandom is. Minorities are being punished for relating to a manga with discrimination as one of it's core themes. Do what you want with that...
“…hate-mail just pushed him over the edge so he just scrapped everything just as punishment to spite them…”
This kind of references rumors from a few years ago about the shipping community sending hate mail and death threats towards Horikoshi and everyone just running with it without doing their research.
Horikoshi did receive death threats but it was about Dr.Garaki's original name which you can read about here. It was mostly the eastern side of the fandom being aggressive, even going as far as posting videos of them burning the volume where Garaki's name was revealed which isn't okay. However, everyone blamed it on the western shipping community... for whatever reason...
There was another instance where people in the western fandom started sending Horikoshi death threats on his twitter because of a chapter about Endeavor getting attacked by Dabi and an Nomu and the Todo family being worried about him, people claiming that Hori "deserved to die" for romanticizing and glorifying abuse (when that wasn't at all the case, I'm genuinely confused on how they interpreted that...). This came out six years ago but somehow is still narrowed down to the queer community and women being toxic... like what? Do you see my point now of it feeling like we need to be granted permission to do certain things in fandom if we don't want to be punished?
Also who was Hori punishing by not confirming any ships? If anything, I’ve seen most shippers appreciative than not…
II: Ochako Uraraka and her relationship with Izuku Midoriya
Back to that point about misogyny that I mentioned earlier...
"...I would have lowkey wish we got to see deku and ochaco end up together since their relationship was hinted from the beginning..."
Quick warning... this is gonna be a long point.
Yes, they were attracted to each other at the beginning, no one is denying that. No one is denying Ochako’s crush either. Izuku’s nervous around her for the first like 50-ish chapters because he's still used to having friends (especially a girl. If you think about it, if his childhood friends were the only friends he had ever had before getting shunned by his community, then he had never had a girl as a friend before... ever) but their relationship eventually mellows out into a normal friendship. Given Ochako and Toga's arc, I don't think Izuocha was ever destined to end romantically.
Toga was desperate to be loved by someone who accepted her for who she was while Ochako was desperate to be able to show love to someone who she truly admired. Ochako wanted to be like Deku and tried for a while until she realized that she couldn’t and shouldn’t want to be like Deku. She thinks he’s amazing but she realizes that she can’t strive to be like him because she’s already like him but wants to change.
(this is kind of off topic but I just want to point out what Ochako said about Toga being sad about not being able to totally become Jin. Correct me if I'm remembering wrong but, Toga was only able to ever transform into Ochako completely, quirk and all. I think there's an analogy there, where her being able to be just like someone possibly means she's in love with them but she convinces herself that she loves everyone equally. I think it's supposed to be saying that "even though you can't be him completely, doesn't mean you don't love him, you just don't love him in the way you thought you did" and I think Ochako realizes that because she possibly had the same realization with Izuku. Becoming him didn't work out for her because she didn't love him the way others told her she did... I guess it wasn't off topic... oh well.)
The highlighted parts can apply to Ochako too if you replace “bloodlust” with “envy”. She suffered the same issue that Toga did with other people telling her how and who to love which made her feel like she was supposed to be jealous.
She didn't like these feelings of jealousy, so she began to unintentionally be like Deku and hide them. I don't think she ever had an issue with loving Deku but she had an issue with the way she convinced herself of how she loved Deku made her feel. It made her feel like she was hiding something because I think she felt conflicted for not loving him the way everyone expected her to. All the way up to her final fight with Toga, we were only getting intel about her crush from other characters. Not her.
There's a lot of Mina just telling her what her feelings are despite Mina canonically not knowing much about love. Her crush has always been projected onto her which is why she's able to relate to Toga so well and wants to be more like her since Toga is able to live as herself so comfortably and broke away from conformity and what's expected of her.
Ochako's crush is only there because it's expected to be and her arc is meant to prove that she can be more than just the MCs love interest. Ochako's projected crush is Horikoshi trying to prove a point about basic shonen tropes which he's done time and time again throughout the story. SHE WANTS TO LIVE AND LOVE HOW SHE PLEASES WITHOUT SOCIETY TELLING HER HOW TO JUST LIKE TOGA WAS ABLE TO DO! I WILL KEEP SAYING IT UNTIL MY THROAT IS RAW AND DUDEBROS BEGIN TO FINALLY UNDERSTAND AND NOT VIEW FEMALE CHARACTERS AS NOTHING MORE THAN EYE CANDY FOR THE MALE CHARACTERS!!!
In the epilogue. she hides her feelings with a smile because she doesn't want to worry anyone (sound familiar?) so it only makes sense that it was Deku who pushed her to let out her feelings despite not practicing what he preaches. So, she embraced her inner Himiko and let out her feelings with her whole face. Those feeling just weren't for Deku... and they shouldn't have to be.
I genuinely feel like (especially with the way dudebros hate queer ships in this fandom) if Ochako was a boy, her arc wouldn't have been so widely misinterpreted. Because if he had talked about how amazing Izuku was and Mina came in and still said "It's love!" most fans would've taken it as a joke and/or even going as far as pointing out that the crush wasn't real because he didn't actually admit to it and it was projected onto him by other characters. But, the world ain't ready for that conversation.
"...I saw it as the fandom tryn to force their ships into the story 100% ruining key moments..."
I mainly added this quote because I thought it was so absurd. How do you see class-a coming to support Ochako as "omg it's the fandom forcing their agenda and controlling Hori through mind control to force their ships into the story and ruin this key moment,"??? Like, is it really so unthinkable that Horikoshi can have creative freedom outside the norm of treating girl characters as a trophy for the MC? You expected Izuku to marry her on the spot while she's having a mental breakdown? It's just... anyways...
III: Old-Gen Shonen Homoeroticism and it's Relation with Internalized Misogyny and how New-Gen is Changing That
The Shonen genre - especially old gen - is notorious for it's accidental misogyny, queerphobia, and racism. It got to the point where it's just kind of expected at this point.
The main one is usually misogyny. A lot of shonen mangaka like to write women as nothing more than eye candy and when they are actually given a personality and power, their character arcs are suddenly ignored/neglected and turned back into eye candy. Take Tsunade and Nezuko for example. We're told that they're important and powerful and yet they rarely do anything and almost never get important speaking lines and when we get to see them in action, the author makes sure to highlight certain parts of their bodies. Nezuko I think is an especially obvious one, being literally muzzled for most of the story, and when she powers up, she grows up and is suddenly given huge boobs...
Almost every shonen girls' character arcs revolves around a man and if not, then their existence is for the sake of a male character. I will say, I havent watched much shonen because of this aspect that's always apparent, but almost every older shonen I've watched, read, or seen other people talk about, it rears its ugly head at least once.
Because of that, most love interests weren’t given enough personality to actually form a meaningful relationship with the MC that the audience - especially female and queer audiences - can connect to. More often than not, it’s “I like her cuz she’s pretty” or “I like her cuz she likes me” and it’s irritating. And since these relationships are so shallow, authors are forced to create an interesting bond between the MC and a different character which usually ends up being the deuteragonist who is usually another boy more often than not. And boys in media written “for boys” are almost never neglected the way a girl would be, which is a sad truth.
These relationships almost always end up feeling like they’re passed the point of friendship and because of that, a lot of women and queer people end up shipping them instead of the canon love interest. Because their relationship being romantic actually makes sense most of the time.
BakuDeku, Eremin, KilluaGon, NaruSasu, ItaFushi, SatoSugu, IsaBachi, HideKan, GenoSai, LawLight, the list can go on for fucking ever.
However, in bnha and BakuDeku’s case, especially when the “canon” relationship with the “canon” love interest wasn’t really developed at all, and we never got a hint from Deku that he liked her, I don’t think this homoeroticism wasn’t intentional. Like with a lot of new-gen, there wasn’t really blatant misogyny towards the “love interest” present to explain away the closeness between the two male leads.
All of the roles a love interest would usually have, were given to Katsuki. He was damseled for Deku to save, he was Deku’s biggest cheerleader, he risked his life to save Deku, he died in Izuku’s honor, he showed up for Izuku when no one else thought to, he showed up to his hospital room and cried over the condition he was in, and then he devoted nearly a decade of his life trying to bring Izuku’s dream back into fruition… He cares so fucking much and Izuku cares right back. And no one can convince me that it was accidentally gay, because Horikoshi literally felt the need to tell AND remind us that Katsuki doesn’t like girls. Plus, like I said before, all of that was done without neglecting Uraraka’s character arc.
But even though all of that is in text, I think shonen bros just expect it while also expecting the main girl and boy to be together… because that’s how it always used to be. It wasn’t until new-gen - starting with mha - started to purposely parody dated shonen tropes and twisting them into their own stories that shonen bros began to feel threatened by queer ships. Because they know that there’s actually a chance of them happening now, and I feel like IzuOcha not being canonized is the beginning of a new trend. And misogynistic anime fans already hate it.
Conclusion - TLDR
uh idk what to say here.
In conclusion, fandom culture kinda sucks because of unexpected reasons, Ochako’s character arc is ignored for the sake of men wanting her to be Izuku’s prize and it’s irritating as fuck, and I think previously accidental homoeroticism in old-gen shonen is becoming purposeful in new-gen shonen as new-gen slowly becomes more progressive and less misogynistic. Oh and bkdk canon ig (I don’t think I’ve ever said that before, strangely enough…)
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