The romance between Deku and Ochako was always one of those “will it or won’t it?”, within My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia). Since the first seasons of the anime and the first volumes of the manga, many fans started to ship them. There were clear signs, like nervous glances, blushes, awkward attempts to talk about their feelings, but it never went beyond that. And now that the manga is coming to an end, many were finally waiting for a clear answer. Are they a couple? Did they confess? Was there a kiss? Well, no. Kohei Horikoshi, the author, decided to close the subject with ambiguity.
My Hero Academia: Romance confirmed? Better use your imagination
In the most recent My Hero Academia Plus Ultra Guide, Horikoshi commented that readers should review volume 42 and “use their imagination” to interpret the outcome of the relationship. In other words, after years of romantic tension, it’s up to us to decide whether they ended up together or not.
Right in that 42nd volume of My Hero Academia, the relationship between Deku and Ochako gains quite a bit of prominence. There are scenes where their emotional bond becomes stronger and more sincere. After so many battles, traumas and personal growth, they finally take a moment to speak from the heart. You can tell there are feelings there. But there is no direct confession. There’s no “I like you,” no kiss, nothing to really close that romantic arc. Just nice words, a strong emotional connection, and looks that suggest a lot, but don’t confirm anything.
This has divided My Hero Academia fans. There are those who applaud the subtlety, saying that not everything has to be resolved with a kiss and that sometimes it’s enough to know that two people understand each other without needing to declare it. But there are also many who are frustrated. Because Horikoshi has developed Deku and Ochako for over 400 chapters, and many feel that leaving that aspect of their relationship without a clear conclusion is a missed opportunity. We’re not talking about a secondary couple: they are the two main protagonists.
Moreover, this is not the first time a manga author has left the romance “up in the air”. We’ve seen it in other popular series, where creators avoid committing to a couple so as not to divide the fanbase or simply because they don’t feel comfortable writing romance. But in this case, My Hero Academia isn’t exactly a manga that avoids the emotional. The story is full of intense moments, confessions, family traumas, broken and rebuilt friendships… so it’s odd that just the romance aspect is put on pause.
It must also be said that Horikoshi has been closing several arcs in an accelerated manner. He already made it clear in interviews that he has been dealing with health problems, and that has affected his pace of work. Perhaps that’s why he decided that leaving things open-ended was the easiest option.
In the end, these kinds of decisions remind us that while fans have expectations, authors go their own way. We may like it or not, but it’s part of how these stories are constructed.
And speaking of My Hero Academia as a series, the impact it has had is undeniable. It was one of the great jewels of modern shonen. With charismatic characters, a well-constructed power system and epic moments that will remain in the memory of many. But it is also true that, towards its later stages, it lost a bit of the balance it had at the beginning. Sometimes rushing important things, such as romance or the development of certain secondary characters.
Still, Deku and Ochako were always the emotional heart of the story. We’re left to imagine what happened between them, but after everything they went through together, it would be nice to think that they did end up with each other. If only in our heads.
©古橋秀之・別天荒人・堀越耕平／集英社・ヴィジランテ製作委員会