Horikoshi’s Gift to My Hero Academy VA Gives Izuku and Ochako Fans Hope

On June 6, 2024, Daiki Yamashita, the voice actor for protagonist Izuku “Deku”Midoriya in My Hero Academia, took to X (previously known as Twitter) to share an exciting gift he received. The gift, a mug featuring Japanese text and characters Deku and Ochako Uraraka, was given to him by the series’ creator, author, and illustrator Kohei Horikoshi.

At the time of writing this article, the exact text on the mug is unknown. However, it is assumed to be a message commemorating the My Hero Academia manga reaching 100 million copies in circulation. This assumption is backed by the appearance of Horikoshi’s author avatar and corresponding speech bubble beneath the text, as well as the caption on Yamashita’s tweet.

Although fans of My Hero Academia are thrilled about the gift, their excitement is especially heightened because it offers some potential for the implied relationship between Deku and Uraraka to become canon as the series concludes. While there haven’t been any clear indications that the ship won’t happen, fans are still eagerly searching for any subtle hints that could confirm its status as canon.

My Hero Academia fans ready to call Izuocha canon after Horikoshi’s gift to Deku’s VA Yamashita

Although the mug may not hold any romantic significance for Midoriya and Uraraka, the fact that they are the only characters featured on it speaks volumes. This is further reinforced by Yamashita’s statement that the mug will not be replicated, indicating that Horikoshi intentionally chose these two characters without any commercial pressure.

Likewise, fans are rejoicing over Horikoshi’s deliberate decision to officially pair the two characters. This emphasis on the choice is most likely heightened by the fact that the series is currently in its epilogue and the confirmation of the ship is expected to happen soon.

As expected, fans’ reactions are mostly centered around Deku and Uraraka’s presence on the mug. However, there is not much variation in the responses. Some examples are:

“WE GOT IZUOCHA MUG,” from one excited netizen.

“WE GOT A CRUMBLE OF THEMM AHH,” shouted another in reference to the pair’s inclusion being a “crumble” of their canonical ship confirmation.

Despite the fact that the mug was a one-of-a-kind gift to Yamashita, it is heartwarming to see the enthusiastic reactions of fans to his post. This further highlights the strong support of the Izuocha ship within the fanbase and the significant role it plays in the lives of passionate fans.

The serialization of Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia manga started in July 2014 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and continues to be regularly published there. Currently, the manga is in its epilogue and is expected to conclude sometime this year, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

At the time of writing this article, 410 out of 424 chapters of the manga have been compiled into 40 volumes, of which 38 have been translated into English. The 7th season of the series’ television anime is currently being broadcasted and is expected to cover most of the manga’s final arc, except for the epilogue.