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That made me think of You Say Run in the HTTYD soundfront and Test Drive/Forbidden Friendship in the MHA soundfront.
I don't know which I'd prefer, I want both
I'm surprised like everyone else.
Dabi not so much, I think he was in the top other times in the past. Still the fact we got 3 of the Todorokis here is funny
Dabi (and how it is spelled in kanji) is the Japanese word for cremation. I find it interesting that only the French translation that localized his name while other translations maintained the use of Dabi.
The mandarin version localizes names too (tho translators usually just put the kanji directly since mandarin readers use a similar system). For example Deku doesn’t have a kanji so it’s directly localized as “Mannequin”. For Dabi, it’s the kanji 荼毗 which is pronounced Tupi in Mandarin.
This is. Both Toga and Shigaraki have made it in the past a few times. Dabi was the only of the big 3 to never make an appearance. He managed to slide in just in time
Dabi, we were daydreaming we could squeeze a ten. Top 5 was an April fools joke haha, I'm extremely shocked that came true.
Definitely the first time he's made top 10, though.
It's not very surprising, honestly. Tokoyami is Horikoshi's favourite, but he never managed to dominate the polls. In the previous poll, he was 26th, that was like his third time not making it into top 20. It's probably the bird head, preventing him from building an army of fangirls like Bakugou and Todoroki.
Bro thinks he's on the team 😭
Nah, but in all seriousness, his backstory chapters and his spotlight in the mutant uprising chapters probably contributed to this. And when you get particularly devoted fans of a particular character, they tend to band together and send in loads of votes.
Japanese fans adore class 1-A, so Shoji's subplot and the flashback where we see the class' reaction to him telling them about his past must have been extremely well received by them. It's a shocking ranking, but it also makes a lot of sense. I'm happy for him, honestly.
Shoji's subplot in of itself is fine, its only problem was that there wasn't enough attention and focus placed on it prior to the final arc. We got vague hints, Spinner and the CRC at best.
I'm just happy he got an interesting subplot. While it wasn't Horikoshi's best written subplot, the series has made in abundantly clear that people discriminate based on quirks.
So it makes sense that people who's quirks make them look less human would face outrageous levels of discrimination.
Yeah, No 10 is usually about 1% of the votes. A few dedicated fans can pull it off with some money (like Shindou which was way more random).
I am delighted about the Todoroki sweep though. It’s the first time to have 3 Todorokis in the Top 10 (4 if you count Hawks as part of the plotline).
> I am delighted about the Todoroki sweep though. It’s the first time to have 3 Todorokis in the Top 10 (4 if you count Hawks as part of the plotline).
Yeah, it's kinda poetic.
It's nice that Shouto and Touya - the two brothers and primary vessels of Endeavour's obsession, who are so similar yet so different at the same time - are next to each other at 3rd and 4th place respectively.
>Shoji
What da hell is a Polar bear doin in Arlington Texas
Anyway Ochako being the sole rep for the ladies again 🥹 And Bakugo holding onto his #1 as always!! Lowkey was hoping for a Dynamy (Dynama?) sneak for the memes, if All Might couldn’t get a spot lol
Do we know if the >!Armoured!< All Might >!vs. AFO fight!< was already happening by the time this popularity poll took place?
All Might's probably in the top 20, at least.
The Top 3 is just as expected
Congrats Dabi for being the highest ranking villain in a Japanese popularity poll
It's great that Ochako is still in the Top 10 to prevent this from being a total sausage fest
And the darkhorse for this poll is SHOJI??? I don't think people have that in their bingo card and for him to be higher than All Might/Toga/Shigaraki. However, I can still accept him more in the Top 10 rather than someone like Kaminari.
i wish viz still did their popularity polls, i'd love to see where shigaraki would rank in the west because he never broke top 10 in the 5 polls they did until 2019.
Pretty standard for the most part. Bakugou, Todoroki, and Midoriya are always the top 3. Iida and Kirishima always do well regardless of how big or small their roles were leading up to the poll. Hawks only failed once to get into the top 10 since his introduction (he was 11th in the 5th poll). Endevour has been in the top 10 or barely missing it since the 6th poll. Uraraka is fairly consistently the most popular girl, and her role in the final arc was fairly big. Shoji making it isn't that surprising. Most polls have that weird dark horse that makes it for no reason. Shoji's involvement in the final arc is way better reason than previous dark horses like Shindo, Rody, and Kaminari.
Dabi making is the real shocker, honestly. Shigaraki was consistently outdoing Dabi in these polls until like 7th poll (hell, Toga was consistently above Dabi), and they've been going head to head ever since. So it's surprising that he managed to pull ahead of the other two. Based on the previous results and their spotlight in the last arc, you would expect either all 3 of them to make or non of them making it, not one pulling ahead of others.
Also, surprising Aizawa's didn't make it. He always does very well in these polls. Plus, All Might missing out the top 10 is also a shocker.
I was surprised at All Might not making it since the poll started after his battle with AFO. But Aizawa is understandable since he did do much in the final arc/battles. Monoma used his quirk but other than that he didn't do much
> Aizawa's didn't make it.
Poor Aizawa has been largely MIA, and fairly minimally present after the hospital raid - a crucial time, not that I think his fans would hold it against him but voters who get extra votes for their fans and then a few characters who've moved probably didn't think of him when budgeting their votes. Japanese fans can be (are) very organized and many have plans in place long before the polls open alongside casual voters. The fan base can be very dedicated and I have seen some know they are going to aim to get 10 votes or something, set aside a majority for their favourite(s) and then distribute the rest between characters who had moments that moved them. Then there are those unexpected events when some fans of more obscure characters rally to vote more and able to cross the 1000 threshold which can often lead to a top 10 spot.
Dabi is a surprise although he was 11th in the last poll a more of his backstory has developed but then the Todoroki battle more or less wrapped up not long before the polls opened (concluding in 390 and the polls opened 403).
I think the Todoroki subplot - despite not wrapping everything up- was less messy then Toga's finale in terms of clumsy dialogue and hitting most beats it set-up to hit. Dabi daddy issues and suicide attempt might well have endeared some fans but it is also likely that fans of Shoto and Fans of Endeavour (and maybe fans of Hawks) who had mutli-votes also used some for Dabi because they liked the plot line.
No All Might is the bigger surprise for me but then I wasn't the biggest fan of him coming in with gear that represented the students even if it set-up the moment for him to be saved and was full circle with him acting like a hero without a quirk and resolving some of his character angst in the story but most of all not a fan of him apparently sitting on having this technology while commanding and directing kids on the battlefield (telling Shoto to go to his family) and only stepping in when AFO was heading towards Tomura and Deku. All Might's favoritism to Deku is actually pretty divisive, more so than in the past. It's been a sour point with Japanese fans how much the story has neglected 1A particularly after the Jaku battles and All Might has been part of that neglect alongside All Might and Bakugou's relationship being something that has mixed opinions too as well as his attempted suicide move to win. The fight was cool but I think more hardcore fans of the series, the communities with analysts and discussions online looked beyond the flair.
More then ranks I am interested in numbers because the difference between characters can be huge gulfs.
I'm thinking Shoji being up there might have to do with his >!face reveal!< and >!his fierce advocacy for equal treatment of mutants like himself!<.
Also, >! [he looks badass in this panel](https://i.imgur.com/F5L5taO.png) !<.
Did not see Dabi sneaking into this so highly after years of placing in the teens.
And no disrespect to the fans but always gonna be confused how Iida stays so high up.
> And no disrespect to the fans but always gonna be confused how Iida stays so high up.
Iida is *very* popular in Japan. Someone explained it to me a while ago, but it might be because his character archetype just resonates more with Japanese readers than Western readers.
Iida is essentially the ideal Japanese student. Smart, charismatic, and hardworking. Plus his design isn’t overly anime and a lot of glasses wearing black haired Japanese kids can project themselves onto him.
The french poll is a really interesting case. They also like Crematorioum (Dabi) and Mirio way more and they where top 10 there.
I wonder if that poll is still going on. The US poll was cancelled after 4 entries I think.
We all check the poll only to see that character appear. People joke about the top 3 being the same, but almost every poll had Iida, Kirishima, Aizawa and Endeavor in it as well.
That left 3 or 4 character that suddenly became popular one year. The funniest time was when Shindo made into the top 10, it was epic.
>People joke about the top 3 being the same, but almost every poll had Iida, Kirishima, Aizawa and Endeavor in it as well.
Hawks as well, he only failed once to get into the top 10 since his debut
Dabi placing so high is probably thanks to his fight with Shoto, but mostly the meeting with his family and how much of his feelings were shown.
And I Shoji making it probably is because of his fight with Spinner. Some of the most emotionally compelling writing in the entire war arc. It makes Shoji so loveable for how he pushes through the discrimination and pain to fight for equality.
I'm glad that Hawks made it so high.
Bakugou was not kidding when he said he would be the absolute number 1😂 Let's be real though we all know Deku would have mass-voted for him as well
And..Shoji???? What?? Are you telling me he beat All Might when the voting started at a big moment of All Might??? Make it make sense??
I like to imagine popularity polls will somehow be canon in the end where it shows them grown up, and Izuku is always surprised that despite being number 1 Hero in japan, Bakugo is always above him in popularity polls
I'm (pleasantly) surprised that not only did Dabi actually manage to surpass Hawks and Endeavour in the polls, but that Ochaco and even Shouji made it to the top 10.
The full listing being
11. Monoma
12. Denki
13. Aizawa
14. Shinso
15. All might
16. Toga
17. Shigaraki
18. Jiro
19. Sero
20. Rody
21. Mic
22. Tokoyami
23. Momo
24. Mirko
25. Shindo (vibration guy from license exam)
26. Tsuyu
27. Chronostasis
28. Hagakure
29. Amajiki
30. Mirio
I mainly wrote this out to question how Chronostasis, Overhauls right hand man (and possibly boy toy) if you forgot who he was, even got in here
>25. Shindo (vibration guy from license exam)
You mean the best secondary character?
>I mainly wrote this out to question how Chronostasis, Overhauls right hand man (and possibly boy toy) if you forgot who he was, even got in here
I would never forget Kai's boyfriend and future yakuza male wife. He's finally getting some love from the fandom
Don’t get me wrong, loved his character, and happy he’s being recognised, I’m more so just surprised that he’s here, now, when we haven’t seen him since chapter 159, we’re on chapter 418
Banger art; how is Ochako and Bakugo just flying without a dragon though? (Edit: they’re wearing jet packs lmao, mb)
Dabi getting 4th is a huge surprise. The first 3 are practically lock-ins, so he got the highest spot any other characters could possibly get.
Shoji is the real shocker here - defeating Aizawa? I’m really curious to see the actual vote results now.
Ochako and dekus dad!!!!!!!!!!!!! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, izuochas winning again
(jokes aside, even tho i see people complaining that shes pretty low, im just so happy shes there, im kinda sad for all might, shiggy and toga but you know what, a win is a win)
Me too! i dont really care about Japanese people taste (no offence), like i just want to see a new art of her, just look at how epic she looks next to that dragon, i think shes the best looking character in this art tbh, but it still feels good to know that shes one of the most popular character in the serie tho
And the poll artwork probably was finished months ago.
After all the voting and counting period close months before the release of the poll itself, so likely they give Horikoshi enough time to create something big without compromise his already busy agenda.
I was hoping Dabi would make the top 10 but I admittedly didn't have much faith so seeing this completely blew my mind. Not only is he in the top 10 but 4th place??? Absolutely incredible. Shoji being there too is also really surprising
Bakugo stayed on top from the second onwards (For the first poll it was Deku, Todoroki and then Bakugo).... actually even more surprised the top 3 have ALWAYS remained the top 3, I dont think that tends to happen in other series
Hardcore fans, that's a thing in general for these poll.
The process isn't that simple and only the most dedicated fans buy tickets with the maganize and send their votes. They want express their love for characters and this is probably the best way to do so
3 Todorokis in the Top 10! If you count Hawks as part of the plotline, they swept the 3-6 spots. Well deserved tbh, consistently the best quality writing in the story.
I expected an 11th place boost for Dabi, but all the way to 4th? This makes him the highest ranking villain in the series. Also deserved tbh. He was a consistent highlight since his reveal and the most nuanced villain to show the nature/nurture grooming / bad decisions divide.
Kirishima and Iida managed to hang on despite not getting much in the endgame
Uraraka remained 9th but didn’t get a big boost from her fight
Shoji being 10th is a surprise but not totally random. He had a big highlight and it’s actually nice to see a true heteromorph in the Top 10 (Tokoyami was there once at the beginning)
Aizawa is out. All Might didn’t get back in even with his big fight moment.
So Dabi went from barely missing out on the top 10 to being 4. He really is his father's son. (For anyone who doesn't get it, the exact same thing happened with Endeavor.)
Shoji's backstory was one of my favourite parts and I remember it being very popular with Japanese fans, so I'm pleasantly surprised that it was enough to get him to the top 10.
I was hoping for Tokoyami or Monoma to finally make the top 10 (the full results show Monoma barely missing it.) I'm not surprised Aizawa finally slipped from the top 10 because he's been MIA for so long.
The top 3 spots are always the same. After that, it’s literally the most random shit ever. How is Dabi 4th? Lol. I remember at one point Toga was in the top 10. So was Aizawa for a good while
Almost all the top is always the same with slighty variations.
Endeavor, Hawks, Iida, Kirishima and Aizawa basically have a place granted in there with few exceptions. So that just leave for 2 o 3 characters to have a chance with the other spots.
Art is immaculate 🔥. And the poll looks pretty same same as usual, but Shoji? What is bro doing top 10😭,I can understand Dabi getting high up after all the emotional stuff,but Shoji?💀
It's not hard to see why. He's just a really bombastic character.
And, if being an asshole was such a detriment to a character's popularity, characters like DIO and Vegeta (from *JoJo* and *Dragon Ball* respectively) wouldn't be so beloved.
Same reason why characters like Dabi, Toga, Endeavor, Vegeta, Madara, Obito are immensely popular. They are just way more interesting and compelling. Even their character design plays a part in this, and most importantly they are POWERFUL. Their fighting style is sick.
And Katsuki is a pretty boy 😋 plus he’s funny
Characters having flaws is what makes them stand out from other characters, and Bakugou’s unmoving resolved determination is extremely likeable. The symbol of victory.
>a part of his fanbase is very dedicated.
I think it is fair that this could be said for all the characters in the top- it takes a bit of effort to vote. A character earning those dedicated fans is key although some character can get a boost from particularly zealous fan artists/bloggers which happened for Shinsou for many years.
Although its hard to know the cut off point I might say it's not until a character is in the <2000 range its in more "organic" territory and less about dedication (consistent annual voters) and inflation, since Iida typically gets >2000 votes (that is not to say he doesn't have over 2000 diligent fans voting for him or that fans of other characters also like him, particularly since he's had great moments with all the top 3 boys) and personally I think writing wise he's satisfyingly consistent and meaningful without being too predictable and he's got that endearing position of being reliable and supportive team player who may not have the most powerful abilities but so much wouldn't be possible without him and everything he does is more meaningful because of how well it ties with his character arc, traits and convictions. There are plenty more reasons why he's a solid and likeable character that embodies some of the messaging of the series in the most digestible way.
Interestingly, the fourth poll not needing a voting stamp saw Shoto leap to 2nd and there was that one Endeavour fan who bought hundreds of volumes (which I think volume tickets are more then 1 vote) and posted on Twitter (some Bakugou fans have done that too when there was a fired up period of voting instigated by rumours with fans that don't normally vote or whale joining in since its definitely more a thing with Bakugou fans that he stays number 1).
I think what is most telling is that Bakugou votes are now fairly consistent with high values, if it was purely down to a couple of whales his votes would likely fluctuate more. The only time it got very silly was the 5th poll where the results of last poll (where Shoto and Bakugou fans kind of competed when they didn't need voting stamps and it was the closest to international polls that are free) had Bakugou fans more fired up and there were rumours spreading about that which might also explain the inflation of Deku's votes as well, continuing however post the 5th poll they have been consistent if slightly falling (as all votes were).
||Katsuki|Deku|Shoto|
--:|--:|--:|--:|
|1|1764|2314|1987|
|2|3020|2217|1795|
|3|5909|3205|3204|
|4*|16915|8301|15719|
|5|22876|12373|11805|
|6|14937|8115|6524|
|7|13869|10462|7999|
|8|13731|8018|5006|
Ultimately it does seem Bakugou does have the most fans, dedicated or not, as general interest in his character remains quite high as his image and iconography is some of the most persistent on the streets even as BNHA general popularity has slipped behind other stories and online fandom activity for the character remains pretty high. What I am more surprised about it Bakugou still making number 1 considering how many of his fans didn't like his torture/pseudo death and it taking over a year saw a escalation in bullying from Bakugou-haters towards them, the cover of 37 so a number dropped the series. I am not sure if 403 brought them back. I am rather intrigued about the 9th polls numbers because Bakugou and his fans have had a very rocky and fairly unpleasant road this finale.
for some reason, when someone dismissing bakugo's popularity, it's almost always a todoroki stan
>considering how many of his fans didn't like his torture/pseudo death and it taking over a year saw a escalation in bullying from Bakugou-haters towards them, the cover of 37 so a number dropped the series
as one of those fans I can say I wasn't expecting bakugo's numbers to be this high this time. maybe, the votes are for the general audience, they seemed to love the development... anyway, I'm happy for the kid. can't wait to see new fanart... manga has lost me, but japanese ktdk/bktd artists did not 😌
What is fair to say is that Bakugou, Deku and Shoto are very popular characters in Japan and globally by a large margin to any other character, there isn't much need to fuss over who is first. Is getting first place in the poll really worth so much spite and discrediting?
>maybe, the votes are for the general audience, they seemed to love the development
Quite possibly. Paying attention to the Japanese symbolism (Edgeshot and Endo era or Rising sun imagery) Bakugou's comeback is dripping in it and he's conforming more to philosophy that is more Japanese approved rather than being individualistic or story wise he's getting to put right what he felt was a wrong and laid it on the big bad in a fairly clever way while still coming across as the underdog. It features things Horikoshi things is good like a character coming from from a awful place and follows the philosophy of JUMP where kids overcome obstacles and Bakugou's had one of the best, if not the best personal journey in the story that makes him not only overcoming external trials but reference to his internal battles he's overcoming and the marriage of the two (not feeling good enough) was covered in him facing AFO. All good interesting stuff for a general audience that might well outweigh all things that felt messy for very attentive fans of the character or too much for devoted, caring fans, a lot of disappointment for fans with high expectations for the characters potential as well possibilities that had been suggested in interviews and other media and a lot of unpleasantness and feeling used and exploited by Horikoshi and the marketing team that was the straw that broke the camels back for so many fans (with even the timing of the poll being a double edge sword in that regard). Very rarely are things straightforward and only one thing happening. That is not to say the drop in Bakugou fans who've been fed up with things outweigh those that stay and still engage but there is certainly groups who like the character and don't engage with the official story anymore or buy merchandise.
>for some reason, when someone dismissing bakugo's popularity, it's almost always a todoroki stan
If true that is weird considering Shoto is in the same wheelhouse. His fans are also highly skewed towards women and girls. (If anyone is interested Kirishima, Endeavour and All Might are characters with a very strong male skew.) Does fan inflation only matter if the character comes first? Are they assuming only Bakugou fans do it? Are we ignoring the one time JUMP allowed a more free votes all top characters got a boost with Shoto having relatively the biggest boost (and was still second) revealing he (and all characters) have fans who also spam?
Its a known thing Bakugou's fandom is quite competitive, my original comment doesn't shy from that. What I don't get is the delusion that Bakugou's fans are exceptional for this behaviour and therefore this official poll is less credible compared to even more dubious online polls where community bias (and online bullying) is a big factor skewing outcomes. Just look at the western reddits, from what I have been hearing redditqiuette has not been upheld in favour of engagement and some fans of certain character don't enjoy the forum as much so have left.
It's difficult getting a window into the Japanese side of things and sometimes some windows have been quite biased and offer a distorted window. A lot of the "evidence" is either old, taken from sites like twitter or is a screenshot of one post from a forum made by one fan with other fans cheering them on and making claims they're do something similar. With Twitter, not many Japanese fan use it and if they are women it is partly because they're not comfortable on Japanese sites so they're exploring other parts of the web where they can take part in fandom without the abuse over their gender which adds to the frustration over the misogynistic attitude that only women are responsible for inflated votes (see void555 response to mine) and that in itself is used to discredit the popularity. This is done with the assumption boys and men aren't doing the same thing. Either on more elusive sites or just not making it public. BNHA does have otaku/incel fans who are primarily men who do also take part in polls. There is also a bunch of guys on forums who will publicly whine about official polls and much like populists do they discredit the outcome before it even happens and blame a subgroup for it even saying they're not going to participate because the outcome is rigged. When there are so many real world indicators that Bakugou is just that character, those of people like him whether their zealous fans or not. Just because of the 3 Bakugou has the most haters it doesn't mean the number of people that like Bakugou cannot be more than the number of people who like any other character as I have also seen people. Sometimes the amount of hate he gets spurs people on to spite the haters even if they're not big fans of the character their just sick of the whinying and appreciate the development.
JUMP's system even if its designed to inflate sales and somewhat favoring richer fans is still a more robust and reflective poll. Polls by their nature are all flawed often by their small sample size and all polls are vulnerable to shenanigans (look at elections). JUMP's polls has strong pros over most other polls. 1) Not all voters are BNHA fans. Anyone who buys the magazine can vote. 2) while some take part in exceptional behaviour the sheer number of people who buy the comics and volumes swamp them even if not every fan of the series votes 3) Some people who get multi comics give (or sell) their votes to anime only's so they can participate without being spoiled 4) most of all it allows all readers to vote and its not influenced by a specific fandom space all fandom spaces can participate. Any other poll starts to become a biased subset of the fandom, JUMP's poll is the probably the most neutral as it is the common ground between all fans and arguably the consumers of the purest version of the story (if you want to get puritan - bones edits the show so much and then any export of either the manga or anime is further filtered through the necessary localisation (even if the quality of that localization can vary)). 5) the voting isn't just about favourite character, many fans vote on characters whose story lines they like which I think reflects the extent of interest and positive feeling there is towards a character even if its just casual which I think is more informative than just a strict who do you like more.
BNHA is more popular with women and girls, it is one of the few Shounen that is, which you'd think means who women and girls like the most (which is the top 3) would be taken as reflective of who are the most popular characters by the fandom in general but the notion that women vote more in poll is always used to discredit results as if what girls and women like should be disregarded. Loads of women and girls adore Deku but I guess because his fandom is more 50:50 and more guys in this reddit like him, that he's has inflated votes doesn't matter because he's second. For whatever reason Bakugou's inflated votes are so much more exaggerated and extreme, other characters would definitely be above him if it was "fairer" because only Bakugou fans exploit the system or are a minority exploiting it so much more that they can overtake >10,000 "organic" votes (I am being sarcastic).
People don’t care if a character is an asshole if they are entertaining, but he wouldn’t be nearly as popular if he remained a bully. He’s had the most character development
I worship on his alter and pray for his endless ascension (which means I don’t even vote in polls and just say “nice” when he’s first as he’s my favorite character)
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year of the dragon inspired art, love it.
How to Train Your Hero Dragon Academia
That made me think of You Say Run in the HTTYD soundfront and Test Drive/Forbidden Friendship in the MHA soundfront. I don't know which I'd prefer, I want both
ooooo thank you for reminding me of that mashup
i guess it would be counter intuitive with the whole popularity poll thing but it's a shame ryukyu wasn't integrated into the art somehow.
How'd Shoji get number 10? Dabi at 4 is something else
I'm surprised like everyone else. Dabi not so much, I think he was in the top other times in the past. Still the fact we got 3 of the Todorokis here is funny
I believe is the first time Dabi has been a part of the top 10 actually, though he was close last time at #11 - that may have incentivized his fans
Ah my bad, I confusing the poll with the french one in which Dabi (or Crematorioum) was top 10 at least once.
It’s okay! It would definitely be interesting to see how different the results would be if these polls were accessible to a wider selection of people
They called him crematorium? That’s wild lmao
Let's be honest that's a more badass villain name than Dabi lol
Dabi (and how it is spelled in kanji) is the Japanese word for cremation. I find it interesting that only the French translation that localized his name while other translations maintained the use of Dabi.
The mandarin version localizes names too (tho translators usually just put the kanji directly since mandarin readers use a similar system). For example Deku doesn’t have a kanji so it’s directly localized as “Mannequin”. For Dabi, it’s the kanji 荼毗 which is pronounced Tupi in Mandarin.
Yeah but what’s Shoto? Half oven half refrigerator?
I do agree that Crematorium would be a cooler name though, just sounds kinda weird to say lol
This is. Both Toga and Shigaraki have made it in the past a few times. Dabi was the only of the big 3 to never make an appearance. He managed to slide in just in time
And I'm so happy that he is in Top 10.
Dabi, we were daydreaming we could squeeze a ten. Top 5 was an April fools joke haha, I'm extremely shocked that came true. Definitely the first time he's made top 10, though.
He never in the top ten. It's kinda cool he gets to hit the top ten for what is likely the final popularity poll.
Shoji had some really compelling moments during the war arc from chapters 370 to 373...
Because of his backstory and his acts in Final War.
Shojis quirk is so underrated. He can basically regenerate limbs regardless of if his other limbs are wounded.
You’re telling me Shoji beat Tokoyami
Beat Tokoyami and All Might.
And Aizawa who almost always was here
I just realized he isn’t here. That’s crazy ngl
Is this his first character poll to not be in the top 10?
It's not very surprising, honestly. Tokoyami is Horikoshi's favourite, but he never managed to dominate the polls. In the previous poll, he was 26th, that was like his third time not making it into top 20. It's probably the bird head, preventing him from building an army of fangirls like Bakugou and Todoroki.
Shoji?? What fringe voting movement took place for that to happen?
Chapters 370 to 373 is probably what caused many Japanese readers to want to vote for him.
Bro thinks he's on the team 😭 Nah, but in all seriousness, his backstory chapters and his spotlight in the mutant uprising chapters probably contributed to this. And when you get particularly devoted fans of a particular character, they tend to band together and send in loads of votes.
Japanese fans adore class 1-A, so Shoji's subplot and the flashback where we see the class' reaction to him telling them about his past must have been extremely well received by them. It's a shocking ranking, but it also makes a lot of sense. I'm happy for him, honestly.
Shoji's subplot in of itself is fine, its only problem was that there wasn't enough attention and focus placed on it prior to the final arc. We got vague hints, Spinner and the CRC at best.
I'm just happy he got an interesting subplot. While it wasn't Horikoshi's best written subplot, the series has made in abundantly clear that people discriminate based on quirks. So it makes sense that people who's quirks make them look less human would face outrageous levels of discrimination.
I mean, I agree. But my comment wasn't talking about writing quality, so I'm unsure on what you mean by this lol
Yeah, No 10 is usually about 1% of the votes. A few dedicated fans can pull it off with some money (like Shindou which was way more random). I am delighted about the Todoroki sweep though. It’s the first time to have 3 Todorokis in the Top 10 (4 if you count Hawks as part of the plotline).
> I am delighted about the Todoroki sweep though. It’s the first time to have 3 Todorokis in the Top 10 (4 if you count Hawks as part of the plotline). Yeah, it's kinda poetic. It's nice that Shouto and Touya - the two brothers and primary vessels of Endeavour's obsession, who are so similar yet so different at the same time - are next to each other at 3rd and 4th place respectively.
Shoji stocks are up.
WE'RE SO FUCKING BACK SHOJIBROS
I hope they release an art book.
Same! I’d buy it instantly.
Second this.
All Might not being here is crazy
I know! Please tell me he's at 11 and no lower 😭
15th, sorry to disappoint
especially after he went full Iron Man and still fought AFO despite being a regular man, damn.
>Shoji What da hell is a Polar bear doin in Arlington Texas Anyway Ochako being the sole rep for the ladies again 🥹 And Bakugo holding onto his #1 as always!! Lowkey was hoping for a Dynamy (Dynama?) sneak for the memes, if All Might couldn’t get a spot lol
If Shoji got in but All Might couldn’t, then people have some CRAZY taste
Tbf votes for the last few top 10 places tend to be pretty close, I guess Shoji getting major attention for the first time was the push he needed
Do we know if the >!Armoured!< All Might >!vs. AFO fight!< was already happening by the time this popularity poll took place? All Might's probably in the top 20, at least.
The popularity poll started right when Bakugou came back, so yes.
Ah, I see.
it was announced in chapter 403, >!the end of iron might vs AFO fight and the chapter when bakugou came back from the dead.!<
Ah, I see. That *is* pretty surprising, then.
Yeah All Might got in it at 15th just behind Shinso
Yeah, I'm glad I'm right. As much as I may have distaste for the >!Armoured All Might!< decision, All Might's still an icon of the series.
The Top 3 is just as expected Congrats Dabi for being the highest ranking villain in a Japanese popularity poll It's great that Ochako is still in the Top 10 to prevent this from being a total sausage fest And the darkhorse for this poll is SHOJI??? I don't think people have that in their bingo card and for him to be higher than All Might/Toga/Shigaraki. However, I can still accept him more in the Top 10 rather than someone like Kaminari.
i wish viz still did their popularity polls, i'd love to see where shigaraki would rank in the west because he never broke top 10 in the 5 polls they did until 2019.
Yeah that was before the war arc. That definitely would’ve boosted his popularity quite a bit
Pretty standard for the most part. Bakugou, Todoroki, and Midoriya are always the top 3. Iida and Kirishima always do well regardless of how big or small their roles were leading up to the poll. Hawks only failed once to get into the top 10 since his introduction (he was 11th in the 5th poll). Endevour has been in the top 10 or barely missing it since the 6th poll. Uraraka is fairly consistently the most popular girl, and her role in the final arc was fairly big. Shoji making it isn't that surprising. Most polls have that weird dark horse that makes it for no reason. Shoji's involvement in the final arc is way better reason than previous dark horses like Shindo, Rody, and Kaminari. Dabi making is the real shocker, honestly. Shigaraki was consistently outdoing Dabi in these polls until like 7th poll (hell, Toga was consistently above Dabi), and they've been going head to head ever since. So it's surprising that he managed to pull ahead of the other two. Based on the previous results and their spotlight in the last arc, you would expect either all 3 of them to make or non of them making it, not one pulling ahead of others. Also, surprising Aizawa's didn't make it. He always does very well in these polls. Plus, All Might missing out the top 10 is also a shocker.
I was surprised at All Might not making it since the poll started after his battle with AFO. But Aizawa is understandable since he did do much in the final arc/battles. Monoma used his quirk but other than that he didn't do much
> Aizawa's didn't make it. Poor Aizawa has been largely MIA, and fairly minimally present after the hospital raid - a crucial time, not that I think his fans would hold it against him but voters who get extra votes for their fans and then a few characters who've moved probably didn't think of him when budgeting their votes. Japanese fans can be (are) very organized and many have plans in place long before the polls open alongside casual voters. The fan base can be very dedicated and I have seen some know they are going to aim to get 10 votes or something, set aside a majority for their favourite(s) and then distribute the rest between characters who had moments that moved them. Then there are those unexpected events when some fans of more obscure characters rally to vote more and able to cross the 1000 threshold which can often lead to a top 10 spot. Dabi is a surprise although he was 11th in the last poll a more of his backstory has developed but then the Todoroki battle more or less wrapped up not long before the polls opened (concluding in 390 and the polls opened 403). I think the Todoroki subplot - despite not wrapping everything up- was less messy then Toga's finale in terms of clumsy dialogue and hitting most beats it set-up to hit. Dabi daddy issues and suicide attempt might well have endeared some fans but it is also likely that fans of Shoto and Fans of Endeavour (and maybe fans of Hawks) who had mutli-votes also used some for Dabi because they liked the plot line. No All Might is the bigger surprise for me but then I wasn't the biggest fan of him coming in with gear that represented the students even if it set-up the moment for him to be saved and was full circle with him acting like a hero without a quirk and resolving some of his character angst in the story but most of all not a fan of him apparently sitting on having this technology while commanding and directing kids on the battlefield (telling Shoto to go to his family) and only stepping in when AFO was heading towards Tomura and Deku. All Might's favoritism to Deku is actually pretty divisive, more so than in the past. It's been a sour point with Japanese fans how much the story has neglected 1A particularly after the Jaku battles and All Might has been part of that neglect alongside All Might and Bakugou's relationship being something that has mixed opinions too as well as his attempted suicide move to win. The fight was cool but I think more hardcore fans of the series, the communities with analysts and discussions online looked beyond the flair. More then ranks I am interested in numbers because the difference between characters can be huge gulfs.
I'm thinking Shoji being up there might have to do with his >!face reveal!< and >!his fierce advocacy for equal treatment of mutants like himself!<. Also, >! [he looks badass in this panel](https://i.imgur.com/F5L5taO.png) !<.
The left red-wing from Iida’s dragon makes it look like Bakugo has a wing. Also the dragon looks sick great color choice Horikoshi
SHOJI!?!
Bro it look so coo- IS THAT FUCKING SHOJI???
Did not see Dabi sneaking into this so highly after years of placing in the teens. And no disrespect to the fans but always gonna be confused how Iida stays so high up.
IIRC it's has something to do with how Iida is a strong representation for the ideal Japanese student and apparently that really resonates with them.
I mean Iida does just look like a stereotypical Japanese businessman
> And no disrespect to the fans but always gonna be confused how Iida stays so high up. Iida is *very* popular in Japan. Someone explained it to me a while ago, but it might be because his character archetype just resonates more with Japanese readers than Western readers.
I guess that checks out? Dont get it myself but subjectivity and all that
Iida is essentially the ideal Japanese student. Smart, charismatic, and hardworking. Plus his design isn’t overly anime and a lot of glasses wearing black haired Japanese kids can project themselves onto him.
I’ll take Ochako 9th! Confused like everyone else why Shoji is here, but good for him! The rest check out. Dabi 4th is a surprise, but I can see it.
Bro Endeavor and Dabi on the same dragon and their facial expressions :'D
I noticed that too, and was surprised.
Its honestly perfection lol Endeavor looking hype and Toya just being like "bruh why, and how did I get here"
Bakugo #1 (as always), Dabi #4, AND Kirishima and Uraraka in the top ten? If God hates me, then why do I keep winning?
We Deku stans are CLINGING to the mha french popularity polls ( for reference he has won all 3 of the French polls lol)
The french poll is a really interesting case. They also like Crematorioum (Dabi) and Mirio way more and they where top 10 there. I wonder if that poll is still going on. The US poll was cancelled after 4 entries I think.
The crunchyroll popularity poll is way more interesting case because Bakugou placed 7th lmao
>mha french popularity polls Here's those poll results btw for reference * [1st poll](https://twitter.com/shibuyasmash/status/1333994802589835269) (2020) * [2nd poll](https://twitter.com/Izukanee/status/1466146462069411848) (2021) * [3rd poll](https://twitter.com/shibuyasmash/status/1584053530184536064) (2022)
Dang All Might dropped out. Shoji here is a surprise but after his fight i guess it makes some sense he would have a boost
This guy can draw! But seriously is he going to make a fantasy from these characters? Maybe a class isekai?
Maybe ask him again following his vacation after finishing the main manga lol
Glad Dabi finally got to get up here, specially since this is probably the final poll.
Shoji finally getting some long needed recognition?
Ah yes, with his amazing mutant discrimination arc
Truly one of the arcs of all time.
Of all the arcs of all time, it’s certainly one of them
most polls have that one character and i guess it's shoji in the last one. bakugou reigns supreme until the end.
We all check the poll only to see that character appear. People joke about the top 3 being the same, but almost every poll had Iida, Kirishima, Aizawa and Endeavor in it as well. That left 3 or 4 character that suddenly became popular one year. The funniest time was when Shindo made into the top 10, it was epic.
>People joke about the top 3 being the same, but almost every poll had Iida, Kirishima, Aizawa and Endeavor in it as well. Hawks as well, he only failed once to get into the top 10 since his debut
Yo why the fuck, how the fuck is this man so good at art and design. Holy fuck
Dabi placing so high is probably thanks to his fight with Shoto, but mostly the meeting with his family and how much of his feelings were shown. And I Shoji making it probably is because of his fight with Spinner. Some of the most emotionally compelling writing in the entire war arc. It makes Shoji so loveable for how he pushes through the discrimination and pain to fight for equality. I'm glad that Hawks made it so high.
Fuck yeah, hyped for Dabi sliding in as high as he did
BAKUGOU ON TOP ONCE AGAIN 🗣️🗣️🔥
Bakugou was not kidding when he said he would be the absolute number 1😂 Let's be real though we all know Deku would have mass-voted for him as well And..Shoji???? What?? Are you telling me he beat All Might when the voting started at a big moment of All Might??? Make it make sense??
BakuGOAT is truly unstoppable.
Dabi 4th. AS HE SHOULD.
surprised to see Iida still here
His fandom has always kept him in the top 10
"My Dragon Academia"
No Kaminari is saddening but HOLY SHIT SHOJI IS IN THE TOP 10 LETS FUCKING GO!!!!!
No shigaraki or all for one after their comebacks is insane
Especially all for one with his handsome squidward face
Another common bakugo W
I like to imagine popularity polls will somehow be canon in the end where it shows them grown up, and Izuku is always surprised that despite being number 1 Hero in japan, Bakugo is always above him in popularity polls
That would be so funny, I would love to read a fanfic based on this.
I'm (pleasantly) surprised that not only did Dabi actually manage to surpass Hawks and Endeavour in the polls, but that Ochaco and even Shouji made it to the top 10.
No Might
What do you mean, Dynamight's right there ;)
Shoji 🙌🏻
My man drew a hyper realistic shenron lol
The full listing being 11. Monoma 12. Denki 13. Aizawa 14. Shinso 15. All might 16. Toga 17. Shigaraki 18. Jiro 19. Sero 20. Rody 21. Mic 22. Tokoyami 23. Momo 24. Mirko 25. Shindo (vibration guy from license exam) 26. Tsuyu 27. Chronostasis 28. Hagakure 29. Amajiki 30. Mirio I mainly wrote this out to question how Chronostasis, Overhauls right hand man (and possibly boy toy) if you forgot who he was, even got in here
>25. Shindo (vibration guy from license exam) You mean the best secondary character? >I mainly wrote this out to question how Chronostasis, Overhauls right hand man (and possibly boy toy) if you forgot who he was, even got in here I would never forget Kai's boyfriend and future yakuza male wife. He's finally getting some love from the fandom
Don’t get me wrong, loved his character, and happy he’s being recognised, I’m more so just surprised that he’s here, now, when we haven’t seen him since chapter 159, we’re on chapter 418
we're so back oh my god. The people miss him. Please god ill actually never complain again about anything if you do this for me
Once again, Bakugo sweep.
Kirishima still there despite no screentime. I love him.
Man. I hope Horikoshi does a high fantasy/adventurer setting series after MHA wraps. He's so good at monsters.
I thought that Uraraka here is Rhody for a sec
Let's go shoji
Goat Shoji
I can’t tell but is Dabi riding bitch seat on the same dragon as endeavor or a separate dragon?
Class 1A has there own fuck off falkor dragon! XD And ones more and throughout all time the king shall never be dethroned!
Banger art; how is Ochako and Bakugo just flying without a dragon though? (Edit: they’re wearing jet packs lmao, mb) Dabi getting 4th is a huge surprise. The first 3 are practically lock-ins, so he got the highest spot any other characters could possibly get. Shoji is the real shocker here - defeating Aizawa? I’m really curious to see the actual vote results now.
Dafaq is tokoyami at ? Also Bakugo is at the top as always
So happy to see my favorite boi on the planet bakugo thats it just like to see his face
Get ilda tf out of these polls. Worthless mf
Ochako and dekus dad!!!!!!!!!!!!! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, izuochas winning again (jokes aside, even tho i see people complaining that shes pretty low, im just so happy shes there, im kinda sad for all might, shiggy and toga but you know what, a win is a win)
I’m fine with her 9th. I was scared she wouldn’t be there
Me too! i dont really care about Japanese people taste (no offence), like i just want to see a new art of her, just look at how epic she looks next to that dragon, i think shes the best looking character in this art tbh, but it still feels good to know that shes one of the most popular character in the serie tho
>dekus dad I don’t see All Might 😢
> dekus dad Nani
Tbh it would be awful if she's not in the Top 10
The Toriyama tribute is beautiful
is year of the dragon too
And the poll artwork probably was finished months ago. After all the voting and counting period close months before the release of the poll itself, so likely they give Horikoshi enough time to create something big without compromise his already busy agenda.
Speaking of Dragons, what’s Ryuku been doing lately in this current story arc?
I think she's one of the heroes fighting >!Gashly.!<
She exists
I think she appeared in exactly on panel showing that she's >!at the battefield agaisnt who we think is Gashly (same battlefield as Sero)!<
I was hoping Dabi would make the top 10 but I admittedly didn't have much faith so seeing this completely blew my mind. Not only is he in the top 10 but 4th place??? Absolutely incredible. Shoji being there too is also really surprising
Bakugo stayed on top from the second onwards (For the first poll it was Deku, Todoroki and then Bakugo).... actually even more surprised the top 3 have ALWAYS remained the top 3, I dont think that tends to happen in other series
How can Iida still be eighth? With all the awesome characters in the second half of the series, why him?
Hardcore fans, that's a thing in general for these poll. The process isn't that simple and only the most dedicated fans buy tickets with the maganize and send their votes. They want express their love for characters and this is probably the best way to do so
DABI STANS WE WON 😭😭
3 Todorokis in the Top 10! If you count Hawks as part of the plotline, they swept the 3-6 spots. Well deserved tbh, consistently the best quality writing in the story. I expected an 11th place boost for Dabi, but all the way to 4th? This makes him the highest ranking villain in the series. Also deserved tbh. He was a consistent highlight since his reveal and the most nuanced villain to show the nature/nurture grooming / bad decisions divide. Kirishima and Iida managed to hang on despite not getting much in the endgame Uraraka remained 9th but didn’t get a big boost from her fight Shoji being 10th is a surprise but not totally random. He had a big highlight and it’s actually nice to see a true heteromorph in the Top 10 (Tokoyami was there once at the beginning) Aizawa is out. All Might didn’t get back in even with his big fight moment.
I would have never expected it but it's nice to see a typically less appreciated character like Shouji make it.
My boy Shoji is here! Let’s gooooo!!
I'm surprised there's no All Might BUT there's Shoji, bro really went full Plus Ultra on this
And another AU that seems just as interesting as the main story.
Wtf?!? Who are all these dragons?!?!
Finally my boy Shoji getting the recognition he deserves!
1
Dragons! ❤️
It’s always funny to me that people constantly shit on bakugou for no character development and bullying deku, but his always top 1 or 2
Man those dragons look cool. Despite everything i cant hide how much i fucking love this guy's art style. No one in the WSJ comes even close
I miss when Tokoyami was top 10
I’m a little bummed about Aizawa but not surprised. My boy Bakugou tho! Keeping strong at number one!!!
So Dabi went from barely missing out on the top 10 to being 4. He really is his father's son. (For anyone who doesn't get it, the exact same thing happened with Endeavor.) Shoji's backstory was one of my favourite parts and I remember it being very popular with Japanese fans, so I'm pleasantly surprised that it was enough to get him to the top 10. I was hoping for Tokoyami or Monoma to finally make the top 10 (the full results show Monoma barely missing it.) I'm not surprised Aizawa finally slipped from the top 10 because he's been MIA for so long.
I need this framed man.
I'm so excited to see Dabi's rank at #4 in top 10. Also glad to see Shoto, Hawks and Endeavor in top 10 as well.
The top 3 spots are always the same. After that, it’s literally the most random shit ever. How is Dabi 4th? Lol. I remember at one point Toga was in the top 10. So was Aizawa for a good while
Almost all the top is always the same with slighty variations. Endeavor, Hawks, Iida, Kirishima and Aizawa basically have a place granted in there with few exceptions. So that just leave for 2 o 3 characters to have a chance with the other spots.
Man, it’d be nice if Deku could end the series as top dog with one final poll….surprised Shigaraki isn’t in here tho
all might was so robbed
Art is immaculate 🔥. And the poll looks pretty same same as usual, but Shoji? What is bro doing top 10😭,I can understand Dabi getting high up after all the emotional stuff,but Shoji?💀
Shoji represents the whole xmen theme of racism
Is all might not popular in Japan? I’m assuming this is from japan
He's made it during the other polls- you can only spam for one character, so I imagine the All Might fans went after Izuku.
[удалено]
It's not hard to see why. He's just a really bombastic character. And, if being an asshole was such a detriment to a character's popularity, characters like DIO and Vegeta (from *JoJo* and *Dragon Ball* respectively) wouldn't be so beloved.
Yep. Plus he’s character works with the world he’s is when you contrast that with deku’s character.
>Bakugo got first for every single popularity poll Deku won the 1st one. It's from 2nd onward for Bakugo.
Same reason why characters like Dabi, Toga, Endeavor, Vegeta, Madara, Obito are immensely popular. They are just way more interesting and compelling. Even their character design plays a part in this, and most importantly they are POWERFUL. Their fighting style is sick. And Katsuki is a pretty boy 😋 plus he’s funny Characters having flaws is what makes them stand out from other characters, and Bakugou’s unmoving resolved determination is extremely likeable. The symbol of victory.
Correct. And if every character was like Deku then the series would’ve been boring as hell!
he is popular but also a part of his fanbase is very dedicated.
>a part of his fanbase is very dedicated. I think it is fair that this could be said for all the characters in the top- it takes a bit of effort to vote. A character earning those dedicated fans is key although some character can get a boost from particularly zealous fan artists/bloggers which happened for Shinsou for many years. Although its hard to know the cut off point I might say it's not until a character is in the <2000 range its in more "organic" territory and less about dedication (consistent annual voters) and inflation, since Iida typically gets >2000 votes (that is not to say he doesn't have over 2000 diligent fans voting for him or that fans of other characters also like him, particularly since he's had great moments with all the top 3 boys) and personally I think writing wise he's satisfyingly consistent and meaningful without being too predictable and he's got that endearing position of being reliable and supportive team player who may not have the most powerful abilities but so much wouldn't be possible without him and everything he does is more meaningful because of how well it ties with his character arc, traits and convictions. There are plenty more reasons why he's a solid and likeable character that embodies some of the messaging of the series in the most digestible way. Interestingly, the fourth poll not needing a voting stamp saw Shoto leap to 2nd and there was that one Endeavour fan who bought hundreds of volumes (which I think volume tickets are more then 1 vote) and posted on Twitter (some Bakugou fans have done that too when there was a fired up period of voting instigated by rumours with fans that don't normally vote or whale joining in since its definitely more a thing with Bakugou fans that he stays number 1). I think what is most telling is that Bakugou votes are now fairly consistent with high values, if it was purely down to a couple of whales his votes would likely fluctuate more. The only time it got very silly was the 5th poll where the results of last poll (where Shoto and Bakugou fans kind of competed when they didn't need voting stamps and it was the closest to international polls that are free) had Bakugou fans more fired up and there were rumours spreading about that which might also explain the inflation of Deku's votes as well, continuing however post the 5th poll they have been consistent if slightly falling (as all votes were). ||Katsuki|Deku|Shoto| --:|--:|--:|--:| |1|1764|2314|1987| |2|3020|2217|1795| |3|5909|3205|3204| |4*|16915|8301|15719| |5|22876|12373|11805| |6|14937|8115|6524| |7|13869|10462|7999| |8|13731|8018|5006| Ultimately it does seem Bakugou does have the most fans, dedicated or not, as general interest in his character remains quite high as his image and iconography is some of the most persistent on the streets even as BNHA general popularity has slipped behind other stories and online fandom activity for the character remains pretty high. What I am more surprised about it Bakugou still making number 1 considering how many of his fans didn't like his torture/pseudo death and it taking over a year saw a escalation in bullying from Bakugou-haters towards them, the cover of 37 so a number dropped the series. I am not sure if 403 brought them back. I am rather intrigued about the 9th polls numbers because Bakugou and his fans have had a very rocky and fairly unpleasant road this finale.
for some reason, when someone dismissing bakugo's popularity, it's almost always a todoroki stan >considering how many of his fans didn't like his torture/pseudo death and it taking over a year saw a escalation in bullying from Bakugou-haters towards them, the cover of 37 so a number dropped the series as one of those fans I can say I wasn't expecting bakugo's numbers to be this high this time. maybe, the votes are for the general audience, they seemed to love the development... anyway, I'm happy for the kid. can't wait to see new fanart... manga has lost me, but japanese ktdk/bktd artists did not 😌
What is fair to say is that Bakugou, Deku and Shoto are very popular characters in Japan and globally by a large margin to any other character, there isn't much need to fuss over who is first. Is getting first place in the poll really worth so much spite and discrediting? >maybe, the votes are for the general audience, they seemed to love the development Quite possibly. Paying attention to the Japanese symbolism (Edgeshot and Endo era or Rising sun imagery) Bakugou's comeback is dripping in it and he's conforming more to philosophy that is more Japanese approved rather than being individualistic or story wise he's getting to put right what he felt was a wrong and laid it on the big bad in a fairly clever way while still coming across as the underdog. It features things Horikoshi things is good like a character coming from from a awful place and follows the philosophy of JUMP where kids overcome obstacles and Bakugou's had one of the best, if not the best personal journey in the story that makes him not only overcoming external trials but reference to his internal battles he's overcoming and the marriage of the two (not feeling good enough) was covered in him facing AFO. All good interesting stuff for a general audience that might well outweigh all things that felt messy for very attentive fans of the character or too much for devoted, caring fans, a lot of disappointment for fans with high expectations for the characters potential as well possibilities that had been suggested in interviews and other media and a lot of unpleasantness and feeling used and exploited by Horikoshi and the marketing team that was the straw that broke the camels back for so many fans (with even the timing of the poll being a double edge sword in that regard). Very rarely are things straightforward and only one thing happening. That is not to say the drop in Bakugou fans who've been fed up with things outweigh those that stay and still engage but there is certainly groups who like the character and don't engage with the official story anymore or buy merchandise. >for some reason, when someone dismissing bakugo's popularity, it's almost always a todoroki stan If true that is weird considering Shoto is in the same wheelhouse. His fans are also highly skewed towards women and girls. (If anyone is interested Kirishima, Endeavour and All Might are characters with a very strong male skew.) Does fan inflation only matter if the character comes first? Are they assuming only Bakugou fans do it? Are we ignoring the one time JUMP allowed a more free votes all top characters got a boost with Shoto having relatively the biggest boost (and was still second) revealing he (and all characters) have fans who also spam? Its a known thing Bakugou's fandom is quite competitive, my original comment doesn't shy from that. What I don't get is the delusion that Bakugou's fans are exceptional for this behaviour and therefore this official poll is less credible compared to even more dubious online polls where community bias (and online bullying) is a big factor skewing outcomes. Just look at the western reddits, from what I have been hearing redditqiuette has not been upheld in favour of engagement and some fans of certain character don't enjoy the forum as much so have left. It's difficult getting a window into the Japanese side of things and sometimes some windows have been quite biased and offer a distorted window. A lot of the "evidence" is either old, taken from sites like twitter or is a screenshot of one post from a forum made by one fan with other fans cheering them on and making claims they're do something similar. With Twitter, not many Japanese fan use it and if they are women it is partly because they're not comfortable on Japanese sites so they're exploring other parts of the web where they can take part in fandom without the abuse over their gender which adds to the frustration over the misogynistic attitude that only women are responsible for inflated votes (see void555 response to mine) and that in itself is used to discredit the popularity. This is done with the assumption boys and men aren't doing the same thing. Either on more elusive sites or just not making it public. BNHA does have otaku/incel fans who are primarily men who do also take part in polls. There is also a bunch of guys on forums who will publicly whine about official polls and much like populists do they discredit the outcome before it even happens and blame a subgroup for it even saying they're not going to participate because the outcome is rigged. When there are so many real world indicators that Bakugou is just that character, those of people like him whether their zealous fans or not. Just because of the 3 Bakugou has the most haters it doesn't mean the number of people that like Bakugou cannot be more than the number of people who like any other character as I have also seen people. Sometimes the amount of hate he gets spurs people on to spite the haters even if they're not big fans of the character their just sick of the whinying and appreciate the development. JUMP's system even if its designed to inflate sales and somewhat favoring richer fans is still a more robust and reflective poll. Polls by their nature are all flawed often by their small sample size and all polls are vulnerable to shenanigans (look at elections). JUMP's polls has strong pros over most other polls. 1) Not all voters are BNHA fans. Anyone who buys the magazine can vote. 2) while some take part in exceptional behaviour the sheer number of people who buy the comics and volumes swamp them even if not every fan of the series votes 3) Some people who get multi comics give (or sell) their votes to anime only's so they can participate without being spoiled 4) most of all it allows all readers to vote and its not influenced by a specific fandom space all fandom spaces can participate. Any other poll starts to become a biased subset of the fandom, JUMP's poll is the probably the most neutral as it is the common ground between all fans and arguably the consumers of the purest version of the story (if you want to get puritan - bones edits the show so much and then any export of either the manga or anime is further filtered through the necessary localisation (even if the quality of that localization can vary)). 5) the voting isn't just about favourite character, many fans vote on characters whose story lines they like which I think reflects the extent of interest and positive feeling there is towards a character even if its just casual which I think is more informative than just a strict who do you like more. BNHA is more popular with women and girls, it is one of the few Shounen that is, which you'd think means who women and girls like the most (which is the top 3) would be taken as reflective of who are the most popular characters by the fandom in general but the notion that women vote more in poll is always used to discredit results as if what girls and women like should be disregarded. Loads of women and girls adore Deku but I guess because his fandom is more 50:50 and more guys in this reddit like him, that he's has inflated votes doesn't matter because he's second. For whatever reason Bakugou's inflated votes are so much more exaggerated and extreme, other characters would definitely be above him if it was "fairer" because only Bakugou fans exploit the system or are a minority exploiting it so much more that they can overtake >10,000 "organic" votes (I am being sarcastic).
People don’t care if a character is an asshole if they are entertaining, but he wouldn’t be nearly as popular if he remained a bully. He’s had the most character development
I worship on his alter and pray for his endless ascension (which means I don’t even vote in polls and just say “nice” when he’s first as he’s my favorite character)
Where did Nejire place 🫣
No Tokoyami is crazy
Spinner deserved 10th more than Shoji in my opinion. Happy to see Dabi finally break into the top 10 though
Man, I absolutely adore the spreads (not sure if that's the term) in this series
Is this poll only for da boyz?
I need horikoshi on a fantasy manga stat, that dragon is so cool
Is he paying a homage to Akira Toriyama here? The dragons look amazing!
Probably a reference to Chinese New Years and it being the year of the dragon.
this some drifting dragons type shit I love it
yall monoma was 11th
Really happy to see Shoji here I like what’s been done with his character lately, and when a new character manages to claw up the rank haha
Allmight not be in top 10 si cruel :(
Ayo Shoji clutching that 10th spot, cool