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One of the biggest problems with My Hero Academia discourse is that people constantly overanalyze Bakugou’s flaws while completely ignoring Deku’s weak writing.

Bakugou works as a character because the narrative forces him to emotionally evolve. His growth is messy, and deeply human. He confronts his ego, insecurity, guilt, inferiority complex head-on, and his relationships visibly change because of it. He doesn't get the revenge fantasy Deku self inserters might want and that's more realistic.

Deku, meanwhile, barely changes emotionally at all.

The issue with their dynamic was never just “Bakugou bullied Deku.” The bigger problem is that Deku rarely reacts to anything with meaningful emotional depth.

The series never seriously portrays him as traumatized by Bakugou, despite fandom treating their relationship like years of nonstop abuse. Outside of a few moments, Bakugou mostly ignored him, and Deku himself rarely shows lasting fear or any lasting emotion at all.

That emotional passivity hurts their relationship throughout the entire story:

Bakugou gives one of the most vulnerable apologies in the series, yet Deku barely emotionally engages with it. Bakugou nearly dies saving him, and Deku quickly returns to normal. Even Bakugou’s actual death becomes temporary shock value instead of a lasting emotional turning point for Deku’s character. Deku doesn't even have a dilemma or emotional moment because of these.

That’s why Bakugou ends up carrying the emotional weight of their relationship while Deku feels emotionally static no matter what happens around him.

This isn't just about Bakugo either. Uraraka, All Might, Todoroki and even Shigaraki carry the emotional weight of their relationships with Deku while Deku barely meets them halfway.

No one ever tried to truly help Midoriya either, specifically his mental health, it got worse through the rundown of the show which twisted his view so badly, he believes that anyone trying deserves better despite not having faced the consequences of their actions, examples are Bakugo and Endeavor. He even managed to defend these guys like huh??

Also, I thought he was supposed to be more sympathetic and empathetic to the villains, but all he's tried is to change them, never understand them. If he understood them, then he wouldn't feel the need to change them since that choice is up to them, not him. ‎

If Midoriya truly were empathetic, he'd suggest to Shoto to forgive his father, not to repair their relationship, but for him to move on with a lighter heart. If he really was empathetic, he would've understood Kota and never tried changing his mind, just supporting the kid because he obviously needed one. If he was empathetic, he wouldn't want Eri near her abuser. If he were empathetic, he would've gotten mad at the HSPC and Lady Nagant as well as different kinds of heroes for putting them in situations like that. He would've defended people mocked by Bakugo because he knows what that feels like. He would've immediately tried joining Uraraka with Quirk counciling as it's similar to Shigaraki's problem. And he would've cried with Uraraka during her breakdown and made sure everyone was okay after the war.

He supposedly cares a lot about other people but when it comes to the victim of a bad person trying to be good, it gets thrown out the window. And he was supposed to care more about himself in the end, why couldn't he cut Bakugo off? He should've realized that he was a piece of shit and kept a professional relationship with him but no.

Also for Bakugo's end, If he really felt sorry and didn't want to get in Midoriya's way, he would've left UA like Aoyoma.‎