My Hero Academia's Most Anticipated Fight is Happening, With One Catch
Warning! Spoilers ahead for My Hero Academia chapter 348!
The long-awaited confrontation between Ochako Uraraka and Himiko Toga finally began a few chapters ago in My Hero Academia, but the real essence of what fans wanted to get out of that altercation has been stymied by Deku's annoying presence. Luckily Deku finally leaves in chapter 348, but there's a catch.
He only leaves because Froppy suddenly appears to provide Ochako extra support in her battle against Himiko. And since she's there now, that means Ochako and Himiko can't have their heart to heart that fans have been craving for since the tail end of the Paranormal Liberation War. There remains one small silver lining, however. Himiko no longer has Deku to distract her from confronting Ochako. Himiko is the reason Deku was there in the first place, warping him away from his fight against Shigaraki Tomura so she could obsess over him in person. And she did. The villain confessed her love for Deku while trying to slash him. So, while Froppy's presence is keeping Ochako and Himiko from getting their alone time, anyone is better than Deku being there at this point.
Ironically, Deku did have to at least make a brief cameo when Ochako and Himiko inevitably met once more on the battlefield, for he represents a major aspect of the two's twisted relationship. When Himiko last saw Ochako, Himiko was elated when she learned how much Ochako treasured a gift Deku had given her, coming to the conclusion that because they both liked Deku, this made them one and the same. Even though Himiko had already formed a close attachment to Ochako before this discovery, this connection just further cemented the villain's obsession with her on an even deeper level. So, the fact that Deku - the catalyst to this powerful albeit terribly one-sided relationship - was present during Himiko and Ochako's highly anticipated reunion was crucial, even though it only delayed what fans truly wanted from the experience.
This delay, however, isn't the worst part. Earlier chapters implied that Himiko was actively trying to push Ochako out of her mind, for the hero did vehemently reject her confession in a manner that obviously hurt Himiko profoundly. During an incredibly depressing moment, Himiko confronts her tragic past and, not once does Ochako come to mind. And her rematch against Ochako proves that she's pushed the hero out of her mind, most likely as a defensive mechanism to deal with the rejection. So even though Deku is no longer there to divert Himiko's attention away from Ochako, it's likely that the villain will continue giving Ochako the cold shoulder and focus entirely on eliminating Froppy.
Regardless, it's undeniable that My Hero Academia is trolling fans by purposefully delaying the moment that everyone has been waiting for: when Himiko finally confronts how much Ochako hurt her during the Paranormal Liberation War. This is similar to how the long-awaited confrontation between members of the Todoroki family is currently unfolding elsewhere. Endeavor, Shoto and Dabi may have clashed momentarily, but Shoto and Dabi have been transported to another area away from Endeavor. My Hero Academia fans are getting what they want - just in very small, gradual doses.