Summary
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InMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes, the relationship between Pop Step and Koichi Haimawari intrigues fans with their undeniably genuine chemistry. As they fight instant villains, search for leads for Ideo Trigger, and navigate the world of heroes and vigilantes together, the more their bond only deepens. As the plot thickens, will Pop Step and Koichi’s relationship evolve into romance or remain platonic?
Pop Step and Koichi Haimawari are central figures inMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes, operating as illegal or unapproved heroes as part of the Naruhata Vigilantes Trio. Alongside Knuckleduster, they perform heroic deeds without regard for the law, from fighting small-time villains to major evildoers. Pop Step and Koichi work side by side to ensure the safety of the people and uphold peace in society in a vigilante way.
Pop Step and Koichi’s Relationship
Exploring Their Connection
The early story arcs ofMy Hero Academia: Vigilanteslay the foundation for Pop Step and Koichi’s relationship.Their first encounter takes placein the streets of Naruhata, where Pop Step performs a guerilla gig, while Koichi just happens to pass by, drawn in by her shining appearance as she leaps through the sky with her quirk. From the beginning, Koichi feels attracted to Pop Step, not because of her personality, but because of her quirk.
Over time, Pop Step and Koichi find themselves working side by side as vigilantes, along with Knuckleduster. WhilePop Step brings the brainsto the Vigilante Trio, Koichi offers support in terms of flexibility and speed. Whenever one of them gets into trouble, the other immediately steps in to help. They often don’t run into serious problems, but they bicker with one another like normal friends.
“I’m not saying she (Pop Step) hates me, but whenever the topic of love or whatever comes up, she sure doesn’t seem happy about it."—Koichi
Outside the vigilante work, Pop Step often hangs out at Koichi’s shabby apartment, treating it like an extension of her home. Koichi enjoys her company, feeling genuinely happy to have her around despite her condescending attitude. This setup became a routine for Pop Step and Koichi for quite a while, but naturally, there’s always an end to everything.
Complications Arise
Pop Step’s Insecurities and Koichi’s Other Love Interest
As the plot unfolds inMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Pop Step’s affections for Koichi intensify. The more she stays with him, the more her heart beats for him. More than anything in the world, Pop Step wishes to stay with Koichi, marry him, and start a family together. Yet, despite her feelings, Pop Step can’t summon the courage to tell Koichi the truth about her past and her romantic feelings.
Most of the time, Pop Step comes across as rude to Koichi, largely due to her insults, impulsiveness, and bluntness.She acts like a tsunderein front of Koichi, but deep down, she harbors a huge crush on him. While she plans to confess her feelings to Koichi, her shyness, insecurities, and fear of rejection prevent her from taking action. On the flip side,Koichi is too denseto notice her feelings, especially after a woman like Makoto Tsukauchi enters the picture.
“Don’t sweat it. I’ll welcome you with open arms anytime, Koichi."—Makoto Tsukauchi
The presence of girls like Makoto, who takes an interest in Koichi, makes it even more difficult for Pop Step to confess. Her jealousy, combined with her fear of losing Koichi, drives her insane, making her an easy target to manipulate and control. Unfortunately, Koichi fails to reciprocate her feelings because he doesn’t pay attention to her. In other words, he doesn’t know who Pop Step is beyond her mask.
Taking It to the Next Level
Will Pop Step and Koichi End Up Together?
By the end of theMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesmanga, Pop Step and Koichi do not end up together, despite the build-up of their relationship and the complicated events leading up to the final chapter. Instead, they follow different paths, with Koichi moving to another country to pursue his dream and Pop Step leaving Naruhata to recover from her injuries and start her life over from scratch.
“It’s like everything we know is changing so fast, while I’m the only one standing still."—Pop Step
Despite this, Pop Step and Koichi remain in contact, giving updates about their lives and what they are up to. They remained friends until the end ofMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes, contrary to expectations that the two of them would hit it off and have a grand confession scene before the finale. While it’s a peaceful ending, it isn’t a happy one for their shippers. However, whether they do end up together sometime in the future or not remains open to the interpretation of the fans.
