Summary
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Although a group of three can naturally form, unbeknownst to Koichi, many individuals in his life view him as their hero. There was more to Pop Steps' first interaction withKoichi, although the two engaged in comedic banter, thanks to Koichi’s oblivious nature and Pop Steps' tsundere attitude.
When Pop Step first approached Koichi, it was apparent that she knew or recognized him from somewhere. As the neighborhood “Nice Guy,” it could have been Pop Step recognizing him from this Vigilante name. However, as Pop Step’s feelings for Koichi become known, so does the real reason Pop Step approached him inMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes.
Differences Between the Anime and Manga
Can These Changes Impact Their Relationship?
In theMy Hero Academia:Vigilantesseries, the first time Koichi interacts with Pop Step is during one of her many guerrilla live performances. Similar to the anime, Koichi remarks how useful Pop Step’s Quirk is, lamenting about hislame Quirkwhile watching her performance. However, in the manga, Koichi calls out to Pop, warning her that the police are approaching. Any use of Quirks in public is strictly forbidden by law, as Pop was performing and using her Quirk, which would undoubtedly put her at risk of legal repercussions with law enforcement.
Although Koichi was the one who warned Pop, Pop Step was able to single Koichi out before he even said a word. This indicated that Pop was already familiar with Koichi; however, at the time, the truth of their history was yet to be known. However, in the anime, Koichi does not warn Pop Step that law enforcement is approaching, and instead glides away with his Quirk, preventing the two from interacting with each other. Instead, Pop Step approaches Koichi while he is doing good deeds around the neighborhood, handing him a bottle of water, and proceeds to make fun of him for hisAll Might hoodie.
You’re the one who warned me about the fuzz during my show, right? I wanted to say thanks, somehow.
Pop Step - Chapter 1 (Manga)
In the manga, Pop Step takes this opportunity to thank Koichi for warning her during her show, providing a valid reason for her to approach thehero-in-training. Although there are clear differences between the anime and the manga, the two have undoubtedly grown closer as the vigilante trio has spent more time together. While they do differ, in the manga, it’s obvious to see that Pop Step had been looking for a means to speak to Koichi, even watching him get beaten up while he worked at the convenience store, which displays how long she’d actually been watching him.
Chapter
1 - 8
Differences between the anime and manga aside, Pop Step didn’t just approach Koichi for the sake of handing him a bottle of water during one of his breaks. During the series, it’s very evident that Pop Step has feelings for Koichi, as displayed by her blushing and tsundere-like personality. However, Koichi remains completely and utterly oblivious to it all, despite it being glaringly obvious to everyone around the two.
Basically, all that playing at being a hero ended up screwing over your potential career path.
In Chapter 8 of the series, the backstory of Koichi and Pop Step is revealed. During Koichi’s trip to an entrance exam for ahero high school in Tokyo, he encountered a boy who had fallen into a river; this boy was none other than Pop Step. After saving the Pop, Koichi gave his hoodie to the child, not wanting them to freeze from the cold river water. Several years after this incident, Pop Step still treasured his Silver Age Edition hoodie, keeping it in her closet and wearing it occasionally.
The real reason Pop Step approached Koichi was because she was intrigued by the older boy, watching him help around the neighborhood, even if he were to get bullied by delinquents. All Pop Step initially wanted to do was thank him properly for saving her; however, after some time passed, herfeelings for the boybegan to develop. Although Pop Step also had feelings for the older boy, she believes Koichi has been her true hero.
Throughout this time, Pop Step had been having feelings for the older boy. However, she did not confess her feelings for him. During this time, both Pop and Koichi had been busy with vigilante activities, and Pop had also been involved in the Narufest events. Overall, Pop Step was content with their lives, believing they would continue this path. As the two would continue to get closer, Knuckleduster had also been absent from the trio for some time, leaving the two to handle events on their own.
With this, Pop Step would visit Koichi daily, cooking for him and using his apartment for her various activities, whether it was getting ready for the evening or preparing for Narufest. With that, Pop Step succeeded in getting closer to the older boy. InEpisode 1, although she had always known his aliases and many of his activities, she finally discovered his real name.
