As an anime fan, there are many characters that appear and disappear, and with our language difficulties, we don’t always know what specific names or words mean or what they mean, it happens to everyone from time to time, whether you watch movies or foreign shows. Nowadays, many people wonder about a certain term or name while watching their favourite anime: Deku. Find our My Hero Academia Bodybuilding Clothing and My Hero Academia Sport Pants in our online shop along with our collections of clothing representing your favourite heroes.
What does Deku mean?
This is a common question among many people, especially if you are a fan of Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia). You may wonder what the name means once you hear it.
- What does Deku mean in Japanese?
- What does Deku mean in English?
- What is the exact definition of Deku?
- What is Deku’s true identity? Is it just a meaningless nickname? Or does the term “Deku” have an important meaning when examined more closely? That’s what we’ll find out!
Who is Deku?
The simplest definition of Deku that you can discover after a simple Google search or by opening a Japanese dictionary and looking it up is that Deku means “puppet”. There is also a species or breed of woodland animal very popular in The Legend of Zelda, known as Deku. However, it was the nickname of the protagonist of Boku No Hero Academia (My Hero Academia), Izuku Midoriya, that brought Deku to the height of its popularity.
This is because Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, was given this name because of his connection to Bakugo. Because they were both bullies and Izuku’s friend growing up, Bakugo’s sudden change in mood after getting his extremely powerful quirk makes him feel too much pride, which he directs towards putting others underneath him.
One day Izuku reads his name and explains that it can also be pronounced as Deku. The name immediately sticks with him; it was originally taken as an insult but later becomes dear to Izuku and interests him more in keeping the name as their relationship becomes increasingly toxic, with Bakugo beginning to despise Izuku for simply being a better hero than he ever was.
What does Deku mean in Japanese?
Izuku is spelled 出久 in Japanese, 出 meaning Izu and 久 meaning Ku. But looking at the Japanese Kanji, 出 can also mean De, making Izuku and Deku the same word.
This is what Bakugo means when he describes Izuku as “Deku” at the beginning. The creator of the manga has a distinct technique for alluding to comedic subjects; his artistic vision and sense of humour work in tandem to construct a narrative that is stitched together with a fun background and quirky features in the overall artistic design of his work, so that readers may notice the small details that appear from time to time when they start reading the manga or watching the series.
For example, Deku’s T-shirt, which simply reads “t-shirt”, has gradually gained popularity among fans of the manga and the series and has become a sought-after commodity at manga conventions or in everyday life. The creators of the series have translated almost everything in the series and have maintained an incredibly honest representation of the manga while preserving the original vision of the author, including the famous t-shirt.
So what does the name Deku mean?
The word “deku” is derived from the Japanese term “tokusetsu”, which means “puppet”. In ancient Japan, the dolls known as kugutsu were made of wood and were essentially puppets manipulated by strings. They became very common, but the term “Deku” has a different meaning in modern Japan. Deku in Japan refers to someone who lacks the motivation to be useful.
Why should you feel insulted by this term? It’s the Japanese equivalent of calling someone a moron, but it’s used in Boku no Hero Academia to refer to Izuku, whose name is actually pronounced Deku, which doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
It was very well planned by the creator of My Hero Academia to name Izuku and in turn Deku, since Izuku originally in the series had no powers. If you look at an ordinary Deku doll, you will notice that she has no arms or legs; she is practically limbless and, on the whole, she is not very useful.
Izuku was born without a quirk in the world of My Hero Academia, which makes Deku a choice name for him as an insult since everyone has a quirk there. Bakugo names him Deku because, in his opinion, Izuku is ineffective or lacks the ability to defend himself due to his lack of quirk; however, Ururaka helps him understand that the name doesn’t just represent that.
She says that:
“But Deku gives off a feeling of ‘I can do it’. I like that nickname.”
You can guess that Deku means someone who can’t do anything, right? No, because the Japanese term Deku can also be a shortened form of the phrase Dekiru, a Japanese verb that expresses the ability to accomplish something. She uses her new knowledge of Japanese to convince him that the name Deku is not as bad as he thinks. So she reframes his view of the term, turning his negative perception into a very positive one. He is able to channel this energy and focus on what is important: becoming stronger and better and defeating all his enemies.
What does Deku mean in English?
Deku is not a word in English, so the meaning of Deku in English has no separate definition of its own. The only definition we can find for this term is the Japanese meaning, as defined in detail in the section on Japanese meaning. As explained in detail in the section on Japanese meaning, Deku can be used to represent anything from a puppet to a derogatory term referring to people who are useless and should be made fun of.
However, we believe that Deku will become a common term in most homes and will almost certainly be used to insult someone (which is probably the most likely outcome) or for the beneficial purpose mentioned above.
What is the definition of Deku?
Simply defined, Deku is an insult. When Izuku was a child, Bakugo used the term to make fun of him for his lack of ability, but Ururaka made him understand that it could also be used to describe someone who “can accomplish” anything he wants.
The word Deku, derived from the Japanese word for “wooden doll”, has several meanings, including a wooden doll from ancient Japanese culture, a derogatory epithet meant to terrify people by implying that they are inadequate and unable to accomplish things, or the exact opposite of this insult and an abbreviation of the phrase Dekiru, which means being able to do things.
After learning the meaning of this term, Izuku begins to think about it in a new light and consider it instead of despising it, as it represents something totally different from what he had previously imagined.
So what exactly does Deku mean?
However, in some cases it is best to avoid using Deku as a name. For example, if you’re talking about All Might and Izuku here, Deku means someone who can do anything he wants, and Izuku is a great example of this meaning: he becomes the biggest hero in his school and makes All Might really proud of his decision to train Izuku as his main student.
The YouTube channel Mippon has a video on the subject, so be sure to check it out.
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