MinaJirou

MinaJirou is the femslash ship between Mina Ashido and Kyoka Jirou from the My Hero Academia fandom.

Canon
Mina and Jirou are classmates at UA High School, the two also follow the same dream to become superheroes. Although not having many interactions, the two are friends, appearing to be rather close as they are often seen talking as seen in Vs. Hero Killer Arc talking about their internships. Both tease Ochako for her affections towards Izuku. The two have more similarities than most fans would care to notice at first glance. They both seem to enjoy playfully teasing their friends on a regular basis.

They both needed help from Yaoyorozu to study for the final exams. It should be noted that Kyoka asked to be tutored just seconds after Ashido (and Kaminari) asked Momo to help them prepare. Was studying all she really wanted? They've spent time together, even if that's often overlooked. Mina is a very spirited and extroverted person and sometimes appears to be encouraging Kyoka and her other classmates (primarily the girls) to have some fun. They can also be seen sitting or standing next to each other during free time. Mina is also often seen making conversation with Kyoka in the background and with some of their other classmates too. A good amount of the official art has shown the two together, usually hanging out with the other girls from Class 1-A. Their friendship, while mainly reserved for the background, should not go unacknowledged by fans of the series.

Both girls played an important role in the UA School Festival Arc; Mina taught her classmates how to dance and Jirou was the lead singer in their class's performance. Even though Mina didn't play an instrument in Kyoka's band, it's likely that the event brought the two closer together. Mina is even shown behind Jirou, having a good time as always, on the cover of the Vol. 19 book. They looked like they were hanging out with the rest of the group, not taking themselves too seriously. Indeed, Mina and Kyoka's passions are what really made their classmates shine on the stage. This use of their combined talents shows that they are on good terms and can work well to together.

Fanon
MinaJirou is considered a rare pair and it's overshadowed by ships such as KiriMina, MomoJirou and KamiJirou. It currently has over 200 works on AO3. It may not be the most popular ship, but it has gained some dedicated fans. Mina and Jirou are "the girls" of the chaotic and hilarious friend group that is the iconic "Bakusquad," so it's no surprise that some ship the two! While some would prefer their relationship to stay platonic, others enjoy imagining their cute friendship slowly growing into a healthy romance.

Many pieces of fanart depict Mina being energetic and clingy while Jirou is more shy and flustered, and often both are drawn blushing cutely at each other. Despite the few moments shared between the two girls, this pairing does make sense overall; it's just too cute to pair up the singer and the "dancing queen!"

Their personalities complement each other, and that has appealed to some fans. Another thing is, the pair's contrasting appearances are visually pleasing to look at. With Mina's prominent pink skin and bright, colorful clothes matched with Kyoka's dark purple hair and punk rock star aparel, it's not a mystery why some would think that they look good together. Another visible difference is, Mina has a broader and curvier build while Jirou's body is more petite. These physical differences only contribute to certain people's love of this wholesome ship.

Often, shippers enjoy pairing an emo tomboy with a bubbly social butterfly as the ideal lesbian couple. People often see Jirou as a lesbian or at least bisexual. Mina is also often portrayed as a lesbian in other LGBTQ+ fanfics.

Fandom
FAN FICTION