In My Hero Academia, Minoru Mineta is known for having crushes on and being attracted to many of the female characters. As a perverted character, Mineta often demonstrates his interest in girls through inappropriate or undesirable means. However, there are a few female characters that seem to genuinely catch Mineta’s eye and interest in a more sincere romantic sense.
Momo Yaoyorozu
One of the female characters that Mineta has shown romantic interest in is Momo Yaoyorozu. As one of the most intelligent and beautiful girls at U.A. High School, it’s no surprise that Yaoyorozu would catch Mineta’s attention.
During the final exams arc, Mineta is paired up with Yaoyorozu to take on their practical exam against Eraser Head. Throughout this experience, Mineta makes several comments about Yaoyorozu’s body and “assets” which showcase his physical attraction to her. However, there are also moments that demonstrate a deeper interest.
When Yaoyorozu doubts herself and lacks confidence during the exam, Mineta gives her a genuine pep talk. He tells her that her Quirk is amazing and that she’s one of the strongest students in Class 1-A. This encouragement and belief in Yaoyorozu’s abilities shows that Mineta doesn’t just see her for her looks, but also admires her intelligence, skill, and strength.
During their match against Class 1-B, Mineta also passionately defends Yaoyorozu when Monoma starts insulting her. This protective instinct indicates that Mineta genuinely cares about Yaoyorozu and doesn’t want to see her feelings hurt.
While Mineta still frequently makes inappropriate comments about Yaoyorozu’s body, he has also demonstrated sincere respect and care for her as a capable hero and classmate on several occasions. Out of all the girls at U.A. High, Yaoyorozu seems to be one that Mineta views as a romantic interest and not just an object of desire.
Tsuyu Asui
Another female classmate that Mineta seems to harbor genuine feelings for is Tsuyu Asui. During the Provisional Hero License Exam arc, Mineta reveals his crush on Asui to Midoriya.
Asui’s mature, honest, and blunt personality contrasts sharply with Mineta’s juvenile perversion. However, Asui has demonstrated her caring side on several occasions when interacting with Mineta in earlier arcs. Her maturity and integrity seem to be qualities that Mineta admires in her.
During the exam itself, Mineta declares that he wants to “become a man that won’t lose to Froppy!” This statement indicates that he aspires to mature and develop into someone more worthy of Asui’s affection and respect.
Mineta also frequently compliments Asui and comes to her defense when others question her during the exam. He is quick to point out her admirable skills and abilities as a hero-in-training. This further suggests that his interest in her goes beyond superficial attraction.
Overall, Asui represents the type of sincere, mature hero that Mineta aspires to become. His crush on her seems to reflect a desire to improve himself and transition from his naïve perversion to true maturity and integrity. Out of all the female characters, Asui is the one who Mineta directly states he has feelings for and tries to better himself in order to impress.
Ochaco Uraraka
Ochaco Uraraka is another girl in Class 1-A who seems to catch Mineta’s eye throughout the series. As the main female classmate of Deku, who Mineta views as a rival, trying to win over Uraraka likely represents a way for Mineta to “beat” Deku in his mind.
During the Provisional License Exam, Mineta singles out Uraraka as one of the three girls he wants to team up with, alongside Yaoyorozu and Asui. The fact that he specifies Uraraka as part of his ideal team shows that he has a particular interest in wanting to work with her.
Mineta makes several comments about Uraraka’s appearance, suggesting physical attraction. But he also seems to recognize some of her admirable qualities, as he acknowledges her strength and combat capabilities when she manages to knock out Himiko Toga.
Uraraka’s bright, fun-loving personality contrasts with her immense strength. These opposing traits seem to intrigue Mineta, making her stand out from the other girls. While his interest in her still stems from superficial motivations, Uraraka represents a girl that Mineta recognizes as both cute and powerful.
Nejire Hado
During the Joint Training arc, Mineta is instantly infatuated when he meets third-year student Nejire Hado from the Big 3. Hado’s beauty, intelligence, and outgoing personality quickly win over Mineta.
Out of all the girls at U.A. High, Hado seems to be the one who Mineta is instantly most strongly attracted to from the moment they first meet. Her admiration of Class 1-A’s strength and kindness towards Mineta causes him to fall head over heels for her.
Mineta proclaims his love for Hado several times throughout their interaction and is eager to impress her. He even ignores Midnight’s beauty as he is completely focused on Hado during their joint training session.
However, Hado politely turns down Mineta’s direct confession to her, indicating that she does not return his strong feelings. While Mineta is infatuated with Hado, she simply sees him as an underclassman to encourage platonically.
Nonetheless, Hado represents Mineta’s dream girl at first sight. Her maturity, confidence, and kindness serve as qualities that Mineta aspires to see in a romantic partner as he develops feelings for girls based on more than just physical attraction.
Other Possible Crushes
In addition to the main girls that seem to catch Mineta’s sincere romantic attention, there are a few other female characters that Mineta has shown interest in throughout the series:
- Mount Lady – Mineta instantly becomes infatuated with the No. 23 Pro Hero and her looks when he meets her.
- Midnight – As another heroine with a mature, attractive figure, she catches Mineta’s eye repeatedly.
- Melissa Shield – Mineta blushes and is impressed when he meets All Might’s sidekick.
- Ryukyu – The No. 10 Dragon Hero’s beauty makes Mineta swarm towards her along with other male students.
While these crushes seem more surface-level and physical, they demonstrate Mineta’s general tendencies to become infatuated with mature, attractive heroines. However, the female classmates and students who seem to hold Mineta’s deeper romantic feelings are Yaoyorozu, Asui, Uraraka, and Hado.
Conclusion
Based on Mineta’s interactions and statements throughout the My Hero Academia series so far, the female characters he seems most genuinely interested in beyond shallow perversion are:
- Momo Yaoyorozu
- Tsuyu Asui
- Ochaco Uraraka
- Nejire Hado
These classmates represent the type of girls that Mineta aspires to be worthy of as he matures. They demonstrate maturity, integrity, confidence, skill, and kindness that contrasts with and helps balance out Mineta’s juvenile personality and perverted tendencies.
While Mineta certainly maintains his general interest and attraction to most of the beautiful heroines throughout the series, these four girls stand out as ones he seems to harbor deeper feelings for beyond just their physical appearance. They embody both inner and outer qualities that catch Mineta’s sincere romantic attention and interest.