MHA PICK ME—NEW TEACHER

U.A. High School Faculty Wiki Character Profile: Masato “Validation” Kuroda

General

Appearance A completely bald man with sharp, rectangular black-framed glasses and a perpetually earnest (bordering on desperate) expression. He is almost always seen in a tight maroon short-sleeve button-up shirt with thin vertical stripes, a mustard-yellow patterned necktie, dark maroon jeans, and polished brown leather dress shoes. He frequently stands with his arms crossed in what he believes is a “cool, approachable teacher pose.” His hero costume is essentially the same outfit with a small silver pin that reads “I’m listening ✨” and slightly more dramatic lighting effects whenever students look at him.

Personality Masato is a massive pick-me. He is the type of teacher who:

Constantly inserts himself into student conversations with “As someone who actually understands Gen Z…” Overuses phrases like “I’m not like the other teachers,” “I get it, the system is broken,” and “You can tell me anything, I’m basically one of you.” Humblebrags about how “the girls in class always say I’m their favorite teacher” (they do not). Laughs too loudly at student jokes, then immediately checks if anyone noticed how chill he is. Posts anonymous “teacher confessions” on the school forum that are very clearly about himself. Gets visibly sulky when another teacher receives praise and will spend the next ten minutes fishing for compliments.

Despite (or because of) this, he genuinely cares about his students… in a deeply exhausting way.

Quirk: Approval Surge Type: Emitter Description: Masato’s Quirk allows him to convert positive attention and verbal validation into temporary physical and mental enhancement. The more people actively notice, praise, or agree with him, the stronger, faster, and more charismatic he becomes.

Mild compliments → slight boost in confidence and reaction speed Direct praise or applause → significant increase in strength and agility Being the center of attention / “everyone is looking at me” → peak performance (glowing aura, sharper features, temporary “main character” energy)

Drawbacks:

Completely powerless and slightly depressed when ignored Overdosing on attention causes him to become extremely cringy and overconfident Negative attention or being called out as a pick-me causes the Quirk to reverse, making him weaker and more awkward

History Originally a mid-tier Pro Hero who specialized in public relations and “relatable” hero work, Masato’s career stalled because other heroes found him exhausting. He transferred to U.A. as a teacher, believing the younger generation would “finally understand” him. He has been teaching Heroics Ethics & Public Relations for three years. His classes have the highest attendance rates among female students and the highest rate of students requesting to switch sections.

Abilities & Combat Style

Relies heavily on drawing enemy (or ally) attention to power himself up Signature move: “Look at Me!” – forces a brief moment of focus from everyone nearby, triggering a massive Quirk boost Surprisingly competent hand-to-hand fighter once powered up Weakness: any opponent who simply refuses to acknowledge him

Relationships

Principal Nezu: Finds him “fascinating research material” Aizawa Shota: Actively avoids him. Has been caught muttering “not this guy again” Midnight: Politely laughs at his jokes while slowly backing away Students: Mixed. Some find him funny. Most find him exhausting. A small group of first-years genuinely think he’s “so real for that”

Trivia

His hero name was originally going to be “Relatable Man.” The Hero Public Safety Commission made him change it. Keeps a secret spreadsheet ranking which students give him the most validation. Once tried to start a “Teacher TikTok” account. It was quietly deleted by the school after three videos. Has never once won “Teacher of the Year,” but still brings it up every awards ceremony. His catchphrase is “I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking…” (no one was thinking it).

Quotes “I’m not trying to be the cool teacher… but if the students happen to think I am, who am I to argue?” “Other teachers just don’t get the youth the way I do.”“You can talk to me about anything. I’m basically a student myself… just with more life experience and better fashion sense.”