Saika’s response here is kinda my own reaction to his debut pic. While he is cute, I didn’t expect him to be as warmly received immediately as he was, but it seems like he may have some staying power. For his partner, I wanted to go with someone I haven’t drawn as much, and while looking through the guys who fit that description, Roy stood out to me. I was hoping to find someone who could play into the “warm” part of warm reception (and there were a few candidates), and in Smash I always see Roy associated with fire and flames. I also like that, when their faces are close together like this, if you squint they almost look like Todoroki.