"I don't ship UraYoru, it's in the manga"
So, I finally decided to write an essay about Urahara & Yoruichi, yay!~ I know there are a few people out there who just don't understand why we ship UraYoru or what exactly makes us think that they are 'romantic' in any way - though that's probably just them being bias or jealous of the attention they get - but, that's what inspired me to write this today. That, and because I thought UraYoru deserved some more love and who else was going to write an essay about them? XD I was originally planning to write a comparison essay b/w UraYoru & IchiRuki, but then I thought that writing one for UraYoru first would be easier. So here we go:
The aspects of a Romantic Relationship and how it relates to UraYoru
An UraYoru essay
Now, what exactly are 'the aspects of a romantic relationship' and how can you tell the difference b/w two people who are 'just friends' and two people who have more under the surface?
'Love is based on caring, friendship, commitment and trust. When you are in love it is as if you have your best most trusted friend at your side AND you feel physically attracted to them.' Okay, those weren't my own words exactly, but that quote that I conveniently found on google couldn't be more true.
How to relate that to UraYoru?
- Let's focus on the 'friendship' aspect of it first. (I may just add on my own topics as well)
1. Caring:
You're probably all thinking 'Well they're friends, of course they both care about each other' but surprisingly, there are still some people out there who think otherwise. It's been pretty obvious throughout the manga that Urahara and Yoruichi truly care for one another.
If we take Yoruichi for example, she's definitely not a character who would do something uness she truly wanted to do it. She does whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and doesn't care what anybody else thinks, or in otther words, she goes by her own rules and what she feels is right. We saw during TBTP Arc that despite knowing that she would lose everything in the process - her home, her friends, her riches, her status - Yoruichi didn't even hesiatate or waste another second to go save Urahara. (Bleach Chapter 97) For someone who doesn't care much for rules or demand herself to stick to any obligations unless she finds them necessary/reasonable, then I doubt saving Urahara was of any 'obligation' to her. Afterall, why save him if he commited a crime? Shouldn't she have just let him get arrested if she didn't know all of the truth of what happened? Yoruichi obviously knows him better than that. It was an act of an unwavering heart.
In Bleach Chapter 106 & 107, when Yoruichi was scolding Urahara for not acting proper as a Captain. She didn't do it to humliate him, and definitely not because she hated him. She did it for his own good and what she thought was best. She knew the way he was acting wasn't right, she wasn't afraid to point it out, and so she set him straight. That's the kind of relationship Urahara and Yoruichi have and there are no secrets b/w them. Yoruichi isn't afraid to speak up when Urahara does something wrong, knock some sense into his head, and tell it like it is. It's called: tough love, and it was needed at the time.
Now when it comes to Urahara, there are a lot of people who question or should I say have different perceptions on his character when it comes to caring..well about anyone. And I say, Urahara is truly one of the most caring characters in Bleach, I could write a whole list. Sure he may make mistakes at times - Putting the hogyoku inside Rukia and not telling Inoue the truth; albeit those were only a result of what he thought was best - but he always makes up for them the best he can, and he's helped pretty much every character in Bleach up til now. Why? Because he's caring, he's helpful, he's generous, and it's in his name: Kisuke (喜輔). 'The first kanji means take pleasure in, and the second kanji means help. So here it means a person who takes pleasure in helping others.' Now, in terms of how he cares about Yoruichi? Okay, maybe he hasn't shown it in such a big way as Yoruichi, but what more proof do we really need? Like the saying goes "It's the little things that count". For instance, in Bleach Chapter 403, when Yoruichi was in danger, have we ever seen Urahara freak out so much? I've said it before, and I'll say it again, that Urahara tries to help everyone around him, and does show true concern to those close to him, though for the most part, he always keeps his cool and is pretty laid back. But this? It's obvious when it comes to Yoruichi that laid-back and cool Urahara goes flying out the window. That moment was definitely a proud moment for all UraYoru shippers, not only because of the fact that of course it recomfirmed to us readers that Urahara does care about Yoruichi, and the type of close relationship they have, but it also showed him in a new light as well, specifically only for Yoruichi. There is also the moment in Bleach Chapter 195, where we see the after effects of the Yammy fight, and Yoruichi with both an injured arm and leg. Yes, Urahara showed concern there, as well as the moments in Bleach Chapter 405, where Kisuke shows genuine concern not once, but twice for Yoruichi, when they were facing off against Aizen.
I'm not really sure what the argument is anymore actually, that they care for each other only as friends, or don't care about each other at all, but either way, there it is, in canon. Urahara and Yoruichi genuinely care for each other, whether it's the label of 'friends' or 'love'.
2. Trust:
I don't think there's any two people in Bleach that trust each other more than these two. Well maybe IchiRuki, and some others, but UraYoru definitely have some depth to them too. If anyone is going to trust Urahara the most, it's Yoruichi, and vice versa. I've already pointed out that in TBTP Arc, Yoruichi didn't know a thing about Urahara's plans, be it about the Maggots' Nest or the hogyoku. Yet despite not knowing much,or at least not even being sure she didn't question him about it or her trust in him at all. When Kisuke was accused of doing holllowification experiments on the Vizards, did Yoruichi hesiate even a little or question him about what was going on? All she said was"I'll kick you later for not taking me with you last night" and "So what's your next plan?". It was just "Okay, we're here now, you got yourself into some trouble again, what's next?" When Soi Fon was worried about what Kisuke was doing in Maggots' Nest (Bleach Chapter 106) all Yoruichi said was "This is Kisuke we're talking about, he must have some kind of idea that's all." If that's not trust then I don't know what is.
As for Urahara and his trust for Yoruichi, it speaks volumes as well. If he didn't trust her, then he wouldn't be giving her such important responsibilities to take care of. From not only escorting Ichigo and Co. into Soul Society, but teaching, training, and helping them save Rukia, even helping then all become stronger, that tells me that Urahara knows Yoruichi is capable of handling that type of situation, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Well, he probably wanted to be able to help out too, but he had no other choice but to leave it in the hands of ones he could trust most. Urahara also trusted her in helping defeat Aizen in FKT Arc. He could have just let her go off and help somewhere else, or take care of things in KT with Tessai, but no, he had her right by his side the whole time, fighting off against Aizen. Not only does Urahara trust her with his inner most secrets, but he trusts in her abilities as well. He knows he can always count on her, because she trusts him too.
Is trust important in an relationship? *nods head* Yes.
3. Commitment:
Now if we talk about commitment, it would probably tie into the trust as well, though I could elaborate more on it, so here we go. I don't think Urahara and Yoruichi can be any more commited to each other than they are now..except if they got married. I mean, not only did Yoruichi give up her life to save and be with Urahara, but she practically lives with him now? Sure, she may go off on her own sometimes back to SS to meet with her friends, but at the end of the day where is she? Peacefully sleeping/eating at the Urahara Shoten with her 'family'. Yea, that was a joke, but you could still look at it that way. Because no matter where Yoruichi goes throughout the day, when it really counts she is always by Uraharas' side, and I don't think that'll ever change. If one thing's for sure, Kubo has consistently established a well commited relationship b/w these two, that whenever we see them, they are almost always together, unless Urahara has plans for Yoruichi somewhere else. Anything else or any interction that happens with someone else, and I'm talking specifically about Yoruichi here, is offscreen. (With the exception of SS Arc and talking to Inoue of course, though both those were the result of Urahara as well) Even when they're not together, they are mentioning or thinking about the other, or at least know what the other us up to. And can no one tell me that Yoruichi couldn't well go back to SS and live if she wanted to. Everything is out in the open now, SS knows the truth, she is always able to go and leave as she pleases, and both Urahara and Yoruichi are innocent, so why not go back to SS? Yoruichi could live there, while she could go to KT for occasional visits to see what Urahara is up to and about his plans. Answer? She doesn't want to. (Remember, Yoruichi goes by her own rules? ;)) Ponit is, I don't think there's anyone who can break the bond these two have. They're always together, they trust each other, they can always rely on each other, and they don't keep anything from one another. That is commitment.
Hmm, would commitment really be important in a friendship? I mean, when you hear commitment, you usually think of someone not cheating on you or something. I don't think of friendship as a commitment, more like a choice. Yes, let's put it that way: "Friendship is a choice, love is a commitment" Can we agree?
4. Friendship:
I don't what else to say about this except that, yes, Urahara and Yoruichi are friends. I don't know where people got the idea that UraYoru shippers think otherwise. They're childhood friends, it's been shown to us, it's been implied, Urahara and Yoruichi are childhood friends.
- Now, to focus on the 'romantic' aspect of this all. "When you are in love it is as if you have your best most trusted friend at your side AND you feel physically attracted to them."
I've already covered the first part of this quote, and now it's time to look over the second part. Of course you can't have a romantic relationship without being physically attracted to the person you're in love with as well, because what does romance consist of? Intamacy. People who don't ship/see UraYoru as romantic will always make up any excuse or pathetic/bitter filled comment about why UraYoru will never work, and so I'll kindly state why those comments themselves 'don't work' with UraYoru.
"Urahara and Yoruichi are 'just friends' and so there is nothing/can never be anything romantic about them" or "You guys think that all friends who are male & female have to be romantic"
Of course Urahara and Yoruichi are 'friends', and closest of friends at that. Tessai even pointed it out (Bleach Chapter 51), that Yoruichi is Urahara's "Unrivaled best friend." (Other translations have it as "relative' but it's been proven that that translation was a mistake by Viz Media, and the real translation is "Unrivaled Best Friend") It happened, it's there, it's canon. Now, whether they are "just friends" is another story. How do I know that Urahara and Yoruichi have something more 'under the surface' to their 'friendship'? Notice I said 'to their friendship' and not 'more under the surface rather than their friendship'. I have no problem with Urahara and Yoruichi being friends, in fact, that's one of the reasons why I love them so much. And just because two people are friends, doesn't mean there can't be more to their relationship. And in terms of UraYoru? There is more to their relationship. We don't ship them just because they're male and female friends, and I'm definitely not that shallow, who would be? Oh right, the people who said we ship it for those reasons in the first place. There's a big difference b/w being 'just friends' and 'having a romantic undertone', which some people just don't seem to get with UraYoru. UraYoru isn't 'male & female friends', or 'just friends', no, they're just 'UraYoru', and that's how I see it, which brings me to my next point.
"Urahara and Yoruichi are siblings" or "I see their relationship more of a brother and sister type"
Sometimes I have to wonder what people really see as a 'sibling' relationship, because I think they'll just put that label on any pairing they don't ship or don't want to happen. Or maybe they're just blind? Oh wait, I was supposed to be kind. From what I've seen, sibling relationships, especially in manga, always have either 1) The older brother/sister who teases/bullies the younger brother/sister 2) Who are protective of each other and 3) Most definitely don't flirt with each other or see each other naked.
Does Urahara ever tease Yoruichi or treat her like a little sister? Let's use the manga for referance, shall we?
1. In the Urahara Radio Kon Interview (yes, it counts, and it's canon, since it was both written and drawn by Kubo):
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8915/photo8076edited1uk8.jpg
If Urahara ever thought of Yoruichi as his little sister, well then, it's quite funny, isn't it? Cause I just wouldn't understand...why he would be talking or blushing about the fact that he saw her naked, much more 'beyond naked'? If he saw her as only a sister? What are these people thinking? Sure, people can probably call that teasing (o_o), but before the fact that Urahara even knew Yoruichi was in the room, he was all into the idea of seeing Yoruichi naked, and even going as far to say he saw her 'beyond naked', which to no suirprise, Yoruichi didn't take so well, considering her reaction. She was all ready to pounce on Kisuke after talking about her so 'inappropriately', but even before that she said "I never knew we were so close Kisuke, care to elaborate?" in the most taunting way, and after Kisuke shyed away from the question, she told him "Don't be shy" and not in a blunt way at all..yea, that really sounds like a brother and sister talk. (Why would a sister have to question her relationship or closeness with her brother? Do I even have to aak these questions?-.-)
2. In Bleach Chapter 195 (Urahara saw her half naked):
http://1.p.s.mfcdn.net/store/manga/9/22-195.0/compressed/_manga_rain_bleach_ch195_02.jpg
Apart from the fact that I don't understand why a brother would want to see his sister naked, and why the sister would feel so comfortable about it, I've never seen a 'brother-sister' moment so tense as this. I guess people were expecting Urahara to act perverted here, or say something suggestive. It seems I forgot to mention another aspect of the UraYoru relationship. Even though Urahara has labeled himself as a 'perverted shopkeeper', he never really expresses as such through words. (As we've seen in the Radio Kon interview, he only talks about Yoruichi intimately while she isn't there, yet when she's there, suddenly the topic goes away..it could be because he's shy around her as well) Never once does Urahara make suggestive comments to Yoruichi or is he disrespectful towards her. And sure you can say that it's because he's not interested in her 'that' way, but I beg to differ. That moment, his facial expression, and the way he approached her is way too intense to say he isn't enjoying that view. If he were only intense about the situation altogether, with her being injured of course, then he wouldn't have had that grin on his face, or have been so comfortable seeing her that way. But, he is always very respectful to her, and as you can see here, their relationship is very mutual. Meaning, that they are comfortable and deep around each other without having to be all perverted. Doesn't mean that they aren't interested in each other, no. In fact, it shows true friendship, as well as a healthy and most of all mature relationship between them. Also, take in the fact that Urahara wasn't always perverted. He used to be innocent and naive back in the day. I think with their relationship, their friendship comes before anything else, which is another reason why I think Urahara doesn't make suggestive comments towards her; because that's the way he is, that's the way it has always been, they were close friends first, and he respects their friendship. Not to mention, I think Urahara is a very respectable person. At least more respectable than Shunsui anyway ;)
3. In Bleach Chapter 404 (Kisuke is a peeping Tom!):
http://6.p.s.mfcdn.net/store/manga/9/45-404.0/compressed/h06.jpg
I don't know why Kubo would add a sexual innuendo moment here if Urahara and Yoruichi were like siblings. I mean, how much more clueless could you get? D: Yoruichi lifts up her leg, Urahara puts up his fan, and peeks over interested and 'pervertedly' at Yoruichi's...leg? I doubt it. Unless he really likes her leg, then yes, that would be okay too, cause who wouldn't? Point is, if he saw her as a sister, then he wouldn't be peeking at wherever he was peeking, or flirting with her in the first place. And yes, that's called flirting, especially after Yoruichi hit him 'playfully' on the nose. That's some real bother-sister dynamic. Darn, if I weren't so interested in UraYoru in a romantic light, I would have thought this moment made a great sibling moment.....-_- Btw, who else does Yoruichi have these "Peeping Tom" moments with, I wonder? That's right, no one.
4, In Bleach Chapter 193 (Anyone notice they're "that" close?):
http://6.p.s.mfcdn.net/store/manga/9/22-193.0/compressed/_manga_rain_bleach_ch193_22.jpg
I don't know if anyone noticed before, cause I sure didn't at first. But if you take a look carefully at their stance, and just how close they are, there's a lot of sexual tension during this moment, even without words! But most of all, where and how Kisukes' haori is touching Yoruichi. Kubo could have drawn this scene any other way, but he chose to do it this way, which is the most sublte, yet most suggestive way he could have drawn them. I think this panel speaks for itself, just how close these two really are, even though sometimes they won't admit it to each others' faces ;D (i.e. they bicker, they won't talk about their relationship in front of each other, but at the end of the day, that's what it is <3)
I don't know why Kubo would put in such suggestive moments if he wanted to portray Urahara and Yoruichi as siblings or 'just friends', and I don't know how anyone can see them any other way than 'suggestive'. All I know is, half naked panels, talking about 'beyond naked', blushing, peeping, bickering, flirting...there's definitely more to UraYoru than 'just friends', and they are definitely not siblings, and never was it stated so. Truly absurd.
"How do you know UraYoru is canon?" or "Why do you imply that it is canon?"
Many people think of the word 'canon' as something that is explicitly said, whether it's in the manga, or stated by the author themselves, but I like to think of it as not only something that is confirmed, but what is there, what we can see, in the manga. Afterall, actions speak louder than words, or in other words, IF YOU CAN SEE IT, IT'S CANON. Not everything needs words to be explained, some things just speak for themselves.
Urahara and Yoruichi are friends, more importantly childhood and best friends. It's been said by Tessai, implied by flashbacks/Yoruichi's words, and that's how we know it's canon. How do we know Urahara and Yoruichi are canon as a romantic pair? Well, while their relationship hasn't been confirmed by Kubo to be romantic, the hints of romantic feelings are there, which tends to lead people to believe: romantic feelings/signs = romantic pair, whether that pair is officially together or not...yet. (Urahara peeking at her 'leg', Yoruichi punching him afterwards, them bickering...and I'm sorry, but brother and sister do not bicker the way they do. It's like calling Ichigo and Rukia siblings...-_-) Why do people ship IchiRuki, or IshiHime? Has it even been confirmed or said by Kubo that there is romance b/w these couples? No, but there are hints and ingredients, or their relationship consists of romantic feelings and many romantic interactions from both parties, that have been shown time and time again, that lead us to believe, there is something more to it than meets the eye..or more than what non-shippers/haters refuse to see/accept anyway. UraYoru's interactions are romantic or at least suggestive, their relationship has something romantic about it, and the only way for you to not see it or refuse to see it, is if you want to see it that way. Everyone has their own interpretation of Bleach and it's couples, yes, but there are some people who just choose to see what they want to see, rather than just 'see'. It's like reading but not taking in what you're reading at all.
Can we say that Urahara is attracted to Yoruichi in a romantic way? Yes. He's shown such in FKT arc. Can we say Yoruichi is attracted to Urahara in a romantic way? Well, she sure doesn't flirt or bicker with anyone else in the manga, neither does she spend as much time, or stay at anyone elses' house as much as Urahara.
They're no IchiRuki when it comes to tons of development, but when it comes to their scenes and their moments, they receive some of, if not one of the best development in the manga.
I don't know how you can interpret or build up on something that isn't there. UraYoru isn't made up, it's there, it's in the manga. Their 'non-sibling' interactions are in the manga, their suggestive scenes are in the manga, their friendship is in the manga; UraYoru is in the manga. Therefore, like I always say: I don't ship UraYoru, it's in the manga. I just ended up loving it. ~
Whether you see it as romantic or not is not up to me, but at least don't substitute things that weren't there before, just because you don't want to see it or accept it a certain way.
---
Notes:
Thank you for anyone who took the time to read this. Please no hater comments, or I'll remove them. ;) Hnh, not really a threat, but seriously, if you have nothing nice to say, well you know the saying. Please tell me your thoughts on this essay, and I'd be more than delighted if you had anything more to elaborate on. Stay tuned for my UraYoru/IchiRuki comparison essay in the future.
And before anyone tries to cut off my head XD Cause I've had this problem before. I just wanted to say that I write these essays mainly for me and because I love this ship so much (That goes for any ship I write about). It's nothing personal, it's not an attack, so no worries there, and it isn't for any other specific reason except..that I love UraYoru, and frankly, I think they deseve more attention. So, when I write, I write these truly out of my heart and love for UraYoru, and if you end up liking it too, then great! <3
Source for Google Quote: http://teenadvice.about.com/od/loveanddating/a/isitlove1.htm
And ugh, I've revised and edited this essay so many times. So if you end up, to my happiness, reading it again, you'll notice a couple of additions or changes XD
The aspects of a Romantic Relationship and how it relates to UraYoru
An UraYoru essay
Now, what exactly are 'the aspects of a romantic relationship' and how can you tell the difference b/w two people who are 'just friends' and two people who have more under the surface?
'Love is based on caring, friendship, commitment and trust. When you are in love it is as if you have your best most trusted friend at your side AND you feel physically attracted to them.' Okay, those weren't my own words exactly, but that quote that I conveniently found on google couldn't be more true.
How to relate that to UraYoru?
- Let's focus on the 'friendship' aspect of it first. (I may just add on my own topics as well)
1. Caring:
You're probably all thinking 'Well they're friends, of course they both care about each other' but surprisingly, there are still some people out there who think otherwise. It's been pretty obvious throughout the manga that Urahara and Yoruichi truly care for one another.
If we take Yoruichi for example, she's definitely not a character who would do something uness she truly wanted to do it. She does whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and doesn't care what anybody else thinks, or in otther words, she goes by her own rules and what she feels is right. We saw during TBTP Arc that despite knowing that she would lose everything in the process - her home, her friends, her riches, her status - Yoruichi didn't even hesiatate or waste another second to go save Urahara. (Bleach Chapter 97) For someone who doesn't care much for rules or demand herself to stick to any obligations unless she finds them necessary/reasonable, then I doubt saving Urahara was of any 'obligation' to her. Afterall, why save him if he commited a crime? Shouldn't she have just let him get arrested if she didn't know all of the truth of what happened? Yoruichi obviously knows him better than that. It was an act of an unwavering heart.
In Bleach Chapter 106 & 107, when Yoruichi was scolding Urahara for not acting proper as a Captain. She didn't do it to humliate him, and definitely not because she hated him. She did it for his own good and what she thought was best. She knew the way he was acting wasn't right, she wasn't afraid to point it out, and so she set him straight. That's the kind of relationship Urahara and Yoruichi have and there are no secrets b/w them. Yoruichi isn't afraid to speak up when Urahara does something wrong, knock some sense into his head, and tell it like it is. It's called: tough love, and it was needed at the time.
Now when it comes to Urahara, there are a lot of people who question or should I say have different perceptions on his character when it comes to caring..well about anyone. And I say, Urahara is truly one of the most caring characters in Bleach, I could write a whole list. Sure he may make mistakes at times - Putting the hogyoku inside Rukia and not telling Inoue the truth; albeit those were only a result of what he thought was best - but he always makes up for them the best he can, and he's helped pretty much every character in Bleach up til now. Why? Because he's caring, he's helpful, he's generous, and it's in his name: Kisuke (喜輔). 'The first kanji means take pleasure in, and the second kanji means help. So here it means a person who takes pleasure in helping others.' Now, in terms of how he cares about Yoruichi? Okay, maybe he hasn't shown it in such a big way as Yoruichi, but what more proof do we really need? Like the saying goes "It's the little things that count". For instance, in Bleach Chapter 403, when Yoruichi was in danger, have we ever seen Urahara freak out so much? I've said it before, and I'll say it again, that Urahara tries to help everyone around him, and does show true concern to those close to him, though for the most part, he always keeps his cool and is pretty laid back. But this? It's obvious when it comes to Yoruichi that laid-back and cool Urahara goes flying out the window. That moment was definitely a proud moment for all UraYoru shippers, not only because of the fact that of course it recomfirmed to us readers that Urahara does care about Yoruichi, and the type of close relationship they have, but it also showed him in a new light as well, specifically only for Yoruichi. There is also the moment in Bleach Chapter 195, where we see the after effects of the Yammy fight, and Yoruichi with both an injured arm and leg. Yes, Urahara showed concern there, as well as the moments in Bleach Chapter 405, where Kisuke shows genuine concern not once, but twice for Yoruichi, when they were facing off against Aizen.
I'm not really sure what the argument is anymore actually, that they care for each other only as friends, or don't care about each other at all, but either way, there it is, in canon. Urahara and Yoruichi genuinely care for each other, whether it's the label of 'friends' or 'love'.
2. Trust:
I don't think there's any two people in Bleach that trust each other more than these two. Well maybe IchiRuki, and some others, but UraYoru definitely have some depth to them too. If anyone is going to trust Urahara the most, it's Yoruichi, and vice versa. I've already pointed out that in TBTP Arc, Yoruichi didn't know a thing about Urahara's plans, be it about the Maggots' Nest or the hogyoku. Yet despite not knowing much,or at least not even being sure she didn't question him about it or her trust in him at all. When Kisuke was accused of doing holllowification experiments on the Vizards, did Yoruichi hesiate even a little or question him about what was going on? All she said was"I'll kick you later for not taking me with you last night" and "So what's your next plan?". It was just "Okay, we're here now, you got yourself into some trouble again, what's next?" When Soi Fon was worried about what Kisuke was doing in Maggots' Nest (Bleach Chapter 106) all Yoruichi said was "This is Kisuke we're talking about, he must have some kind of idea that's all." If that's not trust then I don't know what is.
As for Urahara and his trust for Yoruichi, it speaks volumes as well. If he didn't trust her, then he wouldn't be giving her such important responsibilities to take care of. From not only escorting Ichigo and Co. into Soul Society, but teaching, training, and helping them save Rukia, even helping then all become stronger, that tells me that Urahara knows Yoruichi is capable of handling that type of situation, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Well, he probably wanted to be able to help out too, but he had no other choice but to leave it in the hands of ones he could trust most. Urahara also trusted her in helping defeat Aizen in FKT Arc. He could have just let her go off and help somewhere else, or take care of things in KT with Tessai, but no, he had her right by his side the whole time, fighting off against Aizen. Not only does Urahara trust her with his inner most secrets, but he trusts in her abilities as well. He knows he can always count on her, because she trusts him too.
Is trust important in an relationship? *nods head* Yes.
3. Commitment:
Now if we talk about commitment, it would probably tie into the trust as well, though I could elaborate more on it, so here we go. I don't think Urahara and Yoruichi can be any more commited to each other than they are now..except if they got married. I mean, not only did Yoruichi give up her life to save and be with Urahara, but she practically lives with him now? Sure, she may go off on her own sometimes back to SS to meet with her friends, but at the end of the day where is she? Peacefully sleeping/eating at the Urahara Shoten with her 'family'. Yea, that was a joke, but you could still look at it that way. Because no matter where Yoruichi goes throughout the day, when it really counts she is always by Uraharas' side, and I don't think that'll ever change. If one thing's for sure, Kubo has consistently established a well commited relationship b/w these two, that whenever we see them, they are almost always together, unless Urahara has plans for Yoruichi somewhere else. Anything else or any interction that happens with someone else, and I'm talking specifically about Yoruichi here, is offscreen. (With the exception of SS Arc and talking to Inoue of course, though both those were the result of Urahara as well) Even when they're not together, they are mentioning or thinking about the other, or at least know what the other us up to. And can no one tell me that Yoruichi couldn't well go back to SS and live if she wanted to. Everything is out in the open now, SS knows the truth, she is always able to go and leave as she pleases, and both Urahara and Yoruichi are innocent, so why not go back to SS? Yoruichi could live there, while she could go to KT for occasional visits to see what Urahara is up to and about his plans. Answer? She doesn't want to. (Remember, Yoruichi goes by her own rules? ;)) Ponit is, I don't think there's anyone who can break the bond these two have. They're always together, they trust each other, they can always rely on each other, and they don't keep anything from one another. That is commitment.
Hmm, would commitment really be important in a friendship? I mean, when you hear commitment, you usually think of someone not cheating on you or something. I don't think of friendship as a commitment, more like a choice. Yes, let's put it that way: "Friendship is a choice, love is a commitment" Can we agree?
4. Friendship:
I don't what else to say about this except that, yes, Urahara and Yoruichi are friends. I don't know where people got the idea that UraYoru shippers think otherwise. They're childhood friends, it's been shown to us, it's been implied, Urahara and Yoruichi are childhood friends.
- Now, to focus on the 'romantic' aspect of this all. "When you are in love it is as if you have your best most trusted friend at your side AND you feel physically attracted to them."
I've already covered the first part of this quote, and now it's time to look over the second part. Of course you can't have a romantic relationship without being physically attracted to the person you're in love with as well, because what does romance consist of? Intamacy. People who don't ship/see UraYoru as romantic will always make up any excuse or pathetic/bitter filled comment about why UraYoru will never work, and so I'll kindly state why those comments themselves 'don't work' with UraYoru.
"Urahara and Yoruichi are 'just friends' and so there is nothing/can never be anything romantic about them" or "You guys think that all friends who are male & female have to be romantic"
Of course Urahara and Yoruichi are 'friends', and closest of friends at that. Tessai even pointed it out (Bleach Chapter 51), that Yoruichi is Urahara's "Unrivaled best friend." (Other translations have it as "relative' but it's been proven that that translation was a mistake by Viz Media, and the real translation is "Unrivaled Best Friend") It happened, it's there, it's canon. Now, whether they are "just friends" is another story. How do I know that Urahara and Yoruichi have something more 'under the surface' to their 'friendship'? Notice I said 'to their friendship' and not 'more under the surface rather than their friendship'. I have no problem with Urahara and Yoruichi being friends, in fact, that's one of the reasons why I love them so much. And just because two people are friends, doesn't mean there can't be more to their relationship. And in terms of UraYoru? There is more to their relationship. We don't ship them just because they're male and female friends, and I'm definitely not that shallow, who would be? Oh right, the people who said we ship it for those reasons in the first place. There's a big difference b/w being 'just friends' and 'having a romantic undertone', which some people just don't seem to get with UraYoru. UraYoru isn't 'male & female friends', or 'just friends', no, they're just 'UraYoru', and that's how I see it, which brings me to my next point.
"Urahara and Yoruichi are siblings" or "I see their relationship more of a brother and sister type"
Sometimes I have to wonder what people really see as a 'sibling' relationship, because I think they'll just put that label on any pairing they don't ship or don't want to happen. Or maybe they're just blind? Oh wait, I was supposed to be kind. From what I've seen, sibling relationships, especially in manga, always have either 1) The older brother/sister who teases/bullies the younger brother/sister 2) Who are protective of each other and 3) Most definitely don't flirt with each other or see each other naked.
Does Urahara ever tease Yoruichi or treat her like a little sister? Let's use the manga for referance, shall we?
1. In the Urahara Radio Kon Interview (yes, it counts, and it's canon, since it was both written and drawn by Kubo):
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8915/photo8076edited1uk8.jpg
If Urahara ever thought of Yoruichi as his little sister, well then, it's quite funny, isn't it? Cause I just wouldn't understand...why he would be talking or blushing about the fact that he saw her naked, much more 'beyond naked'? If he saw her as only a sister? What are these people thinking? Sure, people can probably call that teasing (o_o), but before the fact that Urahara even knew Yoruichi was in the room, he was all into the idea of seeing Yoruichi naked, and even going as far to say he saw her 'beyond naked', which to no suirprise, Yoruichi didn't take so well, considering her reaction. She was all ready to pounce on Kisuke after talking about her so 'inappropriately', but even before that she said "I never knew we were so close Kisuke, care to elaborate?" in the most taunting way, and after Kisuke shyed away from the question, she told him "Don't be shy" and not in a blunt way at all..yea, that really sounds like a brother and sister talk. (Why would a sister have to question her relationship or closeness with her brother? Do I even have to aak these questions?-.-)
2. In Bleach Chapter 195 (Urahara saw her half naked):
http://1.p.s.mfcdn.net/store/manga/9/22-195.0/compressed/_manga_rain_bleach_ch195_02.jpg
Apart from the fact that I don't understand why a brother would want to see his sister naked, and why the sister would feel so comfortable about it, I've never seen a 'brother-sister' moment so tense as this. I guess people were expecting Urahara to act perverted here, or say something suggestive. It seems I forgot to mention another aspect of the UraYoru relationship. Even though Urahara has labeled himself as a 'perverted shopkeeper', he never really expresses as such through words. (As we've seen in the Radio Kon interview, he only talks about Yoruichi intimately while she isn't there, yet when she's there, suddenly the topic goes away..it could be because he's shy around her as well) Never once does Urahara make suggestive comments to Yoruichi or is he disrespectful towards her. And sure you can say that it's because he's not interested in her 'that' way, but I beg to differ. That moment, his facial expression, and the way he approached her is way too intense to say he isn't enjoying that view. If he were only intense about the situation altogether, with her being injured of course, then he wouldn't have had that grin on his face, or have been so comfortable seeing her that way. But, he is always very respectful to her, and as you can see here, their relationship is very mutual. Meaning, that they are comfortable and deep around each other without having to be all perverted. Doesn't mean that they aren't interested in each other, no. In fact, it shows true friendship, as well as a healthy and most of all mature relationship between them. Also, take in the fact that Urahara wasn't always perverted. He used to be innocent and naive back in the day. I think with their relationship, their friendship comes before anything else, which is another reason why I think Urahara doesn't make suggestive comments towards her; because that's the way he is, that's the way it has always been, they were close friends first, and he respects their friendship. Not to mention, I think Urahara is a very respectable person. At least more respectable than Shunsui anyway ;)
3. In Bleach Chapter 404 (Kisuke is a peeping Tom!):
http://6.p.s.mfcdn.net/store/manga/9/45-404.0/compressed/h06.jpg
I don't know why Kubo would add a sexual innuendo moment here if Urahara and Yoruichi were like siblings. I mean, how much more clueless could you get? D: Yoruichi lifts up her leg, Urahara puts up his fan, and peeks over interested and 'pervertedly' at Yoruichi's...leg? I doubt it. Unless he really likes her leg, then yes, that would be okay too, cause who wouldn't? Point is, if he saw her as a sister, then he wouldn't be peeking at wherever he was peeking, or flirting with her in the first place. And yes, that's called flirting, especially after Yoruichi hit him 'playfully' on the nose. That's some real bother-sister dynamic. Darn, if I weren't so interested in UraYoru in a romantic light, I would have thought this moment made a great sibling moment.....-_- Btw, who else does Yoruichi have these "Peeping Tom" moments with, I wonder? That's right, no one.
4, In Bleach Chapter 193 (Anyone notice they're "that" close?):
http://6.p.s.mfcdn.net/store/manga/9/22-193.0/compressed/_manga_rain_bleach_ch193_22.jpg
I don't know if anyone noticed before, cause I sure didn't at first. But if you take a look carefully at their stance, and just how close they are, there's a lot of sexual tension during this moment, even without words! But most of all, where and how Kisukes' haori is touching Yoruichi. Kubo could have drawn this scene any other way, but he chose to do it this way, which is the most sublte, yet most suggestive way he could have drawn them. I think this panel speaks for itself, just how close these two really are, even though sometimes they won't admit it to each others' faces ;D (i.e. they bicker, they won't talk about their relationship in front of each other, but at the end of the day, that's what it is <3)
I don't know why Kubo would put in such suggestive moments if he wanted to portray Urahara and Yoruichi as siblings or 'just friends', and I don't know how anyone can see them any other way than 'suggestive'. All I know is, half naked panels, talking about 'beyond naked', blushing, peeping, bickering, flirting...there's definitely more to UraYoru than 'just friends', and they are definitely not siblings, and never was it stated so. Truly absurd.
"How do you know UraYoru is canon?" or "Why do you imply that it is canon?"
Many people think of the word 'canon' as something that is explicitly said, whether it's in the manga, or stated by the author themselves, but I like to think of it as not only something that is confirmed, but what is there, what we can see, in the manga. Afterall, actions speak louder than words, or in other words, IF YOU CAN SEE IT, IT'S CANON. Not everything needs words to be explained, some things just speak for themselves.
Urahara and Yoruichi are friends, more importantly childhood and best friends. It's been said by Tessai, implied by flashbacks/Yoruichi's words, and that's how we know it's canon. How do we know Urahara and Yoruichi are canon as a romantic pair? Well, while their relationship hasn't been confirmed by Kubo to be romantic, the hints of romantic feelings are there, which tends to lead people to believe: romantic feelings/signs = romantic pair, whether that pair is officially together or not...yet. (Urahara peeking at her 'leg', Yoruichi punching him afterwards, them bickering...and I'm sorry, but brother and sister do not bicker the way they do. It's like calling Ichigo and Rukia siblings...-_-) Why do people ship IchiRuki, or IshiHime? Has it even been confirmed or said by Kubo that there is romance b/w these couples? No, but there are hints and ingredients, or their relationship consists of romantic feelings and many romantic interactions from both parties, that have been shown time and time again, that lead us to believe, there is something more to it than meets the eye..or more than what non-shippers/haters refuse to see/accept anyway. UraYoru's interactions are romantic or at least suggestive, their relationship has something romantic about it, and the only way for you to not see it or refuse to see it, is if you want to see it that way. Everyone has their own interpretation of Bleach and it's couples, yes, but there are some people who just choose to see what they want to see, rather than just 'see'. It's like reading but not taking in what you're reading at all.
Can we say that Urahara is attracted to Yoruichi in a romantic way? Yes. He's shown such in FKT arc. Can we say Yoruichi is attracted to Urahara in a romantic way? Well, she sure doesn't flirt or bicker with anyone else in the manga, neither does she spend as much time, or stay at anyone elses' house as much as Urahara.
They're no IchiRuki when it comes to tons of development, but when it comes to their scenes and their moments, they receive some of, if not one of the best development in the manga.
I don't know how you can interpret or build up on something that isn't there. UraYoru isn't made up, it's there, it's in the manga. Their 'non-sibling' interactions are in the manga, their suggestive scenes are in the manga, their friendship is in the manga; UraYoru is in the manga. Therefore, like I always say: I don't ship UraYoru, it's in the manga. I just ended up loving it. ~
Whether you see it as romantic or not is not up to me, but at least don't substitute things that weren't there before, just because you don't want to see it or accept it a certain way.
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Notes:
Thank you for anyone who took the time to read this. Please no hater comments, or I'll remove them. ;) Hnh, not really a threat, but seriously, if you have nothing nice to say, well you know the saying. Please tell me your thoughts on this essay, and I'd be more than delighted if you had anything more to elaborate on. Stay tuned for my UraYoru/IchiRuki comparison essay in the future.
And before anyone tries to cut off my head XD Cause I've had this problem before. I just wanted to say that I write these essays mainly for me and because I love this ship so much (That goes for any ship I write about). It's nothing personal, it's not an attack, so no worries there, and it isn't for any other specific reason except..that I love UraYoru, and frankly, I think they deseve more attention. So, when I write, I write these truly out of my heart and love for UraYoru, and if you end up liking it too, then great! <3
Source for Google Quote: http://teenadvice.about.com/od/loveanddating/a/isitlove1.htm
And ugh, I've revised and edited this essay so many times. So if you end up, to my happiness, reading it again, you'll notice a couple of additions or changes XD