IchiRuki vs. IchiHime
When I first got into Bleach, I only watched part of the anime, up until the Bount filler. Recently I went back and read the manga from the beginning, and while I was reading, it never occurred to me that IchiHime was ever a pairing that had any chance of becoming canon. As I said in my other previous Bleach post, I only learned that there was a shipping war when I read about it on TvTropes. Even now, after I have read various arguments by IchiHime fans on the IR vs. IH thread on mangafox, and the IH thread on mangafox, and the IH Fanclub on BleachAsylum, AND one or two essays, I STILL find the idea of IchiHime very, very unrealistic.
Now, I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings... Personally I completely understand the appeal of a pairing like Ichigo x Orihime. I love the whole Knight-in-Shining-Armor-protects-sweet-innocent-Princess thing, and I really like Orihime. If you take several panels from the HM arc completely out of context, that seems to be what is going on. However, if you take Ichigo's feelings and the rest of the manga into account, it should be abundantly clear to anyone who isn't blinded by shipping goggles that Ichigo is not interested in Orihime romantically, he will never be (and yes, I say "never" because at this point, in the FINAL arc, for Ichigo to suddenly realize he loves Orihime when there have been no hints of it anywhere and instead his ambiguous relationship with Rukia has been built up for the last 10+ years would be TERRIBLE writing, and I am certain Kubo has no intention of doing anything of the sort). One can go on shipping Ichigo x Orihime all they want, but it irks me when people argue it has a chance of happening in canon. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment.
Another thing people say is that even though Ichigo has never shown any romantic feelings for Orihime (don't even get me started on people who say otherwise...are we reading the same manga?), he hasn't shown any for Rukia either. Well, while Ichigo certainly has not made any speeches like Orihime's FLOL one, there have been plenty of moments where Rukia has been singled out among his nakama as some extra-special to him. One can argue that she is his "best friend," but those arguments only go so far. There are at least two moments that come to my mind whenever someone argues that Ichigo has never shown hints of romantic feelings for Rukia. Here they are:
His expression in Chapter 213:
His expression in Chapter 423:
In both cases, Ichigo has the most tender, unguarded expression that we have ever seen from him. In fact, these are the only two times we have seen such an expression from him, and the two faces look very similar. Some IchiHime fans have said that Ichigo makes tender faces at Orihime, but as the person who made this graphic points out, those "puppydog eyes" of his have been made at several different people, including Nel and Zangetsu, and at times when he is tired after a battle. I agree that those eyes of his look very sweet, and if he made them ONLY at Orihime, I would conceed that it was a hint for IchiHime and the pairing had a chance. But he doesn't, and so it doesn't. On the contrary, I challenge anyone to fine me an example of Ichigo giving a look similar to the two above to ANYONE else, Orihime or otherwise. Good luck.
I've seen IchiHime shippers say they "don't see the romance between Ichigo and Rukia." I don't know if these people are not reading carefully, or willfully ignoring panels such as the two above, or only count unambiguous statements of "I love you" as romance, or all three combined. But honestly, if Ichigo made those faces at Orihime, I for one would believe that he was beginning to feel romantic feelings for her. And don't tell me you IchiHime wouldn't squeal if that were the case, because I honestly think you are lying either to me or yourselves.
And finally, another detractor argument is Ichigo would have made the 423 face for any nakama he had to say goodbye to. While I maintain that the face would have had romantic connotations no matter whom he was looking at (seriously, if he made that face at Chad I would start questioning Ichigo's heterosexuality), I think it's important to consider that he has never made such a face for anyone except Rukia. Remember the puppydog eyes? Like I said, they also sweet-looking, and if he only made them at Orihime, I would consider that significant. But Kubo has made it a point to have Ichigo make the same expression at other people that no one is arguing he has romantic feelings for, which makes it clear that they are not an indication of romantic interest. If Kubo didn't want those two looks of Ichigo's to have romantic significance, he could have had Ichigo make that face at someone else, some other time. In fact, he had a perfect opportunity in Chapter 195, when Ichigo was looking down at a severely hurt Orihime. Instead he gives her this look:
There is no tenderness there, only guilt. Ichigo is blaming himself for her injuries and feeling angry at his inability to protect his friends. He's upset that she got hurt, not because he harbors romantic feelings for her, but because it was his fault. The situation with Rukia was very similar, but he made a completely different face there, because his feelings were different.
To sum up, while Ichigo and Rukia have not admitted to having any feelings for one another, there have been hints that they might be developing them. Those two panels are only one of many examples and are, in my opinion, indisputably romantic. There are other, more subtle moments that I will not get into because other people have made better essays about them and they are more open to interpretation than these two panels.
There is still no guarantee that Kubo will end Bleach with any pairing, and I think there is a good chance he will not. But if there is a pairing at the end, it will be IchiRuki. Anything else would simply be terrible writing.
Now, I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings... Personally I completely understand the appeal of a pairing like Ichigo x Orihime. I love the whole Knight-in-Shining-Armor-protects-sweet-innocent-Princess thing, and I really like Orihime. If you take several panels from the HM arc completely out of context, that seems to be what is going on. However, if you take Ichigo's feelings and the rest of the manga into account, it should be abundantly clear to anyone who isn't blinded by shipping goggles that Ichigo is not interested in Orihime romantically, he will never be (and yes, I say "never" because at this point, in the FINAL arc, for Ichigo to suddenly realize he loves Orihime when there have been no hints of it anywhere and instead his ambiguous relationship with Rukia has been built up for the last 10+ years would be TERRIBLE writing, and I am certain Kubo has no intention of doing anything of the sort). One can go on shipping Ichigo x Orihime all they want, but it irks me when people argue it has a chance of happening in canon. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment.
Another thing people say is that even though Ichigo has never shown any romantic feelings for Orihime (don't even get me started on people who say otherwise...are we reading the same manga?), he hasn't shown any for Rukia either. Well, while Ichigo certainly has not made any speeches like Orihime's FLOL one, there have been plenty of moments where Rukia has been singled out among his nakama as some extra-special to him. One can argue that she is his "best friend," but those arguments only go so far. There are at least two moments that come to my mind whenever someone argues that Ichigo has never shown hints of romantic feelings for Rukia. Here they are:
His expression in Chapter 213:
His expression in Chapter 423:
In both cases, Ichigo has the most tender, unguarded expression that we have ever seen from him. In fact, these are the only two times we have seen such an expression from him, and the two faces look very similar. Some IchiHime fans have said that Ichigo makes tender faces at Orihime, but as the person who made this graphic points out, those "puppydog eyes" of his have been made at several different people, including Nel and Zangetsu, and at times when he is tired after a battle. I agree that those eyes of his look very sweet, and if he made them ONLY at Orihime, I would conceed that it was a hint for IchiHime and the pairing had a chance. But he doesn't, and so it doesn't. On the contrary, I challenge anyone to fine me an example of Ichigo giving a look similar to the two above to ANYONE else, Orihime or otherwise. Good luck.
I've seen IchiHime shippers say they "don't see the romance between Ichigo and Rukia." I don't know if these people are not reading carefully, or willfully ignoring panels such as the two above, or only count unambiguous statements of "I love you" as romance, or all three combined. But honestly, if Ichigo made those faces at Orihime, I for one would believe that he was beginning to feel romantic feelings for her. And don't tell me you IchiHime wouldn't squeal if that were the case, because I honestly think you are lying either to me or yourselves.
And finally, another detractor argument is Ichigo would have made the 423 face for any nakama he had to say goodbye to. While I maintain that the face would have had romantic connotations no matter whom he was looking at (seriously, if he made that face at Chad I would start questioning Ichigo's heterosexuality), I think it's important to consider that he has never made such a face for anyone except Rukia. Remember the puppydog eyes? Like I said, they also sweet-looking, and if he only made them at Orihime, I would consider that significant. But Kubo has made it a point to have Ichigo make the same expression at other people that no one is arguing he has romantic feelings for, which makes it clear that they are not an indication of romantic interest. If Kubo didn't want those two looks of Ichigo's to have romantic significance, he could have had Ichigo make that face at someone else, some other time. In fact, he had a perfect opportunity in Chapter 195, when Ichigo was looking down at a severely hurt Orihime. Instead he gives her this look:
There is no tenderness there, only guilt. Ichigo is blaming himself for her injuries and feeling angry at his inability to protect his friends. He's upset that she got hurt, not because he harbors romantic feelings for her, but because it was his fault. The situation with Rukia was very similar, but he made a completely different face there, because his feelings were different.
To sum up, while Ichigo and Rukia have not admitted to having any feelings for one another, there have been hints that they might be developing them. Those two panels are only one of many examples and are, in my opinion, indisputably romantic. There are other, more subtle moments that I will not get into because other people have made better essays about them and they are more open to interpretation than these two panels.
There is still no guarantee that Kubo will end Bleach with any pairing, and I think there is a good chance he will not. But if there is a pairing at the end, it will be IchiRuki. Anything else would simply be terrible writing.