"More than Friends, Less than Lovers"
I remember the first time I saw this quote. It was in the signature of a poster in the FLOL forum that I saw a screencap of while reading an anti-IchiHime essay. Without knowing anything besides Kubo's line about the relationship not being an amorous one (as in, not knowing anything else he said or the context or date of the interview), I have to admit I was disappointed. My initial thoughts were, "Well, Kubo, if they don't have romantic feelings for one another, WHY do you make it seem like they do with things like chapter 423 and 436, etc etc? Why are you doing one thing and saying another?!"
All the same, I didn't feel "worried" that IH was more likely to happen. Because, hey, if Ichigo and Rukia aren't romantic, Ichigo sure as hell has no romantic feelings for Orihime (although I needed no further confirmation of that than the manga).
However, learning more details about the interview clarified the statement for me.
First of all, this was far from the only thing Kubo said. Note that he was speaking about their relationship AT THE TIME, which was when Fade to Black came out in 2008.
Not only that, but he also said this:
Question: What bits do you want everyone to focus on?
Kubo: “The relationship between Ichigo and Rukia. Their change in their own feelings
AND in another interview he said this:
SJ: Do you have any plans to make Ichigo and Rukia a couple?
Kubo: I'm not going to confirm nor deny that. [laughs]
Now, IH fans loooove to say that he was only being vague to prevent losing readership, which is not the only thing that is going on here. He was being vague because he didn't want to reveal future details in his story. But what I find amusing is that certain IH fans seem to have very different explanations for this quote and the "more than friends, less than lovers" one. I have seen many saying things like "why does anyone ship IchiRuki when Kubo said their relationship is not romantic?!?! He has completely sunk the ship!!!1"
Now tell me something...if Kubo's "not friendship but not an amorous feeling either" quote means that IchiRuki is not romantic and will never be...why does he refuse to deny that he has plans to make them a couple? Since he already said as much in the Fade to Black interview, why would he say something completely different in another interview? The interviews are both in 2008, only months apart. It's not like his plans would have changed in that time period.
Therefore, your interpretation of his words in invalid much like your interpretation of that manga.
Now, let's take a look at the infamous quote:
Q: What do you think the bond is that these two have with each other?
Kubo: It’s not friendship but it’s not an amorous feeling either. With these 2’s relationship, I think there is no other relationship like them in other works where despite both standing in a very close position with each other it is not romance (laughs)
But in this year’s movie there is a scene where Ichigo says Rukia is his “Precious nakama” and I think that explains the of their relationship well.
Now, when he said this, the manga was in the middle of the Hueco Mundo arc, in Fake Karakura Town. He said that their relationship wasn't romantic because, at the time, it wasn't. But remember what he said about their feelings changing?
A lot has happened since then. Do I really need to go here again?:
Yeah...
And then the Fullbringer Arc happened and we have Ichigo thinking how he "can't keep up with the speed of the world without [Rukia]." They're still not together, but it's obvious that their feelings have evolved since Kubo gave that interview, as he said they would.
So, please, stop using that quote as "proof" that IchiRuki will never be canon. You're only embarrassing yourself.
All the same, I didn't feel "worried" that IH was more likely to happen. Because, hey, if Ichigo and Rukia aren't romantic, Ichigo sure as hell has no romantic feelings for Orihime (although I needed no further confirmation of that than the manga).
However, learning more details about the interview clarified the statement for me.
First of all, this was far from the only thing Kubo said. Note that he was speaking about their relationship AT THE TIME, which was when Fade to Black came out in 2008.
Not only that, but he also said this:
Question: What bits do you want everyone to focus on?
Kubo: “The relationship between Ichigo and Rukia. Their change in their own feelings
AND in another interview he said this:
SJ: Do you have any plans to make Ichigo and Rukia a couple?
Kubo: I'm not going to confirm nor deny that. [laughs]
Now, IH fans loooove to say that he was only being vague to prevent losing readership, which is not the only thing that is going on here. He was being vague because he didn't want to reveal future details in his story. But what I find amusing is that certain IH fans seem to have very different explanations for this quote and the "more than friends, less than lovers" one. I have seen many saying things like "why does anyone ship IchiRuki when Kubo said their relationship is not romantic?!?! He has completely sunk the ship!!!1"
Now tell me something...if Kubo's "not friendship but not an amorous feeling either" quote means that IchiRuki is not romantic and will never be...why does he refuse to deny that he has plans to make them a couple? Since he already said as much in the Fade to Black interview, why would he say something completely different in another interview? The interviews are both in 2008, only months apart. It's not like his plans would have changed in that time period.
Therefore, your interpretation of his words in invalid much like your interpretation of that manga.
Now, let's take a look at the infamous quote:
Q: What do you think the bond is that these two have with each other?
Kubo: It’s not friendship but it’s not an amorous feeling either. With these 2’s relationship, I think there is no other relationship like them in other works where despite both standing in a very close position with each other it is not romance (laughs)
But in this year’s movie there is a scene where Ichigo says Rukia is his “Precious nakama” and I think that explains the of their relationship well.
Now, when he said this, the manga was in the middle of the Hueco Mundo arc, in Fake Karakura Town. He said that their relationship wasn't romantic because, at the time, it wasn't. But remember what he said about their feelings changing?
A lot has happened since then. Do I really need to go here again?:
Yeah...
And then the Fullbringer Arc happened and we have Ichigo thinking how he "can't keep up with the speed of the world without [Rukia]." They're still not together, but it's obvious that their feelings have evolved since Kubo gave that interview, as he said they would.
So, please, stop using that quote as "proof" that IchiRuki will never be canon. You're only embarrassing yourself.