Still There: Uryuu has a Thang for Hime
Still There: Uryuu has a Thang for Hime
Pairing: Ishida Uryuu/Inoue Orihime
Fandom: Bleach
Title: Still There: Uryuu has a Thang for Hime
Author: debbiechan
Personal Website: debbiechan.com
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone and thanks mods for allowing freeform fun. This essay looks at some IshiHime moments in the Bleach manga and focuses on Ishida Uryuu’s feelings towards Inoue Orihime. When I wrote my previous shipper manifesto about this couple, I had no idea of the depths of shipper dissension among fans of various couples in Bleach. I hope that this follow-up won’t annoy anyone: it scarcely mentions any Bleach characters but Ishida and Orihime. While predicting the course of the story is part of the fun of serial manga and although writing opinions (even those that annoy people) are a shipper’s right, let us on Valentine’s Day celebrate Dork Love.
All translations are by M7. I prefer the Ju-Ni translations of the manga but Ju-Ni didn’t translate early volumes. Specific chapter assignations aren’t given to pictures and text this go-round because I …got lazy.
So now to the Dork love overview in which Ishida the bespectacled, socially awkward handicrafts master (as well as steely-eyed fighter and expert archer) deals with a beautiful girl whose intelligence and quirkiness match his own
Do we really have a Valentine’s Day story here? All Bleach fans know that Orihime doesn’t think of Ishida in that way. To date in the manga, she considers him a good friend and not a potential love-mate. Ishida, some fans claim, reciprocates those feelings exactly and that this relationship is just a strong friendship. Others see Ishida in the throes of an obvious crush. Naturally, I’m with the latter group, and I see Ishida Uryuu’s feelings for Inoue Orihime as a wonderful expression of love. Yes, he is her friend but he holds her concerns and her safety above all others in a selfless, cherishing way. And I think that his romantic and/or sexual feelings for her are plain too.
So, how about that hard-to-read Quincy boy? Right before our first glimpse of the couple, Orihime claims that they don’t know each other at all, but then she reads Ishida very well. She says that Ishida is “a nice guy” even though he appears rude.
Orihime says she isn't close to Ishida at all
but she seems to understand him well at the beginning of the manga
as well as at the end of the Soul Society arc.
Orihime has Ishida’s number. She knows that he does the opposite of what he says and doesn’t reveal his true feelings. Such are the ways of angsty anti-heroes, but thanks to internal monologue (Ishida has more than any other character) and behavior over words, we know that Ishida’s feelings for Orihime begin positively and only increase in intensity throughout the course of the manga. He never says flat out, of course, that he’s in love with her, but as the story progresses, it appears that Kubo-san throws readers some powerful hints.
The first hints are benign.
Early in the manga, even though he appears rude to others, he treats Orihime kindly and in one scene, when Orihime and others ask Ishida to join them in the rescue of Rukia, Ishida brushes them off. Then later, in a thought bubble, he apologizes to Orihime (not to Chad or Yoruichi, the others requesting his help).
Likewise, as Ishida seems to value and respect Orihime, she expects the best of him. When Chad suggests that he won’t show up for the rescue, Orihime throws Chad an outraged look and insists that Ishida will.
Then Ishida and Orihime are partnered in Soul Society, and here is where the relationship is revealed to be shipper-irresistible. Kubo-san spends a great deal of panel time addressing how well the two work together and he throws Orihime in Ishida’s arms for good measure as well. As I noted in my previous ship manifesto, there are nine panels alone in the Soul Society arc where Ishida has his arm protectively over Orihime. He rescues her from death a minimum of three times. His large hands hover over her form, and Kubo singles them out or draws them prominently. Then, at the point where Orihime and Ishida separate and Ishida has his final terrible battle with Mayuri, Ishida recalls his grandfather telling him that one day he will know what he wants to protect. Given that Ishida has been shown protecting Orihime rather obsessively and often in the Soul Society arc, one has to wonder …can you say foreshadowing?
He's got her in his arms here and Kubo-san draws attention to his hand.
Ishida is still holding his arms over her even after her shield has gone up to protect them both from an explosion.
He not only protects her from sword-wielding opponents. Ishida protects Orihime from lecherous advances as well.
This guy looks too friendly.
And Ishida steps in to discourage him.
As for sexual tension, it’s there on Ishida’s part.
I’m always amused when fans say that Ishida sets off their “gaydar” simply because he’s sensitive, fashion-conscious, and sews. I like to say that Ishida is a false positive on their gaydar and that the heterosexual undertones of the Soul Society arc are plain. Orihime may think of Ishida as a friend, but he’s clearly flustered by her beauty.
When he saves her the first time and she thanks him, he goes from cold-eyed destroyer to bashful boy in the blink of an eye. And the next panel shows us what Ishida sees--Orihime in all her long-legged loveliness.
In one of the manga’s funniest scenes, Ishida’s glasses splinter when Orihime starts to take her clothes off. Would any red-blooded adolescent boy have stopped the strip show? Not a decent boy and not Ishida. Although obviously discombobulated, he tries to save the situation and cries at Orihime to stop. He’s rewarded with his own changing room, and while Orihime hums outside it, Ishida wonders, “Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”
Ishida gets an eyefull.
But he's modest and gentlemanly in the later hours.
The blanket partition shown between Ishida and Orihime during sleeping hours reminds me of the old movie It Happened One Night. If Ishida were just one of the girlfriends, he wouldn’t feel the need to set his physical presence this far from Orihime. And the irony, of course, is that Ishida and Orihime touch more than any other couple in the manga--by either intent or accident.
Some unintentional touching: PONK!
It's too intentional here: Ishida's already rescued her but he doesn't let go.
Ishida’s analytical character and though bubbles show us that he understands Orihime better the more time they spend together. Some may claim that Ishida’s assessments of Orihime are cool and detached, but just look at his face in the third panel. That’s a face of concern and compassion.
Orihime is never far from Ishida’s thoughts. He thinks of her before he battles Mayuri and he thinks of her as he stumbles away from that battle. He worries about the others, yes, but his first thought bubbles are about Orihime.
Before the Mayuri battle.
And after it.
Ishida survives, as is usually the case with main characters in a shounen, and he’s in the Fourth Division medical facility, luck so has it that Orihime finds her way there. Ishida is the first of his cellmates to notice that she is riding on Kenpachi’s back. Look at his little thrill of recognition.
Even though Ishida has lost his powers and there are more critical issues at stake during the Soul Society arc, Ishida’s primary concern always seems to be Orihime. His concern for her at battleside when Byakuya fights Ichigo is spoken on every page. He worries for her emotional well-being; he worries for her physical well-being. He has his eyes on her in almost every panel. There are three other male friends at the scene, but they aren’t at all looking after Orihime. Ishida tries in vain to get Orihime to leave their proximity to the battle.
At the conclusion of the Soul Society arc, Kubo-san gives us one notable hint of a possible Ishida/Orihime relationship to come. Ishida sews Orihime a new shirt and is flattered beyond flattered that she likes it (“Re-Really?”). Meanwhile, Orihime notices that the dress he sewed for Rukia is nicer and she immediately concludes that Ishida has a crush on Rukia. The side panel reads “way off.” And later, when Orihime shoves the dress into Rukia’s hands, the fervor, blush, and seriousness on her face as she says “take very good care of that” shows that Orihime doesn’t want Ishida’s feelings hurt. Some may read a twinge of jealousy or over-protectiveness.
Ishida is so pleased that Orihime complimented him (she doesn't look that thrilled about the shirt, though).
Rukia's dress is prettier therefore...OMG!
Do I detect a little bit of passionate feeling here on Orihime's part?
It’s said that shippers read too much into facial expressions and build sandcastles out of imagined subtext. That may be true, but in a form like manga where both text and pictures carry equal weight, the speech bubbles only tell half of the story. Kubo-san, like other manga-ka, tells us about his characters with the mere turn this way or that of a pencil mark. Below are some of Ishida’s faces when he’s thinking about or standing before Orihime.
And then we return to Earth and see very little of Ishida while he trains with his father. But behold the look at Ishida’s face when he finds out that Orihime has been kidnapped by the Arrancar.
As one person commenting on my last manifesto noted, the only reason that Ishida goes to Hueco Mundo is to save Inoue Orihime. He defies his father, to whom he made a vow never to associate with Shinigami and their allies again. He never explains why he broke this vow, but when one Arrancar asks why a Quincy is helping a Shinigami, Ishida looks furious and refuses to answer.
I think it’s because (chants) he loves her, he loves her. ^__^
In my previous manifesto, I stated my belief that Orihime may one day turn around and discover that Ishida was “there all along.” The perfect compliment to her personality and someone who truly cares for her. At this writing, it’s been volumes since we’ve seen Orihime and Ishida interact, but I suspect that their chemistry will still be there when we see them again.
Who knows exactly what will happen next, but Orihime is being held prisoner and Ishida et al are on their way. I find it amusing and maybe significant that Kubo Tite, an artist so concerned with design and fashion that he named characters after designers and made one of his Bleach main characters a sewing expert, has Ishida and Orihime dressed in matching clothes in this arc.
Orihime all in white like a princess waiting to be rescued.
Could be a coincidence but why a cross on her bosom, eh?
I, for one, am cheering for Ishida to save the girl in this arc. It may be that all Ishida will do is rescue Orihime the way Ichigo rescued Rukia in the previous arc, and the naysayers will insist on there being nothing romantic here as they claim there was nothing romantic between Ichigo and Rukia. But in my book, saving the fair maiden always meant romance--in its two primary definitions. Romance in the adventure and chivalry sense and romance in the “look into my eyes and read my feelings for you” sense.
I’d like to see more hints of an eventual true pairing. The manga may have years to go and many things could happen. Kubo-san has paid too much attention to the Ishida and Orihime relationship to drop this stitch and not take it up later. After his miserable defeat in the Soul Society arc, the verbal abuse from his father, and his segregation from the first friends he may have ever made, Ishida deserves a little happiness don’t you think? And Orihime deserves him. He’s a great guy.
Pairing: Ishida Uryuu/Inoue Orihime
Fandom: Bleach
Title: Still There: Uryuu has a Thang for Hime
Author: debbiechan
Personal Website: debbiechan.com
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone and thanks mods for allowing freeform fun. This essay looks at some IshiHime moments in the Bleach manga and focuses on Ishida Uryuu’s feelings towards Inoue Orihime. When I wrote my previous shipper manifesto about this couple, I had no idea of the depths of shipper dissension among fans of various couples in Bleach. I hope that this follow-up won’t annoy anyone: it scarcely mentions any Bleach characters but Ishida and Orihime. While predicting the course of the story is part of the fun of serial manga and although writing opinions (even those that annoy people) are a shipper’s right, let us on Valentine’s Day celebrate Dork Love.
All translations are by M7. I prefer the Ju-Ni translations of the manga but Ju-Ni didn’t translate early volumes. Specific chapter assignations aren’t given to pictures and text this go-round because I …got lazy.
So now to the Dork love overview in which Ishida the bespectacled, socially awkward handicrafts master (as well as steely-eyed fighter and expert archer) deals with a beautiful girl whose intelligence and quirkiness match his own
Do we really have a Valentine’s Day story here? All Bleach fans know that Orihime doesn’t think of Ishida in that way. To date in the manga, she considers him a good friend and not a potential love-mate. Ishida, some fans claim, reciprocates those feelings exactly and that this relationship is just a strong friendship. Others see Ishida in the throes of an obvious crush. Naturally, I’m with the latter group, and I see Ishida Uryuu’s feelings for Inoue Orihime as a wonderful expression of love. Yes, he is her friend but he holds her concerns and her safety above all others in a selfless, cherishing way. And I think that his romantic and/or sexual feelings for her are plain too.
So, how about that hard-to-read Quincy boy? Right before our first glimpse of the couple, Orihime claims that they don’t know each other at all, but then she reads Ishida very well. She says that Ishida is “a nice guy” even though he appears rude.
Orihime says she isn't close to Ishida at all
but she seems to understand him well at the beginning of the manga
as well as at the end of the Soul Society arc.
Orihime has Ishida’s number. She knows that he does the opposite of what he says and doesn’t reveal his true feelings. Such are the ways of angsty anti-heroes, but thanks to internal monologue (Ishida has more than any other character) and behavior over words, we know that Ishida’s feelings for Orihime begin positively and only increase in intensity throughout the course of the manga. He never says flat out, of course, that he’s in love with her, but as the story progresses, it appears that Kubo-san throws readers some powerful hints.
The first hints are benign.
Early in the manga, even though he appears rude to others, he treats Orihime kindly and in one scene, when Orihime and others ask Ishida to join them in the rescue of Rukia, Ishida brushes them off. Then later, in a thought bubble, he apologizes to Orihime (not to Chad or Yoruichi, the others requesting his help).
Likewise, as Ishida seems to value and respect Orihime, she expects the best of him. When Chad suggests that he won’t show up for the rescue, Orihime throws Chad an outraged look and insists that Ishida will.
Then Ishida and Orihime are partnered in Soul Society, and here is where the relationship is revealed to be shipper-irresistible. Kubo-san spends a great deal of panel time addressing how well the two work together and he throws Orihime in Ishida’s arms for good measure as well. As I noted in my previous ship manifesto, there are nine panels alone in the Soul Society arc where Ishida has his arm protectively over Orihime. He rescues her from death a minimum of three times. His large hands hover over her form, and Kubo singles them out or draws them prominently. Then, at the point where Orihime and Ishida separate and Ishida has his final terrible battle with Mayuri, Ishida recalls his grandfather telling him that one day he will know what he wants to protect. Given that Ishida has been shown protecting Orihime rather obsessively and often in the Soul Society arc, one has to wonder …can you say foreshadowing?
He's got her in his arms here and Kubo-san draws attention to his hand.
Ishida is still holding his arms over her even after her shield has gone up to protect them both from an explosion.
He not only protects her from sword-wielding opponents. Ishida protects Orihime from lecherous advances as well.
This guy looks too friendly.
And Ishida steps in to discourage him.
As for sexual tension, it’s there on Ishida’s part.
I’m always amused when fans say that Ishida sets off their “gaydar” simply because he’s sensitive, fashion-conscious, and sews. I like to say that Ishida is a false positive on their gaydar and that the heterosexual undertones of the Soul Society arc are plain. Orihime may think of Ishida as a friend, but he’s clearly flustered by her beauty.
When he saves her the first time and she thanks him, he goes from cold-eyed destroyer to bashful boy in the blink of an eye. And the next panel shows us what Ishida sees--Orihime in all her long-legged loveliness.
In one of the manga’s funniest scenes, Ishida’s glasses splinter when Orihime starts to take her clothes off. Would any red-blooded adolescent boy have stopped the strip show? Not a decent boy and not Ishida. Although obviously discombobulated, he tries to save the situation and cries at Orihime to stop. He’s rewarded with his own changing room, and while Orihime hums outside it, Ishida wonders, “Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”
Ishida gets an eyefull.
But he's modest and gentlemanly in the later hours.
The blanket partition shown between Ishida and Orihime during sleeping hours reminds me of the old movie It Happened One Night. If Ishida were just one of the girlfriends, he wouldn’t feel the need to set his physical presence this far from Orihime. And the irony, of course, is that Ishida and Orihime touch more than any other couple in the manga--by either intent or accident.
Some unintentional touching: PONK!
It's too intentional here: Ishida's already rescued her but he doesn't let go.
Ishida’s analytical character and though bubbles show us that he understands Orihime better the more time they spend together. Some may claim that Ishida’s assessments of Orihime are cool and detached, but just look at his face in the third panel. That’s a face of concern and compassion.
Orihime is never far from Ishida’s thoughts. He thinks of her before he battles Mayuri and he thinks of her as he stumbles away from that battle. He worries about the others, yes, but his first thought bubbles are about Orihime.
Before the Mayuri battle.
And after it.
Ishida survives, as is usually the case with main characters in a shounen, and he’s in the Fourth Division medical facility, luck so has it that Orihime finds her way there. Ishida is the first of his cellmates to notice that she is riding on Kenpachi’s back. Look at his little thrill of recognition.
Even though Ishida has lost his powers and there are more critical issues at stake during the Soul Society arc, Ishida’s primary concern always seems to be Orihime. His concern for her at battleside when Byakuya fights Ichigo is spoken on every page. He worries for her emotional well-being; he worries for her physical well-being. He has his eyes on her in almost every panel. There are three other male friends at the scene, but they aren’t at all looking after Orihime. Ishida tries in vain to get Orihime to leave their proximity to the battle.
At the conclusion of the Soul Society arc, Kubo-san gives us one notable hint of a possible Ishida/Orihime relationship to come. Ishida sews Orihime a new shirt and is flattered beyond flattered that she likes it (“Re-Really?”). Meanwhile, Orihime notices that the dress he sewed for Rukia is nicer and she immediately concludes that Ishida has a crush on Rukia. The side panel reads “way off.” And later, when Orihime shoves the dress into Rukia’s hands, the fervor, blush, and seriousness on her face as she says “take very good care of that” shows that Orihime doesn’t want Ishida’s feelings hurt. Some may read a twinge of jealousy or over-protectiveness.
Ishida is so pleased that Orihime complimented him (she doesn't look that thrilled about the shirt, though).
Rukia's dress is prettier therefore...OMG!
Do I detect a little bit of passionate feeling here on Orihime's part?
It’s said that shippers read too much into facial expressions and build sandcastles out of imagined subtext. That may be true, but in a form like manga where both text and pictures carry equal weight, the speech bubbles only tell half of the story. Kubo-san, like other manga-ka, tells us about his characters with the mere turn this way or that of a pencil mark. Below are some of Ishida’s faces when he’s thinking about or standing before Orihime.
And then we return to Earth and see very little of Ishida while he trains with his father. But behold the look at Ishida’s face when he finds out that Orihime has been kidnapped by the Arrancar.
As one person commenting on my last manifesto noted, the only reason that Ishida goes to Hueco Mundo is to save Inoue Orihime. He defies his father, to whom he made a vow never to associate with Shinigami and their allies again. He never explains why he broke this vow, but when one Arrancar asks why a Quincy is helping a Shinigami, Ishida looks furious and refuses to answer.
I think it’s because (chants) he loves her, he loves her. ^__^
In my previous manifesto, I stated my belief that Orihime may one day turn around and discover that Ishida was “there all along.” The perfect compliment to her personality and someone who truly cares for her. At this writing, it’s been volumes since we’ve seen Orihime and Ishida interact, but I suspect that their chemistry will still be there when we see them again.
Who knows exactly what will happen next, but Orihime is being held prisoner and Ishida et al are on their way. I find it amusing and maybe significant that Kubo Tite, an artist so concerned with design and fashion that he named characters after designers and made one of his Bleach main characters a sewing expert, has Ishida and Orihime dressed in matching clothes in this arc.
Orihime all in white like a princess waiting to be rescued.
Could be a coincidence but why a cross on her bosom, eh?
I, for one, am cheering for Ishida to save the girl in this arc. It may be that all Ishida will do is rescue Orihime the way Ichigo rescued Rukia in the previous arc, and the naysayers will insist on there being nothing romantic here as they claim there was nothing romantic between Ichigo and Rukia. But in my book, saving the fair maiden always meant romance--in its two primary definitions. Romance in the adventure and chivalry sense and romance in the “look into my eyes and read my feelings for you” sense.
I’d like to see more hints of an eventual true pairing. The manga may have years to go and many things could happen. Kubo-san has paid too much attention to the Ishida and Orihime relationship to drop this stitch and not take it up later. After his miserable defeat in the Soul Society arc, the verbal abuse from his father, and his segregation from the first friends he may have ever made, Ishida deserves a little happiness don’t you think? And Orihime deserves him. He’s a great guy.