Ichigo/Rukia (Bleach)
Title: I Will Follow You Into the Dark
By: Britt (luvinaoshi)
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Kurosaki Ichigo/Kuchiki Rukia
Spoilers: Up to more recent Bleach chapters (pretty much the whole series so far)
Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach. Woe is me.
Ichigo/Rukia is probably one of, if not the biggest, ship in the Bleach animanga fandom. And it’s not surprising either, considering that Ichigo is the main protagonist of the story and Rukia the lead heroine. It’s always tempting and easy to stick the two most important characters of opposite sex together, especially when they’re in so many scenes together.
However, there is so much more to Ichigo/Rukia than that. It may be the reason we first noticed its potential, but as the series has progressed, so has the depth of the relationship, and the potential for love. This, I will try to prove in the following essay.
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Kurosaki Ichigo//黒崎 一護
(boy wonder)
From the very beginning of the story, Ichigo -and I put this simply- is the epitome of cool. His nickname is “strawberry” because of his name’s similarity to the Japanese word for the fruit. His hair is naturally bright orange in color. He’s dripping with attitude, and his t-shirts have slogans on them such as “Speaking Is Not Communication.” Though he is only fifteen years old, he already has a large chip on his shoulder. (And a hero-complex as well, but we’ll get to that later.)
He also has some good moves. In the first scene, we see him beating the crap out of a couple of thugs who have desecrated a dead girl’s memorial offering. Because she asked him to.
It turns out that Ichigo is also gifted with the ability to see the dear departed, and even talk with them. He’s had the power from birth, and other members of his family exhibit similar though less developed skills. His younger sister Karin can see them, and his other younger sister Yuzu can sense their shapes. (His father Isshin can also see them, but at this point we don’t know.)
Despite the occasional supernatural elements, Ichigo manages to live the life of an average teenager. He occasionally helps out at the family clinic, and attends high school at the nearby Karakura High. He has a group of friends, and a number of enemies- perhaps more than the usual student because of his unusual hair (the upperclassmen think he bleaches it), the tough attitude he puts on and his willingness to get into a brawl.
Enter Kuchiki Rukia.
One fateful day she walks into his bedroom through the wall, and is alarmed when he attacks her, thinking she is some sort of burglar. “You mean you can see me?” is her first reaction, but she quickly picks up on the fact that abnormal amounts of spiritual energy are pouring out of him subconsciously. She therefore reveals her true identity to him- she is a shinigami assigned to reaping Hollows (bad souls), and bringing good souls to the Soul Society. Ichigo is skeptical until they are forced to fight a Hollow that attacks his family, lured by the presence of his strong energy.
During the battle, Rukia is injured, and attempts to gives Ichigo some of her power so he can fight the Hollow himself. Unintentionally, she ends up giving him all her power. He is able to defeat their enemy, and from that point on, agrees to act as a shinigami while she recovers.
At first Ichigo seems reluctant to take the reigns, claiming he’s not doing it because he wants to but because he owes her. We soon find out the truth- that this is what he was meant for.
Ever since childhood, when he began study at a dojo, Ichigo had a powerful desire to protect people, especially those around him. It was intensified when his mother Masaki was killed protecting him as they were walking outside in the rain (by a Hollow, as he finds out later). He carries with him the guilt of her death, blaming himself and his inability to help her for his family’s loss. He gains a fierce desire to never seem weak, never be beaten.
One of the things I love best about Ichigo is this depth to his character. On the surface he is prickly and detached, always frowning or fighting. But it’s all an image- a carefully created attitude he has developed to not show weakness. Perhaps it’s his survivor’s guilt as well; a part of him wants to be hated by others. He can’t even understand why his family doesn’t blame him for Masaki’s death.
It must be said that Ichigo never points fingers; he always accepts all the guilt, all the responsibility on his own shoulders, whether or not it is warranted. He has to be the hero. Not only does he launch himself unflinchingly into battle with Hollows without fear, but he has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, as we see with his interactions with the TV personality Don Kanonji.
Ichigo is, despite how he may appear at first, deeply concerned for others. He doesn’t hesitate to fight for his friends’ sakes, and eventually, even for complete strangers. He comes to prove that he will do anything for others, especially Rukia. As a result, his character is constantly enduring change throughout the series, always striving for new strength and attaining it.
Kuchiki Rukia//朽木 ルキア
(an atypical Cinderella)
Slight in size but great in spirit, that’s Rukia. And though it’s not immediately evident, she is probably as marked by her past as Ichigo is.
A shinigami of no seating from the 13th Divison, she entered the training academy after a childhood spent living on the streets and stealing for food with her close friend Renji (later a shinigami as well and vice-captain) and the other street brats. Her sister Hisana had abandoned her when she realized she was unable to help her at that time. However, Rukia was later able to join the wealthy noble class after Hisana’s husband, Kuchiki Byakuya, adopted her into the family at his late wife’s last request.
Then, when she was serving as a shinigami under Captain Jūshirō Ukitake and Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien (who she seemed to have a crush on, or at least greatly admire), an incident occurred that was rather traumatizing to her. Kaien’s wife was killed by a Hollow, and after they had sought and located this Hollow to destroy it, Kaien was unable to. Ukitake stopped her from interfering to protect Kaien’s pride, and as a result he was taken over. Ukitake could not defeat him, and in a fit of clarity, Kaien killed himself on helpless Rukia’s sword.
Rukia is unable to forget Kaien’s death, and it seems to be an important factor behind a lot of her decisions in the way she deals with Ichigo. Not only does he physically resemble Kaien, but she feels a desire to protect him when a similar incident with a Hollow occurs near his mother’s grave.
Rukia takes her shinigami duties quite seriously. We see her frequently informing Ichigo of Soul Society laws and how he should follow them. Even with her powers gone, she makes herself useful by training Ichigo, badgering him relentlessly, and cleaning up his wounds.
However, this careful attention to regulation and order is broken more and more often during the time she spends with Ichigo; Rukia is a shinigami often distracted by the human element. In times of great danger, she shows that she has her priorities firmly in place. She will break laws to save lives, even if it puts herself in a bad situation. Not only does she allow Ichigo to share in her power though it is not allowed, but she later makes another exception to save the life of the Mod Soul Kon, though by Soul Society laws he should be destroyed.
We often see Rukia as serious and thoughtful, but she has many other sides to her. She manages to have fun posing as a student in Ichigo’s class; she plays the part of a demure, sweet girl for her own benefit and amusement while they’re in public. Many aspects of the current youth culture confuse, amaze and amuse her as she tries to learn them. She devours cheesy horror manga, struggles to put the straw in a juice pouch, and even tries to pick up on the slang, much to Ichigo’s dismay. She also seems to enjoy drawing, though most of her pictures are pretty bad.
Rukia is gifted with a tongue than can be as sharp as Ichigo’s at times and an equally stubborn will. But that’s not where the similarities end; Rukia also exhibits a fierce desire to protect those around her, and refuses to be anyone’s burden. This is their first and strongest link.
Ichigo/Rukia
(the best kind of partnership)
It is true that Rukia and Ichigo are not the most romantic of duos, for all the fangirling we make of them. They are not characters that find it easy to openly express that type of emotion. Instead, their relationship is all about subtexts- the wonderful, subtle things that we see beneath the surface in other actions and gestures.
They are rather curt and snarky with one another, often throwing insults back and forth, and accusing the other of being overly stupid or reckless. This is a tension that definitely works in their favor; it belies a certain intimacy as well.
Not only is Rukia also free to approach Ichigo on a more physical manner, she’s the only girl that is allowed to do so (dragging him, hitting him, touching him on the shoulder, etc.) This is particularly meaningful in the sense that Ichigo often displays a discomfort around other women. We know that the sight of an unclothed, or even scantily clad woman (read: Yoruichi) makes him distinctly uncomfortable, and in all other respects Ichigo is typically asexual. Only with Rukia is he more relaxed; she is on a different level than all the others.
Ichigo is even able to discuss his mother and her unfortunate death (at the hands of a hollow as they find out) with Rukia very early on in the series. This is a particularly painful sticking point with his character, and after realizing just how much, Rukia handles him with great tact and care. She gives him the space not to tell her if he wishes, and allows him to fight his own battle for his honor, even if he may lose in the process and it hurts her to watch him do so.
Rukia: Thank you for not dying, Ichigo…thank you.
We can also theorize that Rukia’s empathy for Ichigo is made all the stronger by her difficult past and losing Kaien in a similar manner. This is yet another way in which they are able to connect on an emotional level; she can understand where he is coming from.
Partly because of their pasts, and partly because of the quick, strong connection made between them, both Rukia and Ichigo demonstrate an unusually strong will to sacrifice their feelings and wants, even their lives, for the other. Upon their very first meeting Rukia goes well beyond the line of duty to protect Ichigo from the Hollow that attacks his family. She makes a reckless, nearly fatal forward attack in order that Ichigo will not get eaten. And in return, Ichigo eventually agrees to repeatedly put his life on the line to kill Hollows while she regains the power she lost helping him. But it goes further than this.
Rukia’s actions come back to haunt her once more, when she is arrested, taken back to the Soul Society (shinigami world) for allowing Ichigo to have her powers, and condemned to die. Ichigo tries in vain to stop her from being taken away, almost dying in the process. To protect him, Rukia insists that he must not try to help her.
Rukia: Move one inch from there…try coming after me…And I will never forgive you.
After being saved from death’s door by Urahara Kisuke, Ichigo vows that he will go anyway. Urahara tells him he train first.
Urahara: If you wish to save Kuchiki-san with all your heart, then you have at your disposal a power stronger than iron. But if your resolve is half-hearted, forget it. For the next ten days, I’m going to put you through hell.
Ichigo: Well, if I don’t do this, there’s nobody else who can, right? Let’s do it.
Despite all the danger, despite all that he must go through to be strong enough to face the other shinigami, Ichigo perseveres and travels to the Soul Society to save her.
This is why the relationship between these two is so crucial to the series as a whole. It is Rukia who, directly or indirectly, encourages Ichigo’s growth, his gaining of new strength. It is she that he trains so hard to save, she is the reason he must achieve bankai (the final, ultimate form of his shinigami sword or zanpaktou). He fights shinigami captain after captain to reach the tower where she is being held, goes to the brink of death and back, emerging stronger at the other end and finally succeeding in his goal. She has a positive, driving effect on him, the likes of which no other character in the series can claim.
Orihime: To Kurosaki-kun, she is an important person. Because to Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san is the person who changed his life.
Ichigo’s effect on Rukia is equally as important. We see her adapting to new environments and situations, letting up and allowing herself more freedoms. She is forced to put her trust in a fifteen year old high schooler at the beginning, but as the story progresses, it becomes her choice to put her faith in him and his abilities.
In more recent chapters, they have come even further. After parting for a while post-Soul Society, when they meet up again, both seem to be more willing than ever to acknowledge just how much they mean to one another.
Ichigo, who is always detached and nonchalant as a part of the image he tries so hard to keep up, does not bother to hide any of his emotion. We, the reader, are perfectly aware of how much it means to him to see Rukia in his classroom once more at the beginning of this new arc- it is written all over his face.
As we come to see, their relationship has indeed gone to a whole new level. Of course, many things remain the same: Rukia is as rough-talking and physically abusive as ever, and she is the only one that can return Ichigo’s confidence in his abilities to protect in friends. But for the first time, Rukia can at speak frankly to him of what he really means to her
Judging by the look on his face at this, he knows it, too.
He is also openly expressive of his concern after Rukia is injured in a battle with one of their newest adversaries, Grimmjow. As Orihime heals her, and Ichigo watches over, his affections are made plainly evident (and made many Ichigo/Rukia shipper squee, if I recall correctly.) Orihime does not fail to notice his expression either, which brings me to my next point.
I truly have no problem whatsoever with Orihime. I adore her character and enjoy reading about her. It must be said though, that her love for her friend Ichigo is also plainly evident throughout the series; however it is my opinion that the love remains one-sided, at least for now. She lacks the same level of positive influence that Rukia exerts over Ichigo, and even she is painfully aware of it.
To me, an Ichigo/Orihime relationship seems like it would be more of a backtracking for the two characters than anything else (and let me note again that this is simply my viewpoint- you obviously don't have to agree with it). I would like to see Orihime grow stronger on her own, independently from Ichigo. This is why I personally prefer Ichigo/Rukia, though I can see a case being made for Ichigo/Orihime.
Ichigo and Rukia do seem perfectly suited to each other- an admirable duo. They have like personalities and have overcome similar difficulties in the past dealing with the loss of loved ones. They work together perfectly in times of battle, while maintaining the deepest trust and honesty in their relationship outside. And lately their feelings of affection have seemed to grow as they continue to have a positive influence on one another.
These are all reasons why I am proud to call myself an Ichigo/Rukia shipper.
More
Fanart
I apologize for my lack of links in this section; I really don’t follow fanart as much as I should. But as far as the artists I do know…fanartist has a lot of really lovely work. I especially like this blue one. dragonboy_mt is also a great artist; the Ichigo and Rukia he draws have a great likeness to the ones you will see in the manga- With or Without You.
Poking around, I found a few more. This art drawn by nic-xc is hilarious. I enjoyed this drawing) by shinigami-lashae, and this art by sandied.
And though I don’t like the name much, Strawberry Sankyuu by animegher is great - love the outfits they’re wearing.
Fanfiction
Fortunately enough for this pairing, it’s got a handful of great authors going for it.
The first that comes to mind is berrygold. She’s written, among other things, a collection of Ichigo/Rukia drabbles Flutterby, Mind Prisms and Perchance to Dream.
hecatehatesthat that is another must read. She’s got a great road-trip series going called When the Sun Comes Up, You’d Better Be Moving, and I also rather like It’s Hour Come Round At Last. Her characterization is great, and you can read her here.
I like the way autophanous writes Ichigo/Rukia as well, particularly in the tongues of serpents, vcr, tv, and other such confusing acronyms and morning. And I adore bravecows’ fic: the second to last room and A Debt Unpaid.
Then there’s team7’s fic from when she claimed them at 30_kisses, you can find some of it here, here and here.
Also: cynic_in_charge and lacewood’s Something They Can Live With, pinkpuruu’s untitled and letters, tokyofish’s beautiful fic , and tenebris’ What the shadows say . I also like her fic Introduction, though it’s technically Zangetsu/Shirayuki.
Fanlistings
The IchiRuki fanlisting Keep Me Strong
And also, individual fanlistings for both Ichigo and Rukia
At livejournal
There’s the basic ichi_ruki comm. They’ve got fun fanfiction/fanart contests every year, the occasional weekly discussions, and more. There’s all sorts of fans of the pairing to be found here, as there are nearly 1000 members.
Then there’s the slightly more exclusive sane_ichiruki. You have to write a few paragraphs explaining yourself before you join, I believe.
Extras
IchiRuki 100 themes
Ichigo&Rukia photo gallery (I got some of my images from here)
Ichigo x Rukia Colorbar
By: Britt (luvinaoshi)
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Kurosaki Ichigo/Kuchiki Rukia
Spoilers: Up to more recent Bleach chapters (pretty much the whole series so far)
Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach. Woe is me.
Ichigo/Rukia is probably one of, if not the biggest, ship in the Bleach animanga fandom. And it’s not surprising either, considering that Ichigo is the main protagonist of the story and Rukia the lead heroine. It’s always tempting and easy to stick the two most important characters of opposite sex together, especially when they’re in so many scenes together.
However, there is so much more to Ichigo/Rukia than that. It may be the reason we first noticed its potential, but as the series has progressed, so has the depth of the relationship, and the potential for love. This, I will try to prove in the following essay.
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Kurosaki Ichigo//黒崎 一護
(boy wonder)
From the very beginning of the story, Ichigo -and I put this simply- is the epitome of cool. His nickname is “strawberry” because of his name’s similarity to the Japanese word for the fruit. His hair is naturally bright orange in color. He’s dripping with attitude, and his t-shirts have slogans on them such as “Speaking Is Not Communication.” Though he is only fifteen years old, he already has a large chip on his shoulder. (And a hero-complex as well, but we’ll get to that later.)
He also has some good moves. In the first scene, we see him beating the crap out of a couple of thugs who have desecrated a dead girl’s memorial offering. Because she asked him to.
It turns out that Ichigo is also gifted with the ability to see the dear departed, and even talk with them. He’s had the power from birth, and other members of his family exhibit similar though less developed skills. His younger sister Karin can see them, and his other younger sister Yuzu can sense their shapes. (His father Isshin can also see them, but at this point we don’t know.)
Despite the occasional supernatural elements, Ichigo manages to live the life of an average teenager. He occasionally helps out at the family clinic, and attends high school at the nearby Karakura High. He has a group of friends, and a number of enemies- perhaps more than the usual student because of his unusual hair (the upperclassmen think he bleaches it), the tough attitude he puts on and his willingness to get into a brawl.
Enter Kuchiki Rukia.
One fateful day she walks into his bedroom through the wall, and is alarmed when he attacks her, thinking she is some sort of burglar. “You mean you can see me?” is her first reaction, but she quickly picks up on the fact that abnormal amounts of spiritual energy are pouring out of him subconsciously. She therefore reveals her true identity to him- she is a shinigami assigned to reaping Hollows (bad souls), and bringing good souls to the Soul Society. Ichigo is skeptical until they are forced to fight a Hollow that attacks his family, lured by the presence of his strong energy.
During the battle, Rukia is injured, and attempts to gives Ichigo some of her power so he can fight the Hollow himself. Unintentionally, she ends up giving him all her power. He is able to defeat their enemy, and from that point on, agrees to act as a shinigami while she recovers.
At first Ichigo seems reluctant to take the reigns, claiming he’s not doing it because he wants to but because he owes her. We soon find out the truth- that this is what he was meant for.
Ever since childhood, when he began study at a dojo, Ichigo had a powerful desire to protect people, especially those around him. It was intensified when his mother Masaki was killed protecting him as they were walking outside in the rain (by a Hollow, as he finds out later). He carries with him the guilt of her death, blaming himself and his inability to help her for his family’s loss. He gains a fierce desire to never seem weak, never be beaten.
One of the things I love best about Ichigo is this depth to his character. On the surface he is prickly and detached, always frowning or fighting. But it’s all an image- a carefully created attitude he has developed to not show weakness. Perhaps it’s his survivor’s guilt as well; a part of him wants to be hated by others. He can’t even understand why his family doesn’t blame him for Masaki’s death.
It must be said that Ichigo never points fingers; he always accepts all the guilt, all the responsibility on his own shoulders, whether or not it is warranted. He has to be the hero. Not only does he launch himself unflinchingly into battle with Hollows without fear, but he has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, as we see with his interactions with the TV personality Don Kanonji.
Ichigo is, despite how he may appear at first, deeply concerned for others. He doesn’t hesitate to fight for his friends’ sakes, and eventually, even for complete strangers. He comes to prove that he will do anything for others, especially Rukia. As a result, his character is constantly enduring change throughout the series, always striving for new strength and attaining it.
Kuchiki Rukia//朽木 ルキア
(an atypical Cinderella)
Slight in size but great in spirit, that’s Rukia. And though it’s not immediately evident, she is probably as marked by her past as Ichigo is.
A shinigami of no seating from the 13th Divison, she entered the training academy after a childhood spent living on the streets and stealing for food with her close friend Renji (later a shinigami as well and vice-captain) and the other street brats. Her sister Hisana had abandoned her when she realized she was unable to help her at that time. However, Rukia was later able to join the wealthy noble class after Hisana’s husband, Kuchiki Byakuya, adopted her into the family at his late wife’s last request.
Then, when she was serving as a shinigami under Captain Jūshirō Ukitake and Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien (who she seemed to have a crush on, or at least greatly admire), an incident occurred that was rather traumatizing to her. Kaien’s wife was killed by a Hollow, and after they had sought and located this Hollow to destroy it, Kaien was unable to. Ukitake stopped her from interfering to protect Kaien’s pride, and as a result he was taken over. Ukitake could not defeat him, and in a fit of clarity, Kaien killed himself on helpless Rukia’s sword.
Rukia is unable to forget Kaien’s death, and it seems to be an important factor behind a lot of her decisions in the way she deals with Ichigo. Not only does he physically resemble Kaien, but she feels a desire to protect him when a similar incident with a Hollow occurs near his mother’s grave.
Rukia takes her shinigami duties quite seriously. We see her frequently informing Ichigo of Soul Society laws and how he should follow them. Even with her powers gone, she makes herself useful by training Ichigo, badgering him relentlessly, and cleaning up his wounds.
However, this careful attention to regulation and order is broken more and more often during the time she spends with Ichigo; Rukia is a shinigami often distracted by the human element. In times of great danger, she shows that she has her priorities firmly in place. She will break laws to save lives, even if it puts herself in a bad situation. Not only does she allow Ichigo to share in her power though it is not allowed, but she later makes another exception to save the life of the Mod Soul Kon, though by Soul Society laws he should be destroyed.
We often see Rukia as serious and thoughtful, but she has many other sides to her. She manages to have fun posing as a student in Ichigo’s class; she plays the part of a demure, sweet girl for her own benefit and amusement while they’re in public. Many aspects of the current youth culture confuse, amaze and amuse her as she tries to learn them. She devours cheesy horror manga, struggles to put the straw in a juice pouch, and even tries to pick up on the slang, much to Ichigo’s dismay. She also seems to enjoy drawing, though most of her pictures are pretty bad.
Rukia is gifted with a tongue than can be as sharp as Ichigo’s at times and an equally stubborn will. But that’s not where the similarities end; Rukia also exhibits a fierce desire to protect those around her, and refuses to be anyone’s burden. This is their first and strongest link.
Ichigo/Rukia
(the best kind of partnership)
It is true that Rukia and Ichigo are not the most romantic of duos, for all the fangirling we make of them. They are not characters that find it easy to openly express that type of emotion. Instead, their relationship is all about subtexts- the wonderful, subtle things that we see beneath the surface in other actions and gestures.
They are rather curt and snarky with one another, often throwing insults back and forth, and accusing the other of being overly stupid or reckless. This is a tension that definitely works in their favor; it belies a certain intimacy as well.
Not only is Rukia also free to approach Ichigo on a more physical manner, she’s the only girl that is allowed to do so (dragging him, hitting him, touching him on the shoulder, etc.) This is particularly meaningful in the sense that Ichigo often displays a discomfort around other women. We know that the sight of an unclothed, or even scantily clad woman (read: Yoruichi) makes him distinctly uncomfortable, and in all other respects Ichigo is typically asexual. Only with Rukia is he more relaxed; she is on a different level than all the others.
Ichigo is even able to discuss his mother and her unfortunate death (at the hands of a hollow as they find out) with Rukia very early on in the series. This is a particularly painful sticking point with his character, and after realizing just how much, Rukia handles him with great tact and care. She gives him the space not to tell her if he wishes, and allows him to fight his own battle for his honor, even if he may lose in the process and it hurts her to watch him do so.
Rukia: Thank you for not dying, Ichigo…thank you.
We can also theorize that Rukia’s empathy for Ichigo is made all the stronger by her difficult past and losing Kaien in a similar manner. This is yet another way in which they are able to connect on an emotional level; she can understand where he is coming from.
Partly because of their pasts, and partly because of the quick, strong connection made between them, both Rukia and Ichigo demonstrate an unusually strong will to sacrifice their feelings and wants, even their lives, for the other. Upon their very first meeting Rukia goes well beyond the line of duty to protect Ichigo from the Hollow that attacks his family. She makes a reckless, nearly fatal forward attack in order that Ichigo will not get eaten. And in return, Ichigo eventually agrees to repeatedly put his life on the line to kill Hollows while she regains the power she lost helping him. But it goes further than this.
Rukia’s actions come back to haunt her once more, when she is arrested, taken back to the Soul Society (shinigami world) for allowing Ichigo to have her powers, and condemned to die. Ichigo tries in vain to stop her from being taken away, almost dying in the process. To protect him, Rukia insists that he must not try to help her.
Rukia: Move one inch from there…try coming after me…And I will never forgive you.
After being saved from death’s door by Urahara Kisuke, Ichigo vows that he will go anyway. Urahara tells him he train first.
Urahara: If you wish to save Kuchiki-san with all your heart, then you have at your disposal a power stronger than iron. But if your resolve is half-hearted, forget it. For the next ten days, I’m going to put you through hell.
Ichigo: Well, if I don’t do this, there’s nobody else who can, right? Let’s do it.
Despite all the danger, despite all that he must go through to be strong enough to face the other shinigami, Ichigo perseveres and travels to the Soul Society to save her.
This is why the relationship between these two is so crucial to the series as a whole. It is Rukia who, directly or indirectly, encourages Ichigo’s growth, his gaining of new strength. It is she that he trains so hard to save, she is the reason he must achieve bankai (the final, ultimate form of his shinigami sword or zanpaktou). He fights shinigami captain after captain to reach the tower where she is being held, goes to the brink of death and back, emerging stronger at the other end and finally succeeding in his goal. She has a positive, driving effect on him, the likes of which no other character in the series can claim.
Orihime: To Kurosaki-kun, she is an important person. Because to Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san is the person who changed his life.
Ichigo’s effect on Rukia is equally as important. We see her adapting to new environments and situations, letting up and allowing herself more freedoms. She is forced to put her trust in a fifteen year old high schooler at the beginning, but as the story progresses, it becomes her choice to put her faith in him and his abilities.
In more recent chapters, they have come even further. After parting for a while post-Soul Society, when they meet up again, both seem to be more willing than ever to acknowledge just how much they mean to one another.
Ichigo, who is always detached and nonchalant as a part of the image he tries so hard to keep up, does not bother to hide any of his emotion. We, the reader, are perfectly aware of how much it means to him to see Rukia in his classroom once more at the beginning of this new arc- it is written all over his face.
As we come to see, their relationship has indeed gone to a whole new level. Of course, many things remain the same: Rukia is as rough-talking and physically abusive as ever, and she is the only one that can return Ichigo’s confidence in his abilities to protect in friends. But for the first time, Rukia can at speak frankly to him of what he really means to her
Judging by the look on his face at this, he knows it, too.
He is also openly expressive of his concern after Rukia is injured in a battle with one of their newest adversaries, Grimmjow. As Orihime heals her, and Ichigo watches over, his affections are made plainly evident (and made many Ichigo/Rukia shipper squee, if I recall correctly.) Orihime does not fail to notice his expression either, which brings me to my next point.
I truly have no problem whatsoever with Orihime. I adore her character and enjoy reading about her. It must be said though, that her love for her friend Ichigo is also plainly evident throughout the series; however it is my opinion that the love remains one-sided, at least for now. She lacks the same level of positive influence that Rukia exerts over Ichigo, and even she is painfully aware of it.
To me, an Ichigo/Orihime relationship seems like it would be more of a backtracking for the two characters than anything else (and let me note again that this is simply my viewpoint- you obviously don't have to agree with it). I would like to see Orihime grow stronger on her own, independently from Ichigo. This is why I personally prefer Ichigo/Rukia, though I can see a case being made for Ichigo/Orihime.
Ichigo and Rukia do seem perfectly suited to each other- an admirable duo. They have like personalities and have overcome similar difficulties in the past dealing with the loss of loved ones. They work together perfectly in times of battle, while maintaining the deepest trust and honesty in their relationship outside. And lately their feelings of affection have seemed to grow as they continue to have a positive influence on one another.
These are all reasons why I am proud to call myself an Ichigo/Rukia shipper.
More
Fanart
I apologize for my lack of links in this section; I really don’t follow fanart as much as I should. But as far as the artists I do know…fanartist has a lot of really lovely work. I especially like this blue one. dragonboy_mt is also a great artist; the Ichigo and Rukia he draws have a great likeness to the ones you will see in the manga- With or Without You.
Poking around, I found a few more. This art drawn by nic-xc is hilarious. I enjoyed this drawing) by shinigami-lashae, and this art by sandied.
And though I don’t like the name much, Strawberry Sankyuu by animegher is great - love the outfits they’re wearing.
Fanfiction
Fortunately enough for this pairing, it’s got a handful of great authors going for it.
The first that comes to mind is berrygold. She’s written, among other things, a collection of Ichigo/Rukia drabbles Flutterby, Mind Prisms and Perchance to Dream.
hecatehatesthat that is another must read. She’s got a great road-trip series going called When the Sun Comes Up, You’d Better Be Moving, and I also rather like It’s Hour Come Round At Last. Her characterization is great, and you can read her here.
I like the way autophanous writes Ichigo/Rukia as well, particularly in the tongues of serpents, vcr, tv, and other such confusing acronyms and morning. And I adore bravecows’ fic: the second to last room and A Debt Unpaid.
Then there’s team7’s fic from when she claimed them at 30_kisses, you can find some of it here, here and here.
Also: cynic_in_charge and lacewood’s Something They Can Live With, pinkpuruu’s untitled and letters, tokyofish’s beautiful fic , and tenebris’ What the shadows say . I also like her fic Introduction, though it’s technically Zangetsu/Shirayuki.
Fanlistings
The IchiRuki fanlisting Keep Me Strong
And also, individual fanlistings for both Ichigo and Rukia
At livejournal
There’s the basic ichi_ruki comm. They’ve got fun fanfiction/fanart contests every year, the occasional weekly discussions, and more. There’s all sorts of fans of the pairing to be found here, as there are nearly 1000 members.
Then there’s the slightly more exclusive sane_ichiruki. You have to write a few paragraphs explaining yourself before you join, I believe.
Extras
IchiRuki 100 themes
Ichigo&Rukia photo gallery (I got some of my images from here)
Ichigo x Rukia Colorbar