Here's a post I made in the Bleach Forum at the AnimeSuki forums, you can find the original posts in the original thread here and here.

Outline: There was an argument put forward that Ichigo is somehow less dedicated to protecting Rukia because he has not sworn to "protect her" as he did with Orihime. It was understood that Ichigo's vow to protect Orihime without fail was an "eternal vow" while Ichigo's "swearing upon his soul" to save Rukia was a "one time thing," of which he was no longer obligated. So, this was purported to be an "advantage" that Orihime had over Rukia in regards to Ichigo's feelings.

My response was that though Ichigo may not have sworn outwardly to Rukia that he would protect her, it's clear that he has taken it upon himself to do so, despite the fact that he is no longer "obligated." The lack of a verbalized declaration should not detract from the fact that Ichigo's actions have illustrated on numerous occasions that he is determined to protect Rukia from both physical and emotional harm. With that, I fail to see how his promise to protect Orihime should have any romantic connotations or be interpreted as an "advantage" that Orihime has over Rukia in terms of Ichigo's feelings.

---

Indeed, Ichigo has not outwardly sworn to protect Rukia as he did Orihime, but his actions speak otherwise. If it were the case that once Ichigo had saved Rukia that he no longer had any further obligations to protect her from harm, then he should have no reason to be so protective of her post-Soul Society. Nevertheless, as I've noted countless times before, post-Soul Society, Ichigo has taken it upon himself to take care of Rukia and has even gone so far as to take personal responsibility for her injuries, much to her chagrin. Again, this is a notable change in their relationship dynamic from the Karakura arc, where he did not act as Rukia's protector and despite her being virtually powerless, he was comfortable enough to leave Rukia to fight on her own.

During the Soul Society arc, Ichigo did what he swore to do: he saved Rukia, but he went, and continues to go far beyond what "saving her out of debt" entailed. His fight with Byakuya illustrates this very well, in that he was not only fighting to save Rukia from execution, but also fought to protect her from emotional distress. Telling Byakuya that he would never allow him to say [that he was going to kill her] in front of Rukia illustrated a personal concern for Rukia's emotional well-being. Seeking Rukia, fully expecting her to return with him to the living world and then fully accepting her decision to stay because it was what she wanted, illustrated his personal desire for her happiness. Finally, recalling his reason why he wanted to save her so badly, flashing back to the moment when she left him crying, made it clear that beyond debt, there was a very personal resolve and dedication to protect Rukia and see her happy.

With that, I can't be bothered to argue semantics in regards to Ichigo swearing to "save" Rukia versus his swearing to "protect" Orihime: his actions speak for themselves. Though, he may not have consciously recognized it, nor outwardly declared it, Ichigo has taken it upon himself to protect Rukia, not only from physical harm, but emotional distress as well. We see this in his fight with Byakuya, in the closing chapters of the Soul Society arc and post-Soul Society where he has suddenly started feeling apprehension over the idea of Rukia being separated from him, engaging in battle and has taken responsibility for her injuries.

Lest people forget, none of what I am saying necessarily implies any romantic intention, I am simply putting forward that one can easily gather from Ichigo's actions that he has sworn to himself to "protect" Rukia, and indeed his further actions can be viewed as an extension of his swearing on his soul.

Furthermore, though I would agree with the sentiments that Renji's (platonic?) attachment towards Rukia seem more obvious than Ichigo's, simply because Renji's attachment is more apparent does not mean that Ichigo lacks such feelings. During their fight in Soul Society, Kubo paralleled the swearing of their souls for a reason: he wanted to illustrate that despite their past conflicts and differences, in that moment these two characters shared the same feelings.

Originally posted 07/22/2008

Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Bleach Forum at the AnimeSuki forums, you can find the original posts in the original thread here.

Outline: Someone posted idiotic scenarios to compare and contrast how a relationship between Ichigo and Rukia would look versus Ichigo and Orihime. While the offensive characterizations depicted probably do not deserve any response, I think the comparisons speak to a general dichotomy in the shipping fandom: whereas some people think that the headstrong Ichigo needs someone gentle like Orihime to balance him out, others feel that only Rukia's equally-obstinate personality can handle Ichigo.

I explore this dichotomy a bit and explain why I think, despite their similar dispositions, why Rukia and Ichigo are compatible with each other. Moreover, there is more to compatibility than just a balance of personalities: at the core of their relationship is the ability to communicate and support one another, that's what's most important so far as I'm concerned.

---

That kind of archaic sexist garbage is what drives me nuts when discussing pairings in this fandom. Honestly, if Ichigo were anything like [the ridiculous, sexist, loser that was depicted] then I would not object to Ichigo/Orihime at all, she can have him. Though really I would wish that no woman have to deal with a whiny, pathetic man who thinks he's entitled to march home and demand his wife make him dinner.

This really goes beyond someone's twisted interpretation of Ichigo and Rukia's relationship, if one thinks that Rukia's bad for Ichigo because she's not going to be a perfect little wife that bends to his every command then I'm glad Rukia is who she is. That Orihime is the kind of girl who would do anything and everything for Ichigo, that her world revolves around him is one of the fundamental problems I have with Ichigo/Orihime. That Rukia challenges Ichigo, pushes him while still supporting and trusting in who he is and what he can be, is what I like about her and her relationship with him. I like that Rukia is the kind of person who would tell Ichigo to sod off if he came home acting like a jerkface, I think that's what he needs.

At the end of the day I think much of what influences our pairing choices come from what we personally feel to be a good relationship. Some may like the idea of Orihime's gentle, passivity "balancing" Ichigo's brashness, while some of us think that Ichigo's stubbornness means he needs a good shouting at every so often. With that, Orihime's character does have inner strength but I can't help but feel she often falls into a more passive role when with Ichigo and so this strength of character also tends to waver.

Rukia, on the other hand, on a purely superficial level, appears to be rather abrasive and harsh, but her acts of aggression towards Ichigo has gentle undertones, and as highlighted in my previous posts, he understands that. While I can understand the argument that two hot-headed, aggressive people getting together can be "explosive," what circumvents that from happening is when the two people understand each other and can communicate with one another. With Ichigo and Rukia, despite the two having similar dispositions, they are still able to balance and compliment each other because they can support and understand each other.

Ichigo understands that when Rukia is shouting and thrashing at him that she's communicating concern to him the only way she's really comfortable doing. That's why he doesn't retaliate in Hueco Mundo as she's shouting at him, because he understands that behind her beatings there's someone who was hurt that she was left behind and wanted more faith from him. It was the same in Soul Society, at their meeting on the bridge. She berated him for coming after her, risking his life for her, only for her to momentarily break down her usual façade and tear up about his injuries, illustrating the concern she had bottled up inside her for him. Similarly, Rukia understood that when Ichigo said she was "noisy" after she told him what kind of man he was in her heart that he was indicating that he was thankful and had returned to his normal self. Despite only having just returned to the living world, Rukia understood what was bothering him, touched upon his fears and knew what he needed to hear to shake him up and help him find his resolve again.

There is an understated level of communication between the two, one that goes beyond what is just said, and it is critical to recognize it to understand their relationship. Moreover, it is this communication and understanding that makes their partnership work so well and pushes me to believe that they are highly compatible with one another, not only platonically, but romantically as well.

Originally posted 05/01/2008

Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Bleach Forum at the AnimeSuki forums, you can find the original posts in the original thread here and here.

Outline: The following is an examination of how Orihime's perceptiveness has been used to express Ichigo's thoughts and feelings throughout the series, particularly in regards to his relationship with Rukia. Kubo has acknowledged Ichigo as a character of few words, with that, having him express his thoughts and feelings openly all the time would be out of character. So in order to gain insight into how he is feeling, we have characters like Orihime help express his thoughts to the audience without having Ichigo do it directly himself.

Recognizing that, some proponents of Ichigo/Rukia have taken Orihime's observations and comments on Ichigo's relationship with Rukia as indicative of Ichigo possibly feeling something more than platonic for Rukia. While I do not put forward that this is an absolute certainty, I do believe that one can reasonably come to such a conclusion given that we know how perceptive Orihime is and how she feels about Ichigo.

However, some feel that Orihime has shown a lack of perception as well, particularly in regards to relationships, as she once thought Ishida liked Rukia. With that, some feel that Orihime's thoughts and feelings of jealousy cannot be looked at as a reliable source for insight into Ichigo's feelings for Rukia, but I disagree. While I am not saying that Orihime's jealousy of Rukia is certainly rooted in the fact that she perceives Ichigo's feelings towards Rukia to be romantic, as I hope to explain, I do not think that it would be an illogical conclusion for one to come to.

---

Most proponents of Ichigo/Orihime will be glad to point out how astute Orihime is in understanding Ichigo's thoughts and feelings. Even non-supporters of the pairing will acknowledge this as canon fact. I have long felt that Orihime has been an effective tool for Kubo to express Ichigo's thoughts and feelings instead of having Ichigo outright say what's on his mind, as he's so socially awkward and it would be out of character to always say what's on his mind. With Orihime, we can gain insight to Ichigo's thoughts without Ichigo uncharacteristically saying them out loud. Indeed, he does this with other characters as well.

So to say that Orihime is perceptive to Ichigo but then to turn around and say she's incorrect in regards to his thoughts and feelings towards Rukia is selectively convenient in my eyes. For example, Orihime was especially astute in reading Ichigo's thoughts and emotions after Rukia was brought back to Soul Society by Byakuya and Renji. Despite her own reservations about him going (that Rukia belonged in Soul Society and were Ichigo to go after her he would be taking her away from that), without him saying very much at all, Orihime knew what he was going to do regardless: charge in there and save her anyway

Again, when in Soul Society and Ishida says that they're saving Rukia because she is their friend, Orihime corrects him and says "she's not just a friend, to Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san is a very important person! Because Kuchiki-san is the person who changed his world." This is reaffirmed by the author (who names the chapter "that who change the world") and emphasized by Ichigo when the arc concludes and he thanks Rukia for "stopping the rain," the significance being that it rained often and very easily in his inner world. Again, this illustrates again how perceptive Orihime is to how Ichigo is feeling.

Moreover, it's silly to compare the scene where Orihime thought Ishida had romantic feelings for Rukia with the more serious scenes when Orihime is saying how important Rukia is to Ichigo or pouring out her heart about her insecurities and jealousies. The first scene is intentionally comedic, Kubo even has a sign that says "way off base!" to reaffirm what we know to be completely ridiculous, but the scenes with Orihime reading Ichigo's feelings, how Rukia is important to him, how he was filled with happiness when Rukia returned, these were serious in tone. While I'm not saying that these things mean that the two are in love with each other (I don't think they are) I do think we should take them as valid observations.

Furthermore, it should be pointed out that another difference is Orihime was inaccurate at perceiving Ishida's feelings in that dubious but comedic scene where, not Ichigo's, whom she has consistently shown to be in-tune to. So it's not that people are necessarily taking Orihime's views of relationships as accurate, it's that people are taking Orihime's views on how and what Ichigo is feeling as accurate given her history.

[Recognizing that Orihime understands Ichigo very well, she gives us insight into what Ichigo is thinking when it would be out of character for Ichigo to express his thoughts and feelings outright.

So when she tells us how important Rukia is to Ichigo, how special she is to him, that she's more than just a friend, more than a comrade to him- the implications, that Ichigo may feel something more than platonic for Rukia, are there. They are there when she corrects Ishida about who Rukia is to Ichigo, and they are there when she tearfully confesses that she's jealous of Rukia's relationship Ichigo. Consequently, given that we know the nature of Orihime's feelings towards Ichigo, one could logically infer from her jealousy that Ichigo may harbour more than platonic feelings towards Rukia.

Of course, there could be completely non-romantic implications from her jealousy, but there is a legitimate argument in that would she be as upset as she was if she understood Ichigo's feelings to be strictly platonic? Again, I'm still cautious when it comes to saying that Ichigo undoubtedly has romantic feelings for Rukia, it's not a totally sure thing so far as I'm concerned, but one could certainly come to that conclusion rationally, and Orihime's understanding of Ichigo has certainly helped to push this conclusion.]

Ultimately, we all know that Orihime has strong romantic feelings for Ichigo, indeed these are the only romantic feelings that have been explicitly expressed in the series. However, I think it should also be acknowledged that there are also very strong feelings between Ichigo and Rukia. The nature of these feelings is debatable, but they are there, Orihime has pointed them out, and they have caused her distress in the past.

While I still am unwilling to put forward that the feelings between the Ichigo and Rukia are romantic, I do think that there is a legitimate argument to be made for Orihime perceiving Ichigo's feelings to be more than platonic. Not that they definitely are, but if we are to take Orihime's observations on their relationship and knowing what we know of Orihime being perceptive to Ichigo's feelings, and also recognizing that Kubo has repeatedly used other characters to express what both Ichigo and Rukia are unwilling to say to each other, the possibility is certainly there.

Originally posted 02/27/2008

Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Bleach Forum at NarutoFan forums, you can find the original post in the original thread here.

Outline: It is often put forward that because Rukia and Renji "have history together" that they should and/or will end up together romantically.

Renji and Rukia certainly do have a history of growing up together; however, one should not overlook how Renji essentially severed that relationship when Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki. With that, they didn't speak/see each other for nearly 50 years, with Rukia feeling unwanted and Renji feeling unworthy.

In all actuality, I adore Renji's character, but in regards to his relationship with Rukia, I have long felt that he really dropped the ball on this one, and in his place I think Ichigo has more than shown himself capable of stepping up as someone Rukia could rely on.

---

I don't think Renji's had the "upper hand" for quite some time. Despite being childhood friends, up until recently they had been estranged for quite some time. When Rukia was adopted by Byakuya into the Kuchiki she had essentially broken ties with Renji and had not seen him again until he showed up in the living world with Byakuya to bring her back, which was not the most pleasant of reunions. Then considering that Renji spent much of the Soul Society arc trying to defeat Ichigo instead of actively trying to prevent Rukia's execution (and only stepped up once Ichigo had beaten some sense into him) I would say that only after Ichigo had defeated Renji did the two really start to get back on the path of re-establishing their friendship.

Of course, by that time Ichigo had already come into Rukia's life and now Renji's place, while not useless, is certainly overshadowed by Ichigo's presence. When Renji encouraged Rukia's adoption, he effectively let her go. With that, she endured forty years in a cold household with Byakuya and had very few friends or people she could turn to for support. She did have Kaien, who was a wonderful figure of support and comfort for Rukia during those lonely years, but we all remember what happened there, and after he had died once again Rukia had no one to turn to. Renji wasn't there for her when she needed someone the most after Kaien's death, she had to overcome it alone, and even still the remnants of that event has left deep scars in her heart.

When Rukia meets Ichigo it changes her life. Having few opportunities to strike out on her own and with a huge inferiority complex, she takes it upon herself out of necessity to mentor Ichigo and guide him through his new responsibilities as her substitute. This relationship helps Rukia grow immensely as she's able to establish a close relationship with someone, something she hasn't been able to do in a long time.

With Ichigo there's no formality about her being a noble, after all he has no idea about her status, and there's no dishonesty or lack of confidence in her abilities either. Byakuya secretly held Rukia back in fear of her safety for years, thus creating a inferiority/insecurity complex in her, but we never get the sense of that when she's with Ichigo in those early chapters. Instead, we get a confident Rukia who instructs and guides Ichigo and as time progresses, it becomes less a mentorship and moreso a partnership as they create a team-dynamic based on mutual trust. Ichigo's trust in Rukia helped her build up her confidence despite her lack of powers, and with that she establishes a comfortable friendship with him.

When we see Rukia's flashbacks with Kaien we see her note his warm, friendly, informal demeanour as something she desired the most. It was comforting for her to have a normal superior-subordinate relationship after she started living life as a noble. And so, we see this again when she establishes her relationship with Ichigo; however, rather than a superior-subordinate relationship, it is moreso a relationship between equals, partners, who can hit and insult each other one moment and comfort and support each other the next. It is when she realizes that the life she has made for herself in the living world with Ichigo is nice and comfortable that she realizes she is in danger of getting too attached and takes it upon herself to leave. With that, we can see that Ichigo has already left a large imprint on Rukia's life, something that only becomes greater as the series progresses.

Renji certainly has had more history with Rukia, but I would not say that he has a stronger bond with Rukia than Ichigo does. What Renji has with Rukia are memories of growing up and surviving together, they're precious memories between childhood friends but what Rukia has with Ichigo are life-changing experiences. It's obvious that Rukia changed Ichigo's life, but he's changed hers as well, and I think Renji recognizes that, which is why I don't think he's as great an obstacle to a possible romantic relationship between Rukia and Ichigo as some make him out to be. Renji may harbour more than platonic feelings for Rukia but he does not act on them and has ultimately, in my opinion, been accepting and respectful of the relationship Rukia has with Ichigo.

Originally posted 11/30/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Debate Forum at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original posts in the original thread here and here.

Outline: When discussing pairings, some often make much about what good friends Rukia and Orihime are; however, I am unapologetically cynical about any claims of intimacy between these two. As I will explain, their friendship is a recent phenomenon and I am doubtful of how "close" they really are in terms of communication and understanding. I am more than welcome of a good, close female friendship in Bleach but if Kubo wants me to believe that Rukia and Orihime are indeed, intimate friends, he will have to make more of an effort in illustrating the development of their relationship.

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I think people question the level of friendship between Orihime and Rukia because of its lack of development, that's certainly why I am critical of it. Speaking in terms of canon, I think we are to understand that they are close friends, but in terms of actual development, their "friendship" is severely lacking.

Up until 200 chapters into the series, Rukia and Orihime had very little interaction together, let alone time one-on-one. The first time they really spent any time together bonding was in 228, up until then Rukia had spent time developing relationships with people other than Orihime: Ichigo, Chad, Ishida, Hanatarou, as well as mending her relationships with Renji and Byakuya, and the same thing applies with Orihime.

The reality is that Kubo has not spent sufficient time (in terms of the manga timeline as well as actual panel time) on developing their relationship. Even when they were training together in Soul Society Kubo did not care to actually show them interacting personally. This should have been a perfect opportunity for Kubo to flesh out their friendship but he did not, instead he leaves it to the audience to conclude that they've become good friends. I can buy that, but I am dubious of any claims of "closeness" as we have seen none outside of 228.

Seeing as they spent a month or so training together, one would imagine that they must have talked together and further developed their friendship, getting to know each other better personally, but we did not see this. Moreover, it's not my job to assume that Rukia and Orihime had intimate talks and became BFF during this time. Our understanding of their relationship will be what Kubo chooses to show us, and he chose to not show us any real bonding between them besides the event of one chapter: this is not sufficient grounds for thinking them to be close friends.

What I find much more plausible is that there is a common understanding between the two as they both have very similar insecurities in terms of having low self-worth and being rather sacrificial. However, I think this understanding is mostly on Rukia's part as I am doubtful that Orihime understands Rukia very well and I don't expect her to, Rukia's very private and socially awkward. Hell Ichigo, who (arguably?) has the closest relationship with Rukia hardly knows anything about her past and what he does know has not come from her mouth. Nevertheless, he still has a strong friendship and understanding with her, and this is because he has spent time with her, interacting personally with Rukia, talking to her, fighting with her, reading her actions and emotions- these are the things that develop relationships and this is what is lacking between Rukia and Orihime.

I'm not saying that their relationship is entirely artificial and shallow, considering how Orihime risked her life to go to Soul Society with everyone, Rukia must naturally feel some sort of closeness with Orihime, and I think that's what we see in 269. Rukia understands very well Orihime's feelings of inadequacy and not too long ago she was in a situation that was very similar to Orihime's current one; however, this is not sufficient for me to believe that the two are close friends, rather this shows how Rukia can empathize with Orihime but empathy does not make people close friends.

Friends talk to each other, they tell each other things, spend time together, these things help build a relationship and understanding between people. This friendship between them is largely a recent development and for the most part I've felt it to be contrived. Had Kubo actually spent time on showing the two interact I would not be so critical, but he hasn't.

Indeed, he may want to say "hey they're good friends now" but it doesn't mean I have to buy it. Like I said, while I recognize it in canon I think it's been forced rather than developed "naturally" within the span of the series.

Being within the same circle of friends and spending time together does not make people close friends, especially if there's an absence of personal, one-on-one interaction. People need to talk and interact with one another in order to create understanding and bond, Rukia and Orihime have not done this so far as Kubo has decided to show us in the manga.

I think Rukia going to school with Orihime is a poor example to use in terms of the development of their friendship, what did Orihime know of Rukia? Rukia was a little actress at school, her behaviour that was an act and her interactions with the people there were not genuine but a part of the role she was playing as a regular high school student. There was nothing resembling the intimacy between close friends between Rukia and Orihime at that time, nor was there any of that during the Soul Society arc as they did not spend any time together. It has only been post-Soul Society that Kubo has decided to spend time on their friendship, and when he does we are supposed to believe two chapters later that they're "close" without showing us anything illustrating that? I think not.

Moreover, you can have a circle of friends who hang out together regularly with members of the group who, despite seeing each other regularly, are not close. Hell, this was high school! I had a group of girl friends who all hung out together regularly, but just as there were people in my group who I was close with, there were also some in my circle of friends that I was not close with at all. Why? Because we never really hung out together one on one or really privately talked about anything, we never really bonded so we never really understood each other as well as we might have if we did. Sure I considered all of them my friends, but could I really consider my relationship with every one of them to be close? No, I really couldn't. Closeness implies a kind of intimacy that comes from bonding, so far as I'm concerned, this is not apparent, nor has it been developed between Rukia and Orihime. Empathy? Yes. Are they valued and important to each other? Yes, but intimacy? Outside of 228? Hardly.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's about time Kubo started developing their friendship, and I think it's natural that Rukia would relate to Orihime so strongly and feel a connection to her, but I do not buy that the relationship between them is one that is close and intimate.


Originally posted 12/06/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the IchiRuki FC at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original posts in the original thread here and here.

Outline: The following is a bit different from the usual, it was in response to one persons's query about the apparent contradiction in Ichigo/Rukia supporters who adore Rukia for being a nonconventional, stereotypical female but still gush over fanworks that depict Rukia as a domesticated housewife, an image that arguably conflicts with the strong, independent, non-conventional appeal of Rukia's character.

With that, this is not so much a dissection of Ichigo and Rukia's relationship as it is a reflection of my own desired path for the characters. While fanworks of Ichigo and Rukia living in domestic bliss are fun and sweet, it's far from what I would want to see in their future. I admire Rukia because she is a strong female character, whose aspirations are not wrapped up in being married with kids but are connected to her dedication to her job as a shinigami.

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While I think fanart of Ichigo and Rukia getting married and raising a family is cute, personally it's not what I want for them. I don't care for fanfics that have them getting married and living in some nuclear family format with Rukia barefoot and pregnant. While that's fine for fanfiction, when people talk about prospective endings for Bleach that show Ichigo and Rukia in their own nuclear family it does not really appeal to me very much. However, my own perspective on life probably ties into this because I think there's more to life than getting married and starting a family. I think you can live happily with or without, so long as you have a purpose, and for Rukia, I think much of her purpose is rooted around her job and duty as a shinigami.

Rukia is a dedicated shinigami, I cannot and would not want to see her throw that away her sense of duty and dedication to be a housewife. The aesthetics of her in a apron and Ichigo in a business suit are cute but I don't care for it to actually happen, nor do I find it especially appealing. Personally, I find the ending in which they both go to Soul Society the most appealing, with Ichigo as a captain, haphazardly running his own division. It's not comfortable or warm and fuzzy, but I don't view their relationship that way anyway. While I can see the whole "taking over the clinic" thing, and it works, I also find it difficult to imagine Ichigo just ceasing shinigami duties and activities and returning to a "normal life." I don't think Ichigo has ever complained about receiving/awakening his powers, indeed he has been thankful for them, after all the power to protect has been what he's wanted all along.

At the moment, Rukia and Ichigo are still essentially children, while I don't think getting married and wanting to raise a family is out of the question, I think Rukia's priorities are with her duty as a shinigami and probably will be for quite some time.

Moreover, we don't quite know the dynamics of reproduction and family life in Soul Society and how the other shinigami manage their work/family life. Our perception of what makes a fulfilling life is shaped by the environment of which we were raised, if it is the norm among shinigami not to get married and have children (and we don't know if they do or don't) then it would not be strange to think that one can live fully and happily dedicated to another purpose, in this case, their work as a shinigami.

Furthermore, you aren't necessarily alone if you do not get married and have children, you can still have romantic relationships with someone, you do not necessarily have to get "married," and "settle down." You also have friendships and other members of family, be they actual blood ties or not. I'm not suggesting a life of isolation is ideal, I'm simply suggesting that the concept of "making a family" as we understand it may not necessarily be the norm or be desirable for everyone. I just object to the idea that one can only find happiness and purpose in life through reproduction and a legally recognized union.

The ends of a romantic relationship is not necessarily a wedding and/or having children. I understand why people think this way, it is in some parts biological and in other parts sociological, but there should be consideration that these expectations and desires are not necessarily shared by everyone. To put this in the context of Bleach, as a shinigami, your obligations in life are foremost to your job, raising a family and all that entails is difficult in the context of how life (as we understand it) for a shinigami is and what we know of Soul Society. I'm not saying that these things are out of the question or undesirable, but the absence of these things is not necessarily less fulfilling.

Originally posted 12/05/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Debate Forum at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original post in the original thread here.

Outline: When engaging in pairing discussions, I have often pushed that Ichigo's (platonic?) feelings towards Rukia are more open and obvious. As a result, I have sometimes overlooked Rukia's feelings towards Ichigo.

Essentially, I feel that they both have strong feelings of attachment towards each other, but that given Rukia's more reserved nature, she has been more restrained when expressing this attachment. Ichigo on the otherhand, has become increasingly open with expressing this attachment, and as a result, I have felt his feelings to be more apparent.

Moreover, given Rukia's selflessness, even if she did have more than platonic feelings for Ichigo, it is hard to imagine her pursuing them. With that, people often put forward that she would put aside her own feelings, possibly to help Orihime with Ichigo, as I previously addressed in my entry about "matchmaking." However, simply because Rukia may not allow herself to be selfish for a change and pursue her own feelings, it does not mean that Ichigo would not should he develop romantic feelings for her.

---

It's been so long since Soul Society I feel that I have often overlooked Rukia's own moments of ambiguity. Her feelings towards Ichigo, like Ichigo's feelings towards her, are unclear and teeter between platonic and romantic. However, I think the point of which where I make distinction in whose feelings are more apparent, is in the matter of action and development. With that, these ambiguous glimpses into our understanding of Rukia's feelings towards Ichigo have not been openly displayed when she's with Ichigo.

Post-Soul Society I've found Ichigo's feelings towards Rukia, be they platonic or something more, are more open and apparent. There are open displays of his attachment to her: [his happiness over her return to the living world, illustrating an obvious desire for her to be in his life and his reluctance to split up, not only demonstrating his overprotection, but also his desire to have her close by his side.] While Rukia, being a more private and controlled, has not often made such displays, but her attachment to him should not be in doubt. [Returning to the living world, immediately being able to help him regain his resolve and confidence, showing up in the nick of time to save him during his fight with Grimmjow, going against the orders of Soul Society to help him in Hueco Mundo: Rukia has consistently returned to Ichigo's side, not only being there because he needed her, but also because she wanted to be there for him.]

Nevertheless, when we do get glimpses into her feelings for Ichigo, they are often internal and/or through a second party, like through Hanatarou during the Soul Society arc. Ichigo's own feelings are often expressed like this as well but as I've noted before, his feelings have also become more open. I think that because Rukia has not been as open about expressing her attachment towards Ichigo, and then taking into account how I feel that Ichigo has been pushing to change their dynamic while Rukia has been trying to maintain it, I find Ichigo's feelings towards Rukia to be closer to straddling the platonic/romantic line than Rukia's.

Rukia may harbour deeper, more than platonic feelings towards Ichigo, but she has not often made an event of displaying or expressing such feelings. On the other hand, with Ichigo we have numerous occurrences of which Ichigo has made open displays of his (platonic?) attachment to Rukia. I think this is why people think if Rukia did have feelings for Ichigo that she would not pursue them, it's not really in her character to act in her own interest. While I personally can't see Rukia pursuing Ichigo romantically, I do think it perfectly fathomable for her to develop and harbour romantic feelings for him.

However, I think what people overlook is that if Rukia does/will have romantic feelings for Ichigo and does not pursue them, and that Ichigo too possesses romantic feelings for Rukia, pursues her and she "rejects" him, it would not mean that it would stop there. If Ichigo thought that Rukia shared his feelings then I think it would be perfectly within his character to persist. [Meaning that in spite of any reservations that Rukia may have about pursuing a romantic relationship and giving into her emotions, Ichigo is the kind of person, particularly in regards to Rukia, that would push on, especially if he thought/knew she felt similarly. Rukia may not have much history in regards to acting in her own interest and happiness, but Ichigo does, after all it was the basis of why he saved her during the Soul Society arc: he wanted her to be happy.]

Originally posted 12/05/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Debate Forum at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original post in the original thread here.

Outline: A proposal that has often come up in pairing discussions is one where Rukia plays "matchmaker" between Orihime and Ichigo.

When she came back to the living world, after returning Ichigo to normal, Rukia brought Ichigo to Orihime to help him renew his promises to protect his friends. For some, this moment illustrated Rukia's potential as a possible matchmaker for Ichigo and Orihime, someone to bridge their feelings and create understanding between the two; however, I think there are numerous flaws in this proposition.

I have great difficulty in picturing Rukia as a meddlesome busybody, inserting herself into matters of the heart and trying to push Ichigo towards someone romantically. Ichigo is his own person, he has his own wants and needs, and having Rukia try to direct him romantically is not only out of her character, it ignores the fact that Ichigo very well might have his own preferences. When discussing the "triangle" between Rukia/Ichigo/Orihime, I think is common to frame Ichigo as a neutral party in all of this, but he has not been a passive observant, waiting for one girl to "come out on top," as if it were a competition. Ichigo has an active role in the development of his relationships and he has his shaped own thoughts in regards to each girl and what they mean to him.

---

While Rukia certainly harbours deep feelings for Ichigo, the nature of those feelings are not so clear, so understandably I can see why some people would think that Rukia could play matchmaker. [Nevertheless, in regards to Rukia intervening and playing "matchmaker" I just don't see it in her character. She's not a busybody, I don't think she would inject herself in such personal matters; moreover, she's a fairly private and reclusive person herself. When Rukia does intervene it is mostly because her intervention is necessary, as the case was with Ichigo in 196 where he needed a good kick to the face and tongue lashing. Furthermore, Rukia intervened there because she knew why and what to do, she was capable in the context of the situation, I don't think this applies very well in regards to matters pertaining to the heart, where Rukia is certainly not well-equipped or experienced in such matters.]

However, the most glaring fault of the proposed "Rukia plays matchmaker" scenario, in my opinion, is the complete and blatant disregard of Ichigo in this whole situation.

The problem here is that the success of this "matchmaking" lies not on Rukia but on Ichigo and whether or not he would reciprocate Orihime's feelings. This situation gives very little regard to Ichigo's own feelings on the matter and whether or not he might harbour feelings for someone else.

Indeed, what this scenario doesn't account is what if Ichigo has feelings for Rukia, or just does not think of Orihime that way? Do people think if Rukia plays matchmaker and proposes to Ichigo that he should "hook up with Orihime" that he'll automatically accept this proposal? The scenario presupposes that Ichigo has no preferences and that he'll be content to be romantically paired with whomever expresses interest.

Again, just because someone likes a person it does not mean that person will return those feelings. Having Rukia push Orihime on Ichigo does not change this, Ichigo is not a mindless dog who will obey Rukia, he has his own thoughts and feelings, especially in matters pertaining to the heart.

I know people like to think of Ichigo as some neutral party in all of this, but honestly speaking, outside of Orihime's obvious feelings towards Ichigo, Ichigo's feelings towards Rukia, be they more than platonic or not, are the strongest and are much more closer to straddling the lines between platonic and romantic than say, Rukia's are. I'm not saying that his feelings are romantic, but if we are to compare the nature of Ichigo's feelings towards Rukia with the nature of Rukia's feelings towards Ichigo, I would be predisposed to say that Ichigo's feelings of attachment are more obvious than Rukia's and these feelings are certainly not lost on Orihime.

There's a reason why Orihime expresses her jealousy of Rukia following her return. Rukia dragging Ichigo to Orihime to renew his vows to protect his friends was not viewed by Orihime as some wondrous event of Rukia bringing Ichigo to her, but rather of Rukia returning Ichigo back to normal. I don't believe this scene is somehow indicative of the possibility of Rukia pushing the two together, if anything it is used to illustrate Rukia's immensely positive and powerful influence on Ichigo. Moreover, Orihime later recalls the scene as she breaks down, expressing how she is jealous of their chemistry and the effect that Rukia has on Ichigo, openly admitting to she how desires that kind of relationship with Ichigo herself. She clearly recognizes the importance and place that Rukia has in Ichigo's life.

I know it's often a case of "Rukia versus Orihime" but this has never sat well with me because I don't feel like Rukia is vying for Ichigo's affection or attention, rather I think it's a case of Orihime's feelings versus the ambiguous relationship between Ichigo and Rukia. Rukia really isn't the lone obstacle for Orihime here, Ichigo is just as much a factor as she is, if not even more so.

Originally posted 12/03/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Debate Forum at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original post in the original thread here.

Outline: One of the oft-brought up arguments allegedly in favour of Ichigo/Orihime is in regards to Ichigo's own family. Ichigo having lost his mother at a young age, some say, may be romantically inclined towards someone who resembles her (read: Orihime). Furthermore, seeing as his own father fell in love with a warm, kind and gentle woman like Misaki, some people like to put forward that it is likely that Ichigo too would want to be with such a woman as well.

This idea of a romantic relationship between a headstrong male and a gentle female appears to be Kubo's "ideal" relationship in Bleach, as comparisons between Kaien (Ichigo's blatant doppelganger) and his wife Miyako (who allegedly resembles Orihime) are drawn as well. With that, some have concluded that Ichigo is more "compatible" with woman like Orihime and that she may very well be his "type."

In response, I put forward that there is very little basis in making such conclusions as they draw comparisons between characters and relationships that have very little in common. Ichigo is not his father's carbon copy and his relationships are his own. Just because his father, whom he does not resemble very well at all, married a kind and gentle woman does not mean it has been predetermined that he will as well.

That Orihime resembles Misaki more than Rukia is honestly irrelevant to me when it comes to understanding the romantic potential between Ichigo/Rukia versus Ichigo/Orihime. Rather, one can gain a much better understanding of his relationships and how he feels about each girl by examining them instead of trying to squeeze out his romantic preferences by comparing him to other characters and inferring what he might want from them.

---

While we're off trying to determine who is whose "type" might I remind some that a common trend in "coming of age" stories that involve romantic elements is that people often fall for those they declare are not their type at all? It's a common occurrence, where a potential love interest is initially dismissed because the character says something like "I can't stand that type of person" or "I could never be with someone like that," only to discover that in fact the aforementioned potential love interest may indeed be exactly what that character needs, or regardless of obvious conflict, falls for the person anyway.

In real life people often have "preferences" in regards to their "ideal" partners, but they won't necessarily fall for and end up with someone who fits perfectly into their preferences or ideals. The lesson that you don't always get what you want or what you expected is part of growing up. How many of us as teenagers thought that we know what we wanted and only to discover that in reality it was not what you needed or really wanted? How many people have a romantic ideal in their mind that they have determined to be "their ideal type," what they believed that they were attracted to, only to find themselves drawn to and/or falling for someone who did not fit that ideal at all? Many, many, many people.

With that, I should say that I'm not saying that Rukia is or isn't Ichigo's "type," I'm only dismissing the merits of trying to determine such things, particularly when the method of determining who Ichigo might be attracted to has very little to do with Ichigo himself.

Personally I find it fairly useless to try to draw conclusions about Kubo's intentions and ideals in regards to romance and relationships from other characters' relationships. First of all, one should note how all the canon romantic relationships in Bleach have ended in tragedy, with that, one could infer that whatever the romantic outcome is in regards to the "main pairing" in Bleach, that too may end in tragedy.

Nevertheless, rather than trying to establish trends it makes more sense to me to look at the actual relationships in question: how do they interact? What do they mean to each other? What kind of relationship do they have? I don't think it's valid to determine the romantic potential of Ichigo and Rukia's relationship by comparing it to Kaien and Miyako's relationship. Moreover, you can't determine how Ichigo feels, or might feel in the future, about Rukia or Orihime by looking at how Isshin worships Misaki, they're not connected so far as I'm concerned, Ichigo is his own person.

When you move your focus away from the actual relationship in question I think your arguments get weaker. If you want to dismiss the idea of romance between Ichigo and Rukia I think your arguments would be more convincing if you attacked the dynamics and functions of the pairing itself rather than drawing weak "conclusions" about who the author thinks would "be good together." However, I suppose this could be difficult as Kubo has already established that Ichigo and Rukia are good together platonically, so the real task for opponents of the pairing would be to argue why they would not function well romantically.

Originally posted 10/04/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Debate Forum at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original post in the original thread here.

Outline: As someone who has been fairly active in pairing discussions, I've often wondered why does Orihime love Ichigo and how did it transform from a silly school girl crush into an all-encompassing "love?" I get the feeling that this should be obvious, but I suppose my partiality towards Ichigo/Rukia makes me unable to see why. Anyway, I proposed this question to the lovely people at the Pairing Debate Thread (RIP) and much to my delight, they were happy to respond.

My initial understanding had been that through simple observation and proximity during the Soul Society arc, Orihime came to know and understand Ichigo better, see him in a heroic and admirable light, which lead to an intensification of her feelings for him. However, through our discussion, Starwing offered an different (even better?) explanation. It was something that should have been obvious, that like Rukia to Ichigo, Ichigo is the one who changed Orihime's world.

---

After Soul Society Orihime watched Ichigo undergo this amazing transformation and personal growth and ultimately, saw him at his best where he was brave, determined, heroic and unwavering. My only issue with this understanding is that they spent most of that arc apart, as Jaina noted, so this intensification of her feelings had little to nothing to do with Ichigo's own actions towards her, but primarily has to do with her further admiring his character. She actually was not there for Ichigo's primary moments of personal growth, and I suppose the reason why I look at her feelings so questioningly is because Ichigo himself has not done anything to encourage and very little to personally engage her affections towards him. Ultimately meaning that Orihime's intensification of her feelings have been a development of which Ichigo himself has not taken any direct part of, that they were an internal development rather than an external one.

So, is this enough basis for a crush to turn into love? In this context, when I say Orihime's love is one-sided, I do not mean that Ichigo will never return her feelings, but I mean the development of her affections has been one-sided. Her feelings for him intensified not through regular, direct contact, communication, and interaction, what I would consider to be a reasonable path to the furthering of one's feelings, but through what? Observation? He's been entirely oblivious and passive the entire time and I don't mean this in a dismissive way, but rather I am saying that he has not been directly responsible for the path her feelings have taken.

Why does this matter to me? I suppose I just have difficulty understanding the development of Orihime's feelings. In my mind, if you like someone and then you spend more time with them, talk to them, get to know them better, it seems natural that you would come to like them even more. This developmental path is one in which a possible relationship between Ichigo and Rukia is essentially understood. They were strangers, were forced to spend time together, got to know each other better, and should it be Kubo's will, it would be understandable if they begin to harbor romantic feelings for each other.

My issue here is that Ichigo and Orihime did not interact with one another very often not only prior to Soul Society, but during as well, the most interaction we have seen between the two is post-confession in Hueco Mundo. If Orihime were to have declared her feelings after this arc then maybe I would not have trouble understanding the leap from "silly school girl crush where Rukia and Orihime could together "win" Ichigo" to "I'll love the same person for five lifetimes." I don't doubt that she feels her feelings to be deep and genuine, but it's how they got that way is where I have problems.

A reoccurring observation in understanding Orihime's feelings has been admiration, that during Soul Society she saw how amazing Ichigo was, so it should be understandable why her feelings intensified. However, the feelings that intensified, are they feelings of love, or are they feelings of admiration? I would push for the latter. I'm honestly not trying to undermine Orihime's feelings here but it's hard to accept her feelings for Ichigo as a love when there has been so little mutual development and/or interaction between the two.

However, Starwing brings up a much better alternative to this "Soul Society admiration" understanding in that Ichigo is the person who changed her world. As a proponent of an Ichigo/Rukia relationship, naturally, I think this explanation is easier to understand. Just as Rukia changed Ichigo's life, Ichigo also changed Orihime's, and as glarringly obvious as it is to me now I honestly never really looked at it this way. It certainly helps in my understanding as this way we can see how Ichigo has affected change and impacted Orihime, as opposed to the passive role he would play through the development of her feelings through admiration.

Originally posted 09/26/2007


If anyone has any alternative or more in-depth thoughts on the question, don't be shy and feel free to comment!


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a post I made in the Debate Forum at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original post in the original thread here.

Outline: The following is further analysis in regards to Ichigo's evolving behaviour towards Rukia, particularly in regards to his overprotectiveness. I re-examine Ichigo and Rukia's relationship in the beginning of the series in comparison to how their relationship works now post-Soul Society. When Ichigo took on Rukia's responsibilities as a shinigami in the beginning he did not also take on the responsibility of protecting her. Despite her powerlessness, their relationship was not of a "protector and the protectee," rather this desire to protect Rukia came later and has grown much stronger, even though she has since regained her powers.

---

One has reason to believe that Ichigo is over protective of Rukia given that in chapter 248 he was reluctant to split up because he was concerned for Rukia's safety. Never did I say that he was concerned for her safety because he's in love with her or because he has romantic feelings for her, I do not believe in either of those statements, what I did was simply contest the idea that he has always viewed her as weak and therefore, took on the responsibility of protecting her.

To be perfectly honest, had I not re-examined the early chapters and the dynamics of their relationship then I probably would have been inclined to agree that Ichigo is simply used to protecting Rukia. However, after a closer look, like I said, nothing Ichigo did early on demonstrated to me that he felt he had to protect Rukia because she was now weakened. Again, I am not saying that Ichigo is in love with Rukia, or that he is starting to develop romantic feelings for her, though it's possible, at best what I am putting forward is that Ichigo has changed.

A completely plausible and non-pairing explanation for Ichigo's change in behaviour towards protecting Rukia could be looked at in a general manner, recently, he's been trying to protect everyone. Here it doesn't have to be about weakness and affection.

Nevertheless, one can also look at this change in behaviour and perceive that Ichigo has been particularly protective of Rukia. Look at how he took on responsibility for her injuries in 214 and again, how he did not want to split up because he was worried about Rukia. These are specific instances when Rukia is singled out, despite Ichigo:

1) trusting in her abilities beforehand
2) not being demonstratively worried about her in battle beforehand and...
3) recognizing that she now has her powers back and that they are formidable in their own right.

Moreover, Ichigo's initial understanding of Rukia's weakness was due to the fact that she was without her powers, now that Rukia's powers have returned, that understanding of her weakness must have changed; which means his need and motivation to protect her has changed. To look at it simply, she's become someone he wants to protect, regardless of whether or not she has her powers or not. I think this is essentially what Rukia has been having problems with since she's returned, the dynamic they had beforehand has changed without her really realizing it.

Prior to Soul Society, Ichigo never had this dire need to protect her. Even when he went to Soul Society, it was about saving her from death, it had nothing to do with her physical weakness: it had to do with something he outwardly viewed as his responsibility, that he could not let her die for crimes she committed to save himself. Rukia did not need saving in Soul Society because she was lacking in physical prowess, she needed saving in Soul Society because she committed crimes, took responsibility for her actions, and was resigned to her death. When Ichigo et al. are asked why they're fighting to hard to save Rukia does anyone say "because she's weak?" No, of course not, because it's not about that, it's about owing a debt, righting a wrong, saving someone who has changed his life and stopped the rain from falling, etcetera, etcetera...

So from this we can then conclude that Ichigo's motivations in saving or "protecting" Rukia from death in Soul Society was not because she was weak.

Essentially what I've been trying to say is that Ichigo, when he took on Rukia's responsibilities, was not obligated to protect her, she did not ask that of him, or expect him to, what she wanted was him to fulfill her duties. That's why she was able to fight alongside him early on with little to no objection, that's why he wasn't really worried about her in chapter 10, because what they did not have from the beginning was a relationship of "the protector and the protected." What they had was a mentorship (Rukia teaching and guiding Ichigo) which evolved into a partnership: Ichigo was not really protecting Rukia until late/post-Soul Society.

So if, prior to Soul Society Ichigo was not protecting Rukia despite her being weak, and during Soul Society Ichigo was saving Rukia because she was going to die, and it had nothing to do with her weakness, then clearly something has changed post-Soul Society in that suddenly Ichigo now feels compelled to protect and feel responsible for an empowered Rukia.

You know, if anything, one could argue that after fighting so hard to save her from death in Soul Society, Ichigo would naturally be hesitant to let her face the insanely powerful Arrankar in Hueco Mundo; however, I press on, it's not about weakness. I don't think anyone is really contesting that Rukia was weak beforehand and/or that Rukia is still weaker than Ichigo now, what people are pointing out is that this never effected them beforehand. It didn't matter that Rukia was weaker than Ichigo, she was still fighting alongside with him, he was not compelled to worry or to protect her, and he was fine with her going on her own: this is no longer the case.

Originally posted 09/25/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei

Here's a combination of posts I made in the Debate Forum at the BleachAsylum forums, you can find the original posts in the original thread here and here.

Outline: The following is in response to the perception that Ichigo's protective behaviour towards Rukia post-Soul Society, particularly in Hueco Mundo, is simply Ichigo taking responsibility for Rukia, as he always has, because she is weak. While that's a fairly reasonable understanding, upon re-examination of the early Bleach chapters, I put forward that Ichigo being overprotective of Rukia is actually a fairly recent phenomenon and that her comparative weakness to him has never really been an issue of concern.

Indeed, I put forward that Ichigo never worried that much about Rukia when they engaged in battle together or even when she went off on her own. Despite Rukia being powerless in the beginning, Ichigo trusted in Rukia's abilities, and the establishment of this mutual trust between the two created the easy partnership that we became so familiar with early on in Bleach- so what's changed? Ichigo is aware that Rukia is capable, he thought he capable before when she was without her powers, so logically he should think her just as, if not even more capable with her powers, but instead we get an overprotective Ichigo wanting to shield Rukia from battle and taking responsibility for her injuries.

One would be correct to say that despite Rukia having her powers back that she is still weak, especially when compared to Ichigo, but is Ichigo's overprotective behaviour towards Rukia really a result of him thinking Rukia is too weak to take care of herself, or is it the result of something deeper that is developing inside him?

---

In regards to Ichigo's own apprehension to splitting up and his overprotectiveness of Rukia, I honestly would not have thought much of it had Kubo not made a point in having Ichigo worried about Rukia in particular. Rukia's own reaction was that Ichigo's behaviour was unusual, and if we look back to early chapters we may understand why.

Prior to Soul Society, Ichigo, while still worried about Rukia, had enough faith to let her go at things alone, no better is this illustrated than in the Parakeet arc. [Indeed, throughout the early pre-Soul Society chapters, Ichigo and Rukia fought separately and they fought alongside each other, with few, if any, displays of overprotective behaviour.] Of course, post-Soul Society we should take into consideration that the current enemies are much stronger now, but with that we must also take into consideration that back then Rukia had very little of her powers while in Hueco Mundo, Rukia is in top form.

[Nevertheless, despite Rukia's powers returning, Ichigo is still stronger than her, making Rukia comparatively weaker than Ichigo is: could this be the cause of his apprehension? Is Ichigo overprotective of Rukia because she is simply weak? Considering my prior arguments about how Ichigo was not overprotective of Rukia prior to Soul Society, I would say no.]

Furthermore, let us also take note of Ichigo's own observations of Rukia's power post-Soul Society. In chapter 235 Ichigo's own words in reaction to Rukia after she saved him from Grimmjow were "that's some crazy power, when did you get that kind of..." Clearly, Ichigo was impressed, why wouldn't he be, after all he had never really seen what Rukia was truly capable of, despite trusting her enough to support him in battle before. With that, this should provide some reasonable foundation in believing that Ichigo has recognized Rukia's power and does not think of her as weak or incapable.

If Ichigo has become more worried about Rukia, despite her being stronger than ever before, then is it really a matter of his concern and overprotection being caused by Rukia because she's too weak, or is it because something in Ichigo himself has changed? I push for the latter, whether or not this change is due to his recent reluctance to trust in his friends on the battlefield or because of other (possibily romantic?) factors, I don't know, but I will put forward that it's a change that has occurred in him and not in her.

--------------
Moreover, while I think it's perfectly reasonable to say that Ichigo would have a subconscious need to protect Rukia after her being powerless for so long, I cannot help but to bring up the earlier chapters during the Parakeet arc where he trusted Rukia to go handle the hollows alone while he took care of Karin. Rukia did get beat around a bit in the fight, with Ichigo calling her on it when he arrived, but recall their dialogue:

"Don't try to be cool when you're all beaten up, didn't you say that you wouldn't mess up and cause me to worry?!"

"Idiot! Only someone who's at least a little worried would say a line like that!"

"Heh.. that's true too!"

By his own admission, Ichigo was not particularly worried. He let her take care of things, sure there was some unease, but he ultimately trusted her. Looking back on the early chapters, Ichigo never treated Rukia like someone he had to protect, she was constantly there by his side while he fought and she was a vital presence in every battle for him, after all this was the early "mentor" stage of their relationship.

It was only once she was taken away from him that she had become someone who needed saving. She became someone he wanted to protect after time, not because of her lack of powers, but because of who and what she meant to him.

Nothing Ichigo did early on illustrated to me that he thought Rukia was so weak she could not take care of herself. Furthermore, Ichigo did not take on the job as shinigami because Rukia was weak, he took on her responsibilities because she was no longer capable of fulfilling them.

Look at how their relationship started, it was a partnership, an agreement between two people, Ichigo didn't have to protect Rukia from the get-go, if anything it was her saving his ass. Ichigo hasn't forgotten that and I doubt Rukia has either, which is why despite Ichigo's monstrous power and growth, there is still a sort of equilibrium between them. So when Ichigo questions Rukia's capability, takes responsibility for her own injuries, and worries, as Rukia noted in 248, uncharacteristically for her own safety, it should be recognized that things are not the same as they used to be, this is not how things always were: something has changed within Ichigo.

Originally posted 09/24/2007


Shorty; ShuiMei