Before I start -
Absolutely NO couple bashing if you don't like something state it politely and not in a manner where you want to kill a character....
And I know this is a bit cliche' but after the latest episode (ep 324 or was it? >.<) I feel like I have ALOT to say xD
Well for starters that episode might as well be titled "ICHIRUKI FTW!" Lmao but seriously it was full of it. I can totally see why Ichiruki fans love it so much but all I've gotta say is that it's a filler. Half the episode is a filler and the only bit that really counts is the last 5 minutes ( which i admit where done beautifully and was really cute =3).
I'm trying to not be bias but if I do come out a bit bias I apologize in advance xD.
I can see why people love Ichiruki so much and why there are so many Ichiruki fans - how they met, how much of an awesome team they are, how Ichigo always wants to save Rukia 24/7, how they both care so much about each other etc etc but too me there both more like siblings than couples. Plus it'd be a bit too cliche' with the main hero and heroine getting together (but i gotta admit Kubo seems to be leaning towards that way atm dammit). Also wouldn't it make more sense for Rukia to end up with Renji? I mean Renji and Rukia were soo close as kids and they kinda grew up together. So yeah. Plus....they're the same age.
Unlike Ichigo at 15 and Rukia at like 500 or something. And you can't say age doesn't matter in love - in this case that's a tad bit too extreme. It's probably one of the main reasons why I'm so against Ichiruki =//
Now for Ichime I can say I'm a diehard fan of them and they're one of my fav fanshippings. I'll get straight to the point for why I love them so much and why they work -
They're both the same age (sorry had to add that in xD)
Orihime's liked him from the start and has always wanted to get close to him - but since she was or seemed to be too shy couldn't.
People argue that Orihime is useless and can't do a thing hence why she doesn't deserve Ichigo - well every character can't be badass can they? There always has to be the one character whose weak and heals and that girl always end up being the one in love. It's a cliche' thing. Hell if you want Ichigo to end up with a strong badass girl then put him with Yoruichi xDD But yeah Orihime is useless so what that's her character.
People also say Orihime is clingy - well durh she's gonna seem "clingy" to him now she really likes him. So if she ever got him she'd try her best to keep him. "Clingy" is not the word to describe Orihime more like "in love" and "wants him". It's love.
Plus Ichigo was bought back to life because of Orihime's plea (okay fine knowing that guy he would've thought of another reason to come back alive LOL).
Also people say Orihime is trying to steal Ichigo from Rukia - for starters Ichigo is not Rukia's and in what way has Orihime done that? She's way too timid and embarrassed to do that! Give me some solid non-filler proof and okay I'll call a truce >.< But only on that matter.
After writing that list I have kinda noticed that there are more factors for Ichiruki than Ichihime but I think I kinda forgot some - will add some more stuff if I remember them to the edits later :3.
Too put it simply Ichigo and Rukia are more like siblings and Ichigo and Orihime are both gingers so they match eye-wise too. LOL.
I know this is a Shonen manga so theres a big possibility nothign will happen but I just want to see what fans think.
Ahh can't think of much else to say tbh. Kiiinnnnddddaaa ended up as an essay....
I guess I'll end by saying the best answer goes to the one who is fair (no bashing), and the one I think is the most reasonable =) (Doesn't mean that who ever says Ichime is FTW first I'll give them best answer)
Thank you!!!
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Well, I ship IchiRuki, and I'll start by saying I know much of that episode was filler, but some of it was very in-character. Like the speech Rukia gave Ichigo when he said he was in her way. "You fool! Don't say that! You're not in my way! If you get hurt, then I'll support you! If you can't move, then I'll fight in your place! If you're in pain, then I'll bear your pain! We're friends, right!?" This was reminiscent of the speech she gave him in chapter 196, here: http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/196/13/ And here: http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/196/14/ I thought the anime-only speech was beautifully done, and very like Rukia. Also, Kubo tweeted good things about the episode, so I think he approves. C:
Why do I ship IchiRuki? They've helped each other, made each other better people, and understand each other well. Ichigo was depressed over his mother's death. Rukia "dried his rain." (Kubo wrote this poem about Ichigo and Rukia: "The rain drags Black Sun down, but the rain dried by White Moon." The poem appeared on the covers of the official character book SOULs and the official animation book VIBEs.) Rain represents Ichigo's sadness -- it rains in Ichigo's inner world when he is sad.
It was because of the powers Rukia gave that Ichigo could fight Grand Fisher, the hollow who killed his mother. Rukia supported him through that. When he collapsed at the end, she held him in her lap, here: http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/24/18/ And here: http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/24/19/ She was there for him to lean on.
Rukia had her own memories in the rain. She had guilt over Kaien's death, though it wasn't her fault (like Ichigo's guilt over his mother's death), and because of it she felt she wasn't worth saving. Ichigo proved her worth when he saved her. She struggled with the issue afterwards until she battled an arrancar who posed as Kaien, but Ichigo had helped her.
In chapter 181, Rukia and Ichigo said goodbye after she was rescued. Orihime was with them, but she faded into the background (not bashing--just stating a visual technique). On page 13, Orihime's next to Ichigo in the third panel: http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/181/13/
Click on the image of page 13 to go to the next three pages (14, 15, and 16). On those pages, you only see Ichigo and Rukia, but Orihime and Kuukaku are also there. Ichigo and Rukia have their own little world here. So... what was Ichigo thinking?
On page 16 (http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/181/16/), Ichigo has a flashback of Rukia trying not to cry, when Byakuya and Renji took her away and she feared for Ichigo's life. Then Ichigo smiles at Rukia in real time, asking if she wants to stay here, isn't that a good thing? Rukia smiles. We get Ichigo's thought: "I remember now... the reason why... I wanted to save you so much." Rukia's smile made him remember. He wanted to save her to see her smile again, after seeing her pain before. Wanting to see her smile... I think it's romantic. C:
On page 19 (http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/181/19/), Ichigo and friends are going home. Rukia says, "Thank you, Ichigo." He turns to smile at her and we get his thoughts in words again: "That's my line... Thank you, Rukia. Thanks to you... I think the rain... has stopped." Awwwww.
Now, to counter the "sibling" idea. Observe at the way they look at each other when they say goodbye in chapter 423, at the bottom of this page: http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/423/18/ That's not how siblings look at each other. They even have shoujo sparkles around them.
A page earlier, Ichigo's gaze is solely for Rukia. http://www.manga2u.com/Bleach/423/17/ Orihime is to the side, in his peripheral. Her face isn't in the panel. Again, Ichigo and Rukia have their own world. Orihime, Ishida and Chad are there, but Ichigo and Rukia focus on each other.
Ichigo doesn't have a goodbye scene with Renji or any other shinigami. Rukia also doesn't have a goodbye scene with any human friends except for Ichigo. Their relationship stands apart.
About matching, Kubo said Ichigo's hair was originally black but he made it orange to go with Rukia's. So, he liked having different hair colors together. But looks are not important in love. :)
One last point: Orihime herself was jealous of Rukia's relationship with Ichigo. It shows this in chapter 199.
Orihime hasn't shown jealousy of any other character. Tatsuki knew Ichigo longer than her, and at the start of Bleach, Tatsuki knew Ichigo better. Orihime was never jealous of Tatsuki. Chad and Ishida have strong friendships with Ichigo. Orihime was never jealous of them for fighting beside Ichigo like she wanted to. So, why Rukia? I think Orihime's a smart girl. She wouldn't be jealous for no reason. The fact that she was jealous of Rukia and no one else says a lot.
I hope I was fair throughout all my points -- I definitely tried to be. I also hate when people bash Orihime -- she's a great character, and I love her dearly. I just don't see her ending up with Ichigo.
You've pretty much covered the majority of arguments between girls about this. It is a shounen anime, so as you stated, a relationship will probably not happen...at least until the very end.
*potential spoilers ahead*
Ichigo has a strong desire to protect. Orihime also has a desire to protect, which is why she has her ability. I don't think an ability that can bring someone back to life and basically shift time is a weak ability. It could easily be one of the strongest. My opinion is that if Kubo does decide to move ahead the anime in years and wants the characters to have families, having Ichigo and Orihime together seems to be a good fit based mostly on what you said above.
This will always be a never ending discussion though because each person will have their own favorite and defend it to the end. It kind of reminds me of favorite sports teams.
well you got ichihime my fav bleach pairing down good you covered aspects of them nothing i can think of to add to that but well in the new arc in the manga it's like ichigo and orihime got closer because rukia wasn't around for those 17 months plus while he was training in yukio's game and orihime came it doesn't seem like she's weak she trained to an she told riruka that she wouldn't let ichigo get irreparably hurt ever again she'd fix him no matter what and when ichigo found out she got mind screwed from tsukishima his expression looked shocked and upset i think in this arc it shows that he truly cares for her like when he asked chad is this the guy who attacked orihime and then when chad said yeah ichigo went ballistic on tsukishima so i think there's good evidence plus characters like grimmjow ulquiorra nnoitra and aizen all believe that ichigo holds deep affections for her