InsaneJournal

Current mood:	loved
Entry tags:	bleach, rants

Ichigo/Orihime
Personally, I think trying to pair Ichigo with anyone –be it Orihime, Rukia, or whoever else that may come to mind- is impossible at this point in time. He’s too emotionally challenged, socially retarded, and has a hero complex the size of a skyscraper. Maybe even a little bigger.

Although I undoubtedly support Ichigo/Orihime, Kubo Tite hasn’t properly explained whether the main character of Bleach has any romantic feelings for anyone. Ichigo is too busy trying to become stronger so that he can protect those he cares about, so he doesn’t see them as anything other than a friend -yes, Orihime included. Of course, there are a few hints scattered all over the place, but Ichigo has never said anything about caring for one friend more than the others. That’s not the kind of person he is.

If and/or when Kubo Tite decides to clear everything up properly, I can say for sure that I won’t hate the end result. I may not be happy with it and I may not like it if Ichigo and Orihime don’t end up together, but I also won’t go out of my way to make the Ichigo/Rukia fans miserable just because their pairing becomes canon. Because, all things considered, Rukia is the reason why Ichigo became a Shinigami in the first place. If it hadn’t been for her, Ichigo would have never been able to save Orihime from her brother’s hollow form, Orihime would have never developed her own powers, and neither of them would have recognized the other as anything other than a fellow classmate.

After all, before Rukia’s arrival in Karakura Town, Ichigo and Orihime only knew one another to a certain degree. They were more like really close acquaintances, really, even if she had a crush on him (although it can be argued that she’s loved him since the beginning). However, it wasn’t until they decided to get stronger and go to Soul Society together to save Rukia with Chad and Ishida that they really started to see one another more clearly than before. From then on, Orihime’s simple “crush” had developed into the unconditional love we have come to know it to be.

As for Ichigo, I think she’s just like a breath of fresh air to him, as sappy as that sounds. The reason? Orihime is probably the only character in the entire series that actually says what she feels and feels what she says. When she’s happy, she’s happy. When she’s sad, it’s obvious that there’s something keeping her down. For Ichigo, who is constantly surrounded by family and friends who are never completely honest with their words or actions, she’s probably the most sincere person he’s ever met. Even when he went to save Rukia in Soul Society, no matter how happy she was to see him, she hid it and yelled at him for coming after her. I know she just did it to protect him -I know- but that doesn’t change the fact that she wasn’t being truthful with her feelings. On the other hand, Orihime has ever done that (I don't think, correct me if I'm wrong), because that’s not the kind of person she is.

Like in the aftermath of Ichigo’s last battle against Byakuya in Chapter 167, he asks her if she was hurt and she gives him a brief synopsis of everything she had done in Soul Society up until that point. But then she calls herself useless and starts crying, because she was “so worried about Kurosaki-kun” and sorry she “wasn’t able to be of any use”. (Page 16) Yet, even so, she was just so grateful that he was okay. The expression on Ichigo’s face as a result of her words astounds me even now, because by his reaction it seems like no one has ever cried for him the way she had. In my mind, that moment between the two characters was absolutely beautiful.

Even in Chapter 237, when Orihime goes to say goodbye to Ichigo before being taken to Aizen, she has the chance to kiss him. She doesn’t take it, though. Why? Because she’s a sincere person, even to the point of causing herself pain. She's sincere to the extent that, even if she might never see the one she loves ever again, she wouldn’t steal a kiss that has no meaning. She’d only want something so intimate when he’s awake and because he feels the same way about her. That’s just how she is.

However, out of all of the Ichigo/Orihime moments in the manga, I have to say that my favorite is most definitely Chapter 283. Ichigo is fighting in his hollow form against Grimmjow and he’s losing badly, but Orihime can’t do anything except stand there and watch. She’s too afraid, the mere sight of him in his hollow mask stifling her that she can’t even think properly. She terrified, because she knows how much a soul can be warped and unrecognizable if overtaken by a hollow, just as her brother had been. She can't help but be afraid.

It isn’t until Nel verbally slaps some sense into her that she finally comes to realize that, no matter what form he’s in, Ichigo is still Ichigo. He’ll always protect her no matter what and she loves him wholeheartedly. What I love most about that scene, though, is how –instead of cheering him on to fight harder or defeat his opponent- Orihime is again her compassionate self. Of all the things she could have said to him, she begs him not to die. “Please,” she says, tearfully, “Don’t get hurt anymore.” (Page 18) And the look on his face… There are no words to describe it. It’s just amazing. So amazing. Here he is, at his most frightening, and the last thing Orihime wants is for him to die on her. Because dying means leaving her behind, and that’s the last thing she could ever want. Yes, she’s still afraid of Ichigo’s hollow form, but that’s okay. She’s only human and, more importantly, she loves him more than she could ever fear him.

Every time I read that chapter again, I fall deeper in love with this pairing. There’s just something so… genuine about those two, even if it’s just friendship between them. And, even though it may be a foolish hope to have, I’ll still keep on wishing that Kubo Tite will allow Ichigo and Orihime to be together. Because I can’t imagine otherwise.

Of course, like it was mentioned before, Ichigo isn’t ready for a romantic relationship at this point in time. He’s still figuring out the jumbled mess of his life right now, so it would be impossible for him to recognize his own feelings for her any time soon. But that’s okay, I can wait. I’ll just leave it in Kubo Tite’s hands and prepare myself for whatever happens. That’s all a good fan can really do, isn’t it?



P.S. Also, I have one quick question I’ve been meaning to ask. Why is it that everyone (including those in series and those among the fans) don’t believe that “someone like Ichigo” could get “someone like Orihime”? Am I missing something here? Because, last time I checked, Ichigo isn’t all that bad looking and –even with all of his faults- he’s still a very kind individual. What’s not to like about him? And, besides, Orihime is the one with her heart set on Ichigo. To be perfectly honest, I’m still trying to figure out how “someone like Ichigo” hasn’t fallen in love with “someone like Orihime”. …Or is that just me?