If I were to be honest…
I strongly believe grimmhime could have been SUCH a good alternative to Ichihime.
At first glance this may seem like the typical bad guy/good girl or opposites-attract pairing, but when you think about it, their relationship could be mutually beneficial. They both have traits that could rub off the other. Orihime’s kindness and compassion, a sharp contract to Grimm’s aggressive and hotheaded nature. Grimmjow’s ambition and headstrong personality, which sharply contrasts with Orihime’s struggle to stand up for herself and fight back when she needs to.
On top of that they have some key things in common. They both struggle with loneliness, Orihime losing her brother, the only family she had left and resorting to living on her own. For Grimmjow this is less apparent, but he spends countless years wandering Hueco Mundo by himself, until he is found by his fraccion, only to lose all of them later and end up alone again (which in a way, mirrors orihime’s experience of losing her entire family). They also have this unrelenting desire to become stronger, Orihime’s reason being that she wants to be able to protect her friends, while Grimmjow wants to become the hollow king (most likely deluding himself into thinking that attaining that would fill the void inside of him).
As for other popular pairings with Orihime or Grimmjow, I can’t really see how both parties would benefit from being in a relationship. Ichihime? Orihime’s desire to protect her friends mostly strengthens because of Ichigo, but how exactly would Ichigo benefit from being with her, as opposed to anyone else? Ulquihime? I could see how Ulquiorra would become a better person because of Orihime, but how exactly would he influence her for the better? Grimmichi? They’ll most likely be butting heads the entire time. Grimmnel? Same thing.
As for Grimmhime? I feel like Grimmjow would be able to teach Orihime to stand on her own two feet, to fend for herself instead of always relying on someone else to protect her. I also feel like Orihime would be the best candidate to get through to him emotionally. Grimmjow doesn’t seem like the kind of person to open up to anyone (even though it’s clear that there’s a lot going on beneath the surface), so Orihime’s strong intuitive nature could really come into play here. I can definitely see the two of them bonding over their shared feelings of loneliness or feeling weak and powerless.
It’s a real shame Tite Kubo deprived us of a potentially beautiful pairing. I mean, could you imagine how much more interesting the Hueco Mundo arc could have been if Grimmjow had the smarts to act on his desire to become king? If he realized that Orihime’s rare and powerful abilities could serve as a valuable asset to him? Took advantage of the fact that Aizen never intended on using her, and steal her for himself? Just imagine if Orihime got the spotlight she deserved and Grimmjow played a bigger role in the manga…what a story that could have been.
I feel like I could write an entire essay on why I ship these two, since one tumblr post simply isn’t enough to articulate my love for this pairing. But to sum it up, I just think they would balance each other out very well. And sure, they don’t have too many interactions in canon, but just enough to make them shippable, in my opinion (I mean, she heals him, and to show his gratitude, he saves her from those Arrancar bullies. like come on, that’s pretty cute!). And I’m confident that Grimmjow could soften up towards her in the future, since she’s the only person in the entire manga he ever does anything nice for, the only one he feels the need to “repay the favor” to. And Orihime being the forgiving and optimistic person she is would definitely welcome him with open arms. If they were to have more interactions, their relationship definitely has the potential for growth.
What do you think? Agree? Disagree?
