My Tribute to my Favorite Ichiruki Edit (until now)
(taught me.)
ichiruki month 2015, day 9: free space
I love how this summarizes everything about ichiruki
...
(edited august 2023)
It's so easy to claim that what differenciates Rukia from Ichigo's other friends is that she gave him magical powers and thus his identity as a shonen main protagonist.
But that's not the reason actually it's not even close
..
First, let's dive into
1. why Ichigo wanted power.
It's true that there's an altruistic side of him who wants to help others out of pure kindness.
But it's not all as naive as some may think. Actually, from my perspective, there is a huge egocentric advantage he gains from it.
Ichigo wanted power because he was guilty of Rukia's injury and of his family imminent death that he will cause because he had interfered with Rukia's job. The latter gave him the opportunity not to blame himself again like it was the case with his mother's death and he grabbed that chance.
But this reason depended on those precise circumstances and it was not enough to make him commit. That's why, in the second chapter, he was reluctant to be a subtitute.
The only reason he accepted was that he understood that if he didn't help powerless Rukia, she would die sacrificing herself once again and thus he would be guilty of her death.
This was the perfect chance for him to redeem himself from "killing" a protector (his mother) by aiding/protecting a protector (Rukia)
Ichigo also wanted power because he never forgave himself for "killing his mother" and he wanted to inflict pain on himself for the sake of "protecting", the same cause that his mother died for.
Morever, he wanted power because a side of him loved challenges and lusted for blood for his selfish pleasures (Lust arc / Shaking Throne volume ) .
2.what was he longing for when he lost that said power
In the meantime of all this shonen manga shenanigans, Ichigo, just like the readers, lost focus/didn't realize/didn't want to admit to himself what was the main advantage about gaining this power. Ichigo considered Rukia's importance only from a pragmatic angle :
thanks to her power and her guidance, he can "protect his friends" => he "unlocked his identity as a shonen protagonist"
However, when he became powerless and when his friends were in danger, the first thing that he thought about after he awakened his fb power was how it will enable him to restore his shinigami powers
Not even "with this I might ... really be able to save my friends!!" What a selfish bastard
And when he thought about what made him want to get his powers back, it was her.
(and the expression he made was not something that conveyed pride in any sort of but rather longing and desolation)
He envisioned Rukia, as an individual, without her zanpaktou that represents her shinigami power ; just her wearing her kimono because it was only by regaining his powers that he would get to meet her again
When Ichigo saw Rukia again, after he regained his powers, everything became clear to him.
He left the power he so longed for ever since his mother died to stare at her.
This power is no longer a device to redeem himself, to inflict pain on himself or to satisfy his own pride.It became a device to connect with someone thus once he could see Rukia again, he didn't need that power anymore .
Every power he gained is worthless compared to the greatest gift that it granted him which is meeting Rukia as an individual
That's why I love chapter 460.
Aside from the fact that Ichigo became aware of the weight of his feelings, it's also a good representation of what's the most important aspect of Ichigo's odyssey, this whole manga and even life in general
It's not about the glories, the wealth, the egocentric self enlightment quests or redeeming oneself for past mistakes.But it's about the connection you build with someone that is dear to you.
So, after pointing out how Ichigo values Rukia's presence in his life more than his power, I'll be talking about the main topic part.
if Rukia's value is not linked to the presence or the absense of the powers then what makes her endearing to him ?
3 what doesn't differenciate Rukia from everyone
...
I don't know whether Kubo has done it deliberately or not, but every girl Ichigo met and heavily interacted to after meeting Rukia has something in common with her.
Hiyori : uses her fist first, straighforward
Riruka : likes cute things,
Nel : a warrior who protected him (and failed)
Ikumi : bossy, someone older than him, who tried to give him guidance (but failed because Ichigo doesn't see her as an equal), tried to convince him to help her with her job
Besides that, Urahara is the one awakened Ichigo's true shinigami powers and truly trained ( then deceived ) him and Ginjo did the same for his fullbring powers (then betrayed him too)
However, Ichigo didn't see them in the same light as he sees Rukia, which proves that it's not those individual character traits that makes him so fond of her.
Her liking cutes things,
Her being straighforward and bossy ,
Her being a warrior and protecting him
Her trying to give him guidance,
Her giving him shinigami power,
are not what differenciates Rukia from everyone.
4 Then what differentiates Rukia from everyone
The best thing about ichiruki is we never had Ichigo even indirectly stating the precise reason why she's so dear to him.
We can only guess
....
Rukia is someone who never hold him accountable for her imminent execution but was ready to throw hands when he dared to insinuate he won't help people in need.
Someone who never wanted to burden him with her problems even though he was partially responsible for them.
Someone who promised her unconditional time to listen to every one of his burdens and who dared to dream about this future for his sake when she knew her days were numbered .
A proud woman who had to be strong for too long but who trusts him enough to show him solely her tears / vulnerability.
Just like that beautiful edit said
"I am learning to appreciate the simple things like you"
Rukia is special to Ichigo simply because she's Rukia and just like he said , "Rukia is "weird"
She's not like any other person he met
I guess you would tell me
" What does that even mean ? You didn't add anything new to the table ! No one is like anyone"
but you see that's it. That's the essence of why they are fond of each other
What differenciate Rukia from everyone could be :
1. one of those qualities
2. all of them
3. beyond that
4. something that happened in an out screen moment that was not revealed in the manga
We will never know
But one thing for sure, it will always be a gesture, a stare, a saying that Rukia made and not anyone else
It will always be the fact that it emanated from Rukia, an individual, as a whole with all her qualities, her flaws and her weird antics
The unconditional love and the fondness for the individuality of the person you hold dear to your heart is why ichiruki is so endearing to me.
 Iâm not an avid fan of Bleach but I did read it..for 10 years.  Just a casual reader.
 I really thought ICHIRUKI belonged with each other. The developments and the connection these two have is amazing. I just believed that these two will end up together.Â
They are just perfect. The bond. The emotions. The dialogue. The eyes. Everything about them is beautiful.
 I donât know what happened Kubo. But that was disappointing. The last arc was a mess.
Itâs a little cliche that the first thing he does after finding a creature from hell is put his dick in it, but in Ichigoâs defense, that is not exactly the first thing he did. The first thing he did was drag the half-conscious, winged woman into his bathtub and give her the messiest bath of all time, shampooing the dirt and grime and smell of the dumpster out of her skin and hair and wondering at the same time if it was okay to put Head and Shoulders 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner in her wings. He did it anyway, and thankfully the feathers did not fall out, or something else equally as horrific.
The second thing he did was try to put her in Yuzuâs pajamas, which she (the naked winged humanoid thing) very much did not like. She was still hazy at this point, eyes squinting painfully at his ceiling light, but she was coming to more and more with each passing second. The thought struck Ichigo that she could be dangerous, but he decided to risk it. After all, she wasnât much taller or bigger than his own sistersâminus her huge, tattered wings. He could take her in a fight.
Or so he thought. She fought him so much while he tried to dress her that he just gave up and put her into his bed like that. She seemed to calm down after he forfeited on wrangling a shirt onto her bare bodyâsomething that made Ichigo very nervous and very uncomfortable. If he ignored the wings, she very much resembled a teenage, human girl.
The next thing he did was fall asleep on the floor, exhausted from the extremely strange happenings of that night. When he woke next, in the middle of the night, he almost had a heart attack opening his eyes and seeing the girl lying next to him. She was awake as well, her large violet eyes boring into him. She had scooped him up into her wings, cradling him like an infant in a crib. Ichigo, in a panic, dug his fingers into her feathers, then blearily apologized, then tried to roll away from her.
âItâs okay.â Itâs the first time heâs heard her speak. Her voice is low and husky, making something at the base of his spine curl. And he can understand her, which is something Ichigo had not considered, that this creature can speak a human language.
âIs it?â Ichigo whispers back, his voice higher than he wanted it to be. âIs this a good time for you to explain what the hell is happening, orâŠ?â
The winged creature narrows her eyes, just slightly. âIâm an angel.â
Ichigo sucks in a breath. âOkay.â
âWas an angel,â she corrects herself. Then, she closes her eyes and says nothing more.
âOkay,â Ichigo says again. He assumes the rest of the tragic backstory will have to come later. âWhat are you doing here?â
She doesnât respond to him, instead shifts closer. Her bodyâstill bare, still white and smooth and strangely warmâpresses up against his. Ichigo flushes from his nose to his feet. He doesnât get much sleep the rest of the night.
So the rest of his days are spent like: he goes to school, tries to keep his grades up knowing that heâs hiding some kind of terrifying creature of death in his bedroom back at home. He doesnât go out with his friends after school anymore, he makes a beeline home and runs straight to his room, ignoring his familyâs questioning stares. He always has the slightest fear that heâll open up his door one day and see the angel gone, but he always finds her, either curled up on his bed or rummaging through his closet.
Every night, no matter where he starts off, heâll always find himself sleeping in the crook of the angelâs wing again, cradled in her soft, strange feathers. Then, he asks her questionsâquestions about her past, where she comes from, what happened to her, where sheâs going. Each night, it seems she only has the strength to answer one. But little by little, piece by piece, Ichigo starts to put it together.
She had fallen in love with a human, a long time ago. How long ago, she wouldnât say. The details between are sparse. All Ichigo knows for sure is that itâthe love, the human, her being an angelâdidnât end well. And now sheâs here, in his bedroom. And Ichigo suspects for the same reasons, she canât leave.
âYou have to tell me more, angel,â he whispers to her, one night in particular. The moon is full, and heâs feeling particularly bold. âI want to help you. Is there anywhere you can go? Anyone you can talk to? You canât stay here forever.â
The angel blinks at him. Her eyes are not a color from this world. âIâm sorry,â she says for the first time. âWhat an imposition I must be on you.â
Ichigoâs eyes widen. âNo,â he says, raising his hands defensively. âThatâs not what I meant, I just want to helpââ
She kisses him. Her lips are cold.
Ichigoâs breath catches, his whole body freezes. Then, as the angelâs slender fingers find his and their hands intertwine, he hears something that makes his heart jump to this throat. âRukia,â she murmurs against his lips. âMy name is Rukia.â
Time is running out. Ichigo doesnât understand how he knows this, but every time he looks at Rukia, he can sense the urgency on her, radiating off of her in waves.
âSomeone is after you,â he tells her one night. She sleeps on his bed now, both of them smushed onto the tiny mattress. She takes his blanket, and covers him with one of her giant wings. âTheyâre trying to kill you. Am I right or wrong, Rukia?â
Rukia has gotten more loose-lipped in recent days, but she is still far from an open book. Ichigo has suspected for some time that she is running from something, but no amount of questioning or persuasive kisses can get her to open up. Heâs getting frustratedâand desperate. Ichigoâs heart skips anxiously for his familyâhis sisters.
âYes and no,â Rukia says, to his great surprise.
Ichigo props himself up on his bed, shaking the sleep out of his limbs. âWhat do you mean?â
âSomeone is after me.â Sheâs picking her words carefully. âBut they will not kill me.â
Ichigo pauses, wetting his lips. âThen⊠whatâŠâ
Rukia narrows her eyes until they are slits. âSomething worse,â is all she says.
Ichigo inhales, realizing heâs about to hit a dead end. Then he nods, slowly.
âDonât be afraid,â Rukia tells him, her voice a murmur against the skin of his shoulder. It sends a hot rash of goosebumps up his neck. âI wonât let anything happen to you or your family.â
Ichigo reaches out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. âHow can you be so sure?â he asks, shakily.
Rukia, for the first time, avoids his gaze. Thatâs when he knows.
âYou canât leave here,â Ichigo says immediately, gripping her arm in a rising panic. âWaitâRukia. If what you say is true, thenâŠâ He pauses, bites his lip.
âItâs as you said,â Rukia replies, moving closer to him. Ichigoâs heart begins to hammer again. Heâs still not used to being so close to her, even though he has no reason to feel this way. Sheâs barely human. Whatever embarrassment he holds about that shouldnât apply here. Yet, it does. He canât quite explain it. âI canât stay here forever.â
Ichigo blinks. âI didnât mean that,â he protests weakly. âI was justââ
âI know.â She cuts him off with a kiss, as she always does when he starts to get too real, dig too deep.
âWill you tell me when you leave, then?â Ichigo asks, gasping as they break apart.
Rukia gazes up at him, studies him intently with her luminous eyes. She looks much healthier than she did when he first found her, all those weeks ago by their trash bins in the alleyway. But still, she did not look like she was thriving on this Earth, and there is nothing Ichigo can do about that.
âRukia?â Ichigo prompts.
Rukia averts her gaze again.
âItâs soon, isnât it?â
She doesnât respond. Ichigo doesnât know why he keeps trying. Maybe for the hope that one day, she will tell him the truth. âOh,â Rukia says, suddenly, reaching up with her hand to wipe her face. âTears.â She shows him the moisture left over on her hand. âAre you hurt, Ichigo?â
Ichigo stares at her. He knows about the healing properties of angel tearsâRukia herself told him about it. He looks down at himself, wondering if heâd accidentally scratched or bruised himself somewhere. But he sees nothing on his skin, feels nothing in his bones, except for a strange tightness in his chest at the vivid thought of Rukia abandoning her roost in his room and disappearing from his life forever.
âI donât think so,â he rasps.
Rukia reaches out and places her palm, small and warm and solid, against his chest. âHere,â she says, lashes fluttering as she looks up at him again. âWhere your heart is beating.â
You know what's so beautiful about IchiRuki? One doesn't supercede the other. They are completely equal in a way no other ship or couple can be. This is the miracle ship that pushes and pulls the exact same amount.
So no fanfiction writers, ichigo doesn't become a Kuchiki and Rukia doesn't become a Kurosaki. They keep their surnames and work in tandem. Because that is what makes the so compelling to people.
It's not their beautiful interactions that scream how much they care about each other. It's not the sun/moon symbology. It's not even the fact that when they are together, others fade into the background. All of that helps, but it's not what made them the 1 in a million ship
It's their synergy. These two are equals in their relationship, they fall into it at the same pace and have the same level of affection for each other the entire time. It doesn't matter that ichigo is physically stronger, it doesn't change their power dynamics in the slightest. It doesn't matter that rukia is mentally stronger. They both see each other in the exact same way.
Yes rukia changed ichigos world, but ichigo changed rukias just as much.
She can already see herself a few hours from nowâhunched over the toilet, spewing her guts out, and regretting every choice sheâs made in the past few yearsâyes, that includes law school. That might just be the biggest regret of her life.
The thought hits Rukia like a semitruck, the pain of it radiating through her insides. And itâs not the alcoholâno, this is different, this kind of pain has freckles and orange hairâ
She digs her nails into her palm to stop her vision from swimming. She swears sheâs being overdramatic. Itâs just a bunch of chemicals in her brain, itâs just a feeling, itâs just a crushâ
She didnât think he would get this far. That they would get this far. Hell, nobody thought Kurosaki Ichigo, the kid from some shitty little town called Karakura, in his ripped jeans and graphic tees, would ever get into Seireitei Law School, much less sit next to her at the bar.
She still cringes at the memory of him, just hours ago, passing her a Number 2 pencil.
And Rukia hates to admit it, but even she didnât think he would get to graduation. All the odds were stacked against himâa poor country kid with no connections, no money, up against hundreds of pompous wealthy assholes whoâd bought their way into the school with their parentsâ money. If Byakuya nii-sama hadnât covered her entire law school tuition, sheâd be on his side. Sheâd be like him, sinking in debt and a laughing stock at this stupid school. But she squeaked by, only through sheer luck, and Ichigoâwell, he wasnât so lucky.
And yet, he never seemed phased by it. He sized up every encounter with every student, consistently beat her at every single exam score, and shred his skateboard through campus at two in the morning.
Bought her a drink every Friday night after study session at the bar. At their bar.
Heâd done the same that night, after their brutal two-day bar examination had left them both exhausted and distresed out of their minds. Heâd bought her many drinks that night, hence, Rukia at the back of the Uber, watching the city lights fly past her in a drunken blur.
He wanted to get in the car with her, but sheâd pushed him away. Sheâd told him no when his soft, inticing lips came right up to hers. âIâm going to my brotherâs,â sheâd slurred to him, the hand that was supposed to be pushing him away clawing into his soft shirt, instead. She doesnât know what she wants. âYou canât come with meââ
âStill?â Ichigo asked, and kissed her anyway. He tastes like the last beer he downed. âItâs been three years, Rukia. He still doesnât know about me?â
âYou donât understand,â sheâd cried, trying to escape his tightening grip on her wrist.
âI donât,â heâd said to her, those molten brown eyes boring into hers. âWhatâs going to happen if you tell himâthemâabout us? Arenât you tired of keeping secrets?â
âI have to,â Rukia told him, distraught, her inhibitions long gone. âOtherwise I lose everything.â
She didnât tell him that everything meant him.
Rukia hears herself sob, and her hand reaches up to stop herself from letting out a torrential flood of tears. But sheâs tired, she just took a two day exam, she just drank her weight in alcohol at the bar. She just left the love of her life standing at the entrance.
The driver in front of her tilts his head at her. âAre you okay?â he asks her.
Rukia waves her hand dismissively at him. The tears running down her cheeks mixes into her mascara, smearing onto her undereyes and cheeks. âIâm fine,â she gasps, but it just isnât true. She left him there, and sheâs going to graduate, and sheâs never going to see that punk ass bastard who stole her seat at their first lecture then stole her class standing and all of her interships and then, all of her heart.
She flips open her phone, and drunkenly opens the contact card of the number sheâd memorized by heart. Sheâd never put a name to it.
Rukia types in the address of her destination, horrifically, still so inebriated that sheâs convinced sheâd made at least 7 typos in the short message. Still, she writes. I donât want to keep secrets just to keep you.
Rukiaâs body trembles in his arms. Sheâs so close. Sheâs so small.
Ichigo stands on top of the broken Sokyoku. The acrid smell of burning wood fills his lungs as ashes petal down from the sky. Zangetsu is still hot in his grip. In his other, Rukia presses closer to him. She is afraid. Sheâll never admit it, but he can feel the last vestiges of her reiatsu clawing at him. She didnât want to die.
He stares down at the hoard of shinigami that have gathered. To watch Rukiaâs slaughter right in front of their eyes. Ichigoâs lip curls. Like some kind of blood sport. Heâs disgusted by the lot of them. The longer he spends in the Soul Society, the more he realizes the afterlife is nothing like the tranquil utopia Rukia once described to him.
Of course not, he thinks. She doesnât know any better.
Ichigo glances down at her. Rukiaâs wide, shining eyes gaze back at him. Save me, they seem to say. Take me away.
He breathes out. The instinct to sheathe his sword and throw her on his back and blow a hole in the atmosphere is too strong. If he lets himself, he could just hold onto her like this and they could disappear forever. Where toâhe doesnât know, but it wouldnât be here, it couldnât be the gensei, but that wouldnât matter. He would find somewhere, an imaginary realm across the multiverse that nobody has ever seen or heard of. And there, they could live together, in peace, forever.
Forever.
Ichigo turns his attention back to the gathered shinigami. Their hands are on the handles of their zanpakuto. They seem bewildered at his entrance and destruction of the Sokyoku, but their programming would never let them do anything other than cut him down.
Today weâre gonna talk about Inoue Orihime and her real purpose in the narrative of Bleach. As originally thought out by Kubo.
For a disclaimer I should mention that I am not Kubo, so Iâm not stating anything as a fact. This is what I personally think and Iâm gonna give argumentation for this opinion of mine. If you donât agree then you donât agree. I have nothing against it.Â
This post is also going to be heavily filled with manga pages and panels
Now, shall we begin?
Orihimeâs orginal purpose as a character was to serve as âsubtleâ way for Kubo to convey to the reader Ichigoâs feelings for Rukia
I should probably mention, that Orihimeâs fans wonât like it. So, if you are one, maybe..you shouldnât read thisâŠOr you can, Iâm not telling you not to. Just, a little warning.
People out here really are thinking fiction means youâre writing your opinions and rubbing them on others. Especially the fanfiction.
The author made someone the antagonist? Oh they hate that character, how dare they?
The antagonist character is not white? Oh they are racist, what the heck?
The author is subtly trying to justify canon character? Oh they obviously didnât watch the show.
The protagonists are not a canon couple? Oh theyâre mortal enemies, how twisted are they to make them lovers?
It goes on and on and on. I see this in so many fandoms. Like, chill out bro! Itâs fiction. You got a problem, scroll on, unless it is actually harming someone. If itâs just against your own opinion, donât engage. Donât bother them. Mind your business. You have a brain, so it shouldnât be that difficult, right?
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