I read bleach oneshot and, i don't know you, but it frustrates me to see that renji is still a lieutenant when he deserved to be captain. kubo seems to belittle everything about him developing.
Well, anon, i understand your frustration because i felt that way, but over the course of the manga and especially the final arc, my perception changed a lot.
Yes, Renji deserved to be captain, but his trajectory is not about that. It's not about status, in fact he never really pursued it. Renji's trajectory is about love and devotion.
Let's think back to his loneliest forty years, when he had nothing and met Rukia and the misery of searching for food and shelter and then suddenly losing all of his friends. He had to fight even harder to give the least amount of comfort to himself and especially Rukia. Even if he didn't understand her feelings there, the most important thing was her. And then they decide to tackle something else, step into a new environment, bump into people and the luxury of not sleeping on a cold floor. It was the ultimate in comfort, despite having to train and seek their best in the face of new life, but they were living a dream. Renji was living a dream, given that he was slow to realize Rukia's frustration. And he only notices when it's too late and that's where my point comes in:
When Rukia pulls away from Renji and he finally realizes his own feelings, he chooses to fight again. For him it's not a matter of being better than Byakuya, it's having his respect because that's the only way he'll be able to face the person he loves.
He never really pursued the title of captain, he sought to restore what he lost with pride, to prove that he was there and that Rukia could face him head on.
As I mentioned in one of the many texts I wrote about renruki, he never saw himself as strong and necessary, but even with this bad feeling he always sought to devote himself to his love. And I have my criticisms of Kubo, about how he handled Renji in the bleach narrative, but I can't complain about his trajectory. Renji was not an underdeveloped character, his tenure as a lieutenant says a lot about his devotion to Byakuya and especially Rukia. His continuing only punctuates his trajectory, as he never sought status. Would being a captain be a bonus? Of course, however in the oneshot it's clear that he's okay with it because he achieved all his goals: Byakuya's respect and Rukia's heart. He is grateful and loves his family.
Renji is a character that despite being left out at times, gained importance. The last arc punctuates this very well, after all he is the one who motivates Ichigo to fight.
And in the oneshot, even though I've seen many criticize him for not fighting, Renji only reinforced how good his heart is. His daughter has become the reason for everything, she is the result that all the suffering was worth it and it is logical that he will prioritize her existence, even if it makes him close to 'dying'.
Being a captain is nothing compared to what he's accomplished.
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