Reasons why I love/appreciate Ichigo Kurosaki as a Shonen MC
Ok, some of these reasons might be subjective or biased, but for whatever reason (maybe all the Ichi hate I’ve been seeing lately?), I felt compelled to gush about my favorite Berry-tan.
Ok, I’m probably gonna bring this up a lot, so I might as well say this now: I’m gonna compare Ichigo to other, typical Shonen leads. For the record, I don’t read or watch One Piece or Naruto, so I’m only using the basic knowledge that I have of Luffy and Naruto - so if I’m horribly wrong, please feel free to correct me! Sorry in advance! (*￣∇￣*)
This is something I really appreciate in a character. I’m aware that the typical Shonen male is *usually* not the brightest (take Goku for example), they usually don’t do so well at tests, etc. I’m also aware that Shounen is aimed at a young, male audience, so having the MC be kinda dumb is funny and loveable! I get that, and it doesn’t bother me (hell, my favorite character in Slayers is Gourry). It just makes it all the more refreshing when Ichigo, this scary-looking punk, is getting high scores at school, adores Shakespeare, studies instead of partaking in clubs, and says that writing was his favorite subject.
Maybe it’s just because I’m a nerd, or because Bleach is set in 90’s Tokyo (or both?), but having a character that likes video games, sports, movies, and literature is really, really cool to me. In a way, the beginning of Bleach was my favorite: When you get to know the characters, and just see them live their daily lives. For that reason, I also liked the Fullbring arc (and the beginning of another Shonen, Shaman King). As a middle schooler myself (when Bleach came to America), and even through high school to my adult self, I could relate to Ichigo’s struggles with fitting in, school, the future.. The fact that he is sarcastic, grumpy, and awkward is endearing to me because he has flaws. He’s not chipper all the time, and he doesn’t look on the bright side. I’m kind of a realist myself, so having a MC not being the unreasonably optimistic all the time is relatable for me.
Continuing off of #2, I want to expand on Ichigo’s flaws. Like a typical MC, he has his moments of rushing in head first, acting without thinking. And ya know, that’s ok! He’s a teenage boy, and it happens to all of us, yeah? His “flaw”, if you’d call it that, is his depression. Something that makes Ichigo so relateable as a character, I think, is the fact that he’s not perfect.. And that’s beautiful. Since he was little, he’s constantly been bullied (because of his hair color), and since his mother died, he blamed himself. He doesn’t have the highest self-esteem because of it, and his depression even takes the physical form of “rain” that threatens to drown him when it’s just too much . I’ve read manga for a long time now, and I don’t think(?) I’ve ever seen a more realistic portrayal of depression. I know the fullbring arc got a lot of hate, but it shows Ichigo’s inner turmoil fantastically. His depression over losing his powers, his ability to protect, was one of the lowest times in his life - not an enemy, not losing, but this. I love Ichigo for being such a strong person, but also being fragile at the same time. It makes him feel so.. Real to me.
THIS! To some, it can be such a small thing.. But to me, I really REALLY appreciate that Ichigo isn’t a pervert. In fact, he’s the opposite: Many people call him a prude.. And whats wrong with that? I think it’s adorable that he gets really awkward and shy around half-naked women. To me, it shows that he’s respectful to women (which makes sense, since he has younger sisters and his mother was his world), and he isn’t being used as a comedic device. Its a little thing, but I think it makes for a better male role-model in a Shonen title.
Honest, blunt.. I tend to like characters with these traits. Usually, characters that are blunt are that way because they are naive or .. Dumb (Gourry, for example). They don’t know any better, right? But Ichigo is intelligent. His sole reason for being blunt is that he’s an honest guy - he tells it how it is. Sure, it might hurt someones feelings (like when he mentioned Orihime was kinda heavy in the Hueco Mundo arc), but he’s not gonna lie about how he feels or what he thinks. I’d rather have a friend that tells me the honest truth, that I need to hear, than someone who will sugar-coat it for me… Maybe that’s just me, haha. Either way, it’s a character trait I personally like :)
6. He has no real goal in mind
Okay, that sounds weird, but hear me out. Naruto wanted to be the Hokage, Luffy wants to find the One Piece, Yoh wants to be the Shaman King, Goku wanted to find the Dragon balls.. I could go on. There’s nothing wrong with a character having a specific goal in mind; in fact, it’s a good thing! But, for some reason, I find it endearing that Ichigo puts his life on the line to help people, protect Soul Society, etc for no reason other than he wants to protect. He’s never asked for any reward, never asked for a position of power. Everything he’s ever done has been for the sake of others. <3
There’s probably more things I’m forgetting to mention, but this posts gotten pretty long.. Sorry about that! Σ(￣皿￣;;
Oh, and an honorable mention? Ichigo is hot AF. Lol. Not relevant in any way, but he’s the finest boy I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing in a Shonen.. And his fashion sense is impeccable (///∇///)
Oh God, rant over.. I’m so sorry (／▽＼)
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