~Another hot take from my manga reread that I'm going to share with you all
Orihime did NOT go to the Soul Society to save Rukia!
Her motive was purely to follow Ichigo.
Before I continue, I do NOT think this necessarily makes her an evil person. I think this makes her a human teenage girl with a crush who is self absorbed most likely due to her traumatic past.
The point of this post isn't to hate on anything but rather to look at things objectively as they are presented in the manga.
Let's look at those key panels in Chapter 58, shall we?
Orihime has not had her memory wiped of Rukia presence. That's clue number 1. Why was her memory not affected? Or Chad's? Or Uryuu's? They all remember Rukia quite clearly. We know that it was not the Gotei 13 that wiped their memories.
The most likely culprit for the memory wiping is Kisuke.
So you can gather from Orihime's words here, Ichigo has just finished telling her how Rukia was arrested and taken back to the Soul Society. Obviously Ichigo informed her there was trouble because she clearly says "you want to help her". Why would Rukia need help if she was not in trouble? She is aware something is wrong based on whatever Ichigo told her off screen.
Then - in a very odd turn - Orihime starts saying "her friends and family are all over there".... which is a very STRANGE thing to say when Ichigo just finished explaining that Rukia's brother was one of the people that arrested her....
It get's even stranger! She goes on to say "Will you take her away from her family and friends and bring her back here? Is that the right thing to do?"
AGAIN - she KNOWS that Rukia is in trouble and that her brother is one of the people that arrested her!
We know Renji straight up told Ichigo that Rukia was going to be executed.
So what makes Orihime think that the "right thing to do" would be to LEAVE Rukia in the place where her "family and friends" are going to execute her?
Also, note how Kubo chose to frame her in this panel... Specifically as she says this -
It's dark. Orihime's shadowed. We cannot see her eyes, only her mouth. It's an odd choice for a seemingly "innocent" scene....
Ichigo's reaction is visibly SHOCKED by this. As it should be because wtf?!
Then we get a real SUDDEN shift from her where she immediately puts on her "fake" smile (because it literally matches the fake smile she does at the Don Kanonji show) and does a complete 180! And her reason isn't "Well of course what I said is all bullshit!"
No, she says "But you've already made up your mind!" Hmm...
Then we get Orihime imitating Ichigo (because she's studied his body language for a while now...)
Again, showing a fake smile. Consistently the same facial smile we've seen her use when she's covering up for a saying something odd or lying about her feelings.
It's only AFTER all of this, that Orihime says "I don't want my friend Rukia to die either."
If someone is your friend and you are told that they are going to be executed and you don't want them to die, your first reaction would NOT be to justify why they should NOT be saved!
Also note how surprised Orihime is to notice the resolve in Ichigo to go save Rukia. Like, she's literally looking at his clenched first with surprise.
Then Ichigo runs off to go ask Urahara to train him. Orihime looks sad as she watches him go and makes this plea for Ichigo to not get hurt. Not for him to rescue "her friend Rukia". But for Ichigo. Again, I'm not saying this is evil of her. But her motive is Ichigo, NOT Rukia.
Hang on, cause here is where it gets even deeper!
This very next panel. Right here. We see Orihime decide "I won't let him." Meaning she won't let Ichigo get hurt. Then immediately goes to a phone booth and calls Chad to say she has "made up [her] mind".
Now ask yourself. Made up her mind about what? Ichigo didn't ask her to come along. We haven't seen any indication that he spoke to Chad at all.
So again, I ask... made up her mind about WHAT?
Obviously we know it's that she made up her mind about training with Yoruichi to go to the Soul Society too. To follow Ichigo and make sure he does not get hurt, like she said. But... HOW DID SHE KNOW THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY? Ichigo didn't know it was and certainly didn't say anything...
Orihime knows Ichigo is a soul reaper at this point and only souls can go to the Soul Society. She is not a soul reaper. Why does she think it's possible for her to follow Ichigo to the Soul Society?
The only logical conclusion is that Urahara spoke to Chad and Orihime and informed them that they had a choice to make regarding whether they wanted to go and help Ichigo or not. Otherwise, they would not have known it was a possibility at all.
BUT if Urahara did talk to Orihime and Chad beforehand - he must have explained WHY they would be making this choice at all.
SO ORIHIME ALREADY KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO RUKIA BEFORE SHE SPOKE TO ICHIGO
Otherwise, she would not have known to immediately go call Chad and tell him her decision.
So now - go back and reread those panels above knowing that Orihime ALREADY knew what happened to Rukia. You see it in a different light, don't you?
She couldn't say she was going to follow Ichigo to the Soul Society. She has no prior relationship with him really. Chad was friends with him for years. But Orihime really only interacted with him on a surface level at this point for two months and mostly through Tatsuki. So, of course, the reason could not be Ichigo. She had to say it was Rukia.
And that first part? About whether Ichigo was doing the right thing by rescuing her? It's manipulative. It's dark. As soon as she saw his shocked face, she flipped real quick.
She isn't honest with Ichigo about herself at all either. She doesn't tell him about what Urahara said. Or that she had powers that have awakened. Or that she has a choice to make about going with him. Nothing. No input whatsoever. She wants Ichigo to be honest with her but does not offer him honesty in return...
And you know? You don't have to take my word for her motive. She straight up says it here:
The ironic part is that she completely failed in this. She didn't heal Ichigo at all until the very end at Sōkyoku Hill.
But you know what's even more messed up? Rukia believes that Orihime did go to the Soul Society to save her. She really does think that Orihime is her friend and cares about her.
Orihime's expression in that last panel is intriguing. That sadness in her eyes at Rukia's genuine kindness. One wonders if she was about to tell Rukia the truth about her motives for going to the Soul Society...
TLDR: Orihime is NOT a cinnamon roll character who selflessly went to the Soul Society to save Rukia. She is a jealous teenage girl with anxious attachment style that wanted to follow her crush.
~ My hot take for Tumblr today:
The same fans that say Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps are just "best bros" are the same ones that think Ichigo and Rukia are just "best bros".
~Kubo loves to use parallels in his story telling. Let's look at one parallel I noticed this time during my current reread of the manga.
So first, let's look at this conversation between Ichigo and Orihime that I went over in more detail in this post.
Pay special attention to her words in the panels below. Remember, she already knew about Rukia's situation from Urahara to some degree! From the conversation, we can gather that Ichigo filled Orihime in with more details, obviously not knowing she already knew.
We see her initial reaction at hearing the story from Ichigo here. She's expressing doubt that Ichigo should rescue her.
Kubo even chose to give us a cinematic look here, where her face is shadowed and we don't see her eyes...
And it's such an odd thing to say when someone says "Rukia was arrested and taken back to the soul society to be put to death." and her reaction is "Will you take her away from her family and friends and bring her back here?" ... you mean the same family and friends that are going to execute her?
But look - as soon as Ichigo's face shows shock, Orihime does a 180 and pivots!
Even Ichigo is confused by her sudden shift in demeanor.
Masking....
Masking..
And you can see, the whole 180 was an act. She drops her mask as soon as he turns away. Her smile fades. She approaches Ichigo about this as a way to establish why she is going to the Soul Society in the first place (because she can't just tell Ichigo it's because of him. She barely knows him!).
The doubt she was sowing in the beginning was for what? Who would benefit from Rukia not coming back? Who was feeling jealousy for how close Rukia was to Ichigo?
Now, let's compare that to the panels below - where Rukia does something similar to Orihime...
We see Rukia's initial reaction - very matter of fact, depressed, resigned to her fate. Someone who's given up hope. You see Renji is upset that he isn't getting his typical reaction from her and is saddened by her response. He's not used to seeing her so hopeless...
So what does Rukia do?
She does a complete 180 herself! She changes her demeanor, teasing Renji about his eyebrows, getting him out of feeling sadness for her. She acts as if she is considering escaping, which we know she is not.
She goads Renji until he becomes annoyed, effectively shifting his emotion from sadness to the more useful emotion of anger.
She literally winces when he slams the door.
And just like Orihime, as soon as Renji's gone, her mask drops.
So what are these two conversations paralleling exactly?
Both Orihime and Rukia mask in these conversations by switching their demeanor suddenly
Both Orihime and Rukia are able to pick up on the emotions of the Ichigo / Renji respectively
Both Orihime and Rukia drop their masks as soon as the other party is gone
In what ways are they different? Well, in one of the most SIGNFICANT ways. Their motive - the why behind their shift.
Orihime's motive was selfish. When she masked and shifted her demeanor, who's benefit was that for? Hers. It helped her establish a reason for why she was going to Soul Society under the guise of "her friend Rukia". It helped her talk to Ichigo directly when she's had so little direct conversations with him at this point. If her motive had truly been to uplift Ichigo, she would have approached him from the beginning. "I know everything from Urahara. I have powers now and I'm training to work on them so I can help you rescue my friend Rukia." but that's not what she did...
Rukia's motive was selfless. When she masked, it was for Renji's benefit. Pure and simple. She wasn't trying to get him to do anything. She didn't ask him to help her escape or to appeal to Central 46 for her or convince her brother to change his mind. No. What did she do? Joked about escaping to give the impression that she wasn't giving up. She teased him about his eyebrows to distract him. She had Renji focus on something other than her impending death. Lightened his mood so he could leave without feeling utter despair that she had accepted her fate. It was for HIS benefit, purely.
There are multiple parallels with Rukia and Orihime in particular. This is just one. But it's an obvious one. It shows the true nature underneath these characters.
And just for clarification, I'm not saying this makes Orihime inherently evil or makes Rukia a saint. Both of them have their flaws and qualities that shine. But Kubo specifically wrote them to parallel one another in this way.
The biting cold air on Rukia's bare skin felt refreshing. It was dark now, the moon fully risen to it's height in the star speckled sky. The thing fabric of her shihakusho rustling softly as she shifted on the hard surface beneath her. Occasionally, a motorcycle would drive by or an ambulance with it's ethereal melody and shatter the eerie silence.
Snowflakes gathered on dark lashes as Rukia hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. It was well past midnight for sure. She wasn't supposed to be here. This knowledge circled in her thoughts, reminding her that she was an outsider here.
The window in Ichigo's room had been dark this whole time. She had checked earlier and he had seemed asleep. Healthy. No injuries in sight. A sure sign that staying away from him was the right choice. It had been months since she had come to the World of the Living. She knew where she would be drawn to - or rather - to whom she would be drawn to. She was right. Here she was, sitting on the roof of his neighbor's house, letting the snow gather on her like some sort of statue lost to time.
Her phone vibrated beside her. Another message from Renji, no doubt. He had wanted to stop by. He had a dessert for her, of course. Byakuya had also wanted to see her. But Rukia did not feel like socializing. She didn't feel like putting on that mask and smiling through whatever well wishes they would give her.
How old was she now? She had lost count. Did it matter anyway? As far as she knew, this wasn't her real birthday anyway. It was just an arbitrary day that she had chosen when Renji insisted that everyone had a birthday. But she had no memory of her earlier life before then. No idea how she survived in the Rukongai until then. So she had just decided that this day would be her birthday.
"I don't know why I thought this year would be any different." Rukia muttered to herself, a dusting of snow crystals falling from her raven hair. "It's worse somehow..."
A simple kido kept her reiatsu hidden from everyone. She had watched silently as Orihime, Uryuu, and Chad had stopped by Ichigo's house. Orihime had brought some pastries that looked delicious. They hadn't stayed long but Rukia couldn't staunch the feeling of overwhelming jealousy as Ichigo interacted with them.
He could see them. The look of those brown eyes she had grown so attached to unable to focus on her... staring past her... haunted her dreams. It hurt too much. She couldn't bring herself to interrupt Ichigo's life again; pretend to be part of it, witness the pang of sadness that he would feel whenever he was reminded that was powerless now.
In truth... she missed her best friend. In the time they were together, Rukia had come to realize that she did not have to pretend in front of Ichigo. He had no expectation for her other than that she be herself. He called her out on her bullshit and she gave it right back to him. They spent hours talking, sharing each other's trauma and feelings. She learned little things about him. The way he dumped his clothes on the floor carelessly but was extremely careful with his books. How he got extra excited when Yuzu cooked karashi mentaiko. She noticed the way his mouth would open while he was sleeping and how he would murmur out loud depending on his dreams.
She noticed the way Ichigo paid attention to what food she did not eat and began tailoring her meals to only include what she liked. How he was careful to make sure her newly washed clothing was always neatly folded in her closet. How he started leaving out paper and markers for her to draw and new manga would appear on his desk.
"How fitting. The one person to really see me for who I am... can no longer see me at all." Rukia wasn't sure what she had done to earn this ire from fate. It seemed that it was a driving force to keep them apart.
A long exhale slipped out, visible as a white fog. Why was she here? Torturing herself on this day of all days, no less? She shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she chastised herself.
Rukia was about to pick up her phone to go through those messages when movement caught her eye. The light was on in Ichigo's room and she could see him clearly, sitting on his bed as he glanced at his phone. He slowly slid the window open, leaning slightly out so the air stung his face.
Curiosity got the better of Rukia and she pocketed the phone. She moved silently, careful to not disturb any of the snow around her as she moved closer to the Kurosaki roof. It was quiet enough that Ichigo's voice carried as she crept closer. She double checked her kido to ensure that her reiatsu was still hidden. It would be her luck that Isshin or Karin would recognize her energy and reveal her presence to Ichigo.
"Damn, I missed my midnight alarm." He muttered, tossing the phone back to the bed and returning his attention to the moon in the night sky. Rukia's brow furrowed as she observed the wistful look in his eyes, the way they seemed dull with sadness. She briefly wondered if it was raining in his soul again...
Why did he have an alarm set for midnight? Was there some sort of human custom or holiday today that she was unaware of?
When Ichigo did speak again, his voice was thick and heavy, a roughness to it as if it pained him to say the words out loud. "Happy Birthday, Rukia. Wherever you are."
Every part of her body froze. Rukia's gaze snapped back to Ichigo's, unmoving and with open shock on her face. He ... had remembered when her birthday was? Is that ... is that the reason for his midnight alarm?!
"I don't know why you don't come visit. I was sorta hopin' you would stop by today. I asked Inoue, Chad, and Uryuu if they'd seen you." His hand moved to the back of his neck, rubbing it in the way he did when he was nervous or trying to act nonchalant.
"I even bought a small cake... just in case you did. It even had a rabbit on it since I know you love the damn things."
Rukia's heart plummeted. The fact that he had remembered... that Ichigo had gone as far as he did... She cursed Aizen a thousand times over for causing this... for making Ichigo have to use such a technique that rendered them as apart as the moon from the earth.
"I had a feeling that maybe you would show up tonight..." Did she imagine the slight tremble in his voice? "I'm sure you're busy with your shinigami duties and I'm ... not useful." He was breaking her heart with each word, taking a metaphorical knife and twisting it right into her soul.
Slowly, Ichigo removed a small rabbit charm. It was an adorable white snow rabbit holding a bright red strawberry. Violet eyes glistened as she stared at it, a single tear streaming down her cheek. Then another.
"Ichigo... I'm here..."
She whispered though she knew he wouldn't hear her. White hot jealousy washed over her at everyone around them. At Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin. At Orihime, Chad and Uryuu. At Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro. Hell, she was even jealous of the Kisuke. They all could do the one thing Rukia could not do. The one thing she swore not to do when they had said goodbye. That day, the words she really wanted to stay stuck in her throat and by the time she raised her head to say them, to tell Ichigo what he meant to her - he was looking through her. "I have no right to disturb your life a second time... and yet-"
Ichigo shifted suddenly, leaning out further. The movement startled her and for a second, Rukia thought perhaps he had heard her. Instead, Ichigo's hand leaned out and set the small rabbit charm a bit away from his window, nestling it into the snow.
"This is stupid..." He muttered to himself but left the charm where it was on his roof. "No one has to know though..." He continued to mutter to himself. exhaling loudly.His head tilted as he looked at the moon again. It's soft light casting a glow around those orange locks. "Happy Birthday, Rukia."
It seemed like hours but Rukia held her breath as Ichigo slowly closed his window and turned off his light. He lay in bed with his eyes open for a long while before finally passing out. It would be dawn soon and Rukia would need to head back to the Soul Society before her absence was noticed.
Stepping carefully, Rukia lifted the rabbit charm. It was ice cold in her palm but she did not let go, admiring the detail of the adorable rabbit. She put the charm carefully into her pocket, before bending down to move her finger through the snow. When she was finished, Rukia stood up, shaking the snow fully from her shihakusho before flash stepping away without a second glance.
Glistening in the freshly disturbed snow was a small tracing of a chappy rabbit with her distinct hair style next to a strawberry.
Situation: Renji and Chappy are both hanging from a cliff. Only one can be saved. Who do you save?
"......"
"Renji is a strong independent soul reaper warrior who doesn't need saving! Chappy is just an innocent adorable cute little rabbit that would die if not saved!"
In a contest of anyone vs Chappy, Rukia will always pick Chappy.
It's funny how you so easily defend Akira. You don't him as much as I have. Ask him about the bridges he burns. Ask him about how he abandons people. People who are his only friends. Then maybe you would realise that Hedge is someone you don't want in your circle. He will abandon you too!
~OMG can you not fucking read?! Didn't I tell you not to darken my ask box again? Conchetumadre you just can't tell when you aren't wanted, huh?
GO THE FUCK AWAY.
No, I'm not going to ask them anything about their history. There's a concept I think you should familiarize yourself with. It's called "it's not my fucking business". I don't background check the people I rp with. They can choose to share personal things with me if they want and vice versa which is how normal fucking friendships work. Maybe you aren't familiar...
You really sound like you got some personal shit to work out, anon. Do yourself a favor, go to therapy and get some fucking help. You clearly have abandonment issues. This is the internet. IRL stuff always happens. People have to leave. Sometimes they come back. Sometimes, they are like me and take long breaks. None of it is personal. You aren't mature enough to be here if you can't understand that.
Now this is the LAST time I will post one of your anon asks. Any future ones will be deleted on sight. If you have something to say, SAY IT WITH YOUR CHEST.
I know you are writing with the Mun behind Akira. But let me tell you, there aren't the great writer you think. I have been around them for the past 8 years in the RP scene and honestly they always fuck up any fandom the join. They always try to make edgier OCs then do less than engaging battle RPs. You would honestly be better off just dropping them and finding better partners
~Oh boy... it's been a while since I've had the chance to go off on an anon. I somehow seem to avoid being caught up in drama on Tumblr so I rarely get to call these out directly. (although you're a coward hiding behind a mask so as direct as I can in this case).
Firstly, who the hell do you think you are to tell me who I can and cannot write with? Like seriously? I've been in this fandom and roleplaying Rukia for over 10 years. Not that it makes me better than anyone else, of course. But why the HELL do you think some random ass anon who can't even say what they wanna say with their whole chest has ANY right to tell me who to write with? The absolute arrogance and audacity....
I have no idea what you mean by "fuck up any fandom they join" but who the fuck said you could gatekeep the fandom? Who said you were in charge of "quality" control and I use the term quality loosely because you don't seem to have the moral spine to actually know quality.
Who cares if they make "edgy OC's"? If I want to interact with their OC, that's MY call to make. If I find their battle writing problematic, it's MY business to take that up with them. PRIVATELY. Because what asshole tries to ruin someone else's entire RP experience based on what they think is "bad writing"?
I have a decent amount of RP partners who have been super patient with me when I take forever to reply. You seem to have this impression that I'm desperate for rp partners and that's why I have a thread with this mun. You are absolutely mistaken. Who I rp with is MY choice and I happen to enjoy having threads with LOTS of people.
Like others have said when they called you out - you just come off sounding like a whiney brat that wishes they could RP with people that this mun does. Maybe instead of wasting all that energy being an absolute troll and ruining someone else's rp experience because you're jealous, why don't you put that energy to good use and improve YOUR writing?
Idk this mun very well or on a personal level. They are just a mutual I have a thread with. But I'll be damned if I let some whiney piss ass anon like you try and tell me who I can and cannot write with and try to use my platform to bad mouth this mun.
Stupid pendejo acting all fucking entitled to tell others in the fandom what to do. Go do some self reflection and if you're going to call out someone in the future, don't hide behind the anon mask like some low level fucking hollow scum. Go to fucking therapy.
Rukia would absolutely spit on you and call you out on this BS for bullying behavior. Idk how else you thought this would go with someone who roleplays her as extensively as me. Now get out of my sight and don't darken my ask box again pedazo de mierda. ~
~okay but can we talk about this scene for a second??!! Throwing this under read more so I don't clog up the dash but like...
Look at her face! Look at the sheer DESPAIR on her face as she realizes what he is doing! Notice the only way he stops her from interfering is with a direct order. When does Ukitake speak like that to Rukia? We almost never hear him speak in such a commanding tone. It forces her to revert to her training. That's the only reason she stopped moving toward him. Then he utters those words. "There are two types of battles" These are the words that haunt Rukia the most. See how she instantly flashes back to Kaien?! The hand gesture is the EXACT same movement she did when she flash backed to this in Ichigo's fight with Grand Fisher. Imagine the turmoil in her, the sheer panic and PTSD her body is going through having to stand back and do nothing as her captain dies? And let's also remember that this isn't just a boss > employee relationship. While I do think Kaien had a greater influence on Rukia as a whole, we cannot dismiss the influence Ukitake had on her. After Kaien's death, it would have been Ukitake that would have interacted with her the most. They shared that trauma and I do think he would have taken her under his wing as much as Rukia would allow. Of course, Rukia's natural tendency is to withdraw into herself but you cannot convince me that Ukitake did not notice; that he did not go to Byakuya to intercede for her and was shut down just as he did in the Soul Society Arc when she was sentenced to death.
And! When she was sentenced to death and he realized Byakuya wasn't going to do anything, this man defied the orders of the head captain to ensure that Rukia would not die. He is the one who oversaw her growth after that arc and into the Hueco Mundo arc. He elevated her to the position of his lieutenant - and this is after he emphatically said no one would ever measure up to Kaien. This is not a typical superior relationship. I really think Ukitake mentored Rukia and was the closest relationship to a father figure she ever had.
Now, with all that, imagine all of this when she had to watch him die. With his last words to her being "You understand, don't you, Kuchiki?" ??? Rant over for now. I'll be over here drowning in feels.~
