can’t stop thinking about longing, pining tōshirō who’s head over heels over a human girl he meet only a few times, and still bewitched him body and soul. how he hears the notes of her laughter in wind chimes, remembers the angles of her face under sunset light, and overall just can’t get karin out of his head.
at first is just curiosity over a girl who was so willing to extend friendship to someone like him, serious and different and distant. and then he sees her again, and then grandma haru happens and boom, it’s a done deal.
i really believe that karin fell first, but when came the time for tōshirō to open up his heart, he just dove head first in an endless abyss with no desire to be rescued. i just know that boy adores the daylight out of karin (and is too awkward to show).
i’m in deep, deep need to read some adorable fic about my babies, i miss them oh so much :(
Byakuya addresses individuals outside his family either by their last name or full name, so is there some reason why he calls Renji by his first name?
A606.
It's because Rukia called him by his first name.
Q607.
2024.04.15
In volume 35, chapter 313, there's a part where Nnoitra says in a flashback, "I want to be cut down...", but is that a scene where he was talking to Tesla rather than being a monologue to himself? If so, was Tesla the only one who knew about Nnoitra's wish (if that's the correct way to word it)? I love the flow of those scenes from the words in that flashback to the moment when Tesla collapses, and it's forever etched into my memory.
A607.
That's correct. He's speaking to Tesla.
Q608.
2024.04.15
I'd like to ask about the change of shape in the Zanpakutō belonging to the 5th Espada, Nnoitra. In the flashbacks, during the time he was 8th Espada, there was one crescent-shaped part, but later it increased to two. What is the primary cause behind this change of shape in his Zanpakutō? I'm thinking that it involves factors such as amplifying the amount of basic Reiatsu and changes to the mind and body through training, but what do you say?
A608.
It's a change in the quantity and inherent quality of his Reiatsu. An Arrancar's sword is their power itself, so changes in Reiatsu are likely to manifest in its shape.
What The Quincy Ignore: or How the Hollows, one could say, Have It Even Worse And Should Get A Chance At Purification, OR At The Very Least Not Be Looked At So Badly When They Re Merely Surviving (like the Quincy)
Also an assertation on Grimmjow's attitude
The Quincy have gone through genocide, yes I know; I myself recognize it and consider them to be victims of injustice. I do not consider what the Shinigami did to them right and I believe Quincy are justified in searching for ways to interact with Hollows to stop them outside of Shinigami control, if the Shinigami really cannot always reach them and help them (or will not do so because they hate their beliefs and so they refuse to reach them).
I have already spoken about it on this blog. The title is merely a way of saying that Quincy do not understand how Hollows are also fucked over by the system, and Quincy like to handle things as if they did not commit wrongful acts against them too. Because I agree Quincy should stop Hollows if they actively threaten their families... I simply do not agree with the HOW.
Even though the system as it currently stands is bad/flawed/whichever extent of imperfectly designed one may see it as, it is still more beneficial, like Aizen pointed out, for certain reasons, compared to what Ywach wanted. It is one of the only possible systems that works without uniting people in a huge hive mind with no autonomy of their own.
Therefore, eliminating the possibility for Hollows to be purified and gain a new life, through the complete destruction of their soul, is unfair to the Hollows. I get that at the same time this is something that Quincy live with too, the fact that when they are killed they do not go to Soul Society, but a wrong theoretically shouldn't justify other wrongs.
The system is shitty to everybody, but the Quincy are too blind in their hatred for Hollows to see that maybe they are doing something wrong. I get where the feelings of hatred originate from, doesn't change that they do not sit right with me. I believe Quincy would benefit greatly from focusing on magicks to lock Hollows in place. We have seen that a Quincy can do that, the Jail Sternritter guy, so why shouldn't other Quincies train and try to do the same? There is no way I could get their inability unless it was actually UNWILLINGNESS, unless it was BECAUSE they hate Hollows and do not care about stopping them from hurting others, they care about hurting THEM.
The Quincy aren't wrong to want to survive and find their own ways to do so. I get why they did it, and how they do it. But... Hollows, by that same fashion, should be justified/shouldn't be blamed aggressively as if they were the most immoral thing to ever exist for the fact that they are forced to be eating other souls until they are purified and granted another chance. Because they are surviving too, and it is through little fault of their own that their mind tells them the only way to do so is by attacking other souls.
I do not believe people should be faulted for dying with regrets and thusly increasing their chances of becoming a Hollow, so taking away their chances to get better feels icky to me. I do not think Hollows, even the most sadistic ones, ONLY ENJOY doing what they do. Most of them do not have a MIND to be sadistic with, they are merely hungry as fuck and unable to stop it.
Idk I am juts soft for Hollows OK? Being purified rids them of their despair and helps them get another chance. I want them to have this chance. Also they have their own civilization, enough to be considered an "ethnicity" or a demographic of their own, so I would not agree with Quincy that want all of them eradicated and exploited, like the Sternritter. I agree much more with your local Quincy in ancient times trying not to get their ass eaten and having to shoo away a Hollow with an arrow. Again, I am sad for the Hollow and sad for the Quincy both. I would just like for the Quincy to recognize the former sometimes because it is not Hollows which are oppressing them.
Now, onto Hollows themselves!
HUECO MUNDO: THIS HELL, WE HAVE CHOSEN TO CALL IT OUR WORLD
Hollows are, IMO, one of the best renditions of contrast between positive and negative afterlife. Grimmjow is exemplar in showing this. While in the Rukongai violence like that of Zaraki is compensated through status as a Shinigami not only due to Unohana's most probable influence but because he is too dangerous otherwise (like Mayuri: they have to use him because otherwise he could turn against them and then his inventions could be a problem: I don't see a lot of people mentioning this), in Hueco Mundo violence is not compensated. It is merely necessity, and it becomes compensated through status with the Espada system introduced by Aizen's cultural colonization. Even when Barragan was around as King of his own entourage, "status through violence" was actually a nothing burger: he was like a dispotic lion looking his followers up and down, and the status was motivated by a fear even greater than that Shinigami would feel at the thought of Zaraki or Mayuri betraying them.
While in Soul Society violence is a wild card, and an accessory which one should mind, in Hueco Mundo it is everything. Hallibel and her Tres Bestias are an exception to the rule, as well as Grimmjow's tentative attempt at gaining a sort of family through his own Fracciones.
In Hueco Mundo, the fear which motivates you, is that of getting eaten by others.
In Hueco Mundo, your nightmare, the only nightmare you can call home, begins.
If you go in the world of mortals, you can get purified. And that's nice, but you have an instinct deep down which does not allow you to see this as a good thing. It makes you see this as an affront instead. As something dangerous, because what little mind you have left is urging you to be upset, to rage, for what? You do not know. You cannot remember. It's just pain and pain all over, and an empty dull sensation that you have to move, FAST, and eat eat eat because you miss something and you need it so bad. But you can't remember what it is. I believe this train of thought makes an hollow behave as angry as it does, and lash out.
Then you have Quincy. Because they ARE still around, and they think that you don't even have the RIGHT to try and get purified. They are scared of you and kill you out of necessity as well, very true, but they deny you the chance of ever feeling better outside of your condition as Hollow ever again.
In Hueco Mundo? Well you guys eat each other but at least you only have to worry about your own kind... And that's better, that's more convenient; in some horrifying kind of fashion, but it is. You will eat each other, but something is left of you. You won't receive a gaze filled with pity, or filled with hatred, only with understandable and undeniable hunger which hits close to home and only leaves you with a neutral, amoral, righteous sense of doom befalling the prey. And so, when another one's jaws snap around your throat, you will be devoured and join with others. If some souls keeping you company are stronger you will submit, never to gain freedom again... But at least it's familiar. Pain, livid, but familiar. It is agony but... It is better than what is outside. Because at least here you do not have to pick fights with beings that consider you an enemy (why are you an enemy...? You just need to eat so bad, why are they angry at you...) and try to stop the instinct that is driving you so so so mad.
So it is hell. But you call it world. Hueco Mundo is just as bad as the others in matters of peacefulness, because you have to enter conflicts for territory, for food, in it as well... But you are surrounded by people like you. There is a mirror. When you cry, the mirror cries.
There isn't a landscape filled with things you are close to recognize but you can't anymore, a place where people do things that give you a sense of familiarity but it is painfully obvious you're not gonna get it back and that you do not belong to those things anymore (the world of the Living)... Unless you surrender yourself to those who want to stab you, and even then, you have to be careful who it is that's stabbing you.
In Hueco Mundo, you have a chance at gaining individuality. You will step on others to get there, in a desperate rush, but they are not very much "others" as they are your very same kind of thing. And you will finally be able to recognize as "dunes" and "sky" and "moon" that which surrounds you. You are finally able to have a voice. But there are many inside of you who hunger now...
How will you handle them?
The answer depends from Hollow to Hollow and gives us the range of character we see, going from Grimmjow and Nnoitra to Nel and Hallibel.
In particular Grimmjow is the symbol of Hueco Mundo's mercilessness as well as Nnoitra. But while Nnoitra decided to die on his path, Grimmjow learnt flexibility.
(HOLLOW BY CLOUDEATER IS A PERFECT THEME SONG. LISTEN TO IT.)
GRIMMJOW IS HUECO MUNDO IN ITS RAWEST SHAPE: AIZEN IS AN AFFRONT TO IT, AND SO, TO GRIMMJOW
Hollows are thematically tied not only to regret. They are tied to loss. That also entails the loss of a path to follow.
I will take Grimmjow as an example of a Hollow who lost thrice: when he became a Hollow himself, when he had to submit to Aizen, when he had to survive after Nnoitra attacked him. I will not analyze strictly these moments as I do not have the time, but I will give an overview of his POV and experiences.
Grimmjow had no paths to follow. Then he started eating. He had to. He needed to be relentless to survive, or others would survive instead of him. And by becoming stronger, he gained a conscience which he was missing before.
He needed to protect it. Unless he ate others he could not do so. Having a conscience meant that he could stop being as desperate as he was, it meant he could gain a sliver, a modicum, of control. And that is precious to a Hollow because, when getting hunted in other worlds is too annoying and bothersome and gives you too many painful reminders, gaining a simple bit of awareness is the next best thing to finding an absolutely complete solution.
So Grimmjow fights. And the goal and path to become a King is his anchor.
He is an Hollow like many others. He needs an anchor and he chooses this one.
Gaining followers is part of that. He never imagined he would but, if they really wanna follow him, sure, it does not matter in the end. All that is still left to do is eating, eating, eating, if he looks on the horizon, and if his other companions are too chickenshit to grow stronger? Leave them behind, he does not need them.
When Aizen gains control, it is an affront. He imposes his culture on Hollows, either by twisting them against their will, or when they are too weak or too young, too "early", to be fully aware of the scope of their decision, like with Wonderweiss, and that is not the traditional way of the Hollows... or through intimidation, shows of strength, and Hollows do see that as a traditional way of living.
But Grimmjow? Grimmjow has an anchor. Becoming King. Even though Aizen follows Hollow ways sometimes, like when he puts Barragan in his place, he also... Doesn't a lot of the time. He schemes and lurks a lot most of the time, makes others do things for him, and Grimmjow does not like that, he can't have that. He is a tornado of strength and he has to keep being like that, Aizen is an obstacle and not at all what a King should be.
Grimmjow represents the absolutely wild side of Hueco Mundo. With all its inner wounds, loneliness, resentment, rebellion which Aizen tries to stifle and dress up into soldier uniforms and formalities and schemes for his own gains, whereas Hueco Mundo lives for nothing but itself.
When Grimmjow fights against Ichigo, he goes back to his roots. He does not follow orders, he does something he enjoys, he fights for his life and to secure himself and his ego a future. He respects Ichigo as a result.
When he joins the fight against the Sternritter, he fights as a King. He fights outside of Aizen's shadows, for his world, like a King defending his realm. He fights alongside Ichigo, someone who recognized his resolve and accepted it fully in a fight... Also accepting his nature as a Hollow all the while.
Because Ichigo does not only acknowledge Shinigami values, Quincy values, Fullbringer values... He acknowledges Hollow values too.
Not because of his mixed blood. His mixed blood simply gave him an opportunity to do all this, but the actual work was done by Ichigo himself. It's his personality, his Human values, which have him acknowledge that Hollows suffer and live and thrive as well.
My Ramble is once again disorganized but I hope some of it was understandable. I chose the title somewhat wrong, but I don't care and will modify it further later.
TYBW arc - A compilation of how Grimmjow and Ichigo shifted from enemies to— [Part 1 / Part 2]
[spoilers ahead]
Of course Grimmjow doesn’t listen to Ichigo and simply chases after the enemy.
And it would’ve been an amazing show of power if Grimmjow had taken down Askin that easily. Look at his proud stance! And then here comes Ichigo worried. And how Grimmjow answers his concern? By being an as*hole as per usual — Grimmjow is good at pretending he doesn’t care.
And then we have more bickering, like they are old friends.
When Askin asks Grimmjow what Ichigo is for him, he deadpan Ichigo’s his enemy. But would enemies help each other? Would enemies put themselves in danger for the other? Certainly not. Grimmjow’s expression is just like ‘I don’t give a fuck what you wanna call it’ and ‘it's none of your business'
Grimmjow is not one to talk a lot with his enemies (tho he talks quiet a lot with Ichigo!). And the moment Askin says to partner up with him to kill Ichigo, Grimmjow is annoyed! He’ll never allow anyone to touch Ichigo. He’s the only one who will do that, and if killing is on the table, then he sure doesn’t want anyones help. So instead of indulging on such thoughts he cuts Askin short demanding him to start fighting.
Let’s not forget that while those two are fighting/talking/running Ichigo’s group is a tad bit lost. And Ichigo is pissed! He’s annoyed that Grimmjow left him behind. It’s like he’s saying “that arrogant self absorbed bastard is gone and I can’t find him’
Then we have Ichigo concerned again, but again he’s not happy with Grimmjow ditching him and putting himself in danger.
Ichigo’s worry ends up being spot on since our blue cat got poisoned, and Askin appears in front of Ichigo. Ichigo doesn’t want to know anything about the other except what happened to Grimmjow.
Worried or not, Ichigo was certain that Grimmjow would not lose. That he cannot lose to anyone. He has faith in Grimmjow’s strength, and he knows he will not go down easily or because of some dumb trick. But still, he needs to hear where Grimmjow is, and what happened to him. Because if the enemy confesses that Grimmjow is indeed dead, Ichigo wouldn’t think twice to attack with his full power. Look Ichigo’s eyes! It’s pure determination.
In conclusion: Grimmjow refuses to admit that Ichigo is not his enemy anymore, he doesn't actually know how to express what he feels, and the only way he knows how to get Ichigo to understand him is by fighting him, or by pretending that his ulterior motive always revolves around fighting. Ichigo, on the other hand, doesn't see Grimmjow as an enemy anymore from the moment he stood in front of Grimmjow to protect him from Nnoitra, Ichigo had decided that Grimmjow was not his enemy, he was an Arrancar who he sympathized with. He always wanted Grimmjow to live. And then here in this arc we have Ichigo showing he cares about the other, and that he understand Grimmjow, and that the tough facade he puts on isn't as difficult to read as Grimmjow thinks. So, in just a couple of panels and interactions, these two clearly are not simply enemies, it is not black and white their relationship, and maybe they saw a rival in the other.
TYBW Arc: A compilation of how Grimmjow and Ichigo shifted from enemies to— [Part 1 / Part 2]
[spoilers ahead]
So let's start from the very first time when Ichigo got to hear Grimmjow's voice again...
Ichigo recognizes Grimmjow’s voice!
Grimmjow recognizes Ichigo’s voice!
Of course Ichigo is concerned with his friends, but he also believes that everyone will be safe. He believes that Grimmjow will not harm them!
Then later on we have Grimmjow's return and Ichigo is shocked (in awe) that he is alive and doing well.
Grimmjow is thrilled that he got to see Ichigo again. He is the first one who Grimmjow notices. And they speak so casually too like hey it’s been just a couple of years but I knew you wouldn’t forget me.
To cover any other reason for Grimmjow to be there, he does what he’s always done: the fight me argument.
But look at Ichigo’s face! He will take Grimmjow head on if that’s what he wants. But then we have this other panel…
Ichigo knows it’s not the time for a fight, and maybe there’re more things that he wants to talk about with Grimmjow. Like where he’s been, how he got healed, who healed him and if that time on the phone was really him. And that last one is important because Ichigo could have met Grimmjow earlier — way earlier.
Our cute Nel gets in the way here and what Grimmjow says?
He wants all of Ichigo’s attention! Also, he arrived first. And he even considers fighting Nel because she interrupted them. Grimmjow’d fight anyone who prevented him to have Ichigo’s attention!
And then they finally sit down and talk about Grimmjow’s alliance with them. This is a statement that he doesn’t care about anything else but what HE desires and wants, in other words, he only cares about Ichigo. Since the very next panel Grimmjow says that if Hueco Mundo doesn’t exist then there’s no way they could fight — meet — again. Grimmjow’s discourse circulates the “fight me” premise, but what he really is saying is that Ichigo is an equal and he found joy and that thrill again to keep living. Ichigo gave him a purpose!
So the enemy gets in the way and what Grimmjow does? Head right into him first, saying it’s dumb to work as a group. Truth is, he made a pact/contract with Urahara right? No one know what that was, but maybe he needed to protect Ichigo, to have Ichigo advance. And that’s not a difficult task to do really, because if Ichigo advances the fight will be over soon (he has faith in Ichigo’s strength). And if the fight is over soon he can get to spend time with him!
But Ichigo doesn’t know Grimmjow’s true feelings - nor does he knows about Urahara’s conditions to have Grimmjow agreeing to be there. So he is concerned! He doesn’t want Grimmjow to be gone — not again.
Hey! You've probably already answered this question but, what is your favourite thing about Grimmjow and Ichigo's Relationship? I really like their dynamic (even though mostly platonic), so i'm interested in your answer ;)
Hi there!! 😊
I haven't actually!! This will probably be kinda long, so I’ll put it under the cut :)
Oooooooohhhh!! My favorite thing....ooooo this is a tough one.
Yeee, obviously canon is more like a tenuous, fighty eventual friendship,as much as Grimmjow would be willing. Obviously, I'm also a huge GrimmIchi fan but I think either way you go, to Ichigo, there's just something about Grimmjow.
By this I mean, Grimmjow made such an impression on Ichigo that like at least/over the 18 month period between Ichigo losing his powers and meeting again in TYBW, Ichigo remembers his name. Boy don't remember too many names. Hell, I think he practically recognized his voice in the TYBW. Granted, Grimmjow also tried to kill him three times, but so did a lot of people, especially in the soul society arc.
But to me, and it maybe because I am a GrimmIchi shipper, I think their fight in Hueco Mundo had more chemistry than just about any other fight Ichigo had. The tension, the banter. The fight with Ulquiorra didn't do that. I’d also say the fight Byakuya didn't have the same level as the Hueco Mundo fight. Ichigo said it himself he wanted to fight the guy again. And they fought at least 3 times (I don’t remember/didn’t read all of TYBW tbh, I know they got a little...catty with eachother before they had a job to do) And I like to lean into that desire, because I don't see it too many other areas.
I just think there's a lot of potential there. Granted, there's really potential anywhere one wants to put it, and Bleach being such a big thing, there’s a ton of it everywhere already, but there was definitely a lot already there to work with in that regards, just by their natures alone I think.
In a lot of my fics I generally also like to play into the two idiots sharing a single braincell. That's just a lot of fun, really, and there is so much competitiveness we see between them anyway, playing into that can also push them into some interesting situations.
But also I think there's another good possibility for potential with the darker stuff. Obviously, becoming a hollow and then an eventually arrancar would be one trauma after another. Never knowing how to trust. And then meeting someone who can be incredibly trusting, especially under the right circumstances. Ichigos got this thing where people want to follow him, and I think Grimm could see that happening with all the people flocking to him and be curious at the very least. Then Ichigo reaches out his hand to him.
Grimm wouldn't take it right away, and even after a long period, it would only be when he wanted to (fickle nature of cats combined with an un-trusting nature, strengthened by living in a place where that nature had to be there to survive, for an uncertain amount of time) but thats not to say he wouldn't ever take it and I don't think ichigo would ever stop offering.
Aaahhhhh I hope this makes sense! Obviously it's just me rambling without scrounging around for scores or anything. I don't do a whole lot of meta (if that’s even what this is), and I don’t think this digs all that deep, but here it is! Let me know if there’s something i wasn’t clear about, or you want me to expand upon, and I’ll do so to the best of my ability!! :)
Thank you so much for your ask!! :) I enjoyed thinking about his and trying to articulate it was fun!! 😊😊😊
Here's a Bleach ask for you, what do you make of the relationship between Ichigo and Grimmjow during the arrancar arc and the narrative value of their dynamic?
Grimmjow's relationship with Ichigo is one of the best written character rivalries in the series, because much like Uluiorra he's a near perfectly crafted foil and jungian shadow of Ichigo. The only difference really between his foiling between Grimmjow, and his foiling between Ulquiorra is that the confrontation between Grimmjow helps Ichigo grow, while his relationship with Ulquiorra is entirely destructive and stunts his growth for a long time after the fact.
1. Hail to the king, baby.
Grimmjow isn't just Ichigo's enemy, he practically is Ichigo under different circumstances, the similarities betwen them run so deep. My greatest evidence for this of course is how much Grimmjow's motivations and actions resemble that of Hichigo / Zangetsu, the literal mirror to Ichigo's soul made up of his repressed desires.
Grimmjow's words, reflect Hichigo's words, which reflect Ichigo's words as well. Hichigo tries to assume control of Ichigo's body, because he believes Ichigo lacks both the desire and resolve to win because he is too afraid of internal desires like Zangetsu and has suppressed them.
Grimmjow's desire to become king, reflects Hichigo's speech about the horse and the king, that if he doesn't rule over his own emotions, that if he doesn't use his power to win then he won't be king anymore and will be ruled by someone else. As much as it seems to be deviating away from Ichigo's true goal of protecting his friends to care more about winning fights then the action of protection, Ichigo also can't help or protect anyone if he is too insecure or too unwilling to fight with everything he has.
Grimmjow also much like HIchigo, only exists in the first place because he is a strong enough Gillian that he retained his personality by consuming all of the other Gillian around him, and was able to maintain himself. He is similiar to Hichigo, and the hollow part of Ichigo's soul in general, suddenly born in emptiness given intelligence and the only way to maintain that intelligence is to fight. A smaller part of a greater whole, threatening to consume Ichigo from the inside out if he does not rule him. If Grimmjow does not fight and eat other hollows, he'll just stop existing. If Ichigo is too weak and dies, then HIchigo will stop existing as well, which is why he will hijack the body in crisis situations and soemtimes even believes he could do a better job fighting than Ichigo could.
Grimmjow and Hichigo both desire to become king, to dominate others through their power, and it's not just a selfish desire for power that fuels this, they need to fight and win in order to survive. This is also not an entirely selfish desire on Grimmjow's part, because for instance Ichigo also wants to win. The only way he can protect his friends is to gain strength and win, otherwise he's useless. Hollows are apparently empty creatures without emotions and yet Grimmjow was the king over subordinates and apparently a good enough leader that they were all willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
Which is the precise moment that Grimmjow becomes a darker reflection for Ichigo's character, because Ichigo may desire to win, he may desire to be king, but that selfish desire is also balanced by the selflessness that he mainly uses that power for the others around him. Contrast this to Grimmjow who having lost those subjects by having consumed everything around him, he has no real reason to be king.
Having no connection to the world around him, Grimmjow seeks to die by Ichigo's blade rather than just suffer the humiliation of the loss to him, because fighting is literally the only thing he has to give his life worth and meaning.
Each Hollow represents an aspect / means of death, and Grimmjow's death is by destruction. Despite his desire to be king and ruler, he has effectively lived his life (Unlife?) by destroying everything around him until there is nothing left, and there is no end to that path except self-destuction.
When Ichigo stops him despite the fact they are mortal enemies, despite the fact Soul Reapers live to fight Hollows (though, they don't kill them, quincies do but killing hollows and eradiacting their existence has always been bad, Soul Reapers have a duty to cleanse them so they can return to the cycle of souls), it's a healthy move on Ichigo's part because he's telling both Grimmjow and himself that there's more to life than just battle, and that living to fight another day is more important than dying out of shame for the loss.
2. Howling
Grimmjow functions as a jungian shadow to Ichigo as much as Zagnetsu does, he is just externalized rather than internalized. There's a rich dirge of symbolism to how Grimmjow represents the primal, repressed part of Ichigo's mind that he does not see.
To explain what a Jungian Shadow is briefly.
Jung regarded the shadow as unconscious—id and biography—suppressed under the superego's ego-ideal.[12] The shadow is projected onto one's social environment as cognitive distortions.
Contrary to a Freudian definition of shadow, the idea can include everything outside the light of consciousness and may be positive or negative. Because a subject can repress awareness or conceal self-threatening aspects of the self, consensus of the idea of the shadow that it is a negative function in the self, despite the extent of the repression failing to prohibit these aspects.[16] There are positive aspects that can remain hidden in one's shadow—especially in people with low self-esteem, anxieties, and false beliefs—with these aspects being brought to the conscious mind and exercised through analysis and therapy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_(psychology)
Ichigo is incredibly repressed, his struggle throughout the series is to try to make sense and find balance within the several different parts of his soul, his quincy self, his soul reaper self, his human self, his hollow self. Zangetsu similiarly not simply Ichigo's evil side, but rather a mix of the traits he has repressed both good and bad. For example, as much as Zangetsu sometimes threatens to hijack Ichigo's body, he also does so out of love because Ichigo cares more about protecting others whereas the one Zangetsu wants to protect most of all is Ichigo.
The shadow isn't just repressed desires though, it's also theorized by Jung to be constructed of our instincts.
Jung construed [...] the personal shadow, [as] a biological and biographical shadow unique to each person, consisting of whatever innate instincts and transpersonal potentials we have suppressed in the course of adapting to society, along with archaic and traumatic memories [of the unconscious]. [...] The personal shadow is rooted in the shadow of our social group, which has moulded our ego-ideal and world view[.]
Humphrey, Caroline (2015). "Shadows Along the Spiritual Pathway".
Instinct, is not only what Zangetsu says that Ichigo is lacking and why he can't master his hollow self or be the king.
Grimmjow is also, literally an animal. He's a big kitty. Hollows rip off their masks to take more human forms, and then when they release their swords return to the shape of the animals they began as. Grimmjow's motivations are almost pure animal instinct, fight, kill, eat, survive.
There is so much jungian symbolism in bleach it isn't even funny, Tarot is made up of Jungian ideas, and the tarot card that has the most in common with a jungian shadow is the moon.
One of the biggest symbols of the moon card is the dual image of the dog and the wolf, howling up at the moon. The dog is the domesticated animal, the wolf the undomesticated primal instinct. The dog the disciplined part of our conscious mind we are in controll of, the wolf the unconscious mind made up of what we cannot see and cannot control.
The Moon represents your fears and illusions and often comes out when you are projecting fear into your present and your future, based on your past experiences. You may have a painful memory that caused emotional distress, and rather than dealing with the emotions you pushed them down deep into your subconscious. Now, these emotions are making a reappearance, and you may find yourself under their influence on a conscious or subconscious level.
And, what does Zangetsu translate to?
Zangetsu (斬月, Slaying Moon) is the manifested spirit of Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakutō as well as his inner Hollow.
Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer; Viz "Moon-Fang Piercer of the Heavens") is a Zanpakutō technique of Ichigo Kurosaki's Zangetsu and Isshin Kurosaki's Engetsu.
Ichigo's zanpakuto is literally named after the fact that he uses his literal repressed shadow in order to fight against his opponent, and Zangetsu takes the form more often than not, of Ichigo's reflection. Ichigo's internal world is literally an empty city over an ocean where half the city is above the ocean and half is bellow it. It's not subtle, ya'll.
Grimmjow represents how those internal fears and anxieties are a part of Ichigo. They are one in the same the domesticated dog, and the wolf. Ichigo is the king as a man, Grimmjow is the king of beasts. As I said they even have the same desire, Ichigo's desire to win is for the sake of bringing his comrades home, whereas Grimmjow's desire to win is inspired by the fact his comrades believed in him so much they were literally willing to lay down their lives and let him eat them.
Grimmjow reflects all those aspects positive and negative, he is also just in general, an ID character.
The id is the animal part of the personality, an unconscious drive to have lots of sex, survive, and thrive. It urges you to push in and eat your weight in cake. The ego is where the conscious mind lives. It's lumbered with the tricky job of satisfying the id's wild desires in a realistic and socially acceptable way.
Hunger is the word for Grimmjow, his hollow hole is literally in his stomach, his tragic backstory is he had to kill and eat his own allies, he's modeled after a panther which is a predator at the top of the food chain. However, these are also all things Ichigo needs to survive. Hichigo says as much, he needs an insatiable hunger, a ravenous bloodlust... and the id may seem selfish but if we don't eat we can't live. Just like how Ichigo's way of defeating Zangetsu is to admit to those desires that both Zangetsu and Grimmjow represents. He is once again, stabbed straight through the stomach, the same place where Grimmjow's hole is.
The only thing that gives him the strength is his desire to have his sword back and not have it get taken away from him, Zaraki of all people appears in his mind and tells him that he has a very selfish desire to keep on getting into fights and getting stronger (much like Grimmjow) however it's not entirely negative because once again Ichigo needs this killer instinct withint himself in order to win, because winning is living.
Ichigo's greatest moment of character grwoth in the fight comes when he uses his strength not only to protect Orihime, but to proect himself, the same way Hichigo does not want him to die, Orihime does not want to see him hurt, and that moment strikes Ichigo's growth.
Which is once again just how positive Ichigo and Grimmjow's relationship is, that it's only by facing Grimmjow Ichigo is pushed to learn these things about himself, only by accepting someone like Grimmjow can he accept the more negative aspects of his own self and grow past them rather than succumbing to him.
Grimmjow and Ichigo: meeting again after many years - my conclusions, opinions and reflections - Or how cats lost their claws
So… when I first saw this "meme" I smiled and calmly, I kept scrolling through Facebook. Then I saw it a few times and each time I looked at it longer. It was posted in many Bleach groups on FB. At first I didn't think much about it, a meme like any other but… something started to feel off.
Their meetings were different, that's obvious because they have a very first meeting and then they meet again after years. But let me explain. Comparing these two moments I come to the conclusion that it looks like they lost their claws. These metaphorical ones, but we all know what I mean.
Their first meeting full of aggression, fighting - bared teeth, lust for defeat, fighting. They were sharper. The second one is calm, Grimmjow still wants to fight but they are different: calmer. I think their faces and facial expressions from the screenshots show quite clearly what I mean. After the first meeting they are calmer - Ichigo has more control over himself. Grimmjow can act normal. Ichigo has more control over his Hollow and Grimmjow doesn't have to prove anything anymore. It's clear that both of them have changed.
They've become more gentle, they can work together. I ask: Where is their hunger for battle? Where is it? Where are their claws? I don't want them to kill each other, you know, but still… the cats were captured and domesticated.
I think this would be a good place to start developing their relationship again. Definitely yes. An interesting starting point in dispelling their feelings for each other - let's be honest: I'm not a fan of the ending pairing. Ichigo and Grimmjow had an aggressive start and their relationship could have developed in many ways. Similar in a way - Hollow and half-Hollow. One learning to be a Hollow, the other human. They learn from each other.
You know, enemies - friends - lovers? Maybe. I don't believe that in a shonen anime/manga they would have a homosexual couple, at least not yet, but even ending with friendship is an interesting motif. Enemies who have lost their claws. It's just a stupid meme, but it confuses me a lot.
(Of course I'm leaving out the role of animation in this because it's obvious, these scenes are 17 years apart, of course they will be different.)
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