Ichigo/Rukia (Bleach)

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Title: I Will Follow You Into the Dark
By: Britt (luvinaoshi)
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Kurosaki Ichigo/Kuchiki Rukia
Spoilers: Up to more recent Bleach chapters (pretty much the whole series so far)
Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach. Woe is me.




Ichigo/Rukia is probably one of, if not the biggest, ship in the Bleach animanga fandom. And it’s not surprising either, considering that Ichigo is the main protagonist of the story and Rukia the lead heroine. It’s always tempting and easy to stick the two most important characters of opposite sex together, especially when they’re in so many scenes together.

However, there is so much more to Ichigo/Rukia than that. It may be the reason we first noticed its potential, but as the series has progressed, so has the depth of the relationship, and the potential for love. This, I will try to prove in the following essay.


I Will Follow You Into the Dark







Kurosaki Ichigo//黒崎 一護
(boy wonder)

From the very beginning of the story, Ichigo –and I put this simply- is the epitome of cool. His nickname is “strawberry” because of his name’s similarity to the Japanese word for the fruit. His hair is naturally bright orange in color. He’s dripping with attitude, and his t-shirts have slogans on them such as “Speaking Is Not Communication.” Though he is only fifteen years old, he already has a large chip on his shoulder. (And a hero-complex as well, but we’ll get to that later.)

He also has some good moves. In the first scene, we see him beating the crap out of a couple of thugs who have desecrated a dead girl’s memorial offering. Because she asked him to.

It turns out that Ichigo is also gifted with the ability to see the dear departed, and even talk with them. He’s had the power from birth, and other members of his family exhibit similar though less developed skills. His younger sister Karin can see them, and his other younger sister Yuzu can sense their shapes. (His father Isshin can also see them, but at this point we don’t know.)

Despite the occasional supernatural elements, Ichigo manages to live the life of an average teenager. He occasionally helps out at the family clinic, and attends high school at the nearby Karakura High. He has a group of friends, and a number of enemies- perhaps more than the usual student because of his unusual hair (the upperclassmen think he bleaches it), the tough attitude he puts on and his willingness to get into a brawl.

Enter Kuchiki Rukia.

One fateful day she walks into his bedroom through the wall, and is alarmed when he attacks her, thinking she is some sort of burglar. “You mean you can see me?” is her first reaction, but she quickly picks up on the fact that abnormal amounts of spiritual energy are pouring out of him subconsciously. She therefore reveals her true identity to him- she is a shinigami assigned to reaping Hollows (bad souls), and bringing good souls to the Soul Society. Ichigo is skeptical until they are forced to fight a Hollow that attacks his family, lured by the presence of his strong energy.

During the battle, Rukia is injured, and attempts to gives Ichigo some of her power so he can fight the Hollow himself. Unintentionally, she ends up giving him all her power. He is able to defeat their enemy, and from that point on, agrees to act as a shinigami while she recovers.

At first Ichigo seems reluctant to take the reigns, claiming he’s not doing it because he wants to but because he owes her. We soon find out the truth- that this is what he was meant for.

Ever since childhood, when he began study at a dojo, Ichigo had a powerful desire to protect people, especially those around him. It was intensified when his mother Masaki was killed protecting him as they were walking outside in the rain (by a Hollow, as he finds out later). He carries with him the guilt of her death, blaming himself and his inability to help her for his family’s loss. He gains a fierce desire to never seem weak, never be beaten.

One of the things I love best about Ichigo is this depth to his character. On the surface he is prickly and detached, always frowning or fighting. But it’s all an image- a carefully created attitude he has developed to not show weakness. Perhaps it’s his survivor’s guilt as well; a part of him wants to be hated by others. He can’t even understand why his family doesn’t blame him for Masaki’s death.

It must be said that Ichigo never points fingers; he always accepts all the guilt, all the responsibility on his own shoulders, whether or not it is warranted. He has to be the hero. Not only does he launch himself unflinchingly into battle with Hollows without fear, but he has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, as we see with his interactions with the TV personality Don Kanonji.

Ichigo is, despite how he may appear at first, deeply concerned for others. He doesn’t hesitate to fight for his friends’ sakes, and eventually, even for complete strangers. He comes to prove that he will do anything for others, especially Rukia. As a result, his character is constantly enduring change throughout the series, always striving for new strength and attaining it.




Kuchiki Rukia//朽木 ルキア
(an atypical Cinderella)

Slight in size but great in spirit, that’s Rukia. And though it’s not immediately evident, she is probably as marked by her past as Ichigo is.

A shinigami of no seating from the 13th Divison, she entered the training academy after a childhood spent living on the streets and stealing for food with her close friend Renji (later a shinigami as well and vice-captain) and the other street brats. Her sister Hisana had abandoned her when she realized she was unable to help her at that time. However, Rukia was later able to join the wealthy noble class after Hisana’s husband, Kuchiki Byakuya, adopted her into the family at his late wife’s last request.

Then, when she was serving as a shinigami under Captain Jūshirō Ukitake and Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien (who she seemed to have a crush on, or at least greatly admire), an incident occurred that was rather traumatizing to her. Kaien’s wife was killed by a Hollow, and after they had sought and located this Hollow to destroy it, Kaien was unable to. Ukitake stopped her from interfering to protect Kaien’s pride, and as a result he was taken over. Ukitake could not defeat him, and in a fit of clarity, Kaien killed himself on helpless Rukia’s sword.

Rukia is unable to forget Kaien’s death, and it seems to be an important factor behind a lot of her decisions in the way she deals with Ichigo. Not only does he physically resemble Kaien, but she feels a desire to protect him when a similar incident with a Hollow occurs near his mother’s grave.

Rukia takes her shinigami duties quite seriously. We see her frequently informing Ichigo of Soul Society laws and how he should follow them. Even with her powers gone, she makes herself useful by training Ichigo, badgering him relentlessly, and cleaning up his wounds.

However, this careful attention to regulation and order is broken more and more often during the time she spends with Ichigo; Rukia is a shinigami often distracted by the human element. In times of great danger, she shows that she has her priorities firmly in place. She will break laws to save lives, even if it puts herself in a bad situation. Not only does she allow Ichigo to share in her power though it is not allowed, but she later makes another exception to save the life of the Mod Soul Kon, though by Soul Society laws he should be destroyed.

We often see Rukia as serious and thoughtful, but she has many other sides to her. She manages to have fun posing as a student in Ichigo’s class; she plays the part of a demure, sweet girl for her own benefit and amusement while they’re in public. Many aspects of the current youth culture confuse, amaze and amuse her as she tries to learn them. She devours cheesy horror manga, struggles to put the straw in a juice pouch, and even tries to pick up on the slang, much to Ichigo’s dismay. She also seems to enjoy drawing, though most of her pictures are pretty bad.



Rukia is gifted with a tongue than can be as sharp as Ichigo’s at times and an equally stubborn will. But that’s not where the similarities end; Rukia also exhibits a fierce desire to protect those around her, and refuses to be anyone’s burden. This is their first and strongest link.




Ichigo/Rukia
(the best kind of partnership)

It is true that Rukia and Ichigo are not the most romantic of duos, for all the fangirling we make of them. They are not characters that find it easy to openly express that type of emotion. Instead, their relationship is all about subtexts- the wonderful, subtle things that we see beneath the surface in other actions and gestures.

They are rather curt and snarky with one another, often throwing insults back and forth, and accusing the other of being overly stupid or reckless. This is a tension that definitely works in their favor; it belies a certain intimacy as well.

Not only is Rukia also free to approach Ichigo on a more physical manner, she’s the only girl that is allowed to do so (dragging him, hitting him, touching him on the shoulder, etc.) This is particularly meaningful in the sense that Ichigo often displays a discomfort around other women. We know that the sight of an unclothed, or even scantily clad woman (read: Yoruichi) makes him distinctly uncomfortable, and in all other respects Ichigo is typically asexual. Only with Rukia is he more relaxed; she is on a different level than all the others.

Ichigo is even able to discuss his mother and her unfortunate death (at the hands of a hollow as they find out) with Rukia very early on in the series. This is a particularly painful sticking point with his character, and after realizing just how much, Rukia handles him with great tact and care. She gives him the space not to tell her if he wishes, and allows him to fight his own battle for his honor, even if he may lose in the process and it hurts her to watch him do so.

Rukia: Thank you for not dying, Ichigo…thank you.


We can also theorize that Rukia’s empathy for Ichigo is made all the stronger by her difficult past and losing Kaien in a similar manner. This is yet another way in which they are able to connect on an emotional level; she can understand where he is coming from.

Partly because of their pasts, and partly because of the quick, strong connection made between them, both Rukia and Ichigo demonstrate an unusually strong will to sacrifice their feelings and wants, even their lives, for the other. Upon their very first meeting Rukia goes well beyond the line of duty to protect Ichigo from the Hollow that attacks his family. She makes a reckless, nearly fatal forward attack in order that Ichigo will not get eaten. And in return, Ichigo eventually agrees to repeatedly put his life on the line to kill Hollows while she regains the power she lost helping him. But it goes further than this.

Rukia’s actions come back to haunt her once more, when she is arrested, taken back to the Soul Society (shinigami world) for allowing Ichigo to have her powers, and condemned to die. Ichigo tries in vain to stop her from being taken away, almost dying in the process. To protect him, Rukia insists that he must not try to help her.

Rukia: Move one inch from there…try coming after me…And I will never forgive you.


After being saved from death’s door by Urahara Kisuke, Ichigo vows that he will go anyway. Urahara tells him he train first.

Urahara: If you wish to save Kuchiki-san with all your heart, then you have at your disposal a power stronger than iron. But if your resolve is half-hearted, forget it. For the next ten days, I’m going to put you through hell.

Ichigo: Well, if I don’t do this, there’s nobody else who can, right? Let’s do it.

Despite all the danger, despite all that he must go through to be strong enough to face the other shinigami, Ichigo perseveres and travels to the Soul Society to save her.

This is why the relationship between these two is so crucial to the series as a whole. It is Rukia who, directly or indirectly, encourages Ichigo’s growth, his gaining of new strength. It is she that he trains so hard to save, she is the reason he must achieve bankai (the final, ultimate form of his shinigami sword or zanpaktou). He fights shinigami captain after captain to reach the tower where she is being held, goes to the brink of death and back, emerging stronger at the other end and finally succeeding in his goal. She has a positive, driving effect on him, the likes of which no other character in the series can claim.

Orihime: To Kurosaki-kun, she is an important person. Because to Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san is the person who changed his life.


Ichigo’s effect on Rukia is equally as important. We see her adapting to new environments and situations, letting up and allowing herself more freedoms. She is forced to put her trust in a fifteen year old high schooler at the beginning, but as the story progresses, it becomes her choice to put her faith in him and his abilities.

In more recent chapters, they have come even further. After parting for a while post-Soul Society, when they meet up again, both seem to be more willing than ever to acknowledge just how much they mean to one another.

Ichigo, who is always detached and nonchalant as a part of the image he tries so hard to keep up, does not bother to hide any of his emotion. We, the reader, are perfectly aware of how much it means to him to see Rukia in his classroom once more at the beginning of this new arc- it is written all over his face.






As we come to see, their relationship has indeed gone to a whole new level. Of course, many things remain the same: Rukia is as rough-talking and physically abusive as ever, and she is the only one that can return Ichigo’s confidence in his abilities to protect in friends. But for the first time, Rukia can at speak frankly to him of what he really means to her



Judging by the look on his face at this, he knows it, too.

He is also openly expressive of his concern after Rukia is injured in a battle with one of their newest adversaries, Grimmjow. As Orihime heals her, and Ichigo watches over, his affections are made plainly evident (and made many Ichigo/Rukia shipper squee, if I recall correctly.) Orihime does not fail to notice his expression either, which brings me to my next point.

I truly have no problem whatsoever with Orihime. I adore her character and enjoy reading about her. It must be said though, that her love for her friend Ichigo is also plainly evident throughout the series; however it is my opinion that the love remains one-sided, at least for now. She lacks the same level of positive influence that Rukia exerts over Ichigo, and even she is painfully aware of it.

To me, an Ichigo/Orihime relationship seems like it would be more of a backtracking for the two characters than anything else (and let me note again that this is simply my viewpoint- you obviously don't have to agree with it). I would like to see Orihime grow stronger on her own, independently from Ichigo. This is why I personally prefer Ichigo/Rukia, though I can see a case being made for Ichigo/Orihime.



Ichigo and Rukia do seem perfectly suited to each other- an admirable duo. They have like personalities and have overcome similar difficulties in the past dealing with the loss of loved ones. They work together perfectly in times of battle, while maintaining the deepest trust and honesty in their relationship outside. And lately their feelings of affection have seemed to grow as they continue to have a positive influence on one another.

These are all reasons why I am proud to call myself an Ichigo/Rukia shipper.





More


Fanart

I apologize for my lack of links in this section; I really don’t follow fanart as much as I should. But as far as the artists I do know…fanartist has a lot of really lovely work. I especially like this blue one. dragonboy_mt is also a great artist; the Ichigo and Rukia he draws have a great likeness to the ones you will see in the manga- With or Without You.

Poking around, I found a few more. This art drawn by nic-xc is hilarious. I enjoyed this drawing) by shinigami-lashae, and this art by sandied.

And though I don’t like the name much, Strawberry Sankyuu by animegher is great - love the outfits they’re wearing.



Fanfiction

Fortunately enough for this pairing, it’s got a handful of great authors going for it.

The first that comes to mind is berrygold. She’s written, among other things, a collection of Ichigo/Rukia drabbles Flutterby, Mind Prisms and Perchance to Dream.

hecatehatesthat that is another must read. She’s got a great road-trip series going called When the Sun Comes Up, You’d Better Be Moving, and I also rather like It’s Hour Come Round At Last. Her characterization is great, and you can read her here.

I like the way autophanous writes Ichigo/Rukia as well, particularly in the tongues of serpents, vcr, tv, and other such confusing acronyms and morning. And I adore bravecows’ fic: the second to last room and A Debt Unpaid.

Then there’s team7’s fic from when she claimed them at 30_kisses, you can find some of it here, here and here.

Also: cynic_in_charge and lacewood’s Something They Can Live With, pinkpuruu’s untitled and letters, tokyofish’s beautiful fic , and tenebris’ What the shadows say . I also like her fic Introduction, though it’s technically Zangetsu/Shirayuki.


Fanlistings

The IchiRuki fanlisting Keep Me Strong
And also, individual fanlistings for both Ichigo and Rukia


At livejournal

There’s the basic ichi_ruki comm. They’ve got fun fanfiction/fanart contests every year, the occasional weekly discussions, and more. There’s all sorts of fans of the pairing to be found here, as there are nearly 1000 members.

Then there’s the slightly more exclusive sane_ichiruki. You have to write a few paragraphs explaining yourself before you join, I believe.


Extras

IchiRuki 100 themes
Ichigo&Rukia photo gallery (I got some of my images from here)
Ichigo x Rukia Colorbar

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

To me, an Ichigo/Orihime relationship seems like it would be more of a backtracking for the two characters than anything else.
This doesn\'t make you sound intelligent, does it?

[voldy06.livejournal.com]

Instead of attacking her, shouldn't you rather show her why you think she's wrong to believe that?

[berrygold.livejournal.com]

I loved it. ♥

You brought out all the scenes/parts I wanted to see mentioned. You also brought a couple of things to light that I'd never thought about in so many words. Like the fact that Rukia is one of the few women allowed to knock him around physically. I really liked that point. :D

Good job, my friend! A very good read.

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[oymillefeuille.livejournal.com]

I think this is a very good piece. And I do not see any bashing at all. It is merely a statement of opinion. She did elaborate that point as well by stating:

I would like to see Orihime grow stronger on her own, independently from Ichigo. This is why I personally prefer Ichigo/Rukia, though I can see a case being made for Ichigo/Orihime.

I do not see how can a mild sentence like that, amidst the other excellent points that the writer has brought up can be damaging to the essay as a whole.

Good read, and very neat and organised manga scans! ^__^

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

My intention never was to bash; I was actually trying to be really sensitive about that part. I felt that I couldn't completely discuss Ichigo/Rukia without adressing Orihime as well. I'm glad you understand what I meant.

Heheh, and I'm glad you liked the manga scans, it took me forever to get those in there!

[ruukii.livejournal.com]

*hearts you~~!!* XDDDDDDDDDDDDD



awesome piece of words!!!!! :DDDDDDDDDDDDD got many good points there!!!! ^__________^ *hugs*

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thank you! xD

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Although I am a slasher, I have to say the Ichigo-Rukia relationship is the driving force in Bleach, and you've captured it beautifully. Theirs is certainly a remarkable relationship, and both characters are, as you've pointed out, driven by similar backgrounds and pain. Brava for an excellent ship manifesto~

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that even though you ship differently, you still were able to enjoy the essay. :) Thanks for the great feedback.

[-cherrywolf-.livejournal.com]

you make me so happy. <3 <3 <3

I'm putting this in my memories. Thank you for making such a cool manifesto... I am currently re-reading the series and so far, my love for IchiRuki is expanding by re-reading <3 <3

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad. xD

My love for this pairing was expanded too, as I was rereading Bleach and writing this manifesto. It was a lot of fun.

[sapphire-pyro.livejournal.com]

O_O

This is beautiful!!! I love many of the IchiRuki stuff you've point out ^_^

And to think that it's NOT ALL the IchiRuki proofs out there xD Wahahahaha! If the anti_IchiRuki peeps can see the almost complete list (well, since Bleach hasn't ended yet ^^;) of proofs, they're too many to be compared to IchiOri ones xD Wahehehehe xD

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I tried to include the moments that were the most meaningful, though there were plenty others I could have included as well.

[emlan.livejournal.com]

I'm not really sure about this part:

"Not only is Rukia also free to approach Ichigo on a more physical manner, she’s the only girl that is allowed to do so (dragging him, hitting him, touching him on the shoulder, etc.) This is particularly meaningful in the sense that Ichigo often displays a discomfort around other women. "

I fail to see how she is the only one "allowed" to do so, it's just that the other ladies are more calm and not as kicky as her. I mean Hiyori is all over him too in that way. "Discomfort" also feels a bit strong a word too, he's just awkward and/or embarassed when there's boob everywhere.

Nice essay overall!

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

That's a good point actually! xD I guess I meant he was generally more comfortable with Rukia doing it.

I'm glad you enjoyed the essay though.

[mushroom18.livejournal.com]

I love Rukia, and I can definitely see her with Ichigo (it's too bad that I lost interest in Bleach, with the influx of new characters).

Thank you for a wonderful read! ♥

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Rukia is great, isn't she? Thank you for reading. ♥

(I like your icon, btw. Gotta love Darth!)

[(Anonymous)]

I hope you don't mind me commenting on this...
I adore IchiHime, but since so many people like IchiRuki better, I'm always willing to see why so many people like it better.

I know that Rukia was a large impact on Ichigo's life, and probably one of the biggest ones.
I can see why people like IchiRuki for their interaction, and their impact on each other.

It's a well written manifesto.

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

I don't mind you commenting at all! And I'm especially glad that you, being an Ichigo/Orihime shipper as well, still read and kept an open mind. Thank you.

[four-winged.livejournal.com]

I really like this!
nice written, would like to see more essays by you^^

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Heh, I'm actually thinking of claiming another pairing to write an essay for, so you may very well see another one. xD

[dystopic.livejournal.com]

You make me so happy to be in fandom.
There were a lot of great points that you raised which I totally agree with, and the added canon references (which I am often too lazy to go look up myself XD) just made it even better.
Good job!

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoyed the essay!

[bunnynumber13.livejournal.com]

Excellent essay. There was no character bashing here whatsoever. I wouldn't heed the negative comments of the anonymous poster. It proves he or she is too cowardly to take part in what could have been an intelligent debate. Seriously people need to actually READ what the essayist has actually said before jumping to conclusions.

I haven't looked at Bleach since last year but I'm familiar enough with the characters and their stories to enjoy and understand where you're coming from. I love it when two characters have a snarky repore with one another, especially between a guy and a girl, it makes things more interesting.

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading, and I am glad you agree with me.

I love snarky repore as well. It does always make things interesting. :)

[renuki.livejournal.com]

Nice! That was a nice read. ^_^

*twitch* Why? Why can't I see some of the fanart? T_T

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Oh no! I hope the fanart starts showing up for you then. :)

Thanks for reading.

[3mi.livejournal.com]

Very well written, and I'm glad you touched on IchiHime. Hime does love Ichigo, after all, and you kind have to give her a tap and examine her and her character before stating that Ichigo would, most definately, be better off with Rukia.

Have you seen this fanart by Artgerm? http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/18640195/?qo=38&q=by%3Aartgerm+sort%3Atime+-in%3Ascraps

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

I didn't think that I could get away with not addressing Orihime and her feelings at least briefly in the manifesto.

Wow, that art is gorgeous! I haven't seen that before. Thanks for the link!

[moonnymph.livejournal.com]

This was a really good manifesto! Out of the many people that Ichigo could go with in Bleach, I've always thought that, in the end, he would pick Rukia. I like IshiIchi fanfiction, personally, but even I would have to say IchiRuki for canon. :D I loved the manga pics, too.

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

I've always hoped that Ichigo would end up with Rukia in canon myself. Glad you liked the manga pictures- it took me forever to code the text to wrap around them but I thought it would be totally worth it. xD

[meghsta.livejournal.com]

This is very nicely written! ^^ It had an open feel, despite it's focus on the IchiRuki ship.

As I started reading Bleach, I really liked the interaction between Ichigo and Rukia. They were my first Bleach "OTP!" Now, though Orihime is my favorite female character (Ichigo being my favorite male/overall character in Bleach.) and there is something I admire about her feelings for Ichigo and her desire to walk beside him, rather than behind him, I agree with you that Orihime should experience some of her own personal growth; I would love that for her character. ^^

Ichigo and Rukia's relationship has many layers (one of the things I love about the manga; the characters and their bonds) and I think theirs has more "potential" for romance.

Thanks for writing this manifesto; I enjoyed it a lot. ^^

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Ichigo/Rukia was my first Bleach OTP. Once I found a ton of other pairings to ship as well, there was still something about this intial relationship that drew me to it.

I have a real soft spot for Orihime too, she just might be my favorite Bleach female (or one of them).

Glad you enjoyed the read, thanks for the feedback. :)

[koyuki]

Very nicely written manifesto. *applauds* While I am personally not a shipper of this pairing, it was written very well and plausibly. There has to be something between them at least, if they're that popular. ^~

However, the one thing I have to say about your manifesto is that I disagree with your inserting the IchiHime statement. A shipper should be able to prove his/her ship without having to disprove others, and by saying that IchiHime would be backtracking in the story (thus, trying to disprove them as a couple), you are effectively weakening your essay as well. There's no need for it, because it's not really a point related to IchiRuki at all.

Still, it was very well done despite that tidbit.

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

In persuasive essay writing, I was always taught that disproving the arguement against your opinion was an effective part of arguing your own, but I certainly respect your opinion since you stated it so civily. I'm glad you enjoyed the essay nonetheless. :) Thanks for taking the time to read.

[fanartist.livejournal.com]

Hum...

The essay has some very good points, but I think it would be stronger with actual examples from the manga (MORE IMAGE CODING YAY >>;)

But since you mentioned Orihime, I was wondering if you should mention Tatsuki, since Tatsuki is somewhat like Rukia. But she can't/won't get close to Ichigo.

... For reasons I spent too long thinking about >>;;;

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

I think I probably held back with examples a bit because I was concerned with the word limit. But then again, most essays go well over the count anyway, so perhaps if I write another, I won't be so conservative.

Thanks for reading!

[lena-yume.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. A lovely well-written manifesto. You've describe their relationship in ways I couldn't. You just hit them dead on. We can only hope that Kubo develops them further and gives us more scenes to fangirl about it *laughs*. My only 'criticism' is that it should have been longer XD.

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thanks for reading, dear. ♥

[fyrkei.livejournal.com]

wow! having a great time reading this great manifesto~!! i thank you for spending time writing this :) i enjoyed it very much ^^
also thanks for providing the fanfiction links XD

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Eheheh, and it was no problem at all. Reccing fanfiction is kind of my thing- I hope you get some good reads out of it.

[makino114.livejournal.com]

that was wonderful!!

all the manga parts you mentioned are the ones that makes me squeal!

ok yeah - what you got there, totally made my day ^^

o and btw, the pics go really well with the text, you deserve a cookie for organising it so well!

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thanks, glad you liked. :)

[special-k182.livejournal.com]

Well thought out, interesting and eloquent. A credit to the IchiRuki fandom. I love that you were very diplomatic and am proud to call you a fellow shipper!

As for the first comment posted in the forum? Here's all I have to say to the person who posted "Anonymously":

I agree with voldy06. It's immature to attack a perfectly acceptable, grammatically correct, and well thought out essay which actually SUPPORTS your own OTP. I thought fandom was supposed to be about solidarity?

The IchiHime relationship was brought up as a basis of comparison - not to incite conflict, but to present a well-rounded argument. luvinaoshi was very civil about her opinions, and specifically stated that the reader DOES NOT HAVE TO AGREE WITH HER AND IS WELCOME TO HIS/HER OWN OPINION.

There is a very strongly defined line between debate and bashing, and it was in no way crossed by this manifesto. You are the only one doing any bashing in this thread.

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

And for the show of support. :)

[gzan-shadowstar.livejournal.com]

Awesome essay! Especially the fic and art recs ^.^

Personally, in fandom, it's more common to see me glomping onto IchiIshi and RukiOri. But I do like IchiRuki (thanks to a good friend of mine throwing fics at me randomly ^.^;) and I'm slowly working up the courage to maybe write a little.

As for canon, I'd prefer to see IchiRuki. It just seems like they'd better suit each other than Ichi and 'Hime.

Thanks for this wonderful essay =)

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it. :)

[lacewood]

Hello. I would just like to point out that Something They Can Live With was CO-WRITTEN, and so you should probably include cynic_in_charge in the credits. XD

[glassbomb.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so sorry! *fixes*