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! ^__^