Manifesto for Ishida & Orihime of Bleach

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

This essay was due later this month but I'm posting early because I'm going out of town. I may not be able to respond to your comments. Thanks for reading.

There All Along: Reasons I Believe IshiHime Might Happen by debbiechan

Pairing: Ishida Uryuu/Inoue
Orihime Fandom: Bleach Title: There All Along: Reasons I Believe IshiHime Might Happen
Author: debbiechan
Personal Website: http://www.debbiechan.com

This essay contains spoilers for the manga Bleach up to chapter 258. It presumes the reader has a little knowledge of the storyline. For a more thorough run-down of the early plot, go to Electra Torch’s shipper essay here: http://community.livejournal.com/ship_manifesto/102536.html

Because of irrefutable fact that Orihime has a crush on Kurosaki Ichigo (and not Ishida Uryuu) this essay also looks at Ishida and Orihime (IshiHime) in context of the Orihime and Ichigo relationship (IchiOri). The two couples are inseparable from the plot. Because Orihime’s crush on Ichigo is almost imperceptible the anime, this essay will only reference the manga.

Destiny, foreshadowing, or merely pretty pictures for an adventure story?

Behold the first time in the Bleach manga that a girl is shown being carried in a boy’s arms (chapter 91)
(1).

 

The boy saves the girl and holds his hand over her shoulder protectively while danger threatens. Pretty damn romantic, wouldn't you say? Except that these two are nowhere near knowing that they may share a romantic destiny, and that's how all love stories begin.

 

I entered the Bleach fandom with no intention at all to ship any couple. The humorous antics of the Kurosaki family are what snagged me first; then the beautiful character designs, a unique and likable female lead (Rukia rocks!) and the scary Hollow monsters made be an obsessive fan. Enter Orihime. Endearingly goofy Orihime. My favorite female character right away. A manga stereotype, the big-bosomed beauty who ditzes out and provides comic relief, Orihime nonetheless seemed like a real fifteen-year-old to me right away. I think that because Tite Kubo has such a grasp of popular culture (along with a highly educated and eclectic knowledge of literature and history), his characters often transcend cliches even as they fulfill the requirements. Maybe I took to Orihime because I’m a fool for silly girls. I also liked the fact that she was revealed to be a high-achieving academic student.

Enter Ishida. I always adore the angsty anti-heroes (Vegeta, Sasuke), and Ishida captured my attention when the storyline revealed that he was the last of his clan. For me, the tragic personality who is smarter than your average bear, is perhaps even a genius, and who fights using his brains doesn’t get old. I thought Ishida was very handsome in that pretty-bishounen-in-glasses way, and I was eager to find out more about his past and to see him interact with other characters.

Being used to shipping more mature people with more complicated life issues, I was surprised when I started adoring IshiHime, my first teenage ship. Shounen manga are about kids growing up (usually through a series of challenging battles). Expecting a story centered exclusively on the boys and their dramatic myth-quests, I was happy to find that Bleach approaches the shounen formula with a special authenticity to its female characters. Cheery Orihime’s life issues challenged me just as much as angsty Ishida’s. Looking back now after over two years of shipping IshiHime, I see that both characters had the most potential for growth and change in the manga (even more than the main character I’d argue; Ichigo starts off kind and protective and only enhances those attributes as he grows up). Not a melodramatic ship but one most often labeled a “cute” one, the canon IshiHime story nonetheless has its intense, bittersweet moments, and once I started writing Bleach fanfiction, it was difficult to write anything but IshiHime. Even beyond the canon interactions, the relationship has material for awkward moments, poignant exchanges, and a lot of growing up.

Ishida and Orihime seemed an unlikely pair from the beginning, yet they are one of the most popular ships in Bleach (Bleach has a lot of ships; IshiHime is usually in the top ten according to unscientific fan polls). Many Bleach fans are fond of this couple because of their much-lauded “chemistry.” Romantic chemistry tends to arise from a magical, indefinable, just-right mix of similarities and differences, and our pair seems to have that. Both members of the Handicrafts club at Karakura high school, Ishida and Orihime seem polar opposites at first: He is detached and doesn’t speak much. She is bubbly and babbling. Throughout the story, readers discover their common touch-points. Both are smart (Ishida is first in his class, and Orihime is third). Both do not take the head-on, aggressive approach to combat and prefer to think themselves out of tricky situations. Even though Bleach is full of characters whose wives and parents have died, Ishida and Orihime have childhoods in which their most beloved and sole caregivers died. Other characters in Bleach were left with support after family deaths (Ichigo, for example, although devastated by his mother’s death, still survives with his family), but Ishida, estranged from his cold father, and Orihime, utterly orphaned, live alone in apartments. How Ishida and Orihime have dealt with their absence of family is profoundly different, though: Orihime reaches out to people with friendliness and humor. Ishida, while never passing the opportunity to perform a kindness for someone, puts on a serious face and distances himself from others.

This couple’s charm also comes from the fact that they are both dorks (Let’s assume here the popular definition of a dork as a clumsy, socially inept albeit intelligent person). Already a fan of the mysterious, haughty side of Ishida, I was enthralled when he threw a plushie in to the air and sewed it up in a nanosecond. Ishida’s façade of coolness cracks when he holds up a Sunflower Seams shopping bag or a “spare cape” and becomes just another awkward fifteen-year-old. Orihime’s friends are not surprised when this sweet girl--unaware of her beauty yet incapable of hiding her dorkiness--misunderstands simple social cues or walks into traffic. So, from the very first scene shared by Ishida and Orihime in Bleach, I thought: oh yeah, these two would NOT make an excellent couple. If the rest of the world doesn’t quite understand them, how could they possibly ever understand each other?

I was proven wrong; as the manga progressed, Ishida and Orihime got along as well as miso and noodles and had a superb
understanding of one another.


 

The couple has no significant interaction until they crash-land together in the Seireitei. At this point in the story, the author Kubo Tite deliberately zeroes in on the fact that Orihime is crushing on Ichigo and that it’s not Ichigo but Ishida who is there for her. First, Orihime reaches for Ichigo in the attempt to link a human chain in the sky (chapter 85). Their hands just miss. Orihime falls with Ishida instead. Is her fate with someone other than the person she’s reaching for throughout the manga?

 

Later, Orihime, unconscious, thinks that it’s Ichigo who is kneeling over her but in fact it’s Ishida who is taking care of her wounds (chapter 86). This motif is repeated throughout the manga--Orihime being oblivious to how much Ishida is doing for her while she crushes on Ichigo. I love Ishida’s sarcastic expression here when he says “Sorry. I’m not Kurosaki.”

 

Orihime, though, isn’t completely callous to Ishida. Realizing that Ishida feels bad about her being injured while protecting his landing (chapter 86), she makes some ditzy attempt to console him, and thus begins their odd, funny, and poignant alliance in Soul Society.

 

The acts of derring-do Ishida performs to defend Orihime are memorable enough for me not to post pictures of all of them. He sweeps her into his arms to save her from Jirobou and he steps between her and lascivious Shinigami suitor (chapter 119). He sends her away, kicking and screaming, when he prepares to fight Mayuri, and he mentions her name just before entering into that battle (“I’m glad Inoue-san isn’t here to see this,”chapter 122). In all these moments, Ishida is presented heroically enough that a reader would believe he’s going to get the girl no matter how much she talks about Ichigo. Ishida saves Orihime’s life three times, and there are seven panels in chapter 91 alone showing Ishida, from different angles, with his arm protectively around her. She appears impressed but doesn’t swoon and sparkle with hearts and roses as a shoujo heroine might. She does, nonetheless, figure in the composition of many of these ishida-kicks-butt panels. (2)

 

My favorite Ishida gesture of protection is this one, where after bombs explode (chapter 121), he holds up his hands and body over Orihime, even after her shield has gone up. He stays positioned over her until Mayuri directly threatens her and then he summons his bow and
distracts Mayuri.

 


The SS arc, however, is not all about Ishida protecting Orihime. Ishida and Orihime prove that they work together as a team. Here’s where Bleach fans fell in love with this couple. Their “chemistry” is comparable to Ichigo and Rukia’s--only with no kicking and yelling. Orihime learns to summon her powers without calling out her fairies’ names, gathers clues as to Rukia’s whereabouts and plots to steal Shinigami robes--all while Ishida watches, bemused and appreciative. When they disguise themselves as Shinigami, the couple’s intelligence and cautious ways serve them well. They exchange glances, initiate conversations, and seem enjoy getting to know one another. It’s no doubt that because their personalities (Ishida the intellectual introvert who needs drawing out and Orihime the intuitive extrovert who draws everyone out), are well-matched dealing with enemies, they would be also in other situations. Reading most of their panels in the Soul Society arc, the matchmaker in me was thinking: and they share a common interest! Sewing! But alas, only Ishida is blushing, looking attentive, and giving Orihime those “special looks.”

 

It’s clear throughout the story that Ishida knows about Orihime’s crush on Ichigo--not that this realization would require special intuitive skills, but Ishida’s eventual response to it is unique. Unlike Orihime’s girlfriends in earlier chapters (Tatsuki says in chapter 2, “a girl with boobs like yours could do better,” and later pokes fun at Orihime’s crush by saying she should jump Ichigo and rub her boobs in his face), Ishida takes Orihime’s feelings quite seriously. He appears to understand the emotional depth of what, on the surface, seems to be a girlish crush. He feels for her. He worries about her when she is fearing for Ichigo’s safety. (chapter 120). He asks her to move away from the glare of battle during Ichigo’s fight with Byakuya (chapter 164), and then, realizing the earnest devotion with which Orihime prays for Ichigo to be safe, Ishida says, “Win, Kurosaki. Win or I will never forgive you.”An expression of unselfish love if I ever heard it. Ishida’s concern for Orihime’s well-being shows in this tortured face, a rare expression for the usually stoic Quincy.

 

The Basic Formulation: Ishida==> Orihime==> Ichigo==> Rukia. What’s Going to Give?

Will Ichigo and Orihime get together? Ichigo has no romantic interest in Orihime, appears to have stronger feelings for another girl (Rukia), and Orihime shows no signs of confessing her love to Ichigo. The purpose of this essay is not to argue these points; they are what a good many, perhaps a solid majority, of readers and I believe. What IshiHime fans are wondering is if Orihime can overcome her enormous longtime obsession with Ichigo to notice Ishida? People have suggested that as the manga progresses, as the melodrama swells, and as Orihime only loves Ichigo more and more, Ishida would be a poor second best if Orihime were to choose him over Ichigo. “Ishida can find another girl,” the readers say. Bleach, however, is a closed universe in which only a few teenagers have superpowers, and obviously these kids have a very small dating pool. People outside the Soul Society experience would make unsuitable partners for these kids who have gone through such incredible adventures. I believe that the natural pairs--amidst some plot jittering, clues, and distractions to worry the shippers--all along have been Ichigo and Rukia (a topic of other essays) and Ishida and Orihime. Look at it: Ichigo and Rukia, Shinigami and Shinigami. Ishida and Orihime, human and human. Ichigo and Rukia get along well together; Ishida and Orihime get along well together. With Ichigo and Orihime, there is almost no interaction, and when there is, Orihime is shown to be a less confident, empowered self than she is with Ishida.

 A serious question to ask at this point would be what does true love mean in the Bleach universe? Is it based on high romance (Orihime’s blushing, weeping and as yet one-sided feelings for Ichigo) or compatibility (Ishida and Orihime’s endearing friendship). Kubo-san may end up addressing both kinds of love, but it is my personal belief that certain pairings are inevitable because of an emphasis on compatibility. If the manga ends with no definitive conclusion as to which characters are pairing up with whom, I suspect that there will be hints. Rukia and Ichigo have an unquestionable bond that would probably interfere with his pairing romantically with anyone else (a topic for yet another essay). No pairings may be necessary by Western standards because the teenagers of Bleach may still be teenagers by the end of the manga, but the Japanese marry earlier. I expect that because sex has already been dealt with as part of the natural growing up process (with blushing boys, naked Yoruichis and wisecracking pervert Papa Isshin) that the responsibility of a committed relationship may be addressed as well.

If the manga definitely pairs couples at the end, it will be because the author of Bleach recognizes how emotions develop and love grows through shared experiences. What does true love mean in the manga? The quiet, happy marriages of the past are sketched briefly--Bleach is a shounen manga, after all. Readers, however, have commented on the strength of female characters and the unusual presence of shoujo elements in a shounen tale. Many shounen are about the power of friendship. Bleach is also about the power of love influencing will (e.g., Ichigo and Renji swear on their souls to save Rukia, and their personal feelings for her inform their quest. Tousen swears to follow justice after the death of his female friend, and Byakuya adopts an entire system of rule-abiding after his beloved wife passes on). Relationships are based also on mutual interaction and understanding, and Rukia tells Hanatarou that even though she knew Ichigo for only two months, she feels as if she’d known him all her life (chapter 94)). If mutual understanding is the main criteria for a love relationship, IshiHime appears to be a prime candidate for a match.

The problem of course is that Orihime and Ishida do not seem aware of this possibility. Orihime loves Ichigo, and Ishida appears to expect that his own feelings on Orihime will remain unspoken. Moreover, Ishida’s and Orihime’s super-powered selves are busy with other issues such as saving heaven and earth from unscrupulous villains. Sword fights override romance in a shounen. Yet in chapter 70, when our heroes are about to pass through the dangai (a tunnel from earth to Soul Society), Yoruichi mentions the importance of heart and soul to the mission’s success. “Just keep going,” says Yoruichi. But if Ishida continues loving Orihime who is loving Ichigo who is loving Rukia, there is no end. Who will love who at the end? Sometimes I think that if Kubo leaves this aspect open-ended that he will lynched by fans.

Chapter 237 has been declared by many as a definitive factor as to who Orihime will always love. Orihime is saying goodbye to a sleeping Ichigo, and she believes she is going to die or at least never see the human world again. She attempts to kiss Ichigo but can not (those rooting for IshiHime see this fact as relevant). She says “I wish I could live life five times over and always love the same person” (One popular theory is that Ichigo and Orihime may be reincarnated versions of lovers in another time). Personally, while I found Orihime’s good-bye speech to be incredibly touching, I didn’t take it at face value. Loving someone was mentioned almost in the same breath as astronauts and ice cream. While Kubo has decidedly shown Orihime’s change from the ditzy child in bangs of early chapters (the one who thought two girls liking the same boy meant the girls win!) to the melancholy, beautiful girl who blushes when she enters Ichigo’s room, he still does not skimp on Orihime’s naivete. It’s not only funny to have her be so innocent, it also allows for even more character growth in the story.

So, Orihime wishes that she would always love the same person? Kubo has made his characters turn and do the opposite of what they say many times. Byakuya is probably the strongest example of a character whose eyes are opened to the truth and whose behaviours change accordingly. I think that Orihime’s “I wish I could live life five lives over and always love the same person” line may have no more significance than Ishida’s previous to Ichigo: “The next time we meet, we meet again as enemies.” In both cases, these lines did not reveal anything new in the already developed plot (Ishida is Ichigo’s rival, and Orihime loves Ichigo) but many readers interpreted these lines as pointing to some inevitable plot development. In the first case, Kubo, as usual, surprised his readers. I expect that he will also surprise his readers concerning the “five lives” line. Orihime’s love, while highly romantic and idealized, is not immutable.

Also, given Kubo’s love of parallels, the “five lives” line could have been written to show that Orihime’s loving someone else is truly possible. As possible as the choice between being a teacher or opening a pastry shop? Despite the intensity of her feelings, Orihime seems to equate many dissimilar choices in chapter 237. Orihime is too young and naive to know what real love is. Kubo has given the “One-sided Sympathy” title to a chapter (24) that looks at Orihime’s wanting to be close to Ichigo. Why not the title “Sympathy?” Kubo again and again emphasizes Ichigo and Orihime’s separateness. In the manga, Orihime and Ichigo’s interaction is very close to nil. Unless the connection between Ichigo and Orihime is developed more thoroughly in the coming years, it is not as strong as the one between Ishida and Orihime (this fact may be visible to readers but not to the players in the drama).

What about that “special understanding” and “intuitive connection” many readers see Orihime feeling for Ichigo? She has these same connections to others in the manga. First, Kubo presents Orihime as character with a high ability to sense reiatsu. Even before her powers are realized through Shun Shun Rika, she can sense Hollow (chapter 41). While her ability to smell Ichigo (chapter 14) may support a “mystical” or “past-life” connection to Ichigo, I argue that Orihime’s smelling ability is no more than her sensitivity to reiatsu. Throughout the manga, she perceives character traits too, is kinder and more sympathetic than your average person, and understands relationship dynamics with a maturity beyond her years and usual ditziness. Ichigo isn’t the only person she seems to have some insight into. When Ishida is presented as a rude stand-offish member of the Handicrafts Club, it’s Orihime who says “He would be a good guy if he didn’t say things like that.” (chapter 35). During Ichigo’s battle with Byakuya, it is Orihime who pronounces that Rukia is “more than a friend” to Ichigo. (“She is the one who changed his life.”chapter 164 ). On Urahara’s carpet ride back from Soul Society (chapter 182), Orihime notes that Ishida says the opposite of what he means, and she smiles knowingly. And finally, Orihime’s most telling perceptions occur when she confesses her jealousy of Rukia to Matsumoto (chapter 199) and when she realizes Ichigo’s feelings for Rukia (chapter 213).

 

Myth-driven narrative, character-driven narrative, or both?

Look at the manga from the beginning to current chapters and you will see Orihime, the 15 year old girl, painted as the longing, unrequited loving archetype of shoujo; meanwhile Orihime, the goddess of legend, lives in name only as the one separated from her lover. If Kubo were to be following the Tanabata myth (3) to a t, Orihime’s longing would be reciprocated. The fact that the Orihime of legend is a weaver and Inoue Orihime belongs to a Handicrafts Club is, in my interpretation, one of Kubo’s many fun allusions. I doubt it will point to a plot development. To have it do so would mean to unravel already established plot developments. Consider these corollaries:
     (1) There were no mythological clues pointing to the Aizen surprise twist, and Kubo played a game of red herring with the characters of Hitsugaya and Gin as to who the true villain of Soul Society was. Many readers expect that Orihime will end up with Ichigo merely because Orihime loves him and because there are some nebulous mythological clues in that direction. Bleach, however, is a character-driven and not mythology-driven manga.
     (2) Gin was plainly established as an unsavory character from the moment he taunted Rukia on the bridge and to make Gin a sudden “good guy” at the end of the Soul Society arc would have damaged the story. Likewise, to make Ichigo suddenly fall in love with Orihime would wipe out five years that the story-teller spent in developing Ichigo’s bond with Rukia. There may be surprises in store for readers in the years ahead, but some things can not be undone. Ichigo’s apparent emotional distance from Orihime is one thing, and so is the fact that Ishida and Orihime have already established a natural friendship with romantic undertones. Ichigo and Orihime have no such relationship--to have it come deux ex machina in the form of some reincarnation/Tanabata/Prince and Princess device would be very atypical of Kubo Tite’s narrative style. Kubo-san sets up his tale so that readers may anticipate one of several possibilities but when the truth is revealed, it was there all along.  

I will grant that because Kubo-san is a master of plot twists, there may yet be some development that pairs Ichigo and Orihime in a “there all along” way, but I believe that that the Ishida and Orihime pairing better fits this device. The natural compatibility of the IshiHime is self-evident: The answer to Orihime’s love of romance has been there all along in Ishida’s swashbuckling presence and sensitive attention. The answer to Ishida’s contrariness and dislike of being with others has always been there in Orihime’s bubbly, optimistic personality.

Some have suggested that Kubo-san would be breaking tradition by not romantically linking the two lead characters, Ichigo and Rukia, and by making Orihime the girl who “finally gets her man.” I say that Kubo, with his emphasis on strong, surprisingly capable women in his manga (Yoruichi, Rukia, Matsumoto, to name but a few) is going to allow Orihime to have a growth and self-realization like the kind that happens in shoujo. Orihime is not just a prop in the story so that boys can rescue her. Given lack of confidence around Ichigo (and to some extent, everyone, even Ishida), Orihime needs to grow up. She’s the ditzy girl in the clouds who has an uncanny talent for hitting the mark on occasion, but in some ways she is totally clueless. She misunderstands class assignments (“myself in the future” mecha Orihime, chapter 17) and she has no idea that Ishida cares for her (another fact emphasized by Kubo when Orihime flashes on the idea that Ishida has a crush on Rukia and the side panel reads “Far Off,” chapter 280). It would be both groundbreaking for shounen and yet echoing shoujo to have Orihime become self-reliant. Several times in the manga she has said that she needs to be strong for Kurosaki. She has even said that she would be lonely (ironically, to Rukia) rather than get in Kurosaki’s way. Orihime needs to stop relying on Kurosaki-kun and become strong for herself. I believe she will.

 

I believe that Ishida will be part of the deciding factor in that strength. How, I’m not sure. Orihime has been shown angsting over Ichigo’s relationship with Rukia at least twice (chapters 199 and 213), so may her grieving heart will take notice of Ishida’s similar attitude towards her? Perhaps this time there will be “two-sided sympathy?” A poignant “we’re just friends” conclusion is also likely. At this writing, the manga is at a point where the IshiHime ship seems stranded on a sand dune. Because Ishida was AWOL from much of the recent story, there has been no Ishida and Orihime interaction for volumes. The love match seems impossible? I’d say that it is as impossible as … as the main character of a shounen defeating the undefeatable villain. It also very well may be that Kubo will follow a common story device and end his manga with a few characters broken-hearted but all the wiser. Ishida, especially, seems a likely victim for this experience because he has a naturally reflective nature, has handled a great deal of pain in his young life, and he appears to care for Orihime very unselfishly; I can see Ishida bravely acquiescing Orihime to his rival Ichigo. But given the angst Ishida has already been though (the annihilation of the Quincy, etc…) and given the many heart-wrenching panels where Orihime longs for Ichigo to no avail, I believe that Ishida and Orihime are due some happiness.

In the meantime, there are these two panels in the manga that show Ishida (chapter 86) and Orihime (chapter 62), each on a journey. There are no such “airplane” related illustrations for any other characters. I like the fact that both characters have their eyes closed. Does
this mean that a realization awaits them both?


 

Pictures are worth thousands of words in manga, and maybe that’s what leads to so many interpretations of identical scenes. Kubo’s a sly one, though; he’s proven in the past that he disperses clues with pictures, and as a stylist, he’s concerned with how his characters dress to represent their current roles. That’s why the current arc has me especially gleeful. Orihime has been kidnapped and a courageous team of five has set out to rescue her. Orihime is in a long white dress with princess sleeves, and Ishida--in white also and the very picture of a rescuing knight.

The matching outfits have already inspired many fans of this couple. Here is a banner I made with art by Dragonboy MT and coloring by Messa: I

t’s enough to stir my little shipper heart; how about yours?

Notes (1) The other time that a girl is shown being carried occurs much later in the manga when Rukia is carried all around the Seireitei by Renji. Those scenes inspired a legion of Renji/Rukia shippers. (2) Ishida leads the male characters in this sort of gallantry; he rises to the defense of fair maidens at least five times in the manga. The other girl-saving heroes are Renji and Ichigo, who double-team to save Rukia; Hitsugaya who steps in to defend Hinamori from Gin; and Byakuya who swoops in to save his sister. (3) The Tanabata Festival on July 7 in Japan celebrates the myth of Orihime, the weaver girl separated from her lover and allowed to meet him only on this day.

 Recommended Links

The Live Journal Community “The Archer and the Princess” http://community.livejournal.com/ishihime/profile

Bleach Forums Ishida and Orihime Fan Club "http://www.bleachforums.com/showthread.php?t=20983" 

IshiHime is sometimes referred to as a teeth-rottingly sweet ship without the high romance and intrigue found in other Bleach ships. I think that in fanfiction, you’ll find a lot of diversity as to how this couple is interpreted. My favorites understand that special IshiHime goofiness or sense the poignancy of the pair. Many of these authors have written more than one or two IshiHimes so check out their webpages, Live Journals, fanfic.net or mediaminer.org sites. Note that these are just a few of my favorites.

 “Threat,” by Esotaria http://tehuberdork.livejournal.com/45910.html#cutid1
“Figured You Out” by Hardly Fatal formerly CrazyDiamond/Cinnamongrr1
http://tehuberdork.livejournal.com/45910.html#cutid1
“Interlude,” by Buffybot76 http://community.livejournal.com/ishihime/7365.html#cutid1
“Happy Holidays,” by memlu http://memlu.livejournal.com/167281.html
“Looking In,” by Finnigan Geist http://tehuberdork.livejournal.com/45910.html#cutid1
 “Lost and Found” by Kaeru-chan http://community.livejournal.com/dignified_squee/8846.html#cutid1
“Pride and Unprejudiced” by Kaeru-chan and FirstMidnight formerly Miss Ayachan http://www.omfgcrack.com/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=126&textsize=0&chapter=1
“Prison Breaks,” by Stereotype Vamp http://community.livejournal.com/shinigami_wands/8914.html#cutid1
“Pop Go the Buttons,” by megaminoeien http://community.livejournal.com/ishihime/38053.html#cutid1
“Laughter,” by Raptorix http://princy-quide.livejournal.com/4734.html
My own IshiHimes (and I’ve certainly written MANY because I’m obsessed with this couple) can be found at my website. The more current stories are here:debbiechan's many IshiHimes

IshiHime fanart and AMVs can be found easily by typing “Ishida, Orihime” into the search functions of deviantart.com and youtube.com, respectively, but I can’t conclude this essay without singling out an extraordinarily talented IshiHime shipper who drew these two pictures:

 “Meeting Across the Stars” by Dragonboy MT
 a fanart echoing the Tanabata myth
“Guard Duty in Seireitei” by Dragonboy MT those IshiHime nights in Soul Society

Comments

[qaffangyrl.livejournal.com]

please put this behind an LJ cut. thanks!

[von-questenberg.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, lj cut please. :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Done. Knew there would be something I'd miss.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Ah, Debbie, so well-spoken and fairly written. You say a lot of the things I think about these characters--only better! (My one quibble is that I don't think Orihime is too young to know what real love is--I think she is old enough to recognize the feeling in her heart. I would say that she is too young/inexperienced to know how real love works in a mature, mutual way. And that just because she may feel Ichigo is the only person she will love, that is not necessarily so. But the feeling he is is so VERY appropriate for her age.)

I have no idea whether KT will end the manga with any hint at ships--on one hand, it's shonen. On the other, the fact that he's already been dealing with explicit romantic feelings in a surprisingly mature and deft manner is pretty unusual for shonen. So who knows? But I, too, hope Orihime finds strength for herself. I want to see her get strong, move on, and be happy with herself...and then find her Quincy that was there all along.

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

The couple has no significant interaction until they crash-land together in the Seireitei.
I actually disagree with that. The moment I started to like the ship was when Orihime asked if Ishida wanted to train with her and Chad, and, although it's been over a year since I read it, I think when he turned her down he look apologetic, and Orihime knew that he'd come anyway. That moment was poignant and mirrored when Orihime understood the pain Ishida was suffering when he was without his powers.

With Ichigo and Orihime, there is almost no interaction, and when there is, Orihime is shown to be a less confident, empowered self than she is with Ishida.
Another point I disagree with. She was content to be protected only at first, but as the series progresses, she finds she wants to protect as well. By the time she breaks down to Rukia, and Rukia helps her, she finds what she wants: to stand by Ichigo's side. Rather or not IchiHime or IshiHime happens, I think it's an important moment in her character - she wants to be Ichigo's equal (and Ichigo needs to see other people other than Rukia as something to protect, and Orihime is set up for that.)

Orihime’s blushing, weeping and as yet one-sided feelings for Ichigo
I don't argue that Ichigo is madly in love with Orihime, but Orihime's feelings have lots of depth and she did confess her love for him. It serves to make her character grow, and expand past the boundries she has in order to become a stronger person. And she is able to connect with Ichigo subtly (gah I'm too lazy to think of why, but if you want me to bring them up, I will), and Rukia sees this, as she gets Ichigo to apologize to Orihime.

Rukia and Ichigo have an unquestionable bond that would probably interfere with his pairing romantically with anyone else (a topic for yet another essay).
To some degree, I agree. Because Orihime's jealousy was well-founded and developed, but I don't think it invalidates other pairings. And I believe one of the strong points of IchiRuki is that they both were able to heal around each other, thus opening them both up to let more people in their hearts (romantically or not) and to stop pushing away the people who were already there (most notably Renji and Rukia.)

Byakuya is probably the strongest example of a character whose eyes are opened to the truth and whose behaviours change accordingly.
That's an interesting point, but Byakuya and Orihime's issues are very different. He cuts off people, while Orihime lets a lot of people into her heart. I think Byakuya and Ichigo share more parallels in that sense, with how they push away people who love them, although there are profound differences.

Orihime is too young and naive to know what real love is.
Since when does age and experience define love? And Orihime, though young, has been through a lot, and does have show some keen wisdoms on the human heart (her speech to her brother is a good example, as is her own awareness of her own weakness.) I'm not saying she has to love Ichigo forever and ever, but that she loves him is a big point that I don't think one can underestimate.

Orihime will end up with Ichigo merely because Orihime loves him
I think it will happen because of the character development of Orihime's feelings for Ichigo, and because Ichigo needs to learn to connect with people in general, and the overall theme of connecting with people that's present in the manga.

Likewise, to make Ichigo suddenly fall in love with Orihime would wipe out five years that the story-teller spent in developing Ichigo’s bond with Rukia.
Their bond has to be romantic or else it's all ruined? O_o

(continued in next comment)

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

Given lack of confidence around Ichigo (and to some extent, everyone, even Ishida), Orihime needs to grow up.
Agreed. However, she's chosen to do this by becoming strong and walking beside Ichigo. Her becoming strong doesn't have to include getting rid of her feelings for Ichigo, but rather using it as motivation to grow into that strength.

Orihime is in a long white dress with princess sleeves, and Ishida--in white also and the very picture of a rescuing knight.
Interesting point. :)

Although it may not seem like it because of this post, I like IshiHime more than IchiHime, I just don't like Orihime's feelings being brushed over, even more so since it seems like such a big part of her character development is connecting with Ichigo.

Now to check out the recs. :)

[brightredglow.livejournal.com]

Orihime will end up with Ichigo merely because Orihime loves him
I think it will happen because of the character development of Orihime's feelings for Ichigo, and because Ichigo needs to learn to connect with people in general, and the overall theme of connecting with people that's present in the manga.

I have to respectfully disagree with your counterpoint because it shortchanges Ichigo and actually limits his growth. That is, the statement makes it sound like because Orihime has feelings for him, he has to acknowledge them and validate them and by doing so, he will connect with others.

But that doesn't seem quite right. At present, Ichigo connects most strongly with Rukia, but he's ability to connect is not limited to Rukia. The SS arc proves that Ichigo is actually quite good at establishing friendships and connections as he became friends with Hanatarou, Ikkaku, Renji, etc. His attachment to Ishida (which is arguably much stronger than his attachment to Chad or Orihime) is proof that Ichigo establishes ties very quickly. Nell is further proof of his ability to allow himself to care for another person even when that person is his shinigami-sworn enemy.

So Orihime is not the key to Ichigo opening up to others (if anything, it may be the other way around as Orihime has been the one who has shut off others). That isn't to say that Orihime and Ichigo won't become canon. They might very well be a canon couple in the making, but I doubt it will be so that he can connect with others. It may be for something as simple as girl likes boy and boy likes girl back.

[eurys.livejournal.com]

Nice essay debbie. I'm not really a fan, but this ship gives me a good feeling.
And Kubo definitely put some hints, even if he doesn't intend to develop their relation further.
Anyway, one cannot deny Orihime's feelings for Ichigo are strong. But hearts can break, and life still goes on. So yes, there's still a tiny hope for them.

[kaleidoruby.livejournal.com]

This is a wonderful essay, definitely a great look at the pairing and you bring up some very good points. Great job. :)

[abandonreality.livejournal.com]

Bravo Deb! Great Essay! You brought forth our ship better than I ever could...

[lydzi.livejournal.com]

But if Ishida continues loving Orihime who is loving Ichigo who is loving Rukia, there is no end. Who will love who at the end? Sometimes I think that if Kubo leaves this aspect open-ended that he will lynched by fans.

Oh he will. He so will. And still, you've been generous enough not to throw Renji in the middle of this *-*.

She attempts to kiss Ichigo but can not (those rooting for IshiHime see this fact as relevant).

It really is. The first kiss is the most important in japanese culture (look at Naruto and Sasuke ^^...*cough*). The fact that she didn't kiss him that night is very relevant.


Very nice essay :). I love those two. I still hope that she will aknowledge him but I've got big doubts for that arc. I can smell pretty angst ^^.

[brightredglow.livejournal.com]

Very nicely done.

I do have some quibbles but they are quibbles more because they perpetuate the myth of Orihime not being confident or even that she is ditzy.

Firstly, Orihime isn't ditzy. She sees things from a different perspective but she doesn't make ditzy decisions nor does she behaves in a ditzy manner.

Secondly, Orihime is not an unconfident person. She may not be a bold person, but she's not twiddling on the sidelines either. That may have been true in her middle school years as she describes, but by the time we see her, she is a confident young woman. And during her encounter with Urahara prior to accepting the mission to SS and her subsequent training with Yoriuchi, she was able to make her decisions and fulfill her training with little problem. She also handled dealing with the 11th division with nary a trip of confidence in sight.

I think the better term for Orihime is that she is insecure, which is completely understandable given her history. Even with her breakdown to Matsumoto, it is insecurity that is tripping her up, not a lack of confidence. She doesn't know how important she is to Ichigo even though he's clearly shown that to be true.

With Ishida, she is more secure in herself because she has no expectations of Ishida or from Ishida.

As the story goes along, Orihime may grow more secure in herself for the gifts she possesses rather than waiting for validation from Ichigo. If she does get there, she may be more willing to look Ishida's way. I sure hope so.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

I agree. Orihime is not a ditz in that her understanding of the world is unique (and often so right), but she does things like take off for three days chasing a red dragonfly and Tatsuki has to find her. Self-endangering things, adorably trusting things. Arguably her love for Ichigo could fall into this category of being something that puts her at (emotional) risk.

I like the word "insecure" than "unconfident" better for its nuances now that you mention it. I'd argued elsewhere that Orihime was not unconfident (the only person she seems less than confident around may be Ichigo--because of the natural desire to be perfect for someone she loves that way. Orihime's walking right into the Visored den or standing up to Ulquiorra twice are very brave deeds. It's only after these episodes that she berates herself and puts herself down.

It matters more to me, as someone who loves her character and tends to look at things from a post-femininist perspective, that Orihime get her security/confidence back than get together with Ishida. I do hope, though, that the manga will point to the possibility of their getting together after she does (I don't expect it to show an actual "get together")

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Ah fair enough. Good points.

Basically, my problem is that it seems like half of this manifesto was trying to convince me that IshiHime will happen because IchiRuki will happen first

I stated at various points in the essay that other pairings may be or that the ending may be open-ended, but my particular bias (I do believe the above) statement)shows.


Orihime is too young and naive to know what real love is.

This statement hinges on my personal belief that true love is based on familiarity of the years and on the fact that I'm twice the age of Orihime so I can say things now like my mother used to say. ^_^ I did bring up the question of what does love mean in the Bleach universe. I think it would be interesting to follow up more on that... maybe I will elsewhere later

This essay started as a throw-together post in my personal journal: someone suggested I post it here; another someone alerted me to the potential ship war it might cause; I sent it to the mods here and asked if this was so and how could I not make the essay so. Apparently some of my points are still controversial--but new to shipping fandoms (and wankery, for that matter), I have yet to understand why people, if civil, can not express opinions openly. Doesn't discourse go like that--you publish an article or editorial and comments pour in? The fear of wankery discourages a lot of what could be fascinating stuff in fandom. I'd only read a dozen of the essays here where I knew the fandoms and wanted to 1) expand on electra torch's IshiHime essay and 2) do a little something different.

One more point. I realize that this essay, to some extent, tried to disprove one couple in favor of another couple. Disproving A does not equal B in the Real World but in a closed universe where character development is an artifice and there are only so many ways a story can go, I believe that plot is essential to characterization when discussing characters or pairings.

I did not intend at any point to bash, discount or ride on anyone's ship by bringing up the possibility of "what happens." I write Bleach yaoi; based on various factors, I don't believe my yaoi pairings will be shown in the manga, but when it comes to IshiHime, I did believe that IchiOri was relevant in Orihime's attitude towards Ishida.

[renegade-raine.livejournal.com]

Nice essay, although I disagree with some of the things in the manifesto (which white_rain dealt with pretty well). However, I do love IshiHime (it's second only to RenRuki for my favorite in Bleach), as it's about the cutest couple ever. And I'm all about the dork love. ^_^

[rabidbunny001.livejournal.com]

I absolutely loved this essay!

It was indeed the chemistry that first made me fall in love with this pairing. I've always felt they were the right pairing intuitively, but you've put down all the reasons very articulately and logically, and I agree with pretty much all of your analysis.

I paricularly liked how you brought up Orihime's confidence/empowerment in relation to how she interacts with Ishida and Ichigo. This to me is a very important point. Ideally, pairings should always make both characters more complete, or allow both to be themselves, and Ishihime does just that. I've always felt a tinge of awkwardness in the scenes where she talks to Ichigo, and I think it's pretty clear that although Orihime desperately wants to understand and be there for Ichigo, at this point she simply does not share the level of connection with Ichigo that Rukia does. The only instance I can remember in which Orihime's concern/affection for Ichigo actually registers in his head is right after his fight with Byakuya. His surpised look says it all: he just doesn't have a clue as to how much impact he makes in Orihime's heart. I completely agree that Orihime is a more secure and carefree person when she interacts with Ishida. She's free to be her vivacious, dreamy self as opposed to when she's angsting over Ichigo.

I also enjoyed the panels you selected for this essay. Orihime in her princess dress and Ishida wielding his weapon as dashingly as a knight screams just as much OTP as another beautiful scene in which Ichigo dashingly flew down and knelt in front of Rukia up near the tower. I’ve never noticed it before, but I also find it interesting how in the first page you selected Kubo draws a close-up of Ishida’s hand holding onto her shoulder, making sure we pay particular attention to it. If he had never meant to imply anything, you think he’d have omitted it.

Anyways, excellent job on this manifesto. I enjoyed reading it a lot ^^

[annwyd.livejournal.com]

I agree with sugartits on this one. You started off with some good points on their chemistry and the sweetness of their interaction, but you could have included a lot more about how they interact and what they mean to each other. Instead, you chose to discuss implausible rationales (such as the "shinigami/shinigami + human/human" reasoning, which sugartits went into above) and hang your arguments on other pairings. That was kind of disappointing. Especially since I know that a lot of IshiHime shippers like RenRuki; it probably sucked for them to come check out this essay and discover that it makes IshiHime dependent on the failure of their other favorite pairing.

The way I see it in the other essays I've read on this community, proving canonicity is ideally not the main point of a manifesto, although it may come up tangentially. The main point is to explain the relationship and why you find it appealing. Additionally, you may have noticed that as a general rule, essays here don't devote time to pulling down other pairings. I think that's actually a key to the comm's success: it's focused on positive discussion of favorite pairings rather than taking digs at least favorite pairings.

It is very possible to discuss IshiHime without relying on IchiRuki or attempting to dismantle IchiHime. How about this: "Regardless of what Ichigo's love life winds up looking like, Orihime has a special connection with Ishida that I find very romantic. Here's why..."

[zidane.livejournal.com]

Nice manifesto. I like that you recognize that the anime essentially tore out Orihime's very much canon crush on Ichigo.

I'm not a fan of Ishida and Orihime, but the manifesto did make me look at their connection (and Ishida in general) in a different light. Thank you :)

[x-darkhope-x.livejournal.com]

Very nice manifesto. I'm actually an Ichigo/Orihime shipper. [Always have been since the beginning] I find that one more plausible in canon, however, there's no doubt in mind that I don't reject the idea of IshiHime. I always liked it in fanon but never thought much of it in canon. Your essay sums up what I like most about IshiHime and I guess I respect it a bit more in canon now, though I won't be waving the hardcore IshiHime flag anytime soon.

However...

With Ichigo and Orihime, there is almost no interaction, and when there is, Orihime is shown to be a less confident, empowered self than she is with Ishida.

I actually disagree there. Perhaps in the beginning, her crush and the way Kubo portrayed as a somewhat "blond" [American style joke. xD] character might have pinned her down a bit. But, Orihime has shown progress throughout the series, and it's clear now she wants to help Ichigo, and/or become his equal. She has tried to help him. Look at how she tried to aid him in around... chapter 193-194 was it? And how she literally states "Kurosaki-kun, Ive always relied on your strength for protection... constantly walking behind you. But from this day foward, I'll be walking by your side." - While one can interpret Orihime confident around Ishida, her relationship with Ichigo has also grown, as her determination has as well.

That's just something I dislike about most of the IshiHime and IchiRuki fandoms--How they sometimes downrade the relationship between Ichigo and Orihime. But this isn't an attack on you personally, so don't take that the wrong way. Besides, since Orihime is part of 'IshiHime' - you SHOULD mention the relationship between Ichigo and Orihime in some way, since she does love him and he plays an important role in her development as a character. ;)

Anyway, once again, nice manifesto. I liked re-reading the moments that Ishida and Orihime shared in the SS Arc the most. :)

The LJ comment form really needs an edit botton... This is like the 4th time Ive tried to post this comment. xD

[ami-neko.livejournal.com]

Nice essay! I like the focus on narrative reasons why this pairing makes sense. It's not quite like some other ship manifestos that I've read, but I think that's a strength, rather than a weakness. Lots of people can enthuse about why characters are perfect for each other, but few people make the type of observations about story structure and artistic composition that you did in this essay.

At this writing, the manga is at a point where the IshiHime ship seems stranded on a sand dune. Because Ishida was AWOL from much of the recent story, there has been no Ishida and Orihime interaction for volumes.

I'd like to point out that Ishida has no real reason to go to Hueco Mundo, except to rescue Orihime. He had already promised not to involve himself with Shinigami, and he's not inclined to do so anyway. I think that if it had been any other character kidnapped, Ishida would have stayed behind to train. The fact that it's Orihime in danger is the only thing motivating him.

So, while there hasn't been any direct, face-to-face Ishida/Orihime interaction, this arc once again shows Ishida's deep feelings for Orihime.

[onthefloor.livejournal.com]

I really, really dislike IshiHime (for the fact that Ishida is scathingly homosexual), but you put alot of work into this, and alot of thought. Good job, and commendable. Any attention to Bleach is good attention, because Bleach is just that awesome. ...Kinda makes me want to write an IchiIshi manifesto. Hmm.

Anyway. :) *thumbs up*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Wow, I can't believe you went to the trouble of reading this. The only IchiIshi AND IshiHime shipper I know is Finny. Thanks.

[hardysmidgen.livejournal.com]

Haha, that's pretty much exactly how I feel: 1) As so wonderfully put already, thank you very much for the time and effort. 2) I also completely agree that Uryuu is unabashedly homosexual and I have basically abhorred IshiHime from the very beginning whereas it seems utterly nonsensical, unfair to both characters and out of left field for me.

Sidenote: Oh please do, onthefloor, because I know you would write a brilliant one! :D I came here and was utterly to shocked to see that the couple I think has more tension and probability for depth than any of the others was to my horror completely absent. I've never posted on the manifesto proper, but I have written pairing essays (mostly for SasuNaru and ShinoKiba). If I could wrangle sometime away from academics at the moment, I'd write one as well. >__> PLEASE let me know if you do.

[(Anonymous)]

I would like to point out the fact that Orihime never realized Ichigo's feelings for Rukia, as he has none. She merely told Rangiku that she was jealous of Rukia's ability to cheer Ichigo up. One thing that people commonly miss is that Ichigo was upset because he couldn't protect Orihime. Therefore, a good friend would help him out better.