[Bleach] HitsuMatsu - Potential and Possibilities.

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

Title: Potential and Possibilities.
Author: Kanae kanae_mizuhito
Pairing: Hitsugaya x Matsumoto 
Fandom: Bleach
Word Count: Roughly 5,600.
Author's Note:  Right so, first of all, I want to let some things clear: I know that most people out there are HitsuHina shippers, and I also know that that pairing has some good chances of becoming canon. I know that, and I’m not trying to deny it, either.

I also know that there are kinda a high number of GinMatsu shippers out there, and that there is some history between both couples that can’t be overlooked. 
I know all this, and I respect it as well; but it’s for that reason that I’m asking you guys to respect my opinion as well.

And this manifesto was too heavy ^^U So even though it's short, I had to divide it in four different parts. 
Here are the links to them:

Part II.
Part III.
Part IV. Extra

Special Thanks to InNeverland, Who fixed all the mistakes in this manifesto. You rock!

If anyone has a comment, please this is the place to leave them. After you've finished reading the manifesto, if you want to leave a comment, please come back and leave it here. Thanks ^^

HitsuMatsu

 

 

- -

 

 

 

I started watching Bleach quite a long time ago, but for multiple reasons (I ran out of money and was only able to buy the first two cds) I stopped. Of course I continued reading the manga, and, well, thanks to all the spoilers I knew pretty much everything that happened after where I had left off.

 

Still, Bleach wasn’t able to really ‘hook-me-up’ until recent chapters (thanks to the potential IchiRuki-ness that the next chapters were probably going to provide me xD). But now, I’m more into Bleach than ever, dying for spoilers, and hunting every single bit of information that I can find. And it’s all thanks to one single thing:

 

HitsuMatsu.

HitsugayaMatsumoto

ToushirouRangiku

Tenth Division Lurve

 

Or whatever you want to come up with xP

 

The first time I saw them in action was actually in one of Bleach’s openings; there was this cute white-haired boy, seating on a bar, and then a busty-woman came and hugged him. My first impression? Well, let’s just say that it didn’t really catch my attention.

 

In fact, I downright decided I would hate anything concerning that pairing, because at that moment, with such a simple action, they didn’t really match at all to me. She was too old, too busty, and too tall for him. I needed to find someone else who went along more nicely with him because he was a character that I was interested in.

 

Yep, I can be pretty shallow sometimes, but you guys can’t blame me. There are just some pairings - no matter from which side you look at them - they just don’t match. Thankfully, I realized that this was not the case for this one in particular.

 

         And this, brings me to my first point.

 

 

HitsuHina

 

 

I’m really active in fanfiction.net, and, usually, just a look there can tell me which couples are popular among the fandom. So that’s how I ended up looking who Hitsugaya had more pages with: the winner? Hinamori. So I went and checked her bio. What I found didn’t really amuse me in the slightest.

 

She’s a girl who is infatuated or deeply in love with her captain and was easily manipulated into attacking her childhood friend. She then lapsed into a coma, and, after coming out of it, she asked for forgiveness. But then it was revealed that she’s still pretty much blinded by Aizen and also blind about anything relating to "Shiro-chan".

 

I didn’t find this girl entertaining at all. though of course, that’s only my opinion :P

 

So I was actually kinda surprised at seeing so many fics, fanarts, and other multiple things for this pairing. But still, they do have the things that most people look for in an anime-pairing:

 

        

 

They’re childhood friends, and hold an special place in each other’s heart; Hitugaya would go to any lengths for her, and she gets to call him Shiro-chan, even though it does annoy him. But we can still pretty much see past that façade of his and notice that he doesn’t really mind it at all, because it’s coming from Hinamori, someone whom he wouldn’t let anyone spill not even an ooze of blood from. Someone who had given him watermelons when they were kids.

 

 

         

 

Hitsugaya it’s one of those cool, aloof characters who are always surrounded by this aura of mystery and seriousness, and it’s so weird to see them expressing any kind of affection whatsoever. Then when they do, and to a female counterpart, most people just immediately assume that there’s something going on there-that it’s more than just a simple friendship or mutual care.

 

I can see where people are coming from in this one; I really do. But I can see as well some other explanations for their bond and for their behavior that doesn't necessary mean anything romantic at all:

 

Hitsugaya’s care for Hinamori is pretty much understandable; she’s his childhood friend, one of the only people he’s really close to, and she’s also someone who he feels he needs to protect. This need comes from the fact that she’s a really selfless girl who always cares about others more than she cares about herself, and so he feels like she needs someone to care for her in those moments when she’s too busy caring about someone else. She’s also one of the people he wants to get respect from; She respects and admires Aizen to the point of total and selfless devotion, and Hitsugaya has fought for her, has been always by her side, and cares for her, but what he gets it’s the "Shirou-chan" or "Hitsugaya-kun"; I believe he wanted to be someone who she’ll also look up to, with respect, someone she would also admire.

 

 

        

 

 

 

And I do believe she does admire him; but he’s pretty much like a little brother to her; her best friend. That’s the way she has always seen him, and that’s the way she probably still sees him now. If Hitsugaya did have any kind of romantic feelings for her, then he must be aware of this, and he must have also considered the possibility of her affections for him not changing in the future--something that’s also possible.

 

Now, assuming that Hitsugaya’s feelings for her were (or are) romantic, I’ll also assume some things (note that these are merely assumptions from my part, this my opinion, everyone is free to disagree): He’s an smart guy, and he’s also selfless, in his own way; he has always cared a great deal about her happiness, and I’m positive that’s something that will never change. If he realizes that his feelings for her aren’t reciprocated, I believe he would let her be. I really don’t see him fighting for her, really trying to win her heart. I see him as a guy who is willing to let things happen when they have to and to respect other people’s wishes. If Hinamori wants to be with Aizen, or someone else, then I think Hitsugaya will respect it and support her. He would never do something to make her suffer, and if that means forgetting all about his own wants and wishes in the process, then so be it.

 

I’m not denying the possibility of Hinamori making him happy if she ever does return his feelings, or if she realizes that she already does (if she does); but I’m also open to the possibility of Hitsugaya’s feelings for her not being romantic or being merely brotherly feelings and admiration- mistaken into something else entirely.

 

Now, it would take him quite some time to realize that his feelings aren’t what he always thought they were; and after what happened with Aizen, it’s something that I think could have gotten him thinking.

 

 

 

 

He may have forgiven Hinamori already, he can say that a thousand times, but I really doubt that he didn’t really give a damn about what happened. The incident had to be in his mind for more than just a couple of days, and maybe it trigged the right bottoms in his head, and got him thinking.

 

         Keep in mind that almost everything I said is based off in the assumption of Hitsugaya’s feelings for Hinamori are more than just a mere friendship, since that’s the view most people have of it, and it’s a point I felt I should talk about here as well as the next point I’m going to bring up:

 

 

 

GinRan

 

 

Now, I’m sure everyone agrees that theirs is one of the hardest, enigmatic, confusing, mysterious, and downright complicated relationships of the whole manga.

 

Just like with Hitsugaya’s case, both Gin and Matsumoto met back when they were kids, and pretty much like with Hinamori, Gin used to be the one to give food to Matsumoto (one hell of a parallel there, huh? ^^). They both had a hard childhood, and they both found comfort in each other and became good friends.

 

In Soul Society, their relationship was- maybe even more- complicated. Gin is quite the odd character- with his odd grins and eyes that we can’t see. And Matsumoto is pretty much the contrary: a happy and energetic woman, cheerful, but someone who can be serious when she wants to, and someone who likes to get drunk pretty often. They sure make a good match to those who like that of ‘opposites attract’, huh? But there’s more to their relationship that only that.

 

Matsumoto is the only one through the series that Gin showed any kind of feelings for; he retreated from the fight in the moment Matsumoto said he would have to fight her next, and he also gave her a brief look of regret as he was leaving for Hueco Mundo, his words being pretty meaningful even as much as his actions;

 

 

“I wish I could’ve been held a little longer”

 

“I’m sorry, Rangiku”

 

         Now those words are something that- no matter from which side I look at them- I can’t see them being something else apart of the regretful words of someone who didn’t have the chance to tell the woman he loved just how deeply he felt about her. So at the end, he leaves her with just that glance and "I wish I could’ve been held a little longer".

 

Now Matsumoto’s feelings for Gin are as complicated as his are for her, probably even more so, since Gin’s are almost safe to assume they are of a romantic nature—or at least something that’s not only friendship, but something more. Rangiku’s, though, are still pretty much into the open. She did look down after Gin left, and his words did hit her hard, but her reactions can be easily seen as those of a friend that has been betrayed; of those of a woman who just realized that the guy she crushed over when she was a child had been returning those feelings all along; Of a woman who doesn’t quite know what to make of her friend’s actions, and who’s tired of the world, and who really doesn’t know what to think anymore.

 

All in all, her feelings are just… they could be interpreted in any way, really. But what’s truly undeniable is the fact that those two have a deep link with each other.

 

Now, my point of view, based in everything I have said, is the following:

 

 

-For HitsuHina’s case: To me, Hitsugaya did like Hinamori as more than a friend, but she never realized this, being too busy worshiping the ground Aizen walked on. Now, I think that Hitsugaya has realized that his feelings for her can be or are more of a brotherly-kind of thing instead of anything romantic. I think that he has finally realized that he doesn’t need to be her boyfriend to love her as much as he does now, and that he’s pretty much content with just being her friend. I also think that his growing out of his feelings for her can also be thanks to realizing that she never did feel the same way about him and that she probably never will.

 

 

-For GinRan’s case:

 

 

Now, to me, this case is simpler. I can easily see Matsumoto having a crush on Gin, maybe actually loving him when she was a kid; I can also see her harboring those same feelings for most part of her life in Soul Society, but I can also see those feelings changing, maybe even before the series started, or maybe during the course of it. But, to me, the goodbye scene between Gin and Rangiku was onesided. To me, it was the closest of a love-declaration that Gin could ever give right then, and it also was Rangiku realizing that her feelings for him were always reciprocated; Her getting drunk, her expression, and the words she said were more about the bitter ‘what could have been's’ and ‘what if’s’, more about the regrets of a woman who spent most of her life chasing for something that she didn’t know that had always been there on the palm of her hand.

 

And, at this point, this is where the HitsuMatsu comes into action.

Next. Part II. HitsuMatsu

 

Comments

[cal-reflector.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on a job well done. At the end of the day, the best case for Hitsu-Matsu is their loyalty to each other; The litmus test is: Would Rangiku kill Gin to save Hitsugaya if it came down to it? I think most would say yes, because, even if Rangiku loved/loves Gin, her devotion to Hitsugaya is greater than her feelings for Gin. They are the best double team out of all thirteen divisions, and the most balanced in terms of trust and relationship dynamics.

The issue is harder to decide on the other end, for it's a far less likely scenario which would force Hitsugaya to choose between Rangiku or Momo's life. Still, as far as foundations for romantic development go, what Hitsugaya and Matsumoto have is certainly far from ludicrous, and would only require a far shorter stretch of imagination than many other pairings in Bleach.

So in conclusion: Matsumoto's commitment to Hitsugaya exceeds her feelings for Gin, and increasingly (or perhaps he's realized long ago, and the reader hasn't had been given a chance to see it) Hitsugaya is realizing that Matsumoto is the only one who has and will continue to stick by his side. Popular couples have certainly been borne out of less canon-qualified pairings than these two.

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

I agree with you in everything you said ^^ And I'm glad you agreed with me as well.. That's one of the reasons of why I said that the pairing I see for Hitsufaya it's Matsumoto, because the seeds and the possibilities are there, they just need to see what they want to do with that. Still, if KT wants them to become canon, he wouldn't have any troubles doing so ^^

Thank you for your comment !

[samusa.livejournal.com]

<3 I think I love you~
Thanks for writing this manifesto, I really enjoyed reading it and now my head hurts 'cause I was nodding my head so much ^^ So yeah, I completely agree and was thinking the same things, though not that detailed I guess *worships*

I'm pretty convinced there can be more to Hitsu/Matsu and their relationship, ignoring all those that say it's a crack pairing. As you said, age doesn't matter, especially in this case. Reminds me, there was this moment when they were fighting the arrancar Luppi (I think) and Matsumoto said she didn't like men who talk too much ^___^ I know a small white haired Taichou who isn't thaa~t talkative...

As for Hinamori...I think Hitsugaya noticed things have changed, whereas Hinamori didn't. She's still calling him Shiro-chan like when they were younger, alhough he's the Taichou. Yes, me being queen obvious here, just saying that they're both like living in two different worlds XD where Hitsu wants to be someone else than Shiro-chan and Hinamori doesn't get it. If he ever had romantic feelings for her, he might already have recognized it's in vain...? Long story short, I think the firework reference could fit here as well, with them drifting apart...? I'm ranting, sorry. I'm basically repeating what you wrote XDDDDD

btw, thanks for the omake, I only read the translation somewhere before and was too stupid not able to find it...could I ask you to give me the one missing page? please? <3

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

Of course ^^ I'll upload it to my journal and post the link in yours, alright? ^^
I'm glad you agreed xD I was a little worried on not being able of doing justice to this pairing.. And I also thought the exact same thing in the fight with Luppi xD Hitsugaya is Matsumoto's type :P

Thanks for your commenT!

[samusa.livejournal.com]

Yay, thank you so much~! ^^

[infi-inficio.livejournal.com]

Oh.

My.

I thought I was the only one who liked this pairing. The fact that there's always been an LJ community for it... >___>

I pretty much agree with most of your points here, and I don't have anything to add on, unfortunately. I've always liked pairings where "trust" was a main point in it (other than strong canon support and complete crack, of course), and HitsuMatsu is one of them. Thank you so much for writing this manifesto!

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

Nah, Thank you for commenting ^^ And I find those pairings really appealing as well.. Trust is the base of a healthy relationship, and I'm just glad Hitsugaya and Matsumoto trust each other so deeply.

[lostremnant.livejournal.com]

Very nicely written. I've always thought that Hitsugaya and Matsumoto would get together somewhere down the road when he (physically) was older. They are just too close to think that there's nothing deeper there.

I must admit though that I'm prejudiced because I simply don't like Hinamori. She's weak and personally I just can't see Hitsugaya falling in love (or staying in love with since I can see him having had a crush on her as a child) with someone so mentally fragile. I can see him having a brotherly love for her and being very protective of her but I can't see him being IN love with her. Especially after she tried to kill him and then asks him to "save" Aizen despite the fact that Aizen did his damndest to kill both her and Hitsugaya. I find myself wondering how she even managed to become an assistant captain given her psychological weakness.

But most of all, as you said, would Hitsugaya allow Matsumoto to get away with sleeping on the job, slacking off the paperwork and running up to him occasionally and nearly suffocating him in her boobs (and it cracks me up every time she does that) if he didn't feel something more than just fondness for her? He knows that she's loyal, he knows that when it really matters she will be there by his side and she knows the same about him.

As far as a romantic, physical relationship between the two, if I were to write such a fic, I would place it in the future after Hitsugaya has done some physical maturing. It doesn't have to be the far future...after all it has never been made clear precisely how shimigami age and perhaps they physically mature much much faster than they grow old. (but then if you really start thinking about such things as aging and having children in Soul Society you just give yourself a headache because there is alot that really doesn't make much sense...better to not look at it too closely).

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

xDD hahaha I agree with you xD It's better to not think too much about such confusing things.. O.o
I don't like Hinamori, either. She's just.. I dunno.. I guess she never reached my expectations, and you are right, she's wayy to mentally fragile, and I'm sure Hitsugaya knows this (after all, it's one of the reasons of why he wants to protect her so badly) but Bleach is a series where people are just starting to grow, and with everything that has happened, I can clearly see Hitsugaya realizing just who is the right woman for him.

They'll get together at the end, You'll see :P xD

[veleda-k.livejournal.com]

This was a really well done essay. You managed something a lot of people writing pairing manifestos miss: not only did you describe why they're important to each other and good for each other, you also explained why their relationship could/should be romantic.

An absolutely fantastic fanfic that you don't seemed to have mentioned is Co-dependency is a Bitch: My Precious Eyes (When it Matters Most) (http://community.livejournal.com/mausolea_fics/21104.html). It's excellent for people who think HitsuMatsu is best as a romantic pairing, and for those who like to see them as platonic. Actually, the whole "Co-dependency is a Bitch" series is magnificent.

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've never read that fic xD I'll take a look at it and add it to the Extra. Post ^^ Thanks!

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

As always, Thank you, InNeverland! ^^ As I said before, I'm really glad that you're starting to see HitsuMatsu in a new light, even if you aren't going to become a shipper =)
And it's alright xD Everyone has their own opinions xD That's what makes things interesting :P
Still, Thanks for everything ^^

[tesk.livejournal.com]

Actually, I am a rabid (understatement) Gin/Ran fan. So, I do not fancy Hitsu/Ran that much, for the shallow reasons you already mentioned that fans might have(I do, I do!!). But, mind you, I am not a side-shipper who would drool over Hitsu/Hina just to support the Bleach-pairing they happen to like. I don't hate any characters, but to put it mildly, Hinamori is my least favourite. Mind you, Hitsugaya is the second from the end XD.
But hey, well written, honestly. Actually, so well that I might even reconsider my faves and not-so-faves. I like how you elaborated on the other relationships as well.

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean xD Actually, I don't mind GinRan all that much ^^ but I downright hate HitsuHina xD And it's alright, everyone has their opinions and their likes and dislikes ^^ So really, thank you for giving the manifesto a chance and for being open-minded and honest with your opinion :) I'm glad I was able to make you think about them ^^
Thank you ^^

[mtakuja.livejournal.com]

**possible will be killed for this** But I am a HitsuHina fan, and slowly I am starting to see the relationship between Matus and Hitsu very clearly and I can honestly say its a sweet one.This essays hit everything that I like about this pairing. But of course I like Hinamori as well...no matter how many times she getting bashed. There is one thing that does bother me though...when they say Matsu stayed loyal to her captain instead of gin. Well, the same can be said about Hinamori she stayed true to her captain even in the end. Besides all that this is a good essay, and I am pretty openminded I can indeed see how those two do work :)

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

Thank you for being open-minded ^^ I'm glad you could enjoy this essay even if you support another pairing ^^

[tokki-chan.livejournal.com]

Congrats on a very awesome, very thorough manifesto! It's about high-time HitsuMatsu had one, too.

You've hit on a lot of points that I thought about the other pairings too. I actually used to love HitsuHina, but I just couldn't forgive how quickly she turned on her childhood friend. I'd probably add that Rangiku seems to have this hang up on Gin leaving her behind, but that's mostly just my own personal theory on their relationship.

I really liked seeing the entire HitsuMatsu relationship broken down into why I think that it works so well: loyalty, respect, friendship. I also love how openly flirtatious Rangiku is with her captain (which totally cuts against the "Hitsugaya is a kid" thing, IMO), and I'm glad you mentioned the potential behind a relationship and the level of Hitsugaya's regard for her. Also, Shiro's black collared shirt? Pimpin'.

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

Thank you! ^^
And also, I love your Icon <33 I loved Hitsugaya's expression on that xD

[flyne.livejournal.com]

Gosh. *adds to memory*
Haha, sorry I only read the first few paragraphs T^T I have stuffs to complete ><
Can I link this from my humble HitsuMatsu (http://toushirou.rangiku.org) fanlisting? D:

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

xDD hahah no prob! ^^ At least you started to read it xD
And of course you can! ^^ A HitsuMatsu fanlist needs all the help it can get to achieve the greatness that it deserves ^^ Good luck with it! <33

[liekomfg.livejournal.com]

O.O amazing....you are GODLY!

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

xDDD Thank you! ^^

[buddha-loves-me.livejournal.com]

Loved it loved it! There needs to be more love out there for this pairing, I think. I was very pleased to see someone had written a manifesto, and it was really well written and thoughtful and awesome.

Way to go! Adding this to my memories!

[kanae-mizuhito.livejournal.com]

Thank you! ♥

[ironywithwit.livejournal.com]

This actually makes a LOT of sense. Now I'm quite tolerant of HitsuMatsu [which is AMAZING, considering how much I despised them at the start of this post], so well done :D

Just asking as well, the chapters of Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Hinamori and Aizen watching fireworks are from which chapters?

[littlelinor.livejournal.com]

... this is making me feel very guilty about putting my fic on hiatus, because I still love this pairing so much.
... Maybe i'll get back to it, once I've caught up with Bleach >_>

[seynee.livejournal.com]

Congratulations. This is beautiful. I've read it a few months back, and your essay is one of the things that originally converted me into a HitsuMatsu shipper. I used to be all for HitsuHina XD.

This is so lovely, I like all the moments you wrote. So wonderfully done that you made this look completely believable, and that this pairing is actually as plausible as anything else! ♥♥