Romance in Bleach

[Amirali]

Ah, made this little edit for added comparison of Grimm and Ulqi:

Certainly, Ulqi mind-games with Orihime weren't personal to begin with, just part of his manipulative nature............just as Grimm attacking Ichigo at first was simply his aggressiveness towards all. But when Ulqi found that his mindgames weren't working , then in the same way Grimm's failures to kill Ichigo nagged at his pride, Ulqi's inability to break Orihime frustrated his sense of intellectual superiority. But Grimm could regain his pride simply by fixating on Ichigo as his personal nemesis to kill. For Ulqi, he can't prove he's right unless he can win the mind-game, and break Orihime.

What is more interesting, is how he will react if he's forced to admit Orihime is right and he's in the wrong.

[BleachOD]

Amir you are missing 318

Spoiler for spoilerish:

Ulq's possessive stance. He stood in front her like "She's mine"

[samuraixz]

Youruichi and Soi Fon FTW!!!

[Hari Michiru]

I kind of want ByaRuki at the moment. =)

[blue skies]

Originally Posted by Hari Michiru

I kind of want ByaRuki at the moment. =)

...Really??? I'm not trying to sound bitchy here, I've just always wondered why people go for that pairing. They may not be blood related, but it still feels like incest to me.

This thread needs more IshidaxInoue.

[Kyero Fox]

Originally Posted by BleachOD

Amir you are missing 318

Spoiler for spoilerish:

Ulq's possessive stance. He stood in front her like "She's mine"

So what? he didn't move in front of her, Ichigo just happen to bust in at that certain direction. shesh .. over look the scene much? :P

[Langus]

Kyero: Rather than harping on him for that ONE comment, try reading the rest of Amir's post. It's well thought out and the evidence is really quite interesting and well presented.

Edit: I want to see some Tatsuki Ichigo going on. Kubo still hasn't resolved the fact that she can see him in his shinigami form. Makes me wonder if he'll bring her into the K-town fight...hmmmm....

Though I'll be honest, I much prefer the thought of her and Orihime. They'd make such a hot pair.

[Mr. DJ]

Originally Posted by blue skies

...Really??? I'm not trying to sound bitchy here, I've just always wondered why people go for that pairing. They may not be blood related, but it still feels like incest to me.

not completely unheard of that a man ends up marrying his former/deceased wife's sister

[blue skies]

Originally Posted by DjTrizz

not completely unheard of that a man ends up marrying his former/deceased wife's sister

But but but...she calls him Nii-sama, treats him like her brother...no. To each his own, but I'll never get it

[Kyero Fox]

Originally Posted by Langus

Kyero: Rather than harping on him for that ONE comment, try reading the rest of Amir's post. It's well thought out and the evidence is really quite interesting and well presented.

Edit: I want to see some Tatsuki Ichigo going on. Kubo still hasn't resolved the fact that she can see him in his shinigami form. Makes me wonder if he'll bring her into the K-town fight...hmmmm....

Though I'll be honest, I much prefer the thought of her and Orihime. They'd make such a hot pair.

we can all dream right? That means you can too

[Langus]

Oh I do. Vividly.

[Yosei]

Actually, here's a crack pairing I thought was crazy and impossible, but what if Ukitake met Nel? I mean, he's not the kind of guy to reduce someone to ashes on first sight (unlike his cranky old sensei) so who knows? One of the kinder captains vs one of the kinder espada - heck there might not need to be a fight.

[twkiwilee]

I'm all for rangiku x gin!! I love it when they are together, they show seriousness and concern, and while to others, they usually are (i don't know the word for it but..) cheerful, relaxed..laid back.. etc.. Plus i want some bad-as*gin hotness!! muwahaha... yep so the bad boy gin goes well with the happy, good (in many ways) rangiku. Plus i love it when a guy is all bad but has a girl that he show concern about.. :P

i wish they would be able to see each other again sigh~

the rest of other pairings.. hmm i don't really have an interest. (edit: i forgot to mention, except for ichiruki of course!! )

but i think i'll be happy if i get to see toshiro x momo. i find them cute together. plus toshiro really concern about her. i just hope her mind is not twisted with her "love" (if that's what others called it) for aizen still.

actually i also like byakuya x hisana. byakuya is so romantic in his own way :P he really love hisana and i was touched when he tries to fullfill all his promise to her and even of it requires breaking the law. But i do get annoyed (maybe's just me) how hisana looks like an exact replicate of rukia. i actually want hisana to have a different appearance. and her voice 9in my opinion) doesn't go with her looks. so everytime when they have romantic/tragic scene together, hisana's looks ruined the mood.

[Hari Michiru]

Originally Posted by blue skies

...Really??? I'm not trying to sound bitchy here, I've just always wondered why people go for that pairing. They may not be blood related, but it still feels like incest to me.

This thread needs more IshidaxInoue.

Byakuya does truly care for Rukia, even though his methods are misdirected. Plus, his feelings for Hisana could have spilled over to Rukia. Rukia respects Byakuya quite a bit too, so there's hope.

[Girl_who_cried_gnome]

Originally Posted by amirali1985

Disclaimer: The following is a perspective, not really an argument .My rambling musings....

wow.... *rises to give standing ovation*

i have never seen an ulquihime discussion portrayed with such wonderful insight

i have always loved this pairing.... the contrast between them and the philosophy that "opposites attract" has always made me cheer from the sidelines .... but not until recently have i really thought about the way Kubo would actually go about it...

i think that their relationship from the start has been predator and prey.... the glances that kubo always draws suggests that it is indeed a mind battle for dominance... but to what extent? *inner fangirl--> *

Spoiler for predator and prey:

both have trespassed unto each others territory

despite ulquiorra's facade of callousnes, he can understand human emotions more than any other espada because he analyzes the complete surroundings of a situation.... and then uses it against his prey to create the ultimate manipulation by showing their internal weakness... but seeing and doing are two different things and he cannot comprehend the true emotions behind friendship from observing orihime... which will result in the usual... his defeat from underestimating such bonds and his changing of ways... *sigh*

[aiko_chan]

Originally Posted by amirali1985

Disclaimer: The following is a perspective, not really an argument .My rambling musings....

Edit: Added more comparison in middle Of Ulqi/Ori rivalry, with the Ichi/Grimm.

Spoiler for upto manga 318 shapes the discussion:

I'd quickly recount how Ulq-Hime grew on me. Over a year, back, it seemed hardcore crack........without any flour mixed in. Sure, they both looked hot in white, and him telling her "no is not an option" clicked with certain fantasies. But they were prisoner and captive, and that was that.

The slap scene started to change my opinion of things. It wasn't just that Orihime stood up for herself, it was Ulqi's reaction. Kubo took an extra panel after the scene just to show that ulqi was thrown off momentarily.

Spoiler for Ulqi speechless?:

Oh, I was still a long way from being an Ulq-Hime believer. Instead of pure fan fantasy, Kubo was putting in a few hints to tease, without any serious intent. Kind of like he did with Grimmjaw and Ori later, especially the bondage-lite he pulled on her.

Spoiler for to save space:

Proof that Kubo can tease, and not every hint connects with an actual pairing.

Like I mentioned earlier, the weirdly awkward exchange of glances when Ulqi found her with Grimm, and her consternation when Ulqi was banished, both piqued my curiosity. It was at that point I felt there is something going on here, besides just restless shippers' imagination.

What clinches it for me, is that the Ichigo-Ulquiorra rivalry essentially revolves around Orihime. To explain that, I'll have to digress a bit. In shounen, any prolonged rivalry involves a ratcheting up of the stakes and hatred.

Spoiler for Escalation example, as happened between Ichi-Grimm. Skip if in a hurry.:

Let's look at Ichi-Grimm for an example of that escalation. Ichigo saw Rukia injured the first time, and was powerless to stop Grimm because of his hollow. The second time was even worse; not only did Rukia get hurt, but she got hurt saving Ichigo because he couldn't maintain his hollow. And if not for Shinji, Grimm would have ended his life then and there.

All that, then, meant Ichigo was properly charged up for their final battle, with Orihime and Nel's safety......and the battle tied up not only his rivalry with Grimmjow, but his last fears that his hollow powers would alienate his friends.

Escalation isn't just from the hero's side............it's important to show from the villain also. To have his drive increase, or if not that, at least to become better explained over course of the rivalry. Without me going into length, I think it's pretty clear how for Grimmjow, Ichigo went from a random punk, to someone he HAD TO beat to prove himself the king.

The question then is, where is the escalation in the Ichi-Ulqi feud? From Ichigo's side, it's pretty clear. Ulquiorra is responsible for bringing everyone to HM by kidnapping Orihime, who's taunted , beaten and even killed Ichigo. But let's look at it from Ulqi's point of view......

First time , he meets Ichigo, here's what he sees:

Spoiler for Ichigo's magnificent, impressive performance:

Sure, he senses Ichi's power, but he knows it's not under control. The next two times they meet aren't much different. Ichi bleeding at Grimm's feet while Ulqi mocks him, or Ulqi putting his hand through Ichigo's chest aren't exactly major moments in Ulqi's life. True, Ulqi has seen hints of Ichigo's potential........... yet Ichigo's done nothing to charge him up, to anger him, to make him show his angry "game" face like this:

Spoiler for Ulq pissed (spoiler 318):

After almost two years to lay this feud, where then is the buildup to Ulqi's side of it? What happened to the Kubo that skillfully built up Byakuya's and Grimmjow's resolve for their epic fights?

The only thing ulqi's shown personal interest in playing mindgames with Orihime. It started out as pure domination "just kill her, yammi" , "no is not an option" , "you disgust me" (the slap scene), yet after the slap scene he realized her spirit was still strong. Ulqi's chat with Noi-Noi showed how important mental domination is to him. Other Espada would settle for ropes and chains, but Ulqi's method is to use his intellect to break her. That's as much his trademark, as ruthless destruction was Grimmjow's

Certainly, the mind-games with Orihime weren't personal to begin with, just part of his manipulative nature............just as Grimm attacking Ichigo when he first came to Karakura was simply his aggressiveness towards all. But when Ulqi found resistance, when he found that for once, his mindgames weren't working..........then in the same way that Grimm's failures to kill Ichigo nagged at his pride, Ulqi's inability to break Orihime frustrated his sense of intellectual superiority. It became increasingly personal...

Being prisoner didn't break Orihime, against Ulqi's expectations.. Leaving her friends didn't do it. Being pounded by fraccion did nothing. Even seeing her friends injured or threatened couldn't break her, once she realized she would've gladly taken the same risks for them. She accepts that they would fight , and even die for her.

As we saw in chapter 317, Ulquiorra is now puzzled because he's failed to chain her spirit. For the first time, he took a questioning tone with her instead of ordering her, because there is nothing he can do that will cow her.....threats to her, or even her friends. For the first time, he's forced to accord her respect. He's truly confused and curious where her resolve comes from. Now, he has to beat Ichigo, break him to show Orihime the futility of hope.

It's beautifully ironic. Ulquiorra caught in his own mind-game with Orihime, compelled to show her he's right. He returns from banishment, saying "Come, Kurosaki Ichigo, come"............even though Ulquiorra never had a reason before to fixate on Ichigo. From fancying himself the puppet master pulling her strings, (in his self-congratulating talk with Noi), he's come to take the game more and more personally. So that is Ulquiorra's stake in the rivalry, and that is how Kubo's made it a personal battle for him.

Ulq-Hime may not be canon, or more than one-sided. But it's a dynamic on which Ichigo-ulquiorra has been built.........which at least makes it worthy of serious discussion now.

I know I've posted this before, but for me, their reunion captured perfectly the dynamic between Ulq and Ori. If the cat plays the mouse too long, the hunt enslaves predator and prey alike.

Spoiler for the cat and mouse circling:

Thank you so much for posting this
It's posts like these that how me "grow" from just being a shipper that bases the foundation of a ship purely on fantasies and "weak" reasoning. Many people have done it for me for IchiRuki and now here's someone to explain it to me for UlquiHime.

Wonderful analyzing.

[BleachOD]

Originally Posted by Langus

Edit: I want to see some Tatsuki Ichigo going on. Kubo still hasn't resolved the fact that she can see him in his shinigami form. Makes me wonder if he'll bring her into the K-town fight...hmmmm....
.

I totally agree! I would like Ichigo XTatX Rukia triangle...then I would be both IchiRu and Ichitat I guess it would be IchiTatRuki....<--threesome is HAWT!

She is a good match for him and if Rukia didn't exist. I would ride that ship hard.


I wish she'd jump into the fray. I have been wondering if KT will resolve that issue too. I think she will show up during the WAR...or in LAS NOCHES. It would be a real kicker if she saved Orihime.

Ishida and Orihime....I used to love. Now they seem like a dream. Or more like a childhood crush.

Ulqui Hime is more concrete. Orihime gets emotionally stronger with Ulq every time they interact. She is his equal in that relationship . "She complete him. He completes her"

They are getting married....

I have a wedding to plan! gtg!

[Ichigo&Rukia]

Byakuya does truly care for Rukia, even though his methods are misdirected. Plus, his feelings for Hisana could have spilled over to Rukia. Rukia respects Byakuya quite a bit too, so there's hope.

You don't fall for the face but for the heart.
So many between Ichigo and Rukia/Rukia and Renji and no ByaRuki and then BAM they will get together!
Respect is totally different from love/crush. It is like amdiraton. No sign for romantic relationship really, it is absolutely dead ship.
IshiOri and UlqiOri=love. I prefer IshiOri.

[Hari Michiru]

Originally Posted by Ichigo&Rukia

You don't fall for the face but for the heart.
So many between Ichigo and Rukia/Rukia and Renji and no ByaRuki and then BAM they will get together!
Respect is totally different from love/crush. It is like amdiraton. No sign for romantic relationship really, it is absolutely dead ship.
IshiOri and UlqiOri=love. I prefer IshiOri.

One can dream, right?

[RingoPango]

I think Grimmjow and Orihime XD and I look forward to see more interactions between them! Although the chances are rather slim its not impossible!

ByaRuki's an interesting pairing! They are not blood-related at all, I don't see why not ^^ Although I do prefer IchiRuki moe.