Elaborated pairing pondering

[sincere]

Okay, more detailed thoughts... Now that I'm finished with the Soul Society arc, and about a quarter of the way into the filler-tastic Bount arc, I have updated opinions. I've wanted to do this ever since libekory posted her own thoughts on current pairings a few days ago.


Renji/Rukia: This is my favorite so far zomg. First of all, he loves her so much. Second of all, her panic when he was close to death, and relief at seeing him alive again, gives me hope for the pairing. And thirdly, they're so tragic. It gets me in all the good places. Devoted since childhood, lost everything they ever had, went together to become Shinigami, became separated, drifted apart, and then at the last chance... He just wanted her to have a good life. :( He didn't know she didn't want it. WOOB. Etc. I love that they finally have a mutually content place to be for a while.

Also, "the star and the stray dog" is such a sad, apt description of them..

Ichigo/Orihime: I like this pairing. I have absolutely no reason to like it. I just think they'd be cute together, and have lots of orange-haired, retarded children and be obliviously happy.

Ichigo/Tatsuki: I'd write it. Childhood admiration becomes a mature adult partnership? In my head Tatsuki was chibi!Ichigo's first crush, and that's adoooorable.

Orihime/Tatsuki: Duh. They're sweet, Tatsuki is already devoted to defending her from other lecherous persons, and they care about one another very, very deeply. I think the strength that Tatsuki gives Orihime is wonderful for her as a character. I'm all for it.

Orihime/Chad: I... I'd like it.

Yoruichi/Ichigo: The God of Flash indeed. I would approve of this, largely because she is full of mockery and he is full of blush and insistence that she put her clothes back on and stop sitting cross-legged.

Yoruichi/Urahara: Even better. They're awesome as individual units of fantastic, and they are OTP put together, even when Yoruichi is a kitty.

Aizen/Gin: This makes me a horrible person, but this was the first slash pairing I actually saw in this series besides girlslash. The idea that after all these years -- after Gin gets authority of his own, equal authority; after he has more than enough power and builds relationships of his own -- he is still very much Aizen's lieutenant, still stands at his elbow subserviently and obeys him implicitly, and more, grins and loves every minute of Aizen's being a total bastard... that's very appealing to the part of me that enjoys evil.

[Gin/Rangiku: I am interested in seeing where this is going. I kind of like it, from what I've seen. They totally had sex, and it totally doesn't stop him from being evil and her from being kickass.]

Aizen/Hinamori: This also makes me a horrible person. It's canon, inasmuch as it is totally fucking destroyed. Man. I can't even imagine what it must be like for Hinamori, waking up after... that. I like how horrible it is. He, he just manipulated her so well!! She was magnificent in her total ferocity at Gin.

Histugaya/Hinamori: Okay. I really, really like this. However you do it. Right now I'm kind of leaning towards Hitsugaya's being in love with her, and he is certainly obsessed with protecting her. Hinamori doesn't feel anything romantic towards him (he's four feet tall, she probably hasn't even thought about it! of course, she's only like, four and a half feet tall, but still) but I think she could. But even as a purely family thing, I deeply enjoy this dynamic.

And, I really, really respect that he was willing to knock her flat when she was attacking him instead of going, " D: D: Oh noes, someone I like is temporarily insane! I could never hurt them!" (Same with Gin/Rangiku.) Hitsugaya knew whose fault it really was that he had to hurt her. Bleach is pretty good about this. ♥

Kira/Hinamori: Again, I like this one-sided for now. Kira's obvious crush on her is so sweet, down to the way he subtly tries to disobey Gin for her -- subtly sending Hitsugaya off to find her so that Aizen and Gin wouldn't have too much time alone with her, extracting a promise from those two clearly crazy and untrustworthy individuals that they wouldn't harm her, stepping in front of Gin to fight her instead when he knew that Gin would kill her instantly and ruthlessly. I also appreciate -- as before -- that he doesn't cry about having to fight her.

Zaraki Kenpachi/Yachiru: Duh.

Kyouraku/Ukitake: I would slash them if Kyouraku didn't like the ladies so very much. It's unnecessary to pair them. They can just be awesome friends.

Hollow Ichigo: No particular pairing. I just think he's fucking awesome.

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Ichigo/Rukia[/Kaien]: I'm only really interested in this pairing inasmuch as there is an invisible third party. I find Ichigo and Rukia's interaction very traditional but not terribly deep; it's a very simple, straightforward "bitchy guy+bitchy girl=destiny" setup. They have a lot more significance for me as friends, people who changed one another's lives and who can never forget that.

This pairing lost many points of credibility for me personally when Ichigo tossed Rukia at Renji with that little smile towards the end of the Soul Society arc. To me, that expression clearly said, "He really cares about her. Those wacky kids, I'm happy for them." While Ichigo tosses a lot of other people at more capable protectors (Rukia, Orihime, Uryuu) this expression would not be out of place at a wedding, and even Ichigo can't be dumb enough not to have noticed the way Renji feels about her (right?). Again: Still midway into Bount arc, don't shoot.

This got more interesting with the introduction of Kaien, who (maybe some of you didn't know this? apparently madfnorder didn't) looks exactly like Ichigo, only with different hair color. Without mentioning spoilers, I think it's not a great sign for this relationship that Rukia seems to be the only person who hasn't commented on Ichigo's resemblance to Kaien -- maybe that means she hasn't consciously noticed the reason she's attached to him. But that kind of horrible makes it more interesting. :D

Feel free to ask me about pairings I didn't mention, it's possible I forgot some I like. Umm. Or tell me why you like the pairings you like. ♥

Also, side-note: I used to think Uryuu was a girl. Now, after seeing a chunk of the Bount arc, I am totally positive that he is a girl. And a damsel, no less.

Comments

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I just think they'd be cute together, and have lots of orange-haired, retarded children

I think that's the only thing anyone has ever said that's sold me on the pairing. XD

I thought it was a mistake when they called Yoruichi a girl in the first episode, because her voice is very manly.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

You're not supposed to be reading this. :O

Yeah, we did too. XD She has a very mannish voice in kitty form, and talks like an old man, so it seemed like they just didn't know any better. But Yoruichi is actually a totally hot lady!

[starvinbohemian.livejournal.com]

*Pouts* I was hoping you'd come around to Ichigo/Rukia by the end of the SS Arc, but alas. Personally, I always assumed that Rukia's lack of Ichigo/Kaien recognition was because she never had a problem distinguishing them as separate people to her. But anyways.

I keep hearing everyone say that Kira/Hinamori is canon, but the only Kira-canon I've ever seen was Gin/Kira. That chapter poem with the accompanying hands-stroking-throat picture? Mmn. ;) Where is this canon everyone speaks of?

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

Sorry! I can see where you're coming from, but I'm not especially shipping it. I like it better with the ghost of Kaien there. :3 If Rukia doesn't care about the resemblance even subconsciously, I'm not sure what the point of having the resemblance is. Is there plot with it later that I haven't gotten to?

It seemed a natural conclusion to me in the anime, he got very upbeat or blushy when she was around, and did go out of his way to protect her -- but I only know the anime, where Gin and Kira had I think one actual conversation, and it was only two lines long? XD So it's never occurred to me. (Also, to be fair, I think Kira would've probably done some of what he did for Renji as well.)

I am interested in this picture and this poem you mention. I know nothing of them~ Share?

[hauntedreality.livejournal.com]

I love the way the pairing side of your brain works. ^_^ I am riiiiight there with you on most everything. The stuff I'm not as on board with is just because I don't know those characters well enough yet probably.

I had to look lots of the names up as you were going. I recognized them all, but I couldn't necessarily remember interactions vividly.

I like

Isn't Aizen dead? Not that such a thing would stop pairings. Now, I think you are past where I stopped watching, so if he becomes undead, you don't have to mention that. Just tell me if he died. *nods*

Rangiku's breasts are more powerful than Cheri's I think. I find that frightening and impressive.

You really thing Uryuu is a girl?

I also kind of like Chad. I don't really need to see him paired with anyone, but I like seeing his friendships. I wouldn't mind getting to know him better I think. I think if I were to see him paired, it would be with Orihime as you mentioned.

And Kon in Ichigo's body as I already mentioned. Though I like him best at the beginning. The longer he is in the lion the less seriously I can take him.

[kay-willow.livejournal.com]

♥ I'm glad you think so. It's fun, and I'd love to hear your thoughts when you get a chance to watch over the series again.

You like? D:

Aizen did die. XD But you're right, and that was my first thought when I heard other people expressing similar thoughts -- "Well, death has never stopped fangirls before."

Rangiku is awesome. She actually complains about them drunkenly sometimes. XD "Did you know I can't breathe when I sleep on my stomach?! But I can't sleep on my back either... It feels like I'm being pulled apart..."

Chad is kind of wonderful, but I'm willing to bet no one ever ships him. XD Ah well. He's still awesome. And Kon, sadly, becomes more and more comic relief and less awesome as the series goes on, but I love him so.

The thing with Uryuu-- XD He gets rescued a lot. Like, a lot. Chad is always picking him up and hauling him around. Orihime hauls him around. Especially in the Bount story arc that I'm currently watching, where he's like... constantly getting saved by other people, crying about how he holds the party back, fainting periodically, and the real kicker was when a woman (not a big buff woman, just an ordinary-looking woman) hefted him in her arms and carried him like a blushing bride over the threshold. He's a damsel alright. XD

[madfnorder.livejournal.com]

Thinking of Ichigo/Orihime like that reminds me of Tales of Symphonia Lloyd/Collete. Only the Bleach duo are significantly brighter than the Tales pair. Yes, both of them.