te read/watch Bleach. Then te get to the memories in the rain arc and te feel everything's been said. But te get to the Broken Coda and te finally understand that you've got the King of Trolls as the author. da now te ship IR, te feel the chemistry, but te also realize te will not have things so easily. Then a friend of yours asks "what is the relationship between Ichigo and Rukia?", your mind becomes a whirlpool: "more than friends, less than lovers, the man in her heart, the reason for activating his fullbring, the one who changes the world, the rain stopper...but not quite lovers, yet" te end up answering what's most accurate regarding the detto before: "Friends with benefits?"
Many of us have tried to describe IchiRuki relationship in one word, we've got pictures and actions (from the characters and from Kubo himself) that are worth a million words, but anyway, the doubt persists.
For the third movie: Fade to Black, there was lot of speculation about this particular subject and finally Kubo detto in an interview: "I think there is no other relationship like them in other works [...], Rukia is his 'precious nakama'".
And a short and sweet compilation on what the hell does being a 'Precious Nakama' means XD. The movie staff (most than anyone Morita) and magazines had his own share of fun for the promotion of FtB with the 'precious friend' term and and what exactly was Ichigo and Rukia relationship XD:
(Compilation and credit to link at Bleachness)
Morita: "By the way, Ori-chan, about your song 'echo' how do te think about it?"
Orinin: "When te think about it, well… it’s like Rukia is Canto while thinking about her feelings toward Ichigo…"
Morita: "Ooh, what kind of feeling exactly?"
Orinin: "………"
Morita: "OOOH your eyes are changing! your eyes are changing! whew, I’m surprised."
Orinin: "Hahaha, what kind of feeling?… Well, it’s like Morita-kun’s 'Ichigo's song' and Rukia’s 'echo' will make te feel 'ah! It's connected to the movie! Umai na~' Something like that…"
Extract of a FTB article: "Kurosaki Ichigo, feeling disturbed because this time Rukia is missing. While avoiding shinigami's chase, believing in his bond with Rukia, he's running all over Seireitei.
What is Rukia to Ichigo?
Rukia, the one who gave him shinigami power and later living inside his room. She also transferred to the same highschool as Ichigo. She was asked, "Kuchiki-san, do te Amore Kurosaki-kun?" once before da her classmates. What is exactly the relationship between these two? Maybe they themselves don't even understand... *XDDDD*"
Morita: "The fact that Rukia's very existence is fading away... Ichigo had the fear that even his existence too will fade away, right? Also, I'm often asked what kind of relationship Ichigo and Rukia have, but... even though they're not innamorati and they are, of course, best friends, calling them Friends is weird too. It's a very uncertain thing~".
Morita: "Ichigo and Rukia's relationship! Right, I counter this domanda a lot in every Bleach related job I take. Ichigo and Rukia... it's a miracle relationship. Then can I ask everyone here, what do everyone think about Ichigo and Rukia's relationship?"
Guest: "Lover!"
Morita: "'Lover!' (imitating the guest)"
(and other guests shout more)
Morita: "Lover, nakama, family..."
Guest: "Partner! (aikata/相方)"
Morita: "Hmm? Partner? te mean something like this? (doing some comedy moves)"
Guest: *laugh*
Morita: "Ah, it's wrong (laugh) But, maybe. Maybe 'partner' is the most close one. There were lover, nakama, family, partner... those, those words are not enough to express their relationship. (laugh)
"They're più connected in a deeper way, aren't they? (grin, grin)"
Morita: "Ah, right, that's it! Ichigo and Rukia's relationship is, 'Ichigo and Rukia's relationship'. It's really as it is (laugh). te could say, like for example, there's this two close friends, those persons' relationship is similar to Ichigo and Rukia's... something like that!"
Guest: *small laugh*
Morita: "Ah, I won't use it! (laugh) I won't use this way of explanation! (laugh)"
To convey things that couldn't be seen...
Which part from this movie themes that is strongly expressed?
Orinin: Movie is something to be seen but what this movie want to convey is something that couldn't be seen da eyes. I think if te want to tell it da words, it will be, 'Bond,' but then something important deep inside our hearts is going to complaint. I think the theme is very sensible that it couldn't be explained da words.
Morita: Because we have practically done doing this third movie, I strongly feel about the 'bond' with Rukia and the soul's connection beyond that. We acted the episode of Ichigo and Rukia's meeting four years ago. And then in the middle of our journey until now, as Morita and as Ichigo as well, there're times when we became used to our mutual relationship. Then once again, a shocking meeting was drawn, I and also Ichigo, are reminded on how important Rukia's existence is. We're able to domanda it once again. I think this series is becoming like that.
Orinin: I know that Ichigo is thinking about Rukia but I never thought it is something this deep, it was a bit unexpected. Just now it sounds good to be called as, 'history,' because of things in the past we have today, and it's connecting to the future. Ichigo and Rukia's relationship is not something that was built in a blink of eye, it's something that building up, is what I strongly felt.
It's quite complicated, isn't it?
Morita: For me myself, I feel that this time's theme, 'bond,' is connection between souls that is thicker than blood, but if te say it is everything then it will feel different and won't do. The first movie was, 'protect' the secondo was, 'believe' I bury those parole chiavi deep inside while performing. But this time, it won't do just da using the 'bond' word. Even if te say, 'I really Amore you', to your lover, te still couldn't tell how much te Amore the person. My feelings right now is exactly the same as that. But even if 'bond' couldn't describe it, 'great bond' will sounds strange (laugh).
Morita: "Well, they aren't innamorati but they aren't exactly Friends either."
Okino: "Yeah, I guess its precious nakama."
Morita: "I guess, but they are not exactly nakama as well."
Question: "What's Rukia's existence means to Ichigo?"
Morita: "Because she's a very firm, strong person at heart, she has been an emotional supporter for Ichigo. She couldn't be spoiled but, just da her being da his back, he gains self-confidence and could sposta forward. But she's not Ichigo's lover o family, it's wrong if te say it as friend also. I feel like there's something else lies in different dimension."
Question: "It feels like there's no words that could explain their relationship clearly?"
Morita: "Right, it is also something that this movie wants to express. But after all, me myself still couldn't explain these two's relationship clearly (laugh). Only, this time I tried to act, "Ichigo is thinking strongly about Rukia this much," and once again I was able to feel it.
Question: "Up until now Rukia is called, "A person who change Ichigo's world," right?"
Morita: "Because his meeting with Rukia, he was dato shinigami's power, the 'world I want to protect but unable to protect' was changed into 'the world I able to protect'. I don't know if Ichigo is glad da meeting Rukia o not. Only, Ichigo himself prepared himself to live in the world Rukia has brought him into, so I think he's happy with the way things are. And because it was Rukia who brought him into the world where Ichigo could live as Ichigo, he must think that he wants to protect her no matter what it cost."
Question: "About that Ichigo, what's his role in this movie?"
Morita: "This time he's rebelling against his heart, bewildered da things that happened, depressed da his confused self, he experienced a lot of feelings in that short of time. This kind of Ichigo was the first. Why he became like that, because the subject is Rukia. "Right, it's Rukia! I will detto it 100 o even 200 più times so remember!" something like that. That kind of romantic speech, Ichigo is saying that, it was very important to me. "Wonderful! Ichigo, what happened? You're so young! (a statement Japanese detto to a person in love)" something like that (laugh)."
Many of us have tried to describe IchiRuki relationship in one word, we've got pictures and actions (from the characters and from Kubo himself) that are worth a million words, but anyway, the doubt persists.
For the third movie: Fade to Black, there was lot of speculation about this particular subject and finally Kubo detto in an interview: "I think there is no other relationship like them in other works [...], Rukia is his 'precious nakama'".
And a short and sweet compilation on what the hell does being a 'Precious Nakama' means XD. The movie staff (most than anyone Morita) and magazines had his own share of fun for the promotion of FtB with the 'precious friend' term and and what exactly was Ichigo and Rukia relationship XD:
(Compilation and credit to link at Bleachness)
Morita: "By the way, Ori-chan, about your song 'echo' how do te think about it?"
Orinin: "When te think about it, well… it’s like Rukia is Canto while thinking about her feelings toward Ichigo…"
Morita: "Ooh, what kind of feeling exactly?"
Orinin: "………"
Morita: "OOOH your eyes are changing! your eyes are changing! whew, I’m surprised."
Orinin: "Hahaha, what kind of feeling?… Well, it’s like Morita-kun’s 'Ichigo's song' and Rukia’s 'echo' will make te feel 'ah! It's connected to the movie! Umai na~' Something like that…"
Extract of a FTB article: "Kurosaki Ichigo, feeling disturbed because this time Rukia is missing. While avoiding shinigami's chase, believing in his bond with Rukia, he's running all over Seireitei.
What is Rukia to Ichigo?
Rukia, the one who gave him shinigami power and later living inside his room. She also transferred to the same highschool as Ichigo. She was asked, "Kuchiki-san, do te Amore Kurosaki-kun?" once before da her classmates. What is exactly the relationship between these two? Maybe they themselves don't even understand... *XDDDD*"
Morita: "The fact that Rukia's very existence is fading away... Ichigo had the fear that even his existence too will fade away, right? Also, I'm often asked what kind of relationship Ichigo and Rukia have, but... even though they're not innamorati and they are, of course, best friends, calling them Friends is weird too. It's a very uncertain thing~".
Morita: "Ichigo and Rukia's relationship! Right, I counter this domanda a lot in every Bleach related job I take. Ichigo and Rukia... it's a miracle relationship. Then can I ask everyone here, what do everyone think about Ichigo and Rukia's relationship?"
Guest: "Lover!"
Morita: "'Lover!' (imitating the guest)"
(and other guests shout more)
Morita: "Lover, nakama, family..."
Guest: "Partner! (aikata/相方)"
Morita: "Hmm? Partner? te mean something like this? (doing some comedy moves)"
Guest: *laugh*
Morita: "Ah, it's wrong (laugh) But, maybe. Maybe 'partner' is the most close one. There were lover, nakama, family, partner... those, those words are not enough to express their relationship. (laugh)
"They're più connected in a deeper way, aren't they? (grin, grin)"
Morita: "Ah, right, that's it! Ichigo and Rukia's relationship is, 'Ichigo and Rukia's relationship'. It's really as it is (laugh). te could say, like for example, there's this two close friends, those persons' relationship is similar to Ichigo and Rukia's... something like that!"
Guest: *small laugh*
Morita: "Ah, I won't use it! (laugh) I won't use this way of explanation! (laugh)"
To convey things that couldn't be seen...
Which part from this movie themes that is strongly expressed?
Orinin: Movie is something to be seen but what this movie want to convey is something that couldn't be seen da eyes. I think if te want to tell it da words, it will be, 'Bond,' but then something important deep inside our hearts is going to complaint. I think the theme is very sensible that it couldn't be explained da words.
Morita: Because we have practically done doing this third movie, I strongly feel about the 'bond' with Rukia and the soul's connection beyond that. We acted the episode of Ichigo and Rukia's meeting four years ago. And then in the middle of our journey until now, as Morita and as Ichigo as well, there're times when we became used to our mutual relationship. Then once again, a shocking meeting was drawn, I and also Ichigo, are reminded on how important Rukia's existence is. We're able to domanda it once again. I think this series is becoming like that.
Orinin: I know that Ichigo is thinking about Rukia but I never thought it is something this deep, it was a bit unexpected. Just now it sounds good to be called as, 'history,' because of things in the past we have today, and it's connecting to the future. Ichigo and Rukia's relationship is not something that was built in a blink of eye, it's something that building up, is what I strongly felt.
It's quite complicated, isn't it?
Morita: For me myself, I feel that this time's theme, 'bond,' is connection between souls that is thicker than blood, but if te say it is everything then it will feel different and won't do. The first movie was, 'protect' the secondo was, 'believe' I bury those parole chiavi deep inside while performing. But this time, it won't do just da using the 'bond' word. Even if te say, 'I really Amore you', to your lover, te still couldn't tell how much te Amore the person. My feelings right now is exactly the same as that. But even if 'bond' couldn't describe it, 'great bond' will sounds strange (laugh).
Morita: "Well, they aren't innamorati but they aren't exactly Friends either."
Okino: "Yeah, I guess its precious nakama."
Morita: "I guess, but they are not exactly nakama as well."
Question: "What's Rukia's existence means to Ichigo?"
Morita: "Because she's a very firm, strong person at heart, she has been an emotional supporter for Ichigo. She couldn't be spoiled but, just da her being da his back, he gains self-confidence and could sposta forward. But she's not Ichigo's lover o family, it's wrong if te say it as friend also. I feel like there's something else lies in different dimension."
Question: "It feels like there's no words that could explain their relationship clearly?"
Morita: "Right, it is also something that this movie wants to express. But after all, me myself still couldn't explain these two's relationship clearly (laugh). Only, this time I tried to act, "Ichigo is thinking strongly about Rukia this much," and once again I was able to feel it.
Question: "Up until now Rukia is called, "A person who change Ichigo's world," right?"
Morita: "Because his meeting with Rukia, he was dato shinigami's power, the 'world I want to protect but unable to protect' was changed into 'the world I able to protect'. I don't know if Ichigo is glad da meeting Rukia o not. Only, Ichigo himself prepared himself to live in the world Rukia has brought him into, so I think he's happy with the way things are. And because it was Rukia who brought him into the world where Ichigo could live as Ichigo, he must think that he wants to protect her no matter what it cost."
Question: "About that Ichigo, what's his role in this movie?"
Morita: "This time he's rebelling against his heart, bewildered da things that happened, depressed da his confused self, he experienced a lot of feelings in that short of time. This kind of Ichigo was the first. Why he became like that, because the subject is Rukia. "Right, it's Rukia! I will detto it 100 o even 200 più times so remember!" something like that. That kind of romantic speech, Ichigo is saying that, it was very important to me. "Wonderful! Ichigo, what happened? You're so young! (a statement Japanese detto to a person in love)" something like that (laugh)."