#backwardspeak

Oooooooohhhh!! My favorite thing....ooooo this is a tough one.

Yeee, obviously canon is more like a tenuous, fighty eventual friendship,as much as Grimmjow would be willing. Obviously, I'm also a huge GrimmIchi fan but I think either way you go, to Ichigo, there's just something about Grimmjow.

By this I mean, Grimmjow made such an impression on Ichigo that like at least/over the 18 month period between Ichigo losing his powers and meeting again in TYBW, Ichigo remembers his name. Boy don't remember too many names. Hell, I think he practically recognized his voice in the TYBW. Granted, Grimmjow also tried to kill him three times, but so did a lot of people, especially in the soul society arc.

But to me, and it maybe because I am a GrimmIchi shipper, I think their fight in Hueco Mundo had more chemistry than just about any other fight Ichigo had. The tension, the banter. The fight with Ulquiorra didn't do that. I’d also say the fight Byakuya didn't have the same level as the Hueco Mundo fight. Ichigo said it himself he wanted to fight the guy again. And they fought at least 3 times (I don’t remember/didn’t read all of TYBW tbh, I know they got a little...catty with eachother before they had a job to do) And I like to lean into that desire, because I don't see it too many other areas.

I just think there's a lot of potential there. Granted, there's really potential anywhere one wants to put it, and Bleach being such a big thing, there’s a ton of it everywhere already, but there was definitely a lot already there to work with in that regards, just by their natures alone I think. 

In a lot of my fics I generally also like to play into the two idiots sharing a single braincell. That's just a lot of fun, really, and there is so much competitiveness we see between them anyway, playing into that can also push them into some interesting situations.

But also I think there's another good possibility for potential with the darker stuff. Obviously, becoming a hollow and then an eventually arrancar would be one trauma after another. Never knowing how to trust. And then meeting someone who can be incredibly trusting, especially under the right circumstances. Ichigos got this thing where people want to follow him, and I think Grimm could see that happening with all the people flocking to him and be curious at the very least. Then Ichigo reaches out his hand to him.

Grimm wouldn't take it right away, and even after a long period, it would only be when he wanted to (fickle nature of cats combined with an un-trusting nature, strengthened by living in a place where that nature had to be there to survive, for an uncertain amount of time) but thats not to say he wouldn't ever take it and I don't think ichigo would ever stop offering. 

Aaahhhhh I hope this makes sense! Obviously it's just me rambling without scrounging around for scores or anything. I don't do a whole lot of meta (if that’s even what this is), and I don’t think this digs all that deep, but here it is! Let me know if there’s something i wasn’t clear about, or you want me to expand upon, and I’ll do so to the best of my ability!! :)

Thank you so much for your ask!! :) I enjoyed thinking about his and trying to articulate it was fun!! 😊😊😊

Oooooo!!!

I too loved their relationship! Especially how they first met--by one saving the other and then returning the favor. I think thats such an Ichigo thing to do. Being labeled as a punk, and apparently had a lot of fights with other kids/people because of his hair color, and just jumping in to help someone regardless.

Then we've got Chad. Dear Chad. Lovely, sweet, caring as can be Chad. I loved what backstory we got of him, and dearly desire more about him, more than the bones we got, anyway. 

I really loved their "I'll throw my punches for you and you do the same for me". That's basically the bedrock of their relationship. And it carried through the first arc and into the Soul Society arc so well! 

And I know there’s quite a divide (or appears to be, anyway, idk) with opinions on the Fullbring arc, but I’m not going to get into that because everyone has their opinion and thats neat. But there is an interesting relationship...like...switch(?) in their relationship. Like, before we got a lot of Ichigo’s desire to protect (everybody ofc, but Chad is definitely included in that, and included far before anything with the Soul Society transpired). But in that arc we got a lot more of the reverse.

This time we saw (I mean it was definitely there, but the main story is focused on Ichigo so we didn’t see a ton of it) more of Chad’s desire to protect Ichigo, to help him. To better him. (If I’m remembering the arc correctly) He’s the one who helped him find his ‘pride’ again.

And if you wanted to take it a step further, I think they would compliment each other pretty well in a romantic relationship as well. Chad’s silent calm against Ichigo’s more rash side. They’re both impulsive, but I think that shows in different ways.

Jumping to the conclusion of Bleach, I personally wasn’t all that invested as Chad becoming a boxer--it seemed to me that he would suddenly start using his big, strong, protective fists, for fun and profit. Maybe a dojo, or martial art studio would have been a better fit? Showing people how to protect themselves seems way more up his alley. Or even like...a vet. He loves animals.

I like to imagine maybe he and Ichigo were roomies in college and Ichigo had to be the one to tell him to stop bringing home strange animals. Chad never listened and really, Ichigo never minded all that much, between never having a pet, and watching Chad being so warm and invested and loving to such small, helpless creatures.

(I keep thinking of that one post I’ve seen--the one where the guy like, punched a bear to save his tiny, chihuahua, and someone commented ‘does that dog know how much its loved?’ because that i truly think is Ichigo with Chad. He just loves him so much for who he is. Never asks him to change a thing about himself)

What song do I think suits them--that’s a tough one! While looked for this, I found one I think that is absolutely perfect for Ichigo (lyric wise, anyway)

It’s Company--Arkane Skye

Mmmm...maybe Who said--machineheart could fit? This could be about their friendship, or about an eventual relationship where they both would probably (realistically anyway) suffer from some form of PSTD and help eachother through that. Like...you don’t go through all the crap they did and are like ‘oh yes, there’s no trauma in this head of mine at all. Neat.’

But again, thoughts for another time.

My favorite arc....favorite arc...hmmmmm

I think I’m going to go with either the s.s arc, or the earlier hueco mundo arc (before Aizen left and got all monologue-y on everyone, as one does). Not for any spectacular or groundbreaking reason, I just think they’re neat. It’s become more of a comfort show tbh.

And Grimmjow is in the Hueco Mundo one, and I do love me some Grimmjow.

Really, I do like a lot of it (anime). Maybe not the Bount arc, that’s probably my least favorite, but I’ve still seen it.

I love the animation of the Fullbring arc, however. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I haven’t seen the Hellverse or whatever movie yet, but the gifs I”ve seen sure do look beautiful.

Anyway, this is my obligatory statement of I have not read the manga in full, and not in a LONG time, these are purely my observations and opinions and I don’t usually go into a whole lot of meta (again, idk if this even counts). Regardless, I hope this slightly congealed rambling was sufficient for you! Let me know if I need to clarify or add on or something! 

I’m going to drink some milk because my tongue is still a little sad from the pepper from earlier. I don’t like spicy things, and idk why I thought something labeled a ‘ring o fire cayenne chili pepper’ would be any different. I should grow things I like lol