Zoom out for a second.

A lot of obsessive shipping behavior — the kind that rabidly defends underdeveloped or one-sided relationships — stops being about the characters a long time ago. It’s not literary analysis. It’s not even romance. It’s cultural conditioning.

In many parts of the world — Latin America, parts of Asia, Eastern Europe, and beyond — girls are still taught that love means waiting. Enduring. Fixing the broken, distant man. That emotional neglect is just “mystery.” That silence means “depth.” That if he doesn’t say he loves you, well, you just have to believe harder.

And when a character like Orihime is passive, self-sacrificing, and consistently deprioritized by the male lead — but fans twist that into a “true love wins” narrative?

That’s not critical reading. That’s programming. That's why it's so relatable to to people like @theuchihalawyer (from Argentina) and @cinderserra (possibly from a part of Asia where patriarchy is just as prevalent). Hence the obsession, or defending of this concept.

It’s not about Ichihime as a ship. It’s about what it represents to people conditioned to think:

The quiet girl wins by being loyal, not seen.

The man doesn’t have to try (guys from those countries also think Ichihime is a great pairing for this reason). Just existing is enough.

The emotional labor of love is a one-way street.

This isn't just fantasy. It's familiar. Especially in societies where men are still treated like gods and women are expected to orbit them quietly.

So when you criticize that dynamic, you're not just critiquing a ship. You're threatening a worldview. You're pointing out the cracks in the lie they were raised to swallow:

“He doesn’t have to say it. You just have to believe.” “Be patient. You’ll be chosen.” “He doesn’t owe you affection. You owe him loyalty.”

And that’s why the fandom meltdown happens. You're not insulting Orihime. You're poking holes in the story some people built their entire sense of love around.

Ichihime isn’t a romance. It’s a comfort blanket for people who were taught to accept less.

In relation to this very passionate post—obviously made with AI—by the Ichihime lunatic, @cinderserra, who’s obsessed with this pairing. They use AI to create art pieces that make it look like Ichigo and Orihime are having a deep, emotional connection, when in reality, the pairing is so passionless it might as well be a case study in how not to fall in love.

I did some fun edits to show just how little actual feeling there was in the canon. It’s like they’re taking drugs together just to get down and dirty with each other, because that’s basically what the story required—some kind of physical intimacy to make up for the lack of emotional depth.

And then there’s Ichigo, coping with his predicament by popping ecstasy tablets with Orihime, all while thinking he’s screwing Uryu. It's not love, it's not affection—it's just a way to get through the day, a distraction from his own emotional mess. Cinderserra, in their infinite wisdom, decided to inject a sense of romance into this mundane situation, turning a simple act of survival into a dramatic love story; where there was no love to begin with when it came to this pairing.

Starting from right, Sumio, Ichiryuu, Yukiya, who’s all grown up, and his schoolmates Shigemaru, Akeru (Masuho no Susuki’s youngest brother) and Chihaya from the Keisoin Academy from The Empty Coffin, Book 4 of the series. Illustrated by Matsuzaki Natsumi. (From the fan book)

Pairing: Itsumo Ichiban/Zaou Ryuu

Rating: G

Summary: The lingering effects of the Screw Monster incident have taken a toll on Ichiban. Namely, his infatuation with Zaou.

As for Ryuu… well, he had always been a romantic at heart. If only they would both stop thinking so much and learn to enjoy the moment.

Chapter Preview:

The day Ryuu had walked into the clubroom to find Yufuin-senpai rolling on the ground in agony after a fight with his best friend had been a shock to the entire Defense Club. He and Kinugawa-senpai had been like an old married couple for as long as Ryuu had known them, so while the occasional spat might have been expected this didn’t sound like a typical “kiss and make up” situation. Wanting to disappear, confusing feelings bubbling up inside and compelling you to act on them, followed by inevitable avoidance because it was easier to run away than face the truth and risk the consequences… The symptoms were sounding uncomfortably familiar lately.

Read on AO3.

Children of the North

It's good to have canon heights.

TORIKO: slightly sexist. No I have not forgotten how he treated Melk the second.

SUNNY: mean. Regina George but buff and with rainbow hair. Probably runs a version of gossip girl.

COCO: this man is so very good and nice. Probably should remember to take his meds though.

ZEBRA: absolute hell towards hospitality and retail workers.

STARJUN: thinks a measure of violence solves everything

KOMATSU: cries when you make him order his own pizza on the phone

RIN: some pick-me tendencies. Girl, stand up.

TEPPEI: thinks being aware of his red flags makes them better instead of fixing them.

ICHIRYUU: professional gaslighter but in a fun way

JIROU: drunk. Obviously.