A recent debate in the community BLEACH broke out on Twitter after a user posted: “I'm already in the final arc of BLEACH and I will definitely never understand the hatred they have for this woman“, referring to Orihime Inouea character that has historically divided fans of the series. The discussion, which attracted hundreds of users, addressed issues of misogyny, the rivalry of “ships” and even comparisons with characters from other series.
Orihime has been one of the most polarizing characters in BLEACH, largely due to her romantic relationship with the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki. Many fans expected Ichigo to end up with Rukia Kuchiki, a warrior with whom the protagonist shared a deep connection from the beginning of the story. The fandom's preference for Ichiruki (Ichigo and Rukia) generated a strong reaction against Orihimewho was perceived as a figure that prevented this popular romance.
Comparing Orihime to Hinata Hyuga from Naruto was another recurring topic in the discussion. Both are female characters with a sweet personality and in love with the protagonist, but without the role of outstanding warriors. For some fans, these characteristics make them “passive” figures or without further development compared to other heroines. Additionally, several users criticized the anime's focus on Orihime, considering that her relationship with Ichigo was less deep than it could have been.
Below are some of the notable comments from the Twitter discussion, reflecting the diversity of opinions among followers:
- «The hate towards Hinata was so great that it was transmitted towards Orihime, even if they had almost nothing in common other than being very in love. Oh, and also for the Ichiruki».
- «Ichiruki, I'll just say that».
- «She likes the heat, that's reason enough to hate her.».
- «Everything has always been summed up in misogyny and ship war, that's why there is nothing to understand».
- «They even compared her to characters like Hinata. ask for forgiveness».
- «It's because if it weren't for her, Ichigo and Rukia would be a couple, but no, Tite Kubo decided that Ichigo would stay with the inflated girl with whom he never had a solid interaction.».
- «I don't hate her, but she seems like a character with nothing to contribute. No backstory, no fights, no very good relationships apart from Ichigo. By the way, I'm not a fan of Ichiruki.».
- «In the novels they say many things that the manga did not capture, for example, they say that she and Rukia are best friends, and wtf, the manga never said that».
- «A lot of bitter people because Ichigo didn't break up with Rukia (thank god)».
- «The hatred of Orihime is due to two things: the Sakura effect, because many believe that she is useless for no reason, and because of the original anime, because they modified her relationship with Ichigo.».
- «Like someone who saw BLEACH on broadcast, I know it was because of Ichiruki».
- «For the same reason that Uraraka was hated: it 'hindered' the viewers' favorite ship with the protagonist.».
- «It was only because of the Ichiruki of the time, as a character he is very good and even more so taking into account the level of the girls in shonen mangas of the time».
- «They hate her like Ochako, just because she interrupts the ship that were armed».
- «For being a bit like Hinata: A girl who doesn't contribute much to the story herself and who fulfills the function of being the protagonist's love interest.».
- «I never hated Orihime, I guess I've been lucky».
- «Well, the reason is because she is a happy girl who acts as a support, everything that feminists hate. I like it, it makes me laugh».
- «Stale people who do not accept that Rukia lost».
- «At first it was quite annoying, although later it changed a little».
- «I think the hatred for Orihime is because she was Rukia's counterpart. He had a more tender and clumsy personality».
Fountain: Twitter