Tite Kubo's interview has Bleach fans fighting over Rukia vs Orihime

The Bleach series' leading female characters are Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue, and needless to say, both are fan favorites. The former is a talented Shinigami, while the latter is an unusual Fullbringer. While they are close friends, the fandom has always been divided between Ichigo-Rukia and Ichigo-Orihime supporters.

A recent interview with mangaka Tite Kubo has fanned the flames further in the debate and started an internet war between the two factions. While it is not unusual for fans to support side couples, the Twitter feud has taken an ugly turn.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

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What has Bleach mangaka Tite Kubo said and how has it led to a heated online debate?

A Bleach fan recently asked Tite Kubo what color combinations should be suitable for Orihime in the same way that black and orange are typically used for Ichigo. To this, the mangaka replied that she should be something like light pink.

But what was more intriguing was that he also brought up Rukia—and without anyone asking him to. He suggested that the color combination for her be violet and white. While this is a relatively innocuous bit of knowledge, many fans appreciate learning about the color choices for both the Ichihime and IchiRuki ships.

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How has the Twitter battle panned out?

Rukia, Ichigo, and Orihime as seen in Bleach anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Most Bleach fans consider Rukia and Ichigo to have a brother-sister bond, whereas Ichigo and Orihime's relationship is canon. In the manga, the two marry and have a child. However, several people felt that Kubo unjustly let Orihime steal the main character when he should have been coupled with Rukia.

Tite Kubo's mention of Rukia in response to a query about Ichigo and Orihime has also allowed stans of one ship to disparage the other, resulting in both Rukia and Orihime trending on Twitter.

The main point of contention is that some fans believe Orihime is a useless housewife, while others criticize Rukia for always playing the damsel in distress and being no better.

The main instigator of the Rukia-Orihime online debate appears to be Twitter user @kaylee2908, who, in a series of tweets, has argued that Orihime is undeserving of being Ichigo’s wife.

Fans of Orihime, on the other hand, have taken issue with some of the tweets.

Of course, Orihime fans have debased Rukia in order to demonstrate that their favorite character is superior.

This has outraged Rukia fans, who have criticized the hatred.

However, there are also Orihime admirers that do not support the Ichihime ship.

It is usually interesting to hear the perspectives of the third category, who do not exclusively side with one character. Several fans were wise enough to pick on and condemn the misogyny in some of the tweets. They also chastised Kubo for writing terrible female characters in general.

Others have argued that Kubo's work is significantly more complex in its portrayal of women, while Studio Pierrot is to be held accountable for butchering the female characters.

They have also stated that the studio has messed up Sakura's character significantly as well, making her one of the most-hated characters in Naruto.

And for some Twitter users, the whole Rukia against Orihime debate makes little sense because Rukia herself is an Ichigo-Orihime supporter.

The whole debate over who is better in this scenario is disappointing because both Orihime and Rukia are key characters in Bleach, regardless of their roles or backstories.

Pitting one against the other is certainly not the best approach, nor is dictating how a story should have unfolded. It is incredible that such a heated Twitter argument erupted simply because the mangaka was discussing color palettes for the characters in his work.

The second installment of Bleach: TYBW will be released in July 2023, but in the meantime, the mangaka has released a new illustration that fans can check out.