I was a reader of the Bleach manga who didn't support any pairing cause I didn't feel like it
The only thing that mattered to me the most is the one you're seeing on the left side of the post XD
Firstly, the character of Orihime's and Hinata's :
- Orihime had done some progression in the manga on the level of battle skill. She helped well her friends and healed them well. It's a good development on the battle skill level. Still, we must never forget that she's one of the main characters. This puts her above Hinata by status, focus of appearance and development in the manga.
- Hinata had done some showing of what other skill she may have. Not progression of skill wise cause we've never seen what a specific skill progressed to. Also, she's a side character. So, not showing, mentioning or developing some of her characteristic isn't going to affect the aspects of the manga. Unless we saw all the side characters getting treatments and she alone didn't get the same treatment, which that didn't happen in the manga.
- What Orihime and Hinata have in common is the type of character. The way they express themselves and act is the same. They fall in the same category and kind of character we all know of and that are : shy, demeanor of innocence and the type of character, like in many other manga, that are in love with / likes the main male character.
Secondly, Ichigo x Rukia and Ichigo x Orihime :
- Ichigo x Orihime : Ichigo didn't show or gave the impression that he could be into Orihime in the manga. Also, it can include what one could say : " Ah. Those two will be together at some point or at the end of the manga " like when you read other mangas and see other animes. Whereas, Orihime was known from the beginning of the manga that she has romantic feelings for Ichigo.
As for moments, all of them were from Orihime's side. Ichigo saying for Orihime to be his shield in the battle isn't a moment to be taken for granted unless he showed multiple times interest in Orihime which that wasn't case. Neither one moment alone can solidify and go with a pairing.
- Ichigo x Rukia : Ichigo didn't say that he has romantic feelings to Rukia and Rukia didn't say that she has romantic feelings to Ichigo, but Ichigo and Rukia showed or gave the impression that they may very well be together.
Both showed moments of mutual care that got focused on, showed many times that they get concerned about each other more than they do to other characters which got focused on, acted like when two characters that usually get together in many other manga, showed that they are the most important person to each other... I feel like I forgot one or two more things which I can't remember now.
- IR and IH don't have the same strength of the care and importance being solely to each other. Ichigo and Rukia showed mutuality in this strength, but Orihime and Ichigo didn't show mutuality in this strength.
Strength of the care and importance being the same solely to each other :
IR :
Ichigo ---> Rukia
Rukia ---> Ichigo
IH :
Orihime ---> Ichigo
Ichigo ---> Not much or as seen with Rukia
As for moments : IR > IH
- The ending pairings were inconsistent with how the manga was brought up. NH and IH are the same in terms of character and how both got together. Not in terms of what Orihime and Hinata did in the manga.
Conclusion :
Thus, NH and IH are the same brought up couple. As for performances outside romance between Orihime and Hinata, they aren't completely the same in this one.
Edited by T XD, 03 January 2017 - 10:43 PM.