Ulquiorra/Orihime is now officially canon.

[misora]

Bleach Chapter 354.

"Heart".






Oh god. So beautiful. The entire replay, from his POV, as Orihime's reaching for him and she's fading from his view as he turns to dust.

Oh, I get it. This is it. This, here, in my hand.



And his tender expression, as he's looking at her between her splayed fingers -- she's still reaching for him, grasping.

The heart.


He's coming back. He's going to change, he's going to be very different. But he will come back.

It's not enough that Kubo wanted to give him this, this Tin Man without a heart, at the end of his story. His story's not over.

His crowning moment is still ahead -- when he acts with the heart he's been given, by Orihime. Because then his conversion to humanity will finally be complete.




And, to show you why I think this, my darlings, let me now take you back to Chapter 268...and Kaien's words to Rukia. (Remember to read right to left.)









When you and I interact with each other,
A heart is born between us for the first time.

Don't agonize over it.
If you want to be here, with all of your heart,
Then this is where your heart is.

If your heart is here,
Then that is your reason for being here.


Bleach is about hearts -- those who have them, versus those who are without. But Kubo's strongest message isn't that hearts are static -- because Ichigo lost his, for a moment there -- nor is it your enemies are unforgiveable. It's about crossing that barrier between love and mindless, numbing apathy...fear...despair. And with Orihime's help, Ulquiorra has done that.

Thank you, Kubo.

I'm so proud of you, Ulquiorra.


{The sheer fact that I'm saying this about a character, as though he would LISTEN, is retarded in and of itself but I'm going to forgo further psychoanalysis for now.}


...and now I'm crying, so I should probably go. .____.




...not even commenting on the Yammy bit, because that actually made me laugh. Eat your heart out, Stark. XDDD

Comments

[misora.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I believed Ulquiorra was dead and gone, after 353 came out. I did. It felt so final, and looked so hopeless for him, until...

Kubo goes and inserts that little part in 354. Why? Why am I so convinced now, that he's coming back later in the manga?

...Because of that "heart is in the hand" speech that he makes -- echoing Kaien -- and because it's not Ulquiorra's heart in Orihime's hand. "Entrusted with a heart" -- that's speaking of Ulquiorra, and it means he's been given one, not had it taken away from him in death.

Unlike Kaien and Rukia, Ulquiorra hasn't left his heart with Orihime as he's dying. He's just discovering he has it for himself.

Plus, with his last words definitively ending in a question, there's no way now that Kubo's not going to answer this later.

:)

I'm not telling you what to believe...I'm just telling you what I believe. There's a chance I'm wrong, sure, but there's also a chance I'm right. We'll just have to see.

[manonlechat.livejournal.com]

I'm not telling you what to believe...I'm just telling you what I believe.

Eeek! Oh, I know that. And you know me. I'm an opinionated thing. I listen and consider, but nobody decides what I think but me. :)

...Because of that "heart is in the hand" speech that he makes -- echoing Kaien -- and because it's not Ulquiorra's heart in Orihime's hand. "Entrusted with a heart" -- that's speaking of Ulquiorra, and it means he's been given one, not had it taken away from him in death.

And this is why I listen! Because that is a very good point. The fact that Orihime doesn't want to accept his disintegration---she reaches again, "grasping" as you say... A hopeful sign. She does have the power to do something.

[misora.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I know. I just didn't want to make it sound like I was the ultimate authority on the subject.

It's scary, I know, to hope for a ship again after the Zutara debacle. But at least we know that a) there is solid canon evidence now of Ulqui/Hime, at least from Ulquiorra's end (and maybe even Hime's, as she continues to reach for him long after he's disintegrated)...and b) Kubo Tite is not catering to twelve-year-olds like Bryke did. :D


Bleach may be a shonen manga, but Kubo's adult enough to recognize love where it lies, I think. :D

[manonlechat.livejournal.com]

HOW LONG WILL ZUTARA LEAVE SCARS ON MY HEART?? HOW LONG!! The first cut is the deepest.

And at least I've still got Gin/Ran. But my idea of "hope" there pretty much boils down to Gin not trying to kill her himself. :P

So how long are we going to have to sit through captains' battles now? *long groan*

[kalbim.livejournal.com]

"he's been given one, not had it taken away from him in death."
According to M7's translation it is "His heart, entrusted to others..."
----------------------------------
"Plus, with his last words definitively ending in a question"
It is not definitely a question. It is ambiguous if it ended as a question or not; but from what I've read on BA UlquiHime FC, it is more accurately not a question.

[misora.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that's not what I've heard, from people who actually know Japanese and read the raws.

Regardless, this is just what I believe. I don't think Kubo would end Ulquiorra's story, especially when he realizes what a heart is at the very last second. ^^

[kalbim.livejournal.com]

I hope the same. I just wanted to inform you about what I know on the matter. I too am waiting for his return. There is always hope until the manga ends! (And after Yammeh revelation, everything is possible!)

[misora.livejournal.com]

I think there's enough vagueries with the different scanlations out there of Bleach (M7's versus Sleepyfan's), that we can pretty much hold what was said in this chapter to be up to interpretation. After all, lots of different people have different ways of translating the Japanese. And still, even with a proper translation, Kubo's intent might still be hidden.

I think it would be so wonderful and magical and dramatic if Kubo brought him back even at the end of the story, at the very last battle -- because suppose with a heart, Ulquiorra is more powerful than even Ichi-beast? He would maybe turn the tide against someone like Aizen.

:)