Template:Bleach character info
Orihime Inoue (井上 織姫, Inoue Orihime) is a major character in the anime and manga series Bleach. A student of Karakura High, she is a classmate and friend of Ichigo Kurosaki, the protagonist of the series. Like many other friends of Ichigo, she quickly develops spiritual powers of her own after Ichigo becomes a shinigami [1].
Character outline
Orihime Inoue has long orange-brown hair which she wears with hairpins. She never removes her hairpins as they are worn in memory of her brother [2] while her hair is worn long in honor of the promise Tatsuki once made to protect her.[3] She also has a large bust, which is occasionally made the subject of jokes in the series.
She is friendly, sensitive, and kind. She comes off as naïve and rather clueless, which is at odds with her consistently high marks in school [4]. She has a tendency to rush into situations without thinking, sometimes leading to embarrassing consequences. At one point in the manga, the schoolgirls ask Rukia if she has feelings for Ichigo. When Rukia denies any such thing, Orihime is disappointed that Rukia does not share her sentiments, because if she had, then it would be 2 girls against 1 boy, which of course makes no sense [5]. Orihime has also demonstrated that she is perceptive, mostly when it comes to Ichigo Kurosaki. She also tends to have an overactive imagination and gets carried away thinking of implausible scenarios (such as portraying herself as a futuristic robot in an assignment asking "How do you see yourself in the future?", when the question refers to what occupation you wish or think you will have [6]). Apparently, she is hopeless when it comes to technology because one of the members of the Handicrafts' Club remarks she is not smart enough to use a cell phone, which is why she does not have one.
Through her expanding role in the manga, Orihime has become a more complex character than her earlier archetype suggested. Where in the beginning of the manga Orihime was more happy and goofy, the current manga arc deals with her feelings of uselessness and inner turmoils that had not been addressed previously. Her character being featured along with female leads from other Weekly Shonen Jump series recently also suggests her possible role as a second female lead.[7]
Orihime is in love with Ichigo, and in both the manga and anime her feelings only become more evident as time goes on. She has revealed these feelings both to Rangiku Matsumoto and to Ichigo himself, though he was asleep at the time.
Orihime cooks and eats strange food at home, although she also likes some normal food (e.g. what Tatsuki's mom makes). As such, no one shares Orihime's taste, except Rangiku Matsumoto and possibly Tessai Tsukabishi from the Urahara Shop.
School
Orihime scores the highest marks in school after Uryū Ishida and Ryō Kunieda. Despite her intelligence, she appears to lack "street smarts". She is also a member of the Handicrafts' Club with Ishida and apparently likes to invent very ridiculous sports to play with Tatsuki (like baseccer, a combination of baseball and soccer much like kickball or soccer-baseball except they use a bat to hit the soccer ball instead of their foot).
Like Chad and Ishida, she is in the same class as Ichigo. She is frequently in the company of Tatsuki Arisawa, her best friend and a childhood friend of Ichigo's.
History
Orihime lives by herself in Karakura, where the story takes place, and is supported by relatives living elsewhere. Previously, she had lived with her older brother, Sora,[8] who was fifteen years older than her. She and her brother were raised by a drunk father and a cheating mother, who always argued and beat their children to vent off steam. It is unknown if her parents are still alive.
When Sora turned 18, he ran away with Orihime, who was three years old, and raised her since. For six years, Orihime and Sora lived in harmony despite the fact that Orihime was bullied in school because of her hair color. One day, Sora gave Orihime a pair of hairpins. However, Orihime refused to wear them because she said they were childish. On the same day, Sora was killed in a car accident and died in the Kurosaki clinic. Orihime has worn the hairpins ever since.
A year after Sora died, Orihime met Tatsuki who defended her from the bullies. They have been best friends ever since.
Synopsis
Early story
Orihime first appears as a friend of Tatsuki who has a crush on Ichigo despite Tatsuki's disapproval.
Her first exposure to the spiritual world comes when her deceased brother, Sora Inoue, becomes a hollow, Acidwire. Driven by rage, he attacks Orihime and Tatsuki (whom is invited over for dinner), knocking Orihime's soul out of her body. In spirit form, she witnesses the battle between Sora and Ichigo. While Ichigo manages to hold him off, the battle does not end until Orihime's intervention that results in Sora stabbing himself with Ichigo's zanpakutō, purifying himself in the process. She is able to bid Sora a safe trip, something she never had the chance to say on the day of his death.
While both Tatsuki and Orihime's memories are modified by Rukia, this event enables them to start developing spiritual awareness. They are further affected when Ichigo helps Don Kanonji with a hollow on his TV show, an event both of them has attended.
She once again encounters an attack by a hollow when Ishida lures a massive number to Karakura Town for his challenge to Ichigo. The hollow, Numb Chandelier, uses her ability to control various students (including a fellow classmate and friend, Chizuru Honshō) and forces them to attack Orihime. When Tatsuki tries to fend off the assults and protect Orihime, she is controlled as well.
Seeing Tatsuki in tears, Orihime decides it is time for her to protect Tatsuki in return for their friendship. This desire transforms her flower-shaped hairpins into six fairy-like spirits. These six spirits, who call themselves "Shun Shun Rikka", briefly explains their powers. Utilizing this newfound ability, Orihime manages to defeat the hollow.
Afterward, she is taken, along with Yasutora Sado, by Kisuke Urahara to his shop. There, the cunning merchant explains to the two about their powers, and takes them to witness Ichigo's fight against a Menos Grande. Now, they are given the choice of whether to use them to aid Ichigo in the future...
Soul Society arc
After Rukia is taken back to Soul Society, Orihime decides to join Ichigo on his rescue mission, along with Chad, Ishida, and Yoruichi Shihouin as their guide.
For the majority of their mission, Orihime is grouped with Ishida. Together, the two defeat various shinigami, such as Jirōbō Ikkanzaka of the 7th Division and two from 12th Division. However, when they come face to face with the captain of 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Ishida forces another shinigami, Makizō Aramaki of 11th Division, to carry Orihime away.
Later, with the help from 11th Division captain Kenpachi Zaraki and lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, she is able to reunite with Chad, Ishida, and Ganju Shiba. While they manages to save Rukia, they are unable to stop Sōsuke Aizen, the mastermind behind the entire scheme, from departing for Hueco Mundo.
After several days of recovering, the group decides to head back for human world. However, Rukia decides to stay in Soul Society. Respecting her wishes, they return without her.
After Soul Society
Bount arc (anime)
In the anime after the Soul Society arc Orihime returns to school where she finally starts to talk to Tatsuki Arisawa again. During that morning Renji Abarai turns up outside in a Gigai calling for Ichigo who runs out of class. Moments later, a hollow materializes. Orihime becomes aware of it and is about to use her powers when Ichigo defeats the Hollow. Later that evening Orihime is in bed remembering her life before her brother died when she hears a knock on the door and finds her brother standing outside. She lets him in and the two sit and talk, and he assures her that he got to Soul Society safely and he will never become a hollow again. Meanwhile, Renji Abarai's phone picks up a spiritual anomaly near Orihime's house and he informs Ichigo of this. Chad and Ishida also sense this. Back at Orihime's house, her brother starts to behave strangely and suggests going outside. When Renji, Ichigo, Chad and Ishida arrive, there is a huge door (which Renji remarks resembles the Gates of Hell) is floating outside Orihime's house. She is then sucked in while 3 shadowy figures stand on the rooftops laughing. The next day everybody at school including Tatsuki seems to have lost their memories of her existence.
Ichigo and the others break into Orihime's house to look for clues of what happened to her. Renji receives a phone call on his spirit phone, and an infant female voice tells them to race to a park within 3 minutes. This starts off a series of challenges in which the group have to run from one payphone to another within time limits. After doing this twice, they end up running to Urahara's shop where Urahara and Yoruichi find out about Orihime's kidnapping. The group is then told to go to Orihime's house at 8pm. Ichigo leaves his body with Urahara and the 4 set off. When they arrive at the house, they find Orihime inside. Ichigo decides that he and the others will stay for a while. About half an hour later, it goes dark and Orihime, her eyes turninig red, begins to strangle Chad. Ichigo and Renji pull out their zanpakutō and Isihda points out she might be being controlled and that they might kill her. Orihime suddenly turns into a tall thin man with a moustache, glasses and top hat who reveals himself as Claude. Next, a thin teenager with a zipper hood appears and introduces himself as Nova, and finally comes the girl who was phoning them, named Ririn. Chad is then sucked through the gates leaving the group down to 3.
The remaining 3 are told to do a task where they have to run around a museum and work out how to get back out. Ichigo and Renji spend most of this time arguing but Ishida keeps his head cool and mangaes to work a way out. After the group exit the museum, Ririn appears and tells them she's impressed. At this point, Nova appears and starts to strangle Ishida who hit Nova with Ichigo's shinigami representative badge, knocking a green pill out of his mouth. They realise that the people chasing them are actually mod souls. When they leave they find Orihime and Chad waiting outside and are told to go to school. At school, the group are told one of them is a fake and if they can't figure who it is, then all their classmates will die. Tatsuki is their first victim causing Orihime to doubt everybody and becomes very cold. It is then revealed by Ichigo that Chad is the fake one and Chad turns into Claude. Ririn then points out they still have Chad and they vanish. Later Orihime, Ichigo, Kon, Renji and Ishida are sitting on the river bank talking when fireworks start going off. The gate appears along with a note saying they will vanish in 30 minutes. The 5 then run to the street they are floating above where it is reveled that Urahara has also been taken, and the rest get sucked in. When they wake up, they find they have to battle the mod souls. Ichigo tries to use Bankai (and fails) before finally realizing the truth.
It is revealed that that the gate in the town was just an illusion created by Urahara and that all the vanished class mates have just been teleported to a mountain. Urahara also reveals to the group that Ishida has lost his powers. Yoruichi appears and tells them that Bount have appeared. Urahara explains to the group about the Bount and because they have high spirit powers, they might be targeted. He also tells them that the 3 mod souls have bount detectors inside them. He then pairs Orihime up with Claude who takes him home in pill form and puts him into a rabbit bag. As she is admiring him Kon, Chad and Nova (inside a turtle plushie) turn up. As they are talking, Nova and Claude detect Bount and the 2 run off to stop it from abosorbing somebodys soul. The find that they are too late and are confronted by Ryō Utagawam who then walks off. They sense Ichigo is in trouble and run to find him just after Ryō Utagawa has carried off Yoshino Sōma. Orihime realises Rukia Kuchiki has come back to the real world and she invites her to come to a restaurant while Ichigo and Chad exchange confused looks.
After the 3 bring Rukia up to date with the situatation they go back to Ichigo's house and talk, during the middle of which Renji barges in. Orihime then continues to help Ichigo and the group fight the bount and help rescue Ishida who the bount has taken a liking to and claim they need. Orihime later has to fight Rukia who is possessed by the Bount but she is saved just in time. Orihime then accompanies Ichigo and the group to Soul Society after the bount goes there to get revenge for their creation.
Arrancar arc (manga)
The group's return marks the beginning of the school semester. However, the arrival of a new student, Shinji Hirako, brings along many troubling issues. Noticing the change of behavior in Ichigo, Orihime and Chad confronts Shinji after overhearing his conversation with Hiyori Sarugaki. Before they can learn anything, Hiyori is carried away by Shinji.
Briefly later, the human world is invaded by two arrancars, Ulquiorra and Yammy. Orihime and Chad manages to save Tatsuki, who was present when the two invaders arrived. Ichigo arrives shortly after, but is then neutralized when his inner hollow interferes the battle. The three of them sustain massive injuries, with the spirit for Orihime's attack ability, Tsubaki, destroyed. They are saved only by the arrival of Yoruichi and Urahara.
This event prompts Soul Society to send a group of shinigami to help defend the human world, among them is their beloved friend, Rukia. While the return of Rukia helps to cheer up a depressed Ichigo, Orihime becomes conflicted with gratefullness and jealousy. After talking with Rangiku Matsumoto, who decides to stay with Orihime, she becomes positive again, with desire to grow stronger.
After the second assult of human world, this time by Grimmjow Jaggerjack and five arrancars, Soul Society finally figures out the true agenda of Sōsuke Aizen, and requests Orihime to deliever this information to the human defenders. She is able to track down Ichigo's whereabouts, the Vizard base, and manages to pass through the barrier without much effort. This feat amazes and impresses the Vizard Hachigen Ushōda, who creates the barrier.
Orihime is then summoned to meet Urahara at his shop. There, she is asked to not participate in the coming battle. Though the reason is Orihime's lack of ability in combat, Urahara is really trying to prevent her from attracting interest from Aizen. Discouraged briefly, Orihime regains her confidence after talking to Rukia. She is further helped when Hachigen restores Tsubaki for her. She then joins Rukia in her training in Soul Society.
Unfortunatly, Orihime's ability did spur Aizen's attention. Upon seeing footages brought back by Ulquiorra, he decides to plot for her capture. A third invasion of human world is ordered, intending to lure Orihime out. The plan is a success, with Ulquiorra intercepting Orihime as she passes through the tunnel. Threatened with the lives of those she cares the most, she has no choice but to comply. Orhime is then given a chance to bid farewell to one person, and she uses the chance to make a tearful love confession to Ichigo while he is asleep.
As she arrives in Las Noches, the fortress of the arrancars, Orihime is ordered by Aizen to demonstrate her power with the restoration of Grimmjow's missing arm. Upon completion of this task, she witnesses in silent horror the brutal assault on Luppi by Grimmjow.
Currently, Orihime is assigned to a modest room as Ichigo, Ishida, and Chad attempt to rescue her.
Orihime's powers
Orihime's power, the ability to reject fate, allows her to deny and undo past events, making them seem as if they never happened. It has been mistakenly labelled as healing arts and spacetime manipulation, and is so powerful that Aizen states that it enroaches upon the ___domain of God. Curiously, her spiritual energy and powers resemble those of the vizard Hachigen Ushōda.
Orihime's powers initially manifested during the duel between Ichigo and Ishida while trying to protect her friend Tatsuki from Numb Chandelier. She was trained by Yoruichi Shihouin in their usage before attempting to rescue Rukia Kuchiki from being executed in Soul Society.
Orihime's powers are known as the Shun Shun Rikka (盾舜六花, lit. six flowers of the hibiscus shield), and reside in her hairclips (shaped like six-petaled flowers) when unactivated. When activated, they split into six separate manifestations of Orihime's spirit, all named after flowers and each possessing their own unique appearance and personality. They are:
- Shun'ō (舜桜, lit. althea + cherry blossom),
- Ayame (あやめ, lit. iris),
- Tsubaki (椿鬼, lit. camellia),
- Hinagiku (火無菊, lit. daisy*),
- Baigon (梅巌, lit. solemn ume),
- and Lily (リリィ).
* - Hinagiku means daisy phonetically, but the kanji are different. Individually these kanji can mean 'Invisible fire chrysanthemum'.
Orihime mainly functions in a healing capacity, due to the nature of her powers. Despite her potential to inflict lethal damage, she refuses to harm opponents in any way.
Additionally, thanks to training from Tatsuki, Orihime can physically fight at the first degree black belt level in karate. She also has the uncanny ability to detect Ichigo by scent and by sensing his spiritual pressure, even when masked by the vizard.
Techniques
Orihime's techniques involve incantations manipulating the Shun Shun Rikka in three different groups. Though Orihime initially needed to chant an incantation to use her techniques, further training has rendered this unnecessary. Her incantation consists of voicing the names of the members involved, followed by the phrase "I reject" (私は拒絶する, watashi wa kyozetsu suru), a reference to the nature of her powers.
Santen Kesshun (三天結盾, lit. sacred tri-linked shield) - this is Orihime's outer shield, and is her defensive technique. The incantation summons Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon to form a triangular shield of spiritual energy that blocks attacks. This technique repels anything on the outside of the barrier.
Sōten Kisshun (双天帰盾, lit. sacred dual return shield) - this is Orihime's inner shield and her 'healing' technique. The incantation summons Ayame and Shun'ō to form a shield around whomever Orihime wishes. This ability repels all 'events' inflicted upon the person within the shield. This is the aspect of her power that piques Sōsuke Aizen's interest in her. She basically 'rejects' all negative events within the shield and returns them to the point before the event happened regardless of when they occurred. In Aizen's words she 'trespasses into God's territory'.
Koten Zanshun (孤天斬盾, lit. sacred solitary cutting shield) - the third incantation is Orihime's double-sided shield and is her offensive technique. The incantation summons Tsubaki, who can split Orihime's enemies in half with a shield when thrown at them. While Tsubaki is a powerful destructive force, he is defenseless and easy to cut with a sword. It also appears that Orihime has to shoot him with conviction to be effective. This ability repels what's on either side of the shield.
Trivia
- Her given name is taken from an ancient Japanese fairy tale which the festival Tanabata is based on. On a cover in volume one of the manga, Orihime's name is put, in English, as "Vega" which also links in with the Tanabata story. Vega, a star in the northern hemisphere, is the star Orihime (the princess from the Tanabata legend) is identified with.
- She moves houses in the middle of the manga when she was kicked out for reasons unknown.
- Kubo mentioned in an interview in the Japanese serialization that Orihime is going to become a very important character. It should be noted that since that interview, her role has expanded greatly from just a supporting character.
- She has an amazingly hard head, which has injured Ishida, Chad, and Ichigo.
- Orihime has gained minor fame even among non-fans thanks to her starring in the viral internet flash cartoon Loituma Girl. The cartoon consists of a short looped animation of Orihime twirling a green onion (negi) while Ievan Polkka plays (The animation itself comes from episode 2 of the anime).
- Orihime is a valued member of her school's sewing club along with Uryū Ishida.
References
- ^ Kubo, Tite (2002). Japanese version; Bleach volume 5. Tokyo, Japan: Shueisha, pages 163-184. ISBN 4088733355
- ^ Bleach Official Character Book SOULs, page 41.
- ^ Kubo, Tite (2002). Japanese version; Bleach volume 5, pages 159-162.
- ^ Kubo, Tite (2002). Japanese version; Bleach volume 5, page 9.
- ^ Kubo, Tite (2002). Japanese version; Bleach volume 6. Tokyo, Japan: Shueisha, pages 173-178. ISBN 4088733665
- ^ Kubo, Tite (2002). Japanese version; Bleach volume 3. Tokyo, Japan: Shueisha, page 19. ISBN 4088732758
- ^ "Gathering of Heroines". Weekly Shonen Jump 2006-36+37: Cover.
- ^ Bleach Official Character Book SOULs, page 40, states that Orihime's brother is named Sora. In the official English manga translation by VIZ Media, he is named Kakei.