User blog comment:Lia Schiffer/ANIME SPECIAL: 268: Hatred and Jealousy, Orihime's Dilemma/@comment-1627328-20100428121450

I have found Inoue's whining irritating, but to be fair, I thought her prevarication and tender-heartedness shone through in this episode.

On the prevarication bit (i.e. why did she not help Ichigo earlier), she came to Hueco Mundo convinced that she was doing her best for her friends and has somehow managed to sell herself the story that she is on the Espada's side, at least that was always her public stance to the Espada. It is only when she instinctively yells out "Kurosaki-kun" and shields him that she publicly admits within the walls of Las Noches that she is not on the Espada's side.

It's irritating how she keeps healing her enemies, but I think that is Inoue's tenderheartedness and part of Kubo's intention for her. You have to remember that she is so tender-hearted that she gets upset at herself for being jealous of Rukia's influence on Ichigo. As a result, she will never be an effective killing machine, but this characteristic makes her her.