Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-1351982-20130621033655

(Heads up for the awkward talking in the third person (*☻-☻*) )

Introduction
Bleach is known for its cast of very colorful and fascinating characters, so many characters in fact even the most avid and longtime fans of Bleach have trouble keeping track of all of them. But two (of what we believe) of the most fascinating characters are Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto. These two have easily one if the most confusing and complex relationships throughout the series. For years people have attempted to figure out the nature of this pair's relationship. To make a long story short, it's really up to the reader to decide, which is one reason why Bleach continues to be one of the most interesting manga after nearly 12 years of publication. Regardless, Kubo still gives a solid character foundation for our curious minds to ground ourselves to. Our belief is once we truly understand a character, you can perhaps understand the subtleties of the story more, and who knows maybe pick up a little extra knowledge along the way. Remember all creative work is subject to interpretation, and there really isn't a right or wrong answer, it's simply how we interpret the information.

First up to the plate, Rangiku Matsumoto!
One of the many defining components of Rangiku's character (other than her breasts) is her love of Alcohol, specifically Sake. This trait is extremely toned down in the anime, and when she is drunk, it's mainly played for laughs. Although this is also so played for laughs in the manga, it is also subtly shown that Rangiku drinks more than just at parties. In chapter 80 of the manga, when Rangiku is first introduced, she arrives rather nonchalant to the emergency vice captains meeting. She holds her head and complains about not being able to find her captain and Renji subsequently asking who her captain was. In the anime it happens almost identically with the subtle differences being that Rangiku holds her head and the doorway and then walks in normally and Renji appears less concerned about the state of his fellow officer, than he does in the manga.

The manner in which Rangiku arrived hints at the possibility of her being hung-over. The fact that she also seems to have a habit of falling asleep in Captain Hitsugaya's office may also indicate the state and nature of her drinking habits. More blatantly, in chapters 180 (page 17)(which was drastically toned down to Rangiku being a little "buzzed") and 181 (page 5) (a scene that was omitted from the anime, which simply cut to the results of the group's hard drinking) this scene was omitted from the anime and chapter 181 page 5 was toned down immensely in the anime. Also in chapters 129 and 415, show Rangiku in a rather unnatural position. That being said, in both chapters, Rangiku is bruised, emaciated, and quite clearly vulnerable, suggesting some sort of assault. Before we move on, I would like to stress once again all of this is theory based on evidence presented in the story, not anything officially endorsed by Tite Kubo or the rest of Bleach Wiki. Now then, based on Rangiku’s posture, appearance, and air of helplessness, it is heavily implied she was a victim of sexual assault in addition to having her Reiryoku taken.



This implied event ties into her connection to a real-world figure: Marilyn Monroe.

In addition to having similar features to Rangiku (curvaceous, well-endowed figure, beauty mark near the mouth), Marilyn was sexually abused as a child, something which tragically affected her life and was not recognized by those around her and many people today, i.e. making her see being sexualized as a way to get attention, and prompting her to enter severe bouts of depression. Rangiku displays some of the traits associated with being sexually abused as a child: she drinks quite a lot, wishes for compliments on her outfits, and, most importantly, develops a connection, almost an obsession, with another person: Gin Ichimaru.

Now, Gin!
Gin could be simplified into one word…creepy, but its much more complicated than that. Yes, Gin did care deeply for Rangiku, but we don't know if it was a neediness and his love of Rangiku was more of an ideal than actually affection, or if it was actual love. Regardless, Gin had severe mental issues (perhaps doing with his street rat childhood), and to be honest we don't think Gin had the mental capacity to differentiate between good and evil. He wasn't good but he wasn't really evil either, he was just Gin. The only time Gin ever showed remorse or any real emotions at all was when he was interacting with Rangiku. Gin shares many similarities to Anti-Social Personality Disorder or ASPD. According to the Mayo Clinic, ASPD can be defined as individuals that, "… tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat others either harshly or with callous indifference. They may often violate the law, landing in frequent trouble, yet they show no guilt or remorse. They may lie, behave violently or impulsively, and have problems with drug and alcohol use. These characteristics typically make people with antisocial personality disorder unable to fulfill responsibilities related to family, work or school."

Gin shares similar traits with at least 6 out of the 8 common traits listed,which include:


 * Being able to act witty and charming
 * Being good at flattery and manipulating other people's emotions
 * Breaking the law repeatedly
 * Disregard the safety of self and others
 * Lie, steal, and fight often
 * Not showing guilt or remorse and furthermore

The Relationship
As stated before, Gin and Rangiku’s relationship is the definition of “it’s complicated.” We believe that instead of it being the textbook “I love you so much” fare, it’s simultaneously shallower and deeper than the average relationship. For starters, Gin doesn’t have romantic feelings for Rangiku, and astonishingly enough, they both know this. You may be wondering how such a relationship even started and how it was maintained. Well, here’s what we think: when Gin saw Rangiku lying in that forest, cold, unconscious, and alone, he saw what he believed to be the embodiment of purity, something he had never seen before, and he was fascinated by it, since he himself couldn’t fathom it. On Rangiku’s end, when she woke up to Gin offering her a persimmon, she felt something similar: here was someone who actually cared for her, who had saved her instead of just walking on by, who had shown her kindness, something she had likely never received before. Thus, a mutual fascination was born. Rangiku eventually grew to have feelings for Gin, but Gin never reciprocated these because of his personality and likely sociopathic mindset. The tragic thing is, Rangiku is fully aware of this, yet she can’t stop caring for him despite him being able to love her back. On some level, she knows this is a fruitless endeavor, but on an even deeper level, she can’t abandon him.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Gin and Rangiku are much more than just simple characters, and much like Ichigo and Rukia, they are more than friends, but less than lovers. They have one of the most tragic and deep relationships in all of Shonen, and it's truly a testament to Kubo's skill at character design for him to be able to create something so unique.  