I am a bit of a sucker for Squad 3. I’d also like to see more of Izuru’s relationships with his captains. Finally finishing the anime and starting Thousand Year Blood War, I realize we don’t really get to see what kind of dynamic Izuru has with Rose. Rose was one of three Vizards who (re)claimed the title of captain, taking over for Gin who replaced him after the incident that turned the Vizards into Vizards.
And while we do see progress with Momo thanks to Shinji and Shuhei already knowing Kensei when he was a kid, we don’t really get anything with Rose and Izuru. The most we really get is Rose stating how music came naturally to him when he was around Izuru when he thought he was dead.
For the sake of discussion and speculation, I came up with a few ways that Rose and Izuru’s dynamic could be explored. Characters who could help/mediate and what kind of initiative Rose could take.
What Do We Know About Their Dynamic?
As of right now, something we do know are the fact that being in Izuru’s presence inspires Rose to create music. Which Rose expresses when he believes Izuru is dead. And while I am still making my way through some of the supplemental stuff (ex. Can’t Fear Your Own Word, Q&As, the data books, and so on), I have heard that Izuru may find Rose a bit annoying and not liking how the music Rose is inspired to make is based on how gloomy Izuru comes across. So, it’s possible that we do get a bit of context, I just might not have read it yet.
I also now that there’s a scene in one of the endings where Izuru can be seen venting about his new captain and remember hearing that it may have been Rose who suggested that Squad 3 keeps persimmon trees. Though again, I would have to verify the latter. I do know that the bootleg (Color Bleach+) does mention how they were initially grown while Gin was captain, which is his favorite food, and he would share dried persimmons with other Soul Reapers.
So there does seem to be some information on their dynamic, but not a deep dive. Hence, why I thought it’d be interesting to see what possibilities it could have.
General Connection: Good? Bad? Some Kind of Third Option?
Though we do not get to see what their dynamic is like, I do think that it’s safe to assume that they have a generally good dynamic. At the very least, there’s nothing to suggest that Rose has done anything to traumatize or frighten Izuru.
If there is a clash, it’d be more so over personality. Regardless of whether or not Izuru finds Rose’s gloomy music annoying, they two are different. Izuru is generally more reserved, whereas Rose is laid back but a bit more outgoing. So those differing personalities would be there.
However, from what what we know about Rose, i.e. how he interacts with his fellow Vizards, and his response to Izuru’s “death”, he generally cares about people he’s close to. So, while they may have their differences, I have my doubts that Rose has done anything to intimidate or harm Izuru. At least not intentionally.
With that in mind, in what ways could I see their dynamic expanded on?
Approach 1: Tetsuzaemon as a Middle Ground
In the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc, we do learn that Rose’s Lieutenant was Chikane Iba, Tetsuzaemon’s mother. Outside of this, she isn’t really acknowledged much, outside of an occasion or two from Tetsuzaemon.
Now, Tetsuzaemon does have more interactions with Ikkaku, as the, however, that doesn’t mean he exclusively interacts with Ikkaku and Squad 7. He was one of several lieutenants to appear during the Fake Karakura Town arc to preserve the pillars. They do interact during the Thousand Year Blood War before Izuru’s absence. He and Izuru also have some interactions in things like the Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book segments, in and out of the Shinigami Men’s Association bits. It’s also safe to assume that they’ve probably grabbed drinks together too, since Izuru can be seen with Yumichika in an end credit and would get drinks with characters like Shuhei, Renji, and Rangiku.
All of this to say, I could see Tetsuzaemon helping Izuru out with this transition. Seeing as how his mother was Rose’s previous lieutenant, he probably would have a few stories under his belt, possibly even having a few personal experiences thanks to his mother.
For this approach, I could easily see him have a discussion with Izuru over a few drinks. Understanding that Izuru would have that trouble trusting a captain after Gin, Tetsuzaemon would probably tell him things about Rose that he heard through his mother.
One of the first things I pictured for this was Tetsuzaemon saying how his first impression of Rose when he was younger was that he (Rose) was a “weird hippie” who could play the guitar. Another idea I had was Tetsuzaemon’s mother telling him how Rose always put his squad first. Little things like that to help give Izuru feel more comfortable with the change and so that he knows that Rose isn’t a bad guy. Eccentric perhaps, but well meaning.
Approach 2: Rangiku and/or Shuhei for Advice
Out of all the characters that could help Rose, Rangiku and Shuhei would be the best options. Both are friends with Izuru and both understand what he went through differently. Rangiku has a better understanding of who Gin is on a personal level and understands why his betrayal specifically hit hard. Shuhei, meanwhile, would understand what it feels like for a captain to go rogue since Tousen betrayed him and his squad when he defected with Aizen.
Of the two, Rangiku would probably be the best since she had been a lieutenant longer and would be able to provide insight that Shuhei wouldn’t have. While there was things that he kept from Rangiku, like the exact reason for his betrayal, she was good friends with him. So she would have a better understanding of some of his quirks. She would probably have a better understanding of Gin on a personal level and would probably be able to gauge that he may have genuinely cared about Izuru, while not defending his actions or how they affected Izuru.
Though, that’s not to say that Shuhei wouldn’t be able to help. Since he was one of the upper classman that headed the botched practice mission that Izuru, Momo, and Renji’s class were carrying out, he would be familiar with how long his admiration for his former captain was. There’s also the fact that the two are seen hanging out more frequently after Aizen, Gin, and Tousen’s betrayal both in the manga and the anime. So they have an established friendship. I also feel like Shuhei would understand that Izuru’s reactions and trauma from Gin’s betrayal are justified, even if he personally didn’t have the same responses after Tousen left.
Because of this, I could see one or both of them helping Rose. They could provide Rose feedback on what to avoid with Izuru (ex. not using Gin’s name unless absolutely necessary), ways that Rose can help him (ex. making sure he doesn’t overwork himself), and ways that he can help Izuru feel more comfortable around him (ex. taking an interest in his haikus), just to name a few ways.
Approach 3: An Alternate Take on the Shusuke Amagai Arc: Taking the Initiative and Respecting Boundaries
One of the filler arcs that we got right around the climax of Ichigo’s Heco Mundo fight with Grimmjow and Nnoitora’s entrance, was the Shusuke Amagai arc. One of the bigger plot points of it was Squad 3 getting a new captain and third seat in Shusuke Amagai and Makoto Kibune respectively. Since it takes place and unspecified amount of time after Gin’s betrayal, Amagai knows that it’s going to be an adjustment period and that the Squad may be hesitant with a new captain.
I could see something of a similar scenario with Rose. Just canon and with more of a focus on Izuru since he had the closest relationship with Gin (as his lieutenant). Because, while I am certain that Rose would try to give the entire squad his time and attention, he would have, or at least want to have, a closer relationship with Izuru. Especially since Rose has stated in the Thousand Year Blood War arc how he felt inspired to create music whenever he was in Izuru’s presence.
When I say “taking the initiative”, I mean that Rose could be forthcoming with his intentions. Having a plan that he’s up front about and his intentions with their relationship. He could state how he wants a good relationship with Izuru and has no plans to betray him like Gin did. Nor would he plan to be anything like Gin in general.
At the same time, he would understand that gaining trust wouldn’t be easy. Nor would he want to force anything. So, while he lays out the ground work for what his plan is, he would acknowledge that it’ll take time and is willing to take that time if it means that he earned Izuru’s trust.
Is There an Approach That I Feel is More Likely?
Probably a mix of the second and third option.
I do think that Tetsuzaemon could be a good option for Rose’s defense. He’s already friendly with Izuru, based on the few interactions we see, and I could him have a friendship similar to Tetsuzaemon and Ikakku’s. But instead of being a blunt, former Sqaud 11 member, who’s willing to call you out for suppressing your potential, I feel like he’s be more like a mentor or uncle/older brother kind of guy with Izuru. Someone who’s willing to give him advice while giving Izuru an ear. However, it may be a bit odd that he’ll go to bat for the man that was his mother’s captain and was most likely exiled by the time Tetsuzaemon became a lieutenant.
I just feel that Shuhei and Rangiku would be better since they would have better knowledge on Izuru’s quirks and Gin. And since Shuhei is familiar with Kensei, having met him as a child and later his lieutenant after the Vizards are welcomed back, he could go to Kensei for information on Rose and advice on how to mediate between them.
That, alongside with Rose having previous experience with Squad 3 and a general care for it, would be a driving force for Rose wanting to connect with Izuru. That plan also going towards what would lead Izuru to becoming an inspiration for Rose’s music and that fond bond Rose has for him. He just doesn’t have the same experiences with Gin since Gin wasn’t really established when the incident in Turn Back the Pendulum happened.
As such, mixing both would probably be the more reasonable approach. Or, at least, it would make a bit more sense.
In Summary
I think exploring Rose and Izuru’s dynamic could have been an interesting one. In some ways, I could see it being a canonical version of what the Shusuke Amagai arc tried to do, but a more central focus on building a relationship with Izuru. There are several characters who I feel could help with this. Including Tetsuzaemon, Rangiku, and Shuhei, who are familiar with Izuru and would be able to help bridge the gap between the “new” captain and his lieutenant. Whether that be their familiarity with Gin (Rangiku), knowing Izuru long enough as a friend to give advice (Shuhei), or being able to vouch for Rose based on what his previous lieutenant knew (Tetsuzaemon).
Hopefully Destructive Shinigami Tales 
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