I gotta say, jesus, we really can't talk about this stuff here, people just downvotes us for no reason.

Anyway, I just can't agree with you. I think it's bad writing already the fact that Kubo didn't have Ichigo and Rukia interacting, but to go out of your way and ignore the development that Orihime has had, to no at least give her a character arc where she stops liking the guy and backs off, to have a random scene with Renji saying stuff that was already implied, when you could use those pages for more important stuff? I think that's much worse writing, very blantant worse writing. The ending that he have keeps the IR connections but also makes all those other scenes relevant, it's, I don't know, less bad writing?

Ichigo and Rukia already had their payoff long ago and it was aknowledge by the end of the Fullbring arc. The final chapter should have more stuff going for it but I can't see how a romance how help this.

While this ending is generic and bland as shit, it makes the most sense.