Yeah, the manga's almost ending too. And the manga's art's a lot better than when it first started. The anime adds a lot of filler and other non canon stuff.
Kubo said IchiRuki aren't "just friends", but they aren't lovers either. he directed a whole movie about their bond. And he's said it's very special. The poems for the art book also references this. Though the anime team supports IchiHime more. Also, IchiRuki has a lot of artwork for them, and an OVA/Pilot for Bleach about them and their bond.
