I wouldn't really call those small roles...
but to each their own :P
I'm comparing it to those 5 characters and how much they contributed to the story. Like, Ishida is pretty cool
but doesn't really come up all that much except for a certain arc.
There are dozens of other characters that play smaller roles but are still great characters.
I always feel that support characters make the story what it is, and the main characters shouldn't overwhelm everyone else to make them seem useless.
the bold is one of the main reasons I wouldn't say that, as he's constantly in the story...
but like I said, to each their own.
Well... I'm comparing his
air time vs Rukia or Uchigos. They do spend a lot of time in the story but nothing close to Rukia or Orihime. Both him and chad play huge roles and that is why I consider them both main characters instead of support, but they do go in and out throughout the story as well, a lot more than Rukia or Orihime for example.
I'd say you see just about as much of either of them as Rukia, personally.
Hell you see more of Renji than Rukia a lot of times, and you didn't even mention him.
I guess it's all upon what one defines as a "main character" I wouldn't consider Rukia one after episode 16, personally. Short of 2 other sections, and 1 doesn't really count as it's filler, in my book.