#I started watching Gintama and I adore Kagura | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

vannahfanfics · 5 years ago

Text

Snapshot

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Gintama

Characters: Gintoki Sakata, Tae Shimura

Requested by: Asperger Hero (Ao3)

“Hiiiii~!” Tae warbled cheerfully as she strolled casually into the Yorozuya only just seconds after she had knocked at the door. The three employees of the joint all greeted her with varying degrees of enthusiasm— her cute little brother acknowledged her happily, Kagura gave a muffled greeting through a mouthful of rice, and Gintoki just grunted and did not look away from his weather program. She had to suppose a grunt was better than nothing, considering how absorbed he always was in the daily report.

“What brings you here this morning, Big Sister?” Shinpachi inquired as she sat down at the table. Tae giggled as anticipation bubbled up inside of her. This visit wasn’t her average, everyday, just-happened-to-be-in-the-neighborhood house call. She grinned broadly as she produced a small camera from within the folds of her kimono.

“Look what I won in a work raffle! A Polaroid camera!”

“Whuzzat?” Kagura huffed as she swallowed a chunk of rice that would choke a normal person and leaned over the table to inspect the small device with curious eyes.

��It’s a camera that instantly prints a picture you take! Here, smile, Kagura,” Tae instructed as she put the camera up to her eye to focus. Kagura blinked before hurriedly striking a ridiculous pose, arms bent at odd angles and face twisted into a less-than-flattering expression. The flash burst as the shutter fluttered with Tae’s finger pressing down on the button. The camera whirred and spat out a black square rimmed with white, and Tae took the photograph to start shaking it so it would develop. After a few seconds of vigorous shaking, she held it out for Kagura to see; the alien’s eyebrows shot up to the roots of her hair as she was greeted with the crazy photo.

“Wow! That’s so amazing!” she laughed, snatching the photo up to run over to Gintoki and stick it in his face. “Look, Gin, it’s me!”

“Fascinating. Now move,” he grumped and fell onto his side so that he could once more behold the cute weathergirl chattering amiably on the television. Kagura pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks in childish protest. Gin yelped as she kicked him hard in the shin, and as he curled up on the carpet whimpering and holding the potentially fractured bone, Kagura scampered innocently back over to the table to sit next to Tae.

“You should get pictures of everyone! We can put them all on a board in here!” the young girl suggested excitedly.

“What a wonderful idea! It will really liven up the place!” Tae agreed. There were worse ways to spend a day, after all. Tae smiled eagerly as she held the camera between her hands. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of memories the little camera would record. It’s really lucky that I won this little prize~ she thought as she snapped a rather candid photo of Shinpachi with half a fried egg hanging out of his mouth. Kagura snatched the photo up and started running in circles around the table while Shinpachi chased her, desperate to rip the damning picture in half. Tae turned to look at the white-haired man still lounging lazily in front of the television, occasionally eclipsed by the two running teenagers. A faint haze of pink appeared on her cheeks as she hugged the camera to her chest.

Maybe… I can keep one or two for myself, too?

~~~~~~~~~~

After a day of hunting down literally everyone they knew, Tae and the two children were back at the table, pinning a collection of pictures to a large corkboard that they were going to hang in the main room. Tae had to say, she outdid herself with the menagerie. She had a nice shot of Sadaharu playing fetch with a frisbee, one of Otose smoking her pipe thoughtfully while admiring the sky, one of cute Tama sweeping contentedly, and one of Catherine flirting shamelessly with a man who looked not the least bit interested and daresay even a little frightened.

After that point, people had started crashing the party, and Tae had snapped random photos to just see and what she accomplished. The results had been fun; she had a shot of her crazy gorilla stalker Isao lying upside-down in a destroyed fruit stand where Tae had hurled him (that she was only keeping because Kagure found it hilarious) and one of Hijikata and Okita embroiled in a fistfight with Gin and Kagura. The princess Soyo had come to play with Kagura, and Tae had snapped a very cute shot of them having tea time. They had ventured down to Yoshiwara and got a photo of Hinowa, Seita, and Tsukuyo strolling through the lantern-lit streets. Tae had taken a photo with Kyuubei as well and thought it was so adorable how shy she looked. Somehow she had also managed to nab a photo of the strange long-haired patriot Katsura and his companion Elizabeth wearing mustache disguises (that were being wrenched off by a very angry Hijikata in the photo) and it was funny, so Tae kept it. She had one of Ayame the ninja, too— specifically, one of her hanging out of a window calling lewdly to Gin as he tried his best to speed-walk away. The next shot was of her jumping out of the window to fall right on top of him. Tae thought they were nice companion pieces.

Finally, the centerpiece was grumpy Gin lounging in front of his television poring over Ketsuono Ana. Tae giggled as she pinned it to the board; surely, there was nothing so unequivocally Gin than that photo. He was watching through lidded eyes as the excited trio hung up their finished product and stood back to admire it.

“Are you finally done? Does that mean you’re done dragging me all over town?” he whined as he picked at his nose with his pinky. So vulgar, she thought, but with an undeniable hint of fondness.

“Tae! Can we please keep the camera?” Kagura begged suddenly, tugging on her arm. “We want to add more photos, and we’ll have to have a camera to snag them, yes?”

Tae smiled wanly at the precious girl; the camera would be only a novel and temporarily amusement to Tae. She knew in her heart that the children would derive much more long-lasting and meaningful amusement from it, and it was no loss to her since she had gotten it for free. Still… Her eyes wavered as they settled on the bored-looking man. He had been very unexcited about posing for photos, so Tae really hadn’t gotten any good pictures of him. Tae flushed and looked down at her feet when his eyes suddenly flickered to meet hers. Was it creepy that she wanted a picture of him? Just one… Then she could relinquish the camera to Kagura with no regrets.

“Oi. Take your dog out before he pisses on my floor,” Gin barked to Kagura as Sadaharu whined miserably at the door. Kagura stuck her tongue out at the rude man but obediently jumped up to scamper over to open the door.

“Come, Shinpachi, let us take Sadaharu for a walk!”

“What? Oh, okay,” the spectacled boy shrugged and followed after her. The door clicked shut behind him.

Tae and Gin were now alone.

“What’s that look for?” The smirk on his face was positively devious. Could he know what she was thinking? “You want a picture of me all for yourself, is that it~?” Tae flinched at how easily he seemed to read her mind. She could only shuffle her feet and blush as he peeled himself up off the floor to scroll languidly over to her and take the camera in his hands to begin inspecting it critically. With how close he was standing to her, it was impossible not to notice how he towered over her in an effortlessly sexy manner… Tae’s cheeks turned dark red. Had she really just used “sexy” and “Gintoki” in the same thought process? Oh, yes, she had. She still was. It was all she could think about, even. “I really don’t get the big deal about this thing…”

“It doesn’t matter! I’m going to give it to Kagura!” Tae stammered as she reached for the camera. Gin clicked his tongue and held it high above her head, out of reach. “Gin! Give it here! You don’t care, so why are you teasing me?” she whined pitifully as she stood on her tip-toes to try and reach the camera. Her fingertips could only graze the underside of its plastic surface. Her chest kept bumping into his as she wobbled in front of him, and he tilted his head back as the crown of his head tickled his chin. He was smirking widely, obviously very entertained by her fruitless efforts. “You meanie!” she said and puffed her cheeks at him angrily.

“Mean? I was going to take a photo with you, Tae; I don’t think that’s mean at all.”

Tae ought to be alarmed by the edge to his voice, she really ought to, but that was secondary to the effect his words were having on her brain right then. She fell back onto the flats of her feet as she stared owlishly up at him.

“Really? I thought you weren’t interested.”

“Just shut up and stand still,” he purred as he slowly slipped an arm around her shoulders, letting it hang there loosely as he adjusted so he was standing next to her. His other arm was raised to position the camera down towards them. Tae could only stare at the black lens, shocked at how easy it had been for Gintoki to agree.

Of course, things were never that simple with him.

She gasped loudly as his hand suddenly snapped up to grab her chin and turn her face. Her vision was a blur of his white hair and silver eyes and devilish grin and the flash of the shutter. He had concluded the act far before her mind registered the softness of his lips against hers; by the time the sensation had reached her nerves, he had already pulled back and dropped the camera in her hands to go flop down in front the television. She looked blankly down at the developing photograph, mind whirling in a storm of confusion. Surely she had just imagined that, right? There was no way Gin would kiss her…

The image slowly came to life in the black film. Sure enough, there it was, indisputable evidence of their lip-locking. Gintoki was smugly side-eyeing the camera as he smirked against Tae’s smushed lips, while her eyes were wide and locked on his face. She blinked once, twice, a third time for good measure to see if the image distorted at all. Nope. There it still was, clear as day.

“Ehhhhhhhhh?!” she screeched in a conglomeration of alarm, shock, anger, and stupid glee. “Gintoki! You can’t just do stuff like that!”

“What? Did you not like it?”

“Th-that’s beside the point.”

“So you did like it.”

“I-I didn’t say that!”

“Oh? Want me to try again?”

“Gintoki!” His shoulders shook in a baleful laugh before he tossed a smile at her. That smile made her heart stop. It wasn’t a smile of mischievousness or teasing, but genuine affection.

“Be sure to keep that a secret from Shinpachi. He won’t like it.” Tae stiffened before stuffing the photo into one of the pockets sewn into the inside of her kimono. “And Tae?”

“Y-yes?”

“Drop by more often. I get tired of Shinpachi griping about how he doesn’t get to see you with how much you work.” She blinked as he turned back to the television, grabbing the remote to flip idly through the channels. It took a moment for the request to register, and when it did, her eyes softened as she smiled lovingly. What a Gintoki way of saying things. Never could be to the point, could he?

“Hehe… Sure thing.”

She left the camera on the table for Kagura and left. As she walked home, she pulled out the photo, holding it in both hands as she walked home. Her eyes crinkled up with happiness as she admired it, her new treasure.

“Sure thing…”

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

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rike-with-love · 5 years ago

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Melody of our Hearts (chapter 4)

Pairings: Okikagu, Gintsu (minor), Takaban (minor)

Rating: M for mature content, bad language, fluff, light angst, enemies to friends to lovers

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gintama or it’s characters, Sorachi Hideaki does. I only own this story.

Chapter 4

<- Previous chapter ~~ Next Chapter ->

Her chest was heaving heavily. She could feel every beat of her heart pound like a jungle drum against her rib cage. With every passing second, with every new pump of her pulse, Kagura slowly realized what was going to happen in the next five minutes.

She heard the upbeat background music coming from the speakers. Just five minutes and it would be her song playing out there. Kagura stood at the steps, waiting for Otae to tell her when it was time - time to take the stage.

The day had finally arrived for the outdoor concert. The very first time the idols of YE were performing live.

Kagura felt ready, but nervous. She pulled the sleeves down from her red off-shoulder shirt. The sleeves kept rising whenever she moved too much, annoying her greatly. Normally that didn't bother Kagura at all, but right now her nerves were getting to her.

She knew her words, she knew her steps. Now all she had to do was to relax. Well, easier said than done, she thought and breathed deeply to control her heart better.

Kagura jumped a bit as she felt a hand softly touch her bare shoulder. She turned to look at the person behind her. It was Otsu and the rest of the Sugar Addicts.

The groups wardrobe was like an explosion of color. They all had tight shorts and a loose shirt that revealed one shoulder. The outfits were identical but each member had their own color.

Otsu had yellow, Minty had blue, Ruby had red, Yunah had purple and Soyeon had pink. Tsukki had suggested that with the crazy colorful clothes, they obviously had to have showstopping make-up and hair.

They had their hair braided tightly, but differently from one another. Nude lips and tight eyeliner. They looked like a very memorable and cohesive group in Kagura's eyes and she was sure that many fans would feel the same way.

”Hi guys,” Kagura said and smiled shyly.

Otsu gave Kagura an encouraging smile. ”You're going to be great Gura,” she said, seeing the slight anxiousness from Kagura's ocean blue eyes.

Just those few words eased Kagura's mind a lot. She knew Otsu was her friend through thick and thin. They didn't have to agree on everything to be real friends. Not even a man like S could get between them.

They had talked about the whole S thing on the night before the concert. Kagura had apologized and Otsu had brushed off the whole thing as small and meaningless. They simply agreed to disagree on the matter of stanning S.

”We know you can do it Gura!” Minty said to Kagura.

”Give them a taste of what we YE girls are made of”, Soyeon said to Kagura's surprise.

She seemed sincere with her words of encouragement rather than snide. Then again, Soyeon was an out-spoken person, she said what was in her heart, no matter the person or situation and Kagura respected that about her. Maybe someday they both could get along better.

It felt empowering for Kagura to feel the support of her colleagues. ”Thank you...I really appreciate it,” she said, getting warm smiles in return.

”You look so cute in that outfit,” Ruby pointed out, touching Kagura's black skirt a bit.

”Ah, I'm not as stunning as you all, but this will do”, Kagura said and giggled with the girls. They were all gorgeous, only a blind person could deny it.

Otae came to the backstage with a box in her hands. ”It's almost time,” she said and walked to the girls.

Kagura gulped at Otae's words. This was finally it.

Otae opened up the box and handed everyone a headset microphones. It sure was easier to move and sing with a headset than a regular microphone.

”Kawakami and Shinpachi are handling all the technical aspects and if something goes wrong, they'll inform you through the headset,” Otae began. ”I'm going out there first to welcome the audience.”

All the girls nodded in unison, they were ready to go whenever Otae was.

”And as you all know, Gura is up first, then Sugar addicts and lastly Eli & Zura”, Otae said and walked right next to Kagura who was still standing on the steps. ”Oh right, if you want to observe each other performing, Kawakami and Shinpachi have monitors.”

With those last words, Otae stepped to the stage. All six girls looked at each other and hurried together to Kawakami and Shinpachi. Eli & Zura were already there, looking like they came straight from the 80s.

Zura had a green headband, green track suit with yellow, purple and pink stripe details. His long black hair was styled to look like a funny mullet. No-matter how much Tsukki fought with him, Zura adamantly kept the questionable mullet.

Eli had a snow-white suit and white shoes. He gladly gave most of the color attention to his counter-part. He was just happy to have his orange synthesizer with him.

”Hey girls,” Shinpachi greeted from his spot.

”Shinpachi, please stay focused,” Bansai said calmly. He seemed to be very focused on the monitors, maybe even a little anxious by the way he was tapping his foot. It was a big responsibility to handle all the music and microphones on a live concert after all. Kagura couldn't remember another time she saw him like that.

Bansai was actually a very hard person to read. He had his sunglasses on everywhere, so his voice was pretty much the only thing to give out his emotions.

Bansai was looking at his monitor, fingers ready on specific buttons, his signature yin jang styled headphones plugged into his laptop and one foot still tapping steadily against the floor.

His emerald-green spiky hair was bobbing with his foot's settle movement, amusing Kagura into smiling widely. It was quite calming to see that she wasn't the only one feeling so tense about the concert.

”We trust you Kawakami-nim,” Kagura said to reassure the poor man.

Bansai glanced at Kagura briefly and his foot stopped tapping. It was like he connected all the dots in a matter of seconds. He realized that Kagura saw through his calm demeanor and that was the last thing he wanted.

”Thank you for the trust Gura, but I'm just a man behind the scene,” Bansai said with his low voice. He hid his nerves pretty well to be honest.

”Oi Kawakami-niiiiiim!” Soyeon said in a high-pitched voice and leaned her chin on his shoulder. Bansai jumped a bit at the unexpected gesture. ”You are much more than a man behind the scenes.”

Before Bansai could say or do anything at all, all five members of the Sugar Addicts were hugging him. His musical skills were on another level, but he was also a very good vocal mentor. So naturally he was loved by pretty much everyone.

Bansai grunted and tried to hide his fluster. ”I need to focus now...” he muttered, secretly feeling somewhat happy about the amount of adoration he received. Still, it made the feeling bitter-sweet. Bansai appreciated the love he got from the young idols, but the love he truly desired was out of his reach.

As the girls gave Bansai his personal space back, Shinpachi puffed his cheeks a little. ”Hey, what about me?” Shinpachi asked, feeling severely left-out.

”Oh stop being so dramatic, yes,” Kagura teased. Shinpachi rolled his eyes and returned to look at his monitors.

”Okay, Otae is on the stage now,” Shinpachi informed.

”I'm turning on her microphone”, Bansai said.

Kagura watched from the screens as Otae began waving her hand for the audience. She looked really beautiful in her yellow kimono. She sometimes liked to wear clothes from her original culture and she sure looked like an elegant Japanese lady in her attire.

”Hello! Welcome everyone to Yorozuya Entertainment's first ever, outdoor concert!” Otae announced.

The applauses could be heard by everyone in the backstage. If Kagura thought her heart was pounding earlier, well, now it was really hitting hard.

”I want to thank you all for coming today and I think we are ready for our first performer,” Otae said and smiled. ”Please enjoy the very first idol of Yorozuya Entertainment, Gura!”

”That's your cue Gura,” Shinpachi said without taking his eyes off the screen.

”Good luck out there”, Zura said to her.

Kagura gave a firm nod to Shinpachi and proceeded to strut confidently to the steps, ready to amaze everyone. She took a deep breath and made her way through the curtain.

* *

The first things Kagura saw was the lush greenery around the park, the amount of sunlight pouring through the syringa's branches and all the people in front of the stage. The crowd wasn't that large, but Kagura felt grateful for every single one who came to see the concert.

The stage was surrounded by a security fence. Gintoki stood next to the metal fence, eyes beaming of joy as he saw Kagura take the stage. Her step was confident, every ounce of nervousness she felt before started to fade away.

The people began to cheer in excitement of the beautiful red-head who stopped to stand in the middle of the stage. Her smile was wide and the warm sun on her cheeks brightened her naturally pale skin. Absolutely nothing could go wrong, that's how good she felt right at that moment.

The cheering quieted down, giving her a moment of silence to speak.

”The song I'm going to sing for you...it's my very first one,” Kagura said and felt almost emotional saying it out loud. Everything felt so real, but yet so unbelievable.

”This is Time is Precious – I hope you enjoy it,” she said proudly. After her words the song started to play. The intro lasted for a couple of seconds, allowing Kagura a moment to psyche herself up.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, using every corner of her lungs to get as much oxygen as she could. As she breathed in, the park's wonderful scents felt exhilarating. She smelled grass, syringas and a touch of her own strawberry perfume.

The song hit its first beat and Kagura prepared to give the audience a great show.

Everyone in backstage held in their breaths as they watched her from the monitors. Kagura opened her eyes and flicked her long vermillion hair a bit, making the small ”bun ears” wobble with her movement. She opened her mouth, ready to sing the first words.

A loud scream from the audience cut Kagura off before she even began. Her eyes tried desperately to locate the person who screamed. It sounded like a woman.

Even Gintoki began to look into the audience, trying to see what caused the loud voice. Kagura's song played all along in the background. She didn't know should she jump in to the song or should she wait. It was frustrating to say the least.

”What happened? Why isn't she singing?” Otae asked.

Bansai and Shinpachi were equally confused about the situation. ”Check the cameras Shinpachi,” Bansai said.

”Okay,” Shinpachi said and began to check every frame carefully.

Kagura heard Bansai talking into her ear. ”Gura, I'll lower the music down untill we find out what happened in the audience.” Kagura glanced at the camera that was right in front of her and nodded lightly.

”She heard me,” Bansai confirmed to Shinpachi.

Kagura heard the beautiful melody of her song quiet down, she didn't know how to feel about it. It was disheartening, but on the other hand Kagura wanted to make sure that the woman in the audience was all right.

This was just a set-back, a minor hurdle before she could really sing her song.

”OOH! OH MY GOD!” someone else shouted from the audience. Kagura, Gintoki and pretty much every single person in the vicinity looked at the woman screaming at the back of the crowd. She was frantically pointing at something.

”There,” Shinpachi said and zoomed a camera at the woman. Everyone in the backstage tried to look at the monitor, practically trampling over Shinpachi, almost pushing him off his chair.

Kagura noticed a girl jumping in front of the stage, apparently trying to get a better look of what was happening. It took about two more jumps for her to start freaking out. The girl flipped out her phone and called someone.

”You better get into the Syringa Park right now, S IS HERE!” the girl yelled at the phone and tried to charge through the mass of people.

Huh?...S...is here? Kagura asked herself.

Then to Kagura's horror a massive portion of the all ready small audience began to move away from the stage. Gintoki looked at Kagura who was frozen still, unable to utter a word. He wanted to help her somehow, he just didn't know how.

Then Kagura saw him in the distance. It was S, the S, the ridiculously famous and cherished idol. He was entering the park with three buff bodyguards surrounding him.

People were quickly gathering around S, making it impossible for him to move anywhere. The bodyguards did everything they could, it wasn't that easy to keep starstruck fans at bay.

Girls were screaming his name and phone cameras flashing all over the park. Kagura thought he was like a rare zoo animal, everyone wanted a piece of him.

Gintoki saw his opportunity to be useful. He certainly didn't know who was this man with pastel blue hair, causing a fuzz in everywhere he went. Gintoki went as the fourth person to cover the young man. With Gintoki's help every direction was blocked from the eager fans.

Kagura observed from the stage the peculiar sight that was supposed to be her audience, her potential fans listening to her song. But no, they were all going crazy for someone who had no business in the concert.

In the backstage, every member of Sugar Addicts saw and recognized S. They would have probably ran to see him in person as every fan would, but they couldn't. Otae stopped them.

Even Soyeon understood why they couldn't go out there. The situation was already hard enough for Kagura, who just stood there, feeling incompetent and uninteresting. Like a complete failure.

One of the bodyguards noticed Gintoki siding with them. ”Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?”

Gintoki turned to the man with black hair and a rude attitude. ”I'm helping you, what does it look like?”

”Please step away, I can't know if you're some crazy person,” the man said.

Gintoki huffed arrogantly. ”I am the CEO of Yorozuya entertainment, I give you one change to apologize mr. grumpy.”

S sneered at Gintoki's choice of words. ”Let it go Hijikata”, S said to his bodyguard with his stoic voice.

Hijikata grunted. ”Fine”, he said, but thought that S was being too gullible about the strange man with silver hair.

”We are having a concert – or actually we are trying to have a concert here”, Gintoki said.

”Well then, could we use your backstage to get away safely?” Hijikata asked as quietly as possible.

”Sure, let's try to move closer to the stage”, Gintoki said. ”There's a security fence over there.”

More people were arriving into the park, the word of S' presence had spread fast. Gintoki noticed that some people were carrying professional cameras with them, concluding that the paparazzi had arrived.

S seemed surprisingly calm in the situation. He kept waving at his fans, causing them to scream even louder. Was this one of his surprise appearances, Kagura wondered to herself.

The bodyguards managed to move through the crowd, getting closer and closer to the fence. Kagura watched in silence, listening to the screams of his fans and her song playing in the background.

Gintoki reached the fence first. He opened a gate and waved S to go through it. He was now safe behind the sturdy fence. S sighed and brushed off some dirt from his shoulder.

Kagura's attention had turned to S standing only few meters away from her. Sure she was on the stage and he was on the ground level, but still, he was right there. His light blue hair was messy, but it still looked effortlessly cool.

He wore dark gray jeans and a black loose shirt. Despite the oversized shirt, Kagura could tell his built was slender, like many dancers had.

S felt like someone was staring at him from behind, someone other than a drooling fan. He turned around and saw Kagura standing in the center of the stage, looking back at him.

Their eyes met.

She knew who he was, he had no idea who she was. That didn't stop their eyes from digging into one another. Her deep blue eyes glued into his icy blue ones. He had contacts again, Kagura could tell.

She felt almost naked. Not because he was looking at her. It was because her moment was ruined. She was stripped from her confidence, her song, her moment.

S didn't speak, he just stared at Kagura. He didn't look like he was angry, but he wasn't sad either, he wasn't particularly anything. His whole face was deadpan, he was even harder to read than Bansai.

Kagura felt her heart beating faster under his icy gaze, it felt like he was challenging her somehow. But how could that be, he didn't know she was supposed to perform. To him, she might have looked like an announcer or a sound-checker, just a regular person.

He noticed. He wasn't stupid.

Her outfit, the microphone, her. Nothing about her spoke to him as a regular person. So he stared at her more, not like he had anything better to do at the moment. Gintoki and all of his bodyguards were busy with keeping the fans from climbing over the fence.

Kagura felt her blood rushing through her veins. Her heart demanding more oxygen, making her breath more often.

He saw her heavily heaving chest, but did nothing to point it out. He stuffed his hands into his pockets without breaking the iron-clad eye contact.

Every member of Sugar Addicts were staring at the monitors, eyes wide open. Kagura was standing so close to him, it rose some envy in their hearts, it couldn't be helped. It felt unfair as she could never truly appreciate him being so near her.

It was only pity that overthrew the strong feeling of jealousy in their hearts. Pity for Kagura and her debut failing.

”Kawakami-nim, tell Kagura to come back here for now,” Otae demanded, using Kagura's real name in her worry.

”Gura! Can you hear me Gura?” Bansai asked.

Kagura heard them, but she felt like she couldn't move.

Otae borrowed Shinpachi's microphone. ”Kagura! Come back here now. I think it's better to call off the concert for now.”

Kagura heard Otae say the words she had been dreading for. She felt broken and defeated. Still, she didn't leave the stage.

Kagura was 100% sure that she would have gone back to others without one thing keeping her on her spot.

His eyes. Those demanding eyes.

Her heart raced.

Kagura snapped out her trance like state. She realized her song was closing in the bridge*. It was the part where her vocals skills were really put under the test. The hell with it, Kagura thought. She wasn't going to let the whole concert fail because of some uninvited people appearing there.

Kagura closed her eyes and inhaled quickly. And she began to sing. The music was playing on such a low volume she had to go full a capella*.

”When will you understand, that time is precious.”

S kept his eyes strictly at the girl who suddenly started to sing like a songbird. Gintoki's focus went immediately to Kagura, he recognized her voice anywhere.

”I am not a child anymore, I'm not yours to leave.”

Her vocals went so high, it silenced everyone in the park, including the diehard fans of S. Her voice was so powerful, it easily stunned everyone in the backstage. Maybe it was the situation she was in that made her push herself even harder.

”With or without you, I'll rise like a sunflower.”

Kagura sang the last part of the bridge with her whole heart. Somehow Bansai snapped out of his initial awe and managed to turn the volume up. Like it was part of the song, the music rose up right in time for the chorus.

The whole audience was getting excited about the song. For a few seconds S' presence was fully forgotten. Kagura opened her eyes as she heard cheering from the people around the park.

S was still looking at her, face as emotionless as it was before. Kagura didn't even spare a look for him, she was much more interest in looking at the smiling people in the crowd. Then the song hit its final chorus.

”My time or your time, it really doesn't matter, Is it the past or the future, it really doesn't matter. Time is still precious.”

Kagura had wrote the song together with Bansai. She poured her whole heart and soul into it, mirroring her feelings about time in to the song.

For the last part of the song, Kagura pushed her raw emotion through her voice.

”What happened to our time? I don't know the answer, but...my time...is precious.”

Kagura ended the song, her eyes felt wet, but she didn't want to start crying in the middle of the stage. She could cry all she wanted in the backstage, now was the time to take in the applauses. Time to feel the love.

The audience was mesmerized and speechless. It had been a long time since an outstanding voice like Kagura's had been heard. Then a young man with a kind smile, lifted his fist up. ”You're amazing Gura!”

Kagura looked at the man, he truly had the sweetest eyes she had ever seen. She gave him a nod as her humble thanks, causing his eyes to sparkle.

”Yeah!” someone yelled.

”A sunflower with the most beautiful voice ever!” another one yelled.

Kagura kept looking at the people in the audience. She almost couldn't believe how excited she made everyone feel.

”Gura, Gura, Gura...” a man began chanting from a crowd and it only took a second for everyone to join his chant. In a moment the whole park was calling her name, making it impossible for Kagura to hold back her tears.

Gintoki looked at his foster-daughter. She looked so happy and proud of herself, there was nothing he wished more than her happiness.

S felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his main bodyguard, Hijikata Toushiro, the black-haired man Gintoki had argued with. ”This is our change to make a discreet exit,” he said.

S nodded as his answer. With Gintoki's help, the bodyguards got inside the security fairly easily.

Kagura glared from the corner of her eye that S was leaving. She felt relief.

She wasn't a fan of his, never had been. From this day on Kagura would remember him from one thing and one thing only; he almost ruined her debut and she hoped never to see him again.

To him, she became someone he would definitely remember.

A/N:

*bridge: a musical term, is often used to contrast with and prepare fot the return of the verse and the chorus *a capella: singing without instrumental accompanimen

#okikagu #gintama #kagura #okita sougo #okita x kagura #kagura x okita #fanfiction #au #k-pop au #alternative universe #fluff #drama #romance #light angst #slow burn #i repeat slow burn

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razberryyum · 5 years ago

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A Gintama episode a day keeps the ending away…Episode 140

Episode Title: Beware Of Those Who Use An Umbrella On A Sunny Day

MY 18 FAVORITE MOMENTS IN EPISODE 140 (manga chaps 211, 212 and 213):

I said holy shit a lot whenever I read chapter 213; and of course I do the same thing when I watch this episode as soon as the Kagura’s brethren show up.

1) This wasn’t as obvious in the manga, but I really appreciated the fact that the anime made it clear that the only reason Kagura had any difficulty facing down Tsukuyo and the Hyakka was because of the ridiculously high platform shoes she was wearing since she was shown tripping on them. We all know all of the ladies would’ve been no match against our Queen otherwise.

2) Pachi-kun really has the best expressions.

3) Kagura and the Hyakka ladies would be good runner ups to Shinpachi in the facial response department.

4) Gin-chan’s line was much less cringey and flirtatious in the manga.

5) Tsukuyo obviously had a soft spot for Gintoki right from the start.

6) I really liked this nameless Hyakka member who totally threw Gintoki under the bus. She was so adorable.

7) The signs of Tsukky being a future contender for Gintoki’s affections really were pretty obvious right from the start. He complimented her SO MUCH, and she really was VERY nice to him.

8) Gin-chan’s death face is the true tragedy here.

9) Baby Tsukuyo breaks my heart. She is a bundle of sadness.

10) Hinowa is really so awesome. I know Tsukky turned out to be the more important character as a result of this arc, but a part of me still wishes Hinowa had been the one only because so many things were against her as a heroine and future love interest for Gintoki. She was a prostitute, she is handicapped and she can’t fight, and yet she is one of the most beautiful, strong and brave characters in the series.

11) I mean, at least he looked less ragged in the anime. This is definitely a case of his personality eventually winning me over because I actually think he’s handsome now, but when he first appeared, I might’ve winced.

12) I appreciated that all Abuto needed to do to show how strong he was was bite down and crush a metal kunai. This is where my “holy shits” probably started.

13) One of my favorite scenes in the entire series and it STILL gives me chills every time I see it even though I’ve seen it many times already. I especially love how Kagura was so shocked that her pupils diminished to the size of pinheads (that’s why I chose that moment for the title image this time).

14) That’s ALL she got to say...

15)...before her crazy-ass big bro just smashed her to death. I really should have hated Kamui more for being so abusive right from the get-go, but I just couldn’t.

16) Not that I like Housen, but I should point out that the anime kinda downgraded him because in the manga, he was said to be ABOVE Umibouzu in power, which actually makes more sense because as strong as baldy is, it’s hard to imagine him being as brutally powerful as Housen. I sometimes wonder how Housen would’ve fared against Utsuro.

17) This fucking cutie. How was I ever supposed to hate that adorable face? And to make matters worse, they also gave him a totally soft-spoken, cute uke-ish voice as well. I was completely defeated right from the start.

SHIPS TALLY:

Gintoki x Tsukuyo: yeah, Sorachi-sama laid it on pretty thick for them in the beginning.

Gintoki x Shinpachi: really just because Pachi-kun looked so damn grateful Gintoki came just in time to save him and Seita. Like he was close to tears.

Tsukuyo x Hinowa: the love and affection was there between them early on, I would’ve been willing to board the ship for them as they are now, with Tsukky all grown up since they obviously still share a strong bond.

5/20/2019

#Gintama #Gintama anime episode 140 #Yoshiwara in Flames Arc #Yato Family #GinTsu #Gintoki #Tsukuyo #Hinowa #Kagura #Kamui #Abuto #Shinpachi #GinShin #TsuHino #Housen #Umibouzu #Life and Love #THANK YOU Sorachi-sama

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animebw · 6 years ago

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Ranking the Gintama EDs

As promised, just as I ranked the Gintama OPs for my closing day with that show, now I finally get around to ranking its EDs! This was a much more difficult task in a lot of ways, just because there’s so much goddamn variety across these 30 entries in what they’re setting out to do. But I persevered, because if Gintama’s taught me anything, it’s to never give up on being and doing what I want to be and do. So click the Keep Reading bar to see how, in my opinion, theses EDs stack up against each other! Warning: It’s a looooong post.

30: Silver (ED 27)

Oof, this was a disappointment. The Battle of Rakuyo is still my favorite arc from the entire show, but this ED just does not do it for me. I don’t like the screechy, obnoxious song, I’m only vaguely impressed by the Shogun-style flashback cards for everyone that don’t have that much personality, the color palette feels pretty inconsistent, and there just isn’t that much substance to it. It’s all tacky, garish style that doesn’t do justice to just how fucking incredible this arc is. Oh well, at least its matching OP still kicks all the ass.

29: Fuusen Gamu (ED 1)

Well, good news, everyone, it’s all uphill from here! In all honestly, I don’t dislike Gintama’s first ever ED as much as I’m just bored by it. I like the song fine, but the slow, languid scroll through character shots plopped randomly in space is probably the laziest possible execution of an ED imaginable (Looking at you, first Golden Wind ED). Plus, Gintama itself will utilize this same basic framework with much more style and talent later on, so it just feels superfluous now. It may have started this grand adventure off, but this is one first step I don’t mind never returning to.

28: Anagural (ED 19)

Listen, I’m a sucker for stylish, James-Bond-esque spy noir trappings as much as the next guy, and everyone looks really damn stylish in a suit here. Otae especially is just killing it. But that’s also all this ED is, and the song has the same ED 27 problem of being too screechy to really get into. Oh well, at least it gave me another entry on the Kagura in a Suit counter, so I can’t complain too hard.

27: Candy Line (ED 4)

Good old Ginpachti-Sensei, man. One of the show’s most storied running jokes with the distinction of not just one, but two EDs dedicated to it. This is definitely the lesser of the two, as it’s just panning shots across a corkboard of pictures of school life in this alternate timeline. But the pictures themselves all have a lot more going on than any previous ED, and the implication that this is all literally a student’s memory board of time spent in Kabukicho High gives it a lot of character.

26: Saigo Made Ii (ED 24)

My boy Sadaharu finally gets an ED all to himself, and it's... okay. It's decent. It's mostly what you'd expect of a Sadaharu ED, showing off the big pooch exploring the city and reuniting with his family at the end for an adorable splash image. There's a fun gimmick in how he sees a different incidental character in the sky every time, reminding us of all the tiny people making up this massive world, but other than that, it's pretty standard.

25: Yuki no Tsubasa (ED 3)

There’s a running theme with these lower-tier EDs that the reason they end up so low on the list is that I just don’t have that much to say about them. The same holds true here; it’s literally just a bunch of shots of characters standing around watching the snow fall down. What gives this one a slight edge over the previous four, though, is the subtle melancholic atmosphere of it all. The blacked-out sky, the low-key rock ballad... it just has a little more weight to it than, say, Candy Line. And sometimes, that little bit of difference counts.

24: I, Ai, Ai (ED 11)

This ED’s biggest failure is a lack of throughline. Individually, everything about it is really strong: Shinpachi’s determined sprint through an autumn forest, Kagura wandering in her rainy past only to open her hand to the sun, Okita training in the red light of days gone by, and a striking, poetic song all carry a lot of gravitas. I just don’t really get a sense of how they all connect with each other. With a little more cohesion, this one would end up a lot higher.

23: Balance Doll (ED 18)

It's at this point that the Gintama EDs officially escape "meh" territory for me and become experiences I love going back to. While there isn't too much to this one beyond the stylish color contrast of the blue sea and while sky, and I really wish they had done more with the reflection gimmick, it still feels noticeably grander and more evocative than anything that’s come before. Something about everyone standing on this vast expanse of clear water really does carry a powerful image, especially when paired with the understadedly rousing song. Overall, just a really simple but strong experience.

22: Signal (ED 7)

Rejoice, fangirls; this one’s for you. Gintama’s never shied away from manservice before, but it fully embraces it here for a collection of beefcake shots worthy of their own risque calendar. Thankfully, every single shot is striking enough on its own, and the song itself is really damn good, elevating this gimmick into a truly memorable experience. Not to mention including Kyubei among the lineup as a real bro move, just in case you thought their gender fluidity wasn’t intentional. Kudos for that, show. Just never show me Prince Hata shaking his ass ever again.

21: Kisei (ED 6)

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of relaxing under a night sky and watching a shower of shooting stars pass by. This ED captures that lazy summer evening ethos, a balmy sequence of shots backed by an equally balmy song that really let you sink into the homey atmosphere that defines the Odd Jobs family. Gintama will capture this same sort of feeling better in later EDs, but this one is still memorably chill.

20: Sayonora no Sora (ED 16)

What better say to say goodbye to the first epic season of Gintama than with the graduation of its Ginpachti-Sensei class? Considering just how storied this gag is in Gintama history, calling upon it here really does make you feel the weight of everything that’s gone by. A page is being turned, a chapter is ending, but a new adventure is waiting just around the corner. Plus, seeing how everyone fits into the AU cliques, from the Kihetai delinquents to Tsukuyo as a teacher, is a really fun touch. What a perfect way to bid farewell.

19: Asa ANSWER (ED 13)

Goddamn, this one is really fun. The sketchy crayola art style makes the experience of watching the Odd Jobs family rotate through the globe of their lives feel like a children’s story unspooling in unchecked imagination, bouncy and funky and so goddamn endearing. This is the perfect ED for Gintama’s seventh, much more free-form cours, capturing its wild creativity and heartwarming comfort to a T. Plus, that song is freaking killer.

18: Hankou Seimei (ED 28)

The female-centric answer to ED 7, this one trades beefcake for cheesecake as it parades its ladies around in a series of incredibly stylish wedding dresses. What gives this one the edge, though, is that there’s an actual story being told underneath the fanservice. Kagura runs away from the altar to join all her female friends, holding a party for their own sake. They’re all dressed up for each other, not to get pinned to some guy. And that extra attitude makes this one feel so much more distinct and memorable. Plus, Kagura in a wedding dress. What else could you ask for?

17: Destiny (ED 23)

What do you get when you update the first ED’s boring character scroll and give it some actual pizazz? You get a moody, bluesy traipse through the show’s cast as filtered through a summer’s eve jazz radio station, an image of Edo nightlife as pictured by the lovechild of Vincent Van Gogh and Langston Hughes. Lose yourself in the groove and let the cool vibes wash over you, because there’s no better bop to get you psyched to go out and hit the town as the streetlights flicker overhead.

16: Expect (ED 22)

The Beautiful Days OP may have perfected this expressive, pop art style, but it truly suits the world of EDs better. The goofy texture of the emotions it brings out work far better cooling you down than hyping you up, and goddamn are all the individual frames really expressive. There’s a kind of childish innocence to this style, how colorful and vibrant and simple it is. And wouldn’t you know it, that sense of youthful delight was entirely the point, as it turns out that this entire ED was a puzzle that Kagura was putting together of all the people who make her life so special. It’s that final reveal that makes this ED really sing; nothing like an unexpected endorphin rush of sweetness to send things out on a high note.

15: Sanagi (ED 9)

The past is the single most powerful force in all of Gintama, so any time it shows up is sure to leave a mark. And that’s certainly the case here, as we take a look at snapshots the childhoods that made our favorite idiots who they are today. Seeing the temple school, Kagura’s family, Shinpachi’s training, Kyubei’s faith in Otae, and so much more together, shining under the bright summer sun, really drives home just what a massive impact their pasts have all left on them, and how important their collective experience of growing up is to the paths they chart today. Add to that a song that perfectly captures the feeling of wistfully looking back at the magical days gone by, and you have yourself a nostalgia bomb sure to get the feels flowing.

14: Mr. Raindrop (ED 2)

I don’t know how or why Elizabeth’s EDs always end up being so goddamn great, but I’m not complaining. It’s such a simple concept; this doofy duck creature dancing through the rain, punctuated by his cover almost getting blown until he reaches Katsura to share an umbrella with him, with a brief insert of the cast lazily going about their days in the shadow of a light shower. But the animation is expressive and fluid, the timing on the jokes works great, and most importantly, the song itself is fucking amazing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just started humming Mr Raindrop appropos of nothing; it’s so goddamn catchy and such a fantastic little ditty. This is just pure, concentrated goofiness, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

13 : This World is Yours (ED 10)

Listen, I never claimed to not be biased here. I could praise the strength of the song and the unique beach poses everyone strikes in that big panning shot, but we all know the real reason this one’s so high on the list: it features Kagura frolicking on the beach in a sundress and being the single most adorable living creature on the planet. What do you want from me, it gets me every time. I live for seeing my queen this happy.

12: Shuura (ED 5)

And thus begins the reign of DOES as the second-most iconic Gintama band. Okay, I kid, but going back to this ED, it really is stunning just how hard an impact it left the first time that camera blasted through the plains, following a butterfly as is flew right at Takasugi, turning to face us with a gleaming eye, backed by those epic opening guitar riffs. This was an explosion of epic, befitting the jaw-dropping eruption of purpose that was the Benizakura arc, and it hyped you up for the upcoming clash like nothing else. Gintama’s transcendence into the annals of “blowing my socks off” history began here, and it’s still just as riveting as ever no matter how many times I watch it.

11: Nakama (ED 20)

Gintama’s had its fair share of EDs that essentially boil down to “show off how big the cast is”, and while there have been plenty of iterations on that idea, this one really stands out for both how simple it is, and just how effective that simplicity ends up being. It’s literally nothing but Gintoki driving on his motorcycle as images in the sky scroll by of every single solitary character that’s ever appeared on this show, collected in a single massive collage and organized by the timeline of when their stories were told in universe. But it’s so powerful, because it literally takes you on that journey all over again, sending you through the emotional gamut of the entire show up to this point, from the biggest arcs to the most incidental side characters. It’s the entire Gintama experience boiled down to a minute and thirty seconds, and it truly makes you appreciate what a phenomenal achievement this show it.

10: Kagayaita (ED 12)

I struggled for a while deciding which of the two Dark Motorcycle Ride EDs I liked better; they’re both so fucking powerful. And it really pains me to put the endcard for Yoshiwara in Flames lower, because goddamn if it doesn’t capture every single ounce of the epic grandeur that made that arc so legendary. Gintoki riding through a windswept desert at night as the towering figures of the City of Night look down upon him, Kamui’s unmasked face blowing in the night air, those chilling four-chord slams that open and close the song out... it feels like stepping into a legend. And the rising sun finally peeking out at the end as Kagura and Shinpachi welcome their father out of the darkness is an image that will stick with me forever. I’ll never forget this arc, nor this perfectly matched ED.

9: Speed of Flow (ED 8)

And yet, it’s the goddamn Elizabeth motorcycle ride that wins out in the end. Why? Because it achieves something that should be impossible: it makes this dopey, bulky blob of a mascot character feel like the most badass motherfucker to ever Mad Max his way across the landscape. It should be impossible to make Elizabeth a figure of genuine magnitude, but this ED achieves it. And it does so with a gust of wind, a gorgeous sunset, and the single most pulse-pounding song in the entire Gintama pantheon. I’m not even joking, Speed of Flow is such a fucking masterpiece all on its own that I’m 99% sure you could set Prince Hata’s booty shaking to it and it would still be the coolest things you’ve ever seen. What a goddamn rush.

8: Wo Ai Ni (ED 14)

I really shouldn’t have to explain this one. I should just be able to point you to the picture I used for it and call it a day. But for the sake of completeness, what I adore about this ED (besides the obvious) is how well it captures the sloppiness of everyday life in the Gintama universe. The snapshots of characters hanging out here are almost all tinged with a purposefully unrefined edge, booze and sparks and dust and ramen flying everywhere with explosive force. Because that’s the magic of these characters: they’re so filthy and dirty and flawed and broken, and that’s what makes their connections so genuine and powerful. I feel like I could reach out and touch these moments, that’s how lived-in they feel. And yes, Kagura’s smile at the end as her family comes to rescue her from her loneliness is the single most soul-cleansing image I’ve ever seen. Aside from, you know, every other moment Kagura’s on screen.

7: Samurai Heart (ED 17)

I praised the hell out of Spyair in my OP post, so let’s keep the praise train flowing: this band is as singularly suited to the unique flavor of Gintama’s soulful badassery as Linked Horizon is to Attack on Titan. Their songs all capture the magnitude and resonance of the Odd Jobs family’s most defining moments perfectly, and their stellar introduction here is no exception. Soaked in rainy atmosphere and the chill dread of the Four Devas arc, this ED starts Gintama’s second season off by blasting into the stratosphere propelled by rocket fuel and electric guitars. It. Kicks. ASS. And it’s all things to that utterly killer song. Samurai Heart forever, y’all.

6: Hikari Shoumeiron (ED 30)

It still tickles me that the Gintama team managed to craft such a perfect final OP and ED for their final season, only to find out that there was still more story to tell. But I can let it slide, because wow, was this a fantastic way to say goodbye. It works in stages, each iteration of the ED continuing the clip show of the entire fucking show as it takes you through every single moment you’ve spent with these idiots on your way to saying goodbye. And by the time you’ve reached the last one and you’ve finally caught up to the Silver Soul arc, you’re left in awe of the journey you’ve experienced with these characters, and just how hard it’s going to be to say goodbye. Not to mention the characters themselves showing up in the foreground of the Odd Jobs house, contrasting the magnitude of their grand adventures with the simple, wonderful truth of their everyday life. Because that’s always what’s mattered most in the end. Farewell, Gintama. I hope your true end is just as singularly stellar.

5: Wonderful Day (ED 15)

This is the absolute pinnacle of Gintama’s “just show the whole cast” EDs, a long and storied tradition dating back to its first ever ED. Not only is the song just fucking perfect, and the subtle character animation and interplay really fun as new people keep joining in on the train following behind Gintoki, but that moment at the end where he turns back and sees everyone that’s joined him on his journey is the soul of this show writ large. Gintoki starts his journey alone, and without even realizing it, he draws the people he cares about into his wake, until he looks back and sees the legacy he’s leaving behind in every smiling face, every moment of connection, every part of this wonderful, wonderful family he never even knew he needed. And he turns back to the sun, smiling with the knowledge that his journey forward isn’t one he has to take alone. What a perfect moment. What a fantastic ED.

4: Glorious Days (ED 25)

And straight from days to days, we reach the ED that’s really an OP in disguise to match the OP that’s really an ED in disguise. Honestly, it feels a little unfair to compare Glorious Days to the rest of the crop of EDs, because it’s operating on such an entirely different plane of action. But judge it I must, and sweet buttery crumpets, is it spectacular. What really sticks out in my mind is just how killer the color design is; every image is saturated almost to the point of hurting with intense, bright, primary colors that sear their way into your skin like neon lights (even though there are few actual neon colors in the palette). It feels like the heat of the sun itself is boring into you, fitting for marking the moment where the sun firmly sets on Gintama’s entire world in the Shogun Assassination arc. And there are too many memorable tableaus to count: the Odd Jobs family huddling for comfort in despair, Gintoki’s enemies all flashing by him, Kagura and Kamui preparing to face off once again... yeah, this one really leaves an impact. It’s the first explosion of the shockwave that rocks Edo to its core, and it hits with the full force of that magnitude.

3: Moonwalk (ED 21)

And the award for “most robbed Gintama credits sequence” goes to the cursed Kintama ED that only got once opportunity to play in its true form. Yeah, I was surprised to, but going back and rewatching all the EDs for this list, I was shocked by how good it was. It’s a burst of pure, unadulterated whimsy, following the Odd Jobs family on a trip to the goddamn moon on a magic space car in a magical sequence straight out of a Mary Poppins-esque flight of fancy. Watching this ED, I feel like a kid again. I feel just so overwhelmingly swept up in the (literal) dream logic at play here, reminded of a time when space was the coolest fucking thing ever and I just wanted to go out and jump around on mood dust and feel the breeze blow through my hair and live in that feeling. And the song is such a perfect cornball goof to fit that tone, and Kagura’s perfect smile as she feels the wind rush by, and it’s just so epic in scope yet unflinchingly light and airy at the same time and Christ! Look, it’s goddamn criminal that the Kintama arc didn’t allow this ED to stick around, because it makes be so fucking giddy every time I watch it. If you’ve slacked on it, give it a second chance; it really is nothing short of enchanting.

2: Acchi Muite (ED 26)

Out of all the Gintama EDs and OPs, this has come the closest to making me cry all on its own. What can I say, it’s such a perfect encapsulation of the raw, emotional power that makes this show so untouchable. The gimmick of the postcards of the past fading into the present is the single most evocative symbol in Gintama’s entire history, showing how the people we’ve come to know and love have grown and lost over the years, how far they’ve come, what they’ve left behind, and what they’ve gained in turn. And every single one of them is perfect. Okita and his sister fading into the modern Shinsengumi, a new family formed where the last one was lost. Shinpachi losing his brother but growing to match his prowess and courage. Kyubei and Otae finding each other across time and space. Edo itself rising from the ashes of what it once was. The Shogun and his retainers fading into the distance, their promise fulfilled at last. And, of course, Kagura and Soyo both losing their families to the ravages of time, yet coming together to find comfort in each other’s company all the same. God, that single image should be illegal in how much it tears my heart to shreds. Add to that the deeply melancholic, yet hopeful, song backing this kaleidoscopic snapshot of the passage of time, and you have yourself a recipe for a true ugly cry of an ED.

1: Hana Ichi Monme (ED 29)

But yes, much like the OPs, it’s the epic conclusion to the grand journey of Gintama that ends up taking my top spot. Yeah, it’s not the “final” final ED, but Hana Ichi Monme, for all intents and purposes, is the grand farewell that the Odd Jobs family deserves, and it’s truly fucking amazing. The sketchy, pencil art style renders the sprawling history of this show in stark, expressive lines, taking us on an almost abstract walking tour of loss and love, despair and hope, and a bright future just over the horizon. Just that one montage leading into the chorus, snapshots of the central trio’s past and present overlapping in ripples of time, is enough to overwhelm me with emotion. Not to mention in the lead-up to the chorus where everyone’s face slowly turns in to meet each other straight on, piece by piece turning away from their inner darkness (represented by Shoyo, facing the camera straight on) to find the fire they bring into each other’s lives.

But it’s that final montage that really sells it. Snapshots of everyone’s arm raising in the same motion, weapons drawn and fading into each other with clockwork precision, it’s the entire goddamn city of Edo itself coming together at last, facing the same direction and fighting for the same purpose, standing united like never before until Gintoki’s wooden sword, carrying the love and strength of everyone else with it, finally carves through the air and points toward the rising sun over the wreckage of the old world, to the bright future that we can all stand and greet together. That, ladies and gentlemen, is nothing more or less than Gintama itself. And that’s why this ED is, in my opinion, the true masterpiece of Gintama goodbyes.

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #gintama #sakata gintoki #gintoki sakata #shimura shinpachi #shinpachi shimura #kagura #otae shimura #toshiro hijikata #hijikata toshiro #okita sougo #katsura kotarou #yagyuu kyuubei #takasugi shinsuke #sakamoto tatsuma

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swans-anime-ramblings · 6 years ago

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Finally finished Gintama

I’ve been watching since July, so it took me quite a long time for me to finish :-). Since it’s been a constant in my life for more than 6 months I thought I’d do a little write-up on it.

What I loved:

I absolutely adored Gintoki, from the bottom of my heart. As a character I found him so refreshing. He’s a shonen lead who isn’t innocent or naive and who knows how to read people in different situations. His laziness only contrasts with his fierce will to fight in the best of ways. Every time he picked up his sword, I was rooting for him with eyes glued to the screen. I loved that we sometimes got a peek at what he was thinking. Those sword fights were mesmerizing to watch and had so much weight.

I love Katsura. For a while, he’s just a goofy character who makes trouble, but towards the end we got to see the serious side of him. We were able to find out who he really is and it made me appreciate him so much more.

I love Hijikata and all the Shinsengumi. Again, they start off one way, but by the end, they’ve morphed into something different. Something awesome, and noble. I really applaud Sorachi’s character progression. It feels like a lot characters were able to grow and change as the story did.

The dynamics between the Odd Jobs crew were super fun and different than in most manga/anime. Normally, it’s the girl who is the “straight character” and who berates everybody else to behave. But in the case of Gintama, the boy is the straight character, and Kagura is just as gross as Gintoki is. I LOVE IT.

Most of the serious arcs were so good I’m already thinking about going back and re-watching some of them. So much heart, good life advice and drama packed into those arcs. <3

I can’t believe how willing Sorachi is to kill characters off. This is a gag manga and more people have died then in One Piece :-P. I can respect that.

What I didn’t like so much:

I’m not a huge fan of toilet humor. Poop jokes, barf jokes, and the like are just not my thing, and there’s a lot of it in Gintama. By the end I was starting to lose my patience and I ended up fast forwarding through some episodes so I could get through it.

I didn’t want any backstory for Elizabeth, so what I got disappointed me. I would’ve been perfectly happy with Elizabeth being some random man with hairy legs that wore a duck costume. I think that’s part of her charm, and weirdness. Ultimately the show is a gag show so it doesn’t need to explain anything.

As much as I ADORE and think the serious arcs and plots in Gintama are well written, I think the motivations for Utsuro are sub-par at best. If the dude just wanted to die, all he had to do was leave the planet. Him wanting to make the planet explode for whatever reason felt hollow and cheap. I felt the same with Kagura’s mom. She could’ve easily left and gone to her home planet for a few months to recover, then went back to live with her children. She obviously lived off-world for quite a while without getting sick. Any sane person in that situation wouldn’t just roll over and die. They’d go get better, and figure out how to keep themselves healthy while being there for their children.

If I had to guess, Sorachi is burnt out and has been trying to end his manga for sometime, but hasn’t been able to make it work yet. Burnout happens to almost every mangaka writing a long series, so I understand. But it’s still disappointing.

In conclusion:

I’d totally recommend Gintama to anyone who hasn’t seen it. If you’re like me and don’t like toilet humor, not all the comedy is in that vein, and I laughed out loud plenty of times. Even though this is a shonen anime, it does a lot outside the genre’s tropes. There’s actual stakes to the plot, and Gintoki is an awesome badass with a multi-faceted personality. You can be sure I’m waiting with anticipation for the anime’s return.

#gintama #sakata gintoki #kagura #shinpachi #katsura kotarou #gintama elizabeth #silver soul arc #odd jobs #gintama anime #hijikata toushirou #shinsengumi

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powerup-the-revolution · 6 years ago

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I went to see the new Gintama live action movie today !! It was absolutely epic and I didn’t expect it to be aired anywhere else than in Japan, so when I saw that it aired in a couple cinemas in Taipei, I was over the moon :’)

A lot of feedback with a lot of spoilers under the cut !

Where do I start ? The humor was on point, as you’d expect from the Gintama franchise. Sometimes it got a little too heavy, making me feel glad I went alone instead of taking a friend who knows nothing about Gintama along, but this movie has made me laugh out loud more than any movie before.

Also, to my very great surprises, there were both traditional chinese and english subtitles !! My japanese is definitely not enough for me to understand all the jokes and references, so the english subs really saved my butt here.

The acting was, for the most part, really really great. I especially enjoyed the Shinsengumi, with Kondo delivering some of the best emotional moments (which was unexpected considering he’s often the butt of the jokes), Hijikata’s actor really nailing the Tosshi side, and Okita being his usual deadpan yet very intense character. And let’s not forget Yamazaki, whose actor was absolutely adorable and gave that one ‘murder’ scene all the glory it deserves :’)

Kondo gets a paragraph to himself, because he delivered the speech that really struck me as the most emotional and well-played scene in the movie : that speech about his flag not being pitch-white. The dialogue in itself sounded fairly the same as in the anime, but the actor did a superb job at delivering it. I was at the edge of my seat, watching him talk back to Ito with his cheeky smirk, surrounded with the men who had just betrayed him.

I also really enjoyed the portrayals of Ito and Bansai. Like in the anime, Ito was very stoic yet menacing all through the movie, at that one said towards the end where he pleads for mercy went straight to my heart. Bansai’s outfit was definitely the best one out of everyone (yet it’s the only one that gets mocked xD), and his fighting techniques looked quite decent, though I personally wouldn’t have picked bright yellow for the color of his weapon’s strings ...

The only criticism I’d have towards the cast is Kagura’s actor, who looked a little stiff and out of things at some moments (I notably caught her staring at absolutely nowhere when adressing other characters, which looked quite strange), and Takasugi - though maybe it’s his voice that bothers me the most. Nothing can equal Edgy Samurai Dio.

Now for the music. For the first hour or so, it didn’t stand out much and was neither annoying our outstanding, but as the action got more intense, the music also gained a level of awesome. It felt a lot different from the original soundtrack, except maybe for a reoccuring theme that sounds very much like this arc’s original theme, but else it sometimes felt like I was watching some Ghibli or Makoto Shinkai movie. Which isn’t a bad thing ! The music as pretty and harmonious, with some memorable, more jazzy/rock themes that really impressed me.

And now, for the biggest part : the story. It’s been a long while since I saw the anime movie, so my memory might fail me on some details, but there are some important points that are definitely different from the original story.

First of all ... no cursed sword. It took me a while to understand why they changed such a big part of the plot - it was probably to give the story more closure, instead of having ‘Tosshi’ somewhat live on. I don’t remember whether the sword was pushed in Hijikata’s path by Ito, but this time around, it’s clearly said that turning him into a weak otaku was part of Ito’s plan to get rid of the vice-chief, before he eliminated Kondo himself.

The whole chip story held itself together, though it also meant that Tetsuko didn’t get to apepar again and was more or less replaced by Gengai - but this is where my memory fails me, as I’m not 100% sure what role either of the two have in the original story. The fact that Katsura also appears a couple times, and notably during the Mad Max-like battle near the train, surprised me a little.

I am also fairly sure that the whole ‘Bansai going after the shogun’ thing didn’t happen at all that way in the original story. It led to a rather puzzling battle between Gintoki and Bansai : the battle itself was absolutely epic, and has my favorite track out of the OST, but the setting of the battle felt extremely odd to me. It looked like it could have belonged in a Star Wars movie more than in Gintama, with how pitch-white and modern it looked.

There was some weird CG, some outrageous references that weren’t at all in the original story (I am still laughing about the Evangelion scene .. just get in the fucking robot Tosshi), a lot of mosaics, many epic reactions, very moving scenes ... Everything you’d expect from a good Gintama movie \o/

#gintama #gintama spoilers #aaahh i wrote so much now i really need to sleep x)#buying the tickets was an adventure but boy was it worth it

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sidsinning · 6 years ago

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These are kinda spur of the moment so

1. Gintama

2. I’m not thinking too much into this rn so I might be forgetting a series, but for now its either Oreimo or Fairy Tail

3. Kagura from Gintama

4. Sada Sada. Complete ass.

5. B L E A C H

6. There’s honestly too many for anyone of them to be my favorite but I really like Gintama Op 9+13, Bleach Op 13, and Hellsing’s Op.

7. Perfect Blue (Does movie count?) If not then finishing Cowboy Bebop.

8. Inuyasha

9. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

10. Kagura and Gintoki from Gintama, Mob from Mob Psycho 100, Erina from Food Wars!, and currently Ulquiorra from Bleach.

11. I try not to watch shit anime so this was hard

1. Orihime Inoue from Bleach- She was reduced to a pair of boobs that’s only purpose was to be in love with the main character and scream his name. She honestly had potential to be great but became the damsel in distress for Ichigo to save for the rest of the series.

2. Michal Amagi from Mermaid Melody- REALLY ANNOYING. GOD DAMN. Her excuse for being a manipulative bitch was because she was sick and sheltered. Used it as an excuse to keep Kaito with her and is a total bitch to Lucia.

3. Kirino Kosaka from Oreimo- She’s really annoying and hits her brother a lot. A bitch for no reason. Idk why he fell for her. His sister. His sister.

4. Haru Miura/Kyoko Sasagawa from Katekyo Hitman Reborn- Yall might think this is cheating but they are basically the same. They are cute girls there to just cry and be protected by the heroes. (Spoilers) LITERALLY FUTURE TSUNA SAID THEY WERE BROUGHT TOO SO PRESENT TSUNA WOULD HAVE A REASON TO FIGHT. The fact that they were put in the kitchen for most of the anime is pretty telling. The episode where they boycott their duties while the guys are training and fighting to protect them just pissed me off so much. I know they are starved for info about their situation but seeing how much the guys are struggling, now with the added burden of not eating properly for their training because the girls were being grumpy like my goooooodddddddddd fuck right off.

5. Komori Yui from Diabolik Lovers- MY GOD GIRL. STRUGGLE. SCREAM. TRY TO FIGHT BACK. WHY ARE YOU BEING REMOTELY FRIENDLY WITH ALL THESE MOFOS????? WHY DIDN’T YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO STAB THE GUY WITH THE SILVER WHEN THE ONLY DECENT ONE TOLD YOU TO TO HELP YOU? YOU WANNA DIE???? WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS???

12. Tama from Gintama- Her original arc with her pseudo-father was a great introduction to her character. After that she was placed in the background mostly but when she had her own focused episodes I find myself really intrigued. Her learning human concepts like having fun with Gintoki, or being friends with a vending machine are just adorable and make me want to learn about her even more. Don’t even get me started on her impact in the Kintoki arc.

13. Ouran High School Host Club

14. Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

15. Gintama

16. Ouran High School Host Club

17. Diabolik Lovers

18. Right now it’s Kira Yoshikage from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

19. Gintoki from Gintama

20. Currently Ulquiorra from Bleach

21. Charlotte Chuhlhourne from Bleach

22. Bleach, yall been knew dis...

23. Off the top of my head Jonathan Joestar from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

24. Action

25. YALL BEEN KNEW DIS ITS OKITA SOUGO AND KAGURA FROM GINTAMAAAAA

26. Primo/Giotto from Katekyo Hitman Reborn- Goddamn that voice, the eyes, the outfit, the aura, just- god. damn.

27. Ouran High School Host Club- even rich people seem nice (though of course not all)

28. idk what this means

29. same as above

30. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood- Good to recommend to people who don’t even watch anime

31. H A R E M S H I T

32. Naruto. I know it’s a basic answer but meh. The only character I like is Rock Lee lmao

33. MM!

34. Mob Psycho 100 S2

35. I’m not sure what this means????

36. same as above.

let’s talk anime!

1. best anime you’ve watched

2. worst anime you’ve watched

3. favorite character from your favorite anime

4. least favorite character from your favorite anime

4. best ending of an anime you’ve watched

5. worst ending of an anime you’ve watched

6. favorite opening sequence

7. top anime you plan to watch

8. first anime you’ve ever watched

9. lastest anime you’ve watched

10. top 5 characters you would die for

11. worst 5 characters

12. most underrated character

13. favorite one shot (1 season) anime

14. favorite completed (multi seasoned) anime

15. favorite on going series

16. anime you wish had another season

17. anime that didn’t deserve more seasons but got them anyways

18. favorite villain

19. favorite hero

20. favorite costume/character design

21. ugliest costume/character design

22. any endings that you would rewrite

23. characters that deserved better

24. favorite genre

25. best relationship between characters in your favorite anime

26. first crush on a character

27. which anime universe would you like to live in/be a part of

28. give me two anime to pick between

29. give me two characters to pick between

30. favorite anime you’d recommend

31. anime to stay away from

32. most overrated anime in your opinion

33. most underrated anime in your opinion

34. anime you’re looking forward to

35. favorite animation style

36. least favorite animation style

#sidrabbles

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skia-oura · 7 years ago

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Hey, in this economy, you want to hold onto every 50 yen you have, so don’t be wasteful!

A/N: Got a lovely review in like April or May and went ‘huh, I wanted to write something with Shinpachi but never had anything come to mind’ and started this fic, thinking it’d be the same length as the other two. 2k, maybe 3. Hahahahahahahahaha. No. 6k. Gintama. Rated T for some innuendo and language. Purely platonic. FYI, 50 yen is about $0.45.

Ao3 ff.net

One would think that with all the screeching and yelling Shinpachi does during the day—at Kagura-chan and Gin-san for beating that old megane joke into the ground, at getting caught between Kondou-san and Kyuubei-san’s ongoing fight over Ane-ue’s honor, at literally nearly dying because of some stupid, overdramatic reason—one would really think that Shinpachi, resident weak link and straight man, would scream himself awake from a nightmare. He’d never been the most emotionally reserved or removed from even vaguely upsetting situations, so Shinpachi doesn’t really blame them. And honestly? They wouldn’t be half wrong. As a kid dreaming about little-kid fears, Shinpachi would screech and wake up and bang an elbow against the closest piece of furniture and well, after that, he’d bawl about the nightmare and the elbow because what if the nightmare happened and what if he’d broken something he’d never move his arm again Ane-ue, Ane-ue! Then Ane-ue would come in, hair cropped short because she hated it getting in the way and thought it was cute so there, Otou-san! and Otou-san allowed it because Ane-ue was frighteningly good with her naginata even then. Anyway, she would come in, and hug him, and then smack him on the head because samurai don’t cry over hit elbows or giant spiders or talking char, idiot! Then they’d fall asleep together and everything would be right in the world.

That night, though, with Shinpachi older but not old enough, he dreamed of harder truths. He woke quietly, his face wet with tears but oddly relaxed, and stared at the ceiling. The realization of where he was came in split-second observations: it wasn’t home, and oh the boards are newer there from when Kagura punched Gin-san into the ceiling over the last serving of rice last month, he’s with them for the night. Because that job went late. Right.

Shinpachi blinked, and saw the imprint of Obi-nii-san’s eyes, lit up red by the glow of his Beam Saber, on the back of his eyelids. Squeezing his eyes shut only made it worse; Ane-ue between them, her hand raised and her eyes lowered—the dry smell of concrete dust and the strain of his tight jaw—Obi-nii-san’s suddenly brown—no. Shinpachi opened his eyes, lifted one hand to wipe the tears off his cheeks, and stared at the ceiling in an attempt to keep his mind off that fight, five months ago.

There’s moonlight filtering in through the window, Shinpachi noticed. He latched onto how it made everything kind of silver—silver striped with shadow from the bars, the grain catching the light and glistening, if he looked close enough. Which was hard without his glasses on, so he reached over to the table next to the couch and searched with one hand for them. Of course, he only succeeded in hitting them off the edge—he’d set them too close to the side again, damn it all—and listened to the glasses hit the floor with a dull clatter. It was harsh, in the silence. Shinpachi stared at the ceiling, arm still hovering over the table, listening for any sound from Kagura-chan or Gin-san.

Nothing. No snoring, which was surprising considering Kagura-chan’s occasional ability to wake up even Otose-san. There wasn’t even Gin-san’s quiet rumble. Shinpachi would be suspicious if he hadn’t seen them both near stumbling into bed; Kagura-chan had nearly fallen out of her closet, even. He would have made a joke if it weren’t for how exhausted he was too. As it was, he’d barely taken off his glasses before falling onto the couch.

Right. Glasses. Shinpachi wondered if it would even be worth it to search them out. It was late, he was tired, and he was sure something exhausting would happen tomorrow too. Look at who he worked with! Sleep was better to get than glasses. Experimentally, he shut his eyes. He willed himself to think of Tsuu-chan’s latest concert: how cute she looked in her latest mini-kimono, crossed and uncrossed lips wrapping across the fabric. A smile stretched across his face at the thought of her dyed purple hair, the adorable kanzashii holding it up, metal glinting in the concert lights and then metal spinning out into the air, broken by a single strike, Obi-nii-san falling backwards with the smallest, softest sigh that Shinpachi had ever heard.

Shinpachi opened his eyes, rolled off the couch as carefully as he could, and searched the floor with his fingers for his glasses. He wasn’t getting any more sleep tonight, Shinpachi knew. Not when Ane-ue wasn’t there to hold him and be held in return, the way they had the first few nights of their vacation after Obi-nii-san’s sacrifice.

It really had done them good, Shinpachi thought as his fingers brushed one cool metal arm of his glasses, to get away for a while. Warm weather. Sun. Women in bikinis. Chocolate-covered macademia nuts. No worrying about jobs or money or anything. Much. Blinking at the fuzzy shadow of Gin-san’s desk, Shinpachi dragged his glasses from under the couch and put them on after wiping residual tears from his eyes.

When he next looked at the ceiling, he could see the woodgrain in more detail, could see the patchwork repair job done on the door leading to the entryway in subtly different shades of paper. He could see how one floorboard jutted up, and wondered if Gengai-san would have a hammer or something that they could pound it down with. ‘They’ didn’t include Kagura-chan, though. She would just hit a hole through the floor. And not only did Shinpachi not want to deal with a broken floor, but he especially did not want to deal with Otose-san’s righteous fury at having her ceiling broken through. It just would end badly for everybody. Especially Shinpachi, because Kagura-chan and Gin-san were like five times faster than he was and wouldn’t blink at throwing him to the wolves if it heightened their chances of survival.

Well, not wolves. It was actually a robot maid, a neko-girl, and a baba that really was probably a Baba Yaga or something. Shinpachi would take wolves over that unholy trio. He would give himself to the wolves.

Shinpachi looked over at the Justaway clock in the corner. Quarter past four: it was a shame, Shinpachi thought, that he’d only gotten maybe three hours of sleep. His eyes were sore, so sore, but he didn’t close them. Instead, he tamped down on the frustration rising up to press against the back of his nose, press against his eyes and make them water. Shinpachi blinked the welling tears away, then reached under his glasses to wipe them away when that didn’t feel like enough. Taking a deep breath, he tried to center himself, exhale shaky. Calm. He needed calm. He watched the second hand click, click, click from the seven to the eight, and wondered how he was supposed to occupy himself quietly without waking Kagura-chan and Gin-san.

Then he wondered if he actually needed to be that conscientious of their sleeping needs. Shinpachi frowned, remembering the time he’d been napping on the couch because nothing was going on only to be woken up ten minutes later by an insistent Kagura-chan who demanded lunch—fine, Shinpachi, it’s really second lunch but that’s only because the lunch you made was so pathetic and weak and I’m a growing girl, not a megane like you!—and took over the couch as soon as he’d gone to the kitchen. Or the time they’d slept at the Shimura home and Gin-san shook him awake every half hour, stuttering about ghosts and how no he wasn’t scared of ghosts but maybe Shinpachi was and he just needed to stay awake, okay Pattsan, okay?? Or the time Sadaharu literally sat on him because Shinpachi had laid down on the floor without giving him water, or the time they’d insisted on making dinner right when he was starting to have a good dream, or—

No, Shinpachi decided. He did not need to be considerate, not with the shit he had to put up with from those two. Three, he thought, narrowing his eyes at the closet door, where Sadaharu was probably taking a break from trying to tear the metal sheet at the back of the closet down. Three.

Rice sounded good. Rice and miso soup and maybe it was a little early for breakfast, but if he took a page out of Kagura-chan’s book that would be fine. It was just this once. So Shinpachi stood from the couch, fiddled with his glasses, and began to shuffle across the floor. With one hand, he braced the right side of his neck and stretched it, then switched sides and repeated. As he slipped into the kitchen—he wasn’t doing great at this whole purposefully loud thing—he stretched back until a ripple of cracks and pops echoed up his spine. Ane-ue hated it when he did that. She always threatened to give his spine, or his knuckles, or whatever joint it was a good reason to need cracking. Gin-san just mocked him—you’re so old already, Shinpachi!—until he moved and something cracked and his face went all screwy-funny. He never appreciated Kagura-chan’s cackling then, about curtains matching drapes and poles and when Gin-san yelled about her dirty dirty mind and his pole was working just fine, thank you very much, Kagura-chan would make some snide comment about children and how fast Gin-san seemed to be done at any brothel he ever went to, and it would just devolve from there.

Shinpachi flipped the light switch and crouched to pull their commercial-grade rice cooker from under the sink. He plugged it in, then stepped over it to open the tall cupboard for all their rice and pulled the sieve off the crooked hook inside. He crouched. The light buzzed overhead, aggressive, the way it did when it was about to burn out. Shinpachi hoped it wouldn’t do it anytime soon; he’d like to see. With a big yawn, he tugged the closest bag of rice open and felt around inside for the scoop. The cooker could hold up to 60 cups of raw rice. Kagura usually ate half the cooker for breakfast on light days, so they needed it. Shinpachi scooped ten cups of rice into the sieve—any more, and it would be difficult to wash—and rose from his crouch.

He flipped on the faucet, pushed dirty dishes out of the way, and then balanced the sieve in the indent of the drain. Out of habit, his hand hovered at the side of the sieve for a moment, just to make sure it didn’t tip—and there it was, it was falling over into his hand. He righted it, hovered a moment more, and then reached for the tasuki hanging on a hook near the mirror over the sink. The water ran, a white rush of sound, as he tied his sleeves back with the tasuki. His motions reflected in the mirror caught his eye, and he stopped mid-step on the second sleeve to look at himself.

The skin under his eyes looked a little bruised. The rims were red, the eyes suspiciously shiny. His eyebrows were starting to grow into a unibrow. That escapade sometimes gave him nightmares, but they were ones he could laugh at. There was also a zit on the right side of the bridge of his nose, he noticed, and a couple were starting to emerge on his chin. Unlike his facial hair. Shinpachi snorted at the thought, and finished tying the tasuki. The subtle scent of wet rice rose, then fell, to the back of his throat. He reached out to the sieve full of rice, and then began scrubbing them, fingers curled loosely and palm pressed against the grains. The water ran milky under the sieve when he lifted it to check a few minutes later, and he continued to wash.

This was only the first batch of rice to be washed. Once the water ran clear, Shinpachi would dump this load in the cooker’s pot and start the process all over again, four more times. Fifty cups of dry rice. About a hundred cooked. He really didn’t need to make much, but they didn’t have a smaller cooker and it would be such a waste only to make a little and then have to clean the pot. Shinpachi could just feed the rest to Kagura-chan and Gin-san after his early breakfast, or pre-breakfast snack. Or, if he was feeling vindictive enough, he’d leave the dirty pot in the sink and bring the rice down to Otose-san. Not only would that throw Kagura-chan into hysterics, it would endear him to Otose-san, which might be nice the next time she came around to badger Gin-san for rent money.

The water ran clear. Shinpachi lifted his hand closer to the faucet and let the water wash away the grains of rice clinging to his hand. Once they were gone, he lifted the sieve with both hands, shook it a couple times to settle the rice and get some of the water out, and swung it over to the pot. Water dripped onto the floor between the sink and the cooker, fanned out from inertia and glinting in the buzzing, flickering light.

Shinpachi crouched, tipped the sieve, and watched the rice crash down into the pot in a clumping spill of dully-gleaming grain. He tapped the edge of the sieve against the side of the pot, and then reached in to scrape the rest out of the sieve—especially out of that one crimped corner, where they all liked to go and none of them liked to come out.

That task done, he stood up, eyes flicking to his reflection, then back. He turned and stepped back to the rice cupboard, reached for the cup, and began to scoop. One, two, three, four…

The repetitive tasks were nice, he thought right around scoop eight. They dulled his mind, smoothed the sharp edges and let him immerse himself in the moment. He was never the greatest at seated meditation, at closing his eyes and focusing on nothing, but intense focus on one thing, on one task? That brought him the most peace. It was part of why he’d picked up cooking in the first place—well, that he’d kept with it.

Twenty minutes later—it felt like twenty minutes, at least—he was on sieve number four when he heard a voice. “Shinpachi?”

He looked up, saw Kagura-chan in the doorway. She looked exhausted. He felt a little bad for banging about so early, all of a sudden. She was just a kid, even if she was a menace that denied him sleep more times than he could count. “Kagura-chan, it’s okay. Go back to bed.”

She hummed, and stopped rubbing her eye. The light in the hallway behind her was still pale, not that Shinpachi expected otherwise. The sun began to rise around six, these days, and it wasn’t anywhere close to that time.

“Can’t,” she mumbled. She took a couple tottering steps forward, feet bare. “You’re so noisy.”

“I’ll try to be quieter,” he said. The rice under his palm ground against itself, pressed into his skin and nestled into the creases of his digits. He clenched, it pushed out in the gaps between his fingers, and he relaxed and it stayed molded in the shape of his grasp. “Go back to sleep, Kagura-chan.”

Instead of turning back around, she shuffled forward and bent down by the rice cooker. “Rice?”

Shinpachi sighed and turned back to the rice. Of course she wasn’t going to listen to him. Why would she? “I woke up and was hungry, so I decided to make something.”

Kagura-chan hummed again. Her presence behind him was—distracting. He couldn’t lose himself in the rush of water, the underlying whine of the pipes having to work, in the rub of grain on grain or the slight squeak of metal on metal. If he focused on her behind him, he could just make out her breathing. It was slow, almost deliberate. It kind of made him want to turn around.

He lifted the sieve and watched the water filtering through the rice. It was almost clear enough—just one more go. Shinpachi lowered it into the sink, held it with one cold hand and began to rub it cleaner with the other.

“How many?”

“How many what?” He asked. The glare of the metal sink was getting to him. It would be worse if the light weren’t yellow, he thought.

“Cups. Of rice.”

“This is forty,” he said.

A pause. “Can we cook it after that?”

He paused mid-scrunch, and shifted to look over his shoulder. Kagura-chan was playing with the rice already in the cooker, one index finger pushing at individual grains. He let the water run and watched her for a bit. “Are…are you hungry?”

Kagura-chan didn’t nod. She didn’t demand he go faster. She smiled in a way that didn’t push the corners of her eyes up and shrugged. Kagura-chan wasn’t looking at him.

Shinpachi looked at her, really, really looked at her. Her hair was less of a mess than usual. She had one arm curled around her knees, which were together instead of splayed out without a care for basic decency. Her back was curved over the cramped lines of her legs, her front pressed against the tops of her thighs. The skin under her eyes, though in shadow, looked darker than it should.

At his silence, Kagura-chan raised her head. She scowled. “Whatchu starin at, four-eyes?”

He wondered if he should just let it go. That was kind of status quo here, the way it wasn’t with him and Ane-ue. “You look tired,” he ventured.

“Better than you,” she shot back. She jabbed one finger into the rice.

He turned back to the rice, and continued to wash it. He could hear her now, playing with the rice. It was faint under the noise he himself was making, but he could still hear it.

Time passed like that, him washing rice, Kagura-chan getting her dirty hands all over the rice he’d already cleaned. She was tired, though; he could excuse it. Wasn’t like anybody else was going to eat it. Now that Kagura-chan knew it was there, Shinpachi sure wasn’t going to be able to get into Otose-san’s good graces by giving her cheap food. Maybe there was another way to avoid being collateral damage next time rent was due. Overdue.

He lifted the sieve again. The water ran clear. With a satisfied hum, he set the rice in the sink again and turned off the faucet. The handle squealed shut, even though it never made a noise turning on. Maybe Gengai-san had something for that too.

“Is it ready?”

Shaking the rice to level it out and to get the water out, Shinpachi shook his head. “It still needs to be filled with water.”

“Fine.” She shifted, and he heard the pot being pulled out of the cooker. He stepped to the side just in time for Kagura-chan to set the cooker the space between dishes. “Here. How much?”

Shinpachi tipped the rice into the pot and listened to the sound of it. He shook the sieve, then held it with one hand as he pointed out the right line after a moment’s calculation. “To here.”

“Okay.” Kagura-chan reached over and turned the faucet on. Barely a squeak. Shinpachi narrowed his eyes at it. What kind of faucet didn’t squeak one way but squeaked the other, anyways?

He scraped the rice out of the sieve with cold fingers, and then flushed the remaining grains out under the faucet before setting the sieve to the side. They stood there, Kagura-chan’s shoulder a fist’s-breadth from his arm, and watched the water flow. The force of it made the water in the pot ripple in the light overhead, made little frothy bubbles bloom into temporary existence on its turbulent surface. Shinpachi took in a deep breath, and let it out. He closed his eyes. Red. He opened them and tried to quash the sudden welling of frustration, because he was supposed to be over it already.

“Why’d you wake up anyways?”

He glanced at Kagura-chan. She was watching the water carefully. “I,” he started, then stopped.

The water reached the right line. Kagura-chan reached forward, turned the faucet off with a sharp squeal, and then settled back onto her heels. She grasped both sides of the pot, and looked at him. “You?”

Obi-nii-san, he thought. Overcome with the urge to start crying again, he pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses and took another deep breath. Keep it together, keep it together. The cold of his fingers helped. He focused on it. “Bad dream,” he said, finally.

There was a moment of silence. Shinpachi saw nothing other than starbursts of phantom light and pressure on the backs of his eyelids.

“Oh,” she said. He heard her lift the pot out of the sink, heard her set it into the pot. The catch of the lid, the shift of its feet against the floor, and then the click of the dial and the switch to turn the cooker on: he clung to the sounds and tried to distract himself with them.

“I should make the soup,” he said.

“Instant?” she asked.

“Do we have any dashi? Miso, tofu, scallions?”

“Umm.” He opened his eyes, watched her peer into the refrigerator. She pulled a couple things out—a tub of white miso paste, bargain tofu, and a pair of sad, limp scallions. “Where’s dashi?”

He bent over and pulled the ingredients off the floor. Thankfully, she’d put the scallions on top of the miso paste tub. “If it’s not in the fridge, there might be a container on the shelf above it. Maybe we have kombu and bonito flakes?”

Kagura-chan hummed and pushed the door shut with her foot. She rummaged around the shelf and pulled out the necessary ingredients, then passed them to Shinpachi. He plugged in the hotplate and set it to medium heat before digging around for a pan.

He didn’t mean to be loud, but must have succeeded, because by the time he’d pulled a battered saucepan out and filled it with tapwater, Gin-san spoke up from the doorway. “What the fuck are you guys doing up already? It’s still darker than Madao’s future.”

“What time is it?” Shinpachi asked. He added a couple slices of kombu to the simmering water and began to watch it for the boil.

“Uh,” Gin-san said. Shinpachi heard him step out of the room, and there were a few moments before he came back. “Like, five fifty? My eyes are crusty, it might be a little before or after.”

“You’re just crusty,” Kagura-chan said. She had a knife out. And a cutting board. And was actually cutting the scallions, unprompted, while Shinpachi is in the kitchen. If he weren’t so tired, and if that morning weren’t already weird with people actually being up, Shinpachi would be amazed. Part of that though might be the fact she’s cutting them on the floor, in typical Kagura-chan fashion.

“Like I said though,” Gin-san drawled, but there’s something in the undertones of his voice that Shinpachi doesn’t know how to read. “What are you two doing up? Growing kids need their sleep, need to stay a good distance away from the TV when they watch their favorite programs or their favorite weather girls, all that stuff.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Kagura-chan and Shinpachi said at the same time. It’s almost the same tone, too.

Gin-san shuffled closer and peered over Shinpachi’s shoulder. He smelled really, really strongly of sweat, and Shinpachi shifted a little away. “That’s why you go back to sleep until you fall asleep,” he said. “You kids are too young to be insomniacs. That’s Gin-san’s job.”

“Shinpachi’s making breakfast,” Kagura-chan said. “I found him washing rice and decided to make sure he didn’t eat it all.”

Shinpachi rolled his eyes. “Yes, because my human stomach can handle that much rice,” he said. He tried not to think about how easily ‘food for him’ turned into ‘food for everybody.’ At least he’ll make somebody a good husband one day. Or be around to save his sister’s spouse from the decision of death by char vs death by starvation.

“And why was Shinpachi up, eh?” Gin-san elbowed him in the ribs. Absentmindedly, Shinpachi swatted at him with his cooking chopsticks. “Kid dreams? Big kid dreams? You finally ascending the ladder into adulthood, Megane? Dreaming about getting those lenses rubbed?”

Shinpachi snorted. The water began to show signs of boiling, so he pulled the kombu out and set it over the edge of the sink. Steam rose in billowing gusts, barely visible in the cheap lighting. He popped the container of bonito flakes open, added by feel, and then popped the container shut and tossed it to Kagura without looking. She yelped, there was a clattering noise, but no retaliation was forthcoming so he counted himself lucky.

Gin-san stepped away. The air was a little less stale, and Shinpachi tried to take in as surreptitious a breath as he could. He brought the broth to a simmer and stirred, and felt suddenly very, very tired.

“Shinpachi?”

His chopsticks were loose in his fingers. He tightened his grip and looked over his shoulder at Gin-san. “Hmm?”

Gin-san stared at him a few moments longer, and then looked down at Kagura-chan. She’d moved on to the tofu, and was cutting it in careful, slow slices. While he was distracted, Shinpachi pulled the pan from the heat and set it on the counter to let the bonito flakes steep.

“Kagura-chan,” Gin-san said, uncharacteristically slowly. “Kagura-chan, do you want me to take over the cutting.”

“No,” Kagura-chan said. Shinpachi bent and scraped the cut scallions into the bowl of his hands. He stood, and realized he didn’t’ know quite where to put them. How was miso soup made again? He didn’t need the scallions yet.

“Do…do you want a bowl for that, Pattsuan?”

“I. Probably.” Shinpachi blinked and tried to remember the steps. “And another small one, for the miso?”

“Tell you what,” Gin-san said. “I know how to make miso. You and Kagura go—go sit on the couch. Or something. I’ll finish it up.”

“No,” Shinpachi said. “I started it, I can finish it.” Kagura-chan made a noise of affirmation somewhere below him. The scallions were suddenly out of his hands and in a bowl. He didn’t remember that happening. It was like seeing Ane-ue’s charred tamagoyaki and rice attempts and trying to run but suddenly finding it in his mouth. Except less deadly.

Gin-san pulled the rice sieve over and tipped the broth over. There was already a bowl underneath to catch the broth as the bonito flakes were strained out. “You kids are making me scared. I haven’t been this scared since Sakamoto tried to make us all food on less than five hours of sleep over a seventy hour period. I’m more awake. Let’s keep the bloodshed in the kitchen to a minimum.”

“You’re the one who attacks me when I get into the strawberry milk,” Kagura-chan grumbled. Her tofu cubes were getting bigger and bigger. Shinpachi crouched down to fix the problem and had to hold his head. Well, he realized, at least he wasn’t remembering Obi-nii-san—shit. So much for that.

“Hey,” Gin-san said. “My precious strawberry milk is precious and off-limits and there is no maximum blood-spilling when it’s involved.”

Shinpachi watched the slow glint of the knife as Kagura-chan moved it. He shouldn’t have been watching it, because that was just inviting bad memories in, but he did anyways. It slid through the tofu, the latter soft, yielding to the pressure, the former not even sharpened but sharp enough that it mattered. Shinpachi wondered, again, if Obi-nii-san had let him win. If he’d made himself hold back so that Shinpachi and his family wouldn’t die. He’d sacrificed himself so they wouldn’t, after all. And Shinpachi was—he was weak, weaker than anybody he knew. Except for Baka Ouji and his attendant. And probably Madao. But really, that wasn’t saying much.

Obi-nii-san definitely let him win. He reached out for the knife and started cutting Kagura-chan’s blocks into things more resembling cubes. The handle was slick in his palm, and he couldn’t focus well, but he pressed on. Slice by slice, cut by cut, he focused on how the feel of the hilt of the knife was so different from the hilt of the sword, how there was no red glinting or reflecting.

Kagura-chan’s forehead pressed against his shoulder. The knife slipped out of his hand and into the pile of lopsided tofu. He blinked down at her. “Kagura-chan?”

“Mmmmm,” Kagura-chan said. “Just a couple seconds, Shin-chan.”

Chopsticks clattered in the sink. Shinpachi listened to the short echo of wood against metal before it was drowned out by Gin-san’s voice. “Okay, no no no, I did not pay 50 yen for you to just sleep all over our food. Get up you two, get up.” Gin-san got up close and pulled them up to standing positions. Shinpachi breathed in his rank, sweaty stench, and covered his nose.

“You reek, Gin-san,” he said.

“Don’t you know that’s what grown men do?” Gin-san said. He spoke quietly, though, and it confused Shinpachi. “Eat, drink, sweat, and play pachinko. Kids like you just go back to sleep instead of being awake at ass-o’clock in the morning.”

“Don’t wanna,” Kagura-chan whined. Shinpachi nodded, even as he and Kagura were escorted out of the kitchen.

“You guys aren’t even going to stay upright, are you?” Gin-san muttered. “Okay. New plan. Get in here.” He opened his door and kicked the covers away before setting them on his futon.

“It stinks,” Shinpachi said. He also didn’t move.

Gin-san groaned, muttered something, and then stomped off. Kagura-chan found his shoulder again. Her breaths started to even out, but they’d hitch every once in a while, and she’d tense, and then it would happen all over again. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her steady, and it seemed to help a little.

Gin-san returned and dumped the layers of a clean futon on the ground a layer at a time. “Climb on in,” he said. “Get some sleep.”

Shinpachi looked up. Gin-san’s bedhead looked to have twice the volume it usually did, by nature of the light catching the filaments of flyaway hairs. “You?”

“What about me? I’m going to finish breakfast.” Gin reached over and pressed against Shinpachi’s back. “Go over to the other one if this stinks too much.”

“You’re tired too,” Shinpachi said. He shook Kagura-chan from her light doze, and they crawled over in an uncoordinated tangle of limbs.

Gin-san scoffed. The light blinked off. “Real Adults are energized even after only a few hours! More energized than the creep in the bunny costume in those battery ads, even.”

“No wonder you’re brain dead, then,” Shinpachi said. “Lack of sleep has killed off your…your things.” He reached up, right handed, to pull his glasses off. Kagura-chan was gripping his right arm, her forehead again at his shoulder. He could feel the warm, soft huff of her breath through the fabric of his sleeve.

“My things, huh. Sure, four-eyes,” Gin-san said. The next thing Shinpachi heard was the sound of the door sliding shut, and Gin-san’s footsteps into the kitchen area.

Shinpachi reached down, pulled one of the blankets up and over himself and Kagura-chan by feel alone. It was soft with age, and smelled both old and like the flowery laundry soap that Otose-san bought that Gin-san liked to nick whenever Yorozuya ran out. He breathed it in; clean, like spring mornings with Ane-ue during their childhood, when they’d make flower crowns that fell apart seconds after being coronated with them.

Obi-nii-san had gone with them sometimes. Shinpachi wrapped his arm around Kagura-chan, turned on his side so that he could set his chin on the crown of her head. Her hair tickled his nose, so he shifted until it didn’t anymore. She mumbled something, and then she was gripping the back of his shirt, the cloth shifting and pulling in response. He inhaled, and then exhaled slow. Exhaustion made it easy to ignore the way his left arm was curled uncomfortably between them.

The side of his hand rested against the space between her shoulder and her collarbone; he had the sudden thought that this was somehow inappropriate. Kagura-chan was a girl, just beginning puberty. He was a teenage boy. It would be frowned upon—Shinpachi made to shift back, but Kagura-chan grumbled and pulled him back.

“Don’t think,” she said. “Mami said that if you let them, they’ll stop you from sleeping.”

If he were more awake, Shinpachi would have argued. Instead, he went pliant. Focused: on the smell of clean memories, the softness of Kagura-chan’s pajamas, her warmth like Ane-ue’s when they were children, the muffled sounds of Gin-san finishing the miso in the kitchen. On his breaths: in, out, in, out, in…

Later—it had to have been later, because he was on his back, Kagura-chan’s leg kicked over his and her hand fisted in the shoulder of his sleeve, still tied back—he half-woke. Something had him tilting his head to the right, and there Gin-san was in the dim, dim morning light. His back was to the wall, and he was watching them with an expression Shinpachi didn’t know. Not having his glasses on didn’t help.

“Go back to sleep,” Gin-san said. He shifted his legs so that the left was bent up. “It’s only been thirty minutes.”

Shinpachi watched his blurry form. Even without his glasses, though, he could read the slack in Gin’s shoulders. “You too,” he mumbled. “Your stinky bed is right there.”

“I told you,” Gin-san said, “adults only need—”

“Fuck that,” Shinpachi said. “Stop. Stop doing.” Shinpachi bent his elbow and waved his right hand around. “That. Just—just sleep.”

Gin-san didn’t move. Shinpachi remembered days and nights of doing that, of watching his sister do that at their dying father’s bedside. That’s when he’d learned to make miso, and porridge, because Ane-ue was terrifying in the kitchen and they didn’t actually want to hasten their father’s death.

“We’re not gonna disappear,” Shinpachi said, and closed his eyes. “Just sleep. Don’t think.”

He waited for Gin-san to respond, and when he didn’t, Shinpachi dragged his eyes open and glared. “Gin-san. Seriously.”

Gin-san was quiet moments longer, before he sighed. Shinpachi watched him stand up. “Fine, fine, fine,” Gin-san groused with no real ire. “Have it your way.”

He turned his head and followed Gin-san’s motions over Kagura-chan’s head: kneeling on the futon, shimmying down its length, and pulling the covers up. Gin-san huffed, but didn’t speak.

Shinpachi closed his eyes. A few minutes later, right on the cusp of sleep, he heard Gin-san mutter to himself, “Huh. This does stink.”

Far enough into sleep to not laugh, Shinpachi managed a smile, and curled into Kagura. His arm draped over her side, his fingers arched in the air, fingernails brushing fabric. Later, when they woke up and the sun was high and Catherine-san was knocking at the front door wondering if their lazy asses were asleep or if they’d finally kicked the bucket yet, they rolled apart and didn’t talk about it. They heated up the miso soup, plugged the rice cooker back in to warm. Gintoki argued with Kagura-chan about who should clean up the shit on the floor and who should go retrieve Sadaharu. Shinpachi ended up having to pick up said shit. They got another request, and ambled out to go rescue Moriyama-san’s favorite cat from a mechanical tree.

But Shinpachi didn’t dream, and Kagura-chan looked less tired, and Gin-san didn’t stare at them for moments on end like he was trying to make himself believe they were really there.

#kagura #gintoki #shinpachi #gintama #fic #gintama related #Shimura Shinpachi #sakata gintoki

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