#and the best part is that shigeshige was also there

[longtimewish]

Actually I wanna do a rank of the final arcs for real (spoilers ahead!)

Shogun Assassination: 9/10. The arc that made me start Gintama. I wish I could watch it again for the first time because some moments just don't land the same anymore; the first time I watched 305 I was SOBBING, on rewatch it didn't hit me that much. STILL is the best reveal that Sorachi has ever done, truly peak writing. Because Gintoki's past ends up stealing the arc I had forgotten how awesome Zenzo, Sachan and Shigeshige's storyline was, the second you get them away from Gin they become the coolest supporting characters of the show lol.

Farewell Shinsengumi: 10/10. Literally a perfect arc. Sorachi's best serious arc, I caught up with Gintama when the second episode dropped and following it weekly not knowing what was going to happen permanently altered the chemistry of my brain. This was the real turning point of the story because it showed us that the characters couldn't simply go back to the previous status quo and had to finally face the consequences of their past. The Okikagu and Ginhiji moments seemed straight out of a fanfic at some points (I still cannot believe that Sougo saving Kagura from falling off a cliff even though he was risking his own life - with her even YELLING at him to drop her so he wouldn't fall too - is something that canonically happened). Katsura allying with Kondou and Matsudaira was one the best things to ever happen in the series. This is the third time I watch this arc and Nobume and Isaburo's story still makes me cry. I Just. Love this arc so much.

Rakuyo: 8/10. My problem with this arc is that it is an arc, because there are like three separate plot lines that have nothing to do with each other and could have easily been divided into two arcs. I loved Kagura's development and finally fully learning about her past; Kamui is still the most underwhelming character of the show for me but well his presence was necessary so I'll forgive all the screen time he had. The Joui 4 should've been on the final arc, loved their moment but in retrospective it's incredibly random that the arc about Kagura's family is outshined by Gintoki's high school reunion.

Silver Soul (first cour): 6/10. On rewatch I realized I completely misremembered this arc. In my memories this was a serious arc with comedy moments, when in reality is totally a comedy arc that gets serious at the end. My biggest problem with this part of the arc is that right after establishing Utsuro as the series' final boss, Sorachi introduces as this arcs' villains the Liberation Army, a faction that not only we never have heard of before, but also that has NOTHING to do with Utsuro. So every fight against these bad guys do NOT get our heroes closer to defeating the Main Bad Guy, which makes this whole part feel like a side quest. My second problem was Baka Oji's backstory because what the fuck was that. Takasugi just having the uniform he used as a teen laying around is always going to be funny for me.

Silver Soul (second cour): 6/10. Bansai is unironically one of my favorite side characters and I will be forever mad at his ending :))))). If I already thought that introducing the Liberation Army at the end of the story was a mistake, Sorachi's insistance in showing us the bad guy's sad backstory proved me it was the WORST mistake of the arc (Hideaki you have a fantastic cast of characters teach us more about them instead!!! I don't care for this guy and I won't feel sorry for him!!!!). The fight against Utsuro, however, was very good (gotta love the power of love and friendship defeating evil). Time skip is def the highest point of this arc, I still remember how insane was waiting weekly for the manga to see what had been of a character, truly a time to be in the fandom. However after all the character are reintroduced the quality drops again because for some reason we are delivered some of Gintama's most unfunny and repetitive jokes for like four episodes straight?? (with the exception of the "trial" segment of the last episode, that was funny as hell).

Semi-final: 6/10. First episode SUCKS, truly a low point in Gintama's humor. Second episode, however, was peak comedy and the Shinsengumi's last moment at the centre stage, so I really enjoyed it.

The Final: 8/10. Does anyone remember what a MESS was the publication of these chapters in the manga?? To be honest back then I was a bit disenchanted with the story, waiting months for a bit of a fight wasn't that exciting. So I'd never truly appreciated that this part is actually good, definitely the movie format improved it for me. Also shout out to Gintama for having the gayest final battle of all time, I was never a Takagin girlie but WOW there was just no heterosexual explanation for that scene. The final chapter just being a series of gags about endings didn't do it for me in the manga BUT I think in the movie it was done better and left me a better impression this time. Also I want to kiss on the mouth the anime studio person that added the five seconds Okikagu interaction that basically confirms that their relationship has permanently changed and that now they are actually closer than they were before.

During 2015-2018 I was utterly OBSSESSED with Gintama, like it lived rent free in my mind 24/7, and while I did follow the manga and read the ending when it dropped I hadn't watched the The Final movie (that's been out since 2021 I think??). Anyway flashforward to the last two weeks, my bestie who also had Gintama brainrot and me started a rewatch of the final arcs and yesterday we reached to the ending and WOW this shows is still one of my fav pieces of media of all time and watching it gives me an immense joy that can get me through really bad days huh

[vulpiximisa]

me, a huge gintama fan, having seen this arc several times, have seen this specific merch line before, his name is literally on the merch, upon seeing this piece of merch, every time without fail:

[zaruba-needslove]

This part breaks my heart... cos yeah, like in my previous meta... Nobunobu did end up with a lot of character growth ever since his character had first appeared in the series.

And I have to say... I really didn’t expect to get attached to Nobunobu, who... at the beginning made an appearance as antagonistic to the good guys. But then you see him slowly picking himself back up after reaching his lowest point until now when he finally earned the title of the shogun and gained the respect of his retainers.

Yet, just as Nobunobu was able to reach this point... what irony was it for him to also die so soon. And it hurts more when you see Tatsuma and Katsura’s last few words for Nobunobu as they tried their best to want to keep him alive. I mean... 

Just when they're about to be able to acknowledge that maybe Nobunobu wasn't really that bad a person, just like Shigeshige we ended up losing him as well. Have to say I'm not sure what hurt more; seeing Katsura and the others trying so hard to tell Nobunobu to stay alive... or the fact that he wasn't able to keep his promise to Soyo.

[suchine-toki]

(1) I don't understand what you all complaining about Gintama's ending. All because "Gintoki failed to protect Takasugi and Shouyou". Gintama has always had a "Soul over Body" theme. Way back in the beginning, Gintoki said that he'd rather his body break than his soul break. He told Kondo after ShigeShige's death that as long as they keep their comrades' "soul", their spirit, in their heart, those people never die.

First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to answer. A lot happened and I forgot about this until some time ago and I thought hey, it would be good to finally reply on June 19th, considering a year has passed since the last chapter. I’ll answer from my point of view, so please don’t expect this to be a summary of why people aren’t satisfied with the ending. I only represent myself.

To start, I would like to clarify that I’ve tried to like Gintama’s ending, I really have. I’ve tried to see things from the point you are presenting to me and say "it was fine." But it didn't work for me. And to tell the truth, I also don't think it's okay to force yourself to like something, but I tried anyway because the series meant so much to me. At this point, when a year has passed since it ended, I still don't like the ending, so I don't think I ever will. Although I wish so.

You know, I’d Gintama on a pedestal. I still think it’s a very good series. However, I can't help but feel a little sad about how it ended. True, I’d high expectations, but in my opinion they were justified, Sorachi had written a great story after all. I never thought it was a masterpiece, but it’d a strong impact on me and, after all, that's what's important. If I decided to share my opinion it’s precisely for that reason.

Gintoki's failure to protect Takasugi and Shouyou is the top of the iceberg, there's a whole context you're missing here (the whole iceberg lol). Yes, one of the themes of the series is “soul over the body”. That’s why Gintoki suffered so much when he’d to kill his master, his soul was broken. And even though he kept on trying to live under his teachings, he still suffered for the decision he’d to make. This was in fact the main conflict of his character.

Gintoki feared losing his friends again, so he tries to carry his burden alone. In the last arc, I expected to see how he got through this. Instead, the last few chapters only revolved around things we’d already seen. A lot of time was spent on Takasugi, if he was good, if he was bad, stabbing him lmao when his character arc was practically resolved. Yes, Utsuro was still a pending issue, just as it was for Gintoki and Katsura (who was treated as if he didn't exist)! But Takasugi can't get over it and he dies. You know, if you ever have depression, the best way out is death :D

Arguably, Gintoki is the one who had it the worst, however, the “keep living” message applies to him but not to Takasugi. Weird. Returning to the point, by the end of the series the entire cast had their character development arc. The only ones left were Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura, the main ones. However, nothing happened to them. They just beat Utsuro, a villain that Shinpachi and Kagura had no relationship with (a huge mistake in my opinion), Shinpachi comforted Shouyou as you said, and that was it.

Then Gintoki went back to his old ways and it’s not clear he’s much better than at the beginning, and Shinpachi and Kagura forgot the dreams they once had. While it’s not wrong to want to be next to a person, when you cannot advance in their absence there is a problem, which is literally what happened by the end. Parting ways is presented as something bad, but you know… doing your own thing is not wrong. In fact, it shows maturity and growth, which was an especially important point for both Shinpachi and Kagura.

Well, in the end, Sorachi chose to maintain the status quo and repeat over and over and over again how happy everyone is like this... I think it’s great that you’re satisfied with the finale, I really do. I wish I could be you. But these things still bother me. I hope that in a year or two in a while I’ll get over it. As I was saying, I still consider Gintama to be a good series overall, it's just that its ending was a big shock to me. It's frustrating to see how something with so much potential falls flat. So, it’s a bittersweet feeling when I think about Gintama.

***

Here I link some posts I made that expand my thoughts on the ending on specific topics (it's fun bc you can see my different stages of grief lol) feel free to pick whatever you want ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿_

Chapter 703 /// Thoughts on Silver Soul arc /// Gintoki’s state /// Utsuro as a villain /// Takasugi’s death /// BFY ending /// Contribution of side characters /// Gintaladies involvement /// About the ships

***

I just wanted to see Gin smile like this...

[claymorecut]

I've seen people writing long metas and appreciation posts about a lot of Gintama characters but there is one character, I still haven't read much metas about. Kondo Isao.

If we talk about the storyline, Kondo is as important as any other character in the Gintama storyline but it always appeared to me that he's very underrated among fans. Most of the time, Kondo's just a gag character, used for just dick jokes and is a stalker gorilla and is more of a comic relief. But talking about a comic relief, mostly every character in Gintama is a comic relief. But it's the character's depth and relevance in the story that makes them so much more appealing.

Kondo Isao being no different.

If we throw aside all Kondo's stalking jokes and nakedness, what do we get? A genuine, calm, pure-hearted, kind, lovable, firm and respected leader- the chief of Shinsengumi. Without him, there would be no Shinsengumi. And it's been shown over and over again how influential of a character he is, whether it's the very first time when Hijikata fought Gintoki for Kondo's sake or that one time where Kondo took a bullet for some toad bastard and later how Hijikata and Okita, together, were making a barbecue out of that amanto, just for Kondo's sake, saying something like it weren't for that man, they'd be nothing but just a bunch of thugs. Or the Shinsengumi Crisis arc when the whole Shinsengumi went bazooka when they found out that Itou was actually planning to kill Kondo (remember the train scene with Sougo, hell, he was pissed af!) or the Farewell Shinsengumi arc which just beautifully crushed everybody's heart .

Talking about his influence on the Shinsengumi, Kondo is not just shown as their leader but also as a father/brother figure to the whole Shinsengumi. He binds them all together; without him they're lost. Kondo knows the meaning of being a true leader, he knows about his responsibilities and that it's not just only about him, he carries all these men together. He's a calm and collected personality, whether it is during the time when the Shinsengumi was providing security to that disgraceful toad who was bad-mouthing him over and over again or the time during the Mitsuba arc when he punched Sougo, knocking senses into him even when he was so damn agitated or handing himself over quietly to the Mimawarigumi when the Shinsengumi was away for the Shogun's funeral. These moments prove that he's the wisest amongst all; rather than letting his anger take the best of him and being reckless, he thinks it all through, patiently while making his choices. And that's one of the most important characteristic to be a leader.

Kondo's kind and generous character is also not invisible. Time and time again it's been shown how pure-hearted man he is. Whether it's his comrades, enemies, the Yorozuya or Otae, it's been made clear how good of a man he is. His crying face during the Shinsengumi Crisis arc when he's crying out for all his men, yelling he isn't worth dying for when all his were risking their lives for his sake or his genuine love for Otae, eating her dark matter happily and accepting her for who she is without any hesitancy or him running for Hijikata and Okita's aid during the Mitsuba arc, the Baragaki arc and the Rokakku arc immediately or simply helping the Yorozuya out of prison during the Courtesan of a Nation arc and fighting alongside them against Sadasada or leaving the Shinsengumi behind just so they can live on during the FS arc while he gets executed or his forgiving nature towards Itou and Sasaki who actually tried to kill him, because they were envious of him, that they could never be the man Kondo Isao was.

Now looking back at Kondo's past, yeah, it isn't as painful as Gintoki and Hijikata but still, he was always trashed by others, was mocked over and over again and was called a thief. Think how hurtful it can be for a child who just keeps on hearing trash from people and is actually called a thief, when he's done nothing close to it (well, other than him ogling at radishes because of his weird radish-fetish....)? He wasn't some honorable child to begin with; he was brash, animalistic and often heard shit from his parents. And yet, he fought all of this. He met his master, improved himself and when he thought he was abandoned by the man who accepted and taught him everything, he didn't forego. Rather than giving up, he now was determined to become stronger, to make a name for himself. He fought himself, tried to become a better person, struggled and became more stronger, inherited his father's dojo, taught sword skills to others, brought all those country samurai to Edo, formed the Shinsengumi with them and brought the best out of not just his men, but himself as well.

If it weren't for Kondo, Hijikata would still be the same ol' thug, swinging his sword aimlessly at whoever he wanted, wherever he wanted. If it weren't for Kondo, Sougo would be the same loner kid. If it weren't for Kondo, Yamazaki would still be the same Mountain Zaki. If it weren't for Kondo, maybe all these Shinsengumi members would still be aimlessly wandering somewhere. If it weren't for Kondo, there would be no Shinsengumi. It all started with Kondo. He is the core, the root and without him, his men are lost. He is the heart and soul who binds them all together, he is the man who gave them a purpose. Those country samurais who had no name, no education but just their swords. It was because of him, they found an aim for themselves. They found a reason for themselves. They found a name "Shinsengumi", they found respect, they found morals, they found honour, all just because of that man. No matter how much shit Kondo gets, his men are deadly loyal to him. Just because for the man he is. They look up to him, care for him, and I think, love him the most in the whole world because he's the one who gave them all, not just name and fame, but a family as well. He's respected, not just by his comrades but his enemies as well. Itou wanted to be a part of his Shinsengumi, Katsura actually went to that prison just so he could get Kondo and Matsudaira out. Even Isaburo stated what kind of a man Kondo Isao is, "gentle yet firm, a deadly combination" and that he wanted to be a better person than him. Tae almost getting her neck slashed by Nobunobu while defending Kondo's honour spoke how much of a great person he was, that almost everybody was willing to risk their lives for his sake. Gintoki seeing Shoyou in Kondo was a huge parallel, depicting the fact that just like how he was lost without Shoyou, the Shinsengumi would be lost without Kondo. Gintoki telling Hijikata that they could still save what they loved the most and that it's still not too late for them like him was crushing. Seeing Kondo dead (I know he wasn't) while all the Shinsengumi members, especially Hijikata and Sougo, stared at his body, heartbroken (you know you cried there!!). One can easily say how important Kondo is to all of them, how they just fell on their knees, devastated, when they all saw him dead in front of their eyes.

All this is brilliantly done by Sorachi, he never disrespected any of his character and proved their significance in his story. Even though he used Kondo as a comic relief most of the time, just like Shigeshige, he made it pretty clear that these two have a great impact on the characters, on the storyline. Yes, Kondo doesn't have one of those glorious single fights like Hijikata and Okita have but at the same time, it doesn't look very necessary as well. He may not be the best swordsman but that doesn't mean he isn't strong enough to kick ass. Hell, he runs this freakin' huge ass police organisation, he ain't no dumb monkey. Him pinning two yatos singlehandedly with just his sword during the SA arc and fighting alongside Zura against those Narakus may looked brief but in both of them, Kondo was really badass. His idiotic personality speaks badass, his men aren't blind. They know what he is and there's no need for any conformation. Also how in the FS arc, Kondo not for once abandoned Katsura or his men. Rather leaving the Mimawarigumi members to die, he actually helped them on the battlefield; him paying respects to Isaburo at the end of the FS arc with all other Shinsengumi and Mimawarigumi members speaks his genuine leadership qualities. His impact on his men, the Shinsengumi, and other characters is enough to tell how great of a man Kondo really is. His kind personality, saying "a leader is nothing without his men" and that he just wants to see his men live while he becomes another stepping stone for them is remarkable. He's a genuine, down-to-earth person who never sees himself as a leader or a superior but as an equal to his men. He's a man who's idiotic but at the same time, wise and lovable. He's the kind of person everybody can easily rely onto, he's the kind of a man who'll definitely watch your back during hard times, he's the man on whom you'll always lean on to cry, he's the man who will love you wholeheartedly but at the same time can punch senses into you and he's the man you will follow anywhere.

He's the embodiment of leadership in this series, and really, he's a man worth dying for!

[acuatique]

Understanding the relationship between Takasugi and Gintoki

This is gonna be a long one, so please bear with me. 

So from the very beginning of the series, we’ve been trying to understand the entire dynamic of these two complex characters, Takasugi Shinsuke and Sakata Gintoki. Up until the Tendoshu plot began unraveling, we’ve seen Takasugi as the primary antagonist. The trope is fairly easy to understand- two characters who completely contrast each other- we have Gintoki, a person who has a positive outlook on life, and forges relationships on the way. Shinsuke on the other hand, is focused on the entire “I will destroy this world” complex, and makes more enemies than friends (apart from his loyal comrades in the Kiheitai). Yet, these two share some very compelling similarities- the love they share for their teacher, and protecting what really matters to them. Having the same purpose, even if they carry out their way of fulfilling it differently (we’ll get to this later.) 

If we examine their relationship from their childhood, we can see that they do share a sense of rivalry- especially on Takasugi’s end, counting the wins/losses. However, they do respect each other- their teacher is instrumental in instilling this realisation in them, that perhaps they aren’t that different. Katsura on the other hand acts as the mediator between them, because he can see both of their POV’s since he has personally experienced loss as well. 

Fast forward to the time when Shouyou sensei gets arrested, and the three of them lose their father/teacher/guardian figure. We see two different reactions:

Gintoki, one of sensei’s earliest students, can immediately understand that Shouyou knows the implications of being arrested. He does try his best to prevent his sensei from being handed over to the Naraku, but seeing his teacher willingly leave, he can tell something’s up. 

Takasugi, also having tried his best, but unable to save Shouyou from being taken. Takasugi is someone who was disowned by his family, and craves the intimacy he gets from being like a son to Shouyou. Seeing his teacher stripped away from him instills a huge amount of anger in him. 

Fast forward to the Joui war, we have Takasugi, Gintoki and Katsura fighting for the soul purpose of avenging their sensei. In comes Sakamoto, and the Joui4 is born. Together they fight in what ends up ultimately being a losing battle. But one thing we need to understand here is that they aren’t fighting against the amanto for taking over the country- they’re fighting to get what matters to them back, and that’s Shouyou sensei. 

At the end of the battle, we have Oboro giving Gintoki a choice:

Kill your teacher (and mind you this was the first time they saw him after he was arrested)

or, kill your comrades (Takasugi, Katsura)

Like I’ve said before, Gintoki understands sensei in a way that’s different from the other two- he knows what it is that sensei would want. He knows that above everything else, sensei’s dying wish would be to see his students alive. So he is burdened with the task of killing the man who raised him, fathered him, loved him. Takasugi doesn’t understand this- he can’t fathom why Gintoki would want to kill sensei, because he knows sensei mattered to Gin more than anyone else. The fact that he chooses his comrades over his teacher, is the point where their animosity begins. 

Now coming to the Kiheitai’s debut, 20 years after the Joui4 went their separate ways. Mind you, we’ve seen Takasugi once before, when he attempted to assassinate the Shogun with Gengai’s robots. His efforts to destroy the Bakufu are ruined by the Yorozuya+Katsura’s joui faction. Here is where we see the “I want to destroy this world that took our Sensei away from us” story begin.

Takasugi continuously attempts to start a civil war within the Bakufu government- we can see this in the Shinsengumi Crisis Arc and the Baragaki arc as well. In between, we have the alliance between Takasugi and Kamui (Odds and Evens, ep 215) 

In the Courtesan of a Nation arc, Takasugi slips into the jail where Tokugawa Sadasada is being kept. In a way, he avenges his teacher by killing the man responsible for what happened to Shouyou. In the end, we get a scene where Gintoki and Takasugi cross each others paths, but it’s only Gintoki who turns back. Gin still shows a slight bit of concern for his old friend- he knows the path he is on will only lead to his own destruction. Takasugi has no reason to turn back, because he still sees Gin as the man who made that wrong choice all those years ago. 

Now we have Takasugi going in for the kill- allying with the Hitotsubashi faction to destroy the current regime in Edo, Kamui alongside him. And then, using the faction as a means to get to, and kill Tokugawa Shigeshige. 

And now, we have a full fledged fight between Gintoki and Takasugi. Quite a considerable amount of their relationship is revealed to us- this is actually where we first see why this animosity exists to begin with. 

Battered, the two part ways yet again with their respective Yato companions (Gintoki, Kagura; Takasugi, Kamui). 

In the Farewell, Shinsengumi arc, the main Tendoshu/Utsuro/Altana plot is revealed. Gintoki is now aware of what his sensei really was. He knows that Utsuro is the man he will have to kill- the man who gave, and stole his beloved Shouyou sensei. 

By the time the decisive battle on Rakuyou has begun, Takasugi is also aware of Utsuro. At this point, Gintoki and Takasugi share the same goal. Destroying Utsuro, and putting an end to his scheme of destroying the Earth. the arc ends with a Joui4 reunion, and again, the two part their ways. 

The next time they meet, they’re on the same fighting side.

With the war done, we have the time skip (2 years later)

By now, Takasugi is fully able to understand Gintoki, and why he chose to save his comrades. He finally forgives him, and now the two try to save Shouyou sensei yet again- using the heart of Utsuro.

Gintoki is Takasugi’s alter ego- he is the part of Takasugi that would have done the same, 20 years ago. More than anything, Takasugi is fighting with himself. He’s fighting with the part of him that would also have chosen to save his comrades over Shouyou sensei all those years ago. Post the time skip he knows why Gintoki made that choice, because he himself faced death, only to have Shouyou sensei save him yet again (through Oboro’s ashes).

To sum it all up, we can split their relationship into  parts-

1.      Childhood rivalry

2.      Joui war camaraderie

3.      Post Joui war animosity and hatred

4.      Protection (Gintoki) vs. Revenge and destruction (Takasugi)

5.      Understanding

6.      Revival of brotherhood

If you managed to get to the end of this, thank you so much for reading!!!

[regnigt]

It got a bit long, so I'll be replying to this post here, by starting a new post for @eclipseofshadows and anyone else wanting to talk about the Farewell Shinshengumi arc in Gintama and particularly about the interactions and relationship between Katsura and Kondo + Katsura and the Shinshengumi, in this arc and in following arcs. I don't have anything very spoilery to say right now but I'm putting this under a Read More cut just in case. (For my part, I've read up through chapter 698 so I'm personally fine with WSJ manga spoilers. I'm not up to date on any Jump Giga spoilers yet.)

[ETA in August 2023: I got a notification for this old post and found it turned out wonky-looking in mobile view - everything above the "Read More" cut disappeared. I've now removed the cut and hope that fixes the matter.]

Excellent analysis of Kondo's and Katsura's interaction, and how Kondo's attitude changes in turns with the events of the arc. I now think I should take back or at least modify what I wrote yesterday about Kondo post-Farewell Shinsengumi feeling a debt of honour to Katsura. It's true that he does outright tell him, "Now we're even", as your screenshot here shows; and I love how you point out that the real ground they can build on is Kondo understanding Katsura better, accepting him as a real friend and insisting they fight on together, which Katsura in his turn accepts.

Katsura trying to protect Kondo who he's gambled so much on in order to save can be seen as him asserting the mantle of a protective general towards his new subordinate -- a position Kondo refuses to accept in favour of the equal state of brothers-in-arms he posits instead, not letting Zura martyr himself. And that holds for the rest of the arc.

Afterwards, he does however acknowledge Katsura as a possible leader of the whole country, and a veteran at rebellion, who he can follow and in turn lead the Shinsengumi to follow. I now think there's less of an indebtedness there than I first thought: maybe below the surface, but Kondo wouldn't have said "Now we're even" if he didn't think so.

No, it now seems more right that it's Kondo's acceptance of Katsura as a brother-in-arms just leads naturally, under the specific circumstances the nation is in, to his accepting him as a worthy leader as well. But I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on this subject!

What I would like to leave on is Kondou’s line about a new comrade to drink with. He’s shown drinking with Gintoki at the start of the arc and by extension, Shigeshige as well due to the tribute they pay him. Kondou’s line including Katsura in this is quite heartwarming knowing the latter’s role in following Shigeshige’s footsteps. Farewell Shinsengumi Arc is amazing because just about everything in the whole series comes together.

This is such a great point! And one that hadn't occurred to me. That makes the whole sharing a drink motif even deeper and more meaningful than I first thought. ♥

(Also, very good point that given their history, Kondo and the rest of the Shinsengumi wouldn't have listened to Zura if he hadn't acted for everyone's best interests. And you're so right about his "mother knows best" attitude. :D.)

[lunar-tear]

Gintamask

@rike-with-love @username-janai-katsura-da @coolthingtrash

1. What got you into Gintama?

A friend told me about it! I was interested because of the parodying (plus Japanese history, I’m a nerd). Also he showed me a picture of Gintoki and I died

2. Do you like the anime or manga better?

I guess I can’t choose, since i started with the anime first? but I love the manga as well, plus there’s a lot of details that weren’t animated so I always made it a point to read!

3. What was your first thought about Gintama?

I saw the introductory special at first and I was confused as hell, but when I got to the ACTUAL first episode, I fell in love with the stupid samurai who caused a riot because his parfait fell.

4. What do you think about Gintama now?

My entire life revolves around it at this point tbh

5. Who’s your favorite character?

Gintoki, Kagura, Tsukuyo, uhhh I’m gonna end up naming all of them lol

6. Who’s your favorite villain?

Oboro (anti-hero?), Utsuro

7. Mention 5 things you hate about Gintama.

The fact that it’s getting over. That is all. 

8. Mention 5 things you love about Gintama.

Only five? aahhh okay let’s see

a) the character designs 

b) relationship development

c) the writing

d) Sadaharu

e) humour!

9. Name your crush from Gintama.

uhhHHHHHH Gintoki and Hijikata

10. Name your OTP. 

Okikagu

11. Name your favorite couples.

Okikagu, Gintsu, Hijimitsu, Katsumatsu

None of them are canon tho ;-; 

12. What character do you feel more related to?

Otose

13. Strawberry milk or Mayonnaise?

Strawberry milk 

14. What’s your favorite weapon of choice?

Either sword or kunai

15. If you were a character in Gintama, where would you belong?

(Ninja clan, Yorozuya, Shinsengumi, Kiheitai, Joui, Amanto, Mimawarigumi etc)

Kaientai!

16. What did Gintama teach you?

Gorillas will always be gorillas, either police or mangakas

17. What’s your favorite quote?

“If you have the time to fantasize about a beautiful death, why not live beautifully until the end?”

18. What’s your favorite episode?

first part of the confessional arc, the episode where Sadaharu takes care of the little dog, the two-parter that features Kagura and her umbrella, the two parter that introduced the neo armstrong cyclone jet armstrong canon, Madaodog Madaonnaire

19. What episode don’t you like?

Maybe the one that had the water Amanto who wanted to protect the lake? It sort of bored me, but it’s not like I hated it or anything 

20. What would you like as a pet Sadaharu or Elizabeth?

Sadaharu <3

21. What’s your favorite scene?

In the Silver Soul arc, when Gintoki is watching Kagura and Shinpachi sleep and he talks about the fact that they stuck by him all these years. Hurt my heart

Also when Sadaharu was stopping the main Altana fissure and having yorozuya flashbacks, I cried for like the entire 25 minutes that episode lasted, and then some

ALSO one of the Valentine’s episode when Kagura says she doesn’t need chocolates to convey her planet sized love for Gin and Patsuan 

22. If you could ask Sorachi to revive a character, who would it be?

HHHH MITSUBA

23. What moment is the saddest ever for you?

The Joui war flashback, when Gin is about to behead Shouyou and he thanks him. Also Kamui lying on Kagura’s lap after they fight, the Shogun’s death :(

24. What episode makes you laugh no matter how many times you watch it?

All of them :D 

25. What character do you think shouldn’t exist in Gintama?

Can’t answer this. Every character played a significant role in Gintama and it would be incomplete without any of them.

26. What is the most badass moment in Gintama?

“SAY HELLO TO SENSEI FOR ME”

27. If you could tell something to Sorachi, what would it be?

I’d thank him and tell him he literally changed my life. 

28. What is your favorite opening?

Know Know Know- DOES, Sakura Mitsutsuki- SPYAIR, Pride Kakumei- CHiCO with HoneyWorks (y’all didn’t really think I could choose just one, right?) 

29. What is your favorite ending?

Hikari Shoumeiron- CHiCO with HoneyWorks, Glorious Days- THREE LIGHTS DOWN KINGS, Acchi Muite- Swimy, Destiny- Negoto

30. Favorite character with glasses.

You mean favourite glasses with the character, right? Shinpachi 

31. Favorite d*ck scene.

“BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!! BELIEVE IN THE OWNER OF THE DICK YOU BELIEVE!!!”

32. Name five characters you love.

*Proceeds to name 99% of the Gintama cast because I can’t do math*

33. If you lived in the Gintama world for a day, what would you do?

Meet as many people as possible!!

34. Shinsengumi team or Yorozuya team?

Yorozuya, because I would actually die at the hands of the Kyokkuchuu-Hatto

35. If you could write a letter to ShigeShige, what would it be? 

Mostly just me talking about how much I miss him? ;-;

36. Describe your feelings about the ‘Shogun assassination arc’ so far in anime or what you thought of it in manga.

100% destroyed me

37. Describe your feelings about the current manga arc and what would you tell Sorachi about it.

Since Gintama is ending... I’m indescribably sad, but at the same time so happy to have been able to be a part of this journey.

38. How would you like Gintama to end?

Just let them be happy, that’s all. 

39. If you could meet Gintoki from the past, after the war but before he met Otose and the kids, what would you tell him?

It gets better, and one day you will be loved by so many wonderful people. 

40. If you could meet a character in real life, who would it be and what would you tell them?

KAGURA! I WOULD THANK HER FOR BEING THE BEST FEMALE PROTAGONIST EVER. 

[midnight-in-town]

About Zura

Listen, in light of the newest Gintama spoilers, I have to say a few things about the kind of character that our Zura is. To sum up:

he’s a main part of Gintama’s comic relief because sometimes often he can act stupidly

he’s actually a terrorist

he’s got the weirdest pet/right hand man ever

Zurako makes for the perfect okama

But the best part is what the summary is actually hiding about who he really is: 

As a fellow student of Shoyo, he never held anything against Gintoki for his choice to protect Shoyo’s legacy (his students) over Shoyo’s life 

He even went as far as to tell Gintoki that he wouldn’t let him shoulder the burden of killing their teacher a second time, because he knew how harsh the first time was on his friend

He fell in love with a widow who lost her husband because of men like him (Jouishishi terrorists) but, instead of trying to convey his feelings to her, he’s just happy to spend time eating her ramen soba and looking out for her without asking for anything in exchange.

Despite being anti-bakufu, he admitted that he and the Shogun may still have common goals and decided to fulfill their mutual promise after Shigeshige’s death

Also despite being enemies for most of the series, he helped the Shinsengumi at their darkest hour because he recognized that they were necessary to his goal of saving the country 

He has many nicknames, like the Noble Youth of Madness or Runaway Kotarou, but to quote Sakamoto: “in order to carry on his family line and to protect his comrades, he fought on and on as a coward. But [...] if there was an enemy he had that he couldn’t beat unless he put everything on the line, then you might learn the true name of that man once he sheds his coward skin”

kinda random point but he’s damn wild when he fights seriously

in the current arc post time skip, he took on the burden of becoming Prime Minister (”Donald Zurump”), making tons of enemies and experiencing many assassination attempts, still in order to achieve his goal of saving his country

as a terrorist, he’s actually acknowledged to be even more dangerous than Takasugi

and finally

according to the newest spoilers, he’s confirmed to be the one who went as far as to disband the Shinsengumi SO THAT THEY WOULD WORK ON REUNITING THE YOROZUYA 

In other words:

he’s the hero we deserve. 

[razberryyum]

Gintama manga chaps 681 - 682

Dear Gintama-gods and Sorachi-sama,

I must ask, just how stupid are these Tengenist followers? I found myself massaging the bridge of my nose in frustration a number of times as you revealed to us what they’ve been doing for these past two years and the chaos they are still carrying on with. Are they no better than dumb sheep that are constantly in need of being bossed around by undead overlord? I understand that they want immortality—I mean, who wouldn’t want that—so I’m all for them gathering up the bits and pieces of Utsuro and harnessing the power of Altana (though I absolutely do not condone their acts of terrorism to achieve that), but why, oh why, did they have to revive those Tendoshuu old farts and then worship them?? Keep those a-holes in their water glass prison and just grill them for instructions on how to resurrect Utsuro. Or just ANYTHING but restore their form and then fall to their knees to kowtow to them. Complete idiots. I mean, those old farts get to rule again while sending these red shirts off to do all the self-sacrificing, dirty work. They’re the ones on the front line risking their lives, I just don’t understand why they would put themselves in such a vulnerable position again. You would THINK they’d be happy that the war finally helped them get rid of their old masters. I just…I’m frustrated for them. I really hate the Tendoshuu or Tendenists or whatever they decide to call themselves next. Honestly, I dislike their new name even more than their old one since it doesn’t even roll off the tongue…I know the name is probably an unfortunate side effect of Japanese-to-English translation, but I have to keep on stopping myself from referring to them as the Tendonitis instead.

I hope I’m not coming off as criticizing the new direction the story has taken. You know me, anything that would logically prolong your beloved series, I am all for. I just wish destroying Edo once again wasn’t part of that plan. Poor Zura just finished rebuilding Edo, for the gods’ sake; I wish these bird-worshipping losers would just leave the city alone already. I also feel bad for those other places that they destroyed for their Altana-hoarding mission…I don’t care how long it takes, Sorachi-sama, but can you make sure to completely wipe out these annoying troublemakers this time around. I don’t care that they’re trying to revive their loved ones with Utsuro’s powers…they’re going about it in a genocidally crappy way so I just want them to be permanently obliterated, once and for all. If they can’t learn to leave well enough alone, they don’t deserve to stick around.  

I wish I didn’t have to spend so much time complaining about those guys because I actually want to focus on Takasugi and Zura instead, two people I actually really like and love, respectively. It’s odd, I thought I would feel much sadder knowing that Takasugi would probably not live long, but instead I feel a sense of acceptance about it. After Bansai’s death, the Kiheitai no longer feels like a whole unit, and with his tumultuous history with his Joui comrades, I don’t know where Takasugi belongs anymore. There was a time that I had hoped he would be able to enjoy life again, sitting and drinking sake with his old comrades, but I don’t know if that is even a possibility anymore since Takasugi has lost too much and is simply too changed. He used to always talk about destroying the world since it took away his beloved sensei from him, but obviously, Utsuro’s own destructive actions has pretty much neutralized the necessity of his previous goal. After he leaned the truth about Shouyou, I don’t even feel that he is angry at the world anymore. Takasugi just seems…sad…and tortured. I worry that death may be the only peace he could ever attain. I know that would completely break Matako’s heart, and I would be bawling my eyes out too—in fact, just thinking about it now is already making my eyes well up—but it’s becoming harder to deny that perhaps that would be the best end for him. At least with his final mission of destroying all the fragments of Utsuros in the world, he would be doing something positive for mankind before he dies; not to mention, thanks to Oboro’s remnants, he has now been granted the opportunity of a far more dignified death than being brought down by a bunch of Liberation Army nobodies due to a moment of distraction.  When his actual final moment does arrive, all I ask is that you allow Bansai to appear before him so that he could guide Takasugi into the afterlife. I look forward to being emotionally destroyed by such a touching scene. Again, I’m getting weepy just thinking about it…I should move on to happier things.

And who can make me happier than our dear Prime Minister Zurump Zura! I am so proud of him! From all appearances, he has been doing a really fine job; if ShigeShige was still checking in on everyone from whatever higher place he’s currently residing at, he must be so proud of his friend. In a short two years, with the help of old Legolas, Zura was essentially able to repair most of the damage that the Liberation Army had caused to Earth. That’s really impressive! I mean, sure, he has had years of experiencing leading a group of drama-watching rebels, but that’s still kind of a far cry from actually leading the entire country to successfully rebuilding from their previously devastated state. Honestly, considering how good a leader Zura seems to be, I really don’t understand why Matsudaira and Sougo is even trying to get rid of him. I mean, the only flaw I can detect on Zura is that horrible Hitler mustache. If Sougo does catch up to him, I hope he holds him down and shaves that ugly caterpillar off. But otherwise, why all the assassination attempts? I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough, but I still with the people I love can all just get along.  

But I’m glad everyone is slowly but surely converging on each other. Gintoki and Takasugi are back in Edo, and I hope the long-awaited reunion of our Yorozuya will finally take place. Please give us some hugs between them, Sorachi-sama? They’ve waited two years, we’ve waited a few months which have felt like two years, we deserve some Yorozuya family love, don’t we? Your kind consideration is greatly appreciated.

Yours truly,

A silly fangirl with yaoi dreams

(^3^)