#flames of yoshiwara

[lacerta123]

Even though I am the biggest Gintama simp of all time, this show still shocks me every time I come back to it and realize how good it is again. I was going into Yoshiwara in Flames and was like, yeah, this arc sold me on the series when I was a kid, but does it hold up? It doesn’t get talked about a lot. And the first two episodes I was like, yeah, the animations not as hot as i thought it was back then. Things that blew my mind, like Kamui fighting Hosen, Kagura losing her shit, maybe they were only good because they caught me off guard.

So I dropped it, and just now came back to finish the arc. Holy cow. I cried. Twice! What do I even say about Sorachi’s writing man. Is it in the way things are woven together? How does it get me every single time?

I’ve thought this before, but all of Gintama’s fights are more or less agents for expressing the strength of the feelings of its characters. It’s really effective.

And also, the strength of the symbolism. The sun, moon and flame imagery is really important for all of Yoshiwara, especially this arc.

The dialogue? The character writing? All amazing, of course.

Maybe it’s the theme. The themes of human dignity, connection, and how indomitable the human spirit is in the face of oppression. Maybe those are just good themes. Except if it was that I’d feel the same way about One Piece!

I think it’s the love. Every character, their actions are driven by their love for one another. It’s the common denominator. Everything becomes sharper in the light of that. Sorachi has an impeccable understanding of human emotion. He knows that deep down people just want to belong, to love, and to stand strong with human dignity. And he tells stories about that. About how it can go wrong, about how it can save us. About fighting for it.

Idk these are my unorganized thoughts after just watching Yoshiwara in Flames. This is still my favorite series.

[seigibathala]

T S U K U Y O

[rosencrantzsguildenstern]

core serious arc = advances plot in a major way or opens up the way for plot to be advanced, excluding short arcs (harusame arc, festival arc, inugami arc) as well as arcs not generally viewed as part of that group (umibouzo arc) and character development/introduction arcs (yagyuu, red spider, mitsuba, etc)

[craftydragonperson]

Happiest Birthday to Yoshiwara’s leading courtesan, Hinowa. ⛅️

I will never understand what prompted such an absence after Yoshiwara in Flames. The arc was done but we definitely could have gotten more from her character.

Continue to light the way, our beautiful sun. ���️

[misayardsard]

Selling this acrylic stand/panel of Shinpachi from the Yoshiwara in Flames arc.

Measures around 5.5" tall with a circle base. Purchased from Surugaya Japan, but it looks like it's still sealed.

Asking for $25 shipped in the US!

Feel free to message me with any questions or concerns before purchasing!

[I have other Gintama items for sale]

[humanoidtiephoon]

When the comfort anime don’t be comforting

[wolfwoodscigarettes]

yoshiwara in flames arc you'll always be loved

[joelletwo]

okay well unfortunately now i want to read more gintama. which arc was next on my docket.

[ibrokeeverything]

Yoshiwara in flames is not messing around y'all

[lotus-tower]

If umbrella ep beats 305 I’ll be sad but it wouldn’t be a big deal but if it does and then goes up against berserk kagura ep and it’s any sort of contest it’ll literally be so evil like umbrella ep better trounce every other ep boringly

[manikas-whims]

being home means rewatching my fav stuff and it's Gintama this time..

Yoshiwara in Flames is such a peak arc..i loved Gintama since the start but this arc blew me away..and watching it again made me realize how much I love the female characters in this anime 🥹

Especially Kagura and Tsukuyo

Y O S H I W A R A ( 吉原 ) : “A trip to the Yoshiwara was an opportunity to slip out of time. Instead of the ties that kept the social hierarchy of old Edo in place, the red-light district was bound by a new hierarchy of aesthetic, sensual and sexual pleasure.”

[seigibathala]

Tsukuyo in Yoshiwara no Hen Official Merch

[rosencrantzsguildenstern]

gintama spinoffs i need in the anniversary announcements:

kaientai fucking around in space

kiheitai and 7th division plotting world destruction fucking around in space

takamagahara host club backstory

anime centering entirely around those 2 siblings from episode 333 life death and shades

[amalthea-fictions]

hello! i am here to make a request :) could you write Rengoku x Fem!Reader where reader is a demon slayer that has to work as an oiran in red light district to spy on clients. Reader is selected for this job because she is the only one unmarried.

thank you xoxo

AH this is such a cute idea because Kyo is such a GENTLEMAN!

-----

Your fingers are calloused from all of your years as a Demon Slayer, so the scrubbing doesn’t bother you so much.

Your hands are red and knuckles white against the brush. Of course, you’ve been going back and forth across the same spot for over an hour now, so it’s already glittering– but the wall is thin between this room and the next. Perfectly conducive to eavesdropping. So, what’s a few hundred extra floor scrubbings if it means getting valuable info for the Corps? 

“...aren’t as skilled as the ones in Yoshiwara.” The client is sighing.

You hear your manager scrambling. “Ah, that can’t possibly be true! Besides, Yoshiwara is dangerous!” 

The client snorts. 

You have to crane your neck with your ear against the shoji to hear your manager continue. “..’s true,” she says, hushed. “I’ve heard that attractive young men and women turn up missing all the time.”

That’s not the first the Corps has heard this rumor. What you’re interested in, is if it could be a–

“Pfft, ‘demons?’ You really think you can scare me into buying an oiran in this small town?”

You hear footsteps approaching your room from down the hallway. But you need to hear what your manager says next.

“If you want to risk your life, fine…” Her indignant snort is muffled through the wall.

The footsteps are closer. Tip, tip tip. 

“..but don’t come crying back to me when the Red Light Princess eats you for dinner.”

“Red Light Princess.” That’s a new one. Perhaps some of the other slayers should investigate Yoshiwara.

Tip, tip, tip–

You’re able to jump back into a tabletop position just in time, huddled over your floorbrush as the Tayu steps into the room. 

“Ah, there you are, [Y/N],” she smiles. You look up, pretending not to have noticed her entering. “Please, come with me.”

You bow your head politely and leave the brush on the bucket. The Tayu spins around and begins back down the hallway, and you follow.

“Is everything alright, madam?” You’ve quickly put back on the mask of a sweet, innocent courtesan. 

The house Tayu doesn’t look up, but continues gliding forward with perfect posture. “It seems you have made quite the impression in town, already.”

Your stomach churns. You’ve only been here a week, but haven’t been called by clients. There’s no way you could have done anything to blow your cover yet, right?

“What do you mean, madam?” 

She stops in her tracks to turn to you. Her smile is saccharine when she says, “You are being summoned by a client. He has asked for you by name.”

You must visibly blanch, because her gaze turns sympathetic.

“Ah, do not fear,” the Tayu chuckles. “This will be your first, no?” 

The Tayu continues down the hall and gives you “friendly and helpful” reminders over how to entertain the client for the night. You’re not worried about pouring tea, or playing shamisen, or making intellectual conversation. You’re worried about the fact that, fundamentally, a client could ask for… other services.

Of course you understood this when you accepted the mission. It’s just, the plan was always to lay low, and not stand out, so that this possibility could be avoided. 

You’re so lost in your thoughts, that somehow you miss the boisterous laugh echoing from the front of the house.

“That is him,” the Tayu says, snapping you out of your thoughts. “Are you ready?”

You nod and smile. Thankfully, your years of demon-slaying have helped you school your emotions enough for your face to stay blank as you step out of the hallway.

Because there, surrounded by giggling women, with his arms folded, and a smile from ear to ear, is the flame hashira Kyojuro Rengoku. 

The Tayu bows politely and hands you off. “[Y/N] will guide you to your room for the night, sir.”

“WONDERFUL!” Kyojuro shouts, earning another giggle from the crowd of women around him. “Thank you very much!” 

You say nothing to Kyojuro as you lead him away from the entryway and into the house, but you can feel his owl-eyed stare boring into you the entire time.

Finally, when you’re in the guest’s quarters, you slide the door behind you and spin to him.

“Rengoku!” You hiss, and then bow. “I mean– It’s a pleasure to see you– but what’s wrong? Why are you here? I thought I was only supposed to communicate with the corps through crow?”

“NOT TO WORRY!” He booms, and you stare daggers at him. His eyes bulge. “Ahem. Not to worry!” he corrects, now in a whisper. “I am not here on official demon slayer business!” 

You raise your eyebrow at the way he sets his pack of belongings on the floor. “Then… why are you here?”

“To be frank, I was worried about you!” Kyojuro offers you the biggest, sweetest smile. And suddenly your face goes red. And all of a sudden you’re acutely aware of how you’re dressed, all of the makeup plastered on your face, and the fact that you and him are alone in a pleasure room together. 

You brush your hair away from your face, turning so that the flame hashira (hopefully) cannot see the blush flaring your cheeks. “I– I appreciate the sentiment, really. But there don’t seem to be any demons here? And even if there were, did you not think I could handle myself?”

“Quite the opposite!” He assures, catching himself before he grew too loud again. “If it were a demon, I would not be worried at all. But I was quite uncomfortable hearing that you were sent to work undercover as an oiran.”

“B-but–” you stutter over yourself. Kyojuro really came here just to make sure you were okay? Suddenly it’s way too hot in the dress you’re in. “Kyojuro, by being here, you could compromise my cover!”

He shakes his head vigorously. “Not to worry! I had the house women convinced I am but a simple patron who was enraptured by your beauty!” 

Your throat works. 

By all means, he shouldn’t be here. But sending him away now would make you even more suspicious. And yet, you can’t seem to convince yourself that you even want to send him away.

“Moreover,” he adds, and his tone has changed. When you turn up to see his gaze, his expression is solemn. “The thought of you being forced to participate in unseemly activities for the corps is deeply unsettling. I would not want you treated so indecently.” 

Your brain has frozen. 

Your… your duty is to stay and collect information for the Corps. So you should. Right?

Suddenly Kyojuro steps forward and places his hands on your shoulders. Your heart stops. It’s not until he gently guides you away from the wall that you realize you’ve glued yourself there the entire time. 

“[Y/N],” he whispers. “Your honor is more important for me to protect than your cover.”

He slides his thumb across your cheek and you realize you’re crying. And now that you’re aware of the hot tears on your face, they seem to overflow. 

You try speaking but it turns into a shaky hiccup for air.

“I am sorry you were selected for this mission.” His voice is soft and sincere. 

You shake your head. “It’s– it’s alright.” You try and sound confident through the tears, but the truth is, this is the first time you’ve even thought about how you felt being on this mission. 

Kyojuro chuckles. “It does not seem that way to me.”

He smiles at you, and he’s bright and safe and warm. You lean your forehead into his chest. He responds by wrapping his arms around you. His uniform and haori smell of smoke and ash– and it’s comforting, being cradled by his scent. 

He holds you until you steady your breathing through the tears. Finally, he whispers into your hair: “Have you found enough information to leave yet?”

You shake your head. “Kyojuro, I’ve only been here a week–”

Your eyes widen as he presses his finger to your lips. “That is not what I asked, little flame.”

You sigh as he lowers his hand from your chin. “I… I have reason to believe there are demons in the Yoshiwara red-light district.” 

He smiles, and you can practically see his eyes overflowing with pride. “See? I knew you would make quick work of this mission!”

You shake your head. “But, Kyojuro, that doesn’t mean I can just leave–”

“If I recall correctly,” he interrupts, and you feel his arms around your back pulling you closer. Your breath hitches as you’re pressed into him. “A client can request to marry a courtesan, correct? And, with the appropriate dowry, she is able to leave the house.”

You blink. “Are… are you proposing to me?!”

He laughs. “Not to worry! I would actually propose to you in a more beautiful place than this. This is a means to an end.”

You try to process the meaning behind his words. But, between the heat of his arms around your back and the way he’s smiling at you, you can’t seem to put together any logical thoughts right now.

“So, what if I ask the manager to marry you in the morning? Then, once we leave, I will treat you to a dinner! And we can report back to the demon slayer corps together.” 

“I…” your heart won’t slow down. “I suppose that would work. But you’re sure–”

“Absolutely.” He smiles at you again, and cups your cheek. “Unless, the thought of being betrothed to me is that unbearable?” 

You shake your head, perhaps more eagerly than you intended, because he laughs. 

Then, he brushes hair behind your ear, and his fingers are gentle and tender. Every nerve in your body is on fire.

“Then,” he says, voice in a low whisper, “let’s get married, little flame.”

[manikas-whims]

she's such a princess, she's such an icon

my babie , i love her sm..she was the highlight of Yoshiwara 🔥

「I choose my own battlefields.」

[lacerta123]

This was a post I made on Reddit in response to someone saying Gintama was sexist because the women need rescuing every other arc. Which is nuts to me because it’s not even true.

Gintama has its issues, but it also has some pretty explicitly feminist themes in its writing. I love the fact that the male and female cast get equal attention during the serious arcs. It means the female cast is extremely well developed. Both Gintoki and Kagura got their own final arcs which is so cool (Shogun Assassination and Rakuyou respectively). Gintama regularly portrays its female cast as equal to its male cast in terms of dignity, importance, and often strength.

Also the character designs in Gintama are not overly sexualized, and the camera never leers at their bodies in uncomfortable ways. And Kagura, who is 14 years old, is never sexualized. She is always portrayed as a child, and even when she tries to look sexy, it’s always portrayed as humorous, like a kid playing with makeup.

The female cast of Gintama never gets underused. Even in arcs that arnt explicitly about the female cast like Yoshiwara in Flames and Courtesans of the Nation, they still play important roles and get considerable screentime (Sa-Chan in shogun assassination arc, Nobume in Farewell Shinsengumi arc (tho that’s 1/2 her arc)) And don’t forget Otose! She’s the beating heart and soul of Gintama and I will die on that hill.

Here’s a spoiler-y breakdown of the arcs, with a good deal of focus on refuting the idea that the Gintama girls are “damsels in distress”.

Harusame Arc - Kagura refuses to be a used as a hostage and kicks off the side of the ship, which feels like a refutal to the women as weak hostages that need protecting trope. Both her and Shinpachi were kidnapped, and in no way was she portrayed as a damsel in distress

Benizakura Arc - Matako is portrayed as a threat, and a capable member of the Kiheitai. Kagura goes off on her own and drives the plot forward by herself. She does get captured, but is portrayed as difficult to contain because of her strength, and her vulnerability isn’t exploited against the rest of the cast. She’s hardly a prop getting tossed around by the plot because of her femininity, like how Nami was in One Piece’s thriller bark. Tetsuko goes to the Yorozuya to ask for help, but it’s because she’s a non combatant and it makes sense to hire someone who knows how to fight. She meaningfully contributes by crafting Gintoki’s sword for that fight. She’s portrayed as the more skilled sibling in a traditionally male dominated craft. And the arc is an ideological battle between her and her brother which she wins.

Fuyo Arc - Fuyo could be considered a damsel in distress, because she’s in trouble and needs help. But I don’t think a female character needing help automatically turns them into a damsel in distress. She ends that arc with her own two hands. I’m a big fan of giving female characters the agency to finish their own stories. Her being in danger was not used to aggrandize the male cast, if Gintoki had finished the fight for her while she cried in the distance (arlong park) then I’d have a problem.

Yagyu Arc - Otae is a damsel in distress in this one, because the whole point is to rescue her from a bad situation. But a lot of respect is given to Otae’s agency. Gintoki says he’d respect her decision to marry whomever she wants, but seeing her cry makes him think it wasn’t really a decision made with her happiness in mind. Basically the arc is about convincing Otae to choose her own happiness over her sense of duty. We get full insight into Otae’s thought process and the arc only ends when she changes her mind. Kyubei says she loves Otae because of the fact that she has strength as a woman, something appealing to Kyubei who was raised to believe you can only have strength as a man. While fighting Kyubei, Gintoki and Shinpachi don’t hold back on account of her sex, and remark that whether you’re a man or a woman, you can still be an asshole. Kyubei remarked that Hijikata holding back was disrespectful to her efforts as a martial artist.

Mitsuba Arc - This arc actually is sexist though, but I read somewhere that Sorachi expressed some regret over not making Mitsuba more of a character.

Hasegawa Prosecution arc - This one was also bad, not because of how women are portrayed, but because of how sexual crimes are portrayed, which is a problem I have on a whole with Gintama. Sorachi writes his women strongly, but doesn’t give things like stalking, voyeurism, ect. a lot of narrative weight. They’re hardly endorsed, but they also arnt taken seriously.

Yoshiwara in Flames - Explicitly feminist. The story of a bunch of female sex workers rising up to violently overthrow their male oppressor, and reclaim their own identity as women. This is made very clear when Tsukuyo joins the fight vs Hosen and asks Gintoki where that Fire he was boasting about is and he says it just got here [referring to her and the Hyakka]. This line decentralizes Gintoki’s importance and makes the arc explicitly about the women of Yoshiwara overthrowing their oppressor rather than a story of Gintoki overthrowing Yoshiwara’s oppressor for them. Hosen and Kamui both express dehumanizing views of women that are opposed by the narrative. You might see Hinowa as a damsel in distress, but like Otae she has agency within her imprisonment (that’s kinda the point of her character) and she ends her own battles, narratively speaking. The violence against her (the reveal that she was hobbled) furthers her story rather than just existing so a male character can look good by getting outraged about it. You might find her comforting Hosen at the end to be a “forgive your abusers” type deal, but I didn’t. Since her narrative was the sun shines on everyone, and Hosen was trying to crush that sun and destroy her spirit, her shining for him at the end was her ultimate triumph over him. That he never broke her. She never forgave him though. The story is about women who’ve had womanhood defined for them through their usefulness for men standing up and redefining it on their terms. They define that through something they take pride in, motherhood. They declare every last woman in Yoshiwara to be Seita’s mother, and they are proud of that. Also in the ending, most of the women of Yoshiwara are still sex workers, just self employed and with the freedom to leave. That’s an explicitly pro-sex worker sentiment. Also Kagura, when Shinpachi says he’ll protect her, he ends up snapping her out of her rage, protecting her personhood rather than her physical body. That’s a subversion of a sexist trope.

This is as far as I’ve gotten in my rewatch, so I’ll give it a rest. But Courtesans of a Nation arc is also explicitly feminist in its messaging.

Actually I’m not done yet, I changed my mind. Even though Hinowa is almost certainly getting raped by Hosen, the anime doesn’t show any of that. Sexual violence against women isn’t sexualized or romanticized unlike in other shows (One Piece panning over Nami’s body as she’s being assaulted). Also, when Hinowa asks Seita to let her down and for him to go with Kagura and Shinpachi to open the sky hatch, she says they both have their own battles to fight. That Hinowa needs to fight. Hinowa is not powerless and weak just because she is a victim.