#gintoki ripped of kuroko

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Gintama, Episodes 271-274

In which we get a sideways look into the past, the SSS Ginkata is still sailing strong, and Otae reminds me why I love her so much.

Obligatory Flashback Arc

One of the more interesting aspects of Gintama is that for a show that pulls so much of its emotional heft from its characters’ pasts and how they relate to them, it doesn’t spend much time exploring those pasts itself. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been given a very solid foundation for understanding where Gintoki, Katsura, Takasugi and all the rest started from, what their journey was like, and how they all came to the places they are now. From the Benizakura arc all the way up through the more recent Pinky Promise arc, the show has never left us bereft of information necessary to understand the emotional context of our protagonists’ struggles. It just so happens that this information usually comes from implication, exploration, and exposition rather than flashback scenes, communicating its characters’ stories without showing them outright. That’s not meant as a criticism, to be clear; hell, considering how conflicted Gintoki feels about his past, exploring said past through more indirect means feels truer to his character than the alternative. But it’s also true that everyone loves a good flashback- even, at is unsurprisingly turns out, the characters themselves. So it’s at long last time for a brief sojourn down memory lane to a snapshot in the lives of the Joi revolutionaries as they fought the Amanto invasion, which, in typical Gintama fashion, comes about not for any larger plot-related reasons, but because the characters were at a reunion and wanted to remember who they were meeting so they didn’t embarrass themselves.

That being said, despite the show finally granting us an extended bit of time to hang out in these characters backstories for ourselves, it doesn’t outright lose the ethos of implication over presentation. The period of their lives we visit is purposefully of little consequence, save for the death of the previously unmentioned and likely never to be mentioned again fifth member of their merry band, and the arc itself is far more interested in slipping into brief horror territory and mercilessly ripping off Kuroko no Basket’s blue laser-assisted sports matches than exploring the development of these characters further. There are no big reveals or interesting new pieces of information; this is quite comfortably in the side arc territory, and there’s nothing wrong with that (pro tip, when you’re in a pinch, just sing the Doraimon theme at the top of your lungs and everything will be alright). And yet, just by nature of including these characters whom we’ve still seen so little of in the main story, it can’t help but provide additional context to their interactions all the same. Hell, I think Takasugi got more extended screen time here than he has at any point since the freaking Benizakura arc, not to mention Sakamoto’s repeated frustration with being a constant in the OPs and EDs yet never actually getting many chances to be in the show himself.

And however brief and exaggerated it may be, we actually get a chance here to just see them live, outside the demand of advancing plot or blowing up a spaceship. We find out that Takasugi has always been one Justaway away from cutting a bitch, and Sakamoto has always been far too oblivious for his own good (”I heard you lost all sense of tact.” “Don’t worry! I lost that with my umbilical cord at birth.”) There’s something uncannily eerie about seeing this one-eyed monster that’s been skulking in the shadows for a good 200 episodes now showing that same antagonistic energy in a decidedly much more low-key situation. How close was he to truly snapping at this point? Was he already too far gone, and his friends just didn’t realize it until there was nowhere left for him to hide? I imagine we’ll get some actual answers in that regard somewhere down the line, and I’m already terrified of what truths they might uncover. But for now, Gintama is still proving that sometimes, you don’t need all the details to be 100% invested.

Raising Arizona

I’ve mentioned this before a couple times, but the antagonistic rivalry between Hijikata and Gintoki is quite possibly one of this show’s funniest character pairings (and considering the existence of literally everyone Kagura interacts with, that’s saying a lot). They’re possibly the two most jaded personalities in the entire cast, which means they have absolutely no qualms about laying into each other with gut-busting fury whenever their paths cross. Remember that one episode where they got handcuffed together and ended up waltzing the tango to avoid suspicion? Good times. And episode 273, in which they end up in a struggle over a 300 million dollar lottery ticket, is the best showcase of their dynamic in a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of them embody a pair of sentient shit-eating grins so completely as when they’re verbally punishing each other in retribution for not handing the ticket over (”I tried to stop him, but he just can’t keep his sense of justice in check”). There’s such a great sense of glee in watching them completely turn the tables on each other every other second, their mutual animosity only getting them more and more stuck in their hostage/accidental bank robber situation. Not gonna lie, I’m starting to ship them all over again. What can I say, they just really fucking make me laugh every time they’re on screen together.

Otae Kicks Ass

If there’s a downside to how fucking incredible GIntama’s ensemble cast is, it’s that there’s never enough time to spend with everyone. Every time we come back to focus on a character who’s been out of the limelight for a while, I’m instantly smitten with them all over again, only to feel crushed when we inevitably leave them behind and move on to an equally attention-starved lunatic next time. At the very least, though, it keeps me constantly in awe of just how spectacular the entirety of the extended Odd Jobs family is; I’m able to rediscover all these wonderful idiots time and time again. And today’s benefactor of the “god, I missed you” sweepstakes is none other than Otae Shimura, sweeping into a pseudo-sequel to the still-legendary Four Devas arc and taking the remnants of Kabukicho’s gang system by storm. Otae has consistently been one of my favorite parts of Gintama; back before Kagura completely stole my heart, she was a shining beacon to me representing every way this show did right by its leading ladies. Even standing opposite the roughest punks this side of the tracks, she’s handily able to disarm and destroy them with nothing more than the sheer unbreakable force of her cheerful confidence. She’s allowed to be brash and sweet, foul and caring, and completely indomitable against the legions of pea-brained thugs who can’t wrap their heads around a pretty, good-natured woman who can kick their ass equally with a smile or sneer any day of the week. After all, as she herself says after scamming the Devas’ gangs into oblivion, to survive in such a rough town, you need a lot more than cute. And Otae is absolutely more than cute; she’s a goddamn force of nature, even in such a bite-sized chunk like this. I already miss you, girl. Here’s hoping you’re back before too much longer.

Odds and Ends

-”The loud fellow, Sakamoto Tatsuma.” I mean, fair.

-“Why are you making such a big deal over a lack of toilet paper?” I mean, we did have a whole battle in the Yagyu Clan arc centered around the lack of toilet paper, so this isn’t entirely out of left field.

-”Doesn’t that include tax?” Finer words have never been spoken backed by emotional music.

-”I’ll simply destroy... your precious reunion.” GOD FUCKING DAMMIT OISHI NOBODY LIKES YOU

-The one lady Kihetai is far too good to be hanging with the rest of these losers. Somebody get her a position on the Odd Jobs crew or something.

-”Shoot, we’re out of cigarettes. I’m gonna go by some.” akjsdhaskjdh holy shit he just snapped like a motherfucker

-You know, I don’t recall lottery tickets making me hallucinate Fist of the North Star hooligans after my ass, but I suppose I can see it happening.

-The one time Okita is sort of justified in blowing Hijikata to pieces. Lol.

-”Why all this talk about flashback arcs and second winds lately? How desperate are you?” sjkdhakdsj

-”How much longer until the opening?” Listen, I don’t know how they keep timing these jokes so perfectly, but I’m so fucking happy they do.

-”I still can’t come up with an ending.” Called out

-”Let’s talk about the anime’s good points.” And that, folks, is how you use an awkward silence. Christ, my face hurts from laughing.

-”Shyest of the mob” Oh, we both know that’s not true at all.

-”THINK ABOUT SPACE CONTRASTS, DAMN IT!” Somebody didn’t take graphic design, it seems.

-”Or a chin dressed like a pro wrestler.” This is the only cross-dressing humor I will accept.

-”WHEN DID THIS TURN INTO MAGICAL BANANA?!” I feel like the show’s on even more acid than usual. Not that I mind, of course.

Until next time, folks. Until next time.