friend: hey wh-
me: did you know that shinpachi cutting off nizou's arm in benizakura-hen perfectly illustrates the beginning of his character transformation by showing him overcoming his initial paralyzing fear and then channeling it as the will to protect? did you know that conversely, tae trusting shinpachi (and later gin) to take on such a dangerous task alone also perfectly illustrates the beginning of her own character transformation as she lets GO of the initial urge to protect and shoulder the burden alone and trusts in the capability of her loved ones by allowing them to fight their own battles? did you know that tetsuko's struggle between saving her brother and keeping him from causing any more harm could be meant to hold up a mirror to gin's own struggles between protecting the home he loves and protecting the soul of his beloved friend? did you know that katsura's character journey began with nizou cutting off his hair, which bears a striking resemblance to shouyou's, and so could be taken as a gesture meant to signify zura letting go of the anger and insecurities that he associates with his old teacher and beginning to reinvent himself? did you know that being called out by shinpachi and kagura and facing the distraught members of his joui faction forced katsura to directly consider the importance of not only upholding one's ideals and beliefs, but also of individual love for one another and the consequences of hurting a beloved few for the sake of many? did you know that all of zura's experiences ultimately culminate in the decision that, after having seen the aftermath in both gin and takasugi's lives, he needs to live in a world somewhere between theirs, where he allows himself to let go of the past and forgive himself and others, but also continues to pursue justice - not a justice fueled by hatred or grief, but by a love of his present home and everyone in it who deserves a better, more fair existence? did you know
