- M I X | B O X -

A place to post what I feel like.

[suchira]

On second thought, re the ask I just sent, maybe Katsura just likes to eat for free and sleep in peace for a few days, and that's why he can be so nonchalant about getting caught - as he's so good at breaking out of jail again. Might not be anything deeper than that...

The 'liking free food and shelter' thing does sound like a practical reason for Katsura yeah, but because I like reading deep into Gintama... hope you don't mind some long rambly paragraphs XD

I personally think it serves to further show a character parallel between him and Shouyou - or rather, the distinctive way in which they're different. To me, the main thing that sets Katsura apart from Takasugi, Gintoki and Shouyou is that, of the ShouSon, he is arguably the one who was most able to 'balance' all the different parts of himself. His 'Runaway Kotarou' identity and his 'Noble Youth of Madness' identity, his identity as a samurai of that time period (and all that it entailed with regards to dying with honour) and the last of his line. Katsura doesn't get nearly as many scenes as Takasugi and Gintoki do with Shouyou, but I do think that's on purpose. Katsura's quiet strength is not just his endurance, but how comfortable he is with being 'flexible'. Sakamoto pointed it out - being the 'Runaway' is not just having the ability to endure people jeering you as you run to live another day, it is having the wits to survive, the wisdom to know which way truly is a 'death trap', to keep yourself and others around and fighting for the long haul. It is to keep both your own and others' wellbeing in mind. Katsura showed the ability to balance 'being true to one's own self' while not being so 'rigid' that he broke when change had to come. It's a feat of a kind of endurance that I think contrasts Shouyou/Utsuro in a unique way. In my notes on Lesson 667, I noted that Gintoki and Utsuro seem set up as the ‘Indestructable/Immortal and Indomitable’ - but Katsura is also part of this as well. Katsura has his own association with pine trees, 'coming back from the dead' in Benizakura, returning over and over to keep the Joui fight from truly dying, and most importantly - adapting, learning and growing. Where Takasugi and Gintoki are still quite tied up in Cliff Day, Katsura silently processes it and is able to step away from it in a cleaner, healthier way. I've mentioned before that I think this is why Katsura is whom Shouyou calls 'a genius'. Shouyou, whom I've talked about as 'not quite being able to escape his own/society's prison' - so by contrast, Katsura can. Katsura, Takasugi and Gintoki all are shown to leave a physical prison at some point in the series, but arguably Gintoki and Takasugi end up in those prisons for 'bad' reasons (suicidality, wanting to punish themselves, being punished by the Shogunate etc.). Katsura, like you say, shows an almost whimsical attitude in Vol 68. IMO the narrative sort of demonstrates a uniqueness in Kastura's... I suppose comfort? in being 'caught' - because he possesses what Shouyou was talking about - he is demonstrating that he is 'truly free'. The bars of the prisons he is put in (mental or otherwise) can't and don't really hold him, no matter who puts him there or whether he walks into it of his own volition. Not because he is necessarily 'good' at jailbreaking (who could have predicted half the things that happened to lead him to be able to break free?), but his sheer belief that he will do so. If anything, I think any 'subconscious drive' he may have had would be in being able to have a confidence that he will endure - that he will persevere, and not lose sight of himself no matter what happens. That this prison, too, will not be able to hold him. (I kind of want to talk a bit about how this connects to Gintama's sub-theme around 'shame' but this is already very long - Katsura is one of the true Beach Samurai.)

I think he would have loved being able to keep his teacher company if he couldn't free him, like Nobume did...

This is probably where my thoughts might be a bit different to the mainstream, but I think Katsura... wouldn't?

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think Katsura loved his teacher any less.

But I also think Takasugi and Gintoki allowed their love for Shouyou to consume them and destroy them almost completely, which when you think about it, is not a very healthy way to be. It's more to do with the 'balance' I think Katsura has that I was talking about above.

Love is wonderful, but loss is also part of life, and Gintama doesn't shy away from it. In fact, I would argue that one of its strengths is showing its characters explore how they navigate the grief after loss.

I think Katsura would have the ability to remember his self (his whole self - the self that knows he embodies his grandmother, his parents, his family line, that he is also a leader to the Joui, that he is a friend to others, that he is more than just one relationship to one person, no matter how important that relationship is to him.)

I think that he would gladly walk into that prison cell and sit with Shouyou and pour him a drink and chat... but also he would be the most likely to know not to stay there. (Shouyou being unable to leave the prison not because noone set him free, but because that is where Shouyou chooses to stay. Metaphor for the past, unhealthy mindsets, etc etc.) Which, I think, is where Gintoki would struggle and Takasugi will probably just fail.

ETA: I forgot to add - I think also that TakaGinZura being put in 'prison positions' is interesting from a 'character growth' position. They are leaders, but one of the important themes in Gintama is the ‘there is something to relate to in everyone’ theme brought up in the Kappa chapter. As someone who desires to change Japan, I think it says something that Katsura doesn't just look at the top of the chain of command/deals with the Shogunate, but he also looks at the 'middle' (the everyday people of Edo) and is (enthusiastically) willing to visit the 'bottom' (the prisoners, those at the bottom of society). One could read it as Katsura willingly going out to build a holistic view of his society, comprehensive as he could get it. Contrast that a bit with Takasugi insisting on his own autonomy while being puppeted his traumas, and Gintoki's struggle between... so much. Katsura's path is in a way closer to Sakamoto's, once Gintoki has set him straight when they reunite again.

[suchira]

(Only answer this if you feel like it!) I was browsing through Gintama volume 68 lately and noted that for a Runaway Kotaro, Katsura sure has a habit of getting himself captured for idiotic reasons at times. Then I remembered Shoyo's imprisonment. Beyond narrative echoes, do you think Katsura might be overly comfortable with getting captured due to some subconscious drive? I think he would have loved being able to keep his teacher company if he couldn't free him, like Nobume did...

Answer in the 2nd part of this ask

[opbackgrounds]

Very nice detail for Oda to not show Ace's eyes while leading Sabo's letter until he's shown to be bawling, especially since he's spent this whole flashback chastising Luffy for being a crybaby

After the flashback ends, Shanks will have a whole monologue telling Luffy it's okay for him to cry, which is the closest thing to Oda himself telling his audience it's okay to fully feel their big emotions. That's an important message for the target audience of young boys, and doesn't make the powerful, important characters of the series any less powerful or important.

[suchira]

Similarly, something else about this scene that I like is how there's a sense of those left on the shore being 'left behind' (both in the 'setting out for the ocean' and in the 'departing this world' sense) - Luffy felt it when Shanks and his crew left Foosha, Ace and Luffy feel it here with Sabo setting sail first, and Luffy feels it again when Ace sets off first at 17... but this time, Luffy doesn't cry.

It also crops up with Usopp, who's got his father leaving him and Bachina behind. Usopp struggled a lot when it came time for the Merry to 'set off' for the bottom of the ocean too. The Straw Hats all cry... but they are able to smile again, and honour Merry's memory. There's also the Straw Hats leaving Vivi behind in Alabasta.

'Setting out to Sea' isn't just tied to the theme of 'freedom' in a positive way, which makes it at times bittersweet.

We also have a contrast with characters like Moriah, whose grief and loss of his first crew is not quite so cheery. He's more like Baron Omatsuri, and that goes into the more 'bitter' than 'sweet' territory.

One Piece tends to have an overall cheery atmosphere (you know, when the story's not talking about the horrible stuff its world does have), so this sort of subtle story-telling about the characters dealing with 'partings' is nice to see. I think it also makes Oda's various characters more sympathetic, more human and more real.

[opbackgrounds]

Luffy's got his priorities straight during the royal visit

[suchira]

The average townspeople cheering while the CD rides by on a slave... yikes.

[cameronilustra]

I don’t know if we all watched the same Marineford War.

[opbackgrounds]

The Celestial Dragons are horrible, but the figurehead of their ship looks kinda cool

[suchira]

A lion figurehead, like the Thousand Sunny's, but serious, and very much not sun-like.

[opbackgrounds]

I like the broken window from Sabo's attempted escape being framed as sort of bars to his prison

[suchira]

'X' is also where treasure is marked on a pirate map isn't it? And also the 'frienship mark' the Strawhats had with Vivi & Carue back in Alabasta.

The 'frienship is freedom is treasure'!

[katiemonz]

happy belated birthday blue rat

tails will put your ass on blast dont even doubt

[opbackgrounds]

Dragon having an all black ship, down to the masts, is kind of a wild choice. It feels like it might be a reference to something, but I don't know what it'd be

[suchira]

Gonna throw a wild idea out here that maybe it's 'black' in the same way a black blade is black - that is, coated with Haki. And Dragon means for it to be an Ark of some sort, the way we have one under the sea in Fishman Island.

[opbackgrounds]

Very happy that Oda made her look badass at least once

[suchira]

The pose, angle and cigarette makes her look a bit like Shiryu here...

[opbackgrounds]

Very happy that Oda made her look badass at least once

[seirxi]

wife

[opbackgrounds]

This is interesting given the greater context/themes of the series. A few panels earlier Bluejam says outright that they've lost all hope, which leads them to laugh. It's similar in a way to how Wano plays out, when all seems lost right before Luffy activates Gear 5

Except the situation with Bluejam laughing is in no way positive, leading to the madness of them trying to steal Ace and Luffy's treasure even as they're about to be burnt to a crisp. It's an interesting juxaposition, even if the vibe is very different

[suchira]

Thinking about how the Smile fruits forced people to laugh no matter what too...

[opbackgrounds]

Again, the risk of this fire getting inside the city walls is decently high, even if the king took every precaution--and considering he followed through with his plan despite the wind means we know he didn't. The people of Trash Mountain aren't the only ones he considers less than human. I like the choice later this chapter to have the king sleeping peacefully while the normal citizens are terrified for their lives

[guardian-of-da-gay]

everybody meets Knuckles (created by a God/super weapon/sentient rock/possessed as hell jewel) and thinks ‘this is a perfectly normal echidna!’ until one day due to time travel/secret-pocket-of-survivors shenanigans other echidna meet Knuckles and are like

[lesiasmadness]

[suchira]

I had a thought about how at first Silver Soul puts Gintoki - Utsuro and Takasugi - Oboro specifically against each other (but doesn't stay at that bc they grow) and it made sense because in a way it's them being forced to confront their past mistakes, their past selves that made mistakes.

Utsuro is a good subversion of Shouyou/Gintoki, because I think Gintoki could very well be like him if he gave into the hatred and the pain after the war. Their 'reach' and ability to sway other people in the series, the way they fight having lived side-by-side with death. Sakamoto mentioned Gintoki came up with a tactic of burning their own ships - i.e; destroying your own assets to hurt your enemy. "Self-harm" but with your side's boats. Utsuro operates similarly. Hurting his allies, cutting off his own arm - all are acceptable 'damages' that serve to destroy his enemy (humans + himself). The way they deny yet cannot truly cut away their deepest heart, their humanity, their caring for another being (Shouyou picked up a little Corpse-eating Oni, and Gin picked up Shinpachi and Kagura).

Oboro-Takasugi might seem weird, but they're both characters that 'almost made it' but erred/faltered at the last second. Oboro couldn't take the weight of his choice, of his constant self-sacrifice and turned Naraku upon Shouka Sonjuku, hoping to 'take Shouyou back'. By doing so he betrays his own 'soul', that which he held himself to - protecting Shouyou and his younger sibling disciples. Takasugi's 'failure' isn't in getting captured along with Katsura, but also in a failure to himself. Takasugi has always strived to be on the same 'level' as Gintoki, challenging him to one-on-one fights constantly. He treated himself as an 'equal' with Gintoki, competing with him during the war, but then he too faltered when he put the 'weight' of protecting all on Gintoki. He 'threw the match' so to speak.

Which became an observation that maybe it's like Jiraiya meeting Tsukuyo - that is, it sort of is the same situation he had with his dead sister, where he's in a position to protect (and be left behind) again, which is one of the questions Gintama asks its characters - 'this is like that time back then. What do you do, what regrets do you have, what do you change, and how have you changed so that you can change it.' (also 'karmic cycle')

Which led to the idle thought that perhaps it's important that Shinpachi does his idol support the same way you're meant to do kendo swings (something he's frequently shown doing) - one thing, done solidly, over and over again - building up strength, healing, living with other people. Like how it's hard work getting up and trying to be better than your hurts every day of your life. But they accumulate into something, like forging a connection, raising a kid, building a Yorozuya.

Anyway yeah, pre-bedtime Gintama thoughts. I sleep now.