✎, ♚
✎ What do you wish the author would reveal/had revealed about your muse?
Katsura’s backstory has been developed in small little bits, and so far I’m quite happy with how that’s gone. HIs childhood and teenage years with Gintoki and Takasugi are right at the core of Gintama’s main story, and there are good reasons he and his old friends don’t talk about their past: PSTD, survivor’s guilt, secrets kept for other people’s sakes … so I don’t mind Sorachi keeping a veil over the past.
But before the story ends, I want to see more of how Katsura personally related to his teacher, since we’ve mostly seen Shouyou-sensei’s relationship with Gintoki and Takasugi.
I also want to know the exact details of how Katsura, Gintoki, and Takasugi went their separate ways ten years ago.
Last and least, I doubt Sorachi will ever revisit this throw-away comedic line, but Katsura asked for a copy of his TV interview to send to the folks in his home town. The idea of Zura still keeping up ties with his old hometown, in contrast to Takasugi and Gin running from their past, really tickles my fancy. I’d love to know more about that. Does he ever go home and reminisce with the old neighbours? Do they ask him how Takasugi and Gin are getting on? Or does he just send letters and newspaper clippings and TV interviews to say how he is, because it’s too painful to go back?
Do people back home remember these kids fondly, or do they blame them for drawing the area into war, taking other youngsters away with them, never to return? You can tell I”ve thought a LOT about this.
♚ Do you agree with fandom interpretation of your character?
A lot of the time, I really disagree. Katsura’s a popular character, and people like him for a lot of the same reasons as me, but I feel that fandom generally tends to overlook / play down Katsura’s flaws, and simplify his very complicated character.
I can’t stand Perfect Angel Katsura whose active imagination is just cute and colourful and unfairly mocked by the other characters. In canon, Katsura can be downright nasty. Yes, he’s kind and self-sacrificing and all that, but he’s also got a spiteful streak about a mile wide, and an unhealthy mix of arrogance, jealousy, and thoughtlessness. Read the Afro arc if you want to see Katsura at his cold-blooded worst, plotting to have the Shinsengumi execute Saitou on trumped up charges, with the assumption Saitou won’t be able to speak up to defend himself.
Gintoki often plays an important role putting the brakes on Zura’s worse tendencies. And that brings me to Zura’s past. A lot of people say that Katsura handled his teacher’s death much better than his friends, that he’s way more stable and emotionally resilient. Okay, it’s easier to be more stable than Takasugi, but I swear the fandom’s forgotten that when we first meet Katsura he is in the process of trying to blow up the Edo space terminal. ie. the real life equivalent would be if someone had figured out a way to destroy Narita Airport in one blow with every employee, foreign visitor, and Japanese passenger inside. He’s been running a campaign of bombings against embassies not military targets. Until Gintoki confronts him in the Ikedaya Inn, Katsura’s a BAD GUY and he’s doing everything out of grief, survivor’s guilt and despair.
Katsura’s personal journey from full-blown terrorist, to more conscientious terrorist, to protector of others, to making peace with his enemies, and doing all this while still showing his manifest flaws, is a great story arc. St. Katsura the Abused Innocent Who Never Did Anything Wrong, is a sham.
