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.
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