#save me ginhiji….

[kitamars]

idiotic things

[dadbodgintoki]

gintama fic recs (hijigin+ edition)

this post is primarily for a friend of mine, when they eventually finish the series, but i thought it might be nice to compile some recs here for those who haven’t spent as much time wandering through ao3 as i have. i was gonna have all my recs in one place originally but then the post became like. incredibly fucking long so! instead i’m gonna split them by pairing/genre-ish and have multiple posts, starting with hijigin (+ some bonus). if you see your fic on here, let me know and i’ll link it back to your tumblr if you want! (and also, thank you for writing such a wonderful fic) 

Recs under the cut!

Series: No One Looks At Series Titles So Call Them Whatever you Like, starting with When Life Gives You Lemons Make Sure To Save Them To Your Hard Drive, by Apathy and @saltedpin​. Original is rated T, but sequel ratings vary. 

He has no problem with the attention. It’s just that right now he’s receiving so damn much of it that it’s almost starting to get a little unnerving. It’s nothing he can’t deal with, of course, but the lingering stares, the whispering behind gently waving fans, and the barely audible giggling would, were he a weaker man, give him the screaming heebie-jeebies. Gintoki learns the hard way that there is a difference between good attention and bad attention. 

Kids Who Don’t Play With Trains When They’re Young Will Never Grow Up to Become Skilled City Planners by Game_Changer. Rated T. 

Two idiots engage in the longest, most utterly pointless con of the century for no particularly good reason. [General Gintama spoilers up to and including the Baragaki Arc.]

And the Gintoki-side companion piece to City Planners: If You Get a Big Enough Bookshelf, Gravestones Could Be Your Bookends.  Rated T. 

He doesn’t believe in ghosts, really. He might be the tiniest bit afraid of them though. Gintoki’s side of Kids Who Don’t Play With Trains.

Thirst Aid Kit by evils. Rated E. 

Don't be intimidated, Gin-san...try to imagine him in his underwear!...Oh no, he's hot!

RSVP Even if You Aren't Sure You'll Make It, Just In Case; It's Better to Have More Chairs Than Less by @sharkiegorath. Rated E.

Hijikata has a problem and needs Gintoki's help

swallowing is overrated, just bring a handkerchief (a handkerchief you don't like) by @sharkiegorath. Rated E.​ (thx sharkie for the fic!) 

Gintoki and Hijikata finally hook up and it's thoroughly disgusting.

Warmth by chrendon. Rated G. 

Hijikata and Kagura bond. Gintoki is useless.

Don't Assume KOF Stands for King of Fighters. The F Might Stand for Something Else. by writing_in_the_dark. Rated E.  

Gintoki and Hijikata became addicted to a smartphone game where they had GinHiji and HijiGin sex as their characters in the game. They were then told the only way to level up any farther was to have sex with each other in the real world. They didn’t really want to, but they were hopelessly addicted to the game and desperate to continue grinding their fighters. So, they fucked each other’s brains out, leveling up their fighters and finding out they liked each other a little more than they realized.

If You're Scared That No One Will Want You When You're Old And Ugly, Remember That You're Currently Young And Beautiful And No One Wants You Anyway by @cr-bat. Rated T. 

The Yorozuya's latest job involves old gods, marriage issues, a sun that decides to stop setting, and way too much collateral damage. Sometimes Toushirou wondered what the point of surviving a homicidal immortal human-turned-demigod was if he was just going to end up slaughtering every Edo citizen himself out of pure frustration.

And also, for those of us who have a lot of hijigintsu/gintsu/hijitsu feelings:

the sun also rises series by @saltedpin​ starting with The kiss I would have spent on you. Both fics rated T. 

There was no reason why the Demon Vice Commander and the Courtesan of Death should have crossed paths; and besides which, why would they have needed to, when Gintoki could so easily pass between both of their worlds, a gulf that had, at least until recently, seemed too vast to cross? Noble idiots attempt to out-noble idiot each other

shameless self promotion: if you give a mouse a cookie, you should probably ask if he's got any nut allergies beforehand by yours truly :). Very much rated E, lmao.  

God, Gintoki thinks, please bring me the comfort of death. And, he adds, tell Kagura and Shinpachi I died from food poisoning or something. Gintoki makes a request of his partners. They oblige, in the most frustrating way possible.

[chil2de]

hey shawtybae, i hope you’re doing well!! noticed your took a lil mini hiatus and yeah i hope everything’s okay :). please take your time and make sure not to rush yourself with your pieces also making sure to take care of yourself. thanks for providing all this content for us, fr you’re one of the best writers i’ve come across on this app<3

hi anonie! that concoction of a pet name seriously made me cackle you are a genius

i had a cold over my easter break and i spent two weeks in suffering filled with sniffling but i feel a lot better now so don’t worry about it <3

please you guys are the sweetest and most supporting people i’ve ever met you’re giving me too much credit, i wouldn’t be here w/ out you so thank you and ily! i’m glad you like my work!

although an apology is most likely inappropriate, i’d still like to apologise for not posting nearly as much as i used to; though in all fairness i started tumblr in the midst of lockdown when i had no real responsibilities but by all means that doesn’t mean i’ll quit writing anytime soon

so to compensate i just wanna put a few of the ongoing series i’ve been working on in the background on hold and focus on, i guess an act of compensation? i think that if i take a while uploading then i wanna take my time making my pieces much more longer and higher quality (maybe about 7k words? that used to be my average for nsfw ginhiji works)

i’ve got a lot of aces up my sleeve in regards to prompts that i’ve been saving for the right opportunity, so i just wanted to ask you guys which characters you’d like to see me write more. you can vote on the poll below and i promise it only takes a couple of seconds! completely anon with no signup required, i can’t see ip addresses and no name is required so your privacy is respected <3

https://strawpoll.com/zy6erk4s1

thank you! voting lets me know which character is the most popular and lets me focus on specific works for said character. also, lesser known characters will definitely not be overlooked

[baragakiscans]

Firstly, sorry for losing the post to your ask! Tumblr shitty UI stuff happened and I accidentally deleted the draft TvT (they should make an option for asks to reappear if the draft answer got deleted or sth smh)

Secondly, IM SO SORRY FOR THE EXTREMELY LONG POST AAAAA

I tried to keep the explanations short like I did for Saraba (even that was pretty long) but then the more I tried the longer it became, and in the end what was supposed to be my take on like 2 pages of this book became this extremely long in-depth analysis of the entire book  _(´ཀ`」 ∠)_  But I mean, I’ve agonised over the translations for this book for almost half a year and I have Lots of Feelings about it because GOD I LOVE THIS BOOK

Anyway, Makkura is another one of those books with a lot of hidden layers that can be unpacked from the story with multiple rereads. Unlike Saraba where some things were intentionally left open to interpretation (I think), though, this book is slightly more straightforward, and I’d like to offer my take on the story.

Long post and Makkura spoilers below the cut!

At the beginning of the story, Gintoki and Hijikata were already dating (secretly-but-not-so-secretly). They’ve clearly been dating for a while now; Hijikata coming over to Gintoki’s place to stay the night (though he’d usually be gone by morning), mayonnaise in the Yorozuya fridge, etc… Though their displays of affection were rather subdued, to the onlooker (and everyone else around them) these two idiots were so obviously crazy in love with each other 💕💕 However, there is something that seems a little… off about their relationship, and this something would have continued lurking in the shadows…

The beginning of the end…?

…Had Gintoki not lost all of his memories of his relationship with Hijikata. Gone was the man who would become agitated at the mere thought of his beloved going into danger; the man before Hijikata now barely knew him, and the thought of dating the Demon Vice Commander would never have crossed his mind.

Imagine waking up to find out that your boyfriend has forgotten all about his relationship with you and makes THIS face at the mere thought of shacking up with you

What Hijikata did next may seem illogical at first (and don’t get me wrong, it really is), but it makes a bit more sense once you realise what exactly was off about their relationship.

You see, Hijikata didn’t think that he was good enough for Gintoki.

If you’re familiar with Syaku’s works, you may have noticed a particular trope being rather common: Hijikata and/or Gintoki falling in love with the other, yet not taking the step forward because they were afraid of getting in the way of the other’s creed—to protect.

Looks familiar? ;)

In Makkura, they did manage to take that step forward (regardless of who made that step first), but even so, there’s always been a niggling doubt somewhere in the back of Hijikata’s mind that maybe—just maybe—Gintoki would be better off without him. Hijikata would do everything in his power to protect the Shinsengumi, and he knows that Gintoki would do the same to protect those he holds dear. It just didn’t occur to him that he was one of them, too. Instead, he was afraid of Gintoki straying from his path because of him.

Gintoki losing his memories was like a wake-up call to Hijikata, that his relationship with Gintoki was too good to be true—and if it will all come to an end eventually anyway, then he should be the one to pull the plug first, especially since the perfect opportunity to reset everything to a clean state has presented itself. He pretended that nothing happened between the two of them. He told Gintoki to “Forget about all this. Everything.” He tried to convince himself that he should make a clean break and completely remove himself from Gintoki’s life, and be content with merely watching from afar.

Maybe Hijikata thought that since he and Gintoki never confirmed their relationship, the people around them will just shrug it off, or won’t notice the change in behaviour. But needless to say, everyone around them immediately noticed that something was wrong. And they even had Hijikata’s inner thoughts all figured out.

The Shinsengumi members know their vice commander too well XD

Even Gintoki himself had managed to put two and two together, but he just couldn’t figure out why he fell in love with the man with whom he always fights like cats and dogs. And since Hijikata himself was so adamant on nothing happening, all he could do was watch as the man-who-is-apparently-his-lover-but-he-somehow-forgot told him to stay out of his way. That’s why, it’s up to everyone else to restore Gintoki’s memories and get these two idiots back together.

While the Yorozuya kids were scrambling to find the antidote, Hijikata opted to go down the slippery slope of self-abandonment by meeting the pervert Bakufu official despite knowing full well what might happen to him. He thought it was all for the sake of the Shinsengumi, but seeing Gintoki down the hallway jolted him back to his senses and made him realise just how wrong he was. He realised the reason why he was actually doing this—to see if Gintoki would come to his aid, to see if Gintoki was still the man he knows and love. He realised that he doesn’t want to give his body to anyone anymore—anyone else, that is. He realised just how truly madly deeply in love he was with Gintoki.

What indeed…

By the time he realised this, though, it already seemed too late; it didn’t seem like Gintoki was going to save him. So, he resolved to keep his memories of Gintoki as a happy dream, and was ready to succumb to despair—when Gintoki finally comes to the rescue! (Not sure if Yamazaki didn’t press the button on purpose here) Of course, Gintoki was pissed off that Hijikata would do something this reckless. So he told Hijikata, “You should treasure yourself more…” (BTW, the original Japanese really only had “You should _______ more…”, I had to fill in the blanks) That’s when Hijikata realised that he was right all along; Gintoki hasn’t changed, even without Hijikata’s memories. And that’s all he needed to know.

And over in this exhibit we have the exact moment when Gintoki fell in love all over again

Right when Gintoki was about to profess his love say something to Hijikata, the kids finally arrive with the antidote! And Sougo even figured out that Gintoki doesn’t really need the antidote anymore since he’s in back in love with Hijikata XD But of course Gintoki wants to remember. Of course he wants to remember all about his time together with the man he now knows he loves. He drinks the antidote—

Ohhhh boy shit’s about to go DOWN

—And we arrive at the emotional climax of the story. Gintoki’s furious—Of course he would be; his lover just tried to erase himself from his life, thinking that it was for his sake! Gintoki thought that Hijikata had underestimated him—in a way, he’s right; Hijikata had underestimated just how much Gintoki needs him. He knew that Gintoki loves him, but he also thought that Gintoki should forsake him for the sake of those he wants to protect.

That’s why Gintoki let Hijikata know just how much he means to him. He has already come to know all of him, so he can’t ever bring himself to let him go. That’s when Hijikata started to realise that he was wrong about Gintoki, and wrong about himself. He meant much more to Gintoki than he ever thought he did.

This led to the one exchange that I wrote out this entire analysis for—

Did I really write 1800 words just for this? Yes. Yes I did.

If Hijikata really meant so much to him, then does that mean Gintoki would have tried to erase himself from Hijikata’s world for his sake, too? Gintoki doesn’t think so, but that’s after everything that has happened so far. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it if their positions really were reversed at the beginning of the story? They both know that, because they both hold on so dearly to the same beliefs, the same pride.

That led to Gintoki throwing the question back at Hijikata—does that mean Hijikata would fall in love with Gintoki again even without his memories, just like Gintoki did? In asking this, Gintoki was telling Hijikata that, even if he were to do the same, deep down, he would still want Hijikata to fall in love with him again. And that’s when Hijikata realised—it was the same for him, too.

At that point, the two of them came to the same conclusion—neither of them can live without the other anymore. Yet, even if their positions were reversed, they would still have done the same. And even if that were to happen, they would still arrive at this same conclusion. They both love the other too much to let go; yet, they both love the other so much that they’d be willing to let go. Now that they both know this, their bond has become truly unbreakable.

Hijikata’s reply was therefore an affirmation—

“Even so, you’d have done the same. Even so, I’ll still fall in love with you.”

That’s just the way both of them are.

And so, at the end of the story, we now have Gintoki who wants Hijikata to know just how much he loves him (maybe becoming more possessive in the process?), and Hijikata who now knows just how much Gintoki loves him, and has come to forgive himself for loving him. Their relationship is one full of contradictions, yet no matter what happens, they will both find their way back to the place where they belong—in (or should I say on?) each other’s arms.

Look at the how much love there is in Hijikata’s eyes just LOOK AT IT AAAAA

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Makkura is one of my top Ginhiji doujins of all time! I really really hope that my translation managed to do it justice, and I hope my ramblings were coherent enough TvT 

If you’ve managed to read this far, do give Makkura a reread and you just might see it in a different light ;) Of course, my interpretation might be different from what Syaku intended to present, so feel free to come up with your own interpretations as well!

Also, halfway through writing this I found an analysis by @mugimarumaru over in the MRM comments section, so do check it out as well :>

Thank you for coming to my TED talk and hope you have a nice day~

(I wish I’d put in this much effort in my college essays)

- JJ

(P.S. The REAL question here: if their roles were reversed would that make it a Hijigin book 🤔🤔🤔)

[monstertidbits]

gintama and gintoki for the ask game?

gintoki 🥰:

How I feel about this character: one of my favorite characters ever ever ever. i love and appreciate him so much, its so easy to think about him and get full of love (and teary) again. he wasnt my favorite to begin with and as much as i liked him i... didnt expect him to grow on me THIS much. he manages to disgust me turn me on and make me cry hes perfect like that

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: oh im not big on any ship involving him but i like ginhiji, i also lowkey like gintsu and sakagin and im okay with some other ships

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: the yorozuya obviously, and his relationship with otose has been incredibly important to me since the very beginning

My unpopular opinion about this character: idk. maybe that i dont like the shiroyasha nickname or referring to him as a demon in any way

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: i dont have a serious answer to that yet so .... i wish hed just come out as the bisexual king he is

Favorite friendship for this character: i dont have a clear favorite but . gin and tama gin and tama gin and tama !!!!!!

My crossover ship: nah

i think this will get a lot longer if ill talk abt gintama too so ill save that for later<3

[gintamajustaway]

What are your favourite arcs and single episodes with ginhiji?

The Baragaki arc is obviously a ton of fun for the two of them! You get to learn a lot about Hijikata and Gintoki’s understanding of Hijikata deepens in that arc. Like, Gintoki even sends Hijikata a letter and the whole “To Baragaki” and “From Baragaki” thing is amazing. Thank you, Sorachi.

The Farewell Shinsengumi arc, for obvious reasons. When Hijikata needs him, Gintoki is right there. I swear a piece of me ascended the heavens when they opened that gate together and the Shinsengumi were waiting for Hijikata on the other side. The look on Gintoki’s face as he watched Hijikata was absolutely perfect. On top of that, the scene of them at the restaurant laughing together and having that heavy conversation was top notch.

Episode 166 -- this episode is just so much fun and lets them just be themselves together. Sougo knew what he was doing when he handcuffed them together.

Hijikata’s day off episode where he ends up with Gintoki everywhere he goes. They’re so fucking funny and fun together, it always makes me laugh.

The Body Swap arc is such a fun thing that Sorachi did and I’m glad he went there. I think the most poignant thing about that arc is the part of Gintoki that went into the cat. That was such a lowkey vivid thing for Sorachi to do, most people didn’t realize how heavy that was because the arc was so hilarious.

The Cherry Blossom episode was a blast! No matter how many times I watch it, I always enjoy it! The two of them are just ayp98sdf;uioajsdf and when Gintoki saved Hijikata and Hijikata turned and smiled at him, like that was key development and it was slowly happening before our eyes. So good!

The Shinsengumi Crisis arc was so good for Yorozuya and Shinsengumi growth. Once again, when the Yorozuya are needed, they’re there and the things Gintoki said to Hijikata obviously really stuck with him because he was still ruminating on them by the time the Farewell Shinsengumi arc came around. This arc was just so cool and I wasn’t at all surprised when they decided to make it into the second Live Action.

The funeral episode because, I mean, this is peak humor. The two of them are seriously so good together, they’re hilarious and complement each other perfectly. They do so many things in tandem and when they broke their arms to get out of carrying the coffin, I was wheezing when I laughed so hard! 

These are not all of them and they are in no particular order. I just enjoy the two of them immensely and since the Shinsengumi and Yorozuya are so important to each other, Sorachi has given us a lot of material with Gintoki and Hijikata. 

[kitamars]

ginhiji save me

[razberryyum]

A Gintama episode a day keeps the ending away...Episode 86

Episode Title: It's Often Difficult To Sleep When You're Engrossed With Counting Sheep

MY 23 FAVORITE MOST EMOTIONAL MOMENTS IN LESSON 86 (chapters 129 and 130):

Of course I love the Mitsuba Arc: one of the most important arcs in the series, not to mention one of the most emotional.  It always leaves me in a weepy mess, and my heart heavy with sorrow for Mitsuba, Sougo and Hijikata.  

1) The fact that she is Sougo’s sister already made me pre-disposed to love her, but her unrequited love for Hijikata followed by her unexpected fate made me cherish her more. SPOILERS under the cut:

I say unexpected because at the beginning, I truly never thought Mitsuba would die. Such a sad ending didn’t seem possible for such an obviously sweet character who was also so important to someone like Okita. I assumed she would be saved by some miracle cure, so I was pretty devastated when no such miracle occurred. Total gut punch.

2) I loved seeing how different Sougo was around his beloved sister. It hurts my heart that we may never see this side of him ever again.

3) Of course I loved this. 

4) Sougo’s very innocent expression as he’s threatening Gin-chan.

5) I loved that the sadism was obviously hereditary in the Okita family.

6) Bless Kondou for taking this lonely little bean under his wing. 

7) Although, to be honest, he looked a bit like a predator in the moment. Surprised Sougo didn’t punch him in the balls or something.

8) I loved Mitsuba more for recognizing the similarities between Gintoki and Hijikata immediately. I firmly believe that in a different universe, Mitsuba would’ve totally been a GinHiji shipper...if she wasn’t busy trying to play match-maker between Gin-chan and her little bro.

9) Their first meeting after being apart for so many years. Ugh, my heart. 

10) This subtly gut-wrenching moment: how Hijikata pretended he didn’t give a shit about Mitsuba but then that slight movement of his eyes that totally gave away how he felt, that he still cares about her. Every time I watch this scene now I wish so much he had just stopped, if even for a minute, to SAY SOMETHING to her. Ask if she was feeling better. Or just say hi. 

11) Grumpy baby Okita is just CUTENESS TIMES 1000!!!! The fact that he was being grumpy about Hijikata made it even cuter!

12) I love Hijikata no matter what, but I WORSHIP Hijikata with long hair.

13) I couldn’t stop screaming at the cuteness! Seriously, how freaking PRECIOUS is grumpy baby Okita????

14) Droooollllll. Also, important moment since that’s when he first noticed Mitsuba...his attraction to her was probably instantaneous.

15) It really hurts my heart to think of this: when Mitsuba was still alive, Hijikata probably slathered his food in mayonnaise because it reminded him of Mitsuba and the gesture most likely filled him with happiness. After she passed away, he still thinks of Mitsuba every time he does it, but the gesture now only fills him with sadness at her passing.

16)  Gin-chan being a total sweetheart to Mitsuba just made me love him more. It’s so sweet that he was especially nice to her because he knew how important she was to Sougo.

17) Yamazaki is a horrible spy but his obvious content from eating crappy sausages is just too adorable. 

18) I love that Yamazaki easily told Gintoki because he obviously doesn’t think of him as just anyone. It’s like he understood Gintoki is always the exception.

19) Sougo’s vulnerability just broke my heart to a million pieces.

20) I could never hate Hijikata, but the cold way he rejected Okita’s plea for Mitsuba’s happiness made me feel something dangerously close to that emotion for that one second, especially seeing the shocked look on Sougo’s face.

21) Poor baby Sougo. I can understand his resentment at the time, but little did he know he would also grow to love Toshi one day too...he just won’t show it.

22) The emotional weight of this moment just kills me. Mitsuba giving up her pride to make her plea to Hijikata; Okita’s shock at realizing that his sister was in love Hijikata. All of it just made Hijikata’s response all the more brutal.

23) Even though I know Hijikata’s heartlessness both times may have been  bourne from his love for Mitsuba--in the past he didn’t want to put her in danger since they were essentially going to an unknown setting and in the present he didn’t want her to marry a monster--it doesn’t make it any more palatable because it really was so damn cold and cruel.

SHIPS TALLY: 

Hijikata x Mitsuba: I was so sure that she was introduced to be Hijikata’s endgame when we first met her. After knowing her and knowing what happens to her, I truly wish they would have been able to enjoy some happiness together, regardless of how short their time together would have been.

Gintoki x Okita: one of my alternate OTPs so of course their interaction made me happy, even though technically Gintoki was being friend zoned to the max. 

Mitsuba x Toma: she was way out of his league in the looks department but because he seemed so sweet to her, I really hoped that in the end we would find out he’s actually a nice guy. I hate him so much now that I hate even acknowledging him as a partner for Mitsuba. She deserved so much better in every single way.

Hijikata x Yamazaki: Yamazaki was uncharacteristically insightful about Hijikata and it was cute how he was just dragged away by him cave-man style.

Kondou x Mitsuba: I have a feeling if Kondou was the one Mitsuba had fallen in love with and had asked him to take her to Edo, he would’ve married her immediately and taken her with him and now she would be a happy wife and a happy mother of his children. [sigh]

Disclaimer: Gintama is not only about shipping. Gintama is hilarious, clever, exciting, poignant, heart-breaking, loving, brilliant, and just completely unbelievably amazing.  It is only due to Sorachi-sama’s immense generosity that I am able enjoy Gintama on an extra another level, the shippy level, and I am forever grateful for that. GINTAMA IS LIFE AND LOVE.

3/27/2019

[razberryyum]

Gintama live action 2 movie review Part 3 of 3...SPOILERS!

Again, you should probably read Parts 1 & 2 first cuz now it’s like you’re starting a movie when it’s already 2/3rds over...which you literally are....

That image looks good whether it’s in black and white, animated color or live action.

I ship GinHiji no matter what form they are in, so this moment, where they’re like THISCLOSETOGETHER, of course made me happy.

Ok, I don’t think I’m crazy but this ass pounding scene went on longer than it did in the anime. It was unbelievable, especially how into it Tosshi was. They didn’t include a few of the other abusive moments between Gintoki and Hijikata, but this prolonged scene made up for it.

This happened. I don’t know why cuz I didn’t understand what they were saying, but bless Director Fukuda for finding creative ways to include Zura into the Shinsengumi Crisis Arc. I hope he continues to do that in future movies. 

This happened too. Actually in addition to the Evangelion parody, there was another reference to another famous anime when they were in Gengai’s warehouse, but I just didn’t include it. I’ll leave at least one surprise for those of you still planning to watch the movie (you should. Seriously watch it. Totally worth your time and honestly, why are you even spoiling yourself by reading all this? Of course I appreciate that you’re doing that, but please don’t think this is enough so that you don’t have to watch the movie anymore. WATCH IT DAMMIT)

Kagura the Queen saving everyone’s ass. She is really so awesome in the movie, Hashimoto Kanna did her proud. 

 Baby Itou was adorbs in the manga, anime AND in the movie.

The movie proving Shinsengumi drinking parties are the bacchanalian feasts that we all assumed them to be. 

I wanted to take a moment to just say how freaking amazing Nakamura Kankurou was as Kondou. He really was a perfect Kondou. Man went all out in the dramatic moments, totally brought tears to my eyes. I pretty much cried every time Kondou cried. My only lament is that he didn’t have any scenes with Otae. There was a point during the Snack Smile Host portion where he was on a tank screaming about Otae, which I’m sure was him confessing his love all over again, but I would’ve really liked it if they actually interacted cuz the short scenes they had in the first movie were so adorable.

Obviously I loved the movie, but if I really had to point out a flaw, I would say the Bansai fight scenes could have been better scored and his fight with Gintoki could have been better. First, the music in his fight scenes...it was pretty bad. Like, weird, generic 80′s electrical guitar shit. I think they were trying to go for rock and roll, but it ended up putting a damper on what were otherwise really well-choreographed fight sequences. I wish they would’ve just used Otsuu’s music. They didn’t need to explain why, we fans would’ve known immediately. And then his showdown with Gintoki was kind of weird because they inserted a lot of bad CG because of his strings...which were ridiculously thick, as you can see. There were some Matrix slo mo too which...I’m just not a fan of after the first Matrix. I also thought they should have kept the fight near the train instead of bringing it back to Edo since it lacked the heightened sense of urgency in the original scenes where Gintoki was trying to save everyone on the train. But on the bright side, Edo looked freaking amazing....reminded me Xandar in Guardians of the Galaxy.

I cried. I cry every time we get to this moment, but this time, I felt especially sad because I kinda wanted this Itou to stick around for the next movie.

I am so damn glad live action Yamazaki got his opportunity to shine on the big screen because Tozuka Junki was so delightful in Mitsuba-hen. Btw, one big bummer of the bluray set is even though it had a second special features disc, it DIDN’T include the special episodes that were shown on dTV. I was hoping they would be nice enough to include them since the had a whole extra disc, but nope. It was like cast appearance and character profile stuff. Nice of course, but still wasn’t what I was really wishing for. I wish someone would sub those and put them online like they did with the Mitsuba-hen eps.

They were sitting back to back in the manga/anime...I can’t decide if this is better, the same, or worse. It’d be nice if they were at least sitting closer cuz they were closer when they were sitting back to back. I know, I’m insane. Whatever, I loved this movie. I want a third one. And a fourth and a fifth. With this cast and Director/Screenwriter Fukuda. 

So, please, Gintama gods, give it to us. And let it cover either the Yagyuu Arc, Vacation Arc or the Baragaki Arc. Or basically any arc that can build upon these last two movies and yet be self-contained AND most importantly, include the Shinsengumi boys and Zura. I would love the Popularity Poll arc to be brought to life, since then Tsukuyo can be involved, lest anyone think I’m purposely excluding her, I’m not, it’s just the Yoshiwara arcs don’t include the Shinsengumi or Zura at all, and I don’t know how they can reasonably add all of them in, even though I would LOVE to see live action Kamui and Abuto too. And the Courtesan of a Nation arc is too involved. Maybe we can do that for the fourth movie. Gods I wish the live action can be an entire series. I could watch this cast act out every chapter of the manga. It’ll be costly, no doubt, but it’d be nice. Omg, except for one dude, wow I almost completely forgot about him because I kind of want to. Live action Takasugi is NO GOOD. I know Domoto Tsuyoshi was (is?) popular, I know he has lots of fans, Sorachi-sama is probably one of them, but holy crap is he miscast as Takasugi. It was actually physically HURTING me to see his scenes with live action Bansai (Kubota Masataka) because Bansai was so perfect in comparison. I mean, everything was just wrong with LA Takasugi...down to the fact that when he first appears in this movie, we see his ugly bare feet and legs first. It was such an off-putting entrance and yet, somehow fitting. I wish they would just recast him since, from what I heard, he didn’t even want to be Takasugi to begin with. But otherwise, everyone’s wonderful. I really hope we’ll get an American release, if not theatrically (though I wish it would be) then at least VOD or BD/DVD so that I can finally understand what everyone is saying through subs.

Anyway, that’s my long-ass review of the second live action movie, Gintama 2: Rules are made to be broken. Thank you for reading, please see it legally when you are able to so that Fukuda-san and his team can make enough money to make another one. 

[razberryyum]

Gintama anime ep 358/manga chaps 648, 649, 650, and 651

Dear Gintama gods and Sorachi-sama,

Please allow me to humbly express to you what I am most thankful for in this episode:

BUT WAIT, before that! Sorachi-sama, please tell me, what does Team Bandai Namco have against Bansai? Once again they cut him out of the episode completely when, in your original chapter, he was included, in a really touching moment: when NobuNobu was imploring everyone to hold back on their desire for revenge, Takasugi actually pictures Bansai. That was completely omitted from the episode and I just don’t understand why. I still loved the entire episode but that omission was rather disappointing, especially considering the other Takasugi and Bansai moments that were cut out two episodes ago.  Apologies for my minirant; please allow me to return to thanking you and praising the fruits of your labor that blessed us with all the other wonderful moments in this episode.

Thank you for:

- the long-awaited demise of the fool who brought about so much death and destruction,

- the end of an era,

- an ancient premise that was not forgotten,

- Kamui’s method of saving people,

- a brother acknowledging another brother’s strength and value,

- sadistic future boyfriends brother-in-laws flirting sparing,

- a BEAUTIFUL sister doling out earned punishment,

- sweet Shinpachi, 

- Hijikata once again returning to Gintoki what was forgotten, 

- Sadaharu,

- Puppy gods,

- a wise and understanding husband subordinate, 

- the big rabbit and “Nobutas”,

- the Yorozuya emojis,

and lastly, my favorite manga to anime moments (4-way tie, I CAN’T CHOOSE!):

I remember when I first saw NobuNobu die, I didn’t quite feel sadness because you had reminded us that he was responsible for ShigeShige’s death. I only felt a little sympathy for him since he was killed just as he was trying to change himself for the better and I was worried how Soyo would take the news. However, in watching his death on screen, I actually got teary-eyed for two reasons: the choice of music used which was straight out of the Shogun Assassination Arc and Sakamoto’s griefstricken reaction thanks to seiyuu Miki Shinichiro-san’s amazing performance. It was a touching moment, and a grander exit than NobuNobu probably deserved considering what he has done in the past. I was also very happy to see Enshou finally fall; it was such a satisfying moment, I loved seeing it in full animated color. And despite the aforementioned exclusion of Bansai, I actually loved this episode a lot as it included some of my favorite moments from the battle on Earth. As stupid as this may sound, I also got teary-eyed over seeing Hijikata returning Gintoki’s bokuto to him. You know I’m a sucker for GinHiji moments. Of course the interactions involving Kamui’s harem and between the Yato siblings were also treasures to me. Thank you for the abundance of riches that never fails to put a big smile on my face and brighten my day. 

Yours truly,

A silly fangirl with yaoi dreams

(^3^) 

[razberryyum]

A Gintama chapter a day keeps the ending away...Lesson 527

MY 20 FAVORITE MOMENTS IN LESSON 527:

aka, one of my favorite chapters in one of my favorite arcs of all time. Oh wait, I said the same thing last chapter. Oh well. It’s true though. Love love LOVE this chapter and this arc. The Snack Smile scene is just...I really can’t think of any other word than LOVE. Love love LOVE IT. Not to mention, this chap features all three of my main OTPs: GinHiji, OkiKagu, KonTae. It’s truly glorious.

1) Zura!! I was so happy to see him!! When he appeared at the beginning of this chapter, I immediately started hoping that he would finally get to participate in a serious arc since he’s usually forced to sit them out. I loved his tribute to Shi-chan: so touching, so sweet.

2) Awww...

3) ...she misses Kondou...

4) ...they both miss Kondou. Ugh, my heart. I wish he could have known their feelings.

5) I wanted to kiss Kozenigata for inviting Gintoki to Hijikata’s welcome party. 

6) Dear Haji, she gets it. She obviously ships Gintoki and Hijikata too.

7) They are so adorable I can’t even. This was probably the first time Toshi had any levity since probably as far back as ShigeShige’s death. Kondou’s arrest most likely made him feel worse. Really, again, bless Kozenigata for inviting Gintoki to the party.  

8) But then these two assholes had to show up and shit on the party. I loved Hijikata’s look...he was ready to kill their asses.

9) Again, Hijikata’s expression. I still amazes me NobuNobu lived utter another word.

10) What kind of idiot would still stand around threatening this man after seeing that look on his face? 

11) Omgggggggg swoooonnnnnn!

12) When I first saw this, I probably screamed in happiness when Kagura and Sadaharu appeared to “rescue” Okita. 

13) I wanted to kill NobuNobu myself. I hated him so much at this point; I still can’t believe Sorachi-sama managed to redeem this asshole. 

14) I love that the focus is on Gintoki since he was essentially forced to do the same thing, and worse, since he had to actually carry out his leader’s execution. Such a perfectly set up moment.

15) Their reactions to NobuNobu striking down two of Tae-chan’s coworkers in cold blood. He was such a horrible villain! I seriously can’t believe I actually have warm feelings for him now. Sorachi-sama is amazing. 

16) I was so proud of Tae-chan for totally standing up to NobuNobu.

17) I loved the setup of this moment...

18) ...which led to this. I love this moment so damn much. Gintoki sacrificing his face to save Hijikata and probably the entire Shinsengumi from being executed. If Hijikata had hit NobuNobu, it would’ve been all over for him for sure. He would have been executed alongside Kondou and Matsudaira. Gintoki did this to save him. And my heart just about burst into a tiny happy floating pieces.

19) Gintoki is holding Hijikata’s hand. I am not going to apologize for my fangirling. I deserved this. 

20) I CHEERED. And then of course was immediately worried for Gintoki. I didn’t want him to be executed either. 

SHIPS TALLY:

Gintoki x Hijikata: I’ve probably said enough already so I’ll just leave it at Squeeeee!

Okita x Kagura: she appeared like a beacon of light out of the darkness for him. She loves him. I refuse to believe otherwise.

Kondou x Otae: I’ve always believed that this is where Tae-chan started to really come around on Kondou and her feelings of annoyance with him began to turn into love and affection. She missed him and obviously admired him. I just wish he wasn’t in prison for all this. He would’ve been so happy to see her defend him.

Kondou x Hijikata: Toshi missed Kondou too. Of course I can’t board this ship but I totally understand why people do.

Kozenigata x Otae: he was being a bit presumptuous with that “Otae-chan”. 

Gintoki x Hijikata x Otae: personally, I think it was more KonTae than anything since she was missing him, but if this 3P makes you happy, I can see that too.  

NobuNobu x Otae: he was a total creep doing a total creep thing, but he weirdly lingered on her for a tad bit too long so I have to recognize that.

Disclaimer: Gintama is not only about shipping. Gintama is hilarious, clever, exciting, poignant, heart-breaking, loving, brilliant, and just so freaking amazing.  It is only due to Sorachi-sama’s generosity that I can enjoy Gintama on yet another level, the shippy level, and I am forever grateful for that. GINTAMA IS LIFE AND LOVE.

6/17/2018

[razberryyum]

A Gintama chapter a day keeps the ending away...Lesson 511

MY 12 FAVORITE MOMENTS IN LESSON 511:

I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!!! One of THE BEST chapters in the arc. I loved the pair-ups (one in particular which will be painfully obvious if you’ve been following me...and even if you haven’t, you will still know because I they are prominently featured in my fave moments) for the fights and the fights themselves were so damn awesome!! After reading this chapter tonight I actually watched the episode again and it is of course just as awesome in moving color as it is in black and white. In a way, it’s even better with the seiyuus’ amazing performances breathing life into our beloved characters and the gut-wrenching sound effects which made every punch even more painful. The only downside was the fight was over much faster than it seemed seeing it in this chapter. 

1) I thought they were great company to die with...would’ve been better if Sougo or Zura was present as well, but I’m not really complaining.

2)  Still flirting teasing each other even when faced with potential death.

3) Gin-chan’s right: she’s absolutely not a normal person, she’s the fucking QUEEN.

4) This panel...LOVEDDDDD.

5) I didn’t even know until I watched the episode that Kagura actually hurt her hand because she punched that Yato so hard his skull probably broke her bones.

6) I loved Kondou just that much more when he came to Kagura’s rescue. I was so proud of the fact that he a mere human being was totally holding his own against the Yato. It’s like, I’m used to Gintoki doing that, because Gintoki is a superhuman, but when anyone else fights and beats any Yato, my chest always swells with pride for them.

7) And I loved that Kagura returned the favor by saving Kondou from having his face blown off by kicking those Yato and their rock down a cliff. Their rare partnership was just so damn good that I almost didn’t mind that it wasn’t Sougo in place of Kondou.

8) Her regal expression and her commanding words. The Queen is the Queen after all.

9) They’re fighting side-by-side, that is absolutely enough for me to love the moment. Those of us who live on table scraps treasure every tiny morsel thrown our way.

10) I straight up jumped up and cheered when Gintoki immediately went to rescue Hijikata as soon as he saw that he was in danger. 

11) Ngl, when I saw Shinpachi rushing to Gintoki’s side, I fervently hoped he would just back off and leave things to the two of them because I wanted their last stand together to last longer. 

12) ShigeShige once again coolly saving the day with his mad kunai throwing skills. 

SHIPS TALLY:

Gintoki x Hijikata: I love this moment so much it’s probably not healthy. Well...then again, when it comes to GinHiji, it’s probably too late to even talk about healthy when it comes to me. I am absolutely not sorry about the amount of fangirling over them I did in this chapter; they deserved it. I deserved it. And just look at this moment...even if you didn’t ship them, you have to admit that’s a pretty fucking badass pose. Back-to-back, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul. Beautiful.

Disclaimer: Gintama is not only about shipping. Gintama is hilarious, clever, exciting, poignant, heart-breaking, loving, brilliant, and just so freaking amazing.  It is only due to Sorachi-sama’s generosity that I can enjoy Gintama on yet another level, the shippy level, and I am forever grateful for that. GINTAMA IS LIFE AND LOVE.

6/1/2018

[razberryyum]

A Gintama chapter a day keeps the ending away...Lesson 132

One of my favorite title images:

My New Year’s resolution for 2017: re-read a chapter of Gintama every day starting from the beginning and relive the joy that is Gintama lesson-by-lesson. Hopefully I will never reach the end of the series should Sorachi-sama have a change of heart and never conclude it.

What I Loved in Lesson 132: (Hijikata, Gintoki, Okita, Mitsuba, Hijikata, Gintoki, Okita, Mitsuba, Hijikata…)

Okita going with Gintoki to save Hijikata; I wish he didn’t have to leave Mitsuba alone but I know she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. 

Ugh, my heart…this man…I love him….

I cheered. Too bad it wasn’t a fatal stab.

In my selfishness, I squeed when Gin-chan appeared beside him to offer a hand.

Sougo facing down that dickhead’s car.

Mitsuba’s words always moves me because I think of what she was willing to give up in order to allow her men to continue down their path.

Sougo being the strong and amazing man Mitsuba always knew he’d become.

I cried…

I cried a LOT. Honestly, I rarely revisit this arc because I feel so emotionally drained afterwards. I think I’ve only reread it at most 4 times (including this time) and watched the episodes twice. 

Just heartbreaking. Shipping aside, I was so moved that Gintoki was there on the roof with him just to keep him company. I’d like to think Toshi was grateful for that, even though they didn’t instantly become BFFs right after. In the reality of the story, I always thought this was where the foundation of their friendship took hold.

Ships Tally:

HijiMitsu: I always felt a little guilty when it came to Mitsuba because if things didn’t end up the way they did, and she had gotten together with Hijikata after all, then of course my GinHiji ship would have been sunk. But it’s because of her passing that I was able to continue shipping them. So while I can’t say I’m happy about the resolution to her relationship with Hijikata, since it was completely heart-breaking, I’m also grateful for it. Still, if I had any choice in the matter, I would rather Toshi be a widower so that he and Mitsuba got to enjoy some time as a joyful married couple, instead of the both of them pining for each other all alone all those years.  

GinHiji: Mitsuba is first love, Gintoki could be his second. Both just as important.

Disclaimer: Gintama is not only about shipping. Gintama is hilarious, clever, exciting, poignant, heart-breaking, loving, brilliant, and just so freaking amazing.  It is only due to Sorachi-sama’s generosity that I can enjoy Gintama on yet another level, the shippy level, and I am forever grateful for that. GINTAMA IS LIFE AND LOVE.

5/14/2017

[razberryyum]

A Gintama chapter a day keeps the ending away...Lesson 102

Chapter Title and Image:

My New Year’s resolution for 2017: I will re-read a chapter of Gintama every day starting from the beginning with the hope that I will never reach the end of the series because Sorachi-sama will have a change of heart and NOT end the series. Join me as I relive my love for Gintama lesson-by-lesson.

What I Loved About Lesson 102:

The Yorozuya being arrested by the Shinsengumi boys. I don’t know why that tickles me to no end but it does.

Shinpachi’s whites-only, bloodshot eyes as he’s screaming about Otsu’s bathroom habits.

Just...the whole fart and poop convo was GOLDEN, topped off with Hijikata’s complete lack of reaction.

Kondou and Shinpachi’s expressions; not to mention they remind me of clowns stuffed into a car.

Their delay tactics.

Everything about this.

Hijikata negotiating with Sougo for punching rights. Have I said how much I love these guys yet? No? Well, I love these guys.

Gintoki recognizing them as protectors of Edo. I found that rather touching.

Kondou being a total man and fearless leader.

Yamazaki saving the damsel and the day.

Kondou’s overjoyed expression.

Banzai’s cameo (in both chapters) and his recognition of the Shinsengumi being formidable opponents.

Ships Tally:

GinHiji: look at the way Gintoki is staring at Hijikata; isn’t that just precious?? I also love how even though all three members of the Yorozuya are involved, Toshi only singles out Gin-chan for his wrath.

HijiOki: their interaction with each other was supremely adorable.

KonTsuu: her genuine concern for him was really touching. I am KonTae all the way but it wouldn’t have hurt to get Tae-chan just a little jealous.

Disclaimer: Gintama is not only about shipping. Gintama is hilarious, clever, exciting, poignant, heart-breaking, loving, brilliant, and just so freaking amazing.  It is only due to Sorachi-sama’s generosity that I can enjoy Gintama on yet another level, the shippy level, and I am forever grateful for that. GINTAMA IS LIFE AND LOVE.

4/14/2017

[razberryyum]

Gintama manga chap 629

Dear Gintama gods and Sorachi-sama,

You giveth and then you almost taketh away but then you giveth again. Just after I spent a good paragraph last week lamenting your cruelty at not allowing Gintoki and Hijikata to even exchange a line or two with each other even though they were finally in the same vicinity, you bless me with a full moment of banter between them. Although their interaction was brief, that made me more happy than you can imagine since I was fully resigned to not ever seeing them address each other ever again. I would like very much to see them banter and maybe converse more sometime in the near future, but to ask for more right now when you've already been more than generous and gracious would be simply too ungrateful and greedy of me. So I will count my blessings and say with the utmost sincerity from the bottom of my heart: thank you. Thank you so, so much for granting me that tiny piece of cartilage. It is completely delicious and I shall treasure it for however long necessary until the next time you see fit to toss me one more morsel.

I would be less than honest if I didn't admit that I was greatly relieved that nothing really happened between Gintoki and Tsukky after all. Honestly, I was fully prepared that they would get a genuine moment together where she finally confesses her love for him and he accepts her sentiments, and maybe even return her feelings. I know that possibility may never be off the table for them but I hope you hold off on it until the bitter end if that is the outcome you decide on. Although, judging from the tableau above, maybe Tsukky will have to contend with Sa-chan over Gintoki after all.  As much as I love Sa-chan, I never really thought she had a chance with Gin-chan based on his less than welcoming reactions to her, not to mention I think she makes a cuter couple with Zenzou (of course only after he gets his serious hemorrhoid issues resolved), but whatever she's doing to Gin-chan under the covers there might change all that. If anyone remembers anything once they are sober, of course. I hope the potential friendships pictured—Kozenigata-Kyoushirou, Otae-Tetsuko, Gedoumaru-Hedoro, and even Zenzou-Pandemonium—continue to blossom once they wake up from their drunken state.

I also loved seeing Soyo again and watching her further bond with Nobume warmed my heart. Their friendship makes so much sense and I love that they even look like each other; they could be sisters in a different life. You know I have always hoped that Soyo would one day end up being the Shoguness of Edo, with Kagura and Nobume as her personal bodyguards. Maybe Nobume could eventually become the police director when Matsudaira retires; that is, if Kondou declines the position. Actually, I kind of like the idea of Nobume being the boss of the Shinsengumi.

I was really expecting the Yato to launch a night attack but that gigantic weapon Old Legolas is aiming at Earth looks a million times worse than whatever the Yato could do. I guess there's no chance that the laser beam will end up turning everyone into the opposite sex instead of actually reducing them to ashes, is there? Although it is a real dick move on Old Legolas' part to take out his allies along with his targeted enemies. I hope that guy gets a good beating at the end of all this. Sure his backstory was a bit sad, but that's no excuse for attempting to be a mass murdering fuckhead. I'm glad that NobuNobu finally got in touch with Soyo, but I doubt there's really much anyone could do to deflect such an attack from space. If there ever was a time that a last minute hail Mary save was needed, it would definitely be now.  

Lastly, and this is not at all meant as a complaint but more as a...pleading observation: I wished Okita was the one pulling Kagura around rather than Yamazaki. Although I am so glad our favorite Jimmy is back. I guess it's only fitting that he would simply appear without much fanfare; to provide him with a more noticeable re-entrance would be probably overwhelm him. We're still missing Saitou and Tetsu, at this point, I guess they could either be on a secret Shinsengumi mission to save Earth or you just haven't had time to fit them in. Honestly, I'm ok with either scenario as long as they're both ok. I hope everyone will all be ok.  

Yours truly,

A silly fangirl with yaoi dreams

(^3^)

PS: AT LONG LAST I GET A FAVORITE GINHIJI MOMENT ONCE AGAIN! THANK YOU SORACHI-SAMA!!! (and apologies for yelling)

[razberryyum]

Gintama manga chap 630

Dear Gintama gods and Sorachi-sama,

Don’t tell me, there is a built-in weak spot inside the Deathstar Hinokagutsuchi, isn't there? I am willing to bet good money that’s what you have planned because I refuse to believe they only have six hours left before Earth is obliterated.  I don't even think Gintoki will be sober in six hours! (Just how much did Tsukky force down his throat? I know I might sound like I'm saying this with ulterior motives, but seriously, I don't think Tsukky is good for Gin-chan's health. She'll probably end up sending him to an early grave, either from her many kunai attacks to his head or alcohol poisoning.)  Poor guy is puking his guts out just when he needs to concentrate the most so that he could eventually figure out a way to fly into the reactor core of the Hinokagutsuchi and blow it up.  

Any sympathy points I might have had for Enshou are now completely gone. At first, I did feel a little bad for him since he lost his entire family after Utsuro caused the Altana terminal on his planet to explode, but the man has clearly lost his mind. He keeps on talking about continuing the fight, but what he is doing is nothing as honorable as fighting, he's just committing mass murder, taking out his own allies along with his victims. I had a lot of sympathy for those underlings that he killed; they were only trying to do the right thing by turning on him and reasoning with him. I thought they were quite honorable for trying to talk him out of such a drastic action and they obviously cared enough about their comrades to not want them to perish in such a wrong cause. But all they got for their trouble was death. I wonder now when the Liberation Army members on Earth realize that they will be sacrificed as well, would they also see the light and give up on their mission. Perhaps they will even side with the Yorozuya and the rest of the gang so that everyone could work together to thwar Enshou's heinous plan.  

I had really expected the Yato to launch a surprise attack on Kabukichou at night, but if their whole purpose of kidnapping Gengai is really just to restore communications and that's the end of that, then I must say that would be a bit of a letdown. It's not that I was really looking forward to them slaughtering a bunch of innocent townspeople, but I guess I was expecting more fighting? Now with that humongous ticking planet-ending timebomb, it almost feels like there's no time for terrestrial fighting anymore. I would like to think the Yato faction of the Lib Army would also realize how fruitless their mission is.  I know they love brawling and are filled with crazy blood lust all the time, but hopefully they're not all coo-coo-bananas like Kamui, and some of them do have enough of a sense of self-preservation that would prevent them from giving up their lives to a prince who obviously wouldn't blink twice about stepping on their corpses to attain a pointless goal.

Speaking of a change of heart: alright, your plan to redeem NobuNobu has fully succeeded. After all, if even Soyo can forgive him, who am I to hold out on him? That moment between them actually made my eyes well up with tears. I feel so conflicted though! Directly or indirectly, NobuNobu did have a hand in ShigeShige's death, so I don't really think it's right to hope that he and Soyo could have a sibling-like relationship once Earth is saved and peace is restored, yet at the same time, I am starting to wish exactly that. Am I betraying Shi-chan by even thinking that? Not to mention, when NobuNobu was rotten, he was oh so rotten. Did Tae-chan's poor coworker even survive the injury he inflicted on her? It really wasn't so long ago that I would have been overjoyed to see him beaten to a bloody pulp or even drop dead, so I feel a little out of sorts that I'm having all these warmish feelings towards him now. Not only do I want him to live, I want him to be a part of the Kaientai. Or better yet, he could spend the rest of his life serving Soyo as her retainer; I guess that would be a good way for him to further atone for his past sins. In fact, he should hand her his Shogun title on his own. Once the Tendoshuu are completely defeated, there won’t be anyone left to control him, so who’s really going to stop him from naming whoever he wants as his successor?

So whatever his plan is to defeat Enshou, I hope he succeeds, but without having to sacrifice himself in return.   It would be a shame for him to die just when he’s finally becoming a decent human being and discovering that he, too, might have bushido in him.

Yours truly,

A silly fangirl with yaoi dreams

(^3^)

PS: sadly, there were no GinHiji moments that I can happily thank you for, BUT, I did think Elizabeth’s new expression for her now elevated status was pretty precious.