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toxicshifterinspace · 9 months ago

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What do you think about Sougo and Nobume? Okinobu said that Sougo seems attract and fascinated with her. He seems more interest to fight with her than Kamui. What do you think?

First, thank you for your question because I totally LOVE the relationship between Sougo and Nobume, yet unfortunately it’s a rather unpopular opinion because of some stupid shipping reasons. Their canonical bond is really interesting.

So, I think Sorachi created four young characters that are meant to reflect each other in four groups - Kagura in Yorozuya, Sougo in the Shinsengumi, Nobume in the Miwamarigumi and Kamui in Harusame/Kiheitai. But even though all these characters are similar in some way, inside of this square they are split into two mirrored pairs: Kamui-Kagura and Sougo-Nobume. For me, they are not simply alike - they kinda show two paths which may be followed by the same person.

That’s why Sougo must look at Nobume differently than he looks at Kamui. Firstly, the fight with Kamui was based on pure strength and almost survival instinct. For sure it was exciting, but to me Sougo is partly fascinated with Nobume because she is a swordsman. And we know that Sougo’s technique is the best in the Shinsengumi. Nobume can compare with him and I’m sure Sougo feels the same way as every talented person who found somebody equal to them. Probably he wants a duel with her. His fight with Kamui was not a duel, it was a fight with all means. His fights with Nobume are beautiful sword fights.

But I said that Sougo and Nobume are like mirrors. And they are! Sorachi says it with Nobume’s mouth when in the Baragaki Arc she states “You have the eyes of a killer, just like me”. So they are very similar and Sougo feels it. I guess that’s why he’s partly attached to her. I suspect that you’ve read my okikagu analysis and there I wrote that Kagura never considers Sougo to be a murderer. Nobume is her opposite, but she does not say this in an accusatory way. Therefore, Sougo needs them both because if they reflect each other, the girls just show two completely different sides of Sougo. Nobume reminds him of what is negative and dark in him, and despite everything Sougo seems to like it. There is a great scene in the Mitsuba Arc when Sougo reproachfully tells Kondo that he is not like him and Hijikata. I suspect that Sougo thinks of himself much worse than it seems first and he’s a little jealous of Kondo’s good heart. Kondo is selfless and Sougo admires him. Kagura is like Kondo so he wants to protect her light, but not be like her. It’s easier to fight with Nobume, he may be a murderer and she never tells him that it’s wrong.I guess that’s why Sougo sometimes clings to Nobume. Kagura will never understand what it’s like to kill someone (and well, Ikedaya proves that Sougo would prefer to keep this knowledge away from her). But Nobume can understand what it feels like to kill someone - can understand Sougo on a different level. Both of them are very young, both of them are taught to kill since childhood, they both have the generals who they love and they don’t mind taking someone else’s life for them. Nobume also believes in Sougo, their last fight proves it. In the end Nobume shares with Sougo her very private memories. So she trusts him enough to know that he will understand.

But in fact Sougo and Nobume aren’t evil. They are just sad. That’s why when Nobume falls, she has both Sougo and Kagura to catch her, she has them side by side. If Sougo left her, it would mean that there’s no right path for him too. So being friends with Nobume is like accepting that there’s still a chance for both of them.

And in the end, there are some sexual jokes between Sougo and Nobume in the Baragaki Arc. Well, first - it’s Gintama. Second…. she’s beautiful and talented, so would it be so strange if Sougo found her attractive? I don’t think we should be afraid of it, we don’t love every pretty person. But yeah, I think it’s possible ;)

(sorry it’s so long, if something is not clear just ask^^)

#okita sougo #imai nobume #gintama kagura #gintama

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