INTRO

Gintoki Sakata as a child merely scavenged battlefields, it was his only way to survive. He lacked
direction and a purpose in life, he merely lived, to live. This was until he encountered Yoshida
Shouyou, the man who essentially gave him a purpose and a sense of direction in his life. He
gained and found meaning behind his own existence for the first time and formed bonds for the
first time in Katsura and Takasugi. However, tragedy struck. Gintoki was forced to make the
decision to either kill Shoyou to protect his friends and or fight and possibly get both killed.
Gintoki made the toughest decision in his life so far; he chose to kill him and his friends' Sensei.
He shouldered the burden as he found solace in fulfilling his Sensei's final wish, to protect his
friends. Although darkness now surrounded him and the only light that illuminated his path was
now gone, he found a new light at the end of the tunnel. This light, was his friends. This light,
formed his soul. He suffered a tragedy in which would make anyone suffer for eternity and be
overcome with despair, and yet Gintoki differed. He suffered to overcome his weaknesses and
refused to be bound by his tragic past. He moved forward in life and chose to live beautifully,
despite the ugliness he's experienced. He lived beautifully in becoming Odd Jobs Gin and
forming new bonds with Kagura and Shinpachi. These bonds were more important to Gintoki
than anything, and he made it his purpose to protect them. He refused to become dehumanized
by the world in which took so much from him, and instead chose to embrace the life he had.
Gintoki Sakata, was a human.

TRANSCENDING CONVENTIONAL MORALITY

Gintoki is a character who ever since the Benizakura arc has been described to transcend the

conventional idea of morality. He was described by Takasugi in Episode 59 to be a man who

'Transcends good and evil'. The conventional idea of morality revolves around the concepts of
'right' and 'wrong' and 'good' and 'evil'. Gintoki refuses to conform to these preconceived
standards and chooses to define his own 'rules' and lives by his own internalized values. In
refusing to conform to the larger aspects and set rules of the world, Gintoki can be described

as a non-conformist. In a larger sense, whether people are aware of it or not, people hate the
idea of 'change'. Nonconformity, although difficult to follow, can be seen as a necessity for
someone who wishes to change themselves. This perfectly correlates to Gintoki as he's a
character who understands the
necessity of change. Although his life may be difficult and he's shouldered numerous burdens,
he continues to move forward and refuses to be held back by them.

NIETZSCHE AND MORALITY HUMAN AGENCY

"Nietzsche's moral philosophy is primarily critical in orientation: he attacks morality both for its
commitment to untenable descriptive (metaphysical and empirical) claims about human agency,
as well as for the deleterious impact of its distinctive norms and values... His positive ethical
views are best understood as a kind of consequentialist perfectionism." Human agency is
defined as an individual's capacity to determine and make meaning from their environment
through purposive consciousness and reflective and creative action. As Gintoki explicitly states
in Episode 31, he himself perceives himself as a 'free agent'. Gintoki forms meaning in his
existence and his surrounding environment through his own conscious purpose, that being his
promise to protect others and strengthen his soul. Instead of committing to what he perceives
to be untenable standards of morality, he finds and forms his own values, making his life his
own, not what the world wants it to be.
NIETZSCHE AND MORALITY CONSEQUENTIALISM
The philosophical definition of consequentialism is "the doctrine that the morality of an action
is to be judged solely by its consequences." Gintoki doesn't necessarily take into account
whether or not an action is morally righteous, he just acts as a result of his own internalized
values (these transcending the idea of moral righteousness). He only considers what will happen
as a result of said actions. As long as his friends can be protected and as long as he stays true to
himself,he acts.

Pure Altruism

Pure Altruism is defined as, "A form of Altruism that involves helping someone else, even when
it is risky, without any reward. It is mainly motivated by one's internalized values."

As seen numerous times throughout Gintama, Gintoki always puts those he cares about before
himself. Even if the situation is risky and there is no ultimate reward, Gintoki throws away all of
his personal desires for the sake of protecting his friends. These acts of selflessness are
motivated

by nothing more than his internalized values, which directly connect to Gintoki's 'soul'. Gintoki
is able to maintain his soul in fulfilling the purpose(s) behind his existence, protecting his bonds
and keeping his promises. Gintoki's altruistic nature is a major part of the foundation for his
'strength'. Although Gintoki's physically strong, he's also mentally strong. He's able to remain
'strong' as a result of his altruistic nature. It's a part of who he is as a person.
STOICISM
FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES
WISDOM
Being able to recognize what one can and cannot control.

Gintoki is able to recognize what he can and cannot control in the larger scheme of things. For
example, when Shoyo died, he understood he had essentially no control in that situation. He
accepted his life for what it was, he understood the idea that life is what you make of it.
Through all of his experiences, he's gained wisdom. Although he acts 'stupid' at times
throughout the series, when it comes down to it, Gintoki's wisdom shows itself. This idea of
'wisdom' and understanding what's able to be changed and what's not also ties into the idea
that existence precedes essence (existentialism), which I'll be looking into later on.

You determine your reaction to a crisis. The crisis in Gintoki's case is his tragic past, mainly being
Shoyo's death. Contrasting Takasugi, Gintoki's reaction wasn't that of following a path of
destruction and revenge, it was that of refusing to be bound by any larger concepts, finding a
purpose in his existence, strengthening his soul, forming bonds and living beautifully. He
determined his reaction to his 'crisis', as represented by his smile. Instead of being consumed by
grief and despair, he embraced the path he was about to follow. Gintoki found solace in the
fulfillment of Shoyo's dying wish, he accepted the necessity of struggle in order to change
himself for the

better.

Master yourself.

The idea of 'mastering oneself' under the virtue of wisdom almost perfectly correlates to
Gintoki. Instead of conforming to others perceptions, he aims to master himself to become a
better person. He aims to master his 'soul' in staying true to himself. The only way in which his
existence has any meaning to him is if he's able to protect the bonds he's formed, which in turn
allows him to 'master himself'.
STOICISM
FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES
TEMPERANCE
Usually referred to as the most important virtue for stoics, temperance is the knowledge that
abundance comes from having what is essential. The Stoics often used temperance
interchangeably with "self-control." Self-control, not just towards material goods, but self-
control, harmony, and good discipline always-in pleasure or pain, admiration or contempt,
failure or triumph. Temperance is guarded against extremes, not relying on the fleetingness of
pleasure for happiness nor allowing the fleetingness of pain to destroy it. Excess and desires are
synonymous with discontent and dissatisfaction. They're a self-defeating

impulse.

The idea that quality is found in having what is essential' to oneself ties in beautifully to
Gintoki's character. The things that matter, that are 'essential' to Gintoki are the bonds he's
formed throughout his life. His quality of life is only possible, in his perception, if he's able to
share it with others. Being able to control himself, in both failure and triumph, is one of
Gintoki's greatest characteristics. In his failure to protect his sensei, he was able to control
himself. In being able to triumph in his numerous victories throughout the show, he was able to
control himself. He was able to restrain himself from being consumed in his own ego, and more
so valued the results of his actions. Gintoki also doesn't rely on the idea of 'pleasure' for his
sense of happiness, he only relies on his own internalized perspective, his bonds and his ability
to stay true to himself. He also refuses to let the fleetingness of 'pain' destroy his ability to
embrace beauty and happiness. Sure, the death of those in the past caused him pain, however
Gintoki refuses to let it define his future and his ability to feel happiness. Sure, he's shouldered
the burden, and it'll forever be a part of who he is, but he accepts that. And in that acceptance,
in the understanding that no matter what lies before him, he can always strive to change
himself for the better. Finally, the idea that desires are synonymous with dissatisfaction not only
ties in with Gintoki's enlightenment (in which I'll touch on later) but also that Gintoki doesn't let
his own selfish goals get in the way of his life. Gintoki's ego, which can be seen in his
subconscious expression of his rage in Gintama, only makes itself present in desperate
situations. For example, when Gintoki raged against Jirocho, was he really doing what Otose
wanted him to do? Losing himself and his soul for her sake? No. And he comes to realize this
fault later on, never really being overcome with his subconscious rage ever again. Through
forming connections and strengthening his soul, Gintoki is able to shed a larger part of his ego
and desires (White Yaksha) in order to further validate his existence.

STOICISM
FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES
COURAGE
Courage to face misfortune. Courage to face death. Courage to risk yourself for the sake of your
fellow man. Courage to hold to your principles, even when others get away with or are
rewarded for disregarding theirs. Courage to speak your mind and insist on truth.

Gintoki's always been courageous in the face of misfortune and tragedy, never wavering. He
understands that death is precious, and that a life without death (i.e Utsuro), isn't a life at all.
We're inevitably going to die, and in the life we have, we should embrace it and live life to the
fullest extent possible. Gintoki's altruistic nature is enough for him to fall under the concept of
risking oneself for the sake of others. The idea that one should hold onto their principles, even if
others throw theirs away and are 'rewarded' for them, represents not only Gintoki, but Takasugi
as well. Even if others stand in his way, and the odds are stacked against him, Odd Jobs Gin
always stays true to himself and his principles. Even if others are seemingly rewarded for
abandoning theirs (i.e Takasugi abandoning some ways of the Samurai), you should always
follow your own path. Gintoki even brings Takasugi back to his side with his ability to stay true
to his promise to Shoyo (as seen in SA).

JUSTICE
To honor equality, to want to do good, and for a person, being human, to not want to harm
human beings-this is the most honorable lesson and it makes just people out of those who learn
it.
Gintoki is a man who's never really discriminated against anyone. Sure, he's harmed others,
however he's only done it for the sake of doing 'good' for his friends and others in harm's way.
He's able to humanize himself in these acts, never necessarily wanting to harm anyone, only
doing it when those who are less fortunate are in danger. Gintoki is able to follow through with
this idea of justice and as a

result becomes a 'just' person.

VISUAL CHARACTERIZATION
On Gintoki's Yukata, you can see both on the bottom and on his left arm sleeve, a river and wind
design. This represents that Gintoki, just like the water and wind, isn't bound to external factors;
he isn't a product of his environment. He merely moves down the river that is life, freely
'flowing' and living in accordance to his own rules. Sure, he's endured some difficult
circumstances (i.e rocks in water), but he continues to move forward.

Gintoki, when he fought in the war against the Amanto, wore all white and was described by
others as the "White Yaksha" (demon). In his time living in the Kabuki district, he adopted a
Yukata that was a mix of white and black. Gintoki, as well as the Kabuki district of Edo, have
been characterized to transcend the ideas of 'good' and 'evil', which in this case is symbolized
through the white & black colors on his Yukata (both commonly associated with good/evil,
dark/light, etc). Essentially, the black and white on his new Yukata serves as a representation of
him disobeying the conventional idea of morality and living by his own internalized values. He
accepts the 'stain' the Kabuki district and its people had on him, as it doesn't matter to Gintoki if
the residents and his friends are perceived to be 'Odd', 'Criminals' or 'Trash'. As at the end of
the day, he's formed connections with them and values them, and that's all that matters to
Gintoki. This colorway also serves to highlight that although Gintoki still values the samurai, he
doesn't hesitate to adapt and accept new circumstances. He doesn't let anything hold him back,
similarly to the wind and water on his Yukata. Also, as shown by Gintoki only wearing one of the
Yukata's sleeves, it shows that he doesn't want his past to fully define/ make up who he is in the
present; he's changed as a person.

Although trivial compared to his Yukata and sword, his 'naturally wavy hair' serves to symbolize
his 'freely flowing' nature.
KARMA AND CAUSALITY
The idea of Karma within Buddhism is that the actions of our body, speech and mind affects
every aspect of our lives. The seeds of Karma shape our lives and our worlds. However, being
aware and conscious of these actions can change our Karma; essentially the concept of cause &
effect. When we come to understand the concept of Karma, and in turn come to understand
ourselves, we experience a sense of wholeness and peace.

One's body, one's mind, and one's life experiences are the materials for our creative expression
on the canvas that is 'life.' (This also connects to Gintoki's existentialism, but I'll be covering that
later as well.)

Within the Farewell Shinsengumi arc, Utsuro mentions the 'karma' that Gintoki took upon
himself in his decision to kill Shoyo. The action in which Gintoki took, whether he viewed it as
necessary to protect his friends or not, still affected and changed his life entirely. Despite his
belief that he was fully accepting of this decision, it still haunts him. Gintoki continues to
struggle, however he refuses to let his weaknesses define him. He uses this struggle to change
himself, to strengthen his soul, and to become a better person. Although Gintoki embraced the
path he was going to walk along in the moment he killed Shoyo, he still battles in an internalized
conflict which hinders his ability to fully understand himself, to understand his actions.
Becoming cognizant of causality will allow oneself to experience wholeness, it will complete our
soul. If Gintoki were to become conscious of the reason in which he suffers, it's true origin, he'd
be able to finally overcome the concept of causality, in which Utsuro referred to as the
'heavens.'

Utsuro tells Gintoki that as long as he defies the heavens, he's 'fated' to keep killing Shoyo, and
he even mentions that Gintoki will never be able to defeat him unless he stops this act of
'defiance'. This perfectly correlates to the ideas of causality and karma. I've already established
that the 'heavens' Utsuro mentions is the concept of causality, which therefore would solidify
that instead of becoming aware of his own actions in the past and coming to terms with the
reasons in which he suffers, Gintoki is doing nothing more than escaping from that harsh reality
in the existence and soul he's formed in the present. And as a result of his lack of
understanding, Gintoki is essentially 'fated' to continue fighting against Shoyo, the same person
who at the same time both formed his soul and conflicted it. If Gintoki were to stop his defiance
of causality and his actions, and learn to accept that his actions are irreversible, he would no
longer be rejected by heaven (causality itself), he'd be embraced by it. This is why I believe
Utsuro, despite the lack of appearances I've seen so far, is such a compelling antagonist and so
integral to a large theme within Gintama. As Shoyo's death was seen as the turning point in
Gintoki's life, his physical reappearance is nothing short of perfectly representing the
importance of achieving self-actualization, accepting ourselves, our decisions and actions;
inherently flawed or not, and learning to embrace the present and how we can progress in our
future rather than letting our past define who we are and regress ourselves. We shouldn't try to
escape from the consequences of our action(s) and or overcome the concept of action(s) in and
of themselves, whether or not we perceive them as necessary or righteous isn't relevant. In
coming to terms with the intention(s) and accepting the inevitability of action(s), then, and only
then, can one truly change their 'Karma' and causality. And as a result, one would attain a life of
beauty, wholeness, and the fulfillment of one's soul, something Gintoki desperately strives for.

And as shown at the end of the Gintama: The Final movie, 'The Skies Have Cleared Up.' Gintoki
was conscious of the reason(s) in which he suffered, and he embraced them. He overcame the
very concept of causality, he defied the 'heavens' (heavens usually being something referred to
in the 'sky'). Gintoki became cognizant of everything, he was not only self-aware, but
completely aware of the world in which encompassed him. He didn't reject it, he wasn't
conflicted, the skies weren't 'crying', he just existed. Gintoki came to terms with all of his
actions in his life, whether they were flawed or not. And in doing so, he attained a life of beauty,
wholeness, and he was able to fulfill his soul (as represented by the name, Gin Tama,meaning
Silver Soul).

SHINING HEAVENS THE NOBLE TRUTHS

The weapon in which the main villain group, the Tenshouin Naraku (meaning 'Shining Heavens'
in English) uses in Gintama is inspired by the Shakujo, a weapon which is prevalent in both
Japanese and Buddhist culture. The four ringed Shakujo which is present in Gintama is seen to
be a representation of the four noble truths of Buddhism: Life has inevitable suffering, there is a
cause to our suffering (our desires), there is an end to suffering (seeking restraint from desires),
and upon realizing these things one shall begin to follow the path to the end of suffering.

In Gintoki fighting against the 'Shining Heavens', he's essentially fighting against this force which
weaponizes (figuratively and literally) the representation of the halt of suffering. And in doing
so, Gintoki would finally discover the true cause behind his suffering, learn to restrain himself,
and would therefore be able to follow this illuminated path. In finally defeating Utsuro in
Gintama: The Final (leader of the Tenshouin Naraku), Gintoki's finally able to follow this
'illuminated path'.

That's why I love the progressive conflict between Gintoki, Utsuro and the Tenshouin Naraku.
It's a symbolic representation of Gintoki's internal conflict, him clashing against the concepts of
causality, karma and the 'heavens', and him finally learning to accept everything, embrace life
and the world, and to understand the necessity of struggle.

EXISTENCE PRECEDES ESSENCE

Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence
and centers on the experience of thinking, feeling, and acting. In the view of the existentialist,
the individual's starting point has been called "the existential

angst" ("nothing"), a sense of dread, disorientation, confusion, or anxiety in the face of an

apparently meaningless or absurd world. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related
to the meaning, purpose, and value of human existence. Essentially, in the experiences of
thought, feeling, our actions and the connections we form, we can give our at one point
meaningless life, meaning. In overcoming the existential angst, one is able to find a purpose in
their life and truly value human existence. Another common belief within existentialism is that
'existence precedes essence.' Existence precedes essence means that every human being is
solely responsible for their actions because we choose who we are. Humans are born as
"nothing" and then become who they are through their choices and actions.

Gintoki's starting point, his 'existential angst' was essentially one of absurdism. He believed the
world was meaningless, he lacked a purpose, direction, and a soul. He lived to live, with no
other reasoning. However, in his encounter and experiences with Shoyo and his friends, he was
able to give his meaningless life, meaning. He overcame this absurd perspective of the world
and was able to find a purpose in life in his ability to protect others. He went from merely
dismissing human existence (i.e scavenging their bodies) to truly valuing it; he put himself in
harm's way for the sake of others' existences as well. His existence precedes his essence, he was
able to change his intrinsic nature into something much more grand. In his journey as
Odd Jobs Gin, even if he lost his Sensei, he was able to overcome any sense of meaninglessness
in fulfilling Shoyo's wish, in which was ultimately his as well, as well as forming his bonds with
Kagura, Shinpachi and the rest of the Kabuki district. Through choices and actions of his own
free will, Gintoki found purpose and meaning in the world.

GINTOKI'S SMILE
A quote in which Shoyo said in Gintoki's backstory was that "Victors only gain self-satisfaction
and conceit, but you have gained something far more meaningful. There's nothing to be
ashamed of." If Gintoki were to take the chance to save his Sensei, he would get his friends
killed. However, this one person who gave him a purpose in life would still be alive. He'd still be
able to be guided along the path of life, as Shoyo was the reason he followed this path to begin
with. However, that's what would come with 'victory'. And as Shoyo said, in loss one finds
something far more meaningful. In loss, and in Gintoki's case - this loss of guidance, he'd learn
to be self-reliant, finding his own meaning and purpose in life. And in losing Shoyo, he
did just that; he found meaning and a purpose in his existence in the promise to protect
'everyone', his Sensei's dying request. As Gintoki was characterized to have metaphorically
'taken Shoyo in', this moment was Gintoki's acceptance. As Shoyo's last words were one of
thanking Gintoki, he was able to accept his new sense of self, he embraced his soul. And in this
acceptance, he understood the path he would take, this new path of living beautifully and
continuing to live despite the pain he'd inevitably endure; Gintoki found solace. And so, he
smiled.

I also believe that Gintoki, as he's an altruistic person, was taking on the burden of suffering by
himself. This is shown in Takasugi's dialogue with Gintoki, where he says that both him and
Katsura "made you bear that cross in order to become strong." Neither Katsura nor Takasugi
would've been able to bring themselves to kill Shoyo in Gintoki's perspective, so he shouldered
the burden instead. He smiled and cried as he accepted that in being able to commit this act, he
would suffer, however, his friends hopefully wouldn't have to endure the inevitable internal
struggle that he'd end up dealing with. Gintoki accepted the necessity of struggle, as he
acknowledged that it was the only way in which he could truly change himself as a person. He
found solace in protecting those he cared about. He also acknowledged that him, Takasugi and
Katsura would all become truly 'stronger' after this day, as they'd all be able to walk their own
paths, diverging or not. And after this moment, he continued to selflessly protect others and
shoulder the burden that comes as a result of forming bonds. This can be seen in Episode 13,
where Gintoki and Katsura talk about the idea of a 'burden' that comes with connections and
bonds, and Gintoki acknowledges that he's fine in facing the hardships as long as his friends
remain safe.

This idea of acceptance and the embrace of a new path is also shown in Gintoki's eyes. In the
earlier Gintama episodes, people referred to Gintoki's eyes as 'dead- fish eyes, filled with
nothing.' And yet at this moment, Gintoki's eyes are full of life. He embraces this new path he's
taken and his eyes are filled with worth, finding value in his promise which strengthens
his soul.

Manga Panel - Recontextualization

At the top of the panel, we see Gintoki's smile in the past, and at the bottom, in the present. I
believe this shows that despite Gintoki not wanting to show his emotions tied to his past,
they're still there. If you pay close attention to the bottom part of the panel, you

can see Gintoki's left eye closed, paralleling Takasugi. Just like Takasugi, Gintoki still perceives
the memories of the past; what happened to him will forever be a part of who he is. However,
contrasting Takasugi, he's able to embrace it, find solace in it, and use it to strengthen himself.
This also correlates to how Gintoki didn't want to kill Takasugi, he couldn't, as this situation
parallels his past with Shoyo. Gintoki finds meaning in his existence through his ability to protect
others, and in fighting Takasugi, he's suffering as it's directly going against this promise. He
doesn't want to experience that same pain all over again. He still clings to his bond with
Takasugi, mutual or not, and desperately fights to bring Takasugi back. Gintoki struggles in order
to face his past, overcome his weaknesses, and to

strengthen his sense of self.

Also, in Shoyo smiling and thanking Gintoki, he finally was able to find a way to rid himself of
this constant suffering, and that way was Gintoki himself. Gintoki in this moment embraced his
humanity and all of the values that Shoyo passed onto him, while Utsuro was rid of any
remaining humanity in his existence as Yoshida Shouyou.
Within the battle between Utsuro and Gintoki, we see the smile yet again. Utsuro says, "Why?
You shouldn't be able to stand anymore. Your sword should've been broken forever. Why do you
still stand there?" Utsuro, in his experience of the cruelty of the world, essentially lost his soul.
And yet in Gintoki's experience with cruelty, he was able to embrace his soul. Gintoki's sword,
being symbolic of his soul, was the only thing which allowed him to continue standing (living).
Gintoki smiled as he was able to escape the existential angst and find meaning in the world.
Contrasting Utsuro, Gintoki embraced suffering in hopes that he'd become a better/stronger
person with a true smile, while Utsuro only embraced suffering in his belief that he couldn't
change as a person with a fake smile. In Utsuro also visualizing Gintoki smiling, Utsuro is
acknowledging that his

suppressed humanity and ideals which took form in his existence as Shoyo is now forming
Gintoki's existence; Gintoki has figuratively become Utsuro's long lost true sense of self, which
in turn is the only reason why Utsuro views Gintoki as someone who could've 'erased' his
current false sense of self. Gintoki is able to stand and smile as he's remained true to himself,
and Utsuro can't come to understand this because he's been unable to remain true to himself.

Gintoki and takasugi’s dynamic

The part of Gintoki and Takasugi’s relationship that resonates with me the most is the alter ego
aspect of it, and how it relates to their shared trauma over not being able to save Shouyo. The
two of them hate themselves for having to use Shouyo’s life as a stepping stone to live
themselves despite their attempts to save him, but they react to this in different ways. Gintoki
internalises his self-loathing, after Shouyo died he was extremely self-destructive, with his
willingness to throw his life away immediately afterwards for example (which we find out in the
Shinigami arc). As he said himself he was empty and very self-destructive, his promise with
Asaemon after being set free was the only thing keeping him going really.

We only start to see him recover through the new connections he makes throughout the story
(as well as rekindling his friendship with Zura and eventually Takasugi himself), but even in
those new relationships we can see how his trauma and self-loathing affects his handling of
them. In Four Devas for example, his failure to protect Otose reminds him of his failure to
protect Shouyo, and that causes him to fall back on his unhealthy tendencies by isolating
himself and pushing away those that are close to him, because he doesn’t feel he’s deserving of
those relationships anymore. We see this again in the Beam Saber arc, where he pushes
Shinpachi away in order to bring his brother back, because he feels he ‘owes’ that to Shinpachi
after how much affection he has shown him, affection he doesn’t feel he is worthy of. He also
can’t comprehend that Shinpachi wants him to stay by his side just as much as he wants his
brother back, which again stems from his lack of self-worth. He feels that he has to give
‘something’ back to him, that his presence simply isn’t enough.

Basically as Gintoki says to Kamui himself, before the start of the series he was someone who
never really tries to process his pain or trauma, just wondering around aimlessly while
exhibiting self-destructive behaviour, and even after he started to make connections again he
sacrifices himself to an unhealthy degree for those connections, because it’s something he feels
he’s unworthy of. Still, with the help of those around him he comes to understand the value of
his own life, what he means to others, and he is able to come to terms with his trauma. In the
way that Shouyo would’ve wanted him to, which is why he’s able to carry on the teachings of
Shoka Sonjuku.

Takasugi is similar to Gintoki in the way he hates himself, but unlike Gintoki, he externalises his
self-loathing and takes it out on the world that caused his trauma, while Gintoki takes it out on
himself. Not that Takasugi isn’t self-destructive himself, his desire for revenge does actually get
weighed down by his self-destructive tendencies, and his path is in part motivated by a desire
for self-harm, but he’s much more passive in this regard with his first priority being to take out
the Bakufu while Gintoki has no such ambitions. The important thing though when looking at
their dynamic though is that they’re doing the same kind of thing, just in different ways.

Both are refusing to look at their emotional damage and the loss of Shouyo, and direct it
elsewhere so they can avoid having to acknowledge their issues and attempt to come to terms
with their own trauma. As explained earlier Gintoki takes it out on himself by indulging in self
destructive behaviour, while Takasugi focuses on his battle against the Bakufu so he can avoid
dealing with his own feelings of weakness and responsibility for Shouyo’s death. That’s why he
can relate to Enshou so much in the Silver Soul arc; just as Enshou was using the war to run
away from his own personal issues, Takasugi was doing the same with his revenge. It was a way
of dealing with his self-loathing so he could continue living without having to properly face or
acknowledge those feelings.

The main thing to take away from this is that it goes against everything Shouyo stood for, which
was to always better oneself by being introspective about your own weaknesses and trying to
work on them, rather than giving in like both Gintoki and Takasugi did initially. Not only
that, Shouyo stood against the kind of beliefs that are at the root of their behaviour, a belief
that they have no value as a person for being unable to protect their superior. It’s the kind of
samurai that Takasugi and Katsura didn’t want to become and it’s what attracted them to Shoka
Sonjuku in the first place, but ironically it’s the kind of belief that weighs Takasugi down so much
for the majority of the series. A belief that he should be dead, that he, alongside Gin and Zura,
hold no value as a people for being unable to protect their superior. It’s what Oboro, who has
also strayed from Shoka Sonjuku’s teachings, reiterates to them multiple times.

That’s not what Shoka Sonjuku was about though, yes it was about choosing to protect your
loved ones, but also that one’s ability to do so doesn’t dictate their value as people. Sometimes
things beyond your control can happen and you can lose people through no fault of your own;
Gin and Sugi both did their best to try and save Shouyo but failed, and that’s that. There was no
need for them punish themselves over it, it’s not a healthy reaction. What Shoka Sonjuku taught
was healthily moving on by continuing to live in a way that honours the dead, by making new
relationships to protect and generally striving to be better people, rather than tying all value in
your ability to protect your superiors. Gintoki however gives into his emptiness and isolates
himself while Takasugi gives into his destructive beliefs, both paths serving as ways for them to
look away from their past. Takasugi is much worse of course, but they both strayed from Shoka
Sonjuku’s teachings due to their similar feelings of worthlessness.

As I mentioned earlier, Gintoki is able to come to terms with his past throughout the story, and
by the time of his fight with Takasugi he’s able to return to being a disciple of Yoshida Shouyou.
Kagura and Shinpachi repeatedly make him understand the importance of his own life, in Four
Devas and Beam Saber especially. He’s able to rekindle his friendship with Zura, stopping him
from following Takasugi’s path and moves on alongside him, which is important because they
share the same past. He sees himself in Tsukuyo, and by guiding her in the way her horrible
master didn’t he was able to honour his own master’s legacy, which he didn’t believe he was
capable or deserving of anymore. And during FS (I know this is after his fight with Takasugi but
still) he also sees himself in Hijikata, who was in a similar situation to him. By not only confiding
in him about his past, but also guiding him to make the choice of saving Hijikata’s own superior
in Kondo, he’s able to come to terms with his own choices by protecting a close friend from
reaching a similar fate to his own.

Takasugi meanwhile drowns deeper and deeper into his past, but the important thing to keep in
mind when it comes to his confrontation with Gintoki is that he was never able to cast away his
doubts over his path, as we found in Rakuyo and Silver Soul. In his return at Rakuyo, as Sorachi
explained his monologue about the rain shows how Takasugi has always had doubts over
whether his path was OK, whether it was OK to drag so many innocent people into his revenge.
And in Silver Soul we find out about how he gave himself up because he couldn’t allow Matako
to be unfairly killed, which is contradictory to his goal of achieving revenge no matter the cost.
In addition his self-destructive tendancies weighs him down, it’s why he’s able to take such risky
gambles in order to work with the Harusame and Kamui, and it’s why he chooses to fight against
Gintoki when it was totally unnecessary and dangerous, when it was objectively detrimental to
his revenge plot. Because more than destroying the country, what he wants to do is destroy
himself.

Basically, despite everything he says he’s not really fully committed to his revenge, because of
the costs involved. This is why I think he struggles so much with Gintoki’s crying face being the
last thing he saw with his left eye, because it just exacerbates these contradictions even more.
On one hand, letting Gintoki bear the burden of killing Shouyo alone and having to constantly
see his pain from doing so made the whole event even harder to accept, it made him all the
angrier at his own weaknesses which only increased his desire for revenge against the people
who caused the situation. But on the other hand he has to constantly see the face of someone
who should be hurting even more than he is, move on from the event relatively healthily in the
end, in a way he’s unable to do. It’s part of why he feels so angry at Gintoki, but it also
constantly reminds of his own doubts. Seeing someone in just as much pain as him live in a way
that Shouyo would’ve wanted, to move on in a way that he doesn’t think they are deserving of.

I think it’s this aspect that makes them alter egos, they each represent each other’s doubts and
the parts of themselves that they hate, which makes each other a target to project their self-
loathing onto. For Gintoki, Takasugi is a representation of everything he had lost by killing
Shouyo, and as a result he’s a reflection of his trauma. What’s interesting is that when Gintoki
confides in Hijikata during FS, he talks about how he tried to choose both Shouyo and his
friends, but ended up choosing neither. Which might not make sense if you look at it from the
perspective of who he physically protected and killed, but it does when you look at it from the
perspective of “protecting the soul”, an idea so prevalent throughout Gintama. The idea that life
continues after death, through continuing to honour the legacy of the dead and live in a way
they would be proud of.

By killing Shouyo what Gintoki wanted to do was to protect his legacy, which was the lives his
students. Shouyo would much prefer to sacrifice himself for his students rather than the other
way around, so it really was choosing him in a way. And of course he is quite literally protecting
Takasugi and Zura as well, by giving them the chance to continue living as Shouyo’s disciples,
therefore “choosing” both. By choosing to physically protect Shouyo’s disciples, he is choosing
to protect both Shouyo and his students.

In order to do so however he has to break his promise with Takasugi, who not only strays from
Shouyo’s ideals as a result, but actively seeks to destroy them as a form of self-punishment. This
is what he means by saying he lost both, he lost “Shoka Sonjuku’s Takasugi Shinsuke”, the
person he wanted to protect, which in turn meant that Shouyo’s legacy in the form of his
students, had also been damaged. One of the students that Shouyo was happy to sacrifice his
life for no longer considered himself worthy of being called a student, goes out of his way to
show it as a form of punishment and Gintoki blames himself for it.
This is what Gintoki hates about himself, not necessarily the choice itself (even after everything
he still says he’s only not sure over whether he made the right choice to Hijikata, not that he
made the wrong one), but having to be so “weak” that he needed to make such a choice in the
first place, which led to Takasugi losing himself and harming Shouyo’s legacy. He feels
responsible for it all, and therefore Takasugi is like a walking embodiment of his past and
trauma, all the parts of himself that he hates and the reason behind a lot of his self-destructive
behaviour.

For Takasugi, Gintoki not only represents his own feelings of weakness for not being able to save
Shouyo, but also his own doubts in his decision to destroy Shouyo’s legacy. Takasugi
excommunicated himself from Shoka Sonjuku after failing to save Shouyo, because he tied all his
self-worth to his ability to do so, and didn’t feel like he was worthy of carrying on those ideals
anymore after being unable to save the person who taught him those ideals. His self-destructive
path, and attempts to kill Gintoki specifically who began to embody Shouyo’s ideals again, were
a form of punishment for him. As both Takasugi and Gintoki said this was far more painful than
any self-harm could ever be. In addition Gintoki is also an easy target for Takasugi to project his
self-loathing and feelings of weakness onto due to their broken promise, even if Takasugi knows
deep down it wasn’t Gintoki’s fault really.

In other words, Gintoki represents all these conflicting ideas and beliefs within Takasugi. On one
hand, his genuine anger at Gintoki for moving on stems from the belief that they don’t deserve
such a path, that the only options available to them after failing to save Shouyo are to die, or to
get revenge in his name. This is why he trivialises Gintoki’s new bonds, by accusing him of
“playing house” etc. It comes from the belief that they don’t have the right to find new people
to protect after failing to protect the person that gave them everything, and that any such
bonds cannot be “real” or meaningful in the same way that their bond to Shouyo was. He’s
projecting his own inability to move on and form genuine connection onto Gintoki. It’s why
Takasugi treats his own comrades with such little care, because he’s not looking to form any real
bonds, he just wants to use them as disposable tools for his revenge.

Deep down though, Takasugi can never fully commit to this idea, he wants to honour his master,
to continue being a part of Shoka Sonjuku, and having to use the lives of innocent people to
achieve his revenge does trouble him greatly, as much he tries to pretend otherwise. As Bansai
said in Silver Soul, Takasugi knows the pain of having to use someone else as a stepping stone
more than anyone, and continuing to do so does bring him pain. Not that it excuses his actions
or anything of course, he’s 100% responsible for his bad choices, but the fact that he’s aware
that these choices are bad but feels compelled to make them anyway adds a layer of guilt that
makes his progression after SA a lot more natural, I think. That’s why he tells Matako that she
could live a wiser life than him, he’s aware his path is the wrong one but he feels compelled to
continue as a result of his desire to punish himself.
So with all these complex and contradicting feelings within him, I think what he’s looking to do
by fighting Gintoki is to settle those internal conflicts. Regardless of the result, these conflicts
will be settled, and I think Takasugi could accept any result. If Gintoki kills him, then that would
be fine because he’s self destructive and his pain would finally end at the hands of the one who
was able to continue living while honouring Shouyo, in a way he couldn’t. On the other hand, if
he kills Gintoki then that would also be fine because nothing would hurt him more and he could
fully commit to his revenge at that point. What he probably wanted most deep down though,
was for Gintoki to stop him by telling him that he is still a part of Shoka Sonjuku, which is exactly
what happened. That he would always be one of Shouyo’s disciples, regardless of the fact that
he let his master die and even after he proceeded to destroy his legacy.

That’s why he says before the fight that there’s one person he has to kill before destroying the
country, and that Gintoki is the only one that can protect the country from him. Not because
Gintoki is literally the only one that can protect the country, but on an emotional level he’s the
only one that can stop Takasugi from continuing down his path. Gintoki represents all of
Takasugi’s doubts, which is why Takasugi feels the need to kill Gintoki as a way of killing those
doubts, or to fully cast away his humanity if you’d like. To enter a frame of mind where he’d
actually be willing to achieve his goal no matter the cost. But on the other hand this means that
Gintoki is the only person that can make Takasugi’s doubts take over and stop him from
following his current path.

This whole contradiction explains why Takasugi sees a delusion of Shouyo during his fight with
Gintoki, asking if he’s there to stop him half assing things again. It’s not just Takasugi reminiscing
and being nostalgic about the past, it’s quite literally him admitting to not fully committing to
his revenge, because he knows Shouyo wouldn’t approve of it, and he’s voluntarily gotten
himself involved in a dangerous fight that could bring his revenge to an end as a result. Which is
why it’s quite powerful that the person who we’ve seen come to honour Shouyo’s ideals again
throughout the series is there to stop Takasugi in his place. As Gintoki says it’s up to them to
stop each other now, but of course it’s because Shouyo isn’t there anymore that their paths
diverged in the first place, and their fight continues as a result.

That’s why Gintoki and Takasugi are sworn enemies, even though Takasugi says that their sworn
enemies are themselves. They both hated their own weakness more than anything, and due to
the fact they represent each other’s doubts they can both project that feeling of self-loathing
onto each other. That, and the fact the two were so close that their desire for punishment is
satisfied a lot more by taking it out on each other, it hurts them much more than it would to
hurt themselves. That’s what makes them alter egos, it’s fundamentally a way fight themselves
and their own weakness, their sworn enemy, through each other, because they each represent
each other’s weakness and doing so is a lot more painful than self-harm.
The difference between them though is that Gintoki was able to escape this mindset throughout
the story, to move on from his desire to punish himself, while Takasugi just spirals further, which
is why at this point he’s mostly just projecting his self-destructive behaviour onto Gintoki. Not
that it changes the conflict in any way, it’s still fundamentally a conflict of the self through each
other, but the point is to show that Gintoki has moved on from his self-destructive mindset and
the death of Shouyo due to all the connections he’s made throughout the story, which is why
he’s able to tell his alter ego, who’s the embodiment of his trauma that he’s still a disciple of
Shouyo despite everything that has happened. I like to see Gintama as a story of how Gintoki
“became human” again, or in other words how he processed his trauma in a healthier way, so
for him to reach this point against someone who represents everything he had lost on that day
truly is the payoff for the entire series up until that point.

And it’s especially powerful because it’s what allows Takasugi to start to move on and heal
himself. Gintoki used to be in a similar state of mind to Takasugi himself, he never externalised
his pain in the same way but their self-destructive mindset was the same. It’s why he’s able to
make such accurate observations about Takasugi, but because he’s in a better place now it’s
why he’s also able to tell Takasugi exactly what he needs to hear. He knows that his revenge
against him is a form of punishment, and by killing him he could continue down his self-
destructive path without reservation because there would be no going back at that point. Which
is why Gintoki tells him that he will never fall, which in context also means that he will never
allow Takasugi to completely give in to his nihilism and desire for self-harm. And in order to do
so he will kill him if necessary, to stop him from creating any more victims in a way that
dishonours both Shouyo and the Takasugi who considered himself a disciple of Shouyo.

What’s interesting is that when Takasugi asks Gintoki why he chose to save them instead of
Shouyo, he already kind of knows because he would’ve made the same choice itself and is
aware of that. Because Gintoki really was prioritising Shouyo’s desires above all else by choosing
to protect his students, but it’s exactly that which Takasugi can’t accept. Not the choice itself,
but the fact it came about because they were too weak to save Shouyo themselves, and so he
could no longer consider himself his disciple. That’s why he’s amazed Gintoki can still call
himself one of Shouyo’s disciples despite having to cut him down himself, but it’s what also
helps him realise and remember what Shoka Sonjuku was truly about.

Takasugi has an extremely fragile and flawed view on human connection in general, almost
certainly because of his upbringing and actual family. Where he was raised under the
expectation that he would become a traditional samurai who would serve his country/master
etc, and any affection he received was conditional on his ability to reach that goal. To the point
where he eventually got disowned for simply visiting another school, which fed back into his
perception of a traditional samurai he was expected to become, one who’s value is conditional
on their ability to serve. He hated it and it’s why he was attracted to Shoko Sonjuku, but it still
affects his view on relationships and connection, to the point where he couldn’t call himself one
of Shouyo disciples after being unable to save him, and thinks he deserves to die alongside
Gintoki and Zura.

So when Gintoki says that everything from killing Shouyo to trying to kill Takasugi now had been
to preserve the soul of the Takasugi who had been a student of Shoka Sonjuku, he realises that
his bond to Shoka Sonjuku would always be real and wasn’t conditional on anything. Not on his
ability to save Shouyo, because the reason Gintoki cut Shouyo down was to save his students,
who crucially would still be his students even after having to use his life a stepping stone to live.
And even after deliberately straying so far from Shouyo’s ideals, he was still considered a
student of Shoka Sonjuku, because as Shouyo said when Takasugi first visited it was also a place
for those that were lost. If Gintoki was willing to kill Takasugi to stop him from dishonouring his
ties with Shoka Sonjuku any further, then at the same time those ties still exist and the option
for Takasugi to just stop himself and go back to being a student also exists, to move on healthily
from his trauma. Which is when he finally realises that he hadn’t been expelled yet.

Gintoki reiterates all this in his speech to Oboro afterwards, about why he was willing to cut
Takasugi down, how he was continuing to honour Shouyo’s teachings, but also how he could
understand Takasugi’s feelings because his hatred towards the people that had forced him to kill
Shouyo was still very much there, he was just repressing it to live in a way his teacher would be
proud of. Even though Takasugi probably always knew this deep down but didn’t want to admit
so that he could continue to project his own self-loathing onto Gintoki, he realises that Gintoki
hadn’t just moved on from Shouyo without much trouble like he thought.

That Gintoki hasn’t just moved on from his past, that he wasn’t the only one suffering from it
and he hadn’t just been left behind. Which is why he’s now confident that Gintoki would kill
Oboro and the Tendoshu in his place even if he were die right then, and it’s why they do
eventually share the burden of their past together in Silver Soul Aftermath. Gintoki moving on
made Takasugi feel isolated, that he valued his ties to Shouyo a lot more than Gintoki did, so he
had to bear the pain of his past alone but now he realises that wasn’t true at all.

From there we start to see Takasugi develop into a much better person, by retuning to being a
disciple of Shouyo after realising it was OK for him to do so. I referenced his monologue in his
return at Rakuyo earlier and it sums everything he had learnt from his confrontation with
Gintoki. That it was OK for him to stop his self-loathing and his self-destructive path, hence why
he says “I’m sick of the rain”. That’s why as Bansai said he looked more determined than ever
after his fight with Gintoki, he could now try achieving his goals without being weighed down by
his regret and pain. His goals haven’t changed, they were never the problem but his methods
were.
So this time he reconciles with Gintoki and Zura, starts to treat the Kihetai as actual comrades
instead of disposable tools, and also encounters his senior disciple in Oboro. Which is neat,
because this time he’s the one trying to protect Shouyo’s ideals against a student who had
strayed from them even more than he ever did. And just as Gintoki was willing to do with him,
he kills him in order to protect Shouyo’s legacy, and by doing so the soul of the Oboro who was
a part of Shoka Sonjuku. Which is why he chooses to remember Oboro as a student of Shouyo,
and promises to bury his remains at Shoka Sonjuku. He understands the idea of living while
honouring the dead now, the idea that the dead live on through the living, and it’s why Oboro
helps him defeat Utsuro in the end.

Moving onto to Silver Soul, we can see how he has developed specifically by seeing how the
traits that made him spiral in the first place have changed. The most obvious example being his
willingness to embrace human connection again through the Kiheitai. While before he was
willing to use pretty much anyone as a stepping stone, whether it be allies like Nizo in the
Benizakura arc, or just generally the people of Edo, now he chooses to protect them to the very
end, and only uses them as a stepping stone should they die regardless of his protection. We
see this through his bond with Bansai, by choosing to protect him until it was no longer possible
to do so. He still continues to make sure that the sacrifices he’s made so far mean something in
the end, but he doesn’t treat them as inevitable or disposable anymore, to the point where he
can’t feel any fulfilment despite being at the brink of achieving his goal, after having made so
many sacrifices.

This ties into the next aspect of his development that we see, which is his acceptance of the fact
he’s just a weak and ordinary human, and nothing more. Although he of course grieves over
being unable to protect Bansai, he doesn’t beat himself up over it or punish himself, but instead
chooses to live in a way that would honour him, which is what he should’ve done with Shouyo
but was unable to. It all comes back to accepting the idea that he’s just a normal human with
limits. His revenge plot, was in part a way to satisfy his own feelings of powerlessness and
weakness for being unable to save Shouyo. That’s why he boasts to Gintoki about “the gap”
between them at the start of their fight, because Gintoki was living as an ordinary human while
Takasugi had amassed enough power to take revenge on the people who wronged them. As
Takasugi admits to Enshou though, it was just a way of distracting himself from those feelings,
and that he should’ve just faced those feelings as an ordinary person, just like Gintoki did. Not
that his feelings of revenge were wrong, but it was wrong to turn Edo into a battlefield again to
satisfy them and his feelings of weakness, which is what he did.

By accepting that he’s an ordinary person, he’s both accepting his guilt for having used so many
people instead of repressing it for the sake of his goals, which is why he starts to value and
prevent those sacrifices more, and he also accepts that he did as much as he could to save
Shouyo but there was nothing else he could’ve done about it. That’s why he doesn’t beat
himself up over having to sacrifice Bansai this time, by accepting his own weakness and doing
what he can regardless then he doesn’t have to punish himself for not being able to save
everyone around him. That’s where the “no heroes” idea comes from, it’s accepting that
everyone has their limits, and you can only do what you can from within those limits.

And it all comes back to Gintoki making him realise that he was still a part of Shoka Sonjuku
despite everything that happened, despite being too weak to save Shouyo. It’s also why he
plans to live after the war, despite all his sins and the guilt he feels because of them. While he is
happy to die for the cause, he is also fighting so that he can live alongside the rest of his friends
and comrades, which shows how he had grown past his self-destructive beliefs to a certain
extent.

The final part of his development comes in Silver Soul Aftermath, which is also the point where
his dynamic with Gintoki becomes the main focus again and they finally properly reconcile.
While Takasugi does want Gintoki to return to his normal and happy life with the Yorozuya,
because a part of him wants to return to the Kiheitai himself, once Gintoki makes it clear that he
can’t because he values his ties to Shouyo just as much as Takasugi does, they finally reconcile
and share the burden of their past together. Takasugi accepts his powerlessness but
understands that the best way to combat it is to work together, to share the burden instead of
taking it on alone and isolating himself like he did previously. That’s why he not only proposes
that they work together to save Shouyo, but says that the only way they will be able to
accomplish their goal is by doing so. And this time he also understands Gintoki’s suffering and
alleviates it, by giving him a sense of direction on what to do with Shouyo’s existence.

He also reconciles with Zura, which is important because it shows how his methods have
changed since SA. Even though they have differing opinions on how to handle Shouyo/Utsuro,
they end up working together to minimise as many casualties as possible. Like before, Takasugi
wants to bring the Tendoshu down to Earth so he can stop them, but in order to do so this time
he works with Katsura to fake the assassination of the head of the country as bait, instead of
actually trying to kill an innocent person like he did in SA. And while he’s turning Edo into a
battlefield again, he works with Katsura to evacuate the area so there aren’t any casualties. The
comparison isn’t perfect, it probably wouldn’t have been anywhere near as easy or simple back
in SA but it does show a change in his methods, I think.

For Gintoki, his reconciliation with Takasugi is important because it’s him reclaiming what he
had lost on that day. As explained earlier, what hurt Gintoki most was not necessarily killing
Shouyo, but Takasugi straying from Shouyo’s ideals as a result of his choice, which made him
feel as though he had lost both by trying to choose both. So with Takasugi returning to being a
disciple of Shouyo, that also means that everything he had lost had come back. That’s why he
tells Takasugi that he had nothing to take back, everything he had lost was now right here with
him, clearly referring to Takasugi. He had gotten his friend back, and through the three of them
continuing to be Shouyo’s disciples they had also preserved what Shouyo valued most. And just
like before his main priority is to protect that.

It’s important because Utsuro’s very existence shakes Gintoki to his core, reminding him of his
own weakness. He not only killed Shouyo because of it, but brought Utsuro back and had him
continue being subjected to his eternal suffering. He still couldn’t save him from it after the
Silver Soul war, and even once he gets Shouyo back afterwards he ends up being saved by him
again, losing him again in the process. Gintoki doesn’t want to have to kill Shouyo again, even if
it could potentially put the world at risk if Utsuro comes back and Takasugi gives him some
clarity on what to do by telling him it’s OK to feel that way. That he doesn’t have to continue to
suffer, he can prioritise his own feelings but if Utsuro does come back then they will stop him
again together.

What strikes me most about their dynamic in SSA is how at peace they are over their own past
and weakness. They know they are weak, and Utsuro’s existence constantly reminds them of
that but instead of beating themselves up over it, they just accept it and share that weakness by
working together and doing what they can together, because they understand now that it’s the
best way to fight against their own weakness. They choose to live in a way that would honour
the dead, instead of committing self-harm because of their weakness. That’s why they can go
back to being Shouyo’s students, they are honouring Shouyo’s teachings by continuing to work
together in spite of that they had lost, by trying to face and improve on their weakness rather
than giving into them and tying all their self-value to their ability to protect.

That’s why Takasugi can proudly call himself one of Shouyo’s disciples again despite being more
aware than ever of his own powerlessness, and it’s why he can go back to being his old
troublesome self alongside Gintoki. Through their acceptance and reconciliation with each
other, Gintoki can fully come to terms with his past, while for the first time Takasugi doesn’t feel
like a prisoner to it. What made them alter egos was how they projected their self-loathing over
their past onto each other, so by changing their perspective on how to honour the dead and
process their trauma they can accept each other, which also means they can come to terms
with their past.

All of this culminates in chapter 703, with Gintoki’s final confrontation against Utsuro. At this
point Takasugi may as well be dead, there’s no way for Gintoki to save him with Utsuro’s blood
inside him and he has to cut him down in order to stop Utsuro. Utsuro thinks that this will give
him the advantage, because he doesn’t think there’s any way Gintoki would be willing to cut
down his friend after having already experienced the pain of having to do so with his teacher.
But at this point Gintoki understands that the worst thing he could do would be to dishonour
Takasugi’s sacrifice, that even if Takasugi dies here he will always live on in his soul as long as he
continues to live in a way that Takasugi would want him to. Which is represented by Takasugi
protecting Gintoki from within Utsuro, feeling fulfilled by that as Gintoki cuts him down to stop
Utsuro.

This scene really encapsulates the main theme in Gintama for me, which is how to process loss
and move on healthily. Just like with Shouyo before Gintoki didn’t really have much of a choice
but to cut Takasugi down, but instead of punishing himself over it again he continues to live in a
way Takasugi would want him to. Which is to continue protecting his loved ones, as Takasugi
said he still has plenty of people left to protect. The last thing Takasugi would want is for Gintoki
to isolate himself again out of self-loathing for being unable to protect him or whatever, but
because of how they were able to come to terms with their past together he knows that won’t
happen again. Even though Gintoki’s trauma has essentially repeated, he’ll be able to move on
from it in a much healthier way now. It’s because they know this that Gintoki is able to send
Takasugi off with a smile, and Takasugi dies fulfilled, as a student of Shoka Sonjuku, knowing
that he was able to protect Shouyo, Gintoki, and that Gintoki will be fine. Which is what
happened, Gintoki cries over Takasugi and has to live at the expense of Shouyo once again, but
continues to live a happy life alongside the Yorozuya in the end. He lives in a way that Shouyo
and Takasugi would’ve wanted him to, which is why they will live on inside him until the day he
dies.

And that’s most of what I wanted to say about their dynamic. Well there’s probably a few other
things but this is already too long as it is, and a lot of the series isn’t fresh in my mind so forgive
me for forgetting some things, as well as any potential inaccuracies. If you managed to read this
far then thank you so much, I’m not sure if this was anything particularly insightful but hopefully
you were able to take something out of this anyway. And even if you didn’t then thank you for
reading regardless, it really does mean a lot to me.

UNCONSCIOUS V CONSCIOUS EXTERNALIZED VINTERNALIZED

DESTRUCTION

Unconscious and Conscious, Externalized Destruction v Internalized Destruction

In Episode 17, Takasugi talks about this 'beast' and the idea of 'fangs' in reference to him and
Gintoki. Takasugi states that he's bound to be consumed by this beast, and that the only way
he'll ever be able to get rid of it is to fulfill his desire for revenge. He says that his 'fangs' are
always apparent (conscious). However, for Gintoki, Takasugi says that Gintoki's fangs have grown
"dull" (like his wooden sword), and that Gintoki's fangs and beast aren't apparent. This is
because Gintoki truly tried to overcome this nature that is the 'White Yaksha' (a demon in
Buddhism). His 'beast' has become his unconscious, only making itself apparent in situations in
which he desperately needs to protect those he cares about (i.e his rage scene to protect Otose,
consumed in black & white; a representation of his unconscious). Takasugi's sense of
destruction is externalized (conscious) while Gintoki's is internalized (suppressed into his
unconscious).

This idea is symbolized through Gintoki, Takasugi and Katsura's swords. Both Takasugi and
Katsura have real, solid swords. This is because they have concrete goals, one to destroy the
government with violence and one to overtake the government and change society with peace.
Both of them have something to essentially 'sharpen' their fangs with them having 'sharpened'
swords. This contrasts Gintoki, who has no larger ambition and or desires. His 'fangs' aren't
apparent which is symbolized in him having a wooden, "dull" sword.

GINTOKI AND TAKASUGI BUDDHISM, MARICI

Within the background of the Takasugi v Gintoki fight in Shogun Assassination, a Buddhist statue
can be seen. It's shown numerous times throughout the arc, and is highlighted a lot especially
within the last couple of episodes. This statue resembles Marici, a buddhist deity. She
represents, within Zen Buddhism, the ability for a warrior to achieve a heightened state of mind.
The ability to lose interest in the idea of victory or defeat (or life and death), and therefore
transcends conventional understandings of morality. The ending result was that the person
would become a better warrior.
In his fight against Takasugi, Gintoki showed this 'heightened state of mind'. He never really
cares for victory, nor defeat. Also, this 'conventional understanding of morality' can be
perceived as one of 'good v evil' (previously stated), something Gintoki's been explicitly said to
transcend in the Benikazura arc in numerous other episodes. The ending result of this
transcendence and achieving this 'heightened state of mind' was that Gintoki would become a
better warrior, a better person; in which he's shown to have become at the end of Gintama: The
Final.

The items the statue is holding are also extremely important. The items are:
A bow & arrow
A Vajra (dual sided dagger) A Sword
A Razor
The Sword: The sword symbol in Buddhism deals with discrimination of thought, it is said to cut
through ignorance and evil to reach the truth.
In Gintoki fighting Takasugi, he is metaphorically cutting through Takasugi's perception of
ignorance and his 'evil' nature. Gintoki also made the promise to Shoyo to protect everyone,
and as it's revealed, Gintoki doesn't wish to kill Takasugi. He wants to protect his soul, as I said,
figuratively remove
the evil from his soul.

Bow & Arrow: Within Buddhism, the bow & arrow represents the protection of Buddhism above
all; a kind of practical cunning; and the bow as protector of the nation. The arrow represents
the idea of 'suffering' within Buddhism. The Buddha stated, "In life, we can't always control the
first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is
optional." It's stated that when we suffer misfortune, these two arrows fly our way. This is a
perfect representation of Gintoki and Takasugi and their reactions to their past experiences.
The first arrow struck both Gintoki and Takasugi, as they both experienced the same misfortune
in the loss of their sensei. This arrow was unavoidable in a sense. However, as it's stated, the
second arrow is optional; it's fundamentally a representation of our reaction to the first.
Gintoki's reaction was that of living beautifully, choosing to leave his past of suffering behind.
He didn't suffer this second arrow. Contrasting this, Takasugi was
struck by this second arrow. The second arrow only struck Takasugi as his reaction to his past of
suffering was one of living an ugly and cruel life. He refused to leave his past behind him and
was consumed by his feelings of hatred and desire for revenge.

Razor: A razor in Buddhism is mainly used to shave one's head, which symbolizes abandoning
and shedding (cutting) away one's worldly desires, to break free of Samsara; a signification of
transcendence.
Although neither Gintoki or Takasugi 'shave their head', this idea of cutting away one's worldly
desires to break free of Samsara (suffering) and transcendance can relate to Gintoki almost
perfectly. Contrasting Takasugi, he isn't bound by any grand desire or goal, and in this he also
wishes to move on from his past (suffering). As I've stated previously, he also has also been
characterized to be transcended above the conventional ideas of morality, 'Good and Evil'.

Vajra: The vajra is the thunderbolt weapon which was carried by the god Indra. It destroys both
internal and external enemies. It's also seen as a symbol of an indivisible state of absolute
reality; representing enlightenment within Buddhism.
Gintoki's only 'enemy' is this unconscious suppressed 'beast' that's internalized, while Takasugi's
only 'enemy' is this external and outside world, and Gintoki. Essentially, it represents Gintoki
and Takasugi's conflicts and the true battles they're taking on in this fight. Gintoki wants to
maintain Takasugi's soul, while not being overcome with hatred (internal battle), while Takasugi
focuses on his physical battle with Gintoki, completely overcome with hatred and rage (external
battle).
Also, this state of 'absolute reality' is the fact that their Sensei is indeed gone. Gintoki and
Takasugi both acknowledge the cruelty and tragedy that is Shoyo's death, and yet one chose to
overcome this harsh reality while the other chose to be held back and be bound by it. Takasugi
also comes to realize Gintoki's goal at the end of their fight, essentially
becoming aware of reality.

Marici is also seen to be the goddess of dawn, the moment in which light overcomes darkness.
This theme of looking forward to a new day, a new light, was heavily foreshadowed in Courtesan
of a Nation (i.e the dialogue regarding dreams). It's also explicitly stated at the end of the arc by
Gintoki, where he says, "If you avert your eyes from the dark, you'll be blind to the rays of a new
day. So keep your eyes open, no matter how dark the night ahead may be." And as Marici was
behind Takasugi and Gintoki in their battle, it shows Gintoki's desire to avert Takasugi's
perspective to that of enlightenment, as up until this moment Takasugi's eye was physically and
figuratively closed, unable to push through life without letting go of his past.

TAKASUGI AND GINTOKI PERCEPTION

In the middle of their fight, Gintoki asks Takasugi, "How long will you keep using that crushed
left eye of yours to look at the back of your eyelid? Open the one eye you've got left and take a
good look. The guy you've got to swing your fist at is right here!" Takasugi responds with, "I, and
this closed eye of mine, still see the desires from back then, along with the bonds, the
aspirations, the hatred."

Takasugi from his closed eye can see nothing but hatred, and this contrasting nature between
Gintoki and Takasugi's perceptions is highlighted in Takasugi's eye and its meaning. In that
closed eye, he sees nothing but darkness, he can't see anything but the past. It essentially
represents how Takasugi is unable to let go of the past and the ugliness he experienced, and in
being able to see the world in front of him and this inability to let go of the past, he's essentially
only perceiving the world in the present through a filter of hatred and rage. Gintoki on the other
hand is able to fully perceive the world with both eyes, not being bound by the darkness of the
past. He's able to finally perceive this illuminated path that stands before him.

OVERCOMING THE EXISTENTIAL ANGST

Both Takasugi and Gintoki were described to have started with no purpose, no direction, lacking
a 'soul'. They were

both experiencing the existential angst, only able to perceive the world as absurd, meaningless.
However, they were both able to gain a sense of direction and meaning in their existence in
their time under Shoyo. This was until Gintoki was forced to kill Shoyo to protect Takasugi. At
that moment, is when Gintoki and Takasugi's paths truly diverged. Gintoki still found meaning in
the world, and he did so in being able to protect Otose (at first), then Shinpachi and Kagura, and
then the rest of Edo. Also at that moment, is when Takasugi perceived the world to be nothing
but worthless. He was unable to save his Sensei, the only person who gave him a sense of
purpose, and so, he desired to destroy the world. While Gintoki progressed through
existentialism, Takasugi regressed back into absurdism. He believed that human existence was
only important for the necessity of chaos and that the world itself was purposeless. However,
upon fighting Gintoki and finally being able to see the importance of the bonds he's formed, he
finally found some sense of meaning within the world. He fought alongside Gintoki again to kill
Utsuro, and whether or not he showed it, he truly, deep down, cared for others and the world
again. He overcame the existential angst and this feeling of nothingness and was able to
become whole again, as shown in his conclusion.

SHOYO'S DEATH DIVERGING PATHS

With Shoyo's life pitted against Katsura and Takasugi's, there was only going to be one answer
for Gintoki as for who should live. Not because he cared any less for Shoyo, but because he
understood what Shoyo would've wanted. And so, Gintkoi carried the burden.
Consistent with his solitude and behavior prior to being a student at Shoyo's school, Takasugi
views Shoyo's death as a reinforcement of the idea that the world around him is 'hell'. A
worthless cesspool filled with death and lacking any meaning, just there to be destroyed. He
wants to exact vengeance upon the same society in which took his sensei from him, to leave not
a trace of that old world behind. And this is where Takasugi and Gintoki diverge. Because
Gintoki doesn't divert his eyes from the world that Shoyo tried to bring about, he too is
devastated beyond belief at the death of his sensei, but sees it as reason to reinforce his ideals.
Shoyo wouldn't of wanted Takasugi to follow his same path, he would've wanted him to
persevere through life and to protect, not to destroy. Takasugi understands this, as shown in him
visualizing Shoyo criticizing his actions in his fight against Gintoki. In a situation in which they've
experienced, it's easy just to give up and submit to hatred. However, as we know, that isn't the
type of person Gintoki is. Despite what he felt, and despite what the world was 'telling' him to
do, Gintoki grasps and holds onto Shoyo's legacy and does it the greatest respect by carrying it
out. All of Shoyo's students found a 'home' in which they never had in their connections with
others, and when that 'home' was taken away, one student chose hatred, darkness and
destruction and the other held firm in his conviction and hope.

HOPE VS NIHILISM
This 'light' and 'dark' dichotomy is what I believe to be the foundation for Gintama's thematic
resonance. Hope, or nihilism. Is it really worth it to suffer in the hopes of a better day even
when all seems lost? Is the duality of human condition a tragedy worth persevering through? Or
is it just better to give up? And for these questions, there's only one conclusion for Gintoki. As
his experiences have proof to him that the joys of connection and love far overpower the pain
of loss. Takasugi completely dismissed the notion of being a true samurai as Shoyo would refer
to it. But his rival, Gintoki, never stopped striving to become better, he never stopped protecting
what
he loved, and that includes Takasugi. Life is fleeting, but despite that, there is always a light and
the good times and memories we form are always worth having.

GINTOKI'S DEVOTION AND STRENGTH

Gintoki's devotion to this aspect of life is so incredibly strong that he's completely overcome
with his unconscious rage the instant he sees those he cares about being threatened. And who
can blame him? Gintoki learned that connection, affection and vulnerability are a human's
greatest strength. For how these bonds can bring joy and empower you. Putting oneself out
there and caring for others surely puts oneself at risk of being hurt, but it also positively benefits
your life exponentially. So in these seemingly dark times, when it is hard to visualize the sun,
fight with all you can for what you value and for those you care about, so you can all reach a
brighter day together. It's one of the most heartwarming and impactful messages shown in
Gintama. Through Shoyo's teachings, Gintoki learned to use his sword to protect his values and
his friends. It's a philosophy that took hold of him in such a way due to the way Shoyo displayed
it to him. Shoyo described Gintoki when he first found someone as a child who merely used the
sword for self-preservation, never for the
preservation of something greater than himself.
REACHING NIRVANA

Nirvana, within Buddhism, is the cessation of desire and hence the end of suffering, breaking
free from the Cycle of Samsara.

This idea of searching for enlightenment can be seen in the dialogue between Shinpachi and
Utsuro, in which Shinpachi remembers his father saying, "Even when faced with death, he too
kept searching until his very last breath." Death is inevitable, instead of rejecting the very
concept of death (as shown through Utsuro), one should embrace the life they have and yearn
for enlightenment. This can be seen in Gintoki's dialogue as well, when he says, "Your resting
place will find it's own way to you at the end of your life." Essentially, just as in attaining
Nirvana, one can finally rest (achieve enlightenment) only when their worldly desires are
relinquished at the end of their life. Gintoki's able to do this as shown in Gintama: The Final.
Nothing in the world is against him, he shouldn't desire to fight the world nor oppose any larger
concepts, he should just live for himself. And in living this beautiful life which was one of staying
true to his own internalized values, Gintoki broke free of the Cycle of Samsara and reached
Nirvana, he became enlightened.

Even when faced with death, he too kept searching until his very last breath...

ESCAPISM
Escapism can be defined as the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities,
especially by seeking entertainment and or other diversions. The goal for an escapist is to
escape the difficulties of life and their own feelings through these diversions.

Gintoki's escapism was hinted at in Episode 67. He said, "Even if bad things happen, I know how
to lie to myself, or let off the steam in a good way. There are things in this world we can't do
anything about. Sometimes it's wiser to drink and forget about it."

The same corrupt world which forced him to kill his sensei surrounds Gintoki. And instead of
facing this harsh reality, he merely diverts himself on this path of being Odd Jobs Gin. Even if
these bad events occur, he'll shoulder the burden and escape from his true feelings for the sake
of his friends. As long as his friends are okay, he convinces himself that he's okay. And instead of
facing this conflict head on, Gintoki merely forgets about it.' However, this escapism isn't always
necessarily a bad thing, as Gintoki is still a good person at heart who protects those he cares
about and is able to maintain the 'beauty' of his soul while doing it. And as shown through the
Silver Soul and Silver Soul Aftermath arc, Gintoki eventually does learn that in order to fully
progress and move forward, he needs to face this harsh world head on, as shown in his battle
with Utsuro. As someone who numerous times throughout the series said 'Keep your eyes
forward if you want to survive, Gintoki metaphorically finally faced what was behind him.
However, it was for the sake of what was forward; Gintoki was able to truly face his past for the
sake of the present and future.

GINTOKI AND UTSURO

HUMANIZATION V DEHUMANIZATION
Gintoki started out as being a person who never valued humanity, and in Shoyo's teachings, he
was finally able to value human existence. This parallels Utsuro as well, as he was never really
able to embrace his own humanity and human existence as a whole until he formed his school
with Oboro and Gintoki. Gintoki became humanized through his experiences that began in his
encounter with Shoyo, and in Shoyo's death, never let go of this humanity. Contrasting this, in
his death, Utsuro believed that his humanity was essentially stripped away, and that his
existence as Shoyo only acted as an unconscious catalyst to share the only remaining humanity
he had with someone else, that being Gintoki and the other students. From the day Utsuro was
born, he was dehumanized. He was immortal, a person who was unable to die. And as a result,
people feared him. They tortured him, treated him with constantly cruelty, and Utsuro was
never able to see the positive side of humanity. The dichotomy between Utsuro and Gintoki lies
in their reactions to their experiences, that being Gintoki refused to let this cruelty he
experienced define who he was as a person and instead decided to change himself for the
better. Contrasting this, Utsuro let the cruelty he experienced define who he was and who he'd
be in the future, being someone who bound himself to kill and destroy humanity just to rid
himself of this hellish existence.
GINTOKI AND UTSURO DETERMINISM AND
INDETERMINISM
Utsuro, being the determinist, believes that all events, including moral choices, are completely
determined by previously existing causes (this ties back to the Buddhist concept of Karma). Also
in this belief lies the idea that free will doesn't exist, and that all acts are usually derived from
genetic or environmental factors, and in Utsuro's case, it'd be his birth as an immortal being.

Gintoki, being the indeterminist, acts as a foil to Utsuro's perspective. Indeterminism is the
belief that the will is free and that deliberate choice and actions are not determined by or
predictable from antecedent causes. This can tie back to Gintoki's existentialism as well, but
we'll focus on his contrast to Utsuro for right now. Gintoki doesn't believe that people are
stagnate, he believes in the concept of change. One's choices and actions form who they are as
a person, everyone has a free will. Gintoki is a person who went from a self-described 'good-for-
nothing' to essentially being 'good-for-something'. He overcome this nothingness to which we
are all born and became something, he was able to figuratively become 'whole' in staying true
to his beliefs and protecting his connections with others.

GINTOKI AND UTSURO

ABSURDISM V EXISTENTIALISM

As I've already covered the larger concept of Gintoki's existentialism, I'll be highlighting why
Utsuro is an absurdist and in turn why he contrasts Gintoki. Absurdism is the belief that all
beings exist in a universe with no purpose. 'The Absurd' itself is a concept derived from the
conflict between finding inherent meaning in life and the inability to find any meaning in life.
Utsuro believes that in being born as immortal, and because of his horrible experiences as a
child, that nothing has any meaning. His life itself is purposeless and is therefore synonymous
with the universe. Gintoki believes in overcoming this existential angst, this sense of
meaninglessness. He's able to do so in his life's experiences. However, opposite to this, Utsuro's
unable to overcome this nothingness, and as a result, his hatred for the surrounding world and
humanity only grows.
GINTOKI AND KAMUI NATURE V NURTURE
The debate between nature and nurture involves the extent to which particular aspects of
behavior are a product of either inherited (i.e., genetic) or acquired (i.e., learned) influences.

Nature can be seen as 'pre-wiring' essentially, and is influenced by genetic factors (what
someone is born with). Nurture is perceived to be the influence of external factors on a person
(e.g. the product of exposure, experiences, and learning upon an individual).

Kamui is someone who was born into the Yato clan, a bloodline in which is defined as a group of
'aliens' who love the thrill of battle and kill for their self-preservation. Although Kamui
experienced Nurture at a young age (i.e his mother), he was consumed to follow a path of his
nature, forming a pirate group in which he found the thrill of battle in. He seemingly killed with
no remorse and put on a fake smile while doing so. Gintoki was someone who's beginning was
also defined by self-preservation, and when he experienced Nurture, he embraced it. This sense
of nurture he received (i.e Shoyo and his friends) is something that allowed Gintoki to overcome
his nature as the 'White Yaksha' (demon- child). Gintoki accepted the products of exposure
around him and became a changed person through his experiences. Later on with Gintama, we
finally see Kamui overcome this consumption into his nature and he learns to protect Kagura,
something he now holds dear. The product of exposure to opposing ideals (i.e his father and
Gintoki) was able to change who he was as an individual.

GINTOKI AND JIRAIA'S DYNAMIC

The dynamic between Jiraia and Gintoki was beautiful. Firstly, we'll cover altruism v hedonism.
Gintoki, an altruist, selflessly puts his well-being at stake for the well-being of his friends and
comrades. Jiraia, a hedonist, abandons the well-being of his friends and

comrades for his self-satisfaction and fulfillment of his desires. Jiraia's hedonistic nature is
shown in his relation to spiders. He puts his prey (i.e Tsukuyo) within a web, building a false
connection, supports and feeds them, and then consumes (not literally) his own creation to
fulfill his satisfaction and selfish desires. This is shown with Tsukuyo, as he recognized Tsukuyo
as nothing more than his "creation". He wanted her to discard her own sense of self (essence)
to become like him (his essence) so he would be able to fulfill his desire of metaphorically
'killing himself.'
This ties in to the contrast in the master/ student beliefs that Gintoki and Jiraia have. Jiraia
believed that a master should bear the burden of the student, and then once the student is
strong enough to bear the masters' burden, that the master should simply abandon the student
as they no longer need someone to rely on. Directly contrasting this, Gintoki believes that the
master should carry the burdens of the student, and when the student is strong enough, the
student should bear the burden and protect the master. Their belief system when it comes to
the student & master comes down to reliance and bonds. Gintoki believes bonds make you
stronger, while Jiraia believes they make you weaker.

Another interesting contrast in their beliefs is the idea of what the soul is. Jiraia believes that
abandoning one's sense of self (essence/soul), you'll be able to become truly beautiful and
powerful. As a direct opposite, Gintoki believes that one should always stay true to one's sense
of self (essence/soul), and in staying true to yourself, you make your soul beautiful. Jiraia even
looks at Gintoki and says, "Humans acting in selfless devotion can transcend flesh, good and
evil... Only your beautiful soul remains." Transcending one's physical appearance (flesh), and
then transcending the idea of a societal set morality (good/evil) is exactly what Gintoki does. His
beauty comes in his essence, his soul; staying true to himself and his rules.

GINTOKI AND JIROCHO'S DYNAMIC

Gintoki is a person who has experienced loss, but has accepted his sense of purpose (essence)
and responsibility and continues to protect who he cares about, as well as the town itself.
Jirocho is a person who has experienced loss, yet has abandoned his responsibility and chose to
protect the town by using force to conquer it, essentially abandoning his sense of purpose (true
essence: previous self). Gintoki and Jirocho are two beasts who clash despite sharing the same
goal. They essentially have chosen their own iron vows, similar, yet different. Jirocho abandoned
his humanity and his essence to protect what he valued and promised to protect, while Gintoki
chose to protect what he values by maintaining his sense of self and soul, as that's what makes
him a human. As described earlier in the arc, a true warrior is one who stays true to themselves
and their ideals. Both Gintoki and Jirocho stay true to their promise to protect; yet go down
diverging paths to do so. Otose's husband told Jirocho to protect Otose and the town, and so he
went about doing so. However, in wanting to conquer the town with force, he wasn't fulfilling
his promise at all. Contrasting Gintoki, he was unable to see what made people, people; their
souls. He thought of Kabuki as a mere physically structured town, not one full of people, and
therefore was pushing himself forward for a falsely perceived idea. In the final clash between
Gintoki and Jirocho, Gintoki wins by breaking Jirocho's sword, not cutting him down. In no
longer fighting with his own sword, Jirocho is now freed of this falsely perceived path, and
realizes Gintoki's ideals were more true to the promise of protecting both Otose and the town
of Kabuki. Now, Gintoki, similarly to Jirocho, carries the burden of protecting others. However,
the difference is that Gintoki has people by his side to make him realize he was needed; just like
the way he needs them (Odd Jobs, the town, etc).

GINTOKI SELF OVERCOMING

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche believed that there were three stages to one's self-
development, the camel, the lion and the child.

The Camel: Unlike the majority in the herd, some people are strong in spirit and they begin a
spiritual journey to self-actualization that they may or may not complete. The first stage of that
journey is when we become "camels". The camel is a carrier and represents the "strong" spirit
who, unlike the herd animal, is happy to take on burdens, one rejoices in carrying burdens.

Self-actualization, being the realization of one's own potential, is something Gintoki's able to
achieve in his time as Shoyo's student and in the formation of his bonds with Katsura and
Takasugi. He understands his own potential (purpose) in life in hopes that he can become
stronger to maintain the bonds in which he holds so dear. Gintoki isn't overcome with despair
that some might experience in shouldering a burden, he rejoices. This is shown in his smile, as
he embraces shouldering the burden of his sensei's death so his friends won't have to. He
shoulders numerous burdens throughout Gintama and has no problem doing so.
The Child: The child is one who's in a state of the pure individual who is unburdened of the
rules, customs and conventions of society. Imagine the person who wills their own destiny,
makes up their own values (that they do not impose on anybody else), and exists in a liberated
state of free creativity and existence. The child is curious and filled with wonder. The child is not
weighed down by rules and values, the child discovers for themselves the meaning in things.
The child exemplifies Nietzsche's view of existentialist values.

At the end of Gintama, more specifically in Gintama: The Final, Gintoki metaphorically becomes
the embodiment of 'The Child'. He's able to will his own destiny, form his own values (that he
doesn't force upon anyone else), and is able to completely exist in a completely liberated state
of free existence. This is highlighted through Gintoki's existence preceding his essence
(existentialism). He's able to discover meaning in a formerly perceived meaningless world,
which also exemplifies Gintoki's final say as a whole.

THE GOOD LIFE'

The 'Good Life'

For the philosopher Aristotle, happiness is a final end or goal that encompasses the totality of
one's life. It is not something that can be gained or lost in a few hours, like pleasurable
sensations. It is more like the ultimate value of your life as lived up to this moment, measuring
how well you have lived up to your full potential as a human being. For this reason, one cannot
really make any pronouncements about whether one has lived a happy life until it is over.

This idea of not being able to make externally perceived conclusions about someone else's life
until it's over perfectly ties into the conclusion of Gintama. Keep moving forward in life,
understand that an end is inevitable and it's inescapable, however strive to remain true to
yourself and your own potential as a human all the way up until the end, as it could come at any
moment. Gintoki's able to live up to his full potential as he learns to value not only his own
existence, buthuman existence. If one were to make a pronouncement about whether or not
Gintoki lived a 'good' and 'happy life', it'd be a definite yes. Despite any struggle he faced,
despite the obstacles he overcame and the burdens he shouldered, he was able to remain true
to himself and keep his promise of protecting his friends. He was able to overcome his innate
sense of being the 'White Yaksha' and ultimately became the pinnacle of what it means to be
'human' in his life as 'Odd Jobs Gin'.
EGALITARIANISM

Egalitarianism, or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within philosophy that builds from the
concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally
characterized by the idea that all humans are equal in fundamental worth or moral status.

Gintoki could fall under this idea of egalitarianism as he's never discriminated against anyone. In
leading 'Odd Jobs', he's taken on many responsibilities, conventional and unconventional, all for
the sake of others' well-being. This idea of egalitarianism is explicitly explored in the Yoshiwara
in Flames arc, as the sun is a symbol of that philosophy. The sun itself doesn't discriminate, it's a
ray of hope for others and it protects others from darkness.

SELF AFFIRMATION

Self-Affirmation: The recognition and assertion of the existence and value of one's individual
self.

Gintoki is able to overcome this emptiness and comes to understand the value in human
existence, which as a result allows him to assert and value his own existence. He values his own
existence through maintaining his soul. Although he learns to value others and seemingly cares
for others more than himself, Gintoki is able to understand the importance of his individualistic
sense of self through others, as that's what makes him who he is.

“There is nothing left for me to take back, whatever I have lost has come back to me, it's right all
here" self-actualisation, the complete realization of one's potential, and the full development of
one's abilities and appreciation for life. Self-actualized people have an acceptance of who they
are despite their faults and experiences. Gintoki himself used to be thought of as "empty" he
lost everything, his sensei, his comrades, his everything. What this dialogue represents for me is
Gintoki accepting his losses there is nothing left for me to take back" is a direct representation
of this. Gintoki embraced the fact that he had lost everything but none of that no longer
matters. He has gained his "purpose" back from the people around him, the bonds he has
created, the foes faced everything. Gintoki understands this is what has created him to be what
he is in the present; it all resides within his heart. His appreciation in life is evident "If you have
time to fantasize about a beautiful end, then just live beautifully 'til the end this for me is a
great representation of this. Gintoki's essence is built upon living life to the fullest with no
regrets. He no longer needs to regret the death of his sensei, he no longer needs to regret what
happened with takasugi he can simply live alongside those who he has created a "beautiful life"
with.

People are born weak. Everyone struggles through life, burdened with an identity they cannot
accept. Unfortunate as it may be, there is no escaping that struggle. However, that doesn't
mean we can only suffer as our weakness controls us. We can also struggle to face our
weaknesses, defy them, and change ourselves. People have more freedom than they think!"

Essentially, one shouldn't run away from the struggles life throws at you, as there isn't an
escape to it. Everyone is burdened with something, and we'll have to suffer; that suffering is
necessary. However, we shouldn't allow ourselves to suffer in being overcome by our
weaknesses, rather we should defy our weaknesses and struggle to become stronger, and
change ourselves to become better people. We have that freedom, it's just whether or not we
make that choice or not.

This applies to Gintoki, as not only does he face the struggles life throws at him, but he's also
shouldered numerous burdens. Whether it be small moments throughout the show, or when he
shouldered the burden of his Sensei's death. He accepts the necessity of struggle, however he
doesn't let himself be overcome with weakness. He uses this struggle to change himself, to
strengthen his soul and to become a better person. He lives by his own rules, his own free will,
he's made that choice.I believe this quote alone is probably the most important in terms of the
overarching themes present throughout the narrative.
WAIT FOR ME IN HELL, TAKASUGI

Although Utsuro was in the body of Takasugi, Gintoki refused to hesitate and struck down
Utsuro, essentially 'killing' Takasugi in the process. He had no hesitation as he knew that the
soul of Takasugi Shinsuke's soul,that of his friends, no longer his 'enemy', would forever live on
inside of his own soul. Although Utsuro believed that humans were nothing more than 'hollow'
and 'void' beings, and in a way, he was right. As in a way, sure, humans are empty. However,
through forming connections and bonds with others, one can fulfill themselves and form their
'Silver Soul'; something that's unbreaking. And in the end, although Gintoki may have physically
struck down Utsuro, it was Takasugi that paved the way for Utsuro to finally be killed. Takasugi
refused to let his friend, Gintoki, bear that burden all over again, so he did it himself. Just like
Gintoki protected the souls of his friends in the past, Takasugi protected Gintoki's soul in the
present. And when Takasugi declares that Gintoki is the victor, Gintoki refutes this by saying:

"Go wait for me in hell, Takasugi. I'm not letting you walk off the victor, I swear I'll win next
time."

The true 'victor' is the one who protects the souls and well-being of those they care about.
Although the image that was once burned into his right eye was that of Gintoki figuratively
'sacrificing' himself by bearing the burden of Shoyo's death, the image that Takasugi is now able
to visualize is one of Gintoki accepting Takasugi's sacrifice and, and so, they both smile. Gintoki
says that he'll 'see Takasugi in hell', but in reality, neither of them are going to end up there.
Takasugi's soul now lies within Gintoki's, so the only reason in which he hints at another
'rematch', is that of reconciling with his past. Although Gintoki and Takasugi have grown apart,
that means at one point, they were united. And in this final moment, they were. So although
they conflicted with one another numerous times throughout their lives, they both made each
other, eachother.

It not only acts as a perfect moment for Gintoki, but Takasugi as well. Takasugi's most first
moment that he perceived in his left eye was that of Gintoki crying as he shouldered the burden
for Takasugi, and the last sight of Takasugi's left eye was that of Gintoki crying again, but this
time not because Gintoki shouldered Takasugi's burden, but because he accepted Takasugi
shouldering his. Gintoki up to this point has always been the one shouldering others' burdens,
and in his ability to smile and embrace his closest friend in doing the same for him, he comes to
understand truly what it means to be human.

This moment also ties into the concept that life doesn't stop after death. The moments and
feelings in which Gintoki and Takasugi felt for each other will forever life on within Gintoki.
THE SKIES HAVE CLEARED UP

In Episode 3, one of the Amanto who was threatening Shinpachi tells Gintoki that "This
country... and this sky, belongs to us, the Amanto." Gintoki replies with nothing more than "We
must continue to live and continue to stare at the sky."

In Gintama: The Final, at the end, Gintoki is seen through Tama's perspective to say, "Looks like
the clouds upstairs have stopped crying too. The skies have cleared up."

Perception creates your ideal reality. The 'skies' aren't anyone else's but your own. No matter
what you've endured and no matter how much you've suffered, the way you choose to perceive
the 'skies' is what forms your world. The 'skies' aren't crying, no external or higher force is
holding you back; the world is what you make of it. This moment perfectly ties into Gintoki's
existentialism and the concept that his existence precedes his essence. Being able to value
human existence through your own perception, your own choices, and actions of your own free
will. Tama, the robot in which this scene is seen from (her perspective), perfectly represents the
message that Gintama as a whole, and this scene specifically, portrayed. This idea that we are
essentially born as 'nothing' (as how Tama is a literal robot, a machine born with no emotion,
empty), and we become who we are; we become human, through our life experiences. This
correlates to Gintoki specifically as he was someone who was described to have no 'soul' until
he encountered Shoyo. Sure, he suffered numerous tragedies and shouldered numerous
burdens, and yet he chose to live with a smile. He chose to live beautifully, viewing the 'skies' as
the latter and the world as his 'canvas'; in which he was able to metaphorically paint (form) his
perception and existence on.

Perception creates your ideal reality. The 'skies' aren't anyone else's but your own. No matter
what you've endured and no matter how much you've suffered, the way you choose to perceive
the 'skies' is what forms your world. The 'skies' aren't crying, no external or higher force is
holding you back; the world is what you make of it. This moment perfectly ties into Gintoki's
existentialism and the concept that his existence precedes his essence. Being able to value
human existence through your own perception, your own choices, and actions of your own free
will. Tama, the robot in which this scene is seen from (her perspective), perfectly represents the
message that Gintama as a whole, and this scene specifically, portrayed. This idea that we are
essentially born as 'nothing' (as how Tama is a literal robot, a machine born with no emotion,
empty), and we become who we are; we become human, through our life experiences. This
correlates to Gintoki specifically as he was someone who was described to have no 'soul' until
he encountered Shoyo. Sure, he suffered numerous tragedies and shouldered numerous
burdens, and yet he chose to live with a smile. He chose to live beautifully, viewing the 'skies' as
the latter and the world as his 'canvas'; in which he was able to metaphorically paint (form) his
perception and existence on.

PERCEPTION OF THE SKIES

The skies belong neither to the Amanto or Gintoki, it's simply a reflection of one's own beliefs
and ideals. Gintoki sees the skies through his own eyes, creating his own ideal perception of
reality. The way he chooses to percieve the sky forms his ideal world. No matter how much he
suffered or how many hardships he will continue to face in the future, the skies will always
remain above him. The clouds aren't crying, no external factors or forces can hold back the
Yorozuya. This moment perfectly captures Gin's existentialist viewpoint and the concept that his
existence precedes his essence- being able to find meaning and value human existence through
your own perception, your own choices, and actions of your own free will. Gin's inner 'skies'
have cleared up; he is free from the burdens of his past (despair and emptiness, Utsuro), he was
able to protect what he wanted to protect (including the soul of his best friend Takasugi) and he
can continue to live his life staring at the sky, living true to himself. You've gotta live life standing
up straight and look right at the sun.

The sky symbolizes freedom, and in Gintama, the Amanto are portrayed as an ever-present and
unresolvable issue for both the characters and the world. The statement 'Those dream-filled
blue skies upon which the samurai once gazed upon are now filled with Amanto ships' reflects
this ongoing struggle. However, Gin's conclusion paints a beautiful picture and it's all based
around an idea that Gintama explores quite a bit: Perspective. While the amanto problem may
seem insurmountable and beyond any one person's control, focusing solely on the loss will
prevent any personal growth or freedom. Instead, by clearing up his "inner skies"; living a
meaningful life, making connections, being a truly genuine human being, and strengthening his
silver soul, Gin was able to move forward with his life and find true meaning in it. No matter
who we are, no matter how much we've endured, the skies will always be above us and our
reality is simply reflected from those very skies. How we percieve them is our choice, it is in the
eyes of the beholder. We see the skies the way we want to. So we should keep looking up at the
skies, value our own existence, embrace our soul and continue to live our life beautifully.

TAMA: A REPRESENTATION OF PERSPECTIVE

One of the most overlooked aspects of this moment is Tama's inclusion. The scene is presented
through Tama's perspective, a robot who, until now, lacked emotion or humanity-simply existing
without purpose. She had neither an existence (direction) nor essence (a soul). Her journey
parallels Gintoki's own path to humanization. As a child, Gintoki was known as the "corpse-
eating demon," living without direction or a soul. It was Shoyo Yoshida, his future sensei, who
gave him those things. In the same way Tama also became humanized through bonds formed
with the Yorozuya and everyone else in Kabukicho, as in the ending even a robot like her was
capable of shedding tears. Tama's character embodies the central theme of Gintama as a whole,
and this scene in particular: the idea that we are essentially born as 'nothing' (as how Tama is a
literal robot, a machine born with no emotion, empty), and we become who we are; we
become human, through our life experiences.

Oh, and you don't need us to wipe those tears away, right?

Another underappreciated nuance is the use of angles during Gintoki's dialogue "Looks like the
big guy upstair has stopped crying too". With his eyes staring directly at Tama, from a first-
person perspective it almost seem: as if he's talking directly to the viewer. The whole point of
Gintama is to make the viewer feel a part of it. And it executed this brilliantly by making the cast
feel alive, making us laugh uncontrollably one episode then cry our eyes out in the next.
Gintama's personal and emotional impact on me is beyond anything. And so, when Gin looks
straight at Tama/ 'us' and says we've stopped crying, he's showing that through his journey, we
too can overcome our despair and weaknesses and grasp that sense of meaning and the
glimpse of hope. As when we do, the skies will always clear up.

Looks like the big guy upstairs has stopped crying, too.

How gintoki's conclusion parallels Utsuros

Utsuro is everything Gintoki could've been, an empty soul, void of anything. Utsuro almost acts
as the conflict within Gintoki, everything he tried to escape, everything he despised about
himself. As I already explained this is Gintoki's "perfect" ending he avoided becoming the empty
person he desperately escaped. While utsuro even in death died empty, he died as everything
Gintoki would've hated to be, empty and weak with no one to remember you or your existence.
Although utsuro "became human" in

his death he wasn't truly able to understand the depths of that concept, unlike Gintoki who In
his conclusion is experiencing that very concept right before him with the skies clearing up.
BUDDHA
'Nirvana' is a process of transcendence where one would release every social, economic and
materialistic aspects on oneself's and ascends to a fully spiritual freedom. This is made apparent
in Gintoki's "Skies have cleared up." Where despite every weakness and shortcomings still exist
within the world, despite Amantos still in the skies. He had learned to accept it and let go of any
of his desires and fully transcend and successfully achieving 'Nirvana.'

I am Sakata gintoki, the student of shoyo

WHAT IS IT TO BE A SAMURAI?
This is a question that could be easily answered: A samurai is a warrior of noble
lineage who lives by the sword, abides by a strict ethical code composed of seven
virtues called "Bushido," and dedicates his life to his master.
THE CONCEPT OF SAMURAI IN GINTAMA:
But, better yet, let's rephrase that question: What is a samurai? Well, in simple
and concise words: a human being. For much of Gintama, we witnessed how the
figure of the samurai was ridiculed beyond belief. They lacked honor, were lazy,
selfish, vulgar, squandered what little dignity they had left, gave in to life's
temptations, and reveled in their lack of benevolence. So... were these even
samurai? What made them different from the average person? The answer to this
question is: NOTHING. The word "Samurai," at the end of the day, is nothing more
than a title determined by our loyalty to a wealthy person in order to rank us on
the social ladder. Giving your life for an ideal that dictates you being yourself
doesn't make you special.
BUSHIDO:
In that case... Don't samurai exist? Or if they do, how can we be one even when
we have flaws that make us indistinguishable from the rest? Well, that's where the
theme of "Bushido" comes in, and where Sorachi deconstructs that ideal of the
honorable warrior. Being a samurai doesn't mean abiding by someone else's
arbitrary code, nor surrendering your life to a feudal lord; being a samurai is
being... yourself, finding your own meaning of beauty, and resisting those flaws
that will carry you throughout your life. In that sense, if we are able to find a
purpose in life by disciplining ourselves under our own sense of purpose, and
along the way we end up finding ourselves, then, finally, we will have become a
"samurai" (under the philosophy the work preaches).
GINTOKI'S JOURNEY:
And so... What does all this have to do with the moment I'm talking about in this
video? Throughout each segment of the story, Gintoki searched for something
that would fill the existential void caused by the death of his teacher and the loss
of his friends. First, with promises that gave him a pseudo-direction in life so he
wouldn't let himself be plunged into great darkness: giving his girl's word that he
would stay alive until she killed him, and telling a dead man that he would protect
his wife as long as he had something to eat. Then, he let himself be carried away
by a hedonistic lifestyle, enjoying and being driven by life's pleasures; gorging
himself on sweets, alcohol, and gambling, because they were the only things that
made him feel alive and filled that lack of happiness within himself. And finally,
overcoming each misfortune, reliving and facing ghosts from his past, refusing to
let anything slip through his fingers again, finding fulfillment in everyday life and
the bonds he's formed that define him and give him value as a person. After all
this journey, for Sakata Gintoki, the bushido he's found is: protecting what he
loves. It may seem like a simple ideal, but considering everything that "protecting"
and loss mean to the character, it takes on a much more prominent value and
meaning.
RESOLUTION:
His living conditions are precarious: He's not someone important beyond his
nickname "Shiroyasha," he lives in poverty, has sadistic tendencies, is
opportunistic, wastes the little money his small business earns on pachinko, lives
and argues daily with two minors whom he exploits unpaid, and I could go on
listing each of his qualities. Ironically, even though he's so imperfect, Gintoki is a
true embodiment of self-improvement and learning to find the bright side of life.
He was able to become a samurai, filled the lack of value in his existence by
connecting with his surroundings, stopped being a cynic, and appreciates having
had the opportunity to meet every person possible. He found his purpose in life,
he feels content with himself, he finally found his own identity, he values the
entire journey he went through to rebuild his life, and he will always stand tall
with his bakutou held high and protect what he loves. Because he is a samurai, he
is a Yorozuya, he is the disciple of Yoshida Shoyo, he is...
SAKATA GINTOKI
I'm Sakata Gintoki, disciple of Yoshida Shoyo!

Gintoki's parallels

With hijikata:
In farewell shinsengumi, when toshi approaches the base of shinsengumi, he
hesitates, gintoki states that "forgot something" hijikata says" if he opens this
door, he couldn't return back" gintoki states " I was in a similar position, there
were two things I wanted to protect, i didn't want to lose either one. But i ended
up in a situation where I didn't throw one away, I'd lose both" but unlike gintoki,
hijikata could still save both the things he wanted to protect.
In the final movie, gintoki just like hijikata was able to protect both the things he
cherished (i.e the soul of takasugi and shoyo)
With kagura:
Before the series started gintoki had developed into a nihilistic person, a person
who couldn't protect his teacher' or his school's soul.

Shoyo during his conversation with takasugi states that "did I take him in or did he
take me in, i don't know" shoyo was a nihilistic, who became human due to
gintoki, he developed in a bond with him(i.e gintoki saved shoyo/his soul

How gintoki saved shoyo, kagura and shinpachi saved gintoki by making a bond
with him( gintoki states that before I knew it I was carrying it again,i.e his promise
to shoyo")

With nobume:
Like how gintoki became human after meeting shoyo, you can say the same for
nobume, just like gintoki she was a child who was symbolised with death until
they meet shoyo.
"People are born weak,but we have the freedom to defy our weakness and
struggle to change yourselves" nobume at this moment decided to struggle to
become human.
Just how gintoki after meeting with otsoe become human again, nobume became
human after sharing a bond with saskai.

Nobume's salute and it's parallels with gintoki's conclusion:

Nobume during the scene embraces herself as nobume and not as mukuro
( existence precedes essence)
With parallels gintoki's conclusion.
The dark skies
When Shoyo first met Gintoki the scene was black and white yes? And after Shoyo
told him that he didn't look like such a demon and touched his head colour came
to the scene: This was the beginning of the new sky that
they forged
And even further, if you take a look at the final scene of Gintama, it's quite
possibly the most vibrant and colourful of them all. The once black and white
world that surged through the unfortunate souls of these people became a
colourful existence: the clear skies of life. Also, there was that part with black and
white when they first met? When Utsuro appears and fights Gintoki their
surroundings are black and white, the sorrowful skies are now opened however
Gintoki and Utsuro are still in colour
So why?
Because the skies don't necessitate humans themselves, Gintoki, even though at
this moment he has lost the backing of the future to despair, still stands
"Our sword will reach, Ghost." OUR sword, The sword of humanity will reach
Utsuro because of their innate contrasts in understanding and being human.
Though the blacked skies may dawn, the ever longing soul shall never collapse. In
contrast To the skies here, A blue sky is as beautiful as anything but that doesn't
mean that a black one can strip humanity of its fervent colourful souls Because
that's what it means to be human: To struggle. To fight. To suffer. To tread along
no matter what. Your skies may be dark but your soul remains intact, suffer, my
friend, for hope is never truly lost until you let the black skies of despair invade
your soul. AND THE SAME CAN BE SAID WHEN UTSURO KILLED SHOYO, though the
destitute void seemed to conquer, the life of Yoshida Shouyou didn't die out.

Gintokis bond with the Shouka Sonjuku

Gintoki's bond within the Shouka Sonjuku is slightly different although still the
same in principle; he still is connected his ties with takasugi and katsura through
shoyo but goes about it differently. You could say takasugi and katsura were
clinging to this idea of the Shouka Sonjuku. The book as I previously mentioned is
a subtle reference to this. Katsura and Takasugi held onto this book (a
representation of the Shouka Sonjuku) whereas Gintoki was said to have spilt
ramen on his so he threw it away. What this represents is Gintoki trying to
move on from his days with the Shouka Sonjuku in a metaphorical sense. Gintoki
was always moving forward; he lost everything once before so he decided to do
what his sensei had always told him to do and protect those that matter to him
and not lose them again. Gintoki's preservation was through the "soul" of the
Shoka, he held onto the inner core of what it meant, hence being the "silver soul"
he upholds the substance of itself. The Shouka Sonjuku will always remain
connected through their sensei. The bond between shoyo and the school itself
will always remain linked within history and this itself can never change. Utsuro is
not shoyo and shoyo is not utsuro they realize this hence the reason they must
stop utsuro this is why gintoki "will not let them die' this is simply a fight to
cement the legacy of shoyo and his school that's what the Shouka Sonjuku have
always wanted to accomplish.
what makes us human
To be human, is within our ability to be aware, that we are aware of basic sensory
inputs. To be able to reflect on our feelings and judgements results in an
emotional response. While in contrast, To be a void, is to be useless, be nothing, a
shell of a human in a sense. To have no emotion or self-awareness without those
attributes one cannot truly be human. We saw that with Utsuro himself he was
completely Dehumanised just as Gintoki was before Shoyo found him and just as
shoyo (Utsuro) was until meeting Gintoki.
So how does one become human again?
For Gintoki and Shoyo, their path to humanization is quite simple, it's through
connection they could "feel human". A bond, which is a strong feeling of
friendship, love, shared beliefs and experiences, is what makes gintoki and shoyo
"feel human". They both started with no direction (existence) but it's from being
around each other that they could truly connect, they both found direction
through that bond. They both wanted to protect this bond and protect the bonds
with takasugi and katsura also. Also after shoyo is "killed" by gintoki neither was
sad they both accepted, this was the only way to protect everyone,
and shoyo knew at least this way gintoki "could stay human" he could learn, live
and embrace shoyos soul and continue living. Also, u think the "smile" fits with
being human also. Since gintoki learnt the humane feeling of putting others
before himself and his desires allowing him to manifest into the altruistic person
he is in the
present. It was through "killing his master" that disciplined him to protect shoyos
will and his comrades. This is the moment, gintok truly "found himself" hence the
"smile," alluding to him embracing and accepting his new life without his master
thus giving us the gintoki we know today who is heavily portrayed through his
altruistic way of samurai its through the struggle gintoki become human.
Shoyos death achieving enlightenment
After utsuro was defeated, shoyo was finally allowed a chance at fulfilling his life
and the purpose he created in it. Due to an overload of Altana, the terminal was
going to explode - soyo in complete contrast to utsuro, ripped out
his own heart, to save not only those close to him but humanity as a whole.
Instead of doing it alone, gintoki the one person dearest to him, jumps down to
help alongside odd jobs (the new generation). I'm this moment, Shoyo has
completely fulfilled his life, he has found his purpose (protecting the new
generation) and has achieved full unity and become the ubermensch and die with
no regrets.
So Shoyo's enlightenment stems from finally conquering his existence and making
his final ode to humanity. At his final breaths, he was United with Gintoki, and his
two friends, the people who resided within his student's soul. He shows his final
bit of thanks and gratitude by ripping his heart out, having finally taken his
existence as his own, and does what he wants to do. He does, saving his dearest
people, and humanity itself and restoring "the hope" he talked about back within
the coming generations. He completely contradicts Utsuro, he dies with no
regrets, and he has finally "become human. (Just as Gintoki did)" No more
suffering, no regrets, and no more lingering within the paths of samsara. His final
ode to humanity led him to his enlightenment. In a sense, he fulfilled the purpose
that he had created, and would forever reside in the hearts of those left behind
until eternity dawned. So unlike Utsuro, he understood humanity and fulfilled the
humanity that was given to him, allowing him to reach nirvana.

SOME OF GINTOKI’S SYMBOLISM:

UTSRUO/DRAGON AND GINTOKI/WHITE TIGER: In Japanese & Chinese lore there's
a pair of kanji - 龍虎, or 'the Dragon & the Tiger’. If you've watched ToraDora, you've
come across it already. The concept is from the Azure Dragon1 & White Tiger
from the Four Gods of the Four Directions in Onmyoudo.
The Dragon Veins are an obvious reference to this, given the Priestess Sisters'
Onmyoudo-like techniques and the fact that the Terminal is built over a Yellow
Dragon Hole (Kouryuu, or 'the God of the Center' is The Yellow Dragon embodying
the Earth Element).
Gintoki is connected to the White Tiger (Byakko) by, you know, often being
described as 'White'. He also has that blue swirly wind-like motif on his kimono,
and Byakko controls the wind. He's also often called an 'oni',.

YIN AND YANG: Utsuro & Gintoki to Yin & Yang, but Shouyou himself is linked to
the concept. He is based off of the real life Yoshida Shouin, whose name is spelled
as 松陰. The second kanji in that name is the kanji for 'Yin'. Sorachi swapped that
Kanji with the one for 'Yang', giving us.... Shouyou (松陽)!
There's also the whole concept of 'Yang' meaning 'the positive, or the openly
visible' - as Shouyou was first presented to us, and 'Ying' meaning 'the negative, or
hidden in a private place' - as Utsuro was revealed to be Shouyou's literal hidden
past/darkness! (Katsura pretty much points this out for us lol).
Gintoki and Shouyou/Utsuro are also linked to 'Yin-Yang' in another way.
Sorachi purposely implies a bond between Shouyou and Gintoki where they
were interchangeably both ‘teacher and student’ to each other - firstly when
Shouyou tells Takasugi he’s not quite sure ‘who picked who up’, and secondly
when Utsuro calls Gintoki ‘teacher and student’ (don’t think this part was kept in
the anime, but it’s in the manga - when Shouyou holds Utsuro back). There's also
the whole baby-Utsuro thing.
SAKURA: Sakura blossoms are known for their short lifespan, blooming for a brief
period before falling. This symbolizes the transient nature of life, where beauty
and joy are often short-lived. Gintoki's haori with Sakura reinforces this theme,
suggesting that while life is beautiful and worth enjoying, it is also fleeting and
must be appreciated in the moment.
The fall of Sakura blossoms can also be interpreted as a metaphor for death and
rebirth, as the new blossoms herald the arrival of spring and new beginnings. This
adds a layer of complexity to Gintoki's symbolism, suggesting that even in the face
of hardship and loss, there is hope for renewal and a fresh start.
Gintoki's character often displays a stoic and sometimes melancholic demeanor,
particularly when dealing with the losses he has experienced in the past. The
Sakura blossoms on his haori serve as a reminder of the beauty that still exists in
the world, even in the midst of adversity.

Gintoki and the Sun:

Gintoki's association with the sun can be seen in his general demeanor and the
way he is often portrayed. His unwavering spirit and ability to bring joy and hope,
even in the face of adversity, can be interpreted as a symbol of light dispelling
darkness.
Tsukuyo and the Moon:
Tsukuyo's name (Tsuki) contains the word for "moon," and her association with
Yoshiwara, a place known for its vibrant nightlife and hidden mysteries, solidifies
this connection. The moon, in many cultures, is associated with mystery, change,
and the cyclical nature of life.
The juxtaposition of Gintoki with the sun and Tsukuyo with the moon creates a
powerful symbolic narrative within the story. The moon can represent the darker,
more hidden aspects of life, while the sun embodies hope, strength, and the
potential for a brighter future.

GINTOKI’S OUTFITS: First off, let’s look at Gintoki. His main colors are white and
blue, but black tends to creep in a lot as well. Before going further, I’d like to point
out that blue, in Japan, symbolizes passivity and fidelity. It is also considered to be
a lucky color, like white.
“Corpse-eating Demon” Gintoki
The most striking part about this outfit is the black color of the yukata. I believe
that, just like the crows in Gin’s flashback (ch460) and his nickname at the time, it
is a clear reference to the Naraku Tenshuin.
As we find out from Nobume, many of the “crows” were orphans trained from
childhood. It is possible that this scene is meant to foreshadow the possibility of
Gintoki becoming a crow himself had Shoyou not found him in time.
I believe that Shoyou may have taken kid!Gintoki under his wing because of his
passing resemblance to Oboro. Shoyou may have felt that he owed it to Oboro’s
memory to save a child who looked so much like him. I’m not saying that was the
only reason, of course, but I think Shoyou must have felt a lot of guilt over what
happened, and this guilt may have served as his motivator in his fight against
Utsuro.
“Disciple” Gintoki
If my guess about the meaning behind the black yukata is true, then the blue color
of this one is a clear sign that Gintoki is no longer in danger of being recruited by
the Naraku. I believe that this is also the beginning of his association with the sky.
However, the shade is a bit darker than the one known as Sora-iro, or sky color, in
Japan.
“Shiroyasha” Gintoki
From this outfit, we can see the reason for Gin’s moniker during the Joui war.
While white is eye-catching and avoided by the other Joui members, I think that
Gin chose this color as a fear tactic. After all, when you know that someone called
the “White Demon” is amongst the enemy, you are probably going to be pretty
scared if you see white on the battlefield. Considering that Gin hasn’t changed the
color of his haori in the war flashbacks we’ve seen, it’s likely that advertising his
presence on the battlefield outweighed how hard it was to clean off the blood.
The rest of his outfit is pretty much the same as the others (except Takasugi, that
is). The only major difference is the lighter colors, which, once again, are used as a
fear tactic against the Amanto. I doubt they can tell the difference between the
grey and the white on the battlefield, anyways.

“War Civvie” Gintoki

I think that the return of a blue yukata represents Gintoki’s wish for the return of
his teacher and maybe even the return of the days before his teacher was taken.
While the yukata is similar to the one he wore during his happy childhood, the
differences between the outfits of now and from then show that he has changed
since then.

“Post-war” Gintoki
The color of the yukata is different in the manga and in the anime, but I believe
that the idea behind it is quite similar.
In the manga, it looks like he is wearing a black yukata. Nowadays in Japan, black
is the color of mourning. Here, Gin is mourning for the teacher he killed and likely
also the comrades he lost (especially Katsura and Takasugi). I think we can even go
as far to say that he has regressed back to his “Corpse-Eating Demon” days, what
with his eating the manju offering for Otose’s husband. Without Shoyou, he isn’t a
disciple. Without the war and his comrades, he can’t (or isn’t willing) become the
Shiroyasha. And without Katsura, Takasugi and Sakamoto, he doesn’t have his
position as “friend”.
In the anime, the yukata is light grey, almost white. This seems to imply that
Gintoki, as he was then, was little more than a living corpse. As mentioned above,
he had no more purpose, no more friends, no more teacher. And while he still had
the desire to stay alive, he was doing little more than existing.
Another interesting note is the absence of a sword, wooden or steel. Gintoki has
decided to no longer fight for himself, but until his promise to Otose, he had no
one to fight for.
“Yorozuya” Gin-chan
Here comes the Gin-chan we all know and love
tween Japanese and Amanto styles. This highlights that while Gin is still someone
who values the spirit of samurai, he also doesn’t hesitate to adapt to new
circumstances. You could say that, unlike Katsura and Takasugi, he was looking
towards the future (even if it is just the next day). Him only wearing one of the
kimono's sleeves is further evidence of his willingness to not let the traditional
concept of samurai drag him down.
I don’t think there is much to analyze color-wise without seeming as though I’m
over-analyzing.
I mean, I could say that the color black represents Gin’s ties to the Naraku
Tenshuin and him mourning his sensei. Then again, Gin has moved on from
Shoyou’s death and the Naraku part only makes sense is you take the whole
Utsuro debacle into account. (However, black does represent dignity and formality
in Japan, and Gin certainly has some of the former.)
I could also say that the red lining is meant to represent the blood he shed leaking
out from the black cloth and how his past will eventually be revealed, no matter
how hard he tries to hide it.
I could say that the colors of white and blue on his yukata serve as callback to his
time as Shoyou’s student as well as his time as Shiroyasha, with the latter
becoming more important to him due to the color proportions. (Frankly I just
think that white and blue are Gintoki’s colors.)
However, I do believe that the wave pattern on the blue sections of the yukata
symbolize the passing of time. Also, in Chinese, there is an expression with waves
that goes like “the waves of Yangtze river come one after the other, future
generations become stronger and stronger”. Granted, people nowadays edited the
second part into something like “the new wave crash the old ones onto the
shore”. It’d be hilarious if Sorachi decided to use this as the ending for the Utsuro
vs students conflict.
Another interesting note is his weapon, the Lake Toya bokuto. It's presence shows
he decides to live as a member of society rather than an outlaw. The fact that it
can be considered part of his outfit points out how dangerous he can be. Then,
you have the backstory of the sword (a souvenir from a school trip), which seems
to allude to his yearning for his days as Shoyou's student.

Comparing and Contrasting the Samurai Gintoki and Hijikata Personalities:

The mask or persona will be discussed in the first subchapter. Gintoki and Hijikata
both have a mask that they wear to show to other people or society. Gintoki's
persona is lazy, childish, and cowardly since his motivation is to live a carefree life,
free of obligations, and to project an image that others will not hold high
expectations of him. Behind every façade is their genuine personality, which they
prefer not to project. The shadow will be discussed in the second subchapter.
Their repressed feelings and flaws are contained in the shadow. I will also go
through how each character's shadow works. Gintoki's shadow is his guilt about
killing his own teacher as a result of being forced to make some difficult decisions.
Whereas Hijikata’s shadow is regret of being unable to save his brother. The
findings are that a human psyche is complex, and each has his different causes
and outcomes.

Gintoki’s first main persona is lazy. This is what makes him and the series so
popular, his laziness sometimes leads to something humorous, often spending his
free time lounging on a couch while reading a comic named “jump” or sometimes
doing nothing. Combined with poverty, he is always late to pay his rent to his
landlady and often spends his money on his oversized dog and gambling. When
the landlady comes to him and collects the payment, he usually runs off. Despite
being 27 years old, he has many childish personality traits, and has even called
himself a "child in a man's body." One such trait is his insatiable love for sweets,
which has placed him at risk of getting diabetes several times. He loves alcohol,
but his tolerance for sake is not high. At one point, his tendency to act like a
complete idiot while being completely smashed by some major female characters.
He’s also sarcastic and unattached but he values connections more than anyone in
the series. The other trait is he is afraid of ghosts and other supernatural beings,
but he often denies their existence to make him not look like a loser. His fear of
the supernatural is shared by Hijikata and usually results in quite a few comic
interactions between the two. Different from Gintoki, Hijikata Toushiro or usually
called Toshi is feared by both his enemies and his underlings. Hijikata, typically
known as the Demonic Vice-Commander, is very strict and dedicated to his work.
Due to having to endure being hated by his other family members for being an
illegitimate son, being indebted to his older brother, and having no place to
belong, Hijikata was an outsider. Despite this, he never stopped moving forward
and aimed to become stronger because of the deep regret stemming from his
being unable to save his brother and protect the ones he loves. Hijikata has a
strong sense of pride, often seen from the series that he is trying to cover his
mistakes with something else. Above all he is a samurai judging from his outside,
he also has some minor traits that Gintoki has. Since Gintoki has his laziness and
Hijikata has his diligent, strict, and fierce personality, the anime adapted samurai
as one of their themes and the character that I am going to analyze to prove that
samurai must act in a certain way. They have some sort of image that they put in
people’s minds.

Gintoki’s Persona Gintoki’s persona that can be seen from the outside is that he is
very lazy, often seen in the series that he is lounging around even when he works.
This laziness of Gintoki is one of his personality traits that makes him very funny in
the series. One scene in the series shows him sitting in a bench park alone while
he is on a voluntary job and picking his nose like a boss in front of a lot of people.
This shows that Gintoki is lazy even when he does his job. In society, he is also
described as childish. He likes chocolate and even eats it everyday. Gintoki calls
himself “A child in a man's body”. He really loves sweets which sometimes risk him
getting diabetes. His neighbor also calls him “the sweet man” because he is often
seen eating some candy while sitting on his front porch. Gintoki chose to live a
carefree life, to forget his dark past, and to die in peace one day. Gintoki chose to
live a carefree life because he wants to die in peace one day. He already
experienced a gruesome war in his past and did not end up like those who fell
during the war. He wishes to die in peace, surrounded by his loved ones. By living
a carefree life, by the time he dies, he is not tied to anything, for example duties
and responsibilities. In the end he can die with a happy smile after he lives the
way he wanted to live. Gintoki shows his carefree lifestyle because he does not
want to lose his freewill. Gintoki acts carefree so that he is not given duties and
responsibilities by people around him. People around him know and judge him as
a child and immature person so that they are afraid of giving any responsibilities
and duties to him. He wants to live a carefree life, therefore he chooses to put a
lazy and childish persona so that other people do not have high expectations of
him and give him responsibilities that he might not be able to fulfill. Gintoki on the
outside may act like a carefree person, but he is actually doing his job properly. It
means he does the job in his own style because that way he can also enjoy doing
his job. Gintoki is a person who does not like being tied to anything in the world.
He just likes to live the way he wants to live. The carefree persona of Gintoki is just
a diversion so that people know or look at him as a lazy and carefree person, but
on the other side of his carefree personality is the act of doing his duties whether
as a samurai or duty as a person doing his job and doing it his way. Another
personality that he shows as his persona is that he is a coward. He presents his
persona as a coward in the scene to avoid casualties and also as a way of showing
to show the bad guys that he is only a normal person. Gintoki also put a coward
persona to hide his brave personality. Gintoki’s cowardice is his way of showing
that he is just a normal person, afraid of being killed. Thus, Gintoki is showing a
cowardly persona to avoid any casualties when dealing with something
dangerous. On the other side of his cowardice, he is actually brave when he finds
injustice among people, like the examples previously mentioned.
Hijikata’s Persona Hijikata shows his persona as a diligent person (Sorachi). This is
shown often in the series when he usually comes first to his workplace before
everyone else, even his superior. He is not just diligent in arriving early, but he is
also working his hardest to finish the job that was given to him. The reason why
Hijikata is very diligent is because he has a self-motivation toward everything that
he does, to become stronger. A diligent person always takes initiative to finish the
task that was assigned rather than being told what to do, and he rather chooses to
strive to achieve his goal than to take shortcuts. A diligent person also likes to
learn new things along the way. This characteristic is also shown in Hijikata. For
example, in episode 174 when the police department was chasing a group of drug
dealers that escaped, Hijikata, as a police officer, diligently tried to get any
information to catch them. The police department lost track of the drug dealers
and Hijikata, as the leader of the search group was asking around the town
searching for a lead. Since Hijikata was a diligent person and did not like any
shortcuts, he asked every person that passed him one by one because he thought
that it was the most reliable option at that time. The contrast of Gintoki where he
wants to live a peaceful life, Hijikata’s motive in using a brave and diligent persona
because he is actually a self-centered person. He put on those persona to show
other people that he is a figure that everyone must follow, likes to give examples,
like the term influencers in our world. He also has a high sense of pride, he likes to
receive any compliments from other characters, but denies his own mistakes. He
also has a feeling of being better than others. Unlike Gintoki who shows a
cowardly persona, Hijikata is a brave person. In this aspect, he is brave in every
aspect of his life. In episode 92 in Gintama series when Hijikata fought against a
group of ninja in the Tendoshu (ninja homeland), they were famous for their
brutality and had been a fugitive for many years. Other Shinsengumi members
were unable to track them down, but Hijikata managed to track down the group
of ninja that wreaked havoc in his city and fought the leader of he pack, Oboro.
Hijikata also eliminated the other ninjas but before killing Oboro he was covered
in bruises and slices. Hijikata bravery can be seen in knowing and taking
responsibilities in what he does. He knows the consequences of his act, whether
it’s dead or blood. He knows that he will be getting slashes and bruises when
fighting the leader, but instead of running from it he takes actions, which is to kill
the leader whatever the cost. His reason for being brave is to overcome any
challenges, he knows that life is full of obstacles and with being brave, he rather
chooses to take actions than just sit around. He believes that the key to success is
to take chances and actions or else he loses an opportunity. In the end, this is
what gives him a sense of pride and self-respect. The courage that he brings to his
work that makes him successful and not just the fact that his job is to destroy the
opponent. This is also resulted in his diligent persona, where I mentioned he likes
to strive and does not like taking any shortcut. Even when he is faced with an
obstacle or challenges along the way, he quickly thinks of a solution and a way out
as part of his brave persona. Another reason that Hijikata put on a brave persona
is to erase the source of the problem. By being brave, searching for the source of
the problem and killing that person sometimes needs courage to do, although it
often leads to regrets in the future. However, Hijikata is presented differently,
namely his persona is shown to be a brave person even to kill someone. Because
Hijikata thought that by killing the sources of the problem, it ended the problem
so that it would not happen again. He thinks further ahead not just for himself but
for the sake of other people that suffer because of the source. By killing those
sources of the problem, many people who get the impact would be free. Gintoki’s
Shadow Gintoki’s shadow takes the form of guilt because killing his own teacher.
Because of what he did to his teacher, he was left by his friend who fought with
him during the war. During the war his teacher, Katsura, and Takasugi were
captured by the terrorists. Gintoki eventually met up with them and negotiated to
save the three of them. However, he was forced to kill his teacher or his two
friends by the terrorists. Previously, Gintoki’s teacher had asked Gintoki to save his
friends if he had to choose to kill his friends or his teacher. Gintoki had promised
to his teacher that he had to save his friends. between his own teacher and his
friends (Takasugi and Katsura) to save, otherwise they would both be killed by the
terrorists. So, to keep his promises to his teacher, his final decision was to kill his
own teacher in front of his friends. The act of killing his own teacher leaves a deep
feeling of guilt in Gintoki. This guilt caused negative consequences that built up his
shadow. The consequences of the guilt were in the form of depression,
detachment, nightmares, and demotivation. The negative consequences were
materialized in self-destructive habits. His bad habits ruined his life. He turned
into a miserable person who did not have a purpose in his life. Gintoki’s bad habits
were the effect of his shadow. He became an alcoholic maniac. He usually drank
until he got wasted. Sometimes he got drunk and in the morning he forgot
everything that he did before. For example in episode 239 where he drank with
his friends to celebrate new year eve, he drank until midnight and ended up
sleeping next to a woman in the morning. He also gambled until he forgot to pay
his rent and his co-workers’ salary. The outcome of all that bad habits is he usually
pushes people away when he hits his bottom point. Many of Gintoki’s childhood
friends during the war rarely kept in touch with each other, especially Katsura.
Gintoki pushes him away because of ashamed of what he did in the past, killing
his teacher. Katsura in the series often went to Gintoki’s place to meet him, but
Gintoki always refused to meet him. Katsura was ready to accept Gintoki's apology
for killing his teacher because he knew that it was not on purpose, but in Gintoki’s
unconscious mind he felt regret for what he did.
Hijikata’s Shadow Hijikata's shadow mostly consists of his regret of being unable
to save his brother from the bandits. Deep in his unconscious, he was actually a
weak person when he was a teenager. Mostly he was protected by his older
brother who became a father figure to him. His dark past occurred when the
bandits killed his brother, and it became his shadow. His next dark past was due to
the fact that he was rejected by society. In the following paragraphs, I am going to
analyze Hijikata’s shadow that was buried inside his unconscious mind. Hijikata's
first shadow grew from his dark past when his brother was assassinated by some
bandits. Hijikata's inability to save his older brother when he was a kid was still
intact in his mind. Hijikata was deeply feeling indebted to his older brother for
raising and taking care of him after their parents died. Because of his strong bond
with his brother and of his inability to save his brother from the bandits, Hijikata’s
shadow grew. This shadow was in the form of fear that the criminals might kill his
close friends and the ones dear to him. The effect of Hijikata's fear of bandits is
building a close relationship between other characters, namely he feared of
building close relationships especially with those dear to him. He had many
friends at the police department, but he was actually very selective towards
making friends due to his shadow. For example, a girl tried to confess her feelings
to Hijikata. However, Hijikata rejected her due to his shadow. He was afraid that
her life would not be the same, and there would be danger everywhere around
him because he was a police officer. He was also told that she would live a normal
life rather than having him around and live a happy life while she still could
without him.

Unraveling Layers of Depth: The Multifaceted Gintoki Sakata

Gintoki Sakata stands as a character of multifaceted dimensions in the world of

anime. His signature trait lies in his adept use of sarcastic humor and swift wit.
Employing humor as a coping mechanism, he masterfully diffuses tension even in
the direst of situations. However, beneath this humorous facade, lies a deeper
layer that reflects his unique way of navigating the harsh realities he encounters.
Strength, Skill, and the Burden of a Haunting Past

Gintoki's role as a skilled swordsman and fighter earns him respect throughout
Edo. Yet, his strength is not merely physical; it carries the weight of his past as a
war hero. The shadows of trauma and pain cast by his history haunt him,
accentuating his internal struggle to reconcile with the losses he endured.
The Duality of Compassion and Empathy: A Multi-Dimensional Persona

Beyond his tough exterior, Gintoki displays remarkable compassion and empathy.
His unwavering willingness to aid those in need, often at personal risk, highlights
the depth of his character. This duality, blending strength with tenderness, adds a
multi-dimensional aspect to his persona that resonates deeply with viewers.
Navigating Arrogance and Imperfections: A Realistic Figure
Gintoki's persona isn't devoid of flaws. His occasional arrogance and boastfulness
reflect his tendency to overestimate his abilities. However, this willingness to take
on challenges beyond his reach underscores his unwavering determination to
push boundaries.
Gintoki Sakata: A Reflection of Humanity's Complexity

Gintoki's character encapsulates the essence of human complexity. It merges

humor, strength, compassion, trauma, and imperfections, creating a multi-faceted
figure that resonates with viewers on a personal level. Amidst adversity, Gintoki's
persona serves as a reminder of the enduring power of hope and the ability to
find humor, even in the darkest moments.

GINTOKI’S NARRATIVE FUNCTION: He already starts as a character that doesn’t

have much room left for growth. Already having fought a losing war and reaching
the pinnacle of swordsmanship, he had no intention fighting for more than
anything he cares about. Gintoki even says this often at the beginning of the series
and it holds up to the end. He protects anything dear to him and he will not give
up before has succeeded in doing so.
Because of that “Friendship, Effort and Victory” are the central theme of the
series.. Gintoki is the glue to bind everything together. His growth is not as an
individual, but as a person that builds relationships over time and rediscovering
the worth of them. His effort as such is surpassing his limits and the frailty of his
body for his friends and will always try to claim “victory” in the form of just having
another day to live with them. His fight against Batou showed this perfectly when
his only real thought was what he would have for breakfast the next day.
Despite all the positive connotations from the words used before:
Gintoki was fundamentally built as a flawed character. He gambles most of his
money away, drinks too much, has a sugar problem, is unreliable and just a lazy of
society that depends most of the time on the help of others around him.
Time to lose all money yet again
These flaws not only make him more believable, they also add an element that is
relevant for the whole series: No character is just based around being a foil for
one concept or idea. Just as a human is confronted by several ideas per day and
reacts to them differently, Gintoki can be at times mad, serious, funny or just
outright be sad.
Now to the main premise of his character over the course of the series:
At first Gintoki was an orphan that had nothing and was given the world and a
future by Yoshida Shouyou. This could be interpreted as the task a parent has to
fulfill and as such it is no overstatement that Shouyou was the father of Gintoki.
Not in a biological way, but as someone who stepped up to the task.
Over time Gintoki began to form bonds within the Shoka Sonjuku. Escpecially
Katsura and Takasugi became his best friends and they were ready to take on the
world for their parent. A premise which would only be surpassed by their reality
as they had to fight the universe for him.
A now we have to talk about the Kansai Purge. The idea behind it is to capture the
trauma of losing your culture, friends and family. Anybody who survives and
manages to escape something like that will feel empty and has nothing to go back
to. I once had the chance to meet a Holocaust survivor and while it is not
completely comparable: She only had one person to go home back. A dear friend
of the family that protected their home. Everyone else died or was taken away.
Interestingly enough she did not hold a grudge against Germany, but used her life
to spread awareness.
And after the failed war (something they could never win) only survive, the trio
and the loud fellow decided to cope in different ways:
Takasugi wanted to destroy a country that destroys anything good.
Katsura wanted to create a country that protects anything good.
Sakamoto wanted to create good(s) by building relationships.
And Gintoki just kept on living for the sake of it.
The true definition of sadness
He who had the most reason to hate the world, he endured without cursing his
pain and embracing the hole within his heart. While there was hole now, this
meant that formerly something had been there. But he still gave up. There was no
way that he could fill it and he was ready to die.
One of the most sincere interactions within the whole series for me is when
Gintoki talks to Gengai and they are recognizing that both of them suffered
through the same pain. (And in the end Gengai changed his ways and the
emotional payoff was reached when Gengai decided to save the planet as he had
found new reasons to carry on, the same way Gintoki found it.)
This sentence ecapsulates everything Gintoki stands for
And after the lows of losing his humanity and having become a demon, a slayer of
sorts. The 16th Ikeda Asaemon gave him new hope, when he told him that a
demon could not slay another demon. To this day I am not absolutely sure how to
understand the motive of this arc. As far as I am concerned I would say that this
an allegory for carrying the burden of the demons of the past that continue to
haunt one and we can not absolve us from them. At least Gintoki though so
before. Which meant for Gintoki the world when the 19th Ikede Asaemon gave
him the option to live as his old self had died a long time ago.
So who is Sakata Gintoki actually?
He has many functions over the course of the series:
A foil to Jirocho. Two man who made the same promise to the same man, but
decided to carry it very differently.
In the Guardian Dog Arc Gintoki saw how someone who tried to do something
very similar to him and (at least in terms of concept and spirit) died in a way that
is very reminiscing to moments before Otose found him.
And Sakata Gintoki is the man who was stronger than Takasugi and carried
something so heavy that the thought of Gintokis face was enough to break him.
And he is many more.
Having written so much I haven’t even gotten to the true Sakata Gintoki. The
essence of him that became the very soul of this manga.
Sakata Gintoki, friend of Shinpachi, Kagura, Sadaharu, Otae, Kondou, Hijikata,
Sougo, Katsura, Elizabeth, Yamazaki, Otose, Tama, Catherine, Gengai, Ayame,
Sakamoto, Zenzou, 19th Ikede Asaemon, MADAO (also known as Hasegawa),
Kyuubei, Tsukuyo, Jirochou, Pirako, Umibouzu, Hedoro. Nobume, Saitou Shimura,
Shige Shige, Soyo, Hinowa, Seita, Crystal, Seimei, Douman, Gedomaru, Saigou
Tokumori, Bansai, Otsu, Kyoushirou, Hachirou and many more.
Like a lot more
He found his worth and reason for existence within these bonds that he created
over time. Just as he followed an unknown way that he did not understand, he
had to face reality when these people were going together with him. These two
endings describe it the best:
He let go of the guilt. He let go of the demons of his past. And finally he let go of
the shell that he built in isolation.
So the soul of Gintama is the soul of everyone within the series that has
connected to him. Him being the glue that sticks everything together.
Yorozuya together
In the end Yorozuya Gin-chan is just a guy with a lot of friends that goes on crazy
and dumb adventures with his straight man Shinpachi, the less than ideal heroine
Kagura and their mascot Sadaharu. And I would not want it any other way.

MID ANALYSIS OF GIN’S PSYCHOLOGY: Gintama is often separated into its comedy
and serious arcs, and there is no doubt a divide between the two but there is no
Gintama without either one type of arc. The comedy gets us acquainted with the
cast and gives us a template of how they act in funny situations, so when the
situation goes into more dangerous territory we have some attachment to them
and expect them to act a certain way. This is used to make us care when a
character dies or gets injured, and it is also a comedic element of its own. The
contrast of Gintoki’s ‘gives no fucks’ attitude to him saving his friends over and
over again not only gets us thinking about who Gintoki really is but makes it funny
that he chooses to act differently in those circumstances. Katsura is another
example, always creating hilarious tales in his head but being dead serious in
battle, even more than Gintoki. The first time we see either of them take part in a
fight that means something to the greater plot it’s in the Benizakura arc. To up the
ante, they are against their comrade Takasugi and we get to see a side to both
characters that we didn’t really imagine until now.
Or did we? When I started Gintama the thing that struck me was that in
almost every opening there is a part with the Joui War and Gintoki’s past as
Shiroyasha is brought to mind again. In most of those arcs, there is no talk of this
time period and it often is just a theme or small topic of conversation between the
Joui Four. So why would they choose to present this so prominently if it isn’t
important to most arcs or even discussed, apart from the easy access to badass
fighting scenes for the main guys? My guess is that this could be a subtle way to
remind the audience that Gintoki’s past may seem over and done with but it is still
present in his mind and a catalyst for future development in the series. I won’t go
into spoilers, but it becomes more in more relevant and so those scenes fit with
what’s happening in the episodes as the series progresses. However, in the
beginning I think it is mostly used to show that Gintoki may be carefree and happy
now but he has skeletons in the closet that influence the way he acts in the
present.
Gintoki is haunted by his past in more ways than one and I would like to
focus on 3 major points: that he thinks he has low value and disregards his own
life, that he is terrified of people around him dying when he could have saved
them, and that he doesn’t want to be the one to cause pain to the people around
him. All those seem to contradict what we know of Gintoki as a character: he is
boastful and arrogant at times; it seems he couldn’t care less about the people
around him, and he isn’t one to hesitate to be violent with people he knows. As
you might already know, Gintoki is a layered character and this is my own
interpretation of some of his layers regarding his relationships.
I think that because Gintoki was alone as a child and owned nothing, relationships
are everything to him. The first happy moments in his life involve Shoyou and then
the famous duo Katsura and Takasugi. This is when he first realizes that there is
something he wants to protect, and those people are more valuable to him than
his own life. He seems to only have a drive to survive when it comes to his own
existence, and what really motivates him to do anything is other people. Had he
stayed alone in the fields of corpses he would have most likely remained the
same. Those new friends are what push him to react to his environment and
create his own bushido: to protect that which he holds dear.
I do not think Gintoki puts other people on a pedestal, except perhaps
Shoyou because he is the one who showed him everything. He does value their
life above his own but he doesn’t worship them. We can see this when Takasugi
challenges Shoyou’s dojo several times and Gintoki accepts the fight and puts
effort into winning. He continues to do so even after Takasugi and he became
friends. He wants to prove himself to Shoyou and doesn’t want to be walked on.
However, he does show repeatedly that he doesn’t care if is life is endangered as
long as it is for a cause he deems worthy. In most fights, he throws himself into
danger with disregard to his life to the point where he often is the most heavily
wounded survivor. In the Benizakura arc, he takes a sword to the stomach and
even with this wound he goes back into battle the next day. To Gintoki, as long as
the fight is won, the effect on himself doesn’t matter. Of course, he doesn’t fight
when he doesn’t have to or when he doesn’t want to, and this links into the
second point I want to make.
During the Joui War, Gintoki witnessed many deaths and although the
flashbacks about some of them (namely Kurokono) are sometimes played for
laughs, there is proof that these deaths affected our protagonist. Of course, the
one that influenced him the most is his sensei’s death but I will come to it later in
the discussion. Here I want to talk about how Gintoki gets into fights when he
seemingly doesn’t have to and why he is so determined to protect what he has. As
said earlier, relationships are important to Gintoki and so to see someone die and
those close to him lose that relationship hurts him as he doesn’t want the same to
happen to him. He might fight his Joui friends, but he will protect them when time
demands. I suspect he had more friends during the war but that when they died
he coped with their deaths the best way he knew how: he turned them into the
butt of a joke. Hence the Kurokono incident, which makes sense if we understand
that Gintoki was a warrior who couldn’t remember all those friends he lost
without losing his sanity. This might seem like he’s dishonoring them, but this a
coping mechanism like any other. Katsura is similar in that way, although he tries
to honor the deceased a little more and that is why he is more stuck in the past
than Gintoki.
When things get rough and when life turns hellish enough to make anyone
insane, Gintoki sparks a joke like this all meant nothing to him because that’s how
he learned to cope with the terrible roll of a dice he’s been dealt. So when he
looks like he cares for Kagura and Shinpachi, he plays it for laughs because that’s
how he rolls. He cares deeply for them but is half expecting them to leave him,
disappear or die because he’s been used to an environment where those things
happened on the daily. Relationships are everything to him, and if he only focused
on preparing for them to disappear he would never be happy. So slowly he learns
again, like he did during his time at Shoyou’s school, that friends are worth
protecting even if it will hurt if they die or leave. During the war it is shown that
Gintoki cared for his comrades, but after the war they separated and he tried to
make it on his own, probably because he didn’t want to cause any more death and
also because he didn’t know where the others were. With Otose, and then
Shinpachi and Kagura coming into his life; he gains a reason to fight again and he
regains those old habits of defending what he deems important. Back in the day it
was Shoyou’s dojo he protected from Takasugi, and now it is Kabuki district he
defends against the Tendoshu.
This will to protect what he can seems to extend farther than the people
close to him, and I think that is because he is haunted by all those ghosts. Every
time a client comes into the Yorozuya and talks about their troubles, Gintoki is at
first intrigued (by the money and because it beats staying home and reading this
week’s Jump magazine for the tenth time); but then he jumps in and saves people
he barely knows even when they didn’t pay him (like the firefighter and the old
man in the burning building). This brings us to question if Gintoki doesn’t have a
hero complex after all, but I believe it is further proof that he just doesn’t want
another ghost to ignore and turn into a joke and would rather risk his life to make
sure it doesn’t happen. This also goes to show how little he values his life. Yes he
knows he is resistant, and if you want to poke fun at Gintama you could say he is
self-aware as a protagonist and so knows he has plot armor. Even then, it wouldn’t
explain the trouble he goes to for some people at times. This is my interpretation
though, but I think the reason Gintoki attracts so many people to him is because
he befriends easily and is kind and helpful when the situation gets serious. He
might act like he doesn’t care, but he does somewhat and will protect this
relationship with others to the best of his ability.
The third aspect that Gintoki carries from his past is from his most
traumatic memory. I do not think Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) applies
here because Gintoki isn’t dysfunctional in society, at least not more than any
regular NEET. However, Shoyou’s death is traumatic and marks a turning point for
him. It is the moment he tries to distance himself, not as a martyr but because he
thinks it will be less painful that way, and in doing so he distances himself from
Shoyou and his teachings. This specific moment changes all characters present,
mostly for the worst, and it takes them time to recover. Gintoki got captured and
then released, but isolation before meeting Otose didn’t do him any good.
Takasugi gathered the Kiheitai to get revenge on Gintoki and the Tendoshu and
Katsura continued leading the Joui Rebels. Gintoki thought that by killing Shoyou
he would be able to continue the man’s teachings and keep his promise to protect
his friends, but that failed and he ended up following a path similar to Shoyou.
When Utsuro became Shoyou, he found himself distanced from people because
he considered himself a monster, but by being with Gintoki and then the other
students he regained a sense of what it meant to have relationships. Gintoki goes
through this as well after the war, and these are some hints that he also considers
himself dangerous to the others.
The clues that could point to this are that he often fights alone, as if he didn’t
want anyone to be hurt in his destruction; and on a less serious note, his
desperate attempts to save a situation he’s messed up. His many searches for time
machines are an example of the funnier side of things, and his bokuto is my
evidence for the other. Gintoki adheres to the sword ban not only because he
doesn’t want to get into trouble but also because he is already strong enough with
a bokuto and doesn’t need a real sword. He does get a steel sword in the
Benizakura arc, but he isn’t the one who decided to use it. There are very few
moments where he fights with a real sword, and I think that is because it reminds
him too much of the destruction he caused as Shiroyasha during the Joi Wars and
as he killed Shoyou who meant a lot to him. He still needs a sword because at this
point it is part of his self-image, after hanging on to Shoyou’s sword like it meant
the world to him, so a bokuto is his approach at self-restraint.
Gintoki in some of the major arcs:

GINTOKIS CONFLICT:
AS GINTOKI, FINDS OUT SHOYOS DEATH HAD BEEN HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY OBORO AND
TOKUGAWA. HE SNAPS IN A BLIND RAGE, CHARGING TOWARDS OBORO DEMONSTRATING HIS
CONFLICT AT THIS MOMENT. THROUGHOUT GINTAMA, WE HAVE SEEN SUBTLE MENTIONS
TOWARD SHOYO AND HIS IMPORTANCE TO GINTOKI ITS CLEAR HIS DEATH HAD A HUGE
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT ON GINTOKI SEEN BY HIM INSTANTLY SNAPPING WITHOUT
HESITATION. HE FELT HELPLESS ALL THIS TIME SO WITH ALL THE PENT UP EMOTIONS HE REACTS
WITH INSTINCT INSTEAD OF LOGIC.

OBORO-"WHY IS THE DEMON WHO BATTLED THE HEAVENS AND FELL TO THE
GROUND STILL WANDERING AROUND HERE?" "WHY IS THE DEMON WHO LOST
EVERYTHING TO THE HEAVENS, STILL HOWLING AT THEM"? "YOU CAN SIT HERE
AND WATCH UNTIL U BLEED TO DEATH, AS EVERYTHING YOU TRIED TO PROTECT, IS
DESTROYED AGAIN" FROM THIS DIALOGUE, WE GET A MASSIVE INSIGHT TO GINTOKI IN THE
WAR IN HOW EVERYTHING HE TRIED TO PROTECT THEN ULTIMATELY GOT DESTROYED (LIKE HIS
MASTER FRIENDS ETC) GINTOKI THE "DEMON" WILL ALWAYS SUFFER THIS FATE, IN ORBOROS
IDEAL SINCE HE OPPOSES HEAVEN. GINTOKI

FIGHTS THE "HEAVENS" TO GAIN SOMETHING HE FAILED TO PROTECT BEFORE, HE "KEEPS

HOWLING AT THEM" BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES AS HE DID IN
THE PAST. HE DOESN'T WANT TO LIVE THAT FATE AGAIN; HE WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD AND "
BATTLE THE HEAVENS" TO AVOID THAT HELL OF THE JOI WAR.

AS GINTOKI IS NEARING DEATH, WE SEE SOME MONOLOGUE, IN WHICH HE TELLS HIMSELF TO

"MOVE". WITH IMAGES OF HIS FRIENDS AND EVEN HIS MASTER, FLASHING THROUGH HIS
MIND, WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO HIM. THEY ARE INDIRECTLY
MOTIVATING AND PUSHING GINTOKI TO "MOVE, JUST LIKE HOW, HE CONTINUES TO "MOVE
FORWARD." THE BONDS AND CONNECTIONS, HE HAS MADE IS QUITE LITERALLY GINTOKI.
WITHOUT THEM, HE IS NOTHING (THAT'S WHY HE WAS PREVIOUSLY THE CORPSE-EATING
DEMON SINCE HE HAD NO DIRECTION). IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THROUGH THE SOYO
IMAGE, WE CAN SEE HIM LOOKING AWAY FROM GINTOKI, MOVING FURTHER AWAY FROM HIM.
WHILE GINTOKI IS ON HIS KNEES TIED UP, SIGNIFYING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM, GINTOKI
VIEWS SOYO IN SUCH A HIGH WAY HE SIMPLY CANNOT REACH HIM. ALSO OBORO'S LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING IS APPARENT HE ISN'T BEING ABLE TO COMPREHEND, WHY GINTOKI
CONTINUES TO FIGHT THE "HEAVENS THAT HE HAS ALREADY FAILED TO DEFEAT ONCE
[Link] CONTINUES TO FIGHT, BECAUSE HE TRULY UNDERSTANDS WHAT "HEAVEN"
REALLY IS. FIGHTING FORWARD, FOR NOT ONLY HIMSELF BUT THOSE WHO MEAN THE MOST TO
HIM, TO PROTECT THE BONDS HE HAS FORGED AND TO NEVER LOSE THEM AGAIN.

THE REAPPEARANCE OF THE WHITE YAKSHA

AS GINTOKI, SEES A NEAR ENOUGH DEAD MAIZOU, WE SEE HIM FLICKER WITH ANGER ONCE
AGAIN. HE BECOMES WHO HE WAS IN THE PAST, THIS BEING THE WHITE YAKSHA. THE WHITE
YAKSHA NAME, CAME ALONG DURING THE WAR, HE BECAME KNOWN AS THE SHIROYASHA
(LITERALLY MEANING "WHITE YAKSHA", A KIND OF DEMON IN BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM) DUE
TO HIS POWERFUL SWORDSMANSHIP, DEMONIC APPEARANCE AND WHITE CLOTHING, THIS
WHITE YAKSHA SIGNIFIES HIS "DEMON" THE BEAST THAT RESIDES WITHIN HIM THAT WAS
EXPRESSED DURING THE WAR. THE SIDE OF

HIM, IN BATTLE. GINTOKI'S MINI RAGE IS GREAT CHARACTERIZATION, IT PINPOINTS THE

FRUSTRATIONS, HE CARRIES WITHIN HIM FOR WHATEVER REASON HE EASILY SNAPS AND
BECOMES "DEMON" ONCE AGAIN.

GINTOKI AND OBORO HEAVEN AND HELL

GINTOKI HELL

"THERE WAS A DEMON WHO CHOSE TO OPPOSE THE HEAVENS THIS ALONE FROM OBORO,
CHARACTERIZES HELL AND HEAVEN. GINTOKI THE "DEMON" CHOSE TO BATTLE THE "ANGEL
OBORO OR SO, THIS IS THE WAY HE BELIEVES IT TO BE. GINTOKI, THE WHITE YAKSHA, EMBODIES
HIS DEMONIC SELF FROM THE "CORPSE-EATING DEMON" DISPLAYING HOW IN THE WAR, HAD
NO SENSE OF DIRECTION, AS A DEMON, HE WAS BATTLING IN HELL, STAINING HIS SOUL WITH
THE BLOOD OF THOSE WHO CAME IN HIS WAY HIS PRIMAL INSTINCTS DEMONSTRATES HIS
DEMONIC SELF. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, OBORO'S HEAVEN IS A FALSE HEAVEN, WHILST
GINTOKI'S "HELL" IS IN REALITY MUCH CLOSER TO THAT OF HEAVEN. THERE WAS ONE THING
THAT OBORO, THE TENDOSHU, AND THEIR GOD DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, LEADING THEM TO
BELIEVING IN A FALSE HEAVEN. WHILST GINTOKI HAD UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE REAL HEAVEN
WAS UPON MEETING HIS SENSEI.

OBORO HEAVEN

THE TENSHOUIN NARAKU EMBODIES THIS IDEAL OF "HEAVEN" OBORO AS THE LEADER, WHO
COULD BE SEEN AS THE GUARDIAN ANGEL SINCE HIS ASSIGNED TO PROTECT AND GUIDE THE
SHOGUN HIS "GOD". HE IS PORTRAYED WITH A DISTINCTIVE RELATION TO HEAVEN HIS
IDEOLOGICAL APPROACHES ARE WHAT HE SEES TO BE "GOOD" WHILE GINTOKIS IS SEEN AS
"BAD FURTHER PUSHING THE NARRATIVE OF HEAVEN AND HELL THROUGH ORBOROS MIND.
OBORO'S HEAVEN IS A FALSE HEAVEN, WHILST GINTOKI'S "HELL" IS IN REALITY MUCH CLOSER
TO THAT OF HEAVEN. THERE WAS ONE THING THAT OBORO, THE TENDOSHU, AND THEIR GOD
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, THIS LEADING THEM TO BELIEVING IN A FALSE HEAVEN. WHILST GINTOKI
HAD UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE REAL HEAVEN WAS UPON MEANING HIS SENSEI.
OBORO VS GINTOKI 2ND FIGHT

THE STRENGTH OF A PROMISE

IN A SHORT FLASHBACK WE SEE ANOTHER SCENE WITH SHOYO AND GINTOKI WHERE A
PROMISE IS MADE "PROTECT OUR FRIENDS FOR ME" IT IS THIS PROMISE THAT PUSHES GINTOKI
TO KEEP MOVING WHEN IN FIGHTS THIS PROMISE IS EMBEDDED INTO THE SUBCONSCIOUS HE
MUST SUCCEED IN WHAT HIS MASTER HAS ASKED FOR HIM HE FAILED ONCE BEFORE NOW IT IS
HIS TIME TO PROTECT AT THIS MOMENT.

THE STRENGTH OF THIS PROMISE LINGERS WITHIN GINTOKIS SOUL THE STRENGTH TO PROTECT
THE STRENGTH TO KEEP MOVING NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE STRENGTH TO REALISE
THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP ALL RESIDES IN THAT SINGLE PROMISE.

GINTOKI

"HE'S GOT 5 PINKYS RIGHT HERE, THAT ARE GONNA DRAG YOU FROM HEAVEN TO HELL" THIS
DIALOGUE PIECE REPRESENTS HOW TOKUGAWA COULD BE SEEN AS THE "GOD" OF THE
HEAVENS (THE TENSHOUIN NARAKU) TOKUGAWA, SIMPLY STANDS ABOVE THE METAPHORICAL
HEAVENS, SINCE HE IS THE PREVIOUS SHOGUN HE HAS POWER, MONEY, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
HE PRACTICALLY STANDS ABOVE THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCT PROJECTING HIM AS "GOD. GINTOKI
SIMPLY WILL STOP THIS "GOD" AND DRAG HIM TO HELL, BASICALLY MEANING HE WILL KILL HIM
AND TAKE AWAY HIS ROLE IN PORT STRIPING HIM AWAY FROM THE POSITION OF "GOD" THE
SHOGUN).

"SO YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT IN HELL FOR ME, SAY HELLO TO SENSEI FOR ME" THIS DIALOGUE,
ULTIMATELY MEANS HOW, SHOYO, GINTOKI AND OBORO, WILL ALL BE INDIRECTLY SENT TO
HELL. THEIR SINS, THE DEATH THEY HAVE STAINED THEIR SOUL WITH, THE BAD THINGS THEY
HAVE DONE WILL ULTIMATELY RESERVE A SEAT ON HELL FOR THEM METAPHORICALLY. HELL IS
ASSOCIATED WITH NIGHT, AND, FLAMING HEAT. IN PRIMITIVE MAN, IT WAS THE SYMBOL OF
NIGHT AND THE FRIGHTENING UNKNOWN. IT IS TYPICALLY A PLACE WHERE THE SUFFERING
SOULS OF THE DEAD REMAIN. GINTOKI DECONSTRUCTS OBORO AND THE IDEALS OF THE
TENDOSHU IN THIS MOMENT, BY TELLING OBORO HE'S "GOING TO HELL, HE DEMEANS THE
TENDOSHUS IDEA OF HEAVEN. HE KNOWS, THAT THE "HEAVEN" THEY SERVE IS NOT A REAL
ONE, BUT RATHER A FALSE ONE THEY HAVE CONSTRUCTED UPON.
KABUKICHO FOUR DEVAS ARC

GINTOKI'S CONFLICT EXPANDED ON

GINTOKI AND OTOSES BOND IS A UNIQUE ONE, BACK IN EPISODE 12, WE SAW GINTOKI'S
PROMISE TO LOOK OVER HER AND PROTECT HER. WHILE OTOSE, ALSO HELPED GINTOKI SHE
GAVE HIM A SENSE OF SELF ESPECIALLY BACK THEN GINTOKI WAS PERCEIVED TO BE A LOST
SOUL HE HAD NO DIRECTION AT ALL IT'S THROUGH OTOSE AND THE YOROZUYA WHERE HE
FOUND A PART OF HIMSELF IN A SENSE- A BOND STRONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW HIM TO PUSH
FORWARD WE SEE HIM VISIBLY ANGRY RUNNING TO WHERE OTOSE IS AT EXPRESSING HIS WILL
TO SAVE OTOSE.

AS HE GOES, TO THE SAME GRAVEYARD HE FIRST MET OTOSE, HE SEES OTOSE AND HER
POSSIBLE"DEAD BODY" SLUMPED BEFORE HER HUSBAND'S GRAVE, AS THE CONSTANT RAIN
CONTINUES TO POUR UPON GINTOKI, HE SNAPS AT JIROCHO FOR KILLING OTOSE WHILE ALSO
BEING INTERNALLY ANGRY AT HIMSELF FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO PROTECT HIS PROMISE.

THE RAGE SEQUENCE

THE BLACK AND WHITE
AS GINTOKI GETS LOST IN HIS RAGE, WE SEE THE SCREEN FOR A MOMENT FLICKER, BLACK AND
WHITE, SYMBOLISING, GINTOKI HAS LOST HIS SENSE OF SELF. WHILE ALSO THE BLACK AND
WHITE COLOURING, IS REFERENCING THE "CORPSE-EATING DEMON" FROM RED SPIDER, THE
SAME BLACK AND WHITE THAT DEPICTED, HIS LOSS OF EXISTENCE AND ESSENCE (DIRECTION)
AND (SOUL) THIS MEANING- HE HAS LOST HIS ESSENCE. THE RAGE OF THINKING OTOSE DIED
HAS OVERTAKEN HIM, FOR THAT SPLIT SECOND HE BECAME THE "CORPSE EATING DEMON" YET
AGAIN.

THE ANGER ITSELF

EYES
THE EYES ARE SAID TO BE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL. HOW WE ACT IN RAGE IS OUR MOST
HONEST SELF, WE ONLY CARE AS MUCH AS WE DO DURING ANGER. THE EYES ARE
REPRESENTING GINTOKI'S SOUL IN HOW HIS EYES ARE VISIBLY DEHUMANISED, HIS EYES NOW
RESEMBLE A MONSTER, SOMEONE WHO IS LOST AND ONLY SEEKING REVENGE. HIS EYES HAVE
COMPLETELY CHANGED, DURING HIS RAGE METAPHORICALLY OPENING THE WINDOW TO HIS
SOUL A PART OF HIS ESSENCE THAT IS CHARACTERISED WITH THE DEMON HE HAS TAPPED INTO
HIS DARKEST SELF.

RAGE THE EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION OF AN

UNCONSCIOUS INSTINCT
RAGE ITSELF IS AN UNCONSCIOUS INSTINCT TO FIGHT OFF THREATS AND EMOTIONAL
IMBALANCE. SINCE TYPICALLY, ONE OF THE PRIMARY EMOTIONS, LIKE SADNESS, CAN BE FOUND
UNDERNEATH THE ANGER. FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF LOSS, DISAPPOINTMENT OR

DISCOURAGEMENT RAGE IS AN INSTINCTIVE REACTION TO ALL VARIOUS EMOTIONS TOPPING

OFF WITH THE CLIMAX OF CONFLICT. GINTOKI'S SADNESS, TRANSCENDED INTO A RAGE WITH
ALL OF THOSE EMOTIONS BOTTLED UP AT ONCE RAGE WAS THE ONLY WAY TO

SUPPRESS ALL OF IT.

PT 2 THE RAGE
GINTOKI'S RAGE WAS A MERE FLASH OF INFURIATION, OTOSE IS EQUALLY THE MOST
IMPORTANT PERSON WITHIN GINTOKI'S LIFE. LOSING HIS FRIENDS, LOSING HIS SENSEI, AND
LOSING HIS VERY SILVER SOUL ITSELF FROM THE JOI WAR, OTOSE WAS THE FIRST PERSON
GINTOKI WAS ABLE TO FIND SOLACE IN AFTER THE TRAGEDY OF THE WAR. OTOSE HAS GIVEN
GINTOKI A REASON TO LIVE, THE WILL TO FIGHT, SOMEONE TO PROTECT. OTOSE'S DEATH IS
AKIN TO HIM

LOSING HIS EVERYTHING, FOR OTOSE IS THE ONE WHO CREATED A NEW PATH FOR GINTOKI,
WITHOUT HER, GINTOKI WOULD NO LONGER BE HIMSELF.
THE RAIN

WE THEN SEE GINTOKI LAY BESIDE OTOSE AS THE RAIN STARTS TO POUR, SYMBOLISING A
POTENT SYMBOL OF SADNESS. THE WEATHER PATTERN OF RAIN BEGETS FEELINGS OF
DEPRESSION, DARKNESS, AND EXHAUSTION. IT MAKES SENSE THAT THOSE ATMOSPHERIC
SHIFTS THAT MAKE US FEEL SO GLOOMY AND IN THIS CASE, THE RAIN IS USED AS A METAPHOR
FOR GINTOKI'S SOUL USUALLY; DEPICTED AS BEING THE SUN (HOPE) HIS SOUL IS NOW A
REPRESENTATION OF RAIN (DESPAIR). HIS HOPE IS BROKEN, ALONG WITH HIS WILL, HE HAS
FAILED TO KEEP HIS PROMISE, SO IN HIS EYES, HE IS A FAILURE.

THE YOROZUYA SEQUENCE

KAGURA "IF UR GONE LIFE WON'T BE ANY FUN"

WOW, TRULY AMAZING FOR KAGURA. THIS DEMONSTRATES THE BOND OF

IMPORTANCE BETWEEN THE YOROZUYA, AS INDIVIDUALS, THEY CAN'T BE HAPPY OR

THEMSELVES. TO BE TRULY HAPPY KAGURA, SHINPACHI, AND GINTOKI NEED TO BE WHOLE.
KAGURA'S LIFE PRIOR WORKING WITH ODD JOBS, WAS ONE CLOUDED WITH RAIN, DESPAIR
AND HOPELESSNESS AFTER LOSING HER MOTHER, SHE HAD NOTHING LEFT HER BROTHER WAS
NEVER HOME ALONG WITH HER FATHER SHE LIVED A LONELY LIFE, UNTIL MEETING GINTOKI
AND SHINPACHI THE BOND OF ODD JOBS GAVE HERSELF DIRECTION SHE COULD MOVE
FORWARD WITH THOSE SHE LOVED THIS WAS KAGURA'S HAPPINESS AND WITHOUT GINTOKI
(HOPE) SHE WOULD FEEL INCOMPLETE WITHOUT BEING BESIDE GINTOKI. THIS IS WHAT GAVE
HER "JOY."

GINTOKI
LIFE DOESN'T NEED TO BE FUN, I JUST WANT U TO LIVE"
GINTOKI, WANTS EVERYONE ELSE AROUND HIM TO LIVE, HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO THROUGH
SEEING SOMEONE HE LOVES DIE AGAIN, HE DOESN'T WANT TO LOSE HIMSELF IN ANGER, HE
JUST WANTS TO STAY TRUE TO HIMSELF, BY PROTECTING THOSE BONDS HE SWEARS TO
PROTECT. IF HAPPINESS IS THE COST FOR LIFE GINTOKI WILL TAKE IT, HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO
THROUGH SEEING DEATH AGAIN SO HE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PREVENT IT BUT EVEN
THOUGH GINTOKI WANTS TO SEE NO ONE DIE, IT CAN CREATE HAPPINESS WITHIN ITSELF.
DESPITE BEARING A BURDEN, SUCH AS PROTECTING ALL OF THOSE HE FINDS DEAR, HE CAN
FIND TRUE HAPPINESS WITHIN THIS, HE KNOWS HE'S NOT ALONE. HE CAN PROTECT THEM, AND
THEY CAN PROTECT HIM"

JIROCHO AND GINTOKI

SEQUENCE
AS JIROCHO AND GINTOKI NEAR DEATH, WE SEE BOTH OF THEM GET SPLIT MEMORIES OF THE
PEOPLE AND THINGS THEY WISH TO PROTECT. THESE VALUES AND MEMORIES IS WHAT PUSHES
THEM TO CONTINUE PROTECTING KABUKI, IT'S THE POWER OF THE PROMISES THEY HAVE
MADE, ON THEIR JOURNEY IN KABUKI, IT'S THESE PROMISES THAT ALLOW THEIR SOUL TO
ALWAYS STAY FIRM. THEY CAN'T BREAK SO EASILY.
THESE ARE TWO TRUE WARRIORS OF THE SWORD, WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF PRIDE FLOWING
THROUGHOUT
THEIR ESSENCE.

JIROCHO AND GINTOKI THE CHAINS THAT MAKE

THEM WARRIORS

GINTOKI AND JIROCHO WERE BOTH CHAINED TO THE SAME PROMISE. IT IS THIS PROMISE THAT
CHAINS THEM TO BEING WARRIORS. IT IS A TRUE WARRIOR'S WILL TO STICK TO ONE'S IDEALS,
THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE FORWARD AS WARRIORS IS TO DUEL, ONE LIVING CONTINUING THE
PROMISE MADE AND ONE DYING WITH THE PROMISE THEY HAVE MADE. THIS IS THE FATE OF
THE CHAIN THAT CONNECTS WARRIORS. WHILE YET, GINTOKI OPPOSES THIS "FATE" HE WILL
NOT DIE, NOR WILL HE KILL JIROCHO, HE WILL JUST KILL HIS PROMISE WITH HIS OWN.
THE RED SPIDER ARC

GINTOKI" I'LL DIE BEFORE I LET JIRAIA,CALL

HIMSELF HER MASTER"
GINTOKI, AS A SAMURAI HAS THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR HIS MASTER, AS A SAMURAI UR
MASTER TEACHES YOU EVERYTHING. THE BUSHIDO FOR A SAMURAI IS TAUGHT THROUGH
PRINCIPLE. WE SEE A SMALL FLASHBACK TO A YOUNG GINTOKI AND SHOYO SENSEI, THE
LIGHTNESS IN THE MEMORY, REPRESENTS HOW MUCH THAT POINT OF HIS LIFE MEANS TO HIM.
THE LIGHT, BEING A
REPRESENTATIVE OF SOMETHING, POSITIVE WHICH INSINUATES THE POSITIVE VIEWPOINT OF
HIS MASTER.

GINTOKI VS JIRAIA

GINTOKI'S ANGER

GINTOKI THROUGHOUT THE FIGHT WAS GETTING VISIBLY MORE ANGRY AT JIRAIA MOSTLY
BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE TREATED HIS STUDENT TSUKUYO. THERE ARE CONSTANT FLASHBACKS,
TO A YOUNG GINTOKI AND HIS MASTER, SIGNIFYING HOW HIS MASTER PROTECTED HIM AND
GAVE HIM EXISTENCE THROUGH HUMAN CONNECTION. AS THE CORPSE-EATING DEMON, IT
WAS SHOYO SENSEI WHO GAVE HIM AN ESSENCE. WE SEE SHOYO SENSEI, GIVE THE SWORD TO
GINTOKI (A SYMBOL OF THE SOUL/ ESSENCE) AND SAY "FROM NOW ON USE YOUR SWORD, NOT
TO CUT DOWN ENEMIES, BUT TO PROTECT YOUR SOUL". FROM THIS, WE SEE THE PRINCIPLE OF
SHOYO, THAT GINTOKI CARRIES WITHIN HIM TODAY. INSINUATING THE IMPORTANCE OF
SHOYOS
LESSONS, THAT IS HOW A MASTER SHOULD BE, IN THE EYES OF GINTOKI.

GINTOKI THE CORPSE EATING DEMON

THROUGH A FLASHBACK, WE SEE GINTOKI SURROUNDED BY A BUNCH OF DEAD CORPSES,

GIVEN THE NAME OF THE "CORPSE EATING DEMON" FROM THIS, WE CAN SEE THE
CHARACTERIZATION OF A "DEMON"- ULTIMATELY MEANING, GINTOKI'S LACK OF DIRECTION
(EXISTENCE). A DEMON ACTS PURELY AS A TORMENTOR IN HELL, IT HAS EITHER NO (EXISTENCE)
OR (ESSENCE), AND GINTOKI IS SURROUNDED IN HIS "HELL", WITH NO "DIRECTION" OR "SOUL".

AS SHOUYOU SENSEI APPROACHES THIS YOUNG GINTOKI, WE SEE A REACTIVE INSTINCT, FROM
GINTOKI HE IMMEDIATELY DRAWS HIS SWORD. THIS ULTIMATELY IS THE REPRESENTATION OF
GINTOKI'S LACK OF SELF, IN THIS INSTANCE, AT THIS MOMENT GINTOKI LIVED ONLY TO
SLAUGHTER, SEEN BY THE BLOOD THAT IS DRIPPING FROM HIS SWORD AS IT IS WELDED. IT IS
WITHIN HIS INSTINCT TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM WHOEVER, HE ONLY HAD HIMSELF, SO HE
WOULD SUBCONSCIOUSLY REACT TO KILL TO PROTECT HIMSELF. THE BLACK AND WHITE
COLOURING OF THE FLASHBACK, ALSO ADDS DEPTH, WHERE A DARKER TONE OF WHITE MIXED
WITH BLACK, GIVING IT THE FEEL OF IMPORTANCE. THE LACK OF COLOUR IN THIS COULD ALSO
BE SEEN AS GINTOKI'S LACK OF IDENTITY WHEN HE WAS THE "CORPSE-EATING DEMON". THERE
WASN'T MUCH "COLOUR"/ "LIGHT" WITHIN HIS EXISTENCE. GIVING IT THE DULL BLACK AND
WHITE TONE, TO REPRESENT THIS.
YOSHIWARA IN FLAMES

ABOVE OR BELOW I LIVE BY MY OWN RULES

GINTOKI WILL ALWAYS FOLLOW HIS ESSENCE, HIS SET PRINCIPLES NOT ONLY AS A SAMURAI BUT
AS A PERSON, IT IS WITHIN HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT WHOEVER HE CAN. IT'S HIS
ALTRUISTIC PORTRAYAL, HIS UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHER PEOPLE HAS BEEN PREVALENT IN
GINTAMA SINCE THE BEGINNING. HE ISN'T NECESSARILY OBLIGED TO DO IT, HE DOES IT OUT OF
HIS OWN WILL, IT IS GINTOKI'S DUTY TO PROTECT WHATEVER HE DEEMS NECESSARY TO
PROTECT.

THIS LINKING WITH EXISTENTIALISM

TO EXPLAIN IN SHORT, EXISTENTIALISM - IS THE PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEF, THAT WE ARE EACH
RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING PURPOSE OR MEANING, IN OUR OWN LIVES AS A FREE AGENT,
THROUGH ACTS OF THE WILL THIS IS CLEAR WITH GINTOKI, HIM SAYING "I LIVE BY MY OWN
RULES" IS A DIRECT REPRESENTATION OF THAT, THE RULES OF SOCIETY AS SUCH DONT APPLY TO
GINTOKI. HE ACTS PURELY OF HIS WILL, WHAT HE DEEMS "GOOD" OR "EVIL" DOESN'T
NECESSARILY MATTER TO GINTOKI EITHER.

HIS MORALITY, IN VERY SHORT TERMS, IS NEUTRAL TO THE SPHERES OF SOCIETY. HIS
REFLECTION ON THE POLITICAL SPHERE, IS

THAT IT MEANS NOTHING. HE HAS NO INTEREST IN THE COUNTRY OF JAPAN, HE IS SIMPLY JUST
A SAMURAI PROTECTING HIS BONDS WHILE ON THE FLIP SIDE, HE COULD BE PAINTED IN AN
EVIL TONE, GINTOKI BY NO STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, IS PURELY "GOOD-HEARTED".HIS
MORALITY ALSO LINKS TO EXISTENTIALISM, HE ISN'T BOUND TO A SPHERE AS SUCH, HE IS JUST
A FREE AGENT, WHO COUNTINES TO PROTECT HIS MORALS.
FINAL SECTION
GINTOKI VS HOUSEN
HOUSENS SUPERIORITY
HOUSEN FEELS COMPLETELY SUPERIOR TO GINTOKI AND EVEN HUMANITY AS A WHOLE. HE IS
THE "NIGHT KING", A KING OF DARKNESS, WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE SPREAD HIS DARKNESS
OVER THE TOWN OF YOSHIWARA AND SHOWN HIS MIGHT TO HUMANITY. AS THE ONCE KING
OF YATO, HE COMPLETELY LOOKS DOWN ON SAMURAIS, HIS POWER IS FAR GREATER THAN
HUMANITIES AND HE BELIEVES THAT HE CAN DO WHATEVER HE PLEASES.

GINTOKI THE LIGHT

GINTOKI HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED, WITH BEING THE LIGHTNESS THROUGHOUT MOST OF
GINTAMA, HE THE LIGHT, HIS SOUL REFLECTS A BELIEF, FOR EVERYONE AROUND HIM, HIS
FRIENDS SEE HIM AS ALMOST A SYMBOL OF "HOPE". THE LIGHT OF HIS ESSENCE, COMES FROM
HIS ALTRUISTIC PERSONALITY; HE WANTS TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, HE BREEDS
CLARITY TO THOSE HE INTERACTS WITH. MULTIPLE TIMES, HE HAS BEEN SAID TO HAVE A
"STRANGE WARMTH" TO HIM; THIS IS THE WARMTH OF HIS SOUL. HIS "FLAME OF LIGHT",
CAN'T BE BURNT OUT BECAUSE IT IS THE BONDS THAT RESIDE IN THEM, THAT LIGHT IS
EVERLASTING WITHIN GINTOKI'S ESSENCE.
GINTOKI THE STRENGTH THAT LIES IN THE SOUL

GINTOKI'S STRENGTH ISN'T LIKE HOUSENS, HIS STRENGTH COMES FROM HIS SOUL, HIS
WILLINGNESS TO PROTECT, IS WHAT MAKES HIM FIGHT. HOSEN IS JUST BLOODTHIRSTY, WHOSE
POWER IS USED FOR THE SAKE OF HIS OWN PLEASURE, WHEREAS GINTOKI USES HIS POWER TO
PROTECT HIS BONDS. DESPITE HIM BEING OVERPOWERED FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THE
FIGHT, GINTOKI STILL HOLDS HIS OWN, THE BONDS THAT HE HAS MADE, ALLOW HIM TO
BECOME STRONG, IT'S HIS PRINCIPLES OF HIS BUSHIDO, THAT
MAKES GINTOKI A SAMURAI.

GINTOKI THE LIGHT

GINTOKI HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED, WITH BEING THE LIGHTNESS THROUGHOUT MOST OF
GINTAMA, HE THE LIGHT, HIS SOUL REFLECTS A BELIEF, FOR EVERYONE AROUND HIM, HIS
FRIENDS SEE HIM AS ALMOST A SYMBOL OF "HOPE". THE LIGHT OF HIS ESSENCE, COMES FROM
HIS ALTRUISTIC PERSONALITY; HE WANTS TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, HE BREEDS
CLARITY TO THOSE HE INTERACTS WITH. MULTIPLE TIMES, HE HAS BEEN SAID TO HAVE A
"STRANGE WARMTH" TO HIM; THIS IS THE WARMTH OF HIS SOUL. HIS "FLAME OF LIGHT",
CAN'T BE BURNT OUT BECAUSE IT IS THE BONDS THAT RESIDE IN THEM, THAT LIGHT IS
EVERLASTING WITHIN GINTOKI'S ESSENCE.