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xparrotA few random Gintama thoughts:
--Seiyuu games! So the amazing Sugita Tomokazu (who, judging by his performance as Gintoki, has about twenty different voices I swear) was Subaru in the X/1999 TV anime. And Subaru's twin sister Hokuto was played by Yukino Satsuki, who plays Otae in Gintama. Bwhahah.
ETA: And Kamui in X was Suzumura Kenichi, Gintama's Okita Sougo. He also was in Juuni Kokuki as Rakushun. Yeah, that one took me a bit to realize - talk about your characterization 180s...!
ETA2: Elizabeth's speaking voice (at least in ep 58) is listed in the credits as being played by "sono hen ni ita ossan" ["the old guy over there"]!?!?)
--Speaking of seiyuu, and how Gintama makes them work for their salary (because voices are cheaper than animation, doncha know) there's the oden stall ep with the voices but no faces, and it's going along as expected and then there's supposed Gintoki/Otae which made me hiss - only then it's going way too far for Gintama (handholding? come on, now!) and then it turns out to be TOTAL STRANGERS and Gori-san actually has a gorilla face and Gintoki is standing there behind them looking confused, BWAHAHAHAHAH SHOW YOU ARE SO SPECIAL. Sorachi loooooooves screwing with his fans. And I love him for it. Does that make me an M?
--The Otsuu Fanclub arc. Okay, I love Tosshii but did we seriously need SEVEN EPISODES to bid him farewell?! SEVEN!? That's one of the longest arcs the show's ever had.
OTOH, YGO parody for the win!! With the little lifepoint boxes and everything. XDXDXDXDXD
Also poor, POOR Shinpachi. Whose teammates don't even realize he's missing because there happens to be a pair of glasses there that AREN'T EVEN HIS GLASSES and Gintoki keeps talking to the glasses even after Shinpachi himself is there and oh, Shin-chan, you need better friends, you really do. (I kind of love Shinpachi, Kondou, and Hasegawa at least 50% out of pity. Shinpachi and Kondou I love for 50% other reasons; Hasegawa...no, it's just the pity. Sorry, Hasegawa-san.)
Also, I gotta confess, I think this arc mostly killed any last GinHiji potential for me, what with Gintoki neither noticing whether it was Hijikata or Tosshii, or showing any sign of caring whatsoever. (OTOH Shinpachi was always aware...) So, yeah, if I need a ship you can find me on the HMS* HijiOki. (Though really it's all about paddling the smooth gen waters in the Yorozuya rowboat...)
*Her Manga Slash-ship, naturally :P
--Proving that the Gintama anime-makers love screwing with their fans as much as Sorachi-sensei himself does - the 2nd JumpFest OVA:
Shiroyasha Koutan (The Birth of the White Demon)
Or you can download a better copy here. To keep rewatching like I have. Especially the first part, which really must have blown their animation budget because it's gorgeous. So intense! Such action! And then...the screaming in hysterical laughter. Especially over "We Are!" kicking in at the end. And "Dondake!" which is so-familiar-but-not-quite to any DBZ fan ("Sparking!") And the widescreen cut-down. And Kondou's entirely predictable choice in outfits. And Elizabeth. And just about everything else past the 4:26 mark.
...My laughter does not stop me from WANTING THIS MOVIE LIKE BURNING DAMN IT. WHY SO CRUEL, ANIMATORS? WHY SO CRUEL?
--Seiyuu games! So the amazing Sugita Tomokazu (who, judging by his performance as Gintoki, has about twenty different voices I swear) was Subaru in the X/1999 TV anime. And Subaru's twin sister Hokuto was played by Yukino Satsuki, who plays Otae in Gintama. Bwhahah.
ETA: And Kamui in X was Suzumura Kenichi, Gintama's Okita Sougo. He also was in Juuni Kokuki as Rakushun. Yeah, that one took me a bit to realize - talk about your characterization 180s...!
ETA2: Elizabeth's speaking voice (at least in ep 58) is listed in the credits as being played by "sono hen ni ita ossan" ["the old guy over there"]!?!?)
--Speaking of seiyuu, and how Gintama makes them work for their salary (because voices are cheaper than animation, doncha know) there's the oden stall ep with the voices but no faces, and it's going along as expected and then there's supposed Gintoki/Otae which made me hiss - only then it's going way too far for Gintama (handholding? come on, now!) and then it turns out to be TOTAL STRANGERS and Gori-san actually has a gorilla face and Gintoki is standing there behind them looking confused, BWAHAHAHAHAH SHOW YOU ARE SO SPECIAL. Sorachi loooooooves screwing with his fans. And I love him for it. Does that make me an M?
--The Otsuu Fanclub arc. Okay, I love Tosshii but did we seriously need SEVEN EPISODES to bid him farewell?! SEVEN!? That's one of the longest arcs the show's ever had.
OTOH, YGO parody for the win!! With the little lifepoint boxes and everything. XDXDXDXDXD
Also poor, POOR Shinpachi. Whose teammates don't even realize he's missing because there happens to be a pair of glasses there that AREN'T EVEN HIS GLASSES and Gintoki keeps talking to the glasses even after Shinpachi himself is there and oh, Shin-chan, you need better friends, you really do. (I kind of love Shinpachi, Kondou, and Hasegawa at least 50% out of pity. Shinpachi and Kondou I love for 50% other reasons; Hasegawa...no, it's just the pity. Sorry, Hasegawa-san.)
Also, I gotta confess, I think this arc mostly killed any last GinHiji potential for me, what with Gintoki neither noticing whether it was Hijikata or Tosshii, or showing any sign of caring whatsoever. (OTOH Shinpachi was always aware...) So, yeah, if I need a ship you can find me on the HMS* HijiOki. (Though really it's all about paddling the smooth gen waters in the Yorozuya rowboat...)
*Her Manga Slash-ship, naturally :P
--Proving that the Gintama anime-makers love screwing with their fans as much as Sorachi-sensei himself does - the 2nd JumpFest OVA:
Shiroyasha Koutan (The Birth of the White Demon)
Or you can download a better copy here. To keep rewatching like I have. Especially the first part, which really must have blown their animation budget because it's gorgeous. So intense! Such action! And then...the screaming in hysterical laughter. Especially over "We Are!" kicking in at the end. And "Dondake!" which is so-familiar-but-not-quite to any DBZ fan ("Sparking!") And the widescreen cut-down. And Kondou's entirely predictable choice in outfits. And Elizabeth. And just about everything else past the 4:26 mark.
...My laughter does not stop me from WANTING THIS MOVIE LIKE BURNING DAMN IT. WHY SO CRUEL, ANIMATORS? WHY SO CRUEL?
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Date: 2010-10-23 03:33 am (UTC)DOOOOOO IIIIIIIT! (misery loves company. And I haven't been reading SGA for a while but if you wrote some I might make an exception. Provided it wasn't *too* dark ^^;)
Hmm, okay, now I want to look for the Gintama OSTs. They've gotta be available somewhere! Most of the BGMs I want are from later in the show, though (there were a couple nice pieces in Yoshiwara...)
I can't miss out on Yamazaki XD
Hee, yeah, I totally love him by now, too. (I should have included him in the "love him 50% because I feel so sorry for him list...) He's the only char who does any actual work! In, like, the entire show ^^;;; And he spends the Fanclub arc quietly WTFing in his way (plus he gets a new involuntary hairstyle ^^;;;)
OMG the video game competition! Those eps are solid gold - the dating sim with the swordfish! Hijikata with 1 HP, takes a step and stubs his toe and dies! and of course equipping all the NPCs. (I've never played any Dragon Quest so didn't find it quite as funny as my bro, who has, but still!!) SO SPECIAL.
I also admit to loving the penpal arc, especially when they're all helping to write Shinpachi's letters, and Hijikata writes this awesome dramatic followup and then...forgets to erase Kondou's contribution: "When I think about your sister I get turned on." Which killed me. Because my sense of humor is apparently very dumb.
I almost resented it a little for returning to the cracky humor in the next episode, because it stomped on my heart so bad... but I kind of wanted it to do it again
Ahhhh that's the thing about the series...I know I wouldn't enjoy the drama as much if it didn't have the crack comedy, too, but hot damn I love the drama. ...Though sometimes it's painfully tragic. The Yakuza eps, which start out so funny and then they turn into heartbreaking drama - the guy's betraying his adopted father, but then, no he isn't, he's trying to protect him from grief, and then they're only reunited in death and he's smiling and man. So sad. But then you want the show to do it again...
I also love how the series manages to have chars who are cracktastic enough that they can do both insane comedy and high drama and not seem OOC either way. Gintoki especially I love because he can be a great protagonist in either circumstance, and yet he always seems like himself - the freeloading slacker loser becomes the badass shounen hero when necessary, but it's not a split personality, just a shift in priorities.
...of course then there's all the times that Gintoki says he's going to stand up and be awesome and then the show stays comedic and the next scene he's running for his life from the flower-selling monster and telling Kagura and Shinpachi that he'll remember them fondly. XDXDXDXDXD
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Date: 2010-10-23 10:35 pm (UTC)Haha, well dark for me I should say. I still haven't decided yet on which one I should do yet, both projects are tugging at me pretty fierce. (It doesn't help that watching Gintama seems to inspire thoughts and plots for the o-fic project). But then again, the SGA story's been in my head for two years now. Decisions~!
He's the only char who does any actual work! In, like, the entire show ^^;;;
It's funny because it's so very true.
And he spends the Fanclub arc quietly WTFing in his way (plus he gets a new involuntary hairstyle ^^;;;)
Hahaha! I totally just watched the fan club arc, and yes XD Poor Yamazaki! That haircut... oh, that was hilarious yet terrible. Poor guy. I can't help but feel that despite all of that, the arc was kinder on him than Katsura Appreciation Month was.
Hijikata with 1 HP, takes a step and stubs his toe and dies!
Coffin-surfing!
(I've never played any Dragon Quest so didn't find it quite as funny as my bro, who has, but still!!) SO SPECIAL.
I played a few of them, and MANY a RPG, so I was dying.
I also admit to loving the penpal arc... "When I think about your sister I get turned on."
Hahaha, oh god, yes! All of the letters, and Okita brainwashing the sister, and poor, poor Tae after Gintoki gave her the "talk" and she couldn't look Shinpachi in the eye for the rest of the arc XD
that's the thing about the series...I know I wouldn't enjoy the drama as much if it didn't have the crack comedy, too, but hot damn I love the drama.
It's kind of funny, but it's true. Somehow the tragic balances out the humor nicely. I think if it were either pure comedy or pure drama, I don't think the high points of each would resonate quite so much. Even when it makes me cry over puppies. TWICE. I've noticed that the ones that start out with an added amount of hilarity at the beginning (Toshi the Otaku, the Garbage Urban Legend) seem to always manage to make me cry at the end.
but it's not a split personality, just a shift in priorities.
I think that's a great way to describe it. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing that switch get flipped though. Somehow, it still takes me by surprise about, oh, half the time.
next scene he's running for his life from the flower-selling monster and telling Kagura and Shinpachi that he'll remember them fondly. XDXDXDXDXD
He doesn't have to outrun the bear, just them XDXDXD
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Date: 2010-10-24 11:32 pm (UTC)Hee, yes - there's been some series I've watched that for some reason inspire original fic ideas rather than fanfic. The last novel I started is deliberately shounen-manga-based...
(Gintama doesn't seem to work like that for me, though...I'm up to 30K words, oh god, no one is going to read this monster~! ^^;;;;)
Poor Yamazaki! That haircut... oh, that was hilarious yet terrible. Poor guy. I can't help but feel that despite all of that, the arc was kinder on him than Katsura Appreciation Month was.
Jackie's Nose...!!!
"hilarious yet terrible" is pretty much a 3-word summary of the entire series! (just add "heartbreaking" at the beginning and you're pretty much covered ^^)
I played a few of them, and MANY a RPG, so I was dying.
I've played enough RPGs in my day to get the broader themes if not the specifics (and Sorachi-sensei clearly loves 'em - we're on yet another parody RPG arc now!! this one has some marvelous old-skool graphics, too...and Gintoki giving dramatic epic speeches about why 8-bit was awesome. No really. I love this show.)
Okita brainwashing the sister,
That is way high on the big list of Things in Gintama That Are Highly Inappropriate That I Couldn't Stop Laughing At.
Even when it makes me cry over puppies. TWICE.
I haven't really cried over the show (I tend not to cry easily unless my mood is really wacky. Or I'm watching One Piece, but that's because Odacchi has magic powers) but embarrassingly I think the time I came closest was the Kagura vs insomnia ep, with the radio story about the dog. Which THEN went cracktastic horror and hysterical but until then...homg saaaaad. (That's something the series does, too, it has these short stories - told by Katsura more often than not - which are really just extended jokes, but to set up the punch-lines, the stories themselves actually manage effective drama in 3 minutes or less. Which is something of a gift...)
(speaking of short stories, oh man, the Garbage Urban Legend. HEEE.)
I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing that switch get flipped though. Somehow, it still takes me by surprise about, oh, half the time.
This is totally why Gintoki is my favorite, because you never know exactly when he's going to go serious, but you know he can, and when he does, oh man...
(well, okay, and I love having a shounen hero with absolutely zero motivation who whines even more than I do XP)
He doesn't have to outrun the bear, just them XDXDXD
Totally one of Gin-san's mottos in life!! XDDD
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Date: 2010-10-25 12:43 am (UTC)Yes, I think that's the best description of this one. I wish I could get inspired to write some actual Gintama fic, but I think the humor intimidates me some (I am cracky, but not that cracky), and I still can't figure out who my favorite character is. I kind of adore them all.
Although Yamazaki does have a very special, partially-pity-based place in my heart.
'm up to 30K words, oh god, no one is going to read this monster~! ^^;;;;)
Hahaha, that's so not true.
we're on yet another parody RPG arc now!! this one has some marvelous old-skool graphics, too...and Gintoki giving dramatic epic speeches about why 8-bit was awesome.
XDDD I just finished that arc last night. (Once you pop, you can't stop?) Have you noticed the inserts during the ending credits yet?
big list of Things in Gintama That Are Highly Inappropriate That I Couldn't Stop Laughing At
That's an epically long list XD Another top contender is Kondou getting "stuck" in the bathroom contraption, and everyone silently walking out on him.
Which THEN went cracktastic horror and hysterical but until then...homg saaaaad
The only thing that saves me is the sudden veer into crack XD I don't know what it is about this show, but it manages to turn on the waterworks like nothing else. I think it's because it's so emotionally manipulative (which isn't a bad thing, it just totally has my number XD) I'm lucky I watch it alone, or I'd be horribly, horribly embarrassed a lot.
The mini-stories impress me, just because they can pack so much into such a short period of time.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-25 09:53 pm (UTC)and I still can't figure out who my favorite character is. I kind of adore them all.
Hee, yes, that is totally a problem with this series! I love Gintoki mostest but just about everyone else comes in as a close second. Which is kind of amazing considering how just about all of them are either complete idiots or psychofreaks or both...yet lovable all the same.
Finished the Virus arc myself last night, heee - but I hadn't watched the credits through, missed the inserts! Beautiful! (even if I was sorely disappointed not to get an 8-bit Gintoki sprite...)
Another top contender is Kondou getting "stuck" in the bathroom contraption, and everyone silently walking out on him.
Oh gawd I LOLed just reading this in your comment ^^;;; Yeeeeeah the amount of really, really funny WRONG in this show is also impressive...