Gintama fic: Resuscitation 3/3

[xparrot]

Here, have some angst! (I'd say that now I have to write something cheerful - but really, do I need to, when we've got the new season - one ep in and Gintama' is already going strong with the epic crack of cracktastic epicosity!! \o/)

Gintama: Resuscitation, 3/3 {6,660 words}
R; Gintoki/Katsura, Joui war-era

"Some things are more important than cold principles."

Read it on AO3

Comments

[hyoutan.livejournal.com]

"Yes, it's definitely Katsura," Katsura tells him. "It always has been; I'm quite sure of that."

...

I think you broke me. This hurts something terrible. But, oh, it's so good.~

[nijibug.livejournal.com]

I have to work at 7AM tomorrow morning. I just made the terrible terrible decision to watch the Gintama Harumatsuri 2010 because I needed to feel better after having an argument with my mom. I really need to go to bed because it's past 1 in the morning. But aaaghh fic updatttte T____T

*is so weak*

[simsim-hb.livejournal.com]

Wow...that was really tragic. Reading the first and second part, I was wondering how you were going to tie it to the 'Everyone got to write their own happy ending' universe but now I see it. Gintoki has a bizarre sense of duty/love/devotion with completely immature and ignorant sense of future repercussions. I can see why he would do what he did, but it still saddens me for a lot of reasons. I really like your Katsura, especially in the 3rd instalment. Despite feeling incredibly wounded, he tried to remain dignified. He never lashed out or judged Gintoki, and stayed true to himself at the end.

Too sad, damnit!

[snarkydame.livejournal.com]

Gah. That's so painfully lovely -- I don't know how you do it, but it's very very cool.

[nijibug.livejournal.com]

Takasugi was so wrong—it's not at all that Gintoki can't love, but that he loves too much; he cares too deeply for all of those close to him to give himself to only one.

Crying now and too tired and incoherent to form a proper reply, so I'll go to bed. Thank you for writing this. It was wonderful. </3

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Wah, so glad you liked it, even if it hurt...

(also your icon is <333. Sokka!)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Sorry to keep you up, I post at bad times~ ^^;; (ahhh you found last year's Harumatsuri? must go looking for it...)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yes - I don't know if this is quite a prequel to "Happy Ending" but it's definitely from the same perspective. And I think that future Gintoki learned from this experience...really in this I can't blame Gintoki; he was very young himself, and trying his best; he just didn't understand what he was doing, how much heartbreak he could cause. But I feel so bad for Katsura, all the same...

Ahhh I'm writing tragedy for Gintama, what is wrong with me! *hides*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I don't know where this came from myself, and I kind of feel guilty for putting the chars through it...but I'm glad it worked for you, anyway ^_^

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Waah, thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, even if it made you cry...

[thereisafire.livejournal.com]

Oh, Gin.

This fic is tragic and wonderful. Thank you for writing it.

[nijibug.livejournal.com]

The DVD just came out this week! So it's just raws for now. Let me know if you have trouble locating a stream or a download and I'll link you the one I used (8 parts, 150 mb each)

Ahhh I'm writing tragedy for Gintama, what is wrong with me! *hides*

[nijibug.livejournal.com]

*thwacks you over the head with Eli's placard*

It needs to be Monday already so I can watch the new episode and cheer up ;n;

[raineyz.livejournal.com]

This is so heartbreaking and beautiful, I don't even know how to describe it. Love how you weaved in bits of canon so seamlessly - the part with the chocolate made me smile. Thank you so much for writing this and please, never leave this fandom ;w;

[novelvision.livejournal.com]

[RP journal here.]

I've been stalking your fics ever since Pandemonium and you're easily one of the best writers of the fandom. From the all-inclusiveness and straight-out-of-canon of Pandemonium, the bittersweet possibilities of Everyone's Got to Write Their Own Happy Ending and the wackiness that's No Time Like The Present, you've really captured the many facets of Gintama well.

But this? This one here? I know you say that it's odd to actually write angst about a series such as Gintama, but this whole piece is a wonderful demonstration of what makes Gintama more than just the goddamned funniest anime to ever exist. There's so much that's left unsaid about the Joui wars that I think makes any hardcore Gintama fan wanting for more (At least, I can say that my friends and I would love it! :'D) and that more is exactly what is shown here and it's a wonderful show, filled with nuances, things left unsaid and a feeling that can never be expressed honestly.

I also wanted to say that while I love the way everyone's portrayed here, it's Katsura's portrayal that I admire the most. It's so easy to think of him as a silly man, but this story really captures what it means to be him far and beyond his silly rants, ineffective disguises and absurd ideas.

Lest I continue to ramble, I had my misgivings about reading a mature fic, but I'm glad that I decided to kick reason to the curb. Thank you. ♥

[ch0copockii.livejournal.com]

All my Gintama icons are irrelevant...

I know I'm repeating everyone here, but I just have to say it: I really love your Katsura. He's the guy who when he's being serious and cool that I think, "God, if I could have this guy as my mentor, my life would be complete". And I love how you captured just that. <333

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm so glad it touched you!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Wah, thank you so much - I wasn't even sure anyone would like this story, so I'm just amazed it moved people so. And glad the bit with the chocolate made you smile - wouldn't be Gintama without a little humor ^^

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Wow, thank you so much - I'm so glad you've enjoyed all the stories, and especially this one. Because yeah, it's not exactly in the standard Gintama spirit...but on the other hand, the Joui war is just too fascinating to leave be (hee, yes, don't we all want more? add me to that list of the hardcore fans!) And there's something about the characters, that for all their ridiculousness you can on occasion glimpse their more serious sides...can't help but want to scratch their silly surfaces and see what's underneath.

...Especially with Zura, because he is *so* silly in canon, but he's also one of Gintoki's oldest friend, and maybe as strong a swordsman (...and I also attribute most of his present insanity to prolonged Elizabeth-exposure; he was a lot less, erm, wacky in the very beginning... ^^;) and, yeah, I'm very fond of him, in spite of himself. So I'm very glad my portrayal of him here worked for you!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Wah, thank you, I'm so glad you felt I did Katsura justice - I rather love him in spite of himself. And he's Edo's most wanted and the Jouishishi follow him; there must be reasons for it...

Re: Ahhh I'm writing tragedy for Gintama, what is wrong with me! *hides*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

It needs to be Monday already so I can watch the new ep, period!! mitaiiiiii wa yo~~~!

[shayera.livejournal.com]

Awww. You write angst so well. ♥

I feel so sorry for both of them...

And Sakamoto leaves and Takasugi goes evil-ish, and the war is lost - and that would lead it perfectly into the canon situation a few years later, and it works well with the Happy Ending fic, too. Well crafted!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you! <3

I'm not planning on writing anything more with the Joui war, so this was basically my explanation for how it could've happened - am hoping we'll get more flashbacks eventually, though I'm not getting my hopes up. But for now this is more or less my head-canon.

[novelvision.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I've been tracking all of the Joui stories intensely because they present a deeper aspect of Gintama that I may be playing out so it's fun to see how other fanfic writers have written out their own versions of what happened. I would especially like to know about Katsura's and Takasugi's idea of what happened because we get some pretty clear pictures of what Gintoki and Sakamoto saw and felt.

Of course, I'm biased towards Zura because he's such a complex character he looks almost contradictory when one compares his actions in crack and in serious arcs (Maybe Elizabeth was his cue to act silly; can't have him being too serious, right?). I've always thought of him as such a heart-breaking character despite him being so funny so thank you again for this excellent perspective!

[lagolindari.livejournal.com]

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

It was absolutely gorgeous. And heartbreaking. I was really, really hoping Gintoki would... in the end he would realize he wanted Katsura too. ç____ç

[doomcake.livejournal.com]

Eeee, this was fabulous!! I have to admit I've been a long-time lurker-admirer of your fanfics for various fandoms--especially smaller ones that I feel like I'd NEVER find fic I like for!--but I have to come out and proclaim my deep love for this (especially since there's never enough GinZura!). As much as I love the hilarity and the general cracktastic hijinks present in the Gintama series, I am (have been, and probably always will be) a huge sucker for fics with angst/violence/drama, even for fandoms of silly series. This story, in that light, was right up my alley! I adore your characterizations of the Gintama cast, and this had such lovely amounts of hurty-gut-wrenching angst that I couldn't help but feel for Gintoki & Katsura so much! ;A;

Thank you so much for writing/sharing this--definitely stockpiling it in my memories/bookmarks for future perusing! ♥ You always produce such lovely work, and I can't tell you enough how poetic and gorgeous I think your writing is.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, it always hurts when relationships don't work out...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Wah, thank you! I love drama and angst for silly series as well - maybe a little too much! ^^; - but this got so tragic for both of them that I wasn't sure anyone would like it. So I'm really gratified to know you liked it so. ^_^

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

My personal crack!theory is that Elizabeth, as an unholy abomination, is sapping Katsura's sanity points, day by day...(it's either that or Katsura's slipping because of the mental stress of giving up fighting the Amanto every way possible and trying for non-violent methods. Either way, Zura's definitely getting crazier, the more the series goes along. I think Gintoki knows it, too - I sometimes get the feeling that one of the reasons Gintoki avoids Katsura is that he knows sooner or later he's going to have to get Zura committed for his own good, and he really doesn't want to do it...)

[novelvision.livejournal.com]

That sanity point thing reminds me of a game called Shadow Hearts; if he's all out of points it may spell the end of our beloved silly terrorist as he goes berserk! D:

My personal opinion is that Zura is getting more and more cracked from the sheer amount of thinking and contemplation he does along with the conflicts he faces, whether imagined or serious. (...you and I think alike on that matter. He's still pretty competent judging by chapter 329 but he may finally shatter like so much glass falling on the highway and getting run over by the truck. That will make me cry.)

[oopsipuked.livejournal.com]

Ugh, this is ridiculously heartbreaking. I literally have no words. I think my favourite part was chapter II, you really had a lot of poignant shit there, and the end smacked you like a wet halibut to the face. Really lovely and sad. GOOD ON YOU

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you, so glad it worked for you, even if it was traaaaagic (really, what is it about me or the series that Gintama brings this out in me? ^^;;)

[saint-holga.livejournal.com]

ffff you killed me, you really did. I like all the crack in Gintama but this is great. The Joui period has a lot of potential for angst and you milked every last bit of that into this fic. I love the realism; I can imagine those men sleeping rough, smelling of blood and gore and the earth and I love the way you made Gintoki out to be. Belying his apathetic pose, he's got too much love to give.

I love the way you write. Looking forward to more!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, as much as I love the crack, the potential for darkness in their pasts is just too fascinating to walk past without exploring. And angsty as this is, it is pretty much how I see Gintoki; he does care so deeply, (even if he'd rather not, because it's so much work, and too painful besides...)

Don't know how much more Gintama I'll be writing, but I have a few stories besides this (you can find 'em here) and there might be a bit more to come!

[raburabu-sama.livejournal.com]

This was so good, it broke my heart and I almost cried ;~; For me it was a perfect depiction of the Joui era, the painful memories under all that crack of the series <3

I'm new to Gintama and I'm so happy to find such amazing stories written for it <3

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and that the angst worked for you, as atypically Gintama-y as it might be...

[raburabu-sama.livejournal.com]

I've mostly watched the anime so far, but whenever there has been a serious ark, I think Sorachi's storytelling really excels there. The transition is so amazing, but it never breaks the immersion. I feel that your story depicts those more serious tones of Gintama very well :3

[takadainmate.livejournal.com]

Well, that broke me good and proper. I would like to express to you the full extent of my anguish. Just, the way you built that up, with hints at what was going on but the reader (as in me), along with Katsura, don't want to see it and.. ugh when it came to the end I was devestated, but interestingly, I like that this almost made Katsura stronger. And that he forgave Gintoki. I think it's really interesting, and almost hopeful, to wonder what they'd be like when Gintoki was almost free of the burdens he carries during the war era in the series. I think i'm babbling and making no sense. Anyway, this was wonderful and moving and I don't even mind that it made me sad. :D

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Ahh, thank you! I'm sorry for breaking you...well, sort of sorry, but then that was the point, so flattered, too? ^^ Anyway, very glad you enjoyed it in spite of the sad! (it's dangerous for me to write outside my OTPs. Wait, no, it's dangerous for me to write in them, too...I guess what I'm saying is to beware whenever I like chars?)

(And yes, there's definitely room for hope - in my head this is the prequel to "Everybody's got to write their own happy endings" but it doesn't have to be. And poor Zura does deserve some loving!)