#ginsa

2) Seeing Zura so happy spending time with Elizabeth just melted me. It didn’t even matter that it was the fake Elizabeth since obviously he was the same way with the real one.

3) Still sweet because Zura believes it’s still Eli and is as tender as usual.

4) Of course Kagura’s fond memories of Elizabeth would have nothing to actually do with Eli and everything to do with food. I was also happy at the bounty of a meal she got to enjoy for once. Glad the Yorozuya was making enough money to afford fish.

5) Really, bless the gang for trying to open Zura’s eyes to the fake. They’re such good, loyal friends to Elizabeth. Not that Zura isn’t, but that man’s eyes were obviously blinded by love.

6)  CUTENESS.

7) And this is where I started to feel bad for the real Elizabeth. 

8) Oh Zura. Such a sweet stupid fool.

9) Ok, bless the anime team for bringing these two cuties back for a return performance.

10) It was shockingly brutal, but Russian Elizabeth deserved that for besmirching Elizabeth’s good name and reputation.

11) Awwwww. I felt so bad for Elizabeth. Here he is returning from…whatever war he was at…looking forward to reuniting with his Zura, yet that dork still couldn’t tell the difference between him and fake Elizabeth. I would get upset too.

12) The second part…where Gin-chan and Sadaharu switched places…and it just made me feel mostly embarrassed for Gintoki. Talk about his good name and reputation being besmirched. Plus, Sadatoki looked like a creepy alien.

13) Omggggg. 

14) This was SUCH a WRONG AWKWARD scene. I couldn’t watch and yet I couldn’t stop watching and I just felt so WRONG.

15) Wrong wrong wrong. Lmfao. 

SHIPS TALLY:

Zura x Elizabeth: out of respect for the REAL Elizabeth, I am NOT counting Zura x Russian Elizabeth. Elizabeth has suffered enough indignities.

Gintoki x Zura: like totally canon based on their…ahem…moment together? I felt dirty saying that. I can’t. Nope. 

Sadaharu x Zura: NO.

Gintoki x Sacchan: I mean, she didn’t know that was Sadaharu…but wow was I RELIEVED when Ginharu interrupted them before Sadatoki could pee on her. Gintoki would’ve never been able to live that down. What little reputation he had would’ve been irreversibly damaged forever and ever.

Gintoki x Otae: that was a rather suggestive. 

Gintoki x Kagura: technically Sadaharu but Kagura didn’t know that and personally I’m a little relieved she kicked him out of the way even though Sadatoki was probably totally confused about it. Gintoki’s body would never be able to survive the amount of damage she would inflict on him if Sadatoki had actually made contact and started licking and climbing all over Kagura as puppies do. 

2) They ordered 10 plates of meat for 6 people, which I thought was weird, but what’s even weirder is how do the screwdrivers expel their waste after such a hearty meal? It’s questions like that that keep me up at night. 

3) In the manga, Gintoki actually grabbed his crotch to remind everyone why the hunt was important in the first place, so I kinda missed that from the episode.

4) Ok, not a favorite moment per se but more like wtf: those two figures in the doorway were so freaking weird and creepy almost. The guy looks like he has one of those kabuki masks on and then that thing on his shoulder, I couldn’t figure out if it was a kid or a monkey, but they both sounded DRUNK. It was odd enough to actually distract me from the scene.

5) Zura managed to escape from prison even though he was handicapped in his screwdriver form. Man deserves to be free.

6) Gin-chan looked so good as a truck driver. And I loved that he was smoking a cigarette. Gave him one more thing in common with Hijikata. 

7) I almost wish they could have stayed as drivers since they had a steady income and most likely were having regular meals since they could afford them.

8) I don’t even understand why. And the anime team were the ones who came up with all the weird Sacchan stuff as she was looking for the aliens.

9) Hijikata’s “O” pleasure face. Bless the anime team for coming up with this bar scene.

10) Gin-chan being brutal to Sacchan as usual, though she probably enjoyed it as usual as well.

11) Sacchan looking good even after being run over. She really was the MVP of the episode, heck, of the arc considering she found the location the aliens. 

12) That’s Gintoki’s crotch and it looked magical. It kinda looked more vaginal than penile or even screwdriveral. 

13) Just another magical crotch shot.

14) I couldn’t stop laughing cuz it basically looked like Gintoki was forking the ship to death, causing it to explode. We even got to see the moment of his climax ffs. They took away the crotch grab and yet the anime team thought THIS was ok to show. Lmao.

15) I wondered the same thing but thankfully everything was back to normal the next time we seem them. 

16) Something the anime team came up with to fill in the extra minutes of the episode at the end. Basically Gintoki offering a glass-half-full look to Kagura’s concerns about cicadas and mosquitoes.

17) Yeah, they really should have continued driving that truck. This made me so sad.

18) Rudeass mosquitoes.

19) I love that Gintoki had no glass-half-full counter to Kagura’s feelings about Madao.

SHIPS TALLY:

Gintoki x Hijikata: so much flirting!

Okita x Kagura: a couple that beats up Zura together, stays together.

Kondou x Otae: I was so glad he was still thinking of Tae-chan even though it looked like he was ready to move on to Princess Phillips. This moment was not in the manga. 

Zura x Elizabeth: they are a unit, forever together.

Gintoki x Sacchan: I never thought it would be her boobs that turned into screwdrivers...don’t know how that would work with Gin-chan unless they actually became hex sockets. And every time I get to this scene, I picture it both ways. I need to go wash my eyes and brain now. 

Hijikata x Okita: that whole scene, the way it was lit and the fact that Sougo bought him a drink, smacked of romance of the one night stand variety. 

Kondou x Zura: they teamed up and were so in sync. 

Kondou x Princess Phillips: She was cute! And their heads fit together. That’s probably how the people of Planet Screw reproduces. 

Hijikata x Zura: it was nice of Hijikata to offer Zura a nice, last meal.

Okita x Zura: even though Sougo was much meaner in the anime...he only ordered raw meat in the manga, but in the ep he ordered TAINTED raw meat...it was still sweet that he was feeding Zura (with an assist from Hijikata). 

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

2) Honestly, I got kinda bummed out by Sunrise’s anime studio. Animators deserve a bigger, better and brighter office than that dammit. There shouldn’t be any clutter around because their office is so damn big there’s plenty of room for their crap.

3) I couldn’t decide if I was creeped out or impressed by Mannequin!Gin-chan’s abs, but I’m pretty certain I was just completely unsettled by Mannequin!Kagura. You know what? Never mind, the more I look at this picture the more I’m just creeped the fuck out, so creeped out wins.

4) I thought it was sweet of Kagura to make porridge for Gin-chan. Nevermind that she ended up eating it herself, it’s the thought that counts.

5) Shinpachi was skipping because he was so happy he spend time alone with Tae-chan. I don’t even need this for the ships tally because there was something even better.

6) SO CUTE.

7) This was kind of an unnecessary cutaway (and it wasn’t in the manga), and I have no idea if I even liked how Gintoki and Kagura looked cuz they seemed really uncomfortable, but I just wanted to include it cuz at least they’re wearing something different?

8) I loved that Gintoki and Kagura were acting all concerned because they just really didn’t want Tae-chan to cook. 

9) These two horny, weirdo stalkers.

10) I’ll probably still get flagged for this.

11) Tae-chan being mercilessly brutal towards poor Kondou as usual. 

12) Sacchan was absolutely super duper very clearly naked under that little sticker I had to put there; thi post would’ve been nixed for sure. I can’t believe the anime team got away with showing that on tv. This moment was in the manga too, but she looked like Barbie instead of well, a bottom-naked woman. 

 13) The whole Zura = Will Ill Smith = Obama = Messiah was just so freaking WEIRD, and I really don’t want to think too hard about Sorachi-sama’s intention behind all that cuz it was slightly uncomfortable, but it was somewhat amusing hearing Zura’s voice come out of Ill Smith/Obama.

14) I have no words.

15) I mean, I guess it’s a good thing that this ending was established as just a figment of Shinpachi’s imagination in the anime, because it was definitely less clear in the manga. Still, very wtf.

Honorable Mention:

Yet another piece of evidence that someone on the anime team absolutely ships my OTP (or maybe the entire team does) because the preview for the next episode was soooo unbelievably suggestive, as exemplified by this small snippet:

SHIPS TALLY:

Kondou x Otae: at least he got to sleep a few feet away from her for a brief moment.

Gintoki x Sacchan: her fevered dream lacked her usual quotient sexual violence...Sacchan must’ve been really sick. 

Shinpachi x Otae: his siscon level was going through the roof. 

Hasegawa x Otae: he came specifically to see her, as if he did that all the time. And -chan is also awfully familiar. 

Hasegawa x Zura: “Zura-chi”???? And how did he know Zura would be dropping by later? Do they like chat on the phone or actually get together often or something??

2) How did Gintoki even resist that??

3) At least Tae-chan served him a glass of wine while she made her demand...I saw that as an improvement on their relationship.

4) I’m kinda proud of the fact that Gintoki was more focused on Sacchan’s glasses than her boobs...cuz honestly I would’ve expected him to be more about the boobs considering how he talks about women sometimes. Lol.

5) It made me so happy to hear Tae-chan say that...even though it also kinda broke my heart that she gave him up to someone else so easily.

6) This was so sweet: they’re horrible wingmen for each other, but I thought it was so touching that they pitied each other enough to genuinely try to make things right for each other.

7) Tae-chan’s complete lack of self-awareness on how Sacchan sees her is truly admirable.

8) Madao is probably too much of a M for Sacchan. 

On to part two:

9) I just love Gintoki’s smile here. So sincere and sweet and pure.

10) I liked the oden stand owner. He was so dirty-minded and hilarious.

11) Cameos by...I am actually not sure at all. I tried looking it up on the Ginta-wiki but it was no help. The one on the right looks like one of the Osomatsu boys but not sure who the other two are...like friends of his or something? 

12) It was nice seeing the little girl again and I’m glad her mom is nicer now. 

13) Honestly, considering what Santa did to Kagura last time he came around, I wasn’t really too invested in his whole saga with Ben, but for the sake of the kids that do believe in Santa Claus and need him for their Christmas presents, I guess I’m glad that he got his happy ending.

SHIPS TALLY:  

Kondou x Otae: sure glad all hope was not lost for them since I can easily just not count this episode as canon.

Gintoki x Sacchan: for Sacchan’s sake, I’m glad all hope was not lost for her since everyone is going to forget about everything that happened her by the next episode.

Kondou x Sacchan: they would have terrible fashion sense as a couple (seriously, why the visors???) but they do have a lot in common. I am in denial about whether they would have a higher chance of happiness going for each other than for their respective stalkees crushes since I am still holding onto my hope for KonTae to become canon. 

Honorable mentions: Kondou x Catherine and Hasegawa x Sacchan thanks to  Tae-chan and Gin-chan.