#junks

the coolest alien space boys around

These punky adults are living in my head rent-free. They have known each other since young, shitty brats with the attitude of a mower. They shared the same school, same spirit, same teacher... It was just the good old days and when tragedy struck, all 3 went to war. Then friend-to-friend camaraderie turned into absolute trust, of people who entrust their own lives to other comrades to fight side-by-side on battlefields, “your life is my life” kind of thing. Imagine that kind of bond then one day they just... broke off. Something happened and that tie was irreversibly damaged. 10 years passed, they reunited, but not as friends(except for Katsura and Gintoki). Oh no, they became mortal enemies and would probably skewer each other on sight. I mean, Gintoki and Takasugi did. Slash, stab, a few limbs would have gone flying if not for plot amour. They screamed anguish more painful than any wound blades could inflict. And when finally, FINALLY, these brats in adult’s bodies were on speaking term... one of them fucking died! At Gintoki’s own hand! Bloody dammit this show! 

But what I was trying to say is... dramatic as joui3′s story is, it kinda resembles some of our real-life friendship. Not the “kill you on sight” thing, but the fact that we come across and befriend many people in our lifetime. Some are attached to us by the hips. However, as much as your anime boys like to shout about eternal friendship and life-long commitments, the fact is, eventually people would go separate ways. Maybe you keep in touch and meet up once in a while, but maybe not as close as you used to be because everyone has their own life to take care of now. In some cases, one day you talk to a friend and another day received a notice of his/her funeral. It was bittersweet, and it can be distressing to think about at times. 

It’s the beauty about relationships in this show, and many other shows I have come across. It strips away the sugarcoating in the present and presents to us the poignant core in the future. The status quo will change. Nothing lasts forever. As our silver-haired samurai painfully articulated, “Life doesn’t have to be fun. I just want you to live”. Even if he had uttered it in a fit of despair, it does speak to Yorozuya’s situation. Shinpachi and Kagura are still young, they have an entire life ahead of them and will inevitably choose their own paths. Not to mention, as a Yato, Kagura would naturally outlive most of the cast. Will she have new friends then? Will she forget the trio of misfits and move on with her life? I don’t think so. She will move on, I believe that, but she won’t forget. Just as the Joui3 never forfeit the old days as much as they want to say otherwise. When all the conflicts died down was when the sentiments from all those years ago resurfaced. Almost too easily, those brats in adult form were bickering again, even only for a while, to rekindle the spirit still flickering in each of them. So that when it went awry and it was time to say goodbye, they could return to simply be the three brats of Shouka Sonjuku. 

Is this show trying to give us the resolution to deal with friends we have lost touch with? I don’t know. With the Gorilla author kept throwing around poop jokes and breaking the 4th wall, I don’t think he was aiming for anything so philosophical. The message to appreciate people in your life is certainly there, though.