#kada

But, when Kada lifts the cup, she reveals one nut and one bolt, meaning that it's odds, something she admits herself.

The next one to play Kada's game, is Takasugi, by guessing it's Odds. Once again, Kada reveals the result to him, showing the very same nut and bolt she showed Kamui, a pair of odds. But, here is the catch. Even though Takasugi guessed correctly that it was Odds, she still claimed that it was Evens, declaring him the loser of the game.

Once Takasugi sees the result, he doesn't seem to really react, until Kamui points out to him that losing at her game, is as if he is cursed. Here, we should note that Kamui did lose the game and she didn't lie. But in Takasugi's case, even though he won, she claimed that he lost. Kamui hasn't noticed or seen the pattern in the game, at this point, and he really considers losing at her game a curse.

After they kill the Harusame and Admiral Aho- Abo, Takasugi turns back and visits Kada one final time. She is still playing the game by herself and this time, he says Evens, instead of Odds, changing his previous guess to this one. Just like Kamui, Takasugi had only seen the result to his own game, so he can't be too sure about the entire game being fixed YET. That's basically why instead of going for his previous choice, he goes for the obvious wrong one.

There is no way this time he would be able to get Evens. Takasugi picks Evens knowing that he is going to lose because at the end of the day, it wasn't a game of luck. It was all on Kada. She gets to decide who wins or loses, no luck combined in the mix at all. Takasugi could guess Odds and be right, but if she doesn't want him to win, he won't win, meaning that Kamui was wrong. There is no curse involved, it's just Kada being unwilling to let others win after losing at her own game in the Four Devas arc.

This is why this time, Takasugi smiles at her. He sees past the game and makes sure that there is no destiny involved, or whatsoever. One could say that he was humoring her all along and it wouldn't be a lie. However, I argue that this is also an act of kindness on top of him visiting her to sate his own curiosity. He knows that she has lost her mind and even then, he entertains her one final time, knowing that this could as well be her final gamble.

Takasugi smiles even though he loses because in reality, his defeat means nothing. He is used to standing against his own fate, this is nothing new to him. Even if she 'cursed' him as Kamui said, it didn't matter to him because at the end of the day, he relies on his own powers to achieve everything he does. Luck or fate mean nothing to him as long as he can reach his goals and having her 'curse' him a final time, gives him the push to keep on going. He doesn't care if there is one more person going against him, even if that person is what represented luck for many.

That's pretty much it! I couldn't get the final scene out of my mind, for some reason I found it really endearing that Takasugi went back to her one final time, knowing that the game was fixed and that it meant nothing. It was a whimsical and unnecessary move on his part, yet him doing that helps flesh out his character and personality even further. Rather than an inhumane, calculating, cold blooded murderer, he is someone who wouldn't mind losing a game just to humor someone as well as himself. Someone who takes pride when going against fate and this is why, Takasugi remains one of the most well written and fleshed out characters of Gintama. He offers kindness in his own way and has his own moral code, something he further proves by saving Kamui all by himself.