#oniwaban

Sarutobi had immense potential to be a fan favorite and would have achieved a stronger, more substantial fan base today had Sorachi not shifted gears and taken the ninjas in a different direction midway through the series. Her design is one of my favorites in the entire series and is one of the most underrated. I especially love the breast-plated armor that's over her heart. The purple hair is such a unique factor that's both familiar and distinctive, and the voice actor, Yū Kobayashi, has done a fantastic job bringing her character to life. I cannot imagine anyone doing the role justice as she has.

As a long fan of Sorachi-Sensei, I am frustrated at how he handled her character, along with the rest of the Oniwaban, who were never fleshed out properly nor built on in the latter portion of Gintama. I could never dismiss how early Gintama would not only heavily highlight the Oniwaban's skillsets and abilities but also their unique duties to Edo. They do the work that the world would never truly understand. They would be trained to still their nerves and harden their resolve to complete the objective, even if it meant taking down their ally or master if the job called for it. Seeing how this correlates strongly to Gintoki later on, it surprises me how nothing was done right by this group because if there were a character(s) fit to allude to the foreshadowing of Gintoki's dark past, it would be the ninjas which Sorachi did initially aim to show a much darker side to in both Zenzou and Sachan.

However, he ultimately decided that the story would be too dark, so most readers would no longer view them in the same way afterward, which is silly, given the other storylines we've seen, and sadder, given how underwhelming the ninja's presence was in Silver Soul and in general.

Of course, Zenzou and Sachan each had a significant moment in the Shogun Assassination arc, but it was a fleeting moment and overshadowed by Gintoki and Takasugi's battle.

Much of Sachan's early dialogue acknowledges her pride in her honed skills, thanks to the rigorous training the ninjas endure. Because of that alone we should have seen it used in a much somber toned setting and we were actually supposed to.

The kick-the-can game/Father Hattori episode and Sorachi's mention of a ninja arc early in his career let me know that bigger things were to come with Sachan and company. Yet, an outside factor likely affected Sorachi's judgment around the time the anime caught up with the manga material. Instead of giving proper buildup to an early-established group that fits well into the series and relates to the MC losing his well-respected master and having to carry the burden of executing a loved one for the greater good, he adds in the red light district character who had little interaction with the trio as a main and has her group maintaining peace in Kabuki more so than the actual defenders.

Only remnants of his original plans for the Ninjas survived and got incorporated into the Shogun arc in the end.

As a fan, I will forever be upset about whatever prompted such a change because we often hear from Sachan herself about the pride she takes in her skills and how seriously she takes her assignments. She is very consistent in never giving up, as shown during the Screwdriver arc. In such a silly arc, we see our heroes give up while she continues to press forward in pursuit of their normalcy again; as ridiculous as it was, she chose not to give up. This quality reappears in the Be Forever Yorozuya movie, as she holds onto the idea of the early days when everyone else was accepting the present inevitable. She always aimed for things to remain the same as they often were.

This aspect of her character is also evident in the Shogun Assassination arc when she attempts to carry her leader, Zenzou, to safety, reaffirming how things will return to normal along the way.

She's one of those characters that epitomizes the habitual theme Gintama is known for which is promising to return to your friends regardless of the eminent danger to face. A proper arc would have made this more notable to fans.

Because of how mature she often seemed when it came to making sure Zenzou didn't neglect his duties I have this nagging suspicion that much like Otose, Otae, Ikumatsu, Kondo, Makoto, Hinowa, etc., are to their respective groups, is what Sacchan was to be for hers —the heart and reason they want to protect.

Today, she is underappreciated by many and often written off as a gag character because, oddly, Sorachi didn't do anything to shed her infatuation with Gintoki or her skills in a more serious light as he initially stated he would.

Sorachi hinted at future storylines involving the Oniwaban, specifically Zenzou and his late father, early in Gintama. Zenzou had a complicated relationship with his master and father. His dad was likely a hard-ass at times because he needed to be, just as Shouyou had to be with his students.

Regardless of how apparent Zenzou's unexplored grudge towards his old man still lingered, he had enough decency and respect to share considerate words at his wake.

Sorachi should have delved into the beloved master as well as her feelings for Gintoki more seriously since this is a big part of her character, which is how she got so involved in his life.

It's odd how the gorilla drops them like that, for who knows why.

It's challenging to pinpoint how this would have helped the series, as big reveals occur later down the road, constant fourth-wall breaking, and all the ridiculous humor we've come to love make it complicated; however, given the parallels I see and how early elements often reoccur, having the ninjas around would have made the series that much stronger, as it would have brought many things from the earliest seasons come full circle in the near end like the kicking-can game, which was a great callback, but could've been executed more endearingly since that's our first insight into another side to the otherwise silly ninjas who truly cherished their teacher.

Had the ninjas received an arc of their own early on, we likely would have seen Zenzou's core group, the Shinobi Five, have more interaction. An earlier arc for them would have given us a look into the lives of the ninjas and give the Shogun arc more definition in some manner, making Shogun's brief period seem less like a last-minute addition.

I find it a huge shame a huge missed opportunity that Sorachi did not do them justice. The initial arc he had in mind maybe would have filled in tiny gaps in early interactions between the characters.

It would have also befitted Zenzou's journey in taking over as head of the Oniwaban fully as it's unclear where Zenzou's headspace is at in Silver Soul after he leaves Shoyo in Momochi's hands to join the battle. The dialogue makes it seem as he's joining the fight as a means to distract himself from the hurt he feels after his friends death, rather than taking over for the sake of his comrades.

One thing I hold dear is how juvenile and ridiculous Sachan can be. And I say that with a lot of respect because what I love about the series the most is how it didn't care about crossing the line. The more vulgar characters set the established key component of the series high at the beginning which attributed to its success. I love how vulgar the humor is when compared to the usual decorum that Japanese society maintains, and with so many men in the series, it's great to have a female who can keep up with them in the dirty jokes department. True fans can appreciate that much. With that, happy birthday, Ayame Sarutobi. Thank you for the laughs and cries throughout the years.

One of the history Twitter threads that launched my work that grew into the Friday Night History podcast was the one about Muragaki Norimasa. He was a diplomat who headed up the Japanese delegation to the US in 1860. He was also a hereditary oniwaban.

And thus, the ninja who met James Buchanan.

*leans in*

...see this is where I'd be pointing you to the thread, but uh....that ship's sailed.

What, O monks, is burning? The Twitter API is burning.

*ahem*