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Gintama
Episode 324

by Amy McNulty,

How would you rate episode 324 of
Gintama. (TV 5/2017) ?
Community score: 4.7

Kagura's family is back in the spotlight this week with a full episode devoted to her parents' courtship. Although this season's opening and ending spoiled the fact that she'd be appearing, The Battle on Rakuyo's eighth chapter provides us with our first real look at Kagura's mother Kouka. Kagura's family history seldom came up throughout the years, but as this arc continues to illustrate, it's far more fascinating and tragic than it initially seemed.

The latest installment adopts an interesting flashback-within-a-flashback format. As Umibōzu does battle with Utsuro in the current timeline, he recalls a time when he regaled a young Mutsu with the tale of how he met Kouka. Through this, the audience learns that the Yato's home planet of Kouan was laid waste by the Allied Planets in a conflict known as the Great War. This caused Altana to seep from the ground, mutating most of the planet's wildlife, destroying the soil, spoiling the water, and making Kouan uninhabitable for the survivors. After losing a bet with a friend, a young Umibōzu (whose real name is apparently “Kanko”) traveled to the war-ravaged Kouan to ask out the only woman still living there: the incomparably powerful Kouka. Like Utsuro, Kouka is “a being of Altana,” and her life force is tied directly to her home planet. In other words, both Kouka and Kouan need one another to stay alive. However, after falling in love with Umibōzu, Kouka desired to expand her world, even if doing so meant she would die. After settling down on Rakuyo, the couple had a number of happy years together, but shortly after Kagura's birth, Kouka began showing signs of a fatal illness. The episode ends in the current timeline, with Kamui informing Kagura that their father is “a murderer.”

Even though the story behind Kagura's family is set to continue next week, a lot can be gleaned from the information introduced in episode 324. The struggles Umibōzu and Kouka endured in order to create their family help illustrate why its patriarch is so dedicated to keeping the remaining members together and taking responsibility for Kamui's actions. The preview indicates that Kamui will be the central focus of next week's episode, and the closing moments of this week's installment shed some light on why he holds a grudge against his father. Coupled with some of Kagura's remarks from the Shogun Assassination Arc, the end of this episode suggests that Kamui buried his emotions following his mother's death, turning him into the ice-cold killing machine he is today. It's also interesting that Kagura, who generally had the least emotional baggage of the Odd Jobs trio, actually has a fairly tragic past. Her parents expressing an interest in one day visiting Earth may be why she chose to take up residence on the blue planet.

In a season as frantically paced as this one, it's nice to get an episode that takes things slow and gives the characters some breathing room. Rushing through Umibōzu and Kouka's courtship would have made the relationship seem less believable and undermined the special bond the two shared. Although the staff is clearly dedicated to knocking this arc out in as few episodes as possible, they seem to recognize that this moment is where it's most important to slow things down. The double-flashback format is also pulled off adeptly, especially considering how muddled flashbacks-within-flashbacks can become in less capable hands. In a masterful stroke of editing, the episode at one point simultaneously shifts between three points in history without missing a beat.

While this week's featured players are far from series regulars, the insight into Kagura's family is fascinating. Once again, the comedy is almost entirely absent, but young Umibōzu's attempts at picking up Kouka add some welcome levity to the proceedings. While he might have stood to be less foul-mouthed to set him apart from 90% of the other men in the series, eventually his love for Kouka shines through. Now that we've gotten an extended look at Kagura's parents in their younger years, the prospect of getting the lowdown on Kagura and Kamui's Rakuyo potentially tragic childhood next week is even more enticing.

Rating: A

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.


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