As much as he pretends to be all tough and non caring he's got the softest heart out of everyone. That has been obvious throughout the series, but really, he took in two whole ass teens because he couldn't say no to them when he's butt ass poor. Who does that? Only people who don't prioritize their own well being, who don't care about any disruption to their lives because they have no attachment to it. It takes more than kindness to take people in. Shinpachi is one thing, because he doesn't live with Gintoki and can somewhat provide for himself. But Kagura? She's just a child, has an endless appetite and brings with her a huge ass dog that needs a lot of care and food.
Where does Gintoki remain amongst all of that? Any sane person would have kicked them out or refused them, but Gintoki doesn't. He can't. That's also clear in some of the later episodes when he goes along with anything he thinks he deserves, or just doesn't care. When Sacchan first appears for example, he's willing to marry her. Man doesn't have an ounce of attachment to his current way of life.
how come gintoki can't swim yet never really drowns
water is purification, memory, change, mortality and predetermination (river and its set course) but also eternity (sea,) of course gintoki can't swim.
and of course gintoki can swim. he is refusing to swim, just how he refuses to remember the past and how he sells his protagonist rights for a chocolate parfait.
one could even say that the entire first half of the story - with its flying ships - is underwater. right until the warship crashes on top of utsuro in the reveal scene.
but most of all water is transformation: a closed cycle of cloud -> rain -> surface water, unable to escape the circles of the world. another reason why gintoki can't swim - he is water.
sorry im contractually obligated to put this in the end. he really tried EVERYTHING until the very last moment to escape the story lmao. iconic