biogundam

Warning this review may contain spoilers. First impressions, in my life time I have gone through many challenges and trials, Each more difficult than the last. But none could prepare me for this mighty challenge that took all my shounen nakama willpower to face, And that is watch gintama a shounen I think is over hyped as fuck. Quick side note I going to talk about the series as a whole so It includes all ginmata 2014 and 2017 shit because I am pretty sure seen enough to see where it going. Story, 6/10 In a world where 19th century Japan was "visited" by aliens and technology has jumped light years ahead of it time as a result. Join Gintoki Sakata a former rouge samurai war veteran who dose odd jobs in order that pay the rent on time which doesn't happen very often. If I where describe the story Of gintama as a whole, I would probably conpare it to a calm in the storm. What I mean of this you ask? By calm I mean that 85% of the actual story are mostly focused on episodic comedy that manly relines on shounen manga and Japanese culture references for its jokes. Which for the most part I didn't find very funny. Like there few episodes that made to laugh, For example the one with the turtle assassin and that ep where the one of the cop characters is looking for a place to smoke and my personal favorite so far was the one with the pen friend with the nerdy guy and the nerdy chick. I thought those episodes where pretty funny, but other than those examples I was bored to tears and nearly wanting to punch my computer screen to try and end my boredom and suffering. The storm Which i was referring to earlier is what the other 15% of the story is focused on. Which in my opinion made this show more likable for me personality. Is the parts where there very serious and shit is going down. Which honestly blew me away. First for shounen standards these serious arcs are amazing like this took be back to my younger years when I used to watch Action movies a lot with hype and excitement. I mean this pretty much had the cream of the crop, It had An interesting setting which breeds so much potential, it has the back story's and character relations which helps to care when shit hits the fan, badass fights which mixes samurai with aliens and massive space battle ships, it has the tension and the drama. So what could possibly go wrong. Well there is the thing where it basically pisses away most of it story telling potential on episodic bull shit, And for those asking yes I understand that all series not matter how serious it gets dose need a few cool moments every now and then especially in action shounen like this. But in all honesty it also what's really holding it back, Like when It actually has a story and it being serious and what not. it actually very good. For example the Shinsengumi Crisis arc or the Yoshiwara in Flames arc, Those arc showed me that when gintama really wants to it can tell a good story. If I am being Completely honest That is what makes me feel bad for the story in general because it's not reaching its full potential, It has all these ingredients and doesn't even use half of them to its full effect. It's a battle shounen when you strip it to its most basic components and it never wants to fully commit to that or build itself up like say for example yu yu hakasho. So in conclusion I think mostly the story is mostly bullshit with a few good arcs that more than makes up for the shit you have to sit through. Characters, 6/10 The main character Gintoki I think is quite cool-ish, I mean at lest he not another teenager protagonist. I would describe his personality like the story the calm before the storm, Generally he very selfish, prevcnted and pretty chill about everything. But when shits hits the fan you see more of his more intense nature. I like his back story, I think it's quite interesting and probably one of the few highlights of this show. Side characters, They all have a sense of personality and they all there gimmicks. Some of them develop but its mostly the core cast. But The rest are kind of throw away most of them just stays to there gimmicks, Like a fly on dog shit So all freshness dies pretty quickly. Also most of the time I forgot most of characters that actually existed. I had continue to reminding myself who these people are and what they do, But that could be because of the big cast of characters and also the fact that most of these characters I don't give a fuck about. I think the character interactions where quite fun to watch. It almost like watching a big family interacting or some sort of gang with very close bonds to each over. So that quite nice because it give you a reason to care. Art, 6/10 The animtion is fine, it gets more detailed and shiney as the shows goes along. The fight scenes are quite nice there some very good sword battles. It has a usual style for most shounen, Like for example naruto and dragon ball Z. It has that feel and look similar to those shows. The character design look interesting enough, I really like the robot chick design because it reminds me of chobitts. Some of the alien design could be better though, Like with some of these designs I thinking to myself that the person who made this was smoking some high quality shit. For example there this one race that looks exactly like Humans but the where duck costumes and eat old Nintendo games with rice. Sound, 6/10 Sense this is a old running shounen it has a lot of op and ending, Which for the most part I thought where ok. Nothing much really stands out for me much, except for op 5, 10 , 12 which I quite liked. The ost was fine as well. But nothing really got my interest. There is something here that are worth a quick listen. Ost was done by some random company which I didn't know about intill writing this review. Enjoyment, 5/10 When it comes to enjoyment, this was a very mixed bag for me. Because for the first 100 ep I was pretty much forcing myself to watch it, Like I was just so bored. There where a few episodes which keeped me entertained like the examples I mentioned earlier. But when it's actually serious it's very good and I am very much entertained and even falling for some of the show charm. So I hate it lest than I thought I would. Overall, 6/10 I would like to state that This show is way to over hyped. if your in your shounen phase then I guess I can recommend this to you, But just word to the wise it not as good as the hype makes it out to be. If your out of your shounen phase then probably stay away unless you want to try watch a shounen again to change it up. so my advice watch the first 30 ep and if you don't like it then probably leave it alone.

HelpTool

__`This review of Gintama includes all of the sequels and doesn't contain any spoilers.`__ `Where should I start? Gintama is a must watch for everyone who loves comedy, drama, action.. lets say basically every genre - Why? read this review!` __`5 / 5`__ `What I like about Gintama is how the Story builds up. Gintama has a slow start I have to admit that but do not make the mistake to stop or to skip!! Every episode shows different situations and storys that slowly leads to a "MAIN STORYLINE". I loved every single episode because Gintama mixed every genre in its episodes. The most present ones are comedy and action, good mix and well executed! You can either binge watch Gintama or just watch it whenever you feel like. That's the kind of anime plot Gintama has! Some "short storys" have 2 or 4 episodes some have up to 6+ and there are also daily storys with one episode. When I had to describe Gintamas plot I would say that it is one of the best I ever had but do not expect the Main story to continue fast! Be patient and enjoy each episode because Gintama actually shows the daily life of the characters which will lead to a common ground.` __`5 / 5`__ `At the End of Gintama I'm sure that you'll at least add 2 characters to your favorites. Gintama has so many individual characters but trust me you'll be able to remember every single one of them. I'm in love with each and every character this anime has. There is just nothing more to say, I don't find any words to describe it but I thought in the end there might be characters that are not important, I was wrong.. everyone has a role and that's how an anime should be. You are able to feel in each character oh man I wasted so many tears.. Every character has an individual story you'll get to know. Lets not forget about Sakata Gintoki, the main protagonist, he's one of the main reasons why this anime is on my top 1.` __`4 / 5`__ `Gintama has many sequels where the animations improved with each and every year but it still had a pretty good animation in the first place. Some scenes are awesome and just unbelievable how well they animated it considering the mood and situation the scene has. Animation are well done especially the fight scenes are godly animated and a must watch! Lets continue with the Music.. I loved the openings and the endings there is nothing to discuss, always good to hear. What about music during the story? Well I didn't really remember it but there is no need for music because you'll be already entertained with your eyes and ears. There is still music in some situations that I really enjoyed.` __`5 / 5`__ `Gintama is a must watch for everyone who loves comedy and action, lets basically say who enjoys anime. You'll make a good choice with Gintama and I guarantee you that you'll love it, if not, you're just too naive to see the beauty that Gintama is. I cried and I laughed, I enjoyed this anime and it is my Top 1. Watch Gintama and you'll realize how good it is. It has everything you wish for!` _I hope I could convince you to start watching Gintama. For questions or feedback leave a comment on my profile._

WanderingSage

There are a lot of questionable anime programs that have been released over the years. To some extent, anime tends to pander quite a bit to the fandom these days, and many programs out there are nothing more than advertisements for a light novel or manga that may be shoveled out. Many times, there is a whole lot of style and not much substance at the end of the day after reflecting on the more popular anime. With anime cycles seemingly growing shorter these days, and memes taking over much of the collected consciousness of the fandom, it can be difficult to find shows that stand above the crop and provide something special to the audience other than the latest flavor of the month or best girl argument fuel. So, what does all this drunken rambling have to do with a show about samurais, ninjas, aliens, and over the top sight gags? Gintama is an anime that is difficult to review. I’ve watched this show off and on for around 10 years now and continue to go back and forth on what my thoughts actually are on it. This show is unforgettable and it’s one of the anime that I have a deep appreciation for and have gotten countless hours of entertainment value out of. With regards to the technicals of the show, Gintama is generally well drawn and animated. The update to HD helped immensely and the switch was a noticeable improvement. The show is colorful and the setting allows for some interesting alien concepts and technological wonders mixed in with traditional Japanese ryokans and yukatas. This show has its own brand of style and it grows on you quite well. The soundtrack is amazing for this show. So many of the tunes and songs have a great impact and help to change the mood so well that you can actually feel yourself changing emotional states when the music kicks in. Each major character has a leitmotif that generally kicks in when they are introduced or are doing something as well. There are a wide variety of OP and Ending credit songs over the years, and many of them are great tracks as well. Special mention to Yoruzuya Blues, one of my favorites from the show and a great commentary on the main character as well. There are even in universe idol performances and rap tracks and other songs as well that range from amusing to hilarious as well. Music is a high point of this show and it’s hard to hear certain themes from the show without smiling a bit at the nostalgia and meanings. They stick with you. Easy stuff out of the way, the actual difficulty in Gintama lies in its depth and breadth of what it’s trying to do, or what it flails around and actually does. As mentioned, I’ve watched the show for ten odd years or so and I struggle to succinctly sum up what the hell Gintama is actually about in a few words. It’s also impossible to figure out if you’re going to like Gintama after only watching a few episodes as things build on each other to such a degree that it can’t be really said to have “started” until 20+ episodes in, and even 50 episodes may be a better milestone. Many folks aren’t going to make that investment, and while I understand the sentiment, I’m glad that I stuck around to enjoy what the show became after being unsure what all the fuss was about after watching 15 or so episodes. So what exactly is it about? At a broad stroke, Gintama is a story about an alternate history type of Edo Japan around the Meiji reformation era where instead of the samurai putting away their swords because of a change in domestic priorities (read your history folks), it happens instead because aliens invade Japan (Earth) and subjugate everyone with their advanced tech and what have you. The samurai are to give up their swords and live on, trying to scrape by in a post technological world mixed with 1800s Meiji aesthetics in Japan. On paper, this doesn’t sound like it makes a whole lot of sense. In practice, it really doesn’t either, except that it sets the stage for a wide variety of comedic and historical commentary on Japanese culture that one might not find in a more straight-laced historical show. One of the former veteran samurai, Gintoki Sakata, runs a small odd-jobs business struggling to make ends meet in this new world with his “apprentices”. The quest for strawberry milk, scoring big at pachinko to pay off the ouya-san, and getting enough cash together for the latest issue of Shounen Jump and a few drinks turns into one heck of a wild ride. As the story expands and we are introduced to more and more of the post war Edo town, the whole thing sort of takes on a whole life of its own and becomes a running commentary on pop culture in Japan with crazy comedic arcs, unforgettable character interactions, pop idols, video games, celebrity gossip of a type, to the point where it’s almost impossible to keep up with the references unless you have a good guide or have lived in Japan for a while. Beyond the comedy, oddly enough, are shounen style battle arcs between the political factions that would not be out of place in any of the major shows in the genre as well. When Gintama wants to get into a serious arc and put on the big boy pants, it can hang with some of the greats in this arena as well. There are also arcs and story resolutions that impart some serious wisdom and can even make you shed tears during their resolutions as well. Gintama is a show that has a surprising amount of depth and can turn on a dime, having you laughing hysterically one moment, on the edge of your seat for a battle sequence the next, and then having you choke up a bit at the heartwarming resolution a few scenes later. It’s rare that a show can do this and I struggle to think of any other shows that quite match it in this regard. Also, as a barometer of what’s going on in the general cultural mindset in Japan, Gintama is a great show for cultural jokes and pop culture. This is going to be the actual things going on in Japan that makes local news, famous celebrities, songs, trends, etc. While it doesn’t quite require the depth of knowledge about Japan that say, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei requires, Gintama is a great look into what’s going on trend wise in Japan at times. Tongue is fully in cheek for this show and the fourth wall is shattered quite often, many times to hilarious effect. Combine the great characters (who almost deserve a separate review), songs, comedy, battle arcs, pop culture references, and emotional moments, and the sum of all the parts add up to something that may be irreplaceable in the anime medium. While there are shows that do many of these things at a higher level than Gintama, Gintama is much greater than the sum of its parts. Gintama is one of those rollercoaster rides that once it starts heading downhill is one heck of an adventure. Rightly deserves a place in the upper echelon of comedy shows and a show that deserves everyone’s time. It’s one of the few shows that showed me how great the anime medium can be for its sheer variety and creativity, as well as delivering action, emotional scenes, and great characters by the score. Unqualified Recommendation.

myvelouria

This review is spoiler free. img600(https://i.imgur.com/xelF5WX.png) A wise woman once spoke, “fun things are fun”. Given the way that 2020 has panned out I feel like it is important to take the time to enjoy something fun amidst all of the stress we are experiencing. I know I needed a pick me up with the way things have been transpiring. And that came in rewatching an anime that had previously brought me an immense joy, “Gintama”. I needed to go back to something that had cheered me up in the past and this was the perfect fit. As I make this review I am currently rewatching the other installments of the series, but the focus here is specifically on the first. Based on Hideaki Sorachi’s manga it was produced by Sunrise and ran from 2006 to 2010 spanning 201 episodes. Despite how lofty that sounds, it was actually smooth and easy to complete it again. With its likable cast of characters, wonderful comedy, and ability to handle drama with more skill than one may anticipate it truly was fantastic to see it all again. I understand the length of the anime is intimidating, but trust me once you’re hooked you are not going away. “Gintama” takes place in the land of Edo that was once home to the mighty samurai and became overtaken by aliens known as the Amanto. With a ban on swords put in place it appears that the samurai way has died out, but it still lives on in our hero Sakata Gintoki. After encountering a down on his luck teenager named Shimura Shinpachi and Kagura, an eccentric girl hailing from an alien tribe known as the Yato, together they form Yorozuya, a business that will take on any and all odd jobs for a price. “Gintama” has an episodic format so while it does have this general premise at its core, it isn’t operating based on a structured plot like other Weekly Shonen Jump titles do. Some episodes will be our main characters getting caught up in some strange mess or focused on other members of the very large cast. However there will also be arcs that span several episodes that manage to bring in something more substantial. Through them you may learn a character’s back story or something hinting towards a bigger plot that will be explored later on. First and foremost “Gintama” is a comedy though and the way it keeps its humor fresh and exciting for this long is nothing short of impressive. One might think this premise isn’t enough to justify an anime this long or that the running gags will grow stale with time, but the series manages to keep itself together through its run and even on a revisit the jokes still hit their mark. It really is a testament to Sorachi’s talent that something like this holds up the way it does. img600(https://i.imgur.com/y5uAarw.png) One area where “Gintama” really stands tall is with its cast of characters. It’s given me some of my favorite characters and despite how many of them there are it doesn’t feel like potential is squandered with any of the recurring cast. Gin is one of my favorite leads in a Shonen Jump series. At first he appears to be an irresponsible slacker who would rather gorge on sweets while reading the newest “One Piece” chapter than perform any heroics, but even in his debut scene there was something more. Something that spoke more to his nature of someone who will step up and protect the ones he cares about. As selfish and amoral as Gin can be he is still someone who chooses to do what’s right even if at his own expense. I love seeing a character who is imperfect, but still does the right thing in the end. And I can’t help but feel a sense of warmth and happiness whenever I see him. Shinpachi is a character I have seen people describe as shrill and I don’t agree with that. Yes he does get stressed out and yell a lot, but it never comes across as annoying to me. He occupies the straight man role in the anime, something the show literally tells you, and him pointing out the absurdity of what the other characters do ends up making him a great audience proxy. Some big laughs came from him drawing attention to how ridiculous the situations were. Plus it’s also worth bearing in mind that Shinpachi is just a teenager and struggling to keep his family dojo afloat so this part of his personality makes a lot of sense. Not only that he is also someone who, despite knowing his limits as a fighter, will still push himself to do the brave thing and I’m a sucker for that. No matter how many times I see this sort of trope at play it leaves me feeling good. Kagura meanwhile is one of the best female characters from a Jump series ever. She’s hilarious and never fails to bring a smile to my face. She’s blunt, she’s strange, and she’s absolutely wonderful. It feels great having our heroine be someone so brash and energetic. And I can’t help but get a kick out of her excessive eating and overwhelming physical strength that does not reflect in her petite design, these are more tropes in anime I appreciate. But beneath that upbeat energy lies something compelling. She’s a fourteen year old girl who wandered the stars and found her way to an unusual, but incredible family unit through Gin and Shinpachi and her giant dog Sadaharu. Given what we discover about her biological family it’s very satisfying to know she did find a place for herself surrounded by people who care for her. These three carry the series so well and we really were blessed to have them. img600(https://i.imgur.com/3QlIryw.png) Of course the other characters deserve mention as well. The recurring cast is so lively and engaging that I don’t even think there’s a character I can say I come away hating. Even in manga and anime I love there can still be a character that gets to me, but I don’t think I feel that at all with “Gintama”. The Shinsengumi members are some favorites of mine. I just adore seeing Kondo, Hijikata, and Okita’s group dynamic and all the bizarre situations they end up in. I can’t get enough of how much Okita transparently hates Hijikata and will sabotage him in a heartbeat or how Kondo blunders his way through life or Hijikata’s cool guy exterior crumbling the minute he drowns his food in mayonnaise. Many of my favorite arcs were centered around them, those three have a history together that gets explored at various points and it makes for some of the best moments in the anime. Meanwhile Yamazaki, another Shinsengumi member, is just trying his best to keep his mind intact. There’s also Katsura, the beautiful leader of the Joi rebels with a mind that goes beyond mere human understanding. He acts like everything he does makes perfect logical sense when his behavior is nothing short of pure insanity and it’s always funny. Most often seen by his side is pet Elizabeth, an enigmatic individual of few words who may or may not be an old man in a suit. We also have Hasegawa the infinitely unlucky. It’s interesting to watch him because on the one hand you enjoy seeing how low he can go because it is entertaining, but you also want to see his life improve at the same time. And then there’s the female cast. I think “Gintama” has the best female cast of any Weekly Shonen Jump series. There’s Otae, there’s Sacchan, there’s Kyubei, there’s Tsukuyo, there’s Otose, and Tama, and Catherine. The women in come in various forms and occupy roles in the story that are distinct. Young and old, working class and rich, we are not just getting one type of woman and calling it a day. We see them as proactive and forward thinking individuals who are also just as funny as the male characters. They don’t exist to be some no nonsense foil that roll their eyes when the men do something dumb, they come at you with their own brand of comedy that is unique to each character. And we see them regularly, these aren’t characters who appear once and never come back. Having a cast like this makes the anime feel so dynamic and its never a dull moment. img600(https://i.imgur.com/j6g8GRK.png) Something that this anime does with surprising success is how it handles drama. It is a comedy at heart, but it still finds a way to swing around to something more serious and does it amazingly. Some things get hinted at earlier on and don’t appear as anything significant until events unfold and then you realize you’ve been heading down this direction the whole time. Maybe Sorachi had these things planned or maybe he just decided later on to expand on things he already established, but regardless the way it’s done feels so seamless. Early on Hijikata speaks of the wonderful things Kondo did for the Shinsengumi members, Kagura’s father mentions Earth being stifling for their kind, we hear about Gin’s valued teacher and all of that is explored later. It’s a writing style that reminds me in ways of how Eiichiro Oda writes “One Piece”. Sorachi plants these seeds of information and after a period of time you see that come back into the forefront. Some of these moments end up being rather beautiful in ways and others can break your heart and it never leaves me feeling like it’s out of place. Yes we will go from these sad moments to wild and crazy fun in the next episode, but it works. The jokes don’t cheapen these episodes, there’s this harmonious way “Gintama” approaches these two extremes. Those serious moments still mean something to the characters and it leaves them feeling rather rich and more than just outlets for Sorachi’s jokes. You feel for what they go through and become happy knowing things get better for them. img600(https://i.imgur.com/q5jnNat.png) img600(https://i.imgur.com/uv6ivjC.png) img600(https://i.imgur.com/dwhuPkF.png) The jokes, of course, are fantastic. Most famously it will reference other anime and manga. Whether its old school classics like “Ashita no Joe”, “Space Battleship Yamato”, and “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” or crowd favorites like “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure”, “Berserk”, and “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, the references keep coming and it’s always a blast. In fact the referential humor serves another purpose as it can expose a viewer to an anime they might want to try. This anime is what made me watch “Alps no Shoujo Heidi” and it ended up becoming one of my favorites. References aren’t the only style of humor the series offers though. At times sexual and crude, at others sarcastic, but also with a lot of physical comedy, the jokes keep coming and because it doesn’t stick to one particular gimmick it feels very exciting. “Gintama” has a really great energy to itself and it just makes the humor soar. There are also running gags with the characters and no matter how often you see some of them they still work. Sometimes, in other shows, you’ll grow tired of catchphrases and running jokes because you have been exposed to them too often, but “Gintama” finds ways to keep bringing those things back without it feeling monotonous. Something like Hijikata’s love for mayonnaise is used often, but the way it gets used can vary and leads to some big laughs even though you have grown familiar with this part of his character. Keeping things fresh like that is important to comedy and to spend hundreds of episodes and still maintain that is impressive. “Gintama” really is a special franchise. It takes a certain kind of star quality to make someone want to come back to your anime and breeze through every episode with ease and it did that for me. I loved it the first time I saw it and I love it even more now. The characters are fantastic, the seiyuu cast is one of my favorites in all of anime, the jokes leave me howling, and the drama leaves me feeling more connected to the characters I’m attached to. Sunrise did a great job working with the material even if there’s a few recaps and fillers scattered through it and Sorachi really deserves a lot of credit for putting something like this out to us. During times such as these I felt like I needed something to uplift me and put a smile on my face each day. “Gintama” succeeds and then some. I always looked forward to getting home and revisiting the episodes even when watching the more sad moments. It warmed me up and made my days feel less stressful because I could unwind with it and enjoy myself. While this is an anime containing some episodes that had me in tears it is also the same anime where Hijikata reenacts the plot to “Dragon Ball Z” because he wants a cigarette and where Gin and Katsura get cursed into cats while Kondo becomes a gorilla through an unrelated incident. The feeling I get from it is that yes there are times and moments where you will hurt and feel sad, but never lose sight of those fun bright days. I had a blast seeing it all again and cannot recommend it enough. “Gintama” is worth every moment and I hope that if you haven’t seen it yet that you’ll give it a try. You won’t regret it. img600(https://i.imgur.com/6ajZJLA.png)

TheAnimeBingeWatcher

How does one describe a journey? This was the question that flashed through my mind when I came to the end of Gintama's final episode. It's a question that's haunted me every time I try to put my thoughts on this series into words. How the hell do I summarize the experience of watching Gintama into a single review? How do I describe this feeling, this slow ascension into paradise that was falling in love with the Odd Jobs crew and all their misadventures? How do I describe the dawning understanding of just how deeply this world was invested in me and wanted me to be invested in it in return? How do I describe the explosive sense of awe that broke open my perception of what this show was capable of on too many occasions to count? How do I describe the entirety of that experience, starting with the auspicious beginning of Crunchyroll fucking up the player and me having to wait a few more days than I’d hoped to even start the damn show, and ending six months and 367 episodes later with the realization that I'd just found my single favorite fictional property of all time? For as much as I love writing, the words can’t help but escape me here. Well, perhaps it would be beneficial to take Julie Andrews’ advice and start at the beginning. It is, after all, a very good place to start. Gintama is a story about people. More specifically, it's a long-running shonen series detailing an alternate-history Japan where instead of being colonized by foreign nations in the nineteenth century, Japan was colonized by aliens known as the Amanto. As the series begins, the ruling Amanto regime is making life pretty shitty for most people in the capital city of Edo. Humans are discriminated against, the power structures are all out of balance, and nobody seems to know how to make things better. And it's here that our protagonist enter the picture: Sakata Gintoki, a boorish former samurai who's taken to eking out a living doing odd jobs for the people in his community. He's lazy and ill-mannered and has no respect for the Amanto's so-called authority; he simply wants to live his life on his own terms. And he doesn't put up with bullshit from anyone, no matter how powerful or presitigous. That spirit of determination- that "silver soul," as the show's name fittingly translates to- ends up drawing a couple of teenagers into his wake. First is Shimura Shinpachi, the straight-laced dojo student who's older sister runs their family dojo after their parents died. Second is Kagura, a rambunctious alien from the Yato clan who came to earth to experience a life of her own. Against his better judgement, Gintoki ends up taking them in, and they become the central trio the show revolves around. The show is primarily a comedy slice-of-life; most episodes revolve around throwing the characters into a new, bizarre situation and seeing the ridiculous antics that ensue. And rest assured, the comedy is goddamn fantastic. God-tier performances from a murder's row of the best voice actors in the business, completely unpredictable gags that run on a bonkers, making-this-shit-up-as-we-go logic that somehow always perfectly ties together, and winning comedic chemistry from pretty much the entire cast. A lot of the jokes spring from references to other anime, but the punchlines are specific and unique enough that you don't need to have seen the anime it's referencing to lose your shit laughing. I'd best describe it as Anime Deadpool, if that makes sense; it's irreverent and juvenile and constantly breaks the fourth wall, but the comedic sensibilities are all genuinely strong enough to justify the absurdity. There are some jokes from this show I will _never_ forget. Make no mistake, though, Gintama is far more than a simple historical sci-fi sitcom. In fact, this show has possibly the single most intricate, expansive plot I've ever seen. From the starting point of Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura, the show expands outward to slowly rope in more and more characters and factions, all of whom are both comedic gold mines in their own right and have some bigger part to play in the show's story and thematic tapestry. Watching Gintama is akin to watching someone set of the longest chain of dominoes in existence. Each new piece placed makes the world and characters richer, each new miniature arc further complicates the ongoing narrative, each new escalation of the stakes makes you that much more excited for what's going to happen next. And it does this CONSTANTLY. Almost every single episode, no matter how insignificant, offers something new for you to chew over. Whether it's a new set of characters interacting, a new wrinkle in ongoing subplots, a new storytelling trope being toyed with (There's a body-swap arc, a Star Wars parody arc, an arc where the characters fight over their rankings in a real-life popularity poll), or simply a new perspective on events that already occurred, Gintama's story is _always_ moving forward. And with every step forward it takes, it only sucks you in deeper and deeper. That intrigue of what was to come next hooked me right from the beginning. Sure, the absurd comedy was enjoyable enough on its face, but even from the very first episode, there was an underlying sense of something just over the horizon. Episodic plots touches on themes of colonialism, tradition, futurism, samurai honor, PTSD and regrets of a war lost, how to live fairly in an unfair system and how far one should go to fight back against that system. All fairly weighty concepts for what seemed, on the surface, to be a fairly simple show about a bunch of snarky dipshits chasing down panty burglars and getting their souls sucked out their anuses. For as innocuous as it starts, the underlying sense I got from the first few episodes was: “we can do more”. Not in a condescending way, but in that the show itself seemed to be promising that it still had a full deck of cards left to play. Through the subtle integration of those themes, through the welcome touches of sincerity in its narrative, and through the increasingly inspired comedy, Gintama set itself up to excite. It was built from the ground up with the promise that you were going to want to see what it did next, because it was going to do… something. You weren’t sure yet what that something was, but you were sure there was something. What you never could have expected- what I never expected, at least- was that “something” would turn out to mean “everything”. There’s a term in German called Gesamtkunstwerk, or “complete work”. It refers to a work of art that makes use of every tool at its disposal, seeking to incorporate as many elements into itself as possible. I can think of no work that better reflects that ethos than Gintama. Swiftly and surely, moment after dazzling moment, this show proved itself to be a show with no limits. Every time I thought it had exhausted its capacity to surprise me, it reached into its bag of holding and pulled out such an unexpected new flavor of story that I was forced to completely re-evaluate what I knew it to be capable of. From goofy, irreverent comedy, it proved itself capable of meaningful thematic explorations. From meaningful thematic explorations, it proved itself capable of a sincerely touching humanity. From a sincerely touching humanity, it proved itself capable of a mastery of the meta of its own place in popular culture that exceeds any other story I’ve seen. From a mastery of its own meta, it proved itself capable of awe-inspiring spectacle that left me cackling in shock. From awe-inspiring spectacle, it proved itself capable of wrenching character drama that left me sobbing in my seat time and time again. From wrenching character drama, it proved itself capable of bringing all those elements together into a synthesis of storytelling prowess, juggling so many disparate tones and styles and making them all feel part of the same massive, sprawling universe. And from there, it proved it could just as easily just do goofy, irreverent comedy again and still have it carry all the weight of its established internal mythology. Gintama breaks every barrier set before it time and time again, reaching to dizzying new heights of wonder with every phallic thrust. But its mastery over storytelling extends even farther than just being able to tackle any genre at the top of its game: Gintama embraces the ethos of storytelling with more strength than pretty much any other work I’ve seen. It turns out, its judicious use of meta isn’t just for the sake of an additional streak of comedy running through its veins. Through its understanding of the meta of storytelling and its own perception and position in the grand media narrative, Gintama ends up being perhaps the most genuinely subversive work of art I’ve seen. There is no tired trope it won’t grind into the dust, no salient critique of its own reputation that it won’t incorporate into its narrative. It seeks not just to tell stories, but to tell stories that surprise and delight at every turn, that remind you of when you were less jaded and every new anime was like an undiscovered country that you couldn’t wait to explore. It seeks not just to practice storytelling, but to elevate it. It seeks to tear down the formulas and archetypes we’ve all grown so tired of and replace them with new, more honest idols, to inspire a new generation of storytellers to expand their horizons and stretch the limits on what they, themselves are capable of. I can’t tell you how many times I cheered at Gintama confidently striking down a tired sexist cliche that’s become all too prevalent in modern anime, acknowledging the cruelty of character archetypes we’ve taken for granted, granting its female characters agency and drive that put every other Shonen JUMP story I’ve seen to shame. I felt like I formed an actual connection with this show, like we were both equally excited to see what fresh, invigorating direction it would go next. As cliche as it sounds, Gintama reminds me why I love storytelling so fucking much. It reminds me why fiction matters, and all the power it can have to change our lives for the better. And it realizes that love with what might actually the best ensemble cast in all of anime, full of eccentric, memorable personalities that all contribute something invaluable whenever they’re on screen. Every single character we meet feels real, with their own goals and motivations and personality quirks that inform their comedy and drama alike, that make you fall in love with them and the poignant humanity at their core. And as all of their relationships intertwine and intersect into an increasingly colossal spiderweb of connections, you come to realize that Gintama isn't just a story about one thing. It's a story about EVERYTHING. It's invested in every single character, from the mains to the most incidental of one-offs. It's invested in every single relationship these characters form. It's a tale not just of people, but of an entire goddamn civilization and each individual person that makes it up. It incorporates countless different elements of the human condition, countless different stories that speak to the endlessly varied experiences of life, and tells them all better than they've ever been told. And it tells them all together as one perfect synthesis of humanity and storytelling's capacity for good alike. Just as every last citizen of Edo stands together to fight off the chains of oppression and change their future for the better, Gintama itself stands against all the worst aspects of storytelling and revolutionizes them until they're capable of piercing the heavens once more. And then there’s Kagura. God, what do I even say? Kagura is second only to Asuka rom Evangelion as my favorite fictional character of all time. Every single second she’s on screen is instantly the most delightful thing I’ll experience all day. I love her straightforward brashness. I love her ability to cut the bullshit and get to the emotional heart of any situation. I love how endlessly excited she gets for the smallest wonders of life. I love her struggle to rise beyond the shackles of her birth clan, and all the heartache and joy that struggle brings. I love how much she and Gintoki are like father and daughter, finding home with each other where they couldn’t before. I love how for all the incredible battles and massive status quo shakeups in this show, one of Gintama's all-time greatest episodes is a simple, near-wordless tale of Kagura enjoying her new umbrella in the rain. I love this girl more than words can properly express. Everything that is amazing about Gintama, is ten hundred times as amazing about her. And the fact that this show would probably still be in my top 3 even without her is a testament to just how fucking incredible this entire affair is. I started writing this post with an admission that I wasn’t sure how to truly express the love I feel for this show. Here at the end, though, I think the picture’s become clear. Gintama is a glorious, undaunted, fist-pumping cheer for everything humanity is capable of. It’s our follies and triumphs, our absurdity and our sincerity, our pettiness and our magnanimity, our ability to laugh and cry and groan and smile and shout in equal measure, sometimes all at the same time. It’s an endlessly entertaining ride that constantly reveals itself to be capable of things you never could’ve imagined. It’s meaningful and momentous and massive. And it achieves all that while still being a mostly episodic series about dick jokes, absurd alien worlds, snarky one-liners, and a complete disregard for the fourth wall. Gintama a masterpiece beyond masterpieces, a triumph so impossibly grand you can barely believe it's real. But it's very real, and it's truly deserving of standing as my single favorite fictional property of all time. If you haven't watched Gintama yet, consider this you call to do so. The final film is FINALLY coming out in 2021, adapting the last few chapters of the manga, so this is the perfect time to get started just in time for the big finish. Don't be intimidated by the length; I promise you, once you get going, you won't be able to put it down. The journey is long as hell, but every single step of the way is worth it. So come join me in running the most rewarding marathon you'll ever run. Come join me in experiencing the absolute pinnacle of this incredible medium. All you have to do is take that first step.

ElusiveFangirl

_(I am writing this on the entry for the 1st season of Gintama, but this review is for the show in its entirety.)_ If you are someone who is considering watching Gintama and is considering it because of what you've heard about the comedy, then I implore you to do so. Gintama is a show that covers most genres, however, at its core is its comedy. There are so many types used within the show from meta, 4th wall-breaking jokes, to episodes where they stall for time. Physical comedy, immature comedy, references, bad puns and wordplay, Gintama has it all and more. I can't think of an episode that didn't make me laugh, giggle or snort in amusement, even if only for a moment amongst tears and genuine emotion. Now, don't get this wrong, Gintama can take itself seriously. The mangaka, writers, animators and voice actors can tear your heart out, even with characters you've only known for that episode. ___However___, it doesn't matter how serious or dire the situation may be, Gintama can always inject some comedy, and, incredibly, make it _work_. It doesn't feel out of place nor annoying, which is something very hard to pull off. This is definitely down to the characters and how they've been written and performed. The large cast of Gintama is full of unique and interesting characters who are very distinct from each other, meaning the different combinations of characters leads to completely different dynamics and interactions, which the show thrives off. The longer, emotional arcs are amazing, and most of the fights are creative and well animated, but you'll find yourself treasuring just one-off episode stories just as much. My biggest advice is "DO NOT SKIP EPISODES" (only episodes 1 and 2 as they were a 40 min special for manga fans and thus confusing and contain spoilers for anyone new to the series). The pay-off in the form of returning characters who you thought you'd never see again, or jokes spanning the entire series to be called back in the final few seasons is definitely worth it, and will make some scenes hit that much harder. Another thing that Gintama excels at is its soundtrack. The OST is fantastic and both the openings and endings are a treat. I also advise not to skip them (the openings in particular) as the show repeatedly has jokes or arcs which involve the openings changing, but why you'd want to skip them is beyond me. So yes, Gintama has a lot going for it with intense fights, heart-breaking scenes, great soundtrack and animation. However, you must go in wanting to experience its trademark comedy, as that is Gintama's true charm and let yourself be surprised by how well Gintama will pull off storylines. I do hope you'll give the show a try and have fun experiencing the madness!

Alfon

__~~~Esta es mi opinión sobre la serie… Hacer una review al respecto se me podría hacer muy extendido, aunque considero que abarco bastantes puntos de importancia y que cubro el concepto general de Gintama.~~~__ Yo siempre doto a Gintama de cierta inconsistencia a la hora de presentarse al espectador, dado que busca que se lo tomen en serio, mientras en otras ocasiones demuestra ser una simple comedia con chistes que en un principio eran originales pero luego se volvieron reciclados, lo que se empieza a notar a partir de la mitad de primera temporada aun así, algunos de estos me hicieron gracia. Simplemente considero que la serie se fue volviendo menos ingeniosa conforme pasaba el tiempo (en al menos este aspecto). Hubiese sido necesaria una innovación en su forma de representar la comedia. La sección comedia me parece muchísimo más indicada para el espectador medio de Gintama. No me gusta cuando pretende ser seria con su profundidad superficial (aspecto que comparte con series como Rick and Morty por ejemplo). Entiendo que la misma serie quiera satirizar al típico shonen. Aspecto que depende en gran medida de que el espectador conozca al típico shonen y muchos otros tipos de anime, lo que no tiene por qué darse. Dicho esto, se pierde un poco el objetivo de la obra al introducir este tipo de sátiras, fallando en el objetivo que la obra propuso si se da el caso (distinto sería si la misma serie nos explicase estos aspectos, de tal forma que no dependa de que el espectador se informe por sí mismo. Sin embargo, esto no tiene ningún sentido lógico porque tendría que explicar todos los chistes, lo que sería TREMENDAMENTE aburrido). Me gusta el cómo la serie construye poco a poco los sucesos del pasado, tomándose su tiempo para que se den ciertos eventos y revelar ciertas verdades. Este aspecto no se ve para nada apurado y lo siento muy natural en mi opinión personal, pero, como ya mencioné antes, no puedo tomarme en serio a la obra desde el mismo inicio y todos los intentos de seriedad van a fracasar por su naturaleza. Se podría decir que Gintama es un poco controversial con la opinión que quiere dar (no puedo tomarme en serio algunas partes y otras no, la serie debe indicarme qué tipo de obra es y no cambiar mucho sus atractivos y objetivos principales), además de que no puedo tomarme muy en serio un mundo como el de Gintama si no me das los recursos para que lo sienta real o, al menos, serio. En lo que va de estudio, las escenas de batallas a veces son buenas, pero noto que fueron decayendo bastante conforme pasaba el tiempo. Por parte del audio me parece de bastante buena calidad y la banda sonora me parece buena, pero otra vez siento que muchas veces no engancha con el aire que quiere dar la serie. Aspecto más o menos irrelevante como sensación final. En fin, intentando pretender ser muchas cosas termina fallando en varias. Esta sería mi opinión sobre su historia: En un principio me gustaba bastante porque se desarrollaba de fondo y de forma algo ingeniosa, sin apurarse y mostrando una historia interesante y oculta entre las risas que se daban. Sin embargo lo de las últimas temporadas me pareció algo antinatural y que se iba de la sátira para pretender ser algo demasiado serio, cuando no es más que el típico shonen, por lo que considero que la obra se convirtió en lo que intentaba burlar, además de que se nota que el presupuesto bajó bastante y su único atractivo serio (véase, las peleas) se vio perturbada por la mala animación (esto me lo puse a investigar y parece que hubo un error de comunicación entre el mangaka, bandai y la shonen jump y es un aspecto muy notorio). Los personajes: Me gustan mucho el diseño de estos y los siento frescos en cierta medida porque son una mezcla entre originalidad y sátira, pero pasados unos 300 y pico de capítulos y partiendo del punto inicial de la serie, apenas se desarrollan y el papel que toman es el de hacer funcional a su comedia, a diferencia de su historia que intenta ser seria (una contraposición de objetivos. Odio ser repetitivo pero me gusta ser claro). Tal vez me digas que Gintoki y los rebeldes se desarrollaron desde que son compañeros de guerra, aspecto en que podría dar la razón pero que siento ajeno a la serie porque nunca vi el contenido de estos sucesos como tal, simplemente fui informado con múltiples escenas de forma algo inteligente. Por otro lado, muchas veces estos demuestran dar un desarrollo falso, que consiste en que cambie una situación, pero al finalizar un arco volver a la situación anterior, aspecto que podría considerar más como entretenimiento que como un verdadero desarrollo de personaje. Como conclusión me queda que los personajes son irrelevantes para la obra fuera de los chistes. Bien Gintama podría ser un anime episodico sobre eventos graciosos y de guerra, donde los personajes fuesen cambiando y siempre se renovase el cast, y no habría ningún problema con este aspecto (hasta sería más interesante esto). Así que en aspectos generales me parece que falla en muchas cosas que se propone y no es clara con el contenido que quiere dar, dado que no es lo suficientemente seria para ser tomada como tal. Sus peleas en un principio me parecían buenas, pero fui perdiendo el entusiasmo con este tema, además siento a la profundidad superficial cada vez más reciclada y no soy capaz de tomarla en serio.

GuacoTaco

__Disclaimer: Spoiler for a season 2 arc in the last paragraph__ Wow wow wow. Where do I begin? Lol I really don’t know where to start, there’s so much to talk about in Gintama. It’s a series with an extremely lovable cast and hilarious comedy that got me laughing more than anything else I have ever seen. Gintama also has one of the most enjoyable main characters I have ever seen: Sakata Gintoki. He is just hilarious and serious when the situation calls for it, Gin has a sweet tooth, he loves to read Weekly Shonen Jump magazines, drink strawberry milk, and he has a crush on the wheather girl Ketsuno Ana. Gintoki runs a business called Odd Jobs where he does, well, you guessed it, odd jobs for people alongside his friends Shimura Shinpachi, Kagura, and of course you can’t forget the adorable Sadaharu. His interactions and relationships with Shinpachi, Kagura and all of his friends are just hilarious; whether it’s Otose getting mad at him for not paying rent, Gin gambling and losing money with Hasegawa, Shinpachi’s sister Otae always being stalked by Kondo, Shinpachi and his fan club always cheering for their favorite pop star Otsu, Tsukuyo throwing kunai knives into Gin’s head after he says something stupid, Katsura always correcting someone when they call him Zura ir anything else, Ayame simping for Gin, Hijikata putting an absurd amount of mayonnaise on anything and everything he eats, and just so much more. I could go on and on about how enjoyable and hilarious the Gintama cast is lmao. Another thing I love about Gintama is how often they reference and do parodies of other series, especially Dragon Ball which they referenced quite frequently. Gintama’s references and parodies never miss. I remember this one episode that had me DYING: Hijikata was trying his hardest to quit smoking so much, I remember he travelled to different planets where cigarettes or tobacco didn’t even exist, and that episode turned into a Dragon Ball parody and instead of trying to quit his tobacco addiction, Hijikata set out to defeat Frieza LMAO. Literally anything can happen in Gintama, you think an episode is going in one direction then it turns into something completely different like the one I just described. The S tier voice acting only make the jokes hit so much better. Gintama also has its fair share of non-comedy arcs and those arcs make you love the cast even more. After seeing characters be funny, seeing them in a serious tone only make you love them more. After seeing Gintoki in comedy episodes for a while, seeing him in a serious tone is just awesome, same for any other character in serious arcs. For example, Gintoki fighting to protect his friends like Otose in the Kabukicho Four Devas arc. This arc really highlighted the relationship Gintoki has with Otose when he fought the man who killed her husband. Ight, I gotta wrap this up, I’ve been typing for a while: Gintama is a hilarious series with an incredible cast, and whether the tone is funny or serious, Sorachi always delivers.

JabroniPie

Before watching this series, I thought that this would be one of those animes where I didn't get the general hype and acclaim that I've heard from several different people, sites, and forums. But after watching the entire series clocking in at 371 episodes, I can see why. ~~~img500(https://deluscar.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/kvzaaii.jpg.png) img500(https://img.mandarake.co.jp/aucimg/8/0/6/7/0001678067.octet-stream) ~~~ Gintama has a bizarre setting, an edo-period japan conquered by aliens, but this setting works because of the fact that it makes even the most absurd comedy joke or the most tragic saddest tearjerker feel right and never out of place in terms of atmosphere. It explores countless of opportunities where they can expand upon their gags, jokes, and heart-touching moments in order for them to not get repetitive for a 300+ episode series. ~~~img500(https://ginnodangan.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/gintama185-11.jpg) img500(https://static3.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Gintama-Assassination-Classroom.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&h=370&dpr=1.5) img500(https://prescottsblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/gintama-japanese-have-a-hard-time-understanding-gags.jpg)~~~ And speaking of gags and jokes, they are great. They make a lot of references and parodies to other popular series but they also create and set their own exclusive gags and jokes such as the famous Katsura phrase and MADAO. It's even more amusing that they even mock their series for their supposed shortcomings and flaws to comedic effect. Sure, there were few I didn't laugh much at or get much at all, but the general execution of their comedy is very good thanks to the charismatic set of characters and their interactions in situations like these. ~~~img500(https://pm1.narvii.com/7189/59109829932fa38aa2eb5518b43d646eb9681379r1-1248-720v2_00.jpg)~~~ Plot-wise and whenever it tries to get serious, and without spoiling much for the reader who hasn't watched this series, I guarantee you that it's some drama and action you can buy yourself into thanks to it's compelling narrative, solid characterization, and themes that it tries to employ. ~~~img500(https://japanryan.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/09/gintama-featured-750x410.jpeg)~~~ Onto the topic of characters, they are one of the main reasons as to why I love this show, even the supporting ones, cause they hold so much entertainment value every time they are seen on my screen and never fail to brighten my day. A lot of them have a solid motive and background in their character and personality, making you care about them even more when they are in danger or in a serious predicament. Even the more major antagonists of the series are pretty much intriguing and likable from a different perspective. Various characters and their set of dynamics exist throughout the series but probably the best of them all is the main trio of Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi. And while on the subject of the trio... ~~~img500(https://mangayokai.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/sakata-gintoki.jpg?w=660&h=340)~~~ The main silver-haired samurai, Gintoki Sakata, has a generally lazy and carefree personality but really gets serious whenever something seriously bad happens to people he knows and acquaints to. I really like him because of the fact that he is both funny and badass at the same time, whether he'd be making dirty jokes or slashing up enemies he sees, he never fails to lose sight of what I know and care about the dude, and my opinion still holds up true after 350+ episodes and that's saying something. Not to mention he has great inspirational and serious quotes of wisdom that he shares with the other members of the cast, or certain people in certain arcs, whenever they are generally lost in their current state of mind or say it against their views and beliefs. ~~~img500(http://pm1.narvii.com/7212/5520897a4a16d8da1c4ca88a2766b150c8a0b1b5r1-1200-608v2_00.jpg)~~~ The alien yato girl, Kagura; is a cute young anime girl who has a lot of tomboyish traits, is freakishly strong physically, and is very gluttonous. She can be hilarious whenever she takes situations in such a haphazard manner to the point where in one episode, she accidentally kills her pet beetle due to her being too excited during a kabuto beetle match. Her unladylike traits gives her more color as an character and overall I think she is a good female mc for the series. ~~~img500(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dljvu5hV4AEDf_f.jpg)~~~ The straight glasses man, Shinpachi Shimura, is your usual goody-two shoes boy who has weird quirks and takes up the role of a straight man to retort the many comedic gags and situations his other two comrades and many other supporting characters partake in. He fulfills his role very effectively, and I never found him annoying while he's doing his straight main retorts. But even so, when he plays the funny man, it results in extreme hilarity like in a certain arc where he fell in love with a certain creature thanks to his virgin delusions. (There's a lot I can say for the supporting cast in detail, but it would probably stretch too long so I'll just leave the main trio's quirks and reasons why I like them there.) ~~~img500(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/122/122486.gif)~~~ Moving on from the characters, the animation and art style is solid but definitely great whenever it tries to show those badass fight sequences. Not much to comment here, but I will admit that it can feel a bit low-budget like in the first season but honestly I personally got used to it, and didn't mind as long as the general substance of the series that I like about is there. The animation definitely improves as they moved to the transition of 16:9 in the 2nd season and so forth. ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGkzRsZvRrw) youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Jg4o6iCBw&list=PLuj7tKZO1pJUqzVRGiJzXCMdnCTKg_Wgg)~~~ OST choices are nice, they flow well with the vibe and situation of each and every episode and generally never feel out of place. Though I did feel a bit monotonous with the OST choices later on in the last portions of the 1st season, that feeling went away by the time the 2nd season rolled around with a new set of OSTs for new characters and various serious sequences in serious arcs. ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpGPYFU4n0Y) youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBQmuw3CYnE)~~~ OP/ED's are likable for my taste, till this day after like 4 months I still listen to their songs just because of how catchy and addictive they are. SPYAIR and DOES really do a great job especially with this. As for a bit more flaws that I have personally felt and noticed, I thought that the general feeling and atmosphere of the first 4 seasons dipped by the 5th season, and while still enjoyable and definitely not bad, they didn't match up to the quality and expectation I had with the previous four seasons. Furthermore, animation of fights weren't as good but some definitely were but I won't mention them here cause it'll spoil the experience. I still would recommend you keep on watching as it's more Gintama content. ~~~img500(https://animesher.com/orig/1/109/1096/10968/animesher.com_gif-gintama-gifs-1096832.gif)~~~ Overall this anime was a ride I'll never forget, and even with some flaws and nitpicks I mentioned and have personally experienced throughout this review, the general entertainment and vibe I got with this series was so good I can accept those flaws for what they are and not be ashamed of them. Especially because of the fact that a show with 350+ episodes to stay enjoyable and make me feel so immersed that I forget the concept of time throughout it's span is something extraordinary.

AnotherBadger

"Boss, friendship is not something decided in one day, but it's something formed before you know it." - Okita Sougo, Episode 86 When watching _Gintama_ there are three easy rules to follow: 1) Skip the first two episodes. Everyone says it, and they are right. While I was one of the few who actually enjoyed them; these two episodes are not really representative of the series as a whole. You won't be missing anything and you can always watch them later on. 2) Don't skip comedy episodes or arcs. People tend to ask "when will _Gintama_ get serious?" and that is a dangerous mindset to have when starting this series because you will become tunnel-visioned; looking for action when that is not what _Gintama_ is. _Gintama_ is, first and foremost, an episodic comedy. The comedy episodes build character, immerse you in the world, and are hilarious, with many becoming important to the story in unexpected ways. 3) Take your time. For some people, like myself, binging _Gintama_ was the best way to watch this show. I absolutely love the episodic format and short arcs since they don't feel like too much of an investment. I can easily watch a large number of episodes in a row without noticing. But this approach won’t be for everyone. Even if you are more of a binge-watcher, sometimes taking a break is the best way to enjoy this show to its fullest. If you feel like things are dragging then go away, watch something different, and come back with a fresh perspective. It can really help as episodic comedies are not really built for binge-watching. So what makes _Gintama_ good? It's complicated but if I have to give three main reasons it would be the characters, the story arcs, and the amount of love put into the series by those who work on it. The characters are definitely the most important element of _Gintama_. I could write pages about why the relationship between Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi is engaging, heartfelt, and well-written. And while this trio absolutely dominates the screen, they aren't the only characters who drive the story and bond to the audience. From the Shinsengumi to the rebelling factions, to the everyday people of Edo trying to live their lives, every character is important. If even one of them was removed, there would be a noticeable hole left behind and, with such a huge cast, that is an impressive feat. The beauty of _Gintama_’s cast comes from every character being allowed to exist as someone important. Everyone is the main character in their own story (even if they only have one appearance), and _Gintama_’s episodic structure allows them to be explored and developed to their fullest. Some of the most impactful characters only appear for one or two episodes, but they leave a lasting impression. This is because _Gintama_’s story arcs are truly some of the best in anime. The progression of the plot through comedy can be a little repetitive for some, lulling you into a sense of security; making you think that you know what will happen. But _Gintama_ will pull the rug from under your feet. Even the most genre-savvy watchers will be surprised by how far this series will go. When looking at adaptations of manga, _Gintama_ is one of the best out there. The shorter comedy stories are extended in a seamless way that takes Sorachi’s concepts and pushes them further, utilising the anime in every way possible to ensure that the jokes work. The ability to draw surprise also makes the emotional gut punches all the more powerful. Two notable, and underrated, examples can be found in the _Okita Mitsuba Arc_ (86 - 87) and the _Guardian Dog Arc_ (107 - 108) where the story takes unexpected turns that challenges the conventions of the series. _Gintama_ also refuses to shy away from the darker elements of its narrative and premise. After all, _Gintama_ is a post-war story and this element is sprinkled throughout; dealing with the ideas of loss and the past in such surprisingly touching ways. Everyone has their crosses to bear, but none are treated as being lesser burdens than any other. For two-episode arcs to have such an emotional impact is a testament to how great the writing can be. And I don't want to undersell the comedy. Some of _Gintama_'s most ridiculous moments are some of its best. I have a long list of comedy episodes that I watch when I need a boost, and they never fail to make me laugh. Everyone will have different episodes that they love and you would still be able to understand why. And this is all because of the staff. The people who worked on this series clearly care, but they are also aware of their own shortcomings. The references to the budget, the threat of cancellation, and the dedication to toilet humour really make _Gintama_ stand out. The staff are just as aware as the characters and you can't help but respect them for directing the audience's attention to this. There is ingenuity to this series that cannot easily be matched and this is because the animation staff, and Sorachi, are willing to go beyond what is necessary to make jokes hit. _Gintama_’s fourth-wall breaks are famous for a reason and part of that is because the staff are willing to make themselves (as well as the wider industry) the butt of the joke. _Gintama_ is a series that never holds back and it is all the better for it. For some, the animation will be a little bit too lackluster at moments. For some, the jokes will not land. For some, the lack of immediate action and plot will make it difficult for them to watch. And that's ok. _Gintama_ isn't a perfect series and it doesn't pretend to be. Much like the manga, _Gintama_ revels in its imperfection. However make no mistake, _Gintama_ may be an investment of time but, when it sinks its claws in, it is a series that will never let go.

Kenzoxd

~~~Depois de assistir 367 episódios + 1 Especial + 2 Filmes eu irei contar um pouco nessa review a minha experiência ao assistir Gintama!~~~ --- ~~~De começo vou deixar claro que essa review irá abordar tanto Gintama(2006-2010) quanto suas continuações, entretanto,__ NÃO HAVERÁ SPOILERS__. Então fique tranquilo(a), pode ler a vontade!~~~ ~~~img(https://i2.wp.com/haruhichan.com/wpblog/wp-content/uploads/Gintoki-Sakata-Gintama-quote-haruhichan.com-anime.gif)~~~ --- ~~~Antes de começar um sumário simples se você desejar assistir Gintama:~~~ 1. Gintama (201 episódios) 2. Gintama' (51 episódios) 3. Gintama' Enchousen (13 episódios) 4. Gintama Movie 2: Kanketsu-hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare (Filme) 5. Gintama° (51 episódios) 6. Gintama. (12 episódios) 7. Gintama.: Porori-hen (13 episódios) 8. Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen (12 episódios) 9. Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen - Kouhan-sen (14 episódios) 10. Gintama: The Semi-Final (Especial 2 episódios) 11. Gintama: The Final (Filme) --- ~~~Antes de assistir Gintama em 2021 eu já havia tentado assistir em 2019. Na época eu assisti 11 episódios (mais ou menos 1 cour) para ver se eu iria gostar do anime. E bom, eu gostei, mas não o suficiente para assistir 201 episódios com o mesmo estilo de piada, portanto, deixei ele no on-hold por 2 anos. No começo de 2021 eu tive a brilhante ideia de começar a assistir todos os animes do TOP 50 do MyAnimeList, (SIM EU SOU IDIOTA). Bem, meio que __TODAS__ as temporadas de Gintama estão no TOP 50. Isso me deixou um pouco desconfortável, afinal, eu teria que ver 367 episódios de um anime que eu não estava nem um pouco afim de assistir. Mas mesmo assim eu me forcei a ver, pelo menos 50 episódios. Eu tenho um amigo quie ama Gintama e conversando com ele sobre minhas experiências ao longo da série deixou até que fácil de assistir. Até chegar mais ou menos no episódio 30~35. A partir daí eu engatei em Gintama, as piadas começaram a ficar super engraçadas e independente do personagem que aparecia eu ficava super feliz. Só de aparecer o Gintoki com o Hijikata ou com o Katsura eu já dava risada, mesmo sendo anime episódico eu podia ficar o dia inteiro assistindo Gintama. E não deu outra, quando eu já tinha reparado estava eu assistindo o último filme de Gintama após 367 episódios que passaram voando! ~~~ --- ~~~Vou contar um pouco sobre a sinopse e um pouco de cada temporada:~~~ --- __Sinopse:__ Gintama se passa em um mundo totalmente diferente do nosso, não compare a nossa Terra com a Terra deles, lá era chamado de Planeta dos Samurais, era, até os alienigenas invadirem e conviverem com os humanos. Dentro deste universo vive Sakata Gintoki, um samurai que ainda possui sua alma de prata e ainda acredita na volta dos samurais. Gintoki possui um Yorozuya (Faz tudo), não importa o que você precise, dando dinheiro ele consegue. Junto com ele vive Kagura, uma alienigena que veio para terra e mora junto com Gintoki ajudando ele no Yorozuya. E para terminar o trio, Shimura Shinpachi, um samurai que trabalha com Gintoki para poder juntar dinheiro e reformar o dojo de sua família. --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885222396192247908/73274.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama (1 - 201) (201 ep) [1ª Temporada]~~~__ Os primeiros 2 episódios são filler, você pode pula-los se quiser. É apenas 2 epeciais comemorando a estréia do anime. Tudo o que acontece lá você vai descobrir nos outros episódios, então eu não julgo se quiser pular, eles são até divertidinhos. O anime possui openings de 25 a 25 episódios e endings de 12 a 12 episódios e, rapaz, que openings/endings incríveis. Não consigo não escutar um opening//ending de Gintama sem ficar feliz, independente qual seja. Falando um pouco sobre o conteúdo dos 201 episódios, e bota conteúdo aí porque são __FODENDOS 201 EPISÓDIOS__. Gintama é um anime episódico, mas isso não quer dizer muita coisa, afinal, o anime em si não são 201 episódios únicos, mais ou menos lá pelos episódios 20-30 começam a ter episódios duplos ou triplos que contam histórias muito divertidas e engraçadas. Mas, em questão de arcos, o anime tem seu primeiro arco apenas no episódio 58, o arco da Benizakura. Sendo bem sincero eu não gosto tanto dele quanto dos outros, mas ele é um arco interessante, afinal, é nele que conhecemos o antagonista da série e diversos personagens muito interessantes. ~~~img(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e0/35/b5/e035b5274548a0758cf23d0236555b53.gif)~~~ Avançando um pouco no anime, falando superficialmente, temos diversos arcos extremamente bons, eu diria até mesmo bons suficiente para estarem entre os melhores da série, como o arco de Yoshiwara, arco de popularidade ou até mesmo da crise da Shinsengumi. Esse arcos começam aparecer mais para a metade do anime (100-201), mas até lá há arcos muito bons também como o arco Yagyu ou até mesmo o arco do Umibozo. Mas sem dúvidas, eu dou mérito a Gintama por esses 201 episódios serem tão bem feitos. Digo em questões de animação, roteiro, dublagem, direção e afins, o anime consegue ser consistente até o final. Gintama não possui fillers, quer dizer, não possui tantos fillers. Os fillers de Gintama são tão bons que é impossível pular algum, até mesmo em recap eles consegue entregar algo único para deixar os espectador entrosado com o universo, simplesmente uma obra de arte. ~~~img(https://24.media.tumblr.com/7c9c769b9bbf14b57be2ad078d7a5430/tumblr_mr9is8oexi1ssc7mlo1_500.gif)~~~ Ah! E como se esquecer das piadas que mesmo sendo repetidas toda vez que elas aparecem eu não consigo parar de rir, como o Shinpachi sendo representado apenas por um óculos, ou a Kagura sendo comilona, ou o Kondo sendo stalker e o Okita tentando matar o Hijikata, essas pequenas piadas fazem Gintama ser Gintama, mesmo quando você sabe que a piada vai vir você consegue ser supreendido tantas vezes que é impossível descrever o fator piada dessa obra. ~~~img(https://i.gifer.com/CB6x.gif)~~~ E por fim, gostaria de mandar a Sunrise tomar no **, coitado de Gintama sempre reclamando de orçamento e eles não fazem nada!! CADE A JUSTIÇA?????? Só porque Gundam dá mais dinheiro???? Cadê a democracia??!!! bom vamos para a continuação! --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885228354364645376/50361.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama' (202 - 252) (51 ep) [2ª Temporada]~~~__ Finalmente a segunda temporada de Gintama, e que é por sinal uma das melhores temporadas da série toda! Já vamos falar de coisa boa, saimos do passado 4:3 e finalmente depois de 201 episódios estamos assistindo em 16:9, nunca fiquei tão feliz com algo tão normal hoje em dia. Sem falar que Gintama' é praticamente, para mim, o auge de Gintama. Mas vamos lá, porque Gintama' é tão bom? Eu digo, pessoa que está lendo, Gintama' falando bem resumidamente possui a melhor produção como também possui arcos incríveis! Só de lembrar das lutas tão bem animadas eu já fico arrepiado, Gintama não teve medo de arriscar nessa temporada. ~~~img(https://i.gifer.com/OtIC.gif)~~~ Ainda continuam os episódios únicos, entretanto, podemos ver que fica mais normal episódios duplos ou triplos e ainda arcos são bem mais comuns, a cada 12 episódios você podia ver 2 arcos sendo formados o que deixava o anime bnem mais interessante. Nessa temporada também tivemos a inclusão de novos personagens e de uma narrativa mais série, não deixando de lado totalmente o fator humor mas a seriedade do anime tornou-se forma. Também, é impossível retirar o humor de Gintama, literalmente existe um arco nessa temporada que é literalmente sobre paródias, o quão extremo Gintama chega para trazer humor é absurdo. --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885234154025934858/75172.jpg)~~~ ~~~__Gintama' Enchousen (253 - 265) (13 ep) [2ª Temporada parte 2]__~~~ Eu julgo essa temporada como uma terceira temporada, mas como o anime deixa claro que o Gintama° é a terceira temporada, então vamos seguir assim. Essa temporada é algo que podemos falar que sem dó, essa porra é bom pra caralho. Em 13 episódios eles conseguiram colocar 3 arcos, sendo os 3 arcos nota 10, incrível. Já não bastava colocar Sakura Mitsutsuki na opening, eles tinham que fazer bonito nesses 13 episódios. ~~~img(https://pa1.narvii.com/6423/059341a1f83686847e19305bd05d19f196a4d74d_hq.gif)~~~ Falando de uma forma mais prática, a partir dessa temporada Gintama começa a percorrer um objetivo sólido deixando claro muitas pergunta que tinhamos ao longo do anime. Eu diria que Gintama começa a chegar nos atos finais depois dessa temporada, mas temos ainda 100 episódios para falar isso, então deixarei minha fala para mais tarde. Só saibam que essa temporada é uma das melhores, confia. --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885235954934222908/51723.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama Movie 2: Kanketsu-hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare [Filme]~~~__ Apenas uma frase: Bom demais. Esse filme não faz parte do mangá, mas ele foi escrito canonicamente pelo autor, então...assistam!! Não quero muito falar sobre esse filme, qualquer coisa pode ser spoiler. Só saibam que é melhor assistir ele antes de Gintama°, mas se assistir depois não tem problema. :D ~~~img(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c1/ae/7e/c1ae7e85d0ba12a20d7bd985714d8605.gif)~~~ --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885237153553080370/72078.jpg)~~~ ~~~__Gintama° (266 - 316) (51 ep) [3º Temporada]__~~~ Uma pena falar isso, mas essa temporada começa o declínio de Gintama...ou era para ser. Em questões de produção essa temporada já é bem inferior ao Gintama', sem sombras de dúvidas o orçamento foi cortado ali. Entretanto, para mim, essa é a melhor temporada da série. A partir da metade do anime Gintamaº começa a entrar em seu ato final, sim, é o começo do fim, entretanto, os arcos deste anime são os melhores da série. Sim, eu gosto muito da maioria dos arcos do anime, considero o arco da Xogum o melhor arco de Gintama. ~~~img(https://i.gifer.com/9MEw.gif)~~~ Isso me faz questionar um pouco como o roteiro e a direção de Gintama conseguiu carregar toda essa falta de animação nas costas, o anime é tão bom que eu consigo simplesmente não ligar tanto se tem pouca fluidez ou se o personagem está mal desenhado. Mas bom, esse é apenas o começo do fim, temos muito Gintama ainda! --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885238862123773972/83528.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama. (317 - 328) (12 ep) [4ª Temporada]~~~__ Dessa vez a temporada foi dividida em 4 partes, então eu falarei brevemente de cada um aqui. ~~~img(https://c.tenor.com/wcf6ZCL1G2IAAAAd/gintoki-fight.gif)~~~ Essa parte da temporada adapta um arco inteiro, sim, 12 episódios de um arco e, em questão de roteiro e direção, o anime é muito bom. Mas se falarmos da animação da para ver que decaiu um pouco desde Gintama°. Nos momentos que é para ser bem animado ele consegue entregar algo bonito, mas em lutas menos esperadas ele apenas tenta não fazer feio, mas fica bem evidente a situação. Mas, tirando os lados ruins, Gintama. é muito bom, mesmo em momentos sérios Gintama consegue entregar aquele humor que só ele consegue fazer e tornar um anime incrível de se assistir --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885240350132826192/88325.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama.: Porori-hen (329 - 341) (13 ep) [4ª Temporada parte 2]~~~__ Agora fodeu O que restava de animação na temporada anterior agora é nula...mas dessa vez pelo menos tudo bem. Quero dizer, dessa vez é uma temporada exclusivamente episódica como sempre foi Gintama, portanto, não requer tanta animação, mas tava feio, as vezes você olhava pro Gintoki e nem reconhecia o menino. ~~~img(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FrighteningEnergeticElephantbeetle-size_restricted.gif)~~~ As piadas ainda são super engraçadas e o anime em si é bem divertido, um ótimo break-time antes do grande final de Gintama. --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885241535933861958/89603.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen (342 - 353) (12 ep) [4ª Temporada parte 3]~~~__ Estamos chegando ao fim de Gintama, está começando o último arco da obra. Em partes é triste estar acabando, por outras partes finalmente está acabando. Depois de mais de 300 episódios Gintama precisava de um final épico. ~~~img(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c9/a2/12/c9a212d69e00e23179ccf20bb85a0ef3.gif)~~~ Sobre essa temporada, não vou entrar muito nela por conta de spoilers mas ela é... feia. Ok, ela está bem melhor que o porori-hen, mas ainda sim não temos o Gintama' de volta, muito menos o Gintama°. É uma temporada muito boa, principalmente os últimos episódios. --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885244477000802334/bx101925-gcA84dgcSj2w.png) ~~~ __~~~Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen - Kouhan-sen (354 - 367) (14ep) [4ª Temporada parte 4]~~~__ Última temporada de Gintama, e que temporada em! Dessa vez fizeram bonito, as animações foram boas e a história foi muito boa. 14 episódios muito bons, um ótimo desfecho para o Silver Soul Arc. ~~~img(https://i.gifer.com/HlyX.gif)~~~ E bom... acabou? Gintama finalmente acabou? É... não, eles infelizmente não conseguiram adaptar tudo e tiveram que fazer um filme para adaptar os últimos capítulos do mangá, mas sobre essa temporada eu digo apenas uma coisa: Bom demais! --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885245741847678986/110521.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama The Semi-Final [Especial]~~~__ Você não precisa ver esses episódios para ver o Gintama The Final, mas eu recomendo EXTREMAMENTE para você ver, ainda mais se você ficou curioso sobre o que acontece no final do Silver Soul Arc O anime é bem mais feio que a última temporada, mas ele é bem divertido. --- ~~~img220(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859532152220024848/885246505575919686/109706.jpg)~~~ __~~~Gintama The Final [Filme]~~~__ Enfim, o final. Um dos filmes mais bem feitos que eu já vi, um final digno para Gintama. Não vou falar sobre o filme, afinal, spoilers. Vou falar apenas uma conclusão sobre Gintama. Gintama é longo, pra caralho, possui episódios ruins, episódios mal feitos, temporadas com animação ruim ou até mesmo arcos que as vezes acha uma merda, mas, dianta a tanta coisa ruim as coisas boas que Gintama traz são tão boas que me faz olhar para o anime apenas pelas coisas boas que ele mostra. Gintama é sobre comédia, sobre ensinamentos, sobre amizade e sobre ser quem você é não importa quem te impeça. Escrevi essa review por mim, eu não me importo se ninguém ler ou achar ela ruim, eu apenas quero deixar registrado o quanto eu gostei desse anime e como foi a minha jornada por esses 367 episódios. ~~~img(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ae/b8/54/aeb8543d4363d2a800f51a5ea0f87748.gif)~~~ Durante a pandemia de 2020-2021 momentos tristes foram mais presentes do que o normal, esse anime trouxe um pouco de felicidade ao meu eu do passado e espero que ele possa alegrar muito mais pessoas além de mim. Obrigado Hideaki Sorachi por essa obra incrível e espero poder reve-la de novo no futuro. Para aqueles que ainda tem dúvida se vale ou não a pena começar o anime está aí a resposta. --- Nota final: 1/10 muito ruim mds shounen jump como não cancelaram esse mangá???

EpicSponge101

This review will contain no spoilers unless further warned, and only cover season 1 of the show. Img(https://tinyimg.io/i/SwrLaNH.jpeg) # ~~~__Overview__~~~ Gintama was a series I had incredibly high expectations going into, anticipating battles and victories to rival the other Shounen greats-- which wasn’t quite what I got. Yet somehow, it was equally beautiful. To set the stage, Gintama is a comedy at its most core element, with the occasional emotional moment or even more sparse battle Shounen arc. The labels here don’t really matter, though, because what Gintama has in spades is soul; which is ironically a recurrent thematic motif of the series. Through some of the cleverest comedy I’ve seen in anime, and some fantastically melancholic to heartwarming plotlines, Gintama manages to catch a balance no other show quite can. This gives the show a sense of heart and soul like no other, making for an incredibly memorable experience beloved by millions. Of course, charm and comedy isn’t the only thing the show has, there’s plenty of serious arcs and amazing character development sprinkled throughout. However, the only issue is people go in expecting the show to frequently be this, or this to be the main appeal-- and it’s simply not. Perhaps in later seasons that ramps up, but the first season is a gag-driven comedic bombshell, and should only be viewed with that intent. Otherwise you will be sorely disappointed, as expectations often make a show like this for many. Before I get into the meat and bones of this review, I’d like to note Gintama is a show of gradual appeal. If you’re like me, you’ll probably hate it at first, but it’s truly worth sticking. You’ll slowly see your complaints evaporate over time, as the author improves and confounds upon his writing ability. For a little background on the setting, Gintama takes place in Edo, Japan, the land of the samurai. Well, what was once the land of the samurai, as a new-age Amanto(alien) government takes over and integrates far more futuristic technology into society, winning their war against samurai and banning the way of the sword. So, we follow a post-war veteran bum who refuses to pay rent and uses kids to make money doing odd jobs-- Gintoki Sakata. Despite Gintoki appearing to be such a worthless person, he makes many friends and earns a large amount of respect for his character-- mostly due to a shining samurai soul that guides him in life. That’s neither here nor there, however, as the basic point is we follow a samurai in a world evolving out of such times. This creates for interesting conflicts between samurais of the old age and the new age, naturally leading to political intrigue for the viewer, even if our main character usually takes a passive stance on this matter. # __~~~The Comedy~~~__ img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/hLdfYmc.jpeg) Gintama comedy is a wide array of things depending on the episode, though it is usually character-driven. It dabbles in many things such as absurdism/surrealism, meta humor, black comedy, sentimental comedy, romantic comedy(kinda), word-play, spoofs, blue comedy, deadpan comedy, and gag-based comedy. This wide array of comedic styles keeps the humor from getting stale across 201 episodes, as they constantly evolve the formula and mix styles. The show’s ability to construct creative situations for the characters to interact in never fails to impress me, as it's fun to watch an episode’s core recurrent gag evolve to get funnier and funnier every time. On this note, most episodes have a satisfying comedic punchline to subvert the expectations of the viewer at the very end. Now that I’ve explained why I generally like the comedy, I’ll get into the specifics that I think are notable. ~~~Recurrent Character Gags~~~ Img(https://tinyimg.io/i/uTyrGP4.jpeg) One of the most memorable things about the show is its wide array of vivid and unique characters, each subverting their own molds or evolving their formula throughout the run of the show. This strong, lasting characterization is part of what makes the show have such an abundance of heart and sentimental appeal. I would be a liar if I didn’t say the cast captivated me, and the execution of each of their arcs is sublime-- noting the fact they are mostly un-concluded by the end of season 1, however. Now, for a more thorough analysis, let’s look at one of my favorite characters in the show-- Yamazaki Sagaru. He is an incredibly minor character without much relevance in the grand scheme of things, but characters like him are the roots of the show’s success. His contributions to the show are of an indescribable flavor, as he meshes in with the rest of the supporting cast to make a phenomenal experience. For the character himself, he plays the role of straight-man for the Shinsengumi which is sort of its own sub-cast within the show, with the occasional subvertation of this expected role. He gets into various bizarre situations throughout the show, and as a straight man, he usually reacts and calls out what is happening-- which is generally entertaining, and fortunately not patronizing to the viewer with this character. We see him form relationships with the other characters adding to his chemistry, as he forms a kinship with Shinpachi(another straight-man) and is constantly the punching bag of the Shinsengumi. Each individual episode focusing on him expands upon this existing dichotomy with other characters, gradually developing not only Yamazaki himself, but the comedy over time. In arcs like the Popularity Poll arc, we get to see his character expand from just another straight man balancing the cast to a vivid and memorable character of his own. It's hard to get into specifics without spoilers, though. Now take this basic concept of development through comedy and apply that to every minor and grand character of the show, as they all begin to flourish in the latter half of the 201 episodes. I mean it when I say almost every character experiences this in some way as well. Along with comedic growth however, there is a single baseline for every character-- the recurrent gag, or in more primary characters several of these. Yamazaki plays tennis; Hijikata likes Mayo and cigarettes; Gintoki likes sweets and has curly hair; Kondo is a stalker gorilla; Shinpachi is nothing but glasses; Madao is nothing but glasses and also homeless, and ect. My point in case there was to highlight each character has a central motif that separates them from the rest of the cast, bar the overlap of Shinpachi and Madao. Even that is used to great effect though, which I’ll get into later. Anyways, these gags get more complex over the runtime and are boosted by creative situational writing. They shockingly almost never get stale bar a few episodes, and are constantly innovated upon-- and when a joke has thoroughly run its course, it's replaced with something better. So, in essence, the development through comedic evolution and the constantly recurring gags are what make the cast truly special-- plus the consistency of such development to even the lower levels of the cast. ~~~Meta and Absurdism~~~ ~~~youtube(https://youtu.be/qOUi3uPC3Vc)~~~ Creativity is a forte of Gintama, which is fortunate considering how mind numbingly awful meta humor can be when delivered incorrectly. A parody or reference to one’s self can feel pandering or too self-pleasing at times, I mean, look at most modern-day Isekai as they flounder around attempting to look smart by stating “Whaaat? A demon-lord?! This sounds familiar”. Fortunately, Gintama meta humor does not fall into this category, but falls more along the lines of something like Hot Fuzz. It manages to have incredibly solid and original storylines, while making fun of stuff it does or tropes it occasionally harbors. Stuff you wouldn’t even expect is called out, like in a certain Madao’s cited reason for trying to take out Shinpachi is because they both have glasses-related gags, and it's often shown Shinpachi and Yamazaki have a kinship since they’re both straight men for another example. This kind of smart, subtle-ish integration into the plot allows for naturally flowing and unobnoxious meta humor. It’s truly impressive what they do here compared to mass-produced Isekai or modern day Hollywood schlock; they’ve truly mastered the formula of satirizing one’s self. It really shows that Sorachi, the mangaka, has a solid grasp on the fundamentals of comedy and can twist them to his benefit. On another note, Sorachi himself is a character portrayed by a lazy gorilla, which is within itself a very fun concept. No arc exemplifies this aspect of the show better than the Popularity Poll arc, which is perhaps the peak of the show. I won’t spoil this, however-- just know it perfectly uses meta humor to add to the characterization of already well established characters, and blends together absurdist humor with meta humor to create something truly beautiful. For absurdist humor, it’s just another testament to Sorachi’s creativity in his art. The bizarreness of some of the comedy within itself is general enough to make one laugh, but this is fortunately not over-used and is constantly compounded upon by other forms of humor. Usually the punchline of a joke, or the evolution of a joke over an episode, is what breeds Gintama’s absurdism however. For example, we go from a simple episode where the gang catches colds to a character absorbing all of the colds and becoming the being known as “Ill Smith”. We get to see the gang get abducted by aliens and turn into screwdriver people, having to force themselves to accept it and take up driver-related jobs with melancholic music playing for the better half of an episode. The constant influx of borderline ludicrous ideas at play never ceased to shock me, and I was thoroughly entertained every time the show tackled this sort of comedy. On this note, however, it made it even more disappointing when Gintama did eventually fail. Like the episode where Hijikata and Gintoki get handcuffed together falls into the most cliche, boring comedy a show like this could ever produce. Anyways, the video above is another example of this-- yes, the MS Paint OP is official. What a beautiful idea. ~~~Spoof and Referential~~~ Img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/0JcOLfv.jpeg) Gintama has mastered the art of parody and reference, being a celebration of anime culture while simultaneously being an integral part of it. It constantly makes fun of tropes you would see in a different genre of show, deconstructing them while executing them perfectly. To bring up Hot Fuzz again, it manages to parody shows while managing to be a good version of said shows within itself. If Gintama parodies a romance, it will not only thoroughly make fun of and subvert things within said genre, but it will also be a convincing romance within itself. That is the key to the parody in my opinion. The goal is not to point and laugh, but hold hands and laugh, it just creates for a better product all around. As for the referential aspect of this, Gintama manages to go as far as referencing semi-niche things like classic ecchi such as To Love Ru, while making jokes everyone can understand and appreciate. This is essential for proper and non-pandering reference humor, I believe. It's a general principle the show follows as well, with some episodes such as Hijikata’s tobacco-filled adventure to a DBZ universe parody being a fan favorite, even for those who haven’t watched DBZ. If a joke is made that involves outside knowledge of a franchise, there will almost always be a secondary joke to make up for some viewer's information gap, or at the very least it will be brief. I would also like to note the wide range of parodies Gintama performs, I think it’s great. # __~~~Thematic Development~~~__ Img(https://tinyimg.io/i/wiuYznR.jpeg) “Whether I go or not, I’ll die anyway. I have an organ more important than my heart. Although you can’t see it, I feel it going through my head down to my feet, and I know it exists within me. It lets me stand on my feet, it lets me walk forward without trembling. If I stop here, I feel like it would break… My soul will break.”- Gintoki Sakata. Gintama, at its core, is about standing up for your own personal values and protecting what matters most in life, whatever that may be to you. Usually for the characters in the show, in a semi-cliche way, this is their friends and family. This is simple in concept, but it is portrayed beautifully on multiple occasions throughout the many episodes Gintama harbors. A common motif is that the soul is what a samurai consists of, depicting samurai as devout beings who take up swords to protect what’s important-- usually being their country, friends, or moral code. Those who are truly beautiful and said to shine brighter than any other are those of our main cast, who exhibit traits of compassion and empathy on multiple occasions. My favorite example of this would be in episode 188, where we see Madao throw away his own chance to get out of the hellhole his life is for the sake of reconciling a broken family. I won’t spoil it, but that episode is a comedic and emotional masterpiece that perfectly conveys this theme. Anyway, though this is the core theme, Gintama manages to use its many storylines to convey other purposes depending on the episode. It tackles stuff like growing old, secular devotion, loss of self being cowardice, and the new generation overtaking the old. All of which is delivered to various degrees of impact and success, across various characters. I look forward to seeing how this is compounded upon in later seasons especially. I touched on how samurai’s souls “shine” in the paragraph above, however, I didn’t go into specifics-- which I would like to do here. For example, our main character Gintoki Sakata shines because he represents the present. He lives by his own rules; he doesn’t conform to society, nor does he fight it unless it hurts what he needs to protect. This is in stark contrast to a character like Takasugi who remains constantly caught up in the past, never moving forward and constantly fighting for a battle long lost. Then, for another layer, Katsura’s philosophy of change without violence directly contrasts Takasugi’s more volatile methods as well-- which I really like. I enjoy how every character has their own justified life view and philosophy, employing various methods to cope with or change the world they live in. Of course, to complete the set, I would be remiss to not mention Sakamoto who looks toward the future and accepts change. So, in essence, that is what makes the concept of samurai in Gintama special. # __~~~Production~~~__ Img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/pb5nW7P.gif) The production of Gintama is slightly befuddling; it is quite different from any other show I have seen. The budget is low, the animation is cheap-- but this often enhances and accentuates the show, leading to fantastic visual gags or meta humor. Not quite to the level of something like Cromartie Highschool, though. The show will constantly reference its own production and things surrounding that field, making fun of things like the show remaining in 4:3 ratio despite that method being outdated. The show even deliberately admits to stalling for time with skits like Gintoki being paralyzed and unable to move, mostly so they don’t have to animate it and can just use voice acting-- which really exhibits how limiting what one can do can lead to creative solutions. On this note, it would be good to transition into the voice actors, which fit their characters perfectly. Every cast member has a decent range of emotion and sounds like you imagine their characters would, which is a huge plus. You’ll have likely memorized some of the voices by the end of the show. This is referring to the sub of course, considering the dub is incomplete. The OST bangs as well, incrementally getting more memorable as you hear certain tracks play during certain scenes. They usually fit the tone of a scene, and generally bolster the atmosphere-- I have nothing bad to say on this front. The Achilles heel of most battle Shounen of that era is the filler episode, as I’m sure we’re all familiar with. To my shock, though, Sunrise somehow pulls filler episodes off with finesse. One of the most memorable episodes is a filler episode going through various ways on how to end the show; which was absurd and fucking hilarious. I was very much pleasantly surprised by how often the filler was quality— bar the first 2 episodes, though. Seriously, skip the first 2 episodes. # __~~~Emotional Impact; “Serious” Arcs~~~__ Img(https://tinyimg.io/i/boTUpFJ.jpeg) A vital part of Gintama’s soul that I’ve spoken of previously is it’s heartwarming to bittersweet plot lines sporadically placed around the episode catalogue. Many of these are unexpected, and placed in between random comedy episodes, while others take form in “serious arcs”. One of the most memorable episodes of the show is completely unexpected, being episode 188. Anyways, Gintama manages to ground the show with strong showing of various emotions through various plot lines, generally each with their own moral point. The show doesn’t hold back too much, either, with characters permanently dying and some episode conclusions being downright depressing-- even if it never quite loses the tone of a fun Shounen. I don’t have much to say here beyond that it does it very well, though, and there’s plenty to look forward to. As previously mentioned, Gintama bolsters an array of arcs that follow a more traditional battle Shounen formula-- with a main antagonist, a final battle, a low-point for our protagonist, and just about everything you would expect. For lack of a better term, these have just been dubbed “serious arcs”. As I’m sure most of this review has highlighted, I believe the strongest aspect of Gintama season 1 is the comedy. However, most believe the benchmark staples of Gintama to be these arcs that punctuate the story-- so I figured why not discuss them? The spoiler marking will include short reviews for Benizakura, Shinsengumi Crisis, Yoshiwara In Flames, and Red Spider. There will be spoiler reviews for Benizakura, Shinsengumi Crisis, Yoshiwara In Flames, and Red Spider below. ~~~Benizakura~~~ ~!Img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/tQ2QcVw.jpeg) This arc is constantly hyped up for new viewers as the first serious arc, which sets a sort of special precedent and expectation for new viewers-- unfortunately for me, it didn’t quite meet such a standard. However, the arc still banged in various ways. Assuming people have already seen this if they’re reading this, I won’t bother with a recap. The core themes of Benizakura consist of these: moving on from one’s past, and senseless violence and greed leading to destruction. We obviously see Nizou’s self-destruction, but the thing that hit me the hardest in Benizakura was Gintoki’s final line. Katsura pulls out a journal from their past, remarking he’s surprised he still has it, so he asks Gintoki where his is-- as to which Gintoki replies “Oh, that? I spilled a cup of ramen on it and threw it away.” This is incredibly encompassing of Gintoki’s personal philosophy in my opinion, as he focuses on the present in front of him as opposed to the past that can’t be changed. Obviously, as I mentioned in the thematic section, this is put in opposition to Takasugi’s methods as we see him resort to terrorism for past grudges, never moving on. For another note, the second strongest moment of Benizakura would be when Otae leaves Gintoki her umbrella, knowing he would go to save his friends despite himself and despite what she wished. The “shining soul of a samurai” really permeates in this scene, showing Gintoki’s personal resolve. It also highlights the trusting yet understanding relationship between Otae and Gintoki in a semi-subtle way, which adds a lot to their characterization. My only complaint is that Nizou isn’t too memorable a villain, and nor was the blacksmith chick. I think Kagura and Shinpachi got very good characterization by going out on their own without Gintoki as well, which is something we see persist in later arcs. Very good arc overall.!~ ~~~Shinsengumi Crisis~~~ ~!img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/Kwk0wGf.jpeg) Shinsengumi’s first half is some of the best referential humor I’ve seen in anime, directly tying To Love Ru into the plot for hilarious effect. Obviously, the implication of Hijikata being a weeb in the first place is funny due to the usual stoicness of his character, but this is confounded upon by the show referencing anime pop culture such as “2D vs 3D”. I think bringing Shinpachi’s idol faction was a nice touch as well, being a nice example of recurrent character gags. As for the themes, though, I think they were executed perfectly in the final episode of the arc. The main theme being the bond between comrades and the loneliness of shutting them out. We see the Shinsengumi stand up and protect each other throughout the course of the act, really accentuating the bond between all of the men-- which I think was really nice, as it played directly into Ito’s character arc. Ito was a pretty great character, and I appreciated the idea of his cruel actions stemming from a childhood of high expectations. Though it seemed cliche at first, the superiority complex really blossomed into something else, mostly due to the concept of his real issue being loneliness. His high expectations from others and himself set him up to be distanced from other people, and he never learned how to truly bind and make friends with others. This is why its fucking beautiful to see the figurative threads connect him to the rest of the SC in his final moments, allowing to feel accepted and gain what he was missing for the first time in his life. Being slain by a friend for a samurai’s death is really poetic as well, I enjoyed everything about this scene. It makes for one of the most memorable episodes in Shounen, and it's really got me looking forward to future arcs. So, for now, this arc sits as my favorite “serious” arc.!~ ~~~Yoshiwara In Flames~~~ ~!img(https://tinyimg.io/i/5S21o30.jpeg) For Yoshiwara In Flames, the Night King Hossen was a really cool character, and I liked all of the thematic relevance of the sun- literally making his death by thematic combustion lmao. But the issue with that is it was kinda beat into the ground, and made some parts feel very slow and predictable. The arc of his character obviously being creating a paradise to run from reality, a message on escapism-- I think you can generally apply this theme to alcohol in real life. A big issue with the arc was the sheer amount of bullshit, though. Like the Tsukoyo convincing the Kunoichi’s to turn to her side felt really forced in the moment, even if her being the underground moon that lit and inspired the hopeful flames of Yoshiwara was cool. Like, they had already riddled her with kunai, and after two dialogue lines they’re standing over her treating her wounds. Still a powerful moment, but it felt eh. Same for when Hossen almost killed Gintoki, and head smoke covered his face. The fact that the show acted like we didn’t know he was alive was really annoying. Sieta was cool and was necessary for the arc-- certainly nothing great-- but good. I just can’t see him being too great later in the series, unless they introduce a new arc for him. Especially since he’s just kind of bland as a character outside of his thematic relevance in Yoshiwara. Also, Kamui had a cool introduction. Nothing to really complain about, I feel like him targeting Gintoki adds much needed stakes and plot direction for the series. Plus, his relationship with Kagura is pretty good. The two core two messages were pretty strong, and conveyed well aside from a few hiccups and overplays. The whole sun metaphor worked really well, and made The Night King’s death a lot more powerful. Plus, the thing about family was well explored(mostly Sieta and Prostitute.), and makes you think more about other familial relationships- obviously mostly Kagura. Other flaws that particularly drag it down for me is the pacing, with there being 1-2 episodes too many. They really dragged on the arc, which only added to the thematic redundancy-- but this a nitpick at the end of the day, and I’ll certainly remember the arc for the good it did as opposed to these nagging and inconsistent flaws.!~ ~~~Red Spider~~~ ~!img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/IHuzdgo.png) Red Spider was very self-contained and quaint plot wise, without a lot of branching plot threads compared to something like Yoshiwara In Flames. First of all, the comedy was pretty solid. Wasn’t anything special and probably below the average Gintama arc, but it still wasn’t bad— the Red Spiders stealing fish cakes or whatever was funny as fuck lmao. Then the joke about Gintoki touching Tsukuyo‘s boobs was kinda shit. Part of it was good, but it ended with the expected and typical sort of punchline of “You touched my boobs?! Now I’m embarrassed and will hit you!.” Too bad the last 3 episodes didn’t have that much comedy at all, when generally Gintama manages to find a nice balance in its serious arcs. As for the plot itself, I dug it. Jiraia’s motivation and character was fun to decipher— and it had a satisfying conclusion. The idea of losing your sense of shelf to block yourself from pain actually being cowardice isn’t exactly original, but it was nicely executed here. He was just generally a good character. I also like that we got some expansion on Zenzo’s character, who sorely needed it to be honest. Plus, we really got to see Tsukuyo finally grow up, a satisfying conclusion that seeds were set for in Yoshiwara In Flames. On the note of characters, Shinpachi and Kagura were just there. The moment where they cut threads was kinda cool, however, there was a minute or so in episode 2 where they tried to sleuth information on Jiraia from thugs. That was entirely useless, and felt like it was only put in because they had to have Shinpachi and Kagura do something in the arc. They just forgot it even happened and got no information. The fight itself was very cool; I liked the effects they chose to use and animate it. The production definitely increased, and it was generally a very guttural fight. Very quality stuff. So, yeah. It wasn’t anything mind-blowing and I don’t have a lot to say, but it was a hella good time. I’d like to point out that Red Spider is more consistent than any arc, though. !~ # __~~~Flaws~~~__ img(https://tinyimg.io/i/utNR8eu.jpeg) For the most part, I have doted on the genius of Sorachi’s writing throughout this review, which I feel is a bit inaccurate from a critical perspective. Gintama has many, many flaws that constantly nag it down, though one of its core strengths is ironing out said flaws over time. For example, though I often give love to Gintama’s creativity, about one out of every 15 episodes is incredibly uninspired and trite. The most pertinent case of this in my mind would be episode 166, which follows all the typical cliche conventions you would imagine with an episode about “Me and my rival got handcuffed together!” When Gintama fails in this field, it fails hard, with no amount of recurring character gags being able to save the predictability and eventual monotony of the episode. That is an ailment to all comedy shows, however, and I would like to note Gintama has a relatively solid ratio of good to bad. Just don’t go in expecting to be enthralled and entertained with every episode, especially ones earlier in the series. Lots of issues pop up in individual arcs involving cliche writing decisions, particularly in emotional ones. It’s really hard to muster up the care for a plotline when you can already see what’s coming a mile away, or have already seen it before. It’s also a detriment to the experience with how Gintama uses the battle Shounen cliche of obscuring your ability to see if a character is actually dead or not with smoke or a screen cut, then acting like the viewer should be shocked when said character turns out to be alive. That kind of cliche just insults the intelligence of the viewer and bogs down the pacing of an episode, unlike the cliche writing conventions of some one-off emotional episodes which are far more forgivable. In the field of predictability, jokes can often fall flat for calling back to a character gag without innovating upon the original formula. The idea of Hijikata liking mayo isn’t funny within itself, but it naturally blooms to being funny when the joke evolves over time-- which is why it's in stark, negative contrast to the occasion Gintama falls back on a gag with no originality. (If you’re wondering what the image represents here lmao, I just think that was a really unfunny joke in the show. They made him grope a chick’s boobs on accident without subverting the cliche at all, it just fed into it by her hitting him.) # __~~~Conclusion~~~__ Img(https://tinyimg.io/i/18OrHq6.jpeg) All in all, Gintama season 1 was a wonderful ride filled with dizzying comedic peaks and an incredibly solid emotional background. The various samurai inhabiting the futuristic land of Edo, Japan and their tribulations will likely stick with me for a long while, especially characters like Madao and Katsura. So, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the series, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing how the show develops in the second season. If you are interested in getting into it, skip the first 2 episodes and hop right in-- preferably taking your time with the show, as episodic comedy is best enjoyed in my opinion. If you’ve already seen the show, feel free to message me your thoughts on the review or the show itself, I’m always down for discussion. Peace! ~~~[Next review— Gintama Season 2](https://anilist.co/review/13849)~~~

BirilloPazzo69

~~~ #__Gintama - A Flawless Masterpiece__ I always backed up before picking up a long-running series, you need to invest a lot of time before the climax, but I don't regret wasting a single minute of watching Gintama. img400(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859035632628924436/899312342024745031/gintama-gintoki.gif) The story is pretty simple at first, you could just take it as a light-hearted comedy series but there are a few serious arcs that makes you depressed and filled with god-tier character development and growth that you'll feel attached forever. img400(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/710603396079550646/899312536862720011/gintoki-waving-anime.gif) The best part about Gintama is obviously the characters, Gintoki: a lovable MC that can make you either laugh or cry, his past is easily the best backstory of all the Worldwide fiction series. The other mains are lovable too, all of the Shinsengumi is quirky and eccentric, it won't stop make you laugh whenever they show up img400(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859035632628924436/899312722397765642/6e7f6d079d2f5fc903dfb807f5f1bec3.gif) and finally Elizabeth. What can I say? Such a perfect character for Gintama. I still dream about Elizabeth nowadays. I highly doubt that anyone could not like Gintama's comedy: it's filled with parodies, from WSJ to videogames, you can easily find something to laugh at; for example, do you like Dragon Ball, Bleach and One Piece? Gintama got all of them. Even if you don't get all of the jokes the cast will make it up for you. img400(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859035632628924436/899314410248609792/aX94Wmg_460s.png) Unfortunately Gintama is filled with fillers. Almost every one of them is good, except the first two episodes which are pretty trash and skippable (I recommend skipping it and watching them whenever you like). youtube(https://youtu.be/qOUi3uPC3Vc) The music is awesome, I listen to all of the openings while going to work on my Station Wagon everyday and I'm still astonished that I haven't got into a car accident yet. The endings bang pretty hard too, and most of the OSTs fit perfectly, congrats, sound designers! img400(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859035632628924436/899314610618916904/OtIC.gif) The serious arcs, on the other side, are the complete opposite, I'll try to not spoil so I'll keep this paragraph to the minimum: Gintoki as a child probably tops Thorfinn's story easily (Vinland Saga), his duality with Hijikata is top notch and top 1. My favorite arc is the Kintama arc because it displays that Gintoki isn't perfect, but it's perfect that way and we don't need a perfect one. img400(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859035632628924436/899314906837450822/NznG.gif) Also, Gintama is one of the maximun exponents of the LGBT community, starting a lot of ships between the characters. img500(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859035632628924436/899315682645258240/9bcdff29e1e7a78a7b05656d6b9c407d--gintama-mayonnaise.jpg) Gintama is an unforgettable ride that fills you up with laughs, emotions and by the end you'll feel attached at every character like it was a real friend. My mark for Gintama is a: 7.5.

__Be forever Yorozuya.__

TedyLazaro

First of all, forgive my English, it's not my native language and I'm not fluent. Gintama is a Story published in Weekly Shounen Jump around 2003 and ending in 2019. The work received an anime adaptation from 2006, managing to adapt all the content in 2021. This review will be mostly based on the adaptation, covering all the seasons and canonical films. Plot: The plot is great and works perfectly with the whole proposal of the manga, it has a balanced progression, not being rushed, much less slow. Furthermore, The Author (Hideaki Sorachi) makes each chapter/episode important for manga, for example: dialogues between characters that show their views on something; foreshadowings; chapters/episodes that theoretically would be just for comedy, have character construction. His script unpredictability also helps a lot, we as viewers don't know how the arcs will end, and until the end of the series, nothing was predictable. Structure: This dynamic between comedy with drama and gore creates a familiar atmosphere for the viewer, as we see up close the characters' moments of happiness and despair. Characters: Simply the best cast in all of Jump.All have an unbreakable charisma and have layers, not just empty characters with just one personality trait. Gintama's characters clearly have personalities; preferences; personal defects; relationships with people be it loving or friendship and etc. Putting it in a nutshell: The characters in Gintama seem human in our reality, and that's an extreme quality, where the characters break through the fictional barrier and affect us positively, and that's an important factor for the next topic. Messages and Philosophies: They weigh in, and that's great. Sorachi-sensei manages to give enormous weight even to simple things, however, without pushing the limits of the purposeless super dramatic. All these messages are passed on by the characters, and come along with a beautiful learning experience, both for the characters themselves and for us spectators, an example to be followed in character development. Of course, it's good to remember that each of the messages passed to viewers in the arcs is very personal, maybe someone doesn't feel so moved by the whole philosophy of the Jirochou character for example, this is normal, but one thing is a fact, it's beautifully written, without holes and well polished. Comedy: Here is a very personal point of each person, each individual has their own sense of humor, so what might be funny to me, it's not necessarily for you, BUT, again it's undeniable that Sorachi knows how to make comedy. The jokes have comedic timing and your look helps the joke work, so yes, the comedy is very well done, it's only up to you if it's your sense of humor. Soundtrack: There are several animes that your tracks are iconic: One Piece; Dragon Ball; Diamond on Ace and etc. And with Gintama it's no different, both his comic soundtrack and his serious soundtracks are amazing, they give you a mix of emotion throughout the whole work and help make the viewer more immersed than he already was. I'll take the opportunity to recommend some OST's from the anime for you to understand: : Madao OST; Yorozuya Blues; Shinsengumi Theme; Takasugi Theme; Take Care Buddy; Mukashi no Yuujin ga Kawarazu ni iru Toiu no mo Waruku nai Mono da na and etc. Openings and Endings: Why Openings and Endings are Here? Simple, they complement with more character characterization and leaving Foreshadowings as well. I can take, for example, Ending 14, which shows us the vision of one of the characters about that world, or even Ending 17, which symbolically shows the city crying. Not only to use the Endings, since the 1st Opening we have a Foreshadow, or in the famous Opening 13, where the protagonist's psychological and feelings are exposed. Critics and parodies: It is not unknown to anyone that Gintama parodied several things, not only other manga, as even Japanese series; television industry in general; artists like musicians and idols and so on. Furthermore, Gintama is one of the few who closely criticizes the situation of the anime and manga industry, exposing the situation of the staff and the whole creation of a manga and anime, even at OVA Gintama': Futon ni Haitte kara Buki Nokoshi ni Kizuite Neru ni Nerenai Toki mo Aru, who is canonical by the way, they criticize their own sponsors and their own production company; in Gintamaº in its 1st episode, they already expose what Sunrise Studio did with the Gintama anime, and the classic final episode of season 8, where they expose Sorachi-sensei; its editor and Shounen Jump herself, having full merit and to be recognized for her extreme courage. Identity: Gintama is one of the mangas with greater identity on Jump, its unique way of creating comedy, combined with its extremely solid drama, makes it very unique and very impossible to be replicated. The end of the series: It may not seem like it, but the ending is one of the important points for the work, and we see quite often, especially in Shounen Jump, bad endings. And with Gintama luckily it doesn't repeat itself, and I say it out loud: Gintama has the best ending ever created for a Weekly Shounen Jump work. The end has no plotholes; all your characters have already been developed and had their conclusions; it doesn't break its own main message; their final showdown is unlike any other work, with Sorachi-sensei being brave again in his choice. Conclusion: Gintama is perfect, everything he does is perceptive of love and how careful Sorachi made the story is worthy of respect. At a time when he competed with the Big Three, it's really something to applaud, unfortunately the community doesn't give the value that Sorachi and his work deserve. I'm not afraid to say that Gintama is different from what we in the West have already seen, and we should be more attentive with works like this. There is not a single undeveloped character in the work; everything presented has been explored; Worldbuilding is great and well done; his epic moments are truly epic, the same goes for the sad/tense and happy scenes.

SmashBlack

~~~Alright, so Gintama. All of us know what it is. Almost all of its seasons are rated extremely highly on both MAL and AniList, so does that mean Gintama is something worth checking out? Of course, it is. It is the literal example of what comedy and shonen anime should strive to be like. The comedy was very funny and clever and the serious arcs, along with the characters are just so well-written, so today, I'll be talking about why I think Gintama is fantastic. __Story and comedy__ Let's start with what makes Gintama so good, shall we? The comedy in Gintama, like I said, was just so funny and clever, from funny references to tons of stuff (not just anime) to just simple stuff like the Odd Jobs just being involved in all kinds of situations. And as for the story, there kinda is a story in Gintama. I know that the story begins on the Shogun Assassination arc, which I haven't gotten to yet, but the serious arcs in the first season are just so incredible. The arcs aren't just mindless fighting, but instead are arcs where beautiful storytelling and characterization happen. We learn more about each of the characters in the serious arcs, fleshing them out more and the stories are just so unique and beautiful and once the serious arcs start, the comedy suddenly has a much deeper meaning behind it and they become battles to save the ones Gintoki loves. The serious arcs are what most battle shonen out there should be like, at least, in my opinion anyways. __Characters__ Alright, so here's the next best thing about Gintama, the characters. They are all so unique, funny, and well-written, from Hijikata and his obsession with Mayo to Katsura and the way he always says "x Janai, Katsura da". The best character in Gintama has got to be Gintoki of course. His backstory was so sad and he's got to be one of the most relatable and funny characters ever, plus he's also an extremely well-written character as well, so there's that. __Audio__ The music in Gintama is honestly just really good. Not only does it sound really good, but it also plays at the exact right moments in the anime, whether it be the comedy or the serious moments. My personal favorite op and ed in Gintama isn't from the first season but I still really liked them a lot. My favorite op is Sakuramitsutsuki and my favorite ed is Samurai Heart (Some like it hot). The voice acting in this is incredible as well. All of the seiyuus did a really good job with voice acting each of the character from this anime. __Animation and art__ The animation was pretty decent. It isn't like Fate or Demon Slayer level of good, but I still liked it. The artstyle was also really good as well. The characters each just looked... natural in this artstyle and I think it'd be pretty weird if Gintama were in a different artstyle. __Enjoyment__ I definitely enjoyed this anime a LOT. Like I said before, the comedy was extremely funny, the serious arcs were beautiful and well-written, and the characters are all of that as well. I laughed a ton at the comedy and I felt a variety of emotions from hype to sadness during the serious arcs. __Overall__ So yeah, I can honestly say that this is how you should craft a shonen and comedy anime, besides Hunter X Hunter and Saiki K. It has funny comedy, it has amazing serious arcs, and everything else in between as well. I can definitely recommend this anime to anyone that's a big fan of comedy and action, especially if they like Battle shonen. Anyways, thank you for reading my review and have a great day. ~~~

YorozuyaMusume

~~~__DOES NOT CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS__~~~ ~~~It all started on my 6th grade, at that time I was casually changing TV channels when I happen to stumble upon this masterpiece, that is Gintama. I kept watching it and got hooked on it. Personally I just came to watch it for the laughs since I thought it was solely a comedy show, but as I got deeper in to the story I realized that it is more than just a comedy. It easily became my favorite anime. __I believe that Gintama’s strength lies on these five aspects: world building, characters, additional efforts given by the staff, build up and the heartfelt storytelling__ ~~~ But before that let’s start with the cons of this anime (you have probably seen this in many threads but I just want to point it out for the sake of fairness) - too much Japanese References, plus comedy is really subjective so that's why… - It would be a better experience for you to watch other anime before watching this in order for you to get the reference of the parodies. - Some people say it really has a slow start, the serious stuff also happen a bit later (but personally I really enjoyed the first few episodes) - 300+ episodes (tbh I want more but all good things must come to an end right?) - initially aired in 2006 so animation is kind of old school but the big fights are really well animated so I think this is not that big of an issue ~~~img400(https://files.catbox.moe/ojt33g.jpg)~~~ ~~~__World Building__~~~ ~~~Amanto (Alien) Invasion. The wildcard that gave the author the freedom to do almost anything. From talking cats to talking snots this anime just screams randomness but in a good way. I mean just look at Elizabeth and try to guess what his backstory was. It gave the necessary foundation for the jokes, parodies and fourth wall breaking to be delivered effectively and naturally. ~~~ ~~~__Characters__ ~~~~~~_“I can't do anything alone. Everyone here has their flaws and imperfections. But that's what drives us to work together to make up for those flaws. Together, we make the perfect main character.”- Gintoki Sakata_~~~ ~~~img500(https://files.catbox.moe/we0g9f.gif)~~~ ~~~ One of the thing that I really loved about Gintama is the set of likeable characters. Each are given the proper spotlight/arc and character development. Hell even Santa Claus himself has character development in this anime. There is no perfect character, for each character have their own flaws and insecurities and that’s what makes them relatable. From the main protagonist Gintoki Sakata, being a lazy, diabetic, pachinko addict, each and every character is insanely good and seeing them interact and banter with each other is comedy gold. But what is really great is that underneath these comedic personalities, lies the depths of where the characters are coming from, from the old to the newly added main cast each and every character is fleshed out to their best. ~~~ ~~~img500(https://files.catbox.moe/swg0dq.gif)~~~ __~~~Additional Effort~~~__ ~~~I just want to give kudos to the staff, voice actors and Sorachi himself for being able to create this wonderful masterpiece. Challenged by the numerous complaints from the PTA, low ratings and being on the verge of being cancelled it is truly amazing how this anime, despite all of that was able to keep getting better and better. The voice acting is also superb just hearing the heartfelt screams and simping of Shinpachi and Sacchan’s VA is already music to my ears. To think that the voice actors and editors are also getting made fun off of their own show is really amazing. Another thing are the additional works added by the staff, for them to even make a troll opening and additional segments here and there is already commendable, like they really don’t need to do it but they JUST DO IT!! The good old Teach Me Ginpachi Sensei with the random and dry humor at the end of the episodes just makes it even better. The OST for each different character is also very good and distinct like the Prince Hata OST just comes up or the eerie Katsura OST just comes up and you know something stupid is about to happen. The OST used for each serious arcs are also memorable and emotionally well written. You can literally see the love and hard work that the staff put into it.~~~ ~~~img400(https://files.catbox.moe/ts4sza.gif)~~~ ~~~__Build up__~~~ ~~~Yes Gintama is a great comedy anime but as I said earlier it is much much more than that. One of the common underlying theme of Gintama is the familial bond not dictated by blood. It can be seen on the bonds between Yorozuya, Shinsengumi and many other characters in the series. The serious arcs in this anime is truly great but what makes it special is the payoff to what comes before. The silly bantering and interactions through comedy stuff makes it easier for the viewers to relate with these characters. As many viewers have said "Gintama knows how to make you laugh your ass off but when it gets serious it never fails to deliver."~~~ ~~~img500(https://files.catbox.moe/fh62so.gif)~~~ ~~~__Heartfelt Storytelling__~~~ ~~~Now to the one thing that really captured my heart which is the storytelling. I remember back then when I saw this on the TV the first episode I have been able to watch is the sixth episode of Gintama. At that time, I was really amazed by how in a span of one episode they were able to create a heartfelt and satisfying simple story about a father-daughter relationship. I think that is one of the good things about Gintama, like how it can cover up a whole arc in just a span of 3- 6 episodes so well and it does not take too much away from the manga. Yes, for all of you curious folks out there the manga is also good especially for the later serious arcs. The anime was somehow able to bring out the goodness of the manga by adding more impact into it by closing it with a final movie that it truly deserved. Despite the overarching genres, extreme jokes and parodies it is somehow able to bring out valuable life lessons at the very end. The Kagura-centered stories are really one of the wholesome episodes out there, with the story of her acting like a normal teenage girl in contrast to her Yato Blood, the story of the great Madao and his battle with life itself. It all comes back to the main theme of this anime which is the struggle between our own weaknesses and how we must fight not others but ourselves in order to change it. It is the small stories within these greater stories and the deeper messages that it brings that makes Gintama more lovable and special. ~~~ ~~~img220(https://files.catbox.moe/t2aqte.gif) ~~~~~~PS: This is really my first time writing a review, A bit sorry if this became too much of an appreciation post than a review. I just want to try new things out. My rating is high because I based it off of the enjoyment I experienced while watching this. Please don’t let the ugliness of this review blind you from the beauty of this anime. I will do better next time! Thanks for reading!! Here's a lucky inugami for y'all. ~~~ ~~~~~~____

wkhn

__~~~Just so you know this review is not only for the first season of Gintama, it is for the franchise as a whole. This review contains very minor spoilers depending on your definition of what a "spoiler" is. (sorry for my bad grammar and phrasing, I'm not native and this is my first time writing a review.)~~~ __ When I heard about Gintama for the first time, I didn't really care for it and I didn't plan on watching it. that was until I noticed it was so highly rated on both mal and AniList. At the time I didn't think I would like a 300+ ep comedy show which caused me to only watch the so called "serious arcs" at first. watching only the serious arcs made the show forgettable and boring for me, and that made me think it was overrated. But, a while after watching Gintama for the first time, I was bored and had nothing I really wanted to watch, so I decided to give Gintama another try, this time watching both the comedy and serious episodes. It was only after I started watching the comedy episodes too that I realized why Gintama was so beloved and highly rated and it quickly rose to be my favorite show. The premise of Gintama is extremely interesting, the characters are masterfully written, and while it might be a bit slow at the start for some people, it quickly picks up steam. The most important thing in Gintama is without a doubt its cast of characters. Gintama's cast is full of unique and interesting characters that each have their own "thing" they bring to the table, and they each have their own distinct and unique features which make them feel like unforgettable characters and essential pieces that the show wouldn't be the same without. the chemistry between the characters in Gintama is also amazing and their interactions with each other are phenomenal. The plot of Gintama runs in the background most of the time and only comes to the forefront of the show in the occasional "serious arc" and near the end of the show. But when Gintama's mysteries start unfold, the stakes rapidly rise, and the people on screen which the viewer has gotten attached to begin to get themselves into increasingly serious situations, the tone of the show changes drastically, and the payoff you get when you finally get to see the culmination of everything that built up over the last 300+ episodes is nothing short of perfect. I have never seen a show which could make me laugh so much for one second and then immediately make me tear up the second after. Gintama helped me when I was really depressed and it is truly dear to me. There is no show like Gintama and I honestly doubt that there will ever be one. In my opinion everyone should at the very least try to watch Gintama and I hope that everyone reading this review will have an experience that is just as good as the one I had.

ghostlyjamin

~~~_This review does not contain spoilers_~~~ For many years now I’ve consumed Anime as my main source of entertainment and in this time have almost watched hundreds of titles varying in genres and themes, and in these thousands of hours of entertainment I’ve laughed till my stomach hurt, cried till my eyes burned, jumped around in excitement, and even have shut certain shows off from pure rage (cough cough, Rent-A-Girlfriend). But I’ve never truly been provoked to write a review for any of the shows I’ve seen up until I stumbled upon the action, comedy, drama, Gintama. Now when I watched the first few episodes of Gintama, to put it bluntly, I thought the show was childish and stupid, but with the push from a close friend I ventured deeper into the rabbit hole. Before I knew it I was over fifty episodes into this amazing series and in love with Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi’s adventures. Was it the comedy that never failed to make me belly laugh? Was it the Gintok’s insightful lessons and speeches? Or was it the tear-jerking serious arcs? I’m not really that sure myself, but I hope I can convey how much I enjoyed my journey with Gintama through this half-assed review. ~~~img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/95/14/f99514e2f6e156dd822ac8d601045f96.gif)~~~ ____ ##_The Plot_: 40/40 If I were to ask you, the reader: “What in your opinion is the best plot to an Anime?” What would you respond with? Maybe the complex and mind-fucking plot of The Monogatari Series or maybe even the thirrling and perfectly put together plot of Steins;Gate. Well Gintama doesn’t really have any of that, but that’s where Gintama shines, it shines in its simplicity and episodic nature. Gintama usually follows the daily life of the trio Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi and the hardships of working at Gintoki’s Business Odd Jobs, but will sometimes diverge into sub-plots with side characters and their mishaps. In these more episodic stories you will find some of the most intriguing, ridiculous, and humor filled scenarios that push the boundaries of the norm in most episodic comedies having themes ranging all the way from romance to mystery. And woven into these little adventures you will find genius (and stupid) comedy with witty dialogue and plenty of references, but also hidden deep within these episodes are the rambles of Gintoki that are thought provoking and that many can connect with and learn from, adding that much more depth to these exciting little adventures. ~~~img350(https://64.media.tumblr.com/bcd4b7fbb5dca90364636c97fec27876/tumblr_p0eq2qcYiD1ujusd3o3_500.gifv)~~~ But Gintama isn’t always fun n’ games. Once in a great while you will come across what fans call “Serious Arcs”. And since they are not a common occurrence they usually hit like a truck and tug at the heartstrings. What do these “Serious Arcs” entail? Well these stories usually show the more action packed “battle shonen” side of Gintama and these arcs are usually rooted in deep character drama that by the conclusion of the arc leaves me with tears trickling down my face. This drama is usually very important to the overarching loose plot of Gintama as it develops and deepens the relationships and personalities the arc is centered around. These arcs stick out from the rest of Gintama mostly because of the very well written storylines and the impact they can leave on the viewer, but they aren’t the selling point of the show and a lot of the more comedic episodes/arcs are just as good or even better in some cases when compared to the serious arcs. The plot of Gintama may not be as deep as some other titles, but that truly isn’t the point of Gintama. Gintama's plot isn’t supposed to be some super deep storyline, it’s just supposed to bring smiles to the viewers, teach them a few life lessons, and maybe even leave them in tears. ~~~img350(https://i.gifer.com/NXRy.gif)~~~ ____ ##_The Characters_: 25/25 The cast of Gintama is the driving force of the show and truly makes the show so damn amazing and hilarious. The situations I commented on earlier about how they were genius, well they wouldn’t be anything without the cast of characters there to support and lift up those incredible storylines. It feels as if in Gintama the phrase “filler characters” does not exist, since all the characters have a role to play and play it perfectly to elevate the quality of the show. Whether it be one of the characters from the main trio or a side-side-character each one brings something to the table and doesn’t hold the show down. The dynamics presented in the show between the characters is also very well done and thought out, bringing entertaining conversations and moments between many different characters and groups. The cast isn’t all just entertainment value though, a great deal of the cast get episodes dedicated to them dealing with their personal problems and maybe even have backstory stories exposed. Within these episodes you get to connect deeper with these characters and see many dimensions to them that you usually wouldn’t be able to see when they are doing their normal silly antics. The characters really are amazing and my favorite part about the series as a whole, each one is very enjoyable and is the reason why Gintama is one of the best comedies in Anime. ~~~img350(https://c.tenor.com/4sOlBZhKU0sAAAAC/sadaharu-gintama.gif)~~~ ____ ##_Enjoyment_: 25/25 The enjoyment I felt when experiencing Gintama is immeasurable. Each episode delivers past my expectations almost every single time, whether this be a slew of different hilarious jokes or touching moments between characters it never falls flat when trying to entertain the viewer. The main reason for this is the multitude of different themes Gintama will explore, because it’s not afraid of trying new things. Gintama really is a Jack-of-all-traits type Anime and because of this never burns out of scenarios to throw at the viewer and surprise them with yet another amazing story. ~~~img350(https://78.media.tumblr.com/67f1ce41a6eae180e0a701ebd05b94bb/tumblr_njfm1qmUU81qhpv0zo6_500.gif)~~~ ____ ##_Art_: 5/5 The art in Gintama, despite it’s age, is actually very good and isn’t as choppy as a lot of early 2000’s shows were. The fight scenes are always clean and very engaging, showing many different angles and always have a level of intensity to them because of the directing. This especially applies to the serious arcs of Gintama as they usually have better animation than the one off episodes. Also the art style of Gintama is also decently unique having great designs that fit the overall feel of the show very well. ~~~img350(https://c.tenor.com/zh9hg7DwnIgAAAAC/gintoki-sakata-gintama.gif)~~~ ____ ##_Music_: 5/5 The music, just like the art, fits the overall vibe of the show very well. Each track has very good production and always adds to scenes rather than takes. Here are a couple of my favorites: ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibJhcheHdyE) youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlVvdmc7PvM)~~~ ~~~img350(https://pa1.narvii.com/7033/8f48db8480b7096aa31835e35b99fa41db509858r1-540-304_hq.gif)~~~ ____ Ahh, Gintama, I can sing its praises all day. The journey of Gintama is like no other and is one I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. From the goofy mishaps our trio gets into, the words of Gintoki that still ring out in my head, or the serious arcs that make my heart ache, Gintama is an Anime like no other. I’ve honestly never experienced as many emotions when watching a show than I have when experiencing Gintama for the first time, and that experience is one I hold dear to my heart. Please do yourself a favor and watch Gintama, it is a 100/100. ~~~img350(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/123/123316.gif)~~~ ____ Thanks for bearing through my first ever attempt at a review, love ya guys!

ZNote

**SPOILER-FREE** Every anime fan has something that is near and dear to their hearts, and it’s called a “watchlist.” Since there are tens of thousands of anime that have been produced over the decades, needing a list to help keep track of what you plan to see at some point is necessary to help you navigate the neverending expanse of content and answer the age-old question, “What am I going to see next?” The unintended problem that arises is that some shows sit there for months or years at a time, gathering dust while the list gets bigger no matter how much you try to whittle it down. It’s especially bad when you have a franchise on there, with as many as a dozen slots taken up by its presence. Sometimes the episode count is daunting, and sometime there’s no reason why you haven’t started it yet. *Gintama* was one franchise that was like that for me. When I first formed a MAL account several years ago, it was one of the first things I put on my watchlist. But as the years rolled by, it just stayed there unmoving. Even though I knew it had over three-hundred episodes, other long-form shows that I’ve seen came and went, but this one stuck around for whatever reason. It wasn’t until the news came out that the franchise was finally reaching its end that I decided to suck it up and start watching, lest it be stuck in purgatory forever. _______ In an alternate-universe Japan, aliens known as the Amanto had invaded during the Edo period. Despite the resistance by the samurai to defend their home, the shogun surrendered and an unequal treaty was forced upon the Japanese populace, with a puppet government installed. Years later, an odd silver-haired samurai named Sakata Gintoki, runs an odd-jobs shop with his friends Shimura Shinpachi, Kagura, and the dog Sadaharu. Taking any sort of crazy jobs needed of them in order to pay their rent, they find themselves frequently, and comedically, tangled up in the goings-on with various people and things across the Kabuki district. Such people include the Shinsengumi police force, the terrorists Kotaro Katsura and Elizabeth, Shinpachi’s older sister Otae, the Gintoki-obsessed Sarutobi Ayame, and too many others to simply list here. And boy, it is a lot! *Gintama’s* characters literally and metaphorically comprise all the colors of the rainbow, and each personality is as crazy and different as the next. Even as the ensemble cast gradually increases over its long run, each character feels like a worthwhile addition. The cross between Edo period Japan and science-fiction affords a great wealth of variety, as anything from robots to aliens to other samurai could get introduced seemingly out of nowhere. Each character also comes with their own set of recurring jokes, some of which last throughout the entire run, like everyone getting Katsura’s name wrong, Shinpachi’s glasses, or breaking the fourth wall by pointing out the lazy animation or the fact that a story ends early and they jump right into the next one. The gags themselves range from lame puns to visual humor and violent bursts of physical slapstick. There’s a sea of possibilities for any avenue of humor you could think of, and each one comes across naturally. The absurd setting for the overall story creates an environment of “anything goes” as far as comedy, and the visual and audio presentation helps cement that. The animation at times can get janky and awkward-looking, or smooth if a situation appropriately calls for it, and the music and sound-mixing adopts a tone that offers that final push to make a joke land effectively. It left an eager anticipation as to what potential future gags or parodies would lie in store, as I found myself not being able to get enough of the goofiness. No matter how large the cast gets or how zany the jokes are, it is the three primary members of Odd Jobs that best exemplify what makes the show so wonderful. Gintoki, Shinpachi, and Kagura may all work under the same company and roof, but they could hardly be called a harmonious unit. Shinpachi’s straight-man persona clashes often with Gintoki and Kagura, while Kagura’s unkempt behavior and Gintoki’s aloofness, strawberry milk addiction, and desire to read manga can easily cause friction. All character easily provides foil for the other two, making any time all three of them are on screen a delight. Even in episodes where I wasn’t laughing or I found the comedy to be completely unengaging, these three misfits were almost always enough to hold my attention, especially Kagura. And there certainly were a few times where I did find myself tuning out. With over three-hundred sixty episodes in its entirety, *Gintama* naturally cannot make every outing or every joke a home run. This mostly rests on whether you find a particular episode’s central gimmick to be humorous, regardless of the other jokes that may be thrown in. That said, the show still succeeded far more often than it didn’t as far as delivering laughs. When the show ran into the problem of needing to let the manga get more material before pushing to the finale, it handled that particular season well! Though it lives largely within the realm of comedy, *Gintama* is still a shonen, and as a result is packed with numerous action scenes and escalating tension. It’s true that these moments can and do exist in most of the episodes, but the series has several arcs throughout that mostly dispense with the comedy and instead play up the seriousness of a situation. These serious arcs are not an intrusion upon the show’s overarching comedy, but rather give the comedy even more meaning. As greater threats are introduced to the characters and Japan outside of situational or one-shot episode fragments, it comes not just with the desire to see the villain defeated, but also so that the characters can survive and return to the good times they had before. It is a testament to *Gintama’s* impressive storytelling that, although there are numerous moments that made me laugh out loud, it was the serious moments that tended to linger the longest in my memory, either through their imagery (which at times can get visceral), or because the dramatic weight of what transpired felt like moving mountains. With any series that walks the line between comedy and drama, the inevitable question that comes up is which tone will the series be taking in the final push to the end of the run? Although *Gintama* resided within comedy for most of its existence, it leans all-in towards drama in its final hours. Although this can be perceived as a misunderstanding or betrayal of what the series was doing throughout its run, I see it more as being a necessary ingredient to push the series into a new level. Both in the show’s intros and through dialogue and flashback sequences, we get small glimpses into what life for Gintoki and others was like before the first episode began. *Gintama* may be a comedy show, but it never struck me as being about the comedy. Instead, it’s about the lives of the people in the Kabuki district, and the comedy is but one part of a greater whole. In calling attention to the past and the trials and tribulations of the here-and-now, it would have been a disservice to the character development to not explore why they’re so important. The series understands when comedy must be left at the door. The flashbacks are not isolated from one another either, as the prologues, the Amanto invasion and subsequent events afterwards touch the lives of nearly everyone. By the time the franchise reaches its final film, all of the various pieces, motivations, and journeys have come together for a gigantic battle that was both thrilling and a surprisingly-fit conclusion to it all. The franchise ultimately left me with the feeling of wanting to see more, and more certainly being possible, but thoroughly happy with what I had seen. ________ *Gintama* is one of those franchises that demonstrates the sheer range and capability of anime as a medium. Filled to the brim with a colorful array of characters, comedic moments that had me frequently laughing, drama that worked surprisingly well, moments of animated brilliance, energy that never seemed to be in short supply, and constantly having me ask what could happen next, I loved the franchise’s crazy ride. It truly took the approach of throwing every idea at the wall to see if it would stick, and so many of them did. A few too many lackluster or dull episodes stop it from getting my perfect score, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sometimes, silver is better than gold. And yes, that is a reference.

Douzeries

__WARNING : LONG__ _and lowkey messy_ __REVIEW__ I finished Gintama. I loved it, the characters, the songs, the story, I loved everything and it easily made it into my top 10 favorite anime. Rather than reviewing it and talk about why I love this anime I decided to analyze and interpret it. Analyzing Gintama sounds kinda silly when all the messages are quite litteraly told verbally by some character at the mid-end of each episode. Still, I think the depth of Gintama's philosophy shouldn't be overlooked as it is the main reason I adore this story (along with it's god tier comedy and characters). Be aware : Spoilers all the way. Now let's get into the most important thing in Gintama. ___ __THE SOUL__ Gintoki (don't worry we'll get to Chadao) will __always__ do what he thinks is right, even if that makes him an outcast or even if he's misunderstood. He's so bizarre and extravagant that he barely fit into the description of a righteous man. From a somewhat "objective" perspective and from societial point of view, he's a total failure. He lives dependent on Otose-san, an old woman who warmly gave him a home despite him being unemployed, disrespectful, and lazy. Knowing this, he still steals money from her by avoiding paying the housing every month. He does shady jobs and extorts the services of two teenagers without ever paying them. From an outside point of view the actions of Gintoki are inexplicable and the reason why people around him absolutely love him and have 100% percent trust in him are unclear. If you look at him on a surface level he is nothing like a Luffy or any other classic shonen jump nekketsu protagonist, but if you take a look at his soul then he is the living incarnation of one. Otose san couldn't care less about money, she keeps him around because she cares about him and he stays with her because he swore to always protect her. He does odd jobs but only as a way to help people. He saved an uncountable amount of lives, restored families and made a lot of people feel better. Even though they will always complain, Kagura and Shinpachi would never mind being dirt ass poor if it means staying with Gin san. He is seen as a bad influence but they're way better off staying with him poor and hungry than purposeless and despicable. This is what is interesting about Gintama, it doesn't tell you that if you have a clean soul you'll lead a conformable life. If anything, it actively tells you the contrary since living comfortably and being at a high rank socially is often made possible by working for the government. Thing is, in Gintama's lore (and in real life) the government is corrupted af and it surrendered itself to aliens who don't give a f*ck about human lives. You can't make it to the top without putting some dirt on your hands since the top itself is dirty. Though when I say dirty I only mean it figuratively. The people at the top lead a life that is anything but dirty. The dirty ones actually are the Yorozuya and their friends. No matter how you put it it's undeniable that they have undesirable life conditions. What is better then? Dirty soul but clean life conditions or clean soul but dirty life conditions? Well, let's take Shinpachi to answer this question. It will surprise no one if I say that Shinpachi is unhappy at the beginning of the story. He was working a rough job with an asshole as an employer and if it wasn't enough that he had to lick his boss's boots he also has to lick those of aliens. He's completely humiliated and his ego is shattered in pieces. The hits he receives by his employer don't hurt him physically but mentally. The fact that he lets someone walk over him is the worst. Definitely, he was far from being at the top but he had somewhat of a stable life. He was getting paid, he had an official job. If someone asked him "what do you do in life" he could actually answer. He was part of societal case people could put him into. Would he have been better off, staying like and selling his sister (his pride) to clear his debts? Hell nah. This is also the case for Kagura, would she have been better, off staying in mafias, doing illicit work and beating up people for money and societal acceptance? Hell nah. Both of Shinpachi and Kagura sacrificed all the conveniences of society to join Gin but they saved one thing : their souls. This is why the Yorozuya always mock the people who ask them for help. The clients could be ministers, orphans or their friends and they would still make fun of them. That's because underneath all these titles, the Yorozuya always see people for their souls, what they are in the inside. We do not have the same ranks but we all have a soul and in this sense we're all equal. Every single humans have flaws and bad habits that the Yorozuya will never fail to notice. :) Now I still haven't precisely described what is a soul in Gintama. But do we really need a precise explanation? I think it's obvious and the author himself despite his love to thoroughly explain his messages made no exact explanation on souls. One can't just perfectly encapsulate the complexity of a soul. Still, what makes a clean soul better than clean life conditions? I've answered hell nah without justifications. Let's answer with another question : Do Gintoki, Kagura and Shinpachi look unhappy to you? Even Otae-san or Otose-san, their lives are far from perfect but never once have I considered them as pitiful. That's because they're so fullfilled by their pathetic lives that you can't see it as pathetic while all I see in the government is pitiful men who lost their honor and obey to aliens because they were scared. (The Shinsengumi is different since they're still samurais which will bring us to the other section in few instants) Another thing that proves that a clean soul is more valuable than anything : If Gintoki loses his house? Clear soul. If he loses an arm? Clear soul. If he loses his everything? (like what supposedly happened in his past but idk WE STILL DON'T HAVE THE DAMN FLASHBACKS) Clear soul. Whatever he loses he will still have his soul. Now let's take em corrupted governmental aliens bloodsuckers. If they lose their house? They have nothing. If they lose their money? They have nothing. If they lose their rank? They have nothing. Nothing is certain in life, they sacrificed their souls for the things mentioned before then what is left of them if we take that away? Gin will still have his soul. (1-0) Some powerful quotes that renforces my statements : - "I don't care if you die. But you're not even trying to save yourself ?" - "Even if I don't go, I'll die anyway. I have an organ that's bigger than my heart and that's what I'm trying to save. It's invisible, but it's all that holds me up. Because of it It can stand up straight. I can walk straight, even when I'm bleeding and dizzy. If I run now, it'll tear in half. My soul...will tear in half." Gintoki and _Hijikata episode 27_ - "Hey, Zura. Even though you've turned into a worn-out old man, can you still run straight?" - "To whom do you think you're talking to ? Even though my eyesight is worse, I can still see clearly the right way to go. I can see it straight and clear" _Gintoki and Katsura episode 118_ - "They're the ones whom you said they were ugly. Why don't you stop them with your own ugly, twisted ways? No matter how many wrinkles they have...No matter how far their backs crumple forward. Their will is as strong and straight as a sword and will never break." _Otae-san episode 118_ Now let's talk about the second most important thing Gintama ___ __THE SAMURAI WAY__ What does it means to be a samurai? I'll let Shinpachi answer since he does that better than me "Tama san, your calculations only apply to ordinary people. Samurai are off a different breed. Even If I leave you and use those 25% chances of survival to run my tail between my legs, for a samurai it means death. To live without protecting what shall be protected : this is the same as death for a samurai. If I only have 5% percent chances of survival while staying there then I'll use those 5% to protect you. When you decide to protect something, you do it until your death. That's the samurai way." Kinda similarly to One Piece, Gintama uses a term, (samurai for Gintama /pirates for One Piece) put their own interpretation over it and deliver a general message. Gintama and One Piece messages are very intertwined but the absolute core message of One Piece is about freedom; represented by pirates : people who emancipate from society and the state rules to embark on their own journeys. The absolute core message of Gintama is apply your ideals and keep them clean no matter what ; represented by samurais : people who lives solely for their unique goal and  would gladly give their lives for it. This is where I wanna go with this comparaison : Gintama keeps the reality of samurai (who originally were assassins and protector of their almighty shogun, living solely in the purposeof serving him.) Both sugarcoat the terms (pirate/samurai) but what's interesting is that Gintama keeps it real at a higher degree : Just as samurai are deeply connected with death, some character's samurai way are deeply connected to death which is a real contrast with the idealistic image of the samurai way we have at the beginning of the series. (not a diss of any kind towards One Piece, I just use One Piece as my reference for everything and I think the comparaison solidifies the point) This brings us to the characters we'll use to highlight my point (sorry Wadao, again, next time) : The Shinsengumi and more particularly Toshiro Hijikata. This character shocked me in my beloved Okita's big sister arc (which is btw one of the only arc where the big message isn't just completely explained, it's more subtle, my interpretation will go BRRRRR). I simply did not understand before to what extent he obeyed his own samurai way. We already sorta explained what the soul is. Now, a samurai is someone who protects their ideals and the samurai way are those ideals + the actions of defending them at any cost. We know that Hijikata wrote the strict Bushido of the Shinsengumi that each member has to respect or they'll have to kill themselves. This showed right from the beginning that Hijikata was serious. Not so much for his personality but for his dedication to the strict rules he applied to himself. In Big Sister Okita arc we discover the cold Hijikata who refuses to let Okita's sister (who's also his crush) pass away before launching an attack and arresting her husband. Okita, who's a character with gigantic pride, lowers himself and humbly request Hijikata to leave things as they are until his sister dies. Hijikata refuses. He doesn't care, __what has to be done has to be done no matter the circumstances__, this is a very important line so remember it. Okita who at first looks like the guy who's in the right is flabbergasted. How could Hijikata be such a cold hearted badass. The deeper I went into the arc the faster I realized that Okita was "wrong one" in the story. You may ask why, what did he do wrong? He was only trying to protect his sister. The thing is that "protecting" his sister got into the way of his actual samurai way which is serving the Shinsengumi. He litteraly asked Hijikata to turn a blind eye and let a criminal run free, destroying more lives, exploiting more people all for the sake of his sister. Knowing that the life of his sister didn't depend on it, he arbitrarily decided to infantilize her by keeping her away from the truth. Okita was still "weak". There was something that kept him away from his duty. Even though being with his sister was the only moments where he showed vulnerability in his whole life, even though he tried his best to protect her it was all weakness. Okita chose the Shinsengumi and he knew what it implied yet he was the only one... When Okita's sister used to say goodbye to the Shinsengumi men every morning before they went out to train, Okita was the only one to look back at her. His resolve was weak. Gotta say, I was surprised the story was going that way. After the big clash between Hijikata and Okita's sister husband, Gintoki gives spicy biscuits to Hijikata, the favorite treat of Okita's sister and he tells him to go see her and give her these biscuits in person. Now we're talking, I knew it couldn't end like this, now Hijikata and Okita were gonna have their big farewell scene with Okita's sister on her death bed. But the absolute unexpected happened. Sogo was alone in his sister's bedroom and Hijikata was alone on the roof. (the author be writting the goofiest stuff then break our hearts with the most dramatic sh*t like it's nothing) Hijikata didn't even say farewell to Okita's sister in her last moments. Toshiro's will is unbreakable. He didn't waver once. To him it was clear : he couldn't get into a relationship the moment he joined the Shinsengumi, that's a decision he took and he wouldn't go back on it for any reason. Even if it destroyed him, even if it made him cry alone by himself. What's also rough is that when you think about it Okita also abandoned his sister before her last moments, he left her alone, dying in the cold and empty room to accomplish what he refused to because of his attachment for her : his duty. That's why I think he did the final shot at Okita's husband instead of Hijikata, he had to do it, to repent himself. While watching Gintama, I always had the feeling that it could go dark real quick but I didn't expect the moral of the story to be that "dark", only the events. It made me think of a quote I absolutely hated while reading Vagabond, a character said something along the lines of "Once you've set your goal, you never go back on it, even if that makes you unhappy". My young self was like "The hell? What's even the point if you're unhappy, I'll never understand this type of reasoning" but now I understand and even respect this quote. What makes you happy? Not just fulfilling your goals or things like that, most of our "happiness" is due to instant pleasure or satisfaction, dopamine, masturbation and such. (not exposing myself just trying to make a point LMAO). I think we live in a society of consumers and that we're less to create or accomplish our own dreams, rather we're to rely on other little addictions to still feel satisfied despite not actively working for it. We give in to our desires for futile pleasure. This is our happiness. What's worse is that we do not actually have a word to say about our desires, we can control them to some extent yes but we did not even decided their existence to begin with. By example if you wake up in the morning and you really want to stay in bed despite having things to do. You give in and stay in bed. You'd sorta be a slave, you'd obey to desires you did not even want to have. Making the choice to actually get up even if it's something you don't want THAT would be being free because you obey to your own will, something you decide, instead of something you don't. That won't instantly make you feel happy but it will be more rewarding along the way. It's basically Kant's categorical imperative, you set strict rules upon yourself and you follow them NO MATTER WHAT. Since their strict, your desires will naturally go against those rules but if you chose to go against those desires every day it will make your will unbreakable and you'll always live by your own terms. The terms are set by yourself so you're the slave of no one, you're serving yourself. This is Hijikata's samurai way. He'll always follow it and protect his rules no matter what and unregarding of the circumstances. That's what it means to be a samurai. ___ __THE IMPORTANCE OF MADAO__ We're finally here. Madao appreciation post. This is the last segment because it combines both the samurai way and the soul in a funny but more importantly __realistic__ way. Gintoki and Hijikata are cool but they're both ideals. In real life, what would someone who listen to Gintama's advice be like? img500(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/684405431686267115/1069891891790884904/artworks-000516111396-iu45j1-t500x500.png) Yup, him. Crazy right? Madao is such an incredible character. Episode 16 perfectly encapsulate his dilemma and life as a whole. Before being a madao, Hasegawa was an official working for the state. He had the money, the social status, a wife a house etc. His job was to make sure the Amantos (Gintama's aliens) were pleased and satisfied. It seems I'm basically going to say the same thing than in The Soul section but it's a little more complex. Hasegawa wanted to do the right thing, to him, serving Amantos was a way to make sure they weren't dissatisfied or angry about anything thus they wouldn't do anything bad to Edo. It was dirty but it was a way to regulate and control the aliens, Hasegawa protected the country in his own way. Thing is, sacrificing your morals for your morals makes absolutely 0 sense. What makes a character like Batman not an hypocrite is that he doesn't kill the bad guys. If he did, he would be off the same caliber than them thus he would have no right stop them, he'd be like them. (well he stills practically kills them but you get it) Kant said that even in a situation where you're hiding your best friend and an assassin comes at your house and asks you about where he is you must answer honestly. Kant believed in the worth of the truth. If you compromise it for whatever reason even for one second you lose the right to complain or act on it. You'd be an hypocrite. How can you complain about a dishonest society when you are yourself dishonest? Hasegawa wanted to protect the country in his own way but it ended up creating paradoxal situations. In episode 8, Shinpachi was on the verge of dying to an Amanto's "pet". Hasegawa stopped Gin san when he tried to save Shinpachi because there was no way to stop the pet without killing it and it would piss of the Amantos. Even though the pet monster was litteraly going at Edo to rampage the city. See the hypocrisy? He says he wants to protect Edo's lives but he's ready to let Edo's lives be destroyed if it means protecting them. This is where always compromising leaves you. What was he even fighting for? At the end of the episode he got inspired by Gin san who didn't give a fuck and killed the monster. Hasegawa decided to punch the sh*it outta the responsible Amantos. He defended and cleared his tainted soul. But he inevitably lost his job and now he's a Madao. Madao thought that shooting inspiring things and fighting for the good would only bring nice things to him. But only his soul has been saved, he sacrificed everything for it, he loses his wife, house, salary and he doesn't know why he's living anymore. He tries to get back on his feet and searches for a new job. His sunglasses are now the symbol of his soul and and in-the-making samurai way. Whenever he goes to job interviews it always go wrong because he keeps the glasses. Who would want to hire someone who comes dressed like that in an interview. Because of his glasses, wherever he goes he's a Madao. At some point, he starts to blame the glasses and Gintoki punches him to wake him up. "If you stumble on a rock, are you going to blame the rock, you stupid ? ". Madao being treated as a Madao is Madao's unique fault and responsibility. He refuses to let go of his soul (glasses) again and fails miserably at getting back anything because everything he had once was at the cost of his soul. If he wants to keep his glasses he'll have to live up to it and accept the consequences. This time he'll have to make no compromise. Gintoki says "It's okay to have a set of rules to live by but if they don't bring anything good to you then you may change it" (Gintoki's samurai way is basically the opposite of Hijikata's so it isn't surprising for him to say that but later on the episode we'll see that this line didn't really help Hasegawa) Hasegawa takes off his glasses and goes on a job interview. He gets accepted and start working as a taxi man. It's great. Life good, technically. But in reality he feels like he has no purpose and he's just driving for a living without anywhere clear to go to or to stop at. He still feels like a madao. The Amanto he once punched got in his taxi. He was driving him to the zoo when a man jumped in front of the car to beg Hasegawa to let his girlfriend get on the taxi because she was about to give birth. The Amanto, cruel bastard who only cares about himself screamed at Hasegawa and told him to go to the zoo and ignore the couple after insulting human race. Hasegawa, once again punches the sh*t outta the dude, drives the couple to an hospital and put his glasses back. Gintoki himself will say that he was wrong and that Hasegawa'd glasses suited him the best. When Hasegawa had to comprise his soul for the sake of his job, he immediately chose his soul, making him, once again, a jobless man. A madao. It is hilarious in a way because Madao thought that by punching the Amanto and living up to his ideal, life would award him and great things will happen but once again, he's here without a dime, a wife or anything but his clen soul to rely on. I think it's important to have a character like Madao who reminds you the actual cost of completely staying true to yourself in a corrupted and disgusting society. Compared to Gintoki, when you look at Madao's life you kinda see it as pathetic because Madao himself isn't satisfied with it. Just because his soul is clean he's not always happy being dirt ass poor and that's a more realistic approach. He's not an ideal, he's a regular man who just wants to be true to himself. ___ __CONCLUSION__ I'm glad I completed this review. It's kinda frustrating to only talk about these aspects of the anime though. I wanted to talk about Hijikata's "weak" alter ego to nuance what I said about his character, I wanted to talk about the Hoshiwara's in flames arc, the great Yagyu arc. But at the end of the day, I did talk about everything that was necessary for "The soul", "The samurai way ", and the "Importance of Madao" subjects and taking about things that are irrelevant to these subjects would only make this review even longer. I just want to add that the Shinsengumi and Yorozuya's rivalry is underrated af. Gintoki and Hijikata who are both respectively the representation of Yorozuya and the Shinsengumi are two sides of the same coin. Hijikata has strict rules that he lives by and he'll never betray them for anything. That's his samurai way. Gintoki respects no rules : that's his absolute rule. He's above laws because he just always does whatever he wants. Living by no rules is his only strict rule : that's his samurai way. They're both very different but also very similar, depending on how you look at it. To get back on what I said on Madao's section. I think Gintama as an anime and as a manga perfectly embody the "stay true to himself despite the rules" attitude. The anime is a HUGE troll. I'm shocked at how many time they got aways with doing whatever they pleased. Making fun of the higher ups, criticizing the industry, pranking the viewers and ignoring complaints. The anime staff is litteraly the Yorozuya bruh. I do think that the episode that aren't based off manga's chapter are less funny and feel weirder to watch but I'm okay with it because they perfectly understand Gintama and their episodes share Gintama's spirit. I don't think of any studio that could have done better with such limited budget. Huge respect on them. The manga is the same. Hideaki Sorachi pranked his readers and created a story that can't be put in a recognizable and comforting case. The story isn't restrained by any rules or expectations. Very few nekketsu shonen are similar to Gintama. A comedic slice of life that will make you ask where is the shonen part and a dramatic battle manga part that will make you ask where the comedic slice of life story went. Gintama is just Gintama and since the first episode I knew it was going to be one my favorite thing and it only surpassed my expectations episodes by episodes... _if you want to discuss this review :_ https://anilist.co/activity/519976133

Alduin

This review might contain light spoilers for the story of Gintama. img220(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZTR0d2thejBuMnc4cmZ1ZjAwN2h6NDV0NDR5YjJzY3Q3dHI4emFuNiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/LOJt1jzWOeZBtPLYbL/giphy.gif) **HOW I GOT INTO GINTAMA** I started watching Gintama in mid 2019 when it was already at the top of the sites such as MyAnimeList or Anilist, I saw this cool white haired samurai and got into it without even searching what it's about. I got bored. I got extremely bored of the comedy episodes and it took me 2 whole years to watch just 16 episodes. In summer 2021 I searched a little bit more about what Gintama is and started watching it again but this time it was different, the episodes I watched have stayed the same however this time they were interesting, they weren't funny but they excited me. After 20th episode it even became funny for me and I finished the first show from 2006 in a few days. img220(https://media4.giphy.com/media/wPyMMQ1NWpmfe/200w.gif?cid=790b7611ey5f077nozd2tcp7yvs9y685r5d2lbs0zzavgtt5&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.gif&ct=g) **THE COMEDY AND WHY IT MATTERS** To be honest, I was one of those people that wanted to watch only the serious arcs of Gintama but I changed my mind quickly after giving comedy episodes a second chance. At first glance those episodes may seem unimportant and goofy, a way to kill time until serious and darker arcs come, but they're more than that, they're episodes that build Gintoki and other characters up. After about 200 episodes there comes an arc called Four Devas of Kabukicho where the entire watching of comedy episodes pay off and you get all those comedy characters come and help Gintoki when he needs it. Sure, you can just skip comedy arcs and somewhat enjoy the serious ones but there is a reason as to why the author wrote the story this way and why he wanted it to be experienced this way. img220(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExd3NjZnY2eHNjZXAybHhrdHNsdnhrdjk5YzFnMnh1aWp4ZWJydXUzMiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/12p5byldHRgyu4/giphy.gif) **DON'T SLEEP ON GINTAMA'S SHORT ARCS** I've seen a lot of people watch Gintama and not pay attention to the shorter arcs even though they're half comedy and half serious, this is a mistake on their part. There is an arc that is 2 episodes long and it's called Guardian Dog arc. It's about a son of yakuza boss decides that he doesn't want to join the yakuza and wants to pursue his true passion, his father doesn't allow it and the son kills himself (there is obviously much more to it but I won't spoil everything). This is an arc that teaches us about how someone not tied to you by blood can feel like family, protecting our loved ones, pursuing our true passion and much more but you obviously wouldn't know that if you decided to just not to pay attention to it because it's only 2 episodes long. img220(https://media.tenor.com/w71aEY2KrAwAAAAC/gintama-gintoki.gif) **GINTAMA'S SERIOUS ARCS** There is a clear difference in writing when it comes to serious arcs, there are also some semi-serious arcs that have both of the writing styles but for me there is a clear line about when it comes to those more serious arcs. The comedy arcs are more light hearted while serious arcs are more heavy, they have more heart and emotion. Gintama's serious arcs are nothing like the story before them, almost like it's a completely new anime. There are bits of Gintoki's backstory in most of serious arcs and you're the one who should connect them to get the whole story behind our main character. I can't say much about them without spoiling the main story so we'll be moving on. img220(https://i.imgur.com/3Yw3CpU.gif) **THE CAST** Gintama has the best characters I've ever seen without competition. There are no wasted characters, even in short arcs Gintama will make sure to give a certain character backstory (even if he will never appear in the show again) just so you can understand or relate to him better. The main cast consists of Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura, their dynamic is extremely heartwarming to watch, especially Gintoki and Kagura since they have sort of a father-daughter type of bond. Even the characters that don't fight in serious arcs have their time to shine and their important moments in which the audience can get to know and love them. img220(https://media.tenor.com/AQOex2LUAdAAAAAd/gintama-boxers.gif) **FINAL THOUGHTS** If you're thinking about getting into Gintama, I beg you please be patient and don't be eager to see the serious arcs, there is also much to enjoy outside of them and once you finish Gintama you'll wish that there were more episodes. If you were to ask me where the story truly shines, whether in comedy or serious arcs I would have to say both, this is something you'll only be able to understand after you've finished Gintama but both serious and comedy arcs have their message and meaning, to just pick one of those and say this is a better part of Gintama feels wrong for me. Gintama is one of the greatest animes I have ever watched and if you give it a shot it's possible that you'll like it too so I highly encourage you to do it. img220(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SelfreliantTediousGerbil-max-1mb.gif) **THANK YOU FOR READING** img220(https://i.gifer.com/NznM.gif)