While Gintoki Sakata was away, the Yorozuya found themselves a new leader: Kintoki, Gintoki's
golden-haired doppelganger. In order to regain his former position, Gintoki will need the help of
those around him, a troubling feat when no one can remember him! Between Kintoki and Gintoki, who will
claim the throne as the main character?
In addition, Yorozuya make a trip back down to red-light district of Yoshiwara to aid an elderly
courtesan in her search for her long-lost lover. Although the district is no longer in chains beneath
the earth's surface, the trio soon learn of the tragic backstories of Yoshiwara's inhabitants that
still haunt them. With flashback after flashback, this quest has Yorozuya witnessing everlasting love
and protecting it as best they can with their hearts and souls.
Gintama': Enchousen includes moments of action-packed intensity along with their usual
lighthearted, slapstick humor for Gintoki and his friends.
(Source: MAL Rewrite)
Gintama is a fantastic series, and one that quickly became a favorite of mine, although not without problems. One of my biggest problems with this series when first watching it was season 3, and Courtesan of a Nation in specific. My feelings on the arc now are much different, but let's just go over my entire experience up to this point and explain why Courtesan disappointed me at first and what I feel about it now after a rewatch of the arc. Spoilers for The first 3 seasons of Gintama. I initial dropped Gintama after about 6 episodes, much like a few of my other favorites, and it took me until episode 8 to really get invested and grow to love this series. A lot of ups and downs along the way, but the main things I want to highlight for season 1 here are Yoshiwara in Flames and Red Spider. Yoshiwara was my short term goal when picking up Gintama for the second time. I wanted to meet Tsukuyo. I thought she would be a great character and fit my taste extremely well, and I was right. As soon as I saw her I fell in love with her character. She ended up being my favorite in the series by the end of Yoshiwara. Although the arc had some incredible moments alongside her, she was the main reason I enjoyed this arc as much as I did. Later in season 1 she fully became my irreplacable favorite in Gintama, and also my fourth overall. Red Spider is my favorite arc in Gintama, even anime as a whole. It resonated deeply with me and it meant a lot to me seeing this story in Gintama. Tsukuyo's story in Yoshiwara is great. She's adorable and sweet, but also very strong and capable. It doesn't have to give you much more than what it does to make Tsukuyo a great character and get my hopes up for even more of her story, but Red Spider blows it out of the water. An entire arc dedicated to Tsukuyo and her own weaknesses and past traumas. Not to mention the incredible use of color and symbolism in this arc. It's my favorite because of those things and my own personal experiences with trauma and how I cope and deal with my problems. I see so much of my self in Tsukuyo and this arc only reinforces those feelings. Seeing her struggle to open up and rely on others, being afraid of being a burden, and ultimately Gintoki helping her and telling her it's okay meant a lot to me. Although Gakkou Gurashi helped me learn these lessons already, Gintama truly struck a cord with me. It's exploration of Tsukuyo and those traumatic experiences and feelings are incredible. "It's a pretty face carrying a clean soul." My favorite Gintama quote and one that captures the entire essence and feeling of Tsukuyo as a character. Her scars are the path she chose to lead, and although they may be a result of those traumatic experiences they will always be hopeful and a reminder that Tsukuyo controls her own path in life and no one else. She found people to love and cherish, who will help her through her problems. That is why this arc is so important and meaningful to me. Season 2 doesn't have any arcs dedicated to Tsukuyo and her growth, but does have a lot of really great stand alone episodes with her and I love all of them. What's most important about S2 in this case is Four Devas. My second favorite arc, and one moment in specific that absolutely amazed and shocked me. Gintoki and Jirocho's fight. Seeing Gin snap hit me incredibly hard. It is one of my favorite moments in the entire series, and practically made the entire arc on it's own, but why is it important for season 3? More specifically Courtesan? It's one of the biggest reasons Courtesan disappointed me. I watched all of Gintama in about 3 months so when I got to Courtesan I was still sort of fresh off the excitement of Four Devas and had very high hopes that it would go beyond those moments and give me even more incredible moments. It did not do that the first time around. Gintoki DOES snap again, but it is short lived this time around so I waited the entire arc for him to get badass and do it again, but it never came. I ended up disappointed despite crying at the ending and thinking it was gorgeous. Despite the beginning being incredible and everything interesting going on with Nobume. My expectations from prior arcs made Courtesan worse. However, on rewatch I loved this arc. It became one of my favorites almost immediately and I loved every moment of it. Parts that disappointed me originally were beautifully done, and even fantastic. I think part of that is because I knew where the story was going from there, but I also recognized just how incredible it is as closure for Tsukuyo this time around. Tsukuyo is a major part of Courtesan of a Nation. Her last time being in the spotlight of a "serious" arc, although her character grows more even beyond this point. She is the most important character in it. She finally begins to trust in others and get help from her friends. She made the promise with everyone to come back safe and alive. When Gintoki got shot by Isaburo she was the one to put her life at risk to protect him. Courtesan completes Tsukuyo's arc in a beautiful way, and gives closure to her past mistakes. She becomes more open and loving towards those she cares about and more accepting of her femininity (although still a little embarrassed by it). This is why I love Courtesan of a Nation now. For the closure it gives on Tsukuyo's story.
~~~img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/763786289953636383/857706716497444894/fixe-fof.gif)~~~ "Welcome to my first ever review, it had to be gintama one way or the other due to it's massive influence over my life for the better and I will forever hold it dearly, anyways, I really hope that you enjoy this review, without further ado let us start!" I am going to be using the following headings to review this anime: Plot 10/10 x Characters 10/10 x Audio 10/10 *totally not biased says forever as he sips on his coffee *... img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/763786289953636383/857716759671078922/heading.png) __Plot (arcs):__ Personally, this is where gintama shines the most just behind it's phenomenal cast of characters. In this season, there are three arcs known as the "Kintama arc" x "Courtesan Of A Nation Arc" and finally the "Beam Saber Arc". In the kintama arc we are introduced into a world that has no existence/recollection of gintoki but rather the perfected version of himself known as kintoki. Main objective in this arc? Gintoki making everyone remember his existence while eradicating kintoki from edo. This arc was very touching in the sense that even though everyone forgot about gintoki, sadaharu and tama never forgot about his existence and legacy, personally, this speaks volumes about how influental gintoki is on their lives as a whole. A character like kintoki who appeared for around 4 episodes can never be better than the likes of gintoki who has stayed for multiple years with 200+ episodes to his name. A perfected version of gintoki aka kintoki (testicles literally) was no match for the people in the kabuki district that had a bond with gintoki which further reinforces this idea. I mean if this doesn't show the impact gintoki has on all the other characters I don't know what will. This really wasn't the best arc from this season as the "courtesan of a nation arc" claimed victory by significant margins but nonetheless, this arc was fairly enjoyable with its fair share of comedy and vice versa. In the "Courtesan Of A Nation Arc" which I like to believe is a continuation of the "yoshiwara in flames arc" (to some extent) we are presented with the past of gintoki which is rarely ever mentioned up to this point. It also introduces the characters "shoyo" and "oboro" who **will** play an significant role in the future which portrays the careful world building gintama is capable of doing. In short, Suzuran (Yoshiwara's most beautiful courtesan) made a promise with someone decades ago to meet each other at the next full moon but that certain someone never came and gintoki x tsukuyo decided to find where that person was. This led them to the house of the shogun as that "someone" was the former shogun. This dude.. I HATED HIS SOUL okay *reasons? so much that I can't list them here* ! Nobume (aka donut lovin' blue hair girl) and Isaburo by coincidence were protecting the shogun due to certain circumstances. This arc, THIS ARC, is the one to beat. As soon as gintoki enters the palace we get a glimpse of gintoki in his so called "beserk" mode as he goes head to head against Oboro. This fight had me shivering the entire time as I ached in pain being unable to tell someone my thoughts every second of the fight. This fight left gintoki in a near death situation but with the help of sasaki he was able to battle oboro the second time around and defeated him (oboro's whereabouts are unknown as of the end of **this** season). Seeing the shinsengumi, tsukuyo, nobume, white version of shinsengumi all helping gintoki fight against the previous corrupt shogun was truly a sight to behold. Gintoki has created a family in this series, a great family who will protect him even in the depths of hell, seeing everyone help him genuinely made me shed a tear. Overall, this arc is the best to date (until ep 300-) as the plot advances with no signs of slowing down! Finally, the "Beam Saber Arc".. personally it was a bit underwhelming **compared** to the other two arcs but if you don't compare it was a decent arc that is able to hold it's own weight in this huge franchise. Being only 3 episodes we discover than Shinpachi and Otae had discovered their long lost instructor with the catch that he is a cyborg now due to a life threatening situation in space that rendered him limb-less. *Another catch* is that he is equipped with a beam that could destroy the entire of earth in which he has no control over it's detonation. I like this arc as it shows how far Gin is willing to go to protect those he loves and purposely makes himself the villain to prevent both Otae x Shinpachi from learning that exact truth. Gintoki even bows down to the Shinsengumi to protect Shinpachi. Since Gintoki himself is a very proud person the fact that Sougo himself says that statement makes it even more significant. Honestly this arc allowed me to confirm that Gintoki is the best character to grace this medium. img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/763786289953636383/857716759671078922/heading.png) __Characters:__ In general, the characters of this series are something that I will love regardless how much times I watch this series. In my opinion, there is no primary protagonist to this series, every single character is the main character of this story which is what makes it so special whether the role is small or large. We get to see every single character in action (except zura WHYYY) which creates a sense that everyone is bonded by the silver light of Gintoki himself as he adventures the beautiful but strange (in the funny sense) kabuki district. This exact bond is what lured me to gintama the second time for a rewatch, It's truly priceless that we are allowed to view the family that is the yorozuya and it is also the reason that I give it the *non biased* 10/10 rating. img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/763786289953636383/857716759671078922/heading.png) __Audio:__ Simply unfair, it's just too good for me. We are introduced with the OP's "Sakura Mitsutsuki " and "LETS GO OUT" with the ED's "Moonwalk" and "Expect". In my opinion, every single OP x ED was stunning but "sakura mitsusuki" was beyond that. This song has reached 23 million views on youtube > as of 24.06.2021 and it fully deserves it. The visuals were exceptional, the song was beautiful, I can't stop looping this on spotify because of those reasons. SPYAIR really outdone themselves with this song and I can never thank them enough for it. If there was anything I wanted you to take away from this "review", I demand you to listen to ["sakura mitsusuki"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXpGVuaQwXo&ab_channel=SSTV). This song should be the sole reason that you (**yeah you**) decide to start gintama, It's that good and for those reasons, "sakura mitsusuki" carries the ratings to the impossible 10/10 *totally not biased 100% no way*. img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/763786289953636383/857716759671078922/heading.png) In general, thanks to all of those who read my first ever review, If you think there is anything I should fix or improve on do let me know on a private dm on my profile! Keep it cool forever, see you next time fellow yorozuya members! from your friendly neighbourhood essay writer - forever img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/763786289953636383/857745379000451082/finsher.gif) ~~~ ~!For anyone who doesn't understand the title, what I'm referring to is the idea that gintama has achieved greatness and will only continue to produce that level of quality for the remaining years gintama has left.!~ ~~~
This review will once again be a general arc breakdown, and a follow up to the first and second. Of course, full spoilers in this review. If you want a non-spoiler review, go read Gintama season 1’s. img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/5Ni4vh0.jpeg) 3 reviews in, I’m sure you get how this works. I’ll start with a little touch up, and dedicate most of the review to breaking down each arc. This one will be relatively short with only 13 episodes of content to cover, but bear with me, because this season was jam packed. It was an entourage of serious arc after serious arc— which for some reason seemingly had a way increased budget from previous seasons. I don’t have anything to note beyond this precursor, so into the meat and bones we go! # __~~~Kintoki Arc~~~__ img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/asYuAVI.jpeg) The Kintama arc has a pretty wacky premise; I love it. Waking up to find yourself replaced by a superior version of you is genius, and it leads to a lot of good drama. It ends up tackling some neat existential ideas like “Should I even want to go back if they’re happier with the other me around”. Of course, the moral of the story here was that Gintoki’s dim luster made him him, and no replacement would be apt. It was a predictable moral point for a Shounen, but it was relatively impactful either way. It drives home the point of everyone being special and irreplaceable in their own way, and also shows the bond Gintoki and the rest of the cast share. The other thematic strokes were good as well, as all of Kintoki’s friends revolting against him exemplified the idea of true friendship being correcting each other’s path when they go astray. I thought the comedy was super solid as well, making creative jokes off of the doppelgänger situation. Like Gintoki always finding a way to bash him in the head out of anger was hilarious, and somehow unexpected almost every time. Not to mention the Tama and Sadaharu Yorozuya team was just neat to see. Also, one can’t forget the opening being solely Kintoki for the gag; replacing Gintoki in the previous episodes with Kintoki. Of course, the main attraction would be Kintoki himself; I thought his character arc was sublime. He strived for his own ideal life of being a protagonist as he was created to be one, and felt threatened by Gintoki coming back to replace him. This is a large part of why they sympathized with him in the end, as he was created by them and had no say in his role in life. Also, the idea of our main antagonist just wanting to be a harem protagonist is fucking hilarious. I also thought the structure of the plot was nice. There were several neat twists that were shocking to various degrees. They really strengthened Tama’s relationship with Gintoki during this arc as well, I really appreciated them showing the bolt hair-pin Gintoki gave her. Though, when she “died” and came back it just felt hollow. Character revivals are just generally not fun, and it seems to be a recurring thing in Gintama. So, in conclusion, Kintama was an incredibly fun arc with a lot of things to offer— even the ending was super satisfying. It was a blast all the way through, and it got me hyped for later ones. # __~~~Courtesan of a Nation Arc~~~__ img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/YOL0yyP.png) Courtesan of a Nation was a very satisfying conclusion to the Yoshiwara trilogy, and perhaps the best serious arc in the series up to this point. There’s a LOT of branching plot threads to cover, though, so I suppose I’ll cover them individually. ~~~Maizo and Suzuran~~~ Suzuran, the famous courtesan of Yoshiwara, had a solid introduction. It grounded her character with some funny jokes, and established her connection to Gintoki well. It also semi-subtly began building up towards a phenomenal emotional pay-off. I wish I could say the same for Maizo, however. He wasn’t bad in his introduction, but the whole wanting to be stepped on by a child thing was strange and a bit off putting. I wasn’t initially sure how his character would largely play into things, but the reveal of him being Suzuran’s beloved was super well done. It helped paint the Shogun Sada Sada in a villainous light, and established him as a threat on the levels of pettiness he would go into. The idea of Maizo suffering, wanting to return to Suzuru under the moon was beautiful; it naturally set up for a good emotional pay-off when they met up. The actual meeting scene was done near perfectly, as we see Suzuran finally achieve her wish on her deathbed. This was amplified by the idea that it just barely happened, and some smart direction flashing them from the past to the present with the motif of Sakura petals. Also, if you didn’t know, the lyrics of opening 13 tell their story— which is the opening that plays over this arc, obviously. This was probably the emotional point in Gintama, and it was super well set up. Something about their love enduring over such a period of time is just special; I understand if you don’t find such a concept appealing, but the direction and way it’s conveyed should be enough to get most invested. ~~~The Coup D’etat~~~ As mentioned in my 4 Devas review, Gintama is quickly turning into political warfare— and it’s incredibly hype while being thematically poignant. The arc accentuates the idea of samurai being beings that live for their own ideals, and how their lifestyle should be protected. We see samurai revolt against an entire governmental system for the sake of principles, almost outlawing them as terrorists. Of course, the Shogun comes in to usurp his predecessor as one of the most hype twists in the series. Not only was it unexpected, but it perfectly played this comedic character into a serious arc, and gave him a good bit of development. The Shogun has always been connected to his people and always cared about the citizens of Edo, so it makes sense to have him resign from his position and want to leave the political power struggle— believing he isn’t worthy of ruling such samurai. On the other end of the spectrum, it’s awesome to see opposing forces like the Mimawarigumi and the Shinsengumi band together for the sake of a common foe— and the others to protect the samurai ideal. This also continues to build upon the world, introducing and developing factions like the world leaders Tendoshu. Not to mention the political faction vying for control, the Hitotsubashi. You can feel the political power struggles boiling up in the background, and tell this is just the beginning. They even casually name dropped “Nobunobu”, who I’m sure will be important later. Then, as a closing note, Takasugi’s appearance politically assassinating Sada Sada once against drives in his relevance and potential threat. ~~~Oboro and Gintoki’s Past~~~ This plotline finally gives some reprieve to long and not-subtly foreshadowed events. The mystery of Gintoki’s past has been built up for 100’s of episodes, as we only get nibbles of bits of information as to what transpired back in the Joi War. Our built up intrigue is immediately peaked by linking Oboro to Gintoki in some way, and the bits of his past that they reveal get you wanting more. Not to mention, his seeming connection with Nobume sets up a new mystery to be satisfied. Then, the actual fight with Oboro and Gintoki is beautifully animated and directed; it has levity due to Gintoki willingly attempting to kill someone. We don’t get much of their plot line here, but what we do see is impactful and memorable. ~~~Miscellaneous~~~ For other things I’d like to note, I feel like Tsukuyo had her character developed well here. Hinowa directly pointed out her parallels to Gintoki, and it really shows how she’s been subtly influenced by him. On top of this, I think the comedy was super strong. The cliffhanger ending of the Shogun getting knocked out by a can was super funny; it’s an attestament to the Shogun’s comedic power. He’s an important, powerful political figure but he always ends up in the most unfortunate of situations. Of course, this is sometimes subverted for comedic effect like in the pool episode, but the idea generally remains— and it’s on full display here. I’d also like to note Princess Soyo and Kagura’s relationship coming back into play was a nest touch, and was totally unexpected. It felt like the political connections the crew had gained over the series had really paid off. If I had one complaint, the political exposition was perhaps a bit too much for the pacing at certain times— but that’s minor. # __~~~Beam Saber Arc~~~__ img800(https://tinyimg.io/i/9A51SlT.png) For sure the most troubling arc of season 3, I still really like Beam Saber in spite of its flaws. Though, I would be remiss to not mention them. The most glaring thing for many people are in line with Renho’s flaws— the abundance of Star Wars references. Of course, the references in themselves are not the issue, but the way they are delivered is problematic. They constantly rely on using Star Wars jokes for humor, with no back-up punchline or subtly in play. It’s a parody, sure, but it’s practically just saying “laugh because of popular things”. Which, obviously, is incredibly lazy writing. Though, outside of this, I found Hajime to be a fun and well-developed character. Even if the theme of laughing instead of crying is overdone and cliche, it was poignant here due to the presentation towards the end. Had they not concluded Hajime’s character arc by killing him, which conversely teaches Otae and Shinpachi, I would have been pissed. That truly would have been cliche Shounen. Hajime’s struggle of wanting to see his childhood friends off for one last time selfishly is endearing, and pretty sympathetic. Gintoki wanting to save him from his fate is perfectly fitting of his character, as well as him making himself the villain for it. Everything fell properly in line for the character’s action, and it’s honestly rare to see such potent characterization. Shinpachi’s initial rage at Gintoki was heartbreaking as well, and the same goes for Otae’s solemn silence. In the end, Hajime was an awesome character who taught us the importance of laughter, as cliche as that may be. The comedy beats in this arc outside of the Star Wars stuff we’re super solid as well. Drawing on Otae forgetting her original goal as a character was genius, and it’s the exact kind of smart and self-aware writing I expect from Gintama. I’m so glad they addressed it instead of having it become an actual plot hole or major issue. The conclusion of them opening the dojo with Hajime credited as an eternal founder was incredibly sweet as well. Not to mention Otae and Shinpachi just moving on from his death, learning to laugh and live from him. Super awesome stuff. # ~~~__Conclusion__~~~ img(https://tinyimg.io/i/NaYpKPt.jpeg) To finish off, since I don’t have enough to say for a whole section— I though Sadaharu’s arc of growth in episode 266 was very sweet. Anyways, I’m wrapping it up on this note— damn, that exceeded my expectations. It was hype, funny, and emotional. Incredibly jam packed for a season, and definitely the best one for now. So onto season 4! Also, if you have any thoughts, feel free to message me of course— or hit me up on Discord. [Next Review— Gintama Season 4 ](https://anilist.co/review/14077)
"Show that you can stop the women that you sneer at. Show that you can defend the castle built on the tears of those women. Since you’ve forgotten about them, we’ll have to remind you! These women have come to topple a country." - Tsukuyo, Episode 259 (_Gintama’: Enchōsen_ 7) _Gintama’: Enchōsen_ is a series that shows just how much can be accomplished in a short space of time. Continuing to build on the foundations of the previous series, _Enchōsen_ draws the audience into a small handful of arcs that offer a deeper exploration of not only the political elements of _Gintama_’s world but also how characters exist within them. There is a noticeable tonal shift within these thirteen episodes, yet the soul of _Gintama_ remains strong. There is such a clarity of vision within _Enchōsen_ that it really highlights what makes _Gintama_ a unique series. Separating the series into three arcs and a one-shot story works really well; allowing it to focus on each story. This means that the more random structure of the first two seasons is missing but the characters supply more than enough chaos to make up for it. _Enchōsen_ also feels deeply connected to both the preceding series as well _Gintama°_ which makes the evolution from _Gintama’_ feel natural. The creativity shown by the staff, utilising the break for narrative reasons, heightens the comedic impact of its first arc. It demonstrates the ability to take the manga’s concepts and apply them to different media; something that a lot of manga adaptations tend to neglect. The pacing of _Enchōsen_ is also an incredible feat. Thirteen episode series often straddle the awkward line of having too many episodes to tell a simple story or having too little of a timeframe to fit in a complex story. In _Gintama_’s case, the thirteen episodes are utilised to their fullest. A part of this comes from the anime staff being willing to completely commit to an idea and to push it as far as they can. ~!A great example of this having two versions of the same opening for the first arc, reflecting the narrative, and also committing to making a third opening solely for _Mantama_ (cancelled before its time) which is either absolutely ingenious or insane. I still can’t figure out which.!~ It is the small touches added by the staff that work to make the series even better. Each arc feels complete, managing to reach satisfying conclusions while leaving enough behind that they interweave with the rest of _Gintama_. The first arc highlights the importance of the cast; giving the audience a clear message about what it means to exist within this world of self-referential hijinks and genre-bending plots. The second looks to the previously neglected political elements, tying in with Gintoki’s obscure past and the corruption rife throughout the bakufu. The final arc looks more towards the Yorozuya, specifically Shinpachi who often finds himself being overshadowed by the flashier characters; giving him space to shine a little brighter. It is fitting that the last episode centres on Sadaharu, moving away from the larger scope of the previous stories to look at the emotional heart that makes _Gintama_ special to so many. There is something comforting in watching the cast support each other through thick and thin, even when they are their usual imperfect selves. Managing to balance the comedy, drama and action is a skill that _Gintama: Enchōsen_ effortlessly utilises to create an engaging series that is only an asset to the wider series. All of the improvements made during the course of _Gintama’_ remain, with further advancements being made in the animation and, as always, the music remains brilliant at encapsulating the tone. For how diverse the series is, the soundtrack is excellent at keeping up and heightening the mood. The cast also really shines during this series with some of the newer additions getting a chance to develop while still retaining an air of mystery to them. The audience is always kept on their toes, with even some of the regular cast showing new sides to them. This means that interactions between the new and old characters feel natural and the development feels earned. For example, the brief interactions between Nobume and Tsukuyo are measured; never forgetting their personalities when they work together. _Gintama’: Enchōsen_ stands out from the previous _Gintama’_ series due to the absence of comedy centric episodes that are usually placed between arcs; acting as a reprieve from the more intense moments. This changes _Gintama_ as a viewing experience but, due to Sorachi and the anime staff’s ability to mix humour into the more serious moment, _Echōsen_ is definitely not short on laughs. It does, however, make the audience appreciate these comedic moments when they make their return in _Gintama°_. Overall, this series continues to work on the foundations established and shows that _Gintama_ is a series that is confident in its formula while being willing to shake things up. _Gintama’: Enchōsen_ is a must-watch for anyone who has enjoyed the previous seasons that _Gintama_ has offered.
__This review will obviously contain spoilers for all of Gintama up to the end of Enchousen, if you haven’t watched Gintama, I totally recommend you to watch it.__ Ever since I started Gintama back in October of last year, I knew I would probably want to review its seasons whenever I had the time. My only issue with this was how long season 1 was, taking over more than half of the entire show’s duration, and season 2 also being fairly long that covering all that I wanted to would be a difficult task. But Gintama season 3 (or Gintama’: Enchousen) felt like the perfect starting point for this, because not only is it the shortest season so far, it’s also one of the best ones of this entire show. So without further ado, let’s break this season. ** ** What’s special about Gintama’ Enchousen is its ability to consistently tell continuous semi-serious and serious arcs in a way that never turns out dull. Thus far, Gintama managed to mix comedy arcs with some serious arcs in-between, this formula has worked wonders, as it managed to make the serious arcs much more compelling thanks to its brilliant way to develop characters in both types of arc storytelling. For example, characters who are mostly used for comic relief end up getting the bigger spotlight whenever they have serious or badass moments. This is majorly highlighted in Courtesan of a Nation Arc, which manages to put the Shogun at a much more different light than what we were adapted to, a character who turned into the punching bag of the show turns out to be a very righteous and compelling ruler who has gained the hearts of all of Edo. Or how Isao Kondo manages to once again become a serious and badass leader, features which were lastly seen in the Shinsengumi Crisis arc, and before that, the Mitsuba arc. img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/421801613053919236/940448428201226250/IMG_0369.JPG) As I mentioned before, this season is a compromised segment of consistent storytelling, starting with the Kintama Arc, an arc where Gintoki Sakata has been replaced by its shiner and more perfect dopplegänger, Kintoki Sakata. This arc mixes pretty solid comedy from new Yorozuya’s attempts being foiled by the perfect Kintoki but also contains a pretty moving message that showcases the ideals behind a main character in a show. As a viewer you’re initially happy to see Yorozuya be so happy-go-lucky with their perfect leader, but soon the cracks start forming with the characters, as they slowly get more reminiscent of the strange figure they once knew as Gintoki. After the pretty comedic harem segment of Mantama, we’re left with the final message from Gintoki to Kintoki, who explains that all of the characters, flaws and all, make up the perfect character for the show. And ultimately, Kintoki ended up being the most flawed character out of everyone in his quest for perfection. img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/421801613053919236/940448428599705640/IMG_0370.JPG) The Courtesan Arc is definitely the highlight of the show, this arc is probably the most important thus far, as it exemplifies the beginning of a major turning point in the whole tone of the show. It’s worth saying that politics in Gintama have been taken lightly for most of the show, ever since the Shogun was introduced to be a joke character despite his role being the most important of the show politically, this aspect wasn’t really its central focus. But Courtesan gives a much wider scope into this conflict, with the Shinsengumi and Mimawarigumi ultimately declaring rebellion against the former Shogun, further heating up the political tension that the premise has set up, as important Bakufu officers have been mysteriously assassinated inside the palace. Courtesan additionally goes in-depth into Gintoki’s backstory, previously it was mainly fed into the audience through small fractions, most of the information you’d see during the openings of the show up to this point, going as far as Benizakura being the last arc that delved a bit more into the Joi war and the past. Here, they also explain what caused the Joi uprising against the Bakufu, thanks to their easy submission during the Amanto invasion, which threatened the way of life of the Samurai. Back to explaining the past, we’re also introduced to Oboro and the Tenshouin Naraku faction, which is explained that they were the responsibles behind Gintoki’s teacher, Shoyo’s murder. The characterization is off the charts in this arc, as I explained before, the Shogun and Kondo being given a more serious spotlight works wonders to further develop their roles as leaders, with the Shogun ultimately ending as the deterrent of this whole conflict against Sadasada. The Mimawarigumi gain a massive development in Courtesan, reflected in its leader, Sasaki Isaburo, who was mainly characterized in Thorny arc as an elitist egomaniac, now characterized as a bit of a more selfless person. Similarly, Nobume is also given a bigger spotlight from her previous role as the reserved and poker-faced killer to a much more lively character who is willing to also fight for what she believes is the right cause. Additionally we’re shown that at the end, she’s shrouded in mystery as Oboro explains how she used to be a member of the Naraku like him. Tsukuyo is also an important figure in this arc, throughout the Yoshiwara trilogy arcs we’ve been given pretty important pieces to realize what her character represents, with the Red Spider arc neatly explaining the burden of solitude she quietly carried. Her relationship with Gintoki also develops greatly in this arc, in Red Spider arc, Gintoki took the role of her protector, and here you can see how their relationship is far more natural and both cover each other's backs during their fights. But alone, Tsukuyo also developed as a protector of Yoshiwara, willing to go as far as confront the former shogun for justice for Courtesan Suzuran. Even with the Courtesan arc being the highlight of the season, Enchousen continues the pattern of serious arcs with a more lighthearted toned one named the Beam Sword Style arc. With the premise basically being a full-blown parody of Star Wars, this arc manages to be a very emotionally driven story in its short three episodes of runtime. img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/421801613053919236/940449266801991711/IMG_0371.JPG) What makes this story segment special is the insane character moments that occur in such a short amount of time. The spotlight goes into the very undermined character of Shinpachi and Otae, who have to quickly realize that their older brother figure Hajime Obi, has been in reality a robot manufactured by an galactic terrorist group to spark an intergalactic war that would destroy Earth in the process. Both Shimura siblings need to adapt to Hajime’s style of “crying and then smiling” which is genuinely one of the most heartfelt characterizations from both characters, who have been portrayed not very seriously in the past 260 episodes. But what most struck in this arc had to be Gintoki’s sole moment of him begging the Shinsengumi to not interfere in this conflict and instead protect Shinpachi and Otae while he went ahead and fought Hajime alone. This happening right after Gintoki was being portrayed as sort of an asshole by ignoring both Shimura siblings’ request to save Hajime, the fact being that Gintoki had tried and fought his battle alone to try and save him away from them, so that they wouldn’t suffer. That right there is one of the most impactful characterizations from Gintoki thus far, and across the two aforementioned arcs, there’s an insane development on Gin’s behalf as a selfless protagonist who puts others’ wishes before his own, even if he does not mean it at first. Sidetracking, on the technical aspect, Enchousen hits it out of the park as well, the animation in the fights continues to be superb. With the fights showing the weight of the blows and how every character fights, whether that is with or without the intention to kill their opponent. The soundtrack is also incredible, the highlight being the 13th opening, “Sakuramitsutsuki” and the Kintama opening showing the complete wrongfulness that the show is going through. Not much needs to be said in this regard anyways, Gintama’s openings have always been amazing, and most have captured the essence of the show’s wackiness and even displayed the tone that the segments will take. In summary, Gintama’: Enchousen manages to put the best aspects of Gintama on the table in just 13 episodes of runtime. Enchousen pumps out great arcs consecutively which not only serve as major points for development for various characters, some of which were put under a completely different light, but also serves as the beginning of what seems like a major turning point in the whole show. The tones have most definitely shifted, and this combined with the incredibly developed chemistry behind our lovable cast of characters, what comes next may or may not be game changing. 95/100
~~~Gintama as a series has been one of my favorites over the past months. As of now writing this, I've just finished this season and i know i still have a long way to go, but i wanna preface my thoughts into this review and just express what i thought of the three arcs that were presented in this season (this is the first time I'm writing a review on anilist).~~~ # ~~~ __Kintama Arc__~~~ ~~~Before delving into this arc, i already knew that a character named "Kintoki" exists thanks to twitter, and to see quite a few people mention him made me pretty excited for this arc, plus the fact that they made a joke about doing a cliffhanger on the Kintama Arc at the end of Season 2 showed promise that this arc might be a fan favorite.~~~ ~~~And although it doesn't necessarily scratch my personal Top 10 Arcs, it's another classic gintama arc, funny when it can be and emotional when it can be. The message of self love and friendship really resonates with me and as I'm sure a lot of people. Perfection as shown through Kintoki might be flawless, but It's those flaws that defies who we are, or in this case, defies what __Gintama__ truly is.~~~ ~~~I'd like to think that this arc is a way of Sorachi telling people that, Gintama might not be a story perfect for everyone but it is a story with passion and soul put into it. Everybody in this arc was great, i loved Tama and Sadaharu's importance in the arc, I loved Gintoki's friendships with everyone being strengthen, and i know this is really minor and doesn't really mean anything but, I REALLY HOPE WE GET TO SEE MORE HASEGAWA AND KATSURA INTERACTIONS, they seem like such a cool duo that Sorachi rarely utilizes. Also huge props to Sunrise for making 3 Openings, 1 Being completely random for Mantaman, for this one arc, It really shows how much care and creative ideas they put into Gintama.~~~ # __~~~Courtesan of a Nation Arc~~~__ ~~~I lost my shit when SAKURA MITSUTSUKI came in cause I DID NOT expect a new opening being played after only 4 episodes, it also makes me sad cause that'll be only time they play that opening (i hope they still use this OP for S4 but I'm just coping). Oh, and i.. also thought that this was the "Shogun Assassination" Arc, in which you can't blame for that, they were gonna TAKE DOWN the SHOGUN so i put two and two together and came with the conclusion that this was the Shogun Assassination arc, so throughout the ENTIRE arc i was like "Damn, now i get the hype that people are saying". And if I'm THAT impressed for Courtesan of a Nation, i wouldn't imagine my thoughts on Shogun Assassination.~~~ ~~~What i love about this arc is the mish-mash of characters put into this tightly written arc, like you're telling me Shigeshige, Tsukuyo, The Shinsengumi, even Nobume and Sasaki are in this arc ?? you cannot blame me for thinking this was the ACTUAL Shogun Assassination. The Promise scene with Yorozuya + Tsukuyo has to be one of the most wholesome and heartfelt moments in Gintama, this arc delivers a lot of strong themes revolving around politics, friendship, and love. The twist showing Maizo being the man that made the promise with Suzuran caught be completely off guard.~~~ ~~~So many moments in this arc that stands out, The raid with Gintoki and the gang absolutely destroying the guards was just pure fun to watch, Gintoki's backstory being fleshed out, Oboro's Introduction, This arc is definitely setting up something bigger, the arc that i thought was Shogun Assassination might actually be the setup FOR Shogun Assassination. And if i have one complaint, of course, Katsura's Absence, Poor guy's waiting for kick the can to finish.~~~ # ~~~__Beam Saber Arc__~~~ ~~~Idk guys, I got a gut feeling Sorachi really likes Star Wars. What i love so much about this arc, apart from Sorachi literally just naming a character Obi-One which is hilarious, We finally get to see Shinpachi's growth as a swordsman, Kinda hoped Otae will pick up swordsmanship again cause it is shown that she used to train alongside Shinpachi and Obi-One as well. Again, something minor but seeing Kondo acting sane in front of Otae, Fighting like a badass and NOT NAKED is such a blessing, feel like we've been getting too much nude kondo scenes that i can't take him seriously at all. Other than that, i got nothing to say about this arc in particular, It's the weakest of the bunch but i still enjoyed them.~~~ # ~~~__Closing Statement__~~~ ~~~I'm definitely gonna grow to love Gintama this point forward, it might as well take over my No. 1 spot as my favorite anime. It fits my taste so well in being such a wacky show while also tackling really deep and rich messages that resonates with you. God i love this Anime.~~~
As much as I love the comedy of Gintama and as much as the serious arcs of Gintama wouldn't exist without its foundation of silly slice-of-life slapstick comedy, the reason I love this show so much is the sheer breathtaking emotion that its serious arcs evoke and Enchousen is the pinnacle of this, so far. This review is __NOT__ spoiler free, so please proceed at your own risk. __ ~~~Kintama/Kintoki Arc~~~__ I have to admit that when I first started this arc, I was expecting pure, silly comedy. What Gintama gave us was so much more: a lesson in the complexities of friendship and how a bond with another person can be so deep that it transcends our memories and etches their very name into our souls. Seeing Gintoki struggle with seeing Kagura and Shinpachi so happy with Kintoki, coming face to face with his own weaknesses and fighting against his friends was incredibly moving and a beautiful character study of Gintoki through the lens of the relationships he's built with other people. (Seeing Tama get the opportunity to have the limelight for a bit was a very welcome addition to the arc, as well.) It's not secret, at this point in the story, that Gintoki's backstory is incredibly tragic, but this arc shows how much more he is than simply a man with a wooden sword. While the overall plot itself is nothing particularly special, as with everything Gintama does, it's the execution that makes it so meaningful -- after two hundred and fifty two episodes of seeing Gintoki and his friends squabbling, fighting, or otherwise causing trouble, it's extremely refreshing to see them fighting for him and for a future with him. My favourite scene was Gintoki attempting to sacrifice himself in order to take out Kintoki, and Kagura, Shinpachi and Otae taking his hand and sharing his fate. I think it's a theme that is wholly prevalent throughout this season, if not the entire show, that Gintoki takes all of the burden onto himself, often making himself out to be the villain, so that his friends can have an easier way out. This scene shows how much Gintoki means to them, how they will keep chasing after him, sharing that lonely burden -- a great message for an arc that centers around Gintoki struggling with the consequences of saving himself. And yes, this is a reference to 'Sakura Mitsutsuki'. We'll get to that. On the topic of opening songs, I absolutely loved the choice to release two versions of opening 12, one featuring Kintoki and one with Gintoki in his place. I loved the minute differences in their facial expressions, their distinct behaviour and how it changes the feeling of the opening. I always felt a little uncomfortable seeing Kagura and Shinpachi's happy moments with Kintoki, feeling a deep-rooted wrongness, and the catharsis of seeing Gintoki's version of the opening was incredible. ~~~~~~ ~~~ __Courtesan of a Nation Arc__~~~ I watched this show because of SPYAIR, I'll admit, and I'm sure that I'm not alone. I've been a big fan of their music for a while and, seeing that they wrote 5 songs for Gintama, I had to check out the anime. I've always loved 'Sakura Mitsutsuki' and now that I understand the song, I don't know if I'll ever look at it the same again. This is the only time I have ever shed tears over just the opening, especially just a live performance of the song, without any of the anime's visuals -- that's how poignant the lyrics, and the story behind them, are. 'The parallels between the lovers' story, Gintoki's struggle with his past and losing his teacher are highlighted in a beautiful way by the opening's lyrics and visuals. Sakura Mitsutsuki' may very well be the best overall anime opening, including visuals, lyrics and music, that I have ever seen, and that's not a claim I make lightly. I was expecting good things from this arc, and I was not disappointed. Suzuran and Maizo's story was heart-wrenching and engaging -- despite a bit of a rocky start with Maizo's introduction (in the way of some very strange masochism). However, Soyo revealing the true story of Suzuran's promise was an absolute stroke of genius, allowing the audience to put the pieces together before it's ever confirmed on-screen. Suzuran and Maizo's narrative was written beautifully, coming to a heartbreaking and yet somehow hopeful close, in a timeless, boundless night under the full moon, cherry blossom flowers blooming. The end of their story wasn't a complete surprise, given that Gintama never tried to hide the fact that Suzuran was dying, but its execution was still well-done enough to be an absolute tearjerker. They waited so long, spent their entire lives searching for the moon to fulfill their promise under, and finally, at the end of everything, they managed to find each other. Gintoki has always been someone who fights for the sake of protecting, and it's always been made abundantly clear what it is he's protecting: his friends, his way of life, his teacher's legacy. His way is that of a protector, not drawing his sword for himself, but for the sake of others, and coupled with the implications of his backstory, likely is what defines him as a protagonist and keeps him from slipping into vengeance-fueled cynicism. To that end, seeing his friends refuse to let him fight alone, is incredibly heartwarming. Even more so is the way the Shinsengumi come to his aid, never once saying directly to his face that they're with him or that they agree with his ideals, but letting their actions speak for themselves. I might be biased as a Shinsemgumi fan, but I really loved Okita and Hijikata's lines about "don't die before your execution" and "you might as well commit a crime worth your conviction", and the quiet support that is so in character for both of them. Seeing the Mimawarigumi do the same is also great closure to the Thorny arc. Then, there's Gintoki's past. This plot was brilliant, teased through small scenes, but providing just enough detail for the audience to walk away with a tale of grief, loss and vengeance. I can't be sure, but I think there was one shot of Shoyo's severed head on a cloth in front of Gintoki, and if I'm correct about that, that is absolutely diabolical and I love it. The show gives us just enough to satiate the mystery of his past, while still leaving us wanting more. A lot more. Finally, the Shogun. He's mostly been portrayed as a buffoon, as comic relief (even in this arc, with the can bit and impersonation scene, both of which actually made me laugh out loud), and seeing him stand up for the samurai and their principles gave him some much needed development. His rebellion and resignation were pleasant surprises I didn't expect from this arc, but I am so glad were included. My only criticism about this arc is that I wanted more -- I wanted a bit more about the political factions, their differences and motivations, their future plans, etc. However, there's still plenty of time, and I am more than willing to wait for future episodes and see what they have in store. That aside, Takasugi assassinating SadaSada genuinely did catch me by surprise, and it was a well done scene with the subtle reminder that Gintoki likely isn't alone in being severely affected and in some ways, shaped, by the death of his teacher. While the Shinsengumi Crisis arc still remains my favourite arc thus far, I have to admit that this arc is right up there with it. ~~~~~~ __~~~Beam Saber Arc~~~__ I don't think it's a very controversial opinion to say that this arc is by far the weakest of the three -- especially for me, since I haven't seen Star Wars and I have no idea who Obi-Wan Kenobi (obviously who 'Obi-One Kenofi' is parodying) actually is. Unlike the other two arcs, the juxtaposition between comedy and serious drama fell a bit flat for me, and actually did feel surprisingly jarring. I couldn't really take "Obi-one-nii-sama" very seriously, and I think the dramatics of the arc fell short for me because of that. While I don't have an issue with blatant parody arcs actually being serious (I did somewhat enjoy the Renho arc), I feel as if this arc could have benefited from more subtlety with the parodies, and having Shinpachi and Otae's sibling figure be a much less in-your-face parody. That said, I really did enjoy the concept of their relationship and I was really caught off guard by Shinpachi landing the final hit. As I mentioned earlier, it's a running theme this season that Gintoki often shoulders the burden of difficult decisions, playing the villain if he has to, and this arc is the most blatant about it. I was very glad that it wasn't another rendition of Gintoki saving the day, and very pleasantly surprised that Shinpachi, despite the obvious emotional turmoil within him, stepped up and stood up. Regardless of the rest of the arc, Shinpachi was the stand out for me. Hajime's farewell, especially the line about a samurai returning to the country of the samurai, was quite well done, I must admit. Seeing Gintoki, Otae, Kagura and Shinpachi walk away, with the siblings having tears and a smile on their face, symbolizing all they've learnt and the path still ahead of them, was great. The comedy at the very ended, though a bit jarring, was quite funny, and does make sense given the important role laughter plays in this arc. On another note, I must say, Kondou and Kyubei are a duo I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did -- though I'm sure Otae really needs a vacation from both of them. ~~~~~~ ~~~__The Finale__~~~ Sadaharu is actually a character I was just thinking has been quite underutilized, though it's fairly unsurprising when Gintama turns on Serious Mode. This episode was brilliant, one of the best single-episode stories in quite a while. Sadaharu's initial anger and hunger turning into care and desperation, turning into determination and finally, despair, was incredible and a perfect showcase of how Gintama can write a character journey in such limited time. Hijikata's mayonnaise obsession returning and Sarutobi getting comedy that doesn't involve BDSM or her obsession with Gintoki were both much appreciated. I have a soft spot for animals, so I have to admit that I shed a few tears when the puppy appeared to have passed away, and the visual storytelling in the montage of Sadaharu's increased determination and the puppy getting weaker and weaker was absolutely brilliant. And once again, Gintoki plays into the theme of playing the villain in order to shoulder the burden, but it's a small enough part of the episode that it doesn't feel repetitive or stale. I'm glad that Sadaharu got an episode to shine in. Thus ends Gintama' Enchousen on a surprisingly emotional note. Overall, this season perfectly captures why I love Gintama so much and why I have stayed with the show for 265 episodes: a perfect balance between absurd comedy, poignant drama and characters that feel all too human in the face of incredible odds.~~~~~~~~~~~~