GINTAMA

DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

SPECIAL ActionGintama: Jump Festa 2005 Special
SPECIAL ActionGintama: Jump Festa 2008 Special
MOVIE ActionGintama: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen
ANIME ActionGintama
ANIME ActionGintama': Enchousen
MOVIE ActionGintama: Yorinuki Gintama-san on Theater 2D
ANIME ActionGintama°
OVA ComedyGintamaº: Aizome Kaori-hen
ANIME ActionGintama.
NOVEL ActionGekijouban Gintama: Kanketsu-hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare
ANIME ActionGintama.: Porori-hen
ANIME ActionGintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen
ANIME ActionGintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen - Kouhan-sen
ANIME ActionGintama'
NOVEL Comedy3-nen Z-gumi Ginpachi-sensei
ONE SHOT ActionBankara-san ga Tooru
ONE SHOT Action13
MOVIE ActionGintama: THE FINAL
SPECIAL ActionGintama: THE SEMI-FINAL
MANGA ComedySKET DANCE
MANGA ComedyShokugeki no Souma
MOVIE ActionGintama on Theater 2D: Baragaki-hen
MOVIE ActionGintama on Theater 2D: Ikkoku Keisei-hen
MOVIE ActionGintama on Theater 2D: Kintama-hen

REVIEWS

• 

  ShtaKuro

  90/100
  It really is truly special

  This is not really a review, but my overall thoughts on the series, not only the manga. While I do not like the beginning , this series is special. Its a comedy show that is genuinely funny, at some points i was crying laughing watching it and even rewatching it with friends and it has serious arcs that really hit. First of all, the thing that cannot be ignored in Gintama, the comedy. At first, the comedy didn't really hit me and at some points it was kind of a chore to get through it (until like episode 40, and even there , there were funny episodes), hell, I still joke about how bad episode 21 was. And then the comedy started to only get better and better , only peaking at season four in my opinions. Gintama isn't afraid to have all kinds of jokes: absurd jokes, childish jokes, dark jokes, references , its not even afraid of showing and joking about real people in real life. of all shows I have seen, no show does comedy like Gintama. And I can't talk about Gintama without talking about the characters. Gintama has the best cast of every media I have ever experienced, there is no single bad character and all of them at least gave me a chuckle. Gintama knows how to handle characters in a comedy show, while they do all have running jokes between the characters, like Katsura's famous phrase "Zura janai , Katsura da!" or Hijikata's love for mayonnaise, they are not the same joke over and over again and do have variety in how they use those running jokes , and its not the whole character and its something I can really appreciate because it not uncommon for comedy shows to just have a single joke for a character. One of the strong points the series has is that the main cast is not there just to be funny. The characters in Gintama are wonderful, we have Gintoki, the lazy samurai with curly silver hair and a heartbreaking backstory of him and his fellow disciples losing their teacher. We have Shinpachi, the straight-man with glasses that has his father's dojo he and his sister, Otae ,want to revive. We have Kagura , the naive little alien girl with a big stomach and a troubled past with her family. These are our main 3 characters in the story and all are written brilliantly. But the wonder of Gintama is that these 3 are not the only amazing characters in the story. We have a lot more characters that I deeply love , but will be too much for me to cover, I will cover some of them: We got the Shinsengumi, the police force of the city the show takes place in, Edo, with Hijikata Toshiro, Okita Sougo and Isao Kondo being the main three. We have Katsura Kotaro, Gintoki's past friend and fellow disciple,turned into a terrorist which wants to restore the old rules and laws of Edo, without the aliens. Shinsuke Takasugi, also Gintoki's past friend and fellow disciple, turned into a terrorist which wants to destroy this rotten world that took away his teacher. Hasegawa Taizo , a person who worked for the government and became a homeless and depressed person. While I'm at it, Gintama has a strong female cast. Now days , people constantly say that every new series shows strong female cast that empowers females because the character is physically strong, Gintama's female cast empowers females in more than that way, they have an important role in the story and comedic parts, they aren't downplayed in the slightest, and that is why i love each one of them like: Ayame Sarutobi, a ninja from the Oniwabanshu that fell in love with Gintoki. Otose, an elderly woman which found Gintoki when he was gravely injured and gave him a home. Imai Nobume, a member from the Mimawarigumi and a cold hearted murderer with phenomenal character development. Tama, a Cute robot, which is my favorite female in the cast for just being cute with excellent episodes. And trust me, a lot more. There are a lot of arcs ,the arcs in Gintama are split into 2 groups, serious and comedy. I am going to cover two serious ones and one comedic ones: # Benizakura arc : Our first serious arc in the series. The Yorozuya received two jobs, namely searching of Katsura requested by Elizabeth and to search a dangerous sword known as Benizakura, by the blacksmith Tetsuya. Yet it's revealed there's more to both requests then they thought. This arc introduces Takasugi and the Kihetai to us and gives us a taste of how serious Gintama can get. It serves as a very good arc in the story and my biggest problem with it is that i think it could have been introduced to us a lot sooner. #The Yagyu arc: Kondo is being put through an arranged marriage... to a gorilla, The Shinsengumi are pleading to Otae for help, but an old friend of Otae's, Yagyu Kyubei returns to claim her as their bride instead... This arc is a comedic one and a really funny one at that, it has the famous toilet paper battle episode, a friend of mine saw this episode without watching the show and said it was one of the funniest things he ever saw, which just goes to show you can enjoy it even if you're an outsider to the series. #Shogun Assassination arc: The arc that captured the hearts of many, there are little jokes ,if any, after the first two episodes. Shige Shige finds himself a target for assassination from Nobu Nobu and his allies, the Kiheitai and the Harusame. To protect him, Matsudaira forms a plan to secretly smuggle him to Kyou, with the help of the Oniwabanshu, Shinsengumi and the Yorozuya. They must contend with enemy ninja, one of the strongest terrorist groups, and one of the strongest Amanto races to save the Shogun. Shogun Assassination arc is highly regarded as one of the best arcs in animanga history , it gave us a really solid and very good story , backstories for the shogun Shigeshige, Sarutobi and zenzo and more,and it gave us the best and long awaited fight in the whole series, Gintoki vs Takasugi. To conclude my overall thoughts on this series, Gintama is a really important series for me, never have I binged a show more . It gave me and and my friends a series to talk a lot about , a series to obsesse over, a series we all commonly love. It made me discover friends and mutuals to talk with. Thank you Sorachi for making Gintama truly special,
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• 

  Sakata

  100/100
  My Heart and Soul: A Review on Gintama

  __A Review on Gintama: My Heart and Soul__

  ---

  Gintama means a lot to me since it has changed me as a person. If I’m being honest with you when I first heard of Gintama years ago I really didn’t want to check it out since it was not as appealing to me, the first time I tried it was 2 or 3 years back and I really disliked it. The whole story was just a mess from the 5 episodes or so that I saw. Like filler in the first 2 episodes, are you serious? But giving it another shot back in March 2020 I had realised that I was so wrong. __The Cast__ is absolutely brilliant with amazing characters. The Yorozuya, Shinsengumi, Snack Otose, Everyone in Yoshiwara, JUST EVERYTHING IS PERFECT. It’s so chaotic it’s brilliant. The cast is one of the best things about Gintama like Sorachi how the hell did you create something so magnificent, nearly all of them are loveable (saying nearly as some of the characters, cough Sadasada go to hell cough). As I’m talking about the cast why not a top 5 characters: 1. Sakata Gintoki, Silver haired samurai with naturally wavy hair, Yorozuya Boss and the main character of the show. 2. Yoshida Shouyo, The sensei of the dojo, Shouka Sonjuku. 3. Takasugi Shinsuke, He simply just wants to destroy. 4. Hijikata Toshiro, The demon vice-chief of the Shinsengumi and an absolute mayo maniac 5. Zura, Zura Janai Katsura Da! __The Plot__ in Gintama is actually pretty hard to describe, just enjoy all the absolute chaos that goes on in the series. There are many arcs in Gintama which consist of serious and comedy arcs which are all amazing. Gintama is really consistent with bringing out back to back 10/10 arcs, and there hasn’t been an arc that is actually bad, like at all. I don’t even think there is my least favourite arc in the series. All of them are just so damn good! __The Art__ has incredible improvement, like it’s actually insane. Here is a difference between chapter 1 and chapter 511 I want to just focus this bit on __Sakata Gintoki__, when I first saw Gintama, he really caught my attention. From just watching you can tell he’s a lazy bum that just wants to read JUMP manga and wants to just relax. He doesn’t give a care in the world, however he does. He cares about everyone dear to him, and he also cares about what is in front of him. A quote for him that I really like is: >The country? The Skies? You can have them. I'm busy just protecting what's right in front of me. I don't know what'll happen to me in the future, but if something has fallen at my feet, then the least I can do is pick it up. As he just keeps moving forward.
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• 

  AnotherBadger

  100/100
  The series that, once it grabs a hold on you, won't let go.

  "I started chasing after that weirdo samurai's back, and without even knowing why, I kept chasing after it and never stopped."

  • Shinpachi, Lesson 601

  So, where to start with Gintama?

  When I first started reading this series, I was completely blindsided. I went in knowing that it was a comedy... and that was about it. I had no idea what was coming and I am so grateful for that.

  Easily the best element of this incredible series is the cast of characters that populate its pages. Sorachi has the unique and underappreciated skill to be able to write so many well-developed characters and have them remain memorable. Where other mangas would often cast-off characters, or struggle to balance a large cast, Gintama manoeuvres between characters with ease. From the main cast to the one-off appearances, Gintama really demonstrates how to create interesting and engaging characters, whether they are based on historical figures or are entirely new creations. I have yet to see anyone have the same top ten characters which really shows how much of an impact each character has on the series.

  Part of what makes the Gintama cast great is that when we meet them, they are at their worst.

  Not in the typical Shōnen way where they are at their weakest and only need a bit of training., No. These characters are the worst versions of themselves and they barely change. The lead is a lazy samurai who would rather spend his day picking his nose and reading Jump. Our heroine is an alien kid who picks up on the worst habits that humanity has to offer. Then rounding off the trio is a pair of glasses that struggles to maintain his straight man routine.

  The rest of the cast isn’t much better: a stalker ninja, a stalker gorilla, a mayonnaise addict, an uncontrollable sadist, a man in a duck suit, and more fill this series to the brim. And, while some of these traits may take a while to get used to, they become just as important to the characters as their good traits.

  Every character is an important part of Gintama, helping to build the world that surrounds the main trio and becomes reassuringly familiar to the readers. Watching characters from previous one-shot stories come back is a great joy and part of the reason this works so well is that they are allowed to be the main characters of their own stories:

  “It is those imperfect people that are the perfect protagonists.”

  • Gintoki, Lesson 380

  Another reason that the characters work so well is that they are built by Gintama’s style of comedy. They are shown to be human (and amanto) in painfully relatable ways. While their worst character traits are often exaggerated, a lot of their struggles ring true to everyday life. From a homeless man choosing between a steady job or his morals to a shogun who wants to experience normality, there is a breadth of experiences covered which means there will be stories for everyone to enjoy.

  The comedy itself can be very subjective. For some, the toilet humour will be too much and some jokes may fly over your head. I will say that this series is a great way of finding new things to read and watch, or at least appreciating these series more. The comedy can be eclectic, but most chapters will provide at least a couple of laughs. This is a remarkable achievement when you realise just how many short comedy stories there are.

  Sorachi is also a master of parody; either picking apart a well-used trope or targeting a particular series. A character could be going about their day and suddenly find themselves embroiled in a battle against ‘Breiza’ for a packet of cigarettes. The intergalactic setting really gives Gintama the scope to do anything and everything and it certainly doesn't waste this potential.

  While some have suggested skipping the comedy chapters, that would be one of the biggest mistakes you could make. These are the arcs where you fall in love with the cast, where we learn about their fears, hopes and dreams. These are the arcs where we learn that the main character has a crippling fear of ghosts, or that the badass courtesan of death can’t handle her alcohol. Removing the. comedy arcs would change the experience of reading Gintama entirely.

  The comedic stories also have some really important lessons to learn hidden in them, and establish the key character traits that are followed throughout the series. This is perhaps most succinctly summarised by Kagura:

  “I like to fight. That’s the Yato’s instinct… but I won’t give in to it. However, from now on, I’ll fight with my Yato blood. I’m going to fight to change.”

  • Lesson 3

  The impact of these comedic arcs can be felt in serious arcs. From Kagura mirroring her bloodthirsty brother to Gintoki often having his past reflected by the antagonists he faces. The longer, serious arcs may have been what launched it into the pantheon of manga and anime, but Sorachi is an absolute master of the short story; with some of the most emotional arcs spanning only a couple of chapters yet stirring up an all-consuming whirlwind.

  Over the series, you can feel Sorachi’s confidence grow as he begins to spin more intricate tales, all while not losing his usual self deprecating style. It would have been easy to forego the comedy of Gintama in favour of telling a completely dramatic story, but this doesn’t happen. The moments of absurdity and comedy remain, preventing the series from becoming something unrecognisable.

  The serious arcs really work to solidify the relationships formed over the series. While it usually rests on Gintoki to ground the cast when things become overbearing; Sorachi allows other characters to fill this spot. It is these moments where the series really shows its heart. Watching a young alien risk her life for her adopted home even if those who reside there scorn her, or the Shinsengumi trying to protect those they care about despite the politics, we become a part of their world. Sorachi tackles a wide variety of themes through these characters and manages to make it work really well.

  Perhaps it is stubbornness, not only his part but on the part of the characters themselves. Even when they change, it is never in a way that feels out of character, and if it is; you can bet that someone is waiting on the side-lines to push them back on track:

  “If one of us goes astray, the other two will beat some sense into him. It’s always been like that. That’s why we’ll always stay on the straight and narrow.”

  • Kondo, Lesson 131

  What makes Gintama truly stand out beyond everything else is Sorachi’s commitment to its premise and the willingness to go above and beyond to create some unique storylines that would not work in any other story. There are two prominent examples that push Gintama into being something more than manga. The Character Poll Arc is probably the most famous instance of this, with Sorachi committing to the idea in such unexpected, but ingenious ways, that it will catch any new reader off guard.

  The other arc that completely pushes the boundaries is the Kintama Arc. It perfectly encapsulates everything that Gintama is while contained in a plot that only Gintama could pull off. This is down to many converging reasons and, if any had been out of balance, it could have easily gone wrong or lacked meaning. But Gintama shows how well Sorachi balances the comedy, drama, and characters while including enough self-awareness to keep the reader on their toes:

  “The whole point of this ‘Kintama’ arc was to show just how pathetic a protagonist you are, Sakata Gintoki… No… to show just how deplorable the manga known as Gintama is.”

  • Kintoki, Lesson 379

  Sorachi’s confidence in his storytelling is mirrored by the growth of his art style. Numerous panels demonstrate how much he has grown, with the serious arcs really demonstrating his skill. This is especially true of Sorachi's ability to capture facial expressions. I can easily remember my favourite panels and pages, with Lesson 516 being a prime example of his skill.

  Gintama also does a really good job of mimicking other art styles to really nail the parodies and Sorachi never shying away from portraying the characters in an unaesthetic light. It is a series that revels in imperfection.

  And this is what makes it such a comforting series to read. It may sound surprising to those who haven’t read it, but there is a deep reassurance in Gintama. Maybe life won’t be spectacular or meet some impossible standard set by those around us. Maybe we won’t be Pirate Kings or become Hokage, but that doesn’t mean we've failed. There is a constant reassurance that it’s ok to feel lost and unsure. As long as we stay true to ourselves, and protect those we care about, we can keep our heads held up high. It might not be easy, but the characters who we grow respect are those who stick to this belief.

  In most series, characters grow at such a rapid pace that they sometimes barely resemble who they once were. But the cast of Gintama remain highly flawed, and these flaws are a part of what unites them. It ties them to each other and it ties us to them. It wouldn’t be Gintama if they were anything other than imperfect in such noticeable ways.

  Gintama also has one of my favourite takes on friendship; foregoing the usual notion of being connected no matter what, or that similarities will unite us in spite of differences. Instead, it is the differences that bond these characters together:

  “We’re not a family or anything. We’re not connected by blood and were born in totally different places. We’re not connected at all. And it’s because of that, that we won’t let these hands go.”

  • Gintoki Lesson 659

  Sorachi really created a masterpiece buried under an impressive amount of toilet humour. Gintama is a series that will always stay with you if you give it a chance.

  A Short Summary -

  Gintama is one of the most unique reading experiences to exist. The characters, the comedy and the plot are out of this world and the art improves in such a natural way that it is almost unnoticeable until you compare the first and final chapter.

  The only two reasons to not read Gintama is if A) you don’t like manga with a lot of writing, because a lot of Gintama relies on speech and wordplay, or B) you really, really, really don’t like whacky/absurd comedy or toilet humour.

  If these don’t apply to you, then give Gintama a shot because if you do enjoy it, then it will be one of the most rewarding reading experiences you could have. Just be warned, if it hits the mark for you, it will make a lot of other series pale in comparison.

  
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