Gintama

If you're looking for an action packed, power-up riddled, fight driven alternate history sci-fi samurai anime with improbable female anatomy, oversized swords (probably to compensate for the boobage) and crude humor... this isn't it.

But! If you're looking for a silly, 4th wall breaking, over the top, alternate history parody sci-fi samurai anime with surprisingly accurate anatomy (across the board), short and to the point story arcs, a smattering of bad-ass fights, surprisingly touching moments, and more crude humor than you can shake a (curiously phallic) stick at you have arrived at the right place.

The plot is fairly straightforward: Instead of Americans forcing open an isolationist Japan, aliens known as Amanto invade the Earth - this sets things in motion for a truly bizarre alternate history where Tokyo is still known as Edo, aliens walk the streets and most modern - as well as futuristic technology - is widely available by the time the story takes place (which is presumably sometime in the late 1800's). But, as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Samurai lost both their status and their swords; forced to abandon their bushido simply to make a living as a working stiff. Not to mention the government is corrupt and the economy sucks.

Enter Yorozuya Gin-chan, aka Sakata Gintoki; a ronin and freelancer who's smart enough to let go of his dignity and take whatever job comes his way. He refuses, however, to set down his wooden sword (except for when he's taking a dump, or eating, or reading Weekly Shounen Jump, or sleeping or something). He, along with Shimura Shinpachi (his apprentice/employee... sort of), Kagura (employee/roomate/little sister... sort of), and Sadaharu (Kagura's giant dog) have many a wacky adventure as they try to make ends meet, and occasionally save the world.

Acting as foils and occasional cohorts for the Yorozuya trio (or fab four, if Sadaharu is with them) are the Shinsengumi. It's tough to be a cop in Edo; the Amanto have diplomatic immunity so they can do whatever the hell they damn well please; washed up samurai line the streets (some are more harmless than others) and it doesn't help that the chief of the Shinsengumi - Kondo Isao - is stalking (with the best intentions and the worst luck) the violent elder sister of Shimura Shinpachi; the Demon Vice Commander Hijikata Toshiro is obsessed with mayonase and Captain Okita Sogo is just flat sadistic (luckily he's usually more interested in assassinating Hijikata, than unleashing his madness upon the citizens of Edo), and their top spy, Yamazaki Sagaru just wants to play badminton. It's amazing the city's still standing - especially when they lock horns with the Yorozuya - or join forces for the greater good (depends on everyone's mood).

Meanwhile, there's various forces trying to bring down the government and generally interrupt Happy Fun Time. Some, like Katsura Kotaro through more comedic means, and others, like Takasugi Shinsuke through brute force. Then of course, there's rogue aliens, stupid princes, rampaging gorillas, incompetent ninja's, MADAO, little old ladies, Naruto jokes, and a plethora of other odd characters to spice things up.

It sounds like a train wreck of a series. But it isn't. Gintama combines comedy, sci-fi, action and drama as many other series wish they could. It proves itself a better fit as a "slice of life" anime than a straight shounen, but this comes as a welcome relief to anyone tired of the 300+ chapter story arcs with little to no plot advancement (and endless filler in the anime adaptation). Episodic in nature; story arcs (both comedic and serious) are well executed; the usual time wasting devices (a fight episode that's mostly talk; excessive flash backs or recaps and so on and so forth) anime studio's use to pad out episodes are done away with in favor of solid writing and short (and oh so silly) omake.

Animation quality is top notch most of the time - the worst episodes animation-wise are on par with an average episode of several other shounen series. The best are edging not-so-stealthily towards movie quality. The music is excellent as well; Audio Highs consistently delivers with whatever the situation calls for - from big band to acoustic guitar ballads to hard rock and everything in between. Opening and ending sequences - in addition to being lushly animated - are always a joy. Especially when DOES is involved. On top of all that, the voice acting is supurb.

All and all, Gintama is a genera bending, 4th wall breaking, lough 'till you cry - and sometimes just cry (manly tears!) - good time.

INTRO: What you need to know first
They say first impressions are important but in the case of Gintama they usually don't do him justice, so before you decide by the premise here's a bit of advice, go by the 3 episode rule and you'll see what I mean, Gintama is by no means your average ShounenJump story. Yeah i know 150+ episodes seems like a pretty big commitment, but no need to fret Gintama is an episodic series. Don't like the sound of episodic shounen you say? Well its episodic because it has to be. Gintama's strength is not in the usual beat strongest boss, then beat the strongest strongest boss etc =.= Its in its hilarious yet at times surprisingly deep episodes.
There are story arcs, mind you, but they usually dont last longer than 3 or 4 episodes at a time the rest of the episodes are short stories contained usually in one episode. It is a perfect balance of the bread and butter of Shounen's a story Camaraderie with some badass action sandwiched in between random and hilarious episodic goodness.

So lets get started
First off
Premise: Get to know our heroes
Gintama, a carefree, lazy, snot picking hero is an ex samurai working as a "Yorosuya" (jack of all trades) with his buddies Shinpachi a wanna-be samurai and overall Otaku and Kagura a young girl that is actually an alien from a planet of warriors with super-human strength (think Saiyan) during Japan's Edo period. However its been decades since earth has been invaded by aliens and during the transition the world is now 1/4 old world 2/4 Modern 1/4 Futuristic. While not slaves the people of Earth are treated like second class citizens at times bullied and taken advantage of by aliens who are also backed by the government and the police force Shinsengumi led by Isao Kondo who often clash with the Earth resistance group the Joi Faction led by Gintama's ex comrade Kotaro Katzura. That aside Gin's greatest concern is usually finding ways to pay the rent.

Music: Forgettable
The OP and ED so far have been pretty good, not that memorable but pretty good. The OST itself is forgettable, few, and unnoticeable. While some say thats what an anime background music should be I tend to disagree.
There is a balance of the music not being distracting but at the same time enhancing the experience. Good background music that comes to mind are The Over World theme of Zelda, Naruto's fighting and depressed themes, and FMA music. (The worst that comes to mind is Bleach's old "kickin ass theme", you know the one, with the female chorus saying "oh ohhhohh")

Characters:There are a lot to meet
In the world of Gintama not only are the characters so detailed and vastly varied (from a sadomasochist female ninja that uses nato beans as a jutsu to a robot maid that thinks its a famicon with Dragon Quest inserted) They are each more complex that you'd think doable especially considering the amount of characters the series keep introducing. Suffice to say each one of them has made me laugh, I can't think of one character that hasn't. To me the characters are the cherry on top

Animation
Not mind blowing in its action sequences (compared to the bleach/naruto main story line animation splurges) but nonetheless very satisfying. Where it shines at its best however is in its over-the-top expressions and prefect timing. Taken for granted compared to stylized action sequences but a pillar that supports what makes Gintama so much fun.

Awesomeness is what defines Gintama. A must watch for anyone that is an anime fan. First 3 episodes are a little on the not so funny side but after that it's all out laughing like crazy. Watch the OVA as well as it's an excellent sample of the kinds of things you can expect from this ingeniously written anime. it's not as random as some might have you believe and there is somewhat of a story line behind all the mayhem.

The episodes don't follow your standard story arch format, it goes for more of a day to day life of Gin-san and the rest of the cast. Some episodes will have you rolling on the floor laughing and yet others will have you tearing up, while others will have you begging for more action and for Gin-san to show off his true skills. It's a great anime and I highly recommend this to anyone, especially if you've watched many animes although it is not a requirement as Rumbel Subs does an excellent job of telling you exactly what they parodying and/or referencing. Anyone who watches this and manages to keep a straight face has no soul.

The characters are memorable, and this is the first time that I've seen an series pull off being able to not rely solely on a plot and do it so well! This is a classic for the ages! The mysterious past of Gintoki, Zura and Takasugi compels you to keep watching this anime. The recurring charcaters are awesome too. Hijikata, Okita, Kondo, Elizabeth-san, Otae, Yamazaki, Otose, Catherine do a wonderful job for most part. The lack of main plot is backed up by these solid characters.

Soundtrack of this series is something that comes once in a decade. The music used in the series intensifies the depth of the scene, whether it be a comical situation or a matter of life and death. Animation is also of a great quality. Costumes are awesome and the edo is designed in a weirdly attractive style. In my opinion, Bl**ch and Na**to are far too overrated. This is what an anime should be like. Once you start watching it, the lack of main plot will not - yes I said, IT WILL NOT - bother you at all.

Setting:

The world of Gin tama is set in an incredibly bizarre parallel universe, where instead of the Americans invading in 1866; its aliens or ‘amanto’ who appear and take over Edo. The samurai fight back but in the end are defeated, the main character ‘Gintoki’ being one of them, now Edo is controlled by Amanto and the sword ban means Samurai are no longer allowed to freely carry their swords.
This setting allows all sorts of numerous possibilities, from outer space voyages to a normal duel between samurai. Without the limitations of old Japanese technology and the many themes of historic Japan; for this anime there are no boundaries, just laws of common decency for (original manga author) Sorachi to break.

Synopsis:

The main story follows that of lazy bum Samurai; Gintoki Sakata, a man who seems to have little motivation to do anything with his life besides for finding his next source of sugar and using what little cash he has left to buy the latest copy of shonen jump.
This of course angers his fellow co-workers: Kagura and Shinpachi who are part of Gintoki’s group the ‘Yorozuya’ (free lancers who will do anything for money).

Why this isn’t stupidly crazy:

You’re probably thinking now: ‘what the hell!?’ and I guess I should tell you why something as crazy and mad as Gin tama has lasted so long, especially considering that it has no real long term story line. It’s because Gin tama is utter genius. It has the power to make you laugh out loud but it also has moments (though rare I must admit) that make you just want to bawl you’re eyes out.
The action sequences are breath taking and full of so much tension you’ll crave for Katsura’s usual crazy antics and you’ll be wishing for a time machine so you can bring all the laughter back; because when Gin tama’s serious, it is REALLY serious.
You want a stable plot? Why? Gin Tama would never be as good if it followed all those boring normal conventions that we normally associate with anime and manga. In fact it will make fun of every single cliché in anime there ever was; it will have jokes that any frequent anime watcher will be able to appreciate. But hey, I understand, not everybody will like Gin tama because I know many probably won’t be able to get over the fact it has no central plot.

Characters:

Gintoki Sakata: A man with a mysterious past and an extraordinary sweet tooth. He fought in the war against the Amanto and follows rules of self-principle that most people will be able to understand. He’s the leader of the yorozuya (odd jobs) and takes care of Shinpachi and Kagura like a negligent father (or mother as he would say) but he cares for both of them and often helps them out when they’re in trouble (often under the pretext that he’s just doing it for money).

Kagura: Kagura is a member of the Yato clan; the strongest alien race in the universe but all she needs to be happy is a stick of seaweed and a bowl of plain rice. She’s not you average heroine (she was the first girl to ever throw up in the Jump magazine) and it’s often her who ends up saving her fellow yorozuya partner: Shinpachi.

Shinpachi: Well Shinpachi is the glasses guy and though you may hate him; he’s one of the main reasons that this show is so funny. He’s pretty weak and an inane Otaku but he is, despite all appearances, just as crazy a character than the other two.

Why YOU should watch it:

Gin tama; well its funny and not the little smile kind of funny either, it really does make you laugh out loud. The characters are all unique as are the stories, which range from perverted Santa’s, to death matches over who gets the meat in the food.
My only one qualm with Gin tama is its first few episodes. Gin tama does start off slow, but once it gets going it becomes incredibly good and the pace and timing of the show are handled well. So what I mean to say is don’t give up before you even reach episode 5, you’re sure to miss out on a lot of fun if you do things that way as the first episodes are mainly introductory (the first two being non-canon).

This anime is not recommended for uptight Madao, otherwise enjoy!

The story of Gintama, centers around a man named Gintoki, and his two coworkers (if you can even call the three workers),Shinpachi and the alien super strong girl named Kagura.The three of them concider themselves “free-lancers” who search for work in order to pay the monthly rent, which usually goes unpaid anyway.Most of the time they don’t work and go off on some crazy half hearted quest such as to fetch Gintoki a Shonen Jump Magazine or just going to the park to play with their giant dog Sadaharu.The Story of Gintama takes place in Edo (known today as Tokyo because of the name change in 1868), Japan, which has been taken over by aliens called Amanto since the late Edo period. The samurai of Japan have fallen, and the Amanto placed a ban on carrying swords in public.Gintoki is one such samurai, that fought against the Amanto when they first begin their takeover.He now carry’s a bokuto ( wooden katana),since it is illegal to carry a real sword except for the police called the Shinsengumi.The Shinsengumi and Gintoki cross paths many times, sometimes working together and other times, actually fighting with one another with real swords.The quest to keep money in their pocket and food in their belly (And also to keep Jump in the hands of gintoki), take Gintoki,Shinpachi, and Kagura on some crazy whacked out adventures all across the city of Edo.

As far as comedy and parody go in my humble opinion, nothing could possibly touch Gintama.This series will most definitely keep you laughing until you are in tears and beyond.Weither it be the Melancholic attitude sometimes portrayed by Gintoki or just his expressions is enough to bust out into laughter.The constant references and parody of other anime such as Bleach or Death Note is most definitely a big plus in this series and is pulled off very openly.The serious side of Gintama proves that this is a shonen anime but the seriousness is very far and few between, even with some comedy bits in the few episodes, making the comedy train never ending.

Gintoki Sakata
is the main character of the story. He has naturally permed hair, which he blames for his lacking love-life. He rides a motor scooter and wields a bokuto, which has “Lake Toya” inscribed onto it. His job, as is written on his business card, is a “free-lancer”, meaning he’ll take any job for nearly any price. He enjoys reading Shonen Jump comics and he has a sweet tooth and will go into crazed combat if he does not have his sweets.In the past, he was a Joi, known as Shiroyasha, or the white demon (someone who attempted to overthrow Amanto to protect the government).

Shinpachi Shimura
works under Gintoki to learn the ways of the samurai. However, it seems more like he is just trying to help Gintoki pay the rent than to learn. Shinpachi is the captain of the “Otsu Imperial Guard,” a pop-singer’s fan club. Shinpachi first met Gintoki after he was tripped by an alien ambassador. Gintoki beats up the ambassador and his guards to get revenge for his spilled parfait. Soon after, Gintoki framed Shinpachi for the crime, which somehow led to him saving Shimura Tae (Otae), Shinpachi’s sister, from being added to a brothel.

Kagura
is an alien from the “Yato Clan,” one of the strongest races in existence. Despite her alien heritage, she looks like a normal human and talks with a Chinese accent. She can stop Gintoki’s motor scooter single-handedly and has an umbrella that is bullet-proof and can fire bullets from the tip. Her stomach knows no bounds and she apparently loves to eat sukonbu.She originally came to Earth to earn money to help her parents’ financial situation. Because of her immense strength, she took to fighting for a gang. After she was told to kill a few people, she tried to escape from the gang and was almost run over by Gintoki’s motor scooter. He liberated her, and she forced him to let her join his free-lancer business.

The animation In Gintama can be sometimes in your face or a little crude at times, but for the most part is very well drawn, and looks more like a mid to late 90’s style of animation instead of late 2000’s.There are 6 diffrent Ops in Gintama and 12 diffrent ending themes.I wont list them for there are too many but the first OP is called “Pray” by Tommy Heavenly6 and the first Ending is called “Fusen Gamu” by Captain Straydum. I will list the second ending theme because it’s just so epic lmao.The second ending them is “Mr. Raindrop” by Amplified.

I am going to give Gintama a 9 out of 10 in the comedy catagory, for being basically the funniest anime i have ever seen.

-Review by emored13

I have watched may may different types of anime and different shows. And never have I ran into an anime as awesome as Gintama. Unlike many other anime that share the similar genres as this witty insane show that takes itself way to seriously, the main character Gintoki does not need to fight battle after battle after battle after battle to gain god like ablates that will help him defeat the new ultimate weapon of ownage that is pulled randomly out of the random generating villain machine. He already is most likely the strongest fighter in the whole.... blah blah blah... Really in Gintama it doesnt matter what is going on in the world. The truly important things here are relaxing, having a good time with all you friends and wondering why one insane thing after another seems to keep happening around this epic character.

While some people might complain that this show has very little true direction, and that more or less a true statement. I mean who really wants to have to be bothered with actually doing any real work. not when there is a new issue of Jump to read. But as you follow Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi around the city of Edo, you will come to see just why Gintoki stand far above many of the other characters from many other extremely popular anime.

What more can I say that hasn't been said before?

What makes this anime great you ask?

Its funny, its witty, the characters kick ass and the best part is - you don't have to worry about watching it as it is numbered for fear of not understanding where the current episode is at. Seriously, some people get discouraged of watching animes for fear of missing something and not understanding future episodes. Have no fear, Gin san is here!

From serious ass kicking with the Shinsengumi, to paradoxes of everyday life - you'll be enjoying this one.