Gintama

Gintama

Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga, Anime, Entertainment
Founded	December 8, 2003 (2003-12-08)
Founder	Hideaki Sorachi
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Manga, anime television series, animated films, light novels, video games, live-action film
Owner	Shueisha (manga publisher)

Gintama is a Japanese manga series created by Hideaki Sorachi, who both wrote and illustrated the work. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's shōnen magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2003 until September 2018. Following this, the series continued in Jump Giga between December 2018 and February 2019, before concluding on the Gintama app from May to June 2019. The story was compiled into 77 collected volumes. Set in an alternate Edo period under the control of alien invaders known as Amanto, the plot centers around samurai Gintoki Sakata. He operates the "Yorozuya," a freelance business alongside his companions Shinpachi Shimura and Kagura, offering various odd jobs and services. Sorachi incorporated a science fiction backdrop after his editor suggested crafting a historical narrative, using this setting to deepen character development.

An original video animation (OVA) adaptation was produced by Sunrise and premiered during the 2006 Jump Festa Anime Tour. This success led to a full anime television series consisting of 367 episodes, which aired on TV Tokyo from April 2006 through October 2018. The franchise expanded with three animated feature films: the first film, a reanimation of the Benizakura arc, debuted in April 2010; the second, featuring an original storyline by Sorachi, premiered in July 2013; and the third film, concluding both the Silver Soul arc and the overall series, was released in January 2021. Additionally, Gintama has been adapted into light novels and video games. A live-action movie adaptation was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in Japan in July 2017.

In North America, Viz Media holds the manga license and has published both collected volumes and serialized chapters within its Shonen Jump anthology since January 2007, releasing one chapter monthly. The anime was initially licensed by Sentai Filmworks, with streaming and home video distribution later transferred to Crunchyroll.

By November 2024, Gintama had sold over 73 million copies domestically, placing it among Japan’s top-selling manga series. Its anime and DVD releases have consistently ranked within Top Ten sales charts. According to TV Tokyo, Gintama, alongside Naruto, significantly contributed to strong international sales. Critics have lauded the series for its humor, character progression, overarching storyline, and dynamic action sequences.

Plot

Set in an alternate version of the late-Edo period, Earth is invaded by extraterrestrial beings called Amanto. The shogunate surrenders authority to these aliens, prohibiting samurai from bearing swords and permitting foreign occupation. Consequently, the Tokugawa bakufu becomes a puppet regime under alien control.

The narrative follows the unconventional samurai Gintoki Sakata, who operates as a freelancer handling various odd jobs. Early on, he assists teenager Shinpachi Shimura in rescuing his sister Tae from Amanto kidnappers. Shinpachi subsequently apprentices under Gintoki, and together they later recruit Kagura—a remarkably strong alien girl—forming their freelance enterprise known as .

Throughout their adventures, they frequently cross paths with the Shinsengumi police force, occasionally collaborating against formidable criminals. Former allies of Gintoki also appear, including revolutionary leader Kotaro Katsura, who opposes the alien-dominated government.

The story weaves episodic tales and brief story arcs with a larger continuous plotline. The antagonist Shinsuke Takasugi aims to dismantle the shogunate and gathers supporters such as Kagura’s brother Kamui and members of the Mimawarigumi unit. Ultimately, an immortal entity named Utsuro emerges as the principal threat, compelling Gintoki to forge alliances between friends and former enemies to avert global annihilation.

Themes and style

Hideaki Sorachi's Gintama primarily focuses on comedy, gradually weaving in more dramatic elements while preserving its humorous core. Numerous jokes allude to other manga titles; for instance, Gintoki’s exaggerated enthusiasm for reading Weekly Shōnen Jump serves as a parody of shōnen manga culture. Some humor relies on familiarity with Japanese traditions and is often described as "strange" and "peculiar," combining aspects of "sci-fi comedy" with "samurai comedy."

The narrative critiques peculiarities of contemporary society, incorporating references to historical personalities and exploring social challenges resulting from the alien occupation—most notably issues related to social disparity. Unlike conventional shōnen works that emphasize pursuing dreams, Gintama centers on safeguarding established societal customs amid transformative times.

Production

In 2003, Hideaki Sorachi was a budding manga creator who had produced two one-shot stories for Weekly Shōnen Jump. As he prepared for his debut serialized work, his editor proposed a manga themed around the Shinsengumi, inspired by an upcoming television drama about the 1860s group. Sorachi initially pursued this concept but eventually pivoted to developing an original tale set in a fictionalized historical Japan infused with science fiction elements. The project was initially named , but after family discussions, Sorachi settled on Gintama, selecting a title that sounded edgy yet appropriate. Although Sorachi regarded the one-shot "Samuraider" as subpar, it influenced Gintama’s setting by introducing extraterrestrial characters. He favored the Bakumatsu and Sengoku periods due to their themes of transformation and human complexity, situating Gintama in an alternate Bakumatsu era to highlight samurai bushido during its decline. The manga Rurouni Kenshin, also set in this timeframe, served as a significant source of inspiration for Sorachi's storytelling and character design.

Originally, the protagonist was intended to be Toshiro Hijikata, reflecting Sorachi’s admiration for the Shinsengumi and Hijikata Toshizō after viewing Burn! Sword!. However, unable to separate from Hijikata’s character design, Sorachi relegated him to a supporting role. The pilot chapter featured additional Shinsengumi members, but many were omitted later to enhance entertainment value. Most characters draw from real Edo-era figures, with Gintoki modeled after the folk hero Sakata no Kintoki.

Despite initial unpopularity and near cancellation, Sorachi was encouraged when the first volume sold out despite limited print runs amid publisher concerns. To increase appeal, he introduced distinctive characters such as the Shinsengumi. Although expectations were low—many doubted the series would exceed two volumes—by volume three Sorachi felt he had exhausted original ideas. Early success was partly due to the contemporary Shinsengumi television drama; as the manga transitioned beyond episodic stories, Sorachi embraced longer arcs blending drama with humor and social commentary.

Sorachi occasionally faced challenges meeting deadlines, finding inspiration through solitary walks or relying on his editor’s support when ideas stalled. He defines Gintama as a "science fiction human drama pseudo-historical comedy," deciding whether each chapter would lean more toward comedy or drama before beginning to write.

For artwork, Sorachi employed various tools including felt-tip pens, fountain pens, brush-tip pens, and multiliners; major characters were typically outlined using 0.8 mm multiliner pens.

Manga

Gintama, created and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi, first appeared in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump on December 8, 2003. Initially scheduled to conclude on September 15, 2018, the series shifted to Jump Giga for its final installments, which were published across three issues from December 28, 2018, to February 22, 2019. Subsequently, the manga resumed on the free Gintama app from May 13 to June 20, 2019, wrapping up with chapter 704. Shueisha released the complete series in 77 volumes between April 2, 2004, and August 2, 2019.

In North America, Gintama was licensed by Viz Media. A preview spanning 55 pages was featured in the January 2006 edition of its Shonen Jump. The serialization ran monthly from January through May 2007. Viz published 23 volumes under the "Shonen Jump Advanced" label from July 3, 2007, until August 2, 2011; however, publication ceased without an official statement.

Jump Festa specials

Sunrise produced two animated specials of Gintama for the Jump Festa Anime Tour in 2005 and 2008. The initial special introduced the characters through standalone narratives. The second special, titled , portrays a samurai-alien conflict ultimately revealed as a fabrication. On September 30, 2009, Aniplex issued a DVD set containing both specials along with audio commentary. In July 2014, a new one-episode special was announced for Jump Festa and was included with the limited edition of the manga's 58th volume in April 2015. A fourth special followed later that year.

Gintama

Sunrise’s anime adaptation of Gintama premiered on TV Tokyo on April 4, 2006. Shinji Takamatsu directed the first ninety-nine episodes; from episode 100 onward, Yoichi Fujita took over as director. The series concluded on March 25, 2010, after airing a total of 201 episodes.

Aniplex handled DVD distribution in Japan, releasing thirteen volumes per season across four seasons between July 2006 and October 2010.

In November 2008, TV Tokyo partnered with Crunchyroll to stream English-subtitled episodes shortly after their Japanese broadcasts; paid subscribers gained access within an hour of airing. Crunchyroll began streaming from episode 129 in January 2009 and gradually added earlier episodes.

In North America, licensing rights belong to Sentai Filmworks, with distribution managed by Section23 Films. Only the first two seasons (49 episodes) have been released on DVD before distribution halted. After licensing the Gintama film and assessing its success, Sentai considered releasing additional series content possibly featuring an English dub.

The show premiered in the U.S. on Shorts HD starting July 12, 2015. On July 1, 2016, Crunchyroll announced plans to re-release the series on Blu-ray and DVD with an English dub. Hulu added an English-dubbed version of the first season to its catalog on December 1, 2019.

Yorinuki Gintama-san

Starting April 5, 2010, TV Tokyo broadcast high-definition reruns of earlier Gintama episodes under the title , parodying Sazae-san’’s "best-of" rerun format. New opening and ending themes were introduced: episodes 1–9 featured "Bakuchi Dancer" and "Bokutachi no Kisetsu" by Does; episodes 10–26 showcased "Kaze no Gotoku" by Joe Inoue and "Wave" by Vijandeux; episodes 27–39 included "Kanōsei Girl" by Chiaki Kuriyama and "In My Life" by Azu; episodes 40–51 presented "Karto Niago" by Flip and "Sakurane" by Piko.

Gintama'

In March 2010, Yoichi Fujita confirmed that production would continue when sufficient source material became available. Shinji Takamatsu also affirmed that the series was ongoing. In April 2011, Shueisha announced the anime’s return with Gintama', a sequel to the original series that premiered on April 4, retaining much of the original staff including Fujita as director. Crunchyroll simulcasted this premiere. The first DVD volume was released on July 27, 2011. A crossover episode with Sket Dance aired on September 26, 2011. This installment concluded on March 26, 2012 after airing fifty-one episodes compiled into thirteen DVDs by Aniplex.

Gintama': Enchōsen

This continuation of the second series debuted on TV Tokyo on October 4, 2012, maintaining the core staff with Fujita directing. It ended after thirteen episodes on March 28, 2013; these were collected into four DVD volumes.

Gintama°

Announced at Jump Festa in December 2014 for an April debut, this new television series aired fifty-one episodes from April 8, 2015 to March 30, 2016 on TV Tokyo. The main voice cast included Tomokazu Sugita (Gintoki), Daisuke Sakaguchi (Shinpachi), and Rie Kugimiya (Kagura). Crunchyroll began streaming an English dub starting February 1, 2017.

Gintama.

A fresh season was revealed in September 2016 and premiered January 9, 2017 on TV Tokyo. The creative team from Gintama° returned for this installment.

Gintama. Porori-hen

This adaptation focused on previously skipped comedic story arcs and aired thirteen episodes from October to December 2017.

Gintama. Shirogane no Tamashii-hen

Sunrise adapted the manga’s concluding arc into a twelve-episode series broadcast from January to March 2018. After a break, it resumed from July to October with an additional fourteen episodes.

Gintama: Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class

Announced in March 2023 and produced by Bandai Namco Pictures under director Natsumi Higashida, this spin-off anime is slated for an October 2025 premiere on TV Tokyo.

Films

Three feature films have been produced:

- Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura-Hen, released April 24, 2010 as a retelling of the Benizakura arc grossed US$12.86 million globally. Sentai Filmworks distributed it in North America under the title Gintama: The Motion Picture.

- Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya, penned by Hideaki Sorachi and released July 6, 2013 surpassed its predecessor’s success despite being promoted as the finale. Director Yoichi Fujita expressed openness toward continuation if reception warranted it.

- Gintama: The Final, which premiered January 8, 2021 adapting the manga’s conclusion while incorporating new narrative elements; theme songs performed by Spyair and Does accompanied its release. An associated special titled Gintama: The Semi-Final debuted online in January 2021.

Compilation films

As part of the "Gintama 20th Anniversary Project," three compilation movies featuring previously unseen scenes had limited theatrical runs in Japan between November 2023 and November 2024:

- Gintama on Theater 2D: Baragaki-hen (November 10, 2023), covering episodes 244–247. - Gintama on Theater 2D: Ikkoku Keisei-hen (June 21, 2024), covering episodes 257–261. - Gintama on Theater 2D: Kintama-hen (November 22, 2024), covering episodes 253–256.

Original animation DVDs

Original animation DVDs adapting the Love Potion arc were bundled with volumes sixty-five and sixty-six of the manga upon their releases in August and November 2016 respectively.

Live-action

Announced in June 2016 and released July 14, 2017,the live-action adaptation directed and written by Yūichi Fukuda stars Shun Oguri as Gintoki,Kanna Hashimoto as Kagura,and Masaki Suda as Shinpachi.It adapts the widely acclaimed Benizakura storyline.

A sequel was confirmed in November 2017 for a Summer 2018 release with returning cast members.Titled Gintama 2: Rules are Made to be Broken (銀魂2 掟は破るためにこそある), it premiered August 17,and opened with ¥280 million revenue selling one million tickets within its first week.

Coinciding with this sequel’s release,a three-episode miniseries titled Gintama 2 – Yonimo Kimyou na Gintama-chan (銀魂2 –世にも奇妙な銀魂ちゃん-) streamed weekly starting August 18,and garnered four million views for its initial episode within seven days.

CDs

The anime’s soundtrack was composed by Audio Highs across four CDs released between September 2006 and March 2013. Additionally,a trio of Gintama Best albums compiled full-length opening and ending themes alongside original videos.Soundtracks for both feature films were also issued commercially.

Light novels

The spin-off light novel series Class 3Z Ginpachi-sensei (3年Z組銀八先生), authored by Tomohito Ōsaki alongside Hideaki Sorachi,reimagines characters within a school setting with Gintoki as teacher.Nine volumes have been published between February 2006 and December 2024,a tenth volume is scheduled for October 2025.A novelization based on the second film was released July 8, 2013.

Video games

Numerous video games inspired by Gintama, primarily released in Japan across platforms such as PlayStation 2,Wii,Nintendo DS,PSP,PS4,and PS Vita since August 2007.Character appearances also feature in crossover titles including Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, and J-Stars Victory VS. Notably,Bandai Namco Entertainment launched Gintama Rumble,an action title for PS4 and Vita in August 2017.Collaborations occurred with mobile game The King of Fighters All Star during October 2018 and July 2020.

Guidebooks

Several official guidebooks encompassing manga and anime content—including character profiles and interviews—were published between April 2006 and April 2011.Additional anime character guides were released domestically throughout Japan during  

Reception

Sales and accolades

By May   had over fifty million copies circulated; this figure increased beyond seventy-three million by November   Early volumes achieved significant sales milestones,such as volume one surpassing one million copies sold by March   Consistently,the series ranked among Japan’s top-selling manga annually from mid-2000s onward.

Oricon surveys identified Gintama as Japan’s funniest manga in   It also ranked among most intriguing titles.The series placed twelfth in TV Asahi’s Manga Sōsenkyo poll involving approximately one hundred fifty thousand voters in  

In North America,Gintama earned recognition as best new shōnen manga via About.com’s Readers Poll ( ) along with nominations at Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation Awards ( ). Manga volumes frequently appeared within Diamond Comic Distributors’ Top Graphic Novels charts.

The light novel adaptations achieved top-selling positions domestically ( & ). The anime maintained strong television ratings within Japan; DVD releases regularly featured among top sellers nationally.Internationally,Gintama’’ contributed significantly to overseas rights sales reported by TV Tokyo alongside prominent franchises such as Naruto.

Critical response

Manga

Reviewers praised Gintama's distinctive comedic approach and diverse cast while noting occasional inconsistencies in artwork during rapid sequences.Its parodying of shōnen genre conventions received favorable attention although certain story arcs emphasizing combat elicited mixed opinions.Critics highlighted abundant humor but also pointed out sporadic unevenness in execution along with narrative complexity towards series conclusion.

Anime

The anime series received acclaim for its progressively richer comedic elements, although some cultural references occasionally posed difficulties for global viewers lacking contextual explanations. It was praised for skillfully blending humor with serious storytelling while preserving the charm of its characters. Nevertheless, the uneven quality of jokes in the initial episodes caused some audience members to lose interest early on.

Controversy

Episode 232 included a defamatory depiction involving politician Renhō Murata, which led to the cancellation of its rebroadcast on AT-X following a request from TV Tokyo. While Tokyo authorities denied exerting external influence, reports suggested communication from Murata's representatives. This controversy cast doubt on whether the episode would be included in the home video distribution.

External links

• Official Warner Brothers Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura-Hen website