Review of Gintama

note: this review is covering the entire franchise itself, not just the first 201 episodes. as such, this review may contain minor spoilers. read at your own risk. also this is my first review, so any tips/criticism is welcomed. Gintama is something I really don’t know how I can put into words (in a good way). The way the story first present itself may turn off some viewers (especially new anime fans) due to its comedic nature, as people were expecting a full on action packed battleshounen. It IS an action packed battleshounen if I say so myself, but the comedy bits in Gintama is whereit shines too.

The first couple hundred episodes usually are mainly episodic comedic skits, ranging from Gintoki not paying his rent (again) to having a perverted ninja stalking him. The comedy in Gintama tends to be extremely absurd, and not everyone likes those kind of humor. What I like about Gintama though is that even thought I’m not big on absurd humor, it’s pretty creative. I like how the anime will try making some sort of joke regardless of the situation they’re in, as well as sneaking in references mainly from Japanese media in general and not just anime and manga. And the timing for the humor is absolutely hilarious too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed so hard because of not only how crude the joke may be, but also how well it’s paced. It’s just stupid fun you can turn your brain off and laugh when you’re in need of some comedy. But what makes this series has its own special charm is how you’ll eventually miss these stupid days the Odd Jobs gang had as the story progresses further. Without saying too much, the story much later on is also pretty good since certain plot points connect with other points, and it’s really fun to see how certain “stupid” things actually connects with the current storyline present, leaving no plot holes present.

The cast in Gintama is beautiful. They may feel like characters who only have one defining trait about them, but as the series progresses, they feel like actual human beings, like ones you’ll meet in real life. Gintoki especially feels like a real human being many of us can relate to. He doesn’t really have a goal unlike your typical battleshounen protagonist (e.g. becoming the hokage, collecting the seven dragon balls, etc.) and let’s be honest, many of us here probably don’t know what we truly want to do with our lifes either. Most of us are probably just wandering around, whether it’s hanging out with your friends or enjoying a hobby you really like doing. His dialogues is also very funny, whether he bluntly says it out loud or if it’s just in his mind. I don’t think any voice actor can top off Sugita’s performance with Gintoki. The rest of the cast has its own charm too, although it’s best not to spoil the other character’s characteristics.

I like the artstyle in Gintama, the facial expressions the characters make is really funny. I don’t think any anime can make expressions as ridiculous as ones shown in Gintama. Not only facial expressions, but also how some of the scenes are presented. Generally some of the scenes are funny because it’s animated, and if it was live action, it wouldn’t be as funny. Comedy aside, the fight scenes in Gintama are fun to look at, too. Not only are the visuals pleasing to the eyes, the choreography of the fights are fun to watch too, even if it’s not realistic. Then again, we’re watching anime because we aren’t looking for realism, but for enjoyment (although realism does play a factor in anime, which is what I like about this type of media too).

The music and sound in Gintama is also pretty good. Some of the OST track names are absolutely hilarious, one being “It’s Surprisingly Hard to Name a Generic Track.” The OSTs also fits in the mood, whether it’s Shinpachi complaining to Gintoki about how much of a lazy bum he’s being to some epic battle OST that can pump your blood up for the upcoming fight Gintoki has to face against his opponents, and sometimes, some sad OST that’ll tug onto your heart strings. What I’m trying to say is that the OSTs are pretty memorable. As for the opening/ending themes, there were really some great ones, personal favorites being OP13, OP15, OP21, and ED30. The lyrics to some of the theme songs also holds a meaning to it, and it also sometimes foreshadow certain events that’s going to happen in the series.

There were very few factors I didn’t like about Gintama, although it’s really just characters like Otae, who ruins the mood of the show everytime she tries doing anything “funny,” or Otsu, whose stupid songs I can’t stand, along with her stupid “Otsu” phrases that just makes her come off as annoying. But overall, it’s a really fun series. There’s very little things to dislike about this series. Fun character casts, amazing music/art, and a really well written plot. It’s something I’d recommend to people who are looking for a good anime to watch (although definitely not to newbies). I’d also like to add on to NOT rush this series, even though the earlier episodes may start off slow. Otherwise, just enjoy your time with the Odd Jobs gang!