Review of Gintama

Talking about Gintama is a real struggle. Not because I was asleep for half the damn anime or that ramadan is putting its bit of pressure on my brain, mainly because it pretty much does anything. It has comedy, action, emotion, character and struggles, along with a fair bit of mystery. A jack of all trades of sorts, and a master of some, yet with issues that push it right off the gate to greatness. Gintama is an anime I would have loved to love, and one that I will most likely love as the seasons progress. I'm not saying that because I need that smidgenof copium after watching 200 episodes, I'm saying that because I saw actual potential somewhere in the last 40-60 episodes, if it had been consistently that, it would have had a higher score.

Speaking of, the main issue with Gintama is, alongside its general inconsistency, the fact that it has a high entry bar. Everyone has their own moment at which the anime "gets good". To me, it's about 40 episodes in, whenever Kagura's father gets introduced. To some it's less, and to others it's more. But the fact is, just like with a badly proportioned burger, you will have to eat a lot of bread before reaching the meaty middle.

And even after that, someone fucking destroyed your steak because you only feel the good parts for a small amount of episodes. This is something the anime gets better at handling over time, but something you will struggle with, as at the beginning of the good part, you will be kept on edge. You will see the few arcs that are worth your time, you will think "that's it, now it's going to be good", only for the next five episode to kick you in the "tamas". Eventually, even these laid back bits will be somewhat tasteful, and you will grow more attached to the cast.

The cast, which I think is definitely the strength of this anime and one of the best casts anime can offer. For sure, there are painfully boring characters (I'm thinking the likes of Kondou, Sarurobi or Katsura) but they are the minority. I've seen someone say that the characters are "boring and one note" and while it is true that the main crux of their character relies on one or two jokes, once you actually pay attention, you see more, and I would even argue they are more people than characters, with their inconsistencies, their depths and their contradictions.

The production is very good. I always enjoy the 2000s anime for that reason, keeping the saturation to reasonable levels rather than blasting colors and calling it art. The character designs are smooth and the background is good looking, it generally does it's job as an adaptation, that and the filler which is more inventive than average.

And I think that's about all. Amanto? What's that? Is that relevant? Can't be asked, we're done here.