Review of Gintama
Before I write this review which is very long overdue I would like to first establish that Gintama is my favourite series in both the manga and anime mediums and it is something that I will carry with me forever, it took me out of a very dark part in my life and set me on the right path. Gintama is something that becomes better as time moves on and you learn more about Japanese culture (of course, manga and anime) looking back at the series but it is also a very compelling story with slowly arching storyline with some really emotional moments and justsome moments that really hit home to any anime watcher.
Secondly, I would like to note that Gintama is the funniest form of media (at least anime) that I have seen. I don't think that people quite appreciate the knowledge that the author (who refers to himself as a Gorilla in the manga) has, he is thoroughly up to date with todays manga and anime series, with American TV shows, to Japanese Pop artists and Idols, and to Japanese comedy all together. He is a true appreciator of comedy and this is very apparent in his series where he runs jokes sometimes volumes apart, he has running gags throughout the series and he ties in references to all works of media that his wide audience (most of the time) appreciates.
-Just going to do a quick overview and reasoning for my 10/10 on all scores for the anime-
Story: Gintama starts as a bunch of friends in the Edo period of Japan start up an "odd jobs" with the intent on doing any job for anyone around the town after the alien "amanto" take over the Earth for a low price to get by. They start making associates in all kinds of places from the "Joi" terrorists to the various policing organisations around the place to the Shogunate itself, with the more relationships that they build the more influence and responsibility the group gathers around the town, the several ties made really bring together the story; this story isn't really your general soul searching, power gaining Shonen, it is about protecting these ties with everything that the group has.
Art: With such an amazing source I do feel that Sunrise did a very good job animating Gintama. Character designs stay very true to their original sources and they did a very nice job giving you a feel as to what it would be like living in this run down town where Aliens and Humans live (seemingly) in harmony. The action scenes are done very - very well and the various "playful" facial expressions and such are done to perfection.
Sound: Gintama has quite a range of different scenarios and I think that the sound put together did very well at setting the tone for these scenarios. It has some very touching songs for those emotionally beautiful scenes, it has some really cool fighting music when necessary and some very comical jigs for the right moment. Another strong point in Gintama is its OPs and EDs, they really do get some amazing bands (SPYAIR does a few) in for these theme songs and they stay very true to the series.
Character: Gintama has some very loveable characters, they each play their comical role very well with their interactions with certain characters, one thing that I've noticed is how well Sorachi pairs certain characters with one another in both the humorous sense and in a social one. You also need to appreciate that every supporting character is either introduced during the series with some sort of arc that very closely ties each character with the group or they are done so in the same way with a flashback.
Enjoyment: Due to its episodic nature Gintama is something that you can show to friends at any point and they will love it all the same. As touched on earlier it is such an enjoyable series because of its diversity, there is something in it for everyone of all ages because the authors knowledge in anything funny is so diverse all the same. Watch it for the endless references, the fighting scenes, the comedy, you will not leave disappointed whatever your interests are.
To conclude in my bias I just really want to stress that everyone no matter what their tastes are should watch Gintama, don't get strayed away by these premise that because it is on the MAL top anime ratings that it must be mainstream trash. It is there for a reason, everyone that watches it loves it.