Gintama°

Have you ever wanted to laugh so hard that it feels like you're dying? Well, then this season is no different from any of its predecessors. The season dives straight into its main focus which is comedy and gives us all sorts of parodies and laughs that viewers can relate to other shows, which is what makes it so great. However, this season is not all laughs. As with this season, the show moves into some of the more serious arcs—a must see for any fan of Gintama.

Besides starting out with heavy action, comedy is one of the best ways to make people continue watching ... a show. To hook the viewers into the first few episodes is what the producers try to do each season. If you don’t start off with something funny in a show that is so well-known for its way of doing parodies and comedy, then there’s no way the viewers are going to continue watching. I mean, who doesn’t like a good ol’ DBZ parody to start itself off? I know I do.

If there’s one thing I didn’t like about how the season went is the skipping of some of the smaller arcs. Gintama has always been faithful at adapting all its arcs, but this season was quite different. This may be due to pushing it for OVAs to sell, or maybe they just didn’t have the time slots available. That or something came up within the studio to make them adapt the bigger arcs earlier.

With that, I guess we should talk about the highly anticipated arcs that a lot of people have been waiting for since the announcement of the season. Without trying to spoil, these arcs provide a lot to the watchers as to what’s happening to some of the most known groups/people in the Gintama franchise. The first arc is the Shogun arc which obviously focuses on the Shogun himself but also his enemies. Compared to the other big arcs, I’d say this was a pretty good arc and rivaled some of the other ones from the past seasons. If you thought that was all for the big arcs, then think again! Not only do we get one major roller coaster arc this season, but two. The other being the Shinsengumi arc which focuses on the Police force of Edo and two other “prominent” groups—the Joui rebels and the Mimawarigumi. Unlike the previous arc, this arc is more about emotion than it is about action. While this arc does have action, I wouldn’t put it ahead of the arc before it in that sense. I still enjoyed this arc though because it shows us some backstory of some of the Shinsengumi, the Mimawarigumi, and even Gintoki. These two arcs go hand-in-hand as the former leads into the latter. Just what is in store for our beloved characters?

Visually speaking, it has been up and down here and there. Mostly a hit though. Like most shows, or at least ones that want to stand out in scenes, the visuals will go above and beyond then the usual to look when it needs to. The comedy arcs were also pretty good in terms of its animation, but there were times when the animation took a turn down and looked pretty bad. Expect the animation budget to be really good during the action arcs, especially for the final two arcs. Thankfully it wasn’t bad when it needed to be so there’s nothing major I would note down.

As for the soundtrack, it has been really good. The OST was done pretty well and matches the overall mood of what the scene is trying to portray to the viewer—whether its during comedy or action. The OP/ED songs I have mixed feelings for because I’m mainly a fan of catchy songs, but they sounded good and is no different from past season. I’ve been mainly a fan of Gintama’s OP, but this season there was a few EDs I quite enjoyed more so than its OP counterpart, so props to the singers for that.

And just like that another season of Gintama ends. The waiting once again begins as per regular tradition. If you haven’t enjoyed this season, then the season to come, which will most likely be the finale, is definitely not for you.

Gintama hasn’t changed one bit; it will continue being its same old self until it finally brings a closure to all the characters we love and find so hilarious.

Finally the season has ended and phew, what a journey it was. This season is the first one where I watched it as it aired. I used to be one of those people who were pissed off because Gintama took too many spots on MAL's top anime page but never actually tried to understand why people liked it. I had always been hesitant to start because the premise didn't seem interesting at all but hey, it only took me 2 months to finish all the available episodes back in 2014 because once I started, I just can't stop. That's just how good this series ... is in its entirety.

Now to the review of this season!

Art: 9/10
Well, Gintama had never been an anime with high budget so please don't expect ufotable's godlike level of animation. For a long-running anime though, I think Gintama has the better animation out there, and especially during the last arc, the animation was pretty top notch. The characters design and the setting has always been distinct (I've always been a fan of their portrayal of 'modern' Edo) and I always thought that Gintama has good art anyway so in this season it still deserves a high score.

Sound: 10/10
This is one of my personal favourite aspects of Gintama. I like how they could make a recurring theme to give off different feelings according to the scene they're accompanying. The new OSTs for this season are very good too, especially for the last two arcs (there is one theme song for a new character that I really like in this season, it gives me literal chill everytime I hear it haha).

Story: 10/10
This season started with a very controversial comedic episode which reminded us that Gintama won't ever be afraid to make jokes on pretty much everything. The episodes which followed are great too (the lottery one is still my fav though) and the comedic arcs in this season are among my favorites (soul switch arc, dekoboko arc, afro arc, feigned illness arc, confessional arc...). They are very well written and always left us with an afterthought in a classic Gintama way.

The serious arcs, particularly the last two, are among the best in the entire series. The strength of the serious arcs in Gintama is that the pacing of the story is quite fast that our hype was always being kept at high. Also, as an anime-only watcher, a lot of the twist really caught me off-guard, and all I can say is despite some of the twists being typical shounen tropes, the way Gintama handled them are very tasteful. I guess it's because Gintama isn't your typical shounen with teenagers as MCs, which bring us to its endearing characters.

Characters : 10/10
The characters are the reason why I finished all the previous seasons in only two months. If you asked me when I started to love a particular character I would never be able to answer that; they were all slowly creeping on me.

Gintama's character are well-rounded. Nobody is perfect; in fact some of the characters are really gross that it may seemed impossible to love them at first, but given the time, they are all endearing in their own ways. I mean, I can sympathize with a gorilla stalker that sometimes walk around naked and a gross homeless old man who seemed to have no ambition in life. My other favourites includes the clumsy leader of a rebellious faction nicknamed "nobleman of fury" who keeps an alien (duck?) as a pet, an inhumanely strong little girl with a weird accent who always eats like there's no tomorrow, and a police officer who should have been arrested for exposing everyone with secondhand smoke and for ruining all the good foods in this world with his disgusting mayonnaise addiction.

The new characters this season are also memorable, but what hits me the most is the development of all the supporting characters. We've known them for 250+ episodes and we're very much already knew their personality traits. However, Sorachi gradually exposed bits by bits of those characters so what I feel that watching Gintama is not about the characters growing, but me knowing them better. I don't know if this makes sense or not, but watching Gintama feels like knowing your friends better in life instead of rooting for a celebrity you've only seen on TVs. So when they're hurt or something bad happened to them, the feels hit me as if something happened to someone I hold dear (okay this is getting out of hand because my inner otaku coming out but whatever).

So yeah, the supporting characters in Gintama are too good that they can probably lead their own series. That being said, the MC is by no means being overshadowed by them. Gintoki is deservedly the leader of the bunch, and this season just cemented the fact. There are many instances where Gintoki shines as the best shounen MC I've ever seen, both because his persona and how he deals with his relationship with other characters. He handled all the cliche shounen tropes in a surprising manner that keeps me rooting for him (there's one moment in this season when it's shown that he's really emotionally strong and mature and that was something I rarely saw in shounen jump's heroes).

Gintoki though, has always been a contradiction; he had always been annoyingly talkative but actually he rarely said anything important, he always seemed greedy but when we think about it, he is actually very selfless. In this season, I feel that Gintoki had opened up and showing his true self more (he's talking about his past more, and he's also openly expressing his wishes). All in all, his relationship with all the characters, especially with his Yorozuya family and the Shinsengumi, is the highlight for me in this season.

Enjoyment: 10/10
Hell yeah the fast pacing keeps the enjoyment and the hype real and high. If you still don't get it from my ramblings above I really enjoy this season. Wednesday had been the day I waited the most for these past year (even more than the weekends!)

Oh, and the seiyuus is another highlight (especially Sugita and Nakai!) because without them masterfully voicing these weird characters, it won't feel the same. I believe I will listen if Gintama was made into radio series, their voices are already the heart of Gintama.

Overall: 10/10
Watching Gintama actually makes me very picky in watching other anime. It has a complete package that is hard to beat; I bet you it's not easy to make a series where you can laugh a little in between tears because they decided to put a slight comedy in an otherwise very emotional scene. Or makes you laugh like a madman because sometimes it's too funny that you need to stop watching to collect yourself first. And this season just has that perfect mix of comedy and action (and drama too) that I cemented it as one of the best series ever made.

When it comes to sequels, It is often unclear whether it will live up to the quality of its previous installments, and in the case of the fourth season of Gintama fans can be assured: it maintains its defining traits. There continues to be a great variety in the comedy offered, as well as its share of arguably one of the best consequent "serious" arcs in the entire series so far, expanding greatly upon the setting itself, as well as its cast of characters. However, it must be mentioned that it comes with a slight controversy amongst the fans, the main concern being the inevitable ... conclusion the series is heading to, and with that, loosing in the process some of its main charm, the comedy, which mainly affects the last third of the season. Regardless of said matter, Gintama delivers in all of its main aspects in a very satisfying manner, where viewers can observe the culmination of the author's experience in the different aspects the anime has to offer.

~Story~

The story of the show follows a similar structure to its previous seasons, following the daily, both chaotic and amusing, lives of the beloved trio of the Yorozuya: Kagura, Shimura Shinpachi and of course Sakata Gintoki. The series is known for its great variety in comedy incorporating different genres from both the East and West, in addition to providing great referential comedy to the variety of different anime to its advantage - Kuroko no Basuke or Saint Seiya anyone? These are often well executed, albeit being in some cases too repetitive. Naturally, it is not all referential comedy: it has its share of situational comedy, or just simple daily issues taken into a comedic stance: hiding pornmags, or even a marriage encounter.

In various instances it also provides some social critique; what is more, this time around it is more universally centered, making it much more accessible to audiences unaware of japanese culture. Examples such as paranoia over a lottery ticket, greedy shopkeepers, corruption amongst civil employers, you name it. Naturally it has its share comedic sketches mainly catered to the japanese viewers, which are arguably hilarious as well. Not to mention the premise of some of the mini arcs presented: the hilarious gender bender arc and of course, the beloved Shogun gags - which once again are arguably of the best sketches of the entire series.

However, this time around it is impossible not to mention the story oriented arcs in the season: these are a magnificent portrayal of the author's acquired experience over the years, expanding upon the Amanto and the mysterious Tendoshu that rule over Edo. Its "serious" arcs were often criticized for being a bit random and too over the top, yet this time this is not the case. Furthermore, the foreshadowing that was done in the previous seasons become very apparent and explained, in addition to providing a very satisfying flow of events: fast-paced when required, yet balanced and thoughtful when necessary to emphasize on the atmosphere and gravity of the various situations. It ultimately works itself towards a great finale - or rather, another buildup, but to this later - with fantastic action across the board, with a minimal amount of "asspulls" action shōnen are well-known for. The battles are tense, the stakes are high, and it is in fact brutal as it can be: people die left and right, betrayal and disbelief are just some attributes that could be associated to it.

~Characters~

The cast of characters in Gintama remain largely unchanged, with some exceptions, yet this was to be expected, as the series is building itself towards its inevitable finale. Instead, the anime expands on its characters by developing them, as well as further fleshing them out in a satisfying manner. Audiences are presented with the expansion upon Gintoki's past, and with that, his other comrades as well as his master - a wonderful and satisfying display to the character's personality, and of course the story as well. Not only that, it becomes apparent that all the story oriented arcs are in fact used as means to develop and flesh out various characters which initially remained clouded in mystery from the previous seasons: be it Sasaki Isaburou, the founding of the Shinsengumi and its integrants, or even the shogun himself.

Naturally, for the more comedic episodes audiences are presented with the homeless Hasegawa Taizou, a great representation of society itself, meaning the hardships or the apathetic attitude towards life. He is arguably one of the greatest characters in the series, alongside the noble and resourceful Katsura Kotarou. Besides his outdated sense of humour and his fantastic personality, It is truly curious to see his evolution as a character throughout the series from being a radical terrorist to a more pacificist person in the quest to change Edo without causing unnecessary deaths. There is a downside to its cast though: for example, Shimura Tae remains pretty much the same throughout the entire series as a forceful woman, who can instantly change to a damsel in distress whenever the plot required it; in addition, the gags surrounding her persona remained the same, and ultimately got annoying.

As for the character interactions and relations, these are often very well handled because of the nature of the anime and the characters themselves that has been developed throughout its duration. This is however not always the case, as in some instances these were rather abruptly presented to the viewer, which in turn caused the whole scenario to feel unnatural. Some of the characters actions occasionally conflict with their own ideals and personality as well, but as a whole, it could be said that it was satisfying. Now there are some issues to be held with the background of some of the characters: these follow the same formulaic approach which is usual in the series, which naturally may be bothersome for audiences. In some instances it could be said that the motives were either too predictable or convenient for story progression.

~Animation and sound~

The animation in Gintama was surprisingly consistent and well done considering the fact that it aired for a whole year. However, where it excelled was in its action scenes: the fights were incredibly dynamic and fast paced, accurate as well as fluid and detailed, never leaving any viewer bored throughout its entire duration. This however has a cost to it, the backgrounds suffering in various instances from poor quality character models, and the occasional still image that are displayed throughout the series. As for the art style itself, nothing new, it remains with the same standard as the previous seasons; character models are very simple as well, yet varied enough to easily distinguish its cast.

What however stands out is the selection of soundtrack for the different scenes and atmospheres the anime was trying to portray: the usual tunes for the more relaxed and comedic moments, whereas for the serious moments the studio pulled out a great variety of soundtracks that matched wonderfully with the setting. Metal songs, rock songs, gloomy sounds or the usage of percussion instruments which serve to inspire suspense and tension from the viewer, further enhancing the whole experience the show has to offer. Naturally, the voice actors are of great importance as well, which retained their previous ones: Sugita Tomozaku as Gintoki, god-like voice of Wakamoto Norio or Tachiki Fumihiko as Hasegawa which greatly enhanced the characters personality, and with that, the comedy as well.

~Enjoyment~

The fourth season of Gintama was overall a fantastic experience which I personally doubted to be able to surpass that of its previous seasons, yet was pleasantly surprised. It managed to maintain its variety in jokes, the references and such, as well as displaying the one of the greatest subsequent story driven arcs with great characterization contained within. This was all accompanied with a great usage of the soundtrack as well as the fantastic action scenes. It must be said that it did not reach the final conclusion, as the manga is still ongoing, and there were some chapters from the manga left out: this mainly affected the comedy parts.

This does not mean Gintama has no flaws: it does, and quite some in fact. There are some episodes that either were too repetitive on its theme to the point of being annoying, as well as the infamous episode where they literally turned into shit. This was rather distasteful and off-putting for obvious reasons. Another problem that arises with the "serious" arcs are the integration of some of its characters: these are either at times useless/helpless for such situations, yet miraculously survive; or they're included just for the sake of it. Other issue that fans may have with the series is the fact that due to its inevitable conclusion, the anime has gone past the point of no turning back. This in turn meant that the last third of the series had hardly any comedy in it, which may be an issue for some, as the comedy aspect is one of the main charms of Gintama.

All in all, despite the above mentioned problems, I still loved the series as a whole and consider it to be the best comedy anime I have watched so far; I have blurted out in laughter a great amount of times, which is the whole point of comedy. It is very rare to find a series that can maintain this type of quality for over 300 episodes. For anyone who hasn't tried out the this sequel yet, I can highly recommend in checking it out, as it provides both great comedy and expansion upon the setting.

Thank you for reading.

Gintama is a hot mess. OH PLEASE

Avoid this anime at all cost! I can't even fathom why people like this so much.

Plot:

Was too complicated. I expected Gintoki and the gang to go on adventures/ arcs and save helpless people who didn't have the power to save themselves. I was waiting for the moment when Gintoki beats the final boss of the arc in fact the main villain never showed up! Instead I got unexpected twist, turns and heartbreak. At one point I had to snatch my sisters weave to slap my computer screen!!!! Why Sorachi?!! WHY!!!

Characters:

Too unusual and weird. Antagonists such as like Shinsuke ... and Isaburo were just completely wrong in their directions; they were not planning to destroy the world or to take over the country... Personally, I would have liked these motives instead. They had far deeper motives, reasoning and planning which is quite bothersome because I have to think and go back MANY chapters or episodes to fully understand and to think about it! Female characters and weaker male characters like Shinpachi / Kagura were far too independent... I thought that a stronger character like Sogo needed to help save them but I guess Sorachi got lazy. My far biggest complaint was Gin.. this sad excuse of a main character needs to stop sleeping and go train to unlock his hidden powers. I hated his backstory and I wished that they would just skipped to the senseless boss battle, friendship speeches and the one-hit-KO's. Sorachi was too focused on developing his characters and that is a MAJOR flaw. There needed to have more stupid gags or unnecessary fanservice next season. Whatever.

Sound/ Opening and Ending:

It was great! Both endings and openings were tolerable. Thats the only parts that are good.. to be frank.

Overall:

Skip this overrated anime. This was far too much for me: character development was oversaturated and the plot was unexpected and shifted to many extremes. I suggest watching Fairy Tail or Bleach because of the familiar plot and characters. You wouldn't even tell a difference between episode 10 and 200 for these anime.. trust me. If Gintama was a boy not even Michael Jackson would have wanted his ass. 10/10

NOTE: Due to the nature of this sequel it is inevitable that there will be spoilers for those who haven't seen it though i have tried my level best to keep them to a minimum. I urge you to watch all the prequels before beginning Gintama (2015).

I began Gintama about 3 months back, wondering what it was that captured the hearts of so many people, after all its sequels dominated MAL's top 10 and it had spawned countless memes on the internet. It didn't really pique my interest in terms of its storyline or animation at the beginning but i decided to keep watching because ... of its absolutely gold comedy. By the first serious arc in gintama (Benizakura hen) i was absolutely hooked. Slowly but surely i began to realize the gem that was gintama.

Now with Gintama (2015) gintama has reached heights that i couldn't even imagine and has broken FMA Brotherhood's monopoly at the top of MAL's rankings and has rightfully taken its position as the best anime of the modern era, perhaps even of all time.


Story: Gintama is a very episodic anime generally and has no coherent plotline, at least that is how it seems initially, but over the course of the 300 episodes that gintama has lasted we have seen that there is indeed a very deep backstory to Gintoki and many of the other characters. These backstories intertwine with the serious arcs of the anime and present a brilliant combination. The arcs are not very long (the longest arc is 9 episodes that is the Farewell Shinsengumi arc) and this means that there is alot of action and drama packed into these episodes. The arcs aren't many but when the do arrive in the series you know you are in for a treat.

This brings me to the star attraction of Gintama (2015) the Shogun assassination arc and the Farewell Shinsengumi arc. To say they are some of the best arcs anime has ever seen would probably be an understatement. The drama and action packed into these 17 episodes is unrivalled. What really makes the storyline of this anime amazing is that despite the fact that it parodies many famous anime for eg Naruto, Bleach etc it never falls to their low level and in fact manages to avoid all their pitfalls.

This anime will make you laugh until your sides hurt and at points make you cry a river. This contrast is indeed what makes this such an exemplary anime.

Art: I will not mince words here and come right out and say that the art is fucking awesome. The fights are so well animated you wouldn't believe that they belong to an anime that about 6 years ago was struggling with budget issues and was forced to air in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The art looks like something out of a movie and helps set up the atmosphere wonderfully well. The movements are very fluid and the BGs are very well drawn. Later when the anime takes a dark turn the change in the atmosphere is well conveyed through the darker tone of animation.

Sound: Sound has always been a strong suit of Gintama and has one of the best ensemble of VAs today. perhaps the biggest difference between it and other anime is that in gintama the seiyuus enjoy their job and portray their characters from their heart. The OSTs are still quite good despite some being reused for a long time.

As far as the OPs and EDs are concerned, absolute eargasms. Two of my all time personal favorite OPs belong to Gintama (2015). Every band involved has done a phenomenal job especially 'Blue Encount' and 'Chico with honeyworks' for their 'DAYXDAY' and 'Pride Kakumei' respectively. It would have been awesome to see 'Spyair" return for another song but oh well.

Character: Even though Gintama has a very large number of characters it never makes the viewer feel as any of them is being ignored. All our favorite characters return this season as well and are better than ever. Gintoki is particular receives phenomenal amount of character development this season and becomes as even more endearing character than before (crazy right?). Charcaters like Sacchan and Zenzo play more pivotal roles along with the Shinsengumi's characters like Hijikata, Sougo and Kondo. Many of the characters with which gintoki interacted appear and a special mention must be made of Takasugi in this regard as even he receives a lot of development over the course of Gintama (2015)

Enjoyment: I don't think this part needs any lengthy explananations as you may very well have judged that i consider gintama to very well be the holy grail of anime.


In the end i would like to say that 'Gintama' is an experience every anime fan must have regardless of preferences. If it was not evident by its rankings this anime is an absolute masterpiece n every sense of the word. This season is particular is a new high for the anime. In the end i would like to say that i am glad that i found this anime and gave it a chance for i am unlikely to encounter an amazing anime like this again.

Here is to another 100 episodes of Gintama!

(Thank you for reading this long review and any feedback is greatly appreciated)

I am a big Gintama fan and I was sad and crying when it finished. Gintama is a very different, one-of-a-kind anime that will always keep you laughing and entertained. Gintama is not like most anime's out there and I think that's why it's so good.

Story - 10:
I give the story a 10/10 because even though it doesn't have much of a story line, each episode has it's own little arcs and story about Gin or the Shinsengumi or Hasegawa. Each episode is extremely random and hilarious. But not all episodes are all about comedy. There are also serious and epic arcs that showcase ... intense action scenes and serious plots.

Art - 10:
I loved the art and drawing style. To the funny faces to the serious ones. The drawings catch my attention and I'm instantly hooked. I don't know anything about art or drawing styles but Gintama is easy to watch.

Sound - 10:
I think this season of Gintama had the best soundtracks. It used some of the same background music from the other seasons but there is this one episode, this one arc that uses the opening to its advantage, and created an epic fighting scene. I love all the openings and endings.

Character - 10:
I think the characters are what makes this anime really enjoyable. As you watched from the very beginning of the anime, from season one to now, you see how much the characters have grown and how much closer they are to each other now. I loved the character development and how you learn something new about each character throughout the season. Everyone feels like family.

Enjoyment - 10:
I enjoyed Gintama waay too much, so much that I'm rewatching it about ten thousand times. I honestly have to say that Gintama is my #1 favorite anime and no other anime could top this.

Overall - 10000:
Overall, Gintama is awesome. It might be hard at first to get into the anime but once you hit about the 60 episode mark from the first season, that's when the real awesome stuff starts. This is a very good anime that everyone should try out. It funny, action-y, epic, realistic (in some ways but not really), and really awesome.

Disclaimer: This is all my opinion since we're entitled to our own.

Mini-disclaimer: I wasn't planning to write a review so soon but since Gintama has gotten top spot on MAL many people it seems are leaving negative reviews in an attempt to bring it back down. Please don't encourage those people in when it comes to any type of anime. So sorry if this was a bit rushed.

Gintama is just a giant cluster-f-word that even questions itself. When a fan asked the Gintama staff what the anime was trying achieve they answered with they don't know either. An anime like that probably wouldn't deserve top spot on MAL(Gintama is number 1 at the time of writing ... this review) in a different context, but this is Gintama.

Story 1/10
The story is about Sakata Gintoki,and the more and more I try to describe the story the more confused I get. At times this anime seems aimless, and at others it seems to be trying to convey a very important message. All in all whatever the story is, it's an amazing one. Now include the parodies, the laughs,the gags, the neo-jet-armstrong-jet-cannon jokes, and you have yourself an enjoyable anime that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.
Now as for actual plot, this anime is pretty consistent; however, like most anime it does have its inconsistencies. But those are all wrapped together nicely and fixed by Gin-pachi sensei himself. For example in a misleading scene they created a voice over and fixed it in the funniest way possible lol. So if you're looking for an amazing story look somewhere else, if you're not sure what you're looking for let Gintama find it for you. (Actual Story rating 11/10, completely unique and the good kind)

Art 10/10
What you need to know about this anime is that even the staff uses the Characters in Gintama to complain about their low budgets. This isn't top notch animation, at times it can even feel like a picture book. But it's a really good picture book. This anime at times has used the same frame of a building for about 5 minutes, with the characters only talking in the background and that's it. Regardless I enjoyed those moments because those characters even without movement and just their dialogue made a very enjoyable scene, and only Gintama can pull that off. There was even an episode when the op was done in MS Paint, do you know how bad in terms of "art" that would be rated? But still it had me laughing and was very enjoyable, which only Gintama could pull off. If you're starting to notice a pattern, and this goes for the rest of the review, Gintama is not subjected to the typical ways of critiquing/reviewing. The art in this anime is inconsistent, but it's good when it needs to be good and it's still enjoyable everywhere else.

Sounds 8/10
Our cute heroine is puking again? Well let's just add beautiful background effects.
The Music isn't what some may call a masterpiece but it's good. They always get the mood going, and at times they make me cry because of all the memories Gintama has shared with me and they just come to me when I listen to Samurai Heart. The people behind the music and sound production know what they're doing.

Character 1/10
Every Character in Gintama is pathetic.
The cute heroine we all want pukes everywhere and picks her nose,she's not even old enough legally or morally to ship her with the MC-kun, the glasses side character loses sight of his goal and never gets anywhere until the last episodes that fixes his goal in a few said episodes, as if they were never important!? Not to mention he's weak and for a character with glasses he isn't particularly smart. Our Main character is nothing but middle aged man who's defining physical characteristics is his white natural perm. Yet I see them as all irreplaceable to story that is Gintama.
Since Gintoki is our protagonist I'll use him as a stand-in for "characters" in the anime. Gintoki gets a sad backstory like every other MC, but not once has this been used as a direct way to lead to story forward, hell it's not even fully revealed until later down the line. Not that it's wrong to have anime do that but I admire this about Gintama because Sorachi managed to pull off a Shonen character like this. Gintoki doesn't even have a special move or a legendary weapon. He wields a wooden sword with "Lake Toya" written on it. At first you think it has some super special significance but it doesn't. (LIGHT SPOILER: It's from a tv ad) Gintoki will extort money from anyone even if it were kids or his own friends. He's a freelancer with too much time that never pays his rent. The only redeeming quality he has is his sense of responsibility, which he doesn't directly show but he would put his life on the line for it. While that one part might seem typical of a shonen character, the way it's presented is nothing like it.
Sorachi wanted every character have their faults shine rather than the typical "determination/will" of a shonen or any anime to be in fact. This isn't a new concept to say the least but it's done well and fits perfectly for the type of anime(whatever type of anime this is lol) it is. With most anime in terms of shonen it's defeat the strongest villain, and then it continues until there are stronger enemies. With the exception to very few the antagonists in this anime are not flushed out at all. I at times end up feeling for them or relating to them as well. You could even argue at times that the antagonist could have been a better protagonist. I hope you fall in love with the characters as much as I have. (So yeah it was never a 1/10 but rather a -100/10 so bad that it's good, sort of like those really bad jokes your friends say but you can't stop laughing )

Enjoyment 10/10
I cried, I laughed, I smiled. Sometimes all at the same time. I learned while laughing. You know how in school you would wish learning wasn't so boring? Gintama is the mom that gives you lectures while making them fun. Now I know that's a weird way to put it, but if Gintama has taught me anything it's that it's fine that way.

Overall 10/10
Gintama 2015 was everything the previous seasons were and little more, this is why I spoke about Gintama as a whole, but in particular 2015 is my favorite so far. Same old Gintama. I love every second of this and I will miss this series.

Anybody can write a review about their favorite series and make it seem good, but this review honestly doesn't do it any justice. As the reader you can think I'm being biased and being just a fanboy. But if an anime doesn't make you want to be biased or a fanboy how good was it really? Either way, biased or not I tried laying it bare bones at some parts for you while not spoiling much at all.

Crazy as it might seem, I knew from the moment that Gintama came back last year, that I would be floored by the amazingness. Not just because I read the manga but because of the stunning way it was adapted. Here's a more detailed review.

Story (10): No matter how stupid or crazy or just plain random Gintama is, the story of each arc is a masterpiece. It's riveting, it's engaging, it's emotional. It's every indescribable feeling I had while I was watching each episode. I loved that the characters would make you laugh like you're gonna pop your head off then afterwards make you cry ... your eyes out till it rolls on the floor then make you laugh again. It's polarizing...but in a good way. I dunno how Gori-sensei does it, but he should be crowned with a crown of bananas. What's also so masterful about the story of this particular Gintama comeback is that it hits into a lot of the core arcs in the manga and it gives more detail about the relationships of each character and their struggles. We are given more than just a peek into what's happening and that's why it's superb.

Art (10): Gintama is not like that lollipop-bubblegum cute anime that you all know and love. In terms of art itself, Gintama is not necessarily up there. But in my mind it is. I love how distinct and unique each character is and how bold some of them are. I love how they can play with each character and somehow make them seem like they have another personality and it's too funny I can't. But what I think truly brings my score for Gintama so high up is that the animation of the fight scenes, does not shy away from absolute perfection. It's raw, rugged yet fluid and they ain't afraid to show blood y'all.

Sound (10): There's a few recurring background music that you can hear if a scene is absolutely funny or wickedly sad. It's constant with Gintama, yet it just makes me cry all the fcking time. I'm sorry I just had to curse. Especially if it involves flashbacks. GDI. Then the amazing opening and ending themes for the whole span of Gintama. I love, adore and wanna marry every single one of the artists. They just brought everything together. I just hope SPYAIR made one for this season though but all in all, perfect!

Character (10): Do I need to go into detail with this? Every character in Gintama is just so lovable and hurts you like you've been stabbed a 1000 times yet they keep you alive just so that they can stab you more and more. The characters absolutely funny and out of it and you love them soooooo much! I can't get enough of them

Enjoyment (10): If you watch Gintama and not enjoy yourself, are you hollow inside? One aspect of Gintama is it ability to make people laugh (as well as cry) and even if you cry, you'll enjoy the show so much. It's the perfect binge watch show.

Overall (10): GINTAMA IS UTTER PERFECTION KBYE

Note this review covers all of Gintama up until the end of 2015 since I don't like having to rate seasons of the same show. I have watched a lot of long running anime and I don't think I have enjoyed a long show more than Gintama. While it is primarily a comedy (probably the funniest comedy I have ever watched) Gintama also covers many genres including action, tragedy, and most others to some degree. None of these sub genres are half assed either Gintama knows when to alter its tone from its predominantly silly style to other style to fit their stories beautifully. Its ... overall story (yes it does have one) starts off really slow as you would expect from a long running show but gaining it along the way is incredibly rewarding and a very fun journey. Its episodic and small arc (3-5) episode nature make binge watching it so much more enjoyable than most other long running anime since no episode or arc never outstays its welcome and always provides a fresh new experience.

This show has gone through many art upgrades over the years and while it may have never reached Ufotable level and the animation may not always be consistently amazing Gintama puts on a beautiful spectacle at the most important moments in the story.

Music taste is very subjective but I feel that of all the long running shows, with the exception of Full Metal Alchemist + Brotherhood, Gintama has the strongest lineup of openings and endings. Openings 5 and 13 as well as ending 17 are my favorites as Does and Spyair have caused me to hit the replay button many times. The music within the anime is great to as it always fits the tone the show is going for and one tune in particular almost brought me to tears on its own.

The characters have to be the strongest part of the show. The benefits of being a long running multi-genre anime means you get to see the light hearted and hilarious nature of the main cast as well as the dark and serious without having to sacrifice one for the other. Personally my favorite characters are Gintoki the protagonist, Katsura, and Hijikata. All three of them are hilarious in their own unique ways and have compelling stories that make me appreciate them infinitely more than if Gintama was simply just a comedy anime.

'The night is darkest just before the dawn. But keep your eyes open.
If you avert your eyes from the dark, you'll be blind to the rays of a new day. So keep your eyes open, no matter how dark the night ahead may be.'

Gintama has finally, or rather, unfortunately, rolled up the sleeves and laid the foundations for its final showdown. What our Gin-san doesn't know is that the night could be darker than he thought. All the unresolved questions, all the open wounds will be figured out in the second half of the season, leading us to an end which will completely satisfy ... in a first moment, but looking back, we'll leave a huge gap wanting us for a new series to come out so badly, like a madao is looking for a job, the desperation will tie us in a indissoluble bond. So get ready for some dark sleepless nights. The hype is real and it will keep your eyes very open! However sooner or later, it should have happened, so it's better to not overthink it and put our Tama to rest. Obviously i mean souls! not OO ..ok, you didn't get it.
Getting more in details, the action won't be the absolute protagonist of the season, in fact it will make room, in its usual style, to a good slice of comedy which will make the series start off with a bang and keep the pace on till the last 2 arcs, but this is legit, it just want to gift us ..sigh.. its last lightheartedness's moments ..sigh.. ok i'm not crying.. really.. so get a full taste as long as you can.
The overall plot will be a real turning point, showing us a tons of glorious flashbacks joining all the puzzle's pieces on the troubled past of the legendary Joi team.
The result is a perfect blend of action, drama, emotion and wit which will make you die from laughing up to cry for sadness, in poor words, the perfect anime. I'm not surprised it's ranked #1 because even with great efforts you won't find any flaws. If you did, i throw you an anpan right in the face.
What truly make gintama to shine soo bright lies in its capacity (under all the jokes and crap) to teach us little life lessons touching the deepest part of ourselves. Each stand alone episode will satisfy more than a christmas lunch and this is a win-win for a series. The emotional osts bind up divinely to the moving moments and when the going gets tough the music is not lagging behind, exuding true Epicness in each battle theme. (Kabukicho 4 devas theme was memorable).
The animation on the whole is good and quickly develops every season. It's not on the same level as ufotable but this really doesn't matter because you will spend 3/4 of episodes with the tears in your eyes from laughing or you're too much focused on what's going on to pay attention.
The only complaint i could say for Gintama is the frequent use of kanji in the gags, but this is absolutely normal considering it's a japanese show, so the best compliment you can ever give to this anime is:
I wanted to be japanese just to understand better gintama!! :P
If you haven't seen this series and you're wondering why it's so popular, all i can say is, give it a try, seriously, it will worth every minute.
This anime and all its fantastic characters will show you how strong or weak people can be, how fragile or precious they are, you will discover the true meaning of Samurai.

Gintama is like a toilet seat.

(I don't know if this applies to women.... please tell me...)

When you want to take a dump, where do you want to do it?
Most likely at home right? Where your ass is already used to the shape of the toilet seat and it just... you can't explain it but.....
it just feels right.

I mean, when you use the schools toilet or anyone else's toilet, it just feels weird and even uncomfortable.

... When you get used to the toilet seat though(most likely not because you aren't going to be shitting that much) it's going to feel great.
Like your home toilet seat, you can sit on it for almost an unlimited amount of time, and its just going to start feeling right again.

The same logic applies to Gintama. People never take the time to get used to it's weirdness, but once they do get comfortable and accept it, you'll have almost nothing that can compare to it. You'll be able to watch/read Gintama practically forever and not get bored of it, because the characters are very unique and fun.

If no one feels this analogy, I'm probably just weird.... I would just replace everything with farts and apply the logic.

I wrote a long Gintama review but it got deleted, but if I find it, it'll most likely be on my profile or posted sometime in the future when I add more to it.
I'll be on my toilet if anyone needs me.

Gintama is my favorite anime and will always be. I cry, laugh, be depressed, get emotional and feel what the characters are feeling. This anime gets me in the mood when ever I am sad/depressed no matter what episode, even if it's just talking, it brightens my day. The one thing I really like about this anime is the characters, they are so troll-y, different from most characters I've seen in anime. This anime has everything you need from comedy to action and drama. It makes me smile, cry, feel the characters..

10/10 I highly recommend this to whoever who hasn't seen this masterpiece yet.

after finishing all the episodes... i can say for me this was a masterpiece. i mean... you have to watch the two last arcs!! 'Shogun assassination Arc and the Shinsengumi Farewell Arc are 100% a masterpiece. every episode, every minute, even second i was like ''omg what is going to happen next?''- so many surprises.. yes at the beginning of the anime there is a lot of comedy but after that the serious Arcs are amazing- and also the fights are great! i have never watched this good fights in an anime. so gintama has paused now and it will return soon. i am very ... sure they will keep up the serious episodes... so guys, if you haven't watched Gintama yet or are still in the middle of it- GO ON. don't stop, because you won't regret it- trust me

Ah, this is my first review in a while, but I thought I might as well do a review of the #1 spot on MAL. My last review was probably some time last year, I don't remember doing one at all this year. Enough about my life, that's too boring, so let's get to the review.

Gintama is an anime that I stopped at episode 12 once because... well, uhm, I didn't want to watch a 300+ episode series on a small as hell screen aka my laptop. The site now continues to lie to me, and says it took me 119 days to complete it, ... when it reality, it really only took me around 3 days to finish. Well, that was the first season. The site is telling the truth when it comes to the seasons after it, which is Gintama', Gintama': Enchousen and this current season... "Gintama Circle Thingy At Top" is definitely what it is meant to be called. But, I binged Gintama very quickly, and I enjoyed it. A lot. Gintama has come to be one of my favorite series, but I'm a pleb and don't watch much anime, so who knows, something might beat it.

Gintama is a series of lots of laughs, and also tears streaming down your face. This particular season done exactly that, and delivered both quite well. The story about this particular Gintama, well, all I can say, is it's like any other Gintama. Nothing has changed. Gintama has always been a mix of hilarious, funny arcs and serious, sentimental arcs. It hasn't changed since Gintama has first begun. So that's why I feel I should have no need to explain the story to anyone who is familiar with Gintama.
It's your same old Gintama, nothing else.

I don't really care much for art style and animation in anime, so I don't have much to say with it. As long as the story is good, and the anime is enjoyable, I'll watch it regardless of animation/art. But, the art for this specific Gintama doesn't seem to have changed at all from the others, or I suck and can't notice it, but I'm pretty sure it's been the same for a while.

The openings and endings are great, which was expected because Gintama never fails on their openings and endings. I don't listen to endings much, but I do listen to them once and then download them. It's kinda pointless, but not really. The reason I skip them is because I suck and I really want to get to the next episode. I don't have a minute to spare apparently.

The same as the usual Gintama, is pretty much all I've been saying this review. But, it's true. Gintama still hasn't changed which is why I still love every character. From Takasugi to Gintoki, I love every character. Learning about character's pasts is also something I really enjoy. Although, I'm sure anyone would like to learn about a character's past instead of focusing on the present.

Gintama is epic, as stated in the start of my review, this is the same old Gintama. Nothing has changed. It's the show that everybody has loved for all these years.
It's.... Gintama Circle Thingy At Top, also known as "Gintama: Season 3". Or season 7, depends. Though, it is technica- No, it is season 3.
Anyway, this show is awesome, I hope you all enjoy it too.

Hmm, was that review shit? I dunno. Haven't written one in a while.
Well, baiiiii!

Gintama, known for gag series full of parodies that breaks the copyright law and some of them are taboo like politics as its reference, breaking the 4th wall with a wild abandon, and bodily crude punchlines. That's the Overall Image of Gintama.
Nevertheless, the series have been overshadowed by serious stories at the later part of the show. I'm probably wondering what happened to Sorachi-sensei, I don't know how many more characters Gori-Sensei intends to kill off, he turned the Comedic Gintama into Tragic Gintama and even in the on-going manga, though he killed many characters before, even in the very first anime series of ... Gintama.

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~STORY~
A weekly anime spanned for 51 episode that took a year to complete. Filled with humorous episodic and frame stories, but now it's known for its continuous serious arcs. The pacing was ok with a couple of two fillers in the first two episodes, at least it wasn't rushed nor it was slow, the episodes fits the arrangement, but they didn't adapted some arcs and chapters:
|| Kagura's boyfriend arc: 419-422
|| Excalibur arc: 424-429 // 430 (unrelated chapter)
|| Homeless arc: 431-433 // 435/444 (unrelated chapter)
|| HDZ48 arc: 445-449 // 487 (unrelated chapter)
|| Love Potion arc: 492-496 (Upcoming OVA)
|| Guardian Spirits arc: 499-501
|| End of Farewell Shinsengumi: 551
|| Rakuyou Arc: 552+

The Story was mixed with complex and simple ways of telling what it wants, sometimes the comedy gets absurd and sometimes they mixed it with ethics and there are few situations that it gets a full arc whether it’s comedy or not by the end of it. The latest season of Gintama have more complexed themes than before, like Gender Issues, Military Code, Betrayal, Politics, War, and Death, and there's also some hidden references used by Sorachi which was mentioned in featured articles:
|| http://myanimelist.net/featured/407
|| http://myanimelist.net/featured/1512

The story is not unique to be honest, but what makes Gintama exceptional was its Gag Shounen Series that have shown great flexibility on using themes. Gintama is in the middle of Shounen and Seinen Demographic, it's officially Shounen which gives the whole series an action scenes and is the reason why it prevents Gintama from killing the main characters, to feel as though the principal cast is at risk is what I want. Kondo's death was teased several times throughout this arc, but I never thought they'd actually kill him. The series wants to demonstrate the true cost of war, but it never reaches Game of Thrones levels, where every character felt like they are going to killed anytime, but in this season it isn't yet.

The Comedy was very subjective, it's a hit or miss to many viewers especially to those who doesn't live in Japan, since most of the parodies were taken there, even the translators have to interpret what it means just to make the jokes reasonable, and sometimes it gets absurd which doesn't make any sense. At least there were some funny episodes which had ethical values on it, especially I like how they put funny episodes in the beginning and ends sadly, welp there's only 20 episodes of serious episodes and 31 for comedy episodes.
Then there's the Action and if a series has this, it means it's Shounen, which means cliched or common or anything that doesn't make the Anime better, well in terms of Action I didn't see any incantations, shouting their techniques or anything, which most of the shounen does, Gintama is a Straight Action without showing Power, Titles or Anything which is appealing for kids. Also Gintama haven't won any of the major arcs, they might have a cliched motivation and action but it's a fact that the two serious arcs was not about winning. Being victorious in the end of the show is what most of the shounen shows, but this season, there are now victory shouts nor praises in the end, it's just sad. The main themes involves society trying to preserve their own way of living rather than fulfilling a dream like in other shōnen series.
The Drama was the creme of Gintama, this series excels on it despite of the vast humorous chapters and episodes of the whole series, it makes every character likable and unique also gives them unpredictable future. So far Gintama is taking its Drama into a new level which destroys any Jokes or Gag Trope which was built before. Throughout the serious arcs, there have now been two character deaths. It is the evidence of how much Gintama has changed these past months. Although the main characters are still funny and durable, the fact that death is now an actual possibility.

|| Categories
Aliens | Alternate History | Episodic | Gag | Parody | Samurai | Shinsengumi | Strong Male Lead

|| Tropes
Arc Villain | Back-to-Back Badasses: | Dramatic Irony | Foreshadowing | Red Baron | Running Gag | Ship Tease | Wham Episode | Wham Line

|| Literary Techniques
Backstory | Flashback | Frame story | Plot twist | Irony | Metaphor

Gintama(2015) the latest season of Gintama ended with a Great Ending.

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~ART~
Gintama has a good art overall, not realistic but not standard or common, it's quite unique and memorable.
The Director was able to achieve the specific mood it's trying to convey, and the anime has surpass most of the Mangaka's work, but sometimes there're some broken or haphazard scenes.
The Background is good but not as good as Shaft's Backgrounds, well the background is not memorable, it did a good job as a support artwork.
The Character Design is the spotlight of the Art category, it matches the personality with memorable and unique design to each individual which makes them easy to recognize also gives them original characteristics and depth on their personalities.

~SOUND~
The Seiyuu's are the best ever in Sound category, all characters who have worked in Gintama turned into the best Seiyuus in the Anime Industry which makes them Exceptional. They've easily matched the character and did a good job on conveying them in different situations whether it's funny or serious.
The Background music is still the same, but they've added some new music to fit in the serious arc. The BGM is not that much, it's not average nor bad, actually it fits the anime but it still lacks, but it does not matter as long as it did a good job on it. The BGM fits the anime, can't be used as a track on something else, unlike some BGM where you can easily listen to them and some can give you some goosebumps, so it's exclusive for Gintama only.
The Opening and the Ending is good as always, memorable visuals and music and fits the anime, unlike the BGM, the OP/ED were exceptional, they've even foreshadowed the individual cour, and the Last ED "Acchi Muite" was very deep that have shown the progress from the past which has been made throughout the story.

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~CHARACTERS~
The Highlight of the Show, they are well rounded, flawed but with strengths, and usually they are stupid most of the time. Whenever they overreact during humorous episodes it makes them unrealistic but funny, but not on serious ones, where they act in realistic way.
The characters were made exclusively to Japanese, that's why it's hard to relate on them, though sometimes they were relatable to everyy people when they used metaphors, but still they are enjoyable to watch.
The characters have a small character development, the series is more focused on fleshing them out than making them ideal, at the same time the characters were balanced even some of them foils each other.
The Real Antagonist is a mystery, for now there's few antagonist that have motivation, backgrounds, and depths like the other characters, they were not used as a plot device to progress the story, though I'm talking about the serious arc, most of the funny arcs have empty characters who disappears after their episode ended.
Every characters are well rounded, except during humorous episodes, where they were usually doing their gag antics. They are well rounded when the story takes a serious turn, that's the time where the characters gets unpredictable even the supporting cast is not an exemption.
Narration was mostly did by the characters, I don't have any problem with their perspective literary technique, sometimes they break the 4th wall through their narration.
I love the characters in Gintama, though some of them were dealt as a comedy device and disappears in the series. The Supporting and the Main Characters are original and unique, the more the story goes, the more it uncovers their reasons, most of them have depth that even with their usual antics have been overshadowed. The anime have not yet covered the depth of some characters, so probably I'll hate some of them if I haven't read the manga.
Gintama has the most memorable characters of all time in my opinion.

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~ENJOYMENT~
Majority of those who've watched Gintama have enjoyed this, and I'm not an exception, well it's easy to get hooked on an anime full of comedies, but what I've really loved in this anime was the Paradox Combination of it, Gintama is the only Anime that was able to combine the impossible, it's like "Yin and Yang" Known for the Comedy Gag Parody but Gets Serious filled with Drama and sometimes adds a Tragedy. Historical and Sci-Fi, an impossible combination done right, but also known for the alternate reality of the history in Japan. The best are the characters, they are funny yet so deep that the more the story progresses, you've got to know them and eventually surprises you in the process especially in serious arcs.
This anime is not a good starter for newbies and non-anime/fans, because the whole series relies on the knowledge of the audience if it will be entertaining or not, They might like it but they might not get the meaning of some jokes and references throughout the whole series, but the series' continuity-lite nature ensures that new viewers won't feel totally left out.
Re-Watching Gintama adds my enjoyment throughout the series, I like the meaningful messages and laughable antics, but this Gintama season is the Saddest of all, it's easy to re-watch/re-read the whole series than to re-watch latest season.

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Overall:
Story: 8 - Creative Gag anime Shounen Premise with Seinen Elements
Art: 8 - Directed and Executed better than the manga
Sound: 7 - Great VA and OP/ED, the BGM does it job well but not memorable
Characters: 9 - The Highlight of the Show
Enjoyment: 10 - I love this anime

I dropped the anime at first however I decided to come back to it one day and man I sure do love this anime was probably one of the few anime that really drew me into it and made me really just love it to the most even though some episodes were like really nigga wow. So if yall ever plan on ever watching this anime I highly recommend it, even though at first the show might seem awkward and weird since it takes that different route compare to other anime where the characters are always training or doing something productive, Gintama spends its episode ... rather horsing around and making a lore based off those moments of troll but it is indeed a spectacular anime.

This season was really solid. Gintama is my favorite anime. It satisfies me in every thing that I crave for a tv show. I'll begin by talking about the comedy episodes before moving on to the serious ones.

Story

The comedy episodes were not as strong this season compared to the previous ones. But make no mistakes. It still made me laugh so hard my chest started to hurt. Only this season didn't do it as often as the previous ones.
My favorites for this season were the Kuroko arc, The Shogun memory loss arc, the mindswap arc, the genderbender arc, and the Afro arc.

The serious episodes were ... some of the best in the entire series. Which says something in of itself. The Shogun Assassination arc and The Farewell Shinsengumi arc have become 2 of my favorite anime arcs of all time! It had the right amount of tension, drama and action for every episode.
These arcs also had some of the payoffs that we Gintama fans have been waiting for. And it did not disappoint in any way shape or form.
And I didn't even talk about the Shinigami arc, which is also a really solid arc.

Art

The art was beautiful this season. Gintama has never looked better. The lighting, The shading, the background and the Characters were jawdroppingly gorgeous. It was seriously movie quality! The only time the actual art suffered was when it showed charcters from a distance. But nonetheless, the art is still high quality.

The actual animation was inconsistent in the serious arcs (I'm only talking about the serious episodes since the comedy ones didn't really need that much animation compared to the serious ones) Don't get me wrong. The animation was really fluid. But you had some episodes that were movie quality animation. And then you had some episodes that weren't that outstanding. But this may be because I'm comparing them which might not be fair.
The point is, that when the animation needs to be good, it takes your expectations and makes it 3 times better.

Sound

The soundtrack still has really great tracks. The new ones used in the Shogun Assassination arc and the Farewell Shinsgumi arc are particularly great.

The Openings were a little weaker than last Season. Gintama has some of the best openings in anime. Like Sakura Mitzutsuki, Wonderland, Tougenkyou Alien, Donten, etc. Gintama is the most consistent when it comes to it's openings. Which is why you have really high standards with this Anime. The only stand out one was KNOW KNOW KNOW. The rest were good, but again. This anime gives you really high standards, so the opening are still really really good.

Characters

We got some great character moments this Season. Especially with Gintoki, Takasugi, Hijikata, Kondo, The Shogun, Zenzo, Sarutobi, and more. Almost everyone had their moments during this season, and the new ones are all interesting.

Enjoyment

I feel like I should judge a show based on enjoyment before anything else. Some people like to favor things that make them think, and have profound meaning to them. I still like those kinds of things in any media, but I like to place my enjoyment before anything else. I enjoyed Gintama more than any other anime out there. Even if this series doesn't have the most debt out of other anime.

Overall


Now if you read this review since this season is really high up on the top anime charts, then you should know by know that you need to start with the original Gintama series before watching the rest. It may have a slow beginning, but once you get hooked, there will never come a point where it goes downhill.

This will be my second review of the Gintama series and I will definitely get around to reviewing the other seasons of Gintama momentarily. Spoiler free!
~~
Before I start this...
Are you looking to start Gintama? Or maybe you're new to watching anime and came to check out the top anime; saw Gintama's substantially catchy cover art?
!! Do NOT start with this season. Make sure you start at season 1 episode 3 (first two episodes are specials) to get the most out of this masterclass anime !!

And for those who are under the impression that Gintama is just a gag or a parody: remove those expectations and ... let yourself in for an experience that will change your life.
~~
Now let's review Gintama (with some focus on this season of Gintama)!

It is not often in anime where you not only watch through your eyes, but also with your heart and soul. Whether it causes you to binge watch a dozen episodes in succession or periodically; the emotions course through your body. Maybe it courses through the soul between your thighs too, as you try to connect with the pair of giant souls that eclipse the rest of the scene. Have some class, would you!

Most anime viewers will watch one large series (150+ episodes) among series with smaller capacity or ongoing series. You may pick One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, HxH, Fairy Tail etc. which tend to be the obvious go-to in shonen. So where does Gintama assert itself in the grand scheme of things? Why is it so highly rated that each season & movie takes up the top 20 on MAL?
If you ask me, Gintama not only deserves to be up there on the top anime of all time but it deserves the number 1 spot. It *is* the top anime of all time; there is no other anime that will resonate with you the way Gintama does.

Story (10/10):

Sorachi Hideaki, you wonderful b*stard. He just had to go and create the most tearjerkingly fantastic arc ever written in shonen. That's one of the things I enjoy most about Gintama, is how it does not recycle the same arc formula where you start to notice patterns (like in Fairy Tail); bad guys come in out of nowhere, overwhelm good guys and whatnot. Not Gintama! Gintama builds into this arc with such delicacy and it ends up harbouring the most raw, deep-seeded emotions you could comprehend. No fan service either.
Gintama proves, yet again, that it has superior storytelling that other anime immediately fail to challenge. You cannot expect people to take the "Gintama is just a gag" remarks seriously while knowing arcs like this exist.

On top of how Gintama has already shown its storytelling prowess in previous seasons, this just adds to the experience that is Gintama. That goddamn gorilla mangaka... stop cutting onions!

Art (10/10):

While the first season of Gintama is certainly not anything to go nuts over in terms of art, later seasons are definitely where Gintama's art shines. Action scenes, specifically fight scenes, allow Gintama to explore creative and gripping art styles to match the intensity of the story. Gintoki, when he unleashes the White Yaksha (White Demon) within himself, is portrayed in black and white slow-motion scenes and the emotions radiate through the screen. You will never find an art style that portrays a demon in the same raw, cynical and terrifying way as Gintoki is portrayed in these scenes.

Sound (10/10):

Let's start with the openings shall we? Maybe this comes with a little bit of bias as I adore Gintama and its openings - & endings too - but every single opening complements the upcoming arcs. While some of the openings are not as catchy as others, they are all unique and all enjoyable to listen to. I don't think I have ever skipped an opening while watching Gintama, as the songs are excellent!
Even the endings produce the same effect; oftentimes they work seamlessly with the closing of an episode.

The voice acting is perfect, beyond perfect in fact. Nothing will make me cry with laughter as much as hearing him singing Doraemon out of fear or yelling obnoxiously.

As for the sound effects, they enhance combat scenes and especially comedy scenes. Sometimes the sound effects are what causes a scene to reach its climax, mostly due to how Gintama is action-heavy.

Character (10/10):

Why is 10 the maximum for this? It should be 'Gintama'! Gintama is the pinnacle of character development in anime. The absolute pinnacle; unchallenged; nothing remotely comes close -- nothing! Sorachi is a genius when it comes to creating and developing a character, even side characters who will usually have one appearance. In fact, every single side character is memorable which is explored in one of the endings where every single one is shown in chronological order.

Gintama has a beautiful canvas of characters, personalities & relationships that puts it on a level so high it exceeds the scouter's limit tenfold.

As for the supporting characters, it is safe to say that Gintama has somehow achieved 4-dimensional characters. One of the reasons is to do with how they break the 4th wall, which is shown through them reading JUMP, referencing other shonen or talking about real-world events. Might I add, there is an enormous list of characters in the Gintama universe and every single one of them is memorable. You know exactly what they are doing when they are not on-screen, their backgrounds, how they react to events and their relationships with one another.

And, of course, the three main characters: Shinpachi, Kagura and of course, the White Yaksha, Sakata Gintoki-san! These three characters, along with Sadaharu, make up a beautiful family-like connection to one another. It is deep-seeded and exerts itself benevolently, while also fitting in with the comedy aspects of Gintama. In fact, the comedy enhances the bond between the Odd Jobs crew and any indifference felt causes a huge shockwave of emotion.
Gintoki is the best protagonist in anime. With the ability to transition from a leader & father-figure, to a lazy, carefree gambler and further, the White Yaksha (white demon), while keeping his character consistent and memorable is an enormous feat. Not only is his appearance unique, but his personality as well. Never has there been a sadist with a heart (and smile) as big as Gintoki's.

Enjoyment (10/10):

Huh? An anime that can perfectly combine hilarious comedy with plot twists and tragedies, while making room for the emotions that come along with both? I can't remember how many tears I've shed at both dying of laughter and weeping in sadness; Gintama will tenderise the soft place in your heart with laughter, before soaking it with intense sorrow. If you don't have a soft spot in your heart, Gintama will certainly help in making one.
Having taken this anime in varied portions, it has enabled the best possible experience in watching Gintama. Extremely enjoyable anime that will make you want to binge to the end of the rainbow.

Overall (10/10):

Reaching the end of season 4 has given me a chance to look back at the journey I have taken with the Odd Jobs crew. It reminds you not to rush to the end nor to skip any steps; embrace every single journey you take and to trust those who will always be around you. For a long time I felt as though there was a missing place in my heart and Gintama has filled that void.

Gintama is a masterpiece. The perfect blend of comedy & tragedy; hard-hitting action and the occasional parody. It is the absolute pinnacle of storytelling, character development and the like. There is nothing you can fault this timeless anime for, as once you're into Gintama you can never avoid the way it will warm your heart and make your soul chern. A little inferno will gradually turn into a sacred, silver fire that will reside in you for as long as you live.
Your balls may even turn golden.

Aye! here to make a quick review about "Gintama".
Gintama is the best anime I have ever watch that's long running, that isn't generic and predictable. It's pretty Original and YES it does have a plot.

Introduction
10/10
The story revolves around a deadbeat samurai who is extremely lazy and does nothing but read shounen jump all day. His dream is neither to be the "King of the samurai", nor to be Hokage. He just wants his hair to be straight. He has deadfish eyes and has zero motivation to be called a main character. This only adds to his charms as a character though. He also seems ... to have a pretty dark past behind him, which won't be revealed right outta the blue. The story focuses on how he meets various people and runs into trouble while having to fight and deal with extremely funny and awkward situations.

Pace and plot
10/10
The story and plot are pretty unique and original. The series as a whole has a slow start from 1 - 30 episodes (Because it focuses on introducing the characters). Tbh I dropped the series around episode 25 thinking it was "Mediocre" only to come back to it months later, when I ran out of Anime' to watch. AND BOY! was I glad I did. It's one of those series where every episode ends up relating to the plot one way or another. The pacing was pretty good. The plot was pretty intense and didn't fail to keep me at the edge of my seat. It was an amazing series for me personally. The plot was both sad and heartwarming. The show as a whole, NEVER fails to give you the experience of having watched the best of almost all genre. It can be the most funny one episode and it can turn into the most saddest the next and an Action packed episode the next. Honesty don't experience Anime these days that cover all those in one series.

Comedy
20/10
This series is soo funny that it can be considered as "Comedy gold". It has some 18+ jokes with censored nudity and funny moments. The predicament Gintoki gets himself into each time is hilarious and funny. The show forcast a lot of parody of series like Bleach, One piece, Naruto and many more. The parodies are not just confined to anime alone as they have funny parodies of american movies, Actors, Famous franchise like "Star wars" and many more. If you ever wanna laugh your ass off to pure comedy gold, this series is defo the best one to watch.

Characters
10/10
The characters are all independent with great back story. They were introduced well and are far from your average cliche background character. Gintama is one of the shows where it's hard to hate on any character. Gintoki to me is personally a troll. He may seem like he doesn't care but ends up getting himself into trouble cuz he cared too much about someone else' problems.

Art
8/10
The art and animation from older episode like episode 1 are really nothing special. If I had to compare them they're basic 3:4 animation that's the same as the animation for long running series like "Naruto". However, in the 2015 anime that covered episode 316, the animation is defo refined and well made compared to the older seasons.

Overall Enjoyment
30/10
It really is one of the best series anyone could ever watch. Hopefully this review helped you to at least check this anime out. Though i'll have to warn you about the first 30 or so episodes which just focuses on introductions, but I promise there would be zero regret after finishing the series.

Season 1-8 Review
This is a masterpiece and I mean it. Firstly, you don't need to see 100s of animes like people tell you to, these guys are probably people who hate the show without watching it. You don't need to see even 15 shows to watch it. 10 would be fine.
Gintama has every single genre. It's not widely historic like it's told though. The only things that are historic are a few characters names and Edo(the setting) is based on History. Gintoki on the other hand, is not a real person but is taken from a storytale baby named Kintoki who killed bears lmao.

The show; ... it's awesome and realistic. It's not mainly focussed on dreams and goals, or even people's backstories. It's focused on how to live life after your dreams have been crushed. The only show where you can relate with everyone else.

The plot and action is spread out at the beginning but it's there, just that not many people notice it. The biggest plot is later revealed when we find that Gintoki's unknown past somehow revolves around it.

The show hides the action with comedy almost all the time. There's 50% comedy, 50% arcs.
Comedy won't be funny at the beginning but it will get better as the show progresses. Some of the humour contains jokes inappropriate for anyone less than 15 year old. You will also find that it will take you some time to adapt and you will need to adapt to their humour to enjoy the show. Even the title is a joke, it was just one character away from spelling "balls".
Inappropriate jokes tend to be less as the show progresses which in my opinion is good as I get to let younger people watch it without being interrupted with a d joke. It's funny sometimes, it's not other times.

I've never seen so much depth in almost every character in a long show. Mind you, there's about 800 characters introduced, all having good character depth. Out of these, nearly 200 are the main and most reoccurring. You will only probably hate 6/200 characters or less.

The best trio I've seen. Kagura may not be a good female character; she might resemble Sakura from Naruto at first a bit, but she will 101% become your favourite female MC after ep 40 passes. It's long but don't worry, there 300+ other episodes left to enjoy

The main character is the best you will see. He is not like Luffy or Naruto, he is most of us. While Luffy's goal is to be the King of the Pirates, and Naruto's is to be Hokage, Gintoki's wonders on how to pay his rent. And besides he's hilarious and savage.

There is also a homeless guy, you won't find a person like him anywhere else. Poor guy has been homeless since the beginning till the final. Happy to see him finally bloom lmao. He deserves it.

Nothing can beat Gintama; comparing Naruto with it, Gintama is 100 times better and in my top 3 with Death Note and AOT.

Starts with 1 story per episode, then slowly progresses to short arcs till 57 and then arcs slowly get longer and more common. Longer common arcs doesn't mean 10 episodes, it will only take 4-6 episodes and they are all detailed and well paced; none are slow.

Like I said, the show is how to live in the present, but the backstories which gets revealed many times will crush your heart and soul. It's painful to hear and see, and the author did a good job in interpreting those emotions.

But best part is, even if many episodes hurt, it always has a good ending which is NOT common anymore. Trust me, having good ending in Gintama is good. Let me ask you, do you want to see Gintoki, Hijikata, Kagura and even glasses die??? Or any other character. God no.

It's also a good therapy for Attack on Titan fans, cuz most people will be alive 🙂👍🏻 and most female characters are good aside from 3. More main characters will be introduced between 60 and 150, females too. Things will get 50x more entertaining cuz of the chaos and drama. It's will get funnier but that also mean more intense action. No action anime can compete then, trust me.

It is a must watch show, you will regret it if you delay this show any longer. I will tell you, this show will make you cry in a minute and make you laugh in the next. And that is almost all episodes. I AM NOT EXAGERRATING. If you don't believe me, try it.