Gintama°: Aizome Kaori-hen

For anyone wondering when you should watch this arc, watch it right after episode 295 as the end of the second episode has a trailer for 296.

This episode was hilarious and very typical of Gintama comedy. The only reason it didn't get a ten is because the antagonist's story was a bit lame. Usually Gintama is really good at evoking emotion, even in silly episodes, but the antagonist for this arc wasn't all that great. I think this could've benefited from three episodes only because it would've given time to build up the antagonist's story and make it feel weighted like it should've. On top ... of that, the comedy was awesome, but the plotline of this arc could've been used a little better. For example, the characters used and how they interacted with each other weren't as outrageous as a usual Gintama arc like this would be.

That being said, I still laughed my ass of the whole time. There are moments in this arc that will have you rolling because of the seiyuu or the dialogue. So, yes, more could've been done for this arc to make it better, but if you just want to have fun for an hour and see Gintoki being an idiot, this fits the bill. As does most of Gintama.

This short OVA series is an adaptation of some manga arc which decided not to fit into the main story line, which honestly makes sense, not only is it a self-contained story, in terms of quality it feels more like the late season 1 rather than season 3 (4?) material.

The arc has virtually no value as a story, and it can be easily skipped, take it from someone who despises skippers in pretty much any anime. The antagonist was introduced in this arc and will most likely never be seen again. And even unlike other "useless" arcs such as the Renho arc, it doesn't even ... bring the little but still somewhat useful addition to the greater narrative.

This arc's main draw is definitely in its events unfolding. I don't think I'm spoiling anything if I say the Love Incense arc is about... an incense which make people fall in love. Not only does this create some very entertaining situtions but it's also fairly unique (as far as unique goes in Gintama) because it breaks apart the relationships that grew over the episodes. The rest is fairly Gintama so if you're into that, enjoy.

(review in english below)

Por ahí esta review no hace justicia el amor que tengo por gintama, pero son dos OVAs que van al punto así que me es mas fácil escribir sobre esto que de otras partes del anime. Y cuando me enteré que había un arco de una "poción de amor" en esta serie que nunca falla en hacerme reír a carcajadas, lo quise chequear de toque.

Es un arco estúpido mas de gintama en cierto modo, pero es simplemente maravilloso (se sostiene mi teoría que Gintama brilla mas mientras mas estúpido se pone). Básicamente es Sorachi subvirtiendo el tropo de la "poción de amor" ... que se vio en ochenta series diferentes tanto orientales como occidentales y llevándolo al extremo mas ridículo que se te pueda ocurrir. Ya hasta la ley de que te "enamorás de la primera persona que ves" después de consumir la poción es refutada y exagerada hasta con fetiches sexuales demasiado estúpidos y chistes de testículos bien propios de gintama.

Tsukki es de mis personajes femeninos favs de Gintama y el GinTsuki es mi ship favorito de la serie, así que esto fue literalmente el mejor banquete que me podían servir a la mesa. Es ridículo lo mucho que puedo relatear con la estupidez de Tsukki enamorada y como Gintama se burla a leguas de este enamoramiento y de su caracterización como tsundere, simplemente me rio demasiado. La dinámica entre ellos dos acá es explotada hasta el absurdo y la verdad que da grandes resultados.

Nomás hay un par de problemas con estos OVAs. A nivel narrativo, si es verdad que la villana no es gran cosa, me sirvieron las cosas que le decía Tsukki pero es medio bleh la motivación y la historia que tiene también es muy x. Al lado de la comedia que es sublime eso se queda algo corto. Y el otro problema (el mayor, aunque no es culpa del capítulo en sí) es que estos OVAs son imposibles de conseguir en buena calidad. No están subidos a Crunchyroll ni están en buena calidad en ningún server pirata, yo lo conseguí en 480p en una página llena de anuncios y lo vi no solo porque es canon sino porque me llamaba la atención el concepto, pero es probable que mucha gente se lo saltee por esas razones y si ya estas enganchado con Gintama para mi no tiene desperdicio.

En fin, muy bueno, no se si llega a ser el peak de comedia que son el arco del escandalo, el de la popularity poll, la owee y el del genderbending pero no tiene mucho que envidiarles. Aguante Gintama!

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Probably this review won't make justice to the love I have for Gintama, but there are only two OVAs that go straight to the point so it's easier for me to write about this than write another parts of the anime. The moment I found out there was a "love potion" arc in this show that never fails to make me laugh out loud, I wanted to check it out immediately.

It's another stupid Gintama arc somehow, but it's simply marvelous (it sustains my theory that Gintama shines the most when it's stupidity gets overbearing). Basically this is Sorachi subverting the "love potion" trope that we have already seen a thousand times in eastern and western shows, and taking that trope to the most ridiculous posibilities it can offer. Even the law that you "fall in love with the first person you see" after consuming the potion is rebuted and taken to the extreme, with very stupid sexual fetishes and testicle jokes in the best possible Gintama-fashion.

Tsukki is one of my favorite female characters of Gintama, and GinTsuki is my favorite ship of all the series, so this was literally the best meal that the show could serve me. It's ridiculous how much I can relate with Tsukki's enamoured stupidity and how Gintama takes her crush and tsundere behaviour to absurd limits, I just simply laugh way too much. The dynamic of these two is explored in it's most absurd limits and it shows great results.

There are still a few problems with these OVAs. Narrative wise, it is true that the villain is not amazing, I liked what Tsukki said to her but her motivation its quite meh, and her story it's not great. Compared to the comedy, which is sublime, this falls a little bit short. And the other problem (the biggest one, though this isn't the chapter's nor Sorachi's fault) is that it's impossible to watch this in good quality. It's not uploaded to Crunchyroll nor is in good quality in piracy servers or torrents, I got this in 480p in a page full of ads and I watched it not only because is canon, also because the concept got my attention. But it's very possible that people will skip this for those reasons, and if you're into Gintama this is not a waste of your time at all.

Well, this one is great, idk if it gets to the comedy peak that the arcs of the scandal, popularity poll, owee and the genderbending one reach, but it doesn't have much to envy of them. Gintama forever!

HONEEEEY!!
DARLIIING!!