For the first 50 or so eps its basically episodic, with the exclusion of ep 1, another ep somewhere in between, and one plot arc. Some of the episodic ones have plot development, but not many.
After that, it movies into a combination of episodic eps, comedy arcs (some introducing new characters), and plot arcs.
Not too many plot arcs atm though, I'd say 4, which would be under 20 episodes total, out of 151 so far.
Sugoi-otaku said: errr Theres more ares than that.... theres about 10 now as far as im aware, including the amnesia and owee episodes as arcs.
Yes, but as I said, most of them are comedy arcs... Not plot developing, like the Umibozu arc (kind of), Benizakura arc, Itou arc and Yoshiwara arc. Basically, I say plot developing ones are ones with Kamui/Yato or Takasugi etc... Not ones that introduce characters.
There is a single plot that ties everything together and even during a lot of comedy episodes there is buildup at work with character introduction/development, background information, foreshadowing.
Up to episode 67: The first 50 or so episodes of the series were okay, i loved some of them others were just fine but i never saw why people were giving it the highest scores and all (oc i like me my episodic anime but i didn't feel that deeply connected to the series... i was occasionally watching 2-4 episodes max per sitting.. that was it) until i got to the benizukara arc (ep58-61). the show felt different and just my perception of the show changed after that. 64-68 just hit another level of FUNNY... (they were hilarious omg). Up to episode 156: Okay im at a point in GinTama where i can say this series is easily in my top 5 of all time. the latest episode i watched was them just talking.. no crazy action no flashy animation.. only 4 characters going back and forth with the same "frame" on the screen.. and I actually LOVED it (wtf). Plus, i finished the Yoshiwara in Flames arc not too long ago and it was my favorite arc so far. previously Shinsengumi Crisis arc and the Yagyu arc before that. each Arc is as good/if not better then the previous one. GOATAMA!!!! Up to episode 181: Episode 180 is my favorite GinTama episode so far. i loved the characters and the story in the red spider arc and the way they handled the flashback was mind-blowing to me. we even got small glimpse of Gintoki's backstory. definitely top 3 arc for sure. Zenzo's appearence was surprising.
This is by far the series that made me want to rant about and discuss it with poeple the most (one piece being 2nd), So here are some more ramblings :) (shit this sentance was so fucking hard to formulate)
Disclaimer: this was firstly done on several GoogelDoc but midway into it, i abandoned the idea of writing Some kind of a review (for myself) so i copy pasted it here. content could get repetitive.. i wont bother ajusting or rewriting it as it is soly to show my raw experience.
I read the first 160 ish chapters before starting the anime so i want to talk about the changes and the way the y handled the adap: The anime def adds a lot early on because it adapts 1 chapter per ep for a lot of it. Like in particular the chapter with the old man in the hospital had a lot of extra detail added in the anime, including making him more or a lecherous old man and emphasizing his deadbeat qualities. I think a lot of those changes work to the series' benefit early on as far as characterizing some of the characters' conflicts early on, although its also a double edged sword since many newcomers will find those episodes harder to sit through when its a single chapter of a manga stretched to 24 minutes of anime. Also the firefighter chapter as well as some other ones get adapted later on in the anime, while some chapters from later, like the hotpot one, get adapted really early on in the anime. In general the anime staff took a lot of liberties with the order in which they adapt the series, and it helps the anime stand as its own thing worth watching I think. For example it does multiple "recap" or milestone episodes in which it will become fully anime original and poke fun at parts of the series and look at it in a very meta way (i.e. having an entire episode dedicated to the main cast pitching ideas for what the series should be about from now on). There are also episodes that open with a 4 minute conversation over a still image as the characters try to buy time before the OP plays. All those little changes here and there make the Anime even funnier than the manga in some sections, although both are really excellent.
the strength of its Seiyuu, with one of the greatest performance by Sugita Tomokazu.
Now a legendary Seiyuu, Sugita has voice acted in many anime, notably Suzumiya Haruhi(Kyon), Seven Deadly Sins (Escanor), JJBA Part 2(Joseph Joestar) in addition to Video Games and Tokusatsu. However, his role as Gintoki feels like the role that he was born to play. This is because Gintoki’s and Sugita’s humor overlap almost perfectly, with the only noticeable difference being that Sugita can tell Pervy jokes and is never mean spirited unless he’s self-deprecating.
When he talks about a VR game he voiced in, he is thankful that he already has a VR headset and states “Please don’t ask what I’ve been using it for up til now.”
Often for interviews, he’ll cosplay to break the ice, either as a Female anime character or as WARSMAN with his Bearclaw(Sugita has stated he is a fan of Kinnikuman).
While he can seem almost eccentric, he’s a kindhearted person with very nerdy interest and a great conversationalist. He has a podcast and a YouTube channel that gets some translations.
Madao is mocked at the end of the 2nd chapter by Gintoki and Shinpachi because he just gave into his instincts and punched the stupid prince. He wasn’t actually protecting anything at that moment, and he just gave into his instincts because of his frustration at not walking the correct path and hit him. It kind of ties into Kagura’s chapter, which is next, because she’s someone who’s trying to not give into her Yato instincts. It’s kind of a thing with Catherine later too, who is able to move past her thieving instincts. Later, when Madao actually protects the pregnant lady later, he’s praised by Gintoki.
Anyway, one thing Gintama brings up a lot is eyes, Gintoki’s eyes being dead fish eyes, and Otae even talks about how he’s more attractive to her when his eyes are together while he’s amnesiac. It also brings up glasses a lot, like Shinpachi’s and Madao’s, just something to keep in mind.
(mostly ramblings "alot"):
Gintama takes place during the Edo period, specifically during the Bakumatsu (roughly 1853-1867), a transition period that leads towards the Meiji period when Japan’s isolationist policy came to an end and the Tokugawa Bakufu (or Shogunate, as it’s called in English), which had essentially ruled Japan since 1600, fell.
As you noted in your discussion, the Amanto parallel the American ships that came to Japan and forced them to open their borders, but the parallels go way farther than that. A lot of the major events that will come to happen in Gintama have a direct parallel in history and a significant amount of Gintama characters and organizations are based on historical figures, usually with one of the kanji in their names altered for a slightly different meaning and pronunciation (or sometimes same pronunciation, but different meaning).
Jouishishi:
I don’t know what is in the translations you’re reading, but Jouishishi is the term used in Gintama to refer to the groups that oppose the Amanto, like Katsura and Takasugi. It translates to “Patriots who expel the barbarians/foreigners”, though in the context that Gintama uses it, it might also be accurate to translate is as “Rebels who expel the barbarians/foreigners”. A common fan translation is “Joui Patriots”.
The term comes from the combinations of two things from the Bakumatsu period. The “shishi” (which roughly translates to "men of high purpose") were people who opposed both foreigner occupation in Japan and the Tokugawa Bakufu/Shogunate. They held “sonnou joui” views (which roughly translates to "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians"). At that time, the emperor, though technically above the shogun (who commanded the military), didn’t have any real power. The “shishi” sought to give the power back to the emperor and to expel the foreigners. It’s important to note that “sonnou” (Rever the Emperor) part is not present in the Gintama equivalent, as those characters never bring up the Emperor. They only seek liberation from the Amanto and oppose the Bakufu/Shogunate who has submitted to them.
(Historical figure) -> (Gintama character) : description
Katsura Kogorou -> Katsura Kotarou: Considered one of the “three great nobles” who had a major role in leading to the Meiji Restoration and is regarded as one of the founders of the modern state of Japan. Though he started out as a normal radical “sonnou joui” like the Katsura we see in Gintama, doing stuff like planning to set places on fire and fighting in wars and stuff.
Takasugi Shinsaku -> Takasugi Shinsuke: a samurai who contributed significantly to the Meiji Restoration. Considered to be one of the most extreme advocates of a policy of seclusion and expelling foreigners from Japan.
Sakamoto Ryouma -> Sakamoto Tatsuma: a samurai and an extremely influential figure of the Bakumatsu. Originally a low-ranking samurai who negotiated a really important alliance (really really important, the course of Japan’s history probably would’ve been very different without it). Pushed for the industrialization and “westernization” of Japan. Said to have a big fascination for foreign stuff. Just like Gintama’s Sakamoto, founded the private navy and trading company called the Kaientai. Though the Gintama one is not as directly involved with all this political stuff as the historical one was.
Mutsu Munemitsu -> Mutsu: a member of the Kaientai, not particularly important historically speaking. Genderbent in Gintama. She hasn’t done much in Gintama, but she was there in Sakamoto’s introductory chapter, so I thought I’d mention her.
Saigou Takamori -> Saigou Tokumori: same as Katsura, considered one of the “three great nobles” who had a major role in leading to the Meiji Restoration and is regarded as one of the founders of the modern state of Japan. Has been dubbed “the last true samurai”. In Gintama they’re the owner of an okama bar and a great mother and father.
Shinsengumi:
The kanji for the historical Shinsengumi means “New Select Group” while Gintama’s Shinsengumi mean “True Select Group”. The Shinsengumi was a special police force organized by the Bakufu/Shogunate during the Bakumatsu period. Its members were men drawn from various sword schools from Edo. Historically, they were initially formed and stationed in Kyoto (the then capital where the Emperor resided), though in Gintama they’re always in Edo. Though their initial purpose was to maintain order in the capital and persecute the “sonno joui”, when war broke out, they fought for the Bakufu/Shogunate in various battles.
Kondou Isami -> Kondou Isao: Commander of the Shinsengumi.
Hijikata Toshizou -> Hijikata Toushirou: Vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. Also known as the Demon (Oni) Vice-commander.
Okita Souji -> Okita Sougo: Captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi (there are 10 units in total). Said to be a genius swordsman and one of the best of the Shinsengumi.
Yamazaki Susumu -> Yamazaki Sagaru: Hasn’t done much in Gintama, but I’m pretty sure he was there. Worked as a spy.
Others:
Sarutobi Sasuke -> Sarutobi Ayame (Sacchan): a ninja who appears in narrative art and fictional writings. Commonly listed as the leader of the Sanada Ten Braves, a fictional group of ten ninja. Genderbent in Gintama.
Yorozuya:
The Yorozuya are original characters, however, their names come from some specific stuff.
Sakata Gintoki: He’s named after Sakata Kintoki, also known as Kintarou, a folklore character. A child of superhuman strength raised by animals on the mountain who later became a samurai. No relation to Kintarou aside from the name.
Kagura: She’s named after Princess Kaguya from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (for more information, watch the Ghibli movie, it's great). Kaguya came to earth from the moon, Kagura came from another planet. Not relation outside of that.
Shimura Shinpachi: Originally, Gintama was going to be a manga about the Shinsengumi, with Hijikata in Gintoki’s place, a gender-bent Okita in Kagura’s place, and Shinpachi. Shinpachi is technically based on Nagakura Shinpachi, captain of the second unit of the Shinsengumi. His name in proto-Gintama was going to be Nagakura Shinichi (making Craftsdwarf accidentally calling him Shinichi at one point really funny), following the tradition of changing one kanji of the name. The name Shinpachi was kept and the last name Shimura comes from famous Japanese comedian Shimura Ken.
In regards to anime and manga differences, aside from the first two episodes being anime original, the first hundred or so episodes are adapted in a different order. The major character introductory episodes are adapted at the beginning, but the order of the episodic comedic stuff is all over the place. For example, the firefighter chapter is around episode 80-something in the anime, chapter 100 is episode 25 of the anime. The cherry blossom viewing chapter is around episode 75 in the anime (This one is particularly funny. It was a special episode where CGI puppets of the main characters were thinking back on what had happened recap style, showing small clips of previous episodes, and then they mention the cherry blossom viewing and they adapt for the first time the whole chapter in the middle of the episode). Starting from episode 101, the anime follows the order of the manga. Well, except for the fourth season.
Originally, they were going to stop adapting Gintama after the third season. They even made an anime original epilogue movie. However, the manga just kept going, selling just as well as ever and there were some really cool long serious arcs going on in the manga. They wanted to quickly get to those arcs, so they skipped various episodic comedic chapters in season 4. Then they kept adapting that stuff in season 5, but they were getting really close to the manga, so season 6 abruptly cuts the story and goes back to adapt the previously skipped comedic chapters, and then season 7 continues from where season 5 left off. So season 6 is best viewed in the middle of season 4, along with an OVA that adapts a small comedic arc from around that point in the manga. Except for the climax of the last arc, which will be adapted as a movie that still hasn’t come out, every Gintama chapter has been adapted in anime format, just not all in order.
There is a significant amount of anime-original stuff, though not outright full episodes (there are a couple, but very few, probably less than 10). It’s mostly small segments and anime-only jokes. For example, they’ll add clips of the characters talking (usually breaking the 4th wall) over a static background before the opening to fill up the 24 minutes of the episode. A running anime-only joke is a chapter that was published around New Year where the characters were talking about the fact that it was New Year but when the anime aired the corresponding episode it was April, so every year around April they include a clip from that episode before the opening, changing the dialogue towards the end to a character complaining that they’re reusing that clip for the nth time and that it isn’t even New Year. They’ll occasionally adapt a chapter in half an episode and then the second anime original half further elaborates on the joke. They also add a lot of very overt Gundam references that aren’t really in the manga (I assume that this is because both Gintama and Gundam are animated by Sunrise so they can get away with it without much copyright problems).
While I really like the comedy in Gintama, it’s sometimes hit or miss even for me. What really kept me engaged all along were the characters and themes. I feel like the anime is overall better mostly cause the voice acting really adds a lot to the comedy. Not to mention being able to see everything at a decent pace rather than reading walls of text (the Gintama manga is kind of infamous for having too much dialogue and being difficult to read at times), but the manga also has its own strengths.
Anyway, one cool thing about Katsura is, after he finds out that Gintoki hasn’t given up on who he is and is still the same person he was in the past, he gets Elizabeth, who's an alien as a pet. He's trying to get along with the aliens now, and this is kind of a first step.He criticized Gintoki for flip flopping and giving up on his ideals, but after seeing how Gintoki is, he’s also trying to adapt to this era, instead of just clinging on to his past ideals.
And about the Kappa chapter, the girl mentions she wants to be able to swim in the beautiful lake. So yeah, she reincarnates as a fish.
With the old man, Gengai’s robot, I had kind of a different interpretation. You said Saburou as a robot, who was only beholden to Gengai’s will, I saw him as a representation of what Gengai and his son wanted. Like, the robot goes off with Kagura and Shinpachi to enjoy the festival, even if it was just him misinterpreting Gengai’s order. That’s what his son wanted Gengai to do, be happy, and not be sad and angry.
Anyway with the Okama chapters, another neat thing is how the monster that ends up catching them is something that appears adorable at first glance, but is actually an ugly monster in reality that uses it’s cute face to lure in people. Basically ties into how something that is pretty, is actually hiding an ugly heart underneath, unlike the Okama. Another thing mentioned in this arc is how Otose and Saigou are part of a group called the 4 Devas.
As for the wild bear chapter, it’s a one eyed monster that wants to destroy everything, kind of like another character.
As for the Rengokugan arc, the alien that replaces the guy as the top fighter is something called a Dakini, and 2 other clans are mentioned alongside him, the Shinra and the Yato, as being fighting clans.
[spoiler="More_of_benizakura_greatness] I think an important thing to remember about this arc is how Takasugi said that him, Gin, and Katsura never had eyes for the same thing. Gintoki and Katsura spend time wondering what caused them to split apart and why Takasugi became like he did but as Takasugi says, he never changed from who he was.
Also this is a subtle bit of foreshadowing for events way later. Takasugi says something like “Who do you think it was that gave us a world in which we could exist, who gave our Bushido,” when talking about their sensei. Now he wants to destroy the world, so consider his words, he’s saying he wants to destroy the world his sensei left them.
I like how in Benizakura you can see the effect Gin had on Katsura. Think back to way earlier in the series we got a flashback to the war where Gin told Katsura “if you have time to plan a beautiful death, why not plan to live a beautiful life,” when Katsura asked him why he wouldn’t join the him in his terrorism. Now Katsura wants to still change the world but not at the cost of it. While Takasugi is so bent on destruction. This is something that’s made clearer later but Takasugi is partially suicidal. Think to the flashback I just mentioned, Katsura in that scene was considering seppuku. Now for a samurai seppuku is killing yourself to retain your honor. Takasugi destroying the world is in part about killing himself for what he failed to do in the past. The country had already lost a long time ago, so, reforming it is useless, so, the only thing that can restore its honor is by destroying it.
Hasegawa Heizo -> Hasegawa Taizou a.k.a. Madao: Madao, I’m so sorry I forgot to mention you last time even though you’re one of my favorite characters. The historical Hasegawa was the chief official overseeing the apprehension of arsonists, thieves, and gamblers serving the Tokugawa Bakufu/Shogunate while in Gintama he was the head of Immigration Bureau before being fired and becoming homeless. He’s actually from roughly 100 years before the Bakumatsu, the historical period in which Gintama takes place in.
Hiraga Gennai -> Hiraga Gengai: The mechanic old guy whose son died in the war and Takasugi manipulated last reading. I’m not very familiar with his historical counterpart, but according to Wikipedia, Gennai was a pharmacologist, student of Rangaku, physician, author, painter, and inventor well known for his electrostatic generator, thermometer, and asbestos cloth and apparently composed several works on homosexual life and desire in Japan. Gintama only really kept the inventor part. Similarly to Hasegawa, he’s from the century previous to the one Gintama technically takes place in.
New characters:
Hattori Hanzou -> Hattori Zenzou: Hemorrhoids ninja guy. In contrast to most Gintama characters who are supposed to be their historical counterparts and have the same role, Gintama’s Zenzou is most likely a descendant of the historical Hanzou. Hattori Hanzou was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era, who served Tokugawa clan, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him become the ruler of a newly united Japan (this would’ve been around the year 1600). He was a member of the Iga clan, who continued to serve the Tokugawa family. A shogun that come some time later founded the Oniwabanshu, a group of “ninjas” (saying they’re ninjas is more of a pop culture thing, but that’s what Gintama goes for) from the Iga clan. Gintama’s Zenzou is technically the current leader of the Oniwabanshu.
The Kiheitai was a volunteer militia raised by Takasugi Shinsaku (Shinsuke in Gintama). The kanji of the historical one means “army of irregular soldiers” (as a reference to the fact that it consisted of men of all social classes, including farmers, merchants, samurai, and others) while in Gintama it means “army of demon soldiers” (as a reference to the fact that Takasugi is an edgy boy).
Takechi Hanpeita -> Takechi Henpeita: The lolicon guy. The historical Takechi formed the Tosa Imperialism party under which he lead various assassins. He became a central figure of the sonnou joui (refer to last video’s comment) movement in Kyoto and Edo till his imprisonment and execution. I think he wasn’t really a member of the Kiheitai, but don’t quote me on that.
Okada Izou -> Okada Nizou: The blind guy. The historical Okada Izou was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, feared as one of the four most notable assassins of the Bakumatsu period. He was active in Kyoto under the leadership of Takechi Hanpeita.
Kijima Matabei -> Kijima Matako: The gunslinger girl. Historically a guy. I don’t really know much about him aside from the fact that he was a samurai from the Choushuu clan during the Bakumatsu, which means that he was indeed on the same side of the conflict as Takasugi and company. Not even sure if he was even a member of the Kiheitai.
Kawakami Gensai -> Kawakami Bansai: The guy who briefly appears at the end. The historical Kawakami Gensai was a samurai and one of the four most notable assassins of the Bakumatsu period. After having made a name for himself as an assassin, he joined Takasugi’s Kiheitai. As a fun fact, the main character of Rurouni Kenshin is loosely based on him.
About sex work in Japan
While prostitution is technically illegal in Japan, there are loopholes. For example, you pay someone for a service like a massage, supposedly get to know each other through the service provided, and then have sex, so you’re not really paying for the sex (even though you are and that’s the whole point). Host and hostess clubs are very similar. The clients come to the shop and pay a stupid amount of money (like x5 it’s actual price) for alcoholic beverages and spend time with their chosen host/hostess. A bit of touching is acceptable, but it’s not like they perform sexual acts in the club. However, host and hostess are expected to go on dates and have sex with customers outside of work hours to keep them coming. Though with the way it’s framed in Gintama, you can assume that at least for Otae things stop once she gets out of the club.
Also, Kabukichou, the city where the Yorozuya live and most of Gintama takes place in, is arguably the biggest red-light district in modern-day Japan. Plus, while prostitution is currently illegal, Gintama technically takes place in the second half of the 19th century, so… some more serious stuff regarding sex work may or may not come into play in the future…
The Katsura and Ikumatsu chapter is neat, yeah, because it shows how a lot of the joui shishi use the label as an excuse to gain power, and Katsura is forced to face that aspect of them. And later in the Infant Strife arc, they’re being used by a shady businessman as thugs. A lot of them do nothing but destroy, and they don’t do anything to rebuild the country.
In the fireworks chapter, the wife thought that she was just a burden who took him away from his fireworks, and that she was forgotten because she wasn’t as important as his passion, but the fireworks were all for his wife, because she is what matters. They weren’t perfect, but they brought a smile to his wife. The idea of a person’s craft or work, and how it conflicts with their bonds, is present throughout this stretch. Sacchan’s struggle between being a ninja and loving Gin. The old man in the Infant Strife arc, and the brother in the Benizakura arc.
In the beginning of the Infant Strife arc, Shinpachi talks about how everyone’s living in sin, and he looks down on them as a sign that Samurai are losing their virtue. And the grandfather is a man obsessed with reputation, and he looks down on the girl his son lived with out of love, and the child they created, as lesser because of her status, and as someone that would ruin the family’s reputation. He was someone who wanted to protect the store and his son because they were the only things he had of his wife, but along the way, he stopped considering what his son wanted, in pursuit of his ideal of the Hashida family. He talks about how women cannot understand a man’s desire to create a masterpiece, but in the end, he admits to the girl, that his wife was the wise one, who understood what was important was making sure their child lived happily. In the end, he stops being a businessman, and truly becomes a grandfather.
Nizou talks about how he can see more than others because his other senses are sharpened due to his lack of eyes. However, Gintoki tells him that he can’t see anything because of his blood-lust, and that ends up being true. His lack of eyesight makes him rely on Iai, because it is a single attack. However he is obsessed with getting that one hit and his blood-lust, that he imagines a fake image of him cutting off Gintoki’s arm, and this and the fact that he draws his sword so quickly that he doesn’t notice that his sword had been destroyed. His single mindedness ends up screwing him over. Gintoki however takes stock of his surroundings, and pays attention to everything that is going on around him, and the fact that he is someone who protects necessitates him to do that. Nizou never understands Gintoki’s lesson to open his eyes, and all he gets out of their encounter is that he needs is to become more of a sword,a weapon.. He gets a better sword for the next time, but he still immediately attacks Katsura in a frenzy of bloodlust, and doesn’t notice that Katsura isn’t actually dead. He also doesn’t notice Shinpachi and he gets his arm cut off, because he’s too obsessed with Gintoki. This single mindedness also pervades the brother, and he thinks that the fact that he can’t dedicate himself completely to the sword, and wanted to protect his sister, as a weakness. As for the light that Nizou sees, he sees it at the time when a person dies, but he also sees Gintoki and Takasugi emitting it all the time.
Heres something I love about the structure of Gintama. Whenever a serious arc ends there's a follow up comedy chapter that brings closure to what came before in a wholesome way. For example, after Kaguras dad arc, the chapter focused on gags about her being gone & her believing the others will replace her. Only for the chapter to reaffirm the importance of her dynamic with the group. After Benizakura, the sister drops by to say thank you. It's a way for the series to reset back to the episodic formula in a way that brings proper closure. It also shows us that even tho this show is full of throwaway slice of life humour, to these characters those goofy days are something they want to protect at all costs.
Yoshiwara was like Alabasta / Phantom Troupe type of arc where my love for series elevated from initial hook point (which was Mitsuba) the highlight of the arc was the relationship of Seita and Mitsuba I boiled my eyes when they hug in anime
One thing I noticed is it's leave ambiguous to reader that is Hinowa actually Seita mother or not is her actual mother dead some fan believe her actual mother is dead I personally believe Hinowa is her mother , Also it's a minor detail maybe it's more noticeable in anime when Hinowa is shown in flashback of the arc she doesn't have lipstick on her lips but at the arc she have lipstick when she's the "Sun Of Yoshiwara" kinda signifying her current state where she's chained by Hosen when Gintoki free Yoshiwara she no longer have lipstick showing her freedom I guess.
Another thing: the way gender plays into Gintama's themes is interesting. Going back to Kyubei, her desiring to be a man can be linked to one of Gintama's most important themes, protecting. Characters people able to protect what's important to them is common desire in Gintama, and that's no different with Kyubei, but in her eyes the type of person who's capable of protecting what they want to, is a man. So her arc is like, learning that she doesn't need to be a man to protect. And this then directly ties in with Tsukuyo's arc, which will become more obvious in the next reading. Tsukuyo believes she needs to forgoe all manner of feminity so that she can be the protector of Yoshiwara. Won't spoil how her arc in the next reading builds off of that but it's good.
With Kamui I think an important thing to keep in mind is he's supposed to be like Takasugi. His final scene in Yoshiwara is him declaring that he doesn't really want anything, he just mindlessly pursues strength. Takasugi's final scene in the Gengai arc is him saying there's not really anything he wants to protect, he's just pursuing vengeance like a beast. They're both people who insist they're completely empty and only desire destruction or battle. As I said in previous Nen Show comment, Takasugi wants to commit a kind of spiritual suicide, in Gintama the concept of the soul is important, Takasugi rejects that. Kamui when he's talking to Housen even tells him that for as much of a twisted uncaring person as he was, the fact he was sentimental even for a few things made him a dissapointment. Kamui and Housen are also parrallels, btw.
An important Tsukuyo scene in Yoshiwara is when she's fight the Hyakka, and it's a Gintoki parrellel. Gintoki in Shinsengumi Crisis said that he never fought for the sake of the country. Tsukuyo has that kind of moment too where she along with the Hyakka sort of realize that what they've always been fighting for the sake of isn't Yoshiwara, in the sense of Yoshiwara's systems especially Housen's system, but Hinowa. Tsukuyo is a big Gintoki parrallel so pay attention to her, and if you pay very close attention to her interactions with a certain charcter in later on you can actually realize where Sorachi is going with Gintoki's character. But that's all I'll say, don't wanna get too spoilery.
before that: about the Madao chapter, which is the basis for one of my favorite episodes of the anime, I think the manga has a lot of translations that really just mess with the impact the story has compared to the much better translation in the anime. In particular, in the scene where Daigoro sees Madao after he ran away in the storm, the manga translations have him say "I'm not thirsty" when the actual line more accurately translates to "I can't drink", and it's a very strange translation to use in the manga because rather that capturing that Madao is making an active change in his life for the sake of Daigoro, the line "I'm not thirsty" has absolutely no weight or meaning at all. The anime translates this line to "no more drinking for me" which, while not 1:1 translation, actually gets across the point of the scene and the line. And probably even worse is the end of the chapter, where in the scans Daigoro says "Madao was indeed the worst", but no the scan group was indeed the worst, because the original line in the japanese print of the manga is "Madao had already bloomed" which much better fits the motif of the growing plant and Hasegawa's character as someone who is willing to sacrifice himself at times for the sake of others and who lives truly to his code. He isn't the bum he appears to be, he's a man who does what he does to help others and has given up his chances at a better life intentionally, and someone who is already a full grown samurai. And that's an issue I think the manga has a lot, translations. It's a real shame that such a large stretch of the story doesn't really get accurately or well translated, in a way that really doesn't let parts of the story come off as funny or smart as in the anime. The cat arc: was a straigthforward parallel to the amanto takeover and the samurai, who basically got "neutered" by modernity, imo. Katsura and Gintoki basically apprentice themself to a powerful, wise leader cat, it felt like they were one step away from saying "wow this is like back in the day with our mutual mentor when we fought the amanto, just now we fight amanto cats" Might be a good arc to reread after we get all the backstory info.
I also really liked the Kyuubei birthday chapter, Kyuubei is just generally good. It kinda feels like Shinpachi and Kangura are getting a little shafted here and there, where at times they feel less prominent than the Shinsengumi or Katsura.(despite both being more interesting than Gintoki and the Kagura chapters we do get are great) Otae really got done dirty in the popularity poll.
i already talked about this arc (i think), it's easily top 3 up till now. Tsuky + Jiraya Greatnessssssssssssss (it's 4am and im sleepy, i'll try to remember to talk more about it more tomorrow
1-Gintoki’s VA is the same as (Katakuri from One Piece, Young Joesph from JoJo)
2-Shinpachi’s VA (Ace as a child from One Piece)
3-Kagura’s VA (Happy from One Piece, Nora from Noragami)
4-Zura’s VA (Gaara from Naruto, Cavendish from One Piece)
5-Takasugi’s VA (Dio from JoJo)
Sakamoto’s VA (Urahara from Bleach)
6-Otae’s VA (Yoruchi from Bleach)
7-Otose’s VA (Orohimaru from Naruto)
8-Hijikata’s VA (Zoro from One Piece)
9-Okita’s VA (Utakata from Naruto)
10-Kondo’s VA (the spider boy from Naruto)
11-Umibozu’s VA (Vanilla ice from JoJo, Aizen from Bleach)
12-Hasegawa’s VA (Kenpachi from Bleach, and Akainu from One Piece)
13-Shogun’s VA (Josuke from JoJo)
i Stopped writing/editing this around the 4 Devas arc... i just couldn't find the time to watch AND write my thoughts on it. kinda sad (wish i continued withese raw rants)
Just know that Gintama slapped till the very end. one of the best series i've ever experienced.
