It starts off quite slow, with most of the first 50 or so episodes dedicated to world building and introducing many of the characters that will be reappear through out the rest of the series. Many of the earlier arc are mainly focused on comedy, but every now and again you get a series arc that any other Shonen anime would have, but with jokes a references still mixed in.
In a single episode, I can be crying, laughing and smiling, that is how well Gintama drew emotions out of me. The comedy is quite unique, with just the crazy amount of references to other popular series, such as One Piece and Bleach. There are also many culture references and jokes, but they didn't effect my enjoyment of the series when I didn't understand them.
For my opinion of the characters, Gintoki at first seems to be your usual Shonen protagonist, but it quickly changes as you see more of his character, just with how lazy he is, and rather do anything else than work. His character is also the most interesting, as his past is only really ever explored in quick explanations and flashbacks that don't happen very often. Kagura, the main female protagonist take many of the stereotypes that you see in other male protagonists, with her incredible strength and apatite. Shinpachi often acts as the straight man, calling out the actions of Kagura and Gintoki, with his glasses being the biggest thing that the show often brings attention to.
Overall, I really enjoyed Gintama, with its world and characters being some of the best and unique ones I have seen. The world building at the start is essential to the rest of the series, and once it is done, the series picks up speed and rarely slows down until you finish it.
