June 2006
Gintama
Japanese & English title: Gintama
Episodes: as of now, about 8 upwards I believe. hard to keep track of over here.
Date of debut: 3 April 2006
Studio: Sunrise
US distributor: None to date. manga license held by Viz media
Genre: Shonen, Comedy
Written by: Hideaki Sorachi (Manga), and sadly i cannot find information on the sunrise writers....
Directed by: Shinji Takamatsu
Synopsis: The story takes place in Edo, Japan, which has been taken over by aliens (Amanto). The samurai of Japan have all fallen since the Amanto placed a ban on carrying swords in public. The story focuses on an insane samurai with a natural perm, Sakata Gintoki, his (partial) apprentice who he framed in the first chapter, Shimura Shinpachi, and a teenage girl from the "Yato" clan, Kagura. All are "freelancers" who search for work in order to pay the monthly rent, which usually goes unpaid anyway.*
*excerpt from wikipedia.org
The unusual style presented with the strange combination of in-your-face jokes and the much more subtle variety create mass confusion, but in a way that enhances the experience. One regular mention is of Gintoki's naturally curly hair, which is often pointed out as an important part of him (e.g. Nobody with naturally curly hair can be bad! & "LIFE ISN'T EASY WITH NATURALLY CURLY HAIR!"). This joke is often followed up by the enemies having non natural hair.
Gintama is also one of those rare animes that actually have such strength in the animation and quality that it stands well next to the manga, as opposed to those like Naruto and Bleach.
Gintama has a bright future, and I suggest that you all check it out!
Hiruma
LIVE ACTION ANIME RATING: 4/4 (masterpiece rating)
0.5(Atrocious) 1(Horrible) 1.5(bad)2(meh...) 2.5(Good) 3(Very Good) 3.5(Excellent) 4/4(Masterpiece)
Bit early to say that, but it is a most definitely brilliant start to a series....
PICTURES:
Gintama Volume 1 cover. Just thought it was worth putting here.
L to R: Kagura, Gintoki, and Shinpachi
variety of series characters, all floating peculiarly.....
Gintoki himself, get a good look, you’ll be loving him soon enough
Hope you like it as much as I do,
Hiruma_YA-HA
