What is Gintama about? Everything you need to know

Serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump magazine from December 2003 to September 2018, Gintama is arguably one of the most popular manga and anime series. Following this, the franchise continued releasing content on Jump Giga and ultimately ran its course on the Gintama app. As Hideaki Sorachi’s brainchild, the mangaka managed to create a classic series that spread laughter for decades.

One of the main reasons for the series' popularity is the way the mangaka incorporated humor into the series. The characters were well-designed and the interactions between them were hilarious. So what is Gintama about, and why is it such a hit among the anime and manga community?

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Set in Edo, Gintama sees Gintoki and his friends taking odd jobs to make their meets end

Gintoki, the protagonist of the series (Image via Bandai Namco Pictures)

Gintama is set in Edo, a well-known city in feudal Japan popular for housing some of the most ambitious samurais. However, the feudal lords raised the white flag when they were pitted against a group of aliens named Amanto. As it happens, the feudal government is a mere puppet and a new law prohibits access to swords in public.

Gintoki always had a Bokuto or a Bokken (wooden sword) and assumed the role of a young samurai. Being the founder of a company that does odd jobs, he helps people in strange ways. Accompanied by Shinpachi Shimura, Sadaharu, and Kagura, the Yorozuya group embarks on a strange and arduous journey in the flux-like city of Edo.

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Why is Gintama so popular?

One of the primary reasons for its success is the way humor is incorporated into the series. The interactions between the characters are quite funny. This, in turn, is aided by the way characters are written in the story. The creator has done a great job in making each of the characters unique and giving them specific reactions that the audience expects after watching a couple of episodes in the show. Despite this, the comedic timing is impeccable, making this an absolute laugh fest.

Another reason is that characters from the series are constantly breaking the fourth wall, interacting with the audience every now and then that results in a refreshing watch since most anime series refrain from doing this. Additionally, the series constantly utilizes easter eggs. These are references more than Easter Eggs since some of them are quite apparent and the show doesn’t shy away from mocking another show or studio.

The show is infamous for making parodies of One Piece and Dragon Ball. When such references are made, it adds to the humor that Gintama attempts to achieve. Aside from this, there are plenty of other anime and manga series that this show refers to during its course. These are some of the reasons why the show has done well in the past two decades.

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Is Gintama over?

The release of the movie Gintama: The Final marked the completion of the animanga series. However, the manga was completed much before the release of the aforementioned movie. While the fanbase was hopeful for another installment, they shared a bitter-sweet moment bidding adieu for their beloved series.

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Gintama is available to stream on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Netflix (select regions only).