Gintama is an anime about, well, a samurai. A samurai with a HEART OF GOLD. Okay no, it’s about a samurai who is really lazy, badass, and has a rag tag team of other eccentric characters. I figure I’d write up a quick review of the first seventeen episodes that are available at Shinsen Subs. Review as follows (read more).
Final Score: 7 out of 10 (Enjoyable anime, not for diehard anime fans)
Gintama is a series about well, a samurai named Gin. It takes place during Edo Japan (during its Fuedal era). The differnce between your normal Edo Japan (Kenshin) and Gintama’s Edo Japan is, well, without a doubt aliens. That’s right, aliens!
Story goes that aliens (the Amanto) attacked Edo Japan and the noble Samurai were able to resist for years until the shogun sort of gave over Japan to them. From there they took over Japan and made it one of their lovely tourist/trade destinations. They took away all of the samurai’s swords except the Shinsingumi’s.
Gin, the hero of the story is your calm going Shounen hero and has two friends who work with him at his “do anything” business there is a lot more to ramble on about, but it’s pretty much an anime that involves Gin, his friends, and his enemies in random hilarious exploits.
The appeal to Gintama, is without a doubt, it being yet another fine Shounen Jump series. Shounen Jump series generally range in quality based on taste. For instance, someone could find One Piece to be one of the best anime ever and hate Bleach, even though they have nearly the same premise (differnt settings and character of course).
As far as the episodes go, it’s something like a mixture of Excel Saga and the various Shounen Jump archtypes. Gin is kind of your Luffy’s pure of heart, Zoro’s swordsmanship, Ichigo’s justice, and Goku’s badassery. He’s a swordsman with a wooden sword, full plot armor (you know, hero, immortality, etc.), the Shounen Jump philosphy of no one dieing, and a mysterious background.
Through the first seventeen episodes a lot of plot is shown. Even if it’s like Excel Saga (random episodes that don’t link with each other that much) it’s still got a good story going along with it.
Overall, I’d give these first episodes 7 out 10 (random Internet hilarious thing for stars). It probably should be lower, but it was very entertaining. Not a show for your diehard anime fan but it’s VERY enjoyable to watch.
There is currently almost forty episodes out in Japan. Shinsen has the first 17 (as of right now), at their website.
