Gintama

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Gintama
銀魂 (Silver Soul)
Genre	Fantasy, Comedy, Shōnen, Science Fiction, Action
Manga
Authored by	Hideaki Sorachi
Publisher	Shueisha VIZ Media TOKYOPOP Siam Inter Comics
Serialized in	Weekly Shonen Jump Shonen Jump (Ended) C-Kids
Original run	April 2, 2004 – Current
No. of volumes	17 (ongoing)
TV anime
Directed by	Shinji Takamatsu
Studio	Sunrise
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	April 4, 2006 – Current
No. of episodes	51 (ongoing)

Gintama (銀魂, Gintama^?) is a manga created by Hideaki Sorachi. The original manga began in April 2004 and is currently being published by Shueisha under Weekly Shonen Jump. In March 2007, Shueisha announced that sales of the first volume had passed one million copies.^[1]

The manga has been licensed by VIZ Media in North America under the Shonen Jump label, under the title "Gin Tama".^[2] It debuted in the January 2007 issue, and is serialized at a rate of one chapter a month (as opposed to the two or three chapters of the other serialized manga). The magazine plans to serialize the entire first volume, with separate volumes released bimonthly under the Shonen Jump Advance imprint beginning July 3.

An OVA of Gintama for Jump Festa 2006/Anime Tour 2005 was announced in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 31.

The Gintama anime series debuted on April 4, 2006 TV Tokyo after Bleach.

Contents 1 Story 2 Characters 3 Japanese specific references 4 Music 5 Game appearances 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Story

The story takes place in Edo (known in real life as of 1868 as Tokyo), Japan, which has been taken over by aliens called Amanto since the late Edo period. The samurai of Japan have fallen, and the Amanto placed a ban on carrying swords in public. The story focuses on an eccentric samurai with a natural perm, Sakata Gintoki, his (partial) apprentice Shimura Shinpachi, and a teenage alien girl: Kagura. All three are "freelancers" who search for work in order to pay the monthly rent, which usually goes unpaid anyway.

The story is a humorous tale, one that uses puns to deliver jokes and pictures to enhance the jokes. None of the characters are entirely serious throughout the series and Sorachi complains about Shinpachi in terms of the crudeness of the manga (i.e. "Hey! Don't take up manga space with useless extra characters!!"). Sorachi often includes omake at the end of his chapters, most of which are rants complaining of why he has to write omake. The story also tends to break the fourth wall (such as when Shinpachi tells Gintoki that he only protected himself and Otae for about a page and Gintoki retorts that a page takes a long time for a manga artist to draw).

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of characters from Gintama

Sakata Gintoki (坂田銀時, Sakata Gintoki (Seiyū - Tomokazu Sugita)^?) 

Sakata Gintoki is the main character of the story. He has naturally permed hair, which he blames for his lacking love-life. He rides a motoscooter and wields a bokuto with the inscription Lake Toya. His job, as is written on his business card, is a "free-lancer" meaning he'll take any job for nearly any price. He has a sweet tooth and will go into crazed combat if he does not have his sweets (although he does have glycosuria).

In the past, he was a Joi (someone who attempted to overthrow Amanto to protect the government). The reason Gintoki does not join Katsura again to fight the aliens is that he does not like to fight alongside "gloomy terrorists".

His name may be a reference to Kintaro or Sakata no Kintoki.

Shimura Shinpachi (志村新八, Shimura Shinpachi (Seiyū - Daisuke Sakaguchi)^?) 

Shinpachi works under Gintoki to learn the ways of the samurai. However it seems more like he's just trying to help Gintoki pay the rent than to learn. Shinpachi is the captain of the "Otsū-chan's Imperial Guard," a pop-singer's fan club.

Shinpachi first met Gintoki after he was tripped by an alien ambassador. Gintoki beats up the ambassador and his guards, not to stand up for Shinpachi but to get revenge for his spilled parfait. Soon after, Gintoki framed Shinpachi for the crime, which somehow led to him saving Shimura Tae (Otae), Shinpachi's sister, from being added to a brothel.

Kagura (神楽, (Seiyū - Rie Kugimiya)^?)

Kagura is an alien from the "Yato Clan," one of the strongest races in existence. She is a cute fourteen year-old girl in Chinese clothes. Despite her alien heritage, she looks like a normal human and talks with a Chinese accent. She can stop Gintoki's motorscooter single-handedly and has an umbrella that is bullet-proof and can fire bullets from the tip. Her stomach knows no bounds and she apparently loves to eat sukonbu.

She originally came to Earth to earn money to help her parents financial situation. Because of her immense strength, she took to fighting for a gang. After she was told to kill a few people, she tried to escape from the gang and was almost run over by Gintoki's motorscooter. He liberated her, and she forced him to let her join his free-lancer business. She sleeps in the closet of Gintoki's home.

[edit] Japanese specific references

• In the first episode of the anime, there is a section that explains how to correctly pronouce the title. This is because "Gintama" is written in hiragana as ぎんたま. The pun of the title occurs if the reader forgets the dakuten in the ぎ and pronounces it as "kintama" (金玉), which is a Japanese euphemism for testicles (literally "golden balls"). In an omake, a theoretical x-rated "Kintama" is shown with a blonde Gintoki. In an omake the author stated that he wanted schoolgirls to be able to say "Did you see this week's Gintama?" comfortably.

• In Episode 21, when Gintoki is rushing somewhere to get a fan, a car was getting in the way, and Gintoki jumped off his bike and did a "Rider Kick" through the car. This is a reference to Kamen Rider.

• Seppuku is a ritual suicide by disembowelment. It is often used in this manga, especially during the Shinsengumi chapters.

• Shinsengumi in Gintama is identical in romaji, but different in Japanese kanji to the original version; the real life kanji is 新撰組, while the Gintama version is 真選組.

• The anime makes references to another manga, Bleach. Gintoki says, "I wish I had something like bankai" while reading Jump. The end of the Gintama JUMP Festa 2005 shows Gintoki cosplaying Ichigo Kurosaki, Shinpachi as Uryū Ishida, Kagura as Rukia Kuchiki, and Sadaharu as Kon. In chapter 150, the spirit of Gintoki's bokuto, Touyako appeared in front of the main characters in order to teach them an ultimate technique. The third opening sequence also contains Gintoki's dream of having a bankai.

• Another reference to the manga One Piece is made in Chapter 14 of the manga, when Gintoki and Katsura are dressed up as space pirates. They mention their great desire to search for the great treasure, "One Park".

• In the manga, and now the anime as well, whenever Katsura and Gintoki are cosplaying as Space Pirates, they would always wear long coats with a red ream, with Katsura wearing an eyepatch over one of his eyes. This is a reference to Space Pirate Captain Harlock.

• At the end of Episode 13 , Katsura is shown saying "Dattebayo" which is a reference to Naruto.

• In episode 5, you will find one Shinsengumi's officers, the Badminton-loving Yamazaki, wearing a Seigaku uniform as well as the cap of Ryoma Echizen. This is a reference to Prince of Tennis.

• Gintoki dresses as Sena Kobayakawa from Eyeshield 21 in episode 15.

• Kondo Isao's sword is named Kotetsu, just like the sword which the historical Kondo Isami was said to have used. The kanji however differs: Kondo Isami's was 虎徹 while the one in Gintama is 虎鉄. The sword was broken in episode 17, to Kondo's horror, as he was still paying the installments for the sword.

• In Episode 17, there are two robots that resemble the Zaku and the original Gundam.

• At the end of Episode 17 Gin does an imitation Of Bo-bobo.

• Chapter 85 of the manga and Episode 34 of the anime feature a parody of Densha Otoko (Train Man).

• A kappa-like character appears in episode 21.

• In episode 18, Kagura appears in a yellow jumpsuit that resembles the one worn by Bruce Lee in Game of Death.

• The way the Underwear Thief is defeated is a parody to the way that Raoh dies in Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken).

• Episode 25 is a parody of Death Note.

• The duel between Kondo and Gintoki over Tae is probably a parody of the infamous duel between Sasaki and Musashi.

• The doctor in episode 31 resembles Black Jack.

• Chapter 147 is a parody of the Wii Launch Day, in which various characters are waiting in line for a "Owee" and causes trouble to advance through the line. Katsura also cosplayed Mario in the end of the chapter. In chapter 148, Katsura is seen eating a mushroom, with Elizabeth cosplaying Luigi.

• Also in Chapter 148, Sega Dreamcast is mentioned. In Chapter 149, the characters continue their attempt to obtain a "Owee" in a competition with a RPG game.

• In Chapter 66 of the manga (episode 47 of the anime), Gintoki and Kagura dress up as Lone Wolf and Cub while pretending to be streetcrossers.

• Also in Chapter 66 (episode 47 of the anime), Gintoki has a new neighbor called Hedoro, a parody of Miyazaki's Totoro.

[edit] Music

Opening themes
#	Transcription/Translation	Performed by	Episodes
1	Pray	Tommy heavenly6	1 - 24
2	Tooi Nioi (遠い匂い, Faraway Smell?)	YO-KING	25 - 49
3	Gin Iro no Sora (銀色の空, Silver Sky?)	redballoon	50 - current
Ending themes
#	Transcription/Translation	Performed by	Episodes
1	Fusen Gam (風船ガム, Bubble Gum?)	Captain Straydum	1 - 13
2	Mr. Raindrop	amplified	14 - 24
3	Yuki no Tsubasa (雪のツバサ, Snow Wing?)	redballoon	25 - 37
4	Kyandi Rain (キャンディ・ライン, Candy Line?)	Hitomi Takahashi	38 - 49
5	Shuura (修羅, Shuura ?)	DOES	50 - current

[edit] Game appearances

There have been four games featuring Gintama characters so far, all four of them on the DS: a game based on the anime, the Shonen Jump crossover Jump Superstars and its sequel, "Jump Ultimate Stars". Another game, also on the DS: "Gintama: Gintoki vs. Hijikata?!" was released in December of 2006. None of these games are slated for international release.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• (Japanese) The Official Gintama Website
• (Japanese) Gintama hub
• (Japanese) TV-Tokyo Website for Gintama anime