Why I love Gintama so much

I love Gintama so much!! Surely, Gintama is one-of-a-kind manga.

The story blends history, comedy, parody, action, and science-fiction perfectly well. In one episode we laugh so hard because of the trolling and the gags while in other episode we fell empathy desperately to character’s past story. In another time, we feel both with no space and time to breath.

Well, Gintama either makes us cry because of laughing too much or the fells due to epic story or gasp in finding our breath due to brutal and intense action battle. If we are a hardcore anime or manga fans, we know for sure not many manga/anime offer these traits. All the more Gintama is a long-run-manga (15 years) which makes it harder to achieve this accomplishment.

Gintama is irreplaceable and raise a standard bar to us. Well, at least, now my appreciative humor is in Gintama level and it’s hard to find another anime that funny enough compare to Gintama.

Gintama offers best brutal and intense battle, best flashback story, best gags and troll, best comedy and action at the same time. The story just get better and better!! I love Gintama to the moon and back to the earth and here is some reasons why.

 

#1. Gintama story uses real figure and history

Gintama takes place in Bakufu period when transfer of power happened from shogun regime to national regime. It also the crisis time of samurai. This is a right time to display the dark side of human when the struggling and despair happened everywhere to anyone. But then, human struggle in finding hope, to reach serenity, to create a better world for people, and to appreciate people beside them. Gintama perfectly displayed all of those and we can see how characters transform to the better with no imposed story line.

As Gintama uses a lot of reference to the actual figures and history, I found myself learning Japan history unconsciously. Among others, the history of shogun, kiheitai, kieintai, chosu, and shinsengumi and the figures of Kondo, Hijikata, Okita, and Saito from Shinsengumi, Katsura and Takasugi from chosu and kiheitai. It is indeed and fun way to learn history.

My favourite Joui 4. Three of them are from real figures

 

#2. The antagonist characters are not purely evil

The antagonists have a past story that make them acts like what they are today. Even though, we can’t use it as justification towards the wrongdoings they do now. Even so, at least we feel empathy to them. We realize no human is pure evil. It’s because the situation and other people that push them and leave them no choice but to act evil.

In Gintama, we can see the transformation of people, from bad to good side and vice versa. It makes me learn that nothing is certain and no human is purely good nor bad. In Gintama, I found myself hate the antagonists so much in one episode, but then, I felt empathy to them as I knew their past stories, until finally I support them wholeheartedly when they start doing things in a right way.

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#3. Gintama has unlimited capacity of story-line

The author is so creative. I never imagine he will use reference from other anime and history to make jokes and gag. I also never imagine he can blends perfectly Bakufu period with advance technology of current time like phone and from science fiction like alien. But, since this is Gintama world, we the reader somehow can accept it like it is the natural thing.

Since Gintama has unlimited capacity, the author is free to develop the story as he likes. What becomes Gintama’s boundary is the author imagination. Although, I can see that his imagination is unlimited leaving us with nothing to worry about.

 

#4. The author doesn’t over sexualizing the female characters

All of female characters use proper and natural clothes in accordance with the set-up of the story. Without imposing skin and sexy body, they are already sexy with their distinct character and story. They also don’t become side characters like in most (but not all) shounen manga. They are strong and independent! Love it!!

 

#5. Gintama gives us meaningful and iconic quotes

All along the story, in serious arc or even simply in funny arc, we can find meaningful quotes. For example:

“I believe not in the strength of thousand of enemies, but of those I’ve fought with thousands of times, in the strength of you two” by Sakamoto Tatsuma

Or

“Zura jannai, Katsura da!” by Katsura Kotarou

(well, it’s more into comedy and iconic line of Katsura)

Or

“If you’ve got time to fantasize about beautiful ending, why not living beautifully until the end?” by Sakata Gintoki

Well, so many damn meaningful quotes and I can’t put every quotes here 😥

These kind of lines what make this Gintama shit so special to me, simple but have a lot of meaning.

 

#6. The art is good and the voice actor voice is spot on!

The characters is drawn well and proportional. They can become so badass during intense battle or artistically handsome and beautiful, but can also show comical expression that bring us laugh (See the figures below). In anime, all the voice actors bring the characters to higher level, the characters become 100 times funnier. Recently, Gintama got a live-action adaption, the actors play the characters well too that there is not significant complain instead only praise from Gintama’s hardcore fans.

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Before I finish this long chatter, I would like to tell you the story why I read Gintama in the first place. The truth is it takes me 5 years to start reading and watching Gintama. Before, I tried to read it, but the story wasn’t my taste yet. But, I remembered Gintama as I accidently watched one of Gintama opening and ending song by Spyair. I was totally hooked by it. At the same time, I was so desperately looking for a good anime to watch because I was so stress with my final project of master degree. Well, Gintama is not disappointing at all, it even raise above my expectation!! AHHH I LOVE YOU TO DEATH GINTAMA ><