Gintama (TV Series 2005–2021) Poster

(2005–2021)

User Reviews

Review this title
70 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
10/10
Funniest show I've ever seen, super enjoyable!
black-3214713 August 2017
I absolutely 100% recommend everyone to watch it from the very start and please ignore the image quality, before you know it you will love the show so much it won't matter and then the quality gets much better in 2015 and 2017 releases. An anime that suits almost everyone..great comedy, tons of parodies, very likable characters, great action and fights, very heart warming at times...just about everything you could think of!
52 out of 52 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
One of the greatest pieces of entertainment ever
wakemeup3619 December 2009
Every anime has it's funny, even hilarious moments. But not many are built around these moments. Gintama, for the most part definitely is.

This anime is completely insane. It's full of random hilarity and antics, while still maintaining a storyline (per episode and arcs). You don't even have to worry about fillers, because you won't know when they hit you, as there is no general plot. Plus, the fillers are just as funny and awesome as the other episodes, if not more. There are tons of references to anime and Japanese culture, which is kind of a down side for a person who isn't familiar with either or both. This reason also makes this anime almost impossible to dub and very hard to even sub! However, if you do get the jokes (and not all of them are reference related), you'll be in tears. It's not all just laughter though. There are definitely some heart touching, throat lump forming, beautiful moments in the anime too (though not as much).

All I can say is, if you're an anime fan and haven't watched it, you're doing yourself a big crime by missing this one. As the title says, I not only class this as one of the greatest anime, or even one of the greatest TV shows, but one of the most brilliant pieces of entertainment mankind has ever created.
194 out of 202 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Unique & Hilarious
caitlynharris3342 June 2018
I rarely laugh aloud when watching comedic shows, especially anime. Gintama can get me laughing for an entire episode! The humor only gets better as you go along, as you need to get to know the characters to appreciate the jokes/jibes fully. And then all of a sudden a serious arc slaps you in the face with nonstop action and cliffhanger episodes. Gintama is 70% humor and 30% Hunter x Hunter level action (for you shounen anime fans, I think you can recognize that high level compliment.) It just makes the action scenes that much more worth it and exciting when you get there. Not to mention the "serious arcs" somehow get even more intense and well animated the further you get, too. I'm SO happy I gave this one a try!
29 out of 30 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Wayyy Better than Most Comedies and Action Flicks
arctikice8 February 2016
I've been watching TV shows, anime and movies for a very long time and i have watched shows like Seinfeld, How i Met your Mother, Friends, Curb your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, Two and a half men, and many more. However, after watching Gintama, i have to say that this show is better than any other comedy show i have ever seen. The jokes are done so brilliantly that it legitimately makes you laugh out loud. Furthermore, every single character has been given a persona which suits their personality so incredibly well. The best part of the show is that each character is treated as they are the main character. If one of them doesn't show up for some time, you'll start to miss them.

This is just the comedy part though, when the show gets serious - boy it gets serious. It's like you're transported into a completely different anime. The action scenes are so fluent and so perfectly crafted that you will be at the edge of your seat the entire time. These action arcs last for about 2 to 5 episodes - they have a beginning, a mid-point, and an end. They aren't dragged like most anime. Each serious or action arc of the show highlights the characters and provide hindsight in their lives, allowing viewers to know them better.

This emotional connection with the characters is what's missing in most action movies, TV shows and anime but in Gintama, it's remarkably well done. Also, there's a balance between comedy and action, so you won't be stuck in one genre the entire time.

I had my reservations about watching Gintama, especially after watching the first few episodes. However, when I got through them, the show started to get a whole lot funnier and better. It seems that writer wasn't too confident in his work in the beginning but when he started to see how well his work can be, he started to take risks and came up with some of the best comedy and action arcs that I've ever seen.

Having watched a ton of TV shows, movies, and anime - I have to say that Gintama is (and probably will be) the best piece of entertainment I've watched in my whole life.
65 out of 71 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
An anime could brought you all kinds of emotions
quynhgiaocao14 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Gintama is probably my favorite anime ever. It contains almost all kinds of tags (well, maybe not all but it's a lot). One of the best comedies ever. The firstly episodes, the anime was somewhat boring but if you keep patient and continue to watch, it will eventually become much better. The jokes are super hilarious and could makes you have a stomachache from laughing too much. Though the jokes are somehow ... dirty (some of it talk about balls, penis, etc. but still awesome jokes). The anime was also unique and famous for the ability to 'break the fourth wall' - in some episodes, even the characters just sitting there and complaining about the staff was too lazy, or the anime was too boring. The anime is just too funny and too good for entertaining. But that's not all. Gintama is the kind of anime could brought you all kinds of emotions: Happy, sad, angry, ... This anime is funny but it do have serious and tearjerker scenes (this happened surprisingly often in a comedy anime). When it comes to serious, the action was great and the power was so wonderful than you ever expected in a comedy anime. And especially Gintama have lots of tearjerker moments and sad pasts. Gintoki, the main character is a 'lazy poop samurai' - everyone think like that. Nobody knows that he has a sad past (he has no family, his teacher dead because of him, became homeless, ...) So as Kagura, the main female character - her mom dead, her dad always go away without looked after her, her brother joined Harusame, her whole family was corrupted...). The lately arcs in the anime (and chapters in manga) show that the anime is not always funny as everyone thinking. Highly recommended. It surely suitable for comedy - fans and sometimes tragedy - fans too.
23 out of 24 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
One of the best anime shows of all time
zarasomthing26 February 2020
I can't stop watching this show! It's just too good. It's got action, romance, and most of all comedy!! At first it starts off pretty slow but, it gets funnier the deeper you get into the show. Just watch it you won't regret it!!!!! Just do it!!!
14 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Just Fantastic
tmssenglish13 June 2020
This show engrosses you into its settings, themes, and characters so much that it becomes more than just a comedy. This anime got me near tears more than anything I have every experienced from both comedy and emotional moments. On top of that, this show has the two best shonen arcs to ever exist. This anime might take a while to get in to, but it is more than worth the commitment.
21 out of 22 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Neil Armstrong jet Armstrong cannon
umarahmedzahid4 September 2019
Man, this is true art! You want emotions? This anime got em. God, I love gintama. (Kintama too)
20 out of 21 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Most underrated anime
ronin14125 January 2017
I'm not anime veteran (I've seen only few dozens titles), I'm not Japanese, I haven't read manga, but I'm still able to enjoy Gintama anime. And enjoy it a lot. Perfect drama / comedy ratio for satirical show keeps me watching one episode after another. Arcs are mostly short, condensed and even recaps for them are really refreshing. I know it is almost impossible to sub/dub this thing (without or even with comments) but people make a great things great and even I could understand most of the puns / jokes. And there is a lot, even in one sentence. That's Gintama for you :D. And now for really technical review: - Story: None - or almost none. There's some background, but it's irrelevant in most cases. It's slowly revealed in some arcs. What could you expect from satire / comedy? - Characters: Awesome - as one of the episodes claims - there isn't one main character - and it's actually true. Fact: Gin-san is most recognizable but most of the episodes doesn't revolve around him. There are a lot of multi-dimensional characters, which makes this anime working. - Visualization: You cannot predict what would be presented to you in the next episode. It could be standard slow paced animation (even some stills), CGI/3D saturated picture or even live action. - Music - It is well paced, suitable. Some pieces are borrowed / covered, but still epic (i.e. Madao send from DMC4). Overall: I could recommend this for all anime fans. It could be hard to watch for inexperienced watchers, which could not understand some of the references / digs (like me), but I am sure they'll have a lot of fun watching this. PS. This is my first review after ~2k watched movies/series and about the same or even more review - so be gentle, please. PS2. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mishaps. PS3: I''m really disappointed by so few reviews on Gintama. PS4. Watch Gintama: it's awesome
40 out of 45 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Best of all time
jmb-3043515 May 2019
Epic What can I say more than that the only thing that make laugh And cry and extremely excited best of all time.
23 out of 25 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Greatest anime ever
anedqm25 September 2019
I watched this anime Iast year, expecting to get a light story. I didn't know that I was about to meet a piece of jewelry. It's hard to explain what Gintama is about. It can be describe as a comedy, shonen and slice of life. If you watch the first 50 episodes only, you will probable think this is a comedy. But you'll be wrong. It's much more than that. It's not the classic shonen, our protagonist Gintoki, doesn't have (and need) power ups. He's lazy and dumb. Character development is incredible. Don't expect to get one-dimensional characters, especially on Gintoki's side. Gintama is very "similar" to life: It has funny moments, tragic moments. Funny and dumb people being serious, serious people being funny and dumb.
27 out of 30 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
The pinnacle of fiction
ZeroCritic010 January 2021
I've watched a lot of things in my life from TV, anime and movies and yet, nothing has come close to Gintama.

Gintama is an anime series from 2006 and it offers everything I could ask for. Comedy? It's in Gintama. Good characters? It's in Gintama. You want something that'll make you cry? Gintama. You want something hype? Gintama.

Gintama is able to balance many different atmosphere's, genres and themes while always feeling the same at heart which from personal experience, is something a lot of other things in fiction fail to achieve. In my opinion, Gintama is a special series because it's able to appeal to everyone in a really unique and memorable. It's my favorite thing in all of fiction by a comfortable margin and this series is genuinely incredible.
5 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
Gintama isn't worth the 300+ episodes (Yes I'm expecting dislikes for this).
ACollegeStudent22 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Rating: 4.9

Favorite Episode: Sworn Enemy

You have to find the comedy style funny otherwise you'll loathe the series. Gintama is mostly parody humor with serious/semi-serious arcs interspersed throughout. Personally, I didn't find most of the episodes funny mainly due to Shinpachi's constant screaming, and whole episodes dedicated to parodying Japanese celebrities, games, or obscure anime I haven't seen. If you don't like the humor then all that's left is the serious arcs, which unfortunately are generic shonen arcs. The serious arcs are formulaic and almost all go like this: A new foe appears, Gin gets hurt by the foe, the foe wreaks havoc while Gin is hurt, Gin miraculously recovers and fights the foe, Gin gives his monologue centered around the themes of the arc, and beats the foe. Finally, the foe's full backstory is revealed and they were never evil just misunderstood. Most arcs are not resolved by strategy or clever writing, but rather plot armor, and incessant plot conveniences. There are too many instances to enumerate but for example: in the Yoshiwara flames arc, Gintoki fights Hosen the strongest of the Yato (a superhuman race), ever. Not only does he get beaten, but he also takes a blunt kick to the face from Hosen. Instead of dying as any human would, he just sits there for 2 minutes, steaming like a titan then miraculously revives and beats the crap out of Hosen with his as seen on tv wooden sword to save the day. It's nonsense especially when Kamui another Yato took off the arm of Abuto (also a Yato) in one swing, and Kamui is WEAKER than Hosen. Using that logic a mere human with no powers like Gintoki should be dead in one punch fighting Hosen. It was the plot armor of being the main character that allowed him to even survive the fight. There are so many moments that make your head spin like: Gintoki being able to fight against lightsabers with a wooden sword, shinpachi going toe-toe with Utsuro in the silver soul arc, Shinpachi not dying when fighting hordes of yato in the shogun assassination arc, Takasugi not dying after he was destroyed by Gintoki and impaled in the shogun assassination arc, Utsuro not immediately blowing up earth via Altana, but waiting for no reason until the odds were stacked against him, etc... There are even thematic issue's like the silver soul arc undoing Gintoki's character by having him run away from the present to save his teacher of the past, when thematically it was established Gintoki has moved on from the past, and has found new meaning in the present unlike his counterparts Takasugi, and Katsura (for a while). There are no stakes in this show since everyone important enough besides the shogun will survive no matter what happens, God forbid the MC gets injured for more than 2 episodes. You would expect decent writing from what some call a "goated" shonen. Besides the Shogun Assassination arc, and the Yagyu arc I thoroughly disliked this series. There are other problems with this series, but this is already my longest review yet.
11 out of 68 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
"I don't need to understand... Chocolate Parfaits?!"
aensen-1602517 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
So here goes, this is my first movie/anime review ever, but I shall try and be as unbiased as possible (which will be hard).

"Gintama" revolves around a man named Gintoki, a samurai. In always dire need of money, together with his associates Shinpachi and Kagura, they do all kinds of tasks: menial or noble.

The story is set in a futuristic Japan, called Edo. Controlled by powerful alien Amanto; leaving only a small vestige of power to the human shogun, trying his best to scramble the pieces of a war-torn country. There are several factions involved, inspired and drawing many references from feudal Japan. We meet Gintoki as an owner of a not so prosperous establishment, which deals in so-called "odd Jobs".

Driven by a rather ambiguous moral compass, Gintoki tends to find himself in rather wacky situations. The show is hilarious to say the least, though on the other end of the specter, tear-invoking and/or bloody serious. There is a loose red thread, mainly focusing on Gintoki's past as a samurai, but the general theme of the show is episodic comedy.

Gintama has a lot of pop- and cultural references, which might leave many non-Japanese clueless about what they are actually laughing about. Which brings me to the magic of this show: you don't have to get it, you simply don't. First things first though, pop-references aside, Gintama might deliver the very finest comedy on this planet. Slap-stick, smart jokes, dark jokes, one- liners, facial expressions, awkward silence, body language, embarrassing sexual tension, this show plays all the right strings. Though slightly inconsistent, enhanced by an good display of animation, Gintama brings comedy, action and drama on screen like no other anime.

The animation is usually done in a manner befitting the current state of the show. When there is no overlaying story-arc involved, the animation may even be down right non- existent. This is intended though, as a running gag through the series play on the "fact" that the producer of the show is actually a gorilla. Needless to say, the show do tend to break the fourth wall, leaving some rather hilarious interactions with it's audience. On the other hand, when the story moves from episodic silliness to the more story-driven arcs, you will notice a clear shift in the animation style. The combat scenes are especially delightful, full of gritty swordsmanship and martial arts. The movements are sharp and visual, though it might get a bit gory, as one might expect when dealing with samurai and aliens.

On a personal note, I've watched Gintama since the beginning, and I must say it has given me tremendous joy. I take a general assumption that many who watch anime usually read the manga first. As an avid manga reader I'm always rather skeptical about watching an anime before I read the manga. Thrilled to say, I'm glad I did the opposite in this case. The impact Gintama's wacky universe landed on me was immense, and I'm more than happy to say this one last thing: if you should ever watch and anime, watch Gintama, it's one of those very rare.
22 out of 24 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A masterpiece!!
ujjawalkumarchouhan26 September 2020
Don't know why it has 8.6 rating being better than most of the animes out there. It's has a mix of comedy as well as epic fight sequences and arcs with some very emotional touch. Highly recommended. Do watch it, have some patience and give it some time it will not be unworthy of your time!
9 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
One of the best shounen anime of all time
aashishrajtudu21 June 2020
Gintama is one of the best anime I've ever seen it also give us one of the best arcs in all of the anime. And I've always put Gintama in the first place if I ever wanted to recommend someone an anime
9 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Review score says it all.
rashunit-singh19 December 2020
The voice acting in this anime is so good that the characters feel almost real. Plus the comedy in it is better than any sitcom that you can think of. I my opinion, Gintama is much better than the Big three animes( Naruto, One Piece and Bleach.)
13 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Lmfao
blackmamba999717 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
When it comes to comedy this show delivers just about the nastiest, funniest, and down right gritty series to date. Gintama, quite possibly the dumbest individual on the planet. But in all fairness his sight for the obvious can often leave you in stitches with endless laughter. The series takes place in old Edo where in iron town the populace is protected by just about anyone that has grown up there.

However, with Gintama, and his oddball group doing odd jobs around the neighbourhood it's no wonder that nobody asks them for help. He is a samurai, one that delves in the old school way of wielding a sword although the alien groups that landed on earth forbids it at any cost. Now and then his posse must fight off the outcast aliens with every resource in their arsenal. That is with slapstick jibes, jokes, insults, and rather skanky girls dressed kimonos.

Pair this up with an objective within his group they create scenarios for themselves, which often gets mixed up with other scenarios that leads to other scenarios, and so on... etc etc. Yet through all of their mishaps, and tongue tripping ideas they always manage to come out smelling like a rose.

I found this series to be a kind meant for the low brow, low education, and nearly poor crowd. But it fits for the times of yesteryear struggles in Japan. Everyday conflicts with endless hierarchy misfits in the background watching their every move ready to strike back at the common folk who built the cities for the Shogun families. One needs to have a sense of humour to live or to die on their knees facing defeat.

Gintama has it all... humour, laughs galore, great music... crude, and often gross conduct in certain montages of story telling. It also shapes the human condition with stories of sadness, and some tragedies, which befit some of the more colourful characters. Especially with Gintama, and his partners Shinpachi, and Kagura. Without them his way of life would be boring.

I have to give this series ten stars for all of the ingredients put into it. If you have a day off, try and watch this funny, and fast paced show. You will not regret it. Highly recommended to those aged 14, and above. Not for minors.
24 out of 28 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Best Anime
anshaggarwal-2069326 December 2020
It's nothing like your regular anime but it's one of the most relatable and unconventional protagonist .if you've watched 367 eps and two movies then you know what's the meaning Of real Gintama. No other Anime can even try to match this Anime's aura.
8 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
One of the greatest if not greatest Anime of all time!
GangsterLuffy26 February 2021
This anime is great in every aspect . funniest anime by far , has some of the greatest fights ever ,so many awesome characters which all have their own style, great story , so many great OST's . there are only 3 shows in anime that i can call godtier this one is one of them for sure and I have seen allot of them.
12 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A show that will turn your soul silver
dharnikudal27 August 2021
Let's be honest, it's long (560+ episodes) and starts of slow, but these imperfections are what made Gintama perfect.

The lore is amazing!

The character arcs of the main characters as well as the side characters are just as perfect and satisfying.

It has the wonderful elements of comedy, sci-fi, action...and you know what, watch it for yourself!
7 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
I m sad it took me too long
costicamarius-5858430 August 2022
Gintama is literally the definition of a hidden gem , the best of shounen in my opinion. I was one of those people that only watched mainstream series or animes but this show made me realize that even unpopular shows can be amazing, i feel bad that i was watching all popular stuff and wasn t paying attention to gintama even tho i was seeing those really good reviews. Now after seeing gintama i gotta say it s my favorite tv show ever (i ve watched like 150 animes and like 100 tv shows). It may be hard to start gintama since at the beggining it may be this plotless random anime but please give it a chance i promise it will not dissapoint ! It has the most real cast i ve ever seen in all anime , the characters feel so real and you attach to them instantly. I ve watched Naruto , Bleach and all popular shounens like jjk or demon slayer but Gintama is easily better in my heart, all i have left now is watch one piece while it may be an amazing show i doubt it will be as great as this anime called Gintama. If there are 1000 gintama fans i m one of them.
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
One of the Worst Anime Series Ever!
abby_spice30 September 2023
I don't know. I can't figure out why people love Gintama so much. Between its annoying characters, campy humor, and endless toilet jokes, Gintama is the worst anime series that I have ever seen. And out of the dozens that I have watched by now (maybe even hundreds), that is saying a lot.

To start off with, you have the humor. Unless you are thoroughly steeped in Japanese culture, you are not going to get it; it will pass straight by your head. The characters are quite idiotic, and don't even THINK about watching this while eating unless you enjoy the taste and the feel of vomiting. The series has so many jokes about faeces, vomit, and snot that it is overwhelming.

And it just goes on and on and on; if you watch, say, 4 episodes a day, it will take you over 100 days to put this series behind you. Why did they make so many of them? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever for them to pump out that many episodes when it isn't even good, and that doesn't even include the movies.

I didn't like One Piece, either - but I would actually RECOMMEND watching One Piece over Gintama any day. Avoid this series!
3 out of 19 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Just another 10 star review for Gintama
spookybuk26 November 2019
I'm just another person here to tell you this show is amazing, though difficult to start. I abandoned it twice, before I got to the point of "Ok, now I see why so many people say this anime is amazing."

It is amazing.

I don't think the first episodes are actually bad - I think I was the one who wasn't ready to understand and enjoy the show yet. It certainly gets a lot better and it doesn't take long - but as the story unfolds and amazing plots and jokes come along, there is also an understanding that comes slowly, from which a whole world of subtlety and nuances become accessible. This is what made the show amazing to me.

At the same period of time I was watching the first 100-and-something episodes of this show, I was also reading "The Complete Works of Zhuangzi" (a famous book from Taoism, that later would mingle with Buddhism in China and, eventually, become Zen Buddhism is Japan). It was a great combination.

The books describes the heart of the philosophy that later would give birth to Zen Buddhism - an important part of the Japanese culture, that helps to better understand the anime - and the anime demonstrates, in modern terms, some of the most sophisticated applications of that philosophy at practice. Even if it is fictional, it depicts behaviors and situations we can understand and relate to.
7 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Awesome anime!!
tbogttlad13 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I've not mentioned any spoilers, though just in case I tell one.... So anyway, Gintama is a fantastic anime to watch, it's overall very nice and interesting. There's no main character, but each and every character combined makes a single main character. Not only that, but there's a a huge variety of jokes - Situational jokes (the funniest ones), Sexual adult jokes, poop jokes, fart jokes, vomit jokes, word plays, parodies of other animes and what not, the list keeps on going. Not only that, there's also a lot of badass serious arcs with badass fights, emotional moments, painful deaths and epic conclusions to these arcs.

All these things makes it a perfect Action-Comedy anime.
10 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed