[Possible spoilers]

​

I did a similar post a few weeks ago, but as the year comes to an end and my Gintama obsession far from over, I figured I'd do this again, and give some more of my opinions on this series as a newer fan. Besides, I admit I have fun doing these.

I finished Gintama Degree (the 2015-2016 season), and while not my favorite season, I think especially when those last two arcs hit, it's Gintama at its most "rewarding." Like the Be Forever Yorozuya movie, it gives so many satisfying moments for the people who managed to stick with it for all its episodes. Best part being how much of it feels organic/earned (>!Gintoki and Takasugi's legendary duel that'd been built up for YEARS, and Kondo & Katsura finally becoming friends was what dreams are made of!<).

This weekend, I'll hopefully begin Gintama Period (yes that's what I'm calling it). Specifically, the Rakuyou Decisive Battle arc. Only 50+ episodes and a movie left to go now, all before December 31st. I'm pretty sure I can pull it off.

With this being the longest TV show I've ever watched, I remember back to April and May when I watched season 1 (the first 49 eps.), and walked away from it thinking "yeah, that was fun. Wouldn't call it one of my all-time faves though." Flashforward to now, and I've already deemed this ridiculously endearing show "rewatch worthy." Only a handful of series get that honor. Granted, I wouldn't go so far as to watch everything (admittedly, Gintama has a fair share of episodes that don't do a ton for me like ep. 193), but for sure arcs like Yoshiwara in Flames, Beam Saber, Red Spider, Degree's final two arcs, the Old Dog, Mitsuba, etc. And of course, on the comedic side, the Popularity Poll and Soul Switch arcs are the first that come to mind.

It's weird, despite 300+ episodes, I STILL don't feel like it was enough! And this is already a huge milestone for me. I'm not really a shonen guy (big reason being the time commitment), but Gintama felt like it would be right up my alley, so I figured I'd happily commit to at least this one.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SOME MORE OF MY OPINIONS:

-Kondo and Katsura's dynamic is sacred.

-believe me, no disrespect to Tsukuyo whatsoever, but I lowkey prefer GinTae

-Katsura and Madao make it harder for me to take Kaworu Nagisa and Gendo Ikari seriously again, respectively. And it's awesome. Moreso with Gendo because Akira Ishida's range is more noticeable (that is until I remember this is the same guy that died of laughter years later when he played Ill Smith, and the image of a teen, gay angel quickly gets more light-hearted, lmao).

=on that note: "Tabris janai, Kaworu da."

-Sogo is my least favorite Shinsengumi. I still love him, wouldn't be the same without him, but Kondo, Toshi, and Yamazaki are simply funnier.

-Until Apostrophe, I thought Kyubei was kinda just whatever. She was great in her introductory arc, but for seasons 3 and 4, I thought they were demoted to "Tae's friend," and not much else. But the Jugem arc made me appreciate them again, and that amplified with the Rule 63 arc.

=speaking of which: Sorachi, I love you, but>! I will NEVER forgive you for not including Zurako in that arc. I can only cope knowing she was on standby. !<

-One nitpick is that the openings don't always match the tone of the episodes. This is very apparent with OP 10 (the Scandal arc gets a pass though)

-OP 8 is my go-to "serious" OP, while Let's Go Out is my go-to "super light-hearted" OP. OP 15 is the most "uplifting."

-But at the end of the day, "Pray" will always be my definitive Gintama theme song (>!the biggest piece of fanservice from BFY was when they played it during the credits!<).

-Otsu is like, the ONE character I remotely hate. Sorry Shinpachi, don't send your subordinates after me. Her whole "haha funny dirty suffix" got kinda old, and most of all, is one of the more forced jokes in the series.

-They could've EASILY made Kondo the annoying pervert, but they actually keep him from being too low of a person. Crude, but clearly means well.

-I have a headcanon that Sakamoto is a System of a Down fan.

-Admittedly, another reason I like Gintama is because of how the fandom is (generally speaking) way nicer compared to other shonen fandoms. One of the big reasons I'm turned off from My Hero Academia is because of its fans. With Gintama, I can say that the fun part is us just telling inside jokes and recounting our favorite moments. However, for some criticisms, I think this subreddit can teeter on sub elitism sometimes (100% understandable, but not an outright excuse for elitism either), and sometimes with shipping (though the easiest solution to that is to bring up Gin x Madao, which graciously halts all discord).

-I like how Gintama (in the west) is in this sweet spot of "clearly popular, but not too mainstream."

-Toshiro Hijikata is unironically my favorite tsundere.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIBING EACH GINTAMA SEASON AND MOVIE SO FAR:

Season 1: pretty funny, but the emotional moments can feel more cliche. Looking back, this season is TAME compared to what was awaiting me. I'm deeply grateful I chose to commit.

Season 2: a personal favorite. It's basically the previous season again, but the emotional moments hit way more (Yagyu and Mitsuba arcs), and it's way funnier (Shogun Shige's introduction). This was also when Katsura solidified himself as in my top 5 favorite characters. Pretty consistent season.

Season 3: you get more wackiness like the Screwdriver arc and Beach episode, and I think about its finale a lot (I was pleasantly surprised to find out the Evangelion parody happened there). On the serious side, Yoshiwara in Flames and Kintaro arcs have you covered (the latter one still sticks with me).

Season 4: looking back, it's one of the funniest seasons (the Flu, Popularity Poll, the iconic handcuff episode, etc.). But compared to season 3, I remember it had more misses (the Otsuu arc overstayed its welcome, and ep. 193 was pretty mid). Its big serious arc, Red Spider, I think is one of the best paced arcs.

The Benizakura Movie: ngl, I think it's better than the series' version. And it's bookended by very meta scenes that only Gintama could pull off.

Apostrophe: THE overall funniest season.

Apostrophe Enchosen: mostly serious (save for the Kintama arc). And it delivers. Short but effective.

Be Forever Yorozuya: way better than the Benizakura movie, imo. Very rewarding """"""""final"""""""" chapter for Gintama. Even if it doesn't wrap up all the plot details built up over the series, just making sure the anime ends on a well-executed high note, even if it's standalone, is more than enough for me.

Degree: took a while to really get going for me, but once it did, it reminded me that Gintama could still bring it. It shows the series' main 'turning point' (>!the Shogun dying, Takasugi's long-awaited duel, Shoyo/Utsuro, etc.!<), and still finishes in a bittersweet/uplifting way (>!the Shinsengumi spiritually reborn!<).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

MOMENTS FROM GINTAMA THAT BROKE ME WITH LAUGHTER:

!-Ill Smith (I think about that scene everyday. And I think that's a beautiful part of life)!<

!-Katsura writing SOS on the beach!<

!-The Popularity Poll arc!<

!-Dozaemon taking a nuclear shit!<

!-Elizabeth shooting Russian Elizabeth!<

!-Shinpachi and Madao running on the beach!<

!-Shogun running naked in the streets (his first appearance)!<

!-Shogun's haircut face (it took a few moments for the laughing to settle in)!<

!-Kondo flexing his butthole at the camera while apologizing!<

!-Shogun at the pool and his tighty whities getting stretched (good lord, that got me)!<

!-Kondo gets stuck!<

!-"HELP ME PULL IT OUT!!!" (Hijikata trying to get the horns out of Kondo's ass at the bathhouse)!<

!-Gin hanging on for dear life during the iconic dick truck scene!<

!-SAKATA-KUN'S CROTCH HAS GONE BON VOYAGE!!!!<

!-"Konbawa. Santa Claus dayo."!<

​

And the biggest laugh I got from Gintama was......

!weirdly enough, not even some edgy, gross-out joke or anything. It was Shinpachi running and screaming his head off when he found out Kondo (supposedly) got Otae pregnant. !<

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

To finish off, I think Gintama's ultimate strength is in how, it's the kind of series that basically does everything. Its selling point is being a shitposty comedy, but then it lets loose with bloody swordfights, depressing deaths, and warming your heart watching some characters walk with their umbrellas. It's every tone and emotion you can think of. Put simply: I think Gintama's secret is it's the ultimate life anime, y'know? Every facet of life from feeling depressed, to laughing your ass off. That's what keeps it special.

​

So: here's to 50+ more episodes. The beginning of the end.

It's kind of sad knowing I'll have to say goodbye to these goofballs soon.

That is until Ginpachi-sensei comes out, lol.

​

The two artists I associate with Gintama the most are Andrew W.K. and Sum 41.

​

Don't treat your heroes like gods. Treat them like gorillas. They poop and pee just like you. Be like Sorachi: tired, loves anime fights, a great sense of humor, and willing to take the piss out of the entertainment industry every chance he gets.

Dondake and Party Hard.

​

The episode where Otsu Chan's song is played and the whole otsu chan fanclub dances to it.

The time when your favourite game was referenced by gintama. Mine was this, nobody can tell me this wasn't referencing legend of zelda's toilet hand

Not sure if this has been done yet in this sub but thought it would be fun!

According to the wiki episode 67 is correlated to Manga chapter 87, but episode 68 is based off of Manga chapter 82.

Why is it all out of wack? If I wanted to pick the Manga up, it would be hard for me since it's all out of order?

Is there a guide for this?

Last time I made Gintoki so today Kagura and Sadaharu joins him!

A video

Well, I've made it this far. Finished the Farewell Shinsengumi arc, thus completing Gintama Degree (which is what I affectionately refer to the 2015-2016 series as).

So without further ado, my last batch of notes (plus a review) for this era of Gintama...

I ramble and repeat myself a bit, so I apologize in advance.

You know (probably) know me, but I talk a lot, so don't feel pressured to read everything. Hovering over a random spot would be enough for me. This whole Gintama Journey Note project thing is something I'm doing for fun, archival purposes.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Important plot details (in order)

-Shogun Shigeshige has passed away in a quick assassination attempt. The guy who did it shortly after committed suicide. Shinpachi and Kagura watch as Soyo, Maizo, and the others walk on a cloudy day for the funeral.

-Zenzo and Sacchan feel nothing but guilt for failing their friend in the end.

-Nobunobu's rule as the new tyrannical Shogun is turning Edo into a shithole. Him and the Mimawarigumi pushing people around (Isaburo Sasaki has always been tied to the Hitotsubashi).

-Due to their failure to protect the Shogun, the Shinsengumi has been officially deposed. Kondo and Matsudaira will be executed.

=before Kondo gets taken away, he has a convo with Gintoki I wanna expand on. They talk of how ultimately, war isn't worth it. The once feared, cold-blooded White Yaksha can tell you that firsthand.

"You fight oneself instead of the enemy"

=I think I've brought this up before, but the idea of a once deathly feared warrior realizing war can go to hell, and finding solace by loosening up more, and finding family (in the form of two teens who become surrogate younger siblings to him) is something I deeply admire about Gintoki. This also kinda applies to Zura (rather than be an extremist like Takasugi, he aims for a more moderate view).

=side-note: while Takasugi was clearly traumatized and unable to forgive Gintoki for killing Shoyo (a result of his troubled upbringing and attachment to Shoyo as the most important figure in his life), we can infer Katsura was more understanding of Gin's choice, even though I'm sure it hurt him too. But hey, as much as Fruitpunchsamurai can get on Gin's nerves these days, we know they clearly still have their comradery, since they're the oldest friends they have. Always loved the idea of Gin having at least one old friend who hangs around as a main cast member.

-Anyway, despite the abuse of power (two hostesses get killed on the spot at Snack Smile), the will of Edo's denizens needs to stay strong. And as Gintoki, Toshiro, and Otae clap back at Nobu (Gin's punch when Nobu threatens Tae and Toshi gets riled up was epic), a certain long-haired terrorist disguised as a hostess arrives to the rescue...

+I was a little disappointed we didn't get to see Katsura in the SA arc (minus the flashbacks), so my happiness was THROUGH THE ROOF when I found out he's a major player in Degree's final arc.

-His reveal as a hostess, complete with his goofy feminine voice, is my everything.

-He helps Gin, Toshi, and Tae escape the bar, but gets arrested in the process.

-Despite things looking down for the Shinsengumi, forced to go into hiding, Toshiro refuses to give in, and thus, with the help of Odd-Jobs and even the Joi rebels (more on that in a bit)...we're going to rescue Isao, Matsudaira, and even Kotaro.

-Meanwhile, in prison, in a very organically satisfying turn, Kondo and Katsura meet up. And after a heart-to-heart about their situation/the state of the world, a friendship begins to bloom after so long...

+The two funniest leaders of Gintama have finally teamed up! And their two factions have also put aside their differences to rescue their leaders, and keep the good fight going to save Edo from Nobunobu. Their alliance may not erase all the bad blood in the past like it was nothing, but what it does mean is a novel, and more hopeful future for these two factions who simply want to protect Edo.

-Taking a cue from the last arc's message of how being a samurai depends on the person, the Shinsengumi still find the fire inside to keep protecting (I remember reading a main theme of Gintama, for Sorachi, is that of protecting what's precious in your life).

This will be the Shinsengumi's final mission.

(also, it took a minute to remind myself that Toshi and Elizabeth are basically counterparts the way The Gorilla and Zura are. They showed this in Be Forever Yorozuya, and it didn't truly click with me until now (even though it should've been obvious, but that's on me). Regardless, it was palpable seeing them join forces at sunset).

Our idiot trio of leaders use their skills and (decently-sized) brains to bust out of jail, and escape the prison island. Taking out Naraku soldiers who have arrived.

-with the help of THE HARD-BOILED DETECTIVE LET'S GOOOO, Gin, Shin, Tae, Kagura, Elizabeth, Toshi, Sogo, Zaki, Saito, and everyone else make it by boat, and rip it up (them storming the enemy boats with all the fire and swordsmanship was pretty hype, if I say so myself. The excitement in the air for one last, hopefully triumphant arc. And it made for a great close to this arc's 1st half).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detour: a segment about "The Walker's Guide to the Galaxy" (I hear Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is beloved).

-the octopus gets its arms torn off for takoyaki (they grow back of course, but still).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Otae starts getting sentimental about whether they can return to those old times, before all this with Nobu and the Shogun happened. Before Shinpachi leaves for battle, he consoles her.

-I know the fandom isn't (generally speaking) the nicest to Otae, but acting like her character is only violent and trigger-happy is utter BS.

Isao and Kotaro share their last bold, sincere moment together, taking blows for each other.

-Toshi and Elizabeth come to their aid.

-The second half of this arc focuses on Sasaki and his relationship with Nobume.

=basically, Sasaki, coming from elite blood, wasn't always as dense and snooty as he is now. He was still frowned upon even by his own.

=he was there to see when the Shinsengumi first arrived in Edo, coming from the country as more "working class" samurai. Kondo I believe suggested the Shinsengumi name.

=Sasaki had a wife, and was awaiting a child. But everything changed when a young Nobume (then named Muruko, I believe) came in and murdered them. To his horror.

=Nobume was raised at an very early age, as a Naraku, to be a killing machine. And you can see it in her stoic, emotionless demeanor. Yet, even as a child being forced to do all this depravity, that night with Sasaki's family made her cry right in front of him.

=and that was because one day, as she was watching over a certain long-haired, but happy samurai war prisoner, her outlook on life started to change when the man offered her advice.

+Sasaki could've easily killed the little girl on the spot, but seeing the tears in her eyes, remembering the little girl he was expecting to have, contemplating revenge and what his life could've been, he instead decided to take her in. With mixed results, but it became clear as day Nobume found a dear father figure in Isaburo.

Back in the present, Toshi and Sasaki duel, Nobume starts opening up to Sogo mid-fight, Kagura steps in, and Gintoki's in the middle of a rematch with Oboro (the Naraku have returned. Remember that they're aligned with Nobu, albeit using him as a puppet. ).

But then, enter the most feared Naraku of them all, with a presence no one can resist: Utsuro.

This adonis is unlike any other, Even Sogo starts shaking. By the way, he also has a dope as hell crow motif going.

When Gintoki confronts him, and the same metal track from his duel with Takasugi kicks in, the swordfighting sakuga returns.

Except Utsuro's crow mask breaks, revealing something that shakes Gintoki to his very core....

He looks Shoyo Yoshida....

The same face, yet not the same face. What was once angelic, comforting, and fatherlike, now sinister, hardened, and twisted...

The Shinsengumi, Joi, and others make a break for it.

(ok, the Shoyo/Utsuro twist was unfortunately something that got spoiled for me. But aside from that, DAMN that's an effective and compelling twist. Hope it gets explained later).

-Sasaki's Mimawarigumi had no real allegiance with anyone but thsemselves. All of what Isaburo did was selfish. Take out everyone, and maybe even himself.

+With the pressure and blood piling on them, Sasaki and Kondo share a heart-to-heart. Sasaki can't help but admire (if be confused) by Kondo's drive to put his subordinates before himself when they need it. Even back then, he saw that in the man.

-They formulate a plan to get one last jump on the Naraku so they can escape. And it involved Kondo faking his own death with one of the emergency, suspended-animation pellets Katsura gave him in prison. And to sell the charade, Sasaki slices Kondo's face, giving the Shinsengumi chief his scar.

+I knew Kondo wasn't gonna die, but I'll be damned, they actually pulled off a genuinely good fake-out death scene. And then the Gorilla smiles at Toshi, revealing he's not finished yet.

Together, the two Shinsengumi defeat Oboro (wouldn't be surprised if he's still alive, but if he's dead, this is a major victory).

Toshi then carries his dear commrade back. Nobume does the same with Sasaki.

=it's revealed back then, Nobume tried to save Sasaki's family, not killing them. Despite Sasaki being aware of this, but still couldn't shake off the pain.

So our heroes escape the island at long last, successfully rescuing our two lovable, comedic, but well-meaning leaders.

-seeing Tetsu (our cherry boi) help Nobume carry Sasaki, was a cathartic experience, considering the Thorny arc.

Matsudaira shows up with airships (they kinda gloss over this, but I mean he escaped too, so I guess he was able to call remaining Shinsengumi members for a last-minute rescue op like this).

Isaburo Sasaki sacrifices himself to fend off Naraku that try to board the ship. Nobume watches in horror, as Tetsu and Kagura hold her back. Remembering that he was going to name his daughter Nobume, Isaburo disappears as he falls into the clouds.

As morning comes, and the fire dies down (our heroes desperately escape the Tendoshuu after heavy fire), Nobume pays her respects to her father. But tosses her cellphone out to sea (presumably, to show she needs to move on).

-one moving scene was Tetsu telling her about how strained his relationship with Isaburo was, despite being more blood-related than she is.

+The Mimawarigumi and Shinsengumi salute the flawed man. I may not look back on him as pure by any means, but I can still appreciate this arc for characterizing him more, and giving him an arc.

Gintoki, Shinpachi, Kagura, Elizabeth, Katsura, and Otae watch from afar.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some time later, it's time for the Shinsengumi to say goodbye for real this time.

But not because they're retiring. Rather, because they're still gonna keep the fight going. To head off and try to grow a Bakufu resistance front. The rescue mission still dealt a huge blow to the Naraku/Bakufu, which unsurprisingly sent Nobunobu into an unbridled rage.

Given the political upheaval in Edo, Katsura suggests Toshi and the others leave for their own safety. Find as many revolutionaries as they can.

And so, it's time for our favorite cops to say goodbye to the Yorozuya (for now, anyway). And dammit, the way this arc/season ends was so well-realized.

-It may be rainy, but Kagura and Sogo playfully spar, Otae and Kondo share a sweet moment (I have overall mixed opinions on KonTae, but I can still attest it could've been handled WAY worse. Tweak it in a few spots, and it's more solid), and last but certainly not least, Gintoki and Toshiro share a meal at their favorite food spot (with the widow from the funeral, lol).

It was touching to see them swap their bowls as a sign of gratitude.

It was a disgusting experience (how tf can one man take in all that much freaking mayonnaise??)

But, afterwards, the two can't help but have a good, warm laugh about it (if you've made it this far, I DARE you not to crack even a little grin at that scene).

Our Odd-Jobs guys have known these cops for long enough, that much like Gin and Takasugi's built up duel, giving them an emotional "see you later" here felt organic and rewarding.

Thus, Degree ends with the Shimuras wishing Isao Kondo best of luck, and the Shinsengumi walk off to their airship, now reborn as the true Shinsengumi they were always meant to be...

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My further thoughts:

Katsura and Kondo finally teaming up is the stuff of DREAMS!

What I love about this last arc is how the Shinsengumi are spiritually reborn. As they walk off, even though this part of their career is over, you get the impression they're EVEN stronger and confident than ever. Back to how they were when they started, not as super high-tier cops, but as commoners. And this is how they're back to being. Yet finally ready to keep fighting for Edo, and as a bonus, they've even finally (and very satisfyingly) made peace+aligned with Katsura and the Joi. Again, it's a very cathartic, full-circle ending that I commend Hideaki for pulling off.

Admittedly, I think I liked the first half of FS arc more though (minus the finale, which landed). For some little things that kept me from fully enjoying it, I'm not the hugest fan of Nobume. Her arc was fine I guess, but idk, nothing that special. I do appreciate that Sasaki actually gets an arc/chance to redeem himself, rather than them trying to make it so that he was secretly good the whole time (like they've done with other villains, especially ones who are only around for their one arc. Helped that we've known Sasaki for long enough). They acknowledge how even with what he tried to do cleansing Edo, he's still not pure, if still sympathetic given how crucial Nobume is to his life.

But the moments with the characters we already know honestly hit harder than the stuff involving Nobume and Sasaki. Just comes with the territory of getting to know our ensemble cast for much longer.

Like with the Courtesan of a Nation arc, there's a lot of alliances, allegiances, and plot turns that can feel a little rushed, and at times convoluted. I heard that during the anime's last couple of arcs, they really had to streamline the manga's story. I mean, at this point, reading the entire manga someday isn't out of the question for me, but for now, I'll still stick to the anime as is (besides, I'm on a tight schedule, and I'm a slow reader. Hey, I'm sure Silver Soul still delivers some goods, even with its limitations. I've haven't seen anyone outright hate it, either. Besides, I know Donald Zuruamp shows up towards the end, so I have that to look forward to).

Utsuro's introduction commands presence. Even though the Shoyo thing was spoiled for me, I can confidently say even knowing that going in, it's still a pretty powerful twist. Especially considering (to my knowledge) he's the main, final antagonist of the series. Which would make for a very cathartic, poetic final challenge for Gintoki. I do however think Gin gets over the initial shock of the Shoyo/Utsuro reveal pretty quickly. In the moment, he's clearly hurt, but by the time the fight is over and he's chatting with Toshi, it seemed like it wasn't a big deal. Would've been more impactful if you could tell the reveal is still nagging him well after the fight.

This arc simply delivered on satisfying, bittersweet moments (Kondo and Katsura's honest, earned, well-written team up is the stuff of DREAMS!!!!, as well as Gin and Toshi eating, Tae's moments, how this arc changes the story going forward, etc.).

I wouldn't call it my all time favorite G arc, but I can definitely see why it's beloved. When those moments hit: they hit.

And for the final time, as I said before in the SA arc notes, I kinda doubt this arc would've worked as well as it did if we didn't spend hundreds of episodes getting to know, laugh along, and be endeared by this wide cast of characters, and finally putting them in a large-scale situation that starts the next, now-or-never chapter of their lives.

And that's another thing I always commend Gintama for: these people kinda feel like family after a while. Whenever you see the goofy side of Gintoki, that's still the same once feared White Yaksha. It's the feeling of finding out your uptight dad used to be quite the rad bad boy back in the day. It's a humbling and eye-opening experience. Through that, these characters rarely feel like they act "out of character." It's all still them. And that reflects in the series I see as not having one single genre. Apropos of the main Trio running a freelance business, you laugh your guts out, you get a little bored at times, you feel the hype rush through you, you're brought down to Earth, you chill out during wholesome, slice-of-life moments, the list goes on. It's kinda like the ultimate, honest-to-God life anime, in a sense, y'know?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Final Thoughts on Degree :

While this season may not be my all-time favorite (I really like season 2 of the OG 2000s series, and Apostrophe is the overall funniest), I think especially as the final two arcs came, I can say it's Gintama at its most "rewarding."

Not that it's without its good ol' extreme comedy (Soul Switch), but once that fateful duel in the SA arc kicks in, all that tension building up for the past hundreds of episodes is released. And once you get to the FS arc, the series continues to reward the viewer for sticking by for so long, giving comforting, well-written, and realized moments for our cast.

It's the beginning of the end. Earned developments happen (Katsura and Kondo being a huge one), the real fight is about to begin, the Shinsengumi are spiritually reborn, and even though there's obviously more big stuff to come, I like how it manages to stay a little self-contained.

So yeah, while not my favorite of Gintama's seasons, it still leaves a lasting impression on the overall story, giving you interesting/bittersweet plot developments, and of course, some good light-hearted references and poop jokes (I mean hey, it's not Gintama without levity :).

How I'd rank the seasons so far (from best to weakest):

1. Season 2 (eps. 50-99)
2. Apostrophe
3. Season 3 (eps. 100-150)
4. Season 4 (eps. 151-201)
5. Apostrophe Enchosen
6. Degree (I feel bad for putting it low. I will say, in terms of consistency, it's stronger than season 4. But season 4's high points (both dramatic, and of course, comedic) I think win out).
7. Season 1 (eps. 1-49)

In conclusion: welp, time to get this on Blu-ray (please God let both volumes exist somewhere for a decent price online, please....)

Ngl, if/when I rewatch this season, I wanna watch the complete English dub. For what it's worth, considering it's Gintama, even I'm impressed that they managed to make at least one dub that's actually worthwhile in some way. Obviously, it's not as great as the original Japanese, but dammit, I'd be hard-pressed to say that if I watched Gintama sooner, and the whole series was dubbed like this, well shoot, I'd watch it all dubbed.

From the perspective of a newer fan: as long as you guys don't go all elitist when it comes to subs and dubs (I've seen it on this sub), then we're all cool. And keep in mind, I'm saying this as someone who agrees subbed is best for Gintama.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FUNNY MOMENTS FROM THE ARC!

-Katsura throwing the pellet only for it to backfire into his mouth. We love you.

=and with that, Zura manages to sneak in one last "Zura janai Katsura da" for this season when he's lying on the ground, and Kondo yells out ZURA!

-MOUNTAIN ZAKI. (that is all :)

=from what little Japanese I know, "Yama" means mountain, so there ya go.

-Elizabeth and Saito's expert dynamic as the two mutes.

=stick with signs or a notebook? Ahhhh.....f it.

-THE RETURN OF THE HARD-BOILED DETECTIVE HELL YEAH!

-and of course, that Hitchhiker's reference.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Links for all my Gintama notes so far: (when I finally finish it all, I'll make one final post that's just all the links for your convenience).

1. So a diabetic war vet walks into a restaurant...
2. Gin becomes a trucker
3. Another reason I want to get into JoJo's someday
4. The two straight-man/otaku characters enter the ring
5. What Toshi wants heaven to look like
6. The Evangelion 1.0 You are not alone of Gintama
7. The Yorozuya f off to the store to buy Hattori some prep H
8. pepepepepepepepepepepepepepepepe runny diarrhea
9. Believe in the dick of the owner you believe in
10. Gold Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon
11. More insight into the anime industry
12. GoldballZ
13. The second overt Star Wars parody
14. The End of Gintama
15. (...nevermind...)
16. AHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA!
17. Kagura dies
18. It only took them like 8-9 years for this fight

Don't think I'll do a long, odyssey-like note journey for when Ginpachi-Sensei comes out. Rest assured, I don't think I need to tell you whether or not I'll be watching it.

Two guys in their late 20s sharing a single braincell, finally being able to laugh together like homies :)

Songs of the day: "Handle This" and "Summer + 32 Ways to Die" by Sum 41

https://preview.redd.it/sgua4wbcmz3e1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=217e88fbbe9f4d12145e7029bd04946938212dae

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow: the final leg or so of my Gintama journey begins. 50+ episodes and a movie to have finished in gosh, roughly 30 days. Wish me luck!

It's the beginning of the end. I'm already feeling nostalgic for the goofy, sitcom misadventures I had watching Gintama this summer.

Up next: Gintama Period (2017). Yes that's what I'm calling it. Kamui returns, but most importantly...

The Joi Boys Return!!!!!!!!!!!