# Gintama (2006)

> A lazy freelance samurai and his misfit partners run a odd-jobs shop in an alien-occupied Edo, blending slapstick parody with surprising emotional depth.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/51071

## Facts

- Seasons: 11
- Episodes: 367
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, action, science fiction
- Network: TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, TVQ, TV Osaka, TVh, TSC
- Cast: Tomokazu Sugita, Rie Kugimiya, Daisuke Sakaguchi, Akira Ishida, Fumihiko Tachiki, Kazuya Nakai, Kenichi Suzumura, Takehito Koyasu
- TMDB rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988818/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: irreverent, absurdist, heartfelt

## What critics say

Viewers widely regard Gintama as a consistently hilarious, genre-savvy anime whose parody and heartfelt samurai storytelling reward long-term viewing.

## Synopsis

Gintama follows Gintoki Sakata, a lazy, sweet-toothed freelance samurai who takes odd jobs for pocket money in a feudal Edo where alien invaders, the Amanto, have forced the shogunate into surrender and banned the sword. With his partners Shinpachi, a bespectacled and put-upon ally, and Kagura, a fierce alien girl with a powerful appetite, Gintoki runs the Yorozuya, a one-room odd-jobs shop that drifts from absurd deliveries to genuinely dangerous conflicts. The series is a restless genre blender: it parodies samurai dramas, mecha shows, and sports anime with manic gags, fourth-wall breaks, and sudden shifts into heartfelt sincerity. Across its many arcs, the comedy stays loud and silly, yet the show builds real affection for its misfits, and its serious moments about loyalty, grief, and the cost of a past war land with unexpected weight. Tone swings quickly between slapstick and melancholy, so the emotional payoffs feel earned. Viewers who enjoy irreverent humor, found family, and a playful take on samurai mythology will find a long, generous series that rewards patience and rewards attention to its running jokes and quiet callbacks.

## Shows like Gintama

- [One-Punch Man (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56658)
- [Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58207)
- [Squid Girl (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/32606)
- [The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/38832)
- [Samurai 7 (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/5529)
- [The Devil Is a Part-Timer! (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/41710)
- [Samurai Deeper Kyo (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/32044)
- [Space Dandy (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54312)
- [Samurai Champloo (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/1000)
- [Rurouni Kenshin (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/132372)

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