Gintama

Gintama is an anime based on the manga by the same name created by Hideaki Sorachi in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series has an original video animation (OVA) by Sunrise and was featured at Jump Festa 2006 Anime Tour in 2005. This was followed by a full 367-episode anime television series, which debuted in April 2006 on TV Tokyo, and finished in October 2018. Three animated films have been produced. The first film premiered in April 2010. The second film premiered in July 2013. The third and final film premiered in January 2021.

Plot
The story is set in an alternate-history late-Edo period, where humanity is attacked by aliens called "Amanto" (天人, "Sky People"). Edo Japan's samurai fights to defend Earth, but the shōgun cowardly surrenders when he realizes the aliens' power. He agrees to an unequal contract with the aliens, placing a ban on carrying swords in public and allowing the invaders to enter the country. The samurai's swords are confiscated and the Tokugawa bakufu (shogunate) becomes a puppet government.

The series focuses on an eccentric samurai, Gintoki Sakata who works as an odd-jobs freelancer. He helps a teenager named Shinpachi Shimura save his sister Tae from an alien group that wants to send her to a brothel. Impressed by Gintoki, Shinpachi becomes his freelance apprentice to pay the bills and learn more about the enigmatic samurai. When the pair rescues a teenage alien girl with super-strength, Kagura, from a Yakuza group, they accept her into their freelancing business and the three become known as "Yorozuya" (万事屋, "We do everything" or literally "The Anything Store").

While working, they regularly encounter the Shinsengumi police force, who often ally with Gintoki when work involves dangerous criminals. The trio also meets Gintoki's former comrades from the Amanto invasion, including the revolutionary Kotaro Katsura who is friendly toward them despite his terrorist activities against the alien-controlled government.

Although the story is mostly episodic, a few story arcs and recurring antagonists develop. For example, Gintoki's former comrade Shinsuke Takasugi is a major antagonist who regards Gintoki and his other former comrades as enemies and seeks to destroy the shogunate. Over time, Takasugi gains allies, including Kagura's brother Kamui, and the elite fighting unit Mimawarigumi to prepare for his large-scale coup d'état. After the true antagonist—the immortal Utsuro—is introduced, Gintoki works with both friends and enemies to stop Utsuro from destroying the Earth.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It's an amazing parody to shonen anime as the series is best known referencing other works.
 * 2) Memorable cast of characters such as Gintoki, Kaura, Shinpachi, Sadaharu, Tae, Otose, Catherine, Taizo, Tama, Kotaro, Elizabeth, Shinsuke, Bansai, Isao, Toshiro, Okita, Ayame, Tsukuyo, and Tatsuma.
 * 3) Amazing voice acting in both sub and dub (The Ocean Dub one to be specific).
 * 4) It has some of the best arcs in anime such as the Benizakura Arc, the Feigned Illness Arc, Tama Quest, Kintama Arc, Courtesan of a Nation Arc, Kabukicho Four Devas Arc, The Shogun Assassination Arc, and the Silver Soul Arc.
 * 5) Emotional moments such as Gengai's backstory, Kagura's backstory, Tama's Heroic Sacrifice, Gintoki either having to kill Shouyou his teacher or kill Takasugi and Katsura in which he chose Shouyou.
 * 6) So many great parodies to many other series both anime and non anime there's a entire list to them.
 * 7) Amazing openings and endings especially Opening 4 Donten, Opening 13 Sakura Mitsutsuki and Ending 17 Samurai Heart.
 * 8) Well done fight scenes such as Gintoki vs Takasugi, Gintoki vs Oboro, Gintoki vs Nizou, vs Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi vs Kamui, Gintoki vs Jirochou, Gintoki, and Jirocho VS Amanto, etc.
 * 9) The live action movie based on the series is also really good, and the final movie was a great way to end the series on a high note.

The Only Bad Qualities

 * 1) The parodies and references to other works can be too much for some people.
 * 2) The Universal Cinergia dub having been poorly received by many fans.

Reception
The anime adaptation of Gin Tama has received positive and mixed responses. The humor was noted to be improved after the series' introduction although some jokes were hard to understand because some of them are references to Japanese culture and other series. The notes on the DVD releases were criticized for lacking an explanation of cultural jokes. Additionally, the humor's quality was found to be inconsistent within the first episodes due to the depth some bring, to the point that some viewers may abandon the series. The quality of the series was found to improve as the series continues as people would not be intimidated by its large number of episodes. The characters' actions were praised due to their knowledge that their tendencies to "break the fourth wall", while the female characters were found appealing based on their unusual qualities. The series has been noted for its ability to shift between comedy and drama without a loss of quality.