It might look confusing at first, but don’t be put off.
Gintama was created by Hideaki Sorachi in the early 2000s, with each chapter appearing in the Weekly Shonen Jump. It’s cited as one of the most best-selling manga series of all time, with over 55 million copies in print alone.
The plot of the show is relatively simple (relatively): Gintoki Sakata works as a freelance samurai alongside his friends Shinpachi Shimura and Kagura in order to pay the monthly rent. Also, the Tokyo they live in has been conquered by aliens named Amanto. You know, the usual stuff.
It’s not just the manga that’s immensely popular – the anime, which began in December 2003 and only ended in June 2019, has had its home entertainment releases consistently in top ten rankings of DVDs and Blu-rays. Likewise, the first anime series of Gintama has been reported as being responsible for high sales of anime and manga overseas, alongside the anime adaptation of Naruto.
Read on to learn the best way to watch this expansive anime in order – at least it’s not as expansive as One Piece!
Should I watch Gintama in chronological order?
Gintama can seem a little confusing initially due to all the different slight wordings of each season, with some being cited as ‘sequel series’ – but in actuality, they’re all seasons of a singular show just branded slightly differently to reflect each season’s different tone and style.
Here’s the best way to watch all of Gintama in order:
- Gintama episodes 1 – 57
- Gintama: The Movie (this serves as a remake of episodes 58 – 61)
- Gintama episodes 62 – 201
- Gintama’ episodes 1 – 51
- Gintama’ Enchousen episodes 1 – 53
- Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya
- Gintama° episodes 1 – 51
- Gintama. episodes 1 – 12
- Gintama.: Slip Arc episodes 1 – 13
- Gintama.: Silver Soul Arc 1 – 26
- Gintama: The Semi-Final
- Gintama: The Final
What episodes of Gintama should I skip?
Given how extensive the anime is in terms of episodes, there’s a surprisingly low number of episodes that serve as ‘filler’, but as always, there’s at least a few that you can trim if you’re just looking to get a straight-up story.
The first two episodes of the original Gintama series are skippable because they’re more just celebrating that the manga has been adapted to anime more than setting up any kind of story.
You can also skip episodes 58 – 61 as Gintama: The Movie exists, serving as a straight-up remake of that run of episodes. While you can still watch them if you like, The Movie has far better animation.
Where can I watch Gintama in the UK?
The best way to currently watch Gintama is through Crunchyroll, otherwise its seasons are available to purchase through Amazon on DVD and Blu-ray.
Sign up to Crunchyroll from $7.99 per month with a 14-day free trial.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on.
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