The Five Best ‘Gintama’ (2006-2018) Episodes Of All Time

Gintama (2006-2018) is one of the best-selling anime and manga series of all time. While Hideaki Sorachi’s work has found massive success in its native Japan, the franchise has failed to reach an audience as wide as other contemporary shonen anime like Naruto (2002-2017), Bleach (2004-), and One Piece (1999-). 

The premise follows a trio of friends who work odd jobs to make ends meet. Led by Gintoki Sakata, a former samurai with a mysterious past, the three navigate 19th-century Kabukicho, Japan, which is far more technologically advanced due to the arrival of extraterrestrial groups called the amanto.

With the help of a stubborn but valiant alien girl named Kagura Yato and a cowardly but logical teenage boy named Shinpachi, the trio’s jobs take them through both dramatic and humorous scenarios that usually end with a punchline joke or heartbreaking lesson.

Episodic by nature for a majority of the anime’s runtime, the series does not follow traditional storytelling methods. While the franchise prides itself on being the outcast of the household names in shonen, Sorachi’s magnum opus deserves its flowers. To highlight his work, here are the five best Gintama episodes. 

#5 — “Nobody With Naturally Wavy Hair Can Be That Bad”

The third episode made Gintoki’s first impression on the world an unforgettable one¹. Around the time that the episode was released, the Naruto and One Piece anime adaptations were hitting their stride and reinforcing the standard for what a shonen protagonist should be like: bold, goal-oriented, and young with the potential to grow into their idealized selves.

Aside from Gintoki, the viewers are introduced to two longstanding characters, the siblings Otae and Shinpachi, who are being threatened by an amanto loan shark over unpaid debt that their late father owed in order to keep his dojo in operation.

To make matters worse, things are not much better for Shinpachi at his job as a waiter. He is subject to mistreatment from his boss as well as guests, taking punches to the head for failing to perform in compliance with unreasonable expectations. On this very fateful day, however, Gintoki is present at the restaurant, and he puts an end to the abuse by taking out each of the patrons as well as the boss with a wooden sword.

Throughout the rest of the runtime, Gintoki spends the day with Otae and Shinpachi and learns about their situation, vowing to help them thanks to his samurai philosophy about helping others even without any rewards. After a very unorthodox display that does a 180 from the heroics at the restaurant, the silver-haired protagonist manages to save the siblings and helps them to keep the dojo safe in family hands.

The episode does an amazing job of capturing what’s in store for the rest of the series with a clear conflict that reflects one of the worst-case scenarios for business owners and providing a hero for it with Gintoki, who is nothing like the average hero due to his occasional cowardice and methods of overcoming obstacles.

Overall, the episode helped the silver-haired protagonist stand out from his shonen counterparts by the end while managing to reveal all of his quirks and shortcomings. The build-up to the conclusion could have fooled the viewers into thinking Gintoki was a perfect, fearless hero when in actuality he is sometimes just as scared as those he is trying to save.

Despite being a bit older than other shonen protagonists like Naruto and Luffy, as Gintoki is implied to be in his mid to late 20’s, his satisfaction with life despite his lack of direction demonstrates his down-to-earth humanity very well, marking him as a breath of fresh air at a time when the main character was supposed to be stoic and fearless.

In addition to the great qualities of Gintoki that are revealed in the span of the episode, the viewers also learn about his love for parfaits, which go on to become a staple of the series as a running joke up until the very end.

#4 — “You Can’t Judge A Person By His Appearance, Either”

A ranking of the best Gintama episodes would not be complete without at least one that puts the spotlight on the Shinsengumi, which is the police force of Kabukicho². Consisting mostly of a wacky but powerful assortment of individuals, the Shinsengumi pride themselves on being the protectors of Edo’s citizens. Despite being allied with the amanto, the Shinsengumi are the only humans who are legally allowed to wield samurai swords, which constantly puts them at odds with Gintoki.

While many of the episodes featuring the Shinsengumi focus heavily on the antics of the hopeless romantic Kondo, the aggressive Hijikata, or his right-hand man, Sougo, who wishes to take Hijikata’s place as second in command of the force by any means necessary, this episode kicks off with a strange demand from the director of the police department, Matsudaira, an over-the-top gun-wielding man.

By order of the director, the Shinsengumi are tasked with taking down the boyfriend of Matsudaira’s daughter, Kuriko, who Matsudaira despises because of his style of fashion. After receiving word that Kuriko and her boyfriend are heading for a theme park for their date, Kondo, Hijikata, and Sougo take up arms and hilariously position themselves on different attractions, trying to eliminate their target. With Hijikata as the voice of reason, the three decide to abandon their idea and instead choose to humiliate Kuriko’s boyfriend in an attempt to sway her away from him.

When the humiliation plan goes completely wrong due to Kuriko still loving her boyfriend afterwards, the three who were originally on board with eliminating him return to their devious ways, and Hijikata decides to take things into his own hands to stop them, which completely backfires. Despite being the shortest episode on this list, the creativity in the writing and the rare glimpse into the stoic Hijikata’s views on romance, which hilariously proves him wrong immediately after saving the couple, justify its placement among the best in the anime.

#3 — “Cat Lovers And Dog Lovers Are Mutually Exclusive”

Gintama is known for its crude humor, and yet it somehow manages to get tears out of viewers unexpectedly, even when the direction of an episode or short arc seems to be heading another way³. A testament to the genius of Sorachi. The episode is the 130th episode of the series and is the second in a two-part arc, serving as its conclusion.

The episode follows the odd jobs crew as they come across a dog who has fallen ill at the vet. Kagura, who spends the night at the vet with her own dog, Sadaharu, decides to take matters into her own hands after having overheard a conversation earlier about the ill dog’s owner. After attempting to return the dog to its owner, it is revealed via a karate kick and his speech that the dog, Kintarou, is actually part of a body-snatching race of amanto that wishes to destroy the Earth.

His plan, however, went ridiculously wrong after having decided that Earth would be so incredibly easy to take over that he could pick a random Earthling creature’s body to snatch and still succeed. To make matters worse for Kintarou, he spent 18 years leashed up by a stubborn old man, making his hatred for humanity more intense. In average Gintama fashion, it is later revealed that there is also another race of amanto body snatchers who thought it would be easy enough to stop Kintarou that they landed on Earth and also chose their suitors at random, ultimately ending up as cats.

While a short description of the plot for the arc might leave a bad taste for some, the message the arc leaves behind and its emotional conclusion make it one of the best in the entire series. What makes the episode a genuine treat is that one does not have to be a Gintama fan to enjoy the clash between the cats and the dogs. Whether you prefer one to the other or love both equally, the abundance of jokes made to reference quirks attributed to each furry friend is enough to land it in this top five list, no bone or yarn ball necessary.

#2 — “Nmaibo Is Surprisingly Filling”

Katsura is one of Gintoki’s oldest friends and is a member of a terrorist organization. As one of the Shinsengumi’s most wanted men, he is constantly either in hiding or on the run. Despite being one of the most skilled swordsmen, his major quirks are his stoic clumsiness and strong desire to have Gintoki join his anti-foreigner faction, which seeks to eradicate the influence of the Amanto in Edo.

The episode takes the form of a news report as a camera crew and news reporter shadow Katsura, taking the viewers through a day in the life of a terrorist⁴. Throughout the interview, Katsura mistakenly reveals his true identity multiple times over, even though he had previously asked for his identity to remain anonymous. The gimmick reaches its pinnacle when he asks for his face not to be blurred out, only to reveal that the disguise he is utilizing to conceal his identity is a pair of glasses with a large nose and fake mustache attached to it.

Instead of getting the gritty details about what life as a terrorist is like, the reporter is instead met with Katsura’s cluelessness and his knack for going on random but hilarious tangents that have absolutely nothing to do with the anti-foreigner faction. To add to the chaotic hilarity, the Shinsengumi track them at every stop they make, and Katsura utilizes different snack treats as smoke screens to escape, a cycle which repeats itself multiple times over.

During the incredibly frustrating ordeal, the reporter grows increasingly annoyed with Katsura, but it is during the final pursuit from the Shinsengumi that she finally grows to respect him and his work, at least, for a moment. After saving her life, the reporter is about to be taken in by the Shinsengumi for questioning when she accidentally drops a letter Katsura has written for her. The unexpected turn that follows shortly after it’s read makes for one of the funniest moments of the entire anime.

Not too many episodes focus on Katsura as the star, but when they do, they never fail to land. All in all, the episode helps to shift the anime back into comedic territory after covering what many believe to be the first true arc of Gintama.

#1 — “Sworn Enemy”

The Shogun Assassination Arc is one of the most highly regarded arcs in the entire series, containing some of the most memorable moments that the anime has to offer. Despite the plethora of candidates from this portion of the series that could have topped the list, “Sworn Enemy” takes the cake without question⁵. As one of the most highly rated anime episodes on the popular rating website MyAnimeList, it’s only right that this episode tops the list.

The episode marks the climax of the Shogun Assassination Arc and reveals much about the mysterious past of both Gintoki Sakata and Shinsuke Takasugi, a recurring antagonist who is either directly or indirectly responsible for many of the core conflicts that take center stage throughout the anime. Despite the episode appearing in the final third of the series, viewers are still not completely familiar with Gintoki and his evil counterpart’s origins, apart from the fact that the two were once students of the same teacher, Yoshida Shouyo.

Throughout the series, the only glimpses into his life before starting his odd jobs gig are short flashbacks and end credit sequences that slowly reveal bits of information that ultimately leave more questions than answers. The Shogun Assassination Arc follows Gintoki and his crew, along with various different allies, leading a defense against Takasugi, who plans to take down Shigeshige, the shogun of Edo, and help to end the corruption of the government once and for all.

Featuring an epic and long-awaited duel between Gintoki and Takasugi, the two go blow for blow in a sword fight turned brutal brawl. With everything at stake in the all-out battle, Gintama finally embraces one of the biggest elements that truly makes shonen anime what they are: a fight with amazing choreography that ends with a twist – one of the biggest twists in anime history.

It is during his fight with his former classmate that the character of Gintoki finally clicks for the viewers. His approach to life and his reason for continuing to live despite his traumatic past complete the character through one breathtaking flashback.

The Legacy Of Gintama

The comedic landscape in anime was forever changed after Gintama hit its stride within the community. The five episodes listed above are a testament to the genius of Hideaki Sorachi and his most beloved work, which will forever be etched into the history of the medium due to the nature of its uniqueness and unrivaled creativity.

As anime continues to grow ever more popular around the world, Gintama will continue to receive new exposure and grow its fanbase much bigger than anyone can imagine.

Footnotes

1. “Nobody With Naturally Wavy Hair Can Be That Bad.” Gintama, season 1, episode 3, Sunrise, 11 Apr. 2006. ↩︎
2. “You Can’t Judge A Person By His Appearance, Either.” Gintama, season 1, episode 35, Sunrise, 14 Dec. 2006. ↩︎
3. “Cat Lovers And Dog Lovers Are Mutually Exclusive.” Gintama, season 3, episode 31, Sunrise, 30 Oct. 2008. ↩︎
4. “Nmaibo Is Surprisingly Filling.” Gintama, season 2, episode 15, Sunrise, 12 July 2007. ↩︎
5. “Sworn Enemies.” Gintama, season 4, episode 40, Sunrise, 13 Jan. 2016. ↩︎