Gintama Is Also A Part Of The Soul – Gintama Slip Arc Review!

In preparation for tomorrow’s beginning of the end for the wonderful anime of Gintama, I’m doing a review of this past season, which was the “Slip Arc” used to allow the manga to catch up to the anime. They accomplished this via showing older stories previously not included in the anime, all taking place before the show got rather grimdark by comparison. It’s no secret I love Gintama just like I do JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure or Berserk but unlike those I’m coming upon the scheduled and calculated end of my first long term show outside of Dragonball (which I don’t think we can count because Super). Even Hunter x Hunter is still continuing and Toriko wasn’t even really my show to watch. Nostalgia and conflicting emotions (I know that’s lol-able coming from me) aside, let’s get to this review!

We start out with Otsu-chan being brought up again and after Blood Blockade Battlefront and Babushka, I can’t help but laugh even harder hearing Leonardo Watch go on about how idols don’t have boogers. Even beyond that we have a good set up about recurring background characters literally becoming background characters as Otsu’s band, at the warning that background dancers and bands are typically out to eat the main act alive. This bad choice is of course hilarious due to the fact two of the four are literally assassins, one is a master swordswoman and the fourth is well, Otae. Not exactly the most trustworthy individuals but they come in handy later on when things get crazy.

Yup, that’s the name of our antagonists for this mini-arc and damn if they don’t earn the name. Moving around taking the top idols from planets to form a super group, we have them here to square off with Otsu. In reality they aim to destroy opposing idols and are terrifyingly good at it, going so far as to steal ideas, counter the opponents with nefarious marketing, and photoshopping idols in compromising situations to ruin their targets. How does Odd Jobs fight back against the slander and dirty tricks? By going drag and straight up pissing off the opponents and gaslighting/confusing fans in true Gintama fashion. After unraveling the fact that the Galaxy Kingdom Bitches use brainwashing techniques, the Odd Jobs and friends do what they do best and simply fall back on comical brute force and heartwarming moral success to win the day.

 

The next episode was a two part episode with the first focused on Bandai Namco’s Gintama video game, Gintama Rumble, and a not at all cheap attempt at marketing the game in the last two episodes of the season. They promise. Using Tama, they hack themselves into a try at making the game “better.” This includes attempting to even piggy back off the “Tales of” franchise and of course drawing from traditional JRPGs like Dragon Quest (which to be fair they do constantly) as well as turning it into a Resident Evil/Biohazard game and finishing with Super Mario Brothers. Don’t ask, just watch it.

The second half and final episode was just as insane with Shinpachi’s glasses becoming broken and him obtaining “Curr Sedd” glasses that enable him to see ghosts. We then find out that everyone’s behavior is caused by and maintained by the guardian spirits over each person. Ranging from Kagura’s ” ‘kay” being her spirit asking for alcohol, to Gintoki’s bowel movements, and Sadaharu’s walks being done and/or controlled by these spirits guardian spirits are all part of everyday life. Hilarity ensues from the fact that Gin’s “useless” petty cursing spirit and Kagura’s alcoholic spirit are vicious and powerful, inspiring fear in other spirits. Even better is the fact that Hasegawa is really a powerful spirit guarding his shades, Otae’s is a god tier spirit, and Katsura’s is legitimately a Corolla whereas Hijikata’s is apparently a Masarati Mayorati.

All in all I loved it and I’m ready to see the serious side of things as the show finally concludes (or they troll us like they have 5 times in the past decade and a half about the anime ending). They rolled up a bunch of side character stories from the random homeless dude who they keep stealing the hand cart from being Ikumatsu’s father, to Tsu becoming the galaxy’s greatest idol, to even identifying what causes Kagura’s verbal tic. I’m sad to think its going to be a serious run but I’m glad Gintama is going to end now on a set and planned note, opposed to dying in obscurity or becoming flat out garbage. Do you like Gintama as well? Have you been watching it these past years? Excited for the conclusion? Let me know in a comment and leave a like and subscribe lest it come back to haunt you in a contest 8 years from now.