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New Gintama Anime Film's Teaser Claims January 2021 Film Is 'Finale for Real'

Warner Bros. Japan began streaming a teaser trailer for the new anime film of Hideaki Sorachi's Gintama manga on Wednesday. The teaser reveals the film's Gintama: The Final title and its January 8, 2021 opening date.

The teaser opens with Gintoki complaining that he can't do his job because of having to stay at home during the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, but Kagura comments that he doesn't usually do his job anyway. Gintoki says that having to stay at home might be a good thing, because having to act out the fight scenes in the manga is too much. When Gintoki comments that they have to wear masks while doing their job, the teaser shows a version of the movie's visual with Gintoki and Kagura with masks on, but Shinpachi remains without a mask as they only have two. Kagura comments that his glasses should be enough protection. The teaser teases that the movie will be the "the finale, for real this time" for the franchise.

The manga is also inspiring a new net anime special with a story that will tie into the film. It will premiere exclusively in Japan on the online dTV service in "early 2021."

Sorachi's original "science-fiction period-drama comedy" manga began in 2003 and ended in June 2019 with over 55 million copies in circulation. It has inspired several television anime series and 367 total episodes. The latest anime series premiered in July 2018.

Hulu began streaming the first 49 episodes with an English dub on December 1. The only previous episodes to receive an English dub are episodes 266 through 316 (considered season 3 of the anime). Those episodes are available to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation, and the companies released them on home video in 2018.

Sentai Filmworks released the anime's first 49 episodes on DVD in 2010 and 2011. That release did not include an English dub.

The manga has inspired two previous anime films (before the upcoming third one), various original video anime (OVA) projects and event anime, two live-action films, and two live-action net spinoffs. Viz Media published the manga's first 23 volumes in English.

Sources: Warner Bros. Japan's YouTube channel, Comic Natalie