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New Gintama Season Mocks Bawling Japanese Politician

The first episode of Gintama's fourth incarnation as a TV series aired on April 8 by satirizing Ryūtarou Nonomura, an assemblyman from Hyōgo Prefecture who infamously erupted in tears and howls while apologizing for misuse of public funds on hot springs trips.

In the clip, Gin takes the role of Nonomura, appearing before a press conference to apologize for restarting Gintama after the Gekijōban Gintama Kanketsu-hen: Yorozuya yo Eien Nare (Final Gintama: The Movie: Be Forever Yorozuya). He then bursts into tears when Shinpachi asks him what happened. Gin explains that the Gintama movie made 1.7 billion yen (or $14 million) and he felt thankful for the fans' positive response. Then he rambles on about "money mongrels" in suits and the producer fooling around with women. When the audience complains that he isn't making any sense, he regains his composure (if not his hairstyle) and begins the episode.

While politicians frequently convene press conferences to deliver apologies in Japan, they are rarely as theatrical as Nonomura's. His hysterical apology inspired a steady stream of mockery online and even attracted foreign media attention. Its ubiquity earned it a Silver Award at the Great Internet Buzzword Awards last year.

The scene itself also made waves in the Shonen Jump office and from fellow official series Twitter accounts. The Shonen Jump account tweeted, "Upon watching the opening, the entire editorial staff was left speechless. Because he already knew what would happen, all Manabe [Gintama's editor] could do was remain motionless."

The Food Wars! account wrote, "The [Shonen Jump] editorial department is in an uproar about the Gintama anime opening."

Gintama's former editor wrote on the official Haikyu!! account, "From my experience as former editor of Gintama, when watching the anime I was always either in a mental state of abandon like ‘what happens happens’, or thinking 'Who let this into Jump!? It was me!?'. Keep strong, Manabe! Be that as it may, congratulations on the continuation of Gintama!!”

Thanks to Adib Ojjeh for the tip!

Source: Japan Times, Kotaku