Gintama

Episode 362

After eight straight episodes of wearing its serious face, Gintama lightens the mood as it returns to its comedic and devastatingly sarcastic roots. With Utsuro vanquished and the Altana Liberation Army dissolved, episode 362 gives viewers a glance at the war's immediate aftermath and reveals what's become of some our favorite Kabuki District residents two years in the future. Although the Heavenly Bird was stopped from leveling Edo thanks to a last-minute save by Takasugi, the Kabuki District is largely in ruins, and Odd Jobs Gin-chan/Snack Otose is no exception. It's also revealed that Sadaharu made it out alive, but with every ounce of his Zen energy depleted, he's shrunk to a portable size and fallen into a deep sleep inside of a protective sphere of Altana. Since Ane and Mone have no idea when he'll awaken, Kagura decides to look for answers on other planets. Similarly, Gintoki informs the kids that he's “found something he needs to do” and leaves Shinpachi in charge of carrying on the Odd Jobs mantle.

Flash forward two years. Despite Shinpachi's misleadingly grim narration at the end of the previous episode, the people of Edo have become much stronger in the years following the war. (Even the ornery café manager takes a stand against the Chatorian ambassadors he once kowtowed to.) Gin and Kagura are still on their respective quests, and Shinpachi continues to run Odd Jobs Gin-chan by himself. Hasegawa has taken the lion's share of the credit for saving the planet and cashes in on his newfound fame at every available opportunity. Otae, having quit the hostess life, has gained weight and now commands a Ginyu Force-esque battalion of alien cabaret girls. Kondo has quit the Shinsengumi and become a dutiful househusband to Princess Bubbles, the third generation queen of Planet Gorilla and a literal gorilla. Gengai is still unable to repair Tama, but in her absence, he's activated Tamako, the Fuyu Number Zero's “mini version.” While Tama remains in sleep mode, everything Tamako experiences will become part of her memories. Princess Soyo has named Nobume Edo's first Commissioner-General of police, a position for which she's uniquely qualified. With the Meiji period dawning, Japan has moved to a parliamentary system of government, and the country's first prime minister has demoted and punished the core members of the Shinsengumi in various ways. This mysterious figure, who appeared on the political scene without warning and seized power in the blink of an eye, is revealed to be Katsura, who's taken on the name Donald Zuramp. Shinpachi ends the episode by musing that the country is doomed.

Gintama has always been a series that specialized in subverting expectations, and the latest installment is essentially an episode-length exercise in this. Within its first minute, the episode shifts from a thoughtful homage to Gintoki and Shinpachi's first meeting to an off-the-wall parody of that iconic scene. Expectations are turned on their head even more when it's revealed that the various indicators of Kondo and Otae being happily married are red herrings. (Kudos to Sorachi for not rewarding Kondo for his years of stalking.) Although these subversions sometimes seem excessively harsh on certain characters (particularly Shinpachi and Kondo), they're perfectly in line with the show's humor, which has always had a pretty brutal mean streak. In essence, this episode takes every natural narrative development and does a complete 180.

Episode 362 also functions as a pitch-perfect parody of shonen manga epilogues. Kondo's marriage to Princess Bubbles is a hilarious send-up of the random pairings that have been known to occur after time-skips, and Otose and Catherine's fear of being paired up with “randos” helps drive this joke home. Tamako claiming that Shinpachi is her father is another not-so-subtle dig at important developments that are glossed over in flash-forwards. However, despite all the laughs, the episode manages to work in a few emotional moments. The Odd Jobs trio going their separate ways immediately after defeating Utsuro is particularly hard to watch, especially after all the sacrifices they made to protect their home and stay together. It's probably safe to assume that the gang will be reunited by the end, but the dissolution of Odd Jobs Gin-chan truly marks the end of an era—for both the characters and viewers.

Following its longest foray into seriousness, it's great to see Gintama back in comedic form, and there's no better character to be at the center of all the insanity than Shinpachi. Though the characters make quips about the series coming to an end, it seems like Gintama has a fair amount of gas left in its tank before curtain call. In many respects, episode 362 feels more like the beginning of a brand new story than an endcap.

Rating: A-

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.