When does Gintama get good?

Gintama anime has maintained its position among the top anime on Myanimelist for years. Despite its massive popularity and high ratings, ‘When does Gintama get good?’ is a question that is asked often. Gintama is without a doubt a well-written show which brilliantly incorporates humor and serious elements.

With references from different Shonen anime from the Big Three to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and astute wordplay, Gintama offers high-quality humor. Even with so many redeeming qualities, Gintama fails to establish its appeal from the get-go in the anime. Making fans ask the question, when does it get good? This article explores the charm of Gintama and exactly when it starts to show up in the anime. 

What makes Gintama anime so good?

Gintama is loved by fans. It gets praised for numerous things. Let’s put together everything that makes Gintama so good: 

• Gintama is a character-driven comedy as opposed to being story-driven. Once you get familiar with the characters, the jokes get drastically better as well. 
• The comedy which is Gintama’s selling point evolves throughout the series. It is served to you in different forms and quite cleverly. In the form of dry humor and drawing references to Japanese pop culture.
• When you start to define the comedy, the serious arcs chime in to enhance the experience by evoking multiple emotions within you. 

Additionally, Gintama is a slow burn. You need to stick around for some time to understand the setting and the characters, the show gives you rewarding moments in the form of tear-jerkers and hysterical laughs. 

When does Gintama get good?

Gintama is a blend of different genres and you’ll probably find something or some things that are pleasing to you. This is why different viewers fall in love with Gintama at different points. 

• Essentially Gintama is a comedy. Many fans have been drawn to Gintama since episode 1 because of the funny bits. With that said Episodes 1 and 2 are fillers, so maybe starting with episode 3 will help you have a better experience. 
• If you’re a few episodes in and still don’t get the appeal of Gintama, then stick around till the first serious arc. The Benizakura arc starts at episode 58. It shows you what Gintama has to offer besides the comedy. 
• The Benizakura arc was also adapted into a movie. 

The first serious arc of Gintama is the point where most fans of the series got hooked to it. With that said, ‘When does Gintama get good’ is a subjective question with no definite answer. All the checkpoints where Gintama peaks at the beginning are mentioned here. If you still don’t feel the spark or the enjoyment you expected, maybe it’s just not for you. 

Conclusion

If you go into the anime expecting fights and serious arcs back to back, you are going in with the wrong expectations. Gintama prioritizes comedy first and foremost. The anime deserves all the praise it gets but it’s not for everyone. It has the potential to become your favorite anime of all time but you need to be patient with it.

A hundred episodes in, and if you’re still asking yourself and others when does it get good? Maybe it’s time to bid farewell to Gin San, my friend.