Gintama': Futon ni Haitte kara Buki Nokoshi ni Kizuite Neru ni Nerenai Toki mo Aru

Mod Note: This review was written for Gintama OVA, the entry page of Gintama OVA has been merged with Gintama: Jump Festa 2014 Special. Well then~ This was a slightly confounding OVA - appearing almost around the exact same time as the first episode for Gintama 2015 (Gintama°), so initially I thought it WAS the first episode! And really, this OVA feels very much like a first episode for a new season of Gintama, so it was understandable if people were confused! So, for such a nice little surprise; here is a nice little review: Let me break it down~ ~STORY~ Gintama's episodic storytelling at its finest. Starting out with a small 'skit' about how its been a year, scared that the voice actors have forgotten how to do the character's voices, worrying that they're ripping off other shows with their opening. You know, all the good 4th wall breaking stuff that Gintama is great at~ After this brief intro, it cuts to the main story, a return of a character that only appeared in episode 89 of the original series. And, same as last time, he is determined to teach them an ULTIMATE MOVE! But not to become stronger. No! The ULTIMATE MOVE is to get SPONSORS, the true power for any anime! Cue cameos of some of the other side characters, references, and a couple of jokes that run throughout the episode~ It's certainly the Gintama I know and love! ~ART~ Gintama's new look (this OVA looking very similar to the new season) is just a slightly cleaner and shinier version of the previous season a couple of years ago~ No major changes - though I thought Shinpachi and Kagura's eyes look just a tiny bit larger and shinier. ~SOUND~ Pretty much all the same sort of music from previous seasons, which (I do have to say) is becoming increasingly noticeable after over 265 episodes. ~CHARACTERS~ I don't know why I possibly had reason to worry~ All the characters are still the same lovable bunch from before~ Never change~ ~ENJOYMENT~ It's Gintama. It's funny. I laughed many times. Of course I enjoyed it! ~OVERALL~ Gintama is back! This OVA is a nice little taster of the season that is to come! It's like an alternative episode 1 for the new season, with different episode 1 style jokes! Watch it, though if you're reading this, you probably have already~ Toodles~

Basically, this is a one-shot episode where the characters get together one last time (obviously, the anime got renewed, though) to say goodbye. The beginning of this episode wasn't the best thing in the world. It didn't really bring the brand of Gintama comedy that makes this anime so brilliant. It features a running joke that comes from the first 201 episodes of the anime, but it isn't the best thing they could have pulled for this. It is funny in the sense that it breaks the fourth wall, and that's very Gintama, but other than that it just overdid a joke that was funny but not Gintama funny. The ending was a nice showing of almost all the characters that Gintama has created and shown on a consistent basis. This part was Gintama funny, and it even had a little bit of Gintama emotion. The ending did a good job of presenting the characters' relationships, so this episode was worth watching just for that. The ending song is atrocious, but Gintama is nothing if not an anime that takes jokes too far and makes them funny and atrocious at the same time. Well, I'm off to the next stage.

This is typical Gintama... and like always, it is hilarious. This episode captures everything from Gintama I could want; fourth wall breaks, all of the characters together, the building up of jokes, and plenty of laughter. The ring-a-ding-dong joke had me laughing every single time they added to it. It was probably one of the best jokes of the whole show. I wish more people knew about this episode because it is an undiscovered gold mine. This episode is as good as any other comedy episode from season 4. I recommend this to any fan of Gintama! Please pass thing along to other people who have seen the show, because this episode is an episode that should be watched and enjoyed by everyone, just like I did,

The madness of Gintama is back, haha. This episode is just a special released to celebrate the manga's 58th volume. To be honest, it’s basically one satire after another, taking full advantage of the freedom Gintama has to poke fun at other works, the anime itself, and even the viewers. There are references to Bleach and Dragon Ball, along with various completely absurd situations that only make sense within Gintama's chaotic logic, haha. The best part is that the episode makes no secret of the fact that it knows exactly what it's doing. Fourth-wall breaking happens constantly, with characters commenting on situations that would usually be ignored in other anime and making jokes about production elements. It’s the kind of humor that relies heavily on you already knowing the series and understanding Gintama's style, but when the references land, it’s hard not to have a laugh. Visually, I found the episode quite pleasing as well. The animation is nice and keeps pace well with the jokes, especially during the more over-the-top scenes. It’s not something that will impress with action or grandeur, since that’s never really the goal here, but there is a visual polish that makes the special even more fun to watch. For me, it was really fun revisiting this episode after so long. It holds no major significance for the story and adds practically nothing to the main plot, so you can watch it casually without expecting any major character development. It’s simply Gintama being Gintama, using a short story to pack in as many jokes as possible. At the same time, I think that precisely because it focuses so much on references and humor, it doesn't quite pack the same punch as some of the series' best episodes. At its best, *Gintama* manages to strike an incredible balance between comedy, drama, action, and character development, whereas the premise here is much simpler: sit back, watch the craziness unfold, and have a few laughs. Even so, this special captures much of the series' essence. The abundance of references, the constant breaking of the fourth wall, the characters acting like total idiots, and the feeling that anything could happen make for an experience that is quintessentially Gintama. Ultimately, I recommend this episode mainly to those who already follow the series and want another dose of that completely off-the-wall humor. It isn't essential for understanding the story, and certainly doesn't rank among the franchise's most memorable episodes, but it works very well as a short special to satisfy the urge to see these characters again. It was fun to revisit after so long, even if it isn't exactly the best Gintama has to offer. Rating: 6/10. =================================================================================================================Versão em Português===================================== A loucura de Gintama está de volta kkk. Esse episódio é apenas um especial lançado em comemoração ao volume 58 do mangá. Sendo bem sincero, esse episódio é basicamente uma sátira atrás da outra, aproveitando justamente a liberdade que Gintama tem para brincar com outras obras, com o próprio anime e até com quem está assistindo. Temos referências a Bleach e Dragon Ball, além de várias situações completamente absurdas que só fazem sentido dentro da lógica caótica de Gintama kkkkk. O mais divertido é que o episódio não tenta esconder que sabe exatamente o que está fazendo. A quebra da quarta parede aparece o tempo inteiro, com os personagens comentando situações que normalmente seriam ignoradas em outros animes e fazendo piada com elementos da própria produção. É aquele tipo de humor que depende bastante de você já conhecer a obra e entender o estilo de Gintama, mas, quando as referências encaixam, fica difícil não dar algumas risadas. Visualmente, também achei o episódio bem agradável. A animação é bonita e consegue acompanhar bem o ritmo das piadas, principalmente durante as cenas mais exageradas. Não é algo que vá impressionar pela ação ou pela grandiosidade, até porque esse nunca é realmente o objetivo aqui, mas existe um cuidado visual que deixa o especial ainda mais divertido de assistir. Para mim, foi bem divertido rever esse episódio depois de tanto tempo. Ele não tem nenhuma grande importância para a história e praticamente não acrescenta nada à trama principal, então dá para assistir tranquilamente sem esperar qualquer desenvolvimento relevante dos personagens. É simplesmente Gintama sendo Gintama e aproveitando uma história curta para fazer o máximo de piadas possíveis. Ao mesmo tempo, acho que justamente por ser um episódio tão focado em referências e humor, ele acaba não tendo o mesmo impacto de alguns dos melhores episódios da obra. Gintama consegue equilibrar comédia, drama, ação e desenvolvimento de personagens de uma maneira absurda em seus melhores momentos, enquanto aqui a proposta é muito mais simples: sentar, assistir às maluquices e dar algumas risadas. Ainda assim, é um especial que carrega bastante da essência da obra. A quantidade de referências, a quebra constante da quarta parede, os personagens agindo como completos idiotas e a sensação de que qualquer coisa pode acontecer fazem com que seja uma experiência bastante característica de Gintama. No fim, é um episódio que recomendo principalmente para quem já acompanha a série e quer ver mais uma dose desse humor completamente sem noção. Não é obrigatório para entender a história e definitivamente não está entre os episódios mais memoráveis da franquia, mas funciona muito bem como um pequeno especial para matar a saudade dos personagens. Foi divertido rever depois de tanto tempo, mesmo que não seja exatamente o melhor que Gintama tem para oferecer. Nota: 6/10.