I would have liked to prevent these sketches from being published, but since they’ve already been printed, there’s nothing I can do about it. Before Gintama, I did three manga… Of these, two have been published, while one (the work in question) got stuck at the storyboard stage.
Objectively speaking, it was a bad manga that told a story along the lines of: we’re at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and a decaying martial arts gymnasium is raided by the space police who, working together with its members, defeat the extraterrestrial criminals they were chasing… More than anything else, it was the inspiration for Gintama, although this fact is not very well known. Just think, if the heroine didn’t pick her nose periodically, she would go into a state of delirium… Of course it was trashed!
A (STERN) WORD FROM MR. O, THE EDITOR IN CHARGE OF YOURS TRULY
The main character needs to be better characterized. It seems, simply, that she speaks a bit strangely, plus other characteristics that seem added at random. What is the main character capable of doing? What is her talent? Because of her, what kind of experiences will the samurai have? See if you can work it all out!
GINTAMA COMPLETELY NAKED
So, there are two pages left.
Since there’s nothing to do, I have no choice but to get naked… So I’m getting naked!
Those of you who think you don’t want to see me naked and dirty, realize that it’s your soul that’s naked! Yes! Having said that, I would like to tell you how Gintama came about. It all started with a sentence said by my editor, Moncicci Onishi: “You know they’re going to make a historical teledrama about the Shinsengumi next year, don’t you? You have to take advantage of the opportunity!”
At the time, I was thinking of a story to be published as a serial, a play in which monstrous beings were fought in a school. A superficial imitation of Harry Potter, which I had never seen, with the addition of typical Japanese elements (I wouldn’t have had much luck…). Besides, I had already failed once in an attempt to create a historical manga, so I didn’t feel like it.
So I replied to the editor: ‘No historical manga, for the dialogues are too limiting. I won’t be able to take advantage of the boom, dear Moncicci!”.
But he insisted: “When you choose to set the story in a modern era, you always come up with something rather modest! And anyway, you’d like to take advantage of the Potter boom too, wouldn’t you?!”
“Taking advantage of Potter isn’t a problem – he’s foreign!”.
Our discussion was getting bogged down, but finally: ‘I don’t give a damn about the historical setting! The important thing is to create a fantasy work! A historical fantasy! The Shinsengumi and monsters will fight with swords!
In short, I got the worst of it, so I started making the boards. However, I soon got stuck with various problems: contradictions in the plot; irritation at my editor; water seeping into the house; inflammation of the mucous membranes in my mouth; irritation at my editor; more anger at my editor; etc…
“I told you so! I won’t listen to you anymore!”.
So in the end, I did my own thing and Gintama was born! So, in the end, I even took off my underwear… Since I don’t have anything else on, I’ll get dressed and see you in volume 2. And thanks for reading this book!
-Sorachi
Yorozuya Shinigami 