CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 186
QUESTION FROM MR. GORILLA GORILLA GORILLA
Good morning, great Sorachi sensei! In the 516th lesson it turns out that Gintoki became a student of Shoyo sensei before Takasugi and Katsura. In the manga it appears so, but in the film “Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura Hen” there is a scene that suggests otherwise. A genius like you couldn’t have made a mistake like that! It’s certainly an oversight by those clueless anime staff, isn’t it?! Let me know, great Sorachi sensei!
ANSWER:
Let’s open volume 58 with a critique! I imagine you’re all worrying about me, fearing that I don’t have any arguments to defend myself, but rest assured… As you may have guessed from the name, I wrote this question myself! I did so because I have received many requests for clarification, so I tried to summarize the criticism in a way that would make it easier to tone down the sharpness and break it up with a clean stroke. Actually, I wouldn’t have anything to justify myself for, because there is no such scene in the manga, so let’s cut the bull by saying that the staff decided it on their own. However, in view of the upcoming airing of the anime, I couldn’t just ignore it. So the staff should thank me. Having said that, now we can all reflect together on the matter.
The scene in question is when Gintoki, who was injured in the fight against Nizo, remembers his past. Here’s what you see in the film:
It is true that, if we look only at this scene, it seems that Gintoki entered the school when Katsura and Takasugi were already part of it. Therein lies the contradiction with the manga. But those who have seen the film know that in this flashback there is no dialogue and that the words of Shouyo’s teachings are superimposed on the images, off-screen, so we cannot know what they are saying at that moment. So now the original author of the work will personally take care of inserting the jokes in this scene. So let’s see what it is…
So the scene in question was actually a moment of moral lynching of Gintoki for pooping himself, not his entrance to the school. Of course, the staff members of the film “Shinyaku Benizakura Hen” and I worked together from the beginning, consulting each other in detail, so this scene was born that way. I might have said, “Ah! Please put in the scene of Gintoki pooping his pants, because I couldn’t put it in the manga!” Does that make sense to you now, Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla? Since I’ve convinced myself of that, surely you have too.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 187
QUESTION FROM MR. “I’M CRAZY FOR CHERRIES”, TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA
Good morning, Sorachi sensei! Is there a planet inhabited only by Yato people?
ANSWER:
It doesn’t exist. In the great war that broke out in space a long time ago, the Yato people showed off their extraordinary strength through outstanding ruthless actions. Thus, feared by all, they were exterminated along with their home planet. To this day, the few survivors are not welcome anywhere, so they live in hiding on various remote planets, or have turned to crime, like the Harusame.
That said, the “I had completely forgotten that scene” special in volume 58 ends here. I’ve gone on and on about it, but what I meant to say is that when you find something inconsistent in a work, it’s better to try to read between the lines or make up for a gap by imagining what’s not written, instead of ranting as if you’ve made a great discovery. One should not stop and look at things as they are, but make them the starting point to set the imagination in motion. This is the only way to develop good thinking skills. Moreover, if everyone did that, there would be no more irresponsible people making indecent excuses, like me. If this issue has served to make you reflect in this sense, I am happy. Well, see you in the next volume!
New topic: “Please follow the anime when it comes back on TV”.
Yorozuya Shinigami 