Thank you for purchasing the 65th volume of Gintama. You may already know that a live-action Gintama will be made soon. To be honest, the project had been in the works for a few years, but it always fell through because they couldn’t find a director. To be honest, I didn’t really care, so when someone came forward, I would give them all the material and watch. I took it for granted that the film would be a flop because it would look like cosplay, but this didn’t bother me at all since my work lends itself very well to mockery. So, letting myself be carried away by the course of events, I kept on picking my nose for about a year, during which the whole thing stood still, basking in the thought that “Ooh, how I imagined it was an unfeasible idea!”. However, when I was convinced that the project had vanished completely, I came across some of director Yuichi Fukuda’s works, namely the teledram Aoi Honoo and Yusha Yoshihiko, and then I started thinking “Huh?! Although the actors look like cosplayers, the result isn’t bad at all! Maybe he could have done it!” … But I didn’t tell anyone about it and kept picking my nose, until one day, while I was drinking with Onishi, my first editor, he said to me: “You know, the plan to make a live action film hasn’t completely collapsed yet. Other directors have been named. Do you know Fukuda, the author of Aoi Honoo?” I was amazed.
Well, once the right director was found, the project was unblocked and got off to a flying start, and I could finally relax completely, putting myself completely in Fukuda’s hands. Not that I did anything different before, mind you. Even when they made the Gintama anime, all I did was leave my boogers lying around. I mean, I think the best thing to do, no matter what, is to leave everything to the professionals. If a gorilla like me were to interfere with the work of a willing director, looking like a know-it-all, it would just get in the way. Moreover, the director in question would end up losing enthusiasm. In short, if someone wants to use my work to make an adaptation that fully satisfies him, even if the final product turns out to be a flop, I don’t give a damn. Therefore, I hardly ever put my mouth on the cast either. If it’s a matter of selecting people through whom the director can bring out his potential, I’m fine with Takuzo Kadono as Gin-san. If instead it were me, as the author of Gintama, demanding that very actor as the main character, I bet you’d get the impression that I’d established that Gin-san must look like Takuzo Kadono and you’d think “But he’s nothing like him!” …
I think every reader has the right to keep their image of Gin-san as they’ve built it up, only this time, in Fukuda’s film, it will be Takuzo Kadono playing the role. In fact, it won’t be Shun Oguri at all. It’s just that at the time I was silently picking my nose during the cast meeting, it seemed to me that it had made it easier for everyone to accept that Gintama was taking another form. I had collected so many boogers that I made a figurine out of them, and when I looked at it, everyone exclaimed, “That’s Shun Oguri! Why don’t we hire him?”. That’s how the main character was chosen.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 219
QUESTION FROM MISS “BE HAPPY, DEAR TAKASUGI!”, FROM CHIBA PROVINCE
If the Altana’s influence has given birth to a new species of immortal “mutants”, why has only Kouka survived among Koan’s Yato affected by this mutation? Let me know, Sorachi sensei!
ANSWER:
The Yato who remained on Koan only adapted to the hostile environment, and it took them a long time, but they didn’t become immortal. Only Kouka has undergone that mutation.
Having said that, the special in volume 65, “In the end, I just picked my nose”, ends here. Actually, the real reason why Oguri was chosen is as follows: When the director told him about the film, he said he absolutely wanted the lead role because he’s a big fan of Gintama. So, the director asked me, “What do you think, sensei?” and I said, “Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea because I make fun of Gin-san a lot in the comics and I’m afraid that when Oguri and I meet, it might end up like Suzuran vs Hosen…” I was then told that Oguri’s reaction was, “Well, that’s exactly why Sorachi sensei couldn’t refuse!” …
“Well! Then it’s decided! Our main character will be Oguri!” I was trepidatious when we made that decision. I mean, I don’t think anyone has ever trembled about assigning a role to an actor. If I got sued by Oguri, I would have to pay him at least 800 billion yen. So, I preferred to let him earn that money with the film.
I don’t know what you think of this project, but as you can see, the crew is made up of people who are just as passionate about Gintama as you are, so I’m confident that the result will not disappoint you, even if it turns out to be a flop. I understand your concern about the fear that your image of the work will be spoiled, but in the end, for me, the most fun is in saying “Lupin should be the shaved-head version of Yamane from the Ungirls*!”.
I mean, even these kinds of thoughts are part of the pleasure of witnessing the transposition of a manga into a movie with real actors. So, if possible, I urge you to enjoy the whole process starting with showering Oguri with criticism, both before and after seeing how she plays Gin-san. I’m convinced that Fukuda and Oguri will be able to draw more charm out of my work, but most of all 800 billion yen.
New topic: “I would gladly accept 800 billion yen even if you didn’t see the film.”
(*Famous Japanese comedy duo.)
Yorozuya Shinigami 