CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 283
QUESTION FROM MR. “KAGURA IS REALLY AN ANGEL”, FROM ISHIKAWA PROVINCE
Hello, Sorachi sensei. Thank you for carrying on the magazine publication of Gintama for fourteen long years! After the final chapter, will the work continue as The New Prince of Tennis? Please tell me!
ANSWER:
Well, it probably won’t continue that long. I am currently making the second chapter that will be published in “GIGA”. As far as the progression of the plot goes, comparing it to the life of a cicada, it’s as if the cicada went back underground for a moment, after spending its last day singing its heart out, and thought, “Did I lock the door?”. How? Don’t you guys get it right? Then, comparing it to Terminator 2, in the scene where Schwarzenegger sinks into some sort of blast furnace with his thumb up after the final battle, it’s as if he reappears, after exiting the blast furnace, and bending his thumb says, “Had I turned off the gas stove?” Huh? Still don’t get it? So, speaking plainly, I don’t get it either, help me!
With that said, let volume 76 begin!
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 284
QUESTION FROM MISS MAYUMI HARAGUCHI, SAITAMA PROVINCE
Gin-san and Shinpachi always use a wooden sword, even when they are fighting and putting their lives on the line. Perhaps it’s because they respect the Haitorei edict? But shouldn’t Shinpachi have inherited a real sword from his father? Anyway, are wooden swords really that strong?
ANSWER:
Shinpachi’s wooden sword was also purchased through “Galaxy TV Shopping”, like Gin-san’s. It is a special weapon, called the “Glasses Crushing Divine Sword”. It is sturdier than an ordinary metal sword and is capable of shattering glasses with a single blow. Anyway, if they use a wooden sword, it’s because they don’t want to kill their opponents, but just knock them out and neutralize them.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 285
QUESTION FROM MR. “THE MOON AND THE SUN” OF FUKUOKA PROVINCE
Good morning, Sorachi sensei! In volume 66, when Oboro recalls the past, he says, “Sensei thought I was dead.”… But Shouyo, since he had given his immortal blood to Oboro, shouldn’t he have thought he might be alive, even after being crushed by a boulder? If you could clarify this doubt for me, I would be very grateful!
ANSWER:
Shouyo acted in that way out of the desire to save Oboro from a horrible end, but even though he hoped that thanks to his blood Oboro could escape death, he didn’t think at all that an immortal individual like him could be born. Therefore, he regretted his own thoughtless act, which had turned that little boy into a monster. Maybe that’s why Shouyo didn’t resist when he went to capture him.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 286
QUESTION FROM MISS IMAI, TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA
I’m a dumb seventh grader who wants to draw shonen manga when I grow up. I don’t have any idea if a woman can do it too. If you don’t mind, please tell me!
ANSWER:
There are many brilliant female authors publishing in “Jump,” and all of them draw manga far more manly than those made by their male counterparts. On top of that, they manage to be as delicate as it’s impossible for a man to be. So, I really wish they would all die. I mean, you’re welcome to try, even if you’re a woman, but know that your name will end up in my black book.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 287
QUESTION FROM MISS YUINA, AICHI PROVINCE
Sorachi sensei, I’m bad at drawing, especially when it comes to characterizing characters. A friend gave me some advice, “First you have to draw the outline, doing ‘SSSH’, and then proceed with the rest, always doing ‘SSSH SSSH SSSH’… And that’s it!”. I mean, all she said to me was “SSSH SSSH” and I couldn’t understand her at all. Give me some more understandable advice, please!
ANSWER:
First of all you have to draw the outline, doing “ROARRR”, then, if you do “THUD THUD” always doing “ROARRR”, it results in reverse “THUD”, so, if you do “THUD” in that point, it becomes “THUD”.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 288
QUESTION BY MR. INUDANGO, FROM HYOGO PROVINCE
Lately, I’ve often been reminded of an incident that made me feel embarrassed, at which point I start to cry out, like “Aaaaah!”, even if it’s not a big deal, but I can’t do anything after that. Does this happen to you too, Sorachi sensei? If I go on like this, I’ll have big problems, I’ll have to prepare for my exams soon, so if you could give me some advice, I’d be very grateful.
ANSWER:
It happens to me too to shout “Aaaaah!”, although the episodes that come back to me are mostly focused on my university period. Moreover, the memories that make me shout “Aaaaah!” increase as the years go by. However, even re-reading Gintama volume 1 makes me shout “Aaaaah!”. We’re all the same. Probably even the great samurai Hideyoshi would shout, “That time I went too far with the sword hunting! Aaaaah!”, and maybe even St. Francis Xavier would exclaim, “That time I cut my hair too much! Aaaaah!” We could say that the history of mankind is a struggle against the “Aaaaah!”. Only that the past from which the “Aaaaah!” arise cannot be changed, so we have only to commit ourselves to build a future without “Aaaaah!”. Building it, however, requires doing “Aaaaah!” properly, without running away from the “Aaaaah!”. Why did you shout “Aaaaah!” at that moment? You have to trace the cause of all the “Aaaaah!” back to never repeat the same thing that makes you shout “Aaaaah!”. Well, I’d say that a 39-year-old giving such an answer is… “AAAAAAAAH!”
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 289
QUESTION FROM MISS “I WISH KAMUI WORE A PONYTAIL” FROM AICHI PROVINCE
The meeting between me and Gintama happened by chance, when one day I passed by the living room while my sister was watching the anime on TV. At that moment, Katsura was on the screen, but it looked like Goemon to me, so I asked my sister, “Is that Goemon?”, and she said, “It’s not Goemon, it’s Katsura!”. In addition to the aesthetics, the fact that he is being chased by the police also makes him look similar to Goemon… Did I get it?
ANSWER:
Katsura’s character was conceived with a more austere version of Shiryu, the one from Saint Seiya, in mind. He was born after shattering the latter’s image with a hammer and reattaching the pieces with scotch tape. As for the relationship between Katsura and the Shinsengumi, it’s true that it’s based on that between Lupin and Zenigata.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 290
QUESTION FROM MR. “GREAT OF UDON WITH BURDOCK TEMPURA”, FROM FUKUOKA PROVINCE
Sensei, had you shown your works to anyone other than the editors of “Jump” before you began serializing Gintama? For example, to your friends, family members, schoolmates…? I’d love to know their impressions.
ANSWER:
I’ve never shown them to anyone, because as a child I had a trauma when my father made fun of me for the manga I had secretly drawn in an elementary school notebook. Only when a self-contained work of mine came out in Jump, I couldn’t help but tell my parents, who were so worried about me since I hadn’t found a job yet. So after reading it, my dad said, “That’s pretty good! Okay, try to go all the way!” as if he was my teacher and not the man who had traumatized me for life. When the second self-contained manga was published, I told him that he didn’t have to give me his impressions back, but even that time the teacher said the right words: “It’s boring and the language used by the girls is too vulgar! Start over!” So I thought of smashing his bald head with a corner of Jump, but since I was being supported by my parents I restrained myself from doing so and wrestled with the pillow in my room. After a while I heard a knock on the door and my dad’s voice from outside, “Um…I re-read the manga and found it funny, you know?” It was obvious he was lying and I could tell he had come to me because he had been scolded by my mother. In short, after witnessing those thoughtful acts on the part of my family, I was even more traumatized.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 291
QUESTION FROM MR. “A DEVIL FRUIT APPEARED IN THE LIVE ACTION!” FROM GIFU PROVINCE
I’ve been feeling uneasy ever since the countdown began. At the memory of all those scenes and your great deeds, sometimes I can’t work, and I won’t hide the fact that I often feel like crying… Your figure as you continue to advance on your way, in my eyes, seems heroic like few. You were beside me at all times. There was no need to reach the end, just because this is the last summer of the Heisei era. Your fiery words made my heart throb.
Your sorrowful and distressed face made it tighten.
The influence you had on me is immeasurable. No one can understand how much energy I received from that person! I couldn’t believe this day would come. I thought everything would go on for eternity. I didn’t even know the word eternity.” There is little time left now, but I will continue to support your exploits until the end and say goodbye to you with a smile. It’s not easy to put into words how I feel, but now the only thing I can say is, “Good job!” and then, “Thank you for everything, Namie Amuro*!”.
ANSWER:
HEY!
That said, the volume 76 special “Goodbye, Namie” ends here. Tell Namie that I won’t make her wait that long, because I’ll be joining her soon too, so let her be ready! When I stand before you… “Can you celebrate?**”
New topic: “Can you celebrate?”
*Popular Japanese singer who retired from her career.
**Title of a song by Namie Amuro.
Yorozuya Shinigami 