A new fan sub group named Silver Soul subs is dedicating itself to provide entirely new subtitles for the entire Gintama anime with fixes, improved translations, and more translator notes on references and subtle jokes within each episode. As posted by user u/SinbadVetra on the Gintama subreddit back in July, people that can work on typesetting, translation checking, editing, quality checking, kfx and more have mostly been recruited. They lacked a translation checker proficient enough in the Japanese language, but they’ve currently found one who can help with that as well. Now, they’re in need of a member who can write a list of as many references and translator notes per each episodes, whose work will also be credited by the team.
If you’re capable of doing such work and would like to participate in this new project in order to contribute to the Gintama community, or even help spread the word by further by sharing this with friends, or other social platforms until new people hop on this fan project, you can join their public server here.
There's a fan project in the works for a new subbed version of the Gintama anime. The group has found most of the needed personnel, and are in need of someone who can write references/tl notes per each episode.
In the Weekly Shonen Jump 36/37 issue that was released today in Japan, the 10th installment in the 3nen Zgumi Ginpachi Sensei spin-off series by Tomohito Osaki, titled, Gintama: 3nen Zgumi Ginpachi Sensei – Come To The School Camp* was announced. This volume, which is the second released ever since the announcement of the anime in 2023, is coming out as a premiere to said upcoming anime which will be releasing in October. The brief summary of the story content released by the official Jump J Books portal found in the volume is as follows:
Ginpachi, Shinpachi & Kagura battle over lost items
There’s a thrilling White Day battle led by the Shinsengumi
Ginpachi somehow finds himself partaking in a part-time job at Ub*r Eats in place of Hasegawa the Madao
Class 3Z go on a treasure hunt during a school trip on a deserted island.
The new volume will be releasing on October 3, 2025 (Fri.), purposely timed with the release of the anime, which despite not having a release date yet, is likely to come out days later, or possibly on the day.
The Gintama spin-off, 3nen Zgumi Ginpachi Sensei, will begin broadcasting in October 2025, and its Blu-ray and DVD release will be releasing early on. Ahead of this release, the anime staff has decided to hold a poll on Gintama’s Aniplex portal, to decide pair of characters will appear on the cover art. The poll begins today, and ends on March 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM (JST). The results will be announced at a later date.
Sorachi’s interview excerpt from the The Shonen Jump Guide To Making Manga book (Official translation by C. Cook from VIZ Media).
What knowledge would have benefitted you when starting your manga career?
We often see publicly available info about how pros with a team of assistants might split up their time and workload when trying to finish a draft, but you rarely see authors doing all that work alone, despite the fact that that’s the reality of it for most new authors. I think a lot of newcomers have their spirits crack under the weight of the overwhelming workload and end up giving up on their unfinished drafts. It would behoove them to hear a bit about the need to be mentally prepared for all that. My first-ever draft had me writhing in agony for half a year. The manga author’s journey is at its most brutal at the start.
What did you do first after deciding to become a manga author (e.g., practicing, strategizing, etc.)? And/or, did you have an efficient way to practice?
Introspection. I analyzed myself and reflected on my best weapons to take into battle (and my worst ones). I decided what I would set out to do (and what I wouldn’t) with as much self-awareness as possible.
What are you mindful of when revisiting your storyboards (either when self-editing or taking advice from editorial)?
I give my storyboards a fresh look and re-examine what role each page will play. For instance, one page might be the “free page” that comes before a big gag. So, which panels does it absolutely need, and which can it do without? I tend to have my metaphorical writer’s camera pulled way back at first, but when I zoom in more and more until the details of the picture come into focus. That’s the best way I’ve found to fix up my work.
Is there any way you could have been better prepared before your serialization began?
Having a stockpile of character designs to draw from in advance. Creating characters from scratch, while working on a weekly series? Woof, that’s rough. Both mentally and physically.
What do you bear in mind when creating a manga (e.g. personal themes and throughlines)?
Sorachi: I’m always searching for the intersection point of what I want to draw and what readers want to read. When there are lots of those intersections, that equals more opportunities to stop and take a breather. But if you only have one of those two lines to start with, you’ll be caught up in one-way traffic and will just have to go with the flow.
What’s your approach to creating strong, memorable characters?
I decide from the start what a given character is allowed to do and what they aren’t, and make the character follow those rules to a T, at first. That’s fundamental. If the author and reader don’t have a basic shared understanding about the essence of a character, then by definition, the author can never do anything shocking or unexpected with the character to win them more fans. Next, create settings and stories that force you to loosen the rules that constrained your character.
Ultimately, I believe readers want to see characters act like themselves at times, but also not, at other times.
How should one practice creating those strong characters?
When you find that you’re fond of someone in life, analyze how your own feelings on them involved. Cases where you were a huge fan of someone from the start are less useful than experiences where you disliked someone at first and they ended up growing on you. For example, there might be some foul, disgusting creep of an actor who’s obnoxiously handsome, but there come those rare moments when he says just the right thing on a variety show that makes you go, “Huh, he’s not bad at all.” At that moment, drop what you’re doing and run that self-analysis to figure out what’s going on in your head. Why’d you hate him originally? What changed? As someone creating characters, you have to be able to control that likable vs. unlikable dial however you see fit.
How long does it take to create the storyboards for a single nineteen-page chapter of manga?
Three to five days.
How long does it take you to finish the full draft for a single nineteen-page chapter of manga?
Two to three days.
Beyond creating your storyboards, what do you do to come up with ideas and plot points for your work?
I consume lots of manga, movies, books, anime, and video games. I take note of story patterns and turn them into my personally stockpile of ideas. More specifically, I write down stuff I find interesting or boring, and then think about why I felt that way. It’s my eternal homework assignment and hobby.
Is there anything you referenced when creating your one-shots?
My grand challenge was being more concise with my stories, so I read all the Akamaru Jump* one-shots I could find and compared how each author approached their page distribution to my own approach, which helped me make progress. The tricks to cutting down on length are knowing when the scene changes should happen, knowing how long to spend on each scene, and cutting everything that can be cut.
*One of Jump’s older sister magazines. Now known as Jump GIGA.
SHONEN JUMP TREASURE ROOKIE MANGA AWARD #37, JULY 2010 INTERVIEW
Q: What do you pay attention to when writing dialogue?
Sorachi: I write with the hope that I can portray how the characters live outside the manga, outside the panels, and in other places that aren’t shown. Not in a descriptive sense, but in a way that releases a piece of language that opens up the imagination. Without it, it would be impossible to display the characters to their fullest in a few pages.
Q: What do you do to draw characters in an attractive way?
Sorachi: First, I have to make myself like them. Only you can protect a character who is about to be obliterated by the reader. If you have the determination and commitment to do your best to protect them and say, “No, this guy is more interesting,” I think you can create an interesting fellow.
Q: Do you have any ‘tricks’ for drawing a neat ending to an episode?
Sorachi: I’d like to ask myself that, but anyway, as many times as time permits, I reread the story and rearrange the structure. I think you should suffer through the process of polishing to the point of getting fed up. I am sure that such suffering will not be in vain.
Q: What advice would you give to those who are aiming for the Treasure Rookie Manga Award?
You need to work as hard as or, harder than the writers in order to overtake the current serialization team. Think about your manga all day long. You have to love your manga that much. Turn your manga into something that you yourself can appreciate. Let’s all work hard for each other.
SHONENJUMP TREASURE ROOKIE MANGA AWARD #49, JULY 2011 INTERVIEW
Q: Please tell us about “A character whose appearance was well crafted”, ‘A character with a well-crafted gap’ and ‘A character who successfully created a sense of relatability”.
Sorachi:
A CHARACTER WHOSE APPEARANCE WAS WELL CRAFTED
I had a hard time creating the languid impression of Gin-san. A character’s appearance is the first information that readers see, so it can be said to be their foundation. So, without that established image of the character, you won’t notice some differences once they start acting in an unusual way. So, I try to make sure that the character’s appearance is foreseeable to a certain extent, so that people immediately think, “Oh, this is probably the kind of person they are”.
A CHARACTER WITH A WELL-CRAFTED GAP
Katsura in the earlier chapters. In his case, I first created the base of a samurai-like serious character combined with his appearance, and additionally beat him to a pulp with an exaggerated, off-kilter sense of style. The character was originally a serious character, so no matter how I drew him, there was huge gap, but it was fun. A gap is like a slight saltiness to sugar, and inevitably, a character’s taste will be typological if only the base sweetness is used. Adding a little discomfort, a little saltiness, can enhance the sweetness or create a unique sweetness.
CHARACTERS WHO SUCCESSFULLY CREATED A SENSE OF RELATABILITY
I don’t know about the readers, but I relate to Kondo and Hasegawa. In a word, they are no-good folks, but I believe that humanity lies in people’s faults and shortcomings, and their flaws are weaknesses that we all have… so I think there are many aspect of their characters that we can all relate to. I try to portray a character who is both pure and appealing, who has charm that overshadows their flaws, and whose flaws can also be seen as charms.
SHONEN JUMP TREASURE ROOKIE MANGA AWARD #63, SEPTEMBER 2012 INTERVIEW
Q: What are the tips to keep in mind when drawing unique characters and works?
Sorachi: Those with more manga experience, be it in terms of characters or stories, have acquired a sense of manga patterns, or manga grammar, based on existing works and rules of thumb. This is an essential part of drawing manga, but simply following a pattern is not enough to create a manga that is unique to you. The first idea that comes to mind is often just a recollection of the pattern, so before originality, I think it is important to first break down the idea and reassemble it using your own brain, whether you are going to follow a pattern or not.
SHONEN JUMP TREASURE ROOKIE MANGA AWARD #98, AUGUST 2015 INTERVIEW
Q: Please tell us what you had in mind when you drew Dandelion, which won the Tenkaichi Manga Award.
Sorachi: I thought that the fastest way to stand out from other new writers was to not do what other people seem to be doing. I decided to stop trying to compete in the fields revolving abilities/techniques and battles and, since I had studied advertising and catchphrases at university, I decided to use words as my weapon of choice. I was fine with losing in everything else, but I set myself the challenge of not losing to anyone in the field of dialogue. There are countless areas in manga where you can be creative, but I think that by being aware of your own weapons, you will be able to see what you need to do and what you don’t need to do.
Q: What are you conscious of in your character’s dialogue?
Sorachi: If I just write the lines that come to mind, they will just be lines that the writer has the character say just to advance the story. I try to make the character speak after carefully examining how they would say the line or whether or not they would really say the line. Even if that derails the story, I give priority to the character. The reader wants to read not just a story, but the story of the characters.
Q: What are some of the things you take into consideration when subverting the reader’s expectations?
There is always a pretense before the surprise. For example, a character who said they were going to get married soon suddenly dies in an accident, or a character who warned their friends climbing a precipice to be careful not to fall over a rock, stumbles over it and falls down first. When I feel that something is wrong, be it a surprise or a gag, it is not so much about the scene itself, but it’s the preceding scene that is not well executed, so I try to go back to that point.
SHONENJUMP TREASURE ROOKIE MANGA AWARD #110, JULY 2016 INTERVIEW
Q: What do you consider when writing impactful characters?
Sorachi: Even if a character acts chaotically from the viewpoint of the readers, I think the behaviour has to be consistent and inevitable for the character themselves. If you don’t think about the philosophies of life, propensities or other details that led to the behaviour, and what kind of life the character has led because of these, they will just act out of character. So, impact is important, but I think it’s also important to lay the groundwork for the character to fit in.
Q: What do you keep in mind to draw readers in with your characters’ conversations?
Sorachi: I write them almost as if it were a quarrel rather than a conversation. The purpose of a conversation in a manga is to show the reader the characters, rather than to get along with them, so the more you have them disagree with each other, the more colorful they become. A character who only expresses the same opinion as someone else is as good as dead in a manga. I try to think about and understand the desires and needs of each character, and try to create a conversation that expresses their “self” in line with said desires and needs.
Q: And what do you keep in mind when having your characters make fun of each other?
Sorachi: If a character is being laughed at, I try to make the one who turned them into a laughingstock suffer terribly as well. It’s hard to laugh when someone is looking miserable or terrible, so if you bring one character down, you bring the rest with them, or after bringing them, or you bring them down and lift them back up with the rest. Unrelated to mockery, but I also let good characters suffer terrible experiences later on. Readers may not like it when a character’s image gets tarnished, but they also may not like it if it stays the same. I try to keep a balance between the ups and downs of the character’s image and not keep it biased in one direction or the other.
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.
Excerpt from the first lecture of the Jump’s Manga School held on August 22, 2020, titled “Basics: Manga ‘Planning’, where Gintama first editor, Kohei Onishi explains how Gintama was able to stand out a series within Weekly Shonen Jump during its time, and how the T.P.O.* factor was used in creating the series.
*Acronym that stands for:
TIME: Timeleness of the project, and whether it fits in its era. PLACE: Place or magazine (or app) in which the manga is being published. OWN: The power that the writer has or owns. Will the artist be a good match for the project, and will they be able to draw it well?
KOHEI ONISHI:
Let me use Gintama as a concrete example of how to create a project. At the time, Weekly Shonen Jump was lined with super-powerful works such as One Piece (Eiichiro Oda), Naruto (Masashi Kishimoto), and Bleach (Tite Kubo), and I was trying to figure out what I could do to survive. The big concept that came out of that was to “do something that doesn’t look Jump-like”. Sorachi-sensei was an unknown newcomer, so the strategy was to do something different and stand out from the crowd.
With Gintama, I thought in terms of TPO. First, the characters. Gintoki and Kagura were created by reversing the traditional hero/heroine style. Kagura has vulgar characteristics such as “gluttony” and “vomiting”, which is the opposite of the elegant and gentle heroines of the past. The factor I was conscious of here is “PLACE”, the place where the story is published. “I thought, “What kind of heroines are there in Jump, and what should I do to stand out there? For Gintoki, I was conscious of “life-sized characters”. I was being conscious of “OWN” so that the writer’s “human observation skills” could be utilized in creating the character. There were not many life-sized protagonists like Gintoki in Jump at the time. For example, I thought that a “big adventure in a vast world” type of protagonist would not be able to compete in Jump at that time.
Next comes the story. Again, I’m being conscious of the “PLACE” factor here, which is to find similar works in the same magazine. Or, conversely, is there a genre that is popular in other magazines but not in the magazine you are targeting? I think it’s important to think about whether there are any “openings” in the market. Before Gintama got serialized, Sorachi and I both thought that if a Rumiko Takahashi style manga like Ranma ½ was in Jump, it would have a better chance of being a hit. Here, I think we can say that something that is a hit in other magazines, but not here, is clearly a target. There were already a lot of interesting fantasy ability battles in Jump at the time, so there was no point in doing the same thing. On the contrary, I thought it would be interesting to have a work with a stance of using special moves as a story… I also tried to add a lot of “human interest stories”. I thought it would bring out the best in the writer and stand out from the flashy stories that are often found in JUMP.
In the setting of the Shinsengumi and “the end of the Edo period”, I was conscious of the “TIME” factor, that is, the trend at the time. There was a lot of attention being paid to the Shinsengumi in the Taiga drama series, and Sorachi-sensei was also a fan of historical stories. I had analyzed the Shinsengumi as a group of people wearing the same uniform and working towards the same goal, which is something that children like. At the time, there were no Shinsengumi or historical stories in Jump, so I thought that if we could do that, we could compete. The character portrayal of the Shinsengumi in the work is based on the original historical figures. I have tried to follow the image of the real Toshizo Hijikata and Soji Okita, and vice versa. The real Soji Okita has a refreshing image, so I tried to make him black-hearted in the manga. Sorachi-sensei is good at using existing images to create new ones, so I thought that if there was a “foundation” to begin with, such as a historical character, the character portrayal would be more interesting.
As we have seen, I create my projects with an awareness of “TPO” such as “timelessness,” “location,” and “compatibility with the artist”. I thought that if you are aware of these three factors when you are thinking of a project, it will become a certain standard for the interest of said project. (End)
Title: “Those Who Do Good Deeds By Doing Bad Deeds”
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 247
QUESTION FROM MR. CALENDAR, KANAGAWA PROVINCE
Sensei, I have a question. Is it just me or is Gin-san’s wavy hair a little different from Mr. Sakamoto’s? Maybe I’m wrong, but could you show me how you draw it, please?
ANSWER:
Gin-san’s hair is shorter and unruly. You can see the raised ends of all the strands.
Sakamoto’s is a bit longer and the unruly locks are mixed with the more disciplined ones, so his hair is more rounded overall.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 248
QUESTION FROM MR. “KATSURA AND HIJIKATA ARE TRUE IDOLS!”
Hello, Sorachi sensei. Right now Utsuro is attacking Edo, but what’s the situation in the rest of the world? Are other countries being attacked as well? I need to know! Please answer me, super genius Sorachi sensei!
ANSWER:
To keep the plot from getting too complicated, I’ve cut out this bit of history, but yes, other countries are also struggling mightily. In America, for example, President Othello is harshly attacking the Liberation Army on Twitter.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 249
QUESTION FROM MISS “I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME SORACHI SENSEI’S WIFE”, NAGASAKI PROVINCE
I’m a lackluster seventh grader, but I really want to become a mangaka like you, Sorachi sensei! Studying is not my forte, I don’t like it, it’s just a waste of time since I’d rather dedicate myself exclusively to manga and drawing. Do you think that even people who don’t like studying can become successful mangaka, or will their works always be uninteresting?
ANSWER:
Since I made it, no matter how unintelligent you are, you’ll manage somehow. However, even if you make an interesting manga, there is a risk that it will be clear afterwards that you are superficial and your career will be very short. That’s why it’s better to keep studying, and I’m still doing that. Ever since I became a mangaka, my curiosity has been growing, and it’s practically spontaneous for me to delve into all sorts of things that can help me invent new stories. But there’s nothing to admire in that, since it’s a natural process. It’s what lies beyond that is important! It is to be appreciated that you have had a goal since middle school, but if you restrict your interests to this field alone you risk becoming a person and an artist without content. At your age you should take advantage of your time to expand your interests and study, so that you arrive well “armed” at adulthood. All the more so if you want to achieve your goal, you will need to acquire a great deal of tenacity to be able to endure the hard life of a mangaka.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 250
SECOND QUESTION FROM MR. CALENDAR OF KANAGAWA PROVINCE
In the scene where Kamui saves Takasugi, in the 572nd lesson, how did it really happen? Was it something like “Boss, a girl is falling from the sky”? Let me know!
ANSWER:
It was more of a Kiki’s Delivery Service style situation.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 251
QUESTION FROM MR. KAMIRA
Good morning, Sorachi sensei. I’m 18 years old, but I’m still in the middle of my rebellious period. In my heart, I want to get along with my parents, but when they talk to me, I’m ashamed to be honest even with myself, so I end up behaving badly. How can I overcome my rebellious period?
ANSWER:
From the moment you feel you want to come out of it, you are no longer as much of a rebel as you think. You’ve entered the Vegeta period, the one in which you try to keep up appearances by openly declaring, “Kakarot, I always aim to take your head anyway. That’s because, if you were a rebel until recently, you can’t suddenly change your attitude towards your parents, otherwise you’ll lose face. It’s a really bad time, but once you’re through it, the hellish time will come when you’ll even start rapping: “Kakarot, thank you for everything, you’re the pride (Hokori) of the Saiyans, but I’m just dust (Hokori). One day I will sweep away all the dust…”. But that doesn’t mean that you have managed to become honest with yourself. This is a crucial stage. Only if you get through it will you be able to talk calmly with Bulma and figure out how to distance yourself from Yamcha. So take it easy, take it one step at a time, and if there’s anything you can do, it’s learn how to rap.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 252
QUESTION FROM MR. “GINTAMA LIVE ACTION IS AWESOME!”, YAMAGUCHI PROVINCE
When you eat Otae’s dark matter (omelette), besides stomachache, memory loss, and weakened eyesight, do you experience any other symptoms?
ANSWER:
Subsequently the command screen turns brown. Even sprinkling with holy water does not cure it.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 253
QUESTION FROM MR. “MAY THE FUTURE BE ETERNAL! FAREWELL TO THE SIX-YEAR-LONG CONCLUSION SAGA!”, FROM GIFU PROVINCE
Recently, a lot of computer-drawn manga have been coming out, even though it’s easier to make them by hand. Can you confirm this for me? Have you ever thought of going digital?
ANSWER:
I draw exclusively by hand, but not because I care so much. I simply try to use as few tools as possible. If I got used to using particular aids, I’d find it hard to work without them. A lazy person like me, if by chance he loses his pen for drawing on the computer, might decide to go on strike for a whole day. The computer would give me excuses not to work, so I prefer not to take that risk and just use sheets of paper as a support. It’s true that the assistants would have much less trouble inserting screens and making backgrounds on the computer, so maybe for them I could make an excep-… Damn it! My pen’s ink is running out, so I’m done for the day.
Title: “If You Go Around Bragging About Your Feats, People Will End Up Hating You, So Get Others To Tell About It”
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 241
QUESTION FROM MR. “OF VOLUME ONE I HAVE A COPY OF THE FIFTH REPRINT, BUT FROM VOLUME TWO ONWARDS ALWAYS THE FIRST ISSUE”, FROM FUKUOKA PROVINCE
I have a question for you, Sorachi sensei: how did Mountain Zaki, with that eccentric hairdo, become spy agent Sagaru Yamazaki (Jimmy)? I would love to know the evolution of his hair!
ANSWER:
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 242
QUESTION FROM MR. SHOE BEAK AND GOKIJET, KANAGAWA PROVINCE
I am writing to you regarding a matter that goes back some time, Sorachi sensei. In the 593rd lesson, there is a scene in which you see a child who looks like Utsuro tied to some kind of pole. Utsuro is immortal and enjoys eternal youth, right? If he doesn’t age or die, then logically he shouldn’t have had a childhood, right?
Let me know!
ANSWER:
To be precise, Utsuro is not exactly immortal nor eternally young, but he is a human being who preserves himself prodigiously well thanks to a very powerful petrol, the altana. It’s not that he can’t die, but he has an exceptional capacity for recovery. It is not that he has eternal youth, but he ages at an extraordinarily slow rate. Therefore, when his body was not yet mature, he grew like any other person, whereas after the age of development his cellular ageing slowed down radically. So, to the eyes of ordinary mortals it seems that he does not age at all, but in reality this is not the case.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 243
QUESTION FROM MR SHO NAKANISHI, HYOGO PROVINCE
Good morning, Sorachi sensei. I am an aspiring history, geography and civics teacher, although I admit I am not the ideal candidate because I am a bit ignorant about geopolitics. I wanted to ask if you could please explain the Brexit issue to me, perhaps by making a comparison with your work, so maybe I can understand it better. I would be infinitely grateful!
ANSWER:
The situation is this.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS. QUESTION CORNER 244
QUESTION FROM MR. “I VISITED THE GINTAMA EXHIBITION” OF THE PROVINCE OF MIE
I have a big dream, but I tend to always put myself down and feel inferior to others, so I often find myself thinking that I’ll never achieve it. How do I gain confidence in myself? Can you tell me how you do it, Sorachi sensei?
ANSWER:
I think the key to fulfilling your dream is not to gain self-confidence, but to develop great tenacity and never give up on your idea, no matter how feasible it is. That’s how I think. For example, in the manga world it works that the more popular an author is, the more sensitive he is to reader surveys and comments, and therefore the more fearful he is. This pushes him to never spare himself, and sometimes he brags about it, but that’s not the point. The important thing is to get involved, regardless of your level of self-esteem, because if you don’t act, you can’t achieve anything. Even jealousy or envy of those who perform better, as well as anxiety or fear for the future, can provide a great boost. In fact, these kinds of feelings that you would normally be ashamed of can become a very powerful fuel, so try to learn to convert any thought into energy, no matter how negative it seems. Once it has started to burn, fire is still fire. Whether it is lit with wood or an erotic magazine, the important thing is to get a good blaze.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 245
QUESTION FROM MR. “I’M NOT ZURA BUT KATSURAAA!”, FROM YAMANASHI PROVINCE
Hello, Sorachi sensei, I have something to ask you that I’ve always wondered about: why do the names of the characters in Gintama always differ, even by just one letter, from the names of the historical characters they’re based on?
ANSWER.
Well, frankly, this has two advantages: on the one hand it allows me to exploit the positive halo of those characters who have gone down in history as heroes, and on the other it allows me to make them do anything, even the most reprehensible, bypassing people’s disapproval, because “After all, they’re other people”. Anyway, my idea is to draw a Japan that has taken another road, parallel to ours, following the arrival of the extraterrestrials. That’s why the names differ from the real ones, just as the story differs from the real one, despite the many references.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 246
QUESTION FROM MR. NORIO, OSAKA PROVINCE
Good morning, sensei. What do you think about putting cornflakes in the parfait? I’m not convinced by the idea of increasing the volume of the parfait, but I can’t accept that it makes a crunch! This noise leaves a sort of empty feeling, doesn’t it? If we really have to enrich a parfait, let’s do it with something creamy, no?! Tell me if I’m not right!
ANSWER:
Actually, what makes creaminess interesting is precisely the crunchiness. That is, if we like it so much it is precisely because there are cornflakes that disturb it by making it “crunch”. If the parfait were only creamy, it would be so blatantly cheesy that we’d get bored of it immediately. Parfait is like theatre: to animate a play, you need both the cream and the ice cream – the protagonists – and the cornflakes – the antagonists. If the latter were not there to highlight the former, we would fall asleep before the finale. Rather, it is important to get the order in which the actors enter the scene right. If the cornflakes were at the bottom, it would be like letting the bad guys win and we would be left with a bad taste in our mouths. The ideal would be to put them in the middle, after the main characters have appeared. It wouldn’t be so bad either if one of the two, the cream or the ice-cream, switched sides, or if they defeated them by allying themselves with other characters, such as the chocolate and the fruit. In short, the best thing is to make a big mix. In the meantime, the cornflakes get soft and this is the most moving moment of all, because they who before were proudly shouting “Crunch” at the end die whispering with a thread of voice “Avenge the death of the Saiyans”! So it comes down to the Super Saiyans defeating Frieza and it all ends happily. That said, I always think Dragon Ball doesn’t need Vegeta, because Piccolo is enough. I mean, he even screwed Bulma over from Yamcha!
Having said that, the volume 69 special “Despite the fact that the live action is coming out, I didn’t mention it at all because I only remembered it now” ends here. I’ve tried to fill these pages by touching on the most disparate topics, such as parfait etc. etc., but perhaps it was better to write something about the film, even something negative. In any case, if it is destined to fail, it will fail. I mean, if you’re used to drunk driving, you’ll keep doing it, it’ll never change. The only thing I can hope for is that Oguri’s lower body doesn’t make trouble. Seriously, there’s nothing I could do to stop him from doing that, but it wouldn’t be bad if he was curving around sighing “Shun*” right now. Anyway, knowing that many of you don’t like live action, I’m not going to harp on it here, but I wish you’d at least watch Jiro Sato in this movie. I mean, you absolutely must. To everyone else: you are allowed to bring them to us by force. It’s a great movie in which everyone did their best to play idiots, so I’d be very happy if you’d go and watch it of your own free will. Well, until the next volume!
New topic: “SHUN, SII SHUN!”
*In addition to being Oguri’s name, “Shun” is the Japanese onomatopoeia that expresses melancholy.
This is my first time writing to you, Sorachi sensei. As I understand it, after the Shinsengumi left Edo, Hijikata quit smoking… But when he came back in volume 67, he had a cigarette in his mouth! Why?! Or was it some kind of lollipop? Tell me the truth, please!
ANSWER:
The one in Hijikata’s mouth is a kind of “pipe-like” electronic cigarette.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 235
QUESTION FROM MR. “FOR THE GRADUATION EXAM THEME I TOOK INSPIRATION FROM GINTAMA!”
Good morning, Sorachi sensei! Taking into account all the steps involved in making a manga, how long does it take to draw an entire volume (including the cover and the rib)? Leafing through the issue of “JumpRyu“* dedicated to you, it seems to take an eternity!
ANSWER:
First of all, each panel is a story in itself. Let’s start with the cover: the rib can take as little as ten minutes, but everything else can take an hour or a whole day. That’s why it’s difficult to calculate precise times, but it takes approximately four to seven hours. As for any other colour plates, it can take me half a day or two. On “Jump Ryu,” you can see that I sketch out the lines over and over again before drawing them, but I only use this method for pin-ups or colour illustrations. Ordinary’ boards are drawn in one draft, so it takes me one to three hours to complete one, or twenty to forty minutes when the delivery date is approaching. Taking into account the time it takes my assistants to complete the backgrounds, let’s say that in one day we can complete a maximum of five pages. An episode consists of nineteen pages, so it takes four days to complete. Drawing the backgrounds is definitely more challenging than portraying the characters. So, at the end of the day, if a volume contains more or less nine episodes, it takes an average of thirty-six days to complete it. Thirty if you deduct the hours of sleep.
*Limited-edition publication periodically dedicated to a mangaka from “Jump” magazine.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 236
QUESTION FROM MISS “I’M NOT MIKA BUT MINORS” FROM FUKUOKA PROVINCE
I suddenly had a question for you, sensei! In the flashback of the 590th lesson, you see Utsuro giving his immortal blood to Oboro, then in the 594th lesson, you see him giving it to the Tendoshu’s men as well. They lost their arms and legs, but Oboro didn’t… Why?! Please explain it to me in full so that even a non-bright seventh grader can understand it!
ANSWER:
It depends on how much blood you receive and how much you tolerate it.
Utsuro’s blood, containing Altana, is too heavy for the body of an ordinary mortal, who cannot contain it without facing devastating consequences. The men of Tendoshu received a great deal of it because they wanted immortality and ended up in that state. Oboro, on the other hand, received very little and his body was better preserved, but his vital functions were gradually affected until he died.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 237
QUESTION FROM MR. “ORGANIZE MORE EVENTS IN SAPPORO TOO!”
Hello, Sorachi sensei, I have a question for you. When Okita fought Utsuro, he felt, for the first time in his life, that he was facing an enemy he couldn’t defeat. When he faced Kamui, didn’t he feel the same way?
ANSWER:
I imagine that in front of Kamui, no matter how hard he was struggling, Okita felt he had a thread of hope because their strengths were equal. But when faced with Utsuro, no matter how hard he fought, guided by his experience in the field and his instinct for survival, Okita knew right away that he would not win.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 238
QUESTION FROM MR. “GINTAMA REVOLUTION“, TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA
Sensei, I can’t draw men of a certain age well… But how do you do it?! How do you make them look so cool?! Please help me, Sorachi sensei!
ANSWER:
In order to draw middle-aged men well, you have to reset the canon of manga, i.e. no pointed chin, sharp nose, and so on. All the know-how you’ve learned to make cool characters becomes useless. Rather, you have to recover the bad habits you have abandoned. Basically, you need to know how to draw a rough chin, a greasy potato nose, the nasolabial groove, etc. But the most important thing of all is to express tiredness. Middle-aged men are tired beings. Think of your father. Although he never does much, he always says, “Aah, I’m so tired!”, right? “I’m too tired, don’t bother me any more with this housework!”… They are miserable and inept beings who barricade themselves behind a facade of tiredness. One must learn to draw this tiredness accurately, to make the gaze dull, to make drool drip from the mouth, to make something protrude from the nose that is not a hair, etc.
I’m writing all this while I’m rolling up something that came out of my nose. Aah, how tired I am!
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 239
QUESTION FROM MR. “ISABURO WILL ALWAYS BE A SLOB”, KYOTO PROVINCE
Sorachi sensei, good morning! I wanted to ask you if there’s a criterion you use to design the characters’ clothes. I really hope you can tell me!
ANSWER:
You can immediately tell if someone has just started university or has just started dressing up, because their flashy look immediately makes you think, “Ah, this guy’s trying hard to look cool!”. But it’s not because their face doesn’t match their clothing or hair, or because they look ugly… it just gives the impression of something a bit contrived. So I try to avoid that and make sure that my characters don’t have to try too hard. It shouldn’t look like they’ve dressed up for the occasion, but that they’ve been wearing those clothes forever. Except for Utsuro, who is clearly not comfortable in that black cloak. He definitely made his debut as an eternal youth.
CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 240
QUESTION FROM MR. “KIBIDANGO HANGING ON THE SIDE” OF MIE PROVINCE
Sorachi sensei, I have a problem. I would like to correct my overly apprehensive nature. Even the slightest thing can cause my anxiety to soar as I brood over it and imagine its effects. People often say to me: “Why don’t you use your vivid imagination for something more creative?”… But I just want to change my personality! How can I do that?! Please help me (and I apologize for asking such a serious question).
ANSWER:
From the point of view of the undersigned, who for 37 years has been concerned about having a hairy behind, personality cannot be changed. Human beings are naturally inclined to torment themselves over anything, even the smallest thing. If you think about it, why did we start tormenting ourselves? When we were still naked and going “Huhua huhua,” what did we torment ourselves about? It’s very easy to imagine, isn’t it? “Because sabre-toothed tigers are scary,” you’d all say. Mankind’s great concern is survival. That is, passing on their genes and making them thrive. However, tiger fangs are really scary and at the time there was no language as articulate as today’s, so they might say: ‘Shall we do Huhua? But what about huhua and huhua (let’s make a kind of sabre and fight sabre-toothed tigers)!”.
In this way they were able to guarantee themselves a better chance of survival.
But wishes never run out. Once they had solved the problem of the tigers, they began to give themselves other thoughts: “I’ve got huhua, but there’s huhua (Kobayashi’s sabre is bigger and more magnificent than mine, I don’t like that)!” The torments for survival turned into torments for a more agitated life: “Then I’ll make huhua to Kobayashi too!” … “S-Stop it! (Kobayashi)” … “Huhua huhuuua!”
Even after making huhua to Kobayashi, the humans continued to torment themselves. For example, thinking, “I made huhua to Kobayashi, but the person who made huhua should also undergo huhua, shouldn’t they?”, “We should all go to Kobayashi’s house together to make huhua carrying a package of sweets, and have him teach us how to make a magnificent saber!” … They continued each time they overcame a problem, the easier life became, the more their torments receded from the starting point. And so we come to the present day: “Huhuaaaaaa! (I have too much hair on my behind)!”.
This shows why we are destined to torment ourselves forever. This is our nature, and it is because we have become too efficient. We tend to make fun of people who worry about nothing, but the size of the problem does not matter. There are simply no more sabre-toothed tigers or sabres, so we fight against the hairs on our asses. If there were still sabre-toothed tigers, I wouldn’t pay attention to my hair either. But the opposite is also true: if there had not been those tigers, even primitive men would have been concerned about their hair. They were certainly hirsute.
Having said that, listen, Kibidango Hanging on One Side… I’m not going to stand here and tell you not to pay attention to nonsense. Since you’re a highly efficient living being, you live tormenting yourself over trifles. However, if you continue to suffer for it or to detest yourself, put yourself in front of a sabre-toothed tiger, that is, challenge a bigger problem. You will surely forget all the other torments. By the way, ever since I stood in front of a sabre-toothed tiger named “manga” I keep fighting my ass hairs by seeing them as sabres.
Yorozuya Shinigami 