Thank you for purchasing volume 57 of Gintama! Ever since the Shogun Assassination arc began, my readers have been making comments like, “Is Gintama about to end?” or “You have my full support, just get on with it!”. Even my editor said to me, “Do you want to finish it? If you finish it on your own, you will put me in serious difficulty! So I’d like to tell everyone to trust Sorachi sensei a little more. Above all, I’d like to reassure my editor that, irresponsible as I am, I would never leave clues lying around to develop the plot, nor would I leave the various sized crap I’ve been unloading here and there for ten years. It may be that a normal gorilla would feel no remorse at turning his back after flinging poo at readers, but I am a sensitive gorilla because, should it remain attached to the toilet, I would clean it up by targeting the residue with pee. I would like to tell my editor that he should not underestimate me by pointing out that: “Not everyone shows such delicacy, you imbecile!”. However, as things stand, it’s as if I took out my pe___ in order to remove the poop scattered everywhere, and ended up without realising it, opening my computer and looking at erotic sites. Someone might object: “Where is the delicacy in that?”.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 181

QUESTION FROM MISS MIHO ONODA, SHIZUOKA PROVINCE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! You once said that the name Yamazaki means “to face things by stepping back and observing them calmly”. Does Chief Shimaru’s name also have some positive meaning? Let me know!

ANSWER:

At first glance, the name Shimaru seems negative, but that’s not the case at all. Shimaru’s mother’s name is Ito, and his father’s is Fuyukichi. If Ito and Fuyu get together in a dark room, what happens? That’ s right… a child named Shimaru* will appear!

*The name Shimaru is made up of the two ideograms Ito and Fuyu.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 182

QUESTION FROM MR. TIMNI, OITA PROVINCE

Sorachi sensei, good morning! I have a question: Umibozu is the nickname of Kagura’s Pappy, isn’t it? What’s his real name? Both Kagura’s and Kamui’s names contain the ideogram for ” God”… Is it by any chance derived from their pappy’s name?

ANSWER:

Umibozu is a pseudonym. His real name is Kanko. Both Kagura and Kamui got the ideogram Kami (“God”) from here.

*Depending on how it is written, the word Kami can mean ‘God’ or ‘hair’.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 183

QUESTION FROM MR. WATERFALL BASIN, SAITAMA PROVINCE

Hello, Sorachi sensei! I have a question: In the 505th lesson, “A criminal and a policeman”, Okita said to Kamui: “You with that braid, are you the punk version of Sheeta?!” … Why did he call him Sheeta?

ANSWER.

Because a punk with a braid fell from the sky.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 184

QUESTION FROM MR. ” RESUME THE ANIMEEEEEE!”

Tojo often calls Kyubei ” young master”, but what is her real name?

ANSWER:

Did you just say Kyubei or am I wrong?

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 185

QUESTION FROM MISS KAHO SAKATA, NAGANO PROVINCE

If I had been asked in my first semester exams “Who is the person you admire or respect the most?”, I would have said “Gintoki Sakata, the main character in the manga Gintama!”. But I wasn’t asked. Do you think the answer would have been fine? Or would they have thought “An otaku who’s passionate about the two-dimensional world… How impressive! Lol”? But then, are two-dimensional otaku that impressive?

ANSWER:

What you wanted to do is the equivalent of answering “Yoko Gushiken “* to the question “What filling do you prefer in rice balls?”. It makes an impression, right? I mean, you’re so eager to talk about Gushiken that you don’t even listen to your interlocutor. I mean, this isn’t even what you’d call a conversation. It’s not that otaku make an impression, but there are some who are a bit clumsy in their communication, so self-absorbed that they only think about what to say and don’t listen to the person in front of them. So the conversation doesn’t go smoothly. Now, that’s what makes an impression. An examination is an opportunity to put oneself to the test, to test one’s ability to express oneself, but always through a repartee. First of all, you have to listen to the questions. If you are asked “Name one person with an Afro hairstyle and a surname beginning with ‘Gu’ that you like”, you may answer “Yoko Gushiken”, but you have been asked “Which rice ball filling do you like?”. That is, you were asked which person you value in reality, not in the two-dimensional world, right? So the answer you have to give is only one: Yoko Gushiken.

*Famous former Japanese boxer.

Having said that, the “I haven’t finished cleaning up the poop yet, nor have I started doing it” special in volume 57 ends here.

In short, Gintama will still go on. Preparations to finish the story have only just begun. However, since it is swamped with poop, it’s hard to predict when I’ll be able to fix everything. I would like you to enjoy reading it lightheartedly, without worrying about when it will end. In fact, I would like you to enjoy it, as I said before. So please support this manga until the end!

New topic: “The gorilla who uses the toilet and keeps it clean better than anyone else.”

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Thank you for buying volume 56 of Gintama! This may be my own business, but my dog, who was kept at my parents’ house, has died. Rather than being mine, let’s just say that I used to pet him, but since I moved to Tokyo he’s forgotten I exist. So whenever I came back from my hometown, he would growl and show me his fangs. Our relationship was like that between Vegeta and Kakarot. When I was storyboarding Gintama at my parents’ house before the serialization of the manga began, he would sleep next to me tormenting myself with a dumb expression and snoring. So a simple dog like him seemed strangely serene, and I envied him because he didn’t have to find work. That time I managed to make the storyboard out of anger. In that sense, without him, Gintama might not have seen the light of day. 90% of it came about through my own efforts, but I thank you anyway, Chappy! Thanks to you, a freaky old guy like me, who was stuck in his father’s house without working, managed to find a job and lasted ten years at that. I pray that you will continue to rest in peace in the future next to a weird old man like me, even if you grit your teeth or growl. And I pray that you will urge me to earn more money from royalties so that you can at least buy a piece of bone. You’ll always be an important partner.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 176

QUESTION FROM MR “EVEN AS AN ADULT, WHEN IT SNOWS I GET EXCITED”.

I have a question. Jiraia, Tsukuyo’s master, skillfully used ninja wires, but Tsukuyo only uses kunai. Tell me why! Didn’t Jiraia teach her how to use them? Or does Tsukuyo just not want to? Let me know, I’m really curious about this.

ANSWER:

The main objective of ninja techniques is to catch the enemy by surprise without anyone noticing, such as the art of escape and camouflage. But the techniques mastered by the Hyakka, including Tsukuyo, are specifically for combat, developed personally by Jiraia based on the martial arts of the ninja. That’s why she didn’t learn “illusionistic” techniques like the ones you mention.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 177

QUESTION FROM MR. TIMNI, OITA PROVINCE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! Sarutobi, the real surname of Ayame called “Sacchan”, comes from Sasuke Sarutobi*, right? So, even though she’s always reminded me of a flower, could it be that she’s an assassin and comes from ayameru (to kill)? Let me know!

ANSWER:

It comes from ayame, meaning iris, a flower. I called her that because her hair is purple like the iris. Rather than saying that it was simply assigned to her, the Gorilla forcibly attributed this meaning to her name.

*Ninja character from Japanese fiction.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 178

QUESTION FROM MR. ULTRA (DIAMOND) PERFUME WITH K (KAGURA) WITH H, FROM SHIZUOKA PROVINCE

Why does Kagura always kneel on her heels with her upper body erect when she sits down?

ANSWER:

Perhaps it’s because she was given the wrong information before she came to earth illegally.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 179

QUESTION FROM MISS “ONE WHO SUFFERS FROM THE ILLNESS OF KATSURA LOVER” OF KANAGAWA PROVINCE

Does Katsura live in a house? Or does he spend the night in the open air?

ANSWER:

As a wanted fugitive, he has no fixed abode anywhere. He’s always changing hiding places and wandering around in various places. Even though he is a bad person, Zura is still a revolutionary, so he finds people everywhere who are sympathetic to his ambition, willing to shelter him and support him.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 180

QUESTION FROM THE SIDE OF MISS “ONE OF THOSE WHO PREFERS MAYONNAISE TO KETCHUP” FROM FUKUOKA PROVINCE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! I’ll come straight to the point. My name is Momoka, but I have no adana, i.e. no nickname. Could you come up with a good nickname for me?

ANSWER:

“An adana, i.e. a nickname, is not chosen, but given by a third party without any prior calculation. It is like another name given to us by our friends. First of all, it is not normal to ask an elderly stranger like me. I don’t know anything about you, Momoka! I don’t even know the length of your chin, which could greatly influence your nickname, like ‘Antonio Momoka’. The nickname is like a mirror that reflects the character of the person in question. The fact that you don’t have one yet means that your friends haven’t fully grasped your personality and chin. So I think it’s time to highlight them without fear, right?”

Summing it all up, how about “Anus”?

That said, the “I’ll never say goodbye to Chappy” special in volume 56 ends here.

Well, when the time comes, I’ll change my name from Hideaki Sorachi to “Hideaki 🐾 Sorachi”. I think about it often, but other times I don’t think about it at all. See you in the next volume! 🐾

New topic: “Why is it that the last memory I have of him is of almost getting bitten while trying to hug him?”

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Thank you for buying the 55th volume of Gintama!

I turned thirty-five the other day. At this age, if I were Ryoma Sakamoto*, I would have been murdered long ago! After accomplishing numerous feats, starting with the alliance between Satsuma and Chosu’s domains, the restoration of imperial power, etc., while eating a chicken dish cooked directly at the table, I would have been attacked by an assassin and would have gone down in history after shouting, “Don’t worry!”.  Instead, Hideaki Sorachi, a nice guy from the North Sea, even though he’s already older than Ryoma, doesn’t even have a friend… So much for establishing an alliance between Satsuma’s and Choshu’s domains! Furthermore, while I’m eating chicken dishes cooked directly at the table, not only am I not assaulted by any assassins, but no one shows up, despite the fact that I’ve made several phone calls, so there’s complete silence. There is so much silence that my ears are ringing, so I end up shouting to myself, “Don’t be afraid!”. As crazy as I am, I found this strange, so I decided to have a general check-up. I thought I’d have my whole body checked once and for all, telling the doctor, “No matter how much I look, I can’t sanction the alliance between Satsuma’s domain and Choshu’s domain. What does this mean? There’s something wrong with my body, isn’t there?”. Also because it may be that a killer is approaching from within in the form of some disease. So I found out that undergoing a general check-up requires several preparations. There are a number of things to do, for example you should not take any food from the day before. In fact, if chicken dishes came out of the gastroscope, you wouldn’t be able to see the dawn of modern Japan or anything else. Well, normally fasting like this doesn’t weigh me down, but as always I had a lot of work to do and didn’t sleep for about three nights to complete the boards, until the day of the check-up. On top of that, I came down with a fever and couldn’t eat in view of the exams. In short, I was forced to face the check-up in such a condition that anyone would have diagnosed me with a fatal disease without the help of any instrument.

*Samurai who overthrew the Shogunate in the 19th century.

I felt sick, sleepy and hungry. I was in very poor physical condition, so I thought about canceling the appointment because it seemed impossible to have the check-up. But at the hospital, they told me that since they had already arranged everything, I would have to pay forty thousand yen as a cancellation fee. I wanted to tell him not to talk nonsense… With that kind of money, even Ryoma could have been saved when they tried to assassinate him. If he had told them to let him escape in exchange for forty thousand yen, he would have escaped assassination. Forty thousand yen would also have made it easy to seal the alliance between Satsuma and Choshu’s domains.It was enough to give twenty thousand to both Katsura and Saigo, which anyone other than Ryoma could have done.  I mean… why should I have to pay forty thousand yen just to cancel the appointment? Inciting my broken body by sheer force of will, I went to the hospital shaking like a leaf so as not to lose forty thousand yen. It was as if Ryoma had gone for a general check-up with a sword stuck in his head. When I examined my eyes, my eyes were blurry and the letter C looked like an O, duplicated and superimposed on top of each other. “Indicate in which direction the symbol is open.” “Well, it’s closed in all directions. Let me out of here! Help… Otome**, my sisteeer!” I even started to hallucinate like that. On top of that, they forced me to swallow the gastroscope. I wanted to tell them they were monsters. I wanted to tell them that they were monsters. “Gargle with this to facilitate the entry of the gastroscope” … With this excuse they put some kind of creamy medicine in my mouth. Since I was hungry, I felt like asking for a few sips, so I drank about half of it. “Then lie down here and we will insert the gastroscope into your stomach”. At these words, as soon as I lay down on the couch, I lost consciousness. While I was snoring, they inserted the gastroscope and when I woke up my face was completely covered with drool. The nurses were giggling, and no one said “An extraordinary man has come for a general check-up. He is the reincarnation of Ryoma!”.

*Otome was Ryoma Sakamoto’s older sister.

Having said that, the special ‘General Check-up’ in Volume 55 ends here.

I thought I was going to undergo medical examinations in that condition, almost on the verge of death, but the examinations found that I had an enlarged liver and was consuming too much fat. Although I tried to show that I was ill, pretending to have slightly hollow cheeks, they turned me away by calling me a pig and ordering me to stop eating so much. So, I went home with my face flushed with shame. Well, it’s only natural that I should have the liver of a goose if I even drink the liquid used for the gastroscopy.

New topic: “I ate too many chicken dishes cooked directly at the table.”

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Thank you for purchasing the 54th volume of Gintama! For work, I often go out to eat with my editor. When you order meat, you are asked for the desired cooking method. Do you always have the answer ready? I didn’t, not since I was younger, because I couldn’t remember the words “medium” and “rare”. I thought I would learn to answer this question with ease as an adult. But even though I’ve turned 34, my eyes keep blanking out and my legs keep shaking under the table. I just can’t keep a cool head, that’s all. I prefer it medium/rare, but I don’t get the words. I usually get confused with ‘put salt on’, I don’t know why. So I invent ‘Medium with salt’ cooking, and then I start to panic and fret. In the end, I cut it short by abruptly saying ‘Half raw’. In short, I try to get out of it by giving myself the airs of a rough man from the North Sea, with a straightforward character, who doesn’t care about trifles and thinks that it’s enough to season the meat for it to go well. But then I worry, thinking that if the waiter announces the presence of a man from the north in the Kanto region, he might create havoc in the kitchen. Moreover, since I don’t know what to do if I’m told that the restaurant doesn’t accept customers who wear high-collar uniforms and wooden clogs, I won’t be able to taste the meat. So, to avoid being embarrassed, I decided to take matters into my own hands and memorize the words “medium/rare”.

So far I’ve been living like a punk on the streets of Tokyo, playing the young hard-ass out of time. But I regretted it, because in fact I was the one who was average/rare as a human being. So I matured and decided to accept urban life, including the bourgeois expression ‘Medium/Blood’. So, having instilled this in my head, when the host of a grilled meat restaurant who was going to make me shabu shabu* asked me what kind of cooking I wanted, I said “Medium/rare” without letting him finish the question. To which he said, “I don’t really understand complicated things, let’s say you want it half raw, right?”.

So I had tried hard to memorize the perfect answer, and when I used it, putting on gourmet airs, he said something like this. I turned blue. I wanted to say to him: ‘You can’t behave like that, host! It’s all very well being polite, but because of you, I’ve made myself look like a snob in an unpretentious grilled-meat restaurant who’s being made fun of by the innkeeper, who’s not so subtle. On the contrary, if he understood that I wanted it half raw, it means that he knew very well what ‘medium/rare’ meant. Then he could have spared himself the dig! Why mortify a young man who has just made significant progress, just to reiterate that he is the toughest? I’d like to point out that I used to be tough too, and if I’d wanted to, I would have put him to shame. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find us drinking together, marveling that such rough men existed in Tokyo, and that our paths had never crossed before. It would have been like this.

*Japanese take on a Chinese dish of thin strips of meat.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 169

QUESTION FROM MR. “I HOPE ANIME STARTS AGAIN”, AICHI PROVINCE

Good morning! I have a question. In the 471st lesson, Gin-san (there was Hijikata’s soul inside) showed Shinpachi and Kagura a bankbook to prove that the money was his. Does this mean that the passbook was really Gin-san’s and even though he had the money, he hadn’t paid his wages? This doubt grips me so much that I can’t concentrate on studying.

ANSWER:

As for Hijikata’s bankbook, it is in the name of Gintoki Sakata. Since, after the two of them switched bodies, their wallets and bank accounts couldn’t be switched as well, those were returned to their original owners. It’s a bit complicated, but Gin-san in Hijikata’s body uses Gin-san’s wallet, while Hijikata in Gin-san’s body uses Hijikata’s wallet. It would have been difficult to use the passbooks as they were, so they changed the header. Having to explain it in writing, now the situation seems complicated even to me. I’m sorry!

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 170

QUESTION FROM MR. “2.5 DIMENSIONS”

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! I always read Gintama with pleasure. I really like Kagura, but I have a doubt. Why is Umibozu, Kagura’s father, so poor that he has to eat a bowl of uncooked rice three times a day, even though he’s the strongest alien hunter in space?

ANSWER:

It’s true that Umibozu is the best alien hunter in space, but he’s also the one who disturbs those around him more than anyone else. He always shoots down the target, but in order to do so he sows destruction everywhere, so his earnings are greatly reduced because of the compensation he has to pay. On top of that, Kagura’s mother had a rare disease even in space and the expenses for her treatment and medicine were very high, so his family was forced to live on a bare minimum.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 171

QUESTION FROM MR. “IT’S AMAZING THAT OLD GENGAI LOOKS LIKE THE FAMOUS BLUE CAT WITH A POCKET”.

I have a question for you, Sorachi sensei! When Gin-san let himself be captured, as described in Lesson 467, had he already met Ms. Otose?

ANSWER:

After losing the pursuers, despite being tortured, he arrived at Tatsugoro’s grave completely exhausted. This is the scene described in Lesson 4 of volume 1.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 172

QUESTION FROM MR. SHIMASHIMA OF KANAGAWA PROVINCE

The announcer Ketsuno is called Christel Ketsuno, right? Why does she have that name even though she’s Japanese? And her brother’s name is Seimei, written in ideograms…! Ketsuno is really cute and I like her a lot, so please answer me!

ANSWER:

Both the announcer Ketsuno and Seimei are of mixed blood. The name Seimei has been inherited by the head of the Ketsuno family for generations.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 173

QUESTION FROM MR. BENIYASHA DISAPPEARED OVER THE SUGAR ROUTE

There’s something that’s a bit close to my heart. In the 478th lesson, when Gin-san is pushed into the sea by Mutsu, he says “I don’t know how to swim…”. But in the Kabukicho 4 Devas arc, he went to save Katsuo in the water, diving in willingly despite being immobilized by concrete in a plastic tub. Also, in the crossover with the manga Sket Dance, he was competing with Bossun. Why can’t Gin-san swim anymore?! I’m a huge fan and I just can’t get that thought out of my mind.

ANSWER:

Gin-san has always been denied swimming, ever since the first volume. In most of the scenes where he dives into the water, he wears a buoy. Even in the competition with Bossun he has one, if you look closely. In Katsuo’s scene, the very fact that he jumped into the sea despite not knowing how to swim has an important meaning.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 174

QUESTION FROM MR. SAKAMOTO OF SAITAMA PROVINCE

Good morning! Sorachi sensei, I’d like to ask your advice about my father. He lives a routine of work-home-dinner-bed. My mother has told him several times to try to change, but he has always given her vague answers. I am grateful to him because he works for us… but I wish he would also think about spending time with us. What do you think about my father’s habits? If he continued to lead this life, I would feel a bit sad.

ANSWER:

This is how my father lived: he came home from the office, ate, then we played a game of Dragon Quest and went to sleep. I think fathers are the same in any family. A figure like that is like an ATM machine. You should be happy just because he brings money home. Plus, since your ATM doesn’t bother to erase your saved Dragon Quest games, you should feel lucky. If you want to add a higher option, i.e. if you want to have an ATM capable of devoting himself to his family, you should be the first to do him some favours. The ATM works for his family and devotes most of his day to his service, which is called work. If you want to ask him for additional services when he comes home, he will spend all his time on you and have none left for himself. Even an ATM wants to secretly indulge in a ride on an erotic site or a game of Dragon Quest. If you don’t at least try to understand this, your father will really be a simple ATM. All you have to do is say a sentence to him every now and then, like “ATM, thank you for always working for us”. And you’ll see that the ATM will give out something else besides money.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 175

QUESTION FROM MR. GHOST IN THE BLIZZARD (BIG GORILLA LOVER), FROM HOKKAIDO

I have a question. You like Studio Ghibli, don’t you, sensei? Your parodies or jokes about the works of that production company are funny and I like them! I personally love Princess Momonoke. Let me know your personal ranking of Studio Ghibli works!

ANSWER:

1.         Kiki’s Delivery Service

2.         Castle In The Sky

3.         My Neighbor Totoro

That said, the “Host, I’m tougher than you” special in volume 54, ends here. Despite my resolve to step forward, if they set a trap for me like that from the start, I wouldn’t be able to say ” medium/rare” out of fear. I have no choice but to keep acting tough by saying ” medium rare” all my life. As always, human beings don’t have to try too hard. In this world, if you don’t wear a pair of jeans that suits your height, someone might trip you up who knows when and who knows where. Be sure to keep your ankles well protected by the fabric of your jeans.

New topic: “If anything, it’s my fault, because I asked for medium/rare cooking at an infamous barbecue joint.”

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Thank you for purchasing volume 53 of Gintama!

As I explained in the previous volume, the editor who follows me has changed again. Mr. Naito, who has just been hired and graduated from T University, is in charge of looking after me, in fact he’s almost to be compared to a hitman. Shueisha, a well-known underworld organisation, has sent a new monster to the space sheriff, who keeps missing deadlines and rejects everyone sent to him by shaving his head. This latest monster, however, says some important nonsense, such as “Spare me the shaving, please! I want to be successful with women!” or “I would like to share a flat with someone. Don’t you dream of living like on the reality show Terrace House?”. In short, he is a monster who has developed questionable tastes since he started working, as he had so far only studied without having a social life. Perhaps, having had the bolts of his brain tightened so far, he doesn’t know how to loosen them. However, he didn’t only loosen his head, but also his asshole, although I don’t know how that was possible. And so he came home completely drunk, and when he woke up he realized he was lying on the floor covered in poo, in the bathroom devastated by excrement. So he started to live with the poo, so the monster self-destructed before fighting the space sheriff. Now, as space sheriff, I’m very worried about his future.

Firstly, this being his sixth fight against a monster, the space sheriff reacts by inertia. The first few times he was tense and ended up shaving the monster’s head with the Beam Saber* when he missed, but now it’s like he’s working on an assembly line. With one hand he shaves the heads of the monsters running on the conveyor belt, with the other he handles a mobile phone. The sheriff no longer has a Beam Saber, instead he has had his right hand modified into a clipper. He no longer wants to defend peace in space but has become a monster himself. Once, when I was a kid, they bought me a kind of space sheriff Gavan** action figure. It was my favourite toy and I played with it all the time. It had a hole in his hand where you could put your sword, but at some point, it was lost. Since he couldn’t fight without a sword, I looked for another weapon to replace it. Then I found that a toothpick fit perfectly in the hole, and I thought that he could fight again. But when I began to play with it, the toothpick broke right off at the base and my hand was clogged with the broken piece. From then on, the sheriff was left with a mysterious piece of wood in his hand and could never fight again. When I came into possession of a new toy, Gavan was demoted to the role of monster… it may be that I am now in the same position as him. Perhaps, after losing his sword and toothpick, the space sheriff had no choice but to become a monster.

*Laser sword appearing in Gundam.
**Star of a Japanese TV series from the 1980s.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 164

QUESTION FROM MR. ” GIN-SAN’S POOP”, TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA

Does Shinpachi walk to the Yorozuya shop? If so, how long does it take you to get there? While you’re at it, please also let me know the approximate location of the Shinsengumi’s headquarters.

ANSWER:

Yes, he walks.

Assuming that the Yorozuya shop is located in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Shinpachi’s dojo is around what is now Nishi-Shinjuku, about a twenty-minute walk away. In contrast, the Shinsengumi’s headquarters are in the direction of the Tokyo Metropolitan Administration building on the edge of the district, near Shinjuku Central Park, at a roughly similar distance.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 165

QUESTION FROM MR. “I’M A MAN, SO I’M INTELLIGENT EVEN THOUGH I’M THE STUPIDEST IN THE WORLD”, FROM SHIGA PROVINCE

I have a question for Sorachi sensei! Speaking of Shinpachi, is the frame of the glasses Shinpachi himself, or does his spirit reside in the lenses? What is Shinpachi…?

ANSWER:

The lenses correspond to “Shin” and the frame to “Pachi”.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 166

QUESTION FROM MR. “YAMCHA WHO LOVES GORILLA”, OITA PROVINCE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! You write with a soft-pointed marker every time a new volume comes out. I always enjoy reading your comments. The seriousness with which you do the work shines through from the comic! But I would also like to see some serious writing done with a soft-tipped pen. So I would ask you to write the same thing I have written here, to the best of your ability.

RISPOSTA:

Ah! The ink has run out.
Excuse me! From that point on it would have become a wonderful piece of writing. I would have used a beautiful calligraphy, incomparably better than the first part. But the ink ran out!

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 167

QUESTION FROM MR. SHINGEN MOCHI, NAGANO PROVINCE

Where do you usually keep your Gin-san scooter parked?

ANSWER:

In the alley behind the Otose Snack Bar.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 168

QUESTION FROM MR. “READING THE COMMENTS PUBLISHED SO FAR ON THE SUMMARY PAGE OF ‘JUMP’ MAGAZINE, I NOTICED THAT SORACHI SENSEI IS HEAVILY TEASING HIS EDITOR”, FROM KAGAWA PROVINCE

Back when Gintama‘s publication had just begun, my father looked at his comment on the author page and said “this guy will go a long way” (and I wondered how it was possible to brag about such statements).

So lately I can’t help but notice his smug expression, as if to say “See I was right?”. What should I do?

ANSWER:

On those pages I used to just insult my editor. Who knows what comments caught your father’s attention? Anyway, based on his words, I feel that he is definitely not just any father, but a great man, with a face that exudes pride.

That said, the “Space Sheriff Keeps Fighting No Matter What” special in Volume 53 ends here. I’ve gone on too long, but the point is that even if the monster he has to face is a chickenshit, a harmless mascot, or unarmed, the space sheriff is convinced that he will continue to fight as long as the broken toothpick remains in his hand, dipping it in ink.
Perhaps he believes that even if he cannot defend peace in space, he will still make the next deadline.

New topic: “Where did Gavan’s sword go?”

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Thank you for purchasing the 52nd volume of Gintama!

This December, I celebrated the tenth anniversary of the serialization of the work, all thanks to your support. Leaving aside how such a manga can continue to be published for ten years, I am surprised at how quickly time passes. In ten years, a reader who was in primary schools at the time of the first release might have started working. Well, to shake things up, I forced him to go to work after middle school, making him drop out of school. In any case, in ten years teenagers become adults for real, so it’s natural that there are new kids who come to work and others who drop out. Maybe the one who started working after middle school now reads “Champ Road” magazine*, and reading Gintama is a very sad memory for him. Anyway, this is really a manga for young people, in my opinion. When they look back on their teenage years, if they look back nostalgically at the fact that “Jump” published such an absurd comic, it will have been worth it for ten years. I’ve been thinking about all these things on the occasion of the tenth anniversary, which is an important milestone… But deep down I can say I’ve never really thought about them, especially looking at the statement of royalty payments I’ve received over the last two decades.

*Car and motorbike magazine aimed at a target audience of “bullies”.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 160

QUESTION FROM MR. AWAKI, KANAGAWA PROVINCE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! There’s something I always wonder about, and I will address you without hesitation. Nobume’s sword is longer than the others’, isn’t it? If it’s my impression, I apologize.

ANSWER:

Nobume’s sword is indeed long, and what’s more…

As you can see in the picture, the scabbard contains both a short and a long sword. That’s why it looks exaggeratedly long.

RESULTS OF THE TALLY BY MR. “IT TOOK ME THREE MONTHS TO GET THERE”.

I counted what I consider to be dirty jokes in the first fifty volumes of Gintama.

These results are formidable. Congratulations on doing this research! The number 1920 even makes you want to join hands in prayer, as if you’ve seen something venerable. And yet we are still talking about poo and penis.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 161

QUESTION BY MR. TOYOZAKI PAN OF AICHI PROVINCE

Sorachi sensei! When you draw a face, do you start with the eyes or the outline of the oval?

ANSWER:

Basically I start with the eyes. The eyes are the most important expressive feature of the face. So I first draw the expression, or rather the feelings of the character, then the rest of the face and the body, making them theatrical. If you start drawing from the oval or the body it is easier to make the character balanced as a whole, but then the expressions you can apply to them are limited. That’s why I think it’s better to choose what to start with depending on what element you want to highlight and convey to the readers.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 162

QUESTION FROM MR. “I’VE BEEN TOTALLY OUT OF SYNC SINCE I ENROLLED IN UNIVERSITY”, FROM THE PROVINCE OF HYOGO

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! I went to see the movie the day it came out. I really enjoyed watching it. When my exams are over, I’ll go see it again. By the way, a question came to mind: did you also see the Gintama movie in the cinema, Sorachi sensei? (I’d also like to know how it went when Shinyaku Benizakura-hen came out. Please answer me!)

ANSWER:

I went to the movies because my assistants suggested that we all go see it together, but I went home after seeing the movie Monster University. Since that was the case, I didn’t see it again after the private screening for insiders. I want to see the audience’s reaction, but I am full of regrets. I always think it would have been better to make the film in another way, so I don’t feel like going into the theatre. Just like when Shinyaku Benizakura-hen came out…

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 163

QUESTION FROM MISS TSUKANATSU, IBARAKI PROVINCE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! I look forward to reading Gintama every time. I’d like to ask your advice on something. Having seen that the senpai who always greets me enthusiastically has hair coming out of his nose, should I tell him clearly? The next day I met him again, and this time there was a booger attached to his nose hair. Since he is my senpai, I have a hard time telling him. Sensei, you are my senpai of life experiences. Let me know what I should do!

ANSWER:

In those moments, try to put yourself in his shoes. What would you do if one of your kohai told you that your nose hairs were coming out, and on top of that there was a booger dangling like Tarzan on vines? No matter how good-tempered Senpai Tarzan may be, he would end up bursting into tears that evening as he looked in the direction of his native jungle while sitting on a veranda in the metropolis. Of course, overriding his pride has the advantage of putting an end to the booger swings and making Tarzan disappear from sight. But truthfully, once discovered by one of his kohai, his identity as a jungle boy would become apparent to all his friends and classmates, as he would be screaming from the first hour of class until after school. So, in case you’re on the fence about telling him or not, thinking of his own good, I don’t think you can do anything for your senpai. Telling him is more up to his close friends than you. At this point you could become his jungle and watch over him with affection, booger included. Let the Tarzan booger swing all he wants.

That said, the special 52nd volume of the 10th anniversary ends here. Given the occasion, I’m thinking of animating the work with some flashy gimmicks, so keep this stupid manga company for a while longer, and don’t abandon it. Just think, since the movie has already been made, the work is almost finished. It’s still too early for you to read “Champ Road”. A stupid manga will suit you better.

New topic: “If I remember correctly, even around volume 30 he said the same thing.”

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Thank you for purchasing the 51st volume of Gintama!

Thanks to your support, the film version of the final chapter of Gintama was better received than the previous work. Thank you very much. Yet despite the results, I feel a deep sense of defeat caused by the private screening for insiders that preceded the film’s theatrical release. Although it is the completion of the Benizakura saga, it was not a success. The insiders already know the story, but above all they see the film merely as the outcome of their work, being petty people who only work for money and have no interest in the work itself. That’s why the flop was announced.In fact, it seemed that not only the film, but Sorachi sensei himself had failed completely. I was afraid I would have to endure this tension again, but in front of me sat SPYAIR, who sang the theme song of the last film, which gave me a glimmer of hope. Unlike those bloody old men, their sensibilities are still fresh, and above all they didn’t have much to do with the production of the film. So they were able to enjoy it as neutral viewers and make up for that heavy atmosphere. Their leader, in particular, could have cried black tears from the black makeup covering his eyes… I would have hated to see the leader in a broken mood, but I expected such a reaction, so I watched from behind. Instead, they didn’t even blink an eye for the duration of the screening. They stared at the screen with an expression similar to No* theatre masks and an icy secret-agent stare. As he stared blankly into the distance, the leader’s eyes were completely black, as if he had a strip of Nori seaweed on his eyelids and could not see a thing, other than wax melted from tears. The only thing that was destroyed, therefore, was Sorachi sensei’s heart.

*Form of 14th-century Japanese theatre in which the use of masks does not allow the use of facial expressions.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 155

QUESTION FROM MR. “I’M COMPULSIVELY WATCHING RENTED ANIME DVDS”, FROM THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA

How old is Kamui?

ANSWER:

Kagura is fourteen.

Kamui is eighteen.

Umibozu is ninety-three…

I’m referring to the age of his hair roots.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 156

QUESTION FROM MS. CHITOSE OF WAKAYAMA PROVINCE

I have a question. Famous people often appear in Gintama and I find that they look very similar to real people. How do you draw portraits not only of famous people but also of ordinary people? Tell me your secret!

ANSWER:

The secret to drawing a portrait is first of all to exaggerate the somatic features of the person in question. You have to highlight the particularities: thin eyes, big nose, etc., exaggerating them with a certain malice. Everything starts here. After that, the malice must be dosed according to the use you want to make of it. If you don’t want to indignate the portrayed subject, you have to tone it down as long as their particular signs are barely noticeable. Portraits are not drawn with a pen, but with malice.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 157

QUESTION FROM MISS “PISTOL GIRL”

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! Gin-san, Kyubei, and the others have changed sexes several times. So if Hasegawa became a woman, what would he be like? I don’t think you have time to waste, but I’m asking you to draw her.

ANSWER:

He will be like this.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 158

QUESTION FROM MR. “BLACK FOX” OF KANAGAWA PROVINCE

Good morning Sorachi sensei! I’ve been wanting to get something off my chest for a long time. What does the word “necromancer” used by Otsu mean? Let me know, kibi unko!

ANSWER:

She’ referring to the video game Jaseiken Necromancer.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 159

QUESTION FROM MR. “THE GINTAMA MOVIE WAS AWESOME!”

I have a question for you, sensei! The other day my mother, upon hearing about the great success of the Gintama movie, said that if it’s such a popular work, the author definitely lives in Roppongi Hills*. Is that true?

ANSWER:

The harsh reality is that no matter how much the film attracts hordes of viewers and makes big money, the author doesn’t pocket anything. He only gets paid so-called royalties at the beginning. Practically a pittance, compared to the total takings of the film. Most of the money goes to companies like Shueisha, Sunrise, etc., those bloody profiteers. I make much more money from the manga volumes. The reason I collaborated on the film, despite having traces of blood in my urine, is that there are nicer places than flats in Roppongi Hills. I’m talking about your heart, dear lady! If Gintama can get to everyone’s heart, I’ll settle for living in Homeless Hills too. This is the true intent of an author when creating a work. So, ma’am, if you have an ounce of compassion, in addition to seeing the movie, buy the manga and send me to live off royalties in Roppongi Hills!

*Huge urban complex in the Minato district of Tokyo.

Well, anyway, SPYAIR, my only hope, looked like this. So I wanted to say, “Are you really SPYAIR? If you’re spies, you would have understood the situation. Haven’t you noticed that Sorachi sensei is sitting behind you? Even secret agents can’t sense my presence? You’re not going to start shooting at the movie without noticing me? That’s not going to happen, right?” This way I was only thinking about SPYAIR and looking at their heads instead of the film. During the second half, when I was about to be overcome with emotion, I held back my tears by looking at the high shade of their hair. However, in the parts where their songs were included, I could not hold back, and also by virtue of the gap between their appearance and the songs they composed, my tear glands had a ‘sonic collapse’. I thought that, beyond their No theatre mask faces and high shades, they fully captured the spirit of the opera!

I was the only one excited in the room and the only one moved by my own opera, in short, I was in an awkward position. Their artistic talent completely overwhelmed me. Thank you for composing such wonderful pieces, dear SPYAIR!

New topic: “So, what does that black stripe mean?”

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Thanks for buying volume fifty! And right now, when the movie is also coming out, they’re doing some personnel shuffling within Shueisha (notorious for not getting the vibe). So Congalala Matsuo, the fifth editor of Gintama, has been moved to Bessatsu Margaret. As usual, these always happen at inopportune times… I remember the previous editor, Yian Kut-ku Honda, telling me, “Let’s take care of a story for a movie.” But no sooner had we started running towards that goal than his Achilles tendon snapped, and he ended up being replaced by another person. Since then, I’ve been through hell and back with the novice editor Congalala, who didn’t understand a thing and could only throw poo at people, ready to die. And now that we finally see the finish line, and Congalala has learned that you don’t throw poop but flush it down the toilet, he was the one who got flushed and said goodbye.

What the hell is going on at Shueisha? On top of that, the next editor is the Yian Kut-ku of Achilles tendon. Despite pulling out of the race right after the start, he came back just before the finish line showing a face that seemed to say, “Sorry to keep you waiting so long”! I repeat, what the hell is going on at Shueisha?! So Yian Kut-ku only gets the good stuff! When he turned on the microwave, he found a movie ready with cheese on it. But look closely inside the microwave… There’s Congalala’s corpse covered in cheese!

In a nutshell, although Mr. Matsuo was in charge of this project during the toughest period, he walked out just short of the finish line without seeing the film completed. This gives me the same feeling as when you have a little urine left in your bladder. Besides, I was tense all the time, so I couldn’t show him any of my good sides. In the eyes of a new editor, a fifty-volume manga is like Saburo Tokito*: you just frown and look away, and then, even without doing anything, you usually look good. In any teledrama, he would play the lead role. But in the last year and a half, Saburo had reverted to his original spirit and threw himself headfirst into a vat of boiling water… I mean, they used to shove a red-hot ganmodoki** in his mouth, and he was practically always made fun of. Even looking back over the last year and a half, all I can remember is getting hit in the arm by Hideaki Ito* as soon as we met.

In Margaret‘s editorial office, if the cartoonists asked Matsuo what Jump‘s cartoonists are like, he might reply that I’m “Saburo shot in the arm”. If that happens, I’ll ruin the honor of all the writers who are working hard on Jump. So I couldn’t find any other words for him leaving other than, “I won’t tell anyone anymore that all you did was hang out with So_pland because of stress, so you won’t have to say I crapped my pants in the studio either.” I couldn’t even say thank you….

*Japanese actors.
**Fried tofu made with vegetables, eggs and white sesame seeds.

TO CELEBRATE THE THEATRICAL RELEASE OF THE 2ND GINTAMA MOVIE

SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH HIDEAKI SORACHI!

Sorachi-sensei, who wrote the entire story specifically for the film version, will candidly reveal his thoughts on the Gintama anime and the cruel backstory!

Interviewer: Finally, on July 6th, the movie that tells the final chapter of the anime will be released… What do you think about it?

Sorachi: I feel a sense of gratitude that they have always run alongside the manga, which looks like a blast. Also, I’m grateful that I was able to offer my collaboration by specifically writing the story for the film, because I wanted to show my appreciation in some way. Since I had heard that this might be the last movie, I felt that if I didn’t assist it on its deathbed, there would be no one else who could. I wanted to personally give it the coup de grace so it wouldn’t suffer. But in retrospect, it suffered so much…since missed my shot. It was writhing around with its head hanging down.

Interviewer: We heard that you were the one who designed the storyboard for this movie. Tell us a few events about the efforts you had to make, or any unforeseen events!

Sorachi: Drawing the storyboard at the same time as the weekly release was the unexpected event. Instead, even though I had to make a story specifically for the movie, I didn’t think they would make me work so hard, I thought they would give me a hand, but instead they gave me everything! On top of that, Shueisha was uncooperative and didn’t even give me a short rest. Eventually I had traces of blood in my urine, caught all the contagious diseases, my editor started hanging out in Soapland. At first, I drew to show my appreciation, but eventually I wished death on everyone around me! In short, my attribute changed from light to darkness. Well, my relationship with this movie was really deep…

Interviewer: The original work also made it to the 9th anniversary of its serialized publication. Do you have any ambitions for the 10th?

Sorachi: Since I’ve had the making of the movie in my head for the past two years, I felt like I was doing two different jobs at once. From now on, I’d like to work only on the manga, to move it up a bit, also because it’s now at its 50th volume…

Interviewer: Finally, could you say a few words to the readers?

Sorachi: The movie version of Gintama is a masterpiece, or rather a bloody fruit, because it was made by various people: by me, by the anime staff members, by my editor, and by the soapland ladies, with tears and blood shed from various points… I ask you to watch the unleashing of the anime until the end! Please also give your support to the original work as well, as I will try to animate it even more.

THIS INTERVIEW IS A REPUBLICATION OF THE ONE INCLUDED IN THE JUMP NEXT! SPRING 2013

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 151

QUESTION FROM MR. “GINTAMA IS FUN” OF IBARAKI PROVINCE

I’m writing to you for the first time, Sorachi sensei! I have a question: With whom and where does Gin-san drink?

ANSWER:

He drinks at Kabukicho. And at any place that’s near his house, there’s always some acquaintance. He has no trouble finding companions to drink with…

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 152

QUESTION FROM MR. RYOSUKE TANAKA OF KYOTO PROVINCE

Sorachi sensei, I’m writing to you for the first time! While reading your manga, I became curious… Sagaru Yamazaki has a sword, but is he able to use it?

ANSWER:

He’s so good with a sword that he can peel an apple without ever breaking the skin.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 153

QUESTION FROM MR. TOKKA OF OSAKA PROVINCE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! I decided to send you this postcard because your name has been mentioned in the news. They say that when they held a baby gorilla naming contest at a zoo in China, “Hideaki Sorachi” was the most popular! Does that make you happy? It does to me a little bit…

ANSWER:

Is this popularity…?

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 154

QUESTION FROM MR. “I WON THE TICKET FOR THE EVE OF THE CINEMA SCREENING!” FROM OSAKA PROVINCE

I’ll ask you a question right now. The other day, while looking at Twitter, I found your name and was surprised. Despite always complaining that you have to work hard for boards or every deadline, do you have time to use Twitter, Sorachi sensei? Do you actually use it?

ANSWER:

Up until now I’ve never used or kept a blog, let alone plan to do such things in the future. I want to dump both ideas and stress into the comics alone. So I think the Hideaki Sorachi you found is either a namesake, or a Chinese gorilla.

As I explained earlier, due to the sudden shift in personnel I couldn’t say much to my editor, so let me take advantage of this space.

Mr. Matsuo, thank you very much for running with me for a year and a half, and during the hardest period of Gintama‘s history. I’ll never forget that you continued to defend me and the work by sacrificing yourself, even though you had to bald yourself twice and even though you had sunk into the vice of So_plands. You are certainly another gorilla, that is, another author of Gintama.

So, make sure that if the last film is a flop, you’re to blame, and if it’s a success, I am. In return, I’ll give you 300 yen!

That said, the two gorillas’ latest work, the movie version of Gintama, “Gekijōban Gintama Kanketsu-hen: Yorozuya yo Eien Nare (Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya)“, will be released in Japanese cinemas on July 6. Also, to return a favor to Congalala, please go see it, please!

New topic: “So you’re finally advertising the film?”

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Thank you for purchasing volume 49!

I think some of you already know that the release of the movie version of Gintama, Gintama The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya, has been set for July 6, 2013 in Japan. I’m often asked “What does ‘final chapter’ mean?”, “Is Gintama going to end?” … No, the manga isn’t, but for the anime it’s the last fireworks. Don’t send me any letters of complaint again. Every time the anime ends, there’s always someone who picks on me: “Why?”, but as I’ve said many times, Sorachi sensei doesn’t deal with the anime at all. I’ve never said either to end it or to continue it, partly because that’s not how it works in that industry. And this case is no exception. When it was decided that I would also take part in the film by writing the story, I was told that it would probably be the last one, and that’s why the title was chosen. It’s not like I’m the one who gave the dying anime the coup de grâce! First of all, it wasn’t my intention to use such a title, and without my noticing, they added “Final Chapter”. You”ll understand the real reason why it was titled that way if you watch it. So I can only tell you to go and see it.

In any case, it’s also true that I wrote the story as if it were the last episode of the manga, or rather, as if it could become one… Well, when I draw a long saga, I always do that. Anyway, since I put all my strength into it, I’d be very happy if you’d rush to the cinema!

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 146

QUESTION FROM MR. “KYUBEI! HOW DARE YOU CARRY A SWORD IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WITH THE HAITOREI EDICT IN EFFECT!”

In Gintama, the Haitorei edict is in effect, which prohibits carrying a sword at one’s side. Yet Kyubei has one despite not even being a member of the police force. Why can Kyubei?

ANSWER:

Not everyone is forbidden to carry a sword. Officials in the service of the Bakufu are recognized as samurai who are allowed to. The Yagyu are famous in the art of swordsmanship, as they were once instructors of the shogun’s family, so they are treated the same as officials. If they were members of the shogun’s family, they would not be such, as they learned the art of sword fighting from them.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 147

QUESTION FROM MISS WOMAN OF BLOOD TYPE A, FUKUOKA PROVINCE

Sorachi sensei, good morning! You often write defamatory things about your editors… Have they ever seriously reprimanded you?

ANSWER:

Never. Because they also slander me by calling me Gorilla on Jump or in the anime. So there’s an unspoken rule that even though we slander each other, when we meet in person we don’t talk about it and we pretend like nothing happened.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 148

QUESTION FROM MS NAMINKO, FROM MIE PROVINCE

I’m a housewife who loves Gintama a lot. I really respect mangaka, including you, Sorachi sensei! But the other day my younger brother said, “All mangaka only draw the storyboards, and their assistants complete the works.” That’s not true… is it? (I’m asking even though I know that, at this point, it’s almost an insult).

ANSWER:

It depends on the way mangaka work. There are those who consider their work to be the creation of the story, and there are those who think they’re done only when they’ve finished drawing and inking everything.

Many authors prefer to do their own work, as they wish, provided they have enough time. But for a weekly publication it’s almost impossible, so a lot of people do the main characters themselves, but the nameless citizens called “background characters” I often entrust to my assistants. Excuse me, but I manage to complete the boards just in time for the deadline. However, when I’m not late, I sometimes draw them. The dirtier ones are usually done by me. I think you can have fun looking for them…

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 149

QUESTION FROM MISS MORIRIN

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! There’s something I’ve had a doubt about for a long time, so let me ask you a question. A punk is aware that he’s a punk, but when I say, “Dear ___, you’re a punk, aren’t you?”, he replies, “Not at all!” with a very happy air. Can you tell me why?

ANSWER:

By “punk” we tend to imagine a nonconformist or rebellious person who doesn’t follow school rules, but that’s not the case at all. There is no other person who is so serious, who wants to fit the stereotype that many people have of a punk, as a hoodlum. Because most hoodlums, considered as such by people, are pseudo hoodlums. They didn’t become such because they took a really bad turn, but because they found manga cool, or because maybe they can rank high in the school hierarchy. In short, it’s everyone who plays the role of a punk for a stupid reason like that. So they feel a bit uneasy if people think they’re punks or bad guys. All in all, they just want to fit into a stereotype and live quietly like that. You asked him “You’re a punk, aren’t you?”, and he, while denying it to hide his embarrassment, must have unintentionally cracked a smile. They tend to spontaneously adapt to a classic place, such as school, even though they say they don’t want to follow adult rules or be free, because they would like everyone to frame them in the typical stereotype of those who go out of the usual schemes, that of the punk. So give them that. Just remember three phrases, “You look good in a fight”, “What kind of bike do you ride?”, “You’re a punk, aren’t you?”, and you’ll be able to get along with them too.

You want to ask me why I know that? Do you suspect Sorachi sensei is a former punk? No, I’m not!

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 150

QUESTION FROM MR. SANTA KURO

I am very afraid of the opinion of others. It’s often said that “only after you’ve received an evaluation from a third party can you get some appreciation,” but, surely, more often than not you are disparaged and despised. And I think one is deeply hurt by taking all criticism seriously. Sorachi sensei, how do you digest all the criticism of Gintama, which seems very harsh?  

Even though the publication has been going on for nine years, I still can’t stomach the criticism. When I receive letters with negative opinions, I get hurt, I get angry, and I suffer a lot…. I haven’t yet mastered the technique of putting these feelings in order; on the contrary, I try to remain as I am, because I consider this kind of difference a normal condition for my profession.

Of course, being involved in creative activities, I want a certain recognition from society. But what gives me the strength to keep going in search of something more fun and new is rather the spirit of refuting myself. I know that if I don’t keep thinking, “This isn’t good enough,” or “I have to do something,” I’ll lose the will; that if I feel satisfied, I’ll stop, but that’s just hard for me; and that if I’m left alone, I’ll end up listening only to positive opinions. That’s why, almost as a warning to myself, I told my editor to pass along all the fan mail, including the ones that seem like the epitome of nastiness.

Obviously, if I took all the negative opinions seriously, I’d end up having a breakdown, so I quickly read them with half-closed eyes thinking, “Shut up! Die!” and I don’t let the readers’ opinions sway me because I think, “If you don’t understand, it’s because you’re the stupid one!” It’s just that I try to put myself in a situation where I’m thinking, even vaguely, “Ooh, if I keep this up, I’ll never get anything done!”

That said, volume forty-nine “One step away from the 50th volume and the movie release” ends here. Both the 50th and the movie will be released in Japan at the beginning of July, so put your allowance or salary money aside: July will be Gintama month! And hurl them with all your might at Hideaki Sorachi’s face, which is me! Please give your support to both the manga and the movie.

New topic: “Gintama Month”

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Thank you for purchasing the 48th volume!

Last year I had various health problems, starting with the presence of blood in my urine. And in the end, just before I was about to hand in the boards for the last episode of the year, I had to fight the final boss, “norovirus”… It’s as if Clift, with whom I had made a promise to defeat Death Pisaro* together, suddenly threw a Zaraki** at me just before the finish line. The awful thing about the norovirus is that it’s this Zaraki thrown at you by surprise by your teammates, and by the time you realise it, it’s too late.

Try to imagine the feelings the hero Hideaki had when he had only one option, diarrhea at will, despite wanting to end the challenge against the last deadline of the year, i.e. the decisive battle against Death Pisaro, by resorting to the tactic “Attack at will”! Imagine the feelings the hero Hideaki had when the medicinal herb he ate came out of his ass from straining a little while wielding the sky g-pen!

The situation was creepy, as even staying quiet from his ass spurted out hit points. So, both Alena***, Manya*** and Minea*** were completely covered in poo.

As long as I didn’t select the “have diarrhea” command eighty times, the “fight” command wouldn’t come up, so I couldn’t think of defeating Death Pisaro. By the way, he had diarrhea too, so Clift and Torneko, who had eaten earlier, were spewing out of his ass! The challenge had turned into the one where the winner would be the one who would first expel all the toxic substance accumulated in the body…

That said, volume 48, the “Noro” special, ends here.

You too, be careful. It seems that depending on the person, the symptoms vary a bit, but in my case the diarrheal problems were terrible, as I’ve already written, and I had so much diarrhea that I could recreate an entire Hideaki Sorachi body by collecting everything that came out of me. In fact, it seemed as if Hideaki Sorachi had already been flushed down the toilet and it was the diarrhoea that was writing this page… maybe the positions of the two were reversed; that was the diarrhoea and I was the diarrhoea… I mean, it was so copious that I started thinking nonsense like this…

Since I couldn’t eat anything, I continued to work, surviving on sports drinks, but in the end, the liquid started coming out of my ass just as I had swallowed it. I’m referring to the transparent liquid. Rather than a manga author, I looked like the plant of some sports drink factory. It seemed that as it passed through my ass, the drink was completed. In short, it was such an exceptional sports drink that I thought maybe I was better suited for this than for drawing manga!

In order not to experience a tragedy like the one that happened to me, try to be careful, wash your hands well and gargle to keep yourself clean every time you come home. And then, first of all, don’t forget to lock Clift in the carriage!

New topic: “A Zaraki from Clift indicates negligence on the part of the hero.”

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