CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 200

QUESTION FROM MR. “IT’ S STILL UNCLEAR WHAT THE OTHER HALF OF BUFFERIN ASPIRIN IS MADE OF”, FROM CHIBA PROVINCE

Gin-san removes his nose hair with his fingertips, doesn’t he? It’s really hard to do, isn’t it? I can’t even remove them in one go with tweezers because they break off… Is there some secret technique?!

ANSWER:

Before removing your nose hairs, know one thing: they are there to protect your nostrils, that is, they are indispensable, so refrain from doing it without criteria. If you forcibly remove them, you risk damaging the pores and causing nosebleeds. The best thing would be to cut them off with scissors. Fingers are to be regarded as a lethal weapon to be used in an emergency. However, the first thing to do is to find out which hairs should be removed, and which should not.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 201

QUESTION FROM MR. DONTENMARU OF NIIGATA PROVINCE

I have a question: on the cover of volume 59, Okita-san and Hijikata-san seem to have changed their eye colour from what it used to be. Didn’t you set a colour for your characters’ eyes?

ANSWER:

No, I didn’t set one for any of my characters. I consider that the colour changes depending on what their eyes are looking at or reflecting.

That said, the “secret art of removing nose hair” special in volume 61 ends here. I’ve gone on too long, but at the end of the day I wanted to say that volume 17 of Dragon Ball makes our hearts beat so fast that we forget about nose hairs when we read it. See you in the next volume! Bye!

New topic: “Of all of them, I prefer volumes 17-19.”

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Thank you for buying volume 60!

In my studio, while working, we often talk about comics and movies, and since I am called “Sensei” despite everything, I feel obliged to set a tone when expressing an opinion. However, the fact that I don’t like superheroes like Spider-Man or Iron Man, which young people like so much, leads me to talk in circles, pretending that I’ve watched certain films when in fact I haven’t. Lately I’ve found an escamotage that allows me to get away with these situations and that consists in using rather vague metaphors to speak abstractly about the film in question, giving me the air of someone who knows a lot about it. Take The Avengers, for example. Although I’ve never watched the film, I brilliantly dribbled out a comparison between the heroes and two Chinese dishes: “A plate of Chinese stir-fried rice or a plate of Chinese dumplings are good eaten individually, but if they were combined, the taste of the first would be covered by the stronger taste of the dumplings. … “He’s right, Sensei! I only tasted Iron Man!” … “See? You don’t necessarily get a good result if you put delicious dishes together!” …and so on. If you use Chinese cuisine as a comparison, everything goes smoothly: “Listen, sensei, but isn’t the set of ramen noodles with half a portion of Chinese stir-fried rice that you always order the same as The Avengers?” … “No! If anything, it’s like Alien vs. Predator: like Alien, which in that specific context still stands out as the villain, in this case the ramen serves as a brothy base, highlighting the rice!”.

As you can see, whether we’re talking about food or films, Chinese cuisine is never wrong.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 193

QUESTION FROM MR. COCONUT PALM TREE OF KANAGAWA PROVINCE

In Lesson 518, the day after Shouyo sensei drove out the government officials, what happened to Takasugi? Was he eventually disowned?

ANSWER:

He ran away from home before they could disown him.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 194

QUESTION FROM MISS “I’M CRAZY ABOUT SAITO”, IBARAKI PROVINCE

While reading volume 59, I noticed something. Why isn’t Shimaru Saito in the Roshigumi recruitment scene? Since Okita says in volume 55 that they’ve known him since before the Shinsengumi were formed, it’s strange that he’s not there… isn’t it?

ANSWER:

As you know, Saito is a guy who always goes “zzz”. When Kondo and the others left for Edo, he got up late and stayed behind. He tried to catch up with them as fast as he could, but because he’s always going “zzz”, he wasn’t able to ask anyone for the way, and at some point he found himself in China. So, in a panic, he decided to ask for directions and diligently jotted them down in a notebook, but being, as you know, a guy who always goes “zzz”, people thought he was English and sent him to England. And so, being a guy who always goes “zzz”, he joined the other Shinsengumi with considerable delay. ZZZ.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 195

QUESTION BY MR. JC THE SUPER S

In the 425th lesson “One super S… and another super S”, Mr. Kondo says, “If you two super S’s collide, since two S elements repel each other, I will end up being an M for one thing or another!” But if a super S and another S actually repelled each other, what would happen? For one thing or another, I am an S!

ANSWER:

You can figure it out by placing two south poles of two magnets side by side: impossible to stick them together. If you don’t keep them at a certain distance and insist on bringing them together, one of them succumbs and becomes a north pole. The same applies to humans: one of them converts and becomes an M. Humans are living beings who are endowed with both inclinations, S and M. Therefore, if you happen to meet a person with whom you have the impression that you cannot get along, it is better to ascertain his inclination and adjust yourself accordingly, otherwise you may as well keep your distance. If this were the case, our species could perhaps avoid unnecessary conflict.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 196

QUESTION FROM MR. TOWELHEAD OF SAITAMA PROVINCE

How old is Yamazaki? I’m so obsessed with this thought that I can’t take a nap anymore, so let me know!

ANSWER:

He’s 32. By the way, Kondo’s 28 and Hijikata’s 27.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 197

QUESTION FROM MR. “LATELY GINTAMA IS MASTERFUL”, KOCHI PROVINCE

About the Shinsengumi and Miwarigumi’s uniforms, both Saito and Nobume wear a different one from the other members. Did they modify them?

ANSWER:

The commanders have two uniforms, one short and one long. The two of them simply prefer the second one, which is similar to the long school uniform with the high, stiff collar. Despite appearances, they care about elegance.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 198

QUESTION FROM MR. “SASUKE OF GINSAN” (A__HOLE WHO APPEARED IN VOLUME 33), FROM YAMAGUCHI PROVINCE

Sorachi sensei, good morning! Lately I’ve been watching Gintama anime with my better half, and episode after episode, she started making a lot of dirty jokes. When I first met her, she was a clean-cut girl, but now she reacts to the words “hole” and “stick” like a junior high school boy! Surely, it’s the influence of the opera. Sensei, can you compensate me in any way?

ANSWER:

Let me make one thing clear to you. Those who blame others for their own misfortunes are bad people. The fault is yours, that you showed Gintama to your girlfriend!

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 199

QUESTION BY MISS YUSUKE OF GIN-SAN, YAMAGUCHI PROVINCE

Sorachi sensei, good morning! I’ve been watching the anime Gintama with my boyfriend lately, and for a while now he’s been picking his nose and farting in front of me without any qualms. When I first met him he seemed like a clean-cut guy, but now he’s lost the look he once had. Surely it’s the influence of the opera. Sensei, can you compensate me in any way?

ANSWER:

Let me make one thing clear to you. You are the one who sent the question before, aren’t you? It’s not possible to get a combo of identical questions from two different people, even if they are engaged. Come up with something new together with your virtual girlfriend, who only exists in your mind, and above all never let go of her hands!

That said, the volume 60 special ‘The set with half a portion of Chinese stir-fried rice is always a guarantee’ ends here. Without realizing it, we’ve reached the 60th volume, but no matter how good the rice is from a renowned restaurant, you get sick of it if you eat it sixty times in a row. Not so if the rice is cooked by your own mother. Or rather, even if we get sick of it, we have no choice but to swallow it, because if we complain we will be slapped. So I, aiming to make a manga that’s like my mum’s Chinese fried rice, will continue to put all my efforts into it. Even though I’m getting nauseous just thinking about it. Please continue to support me!

New topic: “My mum’s Chinese-style rice stir-fry.”

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Thank you for buying volume 59! As I mentioned in the last issue, I have been going to the dentist lately. I haven’t done that for about fifteen years. When I was a kid, I found the dentist scary, as well as painful. In fact, once – I was in primary school – when the light from the dentist’s office lamp dazzled me, I closed my eyes and the dentist slapped me and said, “Don’t sleep!”. It’s only when you have an accident on a snowy mountain or go to the dentist that I used to go to that you get a slap for closing your eyes. I went to treat the swelling caused by a tooth and came home with another swelling. But setting foot in a dentist’s office again after a long time, I realized that things are different. First of all, I was surprised by the fact that treating teeth does not involve the slightest pain. Moreover, the former torture room has been transformed into a relaxing place with a TV set next to the dentist’s chair. What’s more, I was amazed to see that instead of a middle-aged man slapping people, there was a beautiful young lady, so I almost wanted to be slapped. By now it can be considered a kind of amusement park: ‘You want the drill? Then call me your majesty, you damned caries bacteria!” …

“Your Majesty! Aaaaah!” … Drrrrrill! I mean, it’s a place where even witnessing such a scene wouldn’t be all that strange. If there is anyone who has been holding on to a decayed tooth for years because of the negative image they have of the dentist, I strongly encourage them to go and see for themselves.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 189

QUESTION FROM MR. “RED-FRAMED GLASSES” OF OSAKA PROVINCE

In the 524th lesson, you see Gin-san wrapped in bandages looking at ships at the window. What period does that scene refer to?

ANSWER:

I apologize if the scene is difficult to understand.

Gintoki is looking at the shogun’s ship while lying on the futon, receiving medical treatment in the Momochi family’s villa in Iga, a few days after fighting Takasugi. After the battles, the group stayed in Iga for a few days, returning to Edo only when the shogun left for Kyo. Once back, the wounded were admitted to the Edo hospital.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 190

QUESTION BY MR. “LOSER” FROM NAGANO PROVINCE

Ever since I was little, I’ve loved drawing, even comic books, but I’ve never been able to show my work to family and friends because I’m ashamed. Can you, Sorachi sensei, do it without any problem?

ANSWER:

When I was in primary schools, I used to draw comics in a notebook, but I stopped after my father found it and made fun of me. So I started doing some illustrations on the sly.

Today, when I see my father buying a huge TV set with the money I send him, I feel like hitting him with a wad of cash.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 191

QUESTION FROM MR. KONDO OF TOKUSHIMA PROVINCE

The female characters in Gintama generally wear a short kimono and knee-length stockings. For example, Kuriko and Tama. Are they inspired by Otsu? Are you a fashion influencer, or do you just like girls with knee-length stockings, Sorachi sensei?

ANSWER:

Those are not ordinary knee-length stockings but very long tabi*, so-called “nagatabi”. It wasn’t Otsu who invented them, but when the short kimono became popular in Edo, this type of tabi also became popular.

That’s because I like socks that are Oolong-to-the-knee-God-Super Saiyan!

*special socks for flip-flop sandals.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 192

QUESTION FROM MISS “DIE, MY SISTER!” FROM THE PROVINCE OF MIE

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! I recently started reading Assassination Classroom but I had a fight with my sister and she revealed the whole story to me. You don’t do that, do you?! I’m dying for revenge! Do you have any advice on how to do that? Please let me know before I kill her!

ANSWER:

Before I kill you both, think about what you have done and check again the address to which you should have sent this letter!

Having said that, the volume 59 special “Everybody go to the dentist” ends here. The progress of science gives us great hope for the future. The time when we used to complain and say “I’ve got a tooth decay, it couldn’t get any worse” is over! We now live in a fantastic world where we can say ‘I’ve got a tooth decay, hooray! I’m going to go to the dentist and have it pulled!”.

But there’s one thing I want to draw everyone’s attention to: before you go to the dentist, always brush your teeth thoroughly. I brushed my teeth so thoroughly that they bled because I didn’t want to be hated by the beautiful doctor. The time when I did it a little more superficially, she put a kind of mouth guard in my mouth for the X-ray and when she took it out, the saliva that had stuck to it dripped down like the thread of the spider that Kandata climbed on to get out of hell*. That strip of saliva was so strong that Kandata could have used it successfully. So I became agitated because I was ashamed of it, but I couldn’t break it. The dentist also seemed agitated and finally started wrapping it around my arm, including Kandata, and finally tore it off.

Both Kandata and I blushed completely. I’m sure they have a nickname for me in the office and are saying behind my back, “Kandata is coming today.

I don’t want to go to the dentist anymore.

New item; “Take care of your teeth.”

*Reference to the short story Kumo No Ito by Ryunosuke Akutagawa

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CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 186

QUESTION FROM MR. GORILLA GORILLA GORILLA

Good morning, great Sorachi sensei! In the 516th lesson it turns out that Gintoki became a student of Shoyo sensei before Takasugi and Katsura. In the manga it appears so, but in the film “Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura Hen” there is a scene that suggests otherwise. A genius like you couldn’t have made a mistake like that! It’s certainly an oversight by those clueless anime staff, isn’t it?! Let me know, great Sorachi sensei!

ANSWER:

Let’s open volume 58 with a critique! I imagine you’re all worrying about me, fearing that I don’t have any arguments to defend myself, but rest assured… As you may have guessed from the name, I wrote this question myself! I did so because I have received many requests for clarification, so I tried to summarize the criticism in a way that would make it easier to tone down the sharpness and break it up with a clean stroke. Actually, I wouldn’t have anything to justify myself for, because there is no such scene in the manga, so let’s cut the bull by saying that the staff decided it on their own. However, in view of the upcoming airing of the anime, I couldn’t just ignore it. So the staff should thank me. Having said that, now we can all reflect together on the matter.

The scene in question is when Gintoki, who was injured in the fight against Nizo, remembers his past. Here’s what you see in the film:

It is true that, if we look only at this scene, it seems that Gintoki entered the school when Katsura and Takasugi were already part of it. Therein lies the contradiction with the manga. But those who have seen the film know that in this flashback there is no dialogue and that the words of Shouyo’s teachings are superimposed on the images, off-screen, so we cannot know what they are saying at that moment. So now the original author of the work will personally take care of inserting the jokes in this scene. So let’s see what it is…

So the scene in question was actually a moment of moral lynching of Gintoki for pooping himself, not his entrance to the school. Of course, the staff members of the film “Shinyaku Benizakura Hen” and I worked together from the beginning, consulting each other in detail, so this scene was born that way. I might have said, “Ah! Please put in the scene of Gintoki pooping his pants, because I couldn’t put it in the manga!” Does that make sense to you now, Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla? Since I’ve convinced myself of that, surely you have too.

CONTACT WITH THE READERS: QUESTION CORNER 187

QUESTION FROM MR. “I’M CRAZY FOR CHERRIES”, TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA

Good morning, Sorachi sensei! Is there a planet inhabited only by Yato people?

ANSWER:

It doesn’t exist. In the great war that broke out in space a long time ago, the Yato people showed off their extraordinary strength through outstanding ruthless actions. Thus, feared by all, they were exterminated along with their home planet. To this day, the few survivors are not welcome anywhere, so they live in hiding on various remote planets, or have turned to crime, like the Harusame.

That said, the “I had completely forgotten that scene” special in volume 58 ends here. I’ve gone on and on about it, but what I meant to say is that when you find something inconsistent in a work, it’s better to try to read between the lines or make up for a gap by imagining what’s not written, instead of ranting as if you’ve made a great discovery. One should not stop and look at things as they are, but make them the starting point to set the imagination in motion. This is the only way to develop good thinking skills. Moreover, if everyone did that, there would be no more irresponsible people making indecent excuses, like me. If this issue has served to make you reflect in this sense, I am happy. Well, see you in the next volume!

New topic: “Please follow the anime when it comes back on TV”.

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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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