Gintama

For the celebration of my hundredth review, I could not have chosen anything less than my favorite anime series. Gintama is the funniest and most perfect parody of almost everything an anime fan can think of. It features nearly all the clichés and tropes, plus the twists are so perfectly unique that it leaves you in stitches. The jokes develop into other jokes, and then at the right moment, they go back to the original joke, albeit in a different way, and you have to roll around on the floor laughing and at the same time marveling at the anime's creators and what they achieved. Hideaki Sorachi is the manga artist behind this, and he is the troll of all trolls; nothing is sacred to him. He steals ideas from practically everywhere and is not afraid to make fun of the audience (how often has Gintama ended?) and himself, a monkey. Plus, the quality of this anime series and its sense of humor seem more amazing than the number of other anime series I have seen. When I saw Gintama six years ago for the first time, I had a great time, even though at times I did not get it. I only recognized references to the most famous anime series like One Piece, Bleach, etc. However, when I watched it again a year later and had already watched over a hundred anime series, suddenly my viewing experience was completely different. When I watched it last year (some four hundred anime series watched later), it was even better than the first time because I had more to compare it to. It seemed the perfect show. There are references to various other anime series but also movies (like Star Wars), games (like Super Mario Bros), or even actors (like Jackie Chan), and the perfect situational and conversational sense of humor makes this a real treasure. However, there are also the characters who also make it such a good show. There is an entire collection of quirky personalities and perverts that you will not find anywhere else, and Gintoki himself is the absolute king among them. He is a lazy, cheeky, drunk, playful main male protagonist, plus he is a total loser. He is a laughing stock for everyone. However, no one wants to touch his friends, or they will see him change into a demon, an epic-level action hero that would make Chuck Norris piss his pants. So, a funny show becomes a top-notch action-packed shounen. There is also the lazy and brash alien Kagura, who has incredible strength. Then there is the chatty prude and quite dumb Shinpachi, his sister, who is sweet and pleasant until you piss her off. Her stalker is the head of the Shinsengumi special police force. There are other members of the Shinsengumi like the sadistic Okita and mayonnaise-loving Hijikata, the crazy terrorist Zura (ZURA JANAI, KATSURA DA!!!). I could write about this show forever because even every supporting character is unique, and you can easily remember them. You can even enjoy the biggest jerk (I am thinking of Prince Hata, aka Baka-ouji) and the bad guy. Aside from the characters, there are also unique items. So even things like Justaway or the Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon (especially the way it looks) get under your skin fast. Well, what would be the perfect show with perfect humor and incredibly perfect characters without a good story? Gintama manages to combine episodes that will keep you entertained even when nothing happens. Even an episode where the whole time the shot is at Gintoki's mansion and the main three protagonists are just talking and telling one joke after another will keep you entertained. Then there are the story sequences that can engage even the more discerning viewer with their sophistication. The soundtrack is great, and most of the openings and endings are great, I love listening to them, and the animation is also superb. In other words, this anime series has everything I want from an anime, and so it is rightfully at the top of my Top Ten, and this is unlikely to change. (08/03/2015) (moins) (plus)