[This episode celebrates the 40th anniversary of Weekly Shonen JUMP.]
[Well, we feel it's somehow too good, so we'll show the new opening a little later.]
[And so, the GinTama anime starts its third year!!]
I've cornered you. There is nowhere for you to escape.
The game is over, uh-huh.
That's right. Give up peacefully, serial bombers, Katsurayama, Josephine.
Ha ha ha. Ginta, you're the one who's been cornered.
I've already set bombs everywhere in this building.
If Josephine pushes this switch, everyone here will die.
What?!
I won't let you do it!
Domestic Violence!
There it is! Ginta-san's special weapon!
It's a very strong skill used to strike a blow to the opponent's crotch!
With sixteen strikes a second, his crotch is already damaged.
What?!
I-It doesn't work. Oh, I see. Oh my god!
Those clothes... Those clothes make it tough to see exactly where Josephine's crotch is.
It must be somewhere else.
Dokan.
Hey, wait.
This manga is still being serialized?
Hey, JUMP. Stop it already and let a rookie try something.
What's with this manga?! It's so unreadable.
The drawings are really rough, and there's too much dialog, Idiot.
They say, "You can read Amachi Sensei's manga only in JUMP."
[Note: "You can read XX Sensei's manga only in JUMP." is a common line used in SHONEN JUMP magazine.]
That's wrong. "We're forced to read it in JUMP."
I guess it's about time for JUMP to cultivate a talent who can surpass "One Park" or "Belt."
[Note: One Park is a parody of One Piece. Belt is a parody of Naruto. Hanger Hanger is a parody of HUNTER x HUNTER which has a habit of taking long hiatuses.]
"Hanger Hanger" is back again, but we won't know when it'll take off again.
According to my instincts,
it's about time for the next genius to appear in JUMP within the ten-year cycle.
I'd like to hear more.
What's the problem with "Gintaman"? I think it's fairly good. I like it.
What's with you, kid?! Are you a fan of Gintaman?
You shouldn't read this kind of manga. It'll stunt your growth.
I'm not a kid, I'm Konishi.
I'm asking you what the problem is with Gintaman.
It's the editor's fault.
It's the fault of the editor in charge, who has left the manga unattended until now.
That's how an amateur thinks.
The editor can only help lead the manga author's manga into AKAMARU JUMP.
[Note: New SHONEN JUMP artist manga are often debuted in AKAMARU JUMP. If the manga becomes popular it is serialized in SHONEN JUMP.]
Once it becomes a serialized manga, it's up to the manga author to survive by vastly improving.
Even if he can't lead the manga author,
he should at least be able to stop him from going in the wrong direction.
I understand that the manga in JUMP needs to have a lot of energy.
But when the author goes too far,
it's the editor's responsibility to nudge him in the right direction.
Obviously, I should be the editor.
He doesn't know what he's doing.
I bet the editors of JUMP are all highly educated guys who've studied a lot of things,
but don't understand the hearts of boys.
[HAGA LAW OFFICE]
Hah, it would be better if Gintaman wasn't in JUMP.
[Gintaman Manuscripts]
Are you proud of your job?
Hello. Thanks for calling. This is Konishi of JUMP's editorial department.
Are you enjoying your work?
Do you like your job?
["The More Something Is Disliked, The More Lovely It Is"]
[SHUEISHA]
Konishi!
Hey, you! There's no way I can approve a dirty story idea like this!
You can't jump into the gutter just because you run out of decent ideas! That's not professional!
What? Ah, ha! You're trying to use smut to cover up a bad story, huh?
I can see you've reached the limit of your abilities!
There's no depth at all! I'd be excited, but for the wrong reason!
Konishi-kun, please! You're so aggravating!
My hair is falling out because of you!
I can't tell people I part my hair in the middle anymore! You hear me?!
Look over there!
That's Yoshizawa, one of your contemporaries!
He's the good-looking, skillful editor-in-chief who created "C.Clay-Man" and "Peth Note."
[Note: C.Clay-Man is a parody of D.Gray-Man. Peth Note is a parody of Death Note.]
Hey, his work, height and dick size are all three times bigger than yours!
[Friendship, Diligence, Victory]
By contrast, look at you!
You're like a junior high student both in height and work.
People like you usually have small...
You have a big pecker! Even that makes me angry!
Listen! If your next reader survey comes up with the lowest score...
Konishi...
...you and your work on "Gintaman" will...
...no longer be needed for JUMP!
Why have things changed so much?
Why do I have to languish like this?
The reason I joined Shueisha wasn't because I wanted to help JUMP or anything like that.
I just wanted to work in the MEN'S NON-NO editorial department and write about today's fashion trends...
[Note: Men's Non-No is a fashion magazine for men.]
I wanted to become a modern city boy and be surrounded by models...
...eat a lot of sushi in Ginza...
...and party in nightclubs every night.
I don't know why, but I was assigned to JUMP's editorial department,
and I have to work on this kind of shabby manga.
I didn't understand it. I didn't want to understand it.
Hey, hey. I still see "Gintaman" in this week's issue.
Give me a break. It makes me sick.
Really... I wonder what the editor was thinking.
Editor-in-chief, hurry up and execute the editor and the manga author.
Please don't foul up my JUMP anymore. I want to read more story-like comics.
Like "White Devils" or "Bat Sider."
[Note: Parody of "Black Angels" and "God Sider". Both were serialized in Shonen JUMP in the 80s. ]
Then you do the editing!! Do it if you can!!
In fact, I'd rather work on "Peth Note" or "C.Clay-Man"!
Something that's stylish and cool!
I wish sub-culture magazines like "Quick Japan" or "Studio Voice" would do special features about me.
[Note: Yoichi Shibuya is the CEO of Rockin' On and known for his long behind-the-scenes interviews with musicians and artists.]
I want to be interviewed about behind-the-scenes news
and be the subject of one of Yoichi Shibuya's 30,000-character interviews.
But... But!
I have to be in charge of "Gintaman" and "Maison de Gin-Gin"!
[Note: Maison de Gin-Gin is a parody of Maison de Penguin in JUMP.]
Why do I have to work for uncool manga?!
Hey, hey, calm down.
Oh, I see... You're in charge of "Gintaman."
Well, um, you know... I liked "Maison de Gin-Gin."
Shut up! It's too late! That guy already went back to his parent's home.
He went back and is working as a cashier at a convenience store!
D-Don't worry! He'll definitely return to JUMP in a report manga.
[Note: Special report manga are often only for the magazine.]
Then it won't be a comic book anymore!
...I'm inadequate for this job.
I know it... I've known it.
In fact, I dislike manga in the first place.
I've been reading JUMP since I was a kid,
but it was just so I could talk about the same subject with my friends.
I never thought manga was fun.
There's no way someone like me could produce manga that people enjoy.
It makes sense that I'd get fired. That's right.
I wasn't the right person for this job from the very beginning.
Someone like me is just right for MEN'S NON-NO.
Or at least "Subaru" or "Myojo." JUMP is just out of the question.
[Note: Subaru is a literary magazine and Myojo is a magazine for popular boy bands and actors. Both published by Shueisha.]
What about monthly JUMP?
It's already discontinued.
[Note: Monthly Shonen Jump was discontinued in 2007.]
Let me do it.
You'll get fired anyway, right? Then it doesn't matter who the editor is.
If it doesn't exist, then just create it.
It's your job to create something that you think is fun, right?
I've been reading JUMP for twenty years.
So I'll teach you about friendship, diligence and victory.
Well...the author is very shy around people, so please don't get all worked up.
And don't mention anything about this manga possibly being discontinued, either.
I know.
I definitely won't say anything about the reader survey results, circulation or the manuscript fees.
You sound like you'll talk all about it!
Good morning.
Man, this house is really dirty. I wonder if he ever cleans up.
Ah, most manga authors are like this.
They stay at home more than the average person and don't have time to clean up.
Are you serious?
I thought it was common for them to live in homes with spiral staircases.
Ah, that's just for the ones at the very top.
Most manga authors' houses look like this.
Ah, thank you for your hard work, Amachi-kun.
Uho.
Ah, there's poop over there, so watch your step.
Sakata-san. This is the manga author, Amachi-kun.
Amachi-kun, today's meeting will be between the three of us, including Sakata-san.
Uho.
Well, Sakata-san. He's basically a gorilla, but not a real gorilla.
No, he's a real gorilla.
Most manga authors are like this. Basically, they're all gorillas.
But Haraki-sensei of "Gyo Gyo's Wonderful Adventure" is handsome and doesn't grow old.
[Note: Gyo Gyo's is a parody of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure by Toshiyuki Araki. Hirohiko is known for his appearance not changing for nearly 20 years.]
He's not a gorilla, but an immortal fairy.
Whatever. Anyway, why don't you guys sit down over there?
Ah, there's poop over there, so watch your step.
Well, today I'll teach you about the basics.
Uho.
Well, I've read most of your manga.
It wasn't interesting, so I just skipped a lot of it, but the storyline is something like this.
In a fictional city called Tokyo, the smart and refined man,
Ginta-san, with his happy friends Patsuan and Gurako, run wild!
[Gintaman]
...That's the basic concept.
Then I'll tell you what.
First, basically, the design for the main character is crap.
Here, this is Ginta-san.
See, his appearance is too plain.
Really? His name is Ginta, so we made his hair silver...
[Note: Gin means silver in Japanese.]
Uho.
Fine. Are you guys stupid or something?
The manga is basically black and white.
Why did you use color to make it stand out?!
Ah, I see. Ah, that's right.
Uho...
Ah! Don't get so disappointed, Amachi-kun!
Listen. For example, let's make this Ginta-san a silhouette!
See?! Look at this. There're no special characteristics at all, are there?
Kids won't remember a character like this!
If he's not a character you can identify by his silhouette,
you can't survive in manga for boys.
For example... Can you tell who this is?
Ah! Yes! Yes! Zoffy of One Park!
[Note: Parody of Luffy from One Piece.]
What about this?
Ah! It's Luke of Peth Note!
[Note: Parody of Ryuk from Death Note.]
The next?
Jugo of Pleach! That's right!
[Note: Parody of Ichigo from Bleach.]
They're all identifiable from just their silhouettes!
And how about this?
Gochu of Dragon Bozu.
[Parody of Goku from Dragon Ball.]
Bu bu. That's wrong.
What?! That's Gochu! That's definitely Gochu!
Uho!
Ah, Amachi-kun, calm down!
The answer is...
...Ginta-san.
To be exact, it's the Ginta-san from next week on.
Well, if the main character has these attributes, I think it'll be all right. Yeah...
Amachi, use this starting next week.
U-Uho.
No, wait... Well... That looks just like... Dragon Bozu's...
Huh? Dragon...what? Stop saying things that I can't understand.
Ah, no.... Huh? You just said you've been reading JUMP for twenty years, right?
Anyway, the Gintaman's serialization is already in its fifth week,
so we can't suddenly change the visual look of the main character
to something completely different now, anyway.
You know, you can say his perm failed.
Or he had a perm explosion... Boom!
Uho!
Why does it look like you're saying, "I'll take that idea!"
We already had something ridiculous like that before!
All right, we finished the main character, so next we'll talk about the enemy!
Hey! You're pursuing this subject all by yourself!
Listen! In order for the main character to stand out, a strong rival is needed.
Right... Like One Park's Chichibukai. Or Belt's "Bakazuki."
[Note: Parody of Shichibukia and The Seven Warlords of the sea from One Piece and Bankai from Bleach and the Akatsuki from Naruto.]
[CHICHIBUKAI]
[BAKAZUKI]
The main character beats his strongest enemy, so it makes him cool.
And sometimes a strong enemy winds up becoming a friend,
so he becomes more exciting.
Hmm...
So, Gintaman's rival character is...
This guy? Who's this, anyway?!
It's a detective from the Shinjuku police station, Dorokata-san.
[Note: Parody of Hijikata.]
Sometimes he hunts down Ginta-san and sometimes he helps him.
[DOROKATA]
It's a character that screams, "closest rival" but is really a "friend."
I already told you that it's too plain! Can you identify him by his silhouette?
Don't make me repeat the same thing so many times.
Are you guys stupid or something?
Look at these. In JUMP, these are the silhouettes of the rival characters.
See, no one looks the same.
So you do know all about it, right?
You know about Dragon Bozu, right?
Well, it's not my fault if the top people come complaining to us.
Shut up and die.
I'm sure the top people will be able to handle it, so don't worry.
Nothing to worry about.
I doubt it!
More importantly, look carefully, right here.
Well, do you recognize who this is?
Um... Pickle-san.
[Note: Parody of Piccolo from Dragon Ball.]
Then, how about this?
That shiny head belongs to Tenshindon-san.
[Note: Parody of Tien Shinhan from Dragon Ball.]
And this?
Oh, Bajita.
[Note: Parody of Vegeta from Dragon Ball.]
Bu bu. That's wrong.
What! Don't tell me... This time, the rival character...!
The answer is...
...it's Ginta-san.
To be precise, it's Ginta-san after he turns into a Super Yasain.
[Note: Parody of Super Saiyan from Dragon Ball.]
Why?! Why is Ginta-san here again?!
Why are you asking such tricky questions?!
What was the point of talking about rival characters?!
And why did he turn into a Super Yasain?!
Why is he steadily getting stronger?!
Uho
[Ginta-san.]
Why did you answer such a tricky question?!
Stop smiling! This isn't a quiz!
So, this rival character appears as an enemy at first, but ends up being a friend.
That's the real thrill of a boy's manga.
Then what's the meaning of this discussion?!
Well, it's something like this: He fights with his rival and wins.
Then they become friends without knowing it.
And a new rival appears, and he fights and wins again.
And he makes a new friend.
Repeating this and dragging it on is the standard JUMP formula.
Hey! One person is missing! Namcha?! Is that Namcha?
[Note: Parody of Yamcha from Dragon Ball.]
Well, that's what the rival part is all about.
Hey! Let him in! Let Namcha join in the JUMP formula!
The next thing is... Let's talk about the comedy part.
Namcha!
Well, as far as appearances go, "Gintaman" is more like a comedy manga...
...but as you know, a gag is created by a funny man and a straight man.
There're some gags where there's only a funny man and no straight man at all, but...
If that's the case, the reader can be the straight man while he reads.
Wherever there's laughter, there's a straight man.
Now you guys understand how important it is to have a straight man, don't you?
Uhoho!
However...
...in Gintaman's case, I can see that this straight man went slightly too far.
Please take a look at this.
Uho?
Huh?
[REWIND]
Watch.
[PLAY]
Why?! Why is Ginta-san here again?!
Why are you asking such tricky questions?!
What was the point of talking about rival characters?!
And why did he turn into a Super Yasain?!
Why is he steadily getting stronger?!
All right. As you can see, this straight man is obviously overdoing it.
This isn't manga. It's what I said earlier!
A straight man's role is to explain the funny man's joke so that people understand, but...
Watch.
Why?!
Why is Ginta-san here again?!
Why are you asking such tricky questions?!
What was the point of talking about rival characters?!
And why did he turn into a Super Yasain?!
Why is he steadily getting stronger?!
If he nitpicks about every little thing like this, people will get bored.
Watch.
["WHY" 0 times]
Why?! Why is Ginta-san here again?!
["WHY" 1 time]
["WHY" 2 times]
Why are you asking such tricky questions?!
What was the point of talking about rival characters?!
And why did he turn into a Super Yasain?!
["WHY" 3 times]
Why is he steadily getting stronger?!
["WHY" 4 times]
See? You said "WHY?" four times in one cut.
Stop! I'm so embarrassed, so please stop it!
When the straight man is played in a subtle manner, it's far more effective.
It encourages the reader to actually think about the joke and the straight man's explanation.
It helps suck the reader in. But when you try to explain everything...
Watch.
Why?! Why is Ginta-san here again?!
Why are you asking such tricky questions?!
What was the point of talking about rival characters?!
And why did he turn into a Super Yasain?!
Why is he steadily getting stronger?!
You've obviously lost your effectiveness as a straight man
and have become plain annoying instead...
Stop! Fine! Kill me! Everything will be all right if I die!
In other words, the straight man's job isn't to just explain something.
Aren't you just pointing out my faults?
Anyway, that's about it.
I have someone who is the top straight man in Edo, so you'd better learn from him.
Let me introduce him to you.
This is Ginta-san.
Dondake!
[Note: "Dondake" is a popular catch phrase used by gay people in Japan. Literally means "WTF?!" Similar to American gay people who snap their fingers and say "Oh no you didn't!"]
It's something like that. I invented that phrase recently.
It can cover almost all funny-man situations.
Dondake!
If you keep using that word most of the time, it'll be all right.
What kind of comedy is that?!
No, no.
Dondake!
D-Dondake!
One more time.
Dondake!
Say it once more!
Dondake!
Everybody say it!
Dondake!
Everybody say it!
Dondake!
And this year's top buzzword is...
"Dondake!"
Everybody, "Dondake!"
[LIVE]
[This year's buzzword award!]
[Shonen JUMP Editorial Department Kohei Konishi]
Here we have Kohei Konishi-san who created "Dondake!"
He is from the weekly Shonen JUMP editorial department.
Please tell us how you feel right now.
Well, it's not like I wanted to launch a new catchy trend...
I just worked hard and it came about naturally.
So I don't know what to say.
But...I have just one thing to say to young people.
If you have something that you really think is fun, think about it and pursue it.
After all, that's the shortcut to success, I think.
[Meet a deadline! By Konishi.]
Uho.
Whatever... No one can overcome someone who loves his work.
Tsk... I lost...
Humph!
I look forward to seeing you at this new level.
Konishi.
Lastly, I'd like to say one word to all my friends who taught me something important.
Dondake!
It's still so boring...
[Note: On JUMP cover, "Gintaman becomes TV Anime!']
I hope Gintaman ends soon.
[This episode celebrates the 40th anniversary of Weekly Shonen JUMP]
Gintaman. Gintaman.
[Gintaman] [Note: This song is a parody of the Dragon Ball Z anime opening song.]
Gin Gin Gin Gin Gin.
Gintaman.
[Original story by: Hideaki Amachi]
In the night, he keeps running in the city.
Where is he going?
[Special Thanks to Weekly Shonen Jump Kohei Konishi]
That's not important.
Half spirited Ginta-san.
Domestic Violence!
Look at yourself in the mirror, Gurako-chan!!
Patsuan!!
Gintaman. Gintaman.
[Main theme "Dondake! Gintaman" Song by Ko-saku]
Gin Gin Gin Gin Gin.
Gintaman!
Sparking!!
Dondake!
Hey, calm down, Shinpachi.
The GinTama anime is barely entering its third year.
However, there's only a few original manga episodes left.
Therefore, the staff intends to broadcast the original anime
"Gintaman" for one month starting next week.
Dondake!
Shut up, Shinpachi.
Today, how many times did you say "Dondake"?
Nowadays, saying "Dondake" too many times is really embarrassing.
Consider his feelings, Kagura.
Do you know when today's story ran as manga in JUMP?
It was in June of last year.
Back then, it was a big hit.
Even Shinpachi feels really ashamed when repeating "Dondake!" now.
He's really embarrassed.
I see. Shinpachi feels very embarrassed right now. He's super embarrassed.
"Dondake!" I won't say it! I'll never say it again!
I'm embarrassed! But I have no choice!
I looked at today's script, and found only "Dondake!"
Furthermore, there's no way we can broadcast something as ridiculous as "Gintaman"!
We'll be called in by the top people again!
I look ugly, so I don't like it, either.
Tsk, it can't be helped then.
I thought it was a great idea, though.
All right, we just have to do it the regular way, right?
I don't know what "regular" even means.
Then, let's get started again! Here we go.
The GinTama Anime starts its third year!
Huh? Is it over?
[Preview]
It's a familiar uniform... and a familiar stance... But his face is...
What are you doing in a place like this, Hijikata-kun?
You're...
["Rules Are Made to be Broken"]
[His name is Kamotaro Ito. A feeling of chaos in the Shinsengumi...]
["The Shinsengumi Crisis Arc" will start in the next episode!]