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The Correct Order to Watch Gintama Anime Series

Posted on by Rose Gregory

About Gintama Anime, and is it worth watching?

Gintama, which means Silver Soul, is a Japanese manga series set in an alternate history late Edo period in which the alien species of Amanto attach humanity. This series is not only captivating but also makes you laugh yourself silly. You are sure to understand every character as these characters find ways to justify their actions. Even the most despicable characters will fascinate you. Most people are confused over Gintama watch order and do not know where to start watching Gintama. The Gintama watch order may be confusing, but that should not stop you from missing out on this brilliant show. If you are wondering how to watch Gintama, you have arrived at the right place. Read further to understand the ever so complex Gintama order.

Release Order of Gintama Anime

The Gintama watch order is utterly confusing, and rightly so as it has more than 367 episodes, 8 TV installments, 1 OVA series, four movies, and five specials. As a result, anyone can easily be overwhelmed and perplexed about how to watch Gintama. To understand the Gintama order, you need to be acquainted with the release order first.

TV Series

  1. Gintama (2006-2010)
  2. Season 1 (Episodes 1-49)
  3. Season 2 (Episodes 50-99)
  4. Season 3 (Episodes 100-150)
  5. Season 4 (Episodes 151-201)
  6. Gintama'(2011)
  7. Gintama’: Enchousen (2012)
  8. Gintama (2015)
  9. Gintama°(2017)
  10. Slip Arc (2017)
  11. Silver Soul Arc (2018)
  12. Silver Soul Arc – Second Half War (2018)

Movies

  1. Gintama Movie 1: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen (2010)
  2. Gintama: Yorinuki Gintama-san on Theater 2D (2012)
  3. Gintama Movie 2: Kanketsu-hen – Yorozuya yo Eien Nare (2013)
  4. Gintama: The Final (2021)

Original Video Animation or OVAs

  1. Gintama°: Aizome Kaori-hen (2016)

Specials

  1. Gintama: Nanigoto mo Saiyo ga Kanjin nano de Tasho Senobisuru Kurai ga Choudoyoi (2005)
  2. Gintama: Shiroyasha Koutan (2008)
  3. Gintama: Dai Hanseikai (2010)
  4. Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen (2010)
  5. Gintama’: Futon ni Haitte kara Buki Nokoshi ni Kizuite Neru ni Nerenai Toki mo Aru (2015)
  6. Gintama°: Umai-mono wa Atomawashi ni Suru to Yokodorisareru kara Yappari Saki ni Kue (2015)

This is the Gintama watch order as per its release.

What is the watch order of the series?

The release order or the chronological order may not always be the best way to watch this show. If you are wondering how to watch Gintama, the following is the best Gintama watch order.

Gintama Specials Watch Order

The regular Gintama watch order normally does not include the special content as many consider it less significant to the original storyline and the overall story progression. If you are a hardcore fan or just generally would enjoy watching the special, here is the Gintama watch order for the special content:

  1. Gintama: Nanigoto mo Saiyo ga Kanjin nano de Tasho Senobisuru Kurai ga Choudoyoi (2005)
  2. Gintama: Shiroyasha Koutan / “White Demon’s Birth” (2008)
  3. Gintama: Dai Hanseikai (2010)
  4. Shinyaku Benizakura-hen (2010)
  5. Gintama’: Futon ni Haitte kara Buki Nokoshi ni Kizuite Neru ni Nerenai Toki mo Aru (2015)
  6. Gintama°: Umai-mono wa Atomawashi ni Suru to Yokodorisareru kara Yappari Saki ni Kue (2015)

Gintama Movie Watch Order

The following is a simple guide that includes the Gintama canon, i.e., all the relevant tv shows and movies that impact the Gintama watch order.

  1. Season 1 (Episodes 1-49)
  2. Gintama’ (2011)
  3. Gintama’: Enchousen (2012)
  4. Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya
  5. Season 3 (Episodes 100-150)
  6. Season 4 (Episodes 151-201) or Gintama°
  7. Gintama°: Love Incense Arc (OVA) (2017)
  8. Season 5, or Gintama.: Slip Arc
  9. Silver Soul Arc – Second Half War (2018)
  10. Gintama: The Semi-Final (Special)
  11. “Gintama: The Final”

Do you need to watch Gintama movies?

If you ask a hardcore fan whether you need to watch all Gintama movies, then the answer would most definitely be YES. However, in this article, we try to be as unbiased as we can be. You can avoid Gintama’: Futon ni Haitte kara Buki Nokoshi ni Kizuite Neru ni Nerenai Toki mo Aru and Gintama°: Umai-mono wa Atomawashi ni Suru to Yokodorisareru kara Yappari Saki ni Kue. The latter is only 12 minutes, so you can watch it if you enjoy the series even though it does not impact Gintama’s watch order. Both of these are specials as the Gintama movies are canon.

How much time does it take to watch it all?

If you follow the chronological Gintama watch order, it will take you 152 hours and 32 minutes to complete the whole series.

  • Gintama: Nanigoto mo Saiyo ga Kanjin nano de Tasho Senobisuru Kurai ga Choudoyoi – 32 minutes
  • Gintama – 4824 minutes
  • Gintama: Shiroyasha Koutan – 10 minutes
  • Gintama: Dai Hanseikai – 14 minutes
  • Gintama Movie 1: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen – 95 minutes
  • Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen – 11 minutes
  • Gintama’ – 1224 minutes
  • Gintama: Yorinuki Gintama-san on Theater 2D – 192 minutes
  • Gintama’: Enchousen – 312 minutes
  • Gintama Movie 2: Kanketsu-hen – Yorozuya yo Eien Nare – 110 minutes
  • Gintama’: Futon ni Haitte kara Buki Nokoshi ni Kizuite Neru ni Nerenai Toki mo Aru –24 minutes
  • Gintama° – 1224 minutes
  • Gintama°: Umai-mono wa Atomawashi ni Suru to – 12 minutes
  • Gintama°: Aizome Kaori-hen – 52 minutes
  • Gintama. – 288 minutes
  • Slip Arc – 299 minutes
  • Silver Soul Arc – 288 minutes
  • Silver Soul Arc – Second Half War – 336 minutes
  • Gintama: The Final – 104 minutes

Can you skip Some Episodes?

Gintama has more than 300 episodes. Watching the entire series in one go can be extremely time-consuming for the audience. Some slower and less relevant parts of the show can be skipped to reach the good parts or have Gintama fans call serious arcs of the show.

Episodes 1 and 2 are celebratory fillers and are not relevant to the plot at all. Viewers can easily skip that part and start the show from episode 3 right away. Although the first 50 episodes are important as they form the plot of the series and introduce the characters, the following episodes can be skipped: 12-15, 17, 22-24, 27-28, 31-32(Memory Loss Arc), 36, 39-45, and 47

Followed by this episode, 58 to 61 talk about the first serious arc of the series. It is known as the Benizuka Arc. This arc has been remastered into a movie and can be watched instead of the show. After episode 61, one should watch all the episodes as now you are familiar with the characters and the plot. Therefore, all the jokes and the various events will start making more sense to you.

Conclusion

After reading this article, the Gintama watch order should no longer be a problem for you.