20 Years Later, Gintama Is Finally Moving to Netflix in January

Few eras in shonen anime history are as beloved as the 2000s. With series like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece becoming huge both in Japan and abroad, it was truly a golden era for shonen. However, one series that many in the West missed was Gintama.

According to Netflix, Gintama is set to arrive onNetflix on January 15th. No information about how many episodes of the series will drop on the 15th, or whether the series’ multiple sequel anime and movies will also be coming to the streaming service, but it’s an undeniable win for anime fans with Netflix subscriptions.

Gintama Is Still Peak 2000s Shonen Anime Even 20 Years Later

Relentlessly funny and with solid production from Sunrise, Gintama is based on the manga by Hideaki Sorachi. Though the series does get serious on occasion, it is largely a parody of contemporary shonen stories.

Gintama takes place in a version of Edo-era Japan that was attacked by aliens. Though samurai fought back against the invaders, the Shogun ceded power to the aliens and essentially let them take over Japan. The series follows a ronin named Gintoki and his misadventures across this strange landscape.

Often ranked among the funniest anime of all time, Gintama is no stranger to meta-humor that makes obvious references to big anime series like Dragon Ball.

Despite its lack of name-brand appeal in the West, it is a household name in Japan and has achieved critical acclaim. As a result, Gintama is a sprawling franchise with 4 anime series and a trilogy of films.

Gintama Coming To Netflix Is a Massive Win For Anime Fans

Currently, Gintama is available on Crunchyroll and Hulu, meaning most anime fans will already have access to the massive series.

Despite that, it’s still great to see Gintama come to Netflix.

Netflix ranks among the world’s biggest streaming services, meaning that there are undeniably anime fans who have Netflix but lack more niche anime-focused services like Crunchyroll.

With Gintama coming to Netflix, fans across the world have access to its strangely intoxicating mix of humor and incredible action. Though it might not have the popularity of Naruto or Bleach, Gintama truly deserves the title of the 2000s greatest shonen anime.

Release Date: 2006 – 2021-00-00
Network: TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
Directors: Yasuhiro Minami, Kazuo Miyake, Shuji Miyahara, Naoki Hishikawa, Ai Yoshimura, Shinya Watada, Matsuo Asami, Shouji Ikeno, Seiki Takuno, Taro Kubo, Tomoaki Koshida, Hikaru Yamaguchi, Hitoyuki Matsui, Hiroyuki Hata, Ko Matsuo, Mamoru Enomoto, Yohei Shindo, Tatsufumi Itoh, Jet Inoue, Makoto Moriwaki, Tatsuma Minamikawa, Hirokazu Yamada, Shigeki Takagi, Shinobu Sasaki
Writers: Shu Matsubara, Taku Kishimoto, Masaki Tachihara, Deko Akao