Gintama is not afraid to take other popularanimeand manga series and have a bit of fun with them. Throughout its several hundred episodes, Gintama has parodied almost anything you may think of, from blink and you miss it pokes at popular series like Assassination Classroom or Hunter X Hunter, to obscure references to classic Japanese media.
With too many references to count, deciding on just a few to showcase is nearly impossible. Below, we’ll go through just a few of the best references to other anime in Gintama, highlighting parodies that went beyond mere references and had entire episodes or arcs based on the original material.
7Mobile Suit Gundam
Episodes 232-236
Gintama’s Renho Arc involves the Yorozuya and Katsura searching for a missing Elizabeth, only to find that Katsura’s pet is a member of the Renho Tribe, a group of aliens set on taking over the Earth. Their investigation eventually reveals that the Renho are led by the tyrant Dark Vader, who plans to conquer the Earth using his Gunsams, a blatant rip-off of the originalGundam.
The arc culminates in a battle between Elizabeth, piloting a Gunsam, and Dark Vader. However, the kicker is that, for just this episode, Elizabeth is voiced by Amuro’s voice actor, while Dark Vader is voiced by Char’s, adding another layer of depth to this parody that has already gone too far. Of course, as is tradition, this arc also has minor references to Naruto, Black Butler, One Piece, and a few more.
6Dragon Ball Z
Episode 119
There are dozens of Dragon Ball Z references throughout Gintama, but it’s in episode 119 where these references evolve into a full-on parody. After the Shinsengumi implements a ban on smoking, Hijikata leaves Earth to go somewhere he can smoke in peace. His search brings him to the vaguely familiar planet of Hamek, where the nefarious Brieza is said to dwell.
However, Brieza has very nearly eradicated cigarettes from Hamek, so Hijikata sets out to kill him. Along the way, he meets Kobayashi (a stand-in for Yamcha), who is mourning the death of his friend Grillin. To revive Grillin, Hijikata helps Kobayashi find the seven slippery balls, and eventually defeats a different villain, Cello.
This entire episode is one big DBZ parody, and the Yorozuya trio don’t even make an appearance.
5Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Episodes 131-134
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is perhaps the only other anime on this list that can match Gintama’s level of absurdist. The arc takes place when Gintoki, Kagura, Shinpachi, and Tae are sent to a hot spring resort to assist its owner. However, Gintoki and Shinpachi almost immediately start seeing ghosts around the resort, which Gintoki believes are Stands.
Since Gintoki can see the Stands, he believes he must be a Stand User, and strikes a very Jojo-like pose. Eventually, the owner of the resort, Oiwa, attacks Gintoki with her Stand, mimicking Star Platinum’s classic battle cry. As you might expect, this arc is also filled with references to Japanese pop culture, including Gintoki’s Stand taking the appearance of H.E. Demon Kakka of the heavy metal band Seikima-II.
4Fist of The North Star/Ruroni Kenshin
Episode 287
Episode 287 of Gintama has Gintoki and Hijikata swap bodies, who then go about their normal routines. However, as the head of the Shinsengumi, Gintoki abolishes it, instead turning the Shinsengumi into a biker gang, whose appearances closely resemble the gangs in the post-apocalyptic anime Fist of the North Star.
Meanwhile, in Gintoki’s body, Hijikata completely reforms Yorozuya, disciplining Kagura and Sadaharu early in the morning under the new Yorozuya Code. Eventually, Gintoki and Hijikata meet up at a bridge, with their respective crews in tow. Shinpachi then appears, bearing a striking resemblance to Saito Hajime from Ruroni Kenshin, and even strikes his classic pose, threatening the two with his ‘slay evil immediately’ attack.
Shinpachi is even wearing the Shinsengumi outfit that the Shinsengumi in Ruroni Kenshin wear, which is what the real-life Shinsengumi also wear. This parody has multiple layers, and even without understanding them all, the episode is still hilarious.
3Doraemon
Episode 272
The beloved anime seriesDoraemonhas been parodied in Gintama dozens of different times, but perhaps one of the best is in Episode 272. Gintoki, Katsura, and Sakamoto are reminiscing on their days during the war, when they remember that the Joui four were actually the Joui five; they had completely forgotten about the existence of one of their comrades, Kurokono Tasuke.
While still trying to remember their comrade, the trio surmise that Kurokono may have died in an explosion and become a wandering ghost. Terrified by ghosts, Gintoki begins to panic, and to calm himself down, he starts singing the Doraemon theme song. Gintoki’s singing is absolutely impeccable, and the accompanying background music ties the whole thing together perfectly.
2Kuroko’s Basketball
This reference takes place almost immediately after the Doraemon reference in episode 272. The ghosts plaguing Gintoki were actually members of the Kiheitai, who were trying to assassinate the final members of the Joui four, disguising themselves as members of the Kurokono basketball team.
Gintoki and the Kurokono basketball players end up playing kick the can with a can of sleeping gas, with the basketball team using Kuroko’s signature misdirection technique. This multilayered reference in an already reference-filled episode is made even better by the fact that Kurokono and Kuroko share the same voice actor.
1Neon Genesis Evangelion
Episode 150
Episode 150 is an anime-original episode of Gintama, but this is one piece of filler you won’t want to skip. The premise of the episode is the Yorozuya gang reflecting on the past years of the Gintama anime, and how they should deal with their imminent finale after defeating Takasugi.
One of the ending versions they come up with is a near frame-by-frame recreation ofNeon Genesis Evangelion’s final episode, with Shinpachi standing in for Shinji, and ending with the Gintama cast giving him their ‘congratulations’. This reference goes even further when you realize that Hasegawa and Gendo Ikari are both voiced by Fumihiko Tachiki.
