Ten years ago, Hideaki Sorachi's critically acclaimed and extremely popular manga "Gintama" was adapted into an anime series. Carrying over the manga's lighthearted, satirical humor, the anime became a hit, ultimately getting a 201-episode run.
Eventually, though, the series scored yet another anime adaptation, and then another, ultimately spawning a massive franchise with hundreds of episodes, a series of OVAs and a couple successful movies.
After all, everyone who loves anime knows that once a series manages to capture the heart and interest of audiences, fans will not let go. Not for a long time, anyway.
Recently, Sorachi has announced that the "Gintama" manga is entering its final arc. Though the story has been going on for quite a long time, the announcement was met with much melancholy from the legions of fans that the franchise attracted through the years.
Last Sunday, however, another announcement came up during the franchise's "Gintama Haru Matsuri 2016." Confirming rumors, the staff of the currently ongoing "Gintama" TV anime confirmed that the ongoing series would be ending this month.
Such an announcement comes as a surprise, of course, especially since the TV series still has a lot of arcs to cover from the manga's plot. Like many of these announcements, the reason behind the current "Gintama" TV series' conclusion remains unsaid.
Considering the anime is also celebrating its 10th anniversary, the staff of the "Gintama" TV series was quite melancholic when the announcement was made. They are, however, optimistic about the franchise's future.
"A lot of things are celebrating anniversaries. Congratulations to 'Sengoku Basara' for its 10th anniversary, 'Cardcaptor Sakura' for its 20th anniversary, and the 'Gintama' anime for its 10th anniversary. The first step to the 11th year has already begun," Tomokazu Sugita, who plays the titular character Gintoki, said.
Rie Kugimiya, who plays the female lead Kagura, also shared her feelings about the anime's conclusion. "I'm really happy I was able to celebrate the 10th anniversary with everyone here. It's been 10 years I've spent with people I love and all of you, and the roller coaster of emotions that comes from the announcements. Here's to more 'Gintama' in the future!" she said.
If anything can be inferred from the developments in the franchise, however, it would not be surprising if another TV series is released within the next year or so, covering, of course, the manga's ongoing final arc.
Since its release in 2004, Sorachi's "Gintama" manga has continued to rank as one of the top-selling manga in Japan. Even its English adaptation, published by Viz Media, has sold fairly well in the West.
