Gintama is a live-action film based on the most popular comic cartoon from the last 10 years, which was authored by SORACHI Hideaki. A parallel universe caused by a sudden, random appearance of extraterrestrial creatures in the time when the shogunate, shinsengumi samurais, and Ishin-shishi still existed, is the main setting of Gintama. Some twist of historical figures, that anyone who’s interested in Japanese history or pop culture might have heard of, appear and tell nonsensical tales and jokes. Though Japan is famous for its long history of ludicrous comics, there have been very few comics that dealt with samurai action, sci-fi, and gags. Also, not many live action movies based on comics have enjoyed success besides realistic dramas. It would have been a foolproof path to failure especially if the original comic dealt with an imaginary world on an enormous scale. Considering all these factors, Gintama, a blockbuster live-action film, will be remembered as a success, even though it took on a new and reckless challenge.
OGURI Shun stars as the main Gintoki, SUDA Masaki as Shinpachi, the ‘once-in-a-thousand-years’ idol star HASHIMOTO Kanna as Kagura. Other top actors including NAGASAWA Masami, OKADA Masaki, YAGIRA Yuuya, and DOMOTO Tsuyoshi joined the team to take on supporting roles without hesitation. The director, commenting on the eagerness of the actors in joining the film, joked that the actors probably had mistaken the movie for a big-name show like Rurouni Kenshin. Director FUKUDA Yuichi is a maestro of ludicrous movies, and his famous works include Hentai Kamen Volumes 1 and 2, and Joshizu. Even while directing a masterpiece title like Gintama, he did not lose his ludicrous spirit, and successfully adapted the original comic into a well-made live-action film. Gintama will be a new blockbuster in Japan, and will become a textbook example of a comic-based film.