Gintama

Episode 345

The fight to save the planet heats up this week as new threats emerge and old friends arrive to lend a helping hand. Showcasing Gintama's propensity for wearing many hats, episode 345 displays some of the show's rawest imagery to date before slipping into wildly subversive zaniness in the third act. Fortunately, instead of causing tonal whiplash, this shift in mood helps dispel the impending sense of doom and remind that the audience that at the end of the day, this is still Gintama.

Still locked in battle with Utsuro's zombie army, the Odd Jobs crew and Nobume encounter yet another new adversary: the muscle-bound and seemingly emotionless Hitsugi, the last of the Naraku's Three Wings. Despite having Gintoki's bokuto gruesomely jammed down his throat, the muscular powerhouse is no worse for the wear, implying that he too has partaken of Utsuro's blood. The melee is cut short when some ALA fighter ships arrive on the scene and proceed to blow the entire group to smithereens. Since he and his friends were able to survive the blast, Gintoki reasons that their enemies also managed to make it out and regroup. Unfortunately, our heroes barely have time to collect themselves before being attacked by an ALA battalion on the streets of Edo. However, just when all seems lost, the Shinsengumi, who have succeeded in their quest to gather rebels from all over the country, make their grand entrance and fight alongside the Odd Jobs trio. Despite all their bluster, the core members of the group haven't done much to improve their combat abilities. (As Gintoki muses, they've gotten worse, if anything.) Yamazaki, on the other hand, is now barely recognizable. In addition to changing his name to Zakiyama, the soft-spoken spymaster is now a dead-ringer for Rambo.

Meanwhile, Princess Soyo, who has been under the Oniwabanshu's protection since her brother's death, makes her way back to the palace with the intent of leading the people of Edo through this crisis. When a battalion of ALA ships acting on Ensho's orders attempts to blow the castle sky-high, their efforts are impeded by Matsudaira, who has gained access to fighter ships of his own. Even though his original goal had been to topple Nobunobu's government, Edo's hard-boiled police commissioner is now faced with a much greater challenge: protecting the entire planet.

When the Odd Jobs crew is beaten down and forced to retreat, their distress is palpable, and it helps make these usually zany characters feel more human. Seeing them brought to such lows this early in the arc is both distressing and indicative of how dire the threat is that they're now facing. We're also given a glimpse into how deeply the secrets revealed in the previous endgame arcs have affected Gintoki. Between all the action and comic interludes, it's easy to forget that nearly everything Gin believed about his past has now been cast in an entirely new light. Instead of assuaging his guilt over killing Shoyo, learning of Utsuro's existence has only made him feel worse, ultimately leaving him to question his relationship with this adoptive father. Even in the worst of times, Gintoki has been able to fight on and instill confidence in those around him, but toward the midpoint of this week's episode, he seems just about ready to throw in the towel. This is probably the first time we've seen the silver-haired samurai in such a hopeless frame of mind, but with any luck, the continued reemergence of old allies will help bring him out of this funk.

Of course, this wouldn't be Gintama if the main characters were allowed to wallow in ennui for too long. In true Gintama fashion, the Shinsengumi's homecoming is played up to be far more epic than the reality. Nearly everything the Shinsengumi have accomplished since leaving Edo is downplayed in favor of showcasing how depraved and dysfunctional its core members still are. Despite his brush with death in the Farewell Shinsengumi Arc, Kondo is every bit the shameless exhibitionist he always was, albeit with a badass scar. The reveal that he can now remove his penis at will (and not just the censor bar/mosaic) is a testament to the show's knack for taking its beloved cringe comedy as far as possible. Hijikata passing off his efforts to quit smoking as an epic new fighting technique is particularly funny, since he's generally the force's most serious member—though in this series, that isn't say much.

Each week, Silver Soul has brought plenty of action, comedy, and fascinating reveals to the table, and its latest installment is no exception. Although they weren't exactly hurting for screen time during the Slip Arc, it's great to see the Shinsengumi again, and the story behind Yamazaki's transformation into Zakiyama should prove amusing. Even though all seemed lost for a while, the return of Edo's “hooligan police” has imbued our heroes (and their show) with a renewed sense of hope

Rating: A

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.