Gintama

Episode 280

Last week's installment ended with Ikeda Yaemon attempting to enlist Gintoki's assistance in his string of serial murders. Gintoki, as one of the condemned prisoners Yaemon's father set free ten years ago, had little choice but to help or become Yaemon's next victim. As it turns out, Yaemon had something different in mind. The perpetually-grinning executioner tasks the Odd Jobs Trio with protecting his adoptive sister Asaemon, which entails accompanying the Ikeda clan on a boat carrying corpses of executed criminals. Their goal is to smuggle Asaemon, who has taken the rap for her brother's murders, out of Edo before the authorities discover she's still alive. The cadavers are being delivered to Hitotsubashi Nobunobu, the leader of a political family with aspirations of overthrowing the Shogunate. Since these are the corpses of rebels who fought against his father during the Joi War, Nobunobu is all too happy to test his new swords on them. Meanwhile, Hijikata and Sogo, doubting the Mimawarigumi's claim that Asaemon was executed, force their way onboard to investigate.

The political machinations that unfold this episode are explained too quickly, and new names are tossed around as if loyal Gintama viewers are supposed to know them. This is likely the start of something much larger in the Gintama world, but its introduction is rushed here. The rapid switch in focus from the serial murder investigation to a corpse delivery gone awry also loses the episode a few points, but there's still plenty to engage the viewer's attention.

Fans of Gintoki's bokuto fighting style are in for a treat, as the action ratchets up in the episode's second half. Shinpachi and Kagura, who we haven't seen fight in a while, also get a chance to kick some butt. However, the real visual wonder is Asaemon attempting to punish her brother. The "jumping off debris as the bridge you're on collapses" trope has certainly been done before, but it's a sight to behold here as Asaemon leaps toward Yaemon with expert precision. Seeing two executioners—skilled swordspeople who can kill with hair-thin strokes—locked in battle could prove interesting. Unfortunately, the episode ends before they get a chance to truly engage in combat.

The art in this episode, particularly the brush-stroke color palette for the flashbacks, is amazing. It invokes the feeling of the Ikeda clan's pride by painting "beauty" over bloody and violent acts. If there's beauty to be found in being an executioner, as Asaemon and her adoptive father believe, it's in giving the condemned a clean and honorable death. Since Yaemon finds beauty in violence for its own sake, the scene in which he slaughters a jail full of prisoners is colored in the same pattern—but it's visually darker, too. It's a testament to the production team's ability to infuse this zany comedy with genuine emotion.

As the second episode in a three-part arc, episode 280 shifts the tone from largely comedic to more dramatic fare accordingly. While the gags are missed, they're not entirely absent. (This is Gintama, after all.) While some key plot points go by a little too quickly, it's difficult not to get swept up in the somber mood of this episode. There are still lingering questions and loose ends to tie up, but the promise of a satisfying resolution is around the corner.

Rating: A-

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for two decades.