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Gintama
Episode 292

by Amy McNulty,

How would you rate episode 292 of
Gintama (TV 4/2015) ?
Community score: 4.5

It's been a long time since Gintoki's famously short-tempered protégé received any focus, but Shimura Shinpachi is given his due in this week's Gintama. In a season that's seen third-rung secondary players like Seita and Sakamoto get their own episodes, everyone's favorite bespectacled comic foil has largely sat on the sidelines. To remedy this, episode 292 encompasses two segments, which both revolve around Odd Jobs Gin-chan's resident tsukkomi.

The first segment finds Shinpachi considering a new look. As his sister points out, he's been wearing the same striped kimono since the series began, and it's high time he stopped being so considerate to the animators. While window shopping, the Shimura siblings encounter the other two thirds of the Odd Jobs Trio, who are also in the market for new clothes. A clever slough of gags about cartoon characters' limited wardrobes ensues, as we learn that Gintoki's trademark outfit is a school uniform for an Amanto race, and Kagura's hair clips are meant to serve as genital-coverings for the same group of aliens. At Otae's urging, Gintoki and Kagura try out new looks, resulting in a devilishly funny subversion of the anime fashion montage.

The second segment chronicles Shinpachi's efforts to master a secret technique left behind by his late father. Following the events of the Beam Saber Arc, the Kodokan Dojo has an influx of new pupils. Unfortunately, the student body is comprised entirely of transients who only attend lessons in exchange for chocolate-dipped macadamia nuts. After Kondo finds a secret scroll in the Shimura family's storehouse, Shinpachi discovers the existence of the Let's Dance All Night Ultra Miracle Super Mario Brothers Second Edition Luigi's Revenge Director's Cut technique. If he's able to perfect this technique, Shinpachi believes he'll be able to command the respect of his disheveled disciples. However, this proves more challenging than expected, as the directions are presented in the form of a video game instruction manual, and practicing the technique entails turning the segment's featured players into Street Fighter-esque 2D fighting game characters. (Since the name of the technique is a portmanteau of various videogame titles, this is strangely fitting.)

This episode clearly showcases the staff's propensity for going the extra mile for the sake of comedy. After Shinpachi debuts his "new look" at the end of the first segment, a suave 1940s American gangster-like ensemble, he retains this attire throughout the entire new opening credits sequence. However, shortly thereafter, he realizes he didn't look as cool as he hoped and resolves to go back to his usual outfit next week.

This installment's gags are refreshingly clever, especially considering how frequently we've seen the same "poop and vomit" gags and the "Shinpachi = his glasses" jokes lately. (Most characters identify Shinpachi by his oval-shaped glasses, and many of them actually see him as a floating pair of spectacles.) Although this is one of the show's most prominent running gags, it's starting to wear thin. Fortunately, both of this week's stories place a much stronger emphasis on Shinpachi as a put-upon tsukkomi instead of a sentient piece of eyewear.

If this week's episode is any indication, this latest cour of Gintama is off to a promising start. Episode 292 offers up a potent combination of trope subversion, fourth wall-breaking, slapstick wackiness and on-the-nose parody, which is refreshing after weeks of pixelated poop and vomit. Placing just the right amount of emphasis on the tsukkomi routine and offering a much-needed break from rampant potty humor, this episode never loses sight of what makes Gintama so much fun to sit through each week.

Rating: A-

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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


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