Gintama

Episode 302

Like the previous two installments, episode 302 is rife with twists, turns, and surprising revelations. Of course, this being Gintama, there's still the occasional comedic interlude. (For example, this week's episode features one of the series' funniest poop jokes to date. Yes, there is a standard for such a thing.) While not quite as action-packed as last week's combat-laden rollercoaster ride, the third chapter of the Shogun Assassination Arc sets the stage for an epic showdown to come. Not a moment of time is wasted this week, so if you're prone to spacing out, a second viewing may be in order.

Now that the real Shigeshige has revealed himself, Momochi Rappa decides to bring Fujibayashi Gaimon, the west-bound convoy, and the audience up to speed. Realizing that more assassination attempts were unavoidable, Zenzo arranged to have the shogun transported to the Iga village immediately after the tea bowl debacle that set this arc into motion. When Rappa chides Gaimon for giving in to the Harusame's threat, the towering behemoth attempts to attack her—and is blown to Kingdom Come by the small arsenal that emerges from her mouth. It turns out the real Rappa is the maid who's been attending to the wheelchair-bound bandaged figure, and the heat-packing mummy is an intricately-designed ninja puppet. (Eat your heart out, Kankuro of the Sand.)

Despite Abuto's insistence that he perished, we soon learn that Sogo (along with Princess Soyo and Rotten Maizo) survived last week's airship crash and is currently on life support. Seeing Sogo act outside of his self-interest is rare, and risking his life for the princess represents some real character growth for this established sociopath. After checking in on Sogo, Maizo reveals to Matsudaira that the person Zenzo beheaded was indeed one of the shogun's body doubles—one who willingly accepted his fate. As it turns out, this double had been serving the Tokugawa family since childhood.

Years ago, this unfortunate young man was abducted by one of the royal family's political enemies, who believed him to be the real Shigeshige. When Sadasada expressed no interest in rescuing the double, a prepubescent Shigeshige joined forces with the Oniwaban (who were charged with protecting the Tokugawas), stormed the kidnappers' base, and recovered their friend. However, Shigeshige was severely injured during this mission, and if his uncle had caught wind of this, he'd have had every member of the fledgling Oniwaban executed. To prevent this, Shigeshige had the freshly-rescued body double assume his identity for a period of six months, during which time the future shogun recovered at the Oniwaban's base and underwent ninja training. When the time came to set Zenzo's plan in motion, the now-adult double was happy to sacrifice himself for the man who saved his life many years prior.

Shigeshige having a childhood connection to Zenzo and Sa-chan is genuinely surprising, but not in an "out of left field" kind of way. Since all three of these characters primarily function as vehicles for comedy, virtually no attention has been paid to their respective pasts. Tying the histories of three of Kabucki-cho's wackiest inhabitants together in such a poignant manner is a bold narrative choice that made me view each of these goofballs in a new light.

Hoping to "thank" the Iga for their help, Takasugi, the Kiheitai, and the Harusame enter the ninja village via airship. Zenzo quickly surmises that the Hitotsubashi Faction aims to pin the assassination on the Iga and wipe them out before they have a chance to reveal the truth. Before the ships can open fire, Zenzo activates a powerful smokescreen and proceeds to kill as many flunkies as possible. Despite fighting valiantly, the mop-top ninja sustains several serious stab wounds. However, before Takasugi's men can finish him off, a solemn looking Sa-chan appears, dispatches Zenzo's attackers, and warns Takasugi to stay away from her old friend.

Zenzo's rarely-heard theme, which is played during his double cross (triple cross?) stands out. It starts with a slow build and transforms into a maraca-infused Spanish-style beat. It's an odd choice for a Japanese (and science fiction) setting, but it suits the moment nicely. It's almost as if Zenzo becomes Zorro as he faces a battalion of foes by himself. It's a shame a good portion of this battle is conveyed through still shots, which is a stark departure from last week's fluidly-animated Sogo/Kamui face-off.

There are a lot of characters thrown together on both sides of this conflict. (Did you ever think we'd see Takasugi and Zenzo share the same air?) Due to the lightning-fast pacing, some of them barely get any screen time, much less a chance to shine. Gintoki himself hasn't even appeared much over the last two weeks, although the presence of Takasugi suggests that the silver-haired samurai will soon take center stage.

Even after three weeks of madcap action and intriguing plot development, the Shogun Assassination Arc shows no signs of letting up. The audience is barely given a chance to catch its collective breath, but when it comes to shonen anime, I'll take rapid pacing over the alternative (i.e., Naruto Shippūden) any day. Unfortunately, with so much going on, the wait between episodes has become even harder to bear. For Gintama fans, next Wednesday can't come fast enough!

Rating: A-

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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