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Gintama
Episode 319

by Amy McNulty,

How would you rate episode 319 of
Gintama. (TV 5/2017) ?
Community score: 4.7

The action factor is ratcheted up in The Battle on Rakuyo's third chapter. Now that all the key players have arrived on the titular planet, one of the biggest battles in Gintama history is primed to take place. Even though a number of different stories are currently unfolding, the proceedings never feel fragmented or particularly confusing, and I'd be interested to see if such a delicate balance can be maintained throughout the entire arc. Both full of action and sprinkled with well-timed comic interludes, episode 319 should please Gintama fans across the board.

Following their arrival on Rakuyo, Gintoki and company quickly find themselves under attack from Harusame fleets under the command of the Three Mad Stars, a trio of fleet commanders who are regarded as the organization's best of the worst. Gintoki, Katsura, and Sakamoto eventually decide to split up into three groups, each tasked with locating Takasugi and taking out a different commander. Sakamoto will face off against the mechanized monk Uranus Hankai, Gintoki will take on three-eyed Pluto Bato, who's regarded as the Harusame's best swordsman, and Zura will battle ape-man Neptune Shokaku, the organization's strongest assassin. Meanwhile, six of the Harusame's 12 fleets are searching for Kamui and the remnants of the Seventh Division and Kiheitai. Although Oboro regards Umibōzu warning Abuto about the impending attack as a betrayal, Utsuro is quick to point out that he never actually lied about his intentions. Instead of assisting the Harusame in taking out his son, Umibōzu wishes to kill Kamui himself while minimizing unnecessary bloodshed.

Although this episode largely serves as a preamble to future battles, it does a great job of getting the audience pumped up. With Odd Jobs Gin-chan, the Kaientai, and the Kiheitai united against a common foe whose ultimate goal is planetary destruction, the stakes have never been higher for Gintoki and the gang. It's also satisfying to see three of the Four Heavenly Kings share the stage as they take down countless Harusame flunkies, especially since this is the first “serious” arc to involve Sakamoto. (Even Sadaharu and Elizabeth join in to kick some butt.) We're not given too much insight into Kagura's family drama this week, but we're shown just enough to keep us intrigued. I have my doubts as to whether Umibōzu genuinely wants to kill his son, but since we've never really seen these characters interact prior to this arc, it's difficult to say for certain. Since Kagura's past has never been explored in depth and is about as mystery-shrouded as Gintoki's had previously been, there are likely to be many more revelations dredged up in the coming weeks.

Episode 319 also features some of this arc's funniest moments to date. Bansai, of all people, is actually responsible for setting up the best joke of the episode. Showing himself to be nearly as dense as Katsura, the headphone-clad record producer/assassin genuinely believes that an unseen laser implanted in one of his fingers is responsible for the destruction of various Kiheitai bases. Speaking of Zura, his back-and-forth with Shokaku felt like something straight out of old-school Gintama.

Whether you're watching as a fan of classic Gintama or you're fonder of the show's forays into seriousness, this week's episode is the best installment in this season yet. With several notable exceptions—like the Shisengumi crew—the series' most important characters are gathered in one place, and as any longtime viewer knows, this doesn't happen very often. By the time this arc wraps up, I have a feeling we'll be seeing the status quo shaken up yet again.

Rating: A

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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


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