Gintama

Episode 283

Poor Tokugawa Shigeshige. Every time the shogun makes an appearance, things are guaranteed not to go well for this socially awkward leader of Edo who simply wants a friend. In every episode involving him, Gintoki freaks out because the people around him are unaware of the abuse they're doling out to their ruler. The more Gintoki tries to set things straight—not because he cares about the shogun, but because he's scared of the consequences—the more unsalvageable each situation becomes. Fans of the perpetually put-upon Shigeshige and anyone who loves a good comedy of errors will enjoy this week's Gintama.

Snack Otose begins drawing huge crowds as drunken customers line up to spill their secrets and transgressions to Tama, à la Catholic booth confessional. Never one to pass up easy money, Gintoki decides to monetize the venture, pocketing the vast majority of the profits for himself and allotting none to Tama. Luckily, the robotic maid doesn't seem to mind, relying on Gintoki to dispense the advice she passes along to her visitors. In a crudely-fashioned cardboard box-based chapel, one troubled soul after another comes to confess to their sins to Lady Robokko. Although they're hidden from the nose up and their voices are altered, there's little difficulty figuring out each patron's true identity.

To ratchet up the humor this week, Gintoki's a few steps behind in discovering that his closest colleagues are the ones complaining about a "feces-like man with stinky feet." Gintoki suspects but does not realize the truth for just the right amount of time: he just might be the awful man drawing everyone's ire. He's the one who has a broken piece of mop, which he somehow failed to notice until that moment, sticking out of his posterior. It only takes three confessionals before Gintoki pieces together Odd Jobs Gin-chan's latest catastrophe—and that the shogun's body just may be rotting in his living room closet.

Gintama consistently manages to walk a fine line. The series frequently goes above and beyond the limits of crassness while never becoming so grotesque you want to look away. This comes through in the little details, like the blood on the pointed end of the mop handle implanted in Gintoki's backside. It's also in how the characters treat one another. Gintoki is one of the most unique protagonists to grace the pages of Shonen Jump, simply because he isn't an optimistic, admirable hero. It's amusing to see him put himself first, even if he still cares for those around him on some level. Realizing his closest companions literally equate him with human waste doesn't even bother him as much as you'd think. Insults are passed around like currency in the Gintama world, and the only characters unaffected by them are those too dim to realize they're being put down—like Katsura and the shogun. How ironic that they find their way to one another at the end of the episode, with anti-bakufu terrorist Katsura failing to realize that his new friend is the man he's sworn to depose.

Episode 283 showcases the series' knack for creating engaging stories by building on its own jokes. Each preposterous revelation serves to advance the plot in a humorous (and oftentimes cringe-inducing) fashion. Gintoki's panic elevates with each shocking twist, leaving him on the verge of a mental breakdown before he grimly accepts his fate. True to form, whenever Gintoki tries to put an end to the bizarre events unfolding around him to save his own skin, he actually winds up getting himself in deeper trouble. The cast of Gintama—most notably its sullen, shady protagonist—are incredibly spiteful and self-centered, and we love them for it.

Rating: A-

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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