Gintama

Episode 289

What did I just watch? Saying the supercharged finale of the Soul Switch Arc goes out with a bang would be an understatement. One scene involves an anthropomorphized pile of poop spraying vomit in response to seeing a reanimated feline carcass spray diarrhea. To shield our eyes from the relentless outpouring of bodily waste, the show uses pixelation on top of pixelation, rendering everything onscreen indecipherable. (It's a meta experience so intense that even the characters comment on it.)

Episode 289 is on the extraneously gross side, but cringe comedy and potty humor are nothing new to Gintama. In fact, they're among the cornerstones of the series. Besides, the proceedings are so packed with frenetic energy and humorous surprises, the gross-out gags aren't even the highlight of the episode. We open on Gintoki-as-Hijikata and Hijikata-as-Gintoki attempting to woo Otae in order to get her to dump Dozaemon, the undead man-cat imbued with a portion of Gintoki's soul. Neither is keen to actually be in a relationship with Otae if they manage to get back in their bodies. This quickly leads to a heated argument between the men, prompting the flustered Otae to assume she's being fought over.

Before Otae can select a suitor, Shinpachi and Kondo burst onto the scene. However, something seems off about them, particularly Shinpachi's incestuous obsession with his sister. (Hint, hint.) In order to help the principal cast better understand Gintoki and Hijikata's situation, Gengai and Tama plowed into the group with the same truck carrying the Egg-on-Rice Maker that caused the original soul switch. In keeping with the laws of comedy, this collision resulted in mass body swaps and no apparent injuries. Listing all of the transformations would take too long.

Not surprisingly, the problem with remembering who's who from the previous two episodes is magnified tenfold as a result. Luckily, this episode makes it a little easier to tell whose soul is in whose body. In several instances, an image of the character whose soul inhabits a body appears alongside his or her new host. Also, the souls' voices are used to vocalize the thoughts of their respective containers. Had this gimmick been utilized sooner, a great deal of confusion could have been avoided. Whenever Hijikata-as-Gintoki and Gintoki-as-Hijikata were engaged in thought, their musings would usually be vocalized using the host body's voice. To compound matters, the characters often made verbal commentaries on the proceedings with their bodies' voices, which might have been less confusing if thought in their original voices.

The story appears to end on a predictable note—spending time in each other's bodies provided the key players with a new appreciation for one another—before throwing the audience an unexpected twist. (At least we learn that Hijikata did indeed front his own money to pay off Gintoki's debts.) Shortly after Gintoki and Hijikata share a tender moment, it's revealed that their friends have turned into talking piles of poo as a result of entering Gengai's Egg-on-Rice Maker while covered in Dozaemon's feces. It's incredibly crass and sure to be resolved without explanation off-screen, but the juxtaposition between pure sitcom schmaltz and South Park-esque sophomoric imagery is comedy gold.

If not for the confusion borne from so many body swaps, the Soul Switch Arc's conclusion would have rated as highly as the previous two episodes. The abundance of potty humor found throughout the final third of the episode may not sit well with certain viewers, but the mercifully thorough pixelation ensures that the truly gross stuff is left to the imagination. Confusing elements aside, this episode is a satisfying end to a hilarious arc. Just don't watch it during dinner.

Rating: B+

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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