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Gintama Anime Ends in March, Returns in July With 'Silver Soul' Arc's Climax

This year's 16th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine revealed on Monday that the currently-running Gintama. anime will end in March, but will return in July, going into the "climax" of the "Shirogane no Tamashii" (Silver Soul) arc. Episode 353, the last episode before the show enters its hiatus, will air on March 25.

The anime entered the "Silver Soul" arc on January 7. "Silver Soul" is the manga's final arc that began in July 2016.

The current anime premiered last October, and began with the "Porori Arc" story. Crunchyroll is streaming the series as it airs in Japan.

Sorachi began the manga in 2004 and it continues to be ranked among the top-selling manga in Japan. The manga has more than 55 million copies in print in Japan. Viz Media published the first 23 volumes in English. Shueisha published the manga's 72nd volume on March 2.

Crunchyroll streamed the previous anime series as it aired in Japan, and is also streaming English-dubbed episodes. Sentai Filmworks released the first 49-episode anime in 2010 and Funimation will release part of the third anime season on home video on March 27. The manga also inspired two anime films, including the "final" Gekijōban Gintama Kanketsu-hen: Yorozuya yo Eien Nare film that opened in 2013, and various OVAs and event anime.

The manga also inspired a live-action film that opened in Japan last July. The film will get a sequel that will open on August 17 in Japan. The first film screened in the United States and Canada in January prior to a March 6 home video release from Well Go USA.