Gintama

Episode 352

With Sotatsu deceased and Ougai down for the count, the residents of the Kabuki District are able to take a well-earned breather before the next phase of the battle begins. However, Gintoki accidentally removing Hedoro's flower results in the reemergence of the Dakini florist's previous persona, the war-loving Hedora. Through some gruesomely comedic trial and error, Gin is able to reconfigure Hedoro's mind and turn him into the “All-Purpose Demonoid Final Battle Weapon, Hevandorogon,” a bizarre parody of Evangelion Unit 01. Through the use of two separate head flowers, Gintoki acts as HEVA's pilot and forces his “weapon” to transition between its different personas. Unfortunately, our heroes' victory is short-lived. Before long, Gengai is captured by a group of Yato mercenaries working for the Altana Liberation Army and ordered to bring the ALA's comms back online, thus enabling them to resume their assault. Meanwhile, as more ALA ships close in on Earth, Nobunobu is able to get in touch with Princess Soyo and warn her of the imminent threat.

After a battle as relentlessly chaotic as the fight for the Kabuki District, an episode devoted almost entirely to giving the characters a chance to unwind and dish out laughs is a welcome change of pace. This is the funniest the show has been since the conclusion of Prince Hata and Elizabeth's backstory, and bringing madcap humor back to the forefront helps imbue the proceedings with a familiar and celebratory vibe. Though slightly drawn-out, the Hevandorogon segment serves as one of the episode's comedic highlights, as it combines three of Gintama's core strengths: cringe comedy, parody, and tsukkomi/boke humor. The tsukkomi/boke routine even carries over to the final scene featuring Nobume and Soyo, two characters who aren't often associated with comedy. There isn't much action to speak of this week, but after putting themselves through the wringer for three episodes straight, Gin and the gang have certainly earned some downtime, regardless of how brief it turns out to be.

As has become customary in this arc, episode 352 features its fair share of callbacks to previous stories. Shinpachi's strange obsession with Pandemonium, Douman and Seimei's constant bickering, and Tsukuyo's inability to hold her liquor are continuity nods likely to satisfy most longtime fans. It's also interesting to see (nearly) the entire main and supporting casts share the screen and interact with one another. Like many long-running anime comedies, Gintama's character roster is bursting at the seams, so finding an organic way for everyone to come together is no mean feat.

With the sudden announcement that the show is slated to take a cour-long break after the next episode, where this season will leave things is currently anyone's guess. Will our heroes face off against the Yato squadron and its mysterious leader, thus paving the way for larger conflicts with Ensho and Utsuro—or will any subsequent action be shelved until the show returns in July? Despite being the season's second-to-last installment, episode 352 has all the makings of a great placeholder, and it would great if the finale is able to keep the audience pining for more without concluding on an irritating cliffhanger. As the first time Gintama has taken a break in the middle of an arc, this is unprecedented territory.

Rating: A-

Gintama is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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