‘Gintama’s’ Representation of Adulthood Makes It Better Than Most Coming-of-Age Shonen Anime
- While several Shonen anime do a great job of delving into exciting adventures, very few discuss what happens once the adventure is done.
- Audience rarely get to see the protagonists' story after the adventure has ended and even when they do, it's a "happily ever after" ending.
- Gintama is perhaps the only anime that discusses the events that occur after the protagonist has completed his "adventure" and has matured enough to live with his decisions.
When one thinks of Shonen, the image of a teenage male protagonist running around with their friends pops up in one’s mind. The genre is almost synonymous with the above description and usually consists of the protagonists growing throughout the series.
Gintama, however, is not your typical Shonen because it flips the script on its head and shows us the part that comes after one has achieved the ultimate goal. It is one of the few anime that dares to ask: “What happens next now that the adventure has ended?”
Gintoki makes us fear Adulthood
Gone are the green pastures filled with young and hopeful protagonists. We are now in the dark lands where Gintoki reigns supreme. The protagonist of Gintama, Gintoki Sakata is not your hopeful protagonist. He is a crippling alcoholic samurai that does odd jobs to repay his debts.
*checks the list to see if he missed anything* We can add gambling on top. The man loves his pachinko.
On the surface, Gintoki might seem like a happy-go-lucky samurai who goes around causing chaos and earning money, but deep inside, he is struggling with trauma and adulthood. The man is a war veteran, and the experiences he encountered during his time scarred him enough to transform him completely.
Gintoki isn’t an optimistic individual who hopes for his good deeds to outweigh his mistakes. He is a man who knows that he will carry his regrets till the day he dies.
In many ways, Gintama and its characters are a perfect representation of adulthood. All of them are broken in one way or the other, and unlike the protagonists that we are familiar with, they cannot grow any further. There are no more techniques to be learned, no more battles to be won, and no margin to grow stronger. All of that is beyond them.
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byu/Amazing-Protection85 from discussion
inGintama
Gintama is not a story about being a hero. It is a lesson that teaches us to pick ourselves up, dust off our clothes, and carry on, while not minding the weight of our past.
A raw story and a great hero
Gintama is different from traditional Shonen anime in many ways, but what truly separates it is its decision to not romanticize adulthood and the concept of a “happily ever after”. The story is a blend of comedy and drama.
One moment, you are watching Gintoki run around the city to catch a dog, and in another moment, you are crying as you see his traumatic past.
Gintama truly tells us that being a hero is not always about being hopeful and victorious. Being a hero is about owning up to your mistakes and showing up even when you know that the situation seems grim. It is about living even when life tries to break you down.
To quote Gintoki, “Life does not need to be fun. It just needs to be about living”.
This representation of adulthood and the harsh reality that it shoves into your face is what makes Gintama the best Shonen anime when it comes to representing adulthood. Gintama does not just tell you to get on with stuff, it teaches you to grow with your consequences.
It reminds us that being an adult is not about achieving everything but about facing each moment with courage and that the concept of a “happily ever after” is not always possible.
Gintama is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
