From Page to Screen
With only a couple of chapters left before Gintama’s manga run comes to an end, it’s only a matter of time before it’s anime counterpart follows in its footsteps. While it will be a sad day to lose one of the medium’s most successful surreal comedies, we can at least look forward to seeing the final chapter’s most iconic scenes in stunning animation. Like these fellow properties, Gintoki’s adventures are just far more entertaining when seen through the prism of an anime.
#5: âK-Onâ (2009-10)
We could go about how the anime really brings the cuteness of the girls from the Light Music Club to life. How their quirks and sense of friendship really blooms when shown through the lens of the seriesâ crisp and adorable animation style. But really, the only point we need to make is that in the anime you can actually hear the music! While great writing and art can certainly illustrate a performance, itâs a whole other thing to hear each instrument put into practise.
#4: âUsagi Dropâ (2011)
As our two lost souls, dysfunctional adult Daikichi and the adorable illegitimate child Rin, find each other, weâre treated to a tale of love, acceptance, and what it means to be a parent. The fluffiness of their interactions and earnest goodwill made the whole show a delight to watch. So how does the manga compare? Well letâs just say thereâs sound reason as to why the anime ended before the time skip⦠Fair warning to fans, if you donât want to see Daikichi and Rinâs relationship take a much moreâ¦ughâ¦adult turn, then stay far, far away.
#3: âJoJoâs Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Bloodâ (2012)
Looking back we have a lot to thank this iteration of JoJo for. It introduced us to the phenomenal villain and future meme Dio Brando, while protagonist Jonathan Joestarâs sense of gentlemanly conduct made him a protagonist so vastly different from his descendants that he remains oddly flattering. This all stems from Hirohiko Arakiâs writing, both in the emotional complexity of the JoJo/Dio conflict as well as the narrativeâs more eccentric aspects. That being said, the artwork for Phantom Blood isâ¦yeah, a little outdated. Luckily the anime managed to modernize this and turn the first of JoJoâs exploits into a true diamond in the rough.
#2: âAttack on Titanâ (2013-)
As weâve seen, the storytelling of this hit manga packs just as much of a punch as its vast array of its cannibalistic giants. However, even with its almost-detective style approach, the anime adaptation knocks it right out of the park in terms of sheer scale all the while maintaining the overall themes of survival and hopelessness. The fast pace movements of the Three Dimension Manuever Gear, the crazy fights between Eren and other Titan Shifters, basically anything that Levi does, it all comes together in a collage of bloody animation that easily surpasses the grimness of the manga.
#1: âGintamaâ (2006-)
To this day, this manga is continuing to push out outrageous humour and fourth wall breaks that even Deadpool would be proud of. So how could an anime adaption possible beat it? By taking things even further, thatâs how. With the added bonus of having such spot-on voicework, Gintoki and company never fail to put a smile on our faces with their various misadventures, direct addresses to the audience and even discussions about the failing of the anime itself. Oh, and the times that action scenes do take place, they turn out to be some of this animeâs best.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Funniest Moments in Anime.