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Gin Tama, Vol. 1 (Gin Tama #1)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 1,189 ratings · 27 reviews

The samurai didn't stand a chance. First, the aliens invaded Japan. Next, they took all the jobs. And then they confiscated everyone's swords. So what does a hotheaded former samurai like Sakata "Gin" Gintoki do to make ends meet? Take any odd job that comes his way, even if it means losing his dignity.

Paperback, 192 pages

Published July 3rd 2007 by VIZ Media LLC (first published January 1st 2007)

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May 25, 2010 Craig Lotter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga

Nobody with Naturally Wavy Hair Can Be That Bad – The samurai didn’t stand a chance. First, the aliens invaded Japan. Next, they too all the jobs. And then they confiscated everyone’s swords. So what does a hotheaded former samurai like Sakata “Gin” Gintoki do to make ends meet? Take any odd job that comes his way, even if it means losing his dignity…

Sleazy alien moneylenders, monsters on the rampage, and a ticking time bomb may all be in a day’s work fo Gin, but a drop in blood sugar level mean...more Nobody with Naturally Wavy Hair Can Be That Bad – The samurai didn’t stand a chance. First, the aliens invaded Japan. Next, they too all the jobs. And then they confiscated everyone’s swords. So what does a hotheaded former samurai like Sakata “Gin” Gintoki do to make ends meet? Take any odd job that comes his way, even if it means losing his dignity…

Sleazy alien moneylenders, monsters on the rampage, and a ticking time bomb may all be in a day’s work fo Gin, but a drop in blood sugar level means trouble for everyone!

Gin Tama is an interesting animal, that it is. Created by mangaka Hideaki Sorachi and launched back in 2003 already, Gin Tama has gone on to garner great success, constantly finding itself in Japan’s Top Ten Bestseller lists and has since spawned numerous TV, film and light novel extensions.

Set in the historic late Edo period, Gin Tama blends the historic with the current and then takes it one step further and mixes in aliens and sci-fi, making for quite the varied pot from which to pull an almost unending string of visual gags and puns from. Focusing on Gin, a laid back former samurai who has a penchant for violence and hitting things with his wooden sword (which is a lot when his blood sugar is running low), Gin Tama chronicles the various tales of Gin’s little Odd Jobs Gin company that takes on literally any job a customer might bring his way – which of course opens the door quite nicely for almost any sort of adventure, or misadventure that you can think of. Throwing in a young, ineffectual samurai student with glasses and an immoral, born to battle, super strong alien as Gin’s partners, volume 1 introduces us to the main set of characters and then goes on to lead us through three or four quickfire adventures which set the tone of the series, introduce characters and their backgrounds and provides plenty of laughs and action all in one go.

(And as an added bonus, one of Sorachi’s first unpublished manga pieces gets tacked on the end, just as a sample to the other storyline he might have ended up following had he chosen to or been given the go ahead on)

It’s difficult to pinpoint Sorachi’s aim with Gin Tama other than to make you laugh with the variety of visual, self-referencing and situational gags he keeps throwing at you but at the end of the day it is safe to say that Gin Tama is meant entirely as a laugh a minute, forget about your worries type of manga aimed at young men, and in that space it really works pretty well. It is genuinely funny (even if it does exploit some classic gags) and is filled to the brim with some great and energetic action sequences – not forgetting the myriad of misunderstandings that take place of course!

In terms of Sorachi’s pencils (he is responsible both for the writing and main drawing duties), he throws a wonderful amount of detail you way and his characters are all pretty much clean cut and nicely realized with some great old versus new designs – not to mention some particularly wacky hairstyles that Sorachi seems so intent on planting on the top of his villains’ heads.

Action sequences are greatly rendered and there is some nice power on display through his illustrations, as well as some remarkably funny character expressions that literally litter each page. Page compositions are generally quite tightly packed with a lot of panels per page, but the the amount of detail that is crammed into each panel is enough to slow one’s eye down enough that you tend not to miss anything as you read over it. Finally, it must be said that Sorachi certainly seems to have done his period homework and the mixture between drawing old and new in each panel is handled quite fantastically, so much so that it kind of leaves the reader in a rather bewildered state as to exactly which time period they’re currently sitting in – which is precisely what Sorachi imagined in the first place I’m sure.

(His aliens could do with a little more originality though I suppose!)

In summary then, Gin Tama is a really fun read for lovers of action and gags and with not too much drama or heavy handedness dragging it down the whole time, it really does make for some excellent escapist reading material. A fantastic setting that mixes everything together and spits out what is a really action-packed, unexpected experience that will definitely hook you if you fall within Sorachi’s target demographic.

Well worth picking up then in other words, though only if Mills and Boon isn’t particularly your thing! :P

Related Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin_Tama (less)

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Jul 05, 2009 Soujisblackcat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga

This manga series is amazing, mostly because it has so many levels. It's an entertaining read to begin with, because it has some Shonen-style action sequences and lots of wacky humor. Sometimes it's a little sophomric, but most of the humor comes from pure randomness. Even the premise is sort of random. It's set in an alternate reality Japan, where instead of just foreigners breaking in at the end of the country's long isolation, it's aliens! So we have samurai vs. alien battles, space-drug traf...more This manga series is amazing, mostly because it has so many levels. It's an entertaining read to begin with, because it has some Shonen-style action sequences and lots of wacky humor. Sometimes it's a little sophomric, but most of the humor comes from pure randomness. Even the premise is sort of random. It's set in an alternate reality Japan, where instead of just foreigners breaking in at the end of the country's long isolation, it's aliens! So we have samurai vs. alien battles, space-drug trafficking, Robots at a festival, and many more history/future crossovers (though not all in the first volume).

Though you probably shouldn't study Japanese history just to read a silly manga like this, knowing about it will help you appreciate some of the stories more. For example, in a famous incident, my favorite Japanese army (the Shinsengumi) attacked a meeting of radical samurai who were planning on burning down the capital city. In real life this meeting was at an inn in Kyoto. But Gin Tama's Shinsengumi burst in on a meeting of bomb-slinging terrorists at a high-rise hotel. The revamped historical events are entertaining for those who know about them. But history isn't even the deepest layer of this manga. There are some serious stories beneath all the craziness.

The hero of this series - Gintoki - is a joker on the outside, but inside he has the unflinching soul of a true samurai. The whole manga is somewhat the same. The story isn't always a joke: every chapter has some sweet or serious moments in it, sometimes enough to make me cry (not that that's saying much). There's a bit of a commentary on the time period in real history, the way Samurai and others adapted to changing times. Some former samurai become thugs, some become policemen; some switch occupaitons entirely. Some modernize along with their country, some try to change it back to the way it was, and some, like Gintoki, just sort of keep doing what they're doing and somehow get along.

In conclusion, Gintama is AWESOME, with a historical commentary, lots of humor and wackiness, and a few sweet life lessons. At least that's how I see it.(less)

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May 12, 2013 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga-a-z-challenge, manga, manga-a-z-character-challenge, heroes-vs-villains

I started this anime series on the suggestion of a very good friend I only watched a few episodes and then something else new and shiny came along, and Gintama lay long forgotten in a drawer.

This past week (month) I’ve been suffering from readers block, I have exams and life is generally stressful at the moment, so when I do get some free time I prefer to watch some TV or play a game. However, I had a bit of the flu, and when I’m ill I like nothing better then to rest on the bed and read, so loo...more

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May 09, 2012 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: manga, owned, comedy, tokyopop, manga-i-own

I admit that at first I didn't know what to think of this at first. I checked out the first chapter a couple of months ago already and just found it really, really weird and figured that was it. But over and over I came across Gin Tama doujishi, so I figured I'd give the anime a try. And I loved it. It's completely insane, and ridiculous, and silly, but it's also really really funny and a joy to watch. So I decided to give the manga another try. I have to say that I didn't enjoy it quite as much...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Arina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga

Gintama is quite an odd manga, but with so much to offer. The story is told in a rather episodic fashion, with each chapter presenting a different plot. These chapters are often comedic and see the cast of Gintama finding themselves in all different kinds of hilarious situations. The author makes use of many ingenious gags and plot devices to make each chapter feel unique and non-repetitive. The series also offers multiple story arcs, which are often fairly serious and emotional. These particula...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Roxanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well suppsodely gintama stands for two things, 1 it sasys silver samarai in Japan and for China i cant say sorry lol. Anyways the book is realy cretive and so is the author. He diffused the feredal times with like the future basically. It just shows how like mankind basically ruins it for us bc once other planets became non afraid of planet earth, they are now ruling. But he puts it in a way thats its the Samurais' arrogance that the lost the planet and its up to the three man chracters who one...more

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May 23, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loveofmylifemangas

Series-
One word:: HILARIOUS.
(warning- there are dirty/slightly perverted jokes; I tend to skip these pages and read the non-perverted jokes which are just as funny)
The first volume is less funny then later volumes.
I love the characters; they have lots of depth (especially after so many volumes).
The plot is brilliant! My favorite thing about this series is the author's ability to make me laugh like crazy one volume and then cry and bawl my face out the next.
This is probably my favorite manga se...more

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Jan 19, 2013 inga rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like shonen manga that aren't all that serious

Recommended to inga by: my sis

Shelves: reviewed, favorites, 2011, steampunk-or-alternate-history, love-the-hero, reviewed-2011

One of the most hilarious manga series I've ever read. I'm glad I heeded my sister's advice and started reading it.
At first a bit dragging. That is, in the earlier chapters. I contemplated not going on reading, but I'm glad I did, because the characters are so special. Yes, Gin's actions, Shinpachi's deadpan manner and Kagura's exaggerated reactions...it's perfect.And just plain lovable.
Let alone the side characters: Kondo,Hijikata,Okita,Katsura,Tae. They're not your average shonen manga clichés...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Koonu rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga

Deadpan humor is everything in this manga. At times funny and at others just bleh, the series gets very repetitive over time. The unnecessary "serious" moments it throws at you out of nowhere are masked as "life lessons" that one couldn't care less about due to how out of place they feel within the story's humorous uh...everything.

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Nov 13, 2012 Sesana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, historical-fiction, science-fiction

Gin Tama is hard to describe without sounding like you're mashing together half-remembered pieces of several, very different manga. It's set in the Edo period, that's been taken over by aliens. The technology and culture is mostly modern (at one point, the main character cuts out of the storyline to buy the new Shonen Jump) but with a few SF-ish touches here and there for the sake of the storyline. And it's the sort of comedy series that will throw everything at you in the hopes that something w...more

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May 01, 2009 Lord rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga

Interesting alternative-history settings is the only thing I liked about this manga. The art is average Shonen Jump (which is not that bad) but I don't like the style and humor of this author. The story and jokes went far around me. It may get better in later volumes but I'm not inclined to try.

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Oct 06, 2010 ninefly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 0-favourite, 1-illustrated, 1-translated, dimensions, speculative, asian, family, hero-criminal, hero-detective, hero-nonhuman, humor, identity, political-mafia, war, revenge, romance, fantasy-scifi, science, slavery-torture, heroine, superheroes, creatures, teamwork, tragedy

excerpt from detailed review here:
http://angeltyuan.blogspot.com/2009/1...

One can say Gintama repackages the social issues of today (AI ethics, capitalist imperialism, terrorism, government vs. police corruption, stereotyping the Other, etc.) into 20 pages of metaphors and parodies involving pudgy aliens, virtual worlds, obsessive fans, and altogether WTF-ness that explodes onto the page.
Thus, one needs not really think too much to enjoy this series, though it can make you think if you let it. I...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Tyler rated it 5 of 5 stars

This manga was so funny, I literally had tears in my eyes. I love, love, love Gin. He cracks me up all of the time. Heck, everything about this series cracks me up. The anime is pretty good too. Lol! xD

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May 18, 2010 Adwina Ralston Cumberbatch rated it 4 of 5 stars

kocakk sangat
bayangin aja
di jaman edo, alien menginvasi bumi..
makanya udah ada handphone, dept store, restoran, warnet..
huff
apalagi banyak anime diparodiin dsini
[hmpfh:]

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Jan 11, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have not found anything else like this. Gintama is proably the thing I reccommend most to my friends. It's hilarious. I'm completely addicted to it. And I love the art.

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Apr 22, 2011 Destiny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gintama

Freaking hilarious! I was laughing so hard, my mother was giving me looks. I can't wait to read the next volume!

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May 09, 2012 Cory rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, manga

while not for the stuffy academic, it'll defiantly give a manga fan a romping, LOL, giggling good time.

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Nov 03, 2011 Macaylah marked it as to-read · review of another edition

recommended by a friend. Hope to find a copy soon. If anyone finds one please let me know.

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May 19, 2013 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cinco-de-mayo

Really interesting story, looking forward to reading more

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Feb 11, 2011 Calla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga

love this sooo much..haha so funny

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Feb 09, 2013 Allison rated it 2 of 5 stars

A humorous story so far, but lacking in plot. There's no direction so far, just people running around town getting in and out of trouble.

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Feb 19, 2013 Josh Zhang rated it 5 of 5 stars

BEST GAG MANGA

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Sep 14, 2008 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series has juvenile humour at times, but then throws a curve ball with an almost serious plot every so often to keep you guessing what he's going to do next! So, why does Amazon and Good Reads list so many different "authors" for this? Out of curiousity. The translator? But Katsura Hoshino does the "D.Gray-Man" series!

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Sep 04, 2008 Dorcas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wierd. Really, really wierd. About a world back in samurai times, where aliens invaded and have integrated themselves and their technology with the edo? period. Course there's the ne'er do well and the slacker samurai warriors and the people just trying to get by with the new alien additions. Wierd, but kinda funny.

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Jan 16, 2008 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga-comics

While it has some pretty funny moments, so far everything has been pretty formulaic shonen action stuff. Maybe the series later develops some cool central mystery and intrigue, but the first book didn't leave me yearning for more.

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Mar 10, 2008 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic_novels-comics

A good start to a comedic, alternate reality manga.

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Mar 03, 2008 Captain Mason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: manga

Funny and weird...

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May 20, 2013 Redthic rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 20, 2013 Grey_apple rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 19, 2013 Jessuina Lopez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-manga

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1497534.Gin_Tama_Vol_1?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348023518l/1497534.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1497534.Gin_Tama_Vol_1?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Gin Tama, Vol. 1 by Hideaki Sorachi[/url]

Gin Tama, Vol. 1 (Gin Tama #1)

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