If I didn't particularly like the first 6 episodes of Gintama...

If I didn't particularly like the first 6 episodes of Gintama, should I bother continuing or are they are good representation of the rest of the series? Basically my problem is that it is too lighthearted and filler-like. I prefer a solid plot with a satisfying ending, and a more serious tone.

Make up your own decisions

No one can say for sure whether or not you'll dig something. Just know that while the series does take itself serious with its ongoing storylines, you shouldn't be looking for a consistently heavy tone. Won't be worth it either if the comedy doesn't click since how much you care for these characters will hinge on how much you enjoy seeing them be themselves.

drop it

There are longer arcs of Gintama too which have a more serious tone oftentimes.

I often jump around in Gintama. I like it but its fucking long.

Just do what you want, if you think it sucks then don't watch it, if you want to watch a more long serious arc go look it up (Gintama arcs).

I actually just recently started watching the show, finishing the last episode + released OVAs & films last month, and it was helluva ride! No idea if I'd bothered to sit through the first season when it aired, but being able to marathon it all did make it easy to digest.

Few tips:
1) You should SKIP the first 2 episodes. Those are literally filler, as you prolly already noticed. Ep3 is the first REAL episode of the show.

2) The first 20-25 episodes or so are literally dedicated for introductions and mild foreshadowing. While not exactly terrible, that section is easily the worst the show has to offer. It starts picking up the pace after that, with the first ""recap"" episode being a lovely change of pace and example of the show's better humor. You get a first decent "serious" mini-arc around ep 40, which can be seen as an appetizer of things to come.

However, the show REALLY starts to kick up the pace and style after the first year, with the second season packing tons of cool, memorable chapters and way better production values to boot. The legendary "Benizakura" arc is pretty much the show's counterpart to Bleach's "Soul Society" arc, as in the part where everyone agrees shit really hits the fan and gets interesting. It will pretty much set the overall style of the show for the entire series afterwards, with small ups and downs between the arcs.

The arcs of Gintama are notably shorter than in typical Shounen series, which I think helps keeping them well paced and easier to watch too. Some are humorous, some more serious & action-packed, some half-half.

tl;dr: Skip first 2eps, give the show minimum of 25eps, preferably full 50 before you pass judgement. 1st season is merely "OK" for most part, but still VERY required to get into the series' cast and lore.

Never give a show "minimum 25". That is a huge chunk of time.

>"I got a LOIF!" - the post
pathetic attempt to put snobby standards on your consumption of chinese cartoons.

Gintama's the best thing since sliced bread.

Keep watching until Sa-chan arrives (~20ep). Then decide to drop or keep going.

If you don't drop, stop around 270 ep and never look back. Author is awful at drama, the series becomes 100% cringe with all kinds of cliches and blunders at making it look dark.

out of more than 200?

The plot in Gintama is very subtle and it really isn't serious except a few major arcs. So, if you are willing to sit through the slice of life stuff to get to the big arcs then go right ahead, but I don't think that Gintama is for you.

>the first 6 episodes of Gintama,
that's 2 eps of anime-only filler, and 4 eps of obligatory main cast introductions. And 2bh, the first season's both kinda meh and low-budget.
Check the ep25, and if that doesn't click, you wanna reconsider. The show improves a lot from s2 forward.

I like Gintama, but yes. Don't ever give "minimum 25". That is stupid. NOTHING deserves "minimum 25". I'm against pretty much any episode minimum (like don't even bother with 3 if you aren't having a good time), but 25 is a huge amount of time to sink. Length of overall series is irrelevant. If Gintama had 2000 episodes, should he give it "minimum 250"? No way. You don't owe one second of your time to an anime if you aren't being entertained.

If he's not enjoying the crap in front, I'd say he should test a more serious arc (even the first movie?) and see how he likes that if anything. (Fill in gaps with wikipedia its not hard).

It's not about having a life, it's about choosing to spend your time watching anime you actually do enjoy instead of anime you don't. Why is this a weird concept?

>Don't ever give "minimum 25". That is stupid. NOTHING deserves "minimum 25".
Many things do. The old "3 ep rule" is old, busted and naive way of thinking.

There's been dozens of series that I'd gladly dropped if the first couple eps was all there was to it, but boy have I been glad I didn't. It just seems like people are too used to this whole MTV-era pacing where you gotta play your best card in the first episode, just to "lure people in", usually resulting shitty mid-section and ending.

Unless human race has evolved to the stage where you can see to the future, no one can plain out "know" if they like something or not without trying it. And there's no universal standard for what is sufficient amount of "trying". In Gintama's case, I did not exactly enjoy the show before 20+ episodes. And the same thing applied to my wife with whom I rewatched it later on.

Sometimes, you need time and episodes to build the characters and world, and to form emotional connection to them.

It has the highest highs and the lowest lows when it comes to comedy. Though fortunately, those low lows don't come up that often

>Many things do
No they don't. And you are right, "3 ep rule" is busted. Shows don't even deserve 3 if you aren't enjoying yourself in the first episode.

If you want to waste your time with "25 episodes" that's your business but asking that of anyone else is just stupid. 25 episodes is over 9 hours. Just shut up. Again, if Gintama was 2000 episodes, should you give it 250 episodes? Miserable the whole time? No.

OP can skip over the garbage and come back to it if he feels inclined.

>Just shut up
Wow, we have a real authority ITT!

>25 episodes is over 9 hours.
So? 300 eps is 120 hours.
That's how big of a project you're imposing on yourself if you wanna tackle a tiny behemoth like Gintama. 25 eps is fucking nothing, and seldom in ANY Shonen series' case do people reminiscence the earlier eps with too much passion.

All you're doing is saying that it's not worth even trying, because you think it's shit. Well, I though it WAS shit when I only had seen two episodes, but now I LOVE it after having seen ALL of it. And I want more.

>I prefer a solid plot with a satisfying ending, and a more serious tone.
Why are you watching Gintama then? It has serious arcs but if you're expecting this from the entire show you're kind of an idiot.

This is a really stupid question.

>So? 300 eps is 120 hours.
I know! But we aren't talking about a "300 episode minimum", that would be even MORE retarded than a 25 episode minimum.

>. 25 eps is fucking nothing
Do you like...have a job or family or a hobby or anything at all? You mentioned a wife. Surely you can't think 9 hours is nothing. It's really not. Its a full season of some very good anime OP might well like more. You only get so much life.

> because you think it's shit.
No, I like Gintama. I just don't believe in ~episode minimums~. That is stupid.

If you hesitate - don't watch. Stop it. Drop it. Gintama will not miss you, so will i.
One should join us only if he has full confidence of interest in this.

>but we aren't talking about a "300 episode minimum"
yes, we were not. So why even bring up such stupidity at all?

>Do you like...have a job or family or a hobby or anything at all?
Yes, both of those and more.

>Surely you can't think 9 hours is nothing.
considering SHE is trying to make me watch 5+ episodes of Gilmore Girls and Start Trek a day, it is fucking nothing. What kind of ADHD are you suffering of?

>Its a full season of some very good anime OP might well like more.
Or not. Or like as much.
Seriously, that's just pathetic attempts to grasp straws at this point. Just because something else may or may not be better has nothing to do with the fact that he decided to give this show a chance, noticed that the start's not too amazing, and wanted to know if all that is everything there is to the series. To which all the people who have enjoyed the series have been now able to say that no, the beginning =/= the whole show. It's just the very roots of it.

>I just don't believe in ~episode minimums~. That is stupid.
There's nothing stupid about it.
The show starts slow, and it does utilize the stuff and characters introduced early on, all the time. It starts as a whacky SOL of an odd-jobs group, then evolves into a mix of SOL and action. Skip the beginning, and you're left with merely shallow combat and lolsorandum humor scenes with not context.

Gintama is the best comedy anime ever and the worst Shounen anime ever.