Personality: ~Spoiler warnings abound beyond this point. Who would've thought that was possible with this show?~
The sort of man Sakata Gintoki is relies heavily on the context in which he is experienced. In fact, referring to Gintoki as an 'experience' himself would not miss the mark. When faced with a situation where his assistance or support is needed by another party, Gintoki proves to be a righteous and valuable ally who is ready to jump into the fray without hesitation. He is a man who will answer the call of another person when he or she is faced with insurmountable odds with little interest of being compensated. Though once the calamity of the week has passed, the airs of 'Sakata Gintoki, the hero' wither away to reveal his truth identity – Sakata Gintoki, the obstinate NEET who somehow continually reaffirms his position as poor choice in role models.
Gintoki lacks the proper motivation and focus required to branch out into work beyond offering himself to complete 'odd jobs' – and even then Gintoki may attempt to pawn off on one of the other members of the Yorozuya if he deems the job far too contrived to be worth the payout. He is a man who would rather waste away on his couch, snoozing with a WEEKLY JUMP open on his chest than commit himself to strenuous labor. He continually dodges his adult responsibilities such as making payments on his rent or paying his employees, and often participates in a variety of 'get rich quick' schemes in an attempt to make easy money, so that he can avoid doing actual work for a living.
Irresponsible and blunt – Gintoki makes no attempt to hide who he is behind formalities or facades and instead presents himself in his truest form, much to the chagrin of those who associate with him.
--Sorry, but I'm better at being a free agent.--
As the proprietor of Yorozuya Gin-chan, Sakata Gintoki is often referred to as Yorozuya himself as a nickname coined by other characters within the series. The term literally translates to “House of 10,000 Businesses,” which in colloquial terms simply means “Odd Jobs.” The business is a small outfit that was founded by Gintoki a few years after his stint in the Anti-Foreigner War. The aim of the business is to run errands or other chores as a free agent - for a price. Granted, the business doesn't bring much in the way of money. The member of the Yorozuya – Kagura and Shinpachi – often reference the absence of a regular wage from Gintoki, though these reminders are often outright ignored by Ginoki who will continue to flip through his issue of the WEEKLY JUMP or continue his conversation as if nothing happened.
One reason for their lack of funds comes from a tendency of Gintoki avoiding jobs that include (perceived) intense manual labor, repetitive action, or anything else that could fit the category of 'unappealing' at that particular moment. In Episode 9, Gintoki even attempts to cheat during Rock, Paper, Scissors against the other Yorozuya members so that he could avoid having to tile a roof for an old man. (Incidentally, his win backfires and he is forced to tile the roof as a result of winning – rather than being able to stay back as he had planned.) If it's not laziness that costs Yorozuya cash, then it's the sheer magnificence at which the Yorozuya are able to botch a job. Blunders arise among the Odd Jobs group due to their tendency to goof-off or bicker while at work. Gintoki and Kagura especially are susceptible to being carried away in the heat of the moment, which can ultimately lead to a crucial part of the job being undeniably screwed up (case in point: the retrieval of Prince Hata's beloved pet alien- octopus, Pesu, resulted in the pet nearly dying before it grew several stories tall and began to go on a violent rampage.)
Despite his tendency to be lazy and abrasive, Sakata Gintoki will not turn down someone who is in dire need of help. If he grows invested in the circumstances surrounding a job, he will devote himself to seeing it through to the end. Often, he gets swept up in the story of a client and begins to see what is precious to his client. Once he identifies things that are precious to another person, Gintoki becomes compelled to protect it. He reasons, “If I find something falling before me, I want to pick it up,” and will put his life on the life to ensure that he does what he can to protect what is within his grasp. Upon getting involved in these jobs, Gintoki often refuses payment for his services as he is focused on something that is far more important: the call to protect someone or something.
The freedom allowed by Yorozuya's outfit provides Gintoki with the ability to pick and choose just what he gets involved with and allows him to pave his own way. The versatility behind the business allows for him to comfortably drift in and out of people's lives and gives him the security of being an outsider in most situations. He has the ability to choose his level of involvement – an important feature for an independent man such a Gintoki. While the Yorozuya proves not to be the most financially lucrative business, it is the key to exactly the sort of simple life that Sakata Gintoki seeks out in his present day.
--From now on, you will swing that sword not to cut down your enemies, not to cut away your weaknesses and protect yourself. But to protect your very soul.--
Sakata Gintoki did not always prescribe to a simple life. Orphaned at a young age, Gintoki spent a notable period of his life scavenging battlefield to swipe food from the dead. He quickly adapted, becoming a bit of an opportunist in order to survive. The young boy was alone and looked out for solely himself for a long period of time. During this chapter of Gintoki's life, he was approached by Yoshida Shouyou – who had heard rumors of a 'corpse eating demon' only to find the small child. He refers to Gintoki as a 'rather cute demon' and pats him on the head. Gintoki responds by immediately going on the defensive, reeling back in fear before pulling a blade he had swiped off of a corpse. Shouyou immediately recognizes the child's defiance and incredible will to survive, though he also notices the fear and distrust that cloud the child from reaching his full potential. Shouyou calmly tells the boy that a sword weilded only in self defense should be cast aside, before throwing his own sword to the boy. He tells Gintoki that he will teach him how to weild a sword properly if he accompanies him, and Gintoki quickly accepts the man's offer. Shortly after being taken in by Yoshida Shouyou, Gintoki becomes the man's pupil and begins attending classes at his dojo. It is show several times that even as a child, Gintoki retains his lazy, apathetic personality as during Shouyou's lectures he can often be seen snoozing in the back of the classroom – drooling and snoring through the teachings while the other students are intently listening. Despite this seemingly flippant disregard for his school work, its shown several times that Yoshida Shouyou's words had a profound impact on Gintoki and were crucial to making him who he is in the present. Several times in the series, Gintoki echos the words of his mentor – saying that he will protect what is in front of him in order to protect his soul. This way of life is what Sakata Gintoki has adopted as his own personal bushido – which means that despite his laziness in class, he has deeply taken the teachings of his teacher to heart.
Unfortunately during the Kansei Purge – A period where the countrys government began to work with the invading Amanto to quell the fires of rebellion that had broken out between loyalists to the old Japan and the Amanta – Yoshida Shouyou was targeted due to the possibility that he could 'create dissenters.' He was arrested by the Tendoshu and taken away before Gintoki's eyes. As they parted, Shouyou entrusted everything in Gintoki's care – asking him to protect the lives of his fellow students until he returned. Gintoki followed through on his teacher's wish and took responsibility to take care of his fellow pupils, though he also joined in the Anti-Foreigner War along with Katsura Kotarou and Takasugi Shinsuke (two of Yoshida Shouyou's pupils and Gintoki's friends) in a desperate attempt to save their beloved teacher. During the war, Gintoki quickly made a name for himself due to his merciless swordplay and his white appearance and was coined as the “Shiroyasha” - A white demon that struck fear into the hearts of both his comrades and his enemies. This ruthless way of fighting comes about from the desperate need to protect what was in front of him, and is a stark contrast from the Gintoki of present day due to the viciousness the Shiroyasha displayed on the battlefield. Though in the face of this dire time, Gintoki still displays that he has not completely departed from his bushido. When he and Katsura are faced with insurmountable odds and Katsura suggests they commit seppuku so that they may die honorably – Gintoki responds, “If you have time to fantasize about your beautiful death, then why not use that to live beautifully until the end?” In essence, he believes their souls to be too valuable to simply cast away for honor on the battlefield. Near the end of the Anti-Foreigner War, Gintoki and his friends are captured by the enemy. In this time, Gintoki is given an ultimatum; he must either kill his teacher or allow for his friends to be killed. In the end, Gintoki decapitates Yoshida Shouyou in order to keep his promise to his mentor. Though the two share a final smile with one another, it is an action that haunts Gintoki to this very day. Shortly after, Sakata Gintoki abandons his friends and vanishes from the war without a trace.
Sometime after the war, Sakata Gintoki runs into Terada Ayano – known more commonly by her professional name Otose – while she is bringing food to her deceased husband's grave. He takes the food she had originally meant to give to her husband (though he has the decency to ask if he can scavenge food from the dead this time), before he vows to her husband that he will protect Otose for the remainder of her life. Following these events – he begins to rent the space above Otose's Snack House and establishes the Yorozuya.
Such is the tragic backstory that befits a shounen protagonist – now, to get back to the subject at hand: Sakata Gintoki, the shameful excuse of an adult.
--What am I doing, reading JUMP at my age? Well, a man remains a boy until his death...--
Several times throughout the series, numerous other characters note the astounding level of laziness that circulates through Gintoki's being. In episode 74, Gintoki is unaffected by an epidemic that caused the people of Edo to transform into useless old men, because he already is a worthless, sluggish oldster. Sakata Gintoki often complains when faced with menial labor and attempts to weasel himself out of doing jobs that seem unappealing to him. He lacks motivation and spends the majority of his time lounging around his office and reading the Weekly JUMP or dozing on and off throughout the day. The only commitment he regularly makes seems to be to move to switch his television on so he can gawk at the weather lady that he fawns over. During episodes 202-203 – when the show comes back on the air after taking a year break – the characters are affected by an outbreak of warts that feed on the ambitions of people so that they may grow and take their image. Gintoki is once again left out of the loop, given that he was not targeted due to his lack of ambition. This albino man is content leading a simple life and scraping by while performing odd jobs for others. He is consistently behind on making his rent and often dodges the issue when confronted by Otose. Instead he attempts to mooch off of the people around him, as he would rather fall into easy money and goods in lieu of working for them.
Beyond being an infamous mooch, Gintoki is quick to flush the money he does come across down the toilet. When yen passes his hands, he is quick to spend it on frivolous things such as sugar, the Weekly JUMP (The weekly JUMP you hear? Not the Akamaru JUMP. That's a mistake a mother would make!), or getting smashed instead of putting it towards something useful like, who knows, paying the rent or his employees for starters. If he still has some dough left over after buying his own luxuries – then he is quick to shove it into a pachinko machine or into the hands of casino employee and immediately lose it all. The amount of times that Gintoki has been stripped down to his boxers because he got a little too into throwing his money away is far too many to just excuse. This useless samurai absolutely attempts to strike it rich at any opportunity. In fact, money becomes so important that in more humorous situations – Gintoki is willing to dive into just about any job if the price is right (and it doesnt go against his own morale code, but that's to be hit on more later.) When Gintoki meets Hasegawa for the first time, he is disinterested in the idea of tracking down Prince Hata's pet for the government, as the job seemed like it was more hassle than it was worth, but Hasegawa mentions that they planned to compensate them handsomely. Needless to say, Gintoki was instantly won over by the prospects of receiving a suitcase full of money and took the job – quickly (and shamelessly) changing his tune from literal seconds before.
and it continues
~Spoiler warnings abound beyond this point. Who would've thought that was possible with this show?~
The sort of man Sakata Gintoki is relies heavily on the context in which he is experienced. In fact, referring to Gintoki as an 'experience' himself would not miss the mark. When faced with a situation where his assistance or support is needed by another party, Gintoki proves to be a righteous and valuable ally who is ready to jump into the fray without hesitation. He is a man who will answer the call of another person when he or she is faced with insurmountable odds with little interest of being compensated. Though once the calamity of the week has passed, the airs of 'Sakata Gintoki, the hero' wither away to reveal his truth identity – Sakata Gintoki, the obstinate NEET who somehow continually reaffirms his position as poor choice in role models.
Gintoki lacks the proper motivation and focus required to branch out into work beyond offering himself to complete 'odd jobs' – and even then Gintoki may attempt to pawn off on one of the other members of the Yorozuya if he deems the job far too contrived to be worth the payout. He is a man who would rather waste away on his couch, snoozing with a WEEKLY JUMP open on his chest than commit himself to strenuous labor. He continually dodges his adult responsibilities such as making payments on his rent or paying his employees, and often participates in a variety of 'get rich quick' schemes in an attempt to make easy money, so that he can avoid doing actual work for a living.
Irresponsible and blunt – Gintoki makes no attempt to hide who he is behind formalities or facades and instead presents himself in his truest form, much to the chagrin of those who associate with him.
--Sorry, but I'm better at being a free agent.--
As the proprietor of Yorozuya Gin-chan, Sakata Gintoki is often referred to as Yorozuya himself as a nickname coined by other characters within the series. The term literally translates to “House of 10,000 Businesses,” which in colloquial terms simply means “Odd Jobs.” The business is a small outfit that was founded by Gintoki a few years after his stint in the Anti-Foreigner War. The aim of the business is to run errands or other chores as a free agent - for a price. Granted, the business doesn't bring much in the way of money. The member of the Yorozuya – Kagura and Shinpachi – often reference the absence of a regular wage from Gintoki, though these reminders are often outright ignored by Ginoki who will continue to flip through his issue of the WEEKLY JUMP or continue his conversation as if nothing happened.
One reason for their lack of funds comes from a tendency of Gintoki avoiding jobs that include (perceived) intense manual labor, repetitive action, or anything else that could fit the category of 'unappealing' at that particular moment. In Episode 9, Gintoki even attempts to cheat during Rock, Paper, Scissors against the other Yorozuya members so that he could avoid having to tile a roof for an old man. (Incidentally, his win backfires and he is forced to tile the roof as a result of winning – rather than being able to stay back as he had planned.) If it's not laziness that costs Yorozuya cash, then it's the sheer magnificence at which the Yorozuya are able to botch a job. Blunders arise among the Odd Jobs group due to their tendency to goof-off or bicker while at work. Gintoki and Kagura especially are susceptible to being carried away in the heat of the moment, which can ultimately lead to a crucial part of the job being undeniably screwed up (case in point: the retrieval of Prince Hata's beloved pet alien- octopus, Pesu, resulted in the pet nearly dying before it grew several stories tall and began to go on a violent rampage.)
Despite his tendency to be lazy and abrasive, Sakata Gintoki will not turn down someone who is in dire need of help. If he grows invested in the circumstances surrounding a job, he will devote himself to seeing it through to the end. Often, he gets swept up in the story of a client and begins to see what is precious to his client. Once he identifies things that are precious to another person, Gintoki becomes compelled to protect it. He reasons, “If I find something falling before me, I want to pick it up,” and will put his life on the life to ensure that he does what he can to protect what is within his grasp. Upon getting involved in these jobs, Gintoki often refuses payment for his services as he is focused on something that is far more important: the call to protect someone or something.
The freedom allowed by Yorozuya's outfit provides Gintoki with the ability to pick and choose just what he gets involved with and allows him to pave his own way. The versatility behind the business allows for him to comfortably drift in and out of people's lives and gives him the security of being an outsider in most situations. He has the ability to choose his level of involvement – an important feature for an independent man such a Gintoki. While the Yorozuya proves not to be the most financially lucrative business, it is the key to exactly the sort of simple life that Sakata Gintoki seeks out in his present day.
--From now on, you will swing that sword not to cut down your enemies, not to cut away your weaknesses and protect yourself. But to protect your very soul.--
Sakata Gintoki did not always prescribe to a simple life. Orphaned at a young age, Gintoki spent a notable period of his life scavenging battlefield to swipe food from the dead. He quickly adapted, becoming a bit of an opportunist in order to survive. The young boy was alone and looked out for solely himself for a long period of time. During this chapter of Gintoki's life, he was approached by Yoshida Shouyou – who had heard rumors of a 'corpse eating demon' only to find the small child. He refers to Gintoki as a 'rather cute demon' and pats him on the head. Gintoki responds by immediately going on the defensive, reeling back in fear before pulling a blade he had swiped off of a corpse. Shouyou immediately recognizes the child's defiance and incredible will to survive, though he also notices the fear and distrust that cloud the child from reaching his full potential. Shouyou calmly tells the boy that a sword weilded only in self defense should be cast aside, before throwing his own sword to the boy. He tells Gintoki that he will teach him how to weild a sword properly if he accompanies him, and Gintoki quickly accepts the man's offer. Shortly after being taken in by Yoshida Shouyou, Gintoki becomes the man's pupil and begins attending classes at his dojo. It is show several times that even as a child, Gintoki retains his lazy, apathetic personality as during Shouyou's lectures he can often be seen snoozing in the back of the classroom – drooling and snoring through the teachings while the other students are intently listening. Despite this seemingly flippant disregard for his school work, its shown several times that Yoshida Shouyou's words had a profound impact on Gintoki and were crucial to making him who he is in the present. Several times in the series, Gintoki echos the words of his mentor – saying that he will protect what is in front of him in order to protect his soul. This way of life is what Sakata Gintoki has adopted as his own personal bushido – which means that despite his laziness in class, he has deeply taken the teachings of his teacher to heart.
Unfortunately during the Kansei Purge – A period where the countrys government began to work with the invading Amanto to quell the fires of rebellion that had broken out between loyalists to the old Japan and the Amanta – Yoshida Shouyou was targeted due to the possibility that he could 'create dissenters.' He was arrested by the Tendoshu and taken away before Gintoki's eyes. As they parted, Shouyou entrusted everything in Gintoki's care – asking him to protect the lives of his fellow students until he returned. Gintoki followed through on his teacher's wish and took responsibility to take care of his fellow pupils, though he also joined in the Anti-Foreigner War along with Katsura Kotarou and Takasugi Shinsuke (two of Yoshida Shouyou's pupils and Gintoki's friends) in a desperate attempt to save their beloved teacher. During the war, Gintoki quickly made a name for himself due to his merciless swordplay and his white appearance and was coined as the “Shiroyasha” - A white demon that struck fear into the hearts of both his comrades and his enemies. This ruthless way of fighting comes about from the desperate need to protect what was in front of him, and is a stark contrast from the Gintoki of present day due to the viciousness the Shiroyasha displayed on the battlefield. Though in the face of this dire time, Gintoki still displays that he has not completely departed from his bushido. When he and Katsura are faced with insurmountable odds and Katsura suggests they commit seppuku so that they may die honorably – Gintoki responds, “If you have time to fantasize about your beautiful death, then why not use that to live beautifully until the end?” In essence, he believes their souls to be too valuable to simply cast away for honor on the battlefield. Near the end of the Anti-Foreigner War, Gintoki and his friends are captured by the enemy. In this time, Gintoki is given an ultimatum; he must either kill his teacher or allow for his friends to be killed. In the end, Gintoki decapitates Yoshida Shouyou in order to keep his promise to his mentor. Though the two share a final smile with one another, it is an action that haunts Gintoki to this very day. Shortly after, Sakata Gintoki abandons his friends and vanishes from the war without a trace.
Sometime after the war, Sakata Gintoki runs into Terada Ayano – known more commonly by her professional name Otose – while she is bringing food to her deceased husband's grave. He takes the food she had originally meant to give to her husband (though he has the decency to ask if he can scavenge food from the dead this time), before he vows to her husband that he will protect Otose for the remainder of her life. Following these events – he begins to rent the space above Otose's Snack House and establishes the Yorozuya.
Such is the tragic backstory that befits a shounen protagonist – now, to get back to the subject at hand: Sakata Gintoki, the shameful excuse of an adult.
--What am I doing, reading JUMP at my age? Well, a man remains a boy until his death...--
Several times throughout the series, numerous other characters note the astounding level of laziness that circulates through Gintoki's being. In episode 74, Gintoki is unaffected by an epidemic that caused the people of Edo to transform into useless old men, because he already is a worthless, sluggish oldster. Sakata Gintoki often complains when faced with menial labor and attempts to weasel himself out of doing jobs that seem unappealing to him. He lacks motivation and spends the majority of his time lounging around his office and reading the Weekly JUMP or dozing on and off throughout the day. The only commitment he regularly makes seems to be to move to switch his television on so he can gawk at the weather lady that he fawns over. During episodes 202-203 – when the show comes back on the air after taking a year break – the characters are affected by an outbreak of warts that feed on the ambitions of people so that they may grow and take their image. Gintoki is once again left out of the loop, given that he was not targeted due to his lack of ambition. This albino man is content leading a simple life and scraping by while performing odd jobs for others. He is consistently behind on making his rent and often dodges the issue when confronted by Otose. Instead he attempts to mooch off of the people around him, as he would rather fall into easy money and goods in lieu of working for them.
Beyond being an infamous mooch, Gintoki is quick to flush the money he does come across down the toilet. When yen passes his hands, he is quick to spend it on frivolous things such as sugar, the Weekly JUMP (The weekly JUMP you hear? Not the Akamaru JUMP. That's a mistake a mother would make!), or getting smashed instead of putting it towards something useful like, who knows, paying the rent or his employees for starters. If he still has some dough left over after buying his own luxuries – then he is quick to shove it into a pachinko machine or into the hands of casino employee and immediately lose it all. The amount of times that Gintoki has been stripped down to his boxers because he got a little too into throwing his money away is far too many to just excuse. This useless samurai absolutely attempts to strike it rich at any opportunity. In fact, money becomes so important that in more humorous situations – Gintoki is willing to dive into just about any job if the price is right (and it doesnt go against his own morale code, but that's to be hit on more later.) When Gintoki meets Hasegawa for the first time, he is disinterested in the idea of tracking down Prince Hata's pet for the government, as the job seemed like it was more hassle than it was worth, but Hasegawa mentions that they planned to compensate them handsomely. Needless to say, Gintoki was instantly won over by the prospects of receiving a suitcase full of money and took the job – quickly (and shamelessly) changing his tune from literal seconds before.