For those of you who have been following the long journey of Gintama, there is fresh news worth waiting for. The legendary arc Yoshiwara in Flames will return in the form of a full movie reanimation scheduled to air in 2026. This adaptation is not just a rehash, but a cinematic version with new animation details and additional scenes that have never existed before.
Gintama Yoshiwara in Flames Can Movie Full Reanimation
The Yoshiwara in Flames arc was previously adapted in anime Gintama episodes 139-146. The story follows Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi who enter the Yoshiwara district to rescue a child named Seita. There they must face Housen, the lord of the night nicknamed "King of the Night," in a huge battle that becomes one of the pivotal moments in the series.
The movie version will be produced by BN Pictures in cinemascope format (2.35:1). This re-adaptation also features new scenes and character appearances that were not in the previous TV version.
Hideaki Sorachi's Distinctive Reaction
Along with the announcement of this new movie, author Hideaki Sorachi released special illustrations and made official comments.
Hideaki Sorachi stated:
"Thanks to everyone's support, Gintama is once again being adapted into an anime, and now a new movie is being produced. Thank you very much.
It's been about six years since the manga ended. Seeing a work that should have been completed turned into a tool for money-hungry adults, and squeezed out to the point of no taste, I can't help but think that this must be the greatest form of respect for an author.
Gintama managed to find 'success' in anime, novel, movie, and even live-action. To be more precise, each time it always looked like it was going to fail, but in the end it still managed to survive. It's an incredibly lucky series, to be able to live on despite always seeming to be on the verge of collapse. However, if it continues like this, it will eventually explode spectacularly. Personally, I half-expect it to end up with some sort of scandal about Tomokazu Sugita's 'lower body' issues, and collapse entirely because of it.
But, in typical Gintama fashion, I suspect the series will just keep getting away with it and manage to avoid disaster once again."
Production Staff
This movie involves experienced staff in the anime world. Here's a list of the main staff involved:
- Director: Naoya Ando
- Supervising Director: Youichi Fujita
- Scriptwriter: Taku Kishimoto
- Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Shinji Takeuchi
- Animation Production: BN Pictures
The main voice cast of the anime also returns. Tomokazu Sugita continues to voice Sakata Gintoki, Daisuke Sakaguchi as Shimura Shinpachi, and Rie Kugimiya as Kagura.
New Movie Position in 20th Anniversary
Yoshiwara in Flames movie announced as part of series 20th anniversary of Gintama. Warner Brothers Japan released a teaser trailer at the two-decade anniversary event.
Since 2023, the project Gintama on Theater 2D has presented a number of older arcs in the form of compilation films with limited screenings in Japanese theaters. The arcs that have been shown include Baragaki-hen, Ikkoku Keisei-hen, Kintama-hen, and Shinsengumi Crisis Arc. The movie Yoshiwara in Flames will be one of the main parts of the series, marking 20 years since its premiere in 2006.
About Gintama
Gintama is a manga by Hideaki Sorachi that was first published in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2003 to 2018, then continued in Jump Giga until 2019. The series has recorded more than 55 million copies in circulation.
The anime adaptation of Gintama was produced in a total of 367 episodes that aired on television from 2006 to 2018. In addition, there were two special episodes titled Gintama: The Semi-Final that were released exclusively in Japan in January 2021 through the dTV streaming service. Both episodes serve as direct prequels to the movie Gintama: The Very Final.
Movies Gintama: The Very Final itself was released in 2021 by adapting the closing arc of the manga. The movie earned over 1.85 billion yen at the Japanese box office.
With the arrival of the new movie Yoshiwara in Flames, Gintama adds another important note to its journey as one of the popular anime series that has been able to last long in various formats.
Sources: Warner Brothers Japan YouTube channel, Comic Natalie
