Story wise, the plot is from one of the major arc in the manga which introduced the background of Gintoki, the main character. Shun Oguri is such a fine man acting as Gintoki, I'm so thankful that they casted him to play that role. It's not going to be so hard to follow the plot if you didn't read the manga, it is the typical someone did something bad so the heroes need to set things right but with Gintama styled twist. Masaki Suda portrayed Shinpachi effortlessly, he really acted weak but with funny facial expressions, I laughed so hard in the cinema. Kanna Hashimoto also acted well as Kagura. Her scenes with Nanao are so remarkably funny. Nanao is so hot in the movie too, easy eye catcher. Special acknowledgement to Jiro Sato, if you guys remember him in Mr Nietzsche, his role is exactly as comical as that, I really like how he acted his comedy.
In terms of music, the background musics are appropriate with the scenes. UVERworld performed one of the OST, if you know them, the song Decided which is for this movie is awesome. Shun Oguri did sing for comical purposes lol.
Simply put, it is literally a part of the manga that has been transformed into live action. All the Gintama's wicked dark humor, their famous tag lines and the famous Gintama-style references to other mangas or animes are there in the movie. These stuffs are essential to Gintama. Kudos to the movie makers for didn't leave these things in this movie. Recommended.
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Story:
For sure, this is a movie intended for fans rather than newcomers (even the Yorozuya lampshade it in typical Gintama-style). It's not a great way to introduce someone to the wonderful bizarre world that is Gintama - the setting and protagonists are introduced rather shortly and then we jump right into the story. If you're not familiar with the series then you may have a hard time following the story -- the movie's main plot aka the Beninzakura arc is interesting enough but can't really be appreciated nor understood by viewers who've only known the characters and setting for like 15 minutes (with a lot of context cut out).
That aside, the content is fine overall. The movie captures the series' famous wacky sense of humour very well eg. over-the-top slapstick, broken fourth walls, shameless body humour (including Japan's beloved idol Kanna Hashimoto picking her nose and vomiting, just to give you an idea), and shout-outs/parodies galore -- some so blatant you will crack up. The serious side of the story is nothing special but still enjoyable. The action is a mixed bag -- sometimes entertaining, other times rather basic. Editing/CGI is sometimes cringey but can be easily ignored. For fans curious about any scene changes or additions, there are quite a few but they're mostly well done so they shouldn't bother you. The climax/final fight (film-original) was the only scene I hated - without spoiling anything, it felt very forced and pointless.
Cast, characters:
The quirky likeable characters are the best thing about the series, hands down. There's unfortunately only so much a movie can show, but this film does a fairly good job at bringing the best out of everyone in its 2 hour run. Maybe my only disappointment is Takasugi -- in this film he's not a very interesting antagonist since they don't really flesh him out here (which is a shame, he's great in the original series).
The acting quality itself varies, but credit to everyone for making an effort to be in character. My biggest complaint was Nanao as Matako who was hella flat, I felt like all she did was shout stiffly and pose with her guns. Kanna as Kagura was a little meh sometimes but I think I enjoyed her a lot more than others did. She shined more in her comedy scenes, whether it be her casually being gross or her slapping Shinpachi epically in the face ("BAAAKA MEGANEEEE"). Everyone else was mostly good. Shun Oguri and Masaki Suda did well as the other 2/3 of the Yorozuya -- Gintoki's irritable and snarky yet caring nature is there, and awkward tsukkomi!Shinpachi is very much alive. My fave has to be Ryo Yoshizawa, who captured Sougo's casual deadpan character perfectly.
Music:
Not much I can say since I don't remember most of it but nothing bad. The guitar OST that plays during a certain scene is lovely! A plus for fans is that it's similar to the song played in the same scene in the anime :D UVERworld's promotional song for the movie ("DECIDED") is awesome, definitely stick around for the credits to give it a listen! Last but not least, big applause to the uh "song" Gintoki sings in the "opening", apparently made-up by Oguri himself. It is a hoot haha
Overall comments:
Don't expect a god-tier film or Gintama anime 2.0, because it isn't (nor was it meant to be). It's a cheesy fun movie that captures the Gintama spirit well and should be treated as such. New viewers may struggle to get through the film and I wouldn't blame you, but you may get something out of it. For fans, as long as your bias goggles are off, you'll be pretty entertained despite its flaws.
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silly is the name, entertainment is the game, (young) children skipping this is not lame
this is a live action adaptation of a manga and/or anime, set in a Japan reality that has been taken over by aliens that obsoleted the samurai class. the story is about a team of unusual characters investigating a serial murder which leads to a more sinister plot. depending on the parents and the society you live in, this film might be deemed unsuitable for younger children because there are crude jokes, violent actions, gun shooting, killing, cigarette smoking, etc. if you are or you are occasionally into silly, exaggerations (the bombastic), corny stuffs, and you are also a fan of anime and manga, do check this film out for its antics. it's a, you like it, or you don't.humor sometimes pops out in moments least expected. the humor is plain silly. sometimes crude, often (over-)exaggerated. it is sometimes accompanied with corny dialogues and parody that reference a variety of other works. although this is an action comedy, there is an element of fantasy in it, and also a mild serious mood that weaves in and out throughout the film.
i am not sure if there is dubbing (voice over) in this film, but the spoken dialogues match with the lips' movements. i really appreciate that. part of what makes the film enjoyable is the actors' performances. the actors are deep into role-playing their characters, so much so that i imagine they are all hardcore manga/anime fans.
i come into this film feeling handicapped as i am ignorant of the Gintama universe, characters, stories and plots. but, the film is persuasive enough to make me want to check out other Gintama live action film and animated film. it is enjoyable, and would have been even more so if i am younger and/or familiar with the Gintama universe. there are definite aspects in the film that could have been made better, and hopefully the subsequent sequels do not disappoint.
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It's easier to say who among Japanese top actors didn't act in Gintama than who did. Oguri Shun is a definitive action leading man so his casting as Gintoki is understandable the same way it's obvious why Nagasawa Masami played Shimura Tae. Addition of hugely popular Hashimoto Kanna as Kagura could just be an indication of a big budget. But nothing explains why art-house heavy-weight and Japanese public darling Suda Masaki plays Shinpachi. Nothing!
As if one film festivals awardee is not enough, Yagira Yuuya is also there. Other characters are either played by drop-dead gorgeous actors like Okada Masaki, Yoshizawa Ryo (both of whom are unbelievably handsome throughout the whole movie), and Nanao (who famously said that she wouldn't date "a Shinpachi" after the rumours of her dating Suda Masaki surfaced), comedy veterans like Sato Jiro, or older audience favourites like Yasuda Ken.
Obviously, the evil mastermind of the movie had to be played by none other than KinKi Kids' Domoto Tsuyoshi.
The movie narrowly avoided casting Sato Takeru, Kamiki, and Fujiwara Tatsuya (presumably so as not to throw shade on Ruroken franshise). Also, for some reason, Ayano Go is missing but his friend and titan of Japanese acting Yamada Takayuki is there albeit in a tiny voice-over cameo.
The only movies enjoying such a cast are usually serious blockbusters by famous directors like Ruroken or Kingdom. How come such a cast could be gathered to act in a vulgar relatively low-budget samurai comedy? The Japanese public couldn't fathom this either so it kept going to watch the movie and eventually made it a huge box-office hit.
The brilliant actors add charisma, relatability, and depth to the 2-dimensional characters they are playing even if they have just a couple of scenes. Nagasawa Masami and Oguri Shun even manage to create real chemistry in the scant 3 minutes of screen-time they share. Suda Masaki, Hashimoto Kanna, and Yoshizawa Ryo, in particular, show some real emotion. Oguri Shun perfectly conveys quiet sadness of a person who had lost everything including his own identity.
I'd dare say, the depiction of this sadness and nostalgia so typical of the titular shounen manga is one of the strongest points of the story. A true shounen spirit is always a pleasure to observe. The relationship between Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi as well as camaraderie between other characters is suitably heart-warming.
The comedic timing of the brilliant cast is spot-on. Okada Masaki is particularly delightful as a hapless rebellious samurai.
The only two actors who don't quite put their weight are Yagira Yuuya and Domoto Tsuyoshi. They seem miscast a bit.
The story itself is full of gags of varying quality (including pop-culture allusions). The viewer must survive the gross opening sequence (that features beetle hunting and some very questionable humour) to enjoy the rest of the story which is quite watchable. Admittedly, the action is not up to, say, Ruroken standards but it's ok. I'd say, that the manga is actually less vulgar and more heart-warming but what can you do.
If you enjoyed this movie, don't skip Gintama 2 - in some aspects it's even better.
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This review may contain spoilers
Want some short review? tired of long, insane paragraphs? Well you have just came to the right place! OK, jk, please do not ban me lol.I just watched this via the BluRay version [wiki] dts with attached srt Chinese Mandarin sub and I can say overall 10, please , you heard me , it is full pointoo-desu! The effort of the producers is good and story is indeed interesting. Don't wanna do any spoilers, but I'm already know the story of the anime before watching the live action. [therefore idk about those who never know about the story sorry!!]
I really like how Mr. Shun acts, whole acting is captivating.
'Want some short review >....<' ... okok, so there we go , I highly recommend you to watch this movie even if you are not a big anime fan. Do not please, ONEGAAAAI ignore those who said 'hey live action is sh*t' if so maybe Justice League is p00p too.. :D
LONG LIVE AMANTO!!
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...because lolicons are feminists that like kids....
+ Positives
- Negatives
= Summary
~ Recommend to
+++++ POSITIVES +++++
+ The characters were spot on. The writers really captured the actions and looks of the original characters and I wouldn't have changed them one bit.
+ The actors were great. Most of the cast are really big names and they are big names for a reason. I feel like this sort of slap stick comedy fit all of them perfectly and they really managed to pull off their characters facial expressions and energy. It really felt like a real life anime.
+ The script is very close to the original with only a few original scenes added to it. A conservative Gintama fan would be proud.
+ The fighting scenes were really well made and looked great. Except for succeeding with the flow of the fight, they added effects that fit just right to give it the anime feel.
----- NEGATIVES -----
- The CG was really bad and the explosions looked like something out of a bad movie. Sometimes they made it work but for the most part they didn't. Because the whole theme of Gintama is a parody on.... pretty much everything... the bad effects are not a problem it's just that they might bother the eye a bit.
- The progress was a bit awkward if you look at the story as a whole. For those who haven't seen the anime, nothing really make sense and the precious values that they are trying to push throughout the movie kind of come across as forced or rushed. They really could have built it better.
===== SUMMARY =====
When it comes down to it, I can't really rate this movie on how much I liked it but rather on how well it lived up to it's anime origin. This live action was based on a very loud, energetic anime so obviously it will try to capture that same energy and I think they did a really good job. I felt like I was watching an anime with real people in it. This is thanks to the great actors and the wonderful writers who decided to stay true to the original work. Although the CG could have been better and the story was a little fuzzy, it has somewhat of a story line and because it's a parody, the CG was quickly forgiven.
~~~~~ RECOMMEND TO ~~~~~
I recommend this to people who like loud, self aware, shounen parodies with simple slapstick humor, sexual jokes and a lot of references to other anime, comics or the actors themselves. The plot is not the strongest, but it definitely brightens up ones day and lightens the mood. Prepare to laugh!
ENJOY!
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This review may contain spoilers
Well. This movie was certainly something. I'm not entirely sure what but definitely something. Just not my cuppa.I haven't seen the anime nor have I read the manga so I can't say how faithful of an adaptation this was but this type of a slapstick comedy really isn't my thing. If it hadn't been for Yoshizawa Ryo's part - as tiny as it was - I would've dropped it. But he was really, really pretty here. So...
Will I watch the rest? Probably. I'm willing to go places for my favorite actors, even such crazy places as this. What can I say. Still...
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The Benizakura Arc was the first major story arc for the Gintama anime, and it has now been made into two movies, an animated retelling and live action. Personally, I feel like Benizakura isn't the most amazing arc compared to the later ones (especially the Shogun arc), but it's understandable that as a live action film that's seen by many newcomers, this is the most accessible story arc for them. There's a lot of familiar humor for old fans of the anime as well, along with some new ones. In particular, the meta-humor stands out the most, including self-mockery about how the movie needed to appeal to newcomers as well and thus requiring an obligatory origin story at the beginning. The funniest jokes I found were the references to other anime and the characters' fear of being sued for copyright infringement, including a hilarious cameo by Nausicaa.
Unfortunately, the humor can fall flat sometimes in this live action format. Humor in anime (or just animation in general) rarely works as effectively as live action. When you try to imitate the kind of exaggerated comedy in anime, it can come off as lame and contrived. For example, the (lackluster) special effects of Shinpachi being punched stand out more than the unfunny joke itself, and that gag got old after the first time. Some of the characters attempting hyperbole (like Tetsuya Murata shouting) also look really awkward in real life. These comedic moments just don't work well outside of anime, and that's the same problem I had with Scott Pilgrim when it tried to emulate such cartoonish effects in live action. Henpeita Takechi also looks nothing like his anime counterpart because of his eyes, but that's something live action is incapable of adapting, so that's inevitable (though I'll bet Marvel Studios would go above and beyond to keep such aesthetic details faithful to the source material in some shape or form; shame that Japanese studios couldn't do the same).
Some of the actors do manage to pull off their gags relatively well. Oguri's "straight man" retorts work well enough (though definitely never surpassing the brilliant Tomokazu Sugita). Nakamura Kankuro as Kondo was not bad, but that had more to do with him being a good sport, letting himself get covered in honey (or whatever that golden sauce was) than his acting chops. The other casting choices, however, were kinda iffy. Domoto Tsuyoshi as Takasugi just looked weird, as his face was too chubby for the role, and his attempt to act stoic just came off as dull and lifeless. Also, why is Shinpachi shouting all the time? And why is he so violent in this movie? Totally out of character.
And finally, we have to talk about those cheap special effects. I don't know many anime adaptations in Japan have such low quality CGI. The Japanese just don't seem capable of matching the Americans in realistic-looking CGI for some reason, and Gintama live action is no exception. They even used blatantly fake masks in place of the Amanto... I wonder if that's intentional as some form of satire, but I highly doubt it since they didn't address these cheap props.
Finally, there isn't that much important information about the Gintama universe to make this a must-watch for newcomers. The sword-fights in live action do look cooler than the anime, that's the movie's one saving grace, but other than that, it's not really an impressive retelling for you to go out of your way to watch this. Watch the animated telling of Benizakura instead - it has the awesome "Bakuchi Dancer" by DOES playing in the final fight whereas this live action version just has some forgettable score.
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