Gintama Season 2 Part 2

Gintama': Enchousen is a short follow-up to Gintama'. Its name means "extension" or "extra time," a bit like overtime in a sports game. It was made by Sunrise and directed by Yoichi Fujita. It aired on TV Tokyo from October 4, 2012, to March 28, 2013. It has 13 episodes, numbered 253 to 265 in the full series. It is based on the comedy manga by Hideaki Sorachi.

Gintama is set in an Edo-period Japan that was taken over by aliens called the Amanto. Swords are banned, and the old samurai way of life is fading. In this odd world, the silver-haired samurai Gintoki Sakata runs the Yorozuya, a small business that takes any odd job. His team is the polite and serious Shinpachi Shimura and Kagura, a tough alien girl with a giant appetite. They are lazy, poor, and noisy, but they have big hearts.

The season starts with one of the most loved comedy arcs in the series, often called the "Kintama" arc. It covers episodes 253 to 256. When Gintoki comes back, he finds the Yorozuya has a new boss: Kintoki, a robot copy of him with golden hair. Kintoki seems to be better than Gintoki in every way. Worse, no one in Edo remembers the real Gintoki at all. Gintoki has to win back his home, his friends, and even his place as the main character of the show. It is funny, but it also asks what makes a person special to the people around them.

Next comes a more emotional story, episodes 257 to 261, known as the "Courtesan of a Nation" arc. A courtesan is a woman who works to entertain rich men. The team goes back to Yoshiwara, a pleasure district from earlier in the series, which was once hidden under the ground. There they meet an old courtesan who has waited many years for a man she loved. The Yorozuya try to help her, and they learn the painful history of the place and its people. This arc uses many flashbacks and has some of the most touching moments in Gintama.

Enchousen shows the two faces of Gintama very well. One moment the characters are making silly jokes, breaking the fourth wall, and making fun of other anime. The next moment they are fighting with swords to protect someone they care about. The show moves between laughs and tears without feeling strange. Its humor can be rude and full of slapstick, so it is best for teens and adults.

Because the season is short, it feels like a bonus round after Gintama'. But both of its big arcs are fan favorites. Parts of these episodes were later used in compilation films. The 2026 movie Gintama: Yoshiwara in Flames also returned to the Yoshiwara setting, showing how much fans still care about this part of the story. If you enjoyed Gintama', this season is a must-watch.