It was announced on Monday on the official site for the Gintama manga that the live-action movie, which is currently airing in Japan, will be making its way to the Americas. Specifically, the website stated that the movie would open in the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Central and South America. While locations were announced, a release date/window was not specified.
The film opened in Japan back on July 14 and has earned, so far, 980 million yen or about $8.9 million. The success of the film paved way for a live-action internet series which made it’s debut on Docomo’s dTV streaming service on July 15.
The plot of the film is described by IMDB as follows:
In an era where aliens have invaded and taken over feudal Tokyo, a young samurai finds work however he can.
MyAnimeList.net describes the Gintama series as follows:
The Amanto, aliens from outer space, have invaded Earth and taken over feudal Japan. As a result, a prohibition on swords has been established, and the samurai of Japan are treated with disregard as a consequence.
However one man, Gintoki Sakata, still possesses the heart of the samurai, although from his love of sweets and work as a yorozuya, one might not expect it. Accompanying him in his jack-of-all-trades line of work are Shinpachi Shimura, a boy with glasses and a strong heart, Kagura with her umbrella and seemingly bottomless stomach, as well as Sadaharu, their oversized pet dog. Of course, these odd jobs are not always simple, as they frequently have run-ins with the police, ragtag rebels, and assassins, oftentimes leading to humorous but unfortunate consequences.
Who said life as an errand boy was easy?
So far, reviews of the film have been very positive. It is described as being as fun as it is faithful to Hideaki Sorachi’s manga. It has also had the largest opening for any Japanese live-action film in China! You can view the official trailer for the Gintama movie below.
