It was announced in the latest Weekly Shonen JUMP magazine that Hideaki Sorachi’s Gintama: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen anime will be coming to an end on March 26. In that same announcement, it was stated that the anime will return later this year in July as it looks to begin the climax of the Silver Soul arc. It should also be noted that the Silver Soul arc is also the final story arc of the Gintama manga. The official title of the anime when it returns will simply be Gintama: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen 2. This will serve as the eighth and final season for the franchise.
The manga currently has an astonishing 50 million copies in print as of May 2016. It first began publishing on December 8, 2003, marking this year as the 15th anniversary of the franchise.
MyAnimeList.net describes the story of Gintama as follows:
During the Edo period, Japan is suddenly invaded by alien creatures known as the “Amanto.” Despite the samurai’s attempts to combat the extraterrestrial menace, the Shogun soon realizes that their efforts are futile and decides to surrender. This marks the beginning of an uneasy agreement between the Shogunate and Amanto, one that results in a countrywide sword ban and the disappearance of the samurai spirit.
However, there exists one eccentric individual who wields a wooden sword and refuses to let his samurai status die. Now that his kind are no longer needed, Gintoki Sakata performs various odd jobs around town in order to make ends meet. Joined by his self-proclaimed disciple Shinpachi Shimura, the fearsome alien Kagura, and a giant dog named Sadaharu, they run the business known as Yorozuya, often getting caught up in all sorts of crazy and hilarious shenanigans.
