This is just so awesome. I don't know how many episodes are available subbed, I can only watch what I can download direct at the moment, which has so far been three episodes, so if anyone does actually get it please upload it somewhere for me (haha ;_; ) but I just can't recommend this highly enough for random amusement.
The name, Gintama is made up from kanji to mean silver soul, but apparently the point of it is it's a pun on a Japanese slang word for testicles. This is appropriate because it's complete bollocks.
So, we're in Japan, during the time when there still were samurai, but they were forbidden to carry swords and finding themselves in a strange new world...kind of.
Aliens that are basically human animals (that's right...FURRIES) have taken over Japan. Also, presumably, the world. (I don't know whether this speaks to the Japanese about a time in their history when foreigners came in for the first time, there was resentment and the world changed - for us it's just funny.) Gintoki, the main character, is a half arsed samurai with a motorbike and a wooden sword he bought as a souvenir when he went on a school trip. He likes to read Shonen Jump, especially Bleach (haha XD) and lives with his rather pathetic and much put-upon apprentice, Shinpachi, a small but violent and loud mouthed girl, Kagura, and a REALLY BIG KITTEN. They're so poor that they do basically anything for money. This is the story of them being poor and doing basically anything for money.
(For those interested in Jmusic the opening is by Tommy Heavenly6; I don't know who does the ending theme but it's very cheerful and reminds me somewhat of Pornograffiti - listen all the way through, I promise you'll be grooving by the end of the song.)
People who've seen/read more of this than me and know more about it, comment here!
