Being one of the main characters in a huge series is hard: most of the time you're in the frame, you're doing something, you get attention — maybe not as much as the main character, but still. And Shimura Shinpachi from Gintama alongside with attention gets some hate, especially from those who are just starting the series.
It's valid: he appears to be the annoying mother hen of the main trio, shy, overbearing and a bit too loud (and we understand that it's hard to breach the thick skulls of these idiots by using the regular volume, but come on). He seems to take the damsel-in-distress mantle and be the one hauled by the hem of his haori out of any dangerous situation by Kagura or Gintoki, especially in the earlier episodes. It looks like he's practically useless, and all he does is nag the other characters without actually enjoying being with them.
But here lies the beauty of the episodic nature of Gintama. Sometimes it takes you one episode to completely change your perception of a character, with a little more focus on their inner turmoil and insecurities, or with more focus on them tackling their fears and being badass — and Shinpachi gets plenty of this, but further down the series. He's treated like a prop sometimes, even by the author himself, reduced to mere shouting glasses, but over time little by little he grows and changes, and his character gets more depth and facets.
He's the most regular being out of the main characters. He doesn't have Kagura's super strength, he doesn't have Gintoki's mysterious past that made him who he is now. He's still young, and he's growing with the series, learning how the world works from those he interacts with. Shinpachi which we're introduced to in the very beginning is extremely different from Shinpachi we witness in the finale.
But the fact that he's an ordinary human being surrounded by the madness that the world of Gintama is makes him one of the most relatable characters of the series. He's just a guy who happened to meet some interesting people and got roped into surviving the shenanigans of everyday life with them. Most of us would probably react to that with overly enthusiastic and horrified yelling, too. And most of us would probably need some time to grow used to it, too.
He's not just a yelling straight man, we promise!
Being one of the main characters in a huge series is hard: most of the time you're in the frame, you're doing something, you get attention — maybe not as much as the main character, but still. And Shimura Shinpachi from Gintama alongside with attention gets some hate, especially from those who are just starting the series.
It's valid: he appears to be the annoying mother hen of the main trio, shy, overbearing and a bit too loud (and we understand that it's hard to breach the thick skulls of these idiots by using the regular volume, but come on). He seems to take the damsel-in-distress mantle and be the one hauled by the hem of his haori out of any dangerous situation by Kagura or Gintoki, especially in the earlier episodes. It looks like he's practically useless, and all he does is nag the other characters without actually enjoying being with them.
But here lies the beauty of the episodic nature of Gintama. Sometimes it takes you one episode to completely change your perception of a character, with a little more focus on their inner turmoil and insecurities, or with more focus on them tackling their fears and being badass — and Shinpachi gets plenty of this, but further down the series. He's treated like a prop sometimes, even by the author himself, reduced to mere shouting glasses, but over time little by little he grows and changes, and his character gets more depth and facets.
He's the most regular being out of the main characters. He doesn't have Kagura's super strength, he doesn't have Gintoki's mysterious past that made him who he is now. He's still young, and he's growing with the series, learning how the world works from those he interacts with. Shinpachi which we're introduced to in the very beginning is extremely different from Shinpachi we witness in the finale.
But the fact that he's an ordinary human being surrounded by the madness that the world of Gintama is makes him one of the most relatable characters of the series. He's just a guy who happened to meet some interesting people and got roped into surviving the shenanigans of everyday life with them. Most of us would probably react to that with overly enthusiastic and horrified yelling, too. And most of us would probably need some time to grow used to it, too.
_15477.webp)