Some anime make minor changes to their OP from time to time, but Gintama pranked viewers by transforming the opening in a way that disrupted the series itself. Gintama is a comedy anime based on the manga by Hideaki Sorachi. The series has experimented with its animation style at various points for dramatic and comedic effect, but changing the OP is possibly the series’ biggest hit.
Gintama is a movie that follows the adventures of the Odd Jobs trio as they help various eccentric characters in a version of Japan’s history invaded by aliens. The series jokes about anything and everything, from other anime to silly situations to its own impending cancellation threat. One of the funniest parts of it is the Popularity Poll, in which the characters compete on one of the Shonen Jump Popularity Polls, for see how the best the show’s meta can be. This also sets up a fun prank for its audience.
Gintama’s experimental art style makes its jokes funnier
Since Sorachi was included in the popularity poll, a lower ranked character murdered him to boost her own ranking. This resulted in the show’s art style at the beginning of episode 183 being distorted, culminating in an OP that looked like it was drawn by a kid in MS Paint. This is especially hilarious because the OP’s casual version is one of Gintama’s more serious openings, highlighting the dramatic parts of the story. This contrast makes this joke even more surprising and makes it even more hilarious.
Most anime don’t actually change their prologue, recycling the same part throughout the season. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as these OPs can hold many meanings, some of which only become apparent later, such as was the case with Madoka Magica. But as Gintama shows, changing the part of a show that audiences see as a constant can be used to great effect, whether to make a funny joke or to create a joke. dramatic shock. Hopefully more anime will follow Gintama’s example and experiment with their style and opening.
Gintama will also continue to change their OPs at various times throughout the series, each time to hilarious effects. These changes can be as small as a change like the characters messing up their final pose at the end of a song or a big change like turning the entire show into a parody of the typical Shojo series, but each time, their unexpected nature makes them hilarious. Jokes like this show that viewers should never skip the opening or ending of an anime that’s clearly given a lot of thought and care, as if it were just like it was. Gintama they can change things that fans normally expect to stay the same.
Gintama available for viewing on Crunchyroll.
