'Gintama' Manga Hits New Sales Record

Gintama is one of the most beloved series in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, and while the series is soon reaching its final climax, it has sold a ton of manga over its long run.

Kadokawa's NewsWalker news website reported that Gintama now has over 55 million copies in print. Last time Shueisha reported its numbers, Gintama had 50 million copies in print as of May 2016.

These numbers are no surprise to fans of the series, even as the anime series had become more a cult show with a dedicated following that follows it from season to season.

For fans who want more Gintama, the anime is currently adapting the final arc of the series as well, the "Silver Soul" arc. It's the 64th and final arc of series creator Hideaki Sorachi's manga. The longest running arc in the series to date, "Silver Soul" begins when Utsuro - whose immortality has forced him to find a way to truly die - reveals his final plan: to start a war that'll encompass the entire universe and lead to the destruction of the Earth. Gintoki then must team with old allies and make friends with older enemies in order to stop the rising army of space aliens - the Amanto - from wreaking havoc.

The series has seen different forms since its initial anime run from 2006 to 2010, with a second series airing from 2011 to 2013 with sporadic hiatuses in-between, a third series running from 2015 to 2016, two feature-length animated films, a few OVAs, and even a live action film releasing in Japan last July.

Film distributor Azoland Pictures has partnered with Well Go USA and has announced they'll be screening the live-action Gintama film in theaters in both the United States and Canada January 19, 2018. Well Go USA has also recently announced they will be releasing the film on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD in North America on March 6 next year. The Gintama live-action film opened in Japan on July 14 and earned about $8.9 million USD in its first four days of release.

Gintama has recently teased some kind of crossover project with fellow Weekly Shonen Jumpgag manga, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Which is getting ready to air the second season of its anime as well.

Gintama Season 4 recently began airing on October 1 with the "Porori" arc, and you can currently find subbed episodes on Crunchyroll. The "Silver Soul" arc, which will serve as the series' final story, began airing January 7.