Gintama Creator Thought Anime Would Flop & Was ‘Only Expecting Royalties From The Manga’

Gintama creator Hideaki Sorachi has admitted that he initially expected the anime adaptation to flop, adding that he was only expecting royalties from the manga.

Sorachi shared the comments in a message during a stage greeting event for Gintama The Movie – Yoshiwara In Flames – in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2026.

“Now that I can say it, honestly, I thought it would flop,” Sorachi said.

He explained that he thought it would be difficult to recreate Gintama‘s distinctive style and humor in anime, and that even if the production succeeded, he was unsure whether many viewers would understand it.

Sorachi was nevertheless happy that people were willing to work on an anime adaptation of the series.

“I was happy simply because there were people willing to raise their hands and say they wanted to make Gintama together with me. If those people were having fun making the anime, then the goal had already been achieved. I figured it would be fine even if it ended quickly,” he said.

He added that this was why he did not interfere much with the anime’s production.

“I was only expecting royalties from the manga,” Sorachi said. “I never imagined the anime would boost my royalties that much.”

Sorachi Didn’t Think Gintama Was Popular Enough To Receive Anime Adaptation

Kohei Onishi, the first editor assigned to Gintama, recalled that he and Sorachi also did not initially believe the manga was popular enough to receive an anime adaptation.

“An anime adaptation? That’s a dream within a dream. This series isn’t that popular, is it? Nobody’s going to watch it,” said Onishi as he recalled their conversation.

He added that seeing the completed anime was what finally convinced him that the adaptation had actually become a reality.

Hiromitsu Higuchi, one of the members involved in launching the anime and its third producer, recalled that the project had to be put together on a tight schedule.

He said he was initially asked to work on a pilot for the Gintama anime just after Golden Week, with a television series eventually in mind. Since the project was scheduled to be announced in autumn, the production team had to quickly handle staffing, casting and other aspects.

The Gintama anime began with an OVA produced by Sunrise for the Jump Festa 2006 Anime Tour in 2005, followed by a 367-episode TV series that aired from April 2006 to October 2018.

Two other theatrical films, Gintama: The Movie and Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya, were released in April 2010 and July 2013, respectively.

The anime’s story concluded with Gintama: The Very Final, which was released in January 2021.

The franchise is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, with Gintama The Movie – Yoshiwara In Flames – serving as its latest theatrical project. It is a remake of the popular story arc from the series, focusing on Yoshiwara red light district, where Gintoki and the Yorozuya get embroiled in a massive battle after helping an orphan reunite with his mother.

Source: Oricon