With some teases back in March 2019 that more anime is coming for the Gintama property, we weren’t surprised last year when we learned that it’s a new feature film as they tend to do well. Warner Bros. Japan brought the film out with a January 8th, 2020 debut for Gintama: The Final, which claims that this really is the end.
Last year, the folks at Eleven Arts have revealed that they’ve picked up the North American distribution rights for the film. The film saw a limited theatrical event and Shout! Factory is handling the home video release. And the streaming as well as they’ve previously set it for subtitled and dubbed streaming on their service while the dub is now available on the Roku channel here.
Now, the film has added another location for streaming as the dubbed versions have been added to the free ad-supported Freevee service.
The film saw an early digital release on January 25th, 2022 while the DVD/BD combo edition arrived on February 8th, 2022 and you can check out our review here. The bilingual release will come with a 16-page booklet with the home video side. Ordering direct from Shout! Factory will also get you an exclusive poster.
Sentai Studios handled the dub with Kyle Jones on board as both ADR director and writer for it. That even has some of the cast coming back, which was important to the folks at Eleven Arts to try and do, with:
- Michael Daingerfield as Gintoki Sakata
- Cole Howard as Shinpachi Shimura
- Jocelyne Loewen as Kagura
- Adam Gibbs as Shoyo Yoshida/Utsuro
- Joe Daniels as Kotaro Katsura
- Kyle Colby Jones as Shinsuke Takasugi
- Elissa Cuellar as Tae Shimura
- David Wald as Isao Kondo
- Jeremy Gee as Tatsuma Sakamoto
- Blake Shepard as Toshiro Hijikata
- Clint Bickham as Sogo Okita
- Andrew Love as Taizo Hasegawa
- Luci Christian as Tama
- Cat Thomas as Tamako
- Brittney Karbowski as Kyubei Yagyu
- Stephen Fenley as Hitsugi
- Ty Mahany as Katakuriko Matsudaira
- Carli Mosier as Ayame Sarutobi
- John Gremillion as Umibozu
- Shelley Calene-Black as Otose
- Taylor Fono as Tsukuyo
- Greg Ayres as Kamui
- George Manley as Henpeita Takechi
- Juliet Simmons as Soyo Tokugawa
- James Belcher as Gintoki Sepia
- Carl Masterson as Gintoki Austere
- John Swasey as Abuto
- Luci Christian as Catherine
- Chris Rager as Tendoshu Chief
The series comes from the manga by Hideaki Sorachi and began its animated life back in 2006, first with a 201 episode series and then with a new 64 episode series a couple of years ago. Add in numerous specials and a pair of theatrical movies and there is a lot of material for the property and plenty more to adapt as the manga has been ongoing since 2003. There are currently over seventy published volumes in Japan as well as five light novels.
Plot concept: Everything I’ve wanted to protect is right here with me in spirit.
The countdown to destruction has begun! All will join to reclaim an Edo in grave peril!
The Earth is facing its darkest days, and the members of the Odd Jobs must come together to save it from this otherworldly menace. Old allies Gintoki, Takasugi, and Katsura strive their hardest for their own ideals, but standing in their way is someone with whom they share a sad history: Utsuro, an alternate personality of their former teacher and mentor Shoyo. Having been spawned by Altana, the energy that fuels all planets, this immortal fiend has regenerated multiple times until finally becoming Utsuro, the ultimate enemy… And he intends to take down the entire Earth in order to end his own life.
Gintoki and the others set out to fulfill the wishes of their teacher Shoyo and thwart Utsuro’s plans. Shinpachi, Kagura, the Shinsengumi, members of the Kabuki District, and even former enemies will join their fight. As Utsuro’s power grows, Takasugi fights for his very life. What does Gintoki, battered and bruised, see at the very end?
Will he be able to put an end to all this?!
The very end is in sight! The countdown to destruction has begun! Eleven Arts is honored to announce the NA acquisition of Gintama THE VERY FINAL directed by Chizuru Miyawaki 🌊 pic.twitter.com/vEEbvdBl6A
— ELEVEN ARTS (@ELEVEN_ARTS) June 28, 2021
