What is the best order to watch Gintama?

The recommended order is: 1. Gintama, 2. Gintama Season 2, 3. Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya, 4. Gintama: Jump Festa 2005 Special, 5. 3-nen Z-gumi Ginpachi-sensei Announcement Special, plus 4 more entries. This follows release order, which works best for most viewers.

Can I skip the Gintama movies and OVAs?

There are 1 movie and 2 OVA/specials in the franchise. Some are recap compilations you can safely skip, while others add canon story content. When in doubt, watch them in the order listed — you won't regret having the full picture.

Should I watch Gintama in release order or chronological order?

For a first watch, release order is almost always the better choice. The creators designed reveals and character introductions around the release schedule. Chronological order is better suited for a rewatch once you know the full story.

Quick Answer

Gintama(TV · 201 eps)
Gintama Season 2(TV · 51 eps)
Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya(Movie · 1 eps)
Gintama: Jump Festa 2005 Special(Special · 1 eps)
3-nen Z-gumi Ginpachi-sensei Announcement Special(Special · 1 eps)
Gintama x Mameshiba(CM · 6 eps)
Gintama x KFC(CM · 1 eps)
...and 2 more below

Total: ~264 episodes / 106h watch time

Gintama Watch Order(2026)

Q: How long does it take to watch all of Gintama?

The entire Gintama franchise is 264 episodes across 9 entries — roughly 106 hours of watch time.

Gintama's watch order is straightforward once you see it laid out. 2 main series, 1 movie, and 2 OVA/specials — all in the right sequence.

9 entries ~106h total2 series1 movie2 OVA/specials

Full Watch Order (Release Order)

Gintama(you are here)

8.93TV201 eps~80h2006Sunrise

Finished Airing

Gintama Season 2

9.02TV51 eps~20h2011Sunrise

Finished Airing

Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya

8.89Movie1 eps~24minSunrise

Finished Airing

Gintama: Jump Festa 2005 Special

8.07Special1 eps~24minSunrise

Finished Airing

3-nen Z-gumi Ginpachi-sensei Announcement Special

7.24Special1 eps~24minBandai Namco Pictures

Finished Airing

Gintama x Mameshiba

6.70CM6 eps~2h

Finished Airing

Gintama x KFC

6.87CM1 eps~24minBandai Namco Pictures

Finished Airing

Gintama x Meta Quest 3 Collaboration CM

5.58CM1 eps~24minBandai Namco Pictures

Finished Airing

Mahjong Soul x Gintama Collab

6.71PV1 eps~24minBandai Namco Pictures

Finished Airing

Tips for First-Timers

What you can skip

A handful of recap episodes and comedy OVAs — all main TV seasons and both main movies are worth watching

Common mistake

Treating it as pure gag anime and dropping it before the major serious arcs kick in

Short on time?

Watch the first TV run through Benizakura, then Be Forever Yorozuya and the Silver Soul + The Final combo

Start Watching Gintama

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best order to watch Gintama?

Release order. Start with Gintama and go down the list. This is how the creators intended the story to unfold — later entries build on what came before, and watching out of order can spoil key reveals.

How long does it take to watch all of Gintama?

About 106 hours total across 264 episodes and 9 entries. At 3-4 episodes per day, that's roughly 76 days.

Can I skip the movies and OVAs?

It depends. Recap movies are always safe to skip — they just compress the TV episodes. Original movies and OVAs range from "fun side stories" to "actually important for the plot." When you're unsure, just watch them where they fall in the list above. Better to have extra context than miss something.

Release order or chronological order?

Go with release order for your first time through. Chronological can be tempting, but shows are written with release order in mind — reveals hit harder and character arcs make more sense. Save chronological for a rewatch if you want a different perspective.