I've been watching TV shows, anime and movies for a very long time and i have watched shows like Seinfeld, How i Met your Mother, Friends, Curb your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, Two and a half men, and many more. However, after watching Gintama, i have to say that this show is better than any other comedy show i have ever seen. The jokes are done so brilliantly that it legitimately makes you laugh out loud. Furthermore, every single character has been given a persona which suits their personality so incredibly well. The best part of the show is that each character is treated as they are the main character. If one of them doesn't show up for some time, you'll start to miss them.
This is just the comedy part though, when the show gets serious - boy it gets serious. It's like you're transported into a completely different anime. The action scenes are so fluent and so perfectly crafted that you will be at the edge of your seat the entire time. These action arcs last for about 2 to 5 episodes - they have a beginning, a mid-point, and an end. They aren't dragged like most anime. Each serious or action arc of the show highlights the characters and provide hindsight in their lives, allowing viewers to know them better.
This emotional connection with the characters is what's missing in most action movies, TV shows and anime but in Gintama, it's remarkably well done. Also, there's a balance between comedy and action, so you won't be stuck in one genre the entire time.
I had my reservations about watching Gintama, especially after watching the first few episodes. However, when I got through them, the show started to get a whole lot funnier and better. It seems that writer wasn't too confident in his work in the beginning but when he started to see how well his work can be, he started to take risks and came up with some of the best comedy and action arcs that I've ever seen.
Having watched a ton of TV shows, movies, and anime - I have to say that Gintama is (and probably will be) the best piece of entertainment I've watched in my whole life.
