Sorachi Says He Expected Gintama Anime To Flop
The creator's account of expecting failure and staying out of the way reframes the anime's scale as something that arrived without his confidence, which is a rare admission at a franchise anniversary event.
Reporting from 1 source: Animehunch.
Hideaki Sorachi said at a Tokyo stage greeting for Gintama The Movie - Yoshiwara In Flames on Sept. 26, 2026 that he expected the anime to flop and counted only on manga royalties. He said he was happy that people wanted to make it with him, which is why he did not interfere much. First editor Kohei Onishi recalled doubting the manga was popular enough for an adaptation.
Sorachi's remarks came during a stage greeting in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2026, tied to the franchise's 20th anniversary and its latest theatrical project, Gintama The Movie - Yoshiwara In Flames, a remake of the Yoshiwara arc.
He said he thought Gintama's style and humor would be hard to recreate in animation, and that he was unsure viewers would understand it even if the production worked. He described his own contribution as minimal, saying he never imagined the anime would raise his manga royalties as much as it did. Kohei Onishi, the first editor on the series, recalled the two of them doubting an adaptation would ever happen.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.