Gintama 2 is a very entertaining sequel!

 

After thoroughly enjoying the first live-action adaptation of Gintama, I just had to watch the sequel. It was released just a year after its' predecessor which could normally sound the alarm bells, but with this franchise it proved to be of no concern. Yuichi Fukuda once again directed with the majority of the cast reprising their roles from the first movie. 

The major plot of Gintama 2 is an adaptation of the events of the Shinsengumi Crisis arc of the manga. Gintoki and his co-workers get into a situation in which they end up having to work in a cabaret disguised as female hostesses in drag. Whilst they are there, the shogun appears to enjoy the entertainment, guarded by the Shinsengumi. After guarding the entrance to the cabaret, Hiikata wanders off and is suddenly implanted with a personality altering chip which turns him into a useless otaku. When he is accosted by some rough ronin, Kamotarou Itou comes to his aid. Unfortunately, Itou is not what he seems and he schemes to gain control of the Shinsengumi and ultimately, assassinate Isami Kondo. 

Much like with the first movie, Yuichi Fukuda and the team that worked on this one have managed to create a great live-action adaptation which is essentially a love letter to the manga. Fukuda's direction ensured that the quirky, wackiness of the manga was captured superbly on screen, even going so far as to recapture manga scenes panel by panel. From the opening fourth wall breaking jokes, the cast talking over the static shot of Gintoki's house and even the disturbing, yet funny scenes involving the main male characters in drag, you can see the love and passion put into the project. 

There's a lot of static and slow-moving shots used throughout the movie. There's also some rather neat use of various angles, including some neat pans that heighten the tension and emotional weight of certain scenes. I love the over the shoulder shot as the viewer looks over at Gintoki from behind Bansai, it looks cool and dramatic. 

The camera is much more dynamic in the fight scenes as it moves around, following the action in a way that is cool and enhances the violence. There's also some rather neat use of slow-mo shots which is used heavily during Gintoki's fight with Bansai. Once again, fights from the mana and anime are faithfully recreated in live-action and as a result, there's several well crafted visually appealing fight sequences, especially towards the latter stages o the movie. The choreography is for the most point pretty solid, there are a few moments where if one where to analyse it, there would be issues with realism, but in a movie that doesn't always take itself seriously, could be chalked down to the rule of cool. The fight scenes also bring out the best of the editing as it switches back and forth between different fights seamlessly with some expertly done transitions. 

I also have to point out the fact that I love the video game battle style o music used within the fight scenes as it makes them feel much more epic and really drew me in more. In fact, the soundtrack as a whole was pretty fun. One of my favourite moments was the dramatically comedic scene in which Matsudaira is confronted by Bansai and attempts to call for aid from the Shinsengumi. The way in which the soundtrack suddenly quietens down to silence as he stands there expecting help is hilarious! 

Rest in Peace, Haruma Miura. His talent was on full display in this movie and his performance as Kamotarou Itou greatly added to the much more emotional, poignant final hour of the movie. Miura-san was an excellent addition to the cast and he was convincing as one of the major villains, showcasing some excellent range of emotion and also excelling in the fight sequences. The flashbacks to his childhood and upbringing also helped to make him somewhat sympathetic.

Credit also has to go to Yuya Yagira's performance in what was essentially a dual role. He seamlessly switched between the badass and competent Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi and the rather pitiful, anime loving otaku. As much as I didn't care for seeing Hijikata transform into a pathetic being, Yagira nailed it and his re-emergence as his proper self is worth it. 

Shun Oguri is often the heart of any movie or drama he is in. His versatility allows him to be a badass, adding the appropriate gravitas to dramatic moments and also to be hilarious when needed. If he didn't work as Gintoki, then the movies themselves wouldn't work. Thankfully, he excelled in the role and I enjoyed the fourth wall breaking joke about him not winning the award for the first movie.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Gintama 2 and would absolutely recommend it to fans of the anime, manga or even to those who simply watched the first live-action movie. I'd also recommend to those who enjoy a movie that doesn't always take itself seriously and can get quite zany.