List of Gin Tama characters

This is a list of characters from the anime and manga series "Gin Tama".The names are in Western order, in other words given name first and family name last.

Odd Jobs Gin

Odd Jobs Gin, known in the Japanese version as Yorozuya Gin-chan (万事屋銀ちゃん) and the English-language manga as "Odd Jobs Gin," is the name of Gintoki Sakata's business. "Yorozuya" roughly means "house of anything" in Japanese, and as the name implies, such businesses involve performing odd jobs for a fee. Gintoki runs his business from a second-floor apartment, which he rents from Otose. Incidentally, he and Kagura also live there, and Shinpachi occasionally stays at the apartment.

Gintoki Sakata

Gintoki Sakata (name likely based on Kintarō)is a samurai living in an era when samurai are no longer needed. To add to his troubles, oppressive aliens have moved in to invade. Gintoki lives with Kagura and Shinpachi, taking on odd jobs to make the world a better place...and to pay their rent. In the Joi war, he was known as the "White Devil," (Shiroyasha) due to his silver hair and white coat he wore in battle, which, combined with his impressive capabilities as a swordsman, made him famous among his comrades and struck fear into Amanto.

hinpachi Shimura

(志村新八 "Shimura Shinpachi"), Seiyū - "Daisuke Sakaguchi"

Shinpachi Shimura works under Gintoki to learn the ways of the samurai. He used to stay at his family's dōjo. However, it seems more like he's just trying to help Gintoki pay the rent than to learn. Shinpachi is the captain of the "Otsu's Imperial Guard," a pop-singer's fan club, and takes his role seriously. Other members of the fan club treat him with utmost respect, something he doesn't be treated with usually.

Shinpachi meets Gintoki after Shinpachi was tripped by the ambassador of Planet Chatoran. Gintoki beats up the ambassador and his guards, not to stand up for Shinpachi, but to get revenge for his spilled parfait. Gintoki frames Shinpachi for the crime, which somehow led to him saving Shimura Tae (Otae), Shinpachi's sister, from becoming part of a brothel. He cares a lot for her, as seen when he goes to such lengths to rescue her from the Yagyu estate.

Despite his meek appearance, Shinpachi is a more than competent swordsman of his family's Kakidō-Ryu, the type of swordmanship his dojo teaches.

In the character popularity poll, he was in 8th place.

His name is roughly based on Shinsengumi member Nagakura Shinpachi and comedian Ken Shimura.

Shinpachi is 16 years old. His birthday is August 12. His height is 166 centimeters, and he weighs 55 kilograms.

Kagura

(神楽 "Kagura"), Seiyū - "Rie Kugimiya"

Although she appears to be a normal, cute, human girl in Chinese-style clothing, she actually belongs to the "Yato" Clan, one of the strongest and most bloodthirsty of the Amanto races, although Kagura rejects that part of herself. The Yato are said to have "transparent" skin that is highly sensitive to sunlight, so Kagura carries a purple parasol at all times. The parasol is also the Yato clan's weapon of choice; Kagura's is bulletproof and fires bullets from its tip. Because of her Yato blood, she is super-strong and can stop a speeding motorscooter with one hand. Although stronger than most humans, she cannot control her strength perfectly. She appears to be slightly faster than Okita, who regards her as a rival. She detests him, and appeared to be disgusted when she previously mentioned (about Okita), that "he definitely likes me", but as that hasn't been brought up since, it is uncertain on if it should be considered canon, that he apparently likes her.

Her immediate family consists of her father, Umibouzu, a widely recognized alien hunter, her mother, who is deceased, and her older brother Kamui, once presumed missing who is now involved with the space pirates Harusame.

She came to Earth to earn money for her family. She found work fighting for a gang, but when they ordered her to kill her target, she ran away. Not long afterwards, she met Gintoki and Shinpachi when Gintoki accidentally ran her down with his scooter. After they helped her to make a clean break from the gang, she intimidated Gintoki into hiring her. She now lives at the Yorozuya and sleeps in Gintoki's closet, like Doraemon.

According to the OVA, Kagura is the first and only "Weekly Shonen Jump" girl to vomit on-screen [http://www.geocities.com/bannjiya/charactors.htm] . To date, she has induced herself to vomit on several occasions. She also has an uncanny knack for seeming calm or detached during high-tension situations; in episode 5, she slept through a car-chase. Her appetite knows no bounds, and she is especially fond of sukonbu.

In Japanese, Kagura speaks in a stereotypical dialect that is associated with Chinese immigrants. In the English-translated manga, she punctuates her sentences with "yup", "uh-huh", "nope", and the like. It has also been stated that she can't speak very well, and her sentences seem slightly awkward at times.

A Scorpio, her birthday is 3 November. She is 155 cm tall and weighs 40 kg.

In the "Gin Tama" character popularity poll, she came in 7th place.

adaharu

(定春 "Sadaharu"), Seiyū - "Mikako Takahashi"

Sadaharu has the outward appearance of a giant dog, but is actually an inugami. He was originally owned by a pair of miko sisters (Ane and Mone). His inugami powers are awakened if he consumes both strawberries and milk at the same time. He was named by Kagura, after her first pet, a rabbit which she accidentally killed while having a nightmare. When sitting on his haunches, he is taller than most humans. He was left in front of Gintoki's apartment in a box that had "To Mr. Freelancer" written on it. Sadaharu chomps on anything smaller than itself, such as Gintoki's and other people's heads. Kagura seems to be the only one who can control him, for she has immense strength, though he chomps on her occasionally. Though he was dangerous when Gintoki first received him, he has become quite tame in the later episodes. He even obeys Gintoki at certain points, and has helped the main characters in many occasions. After a certain period of time, even Gintoki (who originally did not want Sadaharu around) refused to abandon Sadaharu or give him back to the miko sisters.

Recently, Sadaharu has impressed a yakuza's boss and receives permission to date his dog (whom Sadaharu himself has fallen in love for).

Sadaharu's birthday is February 25. His height is 170 cm, and he weighs 300 kg.

Odd Jobs Gin's relatives

Otae Shimura

(志村妙 "Shimura Tae), Seiyū - "Satsuki Yukino"

Tae Shimura is Shinpachi's older sister, referring to her as "Big Sis"(姉上: ane-ue). She runs the Kakidōkan Dojo, which was her father's failing dojo, with her brother. She is usually addressed as "Otae" (お妙); the "お" (O) is an honorific used to refer to women. Kagura always addresses her as "Big sister" (姉御: ane-go) or "Boss".

Despite her sweet face, she is one of the most violent characters in "Gin Tama" (and arguably strong too). She mercilessly beats up Kondo Isao and Gintoki whenever they anger her; in episode 19, she mercilessly kicks the men out onto the road (namely her brother, Gintoki and Hasegawa) so as to stop a car for a hitch ride. She often displays her trademark sweet-looking smile with her eyes closed before engaging in her violent activities. Her killer intent is so strong that on one occasion, a stare from her brings the entire Shinsengumi on their knees begging for mercy. Her weapon of choice seems to be a "naginata", a Japanese spear.

Her cooking skills are terrible, seeing as her "tamagoyaki" (i.e. sweet fried egg) is so inedible that Kondo suffers amnesia after eating it and others are barely able to swallow it down. When Hasegawa eats it his face turns completely grey. Yamazaki even describes it as "poison" after some of it accidentally gets into his eye. When Kagura tried to hypnotize herself into eating Otae's cooking, Shinpachi objected, saying that Otae's cooking is the reason for his poor eyesight.

She has, so far, been called flat-chested three times in the anime [in episode 3 by an Amanto] ; another in 59 by Gintoki; and the third time by Shinpachi, who thought that Kyube Yagyu wanted to marry her because Kyube took her as a male (that her chest is so flat that she looks like a guy))

She has strong principles and believes in maintaining what is precious, even if it means throwing away honor and dignity. She once says that if apologies were enough, seppuku would not exist. Her favourite food is Häagen-Dazs ice-cream, but it is called Bargain Dash in the manga and anime.

Her birthday is October 31, and she is 18 years old. She is 168 cm, and she weighs 49 kg.

Umibouzu

(星海坊主, "Umibōzu") Seiyū - "Shō Hayami"

Kagura and Kamui's father and one of the last members of the Yato clan. His wife is deceased. Like Kagura, he fights using an umbrella, but is also shown to be strong in his own right. He is one of the few characters able to overpower Kagura. He appears when an alien appears and takes over the Terminal, helping the Yorozuya defeat the creature. It's revealed that he has a cybernetic arm.

After he leaves to travel the galaxy hunting aliens, he's next heard from in the form of a letter. He tells Kagura that Sadaharu is also a monster they should get rid of. He becomes the leader of the "Principality" in the anime, recruited by a Char Aznabledoppelganger. In the manga, he's recruited by a Darth Vader lookalike.

Later in the manga and anime series, he also participated in a hair growing shampoo advertisement which the Yorozuya complained that the advertisement is too long.

Kamui

Kagura's brother. He left his family after challenging his father and managed to cut Umibouzu's left arm. He usually shows a cheerful face, but is in fact a violent fighter who lusts for blood, like the majority of the Yato clan. He is the leader of the space pirates Harusame's 7th squad.

His name is based on Kamui, the divine spirit of Ainu.

Lake Toya

The Spirit of Lake Toya (洞爺湖 Tōya-ko) possesses the sword that Gintoki carries. Appearing in Chapter 150, he attempted to teach the Yorozuya an ultimate technique, the "Jumbolic Magnum," which sends the target flying into the sky with a single punch. A side-effect of the attack forces the victim to shed bodily fluids from his body. Unfortunately, none of the gang ever manage to learn the attack.

The spirit lives with his parents. His mother has an afro hairstyle with a white beard, and his father is constantly looking for a job. His father also has a sure kill technique, called the "Jack Nicolle," in which he shoots a beam from his bald spot. Toya also keeps a pet, and it sheds a large amount of curly hair. It is said that he was a fellow student to Taikobou, the main character of "Hoshin Engi".

Lake Toya enjoys eating fried cuttlefish, as evidenced by the contents of his wastebasket. He claims the contents of his trash, strange smelling hardened tissue paper, are the remnants of the occasional cuttlefish feast, although Gintoki thinks otherwise. The spirit does keep a book collection of female figurines under his bed.

He is a parody of the character Zangetsu from manga Bleach.

Otose Snack House

The store is run by Ms. Otose (Terada Ayano) and is directly below the Yorozuya. Coincidentally, "Yorozuya" can also be loosely translated into "General Store".

Ayano Terada/Ms. Otose

(寺田綾乃/お登勢 "Terada Ayano"/"Otose"), Seiyū - "Kujira"

Gintoki's landlady. He swore to protect her when he ate food offerings to her dead husband. Her real name is Ayano Terada, Ms. Otose (お登勢 "Otose") being a "genji" alias. She was very pretty when she was young and worked at a restaurant. She secretly fed poor children dumplings for free, and was fired. She is a smoker. Despite constant arguments over Gintoki's general inability to pay his rent, she is confident in his defense of her. But in episode 22, she proves to be quite skilled in martial arts (or at least has above average reflexes) by dodging Ayame's flying kick simply by tilting her head to the left and catching a thrown dagger with two fingers (and then pockets it). She is apparently one of the four "emperors" that rule the Kabuki District. She calls Gin, Gintoki, his first name, meaning that they are very close friends.

Otose takes her name from a [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%8A%E7%99%BB%E5%8B%A2 real person] who kept a hotel during the Bakumatsu period, often hiding rebels from the Shinsengumi.

Otose's birthday is July 7.

Catherine

(キャサリン "Kyasarin"), Seiyū - "Yuu Sugimoto"

An amanto who resembles a cat. At first, she seems to be a diligent worker at Otose's snack shop who is trying to support her family, but soon reveals herself to be a thief. Despite this, Otose hired her again after she was released from prison. She used to work as a thief with three others vaguely resembling Arsène Lupin, Goemon Ishikawa, and Daisuke Jigen. She speaks Japanese with an accent, represented by katakana characters in the place of hiragana; she is the only member of her former crew to speak this way.

Catherine's birthday is August 21.

Tama

Seiyū - "Omi Minami"

An android working at Otose snack house. She was first introduced during the Android Arc (episodes 69-71, manga chapters 140-146). Tama has long green hair that is tied in a braid and has a "mole" in the centre of her forehead that is actually the switch to power her on. However due to this "mole"-like switch, she used to be teased and called "Black Mole Beam" by her other robot peers.

She was first found as a disembodied robot head by Gintoki when he was trying to collect his old JUMP issues from the garbage dump in the middle of the night. Gintoki fainted when he saw her, but when he woke up the next morning, he discovered that Kagura had brought the head to their house and was using it as an "egg-cracker". When Shinpachi came, however, he correctly identified her as Etsuko-chan, a popular android model in the market then.

Tama was then named by Kagura, who was obsessed with eating egg on rice at the time. She also seems to have some rather strange main functions, such as imitating the Dragon Quest RPG.

In fact, Tama was originally a robot created by Professor Hayase, to provide his sickly daughter with a companion. Hayase tried to implant the personality of his daughter - Fuyou - into Tama, but the experiment killed his daughter in the process. Tama however, possesses the element known as the "Seed", and therefore retains some of Fuyou's personality and is capable of human emotion.

When Tama was first found, she had lost her memories prior to becoming only a head, and was at that time framed for the murder of Professor Hayase. When she regained her memories later, it was revealed to the Yorozuya members that Hayase had already died when he tried to implant his own personality into another robot, Robot 502.

The android Hayase later began a robot uprising, even hijacking the Terminal, in order to retrieve the Seed and Tama, whom he saw as the copy of Fuyou. The Yorozuya members and Tama soon became embroiled in the fight, and at the end, to allow her newfound friends to escape the collapsing Terminal structures, Tama ultimately sacrificed herself to save her newfound friends.

Nonetheless, her head was preserved by Gintoki, and Shinpachi and Kagura found her data amongst dozens of other robots' data from the ruins of the battlefield. Despite reconstructing her, Tama had already lost most of her memories during the showdown at the Terminal. She however, still remembers one thing: that samurai are in a class "above Hero and Demon King", and are her friends. This had been her earlier conclusion after having been saved by Shinpachi while being chased by killer maid robots.

hinsengumi

The Shinsengumi (真選組) are the police force working for the bakufu, based on the historical counterpart, the Shinsengumi (新選組).

Hierarchy within the Shinsengumi

Commander::Kondo Isao (近藤勲 "Kondō Isao")

Vice-Commander::Hijikata Toshiro (土方十四郎 "Hijikata Toshirō")

Advisor::Ito Kamotaro (伊東鴨太郎 "Itō Kamotarō")

Captains::1st Division: Okita Sogo (沖田総悟 "Okita Sōgo"):2nd Division: Nagakura Shinshichi (永倉新七 "Nagakura Shinshichi):3rd Division: Saito Shu (斉藤終 "Saitō Shū"):4th Division: Sugihara Chuji (杉原忠司 "Sugihara Chūji"):5th Division: Takeda Kannensai (武田観念斎 "Takeda Kannensai"):6th Division: Inoue Genjiro (井上源二郎 "Inoue Genjirō"):7th Division: Oka Sanjuro (丘三十郎 "Oka Sanjūrō"):8th Division: Todo Bokosuke (藤堂凹助 "Tōdō Bokosuke"):9th Division: Niki Jiro (二木二郎 "Niki Jirō"):10th Division: Harada Unosuke (原田右之助)

Spies::1st: Yamazaki Sagaru (山崎退):2nd: Shinohara Shinnoshin (篠原進之進):3rd: Yoshimura Oretaro (吉村折太郎 "Yoshimura Oretarōu")

Isao Kondo

(近藤勲 "Kondō Isao"), Seiyuu - "Susumu Chiba"

The leader of Edo's police organization, the Shinsengumi. He is a bit goofy, but nevertheless good-natured and honorable; the members of the Shinsengumi are loyal to him. He has a crush on Tae Shimura and stalks her, to which Otae responds with merciless beatings. His crush is apparently predicated on the fact that Otae answered yes when he asked if she would accept a man with hairy buttocks (which Kondo has). In the anime he asked her if she would love a man even if he was impotent, to which she replied yes. Some characters in the manga often call him a gorilla and (in the anime) he once referred to himself as "Gorilla Hitman 13" (a play on "Golgo 13") because he had been dumped by Otae] thirteen times in that one year. He cosplayed as a rampant alien's "mother" twice.

Kondo's birthday is September 4th. His height 184 centimeters, and he weighs 80 kilograms. He is said to be barely holding onto his twenties.

His name is based on the historical Kondō Isami.

Toshiro Hijikata

(土方十四郎 "Hijikata Toshirō"), Seiyuu - "Kazuya Nakai"

The vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. Toushirou Hijikata is the famed chain smoking (he has hardly shown up on the screen without a cigarette in his mouth), "demon" vice commander of the Shinsengumi so named by his subordinates, because of his fearsome demeanor and also, possibly, his unsettling tendency to pile mayonnaise on anything and everything he eats. Purportedly the brains behind the force, he takes his work seriously, and is fiercely loyal to his leader, Kondo. Hijikata has a reputation as a fearsome leader, earning the nickname of "demonic vice-commander" (鬼の副長). He is also hot-tempered and often speaks of seppuku. However, despite his cold exterior, he does have a more compassionate side. He also has a tendency to cry after watching movies that aren't particularly emotional, as demonstrated after he admits to crying during "Alien Vs. Yakuza" and breaks down weeping during "My Neighbor Pedoro." He also seems to care for Okita's sister and is willing to sacrifice his life to protect her. These feelings, however, are usually kept bottled up and kept behind a mask of nonchalance, because he believes that with the life of violence that he lives, he will not be able to provide happiness for her.

Hijikata is obsessed with mayonnaise, and thus has the nickname "Mayora" (マヨラー). He was apparently popular with girls until they discovered his obsession. But in fact, as episode 76 shows, the girls at the club where Tae works still find him attractive, and flock towards him upon his arrival. At one point, he referred to himself as the "Warrior of Love Mayora 13" (愛の戦士マヨラ13), when he defended a couple under attack. He is so obsessed with mayonnaise that his cigarette lighter shown in chapter 106 of the manga takes the shape of a mayonnaise bottle.

Hijikata enjoys fighting and sees Gintoki as a rival in practically everything he does from drinking contests to rock, paper, scissors ever since being defeated by the silver haired samurai in battle. He is in constant danger of being killed by the attempts on his life by his second in command, Sougou Okita and always seems to be having the worst day ever. Perpetually. But, despite all this, he sees Okita as one of his close friends, and vice versa.

Hijikata currently carries a sword that is cursed with the spirit of a hikkikomori otaku whom was murdered by his frustrated mother. The sword had caused Hijikata to act like an otaku during the Shinsengumi Discord Arc, and made him behave in strange and cowardly ways. Nonetheless, Hijikata ultimately broke the hold of the curse by his own will when he was protecting Kondo from being assassinated.

In the character popularity poll, he was 3rd place.

His birthday is May 5. This is Children's Day in Japan. He is in his twenties. He is 177 centimeters tall, and he weighs 64 kilograms.

His name is based on the historical Hijikata Toshizō.

ougo Okita

(沖田総悟 "Okita Sōgo"), Seiyuu - "Kenichi Suzumura"

Okita is the best swordsman in the Shinsengumi. Personality-wise, he tends to be light-hearted and somewhat childish, not entirely unlike Kagura, though his speech is heavily deadpan. During a conversation between Kondo and Hijikata, Kondo asking Hijikata to stop Okita before he became Sadist , Hijikata responded: "No, its too late. He's the King from the Planet of Sadists".

Okita outwardly displays annoyance and dislike for Hijikata, and continuously tries to kill (or at least badly wound) Hijikata whenever he has the chance so that he can become the Vice-Commander. He trained under Kondo in the same dojo as Hijikata. His dislike for Hijikata seems to arise from a few reasons - one was that Okita wants a higher position in the Shinsengumi, but it is impossible with Hijikata in the possition above him. Another reason seems to be that Okita viewed Hijikata as a rival for his sister, Mitsuba's attention. He also greatly dislikes the fact that Hijikata treated Mitsuba coldly, although Mitsuba clearly showed signs of liking Hijikata. Nonetheless, it is revealed that Okita still regards Hijikata as one of his three friends (the other two being Kondo and Gintoki) [in episode 87] .

He regards Kagura as a rival after an unfinished rock-paper-scissors duel during a sakura-blossom party, and whenever the two cross paths, sparks fly. Kagura is under the impression that he likes her, uttering at one point, 'oh, he definitely likes me', but as this hasn't been alluded to since, it is unknown if it should be considered canon. He has stated that he'll "be the only one to defeat her", and usually calls her by the nickname China. He enjoys seeing women fight, finding the ugly looks on their faces as they grab each other being hilarious. He wears a distinctive eye mask when taking a nap during duty, which is a frequent occurrence. At one point, he refers to himself as the best sniper in the Shinsengumi. Although he is a master of kenjutsu, he uses a bazooka more often.

In the original Japanese manga he likes to end his sentences in '~desaa' and "~desuzee'.

In Sorachi's original character design, Okita was a female, and wielded an umbrella.

In the character popularity poll, he got 2nd place, only 3 votes higher than Hijikata who got 3rd place.

In volume 12, Okita's age is revealed to be 18. Despite being under Japan's legal drinking age, in Edo, you can drink alcohol from 15.

Okita's birthday is July 8. He is 170 cm, and he weighs 58 kg.

His name is based on the historical Okita Sōji.

agaru Yamazaki

(山崎退 "Yamazaki Sagaru"), Seiyū - "Tetsuharu Ohta"

Yamazaki is a spy, whose specialty is naturally gathering intelligence. Yamazaki is often caught by Hijikata playing badminton by himself, and he is subsequently beaten. He is often seen cosplaying as a badminton-playing version of Echizen Ryoma from The Prince of Tennis. In episode 62 he was caught saying "Mada mada dane", which is Ryoma Echizen's catchphrase.

His role as a ninja is roughly based on Yamazaki Susumu, but is never really exercised besides one unsuccessful attempt to spy on Gintoki. Despite having a rivalry with Shinpachi, they most often see eye-to-eye out of their respective groups.

Despite his lack of screen time, he came in 4th in the "Gin Tama" character popularity poll. But even with his popularity, Sorachi has clearly stated that he will never be on a cover of a Gin Tama volume.

Yamazaki's birthday is February 6. He is 169 cm, and he weighs 58 kg. His age has not yet been revealed.

His name is based on the historical Yamazaki Susumu.

Kamotaro Itou

(伊東鴨太郎 "Itō Kamotarō"), Seiyuu - "Mitsuaki Madono"

Ito is an advisor to the Shinsengumi who is later revealed to be a traitor whose ambitions were used by Takasugi in an attempt to destroy the group from the inside. He considers himself a rival to Hijikata and manages to get him suspended from the Shinsengumi, later attempting to assassinate Kondo. However, his plan is foiled by the members of the Shinsengumi and Yorozuya. After losing his left arm and being defeated by Hijikata, after which he begins to realize how important the bonds he formed in the Shinsengumi were to him and how foolish it was of him to try and betray his dear friends. He is allowed to have one last duel with his old rival and is allowed to die as a friend and a warrior.

Itou is roughly based on Itou Kashitarou of the Shinsengumi.

Katakuriko Matsudaira

Seiyū - "Norio Wakamoto"

The daimyo who acts as the direct superior to the Shinsengumi, though they often regard him as a violent nutcase. He has extremely violent tendencies, often seem wielding a pistol, or occasionally heavier weapons. He also believes that people who wear sunglasses are usually assassins, even though he himself wears them. He believes in other abnormal things such as righteousness is what makes up 80% of old men and the police being not more than a group of mafia community. He is also extremely protective of his daughter, Kuriko, recruiting to Shinsengumi to carry out a hit against his daughter's boyfriend. He is also a party-person and gets lewd when he is drunk.

His name and role are based on the Matsudaira Katamori.

Members of the Joi Faction

The Joi War was a ten-year war of resistance, fought by the Japanese people against the Amanto (alien) invaders, who invaded Japan and eventually coaxed the Tokugawa shogunate into co-operating with them. Gintoki and several of his former allies fought during the tail end of the war, which had ended by the beginning of the series. Yet even during the period of peace, the more persistent members of the Joi faction (攘夷党) have continued to resist the government, by means of terrorism and guerilla warfare. This section describes both former and current members of the Joi faction.

The concept of "Joi" is based on the historical Sonnō jōi political movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate.

Kotaro Katsura

(桂小太郎 "Katsura Kotarō"), Seiyū - "Akira Ishida"

Katsura is Gintoki's former comrade during the Joi war. Even after the Amanto take-over of Japan, Katsura continues to resist the Amanto, and has amassed a band of followers. His weapon of choice is a metallic grenade. He is a wanted man due to his involvement in terrorist activities against the Bakufu, and is constantly on the run from the Shinsengumi. Although his initial methods were originally more violent in nature (for instance, sending a bomb to an Amanto embassy), Katsura has gradually grown to believe that there are people important to him in Edo, and decides that he no longer wants to destroy the country, but believes there should be a way to change it without causing sacrifices.

Before Gintoki left the war, Katsura was gravely injured and was willing to give up, but Gintoki wouldn't allow him to and carried him off the battlefield even though Katsura was near death.

Katsura seems to be highly respected by his followers, and has even been called the "Daybreak of the Joui Faction" by some. When people believed that Katsura had died during the Benizakura arc, even other terrorist groups tried to avenge his death.

Since he is a wanted man, Katsura is often seen wearing disguises, although his identity is often still easily found out. One example of a disguise he seems to be fond of is a pirate's costume, complete with an eyepatch (with a skull design) over his left eye and a scar on his right cheek, and using this he calls himself 'Space Captain Katsura'.

Katsura seems to possess a rather outdated sense of humour [in episode 64, for example.] , and sometimes refers to things from a past era, such as when he tried to buy a Famicon when people were queuing up to buy the OwEe (a parody of the Wii). He also seems to have a tendency to make up dramatic stories, which moves others to tears when they hear these stories (except Gintoki) [in episode 72 and 110] .

Katsura sometimes works odd jobs (e.g. in Episode 88), to raise money for his terrorist activities. He claims that his heart has started to be moved by Ikumatsu in episode 39 (chapter 55 equivalent of the manga), and held his subsequent interview in her ramen restaurant.

In the Japanese version, Gintoki often calls him "Zura." In the first English volume, Gintoki calls him "Casserole," or "Cough syrup." Eventually, the English version changed to Gintoki calling Katsura "Zura." In the Japanese version, Katsura indignantly replies "Not" 'Zura'! It's Katsura!" (and will do so anytime he is called something other than his name). In the English version he replies ""Not" Casserole! It's Katsura!" The Japanese version joke is a pun, since "Katsura" can mean wig in Japanese and "Zura" is slang for the same thing. The English version is also a wordplay since "Katsura" and "Casserole" sound somewhat similar in pronunciation. He has the uncanny ability to know when someone has called him something other than Katsura, even in their head. An example being in Episode 25 as a guest to Gintoki's hotpot dinner.

Katsura's birthday is June 26, making him a few months older than Gintoki, and in his twenties. His height is 175 centimeters, and he weighs 56 kilograms.

His name is based on the historical Katsura Kogoro.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth resembles a giant white duck or a giant penguin and is Katsura's companion. Elizabeth was a present from Tatsuma Sakamoto, who presumably picked it up on his travels around space. Although many people consider Elizabeth to be insane and extraneous, Katsura has named the ambiguous avian "Elizabeth" and dotes on it. While it appears to be just one being, Shinpachi purchased a doll named Space Alien Stefan (宇宙怪獣ステファン) to which looks perfectly similar to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is something of a painter, and is surprisingly dexterous. Also, Elizabeth resorts to using signboards to "communicate", as well as an occasional means of attack (somewhat similar to Genma Saotome from Ranma 1/2 when he becomes a panda.) Elizabeth is also a skilled fighter, able to use signboards to fight off swordsmen.

Although the true identity of Elizabeth is uncertain, it appears to be a man wearing a duck costume. In its first appearance, hairy legs are seen underneath her sheet and the body of a humanoid with glowing eyes is revealed as her mouth is opened just as it fell during another battle between Gintoki and Katsura. Although Katsura seems shocked at what she really is, she has subsequently remained by his side. Episode 50 implies that the person inside Elizabeth is most likely the director (Gintoki was interrupted before he can finish being cut off at "Kanto-" ("Direc-"). Most of the characters seem to ignore this, or at least do not give it much thought, given at the episode was completely filler. Moreover, the next time the inside of Elizabeth is shown, it reverts to the glowing eyes.

When Shinpachi boards Takasugi's ship in order to rescue Kagura, a bazooka is seen coming out of Elizabeth's mouth when she blasts the ship to distract everyone from Shinpachi. Because of this, Shinpachi refers to her as Elizabeth-senpai.

Elizabeth's birthday is September 7. "Her" height is 180 centimeters, and "she" weighs 123 kilograms.

Tatsuma Sakamoto

(坂本辰馬 "Sakamoto Tatsuma"), Seiyū - "Shinichiro Miki"

Sakamoto is a former member of the "Joi". He is a good-natured man and optimistic to the point of being ridiculous, even in the most dangerous situations. His favorite phrase is "AHAHA! It must be _____". He also has a tendency to misspell names; he calls Gintoki "Kintoki". Gintoki often corrects him, citing that if he were named Kintoki, they would be in some kind of hentai anime (because 'Kin' from 'Kintoki' instead of 'Gin' would make the title 'Kintama', which means 'testicles' instead of 'Gin Tama', which means 'silver soul').

Despite his goofy nature, Sakamoto is actually a successful businessman in the galaxy. He believes that business is a way of protecting his country. He has a private, well-equipped defensive business fleet. He believes that sacrifices should be made for the good of the community, which is why he chose to abandon his comrades on Earth to travel into space. Sakamoto is shown to be skilled with a pistol in an anime filler episode.His name is based on the historical character Sakamoto Ryoma.

Sakamoto speaks in Tosa-ben, much like the inspiration for his character, Sakamoto Ryōma.

Sakamoto's birthday is November 15, and he is in his twenties. He is 181 centimeters, and he weighs 70 kilograms.

Mutsu

(陸奥 "Mutsu), Seiyū - "Akeno Watanabe"

Mutsu is Sakamoto's first mate on his business fleet. She has a no-nonsense attitude, and appears to be the person actually running Sakamoto's business, since he is prone to seasickness, and in any case, he is often off gadding somewhere. While Mutsu disapproves of Sakamoto's frequent misadventures, she always helps him out of trouble.

Her name is based on Mutsu Munemitsu.

The Kiheitai

hinsuke Takasugi

(高杉晋助 "Takasugi Shinsuke"), Seiyū - "Takehito Koyasu"

A former comrade of Gintoki and Katsura, and a major antagonist. He now leads a radical "Joui" faction called the Kiheitai and is known amongst the Shinsengumi as 'the most dangerous man in both the Joui faction and amongst the radicals'. He is easily recognisable through his bandaged left eye, his colorful yukata, his eerie smile, and the pipe he is often seen smoking.

He, Gintoki, and Katsura studied in the same temple elementary school when they were children, and he fought with them against the Amanto invasion during the latter part of the Joui war. After the war ended, he vanished, and has since gained a dangerous reputation due to his assassination of many of the Bakufu's main officers and his planning of a large-scale coup d'etat. Before his first appearance in both the anime and the manga, he was mentioned to have fled Edo and to have been hiding in Kyoto, although it is unclear how long before this was.

Unlike Katsura, he does not seem to be interested in saving the country: rather, he now believes that the only way to save it is to destroy the "rotten" post-Joui war world. He is particularly resentful about this, as he claims that it has stolen their teacher- Shouyou Yoshida, who instructed him, Katsura, and Gintoki on the ways of the samurai- away from them. Although he listened to Katsura's attempts to change his mind, his antagonism with them drove him to make dealings with the space pirates "Harusame" in order to drive them off, offering Gintoki and Katsura's heads as the ticket to join. The Harusame gladly accepted, as they were resentful of Gintoki and Katsura for an earlier defeat. Takasugi later attempted to start chaos in the Shinsengumi by planting a traitor, Kamotarou Itou, in their ranks.

Takasugi mainly appears in the long parts of the story, and is described as a character who 'possesses a serious atmosphere'. Although there has been little shown of his personality, he genuinely appears to hate the society that they currently live in and seems intent on changing it, even if it means completely destroying Edo on the process. The author (Hideaki Sorachi) himself mentioned in the character formula book that he 'hates change', which provides another reason for his hatred of the changes that the Amanto brought about. He is shown to like festivals, although this is mainly due to the opportunity they provide for a large-scale terrorist attack: he appears to have an attraction to ruin that is almost nihilistic. He also appears to have considerable insight due to his 'seeing through Itou's heart' and subsequently planting him in the Shinsengumi's ranks.

It can be assumed that he is as skilled a swordsman as both Gintoki and Katsura, having fought alongside them as one of the 'heroes' of the Joui war. That aside, he appears to have at least considerable skill in playing the shamisen, and is shown at one point playing it with Bansai as they talk.

In a recent character popularity poll, he scored 4th place despite his limited appearance in the manga and anime so far.

Takasugi's birthday is August 10, and he is in his twenties (like Gintoki, Katsura and Sakamoto). He is 170 cm, and he weighs 60 kg.

He is based on the historical Takasugi Shinsaku.

Bansai Kawakami

(河上万斉 "Kawakami Bansai"), Seiyuu - "Takumi Yamazaki"

Bansai is described as an assassin and is one of the strongest swordsmen of the Kiheitai; he could also be considered 'right-hand man' to Takasugi. Bansai is always seen wearing a pair of sunglasses and large headphones decorated with a yin-yang pattern. Bansai carries a shamisen and is skilled at playing it; it also doubles as a tool for tying others up or as a weapon similar to a garrote, and he carries his hidden katana inside it. Although Bansai worked with Takasugi during the Benizakura incident, he is more well known as the Kiheitai representative during their manipulation of the Shinsengumi through advisor Itou.

On top of being famous as a skilled swordsman, Bansai is also a talented songwriter. He works as a music producer under the name "Tsunpo", and Otsu's newer songs are written by him. Bansai's background remains unknown; however, it is known that he fights alongside Takasugi in order to destroy the "rotten" world which resulted from the loss against the alien Amanto after the Joui conflict.

Overall, Bansai is shown to have an extremely calm demeanor, although he is capable of violence when necessary and appears to take an interest in potential challenges to his skill. He has a strong sense of duty, and as such accomplishes the orders given to him by Takasugi- however, he is shown to interpret and carry them out based on his own values. He admires strength and spirit in others, and it was on this basis that he spared Yamazaki's life when Itou left him to finish him off.

Bansai is very invested in his musical hobby: he frequently plays his shamisen, and refers to others by 'the sound of their soul'. He refers to Gintoki as 'drunken humming' and Hijikata, when under the curse of his sword and acting as an anime otaku, as a children's anime theme song. When Hijikata was about to fight Itou, Bansai referred to the change as rock 'n roll.

He speaks in the Japanese humble manner by using "de gozaru" at the end of the sentences and referring to himself as "sessha," a notably antiquated way of speaking. Despite this, he seems to use modern language when in his "Tsunpo" role. Although Matako and Takeichi (two other central members of the Kiheitai) refer to Takasugi as "Shinsuke-sama", he is the only one seen who has referred to him as "Shinsuke".

Bansai's name is roughly based on that of a hitokiri of the Bakumatsu era, Kawakami Gensai, while his stage name is based on the musician and record producer Tsunku.

Bansai's birthday is May 20th. He is 179cm, and he weighs 67kg.

Nizo Okada

(岡田似蔵 "Okada Nizō"), Seiyuu - "Yutaka Aoyama"

A blind hitokiri working for Takasugi. He seeks to destroy everything in the world, similar to Takasugi. His level of swordsmanship is such that he can slash an opponent without the latter seeing him unsheathing his sword. However, Nizou's sword was broken by Gintoki during their initial encounter. Nizou later returns and severely injures Katsura and Gintoki using a demonic sword, 'Benizakura' (紅桜, "lit. red cherry blossom") which transmogrifies his arm and fuses the blade with it. The Benizakura acts like a parasite, slowly taking over Okada's body, which causes him to eventually become nothing more than a crazed monster. Due to the sword, his body has undergone several modifications. He later reveals that his entire upper torso has similar cybernetic modifications. He is eventually defeated by Gintoki. Though his fate is unknown, he is assumed deceased due to the effects of the Benizakura.

His name is roughly based on one of the hitokiri of the Bakumatsu era, Okada Izō.

Matako Kijima

(来島また子 "Kijima Matako"), Seiyū - "Risa Hayamizu"

Matako is the only female member of the Kiheitai and is skilled in using a pair of pistols. She is fiercely loyal to Takasugi, and appears to have a crush on him. She also gets angry and tells off Nizou after he goes on a rampage throughout Edo, trying to kill Takasugi's old comrades.

She is quick-tempered and prone to screeching when she's upset. This is evident when she has a "spitting fight" with Kagura after she spat at her and when she starts yelling at Kagura after her underwear is said to be stained. She shoots Kagura through the shoulder when Kagura breaks onto the ship. She interacts the most with Takechi, calling him 'senpai' and also calling him a 'pervert' and a 'lolicon' for sparing Kagura instead of killing her.

At the end of the Benizakura arc, she is wounded by Okada after he loses control, and that is her last appearance.

Her name is roughly based on a samurai of the Bakumatsu era, Kijima Matabei.

Henpeita Takechi

(武市変平太 "Takechi Henpeita"), Seiyuu - "Chafūrin"

Takechi serves as the strategist of the Kiheitai, does not participate in much physical fighting. He is a self-proclaimed feminist, which he claims is the reason for his gentle treatment of women and children. Matako instead believes that he has a Lolita complex (and as such is a 'lolicon'). Takechi once commented that Kagura would be in her prime in a few years. He prevented Matako from killing Kagura, citing that her fighting ability would be incredible in a few years. He is heavily wounded by a crazed Okada, his fate after which is unknown.

Yagyu Family

Kyubei Yagyu

(柳生九兵衛 "Yagyū Kyūbei"), Seiyū - "Fumiko Orikasa"

Kyubei is an aristocratic young lady who was brought up as a male in order to succeed her family's clan. She dresses and behaves like a boy due to her upbringing, but occasionally shows her more feminine side. She was close friends with Otae when they were children (and is in fact in love with her), and lost her left eye protecting her when they were young. As a result of this incident, Kyubei now wears an eye-patch across her left eye. The incident also left her with the determination to make herself stronger, and for many years she was training hard to improve her skills. When she returned shortly before her appearance in chapter 110, she has already mastered the Yagyu-Ryu sword technique. Her strength is just below her grandfather's.

Her name is roughly based on one of the famous Japanese swordsman, Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi.

Koshinori Yagyu

(柳生輿矩"Yagyū Koshinori"), Seiyū - "Takaya Kuroda"

Koshinori is Kyube's father.

Binbokusai Yagyu

(柳生敏木斎"Yagyū Binbokusai"), Seiyū - "Naoki Tatsuta"

Binbokusai is Kyube's grandfather.

Ayumu Tojo

(東城歩 "Tōjō Ayumu"), Seiyū - "Koji Yusa"

Tojo is Kyube's servant, who is extremely dedicated, if not obsessive, in his concern for his young master. He generally speaks in a very polite (original Japanese dub) manner, using "-masu" and "-desu" instead of the short dictionary forms usually employed in a normal male-speech. He addresses Kyube as "waka", which means young master, and has for years kept a diary recording Kyube's activities. Kyube is usually indifferent to Tojo's excessive attention, although she did kick him when he commented that gothic lolita clothes would suit her. Tojo's eyes are normally closed unless he is surprised or under emotional distress. If his eyes do open, the whites of his eyes are actually black, and his pupils either glow with an unearthly green, blue or red. He has an obsession with beating a raw, unbroken egg yolk on his rice for meals (as shown when the egg yolk broke, and him going into a berserk rage quite uncharacteristic with his usual demeanor).

His name is based on "Aya Tojo" of the manga "Strawberry 100%".

ui Minamito

(南戸粋 "Minamito Sui"), Seiyū - "Hikaru Midorikawa"

Minamito is one of Yagyu 4 Ten'ou. He was very weak and vain, being easily beaten by Okita. However, Nishino threw Kagura into Okita before Minamito's plate could be smashed. He later woke up from his beating and asked Tojo to allow him to redeem himself by finding and defeating the other members of Shinpachi's team. Tojo replied by smashing minamito's plate and noting that Minamito was a disgrace to the Yagyuu clan.

His name is based on "Yui Minamito" of the manga "Strawberry 100%".

Tsukamu Nishino

(西野掴 "Nishino Tsukamu"), Seiyū - "Yoshinori Sonobe"

His name is based on "Tsukasa Nishino" of the manga "Strawberry 100%". He is a giant of a man who is not very bright. During his fight with Okita and Kagura he manages to break Kagura's wrist, causing Okita to try and "fix" it for her, cracking Kagura's wrist in the opposite direction. Kagura, in anger, breaks Okita's shin, causing the two to be at an disadvantage against Nishino. Ninshino chases the the two into one of the rooms, where Kagura and Okita, while hiding, decides to use teamwork against Nishino. As a result, Kagura emerges carrying Okita on her shoulders. After using his sword to strike Okita several times due to Okita's inability to properly dodge while on Kagura's shoulders, Nishino raises his sword to strike Okita's plate but gets it stuck in the roof. Kagura later smashes Okita's forehead into Nishino's plate, breaking it and disqualifying Nishino as well as fully breaking Okita's shin in the opposite direction, due to swinging him by his broken leg.

Itsuki Kitaooji

(北大路斎 "Kitaōji Itsuki"), Seiyū - "Kenji Hamada"

He has an obsession (that matches Hijikata's obsession for mayonnaise) for putting ketchup onto basically everything he eats, even on top of tomatoes. He claims that he used to hate ketchup so much that it made him puke, but as a form of training, he has forced himself to putting ketchup onto everything he eats to the point that he has fallen in love for it.

His name is based on "Satsuki Kitaooji" of the manga "Strawberry 100%".

Otaki

(お滝), Seiyū - "Seiko Tomoe"

Kabuki District's Residents

Kabuki-chou (Kabuki Town) is the place where the Yorozuya and Otose Snack House is set up at. It is unofficially under the jurisdiction of Kabuki-chou's elite four members, the Four Generals.

Kishin Mademoiselle Saigou

Seiyū - "Hisao Egawa"

One of Kabuki Town's Four Generals. His real name is Saigou Tokumori. Originally a member of the Joi resistance, Saigou left a legacy etched in history as he was able to single-handedly take down an Amanto warship during the Joi War. As he only wore a white fundoshi when he battled on the warship, he also became known as "Shiro-fun no Saigou" (White Sumo Thong Saigou).

Saigou has a son, called Teruhiko. He also currently owns an okama bar, and is the "mama" of the place. As his wife died when Teruhiko was still young, he decided to take up both the roles of father and mother to Teruhiko, and his outlook on gender therefore became blurred. However Saigou has no regrets about what he has become, as it was for his son's sake, and has said he would continue to live as he is.

Saigou is also against anyone who makes fun of okamas. In episode 24, both Gintoki and Katsura were dragged to his okama bar to work as they insulted him as a "freak". After knowing Saigou's true identity however, Katsura regards him as the Joi faction's dai-senpai.

He is based on the historical character, Saigo Takamori.

Kujyaku-hime Kada

Seiyū - "Miki Itou"

One of Kabuki Town's Four Generals. She is the owner of the casino in Kabuki Town. She possesses long blue hair and pointed ears, and often holds a fan made of peacock feathers, presumably symbolising her nickname, "Kujyaku-hime", which means Peacock Princess.

Taizo Hasegawa

(長谷川泰三 "Hasegawa Taizō"), Seiyū - "Fumihiko Tachiki"

Hasegawa used to be an official working for the Bakufu, but after an unfortunate incident with Amanto dignitary Prince Hata, whom he was assigned to serve and protect, his superior asked him to succumb to his shame and commit "seppuku", hearing which he ran away from his quarters. He initially believed that humans should focus on appeasing the Amanto, but after his encounter with Gintoki, his mindset changed, which led to him punching Hata out, thus getting fired. Since then, he has been living a life of somewhat like a loser, getting fired almost every time he gets a new job, mostly due to the unfavourable look his sunglasses and goatee give him. No matter what, he refuses to remove his sunglasses because it's the only thing he had left to remind him of his successful past. Although he does exchange the sunglasses for a decent pair of half-moon spectacles at one point, he goes back to wearing them after he decides that he is going to live out his life in the best way he can. He is constantly seen working various part-time jobs.

He is often referred to as "Madao" (マダオ), which stands for "totally useless middle-aged man" (まるでダメなオッさん; "marude dame na ossan") in Japanese. He and Gintoki are on good terms with one another and seem to spend most of their free time gambling. He often plays pachinko, but rarely ever wins. After losing his job with the Bakufu, he is seen doing odd jobs from time to time, like running a supermarket for a friend or driving a taxi at one time.

His wife Hatsu left him after she found out that he had been sacked from his previous post and now had no means of earning his paycheck. He does, however, send her an anniversary cake - which is promptly smashed on her face during a high-speed delivery.

It is revealed in episode 52 that he is 38 years old after he pees his pants. It is possible that he is modeled after Gendo Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion as they look alike and their voice actor is the same. Hasegawa has struck Gendo's famous pose in episode 43.

Miscellaneous

Ayame "Sa-chan" Sarutobi

(猿飛あやめ "Sarutobi Ayame"), Seiyū - "Yū Kobayashi "

A "kunoichi" (female ninja) nicknamed Sa-chan, supposedly from the Oniwabanshū. She is severely short-sighted and often loses her glasses to hilarious––or disastrous––effect. She met Gintoki when she fell through his roof. When she tried to convince him that he had inappropriate relations with her, he briefly played along despite knowing that she was lying to get his help. Ever since that incident, she has become infatuated with him, much to his exasperation. Her feelings for him seem to be encouraged, as she enjoys being put down and threatened by him, due to her extreme masochism. Her attacks are mostly based on natto and bondage. She cannot stand Zenzo Hattori, her former Oniwaban comrade, and has "attacked" him at his "weak point" (his hemorrhoids) by shoving in an enormous syringe, wooden barbecue stick and a candle.

Her name is based on the ninja Sarutobi Sasuke.

Her birthday is June 2. She is 169 cm, and she weighs 52 kg.

Tsu Terakado

(寺門通 "Terakado Tsū"), Seiyū - "Mikako Takahashi"

An idol pop singer whose song lyrics are often very dirty or controversial. She started her career singing on the sides of streets. This was when Shinpachi met her and has followed her ever since, being captain of her fan club. Her talent was recognized by Bansai Kawakami (under his producer alias "Tsunpo"), and she has since gained popularity. Her mother manages her, and her father is currently serving time in prison. When she was younger, her father made a bet with her, saying that if she became famous, he would bring a number of roses to her first concert. He broke out of prison specially for the occasion, and although he couldn't give her the roses, he gave her a single flower. He donned a paper bag over his head, so he wouldn't trouble her with his presence, yet she knew it was him, and thanked him with tears in her eyes.

She had previously dated a man named Goemon, who worked in the entertainment industry alongside her. Tsu admired him greatly, as "he was the only person who was nice to her", but it was revealed that Goemon truly thought nothing of her, and even went as far as to send her threatening anonymous letters advising her to finish with him.

She became part of the Shinsengumi for a day, to raise morale.

She is often referred to as "Otsu" due to her habit of making words using the last letter of previous words(Terakad-O-Tsuu.)

Prince Hata

(ハタ皇子 "Hata-ouji"), Seiyū - "Kōichi Sakaguchi"

Prince Hata is a Squat-like, purple alien prince who is fond of animals. His fondness is not reciprocated, and one of his "pets" had even bitten his antenna off (it grew back later). He has an eccentric habit of collecting rare pets, but as he is incompetent in managing them, they often cause havoc in Edo. The Prince is often known as "Baka Ōji" (Stupid Prince) due to his simple-mindedness and lack of responsibility with his animal collection. He is a recurring character in the series. In the anime his appearance is usually followed by a Swiss-inspired theme song.

Zenzo Hattori

(服部全蔵 "Hattori Zenzō"), Seiyū - "Keiji Fujiwara"

A highly skilled ninja who sports a light-brown/dark-blonde mop top and a goatee. Initially introduced as a cloaked ninja assisting in the fraudulent "Dreamcatcher" scheme, his first notable appearance was when he and Gintoki attempt to fight to the death over the last remaining issue of a Christmas Double Issue AKAMARU Jump. Like Sa-chan, he too was originally a member of the Oniwabanshū. He is the first ninja in the series to apparently equal obsessive devotion to Jump. He apparently suffers from piles. He commands a freelance ninja team known as the "Shinobi 5." His father is said to be the strongest man in the Oniwabanshū, and an instructor to many of his peers, including Ayame "Sa-chan" Sarutobi">Ayame Sarutobi.

His name is based on a famous ninja from Iga, Hattori Hanzō.

His birthday is August 22. He is 175 cm, and he weighs 59 kg.

Mitsuba Okita

(沖田ミツバ "Okita Mitsuba"), Seiyū - "Sumi Shimamoto"

Mitsuba is Sougo's older sister, and took care of him since their parents passed away when they were children. Sougo cares deeply for Mitsuba, and is uncharacteristically polite and docile when around her. She is acquainted with the rest of the Shinsengumi, and regularly brings them extra-spicy senbei, which she herself enjoys. She suffers from tuberculosis, and often requires medical treatment, which Sougo used to send money for. She has romantic feelings for Hijikata. Although it is revealed that Hijikata does in fact love her, he feels that he is unable to give her happiness, that is why he treats her coldly. She dies in chapter 132 of the manga (Episode 87 for the anime) after a brief conversation with her brother.

She is roughly based on Okita Mitsu, sister of Okita Sōji.

Historically though, it was Okita Sōji who suffered from tuberculosis.

Ikumatsu

(幾松 "Ikumatsu"), Seiyū - "Mayumi Asano"

Owner of a ramen restaurant. She had a deep grudge against Joi participants, as her husband was killed by terrorism. Katsura worked at her restaurant when he was injured and hiding from the Shinsengumi. He repaid her favour by helping her during a crisis. Although she now knows his identity as a Joi participant, they are on friendly terms. Katsura's subsequent television interview was carried out at her restaurant. She also has a quite friendly relationship with Gintoki, as he's mentioned to frequently visit her store.

She has the same name as the wife of the historical Katsura Kogorō.

Gengai Hiraga

The Kabuki District's greatest mechanic. He wears a welding mask that covers his eyes, he has no hair and is recognized by a grey beard. His son's death left him with a deep emotional scar, and Takasugi took advantage of that and used him. He makes ugly and crude machines, and has a bad habit of telling important parts-of-a-messages later, which usually gets Gintoki mutilated. Now he is seen making machines and fixing Gintoki's bike.

His name is based on Hiraga Gennai.

Musashi

A homeless man who wears large glasses and an orange cap without pants. He seems to have many talents, including badminton. He's very similar to Hasegawa in that they are both often seen doing various oddjobs. Musashi has the eyes of a Samurai. Despite looking completely different otherwise, he is sometimes mistaken for Gintoki due to their similar hairstyles. In the credits, he's usually listed as "Musashi-like person."

References