Gintoki and the Silver Soul

Gintama has many mentions of the "undying soul", whether it is for comedic purposes or in a serious manner, but the existence of the soul is one of the most common topics in religious philosophy. How do they relate?

PSA: This is my favorite anime ever, so I'm excited to be writing about for this post.

Gintama's mention of the soul is so frequent to the point where it just cannot be ignored. With remarks that claim the soul does exist, I will be taking a deeper dive into the philosophy of the silver soul. That being said, this is the question for today's blog:

What is the relevance of the soul's existence in Gintama?

Gintama is really a show that has its basis on the unwavering soul. Whether it is for jokes or in a more serious context (more the latter half of the anime), the soul and its symbolism for a everlasting spirit is what keeps Gintoki (the main character) going through some very tough times in his life.

The soul and philosophy

The topic of the soul is something that has been constantly been of debate in the philosophical community. I will not be going really into the whole evolution controversy as much, but it is still important to mention that there is still some issue as to who exactly has the right to preach the issue of the soul. However, relating it to more of a philosophical sense, the idea that something that acts as a "soul" exists has been a topic of debate for many years, and possible reasoning always concerns proof of one other thing first. This has led some to believe that the soul in fact does not exist, which is also a fair argument in its own right; it acts as the "see it to believe it" argument to the existence of the soul.

Gintama and how the soul impacts the anime

The belief in the soul in Gintama is evident of the strong and unwavering ideals that one has, as well as serving as a sign to never give up. The soul represents a sort of eternity, that as long as the soul exists, there is no reason to give up. Gintoki uses this philosophy as the basis for a lot of his serious and possibly life-changing decisions, essentially stating an immense belief in himself and the goals he has in his life.

To conclude

Gintama's focus on the soul and its effects shows its side of a very complex philosophical argument that can be taken from a variety of angles. The focus on the soul is deservedly so, as the name "Gintama" can be literally translated into "silver soul", representing the matured yet spirited ideals of Gintoki. All in all, this anime does an excellent job of portraying its representation of such an inspiring philosophical topic.