"Shin-Gekijōban Gintama: Yoshiwara Daienjō" Now in Theaters! Opening Day Stage Greeting Report featuring Tomokazu Sugita, Daisuke Sakaguchi, and Rie Kugimiya.

The new movie Gintama: Yoshiwara in Flames premiered today, Friday, February 13th, marked by an opening day stage greeting. The event featured Tomokazu Sugita (voice of Gintoki Sakata), Daisuke Sakaguchi (voice of Shinpachi Shimura), and Rie Kugimiya (voice of Kagura). Joining them were director Naoya Ando, who took the helm for this film, and the four members of SUPER BEAVER, the band behind the theme song "Sanzen."

Gintama is a massively popular manga series created by Hideaki Sorachi, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from December 2004 to June 2019. The series has reached a staggering cumulative circulation of over 73 million copies worldwide (including digital editions).

The story is set in a fictional Edo period ruled by extraterrestrial invaders known as "Amanto." It follows the adventures of Gintoki Sakata—a reckless samurai with a massive sweet tooth—alongside his companions Shinpachi and Kagura. As they run the "Yorozuya" (Odd Jobs) business, they take on various cases brought to their doorstep. The series has captivated audiences as a thrilling entertainment masterpiece, packed with side-splitting comedy, intense action, and heartfelt moments of human emotion and bonds.

Since its first TV anime adaptation in 2006, the series aired a total of 367 episodes over 13 years, navigating several hiatuses along the way. Its massive media mix spans animated feature films, live-action movies, and streaming dramas. In October 2025, the TV anime adaptation of the spin-off novel Gintama: 3-Nen Z-Gumi Gin-pachi Sensei (Original Story: Hideaki Sorachi / Author: Tomohito Osaki) aired to critical acclaim, becoming a major talking point. Furthermore, on Friday, February 13th, 2026, the brand-new film Shin-Gekijōban Gintama: Yoshiwara Daienjō premiered, bringing the masterpiece "Yoshiwara in Flames Arc" to the big screen as a completely new production.

On Friday, February 13th, an opening day stage greeting was held to celebrate the release of Shin-Gekijōban Gintama: Yoshiwara Daienjō. Amidst thunderous applause, the cast members—including Tomokazu Sugita (Gintoki Sakata), Daisuke Sakaguchi (Shinpachi Shimura), and Rie Kugimiya (Kagura)—stepped onto the stage alongside Director Ando and the members of SUPER BEAVER. This star-studded lineup marked a truly memorable opening for the film.Facing a crowd of Gintama fans for the first time since the movie's premiere, Sugita drew a wave of laughter from the audience by jokingly greeting them with, "Mom, are you watching?"

When asked about his initial reaction to the news of the new movie, Sugita reflected on his feelings about the "Yoshiwara in Flames Arc" being reborn as a "completely new production" and having to voice his long-familiar character once again. "I honestly thought it was a prank," he admitted, drawing laughs. "Even when they told me Class 3-Z Ginpachi-sensei was getting a TV anime, I was like, 'You’re kidding, right?' I actually expected the cast to be replaced, but when they told me we were all staying on, I just said, 'I’ll do what I can.'"He continued by noting the changes behind the scenes: "What actually changed was the staff. We welcomed a new director and a new sound director, and the visuals have been completely refreshed. I heard they’re including characters who weren't in the original manga and depicting scenes that the camera never captured before."

Following Sugita, Sakaguchi looked back on his surprise at the time, saying, "I mean, the original manga had already finished, and we even did the FINAL movie. It didn't really sink in until I actually held the script in my hands." Kugimiya agreed, adding, "I kept asking, 'Wait, are you serious?' over and over again. It wasn't until I received the script that I finally thought, 'Okay, we’re actually doing this. It's happening.'" They both spoke with deep emotion about how Gintama, a series beloved for so many years, is able to deliver a brand-new work to its fans once again—despite having previously branded its earlier film as the "FINAL."