Sunday, 1 November 2026, 23:44
Director Naoya Andô and producer Ryo Nakamuray discussed the film’s cinematic approach, its updated animation and the decision to show Yoshiwara burning.
“Gintama: Yoshiwara in Flames” previewed this week at Lucca Comics and Games, described as Europe’s largest Comic-Con, ahead of its theatrical release in Italy. Variety spoke with director Naoya Andô and producer Ryo Nakamuray about the latest instalment in the series.
“Gintama” began as a manga written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi. Set in an alternative, science-fiction version of Tokyo in the late Edo period, it follows three friends on a personal mission after Earth is invaded by the Amanto, an alien species. The manga was adapted into a 367-episode anime series and has had three previous big-screen spin-offs. “Yoshiwara in Flames” is the series’ fourth theatrical outing.
Andô said the filmmakers planned for numerous action scenes and chose the CinemaScope ultrawide aspect ratio and 3D to allow more camera movement and varied framing. Keeping the camera a little farther from the subjects also helped them show the design and setting, he said.
The story had already been adapted for television, where Yoshiwara did not burn. Andô said he asked producer Takashi Maekawa, who had also worked on the TV series, whether the town would actually burn in the film. Maekawa agreed, saying: “Yes this time we’re going to burn everything.” Andô said the group discussed how to do it and made the creative decision to proceed.
Andô said he was honored and happy to be invited to Lucca. The films had not previously been brought to Europe, he said, and the team decided to try bringing this one. After seeing Italian fans’ enthusiasm for “Gintama” the previous day, the filmmakers were happy with the warm reception, he said.
Nakamuray said the “Yoshiwara in Flames” arc was hugely popular in both the original manga and the anime. The team felt it had enough time to work on the film and could approach it on a different scale, he said.
Andô said the filmmakers sought to make the film’s sound and visuals feel big and impressive. They began work on it five years after finishing the anime, and he said technology had advanced considerably in the intervening years. The team wanted to use those advances, particularly 3D animation, to take the film in new directions. They also worked on the music, adding a lot of new material, he said.
Asked about the film’s revisions, Andô said the February release met a deadline, and the film was finished and ready to come out, though the team knew some shots could be improved. They later revisited the film when they had the opportunity. Andô said the team was proud of the February version, but used the DVD release as a chance to work on it again, retouching over 200 shots. The question described the September version as having more than a hundred changed shots.
Nakamuray said animation work is divided among teams with different areas of expertise, such as character work and action scenes. The producers select collaborators and animators suited to each element, he said, and each group has a team leader responsible for its work.
Andô said humor is difficult to make and especially difficult to translate across cultures. One director worked mainly on the film’s humor, he said. The team decided not to signal to viewers that a particular moment was meant to be funny, but instead to let the characters joke among themselves while the audience listened in.
