Hideaki Sorachi reveals low initial expectations for Gintama

Hideaki Sorachi, the creator of the legendary manga and anime series ‘Gintama’, revealed that he initially had little faith in the project's success. During a special event in Tokyo for the film ‘Gintama The Movie – Yoshiwara In Flames’, Sorachi admitted he expected the series to be a failure and primarily hoped to earn royalties from the manga.

Originally published in Shonen Jump in 2003, the manga spanned 77 volumes before concluding its main story in 2019. The franchise has since expanded through various spin-offs, anime series, specials, and films. While the first anime adaptation debuted in 2006, Sorachi noted that he never imagined the anime would become such a significant driver of his earnings.