Once a Samurai decides to protect something, he protects it to the very end!
Shimura Shinpachi (志村新八) is a member of the Yorozuya, a samurai in training and one of the three main protagonists of Gintama. He is the 'straight guy' of the series, delivering the requisite reality-checks or punchlines against other characters' farcical antics. He has limited dojo training, but inherited a dojo together with his older sister Shimura Tae called Koudoukan (恒道館), specialising in the Tendoumushin sword-fighting style (天堂無心流 - Tendou Mushin Ryuu). Other than working at the Yorozuya, Shinpachi is also the leader of Terakado Tsuu's fanclub: Terakado Tsuu's Imperial Guards 寺門通親衛隊, and is very serious about it. Whenever someone breaks one of the rules and regulations of the fanclub, he personally issues their punishment with a flying nose-hook. Most of the time, the Sergeant is on the receiving end.
Appearance
Shinpachi has black hair and brown eyes. He wears a light blue keikogi with blue linings and a blue hakama. Bespectacled, many other characters have pointed out that Shinpachi's glasses are his charm point. Sakata Gintoki 坂田 銀時 even went as far as to say that Shinpachi's glasses make out 95% of him and that they are more Shinpachi than Shinpachi himself, with the rest being 3% water and 2% garbage. [1]
Throughout the series he is seen wearing various disguises and has been shown in different styles for gags.
| More images at Shimura Shinpachi's gallery |
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Shimura Shinpachi's Gallery  Shinpachi Standard  Shinpachi during childhood  Shinpachi as Otsuu Fan-club Leader  Shinpachi as Male Host |
Personality
Frequently teased by Sakata Gintoki, supposedly his employer and later on, by Yagyuu Kyuubei for having a 'sister-complex' for being overly attached to his sister. Because he does not have as much physical strength as Kagura, he is often bullied by her, who often tend to literally give him a thrashing. He takes charge of all the household chores in the Yorozuya due to his 'inclination to care for other people' (as he explained during the Goukon in Episode 88). He also likes to save leftovers. All of the above, combined with his plain bespectacled look has made him the archetypical downtrodden nerdy character. Shinpachi is also a rabid fan of fictional pop-idol Terakado Tsuu, and often gets so moved by her songs that he starts crying listening to them. He is the strict leader of the Terakado Tsuu's Imperial Guards 寺門通親衛隊, a fan club with deep admiration and devotion to her, and has made 99 regulations that he makes sure the members loyally follow. Shinpachi also likes to sing, and has been seen singing karaoke-versions of various songs by Tsuu, but is completely tone-deaf.[2]
Although Shinpachi's fighting abilities are not as powerful as that of his two friends (Kagura with her monstrous yato strength and Gintoki with his sword mastery), he has been shown to be able to fight with not only his sword, but using hand-to-hand combat in a boxing match, and also using his intelligence; as seen when he was able to knock back Kyuubei and beat her grandfather, winning the game against the Yagyuu clan[3], when he figured out a way to get past Tosshi's human wall[4], and when he fought with Tosshi in a boxing match[5].
Story
Shimura Shinpachi (志村新八) grew up with his sister Shimura Tae 志村 妙 and his father in their family dojou Koudoukan (恒道館). Their father would die when they were still young, leaving them to take care of the dojou, and also in debt.[6]
Shinpachi would soon start working at the register in a café, but only having known the way of the sword, he made alot of mistakes. Some Amanto who were there as customers, tripped him over so he spilt Sakata Gintoki's chocolate parfait. Enraged by this, Gintoki attacked the Amanto and fled the scene, leaving his wooden sword and the blame with Shinpachi. Shinpachi followed him and they would soon encounter Tae, who brought them back to the dojou. Debt collectors then came along and took Tae with them so she could start working in an illegal flying nightclub. However, after a series of events, the nightclub crashed into the ocean, Tae was rescued by Shinpachi with help from Gintoki and the debt collectors went to jail, as stated by Gintoki in episode 3. This led Tae to give her "permission" for Shinpachi to join the Yorozuya, after which he would become a regular member, share many exploits and do various jobs with Sakata Gintoki and Kagura.
Trivia
- Whenever Makoto, the 'Centaur' character/mascot played by Gintoki with Kagura as a corpse makes an appearance, Shinpachi is the hind quarters of the horse (for example Episode 124).
- In Episode 106 of the Gintama anime he was portrayed as a horse with eye-glasses while the others were shown as warriors on horses.
- Apparently, he is against same sex marriage as stated at the beginning of episode 51.
Template
- ↑ Sorachi Hideaki. Gintama. Shueisha, Vol. 24, Lesson 203, p. 17.
- ↑ Sorachi Hideaki. Gintama. VIZ media, Vol. 4, Lesson 29, p. 6.
- ↑ Sorachi Hideaki. Gintama. VIZ media, Vol. 15, Lesson 122, p. 19.
- ↑ Sorachi Hideaki. Gintama. Shueisha, Vol. 28, Lesson 241, p. 17.
- ↑ Sorachi Hideaki. Gintama. Shueisha, Vol. 28, Lesson 245, p. 13.
- ↑ Sorachi Hideaki. Gintama. VIZ media, Vol. 1, Lesson 1, p. 27.
- ↑ Translated from 空知英秋 Sorachi Hideaki, 銀ちゃねる! Gin Channel! (Gintama Official Character Book), 集英社 Shueisha Jump Comics, page 32.