Gintama

It's an ongoing series based on a popular manga, so on some days, i find myself in a state of withdrawal as I wait for the fan groups to work out the subtitles. Excellent stuff and so off-beat, with the funniest dialogue, and the subbers have done a brilliant job, including the wealth of contextual information and cultural references. In brief, it's centred on the life and adventures of the members of an odd-job agency (more like a surrogate family), who are more than what they'd care to admit, set in a Japan that melds sci-fi (alien oppressors, spaceships, thinking robots) and post-Samurai era where the carrying of swords have been banned except for the police and militia (sort of like Samurai X, or the period of the Meiji Restoration, where samurais were forbidden to bear their swords...). This is done wonderfully, and besides, it's such a wonderful metaphor for change, the hazy transition period between the classical age and a subsequent one taking shape at breakneck speed.

Cut it short, some memorable lines from the series:

"The land of samurai. it's been ages since our country was called that..." is how the narration begins

"An employee who can't use a register is as useless as a mom who can't make fried rice," Gintama picking his nose, riding a scooter.

"The fun's in the jourey, so let's see it to the end, just as a girl becomes a woman!" Gintama chasing a truck on his trusty scooter...

"I don't care if he's loin-cloth masked or an underwear thief; we can't let this man continue to sully women's innocence and mock the pride we men hold dear!" Konda, Shinsengumi commander briefing his men on catching the underwear thief.

"A girl in love is the same as a wild boar. she's only looking ahead."
"Idiots in their own idiotic way have their own idiotic worries!"

"For men, once your lower hair starts growing, you have to start taking care of yourself," Gintama on boys coming of age.

"Wandering in space with my father and becoming the greatest alien hunter in space is my dream."

"Apparently, it's good for your health to have moonlight shining onto your butt hole... Apparently, sun also works, but moonlight's even greater... Hattori-san apparently cured his hemorrhoids this way." Two henchmen chatting.

"Women are all born from compost bins. We're fighting against flies flying arund us." Referring to men.

"Your ass?! How can you care if someone touches your ass? Do you know why your ass is split in two? It's so that it'll still be fine even if one side is touched!"
"Not quite. Asses, you see, are the remaining proof that humans were once angels. They used to be wings."

"A life without gambling is like a suchi without wasabi!"

"Aah what shoud i do from here on in?
if you aren't the one who will love me?
Aah even though my heart is heavy
my body is still fine, so I'll laugh today too!" theme song lyrics...

"The future of Gintama is still undecided... undecided is only undecided and not what is decided upon." Sounds like Greek. And so ends the first year's episodes.

Yet more...
"Maybe, after you grow a little more... and you still remember about me... Come find me again. i'll be glad to do more things with you then."
"laugh a lot, cry a lot, and grow to become an adult. I'll be waiting." Gintama to a toddler who takes to him.

"Xxx civil servant, eat shit!" song lyrics in the anime.

"As expected of someone who squirts liquid medicine up his ass everyday, your aim is perfect." A ninja with a haemaroid problem is complimented

"Well then, if i shove you into this beam of light that contains all of Edo's energy, even your tiny soul would burn, right?" Gintama to a robot...