Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen

Shinyaku Benizakura-hen is the first Gintama film, a new retelling of the Benizakura arc from the television series. True to the franchise's self-aware humor, it plays with one of the show's running gags: the animation staff reuse the New Year footage of the Yorozuya sitting around the kotatsu with a bowl of tangerines, discussing elaborate subjects while Shinpachi complains about the recycled animation and Gin-chan ends it all with a pointless announcement.

The main story follows Gintoki Sakata, Shinpachi Shimura and Kagura as two requests land on them at once. Elizabeth asks them to find Kotarou Katsura, who has vanished after an attack by a mysterious swordsman, while the swordsmith Tetsuya Murata wants them to recover Benizakura, a cursed blade forged by his father. The trail leads to the killer Nizou Okada and to Gintoki's old comrade Shinsuke Takasugi and his Kiheitai, setting the stage for a clash between former allies.