The first 99 episodes were directed by Shinji Takamatsu. Episodes 100 to 105 were directed by Takamatsu and Yoichi Fujita, while following episodes only by Fujita.[1] It premiered on TV Tokyo on April 4, 2006, and finished on March 25, 2010 with a total of 201 episodes.[2][3] The anime is based on Hideaki Sorachi's manga of the same name.[4] The story revolves around an eccentric samurai, Gintoki Sakata, his apprentice, Shinpachi Shimura, and a teenage alien girl named Kagura. All three are freelancers who search for work in order to pay the monthly rent, which usually goes unpaid anyway.