Shueisha announced that Gintama spin-off 3rd Year Class Z Ginpachi-sensei is getting a new novel volume for the first time in six years. The new Gintama novel, 3rd Year Class Z Ginpachi-sensei: Go Forth to the Great Ball Game, will release on December 4 in Japan, according to Shueisha’s listing.
Fans may also look forward to the 3rd Year Class Z Ginpachi-sensei anime adaptation, which premieres in October 2025 on TV Tokyo. Natsumi Higashida is directing the 3rd Year Class Z Ginpachi-sensei anime at BN Pictures. Makoto Moriwaki is the general director, and Kazuyuki Fudeyasu and Mitei Mark II handle the series composition. Gintama animation director Shinji Takeuchi returns for the project, and Audio Highs will compose the anime’s music.
Returning cast members for the anime include:
- Tomokazu Sugita as Ginpachi Sakata
- Daisuke Sakaguchi as Shinpachi Shimura
- Rie Kugimiya as Kagura
- Satsuki Yukino as Tae Shimura
- Susumu Chiba as Isao Kondo
- Kazuya Nakai as Toshiro Hijikata
- Kenichi Suzumura as Sogo Okita
- Tetsuharu Ohta as Sagaru Yamazaki
- Yū Kobayashi as Ayame Sarutobi
- Akira Ishida as Kotaro Katsura
- Takehito Koyasu as Shinsuke Takasugi
- Satoshi Hino as Kamui
More details will be revealed, including a full official trailer, at Jump Festa 2025.
Hideki Sorachi’s popular Gintama series began with the manga in 2004 and ran all the way until June 2021. In March 2023, an anime adaptation for the 3rd Year Class Z Ginpachi-sensei spin-off novel by Tomohiko Osaki was announced. In the spin-off, Gintoki Sakata is a high school teacher in charge of Class 3-Z at Gintama High School.
