Shueisha is being super serious when they say that Gintama is ending with the manga’s 77th volume. Provided that there are no delays, the final volume will ship this spring.

Series creator Hideaki Sorachi has been teasing fans with ending Gintama since 2014, but its conclusion has taken longer than planned as Sorachi attempts to tie loose ends. Gintama did end its 14 year run in Weekly Shonen Jump before being transferred to Jump Giga in September. Sorachi realized he “needed a little while longer” to write the conclusion and apologized to fans for the non-ended in the highly publicized “final” chapter in Weekly Shonen Jump.

Sorachi began working on the popular samurai/science fiction/parody hybrid series in 2003. The story follows Sakata Gintoki, who was once a feared samurai in the Joi War, but an alien invasion that led to a ban on swords has forced him to become an errand boy. Together with Kagura and Shinpachi, the trio runs various errands (and avoid copyright infringement) to pay their rent.

Sunrise and Bandai Namco Pictures have produced a 367-episode adaptation, along with four specials, an OVA, and three movies.

Do you believe the end is near?