A second Gintama film has been green-lit for next year. Slated to hit Japanese cinemas in 2013, this all new feature-length story will be written by manga creator Hideaki Sorachi. Draft layout images (right) from the film’s production have been released with the announcement.

As well as the film release, the Gintama anime series will be returning to Japanese TV; however, it is unclear whether these episodes are repeats or a new series.

Gintama is set in the Edo Period of Japan where samurai try to fight off an alien invasion. The aliens called Amanto defeat the samurai and place a ban on carrying swords. In a world where samurai no longer belong, Gintoki Sakata finds employment at an odd job shop, Yoruzuya (“we do everthing”). Along with Shinpachi Shimura, the teenage heir of the Kakido-Ryu style and Kagura, an incredibly strong alien girl from the powerful Yato clan, Gintoki takes on all sorts of jobs in order to pay his rent, but they rarely go to plan.