The episode begins with a grounded, relatable conflict: a smoking ban. When Matsudaira Katakuriko implements a strict prohibition on cigarettes across Edo, Hijikata’s life becomes a desperate search for a single puff. This "man on the edge" setup is classic Gintama , taking a minor character quirk and inflating it into a existential crisis. The Gintama Wiki notes that this ban forces Hijikata to travel beyond Earth to find a planet where he can smoke in peace, leading him to the planet Hamek. The Great Parody: Planet Hamek and Brieza
The humor derives from Hijikata’s complete lack of interest in the Shonen tropes unfolding around him. While the Hamekians treat Brieza as a world-ending threat, Hijikata only views him as an obstacle to his next cigarette. According to fan discussions on Reddit , the parody is so thorough that the original broadcast even featured actual Dragon Ball music, a detail often replaced in modern streaming versions like Crunchyroll to avoid licensing issues. Satire and Self-Reference Gintama Episode 119
: Planet Hamek, a wasteland where cigarette production has been halted. The episode begins with a grounded, relatable conflict: