When it comes to describing characters, there are usually a number of defining character traits which really make them who they are. For Monkey D. Luffy, it's his stretchy body and appetite of a starving child. For Frieza, genocide. In the case of Gintoki it pretty much sums itself up into a list of horrible addictions and bad habits, but nobody's perfect. As a matter of fact, one could say that it's Gintoki's imperfections that make him so lovable. He's not god-like or overly glorified in any way which makes him seem more human than most super cool protagonists. (Well, MOST OF THE TIME, anyway.) Don't we normally like characters that are easy to relate to, after all? And what Gintama fan doesn't prefer lazing on the couch, picking their nose and reading Jump to doing anything worthwhile?
The downside is that even though most characters in the series have a deeply hidden respect for Gintoki, nobody would outwardly admit it just based on the stuff listed below. That's right, this is an entire section dedicated to Gintoki's imperfections.
GINTOKI IS CURSED WITH A NATURAL PERM.
And he absolutely loathes it, and isn't afraid to use it as an excuse for his shortcomings--or alternatively--to garner attention to himself as it's kind-of sort-of his defining character trait. He blames his natural perm on the fact that he can't seem to get any girls, despite the fact that he has quite a few female stalkers admirers within the series that he shoos off as annoyances. Though other characters claim that he's simply trying to blame everything on his perm rather than taking responsibility for his actions, Gintoki is completely bent on the idea that he can use this "weakness" as leverage to get to the top, and exploits it shamelessly. However, the moment he's given the opportunity to get rid of his perm, he jumps on that as well. I guess you could say that he's a little bit vain, but when other iconic Jump heroes like Goku or Ichigo are sporting stylishly spiked hair, you can't really blame a guy for fretting about his curls.
GINTOKI IS ADDICTED TO SUGAR.
To the point where his doctor has warned him that if he doesn't control his sugar intake, he'll most certainly become a diabetic (or at the very worst, his balls will explode). However, not even risks to his health could make Gintoki put down a sugary treat. As a matter of fact the sole reason that Gintoki meets Shinpachi in the first place is because in the middle of Shinpachi's argument with the Amanto, they knock over his parfait. Not only is he not afraid to deal some punches for his right to chow down on cavities, he's willing to throw down in the good name of sugar. Gintoki's gotten into heated arguments numerous times with government officials over sugar's superiority to other condiments (you know what I'm talking about: mayonnaise), and while he'll be the first to run from a monsterous-looking neighbor he won't back down if you talk smack on his beloved crystalline carbohydrates.
GINTOKI HAS A CHRONIC NOSE PICKING PROBLEM.
Disgusting, but true. He almost always has his pinky lodged up his nose and has been caught on screen numerous times flicking boogers, wiping them on retail (then asking for a discount) or even on placing them on his fellow comrades. It's become a trademark pose for his apathetic disposition, because unlike other manga heroes Gintoki doesn't seem to be overly concerned with keeping up appearances, looking "cool" or even being a good role model. As a matter of fact, Gintoki's nose picking is emulated rather quickly by his younger sidekick, Kagura, who adopts Gintoki's disgusting habit not long after meeting him early in the series. Hell, Gintoki even makes nose picking into an orgasmic trend during an episode of Panty & Stocking... ah never mind, maybe that WASN'T EXACTLY GINTOKI.
GINTOKI IS STILL READING SHOUNEN JUMP AT HIS AGE.
But he claims that "a man will act like a kid for as long as he lives" and will justify it by any means necessary while going through the most ridiculous of lengths to be able to read the latest issue. Many of us can probably relate to Gintoki when he claims that there's just something that draws him to it, but the irony in all this really just lies in the fact that Gintama itself is published in Weekly Shounen Jump. Probably the #1 manga character spokesperson for the weekly anthology, he follows it religiously with admiration for his (fellow) shounen manga heroes and also enjoys falling asleep under it while lounging on the couch. (He may or may not be slightly delusional in thinking that he can achieve bankai or can do the kamehameha wave, but it's good to have a big imagination!) That is to say, that Gintoki really isn't unlike you or me, you know you'd totally fight off an army of ninjas to buy the last copy of Jump at the store.
GINTOKI HAS A CRUSH ON THE WEATHER GIRL. (AND HAS A NURSE OUTFIT KINK.)
Though he has a number of fangirls within the series who are literally harming themselves in order to get into his pants (...literally!) and an even larger number of real-life fangirls who want to see him do the dirty with the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi (...CANON), Gintoki doesn't express too much taste for romance. However, this doesn't stop him from lusting over the weather report girl, Ketsuno Ana, or perhaps imagining her in a cute pink nurse uniform. Gintoki states early on in the series that what really gets him off are nurse outfits, so it's kind of ironic that most of his hospital experiences end up in some sort of unwarranted S&M play or unfortunate homosexual encounters. Though Gintoki is given the opportunity to personally help Ketsuno Ana with a problem she has later in the series, any advances he was thinking of making on her prior to that are inevitably cock-blocked by his unwanted admirers who photoshop wedding nengajo and send them out to the entirety of Kabukichou.
The downside is that even though most characters in the series have a deeply hidden respect for Gintoki, nobody would outwardly admit it just based on the stuff listed below. That's right, this is an entire section dedicated to Gintoki's imperfections.
GINTOKI IS CURSED WITH A NATURAL PERM.
And he absolutely loathes it, and isn't afraid to use it as an excuse for his shortcomings--or alternatively--to garner attention to himself as it's kind-of sort-of his defining character trait. He blames his natural perm on the fact that he can't seem to get any girls, despite the fact that he has quite a few female stalkers admirers within the series that he shoos off as annoyances. Though other characters claim that he's simply trying to blame everything on his perm rather than taking responsibility for his actions, Gintoki is completely bent on the idea that he can use this "weakness" as leverage to get to the top, and exploits it shamelessly. However, the moment he's given the opportunity to get rid of his perm, he jumps on that as well. I guess you could say that he's a little bit vain, but when other iconic Jump heroes like Goku or Ichigo are sporting stylishly spiked hair, you can't really blame a guy for fretting about his curls.
GINTOKI IS ADDICTED TO SUGAR.
To the point where his doctor has warned him that if he doesn't control his sugar intake, he'll most certainly become a diabetic (or at the very worst, his balls will explode). However, not even risks to his health could make Gintoki put down a sugary treat. As a matter of fact the sole reason that Gintoki meets Shinpachi in the first place is because in the middle of Shinpachi's argument with the Amanto, they knock over his parfait. Not only is he not afraid to deal some punches for his right to chow down on cavities, he's willing to throw down in the good name of sugar. Gintoki's gotten into heated arguments numerous times with government officials over sugar's superiority to other condiments (you know what I'm talking about: mayonnaise), and while he'll be the first to run from a monsterous-looking neighbor he won't back down if you talk smack on his beloved crystalline carbohydrates.
GINTOKI HAS A CHRONIC NOSE PICKING PROBLEM.
Disgusting, but true. He almost always has his pinky lodged up his nose and has been caught on screen numerous times flicking boogers, wiping them on retail (then asking for a discount) or even on placing them on his fellow comrades. It's become a trademark pose for his apathetic disposition, because unlike other manga heroes Gintoki doesn't seem to be overly concerned with keeping up appearances, looking "cool" or even being a good role model. As a matter of fact, Gintoki's nose picking is emulated rather quickly by his younger sidekick, Kagura, who adopts Gintoki's disgusting habit not long after meeting him early in the series. Hell, Gintoki even makes nose picking into an orgasmic trend during an episode of Panty & Stocking... ah never mind, maybe that WASN'T EXACTLY GINTOKI.
GINTOKI IS STILL READING SHOUNEN JUMP AT HIS AGE.
But he claims that "a man will act like a kid for as long as he lives" and will justify it by any means necessary while going through the most ridiculous of lengths to be able to read the latest issue. Many of us can probably relate to Gintoki when he claims that there's just something that draws him to it, but the irony in all this really just lies in the fact that Gintama itself is published in Weekly Shounen Jump. Probably the #1 manga character spokesperson for the weekly anthology, he follows it religiously with admiration for his (fellow) shounen manga heroes and also enjoys falling asleep under it while lounging on the couch. (He may or may not be slightly delusional in thinking that he can achieve bankai or can do the kamehameha wave, but it's good to have a big imagination!) That is to say, that Gintoki really isn't unlike you or me, you know you'd totally fight off an army of ninjas to buy the last copy of Jump at the store.
GINTOKI HAS A CRUSH ON THE WEATHER GIRL. (AND HAS A NURSE OUTFIT KINK.)
Though he has a number of fangirls within the series who are literally harming themselves in order to get into his pants (...literally!) and an even larger number of real-life fangirls who want to see him do the dirty with the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi (...CANON), Gintoki doesn't express too much taste for romance. However, this doesn't stop him from lusting over the weather report girl, Ketsuno Ana, or perhaps imagining her in a cute pink nurse uniform. Gintoki states early on in the series that what really gets him off are nurse outfits, so it's kind of ironic that most of his hospital experiences end up in some sort of unwarranted S&M play or unfortunate homosexual encounters. Though Gintoki is given the opportunity to personally help Ketsuno Ana with a problem she has later in the series, any advances he was thinking of making on her prior to that are inevitably cock-blocked by his unwanted admirers who photoshop wedding nengajo and send them out to the entirety of Kabukichou.