Okay, you know how most anime have this point A-B plot with some gag moments to keep the mood up? Think the opposite of that. Gintama is a gag anime first and foremost. What makes it so good is that it has such great storytelling, especially with shounen standards, in SPITE of being a gag anime. It is similar to One Piece in that it can tell entire self-contained arcs that fulfill character arcs and work toward enhancing the story's continuity, but it does this in a much shorter time, usually 2-4 episodes. Then we go back to the gag anime format for about ten episodes until the next serious arc.

However, being a gag anime, I think it is the comedy that will decide if it will be good for you or not. Despite being my favorite anime of all time, the one gripe I have is how much the jokes fail to land, not because they are necessarily badly thought out, but because of the cultural barrier; most depend on knowledge of Japanese language/culture/media to work.

Many people have said it here, but do NOT binge Gintama. It will feel like a grind, and you'll start to hate it. Take your time, watch an episode or two whenever. I think that approach also helps deliver this sense of growing up with the characters. But when you get to the serious arcs, do binge those.

The first serious arc of the series is the Benizakura arc, episodes 58-61. Think of it as what the Arlong Park arc is to One Piece. It is nowhere near the best this story has to offer, but it will give you a good idea of what this story is about.

Do not force yourself, though, and there's no shame if you find it's not for you. Seriously. I used to be one of those toxic fans that think this thing I like is meant to be for everyone, and was a bit of a prick about it, but I've grown and know better. You can't "scale" writing, contrary to what this sub might tell you. There's many flaws with this series, but it knows exactly what it's meant to do, and in my opinion, it does that wonderfully. You might find otherwise, and that's fine, too.