Ep 23. Whenever you're worried or troubled, just laugh and laugh!

In Gintama season 1 episode 23, titled "Whenever you're worried or troubled, just laugh and laugh!", we see the odd jobs trio Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi taking on a new job to protect a local cinema from being demolished. As they start to investigate, they find out that the cinema has a special movie that only plays once a year and people from all over the city come to watch it.

However, soon they discover that the movie has been cursed and anyone who watches it becomes incredibly depressed and suicidal. The curse was placed on the movie by a vengeful ex-employee who was fired from the cinema. To break the curse, Gintoki and his team decide to make their own movie and play it instead of the cursed one.

The trio teams up with an aspiring actress named Koyuki and start filming a movie with the help of all the people who come to watch the cursed movie. As they start filming, they encounter various obstacles, including a rival production company that wants to shut down their movie.

Meanwhile, Gintoki also discovers that Koyuki is being stalked by a dangerous man who is obsessed with her and wants to kidnap her. The trio decides to protect Koyuki and keep filming the movie at the same time.

The episode takes a serious turn as we see the characters dealing with issues such as mental health and the dark side of the entertainment industry. Despite this, Gintama manages to infuse humor into the situation with its signature brand of wacky humor and exaggerated fight scenes.

As the episode comes to a close, the trio successfully finishes filming their movie and manages to break the curse on the cinema. The episode ends on a high note with the characters laughing and celebrating their victory, showcasing the message of the title "Whenever you're worried or troubled, just laugh and laugh!".

Overall, Gintama season 1 episode 23 is a fun and emotional ride that balances humor and heart perfectly. With its unique blend of comedy and drama, it's a great example of what makes Gintama such a beloved anime series.