Ep 37. Episode 37 - People Who Say that Santa Doesn't Really Exist Actually Want to Believe in Him / Prayer Won't Make Your Worldly Desires Go Away! Control Yourself

Gintama season 1 episode 37 is a hilarious and heartwarming episode titled "People Who Say that Santa Doesn't Really Exist Actually Want to Believe in Him / Prayer Won't Make Your Worldly Desires Go Away! Control Yourself."

The episode starts off with the premise that Santa Claus is in trouble because he's become too fat to fit down chimneys. The cast of characters, including main character Gintoki and his friends Kagura and Shinpachi, decide to help Santa out by getting him a gym membership.

However, as they start training Santa, they come to realize that their motivations for helping Santa may not be entirely pure. Gintoki, for example, is doing it merely for the chance to sit on Santa's lap and ask for presents. Similarly, Kagura and Shinpachi are hoping that Santa will help them get their deepest desires (which, in Kagura's case, is a hamburger).

As the episode progresses, it becomes clear that the message of the episode is that sometimes we may not realize it, but we all want to believe in something. Even those who say they don't believe in Santa Claus really do, deep down. It's this shared desire to believe in something magical and pure that brings the characters together, and ultimately helps them help Santa.

The second half of the episode focuses on another theme: that we can't simply pray away our worldly desires. One character, Tama, is struggling with an addiction to a virtual reality game. She thinks that if she just prays hard enough, her desire to play the game will go away. However, Gintoki and the others tell her that she needs to control herself, and that prayer alone won't solve her problems.

Overall, episode 37 of Gintama is a fun and heartwarming episode that explores some deeper themes while still managing to be silly and entertaining. It's a great example of the show's unique blend of humor and heart, and is definitely worth watching for fans of the series.