Ep 63. Episode 63 - "The Preview Section in JUMP is Always Unreliable"

In Episode 63 of Gintama, titled "The Preview Section in JUMP is Always Unreliable," the viewers are swept away into the world of Shonen Jump previews and the struggle of writers to maintain the expectations of their readers. The episode begins with the preview section of Jump, which introduces new manga series before they start serialization in the magazine. The viewers are introduced to the story of a new manga titled "Owee," a dating-sim game with a humorous twist.

The protagonist, Sakata Gintoki, is starting a new game when he notices something strange happening to his beloved console, the Owee. It starts to act mysteriously and eventually the console transforms into a beautiful girl. Gintoki is shocked by the transformation but fights off the temptation to conquer her heart and instead tries to figure out what's going on.

The episode swiftly moves into a backstory of how Gintama, and the Mangaka, Hideaki Sorachi ended up in the world of Jump. Sorachi is offered the opportunity by the Jump staff to create a new manga and he accepts, though he is plagued by self-doubt and fear of failure. Sorachi then shares his apprehensions and self-defeating thoughts with his friend and editor, who assures him that he is talented enough to create a successful manga series. As pre-production of the manga starts, the duo is introduced to their art assistants and the work begins.

As the team starts to serialize the manga series in Jump, they are all taken aback by its early success, but it quickly becomes apparent that weekly serialized manga demands high precision work, often to the detriment of the health and well-being of the artists. Sorachi, however, is a resilient character and manages to brush off criticisms about the quality of his work from his editor, who is always pushing him to do better.

As the episode progresses, the viewers witness how a combination of self-doubt, deadlines, and anxiety lead him to push the limits of his physical and mental health. Sorachi is often found working late into the night at the office, drinking heavily, or outside eating a bowl of noodles. The theme of the episode shifts from the humor of the earlier scenes to a more serious note as it highlights the industry's long work hours and unhealthy practices.

In a funny twist later on, Gintoki and his friends learn that the console girl is a viral campaign stunt for a new game release and that their beloved console has now been stolen. The group sets out on a new mission to get back their stolen console and return to their gaming ways.

The episode ends with Sorachi finally achieving success and then returning home in the wee hours of the morning to collapse, exhausted but elated, into his bed. The episode's final message is one of dedication and sacrifice, with the creator willing to risk his own health for the success of his manga series.

Overall, Episode 63 of Gintama is one that will endear itself to fans of the series, as it offers insight into the world of Shonen Jump and the struggles of the Mangaka behind the works of popular manga series. The humor that is prevalent throughout the episode belies the serious themes of the stress and sacrifice that goes into producing a weekly manga series.