Jujutsu Kaisen's First Season is Incredible

On the 3rd of October 2020 Jutsu kaisen began airing its first season a handful of weeks later my friends urged me to watch it my response back then why would I waste my time watching mid while calling shows movies or books that I haven't read or seen mid is my favorite pastime little did I know that my decision to finally give in and actually watch Jutsu kaisen would have such a profound impact On my life only a couple of years later jiujitsu kaon is good I love the story The charact characters its power system and

K's writing as a whole and while I've reviewed both hidden inventory and the Shibuya Arc in their own respective videos I've yet to cover the first season so that's what we're doing today and like everything else it all starts with episode 1 when I initially watched this episode I remember being moderately impressed I've been spoiled by shows Like try gun or cway Bop and Attack on Titan when it comes to outstanding First episodes but I pressed on the humor was okay but I didn't really care much about anyone outside of yug the classmates and school

setting felt like afterthoughts and with hindsight of future events we know that it's really all they amount to even now regardless on my rewatch it was a little different with knowledge of coming plot points I actively sat down and watched this episode jotting Down Notes while looking like that one decaprio meme every few minutes Eugene his grandfather have a couple of very important conversations that I didn't really clock on my first viewing it's both the phone call and the hospital scenes that really get my mind going what exactly does Wate know spoilers for the manga

skip here to void in chapter 152 we find out that Kaku had taken over the body of yuji's mother to give birth to Yuji wuk warns his son Jin that Ki or Kaku in this case is dangerous and while unable to convince his son to stay away it feels like he has tried to make up for that with Yuji the first conversation the two have over the phone is was yelling at Yuji to essentially live a normal life go to school take up a club make friends whether this is his way of keeping Yuji away

from the world of jiujitsu or perhaps making it so that Yugi can experience normaly for as long as possible before the inevitable Remains to be seen even now the second conversation however kind of points towards the ladder in the hospital wase tries telling Yuji about his parents but with Yuji not wanting any of it he scoffs and reclines back into his bed turning away from yui and giving him something even more important for a better or her worse you're a strong kid so help people don't expect any gratitude in return and when you die do

so surrounded by people On one hand helping people becomes an unshakable core of yui's character on the other hand in Shibuya those words become a curse as yuji's body is taken over by sukuna and unable to do anything thousands die by his hands the other two quotes are also notable as they come up from two different characters later on Mega me during the detention center and Gojo 2 Mega me during the final few episodes of the Season helping people while expecting no gratitude or Recognition is both the path and burden that Sorcerers must bear and

continuing to do so until the day that they die alone just as Gojo tells meami whether was was a sorcerer himself or simply preparing Yuji for what was to come it's a conversation that I really hope gagay revisits in the future on my first watch this was something I listened to and then moved on with my life but with added context now it's taken up most of the time in the video so far the rest of The episode is good I like meum and yuji's dynamic early on and this one sequence in particular had me

excited on my first watch there will be times where you come across something and you can just naturally to it that it's good for some reason and this short running sequence was a small glimpse into just what sun park was cooking this season the other standout moment has to undoubtedly be sukuna awakened from his Thousand-Year Slumber the king of curses And the name of episode one Roman sukuna makes his debut looking back at it sukuna was much more unhinged on his first appearance with what we know of his character now him popping out and just

fing for women and children is definitely a little jarring but still arguably one of the most iconic villains in recent times is here and he's ready to shred the story asunder on the first watch 6 and 1/2 out of 10 seven on the rewatch episode 2 the previous episode Was solid it had enough meat on its bones to get the theory crafting muscles going Some solid action and decent comedy that didn't feel overly forced episode 2 however takes the first one's lunch money every day at 8:30 a.m. sharp right in front of the cafeteria door

while everyone else is watching the action is elevated the emotional impact of Yuji coming to terms with the death of his grandfather hits hard the top-notch music begins rearing its head And of course Gojo satu Gojo is undoubtedly one of the most popular manga in anime characters of today I might have called him a Kakashi clone back when I first watched the show but I quickly got backhanded from the sheer Aura and Swagger of this man while Kakashi was incredibly powerful in part one he wasn't infallible Gojo on the other hand is the Pinnacle of

his verse and he knows it his attitude is aloof and irritating but no one can deny that It isn't warranted the strongest sorcerer in history has just reincarnated and the first thing Gojo does is fight him sorry completely embarrasses him to show off in front of his student meami this short scuffle between the two is what got me hooked into the first place Sonu Park director of jitu Ka in season 1 in the movie is an action Savant his direction is always Dynamic and trust me we'll be singing his Praises throughout while he's not The

one to personally animate Gojo versus sakuna it still looks amazing I wonder why oh it's kir watab of course it's F anyone that's familiar with my videos knows how much I shill for Watanabe and you can't can't tell me I'm wrong on this while this isn't my favorite cut he's done I just love how fluid all of it is from the clothing to the smears and just the snappiness of the motion you get the picture my only complaint And it's one I share with my past self I just wish it was a little longer I'd

actually seen a portion of this fight on Twitter I think and I was like okay that's cool I can't wait to see the full extended you know 3 five minute fight only to be greeted by a what 30 second scuffle so yeah I really wish it was a little longer with a fight concluding in Yuji taking over once more Gojo knocks him out before we return to the present oh yeah we were in a flashback forgot to Mention that having unknowingly become a vessel for sukuna Yuji is set for execution however with him being a

generational Talent his sentence is suspended on the condition that he ingests all of sukuna remaining fingers before he gets executed how kind and with that any hope was might have had for Yuji to live a normal life vanishes just like his body in the cre Yuji doesn't really have much of a choice either die now or die later but to him One option gives him agency and with a world void of sakuna in his fingers meaning less people die he consumes the second finger one1 of the way there I'd be remiss not to talk about

the elephant in the room Gojo's confidence in defeating the king of curses while it's been Meed to hel him back by now watching this for the first time was exciting I immediately clocked what gig was trying to set up back then not just their fight but rather their respective Positions on the pecking order for the foreseeable future Gojo and sukuna stand heads and shoulders above everyone else so having one of those two Titans Proclaim their guaranteed Victory just like that is an incredibly effective way to build up hype and anticipation 10 out of 10 Yaga

versus Yuji while it doesn't take up too much time I quite like this section in my rewatch it's interesting to see the seeds of yuji's COG mentality begin to grow Yaga directly calls Yugi Out for only wanting to become a sorcerer because of the final words of his grandfather despite the ugliness that comes from being a sorcerer much later in the manga a character tells Yugi this when one sorcerer asks another for help it's basically asking please risk your life with me it's cool to see how consistent Gaga can be as a writer and it's

a good point that Yaga brings up the answer Yuji gives to him is stupid while altruistic in nature it Isn't exactly what Yuji himself is thinking his real reason and the one that Yaga helps him see is that he's the only one capable of bringing a permanent end to sakuna thus eradicating a great source of evil from the world it's only after Yuji gives this answer that Yaga accepts him into the school8 out of 10 on my first watch 8 and a half today episode 3 if you had asked me prior to this video to

try and recall this episode I would have folded almost Immediately truth be told this episode is one that completely had escaped my memory on account of it being kind of mid on my rewatch though it wasn't all that different but I did gain a little bit more appreciation for it right off the bat this episode is undeniably much funnier and lighthearted than the previous two and while the latter dealt with heavier subjects the comedic moment sprinkled throughout just were not as funny to me at least I love how Goofy And carefree Yuji is here as

they wait for noar eating popcorn and Crepes as well as wearing a pair of silly glasses all the while making fun of NOA for being completely embarrassing Yuji is so unintentionally funny and it really is just my kind of humor speaking of no no kisaki is the third and final first year having been accepted a little earlier than Yuji she comes to Tokyo from the countryside and immediately picks a fight with a modeling Scout Yuji and Meami I find it insanely funny how now her first impression of Yuji is that he looks like a potato

and that she's incredibly disappointed that it always ends up like this only for them to match energy one to one later on at least that's until the mission starts no becomes noticeably more serious and even a little annoyed at yuji's lack of experience she comes off as mean-spirited and even a bit of a [ __ ] the main focus of the episode Yugi no Sweep of the building is all right once again I love how silly Yuji is taking the mission super seriously while also somehow being utterly unserious with the constant Shaz and Sh meanwhile

no is all business wanting to prove that she belongs in Tokyo and not the boonies she's quick to get this Mission done and wants nothing to do with yuji's Antics we get a little bit of action nothing too spectacular compared to the feast we got in the previous episodes but a piece Of noas back story is given to us a piece which trust me will be Revisited in a bit of an unsavory episode if I had to say what my biggest issue with this episode was it has to be the scale of it all in

the grand scheme of things did you kaon doesn't really lean into the small fry conniving curses all that much after this while it works in the context of this episode and it's neat seeing a weak curse really push no not physically but rather mentally our cast gets Naturally stronger as the story progresses the opponents end up facing are either human Sorcerers or incredibly powerful curses that don't really bear much resemblance to those of the early episodes it's kind of like how a Naruto we go from relatively small and grounded abilities to Giant kaijus and Beyond

only a hand full of chapters later it's not necessarily a bad thing but it does make it hard to take this little guy seriously when the level of curses Explodes only an episode later and we curses that prey on human emotions become practically extinct I think it's why I found this episode a little underwhelming when I first watched it because off rip noada is an interesting character but her one moment to shine and look cool is killing this guy it doesn't exactly leave a strong impression thankfully this does get remedied later on but I'm getting

ahead of myself the biggest strength of this Episode however at least to me has got to be the final couple of minutes as the gang finishes up sending the kid off they get to share a nice moment where everyone is having fun especially Yugi only for us to cut to black as ich narrates the following due to the emergency nature three jitu Tech first years were dispatched to the scene one of them died it's a very ominous setup and funnily enough wasn't really that Planned out by gaygay but we'll discuss that a little later 5

out of 10 episodes on first viewing 6 and a half on the rewatch episode 4 and five I'm choosing to group these two episodes together as they go hand in hand and are part of the Fearsome wom under Heaven Arc Jutsu kaisen doesn't usually do too good of a job at Naturally connecting the arcs one after the other causing them to be a rather bit abrupt but in this case I think it works it captures the ominous Tone set by the end of the previous episode and does a really good job at making you feel

uneasy the dark atmosphere prison setting and ambient rainfall puts in so much work and you immediately can tell that something not can go wrong but will go wrong with Goa off in a mission and jutu Tech being so short staffed three relatively inexperienced first years are sent to an emergency situation it's a cruel reality of the world that they're in and it Shows pretty clearly why jiutu Sorcerers Die Young nevertheless the gang takes a mission in stride and they head inside only to quickly realize that they're in deep deep trouble side note I love that

you no actually pet the dog anytime I see an animal in a game and I don't have the option to pet it I die a little inside so it's nice to see those two have such a natural reaction to seeing this little good boy the inside of the Detention Center has been taken over by The cursed Spirits in complete domain expansion check out my Barrier video to learn more about this knowing what has happened doesn't change the fact that they can't leave from where they once came and instead have to rely on their good boy

to lead them to the exit it's a tense sequence and the climax with Yugi and meami arguing about bringing back the bodies of the killed inmates is so damn good Yugi is hellbent on giving people a proper death and having seen The mother of the deceased cry out for him before entering the center he doesn't want to turn back and return empty-handed Megami is more pragmatic he's been doing this for longer and understands that getting caught up on sentimentality is how most Sorcerers end up dead while he poses a difficult question for Yuji why Wilder

saving someone who might do more harm than good in the future Yuji fires back and asks Megami why he chose to save him the two Might be in disagreement but there is more sentimentality to Megami than he might even admit to at least in this episode gig is really really good at cramming really interesting character moments and interactions in a very short amount of time this is incredibly beneficial to a weekly battle Shonen format and while it's something I wish he did much much more of it works really well here as we don't have that

much time this is easily one of the most Unsettling panels in the manga and I'm glad the anime did it justice the way the two of them immediately freeze up the beads of sweat the Divine dog's head mounted on the concrete wall you can really feel that [ __ ] is absolutely [ __ ] Yugi tries to muster the strength to move but he can't it's only once he remembers his grandfather's Last Words his curse that he's able to fight back he swings at the curse but his hand is already gone along with his blade

up Until this point Jutsu kaisen hasn't been a stranger to violence or a little bit of Gore but something about your main character or losing a hand that effortlessly it sets the tone beautifully unwilling to help sukuna makes it clear that this will never be an inner demon turns good scenario from now on until the end of time sukuna will be yuji's number one hater in a even after Yuji swaps with him sukuna still actively looks for ways to make yuuji's Life harder but I'm getting a little ahead of myself Yugi has been doing this

for only a brief moment now having to face a special grade curse Spirit unarmed while also unable to even muster up cursed energy his very ideals are shattered he's a strong kid but that doesn't mean he isn't Terri terrified of actually dying regardless he musters up the courage to stand back and channels his fear and rage into his fist in your average Shonen the MC would find the Strength here to Vanquish the enemy jusu kaisen isn't your average Shona the punch is effortlessly blocked simultaneously a howl from megami's other Divine dog can be heard and

Yuji swaps the sakuna and the cursed spirit is quickly dispatched what elevates this moment for me is that sakuna is really and I mean really committed to being a hater not only does he initially just Pat the cursed Spirit on the shoulder he actively is thinking of a way to best Torture Megami the cursed Spirit doesn't necessarily comply so sukuna makes short work of it using true jiujitsu domain expansion it's cool to see domain expansion so early on given how iconic it's become and with the special grade gone and his arms healed all ugs to

do is switch back suuna waits for a second calling out to him then another then another an expression worth more than 1,000 words the episode ends Banger back then Banger today 10 out of 10 picking Up immediately where we left off meam seen waiting outside for Yuji to return no has been taken away by Ichi and Megami is left alone before he can even finish a thought sukuna appears behind him the expression on megami's face immediately tenses up and Beads of splat trickle down his face the special grade might have already been a few levels

too strong for megamy to handle but sukuna is an entirely different Beast altogether to further cement his anti Yuji agenda sukuna rips out his heart effectively holding Yuji hostage and putting meami in a pretty bad situation okay I feel like I'm under selling it here Megami gets walloped no matter how clean the art and animation is here which it really is I mean look at it it can't hide how hard Megami gets ragged all around keep in mind sukuna has access to his curse technique here at any point that he grabs hold of Megami he

could simply cleave him but being in A good mood he instead opts to toss him through a few buildings a feet that was amp a little bit in the anime as it doesn't really happen this way in the manga while the fight is undeniably cool what I really want to touch on is the conversation that sukuna has with meami instead of just trash talking him he actually commends meami in a roundabout way had Megami not ran and instead fought the special grade sakuna seems to believe that he could have won keep in Mind this is

before meami even gears up to summon mahara but sukuna ability to recognize Talent is one that will pay off both in this season and later down the line in the story as well on meami front we get some golden nuggets of character writing as more is made clear about his morals and just reason for saving people sumiki megami's sister serves as a pillar of Hope in his life she's endlessly kind and Karma by all means should have rewarded her instead She Now lies in a hospital bed cursed his absent father on the other hand is

out there potentially living his best life at least that's what meam me thinks as of right now regardless meami will continue to save good people Yuji threw himself at almost certain death to save his classmat and a random teenager that he'd never met before his Golden Heart reminded Megami of his sister and it's ultimately why he asked Gojo to save Yugi and as he readies himself to summon The Divine General he stops Yuji takes control once more taking his own life before leaving him with the words live a long life okay elephant in the room

time how and why does the main character die in the fifth episode earlier I brought up the ominous setup that gaygay hadn't really planned out and this is what I was talking about funnily enough at this point in time in the manga jiu Jutsu kaisen was not very popular and at real Risk of being asked from Shonen Jump knowing that his manga might end you know only after one volume akutami threw in yuji's death as a way to both add a crazy twist but also a natural stopping point should the manga actually get canceled while

the story is funny and retrospective in just how popular the manga is today I still think the decision to have Yugi die created a very fun opportunity for Gigi to explore other characters Uh whether he does that or not is an entirely different story that we'll be getting into solid N9 out of 10 back then still a nine today episode 6 remember when I shied my Barrier video the episode opens up with Yuji inside sua's innate domain the pair isn't dead just yet all thanks to meami impressing sukuna sukuna sees something in meami something important

enough to offer ug second chance at life but not without two conditions condition one When sukuna chant the word in chain he gains full control over yuji's body body for 1 minute condition two Yuji forgets this binding vow once he accepts naturally Yuji declines and sukuna adds an amendment while in control he can't harm anyone still not satisfied yui is ready to throw hands once more and that eagerness doubles when sukuna offers and a fight to the death unfortunately for Yuji he can't even control Cur energy and sukuna is able to cut his head in

Half with ease back in the land of the living Gojo is happy to see Yuji alive and well well ich is a little bit more than just surprised Gojo's dream is to uproot the corrupt and conservative Society of Jutsu while he could go out and kill each and every last one of the leaders others would simply take over their place and it wouldn't exactly be a good look either instead he turns to teaching and fostering stronger smarter and better allies that can one day stand By his side and truly reset the jutu world for the

better it's an admirable goal and from a writing perspective I really dig it the higher-ups specifically set in motion a plan that would have Yuji very likely die but now he's back I didn't talk about KJ when the disaster curses in the last episode mainly because they kind of leave their conversation halfway and it actually finishes in the middle of episode 6 instead outside of it being a little Brutal without how Joo makes a bunch of Normie spontaneously combust it's cool to see kaku's plan for Gojo being discussed this early on considering it actually takes

effect nearly 100 chapters from now another thing I didn't mention last episode the second years I don't have anything against them but I just wanted to maybe illustrate how quickly character introductions and slow periods pass in juu kaon season 1 is not nearly as all gas noome breaks as the Second but it still blitzes through some aspects that would be more focused on in the average Shonen series maky Panda and Yaki get introduced their goals are quickly laid out and we immediately move on to the next thing in Hunter Hunter Greed Island spends a ton

of Time fleshing Out gon and kilaas training which in turn makes their later fights hit that much harder while I don't necessarily want or need JSU kaisen to have a fullon 2 to three episode Training Arc I would like to see more of the characters just doing stuff rather than it being implied and us moving on from it it's a minor nitpick for this season as I think it does it better than season 2 in the movie but it's definitely something I think becomes more and more apparent especially in the currently manga only material regardless

yuji's learning how to control Cur energy meim has figured something out about his Technique nobat is being flung around and Gojo gets ambushed by the one and only 7 out of 10 back then still a 7even out of 10 episode 7 now this episode this episode is fire it has everything required for a standout Jutsu kaen episode Gojo is in it check good animation need I even say cool jiujitsu [ __ ] that's unique to it as a series absolutely given that most of it is top tier fighting and philosophy [ __ ] that gay

barely understands himself but Still throws in the manga for some reason I'll shift my focus elsewhere being gracious J was at around eight or nine finger suuna level that would make him almost as strong as a 50% sukuna assuming the strength of the fingers were constant uh why does this matter because Goa completely drags his face through through the dirt smiling like an absolute Maniac throughout this isn't even a fight it's a massacre the point of this scuffle is to highlight the Gap In strength between Gojo and sukuna compared to the rest of the cast

it also serves to show us that the only way Gojo is ever losing is either to the only person potentially as strong as him in sakuna or getting sealed it also helps us learn a little more about jiujitsu via Gojo teaching Yuji about domain expansions probably the most iconic phrase in jit at this point it's such a baller move to introduce a character like Joo who is so much stronger that Even the top tier Sorcerers we see in season 2 only to have him get embarrassed by Gojo he ultimately gets bailed out by Hami and

forced to come back to his boss 8.72 5 out of 10 for me episode 8 AI Toto is one of the best characters in Jutsu G Jokes Aside this relatively normal Exposition heavy episode is Amplified and made 10 times better and more chaotic all thanks to Toto for sake the guy starts the interaction off by Ripping his shirt asking meami what his type of woman is and then giving his very own very based answer before we cut to op I mean this had me floored on my first watch and it gave me a good chuckle

this time around as well while Toto undeniably is framed as a comedic relief character at least prior to beating Mega's ass knowing what he's going to say and do this season and the next one makes this interaction all the funnier in retrospect Toto's question And reaction to megami's answer is a little out there but it makes sense given his character Toto doesn't actually care about megami's taste on a literal level whether it's women or men big rested or otherwise the answer just need not be boring and while Megami is being honest when he tells Toto

that he has no preference so long as the person is kind it also happens to be the worst response the most boring response Maya no might be pleased to hear that but Toto on the other hand weeps he calls meami boring before charging at him and delivering the second most brutal beating that meami has gotten so far don't worry we've got a few more of those coming even if Megami isn't going all out in this fight Toto isn't either he gives meami no opportunities to do anything up until meami gears to summon mahara to be

honest I really doubt that Megami was about to unleash the general against Toto of all people given that we See totality being used to fuse the frogs with nue try saying that three times fast I imagine the Divine dog totality was the next summon at this point in time Megami wants to live and grow stronger because of Yugi's sacrifice so him dying to kill a friendly sorcerer feels a little out there even for our favorite suicidal emo teenager nonetheless before he can summon whatever he was summoning Panda and inumaki make the save in retrospect This

scene is kind of hilarious Ponda and inumaki are made to look super impressive in this Arc Panda knocking Toto back plus his fight with mechamaru while inumaki gets glazed over and over and over again throughout the exchange event due to the potency of his curse technique Mak even says at one point that he's on an entirely different level to the rest of them it's all super funny when you know just how hard they get outclass by the time Shibuya rolls Around but I'm getting a little ahead of myself the situation is diffused Toto goes to

this idle event and no on Maki share a nice moment surely Gregorius akutami will spend more time on this friendship flushing out their Dynamic and making us feel like these characters actually like each other so that when something happens to them God forbid in the future we cry out in pain and sadness right goo confrontation with gaka ganji is one I liked on my first Watch but I kind of hate it now the higher-ups are a joke and continue to be even within the manga only material gansi isn't technically one of the hups but he

acts on their orders so for all intents and purposes he's their stand in this season and while it makes sense that Gojo is practically immune to their [ __ ] it's hard to take someone like aanii seriously when he's barely juo level so whenever he's framed so menacingly I can't help but laugh a Little what is meant to make me laugh however and does a good enough job is M's attempt at being serious all the while internally fangirling over Gojo and the conclusion with her actually getting her selfie is neat Gojo is such a fun

and silly character when it comes to interacting with those around him so it's a real shame that we don't get to see more of the side of him the question now is how does gay transition from this episode to the next Arc a one month time Skip you see where I'm coming from 8 and 1 half back in the day 7 and 1 half today episodes 9 10 and 11 I don't like jume smes are they booing me hold on hold on hold on let me amend that I didn't really care for J on his

own back then and even now as I'm watching episode 9 I'm not entir L sold on him while I find his character and Arc compelling it just doesn't connect with me on the same level as someone like no or even nanami with that being said Jun Brings with him some of the best material of the season so I can't be all that big of a hater I love that his current situation mirrors that of Yuji whereas compared to him J is already near the bottom his friends don't have the same backbone as him his Bullies

Are Evil and even the adults in his life sit there and let it all happen to him on the contrary Yuji was a strong kid surrounded by people that like and encourage him and even the adults in his School well they were a little goofy and Yuji got along with them as well the role of sorcerer is thrust upon Yuji largely without his consent whereas with jume he takes that opportunity in order to exact his revenge after seeing what mahito does to his school's bullies jume actively seeks him out unaware and unafraid of the most

evil curse he not only follows him but attempts to learn more from him by contrast Yuji follows the light while jume drifts closer and Closer to Darkness I love this dichotomy and it's a great setup for their eventual conf ations and the reason why I like that J is in the story him on his own though I'm still not 100% sold on episode 9 is also our first introduction to nanami a former sorcerer turned salary man turned sorcerer again nanami is easily one of the most interesting and engaging characters of the series as well as

the most relatable in some ways from his jusu Sorcerers are [ __ ] gag to His design and No Nonsense attitude it's easy to see why he became a fan favorite so early on he refuses to acknowledge Yuji as a sorcerer at first but is still willing to play the role of teacher as the two set out to find mahito only to be met by to curses before fighting them though Nomi calls eug a child and proceeds to drop one of the most real quotes I've heard in a long long time you've survived multiple near-death

experiences but that does not make you An adult finding more and more stray hairs on your pillow than before your local store no longer carrying your favorite bread it's the accumulation of such small despairs that turns people into adults words to live by I've steered clear of comparisons between season 1 and two mainly because most people seem to think saying season 1 does this better than two or vice versa is a scathing indictment on whichever one is being criticized but also because Both seasons have different directors different production schedules and different teams working on them

saying outright that one is better than the other is a little foolish mini rant aside I think a big issue that plague season 2 was its awful scheduling season 1 doesn't seem to suffer from that at least not nearly as much this scuffle that eugi and N get into with mahito transfigured humans is a clear-cut example even though it's a largely Unimportant low stakes fight it's treated with a level of polish that season 2 couldn't afford to do with its unimportant fights whether it be Yuji versus the Cockroach or noata versus Hara this fight in

season one clears easily the direction is incredible with some very creative angles and shots and the animation itself is stunning Daniel Baron creates a wonderfully fluid and dynamic first half here I mean just look at the way the hair flows as well as the Clothes and Yuki yam mashida finish it up with a gnarly fighting gamees shot awesome sequence all in all with the transfigured humans taken care of nanami notices something these and Cur Spirits he contacts shoko to confirm his suspicions these are humans I actually really like this reveal and only wish they'd held

off a little longer juu loves to Blitz through its story and this is a time where I think taking some time to focus on this would be Beneficial Yuji is naturally appalled and he only agreed to become a sorcerer so that he could save people from CER Spirits even with shoko reassuring him that they were no longer alive Yuji is naturally left feeling down nonetheless nanomi proves once again what he's the out and cheers Yugi up he gives him the goal of finding jume while he goes on a mundane search for the culprit unknown to

Yugi however none of me knows exactly where to look the opposite of Love isn't Hate it's indifference this is a quote that Jee has an issue with funnily enough gig also seems to have a problem with it in the volume extras gig recounts a story where in his editor informs him that this quote was in fact not said by a Japanese person if you've only ever seen the anime this might raise an eyebrow for you in the manga J implies that this quote was from a Japanese person turns out it wasn't and the people in

G's life have made him Painfully aware of this fact so much so that in the anime version jume actually acknowledges that it wasn't a Japanese person rather a quote from someone else that has been adopted by the Japanese instead does it matter not really but I felt like making fun of gay for a moment the origin might not matter but the meaning behind the quote does is it pretty aptly describes jume at this point he doesn't really hate people at least he doesn't want to he's the one That gets bullied because because they hate him

for him to hate someone it would simply mean that he Stoops down to their level someone who hates causes pain someone who's indifferent doesn't and that's what humans should strive for but as we'll see later jume isn't as sold on indifference as he wants to be maito outright predicts this if only J knew that mjo's silver tongue was only using it from the start elephant curse in the room mahito I haven't really Talked about him all that much but I actually really like his characterization here being a young curse he acts childish experimenting with this

technique only for the sake of figuring out its limits not out of need to grow stronger rather morbid curiosity or just plain old curiosity to him I guess not only is he teaching jume all about sorcery and Cur spirits but he also imparts his own philosophy to jume a philosophy that is eily similar to That of the king of curses sukuna if you're hungry eat if you hate kill while yuji's on fine jume Duty nomy takes responsibility as the adult and goes after mahito on his own this is another great character moment for Nomi as

in episode 9 tells Yuji that he isn't an adult this isn't meant as a way to disparage Yuji rather it's nomy understanding the unfair role that's been thrust upon Yuji it's why he even tells him that it's okay to be childish Later on this mirrors Gojo sentiment that of allowing kids like Yuji to live and enjoy the best years of their lives and it's this idea that yeah yeah yeah yeah enough yapping about this topic let's talk action nanami versus mahito is the first major fight since Gojo versus suguna and oh boy is a good

outside of the questionable 3D background textures and compositing in general this fight is great on every level visually it's about what we've Come to expect from jjk at this point and towards the end Channel favorite Katan also makes his second appearance we've got smears we've got Dynamic Camera Action we've got nanami using Instant Transmission wait what jokes aside I like this confrontation Nom's No Nonsense attitude contrasts really well with mono's childlike energy maito taunts Nomi throws out dead human after dead human and despite his calm demeanor Nom's soul is wavering he came and Prepared to

kill as many transfigured humans as it takes but nanam is a good man and even he is affected using this brief moment of confusion maito is able to land Idol Transfiguration on him a few more hits and even Nomi could die from here on out maho's Idol Transfiguration is treated with the respected deserves by gig and I cannot commend him more for that often you'll see characters with busted techniques slowly get nerfed as their series goes On either characters become stronger and resist such abilities or other stronger counter abilities are introduced Giga created Idol Transfiguration

with the intention that it remains an almost instant Hill ability all the way to maho's end and he to it another aspect of the power system that I enjoy is binding valves and the give and take element of jiujitsu when I first found out the revealing one's technique is a boost and power and in Nom's case is Overtime I was truly locked in and ready to call this power system one of the best out there the idea that Nomi walks around with 80% of his cursed energy output but as soon as the clock strikes six

he can go up to 120% is just so damn cool and I only wish G kept added and gave us more Hey look it's katab what can I say other than this looks amazing the only let down is the compositing in the backgrounds this is an issue that follows the first season around through Its entirety and it really does take away from some of the most impressive cuts of Animation throughout but that's neither here nor there because we have to talk about uh Jee again I'm writing the script as I go and I fully expect

the [ __ ] on J for the entire runtime or at least that's what I expected fortunately for him episode 11 does a really good job at making me at least feel indifferent towards him kind of like Carol from The Walking Dead why the [ __ ] did she do that what is wrong with her Yuji and jume share a really nice Dynamic at this point in time jume hasn't been totally plunged Into Darkness while he aligns himself with mahito Yugi does a great job at showing him that there's good out there and that all

J has to do is learn to lean on and trust people a little more seeing his mother have a great time it puts jume at ease and after having a truthful Conversation with Yuji he's likely ready to give him a chance just like the opening suggested he goes to bed that night peacefully y be someone had left one of sua's fingers behind attracting a curse directly towards jum's mother naturally she perishes maito is the first one there consoling jume while simultaneously Fanning the fire of hatred within his heart jume is finally submerged in Darkness who

could possibly be so evil as to implant one of sukuna fingers and kill an innocent woman the only person callous enough to do such a thing at least to jume is the head boy bully Not only would he pay so too would everyone in that forsaken school before jum can go through with it Yuji arrives on the scene 7 out of 10 8 out of 10 uh 8 and 1 half out of 10 episode 12 and 13 episodes 12 and 13 are where I personally feel like Jutsu kaisen Finally hits its stride these episodes are

possibly two of my favorites in the entire series and surprise surprise they're centered around Yuji we learn here that mahito had awakened J's technique by using Idol Transfiguration on his brain and ability that Kaku will find useful in the near future armed with the shikigami and control overow poison jume lashes out at Yuji this fight is a hard watch Jupe has understandably reached his Breaking Point with every attack wreaking of desperation as he tries to put down Yuji understanding that jum is in pain Yuji barely fights back instead only focusing on reaching jume what has

happened to that cheerful kid he'd met just yesterday it's only when jume explodes at Yuji that he realizes something deeper is going on and allows jume to hears his abdomen showing him that he's willing to hear himount have I said how much I love Yuji as a character kind Shen protagonists are a dime a dozen but Yuji manages to feel very grounded and relatable in the grand scheme of things he isn't all that strong Yuji doesn't really know anything about the world that he's been thrown into and despite this he can empathize with J's pain

and try and help him he might not understand it but strong allies and teachers await them at jiujitsu Tech kind people that can help jume all he has to do is put a little faith in Yuji but as he's about To finally walk to the path of [Music] light jume was naive and trusted the wrong thing just because he and [ __ ] shared a conversation or two doesn't change the fact that to mahito all he ever was was a pawn that he could use to try and barter with sukuna he puts his arm around

jume turning him into a transfigured human and sending him after Yuji this scene was a rough watch and it's simultaneously the reason didn't Like jume but also the reason I liked Jee look let me try and explain I love this scene because of how dark brutal and helpless it is it perfectly encapsulates what juk kaisen is there is no hero moment where Yuji will save jume and jume won't awaken and fight back nor will he even continue to live as whatever he is hell he even kills over only a handful of minutes later it's also

why I don't like it though it's a very Grand moment that once again I feel Like I've been saying this a lot I wish gay had taken more time to explore I think anime wise at least another episode where Yuji gets to interact with J would have helped tremendously because while I do feel bad for jume it's hard for me to connect with the relationship between the two when they've spent one day together too long to didn't read J is a solid character and this is a fitting in Dark End for him I just wish

it was a little better though this next Part this next part is a 10 out of 10 with J transformed to a Pokémon yui's left with no options no questions asked this time all he wants from Super is for him to cure jimp and just when you think that he'll jump on that opportunity with no strings [Laughter] attached this right here is probably my favorite moment of season 1 not only is it downright evil it tells you exactly what Yuji will go through for the Entirety of the manga he's weak and because of that weakness

people will die evil curses like mahito and sukun will continue to haunt him now and forever also just props of voice actors in both the sub and dub for this scene they absolutely nail it and it's half the reason why I find the scene as good as it is 10 out of 10 The Following episode is all gas enraged by J's untimely death Yuji goes ballistic against mahito paid means nothing as he's lacerated and Bruised by maho's ever shifting form Yuji only moves forward Landing blow after blow that on the surface seemed ineffective but his

unique situation with sua allows him to directly strike at maho's Soul making Yuji maho's worst possible matchup despite his rage boost the sheer difference in strength between the two's apparent and mahito manages to use Idol Transfiguration on Yuji big mistake Gregory akami runs a much tighter ship than people give him credit For Yuji being weaker than mahito makes sense Yuji being his natural enemy makes sense Yuji being resistant to maho's technique because of sukuna also makes sense mahito gets zero diff by sukuna that makes sense wait what in the the time that it took me

to say that last paragraph sukuna had already kicked mahito away not only is sukuna the strongest in history his very soul is in an entirely different level altogether with nanami having joined the fight Maito does his best to separate the two by having Yuji fight transfigured humans knowing that he lacks the stomach now that he's aware of what they really are this episode has barely just started and it's already amazing yuji's humanity is something that gig will explore as well as push and pull to its extreme for the rest of time for now it's a

couple of brainless quarter humans and just look at yuji's face on the other front mahito is able to overpower anomy and as he Goes in for the kill with two of them locked in maito receives a beating so brutal it won't be until Shia that we get anything else like it but just as the signs of defeat begin to show fresh inspiration comes with [Music] them Mao's exponential growth has been something nanami was worried about and now his fears have become a reality as as viewers we've seen this same Progression from his experimentation on humans

him learning to set up veils just a little earlier and his constant growth within this fight itself Mao's self- embodiment of perfection was the natural next step and was done Justice in the anime I can't even begin to describe to you just how hard hands are to draw I mean go try it but honori Tanaka is just not human and is able to create this absolutely outstanding cut that features a handful of hands all in different Angles and motions and it just comes out gorgeous I love good animation and this is some great a [Music]

stuff why is it always a sad Back stories when a character faces imminent death given we know that he survives this [ __ ] you gig for the heart attack nmy story for why he even came back to jiujitsu is poignant and fantastic it paints such a real image of anomy he left the jiujitsu World Behind and Distracted himself with a job that he hated day in and day out all for money money money and more money with enough money he could live a life away from curses and other people but a random act of

kindness he does to a bakery clerk reminds him why he even was a sorcerer in the first place cures weak or strong will continue to exist and make life worse for people helping people is why he became a sorcerer and now it's the reason why he came back as We learn in Shibuya if he can foster stronger Sorcerers the mistakes of the past won't repeat and fewer and fewer young Sorcerers will end up the same way as Hiba did just as the hands of maho's domain Clos in Yuji crashes into the domain putting him s

in danger but also bringing with him true evil sukuna is an absolute treat this episode a line that was missed in the official translations of the manga and dub of the anime the Buddha saying throughout Heaven and Earth I alone am the honored one is used to reference sukuna a cool detail that I think makes this scene hit that much harder in retrospect and also makes Gojo's very own version better as well having shared a laugh at yuji's expense earlier the first transgression from mahito was easily forgiven attempting to touch sukuna Soul a second time

however once again maho's technique is rendered useless but this time sukuna didn't let Him off without injury causing his domain to fall and giving Yugi a chance to Counterattack despite the opening mahito can still make his getaway and there one good chance at getting rid of him for good is squashed there's a whole bit with the teacher that was kind of dumb and ignored J's suffering lecturing the bullies and being all like I'm going to be better because of J yada yada but to be honest I just don't really care these guys are just a

bunch of useless Summer ants and the final couple of minutes between Yugi and nomy are just 10 times more interesting after having had to kill humans yuji's ideal of giving people a proper death has been shaken up and while nanami brings up a good point that trying to give everyone good or bad a proper death is exhausting especially considering that the line between good and evil is blurred in this world he doesn't tell Yuji not to do it instead he recognizes the kind of person Than Yuji is and gives him the go-ahead so long as

Yuji makes sure not to die doing so in this very short Arc Yugi has grown as both a sorcerer and a person showing nomy that he's more than just sua's vessel and is someone that ought to be acknowledged short but effective 10 out of 10 I've Loved this episode every single time I watched it episodes 14 through 18 the Kyoto sister School exchange event part one the Kyoto sister School exchange event is the longest Arc In jujuu kaen at this point and while it technically ends with episode 21 in the anime I want to focus

on Toto and yuji's fight with Hanami in its own section as well as the you know baseball episode this Arc is something that you simply expect if you've ever seen Shonen before popularized by the likes of tagashi and the late Toriyama tournament arcs are a staple of the Shonen genre and Greg simply couldn't hold himself from including one in his own story Tashi is A master at subverting the tournament Arc Trope and it seems like gig akutami took some notes rather than it being just your average budai T kaichi style tournament The Exchange event is

more of a fortnite squads game where you're aiming to kill cursed Spirits instead of blasting away other teams in combat well at least theoretically the two schools definitely have beef so fighting between the two is a given before any fighting can be done However Yuji needs to actually be reintroduced to his friends as alive Gojo who by the way is one of the funniest characters in the show not only with the separation of church and state gag yes that would make a viral video but also with this plan to reveal yuji's aliveness to the rest

of the cast a grand re-entrance is downright necessary and Gojo will make sure of that okay maybe it wasn't that grand to be honest I fully expected this reaction From noad on megumi and I'm glad gay did it this way actually given that yuji's reveal was more of a way to SL yakui than it was to surprise the first years side note I love how seriously the anime wants us to take the Kyoto school I talked a little about ganji but the Kyoto school man you've got them framed as kind of strong with this rock

music accompanying them and the guran Lagan style cutouts just uh surely These Guys these guys right here they're strong Right I mean let's just go over where these guys are at as of the end of season 2 my fod Momo also fod KO fod mechamaru kind of a goat but dead Toto the goat but is injured miwa fought top of the verse yeah not exactly an inspiring bunch of individuals looking back at them now but when this was airing and I was watching it for the first time they looked like they could kind of cook

I guess prior to any of the actual fighting Megami asks Yuji Outright whether something happened to him Yuji is quick to dismiss megami's concerns but realizing that Megami sees right through him he admits that yeah something did happen I love this interaction and the fact that megumi in his own way is there for Yugi and vice versa is something that we'll see a lot more of throughout the manga to make sure I don't spend the next two hours going over each and every single individual episode and painstaking Detail I'll just break them all down to

their respective fights Yugi versus Kyoto School nothing to really say since it isn't much of a fight after seeing Toto's Outburst earlier at the thought of killing Yuji under gagag gangji's orders as well as miwa's hesitation I didn't really expect him to square up on Yuji ultimately the confrontation doesn't matter since he Dodges and Weaver attacks perfectly and Toto puts a stop to it before it gets any uglier if Only fighting Toto one-on-one was easier than getting jumped by five five other people Yugi versus Toto I'm just going to say this right now just like

how Yuji makes pretty much every point in the story more interesting to me Toto is the other half of that coin every single time that Toto has shown up in season 1 2 and the movie has had me on the edge of my seat and this fight this fight is no different after making eugi Dumber by a solid five IQ points and a Death Note Level mind game to find out that eugi knows his idols the all important question is asked what type of women do you like the all-important answer to go with it I

like a tall woman with a nice big ass like Jennifer Lawrence now this this is Peak I mean what can I say Toto being so clinically insane that he envisions an entirely new backstory for himself which by the way he will continue to believe for the remainder of the story it's not Even Peak it's Peak squared let me reiterate gig has stated that this only happens because Toto is weird yeah um it's currently like 6 in the morning and I'm going over the video before I upload it uh there is no gay saying this at

least from what I found there's this question here this answer I mean but the word weird just isn't used so Source it was revealed to me in a dream [ __ ] it Peak cubed unwilling to go easy on his best friend since childhood Toto serves as an excellent teacher for Yuji throughout their bout Yuji continues to impress Toto with everything from his strength to his agility and quick thinking Yuji is evolving as a sorcerer in real time Toto takes this incredibly well so much so that he's in pure ecstasy as Yuji pummels him but

once he lands Divergent fist his ultimate move at this point Toto notices something while Yugi may have the raw strength and talent he's Being capped by his lack of knowledge we can blame Gojo for that one diverent fist is a great move for Yuji both thematically and story-wise it represents his innate physical prowess rivaling that of maki's heavenly restriction while also showcasing his lack of knowledge in jiujitsu due to him being thrown into the world without warning only a couple months prior the move might allow him to reach the heights of a stronger than average

Sorcerer but to reach the realm of the truly strong he needs Toto's guidance how can you not love this fight and this brotherly Duo as a whole Maki versus miwa short and sweet this is a wonderfully animated bout that showcases monkey's overwhelming physical prowess miwa also has a great showing kind of I I love that she acknowledges her uselessness and her reasons for becoming a sorcerer in the first place are so real kind of like Nomi what I found most Compelling here is actually maki's ranking as a sorcerer in relation to her skill level which

mwa makes a note of she effortlessly weaves around the pole arm in cramped areas is resourceful enough to break her weapon in half to create an opening and also a monster in close quarters yet she remains in great four as part of her Misfortune in being a zenin surely we'll get a lot more of information and focus on the zenin clan and gargoyle K Ami won't have them show Up only for a brief moment here and there right right Maki versus ma this one isn't much of a fight ma is just outclassed in every single

way despite having a curse technique and second amendment rights Maki beats her without much difficulty even the secret seventh bullet in her sixth shooter gets blocked my versus Maki was never meant to be a flashy fight it still is because the talent that work on jjk is absolutely bongers but the real fight is the Emotional one as we find out more about Maki and M's past her hatred for Maki begins to make a little more sense M's hatred toward her sister is an irrational one but I don't think it's one directed at Maki personally I'm

cheating a little here by looking into the future of the manga to confirm but what my hated was maki's actions and the role that was forced upon her because of it being born as women in the zening clan with no inherited techniques Practically sealed their fate the only options were to either live within the clan performing chores and other duties or to leave being ever tormented by the Chokehold that the zenine in the Jutsu World Maki made her choice a choice that was true to herself her constant thirst for growth as a sorcerer and desire

to stick into the zening clan meant that Ma had to follow suit but Mai can't be like Maki and her weakness and desire to remain at the bottom is at odds with Makis causing Mai to resent her sister but again maybe I'd be cheating if I said a little more I also just love the imagery for their first flashback here and the moment of the twins crossing the bridge with Moy leading the way as she can't see curses is incredibly powerful after all if you can't see them they might as well not even be there

there Panda versus mechamaru in all honesty I did not expect to like Panda This Much from what I remembered he was an Allright character I mean he's a panda but man oh man is he great he's got some of the most consistently funny lines his punch Rush is a direct reference to Jojo's and oh my God he literally as blast me Maru at one point don't even get me started on the coolest part panda is not a panda I mean this is just so clever by gagay Panda being well panda is something that is told

to us over and over and over again it's even in his character introduction extra so to flip That on its head and reveal that it's actually a panda and two not pandas is such a fun twist that also gives panda a wide arsenal of interesting moves from the balanc stand rushing Panda form to his Goblin gorilla mode that does internal damage this fight is surprisingly well done visually it's about on par with a previous one but the added abilities that mamaru has allow for some really cool effects work that just looks fantastic speaking of Mechamaru

mechamaru stole the show for me here I must have made the joke that his voice actor plays the role so well you'd think his rent is due the next day but man he must have been 200,000 yen in death to Lone shark since day one because yoshitsugu matsuoka really puts on a show here as well matsuoka you are not in Dragon Ball you can relx it is a solid fight all in all and having Panda be the one that helps mamaru get out of his curs corpse racism Phase was a great choice not panda is

actually a panda so the ways in which humans act around each other doesn't really compute with him all Panda wants to do is get along with mamaru and meet up with the real one and when mamaru tries to push him away one last time Panda makes it pretty clear he's just a panda bro it ain't that serious this is what makes tournament arcs so enjoyable and why they've become a popular Trope the matchups that are chosen aren't and Shouldn't be done at random gokou versus Piccolo Jr goone versus I forgot to [ __ ] write

his name down oh my God what was his gone versus Hanzo Naruto versus Nei every single one of these fights has a story to tell and putting two characters that are at odds with one another is a great way of creating an exciting and fulfilling match Ponda is a cursed corpse able to walk around and enjoy life while mamaru is a human that's been forced into a life he Doesn't want confined to a basement for the rest of his life unable to spend any time with the people he holds dear his resentment towards Panda makes

sense but at the end of the day his shitty situation doesn't give him C blanch to be this much of a [ __ ] especially towards people or pandas that are on his side Panda wins the physical fight symbolizing that he also won the exchange of ideals as well no versus Momo probably and possibly the most Underwhelming fight of the series so far Momo kind of sucks and no being worried about branches and rocks being flung at her is insane when you consider what Panda just withstood a few minutes ago thankfully no speech and subsequent

squeaky Hammer bit save the fight for me when this episode dropped I think the entire anime fandom watched it and could agree on one thing it was was cool that a female character like no existed where are they all Now meami versus noritoshi Oh look a fight where a ton of cool Lor is hinted at with the zenan and K Clan surely gdaf a kutami will delve into the Eternal politics of the Jutsu World thus giving an easy way for C to be naturally included in the story going forward right Jokes Aside well not really

jokes but this fight is all right I like the jutu techniques felt a lot more grounded up to this point I mean barring Gojo and the rest of the top tiers of course like all K does here is Jack himself up with Performance inh hand answers and I remember being like damn that's actually so cool oh how naive I was they don't really get the chance to fight all that much nor do they show off their strongest techniques as their fight gets cut short by Hanami it was an all right exchange I guess now Hanami

Hanami is cool first of all never forget that inumaki pet the dog would a goat but more importantly hani's presence in this Arc is what continues to elevate it Unlike Joo or mahito Hanami has this weird eie AA to her it Z we barely know anything about Hanami leaving even us viewers to guess what their intentions and abilities even are also when Gojo calls himself great teacher Gojo I have no doubt that this is in reference to great teacher onuka fun fact G's favorite anime op is gto's second opor no yoru side note look at

the way K reacts to meami and minaki talking to each other by the way yeah me too buddy Episode 19 and 20 these are two of the big ones this season k please [ __ ] off I'll talk about your contributions in a minute picking off exactly where we last left off the ragtag team of meami inum and kamo are [ __ ] out of luck a veil has been cast that keeps away the one get out of jail free card that they've gotten Gojo and megami's iPhone XS Max gets dusted before he can even

dial Gojo the combination of meami and K's attacks can't do so much as scratch Hanami Leaving it all up to Bonito flakes himself so far into the event inumaki has barely gotten to show any of his strength his mere existence is a constant threat to the Kyoto school homi on the other hand doesn't feel that same pressure even a three-way combo isn't enough as inum maki's throat gives in first what do you mean by that Cur spee is incredibly effective against cursed spirits but when the cursed spirit is in order of magnitude stronger than you

it Doesn't take much for inumaki throat to get tired who the [ __ ] R without any allies or options left meami gears up to summon okay yeah it's mahara this time I'm not even going to try and come up with an alternative but before he can complete his Su sorry seers slide un living before meami can pull a Megami Maki makes the save and alongside playful Cloud the two begin making some actual progress in maki's hands the staff does actually a lot of damage Taking a chunk out of hmy hand and I don't know

whether this is gilbertt akutami being a foreshadowing goat or just coincidence but in the next episode Toto imuses maximum curse energy into the staff and aims for hani's weak spot the attack does noticeably less damage despite it being a more tired and weakened Hanami and the reason I bring this up is because playful cloud is the one cursed tool that scales with raw physical strength rather than cursed Energy and it's why toi makes the most use out of it compared to anyone else just a tiny observation even with mega me un an improved dog as

well as Mony physicals Hanami proves too much for the two they're in real danger of dying but Yuji and Toto make their grand entrance Yuji versus Hanami this is where Yuji lands his first black flash spoilers I think black flash is one of the coolest moves in jjk specifically because of it mostly being a luck thing that can be Done by anyone good or bad and it's this principle that Giga has kept pretty consistent throughout the story yuji's unable to use it at first due to his mind wandering and his emotions being all over the

place because of jume but a slap in the face from best brother to Toto and a small pep talk later and Yuji is in full Focus mode and is able to finally land it I love the cooking analogy Toto uses here and he continues to prove why he's one of the goats in The show crazy to think that this was only the beginning eugi and Toto versus Hanami jumping is defined as to attack or pounce upon without warning as from Ambush the act of jumping an enemy is a jiujitsu kaisen special and I can count

on one finger another fight in the series that can match the jumping received by Hanami in these two episodes eugin Toto versus Hanami is probably the fight that put Jutsu kaisen on the map and it's not a surprise that a full Featurelength movie and second season later it remains as a top Contender for best fight among fans it's got stunning animation great choreography in its hand-to-hand scenes the camera work is Splendid and even the more static moments are a treat to watch K Watanabe HS us off with undoubtedly one of his most popular cuts and

the only issue with all of his Cuts this season is the less than good compositing and backgrounds that accompany it his Drawings all tend to be super loose and fluid which went backed by a background with washy textures a lot of the Polish in his anim can get lost this doesn't make his cut specifically any less amazing I mean just look at it but it's a glaring issue of season one that I think is most noticeable in this episode the water effects look bad the background here is literally a plane with God knows what going

on there and I mean just look at some of the wood Textures on Han's branches and throughout thankfully the rest of the underlying aspects of the fight more than make up for it for starters Yugi finally calls Toto his brother Peak but also mahito and Hanami have a discussion that in retrospect perfectly illustrates and foreshadows what mahito will become and Shibuya he tells Hanami to rely more on Instinct the Instinct of a curse to kill this manifested mahito fully understanding the true shape of his soul In Shia and for Hanami enjoyment and fulfillment in battle

never felt before Boogie wogie is top tier top tier in what literally everything the name the activation the ability itself swapping abilities in Shonen tend to feel either underutilized or too overpowered to the point they get written off one way or another Boogie Woogie I think strikes a really good balance at making it strong but also Fair Toto spam the ever living [ __ ] out of it but it doesn't stop Hanami from adapting there's clear rules and conditions but Toto emits them in a clever way that works out 10 times better for jiujitsu kaisen

than it ever could in another series with abilities getting Buffs when explained Toto revealing his hand to Hanami early is what allows the later Bluffs to work flawlessly Hanami assumes that Toto is telling the truth and he is but by virtue of being truthful he's also being deceitful it's such a great Twist on the Technique that makes it feel truly unique despite it being a wildly popular choice for the Shonen genre if all Toto had was Boogie wogie I think it would make for a pretty lame reveal thank God Toto also happens to be the

smartest character in the show to boot the 530,000 IQ Galaxy brain that he possesses is a funny gag but the fact that he can actually back it all up is what really seals the deal Toto's analytical ability is in such stark Contrast to his looks and a subversion that makes him all the more interesting and don't get me started on his meth andu dream sequence where he figures out the weakness of ham curse buds it's downright ridiculous but so on brand at this point that just like JoJo's I've never once questioned it what I have

questioned however is who the hell is asking Nomi about his black flash record and then relaying it to us I know canonically it's Eno but the fact that Gay is such a Togashi Fanboy and that he'd reference Hunter Hunter so brazenly is commendable I've always found this Trope very fun it adds a certain charm and hype to Any Given sequence that's different from a simple narration regardless Nom's record of four consecutive Black Flag is tied By Yuji as he tears into hanamy a site that has Toto tear up reminding him of the other time that

his boredom got flipped on his head the time he met special great Sorcerer Yuki sukumo surely we'll learn more about Toto and Yuki's dynamic in time together Giga isn't the type to offscreen that right back against the trees hanamy charges up Toto's technique is troublesome but there is a way around it domain expand this was straight up the vine when the episode dropped and had everyone on Twitter buzzing about it but to be honest with hidden inventory making Gojo's purple The Cinematic Masterpiece that it is going back to this mess of 3D effects that kind

of mesh together was a little tough nonetheless the day is saved and all that the school lost was a handful of sukuna fingers surely there won't be a reparable damage caused by them in the future 10 out of 10 easily both times I feel like this goes without saying episode 21 filler episode I repeat filler episode okay but not really this is actually one of the most fun to watch Episodes and I've been looking forward to it since the start of my rewatch I love the inherent goofiness in it and it really gives off that

same energy as the Dragon Ball driving episode what you thought i' compare to the readily available and more fitting baseball episode from Dragon Ball super well super sucks donkey dick the first quarter is in filler at all is it mainly focuses on kaku's plan regarding Gojo and sukuna honami also almost gets done In by number one Michael Jackson fan haruta which is downright embarrassing hamy lock the [ __ ] in my guy back at the school everyone has been debriefed on the situation and asked whether the event should even continue Toto actually has some real

words of wisdom that betray his age but do a good job at hammering home that this ridiculous gorilla who thinks he went to school with Yugi even though the two of them had just recently met is somehow very Smart and well spoken and with Gojo not being a fan of the mundane and repetitive nature of Goodwill events of Christmas Past puts his hand on the scale and the schools end up having to play baseball the episode might seem fillery but it actually gets called back to in episode 23 and is a really nice bit of

writing on Gay's part the central person to focus on here is isn't actually Yugi rather it's Megami during the baseball match Megami does Everything within his power to make sure that his teammates succeed in getting their runs he bunts the ball instead of swinging for the fences and Gojo notices it's a brilliant but small piece of writing that shapes who meami is as a character for the remainder of the series thus far the rest of the episode is hilarious with some of my favorite gags both visually and otherwise the flavor text for example is so

underappreciated Mi well was saving a Mango only to have it stolen by someone a little later do we find out that my had just recently started liking mangoes Panda wants to punch a [ __ ] zebra how is that not the funniest thing ever and Toto's delusions follow descriptions as well with him and Yuji having made it to the Nationals but itadori denies this who the [ __ ] is asking these questions by the way and man Toto getting knocked out by mak's pitch only for everyone and I mean everyone laugh at his Misfortune Is

comedy gold even megami's Divine dog can be heard barking alongside everyone a great and necessary episode that help us unwind from the incredibly gloomy and intense episodes of past I only wish juk kaisen did this more often 8 and 1 half out of 10 episodes 22 23 and 24 once again we abruptly jump from one Arc to the other this time around though I don't really mind it since it's the gang going on their first group Mission since the Detention Center this three episode Stretch is incredibly strong and features some of the best elements of

jjk here and for the foreseeable future so apologies in advance for the kinjaku yapping session that awaits you this last three episode stretch to me feels like what Jujitsu kaisen is at its best the main Trio is present the Cur Spirits are the main threat the stakes feel high and the dynamic between Yuji no and megumi is at its peak these guys have so so much chemistry together and it's a Shame that this will be the last time that they all work together I understand that there's a tonal shift in Shibuya and that plays a

huge part in its enjoyment for me but I do believe that jusu kaisen as I've said many times throughout this review could have and could still benefit from arcs like this off rip the humor in episode 22 is a step up from the previous ones mainly because of Yuji and no the two are such a thorn and Megami side and no's refusal To learn these guys' names and resorting to calling them A and B is so well delivered in the anime which makes me kind of sad that I didn't talk so much about the just

absolute Stellar performances from the Japanese vas um if I started talking about everyone from sukuna to mechamaru to Yuji no I've mentioned all these little by little but man if I just spend time on each and every single one of them we would really be here all day now if instead you'd ask Me to talk about what even this episode was all about prior to me re-watching the show I think this portion would be maybe one sentence long all I could remember is that at some point there's a shot of meami sitting at top of

a mountain of people that he beat up In fairness I wasn't missing much story-wise there's a curse that's killing off people who bungee jump this one bridge and the Gang has to Scooby Do Be solved that mystery oh yeah did I Mention that megumi's sister went to the bridge at some point and is now bedridden cursed with and likely to die oops my bad the situation has completely changed and something must be done ASAP wanting to resolve the matter himself Megami sends Yuji and NOA away as he heads to the bridge despite them having been

there earlier in the day and nothing having happened Megami figures out the requirements for the curse to trigger fully expecting to do it alone He doesn't even notice noada and yui sneak up on him again these guys have really good chemistry they understand Mega me fully and will support him no matter what and when he does feel like sharing whatever is bothering him they'll be there to listen as well I love love love this Trio so much surely genas akutami will continue to further develop the cursed spirit is a wack-a-mole while annoying it seems all

too easy until kisu and ESO decide to Show up forcing noot on Yuji outside the barrier and leaving meami alone against the mole meami versus mole meami effortlessly wins what I know the meme is that Mega me is a bum but come on guys a little bit more faith in him than that meami versus special grade 2 Electric bugaloo you'd think that with a name that means blessings meami wouldn't manage to draw the short end of the stick every single time right given how outclassed he was the first time around Against the finger Bearer if

you had any hope for him when you first watch the show I commend you this finger Bearer is much stronger than the first and while meami is able to block and Dodge for a while the Gap in power is just so large that he gets knocked straight into a flashback when I said that the baseball episode was was important this is what I meant mak's decision to bunt the ball is one that can make sense and might even seem Noble but in the world of jiujitsu Sometimes being selfish is the correct move Gojo and Yuji

are characters who always swing for the fences facing each challenge headon Yuji quite literally hits a home run so I don't know how much clearer a picture gig could paint meami on the other hand is too timid so long as he's got mahara under his sleeve he doesn't really need to ever be selfish and rely on his own strength opponent too strong summon mahara opponent to weak summon mahara stubbed your toe on The same Corner 137 too many times mahara so long as Megami tries to win by dying he will never reach the heights of

satoo sukuna likely saw something similar in meami his technique is powerful and he has the talent so why did he run away from an inferior opponent it's only after these words circle megami's mind that he finally understands mahara pose no longer shall be his default state of being it's time to truly jutu that kaisen [Music] the culmination of megami's character Arc this season incomplete domain brought about at the brink of death Megami unleashes 120% of his curse technique in a scene that was more than done Justice in the anime the Music Choice has been very

strong this season when it comes to its big moments and here it's no different the triumphant music swelling as meami continues to land blow after blow he gets taken out But it's just a shadow clone newa Circle and relentlessly attack the finger bear and when he's had enough and blast the domain away a short of his victory Divine dog totality is ready to pounce right behind it the finger Bearer is vanquished and the growth that we knew meami was capable of has come full circle the rest of the episode centers around Megami and his relationship

with sumiki this flashback also recontextualizes a few things about Megami which I find pretty cool old Megami would have probably summon mahara on Yuji in episode 1 without a second thought siki's unyielding kindness was something that meami used to loathe her for but only once she was cursed did he begin to realize how foolish and immature he was being seeing Yuji fearlessly sacrifice himself over and over again because of his Pure Heart mov Megami and that's a direct result of tumi's influence on him Megami wants to Save tsumiki but he can't even after the finger

Bearer curse is defeated the curse upon suiki remains and Megami passes out from exhaustion siki's impact on Megami is something so important that I really need you guys to keep in mind going forward given that it's manga only material I won't go into Super detail but it's crazy to me that the slander meami receives given his relationship with his sister this is in big part gig's fault as he seems to be alert to Spending a little bit more time on character interactions but there's still enough there for people to at least think more critically I

fully didn't expect to like this part of the episode as much as I did but with the added context from being a manga reader this here is downright tragic Yu NOA versus kisu and ESO during episode 3 I said I'd cover noada a little later it's now later this is by far noa's best and most impressive performance to date and Likely the reason she had so much hype and hope going for her when season 2 got announced the first mission that team seven Yugi no Mega take on has them completely outclass and traumatized by the

end of the season their growth is outwardly shown by Mega me dusting the stronger finger bear with Yuji and no both beating two special grades in ESO and kisu ESO even has a maximum technique for some reason keep in mind even currently only like four other Characters have been shown to have one so these two brothers were clearly not fodder and I think that helps no's rep a little bit the fight itself is baller Yuji and NOA start off on the back foot and the two go on the run with Yuji being physically much faster

he picks her up to get the hell out of Dodge as she watches his six again their Dynamic is just so good together no is written as a very competent character and just because Yuji is the one to get them out Of there it doesn't diminish her potential for impact let alone what she's about to do to both brothers but get this it's about to get even better S Park himself directed and worked on this episode helping deliver one of the best and most memorable cuts of the season it's Dynamic it's creative and each and

every punch has weight to it and as if having the director personally come in wasn't enough kich for and as if having the director personally come in wasn't Enough kiratan teams up with Ki Fujimoto to Coke okay I'm sorry never again these two create one of the most satisfying sequences of the entire season yuj no's black flash this right here was beautiful not just visually but also for what it meant in regards to no hitting a black flash is what separates the truly strong from everyone else having no go from twig level to hitting a

black flash is a great progression for her and given The technique that she has this was the only PowerUp she needed to logically stand shoulder-to-shoulder with megumi and Yuji going into shibba given what happens to her in season 2 I still don't think that changes any of my feelings towards this scene in particular and the ruthlessness with which she brings down kisu is a treat to watch her choosing to play a game of chicken bending her life on the line remains to this day as one of the rawest moments in the series First meami and

now no both have undeniably villainous looks about in this Arc in nobody Us's case though it might not be so far off instead of turning to dust like a regular her spirit ketu's body remains ESO and kisu are whatever characters they make their appearance at the end of the show and die there on a rewatch after Shibuya it's not so black and white ESO crying for his brother leaves a much stronger impression now that we know a few things One Yugi's related to the two of them two they didn't choose to be born like this

and were Pawns in kaku's Plan Three their backstory and relationship to Kaku which I guess could be point two never mind and number four almost as important as point. one choso is related to them this won't really matter as much as far as season 2 is concerned but because of the manga choso very quickly becomes one of my favorite characters not only does ESO crying leave a strong impression on Me Yuji himself is devastated so much so that when he goes in for his final attack a narration from nanami can be heard once they land

a black flash Sorcerers temporarily enter a state athletes call The Zone Yuji goes for a punch apologizing In the Heat of battle as his fist connects the Sparks of black don't follow behind it it hurts this is brilliant Yuji isn't hurting only physically but as we'll see in a little bit he's also hurting emotionally having Black flash not trigger because of his Focus being all over the place is a really good show don't tell and I can't believe I missed it on my first watch after the dust has settled rather than it being a triumphant

Victory lap the mood is noticeably soured noada is handling the news much better than Yuji and it really highlights the differences between the two even though Yuji is the stronger sorcerer no has an aptitude for it that Yuji lacks it's here where she Opens up to Yuji about herself and the mindset that allows no to be way more Cal and collected I've gone over this in much more detail during my Shibuya review but noada only has a handful of seats in her life this is a metaphor for the amount of people that she's willing to

actually care for with their only being a limited number she chooses very carefully who she lets in people like Yuji on the other hand crash in almost Uninvited and help themselves to a seat And because there's only so many of these seats anyone non-included barely matters it's a little jaded and kind of psychotic when you consider that she uses it as a way to mercilessly kill ESO and kisu but it's powerful imagery and enjoyed it no matter the number of times I've rewatched or reread the series conversely Yugi isn't holding up well he's already had

to kill more humans than a 15-year-old ought to and their death still weigh heavy on his mind his Conviction had been to save people or at the very least give them a proper death transfigured humans or cursed objects just hadn't given him that option although it always heavy on his mind NOA does a pretty good job consoling him claiming that the two are accomplishes and together they go find megaan I won't even make my now overuse gay joke this was really really sweet and makes what happens to Yuji and noada in season 2 all that

more painful the rest of the Episode focuses on the aftermath meami doesn't want Yuji to know that sukuna fingers are resonating likely causing all this death around them nobody agrees to not tell him but don't worry sukuna has that covered needing to get one last shot in before the season ends he taunts Yuji about his goal to save people so long as he Harbors sukuna all those people that he wants to save will be in constant danger and trust me we'll see plenty of that in season 2 I mean we've Technically seen it by now

but you get what I'm saying I've talked about sukuna being the one true hater and G seems to be in agreement sukuna and Yuji will never see ey to eyes and working together ninetail style is less likely than boogie 2988 having cancer after Toto and mayay recommend maky panda [ __ ] Panda by the way how did he get in there meami NOA and brother Yuji for grade one we cut to the three of them talking about a mission I wonder if this Mission that Megami mentions is the same one that he talks about at

the end of hidden inventory when they're all in Gojo's office for the sake of the video I'm going to pretend it is so roll with it megumi's foam buzzes it's Gojo a new top secret mission that they must undertake where the previous ones were shrouded in dread and darkness this one will be better meami no and Yuji have become stronger and it's finally time for a new Dawn when I jumped on this rewatch I wasn't exactly sure what to expect Jutsu kaisen is rewatchable sure but I didn't think it would ever match something like Attack

on Titan and it doesn't don't get me wrong but that isn't to say that g akutami doesn't have a concrete vision for the story on the contrary this rewatch has shown me that for all the criticisms fair and unfair gig does know at the very least what he's doing and this has me excited for the remainder That the series as a whole has I wholly recommend you watch not just this season but both the next and the movie and if you want to hear more from me check out the hidden inventory and shiya Arc reviews

thank you for watching