Forum - View topicJujutsu Kaisen (TV + movie) (w/ index).
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ACｘS
 Posts: 880 |
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1-13:
Whew, just finished marathoning this show. It doesn't happen that often, but this is one of those cases where a show that made some waves flew completely under my radar. Luckily, it's only one cour long before a mini-hiatus kicked in (don't know why but never mind). That gave me a lucky break to catch up before the second cour takes place. To sum up what I think about the show: I like it. No, I love it. To me it's horror shounen, a subcategory of the shounen genre but with horror elements (another prime example of this in recent memory would be Demon Slayer, I guess). That alone is refreshing, even if by being shounen it has all the tropes and bad habits. Productions of MAPPA usually doesn't capture my attention. Their titles don't really stand out of me, so I usually give them a pass without batting an eye. Jujutsu Kaisen however, made me stand up and take notice. After watching a few episodes, I understood why. To date, this is perhaps the most entertaining MAPPA production I've ever watched. Slick shounen action series that never lets up. But a few things stand out about this series, especially as a shounen title. For one, it has own distinctive sense of style. It's cool. Not trying to be cool, but just cool. Many shounen shows just tries to be something they're not, particularly when it comes to trying to be stylish. Jujutsu Kaisen pulls itself off really well, without trying too hard (more on this later); it just feels like it's comfortable under its own skin. And if a show is comfortable with itself, then I as an audience feel comfortable watching it too. Speaking of trying too hard, another thing that works amazingly well: its humor. Many shounen series are blatantly guilty of one thing: trying to be funny. Many are trying too hard (I'm looking at you, My Hero Academia). Others are simply pathetic at it (I'm condemning you, Fire Force). This series however, has a sense of humor that never grates on my nerves and I realized why: it doesn't takes itself seriously. It does, but not all the time. Like Gojou, it knows exactly when to switch off and chill. The brand of humor here is the witty type where the jokes stem from each character's own personality. Itadori and his reckless disregard for mannerisms. Gojou and and his rebelliousness for authority, and knack for making people tick. Their gags gel well with their juvenile demeanor so it felt natural; these are likable and goofy characters without too much teenage angst, and all of them are able to chill. And so, I can chill too. Long story short, this show is just entertaining to watch. Even if it has the same hackneyed formula for shounen—a central motif (i.e. the pact between Sukuna and Itadori), a selfless protagonist (who puts others before himself because... his late grandpa asks him to, and is incredibly strong? Still having a hard time having him as the lead character), a brooding and emo counterpart, a sinister villain(s), school sports competition—but I can see how the show's having a blast. I'm having a blast too. 14: Sports competition. Of course! What shounen series involving some school wouldn't have one. It's not a shounen series without one, is it. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2842 |
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#15
Who would have though having the same taste in women would be so decisive? As shallow as Toudou is, it is much better having him as a friend than switching on his full-blooded kill mode. Itadori like the others has no idea what's with the musclehead with the odd hairstyle, but if it means he's taught techniques to improve his fighting capability and make him stronger, he'll put up with the eccentricities. The Tokyo students caught on quick. Although the senior students don't know Itadori as well as his year mates, they still see him as one of their own and are not keen on seeing the Kyoto principal get his own way. Action so far has been good. It's still over the top and easy on the eyes. It's not over yet, since there are multiple matchups in place and they'll be playing out over the next few episodes. The last comic sketch gives a hint that Miwa's crush on Gojou Satoru isn't necessarily one-sided. Gojou's probably saying it in jest, but she registers enough in his brain for the name to stick she'll feel more confident on her chances. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 880 |
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15:
The goofiness is too infectious. I'm sorry, I know I'm supposed to feel hyped up by this episode. But instead, I find it all too hilarious, but in a great way. Like I said before, the show never takes itself too seriously (when it doesn't need to), and I just personally like the kind of humor here. Like Toudou's question towards Itadori, for instance. See, Toudou questioning Itadori about his type of woman was bound. Itadori's answer was bound to happen, too. We all could see this coming from a mile away (including me). And yet, when the answer rolled off Itadori's tongue, Toudou's response was priceless. That's the kind of comedy I have to give props to: one where I know what's coming, yet I still find it hilarious. Jeesus, even Toudou's "CHIGAU" man-cry was amusing. Toudou and Itadori are just meant for each other, you know: two simple, brutish knuckleheads who only knows the way forward. Sparks were meant to fly when they clash. Miwa... I like her. Goofy too, but in a oddly pragmatic way. Like I said, the goofiness is infectious. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2842 |
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#16
It looks like Itadori is going to spend the rest of the group battle training with Toudou. Assuming he survives the training, he'll come out of it much stronger since he'll understand the advanced techniques of cursed energy and can apply it straight away because of his physical talents. On the flip side, it switches the focus to the other duels which will decide how this group battle will end. This week features Panda vs. Mechamaru. Viewers have only seen glimpses of what Panda is capable of, this week we get to enjoy the full works. It's surreal seeing Panda as a "toddler", but this toddler has too many tricks up the sleeve. On paper, this should have been a win for Mechamaru, but Panda is more than just a puppet which can punch. Ultimately underestimation of Panda's abilities and Panda's own analysis of the opponent earn the upset win. Next week should be Miwa vs. Maki while Nobara will take on Mai's biggest fan. Maki should win, but Miwa's not as average as she looks. Nobara on paper can't beat her opponent, but we haven't seen what she's capable of since her seniors trained her for this event. Either way, lots more action to come with Itadori away from the spotlight for now. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 880 |
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16:
Panda is Po if he were in an anime. BEST BEAR. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2842 |
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#17
More battles. Maki vs. Miwa vs. Mai, as well as Nobara vs Momo. At the end of it, it's one representative from each side out, but strategically it depends on whether Momo can still use her broom after Nobara used her straw doll technique on it. If she can't fly, then the Kyoto school can at best fight for a draw by eliminating all of the Tokyo participants since they've lost their only means of detecting the roaming spirits. Miwa strangely enough is not out of the competition, probably because she's still physically able albeit unarmed. The Zenin sisters live under a stereotypically hidebound traditionalist family, so it's no surprise they get the short end of the stick when an accident at birth deprives them of the conventional progression of life as members of said family. The different approaches each twin takes reflects their personalities; Maki got fed up with her lot and decided to show her arrogant family what she's capable of, while Mai was resigned to hers but had to join the same path as her older sister despite her wishes. Mai gets more sympathy as a character after this episode; her distasteful personality is explained somewhat by circumstance and it's clear she's not completely obsessed with hatred over Maki. Curiously enough, next week's episode isn't a continuation of the group battle even though it's a matchup between the remaining unfeatured contestants from each side. This should also be interesting since both sides are scions of old exorcist clans and have very different approaches to Itadori Yuuji. On paper Fushiguro Megumi is outclassed, but he's someone Sukuna is interested in because he has a trump card which he has unwilling to use despite its power. If he deploys it in the upcoming duel, would it turn the tables? |
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ACｘS
Posts: 880 |
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17:
Dealing with themes that's heavier than usual (for a shounen series, no less). Gender bias. Damn, I didn't think a show that's frilly for many part would deal with a theme of societal relevance. Curses aside, it's a clash of personality as well: evident from the childhood flashback, Maki's always been the stronger one compared to Mai so it's not surprising to see what eventually happened that led to the fallout between the two. It sheds a lot more light on what kind of person each is: as caring as Maki can be, first and foremost she's single-minded. Once she's made up her mind, whether it's being fed up by her clan or proving someone wrong, she's going to go for it, even at the expense of leaving her sister behind. Mai, as bitchy as she seems, is more vulnerable than what I thought. Tempting to conclude that her bitchiness is a defensive front she puts on, which is essentially different from Nobara's who's brimming with self-esteem. I feel sorry for Mai; regardless of circumstance, seeing your twin sister leave you behind really sucks. The aesthetics in this episode is particularly fantastic, I would add. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2842 |
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#18
Finally the two representatives of the exorcist clans face off. Fushiguro has a difficult opponent to face; equally good at range and superior to him at close quarters with help from the boost provided by the innate ability. Obviously the training Fushiguro had with his seniors helped; they improved his ability to fight at close quarters sufficiently to allow him to hold off the assault. After that, it was Fushiguro's turn to take the upper hand before the entire set-up of student duels set up over the last few weeks is completely overturned. Gakuganji really took his intentions to finish off Itadori seriously. Going so far as to summon a higher-grade curse than the competition parameters and giving the leash to the Kamou heir to use soon after Itadori is theoretically weakened from fighting Toudou was a good plan, but he didn't expect his plan to go up in smoke thanks to Hanami and co. Not sure what he's capable of with his electric guitar, but if he's more than just talk and tradition the unnamed blacksmith/curse-user is going to be in for a nasty surprise. Viewers might remember the first episode when Jougo and the others were discussing their future plans. Looks like those plans have come into fruition. Hanami, Mahito and an as-yet unidentified curse-user take the stage. Speaking of Hanami, there were plenty of videos on Youtube showcasing what happens to her original speech when it's played in reverse. Looks like the people in charge of the subtitles either read the source material or watched those videos, since they finally managed to add words to the speech. They didn't have to do it long, since it appears Hanami figured out to transcribe the speech directly into the recipients' heads and in a way that's finally comprehensible to viewers. Looking at the next episode, it appears Itadori and his best friend are STILL sparring despite what's going on. I wonder what the next week's episode title is about, probably something specific to this series since those two characters aren't normally used together. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 880 |
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18:
You know what, I'm not surprised. No. I'm not surprised that this East Conference vs West Conference is abruptly interrupted. It would be too conclusive for an ongoing rivalry, so the villains had to crash the party. Because you know, this whole royal rumble is just a plot device (like every other royal rumble in every other shounen series). It's not about who wins or who loses; it's about them participants duking it out while settling their personal problems with each other. Cathartic counselling, that's what. So of course, the baddies had to rain on the schools' parade. They're doing what their roles define them to do, and all the students are still the good ones. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2842 |
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#19
Can't go wrong with this series for entertaining action spectacles. It's the gift that keeps on giving each week with no sign of it relenting. Hanami is too much for even the combined forces of Kamo, Fushiguro and Inugami. The latter is supposed to be extremely dangerous because of his speech powers, but it appears they take a heavy toll on his body each time they are used, especially against enemies far superior to him. The other two can't do anything except inflict minor injuries, much like water against magma rock. One thing viewers are finally revealed is how Fushiguro is able to manifest weapons seemingly out of thin air. Turns out he is, he figured out how to create a shadow to serve as an infinite storehouse of weapons. So long as he's able to use his powers, he can draw anything out of the storehouse to use depending on the situation. He'll have to thank Maki for this, since she gave him the idea last season. Finally Toudou and Itadori take the stage. The former was content to see the latter die had he failed to unleash the Kokusen technique that features in the episode title. Thankfully the series explains what this technical term is, it appears in addition to Toudou, Nanami and Gojou are also capable of using the technique. It's quite iffy, but doing it just once is a huge powerup for those skilled enough to pull it off. Now that Itadori has succeeded, he can work with Todou to either take down Hanami (unlikely) or buy enough time for the teaching staff to arrive. Speaking of teaching staff, the blacksmith who was hoping to fight Gojou has somewhat macabre plans for Gojou's remains should he win. He'll need to kill Gakuganji first, so that battle might well be on the cards for next week or afterwards. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 880 |
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19:
Toudou is BEST FRIEND. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2842 |
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#20
A surprising end to the competition. The duel between Toudou, Itadori and Hanami continues for most of the episode before it abruptly ends with no clear winner. Gakuganji and the blacksmith were just getting warmed up too. The attacks were just a distraction to infiltrate the storeroom and claim the fingers, although it's unclear if Gojou removed the veil at the same time Mahito claimed the prize. The episode title doesn't refer to Toudou, it's really about Gojou Satoru. Viewers probably guessed it, but the flashy way he decided to end the incursion really warrants the moniker. Toudou Aoi might act like an eccentric egoist, but he's a lot more cunning than he looks. Figuring out the bud attack in 0.01s isn't something anyone can just do. Violent from a young age, we're not given further detail about the sorcerer biker who called out to him. Same question he poses everyone else he meets for the first time, so must have been a big influence. Gojou Satoru will probably figure out how Itadori got stronger, so more challenges will be prepared for Itadori for his training. However, it appears the next phase of the school get-away is going to fun for the North and Central American viewers in addition to the home audience and Taiwan. Everyone else will have to put up with the unfamiliar sport while it lasts, although it should be fun since this series being what it is won't let a mundane team sport stay as it is. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I don't know how it might have worked in the manga, but the jump position swaps looked really good in motion. A really cool fight to watch.
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ACｘS
Posts: 880 |
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20:
TOUDOU IS BEST CHARACTER. 
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23769 |
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I'm curious about that woman Toudou met as a third grader (after beating a high schooler to a pulp.) Only 4 eppies left, dammit!
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