Jujutsu Kaisen S2 – 17 & 18

Episode 17

「霹靂-弐-」 (Hekireki -Ni-)
“Thunderclap, Part 2”

So first of all, I apologize for not being able to talk about each episode properly and bulking them up into a two-parter. Episode 17 had my jaw on the floor. But unfortunately, I got busy with work so couldn’t really blog much about it. I did see it in its weekly format though. So what what follows is my true reaction or something idk.

Much like this week’s episode, last week’s episode was the end of a two by two. And this week another one started. I’m quite advanced in the manga, so most things don’t shock me. But it’s quite enjoyable to see them get animated.

Sukuna fighting the Ten Shadows was a dynamic display of power that was simply delicious to watch. This whole fight I found myself thinking Sukuna was quite hot but then I remembered he’s a cold-blooded killer, just something about the way they made him smile and that crazy stare is just something to marble at. But you know me, always gushing on RC. The last place I should be talking about this kind of thing. However, I can’t help myself. Having Sukuna go against the Ten Shadows just added a more complex layer to him. His slashing power is just way too OP. I guess that’s something that adds layers and complexity to his character which I quite enjoyed.

It’s hard to talk about this episode because the thing that predominated throughout was the fight. I personally thought there were some shots in there that were kinda hard to read. It reminds me of something like the FF Kingslave movie. Where the action was just so over the top, the camera work had a hard time keeping along. It sort of felt like that where the action was blurry and sometimes hard to actually tell who was who and what was what on screen. But it quickly recovered.

My favorite standout moment – was seeing Sukuna envigorated by the fight, and then immediately understanding he might also have been a little bit bored. Ten Shadows powering up, and Sukuna oh yeah – whatever. Sitting atop the stoplight – only for him to move his arm and stop the attack like it was nothing. I couldn’t help but shout. Dam – he’s already bored! Which is something that makes him all the more interesting. It’s like Sukuna has ADHD and is looking for that next dopamine hit.

In the end, Sukuna opened his domain but spread fire and caused a massive explosion. During this couple of moments, the BGM went from high octane to creepy and it was just really well done. Leading up to a massive explosion akin to something like a god. There was this moment where they did actually compare him to one. Like a painter using colors in the air. Just so good!

Oh yeah – the episode ends with Sukuna having to relinquish control back to Itadori, but only doing so after leading him to the final impact site where all the people underground were basically eradicated because of Sukuna’s domain. And so on and so forth. Our poor boy was on the brink of suicide but managed to pull it together. After all, it wouldn’t do much good either way.

Episode 18

「理非」 (Rihi)
“Right and Wrong”

A moment of silence, please…

I already knew what was going to happen with Nanami, so there really wasn’t much of a surprise there. But still, I liked how they adapted this moment, giving him a moment of pleasure at the beach, before finally killing him off. Furthermore, they added some depth to his character by showing how compassionate he is towards others and not allowing himself to become a curse. And then he was offed by Mahito. Further adding just how much we truly hate him. Nanamin has become a cultural daddy among the fans ever since that scene with the blond boy. So having him off is hard on everyone, including me.

It’s hard to say but it feels like this death was justified in a way to fuel Yuji’s rage, and even more so, his own ego. As he pushes even further now wanting to prove himself to be a true Jujutsu Sorcerer. Turns out Yuji doesn’t have any CE and his fists are only a product of that energy lagging behind. Still – that doesn’t mean he is not something to be feared with.

The second half of the episode was exhilarating, Yuji has no fear and goes straight towards his target ready to attack. Mahito points out a good detail as Yuji seems to have a lot of empathy for stray souls. Mahito mentions that it’s simply not possible to give each and every single one a name and pray for them, give them a name, and realize they once were human, including himself. It’s a good point because in reality it’s all just Jujutsu and there’s really nothing you can do about it. You either accept it how it is and start using this power to your advantage or get left behind and become one of them. It might be a moment that shapes Yuji into a character he is yet to become.

Let’s not forget this week was a two-parter, next week we get the conclusion to this episode and hopefully, everyone at MAPPA is okay. Remember to drink water and get some sleep. The love for the craft is really starting to show. Seriously JJK has not stopped since it first started airing and god dam it’s beautiful.

Another great fight and another great episode. Can’t wait for more!

Full-length images: 36.

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