Welcome all, the the finale of Jujutsu Kaisen’s Hidden Inventory arc! We’ve been talking about what makes Suguru become a villain for a month now, and it’s finally time to see what Jujutsu Kaisen comes up with. Here’s a hint: It’s pretty damn good. So let’s jump in!
Now in case it wasn’t obvious, as an end of an arc I really liked this episode. I think Jujutsu Kaisen wrapped everything up really well, tying up most of the loose threads. There was even a small bit at the end to tie us back into the present-day story, which I appreciated. The production especially was fantastic, with some really evocative shots. I’m not talking about incredible sakuga or anything, I mean that the episode was well shot and well framed. The way Jujutsu Kaisen communicated just how exhausted Suguru is was fantastic. From his tired eyes, posture and unkempt hair to that one scene in the showers. Even before he broke, before that final moment, you could tell how much all of this was weighing on him, driving him closer and closer to that edge. Honestly, just like the rest of the arc, it looked great.
Getting into the details, I already said I really liked Suguru’s progression in this episode. While Riko didn’t break him, she definitely cracked the dam. Her loss took away a lot of the joy he had in the job, opened his eyes and made him question what exactly it was he was fighting for. This then caused all of his future assignments to start wearing him down, bit by bit. His cursed technique especially, consuming and controlling cursed spirits, made him particularly susceptible to it. Like he says, no one else really understands what a cursed spirit tastes like. Just how vile and disgusting they truly are. They have to fight them sure, but they don’t really have to confront them the same way he does. This of course feeds into his growing perception of curses and those who cause them.
Enter Yuki Tsukomi, the woman who trained Toudou, and who single handedly put Suguru on his path of genocide. Not intentionally of course, I doubt she’s that evil, but she certainly planted the idea in his head. The idea that if they could just rid the world of curses, either through training everyone to control their cursed energy or taking it at away, then the world would be at peace. But those aren’t the only ways. If all you need to do is create a world of trained sorcerers… then why not just remove all the non-sorcerers? That’s the conclusion Suguru comes to, the seed of idea, even if it’s one he isn’t fully willing to accept just yet.
Still, he isn’t broken quite yet. Just straddling the line, unsure of which road to take. And every little thing, such as the death of his junior, Haibara, pushes him one step closer towards genocide. Every little loss, another straw on the camels back. And what inevitably breaks it? The mistreatment of two young girls, small children, by a village full of non-sorcerers. Even after dealing with their problem, after saving them, they refuse to see the truth and apologize for what they’ve done. It’s this casual hatred for his kind, for children of all people, that makes him snap. So he just… kills them all. Every single one of them, 112 I believe, becoming a criminal to the Jujutsu world. On one hand, you can’t help but root for the guy, saving these kids. On the other hand… we know where this leads for him.
On top of all of that, I also thought the way Jujutsu Kaisen had Gojo react was great. How Suguru came back afterwards and was totally chill with him and Shoko, both Sorcerers and thus not the target of his hatred. The way Gojo confronts him, saying his plan is impossible, only for Suguru to refute it saying “It’s possible for you“. Of course it is, and Gojo couldn’t refute that, because Gojo knows just how cracked he is. And if it’s possible for Gojo, who’s to say it isn’t possible for anyone else? They would just need to become as strong as him, a level already known to be attainable. It’s almost like Gojo’s awakening showed Suguru just how much was possible making him, in a twisted way, partly responsible for this. He obviously isn’t, this is Suguru’s decision, but Gojo still might think he is.
So yeah, all in all that was just a really good episode of Jujutsu Kaisen. I’ve long held that endings are the most important part of a series/arc. They are the last taste you are left with, the final experience you have, and will inevitably color your memories of a story. So for Jujutsu Kaisen to give us such a strong finale after such a well made arc is just… It’s probably the best 5 episodes of the entire show for me. And it’s going to make the next three weeks as we wait for the next arc to start so much harder to sit through. Like I get it, take this time in the schedule to make it amazing. I’m all for healthier schedules and waiting if it makes a better final product. I’m just, for the first time in a long time, excited about a Shounen adaptation.
