Jujutsu Kaisen – 27 – Born Special

When Kuroi is kidnapped by the Star Religious Group, Amanai Riko insists on accompanying Satoru and Suguru to the exchange location. Riko is upset by the prospect that she may not be able to say goodbye to Kuroi before she assimilates. Satoru allows her to come along, and rescuing Kuroi turns out to be such a dawdle that they get to relax and have fun on an Okinawa beach.

Satoru and Suguru even give Riko an extra day on the island, simply to have fun being an ordinary girl for that much longer. The montage of fun activities is as bittersweet as it is beautiful, because all of the things we watch Riko doing will be the last time she does those things…at least in her current form. They don’t feel like death flags because we’ve already known Riko’s chosen fate beforehand.

When the four make it back to Jujutsu High and its protective barrier, it feels like a relief, right up until a katana blade slides out of Satoru’s chest. Fushiguro Touji has made his move, and he’s so goddamn good at what he does, neither Satoru or Suguru even noticed he was there until the blade was in. It’s the first time JJK fucks with our sense of security, but definitely not the last.

While it initially looks like a bad wound, Satoru assures Suguru he’s fine; his abilities offered a measure of protection as the blade was going in, and it missed his vitals completely. He tells Suguru to hurry off with Riko and Kuroi while he’ll handle Touji.

But Touji ends up handling him. With a combination of a cursed spirit familiar, incredible speed and agility, and a complete lack of spiritual energy to sense, Satoru can’t find his opponent until it’s too late. For all of his talent and immense power, it’s like he’s trying to fight smoke.

That smoke takes the form of a cloud of minor cursed spirit “chaff” in which Touji hides, only revealing himself when he’s in position to deal a much more fatal-looking slash. Then another, and another, and another. Touji had been patiently biding his time, waiting for Satoru’s senses to dull. Were they dulled by his sentimentality surrounding Riko?

On the one hand, I know Satoru is in the “present” timeline of JJK (as covered in the first season), so I know he’s not really dead. On the other hand, I’m able to suspend my disbelief in his death for the purposes of this episode. While he certainly doesn’t win his battle, he at least buys time for Suguru, Riko, and Kuroi.

They descend into chambers far beneath Jujutsu High, and the time comes for Riko and Kuroi to part ways. When Kuroi can’t hold back tears over their farewell, Riko takes her into a big hug and tells her she’s always loved her; Kuroi says the same.

Then, when Suguru shows Riko to the core Tengen-sama’s territory and gives her instructions on how to enter his realm so she’ll be protected, he also tells her she only needs to do those things if she chooses to. He and Satoru agreed that they would let her, Amanai Riko, decide if she really wanted to sacrifice herself—and be erased—by Tengen-sama.

At first Riko puts on airs like she’s come to do the very thing she was born to do. She’s always been special, to the point where special felt normal and normal felt special. Now that she’s here, facing the end of herself, she tearfully admits there’s so much more she wants to see and do and experience with Kuroi and her friends. She doesn’t want to go through with it.

Tsuguru accepts her decision and offers her his hand in preparation to leave this place. But as she reaches out to take it, she’s shot in the head, by Touji. Here I was, ready, if unhappy, to say goodbye to Amanai Riko, along with Kuroi and Suguru and Satoru. Then Tsuguru reveals that he and Satoru never intended to make her sacrifice herself, and my hope was revived.

And then JJK ripped that hope to shreds in one single heartbreaking bang, followed by the sound of Riko falling to the ground. At this point I’m not sure I care how badass a form Suguru’s revenge takes, or whether he’s just as incapable of beating or even harming Touji. Right now I’m simply gutted, and I miss Riko, the girl we met only just last week.