Kimizero – 07 – Not Too Much and More than Enough

Ryuuto has a lovely dream where he’s living on the beach with Runa, only to wake up to find he’s actually living the dream. He also works with her at her Uncle Mao’s beach café, and studies while on break.

When two tanned beach bums hit on Runa, he comes to her rescue without being aggressive or possessive. He’s acting because he knows Runa, and can tell she’s not comfortable chatting with these pushy guys. When he does step in, she makes clear to them she already has her beau.

Runa marvels at Ryuuto’s work ethic as he studies, and is sure he’ll get into a good college, but Ryuuto isn’t so sure. This sparks discussion about futures. Runa knows Nicole is planning to become a certified manicurist and her other friend wants to get into fashion design.

Runa declares her high school goal of finding someone like Ryuuto has already been achieved, so in her future she wants a lovey-dovey husband and lots of kids. She asks if it’s “too much,” but Ryuuto assures her it isn’t. Knowing she’s thinking about them so seriously, Ryuuto resolves to work hard towards that future.

When they learn they’re out of potatoes, Runa and Ryuuto head to the store together, and carry groceries back while holding hands.  Helping with dinner and the dishes afterwards, Runa can’t help but think they already feel like a married couple.

It’s a super cute and cozy situation, so when Maria learns from her mom that Runa and Ryuuto are in Chiba with Granny, my heart skipped a beat. Thankfully, Maria exhibits a measure of emotional growth by not heading to the beach to be a third wheel.

At the same time, Runa regrets not coming to Chiba last year, since it meant when Maria transferred to their school and their class, it was the first time she’d seen her in two years. She doesn’t like the rift that’s formed between them. Ryuuto says that Maria likely needs some more time and distance

That said, when the new terms starts, Runa resolves to become, if not Maria’s sister again, at least become her friend. She asks Ryuuto to join her in making friends with her. We’ll see how that goes. Then Uncle Mao comes home with Runa’s phone and she and Ryuuto do an adorable Tik-Tok together.

To his surprise, Ryuuto is paid well for his part-time work at the café, and Uncle Mao advises him to buy Runa a nice two-year anniversary gift. Something at the stalls catches his eye, and he returns home to find Runa resplendent in her yukata for the summer festival.

They do all the usual festival things: goldfish scooping, pigging out on festival fare, playing games. Ryuuto asks more than once if Runa’s feet are okay, which may just be the first time I’ve heard a guy ask a girl that in an anime! He’s just trying to be diligent, as this is his first time walking with a girl in yukatas, and his first time at a festival since grade school.

As they near a shrine, Runa’s spirits gradually sink, and when Ryuuto asks what’s up, she starts to cry: she’s happy Ryuuto is experiencing all of this for the first time, but hates how none of the stuff they’re doing is the first time for her. It’s enough to make her want to wipe her memory.

Ryuuto comforts her by telling her how much she’s shared with him these past two months, and even if she’s experience something with someone else, she can still feel something new and different when experiencing it with him. Then he presents her with a moonstone ring—the very ring she wanted, and tells her there are plenty of things they can do for the first time together.

With that, they cozy up to one another, as people who like each other do, and enjoy the fireworks from a perfect spot, and share a kiss. Runa expresses how happy she is, and how if things keep going well she can definitely see herself wanting to make love to him.  These kids have survived a twin sister interloper and two attempts at photo sabotage … I’m sure they’re going to be just fine!

Jujutsu Kaisen – 41 – My Neighbor Mahoraga

First, I wanted to address the fact that Studio Mappa has been running its animators absolutely ragged and not paying them what they deserve. I’m joining the chorus of viewers and fans in calling for more realistic deadlines and better pay for the staff of massively talented but massively overworked creatives. If that means longer delays between episodes and seasons, so be it. We can’t have animation houses full of Akiras from ZOM 100.

With all that said, what an amazing episode of television this was, especially when it’s likely it was still being drawn hours or even minutes before it aired in Japan, which is just nuts. One fine sunny day, Gojou basically told Megumi that he had the potential to beat him someday, if he was ever able to subjugate the most powerful shikigami in his Ten Shadows repertoire.

That shikigami’s name is Eight-Handed Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga, and this week, stalked and bloodied by Shigemo Haruta, Megumi summons him as a last resort, promising Shigemo that he’ll die first. It’s pretty clear Shigemo is no match for Mahoraga, but when Sukuna arrives fresh off his win over Jougo, he tells the virtually unconscious Megumi that he still needs him for his plans, so he can’t let him die.

That means Sukuna must defeat Mahoraga, which is no easy feat. Every attack Sukuna throws at him, Mahoraga adapts, becoming faster, stronger, and even growing to kaiju size. It must be said that Sukuna looks like he’s having the time of his life fighting Mahoraga, which tracks since he rarely goes up against someone who puts up a fight. Jougo, for all his smoldering flames, was a pushover by comparison.

As the battle progresses and gets more and more insane, buildings crumble to the ground and large swaths of innocent bystanders are massacred. This culminates in Sukuna using his domain expansion, Malevolent Shrine, which is different from other domains in that it doesn’t create its own space, but exists in the regular physical world, thus increasing its range.

In this domain, Sukuna is able to unleash enough attacks in quick enough succession to outpace Mahoraga’s adaptation. Mahoraga perishes in a cataclysmic explosion that creates a huge expanse of nothingness where Shibuya once stood. When Sukuna returns to the ground, a cowed Shigemo is overjoyed to have survived, but even he ends up slice up like a Christmas ham. I won’t miss him.

Sukuna leaves the battered Megumi he saved with Ieiri, then withdraws back into Yuuji, telling him to “savor” the rush of memories of everything Sukuna did when he was in control. Yuuji is overwhelmed with grief and guilt as all of that hideous imagery washes over him and causes him to vomit.

He then resolves to keep fighting; otherwise he’s nothing but a mass murderer. I think he’s being a bit harsh on himself. He’s a good kid, and what Sukuna did while in his body wasn’t something he could have controlled, or even been expected to control. He was caught up in what happens when any system relies on one person (Gojou) to maintain balance.

That said, with presumably no hostages left alive after Sukuna’s battles, this “Shibuya Incident” has devolved into a complete and unmitigated disaster. The only “wins” that can really be derived are that Yuuji, Megumi, and Nobara are still alive, and most of Tokyo still stands…but for how long?