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?
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