Jujutsu Kaisen – 47 (S2 Fin) – World of the Future

It seemed like Tsukumo Yuki had come to save the day, but she only buys a little bit of time, which turns out to be pointless, as “Getou” has already accomplished everything he needs to implement his grand scheme. Yuki still wants to rid the world of cursed energy, but “Getou” wishes to optimize it. That means changing the world into one big cursed energy laboratory.

Using the Idle Transformation he just gained by absorbing Mahito, “Getou” remotely changes two types of non-sorcerers (those with cursed techniques and those who have consumed cursed objects) into sorcerers, dramatically shifting and complicating the balance of power. He’ll have these two group kill each other so he can learn more about cursed energy.

“Getou” asks Yuki to consider that he just unleashed a thousand malevolent Itadori Yuujis. In any case, even he cannot predict the chaos that will ensue, which is the whole point. Even though Yuuji and the others are freed from Uraume’s ice thanks to Chousou’s poison blood, there’s nothing for them or Yuki to do.

“Getou” tells Yuuji, Sukuna’s vessel, he has high expectations for him; he then declares that the world of the future will turn back the clock to the Heian period, which in this universe was the golden age of jujutsu. After unleashing a horde of cursed spirits, he snatches up the Prison Realm with Gojou still inside, and slinks away.

What follows is a montage (or if I’m less charitable, a slideshow) documenting the non-sorcerer world’s reactions to the Shibuya incident. There’s a power vacuum in Japan, but those still ostensibly in charge are going to reveal the existence of cursed spirits.

Jujutsu sorcerers like Yuuji were trained and sworn to protect the ordinary people from cursed spirits, but now there aren’t enough sorcerers to go around. As such, ordinary individuals, groups, couples, and families going about their lives are now potential targets at any moment. It’s hunting season.

These developments really kick up the bleakness level of a season that was nothing but devastating losses for the “good guys.” When a little girl who is apparently on her own is chowing down in an evacuated store, she’s beckoned by a cursed spirit to run outside.

This girl’s reaction is almost serene as the immense monster that nearly swallows her whole is killed by a sorcerer with a katana. That sorcerer is Okkotsu Yuta, and while he’s not precisely the cavalry, he’s not about to let a little girl die on his watch.

Title cards lists five new declarations from Jujutsu HQ: Getou’s death sentence is reinstated, Principal Yaga is sentenced to death, Gojou is exiled from jujutsu society, Yuuji’s death sentence is reinstated, and Yuta is dispatched as Yuuji’s executioner.

These announcements could have been made with visuals, but weren’t; I can’t tell you if this was an intentional creative choice or made out of necessity due to the tight studio deadlines that have plagued the whole season. All I know is it feels like the latter, and that’s not great.

In fact, from the moment “Getou” leaves Yuki, Yuuji and the others in the lurch, this entire episode felt like an extended preview for a confirmed sequel. My three and a half star rating is a product of my mixed feelings about this episode. It was wonderfully bleak, unrelenting, and at times downright creepy. But it was also little more than an ellipsis when I was hoping for more closure after twenty-three weeks.

Jujutsu Kaisen – 46 – Who’s the Boss?

Before getting back to “Getou” interrupting Yuuji’s defeat of Mahito we check in with other parties still breathing after this ordeal: Kusakabe and Panda (now in Gorilla Mode), Meimei, who is in Kuala Lumpur with Ui Ui telling a friend to divest from Japan, and Chouso is skulking in some subway crawlspace.

Yuuji’s plan is very direct, and dumb: Run as fast as he can towards “Getou” so he can punch him really hard. This doesn’t work, because “Getou” is too clever, and has all of Getou’s tricks up his sleeve, including cursed spirits that make Yuuji think he’s falling into a massive chasm that doesn’t exist.

“Getou’s” battle with Yuuji is suddenly interrupted by Mahito trying to grab him. Instead, “Getou” turns Mahito into a tangle of ribbons that are absorbed into a glowing orb “Getou” identifies as Uzumaki, a Supreme Art that enables him to compress many spirits into one dense attack. In the time it takes “Getou” to explain all this, he and Yuuji are surrounded by members of Kyouto Jujutsu High. The cavalry has arrived.

After Momo gives the signal, Kamo and Mai unleash their ranged attacks, while a Kasumi who just may have revenge on her mind comes in close with her sword. “Getou” shatters her blade, and prepares to unleash Uzumaki on her, but she swept away to safety at the last moment by Kusakabe, Utahime, and Momo. Kamo and Panda prepare to press their attack to get Gojou back.

The battle is interrupted unexpectedly once again, this time by Chouso. Under the influence of those weird grainy dreams of halcyon days that never were, he declares Yuuji his little brother and swears to protect him. He also enlightens everyone by identifying the entity within Getou’s body: one Kamo Noritoshi.

No, not that one; apparently another Noritoshi who was disgraced and would be 150 years old. He’s been extending his life by taking Getou’s body, and there’s every indication Getou wasn’t his first host and he’s a lot older than 150. Chouso unleashes the full power of his blood manipulation, unfazed by the arrival of Uraume, who is apparently on “Getou’s” side as well as Sukuna’s.

Uraume uses ice-based techniques to freeze everyone in place, but Yuuji isn’t affected (probably due to Sukuna) and frees Chouso. Momo, who was airborne, joins them, but Uraume simply uses a even more powerful ice technique to immobilize them.

They would be goners were it not for the timely arrival of one more player: a woman we haven’t seen since the Star Plasma Vessel arc: Tsukumo Yuki. If she’s confident enough to blow “Getou” a kiss, she must be pretty powerful. We’ll see how she and the others fare against him.