The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Episode 11, currently streaming on Crunchyroll
I’m gonna start by saying how sad I am that there is only one episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Cour 1, left. The Culling Game is everything I want in an anime adaptation from my favorite manga of all-time. Greedily, I want it all. I want it now. Given how much controversy Studio MAPPA saw the past, I know I have to be less greedy.
I don’t want animators working themselves to death for my entertainment. Considering MAPPA’s delivery on some of the finest animation of the last year, I will content myself with everything they’ve already given. Between JJK S3, Chainsaw Man’s Reze Arc, Hell’s Paradise S2, and Dorohedoro S2, MAPPA is the undisputed powerhouse of the last year.
As Jujutsu Kaisen speeds toward its final episode of Season 3, Cour 1, we’ve met lots of new characters. Even while missing those we’ve lost, (NANAMIIIIIIIIIIN!) there have been some outstanding newbie sorcerers. I have so much to reflect on for my full-season thoughts next week. For now, let’s take a talk about Megumi Fushiguro coming into his freaking own in JJK Episode 11, Tokyo Colony–Part 5.
Megumi Is the Undisputed Boss of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3
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Across the last two seasons, Jujutsu Kaisen focusing on Megumi Fushiguro‘s potential has often been heartbreaking. He cares about Yuji Itadori, much to his dismay at times. Sadly, he can’t help comparing himself to his classmate and friend. Yuji steps into jujutsu society fresh off the street, and then quickly surpasses Megumi with almost no training. And it’s not just because he ate Sukuna’s fingers. Yuji has unreal strength and potential that only seems to grow more powerful by the day.
When Gojo lectures Megumi about sacrificing himself for the sake of others in JJK Season 1, the lesson definitely lingers. Being a team player is certainly admirable, but as Gojo points out, it’s not what lifts a sorcerer to the next level. Whether it is Gojo’s advice, or something else, that encourages Megumi to separate Reggie Star and his group, it’s a solid plan.
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Leaving Fumihiko Takaba to handle Hazenoki, Megumi can focus his full attention on Reggie Star. And he definitely needs all of his mental faculties to pull off his incomplete Domain. Leading Reggie into the gymnasium, so can contain Chimera Shadow Garden, is genius. Though, it almost becomes another opportunity for self-sacrifice.
Gojo Sensei would definitely lecture him about that, if he weren’t so… sealed.
Jujutsu Kaisen Doesn’t Shy Away From Deadly Techniques
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Before I start talking about how Megumi Fushiguro almost crushed himself inside his own Domain, let’s pause. Look up and to the left. Now, tell me that that screencap of Megumi isn’t the spitting image of Toji. When he makes this face in Jujutsu Kaisen Episode 58, I feel like Gojo at the end of “Hidden Inventory/Premature Death.” The Zen’in genes are strong in this one. I also noticed this with Maki in JJK Season 3. The undeniable family resemblance, I mean. The burns and scars, coupled with her cropped hair really draw attention to the similarities.
Anyway, back to Megumi’s deadly yet incomplete Domain Expansion: Chimera Shadow Garden. One of the scariest parts about Megumi’s domain is his own struggle inside it. The weight of it is crushing, and not just to his enemies. Unfortunately, Reggie Star discovers this pretty early. He sets out to increase the weight Megumi has to manage by several tons. Using his technique to summon 3 full-sized vehicles, the pressure is unreal.
And yet, he manages to hold his own until he absolutely can’t. The force of his domain’s collapse crashes Reggie through the floor and into the pool. At first, he thinks he’s drowning in Megumi’s shadow again. Quickly discovering he’s back on wet but solid ground, his arrogance almost immediately becomes his downfall.
Reggie Star Meets His End, but He Puts Up a Good Fight
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Reggie Star is no joke. I’ll get that out of the way now. His technique grants him access to so much power. As powerful as his technique is, it’s also flawed. Crashing into the pool basically ruins any chances Reggie has of coming back strong. Even though he’s sure Megumi is wrecked and easy to defeat, all those soaked receipts mean hand-to-hand combat.
He seriously underestimates Megumi, even after Chimera Shadow Garden. Reggie banks on the alleged impossibility of Demon Dog making a comeback. Megumi never says Demon Dog is gone for good. Watching that ferocious but adorable shikigami pup take a bite out of crime (come on, you know he stole all those receipts…) is incredibly satisfying. Why? Because Reggie Star is an insufferable sorcerer.
Megumi has been on edge about Tengen since talking to Reggie. Questioning him about how well they knew each other as Reggie lays dying by the pool, he learns they didn’t know each other well. That being said, he’s still wary that Tengen could be involved in Kenjaku’s grand plan. Before dying, Reggie summons Kogane. He turns his remaining 41 points over to Megumi.
A dying man’s good deed feels more like a curse. Especially when Reggie tells him he thinks this will make things interesting. His final words are, “Let Fate toy with you a bit, and die a fool.” Jeez, Reggie. Ominous much?
Meanwhile, Fumihiko Takaba Is Just Outside Being Himself
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For anyone who might have forgotten Fumihiko Takaba and Iori Hazenoki are outside dueling, we get a quick reminder. Of course, he’s not really fighting Hazenoki, so much as annoying him to death. There’s an interesting point made during this scene, about Takaba’s reality-bending ability. Comedian allows Takaba to change reality into any situation he personally finds funny.
He doesn’t know this, though. Takaba doesn’t really know anything about jujutsu sorcery, especially not how his technique works. There’s a small aside from the narrative about his potential to rival even the likes of Satoru Gojo. In order to do that, he’d have to know what he was doing. He never will.
As Kogane pops up to inform Hazenoki that Reggie Star is dead, he decides to give up and go home. Takaba follows after him as he walks away, almost like an eager puppy. Repeatedly, he asks if he will give him his points as he follows, but Hazenoki just ignores him.
Who Is This Jujutsu Kaisen Angel We Keep Hearing About?
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Megumi chasing down Remi starts to feel satisfying, especially amid Remi’s dialogue about men being wolves. She is, honestly, one of the worst characters in the entire series. With Megumi fully planning to kill her, he hears Tsumiki’s voice in his head, telling him not to. Cursing his stupid sister, he collapses to the ground unconscious after everything he’s been through.
With only a moment to fret that stupid Remi will actually try to kill him, Megumi’s savior appears. The Angel Tengen sent them to look for begins descending from above his collapsed form. I am sad to admit that we will not see her again in JJK Season 3 Episode 12. She will likely not have her day until Jujutsu Kaisen S3, Cour 2. We can definitely take some reassurance from the fact that Gojo Sensei is one episode closer to being unsealed, right?
Shifting gears for the mid-season finale, Yuta Okkotsu takes us to another of The Culling Game colonies. Sendai Colony is where one of the coolest battles in the Culling Game takes place. It’ll be a four-way showdown unlike anything we’ve seen to date, and I can’t wait.
Jujutsu Kaisen Episode 58 On a Scale of 1 to 10
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I am still head-over-heels with the first half of JJK Season 3. The animation is out of the park in every episode. It flawlessly brings so many favorite moments from the manga to life. My biggest complaint is noted above. I’m greedy. I want it all. But I know waiting is what makes it so good, so I will stop crying and accept what I’m given.
My favorite part of this episode is Megumi Fushiguro vs. Reggie Star inside Chimera Shadow Garden. There are so many brilliantly tense moments during the fight, it’s hard not to spend the entire time clenching every muscle. For me, top notch. No complaints.
