This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media
Last week’s triumph ending in tragedy paves the way for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 9: “Dura Val Bobbidi Mechika, Part 2.” As the flashback(story) arc continues, I had my suspicions Cross was telling his story, presumably to Yuka, and it turns out I was right. With the cliffhanger leaving us in suspense about tensions between the Deskunte and Rumelians, Chapter 9 dives right back in to the heart of the matter.
It’s obvious before the chapter even starts this isn’t going to end well for the Rumelians. Everything we’ve learned in Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo about the Deskunte points to them being outright monsters. Before we delve into that, there’s a little peek at a familiar face I only hoped I would see again one day.
OMG! Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Confirms Panda is Still Kicking
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Those who’ve read the manga know everyone’s favorite snarky cursed corpse barely survives The Culling Game. With two of his cores and his body destroyed, Panda is left with just his head. Of course, being a cursed corpse, “killing” him isn’t exactly that simple. So long as his primary core remains, so does Panda, in essence.
When Yuta Okkotsu becomes head of the Gojo Clan, he inherits Panda because Yaga Sensei is dead. Sometime between then and the Modulo modern era, someone works to restore him because there he is on Page 1 of Chapter 9 teasing Tsurugi in the warehouse.
It’s just a little side story before returning to the tragedy that drove the Rumelians from their home, but knowing Panda is still out there is such a relief. Seeing these little snippets of characters from the original story ties the story together nicely. Now, I want to see Miwa’s descendants with Mechamaru’s armor standing guard on their front lawn. Please make that a thing, sensei!
The Simurian Third Eye’s Importance
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Transitioning from that little aside, Cross gets right back into the story he started in Chapter 8, explaining the rarity of a Simurian shedding tears from their third eye. Shedding tears from this eye is so taxing it can actually result in death, which means doing so is incredibly rare. Birth and death are the only times they shed tears, but Rumelians also cry when a kalyan dies. That alone stresses the importance of their bond with these creatures.
Because a kalyan killed the daughter of a Deskunte chieftain, it’s only going to make things that much harder for the Rumelians. It’s painfully obvious how hard the Rumelians have had it under the Deskunte, which already has me fretting that they may follow them to Earth at some point. Then again, we’re only getting sixty chapters, so, maybe not?
What we do know is that the Deskunte are demanding satisfaction for the sleight, blaming the Rumelians for provoking the kalyans. Of course, they want 90% of their territory, including the canal they all banded together to build for the betterment of their people. They struggled for years to find ground, barely surviving, and now that’s to be taken away from them, too. It’s so depressing. I already hate the Deskunte, and we’ve only met one of them, so far.
Dura vs. Dabura: Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo’s First Tragic Loss
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Settling disputes by forcing the two strongest warriors to face off til the death isn’t uncommon. We already know Dabura survives this, so it was a no brainer going in that Dura wasn’t gonna make it. Watching Cross beg Dura to run away is absolutely heartbreaking. What’s worse is that Dabura and Dura were once best friends. (Yeah, I’m noticing a trend here, too!) Dabura obviously doesn’t want to fight Dura, but Dura knows they have no choice. He’s going to make the most of his final moments to make an impact on the remaining members of Simuria, especially Cross and Maru.
The speech he gives before battling Dabura to his death is a last ditch effort to appeal to the Deskunte. He wants to remind not just them, but his own people, that they are all human. Instead of fighting each other, they should be good neighbors. Unfortunately, the Deskunte are power hungry. The only thing they see their neighbors as are stepping stones to the next acquisition. And they want that canal Dura broke his back to build with his people.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo comes a long way from the original story on this front. The original Jujutsu Kaisen was brilliant, but at times it felt like it was all battles. Modulo is giving us the story we all crave. Building a powerful history for the Simurians who came to Earth makes them so much easier to root for. Put the twins in the spotlight with Tsurugi and Yuka, and we have an incredibly powerful cast of characters we won’t forget anytime soon.
Let’s Just Kill Off Every Mentor, Ever, Why Not?
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Given everything Cross and Maru lost in their short lives, they obviously have to lose the one thing that holds them together: their mentor. Maru is obviously happy-go-lucky enough to adapt to change, but Cross struggles. Dura teaches Cross the importance of community, of being good neighbors.
It’s no wonder he doesn’t trust humans, given everything the Deskunte put his people through. Instead of avenging Dura, though, they opt to leave the planet in search of better opportunities and a place to call home. And Dabura comes with them because he promises Dura before their battle to look out for the Rumelians. (No, you’re crying!)
Akutami sensei portrays Dabura early on in Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo as a secret weapon. He’s the most powerful of the Simurians to visit Earth. But he’s actually got a pretty sensitive side. He’s a warrior, obviously, which means he follows orders. But he left Simuria with the Rumelians as their protector. That’s gotta have some repercussions, right? Again, I can’t help wondering if this means the Deskunte are gonna follow suit and start problems on Earth.
The Real Meaning of Neighbor In Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo
Tsurugi’s use of the word neighbor when trying to snap Maru out of his unconscious attack set Cross off. We understand now why it is such a big deal. It is the biggest lesson he and Maru learned from Dura during their time together. Tsurugi reminding Maru the he said he wanted to be neighbors hits hard because how could he even understand the power behind that statement? Knowing nothing about what they’ve been through, it’s a flippant use of a powerful concept the twins feel strongly about.
They don’t know each other well enough to understand the things that are important to one another. It would also be a stretch to consider them friends, especially considering the secrecy behind the Simurian’s true nature and intentions. With fifty-one chapters left to go, here’s hoping they discover the real meaning of neighbor together.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 9 on a Scale of 1 to 10
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It’s obvious I have been thoroughly loving every new chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo. My only complaint this week is a result of my own impatience. I hope we get to see more on the process of them actually leaving Simuria, but that’s minor. It could be coming in next issue. If it’s not, I will be a little disappointed because I want to see this society established. I want to know how they go from backbreaking labor building a canal and barely surviving to traveling through space. Where do they get a ship?
We learn that Dura left Cross and Maru a pretty significant amount of Mul, which is the most precious resource on their planet. I can only assume that helps them, but I hope it’s not just an assumption. I want to see them fare space, and I want to know if they encounter any other planets before coming to Earth. All of that being said, I think this was a solid chapter, and I give it 9/10.
