The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Episode 10, currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
There’s no denying Jujutsu Kaisen has been one heavy mood after another since Shibuya. Yuji’s guilt and Megumi’s determination to save his sister from the Culling Game barely begin to scratch the surface. With every episode promising more devastation to come, the series as a whole can get a bit depressing. Fortunately, Akutami-sensei does comic relief really well.
With Season 3 fast approaching the end of its first cour, the second major battle is about to go down. Now that Itadori and Higuruma have come to terms and added a new rule to the Culling Game, it’s Fushiguro’s turn to lay the smackdown on Reggie Star. Fortunately, he won’t have to face Reggie’s ragtag gang of sorcerers alone for long.
Fushiguro vs. The Reggie Star Group
Image property of Studio MAPPA
The only thing worse than Remi’s underhanded betrayal is Reggie Star’s outfit. Decked out in nothing but receipts, he looks absolutely absurd. Back to Remi, though, she almost instantly proves herself to be Jujutsu Kaisen‘s most disgusting Culling Game player, so far. Luring Megumi, more or less to his death, under false pretenses, all she cares about his her own survival. She even takes to insulting Fushiguro like a bratty child while he’s listening to Reggie’s whack theories about Kenjaku’s plans.
Once the showdown starts with an explosive bang, everyone scatters in different directions. Catching up to Remi, Fushiguro grabs onto her hair and throws her, yelling at her for being okay with what’s happening. She’s an outright coward, crying that Reggie promised to be her knight, but now she’s in the middle of a fight that could cost her life. She’s utterly useless, and when Megumi calls her a useless scumbag who’s all talk and no action it feels so satisfying.
Image property of Studio MAPPA
The Culling Game Presents Megumi’s First Human Kill
Mere seconds after Megumi’s insult to Remi, Chizuru Hari returns. Having been previously injured during Iori Hazenoki’s explosion, he climbs back up the building for the fight, ready to take Fushiguro down. Before the battle starts, Kogane appears to inform them that a player has added a new rule to the Culling Game. Reciting Rule 10, which was added by Higuruma in the previous episode, Hari asks what kind of rule that’s supposed to be before launching in to battle with Fushiguro.
This fight is pretty fantastic, despite not even lasting a full minute of the episode. Megumi is in fine form, creatively using his shadows and shikigami all throughout this episode to give himself an edge. After using Max Elephant to shove Hari out the window again, Fushiguro swept after him with Nue. Catching up and grabbing onto Hari, he proceeds to bash him in the face with the butt of his blade until they land on the metal roof below.
As Hari is attempting to crawl away, Fushiguro walks up on him and cleaves him in the face, killing him. Whipping the blood from his blade, he asks himself what he’s even doing. It’s like that confidence he felt before, when Remi was leading him to Reggie’s hideout, slips for a second. He openly reminded himself at that point that he wasn’t like Itadori. He had no qualms killing to get what he needed. The confidence returns, as he realizes he will almost certainly need more points in the future.
Enter: Fumihiko Takaba, Jujutsu Kaisen Funny Man
Reggie and Hazenoki come floating down from above with umbrellas and land in the alleyway beside the building. Noting what a waste of points Hari’s death is, he didn’t even get to use his technique. With Fushiguro still feeling off-balance from the first explosion, he knows facing them both is going to be difficult. Still, he can’t flee.
While he’s weighing options, Hazenoki spits an explosive wad in his direction. Fortunately, the perfect solution arrives in the form of the most absurdly costumed sorcerer in the world. Shielding Megumi with his body, Fumihiko Takaba, first introduced back in Episode 50, takes the explosion face first. As the smoke is clearing, he scolds Reggie and Hazenoki for the two-against-one unfair fight they’re about to embark on. He calls them cowards, and tells them their tactics won’t work on him, calling out, “Behold! Zero Damage!”
Rising to his feet to show off his lack of injuries, everyone stands looking on as the blood fountains and sprays from the very obvious damage he took to the head. If you’ve ever wondered what an awkward silence physically looks like, the rest of this scene captures this beautifully. For almost fifty full seconds, the scene sticks with Takaba’s blood spraying everywhere, while Fushiguro, Reggie and Hazenoki try awkwardly to ignore it.
Young Jujutsu Kaisen Boy, Takaba Will Aid You
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When the moment passes, Takaba declares that he will help. Because he’s 35 this year, he is able to tell the difference between good people and bad people by looking at their faces. Turning to look at Megumi, smiling, his expression gives away his assessment of the kid in front of him. When prodded by Megumi to give his assessment, he admits that he has quite a bad look about him.
Hazenoki and Reggie don’t recognize him, so the former steps up to asked him what “kind” he is. Takaba takes as inquiry into whether he’s funny or not. Hazenoki just wanted to know what era he came from, but Takaba has no time for eras. He needs to show off how funny he is, because that’s what he does.
While building up to the most ridiculous joke, all three of the other sorcerers can feel the incredible rise in his cursed energy. This guy may not be all that funny, but he’s obviously pretty powerful. No one laughs at his joke, and that sets him off on a rant about how they are obviously humorless. The entire rant brings one thing to Megumi’s mind: Aoi Todo. As the little thought bubble beside his head displays Todo’s face, it’s hard not to laugh, which is something we haven’t gotten to do much of since Shibuya.
Jujutsu Kaisen Gives Fushiguro Another Opportunity to Test His Domain Expansion
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Takaba and Fushiguro agree to split the two enemies up, with Takaba taking on Hazenoki alone. Megumi begins drawing Reggie away, the chase forcing him to use a lot of his cursed energy. Coming together, Fushiguro exhausted, Reggie grants an inside look at how his receipt-based technique works. Each receipt is for something he can summon to his aid. Whether it’s a flying dagger or a hot springs resort weekend of relaxing, the effects take place immediately.
The resort weekend actually replenishes Reggie’s energy, and he makes no bones about rubbing in Fushiguro’s face. Exhausted from the intense battles so far, Fushiguro has used a lot of his resources. He knows he can’t stay backed into a corner, so he takes off again, planning to lead Reggie inside a nearby gymnasium, where he can use his Domain Expansion.
The last time Fushiguro deployed his Domain Expansion: Chimera Shadow Garden, was in Shibuya. Still incomplete, he used it to infiltrate Dagon’s Domain: The Horizon of Captivating Skandha. Exploiting its shadows to create and expand a hole, he was able to get inside and assist the sorcerers trapped within.
Reggie is cocky when he steps into the gym, believing Fushiguro is at his limit. Throwing multiple attacks, Fushiguro struggles to hold them back. He even takes a blade through his forearm. Reggie starts walking toward him, offering to give him a peaceful death in exchange for his points. What he never realizes is that he’s walking straight into the shadows, where Fushiguro’s setting up his trap. The shock on his face when he realizes this kid is capable of deploying a domain is priceless.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Episode 10 On a Scale of 1 to 10
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One of the things Jujutsu Kaisen Episode 57 does brilliantly is balancing its depth and humor. Megumi is in such a raw, vulnerable space in this episode. He’s alone. He’s been betrayed. Even though he expects it, it still sucks. His relief when the new rule appears is palpable, but he knows he still has a long way to go.
Takaba’s hilarious arrival is exactly what’s needed. He provides us with a momentary reprieve from the heaviness of the Culling Game. Coming to Fushiguro’s aid, though he would never admit as much, is a huge relief. He can take one big fight after everything that’s already happen, but two at once would be a struggle.
With only two more episodes before the break, I am anxious to see how the first half of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 ends. I’d also love to find out when Cour 2 is likely to release. I have a feeling I’m going to be on edge until I know.
