Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21

   

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21

With the timely arrival of Aoi Todo (Subaru Kimura), Mahito (Nobunaga Shimazaki) may finally meet his end. But the curse won't go down without a fight, and he may have a few tricks up his sleeve to keep the wizards on their toes in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21, "Metamorphosis."

This week's episode focuses entirely on the ongoing battle to defeat Mahita as tactics and plans change and change as the fight progresses. Mahito realizes that he is at a serious disadvantage as long as Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki) and Todo are together, so in this episode he first focuses on trying to keep the pair apart, allowing him to defeat them one by one. .

This initial plan is good, but Mahito struggles to implement it effectively due to Todo's enormous power level. The monsters he sets against the wizard quickly fall to his power and cursed techniques, allowing him to return to aid his brother in the central conflict.

While much of this fight scene delivers the visual splendor that MAPPA is known for, there are a few moments that stumble. Some shots where the opposing characters exchange quick attacks become blurry and leave the viewer unsure of what is going on, spoiling the experience. These moments are brief but noticeable when they occur, especially given how clean the presentation is.

Despite the various creatures Mahito unleashes in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21 being less than effective against his opponents, MAPPA continues to deliver a masterclass in creature design through its visual implementation. Each monstrosity unleashed looks as unique and terrifying as the last. This clever visual design allows the creatures to affect the viewer, even if they don't affect the course of the fight.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21

A couple of breaks are sprinkled throughout the two minutes of the fight. There is the expected lengthy explanation of the new cursed technique that every Jujutsu Kaisen fight of this length must have. While these kinds of explanations often hindered the enjoyment of the moments in which they take place, it lands without breaking the pace. With so many bombastic visual moments bombarding the viewer, the placement of this lengthy explanation is a nice break, even if much of what it provides for information comes across as largely nonsensical.

The next major cliffhanger we got from the fight mid-episode in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21 lands with a bit of a thud. While Todo is fighting Mahito, the necklace he is wearing breaks off, revealing it to be a locket with pictures of Yuji and Todo's favorite idol. The impact of the locket on the ground triggers a strange sequence that takes place in Tod's imagination, where he teams up with his idol to defeat Mahito.

This bizarre moment feels misplaced in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21. While it does a great job of returning to the old-school anime feel, it doesn't fit this episode. Despite an on-screen explanation telling viewers that the scene in question is in Tod's imagination, the moment is overshadowed by the sense of confusion the sequence evokes.

With all options exhausted, including expanding his domain, it looks like Mahita's time has finally come. This moment of defeat is the crowning achievement of the episode, as Yuji delivers a short monologue to his imminently defeated enemy, clarifying how he feels at this moment. Enoki delivers this speech with chilling artistry. All the energy and life that Yuji had always embodied is gone from his voice. Having lost both Nanami and Nobara before his eyes, and still dealing with the destruction caused by Sukuna while controlling Yuji's body, the protagonist hits what appears to be rock bottom as he coldly informs Mahito of his plans for his most cruel the enemy.

Complementing the fantastically delivered speech is a visual shift to complete the moment. As Mahito frantically tries to escape his enemy, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21 shifts the setting from the burning streets of Shibuya to a snowstorm-stricken forest. This shift represents Mahito's point of view as we see several rabbits run past Mahito and a pack of wolves prowling alongside Yuji, driving home the new predator/prey dynamic between the two. This abstract approach to the moment is highly effective in enhancing the energy of the scene.

However, the final moments are not given for Yuji to finish off the defeated monster in front of him. Before the final blow, Sugoro Geto appears to prevent the expected finish. While the appearance of this new enemy is meant to surprise and shock, it comes off more angry than anything else. It raises a lot of curiosity as to why Geto arrived here, given that he was supposed to escape Shibuya with the imprisoned Gojo, but the frustration is born from the arrival of a character that prevented Mahita from meeting his righteous end. Mahito served as a great villain but followed his natural path. Postponing his death, even if only for one episode, is pointless.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 21 brings a lot of elements that mostly work. Creative fights, exciting visuals, and one of the best monologues of the last anime serve as focal points for this episode's narrative. But with a few stumbles that mar the experience, this episode manages to fall short of what it could have been.