REVIEW: ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Episode 36 — “Dull Knife”

Based on the Jujutsu Kaisen manga by Gege Akutami (released in English by VIZ Media), Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is in full swing from MAPPA. With the barrier keeping jujutsu sorcerers out of Shibuya station down, thanks to Megumi Fushiguro (Yuma Uchida) and Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki), the sorcerers can now take an active part in the events unfolding in the station. But with communications still cut off inside the station, Maki Zenin (Mikako Komatsu) sends Nobara Kugisaki (Asami Seto) and Akari Nitta (Sora Tokui, Honkai: Star Rail), out to make contact with the others. This choice will land them right in the path of a powerful foe in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 12, “Dull Knife.”

One of the hallmarks of this series has always been how terrifying the curses are that our heroes are frequently forced to confront. Their powers and general appearance make them vile monstrosities that would strike fear into most if they were capable of seeing them. But while the outward horror of the curses is always on full display for the viewer, the show also periodically reminds us that nothing is ever as terror-inducing as man. The twelfth episode of the second season delivers a moment that does just that.

A couple of episodes back, Shigemo was sent out of the station to murder all the assistants who were helping to coordinate the response to the Shibuya incident. Early on in this story, we see Kento Nanami (Kenjirô Tsuda) come across the killer’s brutal work. The generally rational salary man’s reaction is chilling as he begins seething at his discovery, swearing he will make who did it pay.

This early moment begins building to an emotional confrontation that pays off incredibly well. MAPPA leans into Nanami’s cold fury with every move he makes in the rest of the episode, creating a terrifying presence. But equally important to the character’s impact in this episode is Tsuda’s phenomenal performance. The voice actor manages the character’s fury in a way that allows it to scream at the viewer while still making it clear that Nanami isn’t fully letting go. That the character is this brutal while still holding on to a shred of his self-control forces the viewer to imagine what he would be if he truly embraced his rage, and the thought is horrifying.

While Nanami delivers the most impact in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 12, he isn’t the only sorcerer who leaves a lasting impression. Briefly catching up with Mei Mei (Kotono Mitsuishi) in the subway tunnels, we see her expound upon her personal experiences and powers, as well as what she thinks is the value of a life as she prepares to execute a curse that is now begging her for mercy. The casual way she twirls her mountain-sized axe as she lets her opponent linger on the edge of death instantly draws similies to a cat toying with a mouse.

When the episode catches up with Nobara and Nitta after their departure from Maki, we see the duo run headlong into Shigemo as he continues to look for assistants to murder. Setting his eyes on Nitta, the curse uses his unique abilities to hunt her down, while keeping Nobara distracted.

The battle between Nobara and Shigemo illustrates a side of fighting that often gets overlooked in fiction. Namely, it shows how a person can make no mistakes and still lose. Nobara approaches her opponent with a calculated plan, born of her obvious studies as well as experience fighting curses. She isn’t reckless and has a clear goal that she constantly strives for. Unfortunately, her lack of knowledge about her opponent is her undoing, as Shigemo still manages to get the upper hand on her.

But even concussed after taking a brutal shot to her jaw, the ever-determined Nobara still manages to buy her and Nitta the time they need to survive. Seeing that Shigemo is a bit unhinged and loves to hear his own voice, Nobara manages to get the villain monologue long enough for Nanami to arrive and take over the fight. Having previously waded through his enemy’s brutal handiwork, Nanami dispatches his opponent with a brutal efficiency that shocks even his allies.

With Pseudo-Geto imprisoning Gojo and Toji Fushiguro making a comeback, the series has departed from a series about a completely ordinary high school life and how it intersects with a new curse user and has gone straight into constant showings of tremendous physical strength and cursed energy.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 12 wraps up with setups for the fights to come next. With a special grade curse unleashed on Mei Mei and Itadori coming face to face with Choso, whose brothers Itadori helped kill at the end of season one, it doesn’t look like the series will be taking its foot off the gas any time soon.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 12 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.