REVIEW: ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Episode 42 — “Right and Wrong”

Having regained control of his body, Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki) returned to witness the destruction wrought by Sukuna in his absence. But while this sight has left the young sorcerer shaken and hurting, it is nothing compared to the far more personal loss he will endure in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 18, “Right and Wrong.”

After a brief visit with Yuji, as he wanders through Shibuya with the words of others ringing through his heart, trying to piece together what he is supposed to do next, the episode jumps to the most unlikely of locales, a sandy beach. We find a hale and healthy Kento Nanami (Kenjirô Tsuda, Sabikui Bisco) as he walks along the beach, water lapping at his ankles. The moment’s tranquility is soon shown to be an illusion as Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 18 returns to the real world, as a half-broiled Nanami is shown staggering through the station, barely clinging to life. As he struggles through a fight with numerous, random curses, we see Namai’s perceptions shift between the real world and the peaceful fantasy.

Everything about this moment is done flawlessly. The way Nanamai is shown passing between the two realities, with his body holding the same pose in each, gives a smoothness to the transitions that heightens the pain of the moment. His peaceful acceptance of what seems like the inevitable and the tragedy it heralds is captured perfectly through Tsuda’s voice work. I’ve heard Tsuda do a lot of amazing characters and deliver plenty of wonderful lines over the years, but this may be his best moment ever. Flowing effortlessly with the moment is the sounds of a lone piano, whose shifting tune captures the shifting flow of the scene’s twin realities with perfect timing.

As the last curse falls and Nanami takes a breath, a gentle touch rests on his back. It is the hand of Mahito (Nobunaga Shimazaki, Astral Chain). With contact made, it is a certainty that Nanami is going to die. As the two foes exchange a few final words, Yuji arrives in time for Nanami to ask him to carry on in his sted before erupting in a shower of entrails and blood.

Given what Yuji was already going through, this moment feels like the final straw that could send him over the edge. Mahito’s gleeful murders have always been the antithesis of Yuji’s outlook on life, and seeing Nanami become his latest victim would be an understandable event to cause the young man to descend into a blind rage. However, rather than do this, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 18 showcases just how mature the often goofy lead truly is. Rather than lose himself in the tidal wave of emotions that threaten to drown him, he centers himself on the reminder that Nanami would never let himself be dragged under by emotion. With his feet firmly under him, Yuji then turns to confront his old foe.

While the last couple of episodes of the series have been filled with some spectacular fight scenes, there had been something lacking from them. While the gorgeous visuals that MAPPA pours into every battle are often the talking point of such moments, the heightened emotional stakes of the series make the show’s biggest battles stand out. This element has been absent from the last couple of brawls as we’ve watched Sukuna toy with other curses, with no chance of touching him.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 18 brings the emotional core of the series back to combat as Yuji throws himself into his latest battle. The way Mahito attempts to force Yuji into an ever more restrictive battlefield adds an element of claustrophobia to the fight that forces the viewer to be immersed in the emotion and danger of the scene. The erratic style of combat that Mahito employs only adds to the chaos and tension, as what sort of attack will come next is never known. But despite the randomness of his opponent’s attacks, Yuji’s raw physical power allows him to stay one step ahead of his foe, while looking badass doing it.

While the vast majority of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 18 is anime storytelling at its peak, there is one egregious misstep here. In the middle of this superbly executed battle, we get a cut-away moment to earlier in the day, when Mahito first strikes out to search for Yuji. While this scene is critical to setting up the episode’s final moments, it also contains some goofy humor between Mahito and Jogo that doesn’t land well at all. There is no need or purpose to break the tension here. The odd sight gag feels completely misplaced, like a joke a friend tells when they’ve completely misread the energy of a room.

As the episode comes to a close we get a meeting between Nobara Kugisaki (Asami Seto) and a second version of Mahito. As we witness the opening moments of this new clash, the series sets up a second battle that promises to ratchet up the tension of next week’s installment.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 18  delivers an emotional narrative that says goodbye to a fantastic character in a way that feels meaningful. Virtually every moment of the presentation handles the gravity and consequence of the loss with the utmost skill as we see the battles that spring from it begin to play out.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.