Thank you for visiting Anime Rants, where we’re going over JJK episodes 56 and 57 (or season 3 episodes 9 and 10). I literally do not have the energy for a good introduction this time. But I do have some thoughts and recap notes about these episodes that I needed to get down on paper, so to speak. So, here they are.
Episode 56: Tokyo Colony No. 1 Part 3
Episode Rating:
Yuji found himself trapped in Higuruma’s Domain Expansion. Surprisingly, neither party was allowed to use violence against the other. (According to Tengen, Domains used to be more common among sorcerers because they often lacked the guaranteed hit phenomenon. In other words, Domains don’t all work the same way.) Higuruma’s Domain was like a miniature courtroom with Yuji on one side and Higuruma on the other. Behind him floated Judgeman, the huge shikigami that looked like a dark, warped version of the Goddess of Justice with its eyes sewn closed. I’m not going to get into the details, but put simply, Judgeman accuses Yuji of a crime, and he has the chance to defend himself. Then evidence related to the case is revealed by Higuruma, who has a chance to prosecute Yuji. Then Judgeman would give his verdict and punishment to Yuji.
The first trial was about a crime from Yuji’s past. He went into a Pachinko parlor and played the games despite being under eighteen. Judgeman found Yuji guilty and gave him the punishment “confiscation,” which took away his ability to use cursed energy. Immediately, the Domain dissolved and Higuruma began attacking Yuji with a gavel imbued with cursed energy. He could alter its size, length, and weight at will. Any normal person would have been beaten to a pulp by the giant hammer’s attacks, but Yuji was tough. He kept fighting, hoping his cursed energy would return. However, before long, he was being completely overwhelmed, so he demanded a retrial. Higuruma’s technique required him to give up to two retrials if requested by the one found guilty.
(Side Note: I loved the moment when, after Yuji asked if he could lie in court, Higuruma said, “If everyone told the truth, there would be no need for trials.” It was a sobering line that showed Higuruma’s disillusioned mental state. I am always interested in characters with a strong sense of justice, even if it becomes warped later in their character arc. But I think I judged Higuruma too harshly in the previous episode review, assuming he was too far gone to madness and the pleasure of being so powerful. This episode reveals that Higuruma was not yet irredeemable and could still be persuaded to help the innocent. It was a pleasant surprise for me. Higuruma is a fascinating character and I genuinely think the writing for him is really strong.)
The re-trial was distinctly different from last time. Judgeman accused Yuji of mass murder in the Shibuya Incident. Without missing a beat, Itadori calmly stated that he was guilty. This turn of events completely baffled and angered Higuruma. He couldn’t stand the fact that Yuji would settle for taking on that guilt when he wasn’t the one in control during the Shibuya Incident. It bothered him to see the injustice (and incorrectness) of a boy taking the blame for something he didn’t choose to do. It also broke his view of reality, in a way – he was convinced all people were morally weak and ugly. But the boy before him was strong and honorable in a way that he could not refute.
Judgeman found Yuji guilty and gave him the death penalty. Higuruma was given an Executioner’s Sword which was guaranteed to kill whatever it hit. Without any cursed energy to defend himself, Yuji was at a loss. Thankfully, Higuruma released his technique, and the sword disappeared once again. Sounding exasperated, Higuruma told his opponent that he would add the new rule. Yuji’s morality and sense of responsibility had convinced the manic lawyer to be reasonable. There is definitely more to Higuruma’s character that I didn’t get into, but I don’t have the brain-power lately to cover every single thing that stuck out at me in this episode. Let’s move on.
Episode 57: Tokyo Colony No. 1 Part 4
Episode Rating:
This episode took us back to Megumi Fushiguro, who had just met Reggie, a sorcerer reincarnated from another age. Remi was being used by Reggie, foolishly believing he would protect her instead of just killing her for points when her use was over. Reggie had gathered several strong allies that joined him in fighting Megumi. Note that Reggie also revealed that Kenjaku had an ulterior plan for the Culling Game. He was going to “drop a bomb” at some point soon. I still don’t yet know what that means.
Regardless, the fight began. Megumi’s face was burned in an explosion caused by a sorcerer who could use his teeth and other body parts to create bombs. Remi was completely unhinged during this fight, begging for Megumi to say he would protect her even while attacking him. Despite Megumi’s disgust and anger, he let Remi live and focused on the fight, using his Shikigami to fight one of Reggie’s thugs, a tanned man with a ponytail. During that fight, a Kogane announced the new rule, that players could now transfer points. The fight continued and Megumi soon killed the ponytail sorcerer. Next, he was up against Reggie and the dude who could create explosives.
This is where we meet Takaba, the comedian we briefly saw in an earlier episode. He appeared out of nowhere, wearing a ridiculous parody superhero costume, and said he would help Megumi. I don’t know this guy’s technique yet, but he was able to take a bomb to the head and take minimal damage. He’s also a strong fighter. While Takaba fought the bomb-creator/body-part-user, Megumi was left to face Reggie. A long, fierce battle began. I don’t know what to think of Takaba yet, but Megumi was right that he has the same vibes as Todo. I will probably like Takaba, if this episode is any indication.
Reggie’s tecnhique was interesting. He could manifest purchaseable items using receipts or something. He could summon weapons, cars, and even structures. The episode ends with Fushiguro opening his Domain Expansion. I’m sorry that I don’t have more to say about this episode at this time, but I’m enjoying JJK season 3 and I think it continues to show strong character writing and well-executed story themes. It’s especially interesting and cool to have characters like Higuruma and Takaba who are adults rather than teens. That’s all for today, so sayonara until next time!
~Thanks for Reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
Anime Rants 