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Show: Jujutsu Kaisen, Season 1 Episode 2 - “For Myself”
Reviewer: short shots
Summary: Itadori wakes up in an unfamiliar room and before him rests Gojou Satoru, a teacher at Jujutsu Tech, who declares Itadori’s secret execution has been decided upon. (Text credit: play.hbomax.com)
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Opening Scene
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- I really liked episode two’s opening scene. Fushiguro threatens to exorcise the possessed Itadori but then he stops being possessed and then Fushiguro’s teacher, Satoru Gojou shows up and makes fun of him before asking Itadori to give him ten seconds to fight Sukuna, revealing Gojou isn’t just funny and cool but even stronger than Sukuna—the evil spirt, or curse, inside of Itadori. I’m giving the Japanese subbed a slightly higher score than English dub because once again music and sound effects are clearer and louder but Gojou was very cool in both English and Japanese.
English Dub Score: 0.75
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Plot & Characters
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- The plot of episode two is dark—Gojou explains Itadori’s secret execution can be delayed if he agrees to help find and eat Sukuna’s other nineteen fingers (Sukuna had four arms) so that the dangerous Sukuna can permanently die with Itadori when he’s killed. Gojou later adds, while Itadori is literally picking up bone fragments from his recently-deceased grandfather’s cremated remains, that dying old is a luxury and that there are even worse fates than being torn apart and killed by a curse, which could happen to Itadori if he accepts Gojou’s proposition. Characters wise, Gojou is a welcome addition to the story and comes off as a goofy but reliable older-brother type of character. Itadori is still motivated by his grandfather’s last words to help others and accepts the reality he’s extraordinarily athletic and seemingly the only one who can possibly control Sukuna while hunting down and eating his cursed fingers. The principal of Jujutsu High, Masamichi Yaga is a bit of a strange character, an older bearded guy in sun glasses who makes and animates stuffed animals capable of beating up Itadori. I’m giving English dub and Japanese sub the same score.
English Dub Score: 1
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Dialogue
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- The dialogue in episode two felt a lot better. I thought it was funny when Gojou showed up and told his student Fushiguro he wasn’t planning on showing up but “you look like you got roughed up, kid.” The line was especially good in English and his voice actor’s goofiness seemed more evenly balanced with his element of cool, especially when he tells Sukuna during their fight that since one of his students is watching he’s got no choice but to show off a little which again sounded cooler in English. There was a lot information given this time around, which didn’t feel overwhelming and seemed effortlessly dropped into the story. I’m giving English dub a higher score than Japanese subbed because I like Gojou’s voice in English better.
English Dub Score: 1
Japanese Subbed Score: 0.75
Animation
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- The animation, once again, was incredibly good in episode two. The show’s opener has that beautiful combo of 2D animation and computer graphics but what really stood out was the fight between Gojou and Sukuna while Itadori was possessed. I loved how the camera swung around and spun with the characters as they fought and flew around the outside of the school. Also, the animation of Sukuna’s mouth emerging from Itadori’s face and hand was creepy but cool. I’m giving English dub and Japanese subbed the same score.
English Dub Score: 1
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Sound Effects
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- The sound effects were clearer and louder in Japanese subbed again—such as the sound of black energy as it swirls around Fushiguro at the start of the episode when he threatens to exorcise Itadori, when Gojou takes multiple snapshots of Fushiguro, and during the fight scenes between Gojou and Sukuna, and Itadori and the Principal’s curse doll. I’m beginning to wonder if this is just an issue with HBO Max’s audio and am considering trying crunchy roll and other sources to compare. I’m giving Japanese subbed a higher score than English dub.
English Dub Score: 0.5
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Music
- The music was good during the Gojou vs Sukuna fight, very dramatic but intense and the music during the fight between Itadori and the Principal’s curse doll was comedic but fast. Once again, music is clearer and louder in Japanese subbed than English dub.
English Dub Score: 0.5
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Action & Humor
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- Where to start? I thought the previous sequence of Itadori versus the rugby field curse was cool but when Gojou fights a possessed Itadori to test his control over Sukuna, I was very impressed. We’re introduced to a list of Gojou and Sukuna’s physical abilities—Sukuna jumps high in the air and lands with a shockwave that creates a huge cloud of dust, Gojou claps and seemingly teleports or moves so fast he disappears, Gojou hits Sukuna with such a both quick and powerful punch that it creates what looks like a wind-tunnel that throws Sukuna so hard he lands on a metal railing and bends it, and then Sukuna retaliates by running incredibly fast and gathering black energy around his hand—similar to the black energy that swirled around Fushiguro earlier—that hits so hard it creates a massive hole in the school, and Gojo protects him and Fushiguro with what looks like psychikinesis/telekinesis due to how the rubble is floating around the two. Awesome stuff. I also thought it was funny how Itadori gets beat up by the Principal’s green-bear cursed doll. I’m giving English dub and Japanese sub the same score because I found Gojou funnier in English but the action felt better in Japanese due to its louder and clearer sound quality.
English Dub Score: 1
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Voice Acting
- As I’ve covered in previous sections, I find Gojou funnier in English but everyone else’s voice-acting more natural and dramatic in Japanese so I’m scoring Japanese subbed slightly higher than English dub.
English Dub Score: 0.75
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Likability
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- Overall, I liked episode two more than episode one. It had the same amount of action but it was darker and funnier with more story information about the curse spirit Sukuna being the King of Curses—and I really liked Gojou and the Principal’s voices in English so I’m giving English dub and Japanese subbed the same score.
English Dub Score: 1
Japanese Subbed Score: 1
Wow Factor/ Honorable Mentions
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Gojou’s fight with Sukuna was impressive, especially since he was obviously just playing with him despite the spirit being the “King of Curses.” Itadori literally gathering bone fragments from his recently-deceased grandfather’s cremated remains was realistic but also dark. My favorite conversation was just before this, when Gojou tells Itadori that dying old is a luxury but that while fighting curses sometimes the best outcome is to be torn apart because there are worst fates. On a side note, I'm also very curious to learn why Itadori likes Jennifer Lawrence--her mention really caught me off-guard because it's randomness felt funny. I’m giving English dub a higher score than Japanese just because I prefer Gojou’s voice in English and hope that voice-acting for him continues to be good.
English Dub Score: 1
Japanese Subbed Score: 0.75Final English Dub Score/ Grade: 8.5/B
Final Japanese Subbed Score/Grade: 9.5/A
Final Dub & Subbed Average Score/Grade: 9/A-