Four Episodes Was Actually So Rude
Spoiler: Season 1 Episodes 9-12
Here we go. . .
Another character where the anime introduces us, puts them in the opening, gives everyone hope that they might finally have friends, or not be bullied any longer.
Just to be RIPPED AWAY from us literally 4 EPISODES LATER!
That is Junpei Yochino. At first he is your average non-sorcerer whose views on society as a whole aren’t great to begin with. Bro was often beaten and bullied at school. Which made him apathetic towards other people. Making him think. . .
“If I had a button I could push that would make everyone I hate die, I probably wouldn’t push it. But, if there was a button that would make everyone who hated me die, I’d push it without hesitation.”
– Junpei
To bring some joy to his life he would skip school to go to the movies. On one particular day he watched his bullies get murdered by a cursed spirit Mahito.
Then that same cursed spirit became his mentor.
Junpei didn’t know anything when it came to the Jujutsu world when he met Mahito. Therefore it would be harder for him to realize how bad things were actually getting. He just saw someone that could protect him, someone that could teach him how to stand up for himself.
The crazy thing about it was Mahito practically told him exactly what he was and the things that he would do. Though he knew what to say and how to say it to make it sound not so bad.
Every word was just him luring Junpei into the trap that was his unraveling.
He was emotionally vulnerable which made him earlier to manipulate. Also his views on people didn’t help when it came to Mahito literally telling him that he was a red flag.
It is like they went in one ear and then out the other.
It makes me think of their conversation about how people feel about others whether it is fondness vs. indifference. Along with how people shouldn’t treat others with malice. Essentially saying that if you feel the need to do that then you should just leave the person alone.
While in the same conversation Mahito is showing Junpei the experiments he had been conducting on humans. Even questioning. . .
“Do corpses bother you, Junpei?”
– Mahito
Which should have been the moment he turns and runs for the hills. Instead of staying and giving Mahito just the ammunition he needs to destroy him.
When it comes to a stranger’s death, Junpei doesn’t really think much about it. Unless it was his mother and then the kid wouldn’t be able to stand that death.
“I already know how repulsive humans can be”
– Junpei
That thought process was what got us into this mess in the first place. This point in time was crucial and if Junpei wasn’t so freaking naive. Just maybe he would have been able to get out of Mahito’s grip.
Then Mahito mentions that he doesn’t believe that humans have hearts and that there is no value or importance when it comes to a life. It is just another cycle and we can choose our own path in it.
Leading to Junpei being fully sanctioned by Mahito.
After we get the scene where his teacher confronts him about skipping school. Along with also letting him know that it was disrespectful to not attend his “friend’s” funeral.
And to that I say. . .
What friends? All they did was treat him like trash.
That teacher was ignorant about what was actually taking place between the students he was teaching. Absolutely not paying a lick of attention to the problem that mattered.
You could just see that fire that was building in Junpei’s eyes. The moment he realized teachers were just over-grown children that grew up to run the same schools they went to. While not having any real life experiences.
I am completely positive that Junpei was definitely about to mess that teacher up if Yuji wasn’t there to interrupt that conversation. He would have had all the tools to do it because Mahito had just sanctioned him too.
Once they were alone, Yuji was able to ask him some questions about the movie theater incident. Junpei corporates because he was told to be nice to Jujutsu Sorcerers. Even agreeing to wait for Ijichi to arrive to ask any more questions they needed.
Then next thing we know they are talking like they are old friends about movies. Leading to them exchanging phone numbers.
When they get interrupted by Junpei’s mother.
Where Yuji gets invited over for dinner.
Junpei absolutely loves his mother, that much is clear from his conversation with Mahito. She supported him. Especially when it came to him not wanting to go to school. Maybe not understanding exactly how bad it was getting, but knowing that he wasn’t being treated right.
Though that doesn’t stop every child from being a little embarrassed by their parents. It was mainly because she smoked and maybe drank a bit too much. Even falling asleep after dinner before Yuji left.
Junpei looked genuinely happy during dinner, but there was just something that stayed on his mind.
Leading to a conversation about Yuji being a Jujutsu Sorcerer and having to fight the bad guys. What would he think when it came to needing to kill them? His answer threw Junpei for a loop.
“If that happens, I still won’t wanna kill them.”
– Yuji
“I just think, if I killed anyone, the very option of killing would then have forced its way into my life. The value of life would become ambiguous. I might start taking the people I care about for granted. And that scares me.”
– Yuji
Honest and True
Something he needed to hear.
Having two people telling you things can be difficult. You have one saying if you don’t like someone then just kill them. While the other is telling you that if he kills then it would change all of his views.
Needing to make your own decision on what the right or wrong thing is.
“But, if killing someone, would mean tainting my soul, then I can’t kill anyone.”
– Junpei
Until his mother was murdered by a cursed spirit that was drawn to their house by one of Sukana’s fingers.
Then of course Mahito is right there talking in Junpei’s ear about how curse users will sometimes curse people for money. Leading him into thinking that someone was out to get them. Even asking if there was anyone that could have done such a thing. Then helping him take his revenge out on the people at his school because that was who he could think of.
Meanwhile Mahito set the entire thing up. To him Junpei was a pawn that could be disposed of.
It shows how people can affect you with their words. Along with how easy it can be to manipulate someone that is emotionally vulnerable and starting to lose everything.
Becoming someone that no longer cares about human life.
“People always pretend their emotions are everything, but the heart is just the metabolism of the soul. It’s all a delusion. Don’t restrict me with rules that are based on a delusion.”
– Junpei
Yuji couldn’t just stand around and wait to see what he becomes. Wanting Junpei to understand that it doesn’t have to end in people dying. That what he is feeling isn’t going to last forever.
Then we start seeing his curse technique a little during the fight.
A Jellyfish Shikigami that is capable of paralyzing its targets with a unique poison that is emitted from its tendrils. The poison is created by cursed energy and upon contact covers the skin in black spots that burn its victims like if they were being stung. Along with having a pair of spiked stingers that can pierce through flesh.
However we don’t see the full potential of his cursed technique because the poison wouldn’t work on Yuji. Junpei finally stops and listens for a minute.
“The human heart is just a delusion? Could you really say that in front of her?”
– Yuji
Deep down he couldn’t say that in front of his mother and wouldn’t. She was gone though. Therefore he still wanted to believe that people didn’t have hearts.
“Otherwise. . . And that could only mean that people cursed me and my mom with those hearts. That would just be too much.”
-Junpei
Then Yuji takes a direct hit from the spiked stingers. Wanting him to hear what he had to say. That there are people that will take him in and teach him. He didn’t have to be alone anymore.
That he would listen to what happened and try his best to understand where he was coming from. That was the only way to get Junpei to stop attacking. He finally stopped attacking.
Yuji met Junpei where he was. Learned that his mother was killed, then sat there listening while his friend cried while feeling so lost.
He was so close to taking the offer that Yuji had. Jujutsu High would have been good for Junpei. He would have grown stronger and would be able to learn the abilities to avenge his mother properly. Yea sure, he would then have Mahito as an enemy though that is exactly what he was anyways.
When of course Mahito shows up.
Immediately Yuji is telling Junpei that he needs to run away because things don’t feel right. Junpei’s first reaction is telling him that Mahito is still a friend. Nothing is going to happen. That he is a good person.
Until something finally clicks in his head.
Horror filling his face the moment he thought back to the conversation about corpses while holding one in his hands.
That feeling when a heavy hand rested on his shoulder.
The weight of the situation finally came in full force all at one.
Idle Transfiguration. . .
JUNPEI BECOMING JUST ANOTHER EXPERIMENT!!!!
Yuji begged Sukana to help heal him. To undo what Mahito did, so that he could have a second chance at life. Instead Sukana declines, laughing in his face. Mahito joined in the laughter not too long after.
Junpei’s death makes me so frustrated. Tearing this poor kid down until he is literally nothing. He didn’t deserve to die this way at the hands of someone he thought he could trust.
This even affects Yuji in a way that he wasn’t expecting. He was ready to kill Mahito. Learning that he’s able to actually do a bit of damage. Though their real fight where Yuji breaks Mahito doesn’t come until The Shibuya Incident.
Let us know in the comments what moment in Jujutsu Kaisen made you so frustrated that you’re still thinking about it to this day.
You do have two routes you can take now.
Since Mahito wanted to be all over Junpei’s story, I think it would be right to go read about all the other terror this man has done. Just be aware it all hurts.
Then there is Yuji Itadori. The kid that tried to save Junpei because he knew just how bad things were getting. Though after his death things for Yuji just keep getting crazier.
