FIRST REACT to Jujutsu Kaisen as a Literature PhD | 1x18

[00:00:00]Hi, my darlings. I'm Sophie darling and welcome back to the channel. If you're new here, hello. My name is Sophie. I have a doctorate in literature, which means I get way too emotionally invested in shows that I'm watching. So, if that sounds like something you will enjoy, why don't you hit that subscribe button so you never miss a video. Today, we're reacting to episode 18 of season 1 of Jujutsu Kaizen. Last episode, we got a breakdown of Mackie and May's relationship, but also more information on the technique that May has that is limited by the fact that it requires so much cursed energy that she can only make one physical item. And we learned that May never wanted to be a jujutsu sorcerer. She wanted to live a normal life, even if that meant adhering to their clan's expectations of women. But because Mackey decided to rebel and leave to prove them wrong to show that women are capable of being strong and leaders, May didn't really have a choice. She kind of had to follow in her sister's footsteps and she constantly talks about how she hates her. But I feel like at some point they are going to be brought together or there's going to be a moment where May realizes that she doesn't actually hate her sister.

[00:01:20]Her sister isn't the issue here. It's the societal expectations placed upon them by the clan. Not just in the fact that they were born girls, but also with them being twins and seen as ill omens, they were mistreated in that sense, too.

[00:01:34]They were never really treated fairly or given affection. And if they had, things would have been a lot more different.

[00:01:41]But we had the epic showdown between Macki and Mia. And we had Nabara's declaration of self-love which was phenomenal. So we also had a moment where Camo and Megumi were kind of having their little showdown together.

[00:01:58]So maybe we're going to see that because it seems to be every little glimpse of a showdown has them been fleshed out in more detail. Maki and Miwa, Nibara and Momo, Toto and Itidori, Panda and Mechamora. So now we might get Camo and Megumi, which will be incredibly cool and exciting. So without further ado, we're going to jump into episode 18.

[00:02:23]Jesus Christ. Okay, starting off strong.

[00:02:30]Yeah, this is camo cuz he carries a bow and arrow.

[00:02:38]Oh, he doesn't even have to see. He's like, I'm do this with my eyes closed.

[00:02:45]Christ.

[00:02:49]Ah, the little frogs.

[00:02:58]Yeah, I was going to say it was like they just turn corners.

[00:03:18]So that's why it has blood on it so that he can manipulate it. Sorry, hold up. He said a technique that manipulates one's blood and objects imbued with it.

[00:03:27]Fitting for one of the three major clans and the lover bloodlines. So, we have Camo's bloodline, which is also one of the three major clans, Macki, and Maze.

[00:03:36]Have we had the Fur yet, or is the fur still to be delved into and revealed? We know that like Gojo's ability is incredibly like strong, and it's a technique that he's had from birth. So, could Gojo's family line be the third major clan perhaps?

[00:03:57]Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[00:04:12]Sorry. There's so much like information being thrown at me here. 10 shadows technique. One of the Zenins clans hereditary tech. Oh, so there's more than one hereditary technique. the 10 shadow technique. He's referring to Megumi as like one of these, you know, powerful coveted techniques that they want children to inherit. So what Megumi can do is this rare unique thing. And we kind of got that idea because again there was the shock that he can control shadows and like delve into them but also there was Skoona who said that his talent was interesting and he's now been weirdly fascinated with Mumi because of Mumi's abilities. So, if this is one of the Zenin clan's hereditary techniques, Mumi is connected to the Zenin clan somehow. If he's inherited a hereditary power that is from the Zening clan, then he also must be from the Zening clan.

[00:05:17]So, he is from the same clan as Macki and May. This was probably explained and my head's forgotten about it because again they just throw so many techniques at you and they expect your brain to kind of latch on to them all. Okay, so it is Megum's ability 10 shadow technique blood manipulation, right?

[00:05:48]cuz his eye did a weird like [ __ ] thing.

[00:05:56]He's like, I don't need my arrows.

[00:06:08]Oh, that's crazy.

[00:06:18]a layman's term for it.

[00:06:22]It's like you're doping. You're making yourself stronger. Like, no, that's just my ability. God damn.

[00:06:34]Oh, Mia, she's like, "What do I do? I don't have my sword.

[00:06:56]sleep.

[00:06:58]>> What?

[00:07:04]Oh, it was him.

[00:07:09]Well, damn.

[00:07:16]happens when you least expect it.

[00:07:26]>> What's the weird >> smoke? Is it a cursed spirit? Like, what is it?

[00:07:33]>> Or is it something more than that? What?

[00:07:35]You seem so unfazed.

[00:07:50]Oh, is it this?

[00:08:10]Oh, so now it's tracking him down.

[00:08:19]Oh, you severely underestimate Itidori.

[00:08:25]No, he's not going to die. He's not.

[00:08:33]He sensed it.

[00:08:44]Oh, [ __ ] >> What did he say? I need a moment to read because it's backwards.

[00:08:57]You wish I I can't make Oh my all by Yeah, I can't make out that last word.

[00:09:07]But if they are here, I'm not sure if it's meant to be a boy or a girl or if it even matters because it's a cursed spirit. But if they are here, I don't think ghetto is far behind. This is all part of their plan to get the fingers, isn't it?

[00:09:26]I hope nothing bad happens to him because Oh no.

[00:09:39]>> Oh, they're like, "Oh, we'll take out Gojo in the same breath." No, you won't.

[00:09:45]I had a feeling this wasn't going to be as simple that they would have to show up at the school after Ghetto said that the fingers were held here.

[00:10:10]So, he's only acceptable because he got the technique even though his mother was mistreated.

[00:10:20]They've all had such [ __ ] upbringings, haven't they? Like, none of them have had it easy because of the clan's expectations and desire for the next heir to have the technique and be strongest of the strong. It's almost as if these clans are the true enemy rather than being of any good. All these traditional expectations are exhausting.

[00:10:56]Oh, he's like, "You're going to be a clan leader like me, so we should be allies." But Megumi is like, "Nah, it's not going to happen."

[00:11:12]Mm-m.

[00:11:16]No.

[00:11:19]He thinks Megumi is going to be the next clan and he's like, "No, I'm not going to be the leader."

[00:11:28]>> I love that. He's like, "Yeah, we are the same." Because I have this really desired technique. So, even though my mom is mistreated because she's a concubine, I'm the next leader. I am the heir to the camo clan because no one else has the same technique or as strong of a technique as me. And because Megumi also has this highly coveted technique for the Zenin clan, he thinks automatically Megumi is going to be the next clan leader that he's been chosen to be the heir. And Megumi is like, "Nah, speak to Macki. Macki is going to be the next clan leader. I have no association with this. I don't want to be involved. I love that because that one little bit of dialogue shows that Megumi must not have been fully brought up in the Zenin clan because he doesn't have the same ideology as the rest of them. He sees Maki as worthy of being clan leader. He doesn't see her as inferior because she's a woman. He sees her as strong and capable. So instantly that like one little piece of dialogue shows that Megumi has fully removed himself from the Zen clan from its ideology and isn't willing to be involved in its weird internal politics. Whereas Camo, he talks about how he has to act like the heir for the sake of his mother. So it seems like the only reason he stepped up into this position is because it will mean that people will treat his mother with more respect. She is the mother of the heir to the camo clan. No one's going to look down on her anymore. And we see that picture of him as a younger child crying because of what they're saying about his mom, how they're mistreating her. And then now he's an adult and he's been declared as an heir.

[00:13:16]He knows that their treatment will be different, that his mother will be recognized and treated with the respect she's never had before. So once again, we have this kid again being forced to take up a position that he doesn't necessarily want because of external pressures because he doesn't want his mom to suffer. It's just it's so tragic.

[00:13:52]and he saved it because he believes in it.

[00:14:06]>> He's like, "We are not the same.

[00:14:09]We're not going to be on the same path, and that's okay. But we'll just have to curse each other because you don't agree with my good conscience.

[00:14:21]>> How do you tame them? An elephant.

[00:14:26]Whoa. So, there's still more that we haven't seen yet.

[00:14:32]Oh, wow.

[00:14:35]The art's gorgeous, but also, how does he tame the shadows? How does it work?

[00:14:47]>> Bad boy.

[00:14:57]So, he's like, I've got to do this for my mom.

[00:15:02]Don't kill the bad. Don't. Don't.

[00:15:09]>> After we lost one of the demon dogs, I have been terrified ever since. But oh [ __ ] you guys are going to have to work together now.

[00:15:25]There's a bigger threat on the horizon.

[00:15:37]Oh, nope.

[00:15:49]Yeah, they're unregistered.

[00:15:57]They're after Gojo as well.

[00:16:00]Oh, I'm so scared.

[00:16:04]Oh, Lord.

[00:16:15]She's like, "Where's my bonus?"

[00:16:21]He's like, "I'm not letting the principal out my sight. The Kyoto principal is coming with me. Let's go."

[00:16:28]Oh [ __ ] Oh my god.

[00:16:41]We also haven't seen him before. So, this is a new character.

[00:16:51]Is he a curse user like ghetto?

[00:16:57]Yeah, he must be Gojo. Kick his ass. Come on, Gojo.

[00:17:24]Whoa.

[00:17:27]Okay. Not as simple as what he thought it might be because they scare.

[00:17:36]They're scared of Gojo. That's why Gojo.

[00:17:52]That's so funny.

[00:18:00]meaning there's a traitor in their midst. Like he said, >> I am scared that someone's going to die at this point. It's got intense very, very quickly. It's gone from just being an exchange event to Mjito and unregistered special grade cursors showing up. Sorry.

[00:18:26]He can't get in. He tried.

[00:18:36]Oh, so he wanted Gojo to be in here, but then whatever he's cast as stopped Gojo from being inside.

[00:18:44]What?

[00:18:57]What?

[00:19:01]>> Not what I was expecting.

[00:19:06]>> He's a punk rock granddad. Holy [ __ ] So, was it Ghetto that's kept Gojo from going inside? Because Gojo will interfere.

[00:19:42]He's like, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

[00:19:59]He doesn't even want him ringing Gojo.

[00:20:04]Soon as he realized what they were trying to do, which was retreat to Gojo, it was instantly like, "Nah, nothing." Whoa.

[00:20:26]Keep trying to read what it's saying, but it's backwards. Spot it, foolish children.

[00:20:36]Oh, stop it, foolish children. I thought it said spot it.

[00:20:41]It's almost like it doesn't want to fight them.

[00:21:00]When there are many more that are willing to destroy.

[00:21:16]It's on the rise.

[00:21:21]No, no, I I don't think so.

[00:21:44]manipulative.

[00:21:49]This is kind of cute. I love that they're giving us like an empathetic perspective.

[00:22:01]But now it does.

[00:22:06]Oh, the little blush.

[00:22:10]I'm gonna pay for 10 seasons of Jo and anime romance, high school romance.

[00:22:21]That's so funny. I do love that we find ourselves, at least I do, empathizing with the special grades, the unregistered ones, because they aren't born from negative emotions, from fear, but they're also wanting to protect what's being destroyed, what's being harmed. So, you know, Hanam is wanting to protect the planet, wanting to protect the forests that are being destroyed, wanting to ensure that the planet isn't just taken for granted in the same way that it has been. And they see humans as this root cause of environmental destruction, which humans are. So the negativity that they feel towards humanity and this desire to erase humanity kind of makes sense in their mind that it's only with humans gone can the planet truly thrive once more. And you know as they're saying there are people that do take care of the planet that do look after the land and treat it with respect and care but that doesn't matter when it pales in comparison to the amount of people that are hellbent on destroying it. And there's this idea that they've been trying to coexist with humans, but it's got to a stage now where they're realizing that this coexistence is tenuous. It doesn't work. So in their mind, the only way to erase humanity and its duplicity and its complexity is to put themselves in charge because they see themselves as the pure embodiment because they can't deceive.

[00:24:01]They are pure manifestations of fear, resentment, anger, hatred, all the negative emotions. But because of that, they can't hide anything. But they also care deeply about what they're associated with. So obviously Hanime cares deeply about the planet, cares deeply about land and environment, and wants to have these children become the sages. But I find it very fascinating again that we're having this like empathetic approach. And then even in the Jojo stroll, we have Mjito being deceptive of going, "Oh, well, we should just kill Jo." You know, very much playing games, doing whatever feels most fun in the moment because they are still younger than the other curses. They are in a sense in their full power, but it was mentioned that Mjito still has the potential to further gain strength. And it's interesting to see him here again because again, we haven't seen him since that showdown with Itidori and Skoona.

[00:25:12]And Scooter was like, "Don't you [ __ ] touch my soul again, you peasant. And you did it a second time. So, I'm going to teach you a lesson." But we also have this new curse user that crafted the veil, but he thought the veil would bring Gojo in and that he could make a coat rack from the veil, but it's actually barred Gojo from being able to enter and interfere. I don't know if that means we're going to get a Ghetto and Gojo showdown because we haven't seen Ghetto. Ghetto hasn't arrived yet.

[00:25:44]We've seen Miito. We've seen Hanime. We haven't seen Jo. We haven't seen the ocean. We also haven't seen Ghetto, which makes me think we might have a Gojo ghetto intervention.

[00:26:03]Because again, the reason they've kept Gojo out is cuz Gojo is the biggest threat to them. Punk rock granddad was not what I anticipated. I was wondering what he was carrying. Did not expect it to be a [ __ ] guitar. that is just going to be absolutely epic. I also love that we got more context into the clans and the expectations that are placed on them, especially in relation to techniques and the fact that we have Megumi who doesn't see himself as connected to the Zen clan, especially in the fact that he's saying, "All of this means nothing to me. You should speak to Mackey." which is him recognizing instantly that Macki is going to be the next leader of the Zening clan, that he has no interest in ever becoming a leader or taking up that position. So, go Megum. I'm excited and a little bit nervous about the showdown. I do have a feeling we might actually have some character deaths because this is very intense. Her spirits are not coming here to play. They are coming here to eradicate. and in Hanime's mind creating sages for this new world where humans no longer exist because they cannot coexist with them. I do like that there isn't just a binary of good and evil that it is a lot more complex than that.

[00:27:25]Especially with the introduction of the clans and these traditional structures that are putting so much pressure and expectation on the children and causing so much suffering and pain in the process that we're seeing that the clans and how they operate along with the elders of jiujitsu sorcerers aren't a positive that there has to be greater change in order for these children to thrive. And they are trying to be that change. They are trying to make a difference, but it's almost like tradition versus modernity. We're seeing how society advances and that these clans haven't quite kept up with it. And as a result, the younger generation are either forced to reject tradition entirely or feel the pressure to adhere to these toxic values, but they're unhappy and suffering in the process.

[00:28:22]It's just really heartbreaking to watch, but at the same time really fascinating that we're getting that insight that it's not just the clans and jiu-jitsu sorcerers equal good and the cursed spirits and curs users equal bad. Again, Ghetto I find an incredibly fascinating figure and I really want to know more about him and why he knows Ghetto but chooses to be against him. What caused the rift between them? Because based on Macki and May's relationship, nothing is really that simple. I think Ghetto turned away from the jiu-jitsu sorcerers because perhaps they have done something that is so completely unforgivable that for him there's no coming back. That the only way to atone for it is to just destroy them entirely. But why he wants to get rid of humanity in general, I don't know. And also, how does that coincide with the cursed spirits?

[00:29:22]Because again, they're operating with the idea that humans won't exist at all, that they will be the superior beings and that humanity is going to be wiped out. But then you have ghetto and others who are curse users that are working alongside them. So, have they made an exception for them? or are the cursed users operating with the philosophy that they will work alongside them to achieve their own goals but then get rid of them when they no longer suit their purpose.

[00:29:48]So, they're seeing it as a means to an end rather than actually believing that all humanity should be eradicated. I imagine we'll learn more as we go, but I think Ghetto is going to be a really fascinating character. He is somebody that I am dying to know more about because I think there is more to it. I don't think it's as simple as he's bad for the sake of being bad. I think in order for him to be a curse user, he obviously has had to go through the school. He knows who Gojo is. I think they must have been in school together, but something has fundamentally caused Ghetto to depart from being like Gojo or the others. He's become a cursed user.

[00:30:28]He sided with these cursed spirits because he wants to punish maybe the system that's caused him nothing but pain and suffering. I don't know, but I'm excited. Thank you so much for watching. If you enjoyed this react, please consider liking, subscribing, and leaving a comment below to help boost this video into the algorithm. And until next episode, bye.