Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 Episode 17 Recap – Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event – Group Battle 3

Expectations

During one of their classes, Mai tells Kasumi that Maki is talentless and can only use Cursed Tools. She’ll forever be a Grade 4 Sorcerer.

In the present, Kasumi curses Mai for misleading her. Maki is actually very strong, and her spear is holding Kasumi at bay, pushing her to the edge.

Kasumi retreats to the river and activates her Simple Domain technique—a stance allowing her to counter anyone within its radius. It’s her fastest drawing technique.

Maki surveys her and attacks with long-ranged weapons before wrestling Kasumi away and stealing her sword. The teachers in the conference room all see this and some argue that Maki should be Grade 2. Gojo agrees, but the Zenin family is against it.

Their scoreboard shows only two of the curses have been destroyed so far.

Nobara fights with Momo, who uses wind energy and her broomstick to fight. Nobara gets annoyed when she gets hit on the face and calls Momo out. Momo calls her weak because she isn’t cute. Female Jujutsu Sorcerers have to be presentable. Momo adds she doesn’t understand Mai, who has faced a lot of discrimination before.

Nobara doesn’t care and still fights back even after getting knocked down. Momo explains Mai has to keep up with the perfect reputation demanded by the Zenin clan. Nobara argues she loves Maki and hates Mai. She adds that Yuji, who they are hunting, is a human too.

As You Like

Nobara takes back her nails scattered around the trees and traps Momo’s path. She takes one of the bristles of her broom and injects it into her voodoo doll. Nobara yells there’s no difference between boys and girls as long as you do what you like. She likes to be strong and beautiful at the same time. She smashes the hammer and deactivates the broom.

Nobara hits Momo with a toy hammer, but then Mai arrives and shoots her from afar. Mai calls Momo to watch everyone from the skies, but then Maki appears and challenges her to fight.

In a flashback, Nobara tells Yuji that Maki is an outcast from a large Jujutsu clan. Panda thinks if they do well in the Goodwill event, Maki’s reputation will improve, so Nobara pressures Yuji to win.

Maki slices Mai’s bullet and closes in for a kick. The two had always been compared since they were young. During those times, Mai was still afraid of curses. But because Maki couldn’t see them, she would be the one to lead her sister to move forward. Mai envies Maki’s fearlessness and headstrong personality.

Years later, Maki left the clan and swore to come back to be its head. This made Mai even more envious.

Sisters

Maki evades Mai’s six bullets, skirting around the woods and finding her time to strike. Mai has the power to create bullets from cursed energy, but she can only do so once a day. The six-bullet revolver is only a distraction.

Maki catches the seventh bullet with her hand and destroys its momentum. Mai lashes out in frustration, blaming Maki for having the superhuman physical talent she lacks—a talent rejected by their own family.

Maki holds Mai at swordpoint. Mai admits she never wanted to be a sorcerer but was forced by Maki’s dedication. She hates keeping up with Maki working hard. She wished for a simple life, but Maki’s responsibilities fell on her instead.

Maki apologizes and tells her she did what was best for her.

With no energy left, Mai and Nobara withdraw from the event.

Our Thoughts

Again, superb backstory writing from this show, expertly adding nuanced family drama into a shounen fight. 4/5.