Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 Episode 9 Recap – Small Fry and Reverse Retribution

Bullies

Yoshino Junpei gets bullied after being accused of staring at a girl. While he takes a punch, he fantasizes about having a magic button that could kill anyone he doesn’t like. He skips school to watch a movie. But then he also finds three of his bullies in the theater.

Mahito appears behind the three, telling them to be quiet. When the lights turn on, Junpei discovers them all disfigured and dead. He chases Mahito into a dark alleyway to ask him if he did it.

Mahito asks if those people were important to him. Instead of answering, Junpei asks if he can learn to do the same.

An investigation ensues with Yuji and another sorcerer gaining access to the crime scene. The sorcerer asks Yuji if he can see the cursed residuals remaining. He is a pragmatic ex-salaryman and first-grade Jujutsu Sorcerer: Nanami Kento. Gojo likes Kento because of his reliability and directness.

Kento had a choice between becoming a sorcerer and an office worker, but when he learned both were unpleasant professions, he took the one he was better at: a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Kento warns Yuji he has to keep up with him. Yuji admits his weakness while promising he won’t disappoint.

Cursed Techniques

They find some curses lurking around as they investigate the top floor of the building. A fight ensues. Kento can create critical points in the enemy’s body by striking them with his blunt knife at a certain point, around seven-tenths of their length.

When asked why he’s explaining this, Kento tells him about a binding vow that happens when you explain your cursed technique to your opponents. This increases the techniques‘ effectiveness. Kento uses his glasses to see the exact point and strikes. Yuji fights another curse on his own using a new technique he’s learned. He funnels cursed energy onto his fists for maximum impact: Divergent Fist. He connects and defeats the curse with one punch.

Kento notices the boy is stronger than normal humans, and his potential is still very much untapped. Kento halts the fight when he sees one of the curses wearing a watch. It turns out they used to be humans.

Ms. Ieiri confirms it after her autopsy and describes it as the same condition the victims inside the cinema suffered from. She tells Yuji the cause of their death was shock from the mutation, so he wasn’t responsible for their deaths.

Still, their deaths weigh heavily on Yuji, especially the method used. Kento tells him those residuals left behind were probably bait to lure them in. Their enemy is highly skilled, and he fears it can’t be wrapped up easily. Kento encourages him to do their best.

Curse User

Back in their sewer hideout, Mahito teaches Junpei about the existence of cursed spirits and how they manifest. Mahito tells him about humans’ fear of the earth, forest, and ocean that created strong cursed energies which formed into his comrades.

Junpei asks what kind of curse he is. Mahito tells him he’s human, borne from people’s hatred of one another.

Kento sends Ijichi and Yuji into Mahito’s general vicinity and tells them about Yoshino Junpei—a schoolmate of the three cinema victims. He was seen at the scene. Kento hides he already knows Mahito’s location and wants to take care of him alone. He decides to leave Yuji out of it.

Yuji and Ijichi follow Junpei as he heads home. Yuji carries a cage of little curses.

Our Thoughts

Something remarkable I noticed was the lack of boring exposition in the series. The anime follows the conflict first, then asks questions later storytelling style, making the pacing great. I rate this 3.8/5.