Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Did MAPPA ruin Gojo’s most iconic scene or make it better? Explored

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 is perhaps the single most impactful episode of the series yet. The episode adapted some of the most poignant scenes of the series, and although viewers derive greater pleasure from criticizing rather than applauding, one would find it extremely difficult to disagree that this was likely the best-directed episode of the series thus far.

The episode saw the demise of Toji Fushiguro and finally featured the glimpse of Megumi Fushiguro that all anime-only viewers were desperately waiting for. The layered storytelling in this episode, coupled with the addition of a post-credit scene, truly showcased mangaka Gege Akutami’s deft handling of complex matters.

However, Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 adapted what was the single most anticipated scene in this arc, and perhaps the whole season. As it is with the most anticipated things, the adaptation failed to meet the expectation of a large section of fans. This review discusses amongst other key aspects of this episode, whether MAPPA and Director Imai destroyed Gojo’s iconic scene, or turned it into something better.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the writer and contains descriptions, images, and analyses of canon-typical violence. Readers’ discretion is requested.

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 Review: MAPPA’s tone regarding Gojo’s “Heaven and Earth” scene gets a mixed response

Gojo using Red in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 4 (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 was titled Hidden Inventory, Part 4. It covered chapters 73-75 and some of chapter 76 of the manga and is the final episode of the Hidden Inventory sub-arc. Esteemed director Arifumi Imai shepherded this episode, and while some would call that a blessing, others are disinclined to believe so.

Brief Summary of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4

In Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4, Toji fought Suguru Geto after informing him of Gojo and Kuroi’s possible deaths and killing Riko in front of the boy. Toji explained the details of his Heavenly Restriction and why he was the only man fit to infiltrate the Jujutsu High. He managed to destroy two of Geto’s strongest Curses and injure the boy to the point of unconsciousness. In the process, he finally remembered who Megumi was.

Later, he and Shiu Kong delivered Riko’s body to the Time Vessel Association and collected their payment. As Toji was leaving the premises, he found a revived Satoru Gojo waiting for him, having mastered the art of Cursed Technique Reversal. Gojo seemed to have an Awakening and finally managed to kill Toji using his Hollow Purple. On the brink of his death, Toji told Gojo about Megumi and left his son to his killer’s mercy.

Gojo with Amanai's body (Image via MAPPA)

In Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4’s post-credit scene, Geto reached the compound and found Toji’s worm, which he seemingly absorbed. He later found Gojo carrying Amanai’s body out of the inner chamber while the gathered association members clapped. When Gojo asked if they should kill these people, Geto reminded him that it would be a meaningless slaughter.

Manga vs Anime: The difference between Heaven and Earth

Given this arc's emotional and thematic significance, it was surprising that the manga vs anime debate took so long to invade any season 2 discussion. So far, it has been universally acknowledged that whatever creative liberties the directors and the studio have taken were a vast improvement on the source material, mostly because it was in collusion with mangaka Gege Akutami.

However, Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 seems to have acutely divided the fandom and the critics alike on this topic. While one section hails director Imai as the best of the series and this episode as the pinnacle of Akutami’s vision, others find that the adaptation did grave injustice to the manga and turned one of the greatest Gojo panels into an insipid caricature. To the regular manga reader, perhaps Gojo’s most iconic line is this:

“Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the Honoured one.”

The original line is taken from the Lotus Sutra, a Buddhist holy scripture, and has been previously used in the series to describe Sukuna. In Akutami’s own words, he likes using this line in the arrogant sense of the words. But irrespective of the tone of the words, the line itself signifies an ascension from mortality to divinity, and in Gojo’s case, a rebirth. The line is flanked by Gojo’s twofold confessions on how Amanai’s death means little to him at the moment and how he feels the world in perfect harmony.

Now, as they are wont to do, fans have two drastically different approaches to interpreting this line, and the related sequence. One interpretation would suggest a gritty, intrepid atmosphere, similar to a God of War engaging in a bloodbath. And indeed, from the blood-splattered clothes to the haughty expression, the manga does lean towards this impression.

Gojo shows up in front of Toji (Image via MAPPA)

Needless to say, those who view Jujutsu Kaisen, first and foremost, as a battle shonen were anticipating an adaptation in this vein. However, director Imai seems to be indubitable with the second school of thought. He imagined this scene as a reincarnation of a young god, a divine moment of elation and serenity that culminates in the illumination of the world.

Truly, the nuanced piano score, the golden sunlight, and the celestial atmosphere of this scene in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 convey a sense of deification. Gojo is made immortal at this moment, and his mind is free of earthly pragmatism and has transcended into heavenly omniscience. It’s neither a worse nor a better portrayal of this panel, it is simply a different approach, one that the studio and the director pull off flawlessly.

Toji's iconic scene that did not get animated (Image via Gege Akutami/Shueisha)

Yuichi Nakamura’s deliverance of the line “Tenjo Tenge Yuiga Dokusan” is perhaps one of the best in the series, truly elevating this scene to an unparalleled height. It is noteworthy that those who disagree with this interpretation of the scene do not dislike it. The episode has been, thus far, unanimously agreed to be the best in the series.

However, one aspect that has equally unanimously disappointed fans, in however a jovial capacity, is not getting the similarly iconic scene of Toji brandishing a handgun against a high-grade curse that he cannot see. While Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 did a better job conveying Toji’s prowess in defeating the Rainbow Dragon, the revered shot of him holding a gun against the Curse seems fated to be confined to the manga.

The directors of the season

Director Imai's angles (Image via MAPPA)

So far, season 2 has aired four episodes, and each episode has had a different director. While that has little effect on the art style or the voice acting, the tone and topography of the episodes vary wildly from one installment to the next. While each of the four directors is distinctly different from Director Sunghoo Park and shares some similarities in their creative process, it’s hard to say whether it’s a wise choice for an anime yet.

While the quality of the animation remains the same, the presentation changes wildly from episode to episode. There can be little similarities found between Director Goshozono’s subtle camera angles in episode 1 and Director Takada’s broader frames in episode 2. However, the fandom and critics have collectively agreed that Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 is the best of the lot yet, however, disputed the aforementioned Gojo scene may be.

A captivating moment in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 4 (Image via MAPPA)

All four directors of this season, specifically director Miyajima of episode 3, seem to prefer an undercurrent of melancholy over any evident shroud of tragedy. The season presents haunting scenes with a mellow backdrop, allowing the horror to come from the quietness. It’s an implicit way of telling a tragic story, which contrasts the explicit nature of season 1 and appears to be what this arc desperately needed.

The triangular center of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4

Toji Fushiguro's last moment (Image via MAPPA)

While it is not in vogue to spend many words analyzing the content in a review, Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 will have to be an exception in that regard. The story of this episode elevates it to a level so far beyond the previous three episodes that other flaws are easily ignored in the face of such thematic brilliance.

While manga readers, including yours truly, look forward to the Shibuya Incident arc for what they call “peak Jujutsu Kaisen,” and they are absolutely right to do so, very few arcs in the series have had the complexity and depth of the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc. Broadly speaking, there are three components to look at in this episode: Toji’s death, Gojo’s rebirth, and Geto’s disillusionment.

The first one is the simplest one of them all and thus most glaring. Toji Fushiguro is one of the characters with the most long-reaching effects on this series despite being alive for so little. He irreversibly changes the trajectory of Gojo and Geto’s lives, and his death inadvertently brings Megumi out of the Zen’in family’s clutches.

Toji's memory of his late wife and child (Image via MAPPA)

But Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 shows, via an incredible performance from Takehito Koyasu, the depth and twists of Toji’s psyche. Toji is more self-aware than either Gojo or Geto could ever become, and his lack of care stems not from a lack of understanding but from a conscious decision to isolate himself from anything that can encroach upon his self-interest.

The moment he puts his pride above his survival, he loses the game. To this date, it confounds the average manga reader why Toji chose to leave Megumi’s fate to Gojo, but it is generally theorized to be a combination of grudging respect for Gojo’s abilities and some lingering affection for Megumi’s mother, who was, in mangaka Gege Akutami’s own words, the only person who made Toji better.

Gojo at the end of the Star Plasma Vessel mission (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 marks the rebirth of Satoru Gojo. From a boy who has the strongest power, he finally becomes the strongest sorcerer of the Modern Era. However, this episode highlights the godliness of Gojo in that he is far beyond the toils of the mortals. He kills Toji because it is something he wanted to do, and by his admission was ready to kill a room full of strangers.

It is glaringly obvious that at this point, Gojo is unconcerned with the moral scruples of death and murder, whether that is because he has turned his humane facilities off or because he genuinely believes himself to be above them, is irrelevant. What is significant is how he looks to Geto for moral guidance, to direct his hand when he himself is unsure of the road he must take.

Geto at the end of the Star Plasma Vessel mission (Image via MAPPA)

And that brings us to the final point in this triangle, Suguru Geto’s fall. In the post-credit scene, Geto is highlighted in blue, a color usually associated with right, and Gojo is highlighted in red, a color of wrong and danger. Despite this emphasis, Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 makes it implicitly clear that while Geto convinces Gojo to stay his hand, he is unable to convince himself.

In a way, at that moment, Geto frees Gojo of any responsibility or obligation of Amanai’s death and allows the same things to enchain him instead. This is why Gojo could move on from this incident in a healthy way that positively impacted his future choices, while Geto trudged towards to negative and could never escape the sound of that clapping.

Final thoughts

A chilling camera angle (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 highlighted, if nothing else, then the futility of strength and the pointlessness of human endeavor. The carefully selected background score and faux-organic camera angles go a long way to understate the monumental moments of change and evolution that the characters go through.

The use of light and silence has distinguished director Imai’s work from his peers. Even if anyone finds themselves dissatisfied with the Heaven and Earth scene in particular, the rest of the episode, the post-credit scene in particular, should disabuse them of that notion.

Geto at the end of his innocence (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 4 marks the last episode in the colloquially known Gojo’s Past arc, where Satoru Gojo is the protagonist. In the next episode, Suguru Geto takes precedence, and viewers finally see what turned this young righteous boy into the genocidal maniac we see in Jujutsu Kaisen 0.