Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 episode 18 won’t be as memorable as the previous episode, but it does show a different side to the series that we (sort of) experienced earlier in the season. Nanami’s death was staged as best as possible. While some found some hiccups in the animation and composition, there’s no denying that Nanami’s final stand is still wonderfully done.
Nanami’s final battle
I’m going to be brutally honest from the start with this—I loved everything about the first half of the episode involving Nanami. The development and love for his character has been there since the first season despite not having as big of a presence as Gojo. He was a fan favorite from last season and has become a favorite for many to watch this season.
I think a hero’s last effort would have something special swinging on the piano that would make me fall into a trance and shed tears. Death is highly valued as something dark and scary, especially in series like Jujutsu Kaisen. But in this episode, it seems like Goshozono wanted to show a side of Nanami that we can all appreciate and cherish, treating death with a little more dignity than the way the series usually treats it. with it. What is probably my favorite part is that while we see Nanami smiling on the beach, he does anything but fight in real time…until he realizes Yuji is there.
It was almost as if the two sides of Nanami’s conscience had finally agreed on one thought at the end of it all and that was a smile on his Face’s lips. Before Nanami walks out in a pool of his own blood, he turns back to Yuji with a smile—a wonderful moment of acceptance of death and a final lesson. Nanami is the protector until the very end. He protected Yuji and Megumi. He saved Nobara. He stood next to Maki. In the end, he was alone with no one to help him. Still, he manages to give one of the gentlest smiles the series has ever seen. Being able to find happiness in death is the strongest trait Nanami has ever had.
Will Nanami’s death be one that we look back on in a few years and still feel the impact? Maybe, maybe not. However, what Director Goshozono has done with Nanami’s farewell is a testament to just how wholehearted an anime can be. We saw what he was able to create in episode 3 with Riko’s death and it was shown off beautifully again with Nanami in episode 18. Nanami’s ending was almost like a theatrical performance making the rising action of his death feel poignant yet peaceful.
He is a mentor to Yuji in ways that even Gojo cannot be. While they both have a strong determination to protect future generations, Gojo definitely taps into Yuji’s potential as a wizard while Nanami always reminds him to keep his humanity . Gojo may be a great uncle to Yuji, but I will always see Nanami as a father figure to him and the next generation of witches. Therefore, in that moment of silence watching Nanami die at the hands of Mahito, the feeling of Yuji losing his father figure was nothing more than heavy.
Production decisions
Nanami’s death in the manga only occurs in a few frames. In reality, Mahito was in front of Nanami when he killed him, unlike in the anime. I really like this decision by Goshozono because it shows Mahito’s cowardice and inability to face the man who almost killed him. It’s an interesting but simple transition to a moment that shows more of Mahito’s true nature (if people haven’t caught that already).
The action scenes are more thorough. Yuji’s overwhelming anxiety in the anime leading to seeing Nanami die is completely absent from the manga, which cuts from Yujii’s face in the last episode to Mahito killing Nanami. All of Yuji’s mid-running and nervous scenes are absent from the manga. But I think the most important thing in this episode, despite all the action between Yuji and Mahito, are the transitions during Nanami’s last stand.
Nanami’s death in the manga is quite brief. I wouldn’t say it’s offensive, but there’s something there that shouldn’t be and the anime fills in those gaps admirably. Most of the action we see comes from the anime as well as all of Nanami’s moments on the beach. Last week I explained in my article about episode 17 why I thought it was the best action episode of the year, and some of the elements continued to make their way into this episode. I never saw Nanami’s fight as a last ditch effort to survive watching anime. Instead, it felt like a moment where he wanted to take down as many enemies as possible so no one else got hurt.
Using transitions can be complicated and that’s why many anime don’t use them on a consistent basis like series like 86 Eighty-Six and Loving Yamada-kun at Lv.999. Even in Jujutsu Kaisen, that’s rare. But in episode 18, we’ll understand why especially great transitions can be an extraordinary element to add to emotional times. For example, look at the moment below, everything contrasts with each other.
All the physical details and differences don’t need to be talked about because they are so obvious. But it was at this moment that it seemed like Nanami knew her time had come. That was also the closest transition. Although many of the transitions shown in the sequence above are medium shots, this is a close-up. And it can have many different interpretations.
When he opened his eyes, it didn’t even show the spirit of a warrior anymore. Those eyes showed a brief moment of fear, acceptance, concern and maybe even a moment of reflection where he actually thought he was dead for a second but came back. again. This is what gave Nanami’s run a bittersweet ending in the best way possible. And this is what an anime has to do with its source material—showing that a 1:1 ratio of the source is not always the right decision. Anime should be a medium where creativity is not limited.
As for the rest of the episode with Yuji and Mahito, I can understand why some people might have concerns about some of the scenes. But overall, their fight also deserves a lot of praise. I wouldn’t be surprised if Junya Enoki is awarded the award later this year. His performance as Yuji is second to none this season despite not having the most screen time — and that’s exactly why he should be nominated for such awards. That being said, was it the best fight? Are not. Is that the worst? Stay away from it. With animators like Benjamin Faure, Blue and Proro (see below) return this week as the main animators, we’re sure to have some wild moments.
Main animation by Proro
There was a brief moment during their fight where it looked like blood and guts were smeared on my screen as Yuji and Mahito were walking, which was a bit strange since neither of them moved that fast or possessed the ability Innate ability to stop time. But other than that, for the most part this is a really solid fight but it wouldn’t be fair to compare it to the fights in the last two episodes.
I’d say my second favorite thing about this episode after the whole Nanami scene was the use of framing. Typically, most of the shots in episode 18 have unique framing, even during Nanami’s battle. In its simplest form, framing is a way of drawing the viewer’s attention to a certain location on the screen, and the storyboard work by Goshozono and Yoosuke Takada is quite excellent. One last tidbit that I absolutely love about Goshozono’s work with Nanami in this episode is the ode to the same signs we saw with Riko from episode 3 in the aquarium (see below). It gets even more difficult when you learn that “karari” (からり) can represent many different things, including “clear blue sky.”
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 18 Recap
Nanami’s death is what sets this episode off, and rightfully so. Again, in two months, will we look back at his death and think to ourselves, “Damn…”? I think time will tell. That being said, Goshozono did a great job making the show as memorable as possible and it’s no wonder why he was chosen as this season’s director. Episode 18 of Jujutsu Kaisen Part 2 will always be remembered as a supporting moment in the story.
Episode 18 rating: 9/10
Episode 19 of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 will be released on Thursday, November 30. Remember to vote for episode 18 in our weekly poll! The series is streaming on Crunchyroll with English subtitles.
Screenshot via Crunchyroll
©Gege Akutami/Shueisha/JUJUTSU KAISEN Project