[id: the first image is a text post by rabm: "me with my brain full of microplastic battling my grandpa with his brain full of lead." the second image is kashimo and hakari fighting each other. /end id]
Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 187 - The Battle Junkie Collision
“One of those chapters that remind you why Gege is so awesome..”
Legitimately I am always floored when Gege decides to go all in on a fight and not because of the typical “meathead” - for lack of better term- reasoning. This chapter was Gege showing off his ability to complicate his power system , within the battle without it feeling a forced moment of complexity to the power scaling (i.e Kashimo’s cursed energy having electrical properties). Don’t get me wrong, I hate power scaling - with a burning passion, like Jogo’s meteor burning.
However, this is a battle shonen and a top tier battle shonen will always have power scaling at its core. The very fundamental of it derives from a character (usually) trying to attain a goal that requires them be powerful, the strongest even. Jujutsu Kaisen is no exception- if anything it is an example of how the power scaling leads to such intriguing discussion, which sometimes cannot be fully explored without involving (accurate) lore; void of headcanon or bias. I say all that to say that the culling game has taken jujutsu kaisen to the core of this concept, making the fights we see become a form of character development, (the real meaning of development, as in learning about a character and how they tick - not character growth which is the evolution of a character’s mental disposition, actions etc) - while also entertaining the reader, even causing some to miss those little details that make jjk characters so good, but more on that in later sections.
Basically this chapter, without a doubt was one of those chapters that remind you why gege is so awesome, the sheer amount of raw action with meaningful nuance fuels this manga. The narration that Kashimo received the information for Hakari’s domain faster than he could activate Hollow Wicker basket, as well as the information that his activation is even faster than Mahito’s in Shibuya - it puts a lot of things into perspective. First - the fact that this version of simple domain was confirmed to be able to be used by Reggie and Kashimo has me wondering what exactly caused the creation of simple domain. Since Hollow Wicker Basket is a prototype or original form of simple domain, it really makes me want to see how Simple Domain’s founder (forgot his name too lazy to look up) created it and why he felt it had to be kept within his own clan.
See? I’m talking about an entirely different lore piece and that all came from Gege simply adding that narration - and not to mention the confirmation of Hakari’s activation speed.. absolutely insane on top of his other buffs.. I get why Yuta said what he said!
“To Kill an Immortal is to be...”
I love Kashimo for the simple fact that he reminds me of a story about a man who wants to become God. It sounds like I’m making a Black Star reference now that I think about it, but really thats the exact vibe I get from Kashimo. He’s talented, ruthless and clearly gifted with his cursed energy property - however what really grips me about Kashimo is his ruthless fighting style combined with his confidence. He's a scary guy, in a way that I think even Gojo would appreciate (even though he’d get obliterated by Gojo and would do so happily). I think thats what makes post gojo sealing such a phenomenal “era” for this manga, it makes characters like Kashimo feel more like a threat because we know Gojo can’t just come and show him up or guide the students to win.
It was perfect to use Charles as a means to introduce Hakari’s technique/domain then transitioning to the action packed fight - skipping out on the needed explanation for a complex ability like Hakari’s. Its really fucking cool how Gege does that so seamlessly.. I know some people hate to hear it but Gege really took Togashi’s writing style and ran with it. I love it though, he gave it his own modern and more meathead spin while keeping the core of the writing there and thats impressive.
Back to Kashimo, he really was a warrior in his day and we didn’t need to see the scene at the end of the chapter to know that. The fact he is completely unphased by this powered up Hakari is WILD. He is going toe to toe with him no problem, and in my opinion has the upper hand. The only thing (it looks like) Hakari has going for him is the immortality - but apparently that doesn't mean anything to our lightning man cause he wants to kill an immortal. To me, to kill an immortal is to be a God, thats why I get the vibe that Kashimo is really chasing God-hood. Do I mean that in a literal sense.. sure(?), but really I mean it in the spiritual sense. We know that back in the day jujutsu sorcerers were a lot more connected to the spiritual aspects of cursed energy. Just the idea of them accepting their souls being brought back hundreds of years later requires a level of spiritual awareness that I think modern sorcerers lack a bit - but to me that means Kashimo is fighting so hard because is in his spirit, he has the soul of a warrior so he consistently stayed in battle, always fighting until his body couldn’t keep up anymore. I’m head canon ranting I know, but seeing old man Kashimo really honed in to me that these sorcerers who come back are (probably) chasing after a spiritual fulfillment. I may do a different Meta on that entirely but to me Kashimo is chasing Godhood, as Ryu was chasing “fulfillment “ and Uro chasing “Recognition”. Not to mention chasing after the “King of Curses” to fight and prove who is stronger just sounds like a story out of a folk tale or mythological story of a man chasing “God”. Could be just me though-
The only thing that can confirm my head canon would be more insight on Kashimo as he is fighting Hakari, or a small flashback at the end of the battle, maybe even both. I will say, I am nervous for Hakari a bit!! (but then again not really).
“Hakari is a violent manga fan..”
All of Gojo’s students are crazy. Inumkai might be the only sane one. Maki committed genocide (in self defense, thats important), Panda is a comical Panda with multiple souls, Yuji is Yuji (need we say more?), Megumi is a psycho- the best kind of psycho, Yuta is a psychotic romantic, and Hakari is a violent manga-head. I love every single one of them and I just need one arc with them all together under Gojo.. please Gege.. I'm begging.. pleading.. I’ll pay--!!!
I mean really though, Hakari’s whole approach to fighting being based around using his luck in a skillful manner, then getting on a jackpot roll then becoming immortal while a song plays for 4 minutes and 11 seconds is hilarious. However, what it is more than hilarious is intriguing. One thing I feel like I haven’t seen anyone talk about is the core to jujutsu kaisen and thats the soul, body and cursed techniques. That has been the key things that have kept this series so interesting and adding twists and turns to what we know about the world. What I mean by saying this is that I feel like people haven’t discussed how insane it is that Hakari’s technique is a romcom manga that exists in real life combined with a pachinko game. His technique revolves around his domain activation just like Higaruma (also, notice how gege introduced the concept of rule-type domain expansions, then introduces higaruma, then shows us hakari’s domain - a character who could do it before the culling game unlike higaruma) and as explained with Higaruma he learned the concept of domain expansion and how it works due to his technique. It wouldn’t be far fetched to assume Hakari was the same!
Lets take it one step further - we know that Higaruma’s technique revolved around the motif of a suspect, judge, lawyer and executioner. This was obviously to play on his personality and occupation as a lawyer so what does it say about Hakari whose domain is a pachinko game using a romance manga as the motif? I’ll let you come up with your own personal conclusions on that but I will say, to me it makes him fucking awesome. He’s a cultured dude bro. Hakari is a warrior, he loves battle but also he’s a softy for love and romance to a large enough degree that its engrained in his body & soul, and I say that because of what Mahito and Kenjaku showed us about the body, soul and cursed techniques. Hakari is really special.. he’s a gambling addicted manga fan who likes violence at his core. I love him and seeing him confidently go at Kashimo gave me CHILLS. I hope he shows out in the next chapter , but who knows how long Gege wants this fight to last. I do hope we get to see a lot more of the action break down in the paneling like we did for this chapter, it was really cool and seeing the shirtless Hakari panel breaks were the best part. Dude is just Todo x5.
“Kenny is the cockiest bastard..”
I aspire to be the level of confident Kenjaku is. I mean truly Kenny is the cockiest bastard on earth, I think he rivals Sukuna in that regard honestly. Having the confidence to jump multiple eras and change bodies, tap into different souls and personalities, Kenjaku really is doing his absolute to accomplish his goal. He casually approached Kashimo who had just finished slaughtering people, and calmly shrugs off a taunt from Kashimo. He really is confident in himself, what if Kashimo just attacked? Kenjaku claimed the body he had wasn’t built for fighting, so what does that mean?? He is clearly a powerful barrier user, so why pick a body he couldn’t utilize his strength? A lot of questions I have for him and his motives.
What also stood out to me is the similarity with all the people Kenjaku has taken over. I might be over analyzing (per usual) but hasn't all of Kenjaku’s bodies shared the same features? Aside from just the black hair, its something about all of them that seem very very similar, kind of like victimology in profiling. What is it about the victims that caused the suspect to attack them? I feel like there is a profile to be dissected through Kenjaku’s choices for hosts as well has his movements throughout the series - can you tell I been binging Criminal Minds? Seriously though, Kenjaku seems to be showing his true nature through the scenes Gege has been choosing to show us since Shibuya ended, and I love every second of it. Give me more Gege, expose the crevices of Kenny’s mind bit by bit until his real backstory comes to life.
Random thought i had while typing - since Kenjaku has been around so long its like he is the direct foil to Tengen who was hiding and living “immortal” while Kenjaku was on the other side of the fence living for years “immortal” by jumping bodies and searching for his “truth” - the “potential” of cursed energy. Kenjaku is for sure a very very interesting character and I can’t wait to see more.
“A true Jujutsu Sorcerer ..”
I just want to point out that Kenjaku said Ryu had the most output of cursed energy during Kashimo’s era and we just seen Yuta take him head on.. with two other enemies at once and defeating someone they couldn't beat prior.. he’s a menace. A true jujutsu sorcerer.. and so is Kashimo, but maybe even more so because he has no care for others, only what he is interested in. He only cares about getting stronger and facing off against the strongest - im assuming because he simply loves the thrill of battle. This to me exemplifies what Uro was talking about to Yuta in regards to the strongest sorcerers being like calamities. That was what Uro witnessed, and Kashimo fits that perfectly. And honestly.. so does Hakari! Thats what makes this such an amazing match up because we are seeing true jujutsu sorcery! These battle junkies are going all out to wipe each other out and its that wild battle style that makes jujutsu Kaisen my favorite battle manga to follow fight wise (aside from hxh),
We’ll see how this battle unfolds but no matter what happens you can tell it will take both them to go all out and have no regrets to come out on top!
