Chainsaw Man Season 1: Of Struggle, Loss, and a Chance to Eat Super Toast
There’s something about consuming bleak and despairing media that is so cathartic and real. A sort of mental and emotional purging which we all experience but manifest differently for us.
For me, it’s like being trapped in a car with a quieter, more reserved version of myself on a road with humps to moderate speed, and then further until I reach a familiar highway. There are pit stops that the Other hesitate to visit, but I’ve been there, and will be again.
But after that long drive, oh, what a relief to get the car parked, right?
Sometimes, though, it triggers not when you’re listening to emo songs or watching melancholic shows. It’s also when you’re watching an anime with a main character whose goal is to touch boobs.
Chainsaw Man, for all its raunchy humour, explicit gore, and breathtaking action scenes, is about each individual’s experience with despair, the ways in which it comes up, and how they deal with it.
On another note, I highly miss the first half of this series. Unfortunately, Mappa is releasing two series simultaneuously (As of 6/13/2019: Sarazanmai ) and I'm pretty sure they've let "Dororo" suffer because of it. At the end of the day, I still love the characters and am excited to see how this series finishes up in this adaptation. (I also appreciate all the work put in by staff to bring back this 50 year old series in the first place.) But still, I can't help but sigh at the way things have been going the last couple months. Plot holes, awkward pacing, sloppy illustrations and animations, you name it, this show has got it. That being said, I'll definitely give this series another full watch when it finishes to fully understand the changes that happened along the way. And I wholeheartedly hope (and hopefully look forward to!) seeing our favorite bros have a happy ending. Party's almost over, but not quite yet. ; ) Thanks for reading.
*Spoiler Alert*
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3:
The Culling Game Pt.1, Episode 9: "Tokyo Colony No. 1 , Pt.3". ❤
*Review Includes some spoilers for later episodes and events.*
BRUH.
DOMAIN EXPANSION?!?
ALREADY??
REALLY???
Higuruma Sensei played NO games with NO-BODY. 😭
Both Yuji AAAND him, literally JUST got here, and he's already gone all the way in. No warm-up, no preparation, just straight gas. 😆
🔥⚖🔥
Confession: It's taken me far too long to do this review, because as geeked as I was about this episode, my obsession with my Spiky Haired Emo Boy has totally taken precedence, and my energy. lol😅🤭
~*
However,
I'm gonna get this done because I love Higuruma. ❤
Him stepping down slowly from this stage, eyes locked on Yuji the way he did was so badass.
And his first words being Domain Expansion was even crazier.
How though? Because he's brilliant.
Yuji attempts to get to him before he uses his technique, AS Higuruma is forming his domain, but couldnt because "acts of violence are not allowed" there.
Yuji is transported to what looks like a podium, where it appears he'll be tried, generally by Higuruma's shikigami, "judgeman".
Apparently, Yuji entered a place called the Maji Vegas pachinko parlor in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture on July 16th 2017 although under 18.
Note... this is the second time pachinko has been mentioned this season... for good reason... (*cough Hakari *cough)
Clearly his technique is a court trial. And I love this for him.
I thought this was pretty creative of Gege.
Yuji vaguely remembers and freaks out, and Higuruma lets him know that judgeman knows everything about the people in the domain.
Yet, Higuruma doesn't obtain that info.
But he does have a file of evidence.
Evidence that doesn't guarantee confirmation of the charges, and Higuruma wont tell Yuji what the evidence is.
Yuji's goal in this domain is to present his own argument, and win an innocent verdict from judgeman. Poor thing was freaking out. haha
Yuji observes him, realizing he's a real defense lawyer, and analyzes his domain using info he received from Tengen.
That info being:
• Domains used to be a standard skill in the past
• They lacked the "Guaranteed Kill" element
• Modern domains' have deadly guaranteed hit attacks within domain
Now that focus has shifted to guaranteed kill, the bar was raised on the requirements for constructing a domain (Hence Megumi's incomplete domain - which speaks to how complex they are since he's so brilliant.😉)
Making domain creation an advanced skill with fewer practitioners.
Yuji gathered, since Higuruma's domain prohibits violence inside it, its designed closer to the old school domain's which were generally founded on pacts, and requires an explanation of the rules.
This also makes sense due to Higuruma's style/career.
I mean... for me... it seemed everyone always explained the rules.
The rules of Higuruma's domain, besides the above being:
• Yuji gets one chance to make a statement
• Higuruma gets one chance to make a rebuttal (using the evidence).
• Judgeman announces verdict in accordance with "six codes"
Yuji then has 3 options for his reaction.
• Silence
• Confession
• Denial
and... his denial can include false statements, or lies.
Yuji challenged this, confused about being allowed to lie in court.
I absolutely love Higuruma's statement here.
If everyone told the truth,
There'd be no need for trials.
That statement spoke volumes about him.
It's absolutely correct, and speaks to the volitivity and sometimes the validity in the justice system itself.
Humanity's ability to reject the truth, or even justice, is present in not only the person on trial, but the judge, each member of the jury, the lawyers trying the case, and all the people outside of the trial, as we saw so clearly in Ep.55.
This speaks also to Higuruma's character, whereas he allows Yuji to lie.
Meaning, not only does he obsolve himself of the guilt of not giving Yuji a fair trial, he can he determine Yuji's character by affording him the freedom to choose to lie, which, in turn, gives Higuruma the ability to determine how justice should be served.
Totemo kakkoii bengoshi desu! ⚖❤
This process is also a reminder of his deep seated lack of faith in the justice system, and the pain it caused him, as we observed in his previous episode.
*This was hilarious to me. haha🤭*
Yuji considers his answer, saying he "cant avoid lying if he wants to claim innocence". Which is true, because he's guilty. LOL
He decides to consider the evidence in Higuruma's possession.
• if it doesnt prove he entered, he could go silent or deny.
• if it proves he only went in, he could fabricate his reason why.
• if it proves he went in and played, he's screwed. LOL
He chose the second option, hoping to be granted leniency.
Higuruma pulls the evidence, and its a photo of Yuji at a currency exchange inside the parlor, where he says one could determine his intent to play the games was clear, and his fabrication could be a lie.
Yuji argues he should have been granted the ability to talk his way out.
but Higuruma advises him that his best option would have been to deny the charges, stating that he "doesnt recognize the parlor", since Japan prohibits gambling, and parlors and exchanges are separate legal entities.
Judgeman decides he's guilty, the sentencing being "Confiscation".
They flash back to the theater, outside of Higuruma's domain. Higuruma manifests a gavel, attacks Yuji immediately, and one of the coldest fights in JJK ensues.
Yuji has determined Higuruma can generate the gavel at will and alter the size.
We're flashed back to Higuruma at college, whereas he worked to complete the bar at Iwate Bar Association. He'd passed the entry exam to Tokyo University School of Law, AND the preceding bar exam.
We learn that he was apparently a genius.
"His technique came with his domain by default, but through analyzing that, he also learned the fundamentals of barriers."
This is how we understand that his ingenuity and intelligence led him to generate his barriers so quickly, and easily.
We also learn here that he, too... is one of the few who gained an understanding of the Reverse Curse Technique for physical enhancement, and matched Grade 1's after only 12 days of awakening.
"He eliminated over 20 players who attacked him after entering the colony." Which is why he ended up with the points they need.
"Confiscation" makes it temporarily impossible for one to use their cursed technique, yet Yuji was able to fight him hand to hand. Or, at least survived their battle.
He acknowledged how powerful Yuji's physical abilities are.
Yuji is creeping along the rafters, and Higuruma finds him, pulls him down to fight more, only to praise Yuji for his physical prowess...
Yuji is nearly bested, and realizes the one tool he can use against Higuruma's legal court trial domain penalty, was a retrial.
"So long as the target judged guilty and penalized by judgeman doesnt admit their guilt, theyre able to demand up to two retrials."
Judgeman brought another charge against Yuji, that he was guilty of mass murder in Shibuya on Oct. 31, 2018.
Yuji admitted fault... in error of course.
We flash back to an image of Higuruma speaking to someone who appeared to be a sensei of some sort, inquiring of the type of law Higuruma would like to practice.
Yuji is sentenced to the death penalty, and Higuruma is given an executioner's sword. A cut from which would guarantee death.
Higuruma considered his work, the empathy he felt in attempts to help people day in and day out, thinking it was "ugly".
He wailed out, accusing Yuji of the same, fighting against his intrusive and oppressive thoughts that everyone lacked nobility.
Now in all this, I cant say I understand the "I believed that every depravity that no other creature possessed was meant to be cherished" comment.
Yuji challenged his ideals about people, when he'd actually seen the evidence against him and his charges. He found out about Sukuna through judgeman, yet Yuji plead guilty.
"Penal Code, Article 39, Clause 1":
He determined that Yuji was deprived of sound judgement and control of his actions at that time.
And gave him the 100 points.
And after all of the fighting, the 20+ people Higuruma had eliminated, the fight with Yuji, deploying his domain, and fighting to possibly keep the Culling Games going, he admitted in this last moment that it was "Absolutely Awful" to kill someone of his own volition.
I admit, I sprinted through this review, because I'm dying to post the next one.
And... I finished it like... two days after I watched it. hahaha!!
~*~*~*~
To anyone who's reading my reviews, thank you! 💖
See you in the next one! 🥰
The rules of the Culling Game are as follows:
*Special rule* When players enter the barrier, they are randomly dropped into one of 9 designated locations where they begin the game.
Players must enter a designated barrier (colony) within 19 days of awakening their cursed technique , Starting from 12am 10/31.
Players Breeching the first rule shall be stripped of their technique. Shoko deduced that "stripped" likely means death.
Non-Players become players upon entering a colony, with entry taken as a pledge to participate.
Players receive points by ending the life of another player. This has clearly been established, right now, as the only way to score.
Points are allotted based on the value the "Game Master" gives players. Sorcerers are 5pts and non are 1pt.
Players may spend 100 points to negotiate with the game master to add an additional rule to the game.
The Game Master must approve any additional rules unless it significantly hinders the continuation of the game.
If a player's score doesn't change for 19 days, their technique is removed. This, at this point, means they'll NEED to kill someone...
Players shall be able to view the Name, Points, Number of Rules Added, & Current Colony of other players.
Art Cred: All goes to MAPPA Studios, and Gege Akutami for JJK.
