Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 45 Review

Identifying the True Threat

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 45 is probably the peak of the season. I think we all know why that is. But, I’ll get to that part of the episode later in this review. First, we need to discuss how Mahito prioritized his opponents.

Based on how Episode 44 went, Mahito realized he didn’t have a good chance of winning this fight. At least, not while Toudou and Itadori are working together. As discussed in the previous review, those two complement each other perfectly.

So, Mahito figures out that if he wants to win, he needs to separate them. But, which one of them should he prioritize? He knows Toudou can’t damage him. And, he also knows he likely has a good chance at beating Itadori one on one.

At first, Mahito tries prioritizing Itadori. He sends some transfigured humans off to distract Toudou so he can fight Itadori alone. And, at first, this seems like a good idea. But, he underestimated Toudou and it wasn’t long before Toudou was back at Itadori’s side. So, Mahito turns his attention to Toudou.

Mahito uses his domain expansion to throw both Itadori and Toudou off. Then, he uses that opening to attack Toudou and cut off one of Toudou’s hands. This was a great idea, as now Toudou can’t use his technique. At least, that’s what Mahito assumes. But, Toudou isn’t a grade 1 sorcerer for nothing.

Something we’ve known about Toudou since Season 1 is that he’s a master of hiding information.

At first, Mahito thought Toudou could only teleport other people. Then, Toudou revealed he could teleport himself. Next, Mahito thought he could only teleport people. Then, Toudou revealed he could swap people with objects. That’s not all he was hiding.

The Power of Takada-chan

Before I get to the next bit of information Toudou was hiding, there’s something else we need to talk about. What did you think was going to be inside the locket Toudou keeps around his neck? I didn’t expect it to be pictures of Itadori and Takada-chan. And it’s clear Mahito didn’t either.

In hindsight, a picture of Nobuko “Tall Idol Takada-chan” Takada makes sense. The wild part was that there was a picture of Itadori in there, too. I burst out laughing when I saw that. But, I thought there was going to be a picture of someone else entirely.

When Mahito used his domain expansion, the narrator gave us some interesting information. Apparently, Toudou was trained by Yuki Tsukumo. Who’s that? She’s the special-grade sorcerer we saw in the first arc of this season looking for Gojou. She’s the one who called Getou crazy for wanting to eradicate non-sorcerers.

Since we got this information right before the locket incident, I assumed her picture was in there. But, to be honest, I’m glad I was wrong. What was actually in Toudou’s locket was way better than that.

Toudou teaming up with Takada-chan in his imagination to fight Mahito is the best part of the season. It’s probably the best part of the entire series. I’m having a hard time seeing how this moment is going to be topped. And, the fact that we got a Takada-chan insert song during it made the scene even better.

But, back to Toudou’s masterful information manipulation. He does this flurry of attacks against Mahito all to set up an opening for him to slap Mahito’s hand. And, when he does so, he swaps places with Itadori. Mahito wasn’t expecting that Toudou could “clap” with someone else’s hand.

Mahito’s Metamorphosis

After taking a direct hit from Itadori’s Black Flash, Mahito came to realize the “true shape” of his soul. I guess you could call this his “Perfect” form. But, to me, he looks like an edgier (literally) version of Frieza. It’s the tail that does it.

Anyway, once Mahito changes into this form, it’s pretty much all over for Itadori. Toudou’s already out of the fight. And, Itadori’s normal attacks aren’t doing any damage to Mahito in this state. He has to hit him with another Black Flash. But, without Toudou, how’s he supposed to land a hit?

At this point, I thought the solution was obvious. Itadori would have to rely on Sukuna’s power despite how much he doesn’t want to. This was almost the perfect setup for that to happen. But, Toudou had one more surprise in store for Mahito.

By this point in the fight, Mahito has been conditioned by Toudou. Every time Mahito thought he knew the limits of Toudou’s ability, Toudou proved him wrong. Now, it’s time for Toudou to do the opposite. He fakes having an ability that he doesn’t actually have. And Mahito falls for it.

Toudou gets up and gives a short speech. He says his arms are just decorations and that applause comes from the soul. Then, he claps his remaining hand against his stump, as if that’s going to teleport Mahito or Itadori. So, Mahito reacts as if this is going to work — because everything Toudou’s done so far has worked.

But, it was all a ruse. Toudou’s ability does have limitations. He can’t do a one-handed clap. He needs another hand for it to work, even if it’s not his. But, by the time Mahito realized what happened, it was too late.

Final Thoughts

What do you think of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 45? Should Mahito have prioritized taking out Itadori or Toudou? Do you agree that Toudou’s locket reveal was the best part of the series to date? And, what are your thoughts on Mahito’s “Perfect” form? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 46 is available now.