Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2) Episode 2: It’s been a week since Hidden Inventory premiered, where we were given our first live-action glimpse into Gojo’s Past Arc and the various players who ended up shaping Gojo Satoru into the man he is today. His best friend, Geto Suguru, is yet to undergo a fundamental shift in ideological worldviews — for now, he is keen to champion the weak and carry out his duty as a sorcerer to protect those who are helpless against Cursed Spirits. While Geto and Gojo harbor clashing perspectives, they still find a way to work together, and their latest mission is to protect the Star Plasma Vessel, Riko, before she merges with Master Tengen.
Contains spoilers for Hidden Inventory 2 and Gege Akutami’s manga series, ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’.
Episode 2 picks up right after the offscreen fight that takes place between Gojo, Geto, and two Q members, and the duo demolishes these thugs in no time. While Geto chills on a sofa and sips tea, a defeated Q member begs for his life as a cursed spirit terrorizes him (“Give me a kiss!” the curse croons). In a last-ditch attempt to threaten Geto, the Q terrorist warns him of their leader, Bayer, who he claims is a formidable fighter out to get him. Right at that moment, Geto receives a picture from Gojo: a badly beaten up Bayer with Gojo holding up the peace sign gleefully. For a duo that truly is the strongest, Gojo and Geto cannot help but indulge in silly shenanigans, even when they are being dead serious about pummelling the bad guys.
Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2) Episode 2 Recap:
The Sorcerer Killer and the Riko Problem
The first two episodes of ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ unfold just like the manga does, as it ventures into colorful details about the various players involved. In the previous episode, we were introduced to Toji Fushiguro, the Sorcerer Killer, who has been hired by the Time Vessel Association to retrieve Riko. Instead of getting to work like a standard assassin, Toji lazes around, placing bets during a boating competition, which he ends up losing. There is something weirdly ominous about Toji from the get-go: while we have not seen his true strength and cruelty yet, his laidback demeanor is unsettling to behold, as he is sure that Gojo can be defeated after he is weakened by other thugs. This only proves that Toji is aware of Gojo’s skillsets, which include his Infinity and Six Eyes and is simply waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
It is fairly common knowledge that Toji is Megumi’s father, but the anime does not quite reveal this card yet, choosing to remain implicit about this reveal. Toji’s agent asks him how Megumi is doing, to which the man coos out a lazy, “Who?” highlighting his utter disregard for his own child. Toji is purely driven by the need to earn money and is seen trying out several get-rich-quick schemes, all of which fail miserably. Later, we get a glimpse of Tojis’s casual cruelty after he knocks over someone’s food and does not even bother to apologize — instead, he intimidates the man silently and stomps over the spilled ramen without care. Toji’s laziness is not a flaw but a dangerous weapon, as it makes him especially prone to sudden, careless bursts of violence.
Meanwhile, Riko wakes up in the hospital and is immediately wary of the two men who saved her. Riko’s caretaker Kuroi arrives and assures her that the sorcerers are just here to keep her safe, and this prompts her to reveal her perspective about the Tengen merge. Instead of being terrified of the inevitability of her death, Riko views it as an honor, as she believes that she will become one with Tengen, allowing the latter to also imbibe parts of her personality. While Gojo and Geto make light of the reveal with their telltale humor, the implications are heartbreaking, as Riko feels perfectly happy being a lamb for slaughter for a cause that does not benefit her in any way.
An Attack on the Vessel and the Sorcerers Reveal Their Gifts
A still from Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2), Episode 2, currently streaming on Netflix.Although Gojo and Geto do not want Riko to go back to her school, Kuroi explains that they should not deprive her of the final moments she spends with her friends and loved ones. As Riko lost her parents at a young age, she only has her friends to count on, but Geto gently states that Kuroi is her family, which strengthens her resolve to protect the girl. While Gojo understands the situation, he is more irritated that they have to put up with Riko’s childish, bratty behavior. On the other hand, Geto is more empathetic to Riko’s situation and decides that it is best to make sure that she is safe and secure her safety at her school.
This paves the path for a considerable about of humor concerning Gojo, the ladies’ man, forever ready to stun the crowds with his pretty white eyelashes and exaggerated charm. Riko’s classmates swoon over him (so does their teacher, in a hilarious turn of events), leading Riko to feel extremely embarrassed. Just as Gojo takes advantage of the commotion and drags her to safety, he is confronted with five clones with paper bags over their heads, who circle the duo and demand Gojo hand the girl over to them. Gojo, being Gojo, activates his Infinity and lures out the original after beating up the clones, stunning Riko with his sheer strength and agility.
In another part of the building, Geto encounters an older curse user who makes the same mistake that everyone who fights Geto does: believing that Geto only relies on Cursed Spirit Manipulation, they assume that hand-to-hand combat is his weakness. The man attempts to stun Geto by ambushing him but is only pulled into an illusion that allows Geto to beat the man into a pulp without expending much effort or energy.
Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2), Episode 2 Ending, Explained:
What Is The Sorcerer Killer’s Endgame?
Over the course of the episode, we learn that a mysterious, shadowy person has placed a bounty on Riko’s head, which comes with a one-day countdown. The person to retrieve the bounty alive will be granted the cash money promised to Fushiguro, which spurs all bounty hunters to treat this like a competition. Toji, however, is playing the long game here: he knows that Riko cannot be truly harmed as long as Gojo is there to protect her and is simply waiting for the moment someone manages to weaken him enough for Toji to swoop in. Toji also seems aware of Gojo’s past and might be harboring some sort of personal vendetta that is yet to be revealed.
While a Toji vs. Gojo showdown is inevitable, the sorcerer killer seems to be underestimating Geto here, as he gives him little thought as an obstacle to his goal. Is Toji simply confident that Geto is someone he can easily handle, or is he simply overestimating himself by placing all his eggs in one basket? The cult storyline, after all, is the turning point for Geto — he will go from a balanced, hopeful sorcerer to a crazed megalomaniac with a deep-entrenched hatred for humans over the span of a few days. Something horribly traumatizing happens with Riko, which completely changes how Geto views power dynamics and his role in relation to protecting the weak.
Gojo still appears to be extremely immature, as he is only focused on demonstrating his strength and fulfilling his duties as a sorcerer. There is no real empathy here so far, but that will most likely change over time as he evolves into the caring mentor we know. How does Gojo go from being so lackadaisical to someone who takes in Megumi and acts as a father figure to a boy who has no one? This remains to be seen, but ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ has definitely raised its narrative stakes this season, and there is ample evidence that the anime’s visual artistry will only improve over time.
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