English Dub Review: Jujutsu Kaisen “After Rain”

Overview:

After making a deal with Sukuna (Ray Chase) and being resurrected from the dead, Yuji Itadori (Adam McArthur) is back in the fold, unofficially. Keeping his survival a secret, Gojo (Kaji Tang) trains him to prepare him for the upcoming school tournament. Yuji strives to prove his strength so that he can overcome his weakness and protect his friends. 

Our Take:

After an especially thrilling and melancholy episode in “Curse Womb Must Die II”, “After Rain” is a nice change of pace, tonally. Yuji is back in the land of the living and has his work cut out for him as he must endure the rigorous training of…watching movies. The comedic way in which Jujutsu Kaisen flipped this shounen concept on its head makes for some good humor and physical comedy as well. That is not to say that this is the first anime series to go down this route just that it’s especially refreshing after the last episode. Also it just adds to one of the many traits that makes this show so damn charming in the first place. There are also some great references and easter eggs in this episode to anime and pop culture, in general, that had me absolutely gushing. 

As Yuji prepares for the Goodwill Event, Fushigoro and Nobara have their own training with Panda and Maki. They must undertake this if they are to help prove their school’s might. While it remains to be seen how Nobara will progress her skill, Megumi has the potential to be the best seemingly. Being recognized by even the likes of Sakuna, promises for some true spectacle for when the jujutsu sorcerer eventually puts his nose to the grindstone. His fighting style is intriguing as how he fights in particular will play out differently from Yuji’s blunt techniques. Especially considering how he uses shikigami and he’s beginning to utilize items infused with cursed energy. As for Nobara, hopefully she’ll get her time in the sun as well. Because her technique is already very defined, it would be interesting to see how she expands it even further. Perhaps with interchangeable tools? Or maybe just simple alterations to the hammer and nails to make them more potent? Skies the limit it seems and that excites me for her development in sorcery and cinematic battles. 

As someone who knows what is to come in “Assault”, this episode ends with an epic start to a phenomenal battle that dub-only watchers will not be ready for. If you didn’t already fall in love with the MVP that is Gojo, brace yourself for the absolute beast that he is.