#jjk ch 182

[beansforlunch]

New to the fandom. Got into the show about a month ago. Saw the anime before wanting to invest time reading the manga. I don’t mind spoilers but I knew about the fight that was happening. I had left off here last night when I saw the spoilers this morning. Kinda laughing at the coincidence.

September 20th 2023. I want to have hope but I’m hurting inside.

[cinderella-ish]

JuJutsu Kaisen Story Structure: Prologue

To get ready for my series on JuJutsu Kaisen's story structure, I want to establish some basics.

First of all, I'll be using three-act structure as the primary basis of my analysis, but I might also look at some other formats, like Blake Snyder's Save the Cat, Dan Harmon's Story Circle, Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, Freytag's Pyramid, Kishotenketsu, and some others.

Second, it's important to know that the three acts of three-act structure are not of equal length. The first and third acts are 25% each, and the second act is the middle 50% of the story. For this reason, I'll be breaking the story down into quarters like so:

Act I

Act IIa

Act IIb

Act III

Last, timing obviously plays a big role in three-act structure! I don't want to talk about certain plot points until I've established where they fall in three-act structure, and what's *actually* there in JuJutsu Kaisen. To that end, here's a list of story arcs in JJK, and the chapters where they fall:

Fearsome Womb arc: chapters 1-18

vs. Mahito arc: chapters 19-31

Kyoto Goodwill Event arc: chapters 32-54

Death Painting arc: chapters 55-64

Gojo's Past arc: chapters 65-79

Shibuya Incident arc: chapters 79-136

Itadori's Extermination arc: chapters 137-143

Perfect Preparation arc: chapters 144-158

Culling Game arc: chapters 159-221

Shinjuku Showdown arc: chapters 222-271

Now, here is a list of major plot beats in three-act structure, and the point at which they typically fall in a story:

Hook: at the very beginning

Inciting event: 12%

First plot point: 25%

First pinch point: 37%

Midpoint: 50%

Second pinch point: 62%

Third plot point: 75%

Beginning of climax: 88%

Resolution: 98%

Note: because the midpoint is the second plot point, the next one is called the third plot point.

With all that in mind, here's approximately where each of these plot points should happen in the chapter count:

Hook: chapter 1 (beginning of Fearsome Womb arc)

Inciting event: chapter 34 (near beginning of Kyoto Goodwill Event arc)

First plot point: chapter 68 (near beginning of Gojo's Past arc)

First pinch point: chapter 102 (mid-Shibuya Incident arc)

Midpoint: chapter 136 (end of Shibuya Incident arc)

Second pinch point: chapter 170 (early in Culling Game arc)

Third plot point: chapter 204 (about two-thirds of the way through the Culling Game arc)

Beginning of climax: chapter 238 (early-ish in Shinjuku Showdown arc)

Resolution: not more than the last 5 or so chapters (end of Shinjuku Showdown arc)

I think this is fairly accurate, though there are some points that I think are slightly off; for example, I think it's more likely that the first plot point occurs before Gojo's Past arc, and that Gojo's Past begins the second act.

So, for the purpose of this series, I'll be analyzing the four quarters as follows:

Act I: Fearsome Womb, vs. Mahito, Kyoto Goodwill, and Death Painting arcs

Act IIa: Gojo's Past and Shibuya Incident arcs

Act IIb: Itadori's Extermination and Perfect Preparation arcs plus part of the Culling Game arc

Act III: remainder of the Culling Game arc and Shinjuku Showdown arc

Read below the cut for the approximate timings for the other plot structures I mentioned:

Save the Cat

Opening image: ch 1

Theme stated: ch 12

Set up: ch 4-27

Catalyst: ch 29

Debate: ch 32-59

Break into 2: ch 61

B story: ch 73

Fun and games: ch 64-133

Midpoint: ch 135

Bad guys close in: ch 137-182

All is lost: ch 184

Dark night of the soul: ch 187-206

Break into 3: ch 209

Finale: ch 211-268

Final image: ch 271

Harmon Story Circle

You: the protagonist is in a zone of comfort (ch 1-34)

Need: the protagonist wants something (ch 41)

Go: the protagonist enters an unfamiliar setting (ch 68)

Search: the protagonist must adapt to the unfamiliar world (ch. 82)

Find: the protagonist finds what they wanted (ch 136)

Take: the protagonist must pay the price for what they found (ch 176-203)

Return: the protagonist returns to where they started (ch 204)

Change: the character is able to shift the world around them (ch 230-236)

The Hero's Journey

Ordinary World (ch 1)

Call to Adventure

Refusal of the Call

Meeting the Mentor

Crossing the First Threshold (ch 68)

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Approach to the Inmost Cave

Ordeal (ch 136)

Seizing the Sword

The Road Back (ch 204)

Resurrection

Return with the Elixir

Kishotenketsu

Ki: Introduction (ch 1-41)

Sho: Development (ch 42-170)

Ten: Twist (ch 171-243)

Ketsu: Conclusion (ch 244-271)

Freytag's Pyramid (will be using specifically to analyze Gojo's Past arc)

Introduction (ch 65)

Rising Action

Climax (ch 72)

Falling Action

Catastrophe (ch 78)

All Structures Plotted Together:

Hook, Opening Image, You, Ordinary World, Ki begins (ch 1)

Set up begins (ch 4)

Theme stated (12)

Catalyst, Call to Adventure (ch 29)

Debate, Refusal of the Call (ch 32)

Inciting Event (ch 34)

Need, Meeting the Mentor (ch 41)

Sho begins (ch 42)

Break into 2 (ch 61)

Fun and Games (ch 64)

First Plot Point, Crossing the First Threshold, Go (ch 68)

B story (ch 73)

Search, Tests, Allies, Enemies (ch 82)

First Pinch Point, Approach to the Inmost Cave (ch 102)

Midpoint, Find, Ordeal (ch 135-136)

Bad guys close in (ch 137)

Second Pinch Point (ch 170)

Ten begins (ch 171)

Take, Seizing the Sword (ch 176)

All is Lost (ch 184)

Dark Night of the Soul (ch 187)

Third Plot Point, Return, The Road Back (ch 204)

Break into 3 (ch 209)

Finale (ch 211)

Change (ch 230)

Climax, Resurrection (ch 238)

Ketsu begins (ch 244)

Resolution, Return with Elixir (ch 266)

Final image (ch 271)

Note that these timings are all approximate! Upon analysis, they may shift but only slightly.

[bxriles]

Let’s fucking goooooo

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 182: Tokyo No. 2 Colony, pt. 2 - Not JJK getting existential + Mangaka appreciation + Some bs about the future and probability and anyways I’m probably wrong

Happy JJK-Sunday everybody!

What kind of headcanon bs will my brain spew today? I do wonder...

This week’s JJK chapter had a certain je ne sais quoi about it that I can’t quite put my finger on. In other words, this week’s chapter was a total mood.

Gege got super existential and gifted us with manga references to what I headcanon must be some favorite moments that really moved him to the core...

Then, to top it off, he gave us some poetry of his own to complement those moments.

Ohlala... what a mood. What 👏🏼 a 👏🏼 mood 👏🏼.

This chapter is unlike any of the battle chapters we had seen in the past where amazing fighting scenes go down. Rather, in this chapter, a certain mood underscores Parisian Hipster F*ckboy and Hakari’s battle of selves.

And, to me because I always feel the need to emphasize that my analysis are from my subjective perspective, this chapter felt as though the underscoring message is how in the middle of one’s existential despair, a positive reason to fight, to gain power, to exist can be found.

Or at least that’s the mood I caught from this.

Seriously caught the mood like one catches the flu.

Not JJK getting existential

If Gege’s age as listed by Wikipedia is accurate, then he is a Millennial who grew up watching and reading 90s anime and manga.

And if you’ve seen 90s anime then you know that 90s anime is the mother of all moods.

Bang. 

See you Space Cowboy.

Right. Existential angst.

See the original post here.

To be fair, as the last decade before we all turned into hyperconnected monkeys, the 1990s were a mood. 

I simply can’t imagine classics like Shinichiro Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop, CLAMP’s x/1999, or Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit coming out of today’s global culture. We simply live in a different world.

Also, they would all probably be canceled by “well-intentioned” but ultimately short-sighted Karens.

Anyways, if you want to read more on the topic, check out this reddit thread to read about the possible reasons why 90s anime and manga explores existential dread as part of the plot and character arcs.

Wait, but wtf is existentialism?

Ah, existentialism my beloved ♥.

So... in simple terms, existentialism is a philosophy about living life that explores the mood (empowered vs. dread) that is “taking responsibility for your free will (the decisions you make day about how you live life day in and day out) in a world that is devoid of meaning”.

From an existentialist perspective, a tragic event like the Culling Game is neither a bad thing or a good thing that happens to you. Rather, existentialism is more interested in your personal reaction (free will) to the event.

Will you despair like Charlie? Or will you find a “positive” reason to fight and overcome in the face of tragedy?

Something like that, don’t quote me on this.

So if you are like Charlie I love calling him Parisian Hipster F*ckboy but it takes too long to type so Charlie it is who is feeling existential angst because he is struggling to break into the manga industry, then it is up to you to decide what meaning you give that experience.

Will you let it break you?

Or will you make the choice to find a “positive” reason to fight?

And given Hakari’s fever, I love how he wants to “break” Charlie. I head canon Hakari, as the amazing senpai that he is, wants to help Charles find a way to channel that burning fire within him straight into his nipples into a positive reason to exist and seek strength.

Shiguri

Ok, but for real. I loved how Gege brought in panels from other manga that were charged with existential dread...

I especially loved the panel referenced in Shiguri chapter 20 because it captures the existential angst of knowing that a part of yourself has been lost when you have your first experience of heartbreak.

Side note: I did read chapter 20 of Shigurui and, without context, all I got out of it is that the man depicted above may have had his heart broken over a woman. So I am not 100% sure how this relates to the current chapter.

And when talking about the very human experience of heart break in the face of disappointment (aka when life doesn’t go according to how you want), is there a more accurate depiction of heartbreak other than the storm of emotions that flow from our shattered heart?

“How naive, my vessel has already shattered to dust! And all I am now is the turbid flow of emotions that spilled from it!���

Ah, look at Gege writing poetry...

Mangaka appreciation

I can guarantee you that Google searches for Katsura Hoshino, Captain Tsubasa and Shiguri went up this week. GUARANTEED. 

I can’t quite pull Google Keyword data just yet but I am pretty sure that these three keywords just got typed into Google or Bing if you a masochist like that by thousands of people worldwide.

According to Danchou, this JJK chapter’s release coincided with the new chapter release for Katsura Hoshino’s D’Gray Man.

Katsura Hoshino

Which brings me to the other amazing theme in this chapter. 

Thanks to Danchou for sharing this screenshot of the reference to Hoshino Katsura’s D’Gray Man that Gege used this chapter.

As a creative person with an insane imagination and a propensity to retreat into my imagination it’s way more fun inside my head than the real world I am telling you... I just love this so much?

What I love about this quote in particular is the idea that a mangaka, or anyone who creates for the sake of creating, is sharing with the world their innermost being. 

Mangakas, in that sense, are revealing to their audience not just how they perceive the world, but their psychic fantasies--the stories and characters living in their brain rent free. 

So I love that Gege used this quote and name dropped Hoshino because this kind gesture just drew more attention to her work.

Captain Tsubasa

The other work referenced was Captain Tsubasa.

And let me tell you... This is nostalgia.com on steroids!

Captain Tsubasa was actually one of the very first anime I was exposed to in my childhood. To this day, when I think of my favorite examples of the Shonen Duo trope I always think of Tsubasa and his friend (can’t remember his name).

What I love most is how Gege is using Charlie’s love of manga to create this mood of nostalgia about some of these stories. 

And here are the panels referenced:

Also... this panel below...

Clearly Hakari has never read CLAMP.

But I love that Hakari is calling Charlie out. Like... dude... use your imagination for a good cause, not to hurt people just because you’re butt hurt.

Given the manga references Gege used this chapter, I have to wonder whether some chick broke Charlie’s heart and that is why he’s so whiny trés miserable.

He’s literally just whining about his despair and disappointment and blablabla like spare us your misery please Charlie, we all have it rough. Learn something from Tsubasa’s chivalry at least.

Some bs about the future and probability and anyways I’m probably wrong

Ah and here comes the best part.

Hakari showing us his Cursed Technique at last!

What I loved most about this moment is that despite Charlie having the upper hand due to being able to see into the future, as of this chapter, it looks like Hakari’s Cursed Technique is all about chances or gambling. 

Thus implying that as long as there is the probability of a different future, then the future is not yet decided.

At least that’s what my headcanon is. Who knows. Gege is unpredictable so we’ll see.

A word on fan scanlations

You may or may not have noticed I use fan scanlations.

Ah. So I am really big on supporting mangaka, right? I don’t own every single JJK physical volume, but I do own several of them.

So I am not about to encourage you to go read fan scanlations but I’d be a hypocrite if I did not admit that I do. I actually tend to read both the fan and official translations.

Why?

Because the official translation is too localized for my own taste. I really appreciate that TBC scans has taken the time to go and look up the manga references that Gege baked into the plot this week (down to the chapter number) AND to mention the play on words that Gege used with kanji this week.

To me, knowing about little details like how Gege spelled the Japanese word for fiction using the kanji for cursed technique is absolute genius use of the Japanese language. 

Compared to...

It elevates the reading experience for me and this chapter had a couple of examples like this one.

That’s not to say official translations aren’t good, they just omit details I am a nerd about.

That said, I want to use this tiny platform I’ve grown to encourage you to support Gege by buying the manga volumes.

Mangaka pour their heart and soul into their manga and we, as fandom, owe them the privilege of getting a peek into their innermost selves. So, yes, let’s read fan scanlations AND support mangaka as much as our wallets will allow.

Also, there is a high probability that these babies will be worth a lot more money in the future. JJK is a classic in the making after all, and it isn’t called Next Gen Shonen for no reason.

Oh check out Danchou’s really cool JJK shrine by the way. I don’t necessarily have a shrine myself but I love my small collection anime/manga too (the rest is in a storage unit in H-town).

ANYWAYS.

If anyone made it this far, thank you as always for reading my nerdery ♥.

[animebltches]

chap 182 of jjk introduces us to new characters that surprise surprise confuse the narrative rather than clearing it up.

[milaghoul]

[lets-curse-each-other]

Don't be defeated by DNA

Do you see the title above the door on the frame? A nice one, yeah? So motivational, encouraging, etc., etc. However, it is more interesting how this idea is provided in "Naruto" and "Jujutsu Kaisen". Actually, I do think that this motto is pretty typical among shonen genre, but here I'll focus on Naruto and JJK.

First of all, what do we have in “Naruto”? Season 1 screamed at our faces that EVERYBODY could become whoever they wished, they just needed HAAARD work. And we really believed in those tales, because a season-one Naruto looked like an unexperienced, weak, badly educated, undisciplined orphan, who was labelled and ghettoized by the society, BUT he was so stubborn, persistent, ambitious, painstaking, therefore we were certain – that soulja boy would win. It is still a controversial question among naruto fans whether he actually won something… Nevertheless, the reason why he achieved great results based mostly not on his positive traits of character, but because… um, you know… he had absolutely lucky DNA and inheritance. Oops. The truth is that “THROUGHOUT HEAVEN AND EARTH HE ALONE WAS THE HONOURED ONE” speaking JJK’s language. He possessed the demon that later became (of course) his friend, he was a reincarnation of the god, his father was one of the greatest ninja, Naruto took after his mother’s incredibly gigantic amount of chakra, and so on. Of course, it is obvious that potential and talents aren’t everything, only practicing can lead to results. But I concentrate my thoughts on the idea of “fortunate blood”. And this blood evidently helped Naruto. Kishimoto (mangaka) lobbied the idea of HAAARD work, he did his best and then gave up. The story had nice heroes who were also weak and alongside so inspired by the aim to become strong… Unfortunately, these characters were forgotten, they didn’t reach the target, they became the background for NaruSasu, the two who were “the honoured ones”. Hence the idea that at the beginning was truly noble became fragile with time and faded. I’d say that it even seemed quite hypocritical, but I love “Naruto” with all my heart so you didn’t hear these cruel words.

Secondly, what about "JJK"? While watching anime and reading manga, I couldn’t but feel that Gege was mocking at us. We all know that he openly made references to classics of shonen, but it didn’t mean that he couldn't criticize/add his understanding. Specifically, let’s look at these frames:

The protagonist isn’t able to become the strongest just because he wasn’t born a special one (let’s drop Kenjaku and Itadori’s unclear powers with memory). What is more, Itadori hasn’t won any important battle by himself (there're 182 ch. by now). This situation is relevant to all the sorcerers, like Gege tells us that if you were born weak, you would be, because it’s impossible to get in over your head. DNA plays here a vital role. We don’t expect to see deus ex machina, everything was literally negotiated with a doctor cut the cord. Shamans have their limits. Jujutsu world is clearly divided into “the strong” and “the weak”, “the blessed” and “the non-blessed”. It sounds unfair, disheartening, but realistic at the same time.

Do I like this inverted DNA view in JJK? Its definite concept honestly attracts me, it attaches seriousness to the work, helps us to immerse in the story in the best way and realize characters’ loses and victories. As far as I can see it. IMHO. What do you think?