Jujutsu Kaisen Episode 4: Recap and Review

In episode 4 of Jujutsu Kaisen, the first years, Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki investigate the appearance of a “womb.” Kiyotaka Ijichi, the assistant director at Jujutsu High, informs Yuji that they believe that the womb could transform into a special-grade cursed spirit. He also explains that a “window” is a “member of Jujutsu Tech who can see curses.” They’re not sorcerers. Ijichi explains the various “grade” of weapons and the effectiveness of each. Grade 4 means “a wooden bat is enough,” Grade 3 means a handgun is sufficient, followed by Grade 2, which means a “close call with a shotgun.” Grade 1 means, “even a tank may be insufficient,” and finally, Special Grade means “even footing with a carpet bombing of cluster bombs,” might not get it done. 

You’ll often take on missions beyond your power

The trio learns that they must investigate but not fight. Ijichi tells them that their only options are to “run or die.” The goal is to verify and rescue the survivors. Suddenly, the mother of one of the survivors, Tadashi. Ijichi tells her that there’s poison in the surrounding area, and she collapses. Yuji is eager to rescue all the survivors. As the trio enter the detention center, Ijichi creates a barrier to conceal them from the neighborhood. Once inside, the trio is stunned to see that the two-story dorm had changed. The door disappears. They enter another room with the corpses of three prisoners, one being Tadashi. Yuji and Megumi get into an argument over what to do. 

Megumi refuses to risk his life on prisoners like Tadashi. He killed a little girl while driving without a license. Suddenly, Nobara yells at them to stop. She falls through a curse on the floor. Megumi’s dog is decapitated, and the special-grade curse appears, Finger Bearer. Yuji and Megumi are so afraid that they struggle to move. Remembering his promise to his grandfather, Yuji strikes with the cursed tool, Slaughter Demon, he was given in the last episode. It’s no use. His hand with the tool is severed. Meanwhile, Nobara is trapped in a different realm with several curses. Yuji attempts to negotiate with Sukuna, however, the curse tells him that he will kill Megumi and Nobara if they switch. Yuji decides to distract the curse while Megumi escapes with Nobara. He’ll switch to Sukuna when they’re safe. 

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!

Nobara kills some curses but is running out of nails. Elsewhere, the curse dominates Yuji. Using curse energy Yuji is knocked through a wall, then while attempting to block another attack his fingers start to burn off. Meanwhile, Megumi saves Nobara from being eaten. Yuji being to accept how “weak” he is. He hoped for a “proper death,” but realizes this isn’t possible. Accepting all the negative feelings Yuji generates curse energy but it’s still not enough. Regardless, Yuji hears the howl from Megumi’s remaining Shikigami. Hearing the signal, he gives Sukuna control. Sukuna is annoyed with Yuji and contemplates a way to get back at him while ignoring the Finger Bearer. He decides to join forces with the Finger Bearer to kill Yuji’s friends. However, the Finger Bearer attacks him. Yuji deflects the attack and mocks the curse ripping off its arm. 

What curses really are

Sukuna aims to teach the Finger Bearer what curses really can do. He shows the curse a “real jujutsu,” Domain Expansion. He cuts the curse into several pieces and it burns in a purple flame. He then takes back another one of his fingers. However, when he assumes Yuji will take back over, Yuji doesn’t. Episode 4 of Jujutsu Kaisen ends with Sukuna smiling, suggesting that maybe Yuji’s control is limited. Jujutsu Kaisen is still in the beginning stages of building the world, so we have only just started learning the universe works. The grading system seems simple but pointless, especially if my hunch is correct and the trio will only fight special-grade curses. It’s obvious that Yuji is going to get stronger but I wonder if Megumi and Nobara will as well. All three are lacking in power, even together. Overall, Jujutsu Kaisen episode 4, was entertaining and action-packed.