What It Means To Be a Warrior
The tables have turned. Now, the Maru and Dabura are up against the ropes in their respective fights. Despite the shifting odds, both Simurians are determined to live up to their warrior ethos.
SPOILER WARNING
With Rika’s immense cursed energy fused with his body, Tsurugi stands a fighting chance against Maru. He uses pure brute strength to counter and resist Maru’s disorienting cursed techniques. It’s at this point that Maru taps into his power to manipulate the laws of nature themselves.
Meanwhile, Mahoraga has completed its adaptation to Dabura’s cursed technique. Dabura’s powers are ineffective. For the first time in his life, he feels pain, fear and dread. A memory washes over him of his friend and rival Dura, Cross and Maru’s mentor. Dabura’s immense strength left him ostracized, leading him to question his reason for fighting. Dura assures him that he just needs to find the right opponent. Against Mahoraga, Dabura finds that purpose and stands his ground.
Equal But Opposite
This back and forth, the shifting rhythm of the fights and unexpected developments, are why Akutami’s (writer) action scenes are so interesting to read. No character stays on the back foot for too long. If they do, Akutami cleverly weaves it with the character’s growth. There’s always an advantage to press, a weakness to exploit, or a new power to bust out. It’s typical shonen fare, but nothing feels like a cop out. I will say, as we progress through these fights, I hope the story can keep up with the momentum. These fights are a lot of fun, but if they drone on too long, I’m afraid readers may get bored.
I noticed an interesting pattern reading through chapter 18. The fights are essentially mirror images of each other. Tsurugi, the Earthling, chooses to rely on brute strength to combat Maru’s cursed technique. By the same token, Dabura, the Simurian, chooses to rely on brute strength to combat Mahoraga’s adaptation. I think this could hint at a greater theme Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is trying to explore: the shared struggles of life. We’ve already seen this mirrored with the Okkotsu siblings and Simurian siblings. Then again, in the parallels between Tsurugi and Maru’s friendship and Yuka and Cross’ ideologies. Now we see those reflections take place on the battlefield.
Both Simurians have been pushed past their limits. Dabura can apparently achieve “sub-light speed,” so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. Maru is breaking out every play in the book to fend off Tsurugi, but it’s clear it’ll be a struggle. Catch up on the story by visiting the official Viz Media manga webpage for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo.
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