Summary
Warning: This contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen, Episode 40, “Thunderclap,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
Episode 40 ofJujutsu Kaisen, “Thunderclap,” might be one of the best episodes of the series, a statement that - just a week later - already feels out of date after the newly released Episode 41. Nevertheless, JJK #40 deserves no less praise, and while there are a lot of artists responsible, the director behind the episode is especially notable; Itsuki Tsuchigami (AKA Miso).
Before delving into his style, and how he captained such an excellent episode, a short disclaimer is in order. Last month there was considerable buzz over statements by animators aboutan alleged attempt by Studio MAPPAto prevent employees from speaking out about working conditions. One such statement came from Tsuchigami himself and, as of the time of writing, an overwhelming wave of statements by even more animators has surfaced online. Added to the rumors about the state of upcoming episodes, some see this as a huge blow to the anime. Given all of this, one might imagine that trying to write positively about the series as if nothing is wrong has become much more difficult. However, ifJJK#40 trulydoesbecome one of the last good episodes of this season, that’s all the more reason to give the artists behind it the credit they deserve and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.
The Power of an Episode Director
In the past, we’ve covered specific episodes of shows that, from the moment they begin, feel utterly distinct from anything else in the series of which it is a part.Fate/Apocrypha#22 is a major one, where the artwork was so raw and drenched with personality that audiences were won over by its admittedly uneven presentation. Another example isMob Psycho 100Season 2 #5, a visual feast that forged the atmosphere necessary for the story.
Funnily enough, Miso worked on both of these episodes and has directed a few others of his own. In that same season ofMob Psycho, he directed Episode 11, the one with the battle against Shimazaki. The whole sequence is a triumph of increasingly ambitious framing that seldom loses the audience’s attention despite the overwhelming number of moving parts.
He’s been a notable key animator for a while now, having risen to prominence during the 2010s, working on everything fromAttack on TitantoMy Hero Academia, and many more. The perspective of his cuts is dynamic and often makes great use of the setting to convey the scale of a scene, and he animates characters with lots of personality.
Compared to other popular animators known for big and bold trademarks, Miso is special because of the simplicity of his work and its effectiveness therein. Being a relatively young animator, it’s impressive how successful his forays into directing episodes have been - a big reason why he’s a favorite among animation enthusiasts. A larger reason might be evident in the recurring element of his directorial efforts; a sense of controlled chaos.
A Relentless Half-Hour
JJK#40 was a lot of things, but the simplest way to describe it might be “stressful.” Judging from Miso’s comments on the episode, this was a part of the story that was in production early on, undoubtedly because of its significance.Jogo vs Sukuna and Megumi vs Toji- two fights with a lot on the line and an absurd amount of dramatic weight, especially in the latter case.
Megumi spends the majority of the fight on the run, framing the “battle” more as a desperate escape. Every second is a matter of life or death, and there’s a lot of lateral momentum to keep that tension consistent. Megumi escapes into a building, then the street, then up a fire escape, and so on. It’s a testament to Miso’s directing that the action - as complex as it is in quick succession - is so easily readable.
The storyboards convey such an exquisite command of where the audience’s eye will be drawn that it delights in very quick techniques to tee up the next attack and how a character will respond. For example, see the scenes where Megumi senses Toji’s first attack or the franklyhorrifying split-second close-up of Sukunaas he closes in on Jogo in midair.
Sou Miyazaki’s 2-minute cut from the episode [see here] might encapsulate everything great about this episode. Then again, there should be a special place in the anime Hall of Fame for Nakaya Onsen’s work as well. Excellent fight choreography, frenetic pacing, and perhaps the most amusingly combative rabbits put on screen sinceMonty Python and the Holy Grail. [Clip 1] [Clip 2]
And of course, Miso contributed several cuts of his own, from gorgeously detailed effects animation to character acting that is rich with personality in every expression. What takes the artwork to the next level is how different it feels from the rest of the anime without losing its identity. If anything, Miso intended to make this episodelook closer to the manga than ever, and it succeeded in ways that would have seemed impossible in the hands of a less skilled director. [Clip 3]
Episodes like this are the reason that people become obsessed with animation, its process, and most importantly, the people behind it. These episodes become more than the sum of their parts; relentless, emotion-drenched half-our short films captained by individuals with a unique vision. Itsuki Tsuchigami hasn’t directed many anime episodes, but it’s always a treat and the only thing more exciting than what he’s accomplished here is whatever he’ll go on to do next.
Jujutsu Kaisenis a production in the middle of an implosion - a possibility the community has feared since long before this season started. However, should this series crumble in the coming weeks, it surely will not have been any fault of the animators.Their passion throughout the season has been evident, and they are better than any inadequacies of their studio.
