Warning: This contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen, Episode 37, "Red Scale," streaming on Crunchyroll.

Picking the best fight in Jujutsu Kaisen's Shibuya Incident arc is like choosing a favorite child; it wouldn't be fair to the others... though the Grasshopper Curse fight is definitely the worst. With that said, Yuji's episode-long fight against Choso - while perhaps not as bombastic as the fights following it - serves as a microcosm of the arc's best qualities and the show's core appeal.

Aired on October 19, 2023, Episode 37 of Jujutsu Kaisen follows Yuji Itadori in a mad dash to save Satoru Gojo when he stumbles upon Choso, one of the Death Painting Wombs, standing in his path. Thus begins a fight that progressively turns a brightly lit subway tunnel into a dark, scarred, and blood-stained arena, in which the Shibuya Incident reaches another pivotal turning point.

Related

Jujutsu Kaisen: How Shoko Can Save Gojo, Explained

This is how Shoko could save Gojo in JJK's upcoming chapters.

A Masterfully Directed Episode

Kazuto Arai directed, storyboarded, and - in part - animated this episode. Arai is an animator whose name has popped up all around the industry, from My Hero Academia to Made in Abyss to Mob Psycho, and many more. Previously, he directed Fate/Grand Order Camelot 2, a veritable feast of animation on the big screen that is often overlooked compared to other anime films from that same year.

From the get-go, Arai's vision is evident in every light and shadow cast and the constant signage which Arai goes out of his way to frame as often as possible. Their usage isn't bound to the diegetic either, and they later venture into fourth-wall-breaking infographics on par with the Monogatari series. Some viewers might not have even noticed the signs reflecting Mechamaru's exposition about Blood Manipulation.

Even more apparent is the depth of the layouts, which encourages more advantageous animation. The shot of Yuji bouncing from the background to the foreground down a set of stairs and off a street sign is just a brilliant use of perspective. Already, things are off to a great start, but once the fight starts in earnest, with Yuji bounding down the escalator and straight into Choso's malicious opening salvo, things escalate quickly.

It's not enough for Choso's Convergence attack to look powerful - there's a lack of precise control that factors into how threatening it is. The first-person POV shots used while he fires it off convey this well. In addition to the camera work, the use of lighting and color are exquisite. As the fight intensifies, more lights are shattered, leaving only the multicolored electric subway signs that offer more imposing low-lit shadows.

The fight is also just paced very well. Frequent pauses aren't merely a tool for exposition but feel natural, establishing the two combatants as equals who need to exert caution with one another. One has the advantage at range while the other excels up close, but the former is cunning and can lay traps to compensate for their vulnerabilities at short range. It's a wonderfully balanced fight that takes an inspired turn in the second half.

Related

Jujustu Kaisen: Maki Zenin's Cursed Technique Explained

A jujutsu sorcerer with no curse energy, Zenin Maki can use weapons to battle curses. Here's how she manages to do it.

What Sets Jujutsu Kaisen Apart from the Rest

Great hand-to-hand choreography and martial arts are nothing new to shōnen, but Jujutsu Kaisen's action puts it in a particular league within the genre. There are so many cursed techniques with meticulously constructed mechanics, but once all those fail, the characters throw hands in a way that forgoes ceremony in favor of an utter beatdown.

As such, when Yuji lures Choso into the restroom, the entire atmosphere changes. The cramped and narrow stage presents new obstacles both within the literal scene and from an animation standpoint, making the ambitious camera work that much more impressive. It's so fitting that the scene - intentionally or otherwise - references The Raid 2, a seminal martial arts film whose final fight is legendary.

Whether in a wide or cramped space or involving many or few combatants, martial arts films are all about creatively utilizing space to create dynamic action, something JJK excels at. A small standout moment comes when Yuji finds himself thrown upside down into a stall, lifts himself using the handrails, and then deals a kick to Choso, sending him flying through the other stalls.

The cursed techniques don't become irrelevant, however, and in fact, Choso's ability to compensate for the disadvantage posed by the sprinkler system makes the fight that much cooler. He can't use the powers that gave him the clearest advantage before, so he has to get clever and in a way that - according to the narration at least - puts him at some degree of risk.

Some people call Jujutsu Kaisen's power system confusing, which can lead to heated debate, but at least in the case of the anime, some confusion is totally understandable. A lot of info can be dispensed at once and there's a difference between reading an explanation on a page at one's own pace versus listening to a brief explanation in the middle of an ongoing episode.

To this extent, the exact science behind Choso's technique as it pertains to the most relevant aspects of the fight might go over the viewer's head. If this fight has any flaws, it's only that it won't necessarily disprove the argument against JJK's power system as a whole, but it would be a lie to say that this seriously detracted from the overall enjoyment. Furthermore, it almost helps develop the viewer's relationship with the technique as if it were a character.

How the Fight Connects the Past and Future

Jujutsu Kaisen's cursed techniques fit neatly into categories and as the story progresses, these techniques and one's understanding of them can evolve through other characters. Blood Manipulation was first introduced in Season 1 as Noritoshi Kamo's inherited technique. While Kamo himself wasn't around much between the end of the Exchange Event arc and Episode 37, his ability sees a considerable evolution through Choso's application of it.

Seeing what's possible with this technique here gives an idea of how powerful Kamo himself might become later in the story, giving his potential future character growth an appreciable nudge. This is one of the subtle ways that this fight is not only great in itself, but pays off prior buildup and creates new intrigue for future storylines.

It's no secret that Choso's fight here is very personal and harkens back to the end of Season 1 when Yuji and Nobara killed his brothers. The similarities start subtly before the final attack from the previous fight is recreated but - crucially - without the payoff that fans are conditioned to expect. Instead, the bad guy wins, yet there's a hint of catharsis in seeing him get this revenge for his fallen brothers, made all the more poetic and tragic by what follows.

The conclusion of "Red Scale" can be a bit confusing the first time around, as the significance of Choso's fake memories doesn't become apparent until closer to the finale. Regardless, Arai's directing never ceases to amaze. The aspect ratio flickering from 16:9 to 4:3, just like the lights in this thoroughly damaged subway tunnel, is such a cool and foreboding creative choice.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 has a lot of great fights and some will probably strike people's fancy even more due to their scale and impact, but something about this one simply hits different. Patient yet precise pacing, ambitious and well-realized visuals, and clever storytelling mark this as a brilliant fight, an equally brilliant episode, and a high point for the arc as a whole.

More

Jujutsu Kaisen: Did Yuki Leave Too Soon?

Yuki Tsukumo might've been a side character but her departure from Jujutsu Kaisen struck some as having come a little too soon.