Episode 1

**Ryomen Sukuna** (両面宿儺, *Ryōmen Sukuna*?) is the first episode of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime adaptation.

## Summary

Yuji Itadori, a normal high school student with incredible athleticism would rather hang out with his senpai in the Occult Club than run on the track. However, after losing his grandfather, Yuji's club comes face to face with the grim reality of curses. In order to save his friends, Yuji teams up with jujutsu student, Megumi Fushiguro, to exorcise the curses and recover the cursed object: Ryomen Sukuna.

## Plot Details

A young high-school student awakens strapped to a chair across from a blind-folded man inside a room filled with talismans. The man, Satoru Gojo, asks the student, Yuji Itadori, which "one" he is now. Eventually, Yuji remembers someone named Fushiguro and shows concern for his senpai as well. However, Gojo reminds Yuji that he doesn't have time to be concerned with others because his "Secret Execution" has been set.

The previous day, Yuji calls Sugisawa Hospital to check on his grandfather, but the old man demands that Yuji attend his club instead. The previous night, a student from Jujutsu Tech, Megumi Fushiguro, visits the grounds of Sugisawa High in hopes of finding a "cursed object". When he fails to do so, he calls Satoru Gojo, only to be told he can't return home until the object is recovered.

At Yuji's club with Iguchi and Sasaki, the student council President threatens to close the Occult Club due to inactivity. To prove their research, they tell the President about their theory that something supernatural might be affecting the students on the rugby field. However, the President nullifies their argument by revealing ticks caused the player's illness. In addition, Yuji is registered to the Track and Field Team, not the Occult Club.

The Coach of the team interrupts and demands Yuji help them conquer nationals. In order to settle it, both of them agree to a competition on the field. Meanwhile, the Jujutsu Tech student disguises himself and searches the area for the cursed object. He ends up seeing Yuji dominating in a shot-putting contest. Yuji throws the shot-put like a baseball and casually breaks the world record, cementing his place in the Occult Club.

Sasaki and Iguchi reassure Yuji he doesn't have to stay in their club, but he chooses to for his personal reasons. Megumi is impressed by Yuji's performance, comparing him to Jujutsu Tech upperclassman, Maki Zenin. Yuji walks past Megumi and the latter notices the cursed energy emanating from a possible connection to the cursed object. But before Megumi can confront him, Yuji rushes off to the hospital to see his grandfather.

Yuji's grandfather acts displeased about Yuji visiting him, not wanting his grandson to waste his time. He attempts to tell Yuji about his parents but the young man refuses to hear it. They argue, but the old man decides to give his grandson an important message. He asks Yuji to use his gifts to save others no matter what so he can die surrounded by people. Shortly after, Yuji's grandfather passes away peacefully.

After Yuji mourns and packs up his things, he goes to the lobby to fill out paperwork. There, Megumi tracks Yuji down and introduces himself. He asks to talk despite Yuji trying to mourn. He asks Yuji to hand over the cursed object, a mysterious item the Occult Team happened upon. To explain, Megumi reveals the truth about curses.

Curses are created by large concentrations of negative energy created by humans. The cursed object that Yuji found is something related, meaning its dangerous because the talisman used to seal it is weakening. Yuji hands over the box containing the cursed object but it's actually empty. Its contents are in the hands of the other Occult Club members, who plan on removing the seal tonight at school. Megumi is shocked when Yuji tells him this, prompting Yuji to inquire about the severity of the situation. Megumi responds by claiming that it's worse than bad and Yuji's friends are going to die.

Elsewhere at Sugisawa High, Sasaki and Iguchi sneaks in to unwrap the seal. They do so in the dark for the appropriate atmosphere and discover a finger within the contents of the talisman. Immediately, the fire giving them light goes out and curses begin to spawn while the students are completely unaware. Upon arriving at the school Yuji feels a strange pressure and Megumi asks him to stay behind. Yuji insists that he help rescue his friends but the young jujutsu student demands he stay behind.

Inside, Sasaki hides from the monsters now stalking the halls of the fourth floor. Iguchi appears beside her, but his head is being taken over by a small curse. The attention brings a larger curse that attacks Sasaki from behind. Megumi enters the building and is confronted by yet another curse. Able to defend himself with jujutsu, Megumi summons his Divine Dogs and commands them to feast on the enemy.

Yuji stands outside wondering why he's hesitating. He realizes that its because he's afraid of death, but he wasn't afraid when his grandfather died. He wonders what the differences are in the death he's facing now compared to that of his grandfather and recalls his words about helping others.

The number of curses grow inside the building as Megumi and his Divine Dogs cut through them to rescue the students. He turns a corner to find many curses have merged in attempt to consume both students along with the cursed object. Megumi knows he won't make it in time, but Yuji suddenly crashes through the fourth floor window. Yuji knows his grandfather died peacefully, but this type of death is wrong.

Using his superhuman athleticism, Yuji rescues his friends, allowing Megumi's Dogs to devour the curse. Megumi admits he isn't sure why Yuji helped, but compliments him for doing so. Yuji asks about Megumi's dogs, which are his shikigami, and Megumi responds by saying Yuji is able to see them thanks to his experience tonight. Yuji admits he was scared but he acted because he wanted to prevent this tragedy and try to give his friends the chance at a proper death.

As Megumi is about to finally reclaim special grade cursed object: Ryomen Sukuna's finger, a curse suddenly crashes down from the floor above them. Megumi pushes Yuji out of the way and ends up captured by the curse. He attempts to summon another shikigami: Nue, but the curse pummels him and even tosses the young sorcerer through the wall to the outside. As a result of his injuries, his Divine Dogs are dispelled.

Before the curse can kill Megumi, Yuji jumps into fight. Despite his incredible athletic gifts, he cannot hurt a curse without using cursed energy. After losing ground, Yuji nearly drops the finger into the curse's mouth. He's able to catch it with his own mouth and decides to eat the finger in order to gain cursed energy in an effort to save everyone.

Despite Megumi's misgivings, Yuji swallows the finger and incarnates the power of Ryomen Sukuna. Despite Yuji killing the curse with ease, Megumi is concerned that this is the actual worse case scenario. Ryomen Sukuna has been reborn and only desires to kill all of humanity. He realizes this era is perfect for massacring humans but Yuji actually manages to gain back control over his body by suppressing Sukuna. In the midst of this, Megumi prepares to summon a shikigami and proclaims that he will exorcise the cursed Yuji Itadori.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Yuji Itadori
* Satoru Gojo
* Wasuke Itadori
* Megumi Fushiguro
* Setsuko Sasaki
* Takeshi Iguchi
* Takagi
* Maki Zenin (Mentioned)
* Sukuna

## Locations

* Sendai City
	+ Sugisawa Third High School

## Jujutsu

**Megumi Fushiguro's Techniques**

* Ten Shadows Technique
	+ Divine Dogs

## Anime & Manga Differences

* The anime begins with an adaptation of the first two pages from the second chapter.
* The anime adds a scene where Yuji calls the hospital, only for his grandfather to yell at him and tell him to go back to his club.
* The scene where Megumi looks for Sukuna's finger in the Stevenson's screen is extended.
* The explanation Megumi gives Yuji regarding curses in the anime has a few brief visual changes; most notably, the spider metaphor was extended and the victim insect was changed from a roach to a scolopendra.
* The scene where Sasaki is hiding from the curses is slightly extended in the anime, we get to actually see her getting captured.
* The way the bigger curse is attempting to consume Iguchi and Sasaki is altered in the anime.
* In the anime, Yuji punches the bigger curse before saving his senpais.
* In the anime, Yuji asks about why the finger is being targeted by the curses before the rugby field curse attacks.
	+ This leads to Yuji eating the finger while he's restrained by said curse, instead of doing so after getting up from one of its strikes like in the manga.
* The fight with the rugby field curse is extended in the anime.
* In the anime, it's more clear that Megumi was attempting to summon Mahoraga when Sukuna seemingly reincarnated than it was in the manga.

## Trivia

* This episode was screened early on September 19, 2020 via Toho Animation's official YouTube channel.
	+ The premiere version of the episode did not feature an opening.
	+ The premiere version had a unique end credits sequence which featured "**Your Battle Is My Battle** ft. Chica", the same OST that was used in the second PV.