The saddest part is that they made it seem like he survived in the opening.

me: junpei can’t die, he’s in the op junpei: *dies* me: 👁👄👁

I love the symbolism of how jellyfish only sting other fish when they get bumped into, much like how Junpei starts off only wanting to kill those that hate him, not those he hates

The moment I saw Junpei die. That's when I realize that OP has tricked me into believing that there's was a happy ending. But an foreshadowing of something that could never happen.

we've been deceived, betrayed and quite possibly bamboozled.

The most shocking moment for me throughout the arc is when Yuuji realized that both Sukuna and Mahito are just curses. This further cemented that these fuckers are never good in the 1st place. These aren't your typical Kyuubi from Naruto, there will be no happy ending with these curses. There's no typical "evil guys redeemed themself" with them. They are just pure evil through and tgrough

RIP Junpei's hot mom

When you watch the anime, or the opening rather, you really feel as though he would be a secondary protagonist, sadge.

I felt so bad for Junpei in the manga. His death made me hate Mahito for killing him.

Since Junpei's death, I can't stop imaging Junpei's ghost being by Yuji's side during the whole anime, cheering him proudly from the other side.

The OP and Chapter cover pages was one of the hardest punches to the Gut.

I swear I loved the scene where Yuuji was trying to comfort Junpei, both on their knees with Yuuji holding his hands in his. It felt amazing because you really can feel Junpei's pain and Yuuji trying to help him.

I’d say the “lucky” in Junpeis family name is more ironic because nothing about his character arc was lucky.

His arc was a lesson to all of us viewers. A lesson that not everyone gets a chance to experience the good in life before their life abruptly ends, or before the pent up misery they have experienced finally takes them away for good. People keep thinking that *everyone* has a bright side to their life or " good moments " as per their blind optimism, but that's just plain wrong.

I don't know if it was in the manga, but I did like how the school responded after the attack in the anime. Since Yoshino called out his tormentor and teacher in the process of his misguided revenge, the teacher and other students owned up to how they failed him and let the bullying happen. Only thing that would have made it better was that psycho bully going to jail for, let's be honest, some pretty gruesome assaults.

Junpei's arc is honestly one of my favorite arcs (my favorite being the Hidden Inventory arc) because of how it once again gives a familiar scenario we've seen in Shounen before. An insecure and reserved new side character suffering from abuse that will eventually meet our main character and will gain the confidence to stand up for themselves (example being Luffy and Coby in One Piece) but the twist is that the main villain meets the side character first and he doesn't abuse him, but he "befriends" him. This lead to Junpei getting introduced to the greater world and his powers not through his friendship with Yuji, but through Mahito's manipulations. Yuji was simply too late to figuring out Junpei's problems. As a result, he was too late to stopping Mahito from killing Junpei and his mother. In the end, Yuji isn't even strong enough to make Mahito pay and avenge Junpei and he gets away, leaving Yuji with nothing but the feelings of anger and grief over his failure.

The front page of chapter 27 broke me when i first read it, then MAPPA baiting newcommers with the opening....

I feel like the jellyfish is also homage to what his mom told him after she found out he doesn't want to go to school anymore, "Kids you age tend to take everything too seriously. School is just a tiny aquarium. There's a whole ocean out there, and other aquariums, too."

The fact that they did so much with a disposable character on such a short amount of time is impressive. Really reminds me of S1 AoT where they introduce seemingly really important people only for them to get fucking eaten within 6 episodes. I really thought Junpei was gonna be a secondary antagonist with a redemption arc or an addition to the first years at JJTT. Truly an artistic representation.

PAIN.I CAN ONLY FEEL PAIN.

Went into this series believing Junpei and Itadori would have a very long friendship with each other. I was wrong.

If you wouldn't sell your soul for Junpei's happiness don't even talk to me.

I really wanted to believe Mahito truly sympathized with Junpei, and Junpei would escape, go to Jujutsu high and have a happy life... The realism really made me realize how the appearances of the curses tricked us into believing they still had some other emotions rather than just being pure evil. QAQ RIP Junpei and mama

It’s more sad when you can actually relate to his life with bullying and wanting to have your revenge in some way on those who hurt you. He was such a bean, and didn’t deserve to go out the way he did along with his mom 😕

The plot twist of junpei was so well executed you knew it was coming but it still didn't take the sting away and it still wrenches my heart just thinking about it

..They were created by tragedy *shows a picture of anthonio zeppeli*

God i was hopping he would join the team, he was cool and i could relate with his mega introverty personality and just his all deppy personality. Whenever i saw him smile together with Itadori... i miss him

I probably shoulda seen Junpei's death coming but it was an honest shock when he died in the anime, I guess the first red flag shoulda been that he was only in one part of the OP and not even in the ED.

Junpei Iori the best character of Jujutsu no Persona 3 with her Hermes

I was incredibly pissed when he died in the manga and have hated Mahito ever since.

Yes! This title is everything! There are so many stories where a character is unceremoniously killed off or is fridged for the development of another character (Like Sienna Kahn from RWBY) in an effort to gain unearned shock value for the audience. Many times it's clear that the story would have been better had the tragic character not been killed off and instead be properly utilized to their fullest, or at the very least written off instead of killed off. But Junpei is different, Junpei is exactly how you should write a tragic character who doesn't achieve their full potential. The issue with many of these "shock value/purposeful potential wasting" deaths is that many of them are ultimately pointless and don't serve any sort of narrative purpose aside from shock value. However what makes Junpei work immaculately is how his tragedy is it's own short story with a message, theme, and as the title of this video says... a purpose. Junpei on his own is a kid who had been dealt a shit hand in life, and while normally these tragic individuals should become heroes in the stories we consume, Junpei had become a cyncial; pessimistic individual with a complete indifference, revealing to be hatred, for humanity and life. And it is this pessimism that not only leads to Junpei's death and failure to catch the red flags from Mahito, but in fact reveals that Junpei himself is just as much of a fool, if not more so of a fool than the optimist and average people he called fools. And I love this story, cause not only is it tragic and has actual meaning to pitting Yuji and Mahito's ideologies against each other, but there is a strong message about the dangers of pessimistic and cynical worldviews. Junpei's fate is essentially the consequence of having such world views, you either end up dooming yourself, or you become part of the problems that you speak out against. This right here, is tragedy with purpose.

Junpei is one of theirs characters in anime that was genuine and good natured, pure if you will that had seen a death and was given trauma. Then he was “mentored” by someone who he thought he could trust and was in fact used by them. Like an Obito (early stages).

I cant remember the last time ive felt genuine rage toward a fictional character like i felt when i saw that scene.

This is one of the examples that JJK carries more dark themes and not afraid to do killing even its a relatable side character or a main one

This manga is much more darker than expected

there was something so profoundly melancholic about junpei dying at the hands of something/someone he believed to be his only escape from everything else that was tragic in his life

Seeing the moment Yuji begging Sukuna to help Junpei: sooo Junpei’s gonna be rescued this way, and we will have a new great friendship between Junpei and Yuji like the OP, and he’ll go through the sadness of losing his mom as long as there’re his friends always be there for him... Junpei: *died* Me: no he’s gonna be alive, the OP spoils it. The more I believed he’d be alive, the more I got hurt to know I got tricked.

I swear this Shōnen is Gurren Lagann levels of treachery.

I related to him, saw him die, realized that I wouldn’t find a character like this again and sobbed.. that is what a good character can do.

That op was so misleading I did not expect his death like that

They hurt my boy :(

the first time in 4 years where i actually cried of watching a fictional piece. Junpei whole story as a whole broke me unlike any other story ive seen in 15 years. f titanic, this is truly what a sad scene looks like.

The saddest part was Yuji imagining what it would've been like to have Junpei in their crew.

I’m starting to think meti might be the bad guy

man i thought he was the third protagonist and was going to last till the end of the series, fuck my life

Seems like every banger anime has a tragic character that dies right away, FMA: Hughes, AOT: Marco, and now JuJu: Junpei.

What I love is that while Yuuji might be Mahito's worst physical match up, mentally Mahito is Yuuji's counter. With the current arc we've seen how Mahito has broken Yuuji mentally by forcing him to realize that he's still powerless to protect others.

This poor kid's made me sad more than any in recent memory. It's clear from his quiet, gentle demeanor that being obsessed with hatred, nihilism and pessimism is unlike him, but Mahito manipulated him by appealing to his negativity and discarded him for shits and giggles. The whole "VS Mahito" arc, aside from its criticism of harassment and bullying, has a clear message: be careful who you engage with, and don't take the bait when someone appeals to your weaknesses. Mahito made Junpei double down on his negativity under the guise of helping him, so he could destroy him in the end, whereas Yuji was genuinely kind and wanted to enrich Junpei's life with purpose and meaning.

I genuinely cried when Yoshino Junpei died. I saw myself in him. When I would watch the intro and see his face, throughout the entire anime I was so excited to meet him and when we did I wasn’t disappointed. He was more then I could have ever wished for. He quickly became my favourite, I hoped that he and itadori would become closer, it seemed like they had both finally found a friend that could understand each other's pain and loneliness, but I was wrong. When he died I was devastated and confused, “why put him in the intro if he was only going to be around for 2-3 episodes” Then it hit me. That’s the entire point of his character. To give a human feeling to a picture, to mimic exactly what Itadori felt and god did it work.

I literally cried when Junpei died 😢 he had such a sad life and when he finally found a friend in Yuji. I believe he could have been a very powerful sorcery in time... cause his was pretty dang powerful with out any uears of experience or teaching of any kind.

Read the manga I was fine Watched the scene in the show *sheet done hit me like a truck*

I will never, and I mean NEVER shut up about how sad and unfair Junpei’s fate was. They really showed us how much he got bullied, how he almost became a monster himself but fought against it and saw a chance to be actually happy for the first time, only to be killed off like that. Not to mention that trick in the OP of him smiling with Itadori which a lot of us held on to. When he died, I could not even believe it since I held on to the fact that he was in the OP, I was sure that somehow, Itadori would find a way to bring him back and they could be happy together just like in the OP. His death is truly one of the most heartbreaking scenes in anime. *manga spoilers* Currently I don’t know if Mahito is still alive since he was “absorbed” by Geto but to be honest it would really be satisfying to see Itadori finally kill and end the one who took Junpei’s life away.

Poor guy, you will be missed Junpei

When junpei died, I was literally in denial. I actually couldn't understand that he was dead. I really thought that they were going to do some kind of ass pull to bring him back. Looking back, I definitely didn't appreciate the quality of this show when I first watched it

New fan here- uh… this scene in the anime? Utterly SHATTERED me. So much to the point that even sitting through the episodes after his death left a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach. That said, I plan to take a step back from the episodes for a bit.. it was way too much 😭😭

This quite honestly hits uncomfortably home on several levels/perspectives

it’s depressing as fuck to think that his curse technique was basically a manifestation of his abuse and his mentality before and after meeting Mahito, jellyfish are actually passive in the wild especially when schooling and only attack when provoked ; the same with junpei refusing to physically get involved unless he’s provoked . But the nature of this ability changes after meeting mahito, it becomes a literal manifesto on of a barrier and a companion ; two things he lacked before meeting mahito and the nature of his shikigami becomes more about offense then defense , just as his nature turns from taking the abuse to giving the abuse in the exact same fashion it was done to him. The fact moondregs poison uniquely acts and looks like cigarette burns push that change in nature further

He had such good character development they could have done so much more with him omg

i was telling myself when junpei was transformed and died that he didn't really die he's in the opening with yuuji... until now I'm still hoping he'd be alive. seriously.

If Junpei had lived he’d have the potential to become a master poisons with his shikigami. 😢

My heart still hurts for Junpei. Just when I thought he might see the light, he was yeeted from existence. T_T

I think the story of jujustu is tragedy steeped from the start, people forget that yuji is 95% definitely gonna die by the end of the story with the deal he made with gojo

I've been watching your content for a few years now and I just wanna say I really appreciate your dedication to the shimoneta bit. Shine on you crazy diamond

Junpei being in the OP only to be killed later on is the equivalent of being kicked in the balls

When i saw they included Shinpei in the opening i was actually kinda interested in the reaction of non-manga fans... I don't know, it was a very interesting decision

Watching the anime and seeing him made me excited since I thought his power looked cool Then the episode came.

I dodged this anime for so long but when I saw the bold choices they took with this character I realized how wrong I was about this just being a typical shonen. Junpei was relatable, pitiable, but not pathetic. His situation wasn't an overly exaggerated sob story, it was pretty realistic. Most characters written in this light are given no parents, no friends and made into sniveling whelps in front of their tormentors. What tears you in half about Junpei's death is that all of this stuff didn't break him down, it just wore on him. His unattentive single mother, his loser friends not standing up for him, his asshole bullies. It didn't destroy him, but it left him the perfect target for Mahito, who openly tells him that he wants to see how much punishment a human being can take before they break. Junpei even understands the right and wrong of the matter when it's all too late. He's presented in a way that makes him look like the perfect candidate for a redemption arc. His outlook and choices are callous and wrong, but deep down he knows it, and someone like Yuji was able to bring the better part of him out. He pays for his anti human sentiment in the most ironic way possible, by being placed next to someone who takes his belief system to its logical conclusion. His actions are understandable, but not exactly forgivable, which just makes his death so much more realistic and painful to watch because everything was in order such that he could've turned his life around with just a little bit of a mindset change and some help from a friend.

I dead ass thought he was gonna be a part of the trio. I have never been more robbed.

Junpei really hit a different note. He was by far the most “real” character. His struggles are very relatable for many as is his transformation to someone hurting others. He almost became the “quiet kid in the back” and the fact that his end is horrifying and brutal and the opposite of dignifying really speaks to how poorly treated many bullied children are in school in real life. I would have liked to have seen more of him but I suppose what little we did see was enough to cement him as a very solid character

Amazing, dynamic editing. Keep up the good work Meti!

All I wanted to see was his happy ending my heart just breaks for him He didn't deserve that

Sees Junpei in the OP: This guy seems like a pretty important character. I wonder how he'll join Jujutsu Tech. .....Episode 12 finishes. Me: USOTSUKI!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great video! 👍 Junpei is one of my favorite characters!!! ❤️

When he died I was ready to walk to Japan and fight the mangaka

Breathtakingly elegant analysis/&dissection🎞👑 Respect the attention 2 detail🤝🏿

Junpei's death allowed me to realize the actual nature of this show

hey meti i love your videos about jujutsu kaisen please make more of these

i really didnt want junpei to die but important characters need to die for emotional highs and lows to give PLEASURE!!! Jogos death also hurt he was such a character...

I always believed that Junpei has potential in becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer alongside the trio, but Mahito really fucked it all up!

Great video as always, Meti. Also, I like how every now and then, you throw a yugioh reference into your videos. As a veteran player who's been around since Legend of Blue-Eyes dropped in America, they bring me a healthy dose of nostalgia.

Makes you think huh? Life dealt Junpei the shittiest hand you could have ever gotten straight up till the end

I’ve been waiting for this

I cried in his last chapter ;( His life was such a tragic life

This really helped me understanding the series better! I hadn't realized Junpei passed away since I watched a lot of series where they just come back. I'm very sad now.

Who else was surprised that he had burn scars from the cig butts? Thought they wouldn't leave any cause ya know anime logic. A welcomed surprise though

nice video man !

Junpei *doesn't know how everything came to this* Also Junpei *runs to the demon who hadn't even noticed him, tells him his weakness, tells him where he lives* ummmmmmmmmmmmm

Junpei suffered the sickness knows as "I thought I was an important character" syndrome and he became one by dying end serving his fate by being absorbed by Yuji literally...

I'm pretty sure I've already made this comment but i absolutely love your intros!!

Junpei is basically that one quite kid from class.

"They got us in the first half, not gonna lie"

Woulda been so badass if Junpei actually joined Jujutsu high

no he’s coming back right? he was in the opening… he cant die, right?

What's sadder is those ppl at his school would never know what really happened.. like " we gotta bear the crimes of killing yoshino's heart for the rest of our lives " is good but I just felt that it didn't serve him justice... no one knows what happened to the boy with a heart of gold who needed help or how he suffered till the last moment of his life,,, it's truly heartbreaking. But his and yuuji anguish got to be a great push for the story I love it.

THEY DID MY DOG JUNPEI WRONG BRUH, AND I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA BE OKAY BECAUSE OF THE OP THEY TRICKED US, JUNPEI DESERVES BETTER 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

So, he really is dead? I thought he's going to be resurrected or fixed....... After seeing Yuuji resurrected I thouht they'll find a way.

excellent description

I love listening to your in-depth explanation while doing chores. I'm not sure if this was common knowledge but when you commented about "horror movie fans having a "psychological comfort of walking away from the horror movie that helps give power to people to walk away from the horrors of their real life". Bish, I had to stop midway doing the dishes, sit down and contemplate because that explanation had me SHOOK!

I really loathe the concept of killing a better deserving character to propel the main character's development, it's so unnecessary and upsetting!

I haven't heard of that manga yet, so in a way that was a great "get to know" video, at least of the main vibe of it. I love the concept of a "stand" kinda of thing, being based in your emotional imprint, now I'm interested.