Episode 55 of “Jujutsu Kaisen” was phenomenal. Perhaps even the best episode of the season so far.
And yes, I do say that about almost every episode this year. But there was something extra special about season 3 episode 8. The direction was phenomenal, the story compelling, and the animation beautiful to watch.
Perhaps I also loved this episode because I’m an attorney, and so much of Higuruma’s frustration with the legal system in Japan is echoed by many lawyers in the U.S. too. But you don’t have to be a lawyer to appreciate his storyline. We’ve all seen plenty of injustice of late — especially when it comes to poorer populations.
First, let’s get this out of the way… I looked up the statistic shared at the beginning of the epsiode, which claims that 99.9 of criminal trial in Japan end in a guilty verdict. Apparently, that’s true. 😳 An article published in January 2026 by The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan still cites the statistic, and goes into detail about why these miscarriages of justice happen. An article from 2019 by Nippon also discusses how it works and why.
NOTE: In the review and recap below, you’ll find spoilers for the latest episode, but no manga spoilers. This is an anime-only safe article.
We’re Rooting for Higuruma After His Compelling Backstory
The first half of the episode spent a great deal of time sharing Hiromi Higuruma’s back story, and painting a picture of a sympathetic character that we’re going to want to root for. It was framed like a gritty legal drama that could stand on its own.
It’s interesting, because in many ways he and Yuji are cut from similar cloths. Both wanted to use their powers to help people, and both ended up feeling burnt out and powerless to do anything. In Higuruma’s case, being an attorney was his power, and he didn’t want to brush people away who needed help. But in facing such a powerful foe in the form of a corrupt judicial system, there was little he could ultimately do. And in the end, the very people he tried to help blamed him for their suffering.
Yuji also wants to help people, and can do so to an extent. But when Sukuna overpowers him, his existence ends up hurting people and he blames himself. Would he end up in a mental state much like Higuruma’s if he made it to his mid-30s with Sukuna still controlling him at times? Perhaps.
The storytelling method for this episode was top notch. By sharing a “slice of life” from a court case where Higuruma tried to help an innocent man, we got to see exactly what motivates him and why he’s so run down. He’s a noble character in an unwinnable situation. So when his powers awake, he knocks the gavel over and over to get everyone’s attention, and demands a retrial with the power of his shikigami — it was a powerful moment. The scene was beautifully done, and I was cheering for him as I watched.
The Episode Masterfully Presented Yuji and Megumi’s Stories Side-by-Side
I loved the transitions and segues in this episode. Every time we shifted from one character to another, the notes were hit just right.
The initial transition from Higuruma’s reveal to Remi and Rin Amai’s dual answers about his location was masterfully done. But the show didn’t wait long to reveal which one was lying. We quickly learned that Megumi was walking right into a trap.
Instead of being led to Higuruma, Remi leads Megumi to a powerful sorcerer named Reggie. Reggie appears to be one of the older sorcerers who knew Kenjaku. In fact, he knows more about the Culling Game than Megumi. He believes much of what Megumi was told about how it works is just a bluff. Instead, the purpose is to weed out the weak sorcerers until only the strongest remain and a stalemate is reached. He even warns that once that point is achieved, Kenjaku is going to drop some kind of major bomb that he’s been hiding. (And we get a brief hint of that at the very end.)
So although Megumi walked into a trap, he may not end up fighting Reggie at all. Reggie recognizes how powerful he is and wants an alliance of sorts instead.
Meanwhile, Yuji is immediately pulled into Higuruma’s domain expansion: “Deadly Sentencing.” (When this was revealed, I cheered again in real life. This domain expansion looks like it’s going to be intense and a lot of fun!)
Higuruma isn’t interested in working together or giving his points to Yuji. He likes finally having power, and he likes the idea that people who break the rules will be immediately punished. The system seems better than what he’s been dealing with, and he wants to watch it all the way through to the “sentencing” of at least one person (aka, stripping of their techniques.)
I really appreciate the work that went into this week’s storyline. Higuruma isn’t one of those one-dimensional villains with motivations that don’t make sense. Instead, he’s completely relatable, and you can’t guess how this will turn out. Is Yuji going to have to fight him? Will Yuji be found innocent in the domain expansion trial? How does the trial even work?
So far, season 3 has been top notch. I can’t wait to see how the next episodes play out.
