Deepam Kapadia Week 4: The GREATEST Scene of All Time
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “glaze” as “to praise excessively or obsequiously.” One may mistake this as a valid word to describe my opinions regarding this “panel,” an illustration in a manga (a Japanese comic) that depicts a specific moment in this story. I am not an avid manga reader. In fact, I can probably count the number of manga that I have read on one hand.
One such manga (which this panel is from) is Jujutsu Kaisen, a piece of fiction which revolves around sorcerers fighting curses. Sorcerers are not ordinary people—they hold the ability to control cursed energy, manipulating it to perform jujutsu. Similar to how there are powerful families with a wide range of influence in the present day, the three elite sorcerer families in Jujutsu Kaisen—the Big 3—are the Kamo, Zen’in, and Gojo families. I won’t go too in depth into the first or last, but the Zen’in house is where this “mini-story” takes place.
Naoya, the prodigy of the Zen’in family, was treated as a genius from a very young age, particularly due to his inheritance of a very powerful technique. The Zen’in are heavily stigmatized towards people of low cursed energy, one such example being Toji, a man born with zero cursed energy.
Upon learning of Toji, Naoya forms an image of a feeble, weak, and miserable person, blinded by his limited perspective. However, when he finally runs into him, Naoya is speechless, as (and I quote from a YouTube comment) “he wanted to look down on Toji, but Toji didn’t even bother looking at him.”
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| The panel, taken from a Reddit thread |
Toji is drawn calm and indifferent, while Naoya is frozen in shock, the arrogance he harbored moments ago seemingly nonexistent. Naoya expects to meet someone who will defer to him—but the encounter leaves him idolizing Toji, dreaming of one day standing on the same level as him. Toji, in contrast, doesn’t even bother looking at him—denying him even the most basic form of acknowledgement. His standing as the “gifted child” does not mean anything to Toji. Naoya’s entire worldview is based on a hierarchy of power. When Toji doesn’t even acknowledge him, Naoya encounters someone who is not a participant in the hierarchy at all.
Although the panel has been officially animated as of recently, I find that I am biased towards a fanmade animation on YouTube—which is also where I quoted the comment above from. The fanmade animation isn’t perfect. In fact, it is choppy and unpolished in some places. Still, I find that it carries a soulfulness which the official animation does not through its music and transitions—making the viewer feel Naoya’s shock.
Anyone who knows how often I talk about this panel may define it as “glaze.” I don’t think so. Naoya’s entire ideology is challenged in the span of a couple moments, and instead of him stating it outright, we (the readers) see it happen through his reaction. This choice is what makes this panel especially compelling, showcasing Toji’s power and influence.
Believe it or not, I’ve watched Jujutsu Kaisen! I haven’t read the manga, however, but I presume they are similar enough. Honestly, Toji’s reaction to Naoya is pretty typical considering his tendency of being cold and indifferent. You seem to really like Toji as a character, and I couldn’t agree more. I remember one character saying how the only reason the Zen’in clan still existed was due to Toji’s decision to not wipe them out, which really underlines his power. It’s even better that Toji was supposed to be looked down upon due to his lack of cursed energy—it paints him as an underdog. Not only that, but one’s level of cursed energy is not something that they can train for; it is fixed at birth. I think that fact makes Naoya’s reaction even more satisfying, as something he thought was intrinsic was shattered in front of his own eyes. I love how you broke down the interaction between these two characters overall, contrasting Naoya’s arrogance with Toji’s calmness.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who also shares a passion for film and acting, I really enjoyed your analysis of this specific moment! I especially liked your explanation of Toji’s refusal to acknowledge Naoya challenges his entire worldview, because it shows how a character’s actions, or even lack of action, can communicate so much without needing explicit dialogue. The contrast between Naoya’s arrogance and his sudden shock makes the panel sound so compelling, and your explanation really emphasizes how much it means to you. I also thought your comparison between the official animation and fanmade version was interesting, particularly your point about how music and transitions can give an imperfect animation its own kind of soulfulness. It made me think about how sometimes fanmade interpretations can capture the emotional core of a scene in ways that more polished adaptations don’t, which is a pattern commonly seen in other forms of media as well.
ReplyDeleteI also had a (albeit brief) phase with Jujutsu Kaisen! Tons of videos popped up onto my feed regarding the Zen’in clan, and I know what you mean by the fanmade animations—they’re absolutely stunning pieces of work. I also clicked on the video you linked, and I definitely understand what you meant by the music and transitions. The music is a bit unsettling and otherworldly in a way, but it simultaneously gives off the vibes of someone coming to an epiphany of sorts—mirroring how this isolated moment in time entirely alters the trajectory of Naoya’s life. Now, I can’t speak for the official animation since I haven’t caught up quite yet, but I’ll take your word for it! After all, fan animations aren’t bogged down by strict deadlines like show animators typically are, and fanmade works remind me of homemade goods… which are always better than the store-bought product!!!
ReplyDeleteOther than that, I loved how you phrased it as Naoya meeting someone who is “not a participant in the hierarchy at all.” I found it to be so, so powerful! Not to mention, your understanding of the nuances embedded in the writing made me make a few revelations myself; a few panels do more heavy-lifting for the story than you’d initially expect. I appreciate how you broke down the worldbuilding for others to follow along with too; you did a great job at condensing everything down, especially with how complex the story is.
And from my perspective, I feel like your praise of the manga and panel is incredibly valid. It’s a perfect example of “show, not tell,” and being able to etch this example inside of your head is a good frame of reference for future writing endeavors. So, don’t listen to the haters!!!
allat just for both these bums to get neg-diffed by teenagers
ReplyDelete#zeninbums4life #potentialclan #Toj"IF"ushiguro