Even Pandas (パンダだって Panda Datte?) is the one hundred and forty-seventh chapter of Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen.
Summary
The details of creating independent cursed corpses is a process Masamichi Yaga has always kept secret. Since Panda's birth, the jujutsu higher-ups have wanted to know and are now using the consequences of the Shibuya Incident as an excuse to apply pressure. With few options left, Masamichi says his goodbyes and makes one last attempt to see his son.
Plot Details
Masamichi was once interrogated over Panda's creation.
At some point in the past shortly after Panda's birth, Masamichi Yaga was confined to a cell with both hands wrapped in talismans. He was interrogated by Gakuganji on behalf of the higher-ups. It's normal for a cursed corpse to operate independently but they usually consume cursed energy provided by its user as fuel. In comparison, Panda is a self-supporting cursed corpse that can generate his own cursed energy. The higher-ups fear that Masamichi could create an army and were at one time in the process of designating him as special grade with an indefinite restraint. After stating this to Masamichi, Gakuganji asked how Panda was made, but Masamichi insisted that he didn't know.
Masamichi is currently on the run and residing in a forest next to one of his dolls. The cursed corpse is able to talk and calls out to Masamichi, saying everyone is worried about how gloomy he's become. The doll told the others that they should cheer Masamichi up. Then he asks Masamichi "aren't I a genius" for confirmation it was a good idea. Masamichi pets him and reveals he won't be able to return anytime soon. He adds that Master Tengen protects the forest their hiding in and his mother will come to see him again.
"Masamichi... We'll miss you."
Masamichi opens a small door at the base of a tree where many of his small, harmless, independent cursed corpses reside. They'll be fine without him but they make sure to tell Masamichi that they'll miss him. Meanwhile, inside the isolation holding chamber at Jujutsu High, Panda has been captured and used as a lure to draw out Masamichi. Kusakabe uses his katana to cut Panda free. He's doing this as a favor to repay Masamichi but makes sure to tell Panda not to reveal who helped him.
Masamichi secretly created an independent cursed corpse in the past to help support Kusakabe's sister's mental health.
In the past, Masamichi created an independent cursed corpse with Kusakabe's nephew's soul information. His sister couldn't live on without her son's support and remained completely idle in a wheelchair. When brought together to meet, Masamichi's doll asked if that woman was his mother and then asked "aren't I a genius" because he was right. Kusakabe's sister recognized her son's mannerisms and that catchphrase, so she instantly ran over out of her wheelchair to embrace him. She called the cursed corpse Takeru repeatedly while squeezing him in her arms. Masamichi couldn't allow Takeru to live with his mother because Panda wasn't around yet and it couldn't get out that a fully independent cursed corpse existed. Kusakabe apologized and emotionally expresses his gratitude to Masamichi for doing this for his family.
Back in the present, Masamichi is confronted by a masked sorcerer with a scar across his left eye, an underling of the higher-ups. He asks where Masamichi is going without any cursed corpses to back him up. While removing his jacket, the Tokyo Principal simply replies that he's going to see his son. The masked sorcerer doesn't quite know what Masamichi means but reviews the severity of the situation nonetheless. Masamichi has received the death sentence and the only way to save himself is to reveal how to create independent cursed corpses immediately. Masamichi says his adversaries have gotten comfortable getting pushy without Satoru around. The masked man agrees, especially because he's been accompanied by a veteran sorcerer.
On his way to reunite with Panda, Yaga is confronted by a sorcerer from Jujutsu High.
On queue, Gakuganji steps out of the shadows armed with his guitar and deals Masamichi a fatal blow after a brief scuffle. Masamichi is mortally wounded with two deep cuts across his chest forming an x-shape that splatters blood along the wall his dying body is collapsed against. Gakuganji tells the sorcerer accompanying him to leave the two principals alone and he obliges.
With his last words, Masamichi suddenly begins explaining exactly how to create independent cursed corpses. Soul information can be replicated from physical information and inputted into cursed corpse cores. These cores must contain three highly compatible souls and have them constantly observing each other. This is the only way the souls will stabilize and give rise to self-awareness and self-sustaining cursed energy. While Masamichi explains all of this, Panda rushes toward where Masamichi is in an attempt to find and rescue his father.
"It's a curse Principal Gakuganji. A curse from me.. to you."
Confused and shocked, Gakuganji asks why Masamichi would tell him now and try to live by revealing this earlier. Before passing on to the afterlife, Masamichi replies because it's a curse being passed on from him to Gakuganji. Panda arrives too late just as Masamichi dies, calling out his name in concern. Gakuganji throws down the broken remains of his weapon in anticipation for Panda to retaliate. However, Panda simply walks by him towards Masamichi without so much as looking Gakuganji's way.
Panda arrives moments too late to save his father.
Gakuganji asks why Panda doesn't fight out of revenge but Panda reveals that he's not like humans and their behaviors don't bind him. He understands that Gakuganji was on good terms with Masamichi and these orders came from above. Even so, Panda sheds tears for his father and tells Gakuganji to remember that even Panda's cry.
The streetlamp that illuminates the area has moths flying around it. One of them dies from the heat, representing how one drawn to the light by pure ambitions can burn out after getting too close to the sun.
Character in Order of Appearance
- Masamichi Yaga
- Panda
- Yoshinobu Gakuganji
- Takeru & other cursed corpses
- Tengen (Mentioned)
- Atsuya Kusakabe
- Atsuya Kusakabe's Sister (Flashback)
- Unnamed Zenin Sorcerer
- Satoru Gojo (Mentioned)
Locations
- Unspecified Forest protected by Master Tengen
- Tokyo Jujutsu High
- Isolation Chamber
Author's Comment
| Author's Comment | |
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Gege Akutami |
If I’m not careful, my new pen slips. So I need to pay greater attention or switch back to my old pen. | |