So Many Fire Moments of Anime, So Little Time!

RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Best Anime Moments of 2025

What a great year of anime that we’ve had! 2025 was filled with so many hits that there was no way I could possibly watch them all. From Jin-Woo continuing to slay as an aura farmer to Rentaro’s legendary yap about his girlfriends, there were a lot of anime moments that will live rent-free in my head for a long time. To celebrate the end of the year, I’m continuing my tradition of naming my favorite anime moments of 2025. Full disclosure: I will be limiting this to the anime that I managed to watch. This year got pretty busy for me, so I was unable to follow through on everything I wanted to see.

Super Saiyan 4 Returns, Dragon Ball Daima

Dragon Ball Daima was a bittersweet event for Dragon Ball fans, as it would be Akira Toriyama’s final contribution to his creation before his passing. However, he made sure to cook us up a feast before he died, culminating in the return of one of Goku’s most legendary forms, Super Saiyan 4. While Dragon Ball GT remains a controversial entry to the franchise, everyone agrees that SSJ4 was the best thing to come out of it. Needless to say, getting to see it re-enter the canon at the climax of Goku’s journey through the Demon Realm was like a blessing from the heavens themselves. Thank you, Toriyama.

Kuma Gets Revenge on Saturn, One Piece

If you remember my post praising the story of Bartholomew Kuma, then you also remember how offended I am by the mere existence of his mortal enemy, Jaygarcia Saturn. The monstrous member of the Five Elders of the World Government went out of his way to make Kuma’s life miserable, kidnapping and injecting the love of his life with a fatal illness, giving said illness to her daughter, and then forcing Kuma to give up his humanity to save her life. Needless to say, every fiber of my being wanted Saturn dead before the Straw Hats left Egghead. While that would end up happening, I found it way more satisfying when Kuma came to rescue his adoptive daughter from death at the hands of Saturn, and then repay him for a lifetime’s worth of pain in one cathartic punch. Guess good things come to those who wait.

Rentaro’s 2-Minute Monologue about his Girlfriends, The 100 Girlfriends

I know I like to talk about 100 Girlfriends a lot on this blog, but normally, I wouldn’t include something from it as one of the greatest moments in anime for the years. However, I think this should count as an exception. In the final minutes of season two, Rentaro proceeds to go on an entire monologue about everything he loves about his girlfriends. Besides demonstrating just how much of a CHAD he is, that monologue actually made the record books, earning the record for the longest speech in Japanese Animation at over 7,453 characters. The dub is just as impressive, coming in at more than 3k words! And all of it had to be sped up to fit it into that one scene. Earning a world record is more than enough to make it onto this list!

Jin-woo vs the Ant King, Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows

I’ve called Sung Jin-woo the Black Air Force Hunter for a reason, and the second season of his show continued to demonstrate why he’s worthy of that title. There were plenty of epic moments throughout the season, but its magnum opus is, without a doubt, when Jin-woo faces off against the Ant King on Jeju Island. When the best Hunters of two countries are left at the brink of death, Jin-woo shows up to save the day. The entire country then gets to see firsthand why Jin-woo is the strongest as we get this visually spectacular battle between Hunter and Monster. And the music they used was just the icing on the cake!

Natsuko Rewrites the Ending, Zenshu

After getting isekaied into a world based on her favorite movie, A Tale of Perishing, Natsuko did everything in her power to change the story’s ending, only for it to seem to be for naught. As the world begins to be destroyed by the embodiment of despair, the Ultimate Void, Natsuko uses all her drawing skills to make one last attempt to rewrite the story, creating a version of Luke strong enough to destroy it. In doing so, not only does she confess her love for the actual Luke, but manages to recreate the entire world and bring back everyone who died in the process. Not only is this whole thing absolutely gorgeous to look at, but it ties back into the show’s overall message of hope over despair. And it’s a much better ending than the film’s creator could ever have made. Score one for fan writing!

Speaking of which…

Midoriya and the Heroes Defeat All for One, My Hero Academia Final Season

Speaking as a fellow Star Wars fan, I can’t but think that Kohei Horikoshi looked at the climax of The Rise of Skywalker and thought, “hey, maybe I can do better.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but seeing all of the Heroes help Deku defeat the evil All for One definitely gave off those vibes. As Midoriya puts everything he has left into one final attack, we get a montage of all the Heroes still capable of fighting doing everything they can to help him, culminating in a final, gorgeous moment as Deku lands the blow that will ultimately seal the villain’s fate. To make it even better, the entire thing was played to the series most iconic song, the ever-memeable “You Say Run.” That song really does go with everything!

Mecha vs. Space Kaiju, DanDaDan S2

You know what’s better than giant robots fighting equally giant monsters. Absolutely nothing! There were a lot of standout moments in the second season of DanDaDan, but I think the gang turning the Ayase house into a mecha to fight a space kaiju takes the cake. But even more importantly was getting to see newcomer Kinta not only solidify his role as an ally of Okarun and Momo, but he got to live out his dream of piloting a giant robot. Every Gundam fan in the world has got to be jealous of that guy at that moment! He may have his flaws, but when push came to shove, Kinta proved he had that dawg in him!!

Chainsaw Man vs Storm Devil, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc

After waiting years for the story ofChainsaw Man to continue in anime form, the Reze Arc movie didn’t fail to disappoint. Denjiโ€™s fight against the likes of Reze was already crazy enough as it was. However, we all know that Chainsaw Man is one of those series that thrives on being as chaotic as possible. Ergo, instead of fighting just Reze, we get to see Denji fight her and the Typhoon Devil. All while riding atop the Shark Fiend. What is is crazier than riding a shark into battle?

The Whole Thing, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba-The Movie: Infinity Castle

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle was the kind of film that needed to be seen on the big screen. Anything less would be a great disservice, as would my attempting to pick one moment from it to single out. This entire movie was pretty much one big greatest anime moment of the year. The Demon Slayer Corps charging into their final battle against the Demons. Shinobuโ€™s ultimate fate fighting Douma. Zenitsu killing his former sibling disciple turned Demon. Tanjiro fighting and beating the Demon that killed Rengoku! There’s too much to choose from, so I’m choosing it all! I’m so glad I got to see it on the big screen!

So, what were your favorite anime moments from 2025? Let us know!

All Jujutsu Sorcerers, Prepare for the Culling Games

Attention, Jujutsu Sorcerers! The Culling Games shall commence in approximately one month! So if you could make your way to your nearest theater to see JJK: Execution, you may receive your briefing on whatโ€™s happened as well as what comes next.

Two years ago, Jujutsu Kaisen gave us one of the absolute coldest arcs in Shonen History, the Shibuya Arc. Or as I like to call it, the worst night of Yuji Itadoriโ€™s life. One mentor was sealed away, another died, many of his friends and comrades were killed or maimed, and worst of all, Sukuna was let off the leash. Needless to say, any lightheartedness that the series had was gone as Yuji had become a fugitive. After that, fans had to wait for season three to come out, and while we still have a month to go, Shonen Jumpโ€™s got us covered. I went to see the compilation film Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, and not only does it recap the Shibuya Incident, it gives us a sneak preview of Season Three. And, boy, are we going to be in for a show come January!

You are my SpecialZ

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution can be split up into primarily two parts: the first part is recapping the events of the last season, namely in Shibuya. Normally, I would gloss over everything to get to the previews for the new season. However, I want to make an exception in this case because the recap is just so good! It starts off with what is arguably the most important moment of the series: the capture and sealing of Satoru Gojo. Until that point, Gojo was basically the seriesโ€™ nuclear deterrent, allowing the main characters to relax a little since they had Gojo to look after him. He was so overpowered that they had to write him out of the story for the foreseeable future just so the stakes could be raised enough for us to worry. And the second he went inside the Prison Realm, all hell begins to break loose.

From there, we are treated to a greatest hits montage as we see the biggest moments of the first half of the Shibuya Arc take place, all to the song โ€œSpecialZ.โ€ Itโ€™s awesome, you guys. All of the fighting, pain, and suffering rolled into a single montage, all building up to the moment when Sukuna is let off the leash. We then get another montage showing his subsequent rampage, leading up to the moment when Yuji awakens to the sight of the black hole that was once Shibuya. I chose to see it in dub, and I have to say, Adam McArthur sells it when showing just how traumatized Yuji is. And then he has to see Nanami die and Nobara get half of her face blown off at the hands of Mahito. I almost forgot just how much of an insufferable jerk that Curse is. Of course, it only makes his defeat and death all the more cathartic. Itโ€™s not much comfort, though, considering how Kenjaku escapes with the Prison Realm and having unleashed an army of Curses on Tokyo. And then we learn that not only is Yuji marked for death by the corrupt higher-ups, but that his executioner is none other than Yuta Okkotsu, AKA one of the other GOATs of Jujutsu Kaisen.

If you havenโ€™t seen the movie Jujutsu Kaisen: 0, then I recommend you go watch on Crunchyroll. However, hereโ€™s the short version about Yuta. Heโ€™s a second-year at Jujutsu High, and next to Gojo, heโ€™s the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer alive. Heโ€™s so strong, in fact, that when his best friend Rika, got killed by a car, she accidentally turned her into a curse that haunted him for the next ten years. And he was also the one who beat Suguru Geto. And now, heโ€™s come back from abroad to hunt down Yujiโ€ฆor has he?

With everything now in place, we get to the start of the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen with what I believe are the first two episodes. Spoilers are ahead, in case you wanted to wait until January.

Itadori: Fugitive!

The first episode opens on a moment that I thought was very surreal as we see Yuji trying to wash his hands clean of blood. I loved the symbolism behind this, as it demonstrates the guilt that Yuji is feeling. He thinks the blood of everyone that Sukuna killed is on his hands, and I get why he would think that, since Sukuna was using his body. However, I donโ€™t see what happened as his fault; he wasnโ€™t in control of his actions, so he shouldnโ€™t be held accountable. That was all Sukunaโ€™s doing, and he did it to hurt Yuji because of how much of a good person he is. However, that doesnโ€™t change the fact that Jujutsu HQ has reinstated his death sentence now that Gojo was gone, so heโ€™s now a fugitive. Heโ€™s continued to take down Curses running rampant throughout Tokyo, but he wonโ€™t risk going back to Jujutsu High. The only good thing about all this is that heโ€™s not alone. He has his older brother.

During the Shibuya Incident, Yuji met and fought Choso the Death Painting, one of these nine Human-Cursed Spirits hybrids Kenjaku created in an experiment in one of his previous hosts. Furthermore, a flashback to Yujiโ€™s infancy revealed that his mother, Kaori, had the same stitch marks that Geto now has as Kenjakuโ€™s host. In other words, Kenjaku is technically Yujiโ€™s mother, meaning that the Death Paintings are his half-siblings. Yuji and his friends had killed two of the Death Paintings before the Shibuya Incident, but after Choso learned they were technically related, he dropped all intention of killing him in favor of protecting him.

Admittedly, Choso is a bit of a creepy character, and I can understand why Yuji would be a little uncomfortable with him repeatedly calling himself Yujiโ€™s older brother. However, I could tell that heโ€™s a good person at heart, something that he demonstrates by constantly looking after Yujiโ€™s well-being like any good older sibling would do. He also acts as an anchor for Yuji, keeping him from going over the edge into madness over the guilt of what happened. If he werenโ€™t around, I donโ€™t think Yuji would have survived on his own.

This especially becomes apparent when Yuta and someone else come after Yuji. That someone else being one of the most vile, disgusting, and detestable characters in the series: Naoya Zenโ€™in.

The Zen’in Clan Sucks!

Itโ€™s backstory time: the Zenโ€™in Clan are one of the three strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer clans in Japan, and the clan that Toji, Megumi, Maki, and Mai belong to by blood. Like a lot of the leaders of Jujutsu society who arenโ€™t named Satoru Gojo, though, theyโ€™re also a clan of backwards-thinking, toxic conservatives who measure oneโ€™s worth by their skill as Sorcerers, not to mention being unbearably sexist. No joke, when we see Naoya at the Zenโ€™in Clanโ€™s mansion, heโ€™s making the twins mom walk behind him in silence while also hoping that his dad, mortally wounded at Shibuya, dies so he can become Clan Head. And then he calls Maki worthless now because of her ruined looks since he thinks the only things she had going for her were her pretty face and body. Itโ€™s disgusting. No wonder Toji took his wifeโ€™s last name after they banished him!

At any rate, the death of the clan head means that thereโ€™s a succession crisis. According to the Naobito Zenโ€™in, Naoya will be named the next clanโ€ฆis what would have happened! Secretly, Naobito had made a deal with Toji before they died about his son, Megumi. If Gojo were incapacitated when Naobito died, not only would Megumi be brought into the clan, but he would be made the next head. Needless to say, this pissed Naoya off beyond belief. So much so that he decides to flat-out kill Megumi, leading him to hunt down Yuji in the hopes of using him as bait.

See what I mean? Naoya is a piece of trash. The Zenโ€™in are trash outside of the people I mentioned. And to further prove that point, Naoya doesnโ€™t even come close to taking down Yuji. Instead, he gets bodied by Choso, who canโ€™t understand why Naoya would hate his own brothers so much. Extra points for the fact that Choso says how an older siblingโ€™s role is to show the younger what to be and what not to be.

The real highlight, though, has to be the fight between Yuji and Yuta. Both of them are powerful sorcerers, each of them has main character energy (Yuta was the original protagonist of JJK: 0). The fight is short, but epicโ€ฆand it ends with Yuta seemingly killing Yuji.

Except he didnโ€™t.

PSYCH!!

Like Yuji before him, Yuta had once been sentenced to death thanks to Rika being the strongest Curse ever, but Gojo stepped in and saved him. There was no way that Yuta was going to let HQ pull the same thing with Yuji, which is why Gojo secretly asked him to look after his junior if anything happened to him. He conned HQ into thinking Yuji was dead (again) by stopping then restarting his heart at the same time. A true Batman gambit if there ever was one. It wonโ€™t fool HQ for long, but it buys the good guys some time to think of a plan. More importantly, it gives Yuji a chance to reunite with Megumi. And despite still feeling guilty about what Sukuna, Megumi is able to talk him into coming back to Jujutsu High because the entire country has been plunged into complete anarchy thanks to Kenjaku.

Hereโ€™s where things stand right now. Thanks to the Shibuya Incident, Kenjaku has managed to awaken hundreds of new Jujutsu Sorcerers across Japan. Heโ€™s unleashed tens of millions of Cursed Spirits that are wreaking havoc on Tokyo. And there are a bunch of barriers that have created sealed off sections of the country to fight something that Kenjaku calls the Culling Game. Think of it as like PubG or Fortnite for Jujutsu sorcerers. Not to mention that they need to find Gojo and free him in case Sukuna gets off the leash again.

The film ends with Yuji, Choso, and Megumi regrouping at Jujutsu High with their remaining allies to figure out a plan, and that leads them to meet with the one keeping the Jujutsu world together: Master Tengen.

Let the Culling Game Begin

I donโ€™t know the specifics of what happens next in the story beyond a few things. What I do know, though, is plenty of people were upset with the way the series originally ended, so maybe the anime hopes to fix that. Beyond that, I only know one other thing: this season is going to be crazy. And Iโ€™m looking forward to covering it in 2026.

Also, this is a PSA to all Jujutsu Sorcerers: you donโ€™t have to follow orders from HQ when theyโ€™re acting like jerks. Fight the system!

I Give “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution” a 5/5

Scarlet Finally Satisfies her Fist in Finale to Her Anime

May I Ask for One Final Thing? Ep 13 Review

Scarlet, when I do my annual list of best waifus for 2025, you are going to be on it. Because you are just built different. Even when having to face down your brainwashed ally, Prince Julius, do you give up? Do you hold yourself back while trying to get through to him? You do not. Instead, you go full bore so you can stop him because heโ€™s standing between you and Terenezza. The final episode of what might be one of my favorite anime for 2025, and Scarlet doesnโ€™t hold anything back!

So, Terenezza continues to prove how stupid she is as she watches with incredulity as Scarlet refuses to back down from fighting the mind-controlled Julius. She fully expected Scarlet to be wracked with despair from this turn of events. But when she isnโ€™t, sheโ€™s quick to call her absolutely heartless.

Then we proceed to get a look at what her life was like back in Japan before she got isekaiโ€™d. Even as a high schooler, she resented everyone around her for being happy when she wasnโ€™t, and she psychologically projected her insecurities onto others. She wanted to prove that everyone could be as shallow and petty as she could be and see them wracked with despair. To make them suffer the same way she has.

Terenezza Was Never Heroine Material

I normally sympathize with people who are suffering from trauma. I take mental health pretty seriously. But with all disrespect, Terenezza really is a b****. So she was ignored all her life and not treated as the center of attention like she wanted to be. And now that sheโ€™s in another world, she thinks that sheโ€™s owed adoration when sheโ€™s done nothing to deserve it? Does she know how many Isekai protagonists had to work to become liked and admired? Rimuru Tempest got the best possible build to start his Isekai life, but he had to put in the work to build an entire nation and loyal following. Naofumi was framed for attempted assault by some b**** and had to endure an entire country being out to get him before proving himself. And Rudeus Greyrat may have had his knowledge from his past life to give him a head start, but he still has to work on his personality flaws. Yet even with the power of an actual goddess on her side, Terenezza still wants to complain about things not going her way?

No wonder she canโ€™t be the heroine. Sheโ€™s just not cut out for the role, whereas Scarlet is. And to prove it, she does what any great heroine does in a time of crisis: uses the power of love to ruin the vilainessโ€™ plans.

True Love’s Kiss

Juliusโ€™ own blessing is actually something super embarassing: Heroic Tale, which only activates when the person the bearer loves the most is in danger. When that happens, they enter giga-CHAD God mode and are unstoppable. You can guess where this is going.

It should come as no surprise that the two end up kissing. Their dynamic, as strange as it may seem, has always had this romantic edge to it. Personality-wise, the two compliment each other so well. In fact, it makes me wonder why they werenโ€™t engaged in the first place instead of Scarlet and Kyle.

At any rate, Terenezza crashes out and is possessed by Palmia herself. But like I said before, even with an actual god in her corner, sheโ€™s still a *****, and it doesnโ€™t take much effort for Scarlet to send her blasting off like Team Rocket. Sheโ€™ll liveโ€ฆprobably.

All’s Well that Ends Well

And so, our tale of Scarlet the crash-out queen comes to an end. With Terenezza bested, the rank and file Palmians see her for the fraud she is and quickly return to Dianism. Especially since Saint Diana, or rather, Saint Sanya, saved them all. The leaders of the Palmians are arrested, and their religion is disbanded. The remaining foreign armies stand down. Dios becomes an agent for Julius in exchange for a pardon. And order and peace is restored as Sanya restores the barrier crystals. All is right with the worldโ€ฆuntil Scarlet realizes that Julius put himself in danger on purpose just to get her to do what she did. Punch time!

I have to admit, I didnโ€™t think that I would like this show as much as I have, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fall 2025 anime season hasnโ€™t had as many good anime that I can write about on this blog, but this kept me going. At least starting next month, we will be in for a feast.

I Give “May I ask for One Final Thing” a 4.5/5

Scarlet Goes to War…and Ends it!

May I Ask for One Final Thing? Ep 10 Review

So, letโ€™s recap: thanks to that absolute shrew, Terrenezza, one of the crystals keeping Pallistan safe has been shattered. Thereโ€™s an army of bloodthirsty monsters about to invade. And to top it off, two of the kingdomโ€™s neighbors have declared war for the love of the game. In short, everyone looks to be screwed to the point that not even Scarlet can handle this alone. Lucky for her, her not-so-secret admirer from another country has come to help her.

Sweet!

War is Coming

In the time that Scarlet was asleep, the Palmians were busy being a menace to society. They managed to talk two of Pallistanโ€™s neighbors, Falconia and Elrand, into declaring war. Between them and the monster horde, the kingdom is facing a three-way battle on its borders. Even if youโ€™re not a strategist, you should know how less than ideal that is!

The good news, though, is that now that Scarlet is awake, sheโ€™s ready to subject everyone deserving of it to punishment. The problem? She can’t be everywhere at once, so that means they have to divide and conquer. Dios will handle the other elves, while Nanaka will handle the Demi-humans. That leaves the Monster hordes to Scarletโ€ฆand Aflame.

Yes, Prince Alflame of the Vankish Empire has returned. Instead of backing the Palmians, though, he’s choosing to throw his lot in with Julius. In exchange, they’ll give him support for his bid for the throne. Because in his lands, the firstborn is not a shoo-in for succession. In exchange, heโ€™ll provide himself, and his personal army of a thousand Dragon Knights. It might not seem like much, but then you remember the fact that they’re all riding dragons. Giant, flying, apex predators that can breathe fire. If you’ve ever seen the Game of Thrones franchise, then you know what a handful can do. And they have a thousand of them. Do the math.

So Scarlet takes Rex and goes to the battlefield with Alflame. And as it turns out, she already has quite the reputation amongst his followers.

The Infernal Bride? Sounds so Cool!

Spike Spiegel once said that he loves a woman who can kick his butt. As we already know, Alflame is of the same mindset, because the last time they met, he decided that Scarlet was the one for him. Since then, he’s been going around telling his Redsky Dragoons that she’s his fiancรฉe and that he gave her Rex as a gift. They’ve even taken to calling her the โ€œInfernal Bride.โ€

Scarlet is not amused. But her retaliation doesn’t freak the Dragoons out. If anything, they’re impressed. And I can understand why.

Their respect only grows when the time comes for the actual fighting. When an Orc Lord takes one of the Dragoons’ own hostage, it tells Scarlet that the first thing the monsters will do is to devour the women and children of her country. Scarletโ€™s response? To beat it to death with its fists.

This is one of Scarletโ€™s finest moments of butt-whooping. Not only is the Orc Lord thought, but it has a healing factor allowing it to regenerate from even a decapitation. Her response. Slow down time to deliver hundreds of punches at once! Enough to overload its healing factor and become another feast for Scarlet. The Dragoons are so grateful they start calling her big boss.

Bow to the Queen

So that’s one problem solved. But now there’s another one. Dios and Nanakaโ€™s peace negotiations are not going anywhere due to more monsters being in the way.

Uh-oh. Is Scarlet going to have to get involved to save the day, or can Dios and Nanaka pull this off? It could go either way, honestly!

I Give “May I Cook This Thick Cut of Pork Through With Body Punches?” a 4/5

There’s a Special Place in Hell for Those who Manipulate the Good

May I Ask for One Final Thing Ep 9 Review

You know what I hate? Villains blackmailing nice people to do what they want against their will. It breaks my heart to see sweet, pure, and worthwhile people being forced to perform acts of evil against their will. Itโ€™s one of the reason why I hate villains who blackmail good people to do their dirty work, and Terenezza definitely qualifies as such a villain. Thanks to her and her b**** goddess, Scarletโ€™s home is in grave danger. But even worse, though, is the fact that the Palmians forced sweet little Sanya, AKA Saint Diana, into becoming their pawn.

They are all going to be needing some punishment before this is over, and Scarlet will see it done.

Palmia Must be Stopped

So, after the failed ambush of Terenezza last episode, Scarlet fell into a deep slumber. And while she has slept, things have only gone from bad to worse. Terenezza has led the Palmians to destroy one of the crystals creating the barrier protecting Pallistan. With its destruction, the entire kingdom is at risk from invading monsters. Even worse, two neighboring countries declare war and are on the march. This is something that the Palmians have been planning for some time now, and itโ€™s about to come to fruition.

Itโ€™s almost impressive just how thorough the Palmian Churchโ€™s plans to destroy Pallistan were. They intimidate the Dianists, corrupt the nobles from within, and Terenezza would use her powers to have one of the princes wrapped around her finger. However, knowing all of that only serves to demonstrate just how massive a spanner in the works Scarlet has proven to be. Sheโ€™s managed to derail almost all their evil plans, and they were only willing to act once she fell asleep. Thankfully, she wakes up from her beauty sleep halfway through the episode, fully committed to punishing the naughty Palmians.

Especially after learning how they manipulated poor Diana.

And the Good Book Said “Thou who Manipulates the Sweet Little Girl Shall Suffer”

For some time now, Julius and Sigurd suspected that there was a spy in the Church of Diana feeding the Palmians information. As it turns out, that mole was none other than Diana herself. They forced her to be their agent with the promise of being able to restore her missing powers as a Saint. Little did she know, it was the Palmians themselves who stole her powers in the first place. And poor little Diana, desperate to prove her continued worth and value as a person, fell for their Faustian bargain hook, line, and sinker. Itโ€™s only after seeing whatโ€™s happened to Scarlet, the person she cares about the most, that sje decided to put her foot down in front of their agent, Dios. Thankfully, Scarlet manages to de-escalate things with her fists, and while Julius does intend to punish her after all this done, I doubt sheโ€™ll get in serious trouble. The Palmians stole her powers and emotionally manipulated her. It would be hard for many people in her shoes not to act like she did. At the very least, Scarlet responds to her actions with empathy and understanding.

Which is not something that could be said regarding her reaction to Diosโ€ฆat first.

Wasn’t Expecting That

So, Scarlet remembers that when Dianaโ€™s life was in danger when her palanquin collapsed, Dios was genuinely worried for her safety. Thus, she knows heโ€™s a true believer of Palmia and a decent person. As it turns out, sheโ€™s spot on. Dios doesnโ€™t give two cents about Palmia; he just cares about Diana, his half-sister.

Dios is half-human, half-elf. His mother was an elf, but his father was a human and also Dianaโ€™s father. He tracked them down in the hopes of chewing him out over it, but as soon as he saw Diana, his big brother instincts kicked in. And when Diana lost her powers, the Palmians pulled the same con on him that they would then use on Diana herself. However, now that he knows that the Palmians themselves are responsible for stealing Dianaโ€™s saintly powers in the first place, heโ€™s done with them. He even offers to give Scarlet info on themโ€ฆbut she refuses. Instead, all she wants is for Dios to prove himself by doing right by his sister by stopping the Palmians.

Thankfully, Scarlet and Julius wonโ€™t be alone in this effort. Remember Prince Alflame of the Vankish Empire? It would seem that the Palmians tried to reach out to him to get him to join in on their โ€œcrush Pallistanโ€ plan. Instead, heโ€™s going to help the woman heโ€™s madly in love with. So that makes two examples of simping in a single episode.

We are nearing the endgame of this story, and there is still plenty of ground left to cover. However, Iโ€™m confident that this show can stick the landing. With luck, Scarlet will be giving us all an early Christmas present of battered and bloody Palmians.

โ€œMay I Explain That This is Not Something That Just Anyone Can Do?” A 3.5/5

Is Scarlet Going to be a big sister soon?

May I ask for One Final Thing? Ep 7 Review

One would think that after all the times sheโ€™s managed to beat them up, the Palmians would learn to stop antagonizing Scarlet. Unfortunately, theyโ€™re the kind of people whose fanaticism overrides all sense of logic and rational thinking, because they just keep coming. More meat for Scarlet to tenderize! But thereโ€™s actually a bigger problem that Scarlet has to deal with. Saint Dianaโ€ฆis in love.

So, with the Palmians having made the poor decision to crash the start of St. Dianaโ€™s pilgrimage, Scarlet decides itโ€™s time for some punishment. And to make it even sweeter, she takes their statue of their goddess and starts throwing it at their church like sheโ€™s the Beast Titan. Theyโ€™re completely dumbfounded when they realize what sheโ€™s been throwing at them! But despite trying to justify their actions, that doesnโ€™t change the fact that they couldโ€™ve killed someone.

According to Leonardo, by the time the guards arrived, the Palmians were going on about a โ€œsilver-haired devilโ€ and begging them to be saved from her wrath.

I know that violence should not always be the first option when it comes to solving problems, but Iโ€™ve seen enough fiction to know that sometimes, some people need to get pummeled. And it never ceases to be entertaining seeing jerks learn their actions have consequences.

Speaking of consequences, after the Palmians are subdued, Diana almost dies when her float gives away. Thankfully, Scarletโ€™s brother, Leo, saves her in time. But that leads to an even bigger problem. Something that could become a national crisis:

Diana is head over heels in love with Leonardo.

Diana Has Love Sickness

When Scarlet speaks to Sanya (Dianaโ€™s nickname) next, sheโ€™s suffering from a severe case of love-sickness. Symptoms include rolling around the bed, making squeeing noises, extreme blushing and crazed laughter and an inability to think about anything besides the one sheโ€™s fond of. And this is where we get to see a softer side to Scarlet.

Itโ€™s easy to forget, but underneath her love for beating people up, Scarlet is a very kind and compassionate person. Her punch-happy tendencies stem from her strong sense of justice, as she canโ€™t stand seeing anyone be a jerk. More importantly, her confidence and willingness to live life how she wants makes her a good role model for Diana, who she sees as a little sister. And despite how many headaches she gives her brother, she does care about him. So much so that sheโ€™s more than happy to help set Diana up with him.

Diana and Leonardoโ€™s date at a traditional street festival is absolutely wholesome. Iโ€™ve seen enough anime to know that Japan loves its street festivals, and that they are a great means of encouraging romance by having people open up to each other. In this case, it lets Diana open up and be vulnerable about her insecurities to a supportive face. Itโ€™s sweetโ€ฆbut it doesnโ€™t last.

The universe decided to reward Scarlet by giving her her favorite thing: jerks to punch!

Despite how light-hearted this episode is, it makes it a point to end with a reminder that the Palmians are still out there and still a threat. As Julius and Leo suspect, thereโ€™s a spy in their ranks feeding the Palmians info, and suspicion is cast on one member of the pilgrimage in particular. In addition, the Palmian Inquisitors are looking for allies abroad, including Prince Alflame. This could be trouble!

I Give “May I Carry Out a Plan That Shows a New Side of You?” a 4/5

Scarlet Turns Her Fists onto a Corrupt, Religious Piggy

May I ask for One Final Thing? Ep 6 Review

You know whatโ€™s worse than political corruption? Religious corruption. Fiction and the real world are filled with examples of people who use religion to justify being a jerk, and itโ€™s the worst. And if thereโ€™s one thing that our saint of fisticuffs, Scarlet, canโ€™t stand, itโ€™s people who abuse their power for evil. With the corrupt nobility in her country out of the way, itโ€™s now time for Scarletโ€™s next victims: this new religion thatโ€™s popped up.

They definitely deserve it.

Stupid Religious Jerks

The Prime Minister and his ilk have been dealt with, but Terenezza has flown the coop. With her still out there, Scarlet and Julius cannot rest easy. But for the moment, they have more immediate concerns. For centuries, a young woman has been born with the power to raise a divine barrier to protect Pallistan from monsters, each given the title of Diana. Itโ€™s almost time for her annual pilgrimage, but recently, a new religion worshipping Terenezzaโ€™s benefactor, the Goddess Palmia, has sprung up. And they are the worst.

Look in the history books around the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and youโ€™ll find real-world examples of when organized religion was at its most repugnant. Even the Papacy became bloated by fat, corrupt, and self-serving people. The exact same thing is whatโ€™s happening with Palmianism in this episode, with its members actively harassing their rivals. When Scarlet and Julius journey to the religious quarter of the capital, they find the Palmianists have built a wall around the place to mark their territory, and even go so far as to bar their entry. Iโ€™m pretty sure that defying the royal family like that is considered a serious offense! Thankfully, their wall and their Inquisitors are no match for the likes of Scarlet. Another piggy gets a pounding.

Right after beating down the irksome swine, though, Scarlet is beset by another problem. A newcomer to the Knights serving under Diana named Dios starts hitting on her, and before she can slap him, Julius gets mad. While she doesnโ€™t understand why heโ€™s reacting like this, it should be more and more obvious what this means to the viewers. Julius may not realize it himself, but he is falling for Scarlet. Having seen what she can do, though, I donโ€™t think any of us can blame her. Scarlet is a top-tier waifu thanks to her fists of justice! She even has her own number one fan!

Jad Saxton Does it Again

One would think that someone carrying the title of Saint would be a lady of grace, poise, and dignity. However, the show shuts down that notion when we meet the current Saint Diana, a girl whoโ€™s even younger than Scarlet, and acts like it. She and Scarlet have been friends for a long time, and Diana looks up to Scarlet as a surrogate big sister and role model, while also ignoring Julius in the process. Itโ€™s humorous to see Julius get put on the backfoot twice in the same episode, but thereโ€™s a deeper reason why Diana is so attached to Scarlet. The truth is, she lost her powers recently, and combined with being born in the country and her young age, sheโ€™s under a lot of stress. Thatโ€™s why she sees Scarlet and her willingness to live how she wants as a role model. Anyone who has had to deal with jerks in their lives who deserve a punch would likely feel the same way.

Speaking of jerks, before the episode is over, the Palmians prove to be gluttons for punishment. As the parade that marks the start of the holy pilgrimage begins, they start shooting blanks from their church, threatening to cause a riot. Which means that theyโ€™re asking for a double-dose of punishment from Scarlet.

I Give “May I Send This Pig Flying Into the Sky?” a 4/5

All Hail the Queen of Crashouts, Scarlet!

May I ask for One Final Thing Ep 4 Review

Welcome back to another episode in the life of the Queen of crashouts, Scarlet El Vandimmion! In the last episode, Scarlet and Julius put their plans to shut down the slave trafficking ring run by Minister Godwin into action. But the plan gets complicated when Godwin tries to flee with his ally, Prince Alflame of the Vankish Empire. In a surprising turn of events, Scarlet saves Godwin from Alflame while also rejecting the Princeโ€™s marriage proposal. But the biggest surprise is that Terenezza, the girl who seduced Scarletโ€™s horrible fiance, is from another world. So, what’s next? Find out!

ZA WARUDO!!!

So, the slave ring has been wiped out by Scarlet and the CIO, with all its members being arrested. However, not before Scarlet decides to repay Godwin for being the man pulling Kyleโ€™s strings and inflicting years of pain and suffering on her and the kingdom. She uses her time magic to a โ€œZa Warudoโ€ and proceeds to give the corrupt ministry that would make DIO or the Joestar family proud. And she finishes it by dropping the line โ€œthank you for the feast,โ€ like a badass.

As the others come to the now-exhausted Scarletโ€™s side, though, Godwin pulls out the gun Terenezza gave him and makes one last attempt to kill her. But then Julius jumps in and takes the shot for her! Out of pure rage, Scarlet finds enough energy to move again and beats him down even more. Thankfully, Julius survived and his wound is healed. Hopefully, the story wont have the foresight to make things worse by having the bullet remain lodged in his body. That could cause infections down the line.

At any rate, everyone is fine, Scarlet is now a hero, and she gained a pet in the form of Alflameโ€™s former dragon mount, Rex, much to Nanakaโ€™s dismay. Not even a dragon is willing to go up against the likes of Scarlet! All is right with the world!

Except for one small problem: Terenezza is still out there.

Terenezza Could Be a Problem

I already mentioned it in my review of the last episode, but ‘May I Ask for One Final Thing’ is, in fact, a role-reversal isekai. Instead of being the typical isekai heroine, our otherworlder Terenezza is firmly the villain serving her master, the Goddess Palmia. Whether it’s due to her own desires or Palmia is manipulating her, though, Terenezza still sees herself as the hero. Yet her actions contradict this as she sneaks into where Godwin is being held and uses hypnosis to make him commit suicide.

There is also the matter of Terreโ€™s master, Palmia. She’s the goddess of love in Scarletโ€™s world and has been the focal point of a growing religion in Pallistan that many of the corrupt nobles have been gathering around. Despite being called the goddess of love, though, the general impression is that Palmia is an unpleasant entity. And fewer things are more annoying than that of an unpleasant god.

More Shipping Fuel

Despite the danger that they may be facing in the near future, for now, Scarlet and Julius have the chance to rest and recuperate from the raid. While Julius quickly recovers, Scarlet spends the latter half of the episode taking it easy. By overusing her blessing, she’s caused her hair to partially turn black, something that does go away before the episode ends. It does, however, give us another opportunity to see the pair have another moment of โ€œflirting.โ€ By which I mean Julius teases Scarlet to get her riled up, which will no doubt earn him a beating. He probably thinks that it’s worth it, though.

And with that, we have another episode in the books. And if the manga is anything to go by, things are only going to get more interesting from here on out.

I Give “May I Clobber this Asshole Prince?” a 4/5

Scarlet Finally Finds her Punching Bag

May I Ask for One Final Thing?ย Ep 4 Review

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that Scarlet and the agents of the CIO (Juliusโ€™ task force) are ready to infiltrate the slave auctions and shut them down. The bad news is that an outside power is meddling in things, as Godwin has called in aid from the kingdomโ€™s rival nation to help him take Scarlet out. But it’s already too late to back out on things, and Scarletโ€™s fists will not be denied their punching bag.

This is gonna be good!

Don’t Get Between Scarlet and Her Punching Bag

So, the operation goes off almost without a hitch. As expected, countless nobles are there and flaunting their presence, ignorant of the fact that their good fortune is about to sour. Before that happens, though, Scarlet finds herself accompanied by none other than Julius himself. He was supposed to be coordinating everything, but he wanted front-row seats to what comes next, so he went AWOL. Which leads to the two continuing their cat-and-mouse game of not-flirting. Julius may claim to not be attracted to Scarlet romantically, but the anime makes it clear that there is some chemistry going on. Which only grows when Scarlet, in order to get the chance to beat up Godwin, she makes a promise to serve him loyally from here on out. Granted, that will also mean serving the kingdom, but Julius can’t wait that long.

So, anyone whose shipping these two might have hope yet. Unfortunately, her brother, Leonardo learns of this, and it can easily be misinterpreted as a marriage proposal. Poor Leonardo. He loves his sister dearly, but the stress of dealing with her antics will bring him to an early grave. Considering how he had her repress her nature for years instead of finding a healthier way to channel it, though, I would say he partially brought brought this on himself.

But not as much as Prime Minister Godwin brought Scarletโ€™s fists upon herself.

I Can’t Even!!!

So, it’s revealed that Godwin has secretly been backed by the Pallistan Kingdomโ€™s rival, the Vankish Empire, in the hopes he could destabilize the country. Now that he’s been outed, though, the man whose supposed to be his backup, Crown Prince Alflame, decides they dont need someone like him anymore and tries to kill him. But Scarlet isn’t having of it, and she hits him so hard he winds up flying into a wall. And instead of getting angry, Alflame is enamored by this, and asks her to marry him on the spot!

I can’t even with this episode, everyone. First we got to see Scarlet pummel Godwinโ€™s entourage while dancing around to classical music and throwing them around like ragdolls. That alone was hilarious. But this? This almost had me in mental stitches from laughter. Though in Alflameโ€™s defense, I can understand the appeal. As Spike Spiegel once put it, โ€œI love a woman who can kick my ass.โ€ Some people find a strong person naturally attractive, and there is no denying that Scarlet is awesome. But it takes a special kind of person to win the heart of someone like Scarlet, and Alflame isn’t it. All he gets for his troubles is being blasted off like Team Rocket.

Having disposed of the distractions, Godwin starts pleading for mercy, and manages to reveal something interesting about Terenezza: she wasn’t born in their world, but in Japan. She died there, and some goddess reincarnated her into this world of magic and swords. In other words, this was an isekai in disguise!

This is honestly an intriguing premise for the show. In most isekaiโ€™s, the person who winds up in a new world is the protagonist, while someone like Scarlet would be an antagonist. However, the story reverses the roles, making Terenezza the bad guy and Scarlet the one everyone roots for and wishes they could date. Color me impressed! I guess I made the right choice choosing to watch this instead of Letโ€™s Play. I’m going to keep reviewing it for as long as this show runs, because the Queen of Crashouts is only getting started.

I Give “May I Go To See My Fists’ Beloved One (Punching Bag)?” a 4.5/5

The Shibuya Incident, Recapped

The Shibuya Incident of Jujutsu Kaisen S2

The Shibuya Incident, AKA the turning point of the original Jujutsu Kaisen manga. On Halloween night, 2018, Jujutsu society was rocked by an event that would change it forever and take a dark story and make it even darker. With season three of JJK coming next year and a compilation movie set to release in December, now is the perfect time for us to recap what happened on that Halloween Night. If you haven’t read the manga or seen the anime, then I highly recommend that you stop reading this, because there will be spoilers from here on out!

How it all Started

The root cause of the Shibuya Incident stems from the existence of one man: Satoru Gojo, the CHAD-master and strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer alive. Time and again, the group of โ€œGetoโ€ and the special-grade Cursed Spirits had tried to kill Gojo, only to fail. So long as Gojo was around, they could never enact their plans of causing chaos in the Jujutsu world. So they decided to change tactics by doing the next best thing by sealing him away. Over the course of several months, their group gathered allies and tools they would need to fulfill their goal. And by Halloween night, 2018, they were ready, with the Shibuya District chosen to be their stage.

At 7 pm local time, a massive curtain was drawn up around the Shibuya District. All civilians and non-sorcerers were trapped inside and unable to escape, and all phone service was cut off. The only way they would be let out is if they started demanding the arrival of Satoru Gojo. So the leaders of Jujutsu society (who are total jerks) told Gojo to head in and take care of the people responsible for this, alone. Four other squads would remain outside to act as backup.

Being the Jujutsu equivalent of Superman, Gojo would be able to handle everything inside the curtain on his own. That’s why Pseudo-Geto and the Curses rigged everything in their favor. The civilians would slow him down while Mahito transfigured hundreds of random people to slow him down even further. Being Gojo, though, he manages to deal with all of this in about five minutes or less while also battling the Curses. But that was all the time that Pseudo-Geto needed to get the Prison Realm close to him and activate it. In one stroke, Satoru Gojo, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, was sealed within it, much to the shock of all of his comrades. Yujiโ€™s team races to get to the Prison Realm before the enemy can escape, but they already prepared for this. They’ve filled Shibuya with Curse Users, Cursed Spirits, and transfigured humans to attack anyone that gets inside the curtains. It’s pretty much open season as everyone starts fighting all over the place. But this was only the beginning, as two even bigger threats soon join the fray: Toji Fushiguro and Ryomen Sukuna.

The Return of the Chick Magnet Toji

If you know Gojoโ€™s backstory, then you know about Tojo Fushiguro, the father of Megumi, AKA the man who came closer to killing Gojo than anyone else. Despite not having any cursed energy, nature compensated him by giving him strength and durability beyond that of any sorcerer alive, allowing him to make a living hunting them. Gojo only survived because he unlocked his reverse curse technique. And in the midst of all this chaos, this old woman decoded to use her grandson as a medium to call Tojiโ€™s spirit back to the land of the living. Her plan was to use the strength it gave her grandson to have him start killing all the sorcerers they could find. But it backfired when Tojiโ€™s spirit overtook the grandson and left him in full control, bringing him back from the dead. And since he didn’t use cursed energy, there was no way to stop the technique. It’s honestly surprising that that old woman didn’t think this through in the first place!

Toji would proceed to go on a rampage throughout Shibuya, fighting anyone with cursed energy. At one point, he even entered the domain of one of the Special Grade Curses the others had been fighting, and proceeded to slay them without almost no effort. His relative, Maki, and her comrades had been struggling, and he did it so effortlessly. After that, he went after Megumi as he tried to escape. However, that proved to be unnecessary, as Toji stopped his assault as soon as he realized that Megumi was his son all grown up. Rather than keep on killing, Toji regained his senses and, content that Megumi had taken his momโ€™s last name, chose to take his own life, removing himself from the equation.

But that was just a prelude to the real carnage that was about to go down.

The Dawg Has Returned

In the middle of all this chaos, Yuji is trying to make his way to Geto, whose currently guarding the Prison Realm. However, he gets waylaid by multiple Cursed Spirits, Curse Users, and lastly, Choso, the last of the Death Paintings, these hybrids of Cursed Spirits and Humans that Yuji and his friends defeated. They fight, and Yuji ultimately loses. But before Choso can kill him, he gets these memories that tell him that, somehow, Yuji is related to him. But before that can be explained, he leaves, and then these two girls that were raised by Geto show up and feed Yuji one of Sukunaโ€™s fingers. They wanted Sukuna to save Geto for them, but all they were doing was sealing their own fate. Then Jogo the Special Grade Curse shows up and proceeds to feed Yuji ten of Sukunaโ€™s fingers. And this feeding session was all that was needed for the dog to be let off the leash. And without Gojo around to stop him, he wasn’t going to pass up this chance to let loose.

The first thing that Gojo did was murder those two girls for trying to order him around by saving Geto. Jogo was a little more tactful, though, and Sukuna was in a good mood from the fingers. So they made a deal: if Jogo could land one hit on Sukuna, he would work under him and kill everyone in Shibuya except for Megumi. But this was just Sukuna wanting to play with his food before going in for the kill.

Sukuna proceeded to go on a rampage, throwing off everything Jogo and everyone else threw at him while killing anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way. Jogo can’t keep up, and while the King of Curses says he put up a good fight, Jogo still dies. And then he proceeds to go after Megumi, saving him from another enemy just so he could fight him himself. Not even Megumiโ€™s Mahoraga is able to stop the King! But Sukuna stops just short of killing Megumi, leaving him with his allies. And with his control over Yuji running out, his last act is to head to where the Shibuya Crossing once stood just so Yuji can see the full carnage for himself when he comes to so he can break the kid.

And it works. When Yuji regains control and sees what has happened, he is absolutely traumatized! But his suffering was not over.

Mahito is a Worthless Nobody

At this point, the only major enemies left were Pseudo-Geto and Mahito, the latter of whom was continuing to hurt innocent people. He made Yuji watch as he killed his mentor, Nanami, and proceed to main Nobara. And for a long time, we weren’t even sure if she made it out alive or not. Not to mention how he kept mutating innocent people, forcing the Sorcerers to kill them. And all of this just destroys Yuji in mind and spirit. The young man is scarred for life by what’s happened. But it is at this point that Yuji crashes out.

Thanks to the arrival of his self-proclaimed brother, Aoi Todo, Yuji locks in with the single-minded goal of making Mahito pay. The sadistic embodiment of Mankindโ€™s hatred of itself throws everything he has left at the two, but it’s not enough. They plow right through it until, finally, Mahito runs out of gas in the tank. And then Yuji just looks at him and tells him that his existence is less than worthless, and that he needs no reason to kill him. Terrified, Mahito runs, only to be stopped by Pseudo-Geto. Instead of helping him, though, Geto decides he has no use left for him and proceeds to absorb him into himself. Crazier still, Choso shows up and reveals that โ€œGetoโ€ is an imposter whose been jumping from body to body for centuries. And in one of those bodies, he had been the creator of the Death Paintings, and might somehow be related to Yuji.

That’s when the fake Geto reveals he did all this to unleash chaos by making cursed energy users stronger than ever. To that end, he activates a technique that causes hundreds of people across the country to awaken as Jujutsu sorcerers, some of whom being possessed by the spirits of sorcerers from ages past. With that done, Geto manages to escape with Prison Realm, despite the best efforts of everyone to try and stop him.

Thus, the curtain falls on the Shibuya Incident, AKA the worst Halloween Japan has ever seen.

Where Season 3 Picks Up

The next episode and chapters show how Japan has been plunged into chaos in the aftermath of the Shibuya Incident. Hundreds of people are dead, hundreds more have become Jujutsu Sorcerers, and tens of millions of Cursed Spirits have been unleashed upon Japan. Tokyoโ€™s a warzone, the economy is in shambles, and the existence of the Jujutsu World has been exposed to the entire country. Jujutsu Society has been rocked to its core, and it only gets worse thanks to the leadership.

If you’ve read or seen Jujutsu Kaisen, then you should know by now that the leaders of Jujutsu Society are the epitome of toxic conservatism. They’re made up of a bunch of backward-thinking, sexist old men who refuse to change with the times and run things the same as always even when it’s clear that won’t work anymore. The forward-thinking Gojo has been their greatest opposition due to being the strongest and able to keep them in check. But now that he is gone, the higher-ups decide to do everything they want, declaring him an accomplice of Shibuya and unsealing him to be a crime. They sentence his and Getoโ€™s teacher to death, reinstate Yujiโ€™s death sentence, and assign it to be carried out by Gojoโ€™s other student, Yuta Okkotsu. Thus, Yuji has to go on the run, while his allies are left to deal with the aftermath of everything on their own.

And with that, we have now covered a general overview of the Shibuya Incident. Hundreds are dead, Japan is on the brink of collapse, and the main protagonist is a fugitive. Yet the real fight has only just begun. In January 2026, we will see the start of the Culling Game Arc with Season Three. However, a compilation film will be released on December 5th, covering the Shibuya Incident and giving us a look at the first two episodes of Season Three. That should be plenty of reason for fans to get excited!

Until then, Happy Halloween!