Summary
While the Shibuya Incident Arc may have been the talk of the town during the airing ofJujutsu KaisenSeason 2, there was one oft-forgotten fight preceding it, which was critical in how Gege Akutami set up the eventsthat would come to pass in Shibuya. The fight in question was the one that took place between Kokichi Muta, Kenjaku, and Mahito, as the Jujutsu Sorcerer attempted to escape the clutches of his opponents to warn his peers at Kyoto Jujutsu High.
After secretly feeding information to Kenjaku and Mahito in return for having the latter heal his fragile body, Kokichi Muta was finally able to move freely whenMahito used Idle Transfiguration to restorehim to full health. It was then that he was able to use the most powerful weapon in his arsenal, a giant tokusatsu-style robot known as Ultimate Mechamaru - Mode: Absolute. Using his newly rejuvenated body, he could exploit the full potential of this weapon of mass destruction to take on one of the most powerful Special Grade Cursed Spirits inJujutsu Kaisen.
Creator
Gege Akutami
Forced to find a channel for his Jujutsu to overcomethe Heavenly Restriction he was born with,Jujutsu Kaisen’sKokichi Muta created a Cursed Corpse puppet — Ultimate Mechamaru. With the massive Cursed Energy reserves he gained in return, Kokichi obtained the ability to control many puppets remotely over large distances with the aid of his Innate Technique: Puppet Manipulation.
Ultimate Mechamaru’s body boasted enhanced physical strength as well as a wide array of weaponized implements that Kokichi could call upon at any time. This ranged from being able tofire beams of Cursed Energy from his palms, to morphing his hands into blades for melee combat. Bursts of fire could be released from the puppet’s elbows for boosts in speed and aerial maneuverability.
Additionally, Kokichi could also release a super condensed blast of Cursed Energy from Ultimate Mechamaru’s mouth through his Ultimate Cannon finishing move while using his extension technique, Mode: Albatross. With Ultimate Mechamaru - Mode: Absolute, all these features were taken to an entirely new level, as its massive size, heavily armored body, and piloted operation permitted the use of a plethora of techniques as well as increasedCursed Energy output on par with the levelof a Special Grade Sorcerer at times.
Decoding The Design Of A Cursed Corpse Mecha
Piloted from a cockpit located within its armored head, Ultimate Mechamaru - Mode: Absolute was the latest addition to the many generations of mecha-style power-ups seen in shonen anime. Its debut inJujutsu KaisenSeason 2 led to many comparisons between its design and those of the iconic Evangelion Units fromHideaki Anno’s seminal mecha franchise,Neon Genesis Evangelion. Externally, the body of Ultimate Mechamaru - Mode: Absolute was covered in bluish silver-toned metal plates, with an exposed abdomen, and a slim, elongated facial structure with a large mouth beneath two rows of red eyes.
From its muscular, plated humanoid design, to the emphatic roar it unleashed on activation — which was oddly reminiscent of Shinji Ikari’s EVA going berserk — the similarities in Mode: Absolute’s design were a little too obvious for a simple coincidence, making it seem more like an homage to one of themecha genre’s most successful exports. At the back of the robot’s head, a collection of mechanical tubes ran down towards the small of its back, serving as the conduit through which Kokichi could unleash various Cursed Techniques.
The Control Array For Ultimate Mechamaru - Mode: Absolute
Within the cockpit,Kokichi sat on a platform suspendedin the air by mechanical tubes, from where he could control Mode: Absolute’s limbs by means of two pulley-like handles, linked to the roof of the cockpit. The control array was also fitted with a communications device and sensory feedback implements. An uploader function built into the design of the cockpit granted Kokichi the option of inserting tubes infused with Cursed Techniques, in a move known as a Jujutsu Technique Charge. Mode: Absolute was initially concealed beneath a riverbank when Kokichi first activated it, and it was powered using all the Cursed Energy he had collected during his lifetime, spanning more than 17 years.
I’ve seen it all. I have all the time I was bound. All the Cursed Energy I gained from that time. I won’t hold anything back. 17 years, 1 month, 29 days.
A Weapon Embodying Absolute Terror
Deployed in combat, Ultimate Mechamaru - Mode: Absolute was afearsome prospect for any Jujutsu Sorcerer, Curse User, or Cursed Spirit to contend with. Kokichi primarily used both physical attacks and energy blasts for offensive purposes, with Jujutsu Technique Charges as special moves to deal devastating damage or address unique threats.
Mode: Absolute’s Ace In The Hole
Just like Ultimate Mechamaru’s Ultimate Cannon, Kokichi could charge an entire year’s worth of Cursed Energy into a single blast with his Ultra Cannon attack from the robot’s palm. Moreover, he could also use a more advanced version of this move such as the two-handed Miracle Cannon — which consumed two years' worth of his cursed energy. The most powerful application of this technique was Pigeon Viola, which used five years’worth of Cursed Energy to form five coresof condensed energy around around Mode: Absolute’s body, which could then be deployed as energy bullets capable of twisting and chasing a target across long distances.
Finally, Kokichi could even deploy a barrier technique in the form of theNew Shadow Style: Simple Domain throughhis Jujutsu Technique Charge function. This move allowed him to defend against the sure hit attacks of an enemy Domain Expansion, or even inject the technique directly into an opponent’s body, affecting their soul from within. At first, this strategy seemed to have worked against Mahito, who was incapacitated for a time. All in all, Ultimate Mechamaru - Mode: Absolute is a truly formidable application of Kokichi Muta’s Cursed Technique, and he may have even survived his clash with Mahito if he had not let his guard down.
