- 845
- 1,169
Btw I don't think Utahime amplified Gojo's own CE output but instead was amplifying the curtain to cloak something as massive as Gojo's maximum output.
The basis for this is that the entire scene is written in a way which is (a) supposed to demonstrate the gap in jujutsu mastery between Gojo (and by extension Sukuna) compared to everyone else and (b) be the representation of Gojo's title as the strongest and his efforts to reach Sukuna.
Obviously though this can just be excused as "well maybe it's not that deep" or "maybe Gege just fumbled the scene, his message wasn't conveyed through it", but there's actual evidence within the source material which also suggests that Utahime's CT didn't apply to Gojo. Firstly, if you look at the TCB translation it says she amplifies "any sorcerers within range" which seems to necessitate Gojo's inclusion, but this is kind of misleading language as the raws never specify any plurality here, meaning it could just mean "sorcerer" as in one. Usually in these conversations that scan gets spammed so I'm just clarifying that outright.
The basis for this is that the entire scene is written in a way which is (a) supposed to demonstrate the gap in jujutsu mastery between Gojo (and by extension Sukuna) compared to everyone else and (b) be the representation of Gojo's title as the strongest and his efforts to reach Sukuna.
- (a) is pretty evident; the chapter starts off saying that mastery over jujutsu is the mastery of subtraction - i.e. the more you can reduce from a technique, or inversely the more your incantations can amplify a technique, the better you are at jujutsu as that underpins everything else - and it then goes on to say that Utahime's entire CT relies upon this notion of subtraction which allows her to reach heights of 120% followed by saying that Gojo can, like Utahime, perform this same ritualistic process and bring his own CT up to 200%. This narration of what it means to have jujutsu mastery seems completely out of place if Gojo and Utahime are performing the same 120% amplification and further seems to have counter intuitive narrative implications if Gojo is simply like everyone else in the field which determines jujutsu mastery and further requires the aid of others just to be exceptional. Gojo throughout the narrative is regarded as exceptional, especially in his use of cursed energy via the six eyes, it seems odd that in a scene demonstrating specifically, and singling out, the mastery he has over cursed energy he'd be portrayed as simply like everyone else.
- (b) is also fairly obvious; the scene also goes into great lengths to give this scene weight as to Gojo's title as the strongest. The narration states that the initial decisive strike will determine who is the challenger - i.e. the nature as to their respective titles of the strongest - yet Gojo is working with others to define his own title here? Gojo's entire theme relating to his strength has been his isolation, even in death this is stressed at how he was always isolated due to his strength and how his strength always misunderstood as pure egoism and selfishness by Nanami, yet in a scene narratively showcasing Gojo's title he's being aided by others? It all seems a little poorly done, narratively it's very vacuous.
Obviously though this can just be excused as "well maybe it's not that deep" or "maybe Gege just fumbled the scene, his message wasn't conveyed through it", but there's actual evidence within the source material which also suggests that Utahime's CT didn't apply to Gojo. Firstly, if you look at the TCB translation it says she amplifies "any sorcerers within range" which seems to necessitate Gojo's inclusion, but this is kind of misleading language as the raws never specify any plurality here, meaning it could just mean "sorcerer" as in one. Usually in these conversations that scan gets spammed so I'm just clarifying that outright.
- 1. Sukuna states himself that Gojo's incantations somehow enable him to surpass 120% output. Sukuna experienced Utahime's CT first hand in Shibuya during the skirmish with Kenjaku (ch134 - 135) and also knew of Gojo's help, the entire reason why he was holding back was because he knew there were people in Gojo's corner and he was even aware that Gojo used some aid for the Hollow Purple given the barrier (even commenting that Gojo shouldn't be proud of an off-guard manoeuvre), and then later Sukuna experienced the power of Gojo's incantations for his red (with this Gojo even being amplified by a black flash). Therefore, if Gojo's output was below what it was when he used Hollow Purple, Sukuna would sense that and be able to immediately deduce he had assistance, even knowing the exact way in which he'd be able to do it, and yet he never does - simply stating that Gojo himself can bring his techniques beyond 120% and attributes it to a BV Gojo himself has made - heavily implying Gojo's incantations are consistently just beyond a 120% amp.
- 2. The language and numerical values suggests it's Gojo; the narration never claims that Utahime and Gojo together brought the Hollow Purple to 200% but that Gojo, via performing the same ritual as Utahime, "brought" his technique up to 200%. This language could not mean much, could just be a cooler wording choice, but then you also notice the numerical values. Utahime amplifying Gojo's CT by 120%, then Gojo amplifying it by a further 120%, we get.... 200%? That's not very coherent, it should be 144%. Well, maybe the narration actually meant that Utahime was amplifying her own CT by 120%, and so the degree to which her own CT aids her allies is unknowable. So where x is the standard amplification of the CT, we get (x * 1.2) * 1.2 = 2, aka Utahime's CT amplifies people's output by 138.888888888.... It's definitely possible, but kind of an odd figure and overall odd interpretation imo. I'm not ruling it out, just saying it doesn't appear as probable here given the randomness of it.
