The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!

Episode 14

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw snap, Jahy 'bout to fight the magical girl y'all!

Finally, episode 14, “The Magical Girl Will Not Fight” brings us the much-anticipated showdown between Jahy and her nemesis. and would you know it, the fight itself actually has some solid enough impact! Jahy is back in all her demonic glory, flinging mana crystals and wielding a spear as she and Jingu have a riverside rumble, complete with dramatic music. Aside from the spectacle, the dialogue between the two brings things full circle. Both Jahy and JIngu are on their own quest to try and fulfil their own destinies and desires, yet in the process of that, Jahy has also grown quite a bit, coming to terms with all the changes, good and bad, that Jingu's presence has brought to her life. And as evidence of that growth, Jahy plans on freeing her foe from the misfortune surrounding her and the task of collecting and destroying mana crystals.

This kicks off one of best character dynamics of the series thus far: the burgeoning friendship between Jahy and Jingu. As we have known for a while, Jingu is actually a quite lonesome character who just wants a friend, which of course, is where a lot of the comedy revolving around her is derived from. Her desperation for companionship leads to this excellent dissonance at play: Jahy wants crystals and like, actually doesn't mind being Jingu's friend, and Jingu seizes this opportunity to constantly be around Jahy, to the point of almost smothering her. This, in turn, produces a slew of giggle-worthy moments as Jahy tries to just be a good friend but also get a bit of breathing space from Jingu's all-consuming affection.

Oh yeah, and that's not even talking about Jingu's absolutely busted house, which is… literally busted and looks like a discount dungeon from [insert big-name urban fantasy JRPG here]. I'm talking broken floors, broken ceilings, broken… everything. The only thing that's intact is Jingu herself, and we know she's accident-prone. It's another guffaw-worthy sequence, but this isn't even episode 14's final form. No, the actual highlight of this episode is the fact that we finally, FINALLY, get to meet the Dark Lord, revived by the power of ramen and mana crystals. Kudos to the Dark Lord wanting to stay with Jingu specifically because Jingu's got food and Jahy… well, Jahy barely has beansprouts, and that's on a good day.

All in all, episode 14 is one that solidly progresses the plot forward while giving us a heck of a lot of world-building details along the way, particularly around the Dark Lord, a character that's been seen in the OPs, but hasn't really gotten any screen time until now. It also doesn't forget to be incredibly funny, establishing Jingu and Jahy's tenuous, odd-couple dynamic, as well as the painfully hilarious and hilariously painful relationship between the constantly hungry Dark Lord and the always-hungry Jahy (which is probably the relationship they actually have, as opposed to Jahy's firm belief that she and the Dark Lord were kinda buddy buddy in like… a #girlboss kind of way, if you know what I mean).

There's a really different vibe to episode 14 now that we've got the Dark Lord in the show, and I personally think that's for the best. While there are a few hiccups here and there, all in all, this was a great way to introduce the Dark Lord into Jahy's sprawling cast. In fact, I hope she gets a focus episode of her own down the line. Considering all the things we have heard about her until now, it sure would be great to really see her get a bit of time in the limelight with the other demon girls in the show. Even if we don't, there's still so much to love about The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! that I kind of don't care about all of this eventually resolves: I just want to enjoy Jahy's world a little bit longer.

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The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Mercedez is a JP-EN translation and localization Editor & Proofreader/QA, pop culture critic, and a journalist who, when not writing for ANN, writes for Anime Feminist, where she's a staff editor, and for But Why Tho?. She's also a frequent cohost on the Anime Feminist Podcast, Chatty AF. This season, she's devouring Restaurant to Another World bite by delicious bite. When she's not writing and reviewing, you can find her on her Twitter or on her Instagram where she's always up to something.