The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!

Episode 8

Have you ever read a title that makes you make the Metal Gear Solid “!!!” sound, but like… with your own mouth and lungs? And like… audibly? Like… very audibly? Well, episode 8, “The Great Jahy Can't Bathe!” immediately made me make this sound, but… was it warranted?

Long story short? No, this is yet another solid Jahy episode, even if it's kind of average.

Long story long? No, but let's expand on this because… well, this is a review. So… episode 8 is premised around one thing and one thing only: Jahy getting to take a bath that's not in her “pathetic little tub”, which is a direct quote from the cold open and the most relatable mood if you've ever lived in Japan and had to clamber into an ofuro while being over five foot tall. And like so many of Jahy's foibles, this means a true test of endurance as Jahy encounters all manner of trial and tribulation just to splish splash take a bath, which… expected, hilariously brutal, and so utterly relatable.

Thankfully, pretty quickly into the first half of episode 8, Jahy is picked up by Druj's personal assistant, who had a bevy of snacks and refreshments ready in the limo that Jahy very eagerly gorges herself on which like, mood. I'd do exactly the same, and then some. She even declares that this fantastic limo is her home, only to unceremoniously roll out and meet Druj at her company, which is a brand new tidbit of info that kind of serves as the setting for this episode. It's also where a lot of the comedy comes from, largely because of the Grand Canyon-wide gap between Jahy and Druj.

A lot of their interaction is just talking about Druj's work and her corporation, with some genuinely funny tidbits and a bit of dissonance between Druj's public persona and her genuine personality as a demon. There's also a pretty funny scene where Jahy attends a workplace seminar as the person Druj admires most. It's all good, but… that's not what's in the title, right? We're here for baths, which, by the way… kicks in mid-episode, which is after Jahy gets invited to a party, which… not much to say other than Jahy once again eats a bunch of food with some pretty funny Druj and Jahy interactions as well.

This is what I want to circle back around to because, once again, The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! does the right thing by playing on the comedy of Jahy as a child, and then, as an adult. It's never sexual, and ultimately results in a series of comedic scenes that I could… leave or take, by and large, but still found enjoyable enough. What I ultimately can say is that the show most likely won't ever “lewd” Jahy's kid form. I appreciate that decision, and while that might not be the same as the source material, I feel like it's a smart choice here in the anime, and heightens the slice of life-ness of the backhalf of this episode.

I wish I had more to say about episode 8, but in the end, it's just…. Kind of okay? That's not bad: every series can't pump out bangers each week, and The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! is much the same. That said, so much of my time with The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! has been a delight, and while episode 8 isn't necessarily outstanding, it's solid, and I think that's the secret strength of The Great Jahy as a whole. I was hoping for a bit more bath content (maybe some foibles around her trying to find something that's not a tin tub) but… I suppose The Great Jahy Can't Get Enough Bathtime, am I right? I'm really hoping that episode 9 brings the giggles and guffaws back full force. I'm sure it will: I have high expectations of this series overall, expect it to continue to be quite satisfying. And as always, if you're reading this review but haven't decided to stan Team Jahy, perhaps it's time to get on board and see why I, and a lot of folks, are super here for this millennial tragedy of a demoness.

Rating:

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

Mercedez is a JP-EN localization editor & proofreader/QA, pop culture critic, and a journalist who also writes for Anime Feminist, where she's a staff editor, and But Why Tho?. She's also a frequent guest on the AniFem Podcast, Chatty AF. When she's not writing, you can find her on her Twitter or on her Instagram where she's always up to something.