Why it sparked the most famous episode of Jujutsu Express

Note: This article contains spoilers.

when Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Episode 4, “Perfectly Prepared,” aired on January 22, and it immediately became one of the most talked about animated series of the year – just for different reasons everywhere. Overseas, it was met with widespread acclaim, while in Japan it sparked a wave of backlash that is still smoldering days later.

It’s easy to see why this episode was so controversial. It touches directly on tough topics like misogyny and abuse, and in the process provides uncompromising catharsis, destroying a powerful male character and placing a deeply traumatized woman at the center of its action.

The episode was both a global hit and a source of domestic controversy, revealing how adaptations are viewed in the ever-evolving world of modern anime.

The Ruthless Turn: What Happens in “Perfectly Ready”

Episode 4 is adapted from the “Perfect Preparation” plot from chapters 148-153 of Gege Akutami’s manga, focusing on the long-simmering reckoning between Maki Zenin and her family, the Zenin family. With the blessing of the current clan leader, Megumi Fushiguro, Maki returns to the manor where she grew up to retrieve the cursed tool, and plunges straight back into the abuse of her childhood.

The Zening clan has always embodied the elitist and ugly side jujitsu The world: Strict hierarchies, an obsession with possessing cursed powers, and an open disdain for women and “flaws.” Maki was born without cursed powers and spent her entire life living at the bottom of the system, along with her twin sister Mai, who did possess cursed powers. Despite the two’s close relationship in their youth, Mai was disgusted by Maki’s decision to leave the Zenin clan – a decision that forced her to become a wizard, while she was happy to live a “normal” life as a woman.

In this episode, the cursed sword Maki retrieves doesn’t work as planned, and both she and her sister are ambushed, with their father waiting to kill them. Just as they are both on the verge of death, Mai sacrifices herself, which unleashes the full power of Numbtongue. Maki promises Mai that she will “destroy everything” and tears apart the Zenin clan in a bloody purge. The episode ends with Naoya Zenin – the notoriously arrogant soon-to-be clan leader – having his skull pressed to the ground and later stabbed from behind by Maki’s mother, bringing the clan’s cruelty to an abrupt and symbolic end at the hands of two women.

Overseas audiences praised it as a masterpiece

The international response was strong. according to Forbes“Perfectly Prepared” premiered with an astounding 9.8/10 rating on IMDb, making it the most-watched series of all time Jujutsu Kaisenhistory, tying it as the platform’s second most-watched animated series ever.

Critics praised animation studio MAPPA for its inventive visual language, longer runtime and willingness to take stylistic risks – including stark color shifts, long stretches of near-silent violence and obvious cinematic homages. Polygon Calling it the “most cathartic” episode of the series to date, it highlights how the anime amplifies the emotional ruptures already present in the comics.

For many overseas fans, the appeal is clear: a woman who has been systematically abused ultimately destroys the structures that tried to crush her without being framed as a monster for doing so. Maki is not redeemed or softened, but survives and ends the cycle.

So why does Japan hate it?

In Japan, the conversation takes a very different turn. In online forums, e.g. Yahoo! Thousand bags and Personal animation blogthe criticism poured in almost immediately. The most common refrain was a familiar one: the episode was “too different from the comics.”

Complaints centered on the director’s choices – experimental framing, stylized violence, altered pacing, striking musical cues. Many fans felt that the anime went too far, prioritizing “artistic” talent over loyalty to the author’s vision. Others accused the director of self-indulgence, claiming that the emotional weight of key scenes was diluted by excessive visual ambition.

But it’s hard to ignore other reasons behind the anger.

Zenin Naoya Ranked fifth in official Jujutsu Kaisen Popularity survey published in Weekly Shonen JumpIssue 39, 2024, received 11,731 votes, much higher than Maki, who ranked 13th with 1,625 votes. No matter how you look at it, he is a fan favorite. Episode 4 didn’t just beat him; It humiliates him and abandons him without respect.

For some viewers, the loss clearly stung.

Add to that the episode’s unflinching depiction of misogyny, and its refusal to aestheticize or excuse it. The Zenin clan’s cruelty towards women is fundamental to the story, and the animation makes it inescapable.

This is not to say that criticism is illegitimate. The debate over adaptations is as old as anime itself, with many Japanese fans truly valuing restraint and tonal consistency. But when a show that centers on female rage, trauma, and autonomy is dismissed as “unpleasant,” “overdone,” or “undermined by direction,” it raises questions about what kind of stories can be satisfying — and to whom.

There is also the broader industry context worth noting. Modern animation no longer only considers domestic audiences. Global streaming platforms and international fan bases increasingly influence production decisions. Episode Four is acutely aware of this reality: in its themes of abuse and power it is both confrontational and crosses cultural boundaries.

This awareness may excite some viewers but alienate others.

“Perfectly Prepared” ultimately reveals more than just the differences between manga and anime, and between Japan and the rest of the world. it exposes deeper tensions Jujutsu Kaisen Be willing to speak, and how loudly you are willing to speak.

Judging by the reaction, maybe not everyone is ready to hear it.

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Updated on January 27, 2026