The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!

Episodes 12-13

Episode 12

Episode 12, “Kokoro-chan Will Not Betray?” brings back everyone's favorite coral-haired child, Kokoro, in an episode lush with betrayal… or is it? Given the betrayal by Tomarou the Tomato Plant last week, I don't trust anyone, and neither does Jahy, given how episode 12 kicks off. And heck, I don't blame her: I would absolutely look a gift mana crystal straight in the mouth. Don't put all of your mana crystals in one basket though because this time… life is actually kind of nice to Jahy.

What this kicks off is basically an episode of our favorite demoness getting chomped on by life and y'all? I love this feral demoness so much. I love that she's just a pile of anxiety in a body of a fourth grader with all the clumsiness of a toddler. I love that she's a hot mess, and episode 12 is absolutely Jahy at her hot messiest. This is Peak Jahy Hours, and it's excellent because you do kind of expect Jahy to end up in all manner of traps, but life is finally, finally cutting her some slack.

That great opening leads us to the meat of the episode, which is Jahy kickin' it with Kokoro on yet another treasure hunt for those all-important crystals. Despite what the episode title implies, we all know that of course, Kokoro isn't gonna betray Jahy. If anything, Jahy is betraying her former role as the Dark Realm's second-in-command by being really nice to Kokoro, further reinforcing Jahy's growth into a softer, kinder demoness.

Episode 12 is a collection of things that I like about The Great Jahy: it has the requisite amount of Jahy blunders, it's got good Kokoro moments, and also, my girl Saurva gets some time to shine. But I feel like the title shouldn't have been “Kokoro-chan Will Not Betray?”, because we just don't get enough content re: Kokoro to justify the title. In fact, I'd say that episode 12 is more like three episodes mashed together, which doesn't necessarily provide the best viewing experience. You know me: the Saurva content is great, especially since I wasn't expecting it, but I'd have liked to spend a bit more time with Jahy and Kokoro seeing as that's this week's title.

Still, this does have a lot of choice Kokoro and Jahy bonding moments that no doubt continue to strengthen Jahy's network of associates/underlings/friends, which is what I think everyone who's Team Jahy wants. Also, did I mention the action scenes on the playground? Jahy straight up parkours to escape some police and it's awesome. Also, Saurva's doggo adventures are pretty darn great as well.

All in all, this is another solid episode that's plenty of fun, but… kind of just that. A bit go-nowhere, a bit “meh”, but still entertaining enough to be a good use of twenty-four minutes out of your day. I still look forward to next week's episode, and still think The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! is one of the standout anime of this season, last season, and heck, the entire year. Every dog has its days (Saurva included) and episode 12 is just not one of those days. That's okay though: episode 13 will probably deliver. Call it instinct, call it a good feeling, but I'm sure it will.

Sidenote: the OP continues to be a BANGER, though we all know “Fighting Pose” is the only song worthy of Our Great Jahy's presence. The ED “Seikatsu Konkyuu Dame Dinero” is a delight as well.

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Episode 13

Episode 13, “Druj Is Not Happy!” is a beach episode...or is it? Well, in Jahy's penniless (or should I say yenless?) life, it's not. It's absolutely a work episode set at the beach, but still… beach episode?

Beach episode for sure.

Post-OP, we're with Jahy as she luxuriates and frolics on the beach, all while flashing the mega-huge mana crystal that she obtained in last week's episode. However, magic and pride hold less weight in the real world than ice cream and those good, good Yukichis (that's the dude on the 10,000 yen note), and it doesn't take much convincing for Jahy to be back on the grind again, this time helping out at her employer's uncle's beachside eatery.

All of this serves forms the backdrop to the first half of my most favorite The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!'s to date, and I'm not just saying that because Beach Episodes are in my Top 3 Anime Tropes. Simply put, episode 13 is flat-out hilarious, enough that I had to chug have a glass of almond egg nog and then half a bottle of orange Tang because I spent most of my time with Jahy halfway out of my computer chair, yuckin' it up. A lot of that is because of this episode's impeccable comedic setups and timing, but part of my enjoyment also comes from the fact that, like the previous episode, Jahy is finally getting a leg up after so many hilariously painful and painfully hilarious hunts for mana crystals.

It is not until the back half of this episode that the episode title “Druj Is Not Happy!” becomes relevant. Here, the episode leans into one of my favorite relationships: that of the haughty Jahy and the masochistic but very sweet Druj, who definitely gets lots of Jahy praise this episode, giving us a sweetly funny scene that's right up my alley. This is mostly done through Jahy making assumptions about Druj during a conversation in which Druj fondly recalls Jahy's past as a much more ruthless demoness. While it's not quite as hilarious as the front half, it is sincere, and marks Jahy's further shift away from her “tough demoness” facade that's steadily been crumbling since episode 10, to the point where she barely recognizes her past self.

That said, comedy is subjective, and I don't know how many people are like me and groove on characters like Druj, or even KONOSUBA's Darkness. Personally, I love characters like these, though there's definitely something to be said about the possible discomfort that can be caused by girls who self-demean and want to be treated like scum and visibly get off by being treated like scum. But it's Halloween when I'm writing this, and we're not here to kink shame in the least. All I'll say is that I found a lot of the back and forth between Jahy and Druj incredibly heartwarming and funny, and definitely makes me want more of their uncanny friendship in the future.

In the end, episode 13 is pure gold to me: it's the beach episode I've always craved, the heartwarming scene between Druj and Jahy I've longed for, and is chock-a-block with jokes and excellent comedic timing, heartfelt moments, and really crisp animation. Jahy remains an incredibly loveable character who has upended all my assumptions from the premiere. Whether she's rescuing children at the beach or sitting next to her green-haired underling, Jahy really has stolen my heart this year. I truly lament the fact that our time with her will eventually end. If only I could make The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! go on forever and ever...

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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.