That's Where the "Dobukasu" Came From! Naoya Zenin's Tragic End: Completely Defeated by Awakened Maki in Poetic Justice – Anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" Episode 51

Episode 51 of the anime "Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: The Culling Game Part 1" has been airing sequentially since late night on January 22nd. The final scene of Naoya Zenin (CV: Kōji Yusa), which became the catalyst for fans calling him "Dobukasu," has become a hot topic online with comments like "Dobukasu is saying Dobukasu" and "the poetic justice is artistic."

Naoya, the son of the 26th head of the Zenin family, Naobito Zenin, has an arrogant personality and has delivered many intense lines such as "She can't stand behind her man. Women who can't walk three steps behind should be stabbed in the back and die." Among fans, he is affectionately (?) known by the nickname "Dobukasu," but the origin of this nickname comes from his own words.

In Episode 51, "Perfect Preparation," the awakened Maki Zen'in (CV: Mikako Komatsu) defeated Naoya. Even so, Naoya stubbornly survived and was crawling on the tatami mats when Maki's mother (CV: Yurika Hino) appeared and stabbed him from behind with a short sword. Naoya groaned, "You gotta be kiddin' me! Can't muster cursed energy! Dobukasu... gah!" and died.

With the depiction of his final moments that gave rise to the nickname "Dobukasu," the internet erupted with excitement, with comments like "Dobukasu gah! It's here!!!" and "Dobukasu is saying Dobukasu." Since his final words coincidentally took on a 5-7-5 syllable pattern, it also became a topic with comments like "I love his death poem" and "What a splendid death poem..."

Additionally, many viewers seemed to focus on the fact that Naoya was stabbed in the back from behind, in accordance with his own words: "Women who can't walk three steps behind should be stabbed in the back and die." There was a flood of reactions such as "The poetic justice coming back to him is so artistic it gives me chills" and "I realized that in the end, words come back to you."

The anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" is based on the manga of the same name by Gege Akutami, which has surpassed 150 million copies in total circulation. The story begins when Yūji Itadori (CV: Junya Enoki) ends up sharing his body with the King of Curses, "Ryomen Sukuna," and enrolls in the specialized anti-curse institution "Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School." The original manga concluded in 2024, and starting in September 2025, a spin-off titled "Jujutsu Kaisen ≡ (Modulo)" with original story by Akutami and art by Yuji Iwasaki is being serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha).

Episode 51 "Perfect Preparation"
【Synopsis】
The group begins moving in their respective roles to quell "The Culling Game." Among them, Maki heads to the Zenin family to collect cursed tools in order to strengthen their fighting power for participating in The Culling Game. Despite verbal abuse from Naoya and attempts by her mother to stop her, Maki heads to the cursed warehouse. And when she opens the door to the cursed warehouse, instead of its emptied contents, there are the figures of Mai covered in blood and her father, Ogi Zenin——.

(C)Gege Akutami/Shueisha