This recap contains spoilers for the The God of High School season finale, “GOD/GOD.”
If I’ve said it before, I’ll say it a million more times. The God of High School is better at one specific thing than anything else. That thing is fights. It’s fitting then that “GOD/GOD,” its aptly named finale, is mostly a smackdown between two demigods. “GOD/GOD” is a shonen season finale at its simplest. Two mindbogglingly powerful characters throwing down over the fate of the world and good triumphing over evil through sheer force of will.
Loser
Jegal becoming some kind of angel of death/demigod/whatever happened at the end of last week. But he didn’t actually get to do much fighting. That’s properly rectified in “GOD/GOD,” where Jin faces off against him solo for a full half of the episode. Obviously, this is the moment that Jin’s true charyeok awakens, and it’s none other than Sun Wukong, The Monkey King. (A figure who has been the basis of many shonen protagonists. Probably most famously Goku of Dragonball fame.)
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Monkey King Jin is able to defeat Jegal, but he revives in yet another form. This time in the form of some gnarly body horror. Here, Jegal is taken down by the combined efforts of all three of the protagonists (plus Ilpyo, who is practically also one at this point). It’s a solid ending to a solid show. Sometimes, you don’t need more than that.
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All We Do Is Just Win
And to be fair, the episode doesn’t entirely end there. Introduced in the closing minutes of “GOD/GOD” is Kim Ungnyeo, (another character directly based on a figure of myth) who boisterously introduces herself as the “progenitor of the human race” and one of the Six. It’s her who grants Jin’s wish, to heal everyone harmed by the destruction Jegal’s wrath over the past two episodes. Also present is the Nox cult leader, who is whisked away from the scene of the battle to continue his machinations elsewhere. Still missing at the episode’s end is Jin’s grandfather, revealed to be held captive as a “sacrifice.” The nature of this — and indeed, who his captors even are — remains unclear. As does the ultimate motive of President Park, who finishes off The God of High School by rigging the South Korean presidential elections. Even Jegal puts in a final appearance, refusing Ilpyo’s help as his inner darkness finally, and literally, consumes him.
Much of this, of course, is sequel fodder. The God of High School does seem like the sort of show that could use a second season. Perhaps a two-cour one, to give itself more room to breathe and develop its characters, the chief flaws with this season. Still, for now, Jin Mori’s world is safe. Perhaps we’ll meet him again, somewhere and sometime else.
Until then, see you next season, anime fans.
You can watch The God of High School on Crunchyroll here, and catch up on our The God of High School recaps here!
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