Ever since its Oct. 3, 2020 premiere, “Jujutsu Kaisen” has become a household name in the anime scene, featuring stunning animation, a lovable, colorful cast and an ensemble of cleverly written character abilities and powers. Created by Japanese manga artist, Gege Akutami, the series jumps into full gear for its highly anticipated second season that released its first episode on July 6, 2023. “Jujutsu Kaisen’s” season two promised and delivered on an even grander scale. Separated by two arcs, the season starts with a prologue to the first season called the “Hidden Inventory Arc” for the first five episodes, following the characters Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru. It finishes with a continuation of the present timeline into the “Shibuya Incident Arc” where a grim war ensues following the events of the first season.
The “Hidden Inventory Arc” cleverly set up the events of the “Shibuya Incident Arc” as Gojo and Geto’s relationship in the prologue proved to be a crux for the war waged in the main storyline. The first five episodes of the second season felt like a fast-paced slice-of-life with a dramatic and heavy conclusion, bringing a sense of levity and brightness to the morbid series before dropping viewers into the chaotic frenzy of present Shibuya. A sense of tragedy is beautifully ensnared into this light beginning, as those who have watched the first season will see Geto’s tragic and inevitable fall into villainy and Gojo’s rise to becoming the strongest. This arc’s strength resides in how the two’s seemingly unbreakable bond would become the ultimate battle of philosophies that ensue into the present war.
Following the prologue, the latter 19 episodes cover the “Shibuya Incident Arc” which can only be described as an ultimately satisfying pay-off to what has been set up by everything before it –- the first season, movie and five-episode prologue. As the viewer’s senses of security fade with Gojo’s downfall in the story, the narrative is pumped with higher stakes and a feeling of heaviness. Character’s mindsets and morals are constantly challenged as they face the consequences of their thinking and are forced to adapt to the grim fates of the war. “Jujutsu Kaisen” is at its darkest this season as it tests its heroes to the absolute limit.
“Jujutsu Kaisen’s” second season’s animation is an interesting case, insofar as Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association (MAPPA) Studios had decided to change the overall aesthetic of the series. Where the first season of the anime show features more rendered imagery, darker tones and more details, the second season opts for less details and simplicity. With this new approach, the new aesthetics gives action scenes more blur which can be helpful, but at times worsens the quality of animation. At its worst, the paneling and animation will come across as confusing, leaving audiences wondering what happened during the fight choreography. Yet, at its best, the new art style lends itself to a gorgeous fluidity, emphasizing the high-octane martial arts of the battles.
The animation behind the “Hidden Inventory Arc” was a consistent high and the “Shibuya Incident Arc” gets off on a slow start with some episodes feeling strangely lackluster, only to rev to a crazy high starting on the 13th episode. Its new aesthetic is a definite win and hopefully, MAPPA will keep the same energy in adapting future material.
The action behind “Jujutsu Kaisen” is greatly supported by its soundtrack, with every battle featuring an energetic and dramatic track behind it. The music sounds jazz-inspired as rock-orchestral melodies envelope each scene inducing fevered excitement and thrill, as fights kick into a higher level.
Overall, “Jujutsu Kaisen” is a cohesive masterpiece. It’s rare to find an anime series so sure of itself as it doubles down on what its fans want: more action and more thrill. With more coming along the way, we can only expect greatness from its future.
Verdict: “Jujutsu Kaisen” finds itself as one of the greatest anime series with its exquisite action and beautifully heavy storylines. The series will go down as one of the greatest battle-shonen in history.
