Summary
Warning: This may contain minor spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Episodes 1 through 5, now streaming onCrunchyroll.
Earlier this month,Jujutsu KaisenSeason 2’s first arc came to a close, and between its brevity and the small hiatus the show is currently taking, it might have been the best way to reintroduce the series. With a new director at the helm, some were cautious, others were optimistic, and plenty were just happy that the show was finally back, but now, with the “Hidden Inventory” arc finished, the series might be better than ever.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s first season ended in early 2021 and was followed up by the prequel filmJujutsu Kaisen 0soon after, both receiving huge acclaim and both directed by Sunghoo Park. With Park departing from MAPPA to create his own studio, the show has been placed inthe highly capable hands of Shota Goshozono(Gosso for short), and the differences were quickly noticeable.
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Starting Fresh
Any kind of huge creative change poses the potential for a loss of identity, and there was plenty of discourse about Season 2’s changes, albeit not always constructive. There were people posting about the changes in character designs or how Gojo’s eyes didn’t seem as detailed as before. However, those savvy in animation circles saw the staff list and could feel something special on the horizon.
As stated back inour Summer 2023 preview of Season 2,Jujutsu Kaisenhas always been different every time the series has popped up. Sunghoo Park may have returned for the movie, but it still felt different from the show, not the least of which because it was a prequel with a self-contained narrative. Fast-forward to now and the new season has gone even farther back in time, so why shouldn’t it feel radically different?
In fact, with the way that the arc progresses, it’s not a stretch to say that each episode feels distinct in the way it’s directed, some definitely more than others. Gosso himself directed the premiere, which sets an eerie tone for the forthcoming arc and treats audiences to an insane variety of visual styles, some of which go above and beyond.
A particular standout is an early cut made to look like an analog home video. It conveys the setting and time period well while creatinga haunting contrast to the now-decrepit housewhere the introductory sequence takes place. “Unnecessary” is a word that gets thrown around a lot in discussions of the season among sakuga enthusiasts, but it’s far from an insult. The ambition to go farther and experiment is part of what makes it great.
Protecting The Vessel
The Hidden Inventory arc sees Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru back when they were students on a mission. They must escort Riko Amanai, a girl chosen to be a sacrifice to Tengen-sama, the entity which maintains the barrier protecting Jujutsu High. Despite the grim implications, Riko is eager to become absorbed into Tengen-sama, even though it means abandoning her life. But enemy Curse-users are intent on capturing or killing her before she can fulfill her purpose.
It’s a fascinating dilemma asking how one finds the strength to abandon their life and sense of self willingly and how Gojo and Geto reconcile their part in bringing about this ritual.This story becomes particularly heartbreakingas the characters get close to one another during their brief but memorable time together. Despite the frantic pacing early on, the story finds a way for some downtime spent painting one young woman’s final moments in vivid detail.
It helps that the series has such a great sense of humor as well. The direction manages to shift both narratively and visually between grim seriousness and levity effortlessly. Sayaka Koiso’s new character designs are gorgeous across the board, but when they morph into softer, rounder bean-like caricatures, it’s hard not to smile. It just works and pays dividends when building an attachment to these characters.
This younger Gojo retains a lot of the same charm as their adult version but without quite the same power level. Watching him fail to perform a reverse cursed technique in Episode 2 makeshis eventual mastery of it that much more exciting, even when it comes at a great cost. Even better, the audience finally gets to witness the kind of person that Geto was before they became an antagonist, and it’s practically a mirror of their previous portrayal.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0showed them at the prime of their villainy, but Hidden Inventory articulates his motivations for abandoning his friends in an engrossing and haunting way. Episode 5’s visual style goes a long way to selling this transformation, especially thanks to the work of animation directors Takuya Niinuma and Souta Yamazaki. Their lifelike character animation and dynamic drawings aren’t quite like anything else in the series.
Creative Liberties
There are many schools of thought when it comes to the proper ethic by which to adapt a work of art. Some would argue thatit’s best to be as faithful as possible, but adaptation implies a change in medium, and with that shift comes a fluid definition of what is and isn’t acceptable. In the case ofJujutsu Kaisen, the changes thus far have been rightfully praised for expanding on the potential of certain sequences, leveraging the skills of a positively stacked team.
This is primarily referring to Episode 4, which alters the fight between Geto and Toji by exploring parts of the locale that weren’t in the original manga. Rather than a fight in one place, the characters are constantly moving, and it presents a far more visually interesting confrontation. The bursts of dialog feel more diegetic when they occur as one is hunting the other rather than a monologue face-to-face, especially considering the tragedy that precedes the battle.
Frankly, the entire season thus far has gone to great lengths to keep things moving andnever let the visuals become boring. It can be a strategic resource-saving measure as well, like in Episode 1, when the camera focuses on a window during a rainstorm. Just because a shot is “economic” doesn’t mean it can’t be effective and artful.
Judging by how fiercely this first arc has delivered, that kind of resourcefulness will be invaluable going forward. Regardless of how great this arc was, it’s still a MAPPA production with a tight schedule; some cynicism will always be appropriate. However, even if the production will wear thin down the line, it’s worth appreciating the wealth of talent here and the freedom they’ve been given.
The best way to describeJujutsu KaisenSeason 2 thus far is a sequel championed by some of Season 1’s most exciting artists. It feels familiar,yet isn’t afraid to forgo its predecessor’s aestheticin favor of something that feels fresh and bold, giving its directors a stronger sense of ownership over their individual episodes. After over years, getting to see the main trio on screen again - through this creative team’s vision - will be quite the treat.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 will return on August 24 with the start of the Shibuya Incident arc. The show is available to stream onCrunchyroll.
