Season 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen emerged as the most entertaining Shonen with its popularity driven by compelling sorcery battles and its distinct charm. Revisiting a couple of episodes before its 2nd season started airing and then diving into the second season felt akin to reuniting with an old friend. Despite a somewhat generic narrative, the premise of sorcerers working behind the scenes to exorcise curses was intriguing, and it excelled in its execution. The animation, fight sequences, and character dynamics were nothing short of spectacular. While it bore a few similarities to Naruto and Bleach, it managed to carve its own identity even though the storytelling lacked the desired memorability. Notably, a few characters such as Gojo could have benefitted from a lot more depth. Nevertheless, the series excelled in being remarkably entertaining and ultimately, that's what matters.
Onto Season 2, the shift in art style from the Hidden Inventory Arc may raise eyebrows, but subjectivity prevails. Personally, this change, particularly for a flashback felt welcome. The first five episodes dedicated to exploring Gojo's past and his friendship with Geto, proved to be a refreshing narrative detour.
Now we welcome one of the best arcs of JJK yet-Shibuya Incident.
The anticipation and excitement among manga readers were prominent, driven by the sheer scale of destruction, multitude, and intensity of every fight as witnessed in the source material. Animating these fights and portraying the chaos and destruction around Shibuya while mirroring the manga's grandeur was a monumental and formidable task. Given the studio's reputation of going above and beyond in their adaptations which they did with Season 1, Season 2 was set to be crowned as one of the best of all time if adapted perfectly.
And well, while certain fights showcased incredible intensity, however, there were instances of inconsistent flow due to a few abrupt shifts as the fight progressed which was apparent in Yuji's fight with Mahito before Todo arrived. The use of slow motion and still frames while not inherently bad, felt a bit excessive. This was noticeable in Gojo's fight with Mahito, Jogo, Choso, and Hanami although this is one of the complete fights alongside Yuji's fight with Choso, Yuji, Todo vs Mahito, and Choso vs Geto. Jogo's clash with Sukuna exhibited intensity yet a bit of refinement would have elevated it further. Similarly, Sukuna vs Mahoraga also fell short of perfection and these 2 were pivotal fights as they truly represent the essence of the Shibuya Incident Arc, where the destructiveness and intensity reached unprecedented heights. It's quite evident from fights such as with Dagon that this was rushed. Despite that, if one pays attention to the details, the commitment to deliver a solid adaptation to this arc is apparent.
And they did deliver, albeit not as expected. They adapted every fight well featuring exceptional fight sequences that vividly captured the turmoil engulfing Shibuya. For manga readers, it was truly a delight to watch these come to life on screen.
The direction behind this series is exceptional and the staff behind this deserves more than mere appreciation. In all honesty, the studio should have taken adequate time with this arc, given the difficulty in animating this arc, and adapting this is far more ambitious than Season 1.
Reflecting on this season, it left me contemplating what could have been achieved if the staff behind this were granted the luxury of better working conditions and adequate time. Despite that, Season 2 manages to capture the allure and entertainment left behind by Season 1 and lives up to it, even though it fell short of the perfection that seemed within its reach. And there's still more to come for Jujutsu Kaisen, leaving me a tad bit apprehensive regarding the treatment of upcoming arcs. Lastly, the staff deserves commendation for their ambitious artistic intent, and gratitude is owed for their dedication. It's neither perfect nor flawed, but the untapped potential of this season to have been the most amazing thing we as viewers could have experienced is what keeps it away from perfection.
