The long awaited premiere of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 is finally here, and the first episode is nothing short of stellar. Jujutsu Kaisen, based on the manga by Gege Akutami and adapted by Studio MAPPA, tells the story of high school student Itadori Yuji who becomes partially possessed by a powerful curse. He joins an organization of curse-fighting Jujutsu sorcerers, full of interesting characters each with their own eccentric powers. While the entirety of this season is going to cover three entire arcs of the manga, the first few episodes are taking a step back in time and focuses on Yuji’s teacher Satoru Gojo’s younger years before the events of season one.
[Warning: Spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 premiere below!]
Stunning visuals featured in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2
Let’s get one thing out of the way – this episode looks amazing. While the first season set a high standard in terms of animation quality, it is clear even from the first few minutes of this episode that Studio MAPPA is maintaining, if not surpassing, their dazzling visuals. The opening is gorgeous as well as a banger, the backgrounds are lush, and the characters look incredible.
A mix of 2D and 3D animation and slightly experimental visuals has created an intriguing and intensely cinematic atmosphere. That’s to say nothing of what Jujutsu Kaisen is known for – its action sequences. The brief fight in this episode, while relatively tame when compared to some of the show’s more climactic battles, is masterfully done.
While many animes fall into the trap of spending all of their budget on the first episode to draw in viewers, then disappointing their new base with increasingly lackluster visuals, this episode seems to avoid that. It is consistently well done, but no moment stands out as “the money shot.” A loyal fanbase has given MAPPA the luxury of working their way up to their more jaw dropping animations, leaving this episode as a promise for more, instead of the best they can offer.
The highly anticipated Hidden Inventory arc begins
The Hidden Inventory arc is a favorite amongst fans, and the heart of it has always been the doomed friendship between Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto. Although the 2021 movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0 covered the tragic end to their friendship, this storyline covers the slightly more light hearted early days of their relationship.
However, the start of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 barely focuses on the dynamic duo at all. While Geto has a brief monologue during the first minute introducing us to his own particular brand of mental woe that will eventually turn into a point of major tension between the main characters, we quickly switch focus. The first half of this episode focuses on suave first grade Sorcerer Mei Mei and eager-to-prove-herself second grade sorcerer Iori Utahime embarking on a mission to hunt a curse in the form of a haunted-looking mansion.
It’s a tense beginning to the story, particularly after the dark introduction, as the two girls become trapped in an endless hallway and must find their way out. We watch as Utahime tries her best to sleuth her way out of the trap through a series of beautifully done sequences.
Fan favorite and beloved brat Satoru Gojo only shows up halfway through the episode to “save” the two from the curse they unleash. This neatly folds the first section into one of the Hidden Inventory arc’s major themes: survival of the weak vs. survival of the strong.
It is only then that we get the opening of season 2 which is, once again, beautifully animated and incredibly catchy.
This introduction does a wonderful job of establishing key themes without rushing the action; it makes us wait for what we want to see the most. When Satoru Gojo and his band of merry sorcerers are finally introduced, it’s a great payoff for fans of the series who have been waiting for years to see these characters again.
The plot thickens for Gojo and Geto
The second half of the episode digs into the meat of the plot – a girl has been found as the new Star Plasma Vessel for Master Tengen, and Gojo and Geto have to make sure she doesn’t die on the way to become his vessel. From the moment these two are introduced two things are clear; They’re good friends, and they deeply annoy each other.
Their first few lines to each other already establish the conflict that will later lead their relationship on the path to ruin. Gojo believes in the power of the strong and Geto believes in the power of the weak. While their first few fights might paint Gojo as the egotistical maniac, it becomes increasingly clear as this storyline plays out that neither of them is particularly ethical in their ideals.
In the premiere episode the two bicker about this extensively, but for now the overall tone of their relationship is still lighthearted. They face down in a basketball court rather than a battlefield, and are quick to abandon the fight, and cover for each other as soon as it seems like they might get in trouble for it. It reads as silly rather than serious.
MAPPA has done an excellent job keeping the mood light by turning comedic moments from the manga into all sorts of animated visual gags. Gojo goes in and out of goofy character art with a cartoon ‘pop!’, and panels from the manga are turned into ridiculous looking walk cycles. The third member of their group Shoko Ieiri escapes Gojo and Geto’s fight road-runner style. It keeps the tension between the characters from feeling too heavy, while still showing the audience how it simmers in the background.
Despite their fighting the two boys embark on their mission to find the new vessel together, and promptly stumble into the beginnings of what is sure to be an exciting battle for the next episode.
Powerful characters in epic battles anticipated
The last section of the episode introduces us to the villain of the arc – Toji Fushiguro. Toji, the notorious absent father of Megumi Fushiguro, is on a mission to kill the new vessel before she can get to Master Tengen.
Toji, along with Gojo and Geto, is one of the most powerful characters Jujutsu Kaisen has to offer. The excitement for an animated version of their battles with the full force of MAPPA animators behind it is extreme. Readers of the manga have been hyping up the fights between Toji and our bickering duo for ages. For now, the anime is content to let the hype simmer until next week by giving us just a taste of this character.
Never before seen content coming in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2
There’s plenty of fan-food to come however, as mangaka Gege Akutami has promised this season includes new scenes with Toji that were not in the manga at all. It remains to be seen if this new content is character development, a new move in a battle sequence, or even comic relief, but the promise of more Toji is thrilling for many fans nonetheless.
There’s clearly much in store for this season, and with a bang of a start like the premiere, it’s going to be difficult waiting for the next episode. It seems like the start of a thrilling season!
You can find Jujutsu Kaisen now streaming on Crunchyroll. Are you excited for season 2? Who is your favorite character? Let us know on social media or in our Discord!
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