After a two year hiatus, “Jujutsu Kaisen” is back for its second season. The first five episodes aired in July. Mappa Studio Inc. then took a two week break in preparation for the rest of the season. These five episodes, much like the movie, were a flashback to the years prior to Itadori and Yuta first attending Jujutsu High. Spoiler warning for those who have not watched any episodes of the new season.
The season opens with Utahime and Mei Mei going to a cursed site following the disappearance of three elementary schoolers. I’d like to praise the animation quality for the opening scenes, as Mappa was able to seamlessly animate high quality 3D backgrounds with 2D character models.
The attention to detail was great, as the episodes take place in the early 2000s. They had many great little references, such as an old VHS video explaining the cursed place on an early laptop computer, Mei Mei using a flip phone, and talking about the creation of the internet, which has led to more rumors being spread about haunted places, to name a few.
They both enter the cursed site and get stuck in a barrier made by the cursed apparition; they attempt to break it by exhausting the cursed spirit of its energy. However, they are interrupted by the second-years Gojo and Geto. Gojo uses his technique to break the barrier, and Geto uses one of his cursed spirits to capture the apparition. Gojo, of course, picks on Utahime much like he did in the first season, while acknowledging Mei Mei, a first grade sorcerer and assumed teacher at Jujutsu High during this time.
Along for the ride as well is second year Ieiri Shoko, the dreary medical staff lady from the current Jujutsu High, who looks strikingly similar to Nobara when she was younger. All three forget to cast a veil over the site to prevent non-jujutsu sorcerers from seeing the exorcism, Gojo takes the fall for it and is comically disciplined.
It’s nice to see a parallel between the previous trio and the current trio of protagonists. Gojo and Itadori have insane cursed or physical prowess, Geto and Megumi both use either cursed spirits or shinigami, then Shoko and Nobora both have unique cursed techniques of their own.
After the debrief, Gojo questions the importance of a veil since non-sorcerers can’t see curses or cursed techniques. Geto tells him it’s a deterrent against an outbreak of cursed spirits. They need to conceal the threats that non-sorcerers cannot perceive or comprehend. He explains jujutsu exists to protect non-jujutsu sorcerers.
Gojo tells Geto that assigning responsibility to the strong is what the weak do. This elicits a very brief showdown between them, but they are interrupted by one of their teachers. This conversation is the catalyst for the event that would split them apart.
Masamichi, the newly appointed and current principal, gives them an assignment to protect a Star Plasma Vessel, someone compatible with Tengen, the school’s most important sorcerer. His cursed technique is what strengthens the barriers that form the foundation of jujutsu society. The mission would be smooth sailing initially, showing off exactly why Gojo and Geto said they are the strongest. They roll almost everyone they encounter on the mission.
That is until they encounter Megumi’s father, Toji Fushiguro, the Sorcerer Killer. Definitely living up to his name, he nearly kills them both in two epic fights, showing off Mappa’s awesome animation skills. However, he also inadvertently makes Gojo more overpowered, as his near death experience forced him to learn to use reverse curse energy techniques. He promptly uses these two against Toji in, by far, one of the coolest and most artistic sequences in the season thus far.
The incident’s aftermath leaves Geto questioning his allegiance to Jujutsu High’s purpose. They are only remedying the symptoms of the problem and not the source: non-sorcerers. Since he doesn’t have the power to stop the source of curses, he’s taking the easy route by trying to kill billions of non-sorcerers, which I believe he wants to use Sukuna to do so.
5/5 Stars
eeden@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @animetv_jp, X
