Review of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
It's good. And I mean, really, really good. At what cost, though? Season two of “Jujutsu Kaisen” promised to be one of anime's greatest recent hits. Everybody loved it, the characters were great, the emotions hit like nothing they've seen in the current landscape, and the animation resulted in being near perfect. However, it's happened to me before; constant hype ruining my experience, since I expected a little too much from something only to be extremely disappointed. So, I lowered my expectations, not forgetting that I never truly loved JJK. First season was a good foundation, but I couldn't emotionally connect with any struggle. Everybody waseither too talented, too powerful, or possessed something that'll let them win, no strings attached. Season two wasn't proving me wrong at the beginning, sporting the same problems, incomprehensible powers without stakes, not done for theme purposes, but just for displaying badasses.
Finally, the mythical Shibuya arc arrived, and this is what I imagined peak JJK could be. A magical display of random powers people honed with their souls, clashing in battles about survival, winning, or losing in the most absolute horrible way possible. We've got stakes, struggles, clear winning and losing side, and every issue was resolved just by limiting the trump card. However, in terms of story, and how great it all seems to be, there's still, absolutely no emotional attachment to anything going on.
For such a brutal arc, and for how many shocking moments it contains, I couldn't care about anybody in their suffering. Too little time, too little resting moments to develop relationships. Flashbacks are delivered right before the climactic moments, clearly stating the long-running drawbacks. I wouldn't change anything about the arc, what I'd do is change the first one substantially. If all characters managed to slowly evolve in time, and get to know one another a little more, I'd worry about their demises in this one. Bottom line, I didn't care about anybody.
That aside, the animation is pure, visual gold. Dynamic movement, environmental chaos, using techniques logically, never wasting time. Twists and turns, changes in sides, amazing cinematography, fluid, brutal, disgusting at times, and beautifully destructive. I can't praise the effort the sweatshop animators went through enough. This is a miracle, and one that should never happen again. I applaud everything they achieved, and it won't go unnoticed. I hope them better, truthfully.
Overall, it was a great, action packed season that does get me pumped for the next one. However, I can wait. No rush, I don't feel pressured to continue the manga, since the emotional aspects I have for it are non-existent. I still recommend it, and wish it makes a mark in the anime industry not just for good animation, but a better emotional core.
8.1/10. Man, I felt like I was the crazy one for not caring, apparently it's a common sentiment.