Review of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

This show has never looked better. Yes, people have complained about certain choices with how they animated specific fights and some scenes show the strain the animators were under, but on the whole, this is unimpeachably excellent from where I’m sitting. The sakuga is just next level. As for the narrative, that’s where things get dicier. The entirety of the Hidden Inventory Arc is still my favorite part of this season, and Suguru Getou’s character arc is among the most outstanding of the year. It also made me appreciate Gojo’s arc a great deal more, albeit to a lesser extent. As soon as we get into Shibuya,things become a lot messier. It’s largely purposeful, as the goal is to shake things up dramatically, which involves ending several lives and putting a couple of other characters essentially out to pasture. I think when we’re talking about moments and fights, this remains some of the best this series (and most shonen anime) have produced.

That being said, there’s a lot else going on here that feels similarly messy. There’s some solid character development, albeit mainly as a result of imposed moments where characters hardly get a second to breathe before having to do the impossible, but a lot of the plot just feels like it’s there to set up more fights rather than provide these characters room to grow and change. Itadori is definitely a stand out, while some other characters don’t get enough screen time or presence to get there themselves. That’s not a huge problem - not everyone needs a character arc in the same season - but it does feel like some of those are cut off pretty abruptly this season, albeit with some great backstory and moments that will make it easier to forgive. Not all the plot threads go somewhere terribly interesting, either, as some are left dangling midway through the arc or just sort of peter out. It’s not terrible, but it sets the floor for the season a little lower.

It’s not perfect - I feel like it’s strongest fights get personal in a way that the big, over the top escalations just don’t, even if they look cool. There are two fights this season that will stick with me long after watching. The rest look great, but they’re so big and bombastic that it loses any feeling on a human level. They’re the kinds of fights I appreciate at a distance, but not so much up close.

I think this season sets up a lot of interesting stuff for the future. What will the world look like after these events? How will the central cast shape it now that several big names are off the board? It’s a good point to stop and let both us and the characters breathe, ending with a couple of gut punches for good measure.