Review: Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 – A Tragic and Impactful Prequel
The recently concluded second season of Jujutsu Kaisen, although airing after the release of the spin-off movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0, still manages to maintain its impact. The “Hidden Inventory/Premature Death” arc serves as a prequel to the first season and takes place before the events of the movie. Despite the inherent challenge of prequels in maintaining stakes, the first half of season 2 succeeds in keeping tensions high by leveraging the tragic knowledge of what awaits the main characters.
The consequences of the story are far-reaching, even though the scope of the arc is relatively small. The arc revolves around the duty of Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto to protect a young girl from being sacrificed to a powerful sorcerer. This prequel arc sets a melancholic and doom-filled tone, adding to the horror as the audience and characters know that tragedy is inevitable.
In this arc, we get to see a different side of Gojo, who is portrayed as a carefree teenager with immense power. His close friendship with Geto is explored, and as the arc progresses, Geto’s character becomes one of the most complex and nuanced in the franchise. The evolution of his beliefs and his friendship with Gojo have emotional and harrowing implications.
Despite the dark and grim aspects, Jujutsu Kaisen still maintains its trademark humor. The show seamlessly balances horror and comedy, injecting hilarious moments amidst the intense action and scary visuals. The use of pop culture references from the early 2000s grounds the characters in reality and enhances the impact of the supernatural elements.
Director Shōta Goshozono brings his cinematic eye to the second season, delivering stunning animation and dynamic fight sequences. The visual storytelling effectively captures the falling out between Geto and Gojo, using clever shot composition and camera angles.
However, the arc suffers from its short length and excessive exposition of the power system. The constant explanations of the characters’ abilities can become tedious and hinder character development. Additionally, the final push into darkness for Geto feels rushed and underwhelming after the compelling journey leading up to it.