The year is coming to an end, and that isn’t a bad thing considering that means Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is just right around the corner from release. We’ll be exploring the Culling Games arc, which is set after the tragic Shibuya Incident, which saw the deaths of many fan favourite characters. Just earlier in the year, we received a recap movie on the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc, which worked perfectly on its own as a movie for fans but specifically for newcomers who hadn’t watched the series beforehand. It slightly helped that it was a prequel and not a story that was smack in the middle of the anime, which is exactly what the Shibuya Incident is; it’s the arc that the anime has been building up to from its very start.
It has been a successful year for anime movies, with Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film, and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc stomping out the competition in the box office. All of this good press will lead some people to rush to the cinema to watch the latest Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, but I wouldn’t rush too quickly, as this is a movie that hasn’t been made with everyone in mind. Where you could likely go watch Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc without needing to have the knowledge of Season 1, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution is very much the opposite, despite it being a recap movie, or to put it in better terms, a compilation film.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution starts off with Satoru Gojo’s (Takahiro Sakurai) fight in the subway before the inciting event begins, his sealment. Soon after this, the movie turns into an AMV (Anime Music Edit)/TikTok edit as the first half of the arc speeds through over Season 2’s second opening, “SPECIALZ”, by King Gnu. It’s understanding why they’ve gone through this route to get through the bulk of the arc and get to the main meat of the story, but for newcomers, it lacks the substance and depth that’s needed to understand the separate character dynamics and arcs which take place.
Unfortunately, even after it gets through the TikTok edit, we land at the fight between Sukuna (Junichi Suwabe) and Mahoraga, which, like the other fight they showcase, is poorly edited. Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution rushes through the Shibuya Incident as fast as it possibly can, doing a weak job of bridging this current arc with The Culling Games. For fans of the series, while its weaknesses are present and hard to ignore, it’s a special moment getting to still see a partial amount of the Shibuya Incident on the big screen. Its animation is an absolute spectacle, combined with the music to create an experience that, quite honestly, will be unforgettable as a fan. It’s extremely fast-paced (perhaps too fast-paced) but retains the kinetic, chaotic energy that comes with Jujutsu Kaisen and its action.
The main reason why everyone has truthfully shown up to watch Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, and the only reason why anyone should be going out of their way to watch this in cinema, is the first two episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3. The Culling Games has begun, and the difference between Season 2 and Season 1 is already night and day with its animation. It’s a massive improvement, and the first two episodes introduce you to new characters and the conflict of the season while also not shying away from any of the action. Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki) vs Yuta Okkotsu (Megumi Ogata), and Naoya (Koji Yusa) vs Choso (Daisuke Namikawa). Two back-to-back fights within the span of an episode and a cliffhanger to leave you wanting to return back in January for more.
If not for the weak start of Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, this would’ve been a grand cinematic event for fans of the show, despite it just being episodes played early on the screen. The inclusion of the Shibuya Incident only makes the jump to The Culling Games feel disjointed and instead like a massive cash grab to market the third season. Hopefully next time, MAPPA can go in the same direction that Science Saru went with DanDaDan and premiere the first three episodes in cinema instead of confusing newcomers and providing an effortless recap for the hardcore fans.
★★★
In cinemas now / Junya Enoki, Yuichi Nakamura, Megumi Ogata, Koji Yusa, Daisuke Namikawa / Dir: Shota Goshozono / Crunchyroll / 15
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