Highlights
- Shortly after the end of Season 2, Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen has been officially announced, featuring the Culling Game Arc.
- The animation wasn’t the main highlight of the season finale, the shock value and storytelling took precedence.
- Yuta made his first appearance in episode 47 and is appointed as Yuji’s executioner in the new world order. The new era for Yuji begins with a strong determination and a thirst for killing cursed spirits.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Episode 47, “Shibuya Incident – Gate, Closed”, now streaming on Prime Video.
After plenty of memorable moments, Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen came to an end. The last episode contained the conclusion of the infamous Shibuya Incident and the very first moments of the next arc. A lot of information was revealed in a season finale that wasn’t the peak by any means, but brought closure and the comeback of Yuta Okkotsu.
Moments after the final episode aired, Season 3 featuring the Culling Game Arc was already officially announced by MAPPA. The anime adaptation of one of the most popular series in recent times will keep on giving. Although there has been no talk about dates just yet, it will likely go beyond the 2025 fall season, considering MAPPA’s massive workload for 2024 with big names like Chainsaw Man, Vinland Saga, or Hell’s Paradise.
With the Shibuya Incident Over, the Jujutsu Kaisen World Will Never Be the Same
After 46 episodes of wondering what they were actually fighting against, Pseudo-Geto finally revealed his plans. The episode started directly with the opening that featured Yuta, but that was a surprising decision. Especially considering that the first scene didn’t last much more than 6 minutes, where they were usually placing the opening after a breathtaking intro.
In the end, all Yuki did during the Shibuya Incident was have a philosophical conversation with the villain about the dilemma between eliminating cursed energy and optimizing cursed energy. However, he wasn’t going for any of those options. Having failed with his creations on multiple occasions, all he wished for was chaos. Chaos that could go beyond his potential once it becomes impossible to control.
It’s not an exaggeration that the whole plot of most of the first two seasons goes through Mahito. He single-handedly kills a handful of important characters, placing himself as Yuji’s antagonist while also being the master’s puppet and tool for reshaping the world. Idle Transfiguration brought back all the pain and fear that created Mahito in the first place. Gojo’s rescue mission was a complete failure. And the world of Jujutsu Kaisen will never be the same again.
The Jujutsu Kaisen Experience
Although it had its moments, the animation wasn’t the main highlight of this episode. Truth is, it didn’t really have to. Season 2 has become a massive social media phenomenon. Viral week after week and easily a good argument for anime of the year, considering the massive impact it had. Among the various topics that turned into persistent memes was the situation with the animators and MAPPA’s polemic workload.
That whole situation probably created more complaints about the animation than what the series actually deserved. Surely, like any other shōnen, a spectacular fight will move the masses. In this particular category, it also seems like Jujutsu Kaisen will be competing against itself for the title of fight of the year. Still, it was never about that. It was never an anime that relied on its fights or superb animation. Rather, it was the shock value.
The pacing of Jujutsu Kaisen lives on its twists and turns; the frivolous deaths, and the extreme cruelty of a rotten world. Just like those two women in episode 47. A visual clue of the series’ identity builds upon moments of shock, trying to always maintain the tension, not leaving much room for filler, for happy moments or for slow character development. Life doesn’t always give you enough time with certain people. That experience is taken up a notch in Gege’s story, never hesitating to cut ties and move on. The world doesn’t stop when you close your eyes. The world doesn’t stop when someone dies.
Yuta’s Return SIgnifies Big Things to Come
Amid this frenetic pacing, excellent writing allows for beloved characters, even if they rarely show up. One of the best examples of this is Yuta. He, who was supposed to be the main character, made his first appearance in the series in episode 47. If there is someone out there watching the show without having watched Jujutsu Kaisen 0, that will make an impression.
Without a doubt the biggest cliffhanger leading up to Season 3 and the Culling Game Arc, Yuta being appointed as Yuji’s executioner in the new world order after Satoru’s sealing. Still, it’s impossible to avoid thinking that if he wasn’t just in Africa during the Shibuya Incident, the plot of the series would collapse, especially since it doesn’t make much sense for him to just be there all the time.
Either way, his brief appearance in the season finale was a must, and it fit perfectly with the episode and the narration of the Japan Pseudo-Geto created. The scene where he saves the kid was brilliantly executed and, in a matter of seconds, perfectly reflects his personality. His famous scene saying that he will kill Yuji Itadori could have been the end of the season. If he was still the main character, that is.
The New Yuji
The closing moment takes place in a familiar scene for manga readers, where Season 3 will most likely begin. The new Yuji, wearing all-black clothes and carrying scars all over his face and body, poses for one last scene in the season finale. At the back, the sun rises to the new version of Yuji Itadori, ready and determined to kill as many cursed spirits as possible. It’s the ultimate contrast with the opening where the sun sets while he is walking away.
His friends and mentors are no longer there for him. His death sentence is back. The whole world has rejected him. Yet he no longer lacks the confidence and drive to keep going. This scene that lasted barely a couple of minutes sums up the end of a cycle for him and the beginning of a new era. However, the world Pseudo-Geto has created can only bring more death, as it is an attempt to imitate the Heian era, or the golden era of jujutsu.
Haunted by none other than Yuta, experiences the consequences that jujutsu society has provoked. With Yuji, the season reached its end in a spectacular fashion, completing a run to remember. If the Shibuya Incident Arc can be considered one of the best shōnen arcs of all time, then get ready for the Culling Game.
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