JUJUTSU KAISEN is one of the biggest anime releases in recent years, and for good reason. MAPPA has adapted Gege Akutami’s manga excellently, with every episode being an absolute banger (with a side order of depression sometimes). But there is one issue: Season 2 finished nearly two years ago, and we’ve been forced to wait for the next chapter in this story. Season 3 is currently airing, but what if you’ve forgotten what happened and need a refresher? That’s where JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution can help you out! This film recaps the Shibuya Incident arc alongside the first two episodes of Season 3. But is this a good way to get caught up for the new season?
The first chunk of JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution recaps the second half of Season 2, also known as the Shibuya Incident. This is the arc that included major moments such as Gojo's sealing, the Disaster Curses running amok, Sukana’s destructive rampage, and the beginning of Geto’s master plan. That’s a lot of ground to cover in about an hour, so that’s why this film doesn’t attempt it. Instead of trying to cram absolutely everything into this film, MAPPA instead picked the pivotal moments from this arc, condensed some of the dialogue, and called it a day. It gets the job done for sure, especially if you’ve already seen Season 2, but the omissions can be felt.
Execution keeps pretty much all the main fights from the Shibuya Incident, with some, like the Dagon fight, heavily trimmed for time. However, fights like Yuji and Megumi vs. the crazy grandma are excluded, along with a decent amount of the character-building that occurred in this arc. The missing fights aren’t all that bad, as they were there mostly to look cool and provide some fun banter between characters, so I didn’t miss them that much. What I did miss were the character-building moments that were sacrificed so the entire Sukana vs Mahoraga fight could be included.
There’s no Nobara reflecting on her childhood and how it still impacts her, nor are there the touching final moments from Nanami before the scene that made me take a break from watching the show when it first aired (I’m still not over it). While, for someone already familiar with the story, these omissions aren’t a big deal, if this is your first time experiencing this arc, you are missing out on a lot of amazing character moments.
Overall, a good enough recap for people needing a refresher, but I wouldn’t recommend this be a newcomers' only experience with this arc.
The second half of this film is the first two episodes of Season 3, and when it was released, it gave fans a sneak peek at the current season. Set in the direct aftermath of the Shibuya Incident, the story picks up with Yuji and Yuta fighting a giant cursed spirit through Tokyo, or at least, that’s what we are led to believe. But before any clarity can be given, the story jumps back in time to show the events that led up to this. Yuji and Choso (who tried to kill Yuji before finding out they were brothers) are deciding what their next move should be since the Jujutsu higher-ups are calling for Yuji’s death. And who is the person the higher-ups have chosen to carry out this task? None other than the protagonist of JUJUTSU KAISEN 0, Yuta Okkotsu. Throw into the mix the inflated ego of Naoya Zenin, the new head of the Zenin family, and you have an explosive combination to start a season.
I had fun with the first two episodes of Season 3, even if I did have a slight grievance. My complaint is the jumping back and forth between time periods in the first episode, as it disoriented me a tad. It left me wondering when exactly specific events took place and who was where; it was a mess. Once I got over that lil hiccup, the rest of the two episodes were great. Finally seeing Yuji and Yuta interact was exciting, and Yuji’s reluctant brotherly relationship with Choso was funny. And while the story didn’t advance that much, the fights more than made up for it, with all of them looking phenomenal. It was a good start to the season, even if I did have to read the rules for the Culling Games (Geto’s master plan) by pausing the film as the text appeared for barely a second.
It’s no secret that MAPPA create some of the best fights in anime today, and they’ve not been slack with this film. Most times with compilation films like this, the recap is literally just the same as the episodes that originally aired, but not here. Instead, it looks like every big fight had redrawn frames, cleaner animation, and an extra level of polish that elevated the film. Was this because MAPPA wanted to revisit the episodes, or was it because it was initially rushed out the door to meet a deadline? Either way, the Shibuya Incident has never looked better.
The same can be said for the start of Season 3, which had some of the most visually stunning scenes in the series so far. I won’t spoil the exact moment that wowed me, but let’s just say it involves a lot of red. It’s not just the fight animation that MAPPA have nailed; they’ve added another level of detail to each character's facial expressions and small movements, like Yuta’s depressed smile or Naoya’s smug-ass face God, he’s such a prick).The voice actors haven’t missed a beat between seasons in both Japanese and English, delivering stellar performances. Junya Enoki and Adam McArthur perfectly capture the mental state of Yuji after his traumatic experiences in Shibuya, with the false bravado to hide his guilt being expertly conveyed. Megumi Ogata and Kayleigh McKee return as Yuta, and you can tell from their performances that this isn’t the same timid boy from JJK 0 (he’s also the best character, fight me). Newcomers Koji Yusa and Alan Lee as Naoya did excellent jobs as well, making me immediately hate this asshole of a character, so good job to them.
JUJUSTU KAISEN: Execution is a decent recap of the Shibuya Incident and makes the transition into Season 3 relatively seamless. I wouldn’t recommend this film to someone looking to get into the series, as the recap omits key character moments you should definitely experience. But for fans who watched Season 2 when it came out and need a refresher for the currently airing Season 3, it’ll do the job.
Have you seen JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution? What did you think? Was this your first experience with the series? Let us know in the comments where we can all agree that Naoya and Mahito suck.
