Honestly, if you haven't seen it yet, you're missing out on the moment the industry shifted. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 isn't just a sequel. It is a demolition crew. It took every trope we loved about shonen anime—the "power of friendship," the last-minute saves, the plot armor—and basically threw them into a woodchipper.
MAPPA didn't just animate a story here. They conducted a masterclass in emotional devastation.
The season splits into two distinct, jagged pieces. First, we get the "Hidden Inventory" arc. It’s a flashback. We see Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto before they were the strongest sorcerer and the worst curse user. They were just kids. High schoolers eating ramen and playing basketball. Then, the "Shibuya Incident" happens. That's where things get dark. Really dark.
The High Cost of Being "The Strongest"
The first five episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 feel like a fever dream. The art style changed. It became more fluid, almost lo-fi at times, capturing the summer heat of 2006. We see Gojo and Geto tasked with protecting Riko Amanai, the Star Plasma Vessel.
It feels like a standard bodyguard mission. Until Toji Fushiguro shows up.
Toji is a bit of an anomaly in the world Gege Akutami built. He has zero cursed energy. None. Yet, he systematically dismantles the two most powerful students at Jujutsu High using nothing but sheer physical prowess and a very large inventory curse. Seeing Gojo—the man who can't be touched—get stabbed through the throat was a genuine "record scratch" moment for fans.
But the real tragedy isn't the fight. It’s Geto.
Suguru Geto’s descent into villainy is one of the most grounded portrayals of burnout I’ve ever seen in fiction. He spends his days swallowing cursed spirits that taste like "a rag used to wipe up vomit." He does it to protect "non-sorcerers," people he eventually starts to view as "monkeys." When Riko is killed and the cult members clap for her death, something in him just snaps.
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Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 forces us to watch the slow-motion car crash of a friendship. Gojo becomes a god. Geto becomes a monster. By the time they have their final confrontation in Shinjuku, the gap between them is infinite. Gojo is literally ascending to a plane where no one can reach him, leaving Geto alone in the dirt. It’s heartbreaking.
Shibuya: The Day the World Ended
Then we hit episode six. The tone shifts.
The Shibuya Incident is arguably the most famous arc in modern manga for a reason. It is a 50-chapter-long disaster movie. The stakes are simple: Kenjaku (the entity inhabiting Geto's body) wants to seal Gojo. If Gojo is gone, the balance of the world collapses.
October 31. Halloween.
The animation in the Shibuya arc is chaotic. Some people complained it looked "unfinished" because of the heavy use of motion blur and sketchy lines, but they’re wrong. It’s expressionistic. It captures the frantic, terrifying speed of a battle where humans are being turned into "transfigured humans" by Mahito in the thousands.
The scale is impossible to ignore. Sukuna’s fight against Jogo literally flattens blocks of Tokyo. When Sukuna opens his Domain, Malevolent Shrine, he isn't just fighting a curse. He is erasing a zip code. The aftermath—Yuji Itadori standing in the center of a giant, empty crater where thousands of people used to be—is the moment the show stopped being a fun supernatural romp.
Why Sukuna vs. Mahoraga Was Different
The production of episode 17, "Thunderclap," became legendary for the wrong reasons. Animators at MAPPA were posting on social media about the "hellish" conditions and impossible deadlines. Yet, what they produced was a hallucinogenic nightmare of a fight.
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Sukuna vs. Mahoraga doesn't follow the laws of physics. They crash through buildings like they’re made of paper. The animation style shifts every ten seconds. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s perfect. It shows Sukuna not as a "cool" anti-hero, but as a natural disaster. He doesn't care about the people he kills. He’s just bored.
The Deaths That Actually Mattered
Most shows are afraid to kill off fan favorites. Gege Akutami is not most authors.
The loss of Nanami Kento hit the hardest. Nanami was the adult we all wanted to be—responsible, tired, but deeply kind. His death at the hands of Mahito wasn't heroic. He was half-burnt, delusional, dreaming of a beach in Malaysia, and then he was just... gone.
And then there’s Nobara Kugisaki.
The ambiguity of her fate in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 sparked a thousand Reddit threads. One minute she’s giving Yuji a final message, the next, half her face is gone. It’s brutal. It’s fast. There is no long goodbye. In the world of Jujutsu sorcerers, death is usually ugly and sudden.
Breaking Down the "Hidden Inventory" Aesthetic
Director Shota Goshozono took over from Sunghoo Park for this season. You can feel the difference. Goshozono loves "cinematic" shots. He uses wide-angle lenses and fish-eye effects to create a sense of unease.
In the "Hidden Inventory" arc, the lighting is bright and overexposed. It feels like a memory. In "Shibuya," the lighting is oppressive. It’s all neon signs, dark subways, and the orange glow of fires. The visual storytelling tells you the world is getting colder even before the characters say a word.
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The Controversy of the Production
We have to talk about the MAPPA situation. It's the elephant in the room.
During the airing of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, reports surfaced about the extreme pressure put on the animation staff. Some key animators mentioned finishing cuts just hours before the episode aired. While the final product is a 10/10, it’s important to acknowledge the human cost. This season looks the way it does because some of the most talented artists in Japan worked themselves to the bone.
Does it affect the viewing experience? For some, yeah. It adds a layer of "guilty pleasure" to seeing these incredible sequences. But it also highlights why this season feels so raw. There’s a frantic energy to the animation that mirrors the desperation of the characters.
What This Means for Season 3
If you thought Shibuya was the peak, buckle up. The "Culling Game" is next.
The world of JJK is now a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Japan is overrun with curses. The "Golden Age of Jujutsu" is returning, and it’s going to be much bloodier than anything we’ve seen so far. The sealing of Gojo created a vacuum, and every monster in existence is rushing to fill it.
Key Takeaways for Fans
- Rewatch the "Hidden Inventory" arc. Many of the subtle nods to Geto's mental health are easy to miss on a first watch. Look at how he stops eating or how he pulls away from Gojo's touch.
- Pay attention to the sound design. The sound of Sukuna’s Cleave and Dismantle is terrifyingly sharp. It’s designed to sound like high-tension wires snapping.
- Don't skip the "filler" moments. The small scenes of Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara eating at a diner before the incident are the last time the show feels "normal." Cherish them.
Final Verdict on Season 2
This season changed the game. It proved that you can have a "battle shonen" that is also a psychological horror and a tragic drama. It didn't hold the viewer's hand. It didn't promise a happy ending.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is a masterpiece of modern animation, despite the production hurdles. It’s uncomfortable, it’s violent, and it’s beautiful.
Actionable Steps for the "Post-Shibuya" Blues:
- Read the Manga (Starting Chapter 137): If you can't wait for Season 3, the manga picks up exactly where the anime left off. The art style in the manga is even more "scratchy" and intense.
- Watch the "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" Movie: If you skipped it, go back. It explains the relationship between Gojo and Geto even further and introduces Yuta Okkotsu, who becomes a major player moving forward.
- Explore MAPPA’s Other Works: If you liked the "loose" animation style of Shibuya, check out Chainsaw Man or Hell’s Paradise. They share a similar "dark trio" DNA.
- Follow the Animators: Support the artists. People like Hakuyu Go and others who worked on the show often post behind-the-scenes sketches on social media. It gives you a real appreciation for the craft.