Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 review: How much is too much? The impact of MAPPA’s animation on Akutami’s art explored

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 has become one of the most viewed episodes of the series, as well as one of the highest-rated. Not only did this episode provide the viewers with a crucial glimpse into the failings of Satoru Gojo, but it also took a drastic turn toward the macabre that mangaka Akutami is particularly known for.

Moreover, Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 had one of the most anticipated battles of the season, perhaps the series as a whole. MAPPA’s animation has elevated the battles to a level beyond anything anyone had expected, and additional direction also managed to capture the depth that this episode required.

However, mangaka Akutami’s art style is distinct and stationary even in the middle of the action, and it exudes a simplicity that doubles the impact of the horrors the manga contains. In light of the recent episode, this review endeavors to figure out whether Mappa’s animation, spectacular as it is, takes away the impact of that simplicity in favor of being eye-catching and sensational.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the writer and contains descriptions, images, and analyses of canon-typical violence. Readers’ discretion is requested.

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 review: Is MAPPA’s overzealous animation working with or against Gege Akutami’s art?

Geto with his curses in in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 3 (Image via MAPPA)

Being known for animation, Mappa faces a challenge of limitations: not, as other studios may have struggled, without giving enough effort, but rather with giving too much. Undoubtedly, Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 provided them with more space to play with battle sakuga than the previous two episodes, and the studio has made complete use of this opportunity.

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 was titled Hidden Inventory, Part 3. It covered chapters 70-72 of the manga and is likely to be the penultimate episode of the Hidden Inventory sub-arc. The episode saw another directorial change, with Naoki Miyajima taking the helm while Shota Goshozono remained the series director.

Brief Summary of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3

The episode began with Gojo and Geto rescuing Kuroi from the kidnappers at Okinawa and spending the rest of the 48 hours there to wait out the bounty hunters. They called first-year students Yu Haibara and Kento Nanami to provide support in case of an attack at the airport.

The group returned to Jujutsu High 48 hours later, where Toji Fushiguro was lying in wait. After Gojo stayed to tackle Toji despite having been stabbed once, Geto took the two women to Master Tengen. However, taking advantage of the boy’s exhaustion, Toji used the Inverted Spear of Heaven to stab Gojo through his throat and head.

In the halls of the Tombs of the Star, Geto promised Amanai that should she choose to decline the merger and return to Kuroi, he and Gojo would do their best to protect her as the strongest sorcerers of their world. Just as Amanai was about to take Geto’s hand, she was killed by Toji, who announced that Gojo was dead. In retaliation, Geto summoned his two strongest curses and prepared to fight the Sorcerer Killer.

Creative Liberties

gojo and Toji meet in winter in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Given that the other aspects of this season remained the same as or were elevated from their quality in the previous two episodes, it seems redundant to praise them again. Particular attention, however, must be given to Yuichi Nakamura and Takahiro Sakurai for bringing out Gojo’s arrogance and Geto’s humanity, respectively, in this episode.

Mappa seems determined to ignore the height difference between Gojo and Geto, which, although inconsequential, seems too arbitrary a detail to get wrong amidst so many complex elements. The Okinawa beach scene brings this to the viewers’ attention most clearly.

The animation in the first half of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3, as will be discussed below, focuses on Riko Amanai and her view of Okinawa. A very interesting detail, which is somewhat of a creative liberty taken by Director Miyajima, is that while Okinawa is shown through Riko’s eyes, her enjoyment of the place is shown through Gojo and Geto’s viewpoint.

Riko's death in manga vs anime (Image via MAPPA)

Another key difference is the moment of Riko’s death. While the manga also shows it from Geto’s point of view, director Miyajima puts the viewer completely in Geto’s shoes. The effect is as disturbing as it is melancholy and helps the viewers understand the drastic negative change this one death wrought in Geto’s psyche.

Similarly, the director seems to lean towards gore and shock factor, and the anime's original shot of Gojo’s presumed dead body crawling with flies is a true testament to this. The use of blood seemed excessive in some cases as well.

The animation in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3

Gojo's Blue in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 3 (Image via MAPPA)

Mappa has become well known for their animation, and Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 has perhaps provided them with one of the greatest opportunities for improvisation. Gojo and Toji’s battle is one of the most revered ones in the series, and Mappa has taken every care to translate it as well as possible onto the screen.

The fight is eye-catching and exciting in the manga, but Mappa’s animation has brought it to life. This battle is easily on par with, and in certain opinions superior to, every famous battle from season 1. The animation of Gojo’s Blue alone makes the episode one of the best in the series so far.

Then, where does the question of overdoing it come in? The entirety of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 is not made of battle sakuga. In fact, most of this episode is emotional and content-heavy, needing a delicate touch and a sensitive presentation. While director Miyajima handles the presentation brilliantly, the vibrant animation and layered art style take away the gravity of some of the situations.

Riko's Isolation in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 3 (Image via MAPPA)

During the scene of Riko’s isolation, while the scene was elevated by reinterpreting what was approximately three static manga panels, the piercing blue tone of the water that surrounded Riko took a considerable amount of attention away from her monolog.

Similarly, when Gojo was stabbed during Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3, the constant movement of characters failed to deliver the same level of shock when Toji appeared, as the two simplistic manga panels had. In cases such as Toji stabbing Gojo or shooting Riko, the fluid movements, while adding depth and realism, take away the drastic shift in tone that marks both instances as two of the best turning points in the series.

Another glaring issue is the heavy use of gore in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3. Not only is that disturbing for many viewers but the excess of blood somehow managed to lessen the impact of Gojo’s wounds and his death. However, praise must be given to the accurate portrayal of a headshot as seen in Riko’s case.

The handling of Riko Amanai in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3

Riko and water imagery (Image via MAPPA)

One thing that stands out in this episode amidst the battle and the ensuing tragedy is the director’s handling of Riko Amanai’s isolation. The anguish that Riko felt as being “special” was already potent in the manga, but the voice acting and the animation elevated it to a more heartbreaking level.

The excess of blue and green, colors usually associated with open air and freedom, brings Riko’s captivity to stark attention. The scenes in Okinawa, in particular, allowed the viewer to see how few experiences a 14-year-old child has had the opportunity to gather, how small their lives are, and how long they still have left to live.

Mangaka Akutami has always used the imagery of fishes and water to imply suffocation and helplessness, and the shot of Riko in front of the large window of captured fishes brought this out. Moreover, the classical music in the background shrouded the whole scene with a sense of melancholy that persisted through the subsequent battle and Riko’s own death.

Riko's death in the Tombs of the Star (Image via MAPPA)

The episode, in essence, was as much a eulogy for Riko Amanai as it was for Satoru and Suguru’s innocence. Some would say that Riko was the manifestation of their innocence, hope, and optimism, and her death marked the beginning of their descent.

Director Miyajima clearly holds with this view, and his organic camera angles in both the Okinawa scenes and the Tomb of the Star scenes show the impact of Riko on the two boys through their eyes, and not a slightly detached point of view as Akutami seems to prefer.

Final thoughts

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3, while a near-perfect iteration of the issue for the screen, lacks some of the shock factor that comes from Akutami’s abrupt and static style. This is not to say that Mappa should limit its animation. It is foolish and impractical to ask for manga-style art in an anime.

But perhaps taking more liberties with the content and art direction as they have been would serve better than trying to make the art style more complex when a simple style has served the purpose of the story perfectly so far. Certain scenes require a more jarring transition as compared to smooth animation, in certain cases, the color palette needs to be muted and drab in order to deliver the desired effect.

While Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 3 is clearly the best episode of the season in terms of animation, it also falls a little short when it comes to delivering the impact of certain scenes. Hopefully, this minor issue will be fixed in the next episode so that the viewers may experience the most pivotal points in Gojo and Geto’s life properly.