Review: JJK: Execution rushes through the Shibuya Incident and then serves up some fresh thrills and kills

For the second time this year, JUJUTSU KAISEN is gracing the big screen, this time with JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution, which combines a blitz through much of the show's second season, and shows a couple episodes from the much-anticipated third season, which starts airing next month. 

It isn't as satisfying a program as JUJUTSU KAISEN: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death - The Movie was. That one, comprised of the second season's first six episodes, was a full arc. So it played well in a theatrical setting, feeling almost like a prequel movie when edited together. That's not the case here, which is fine. This is more in line with the theatrical programs we've gotten this year for Witch Watch (my beloved) and Dan Da Dan: a bunch of episodes that are just a chunk of a show and don't feel like they're particularly meant to be watched this way. Ultimately, this is just a way for fans to see some Season 3 stuff early.

I don't count myself a particular fan of JJK, as it's abbreviated. I like the show well enough, and I caught up this year to be prepared for the theatrical outings, but I find it a bit convoluted and confusing a lot of the time. And there are so many action scenes that everything else gets kind of lost in the shuffle. When the show does slow down a bit for character moments, comedic asides, and deepening lore, I'm happy. But for me, those sorts of scenes are too few-and-far-between for this to rank amongst my favorite anime.

The gist of the show, for those not in the know, is that magic-wielding Jujutsu sorcerers exist in the world, and battle curses (basically monsters) that are invisible to most humans. There's a whole hierarchy of power at play, which is where I get lost: rankings of sorcerers, curses, evil curse wielders. Some of the cursed spirits look human, while others are clearly monstrous abominations. A lot of the time, I just turn my brain off and enjoy the pretty animation.

And the animation has never been prettier than in the Season 3 stuff included in Execution. This is a great looking show, with ecstatic and fluid and colorful animation, and that's never been truer than it is here. The explosive colors of the "Culling Game Arc" footage are stunning, expressive, and feel different than what we've seen in the series before. The hierarchy of power in JJK has changed; we're in a new era now, and the look and feel of what's coming reflects that.

As far as what this program consists of, the first half is a very rushed compilation of the Shibuya Incident, which makes up the bulk of Season 2. This is the massive showdown between the forces of good and evil in Shibuya on Halloween 2018. While it's 18 episodes of the show, here, it's about 45 minutes or something, so it is basically incomprehensible if you haven't seen the show. Hell, I watched it super recently and still felt dizzy and lost watching the haphazard edit here. Things slow down once we get to the showdown between Yuji and Mahito. From then on, we're basically watching the last couple episodes, trimmed down, yeah, but fairly intact.

(In case it isn't already clear, this is absolutely not a place to jump into JJK if you haven't seen the show before. You will be lost, probably bored, and extremely confused.)

The real draw of Execution is getting to see the early episodes of Season 3, in which Yuta Okkotsu, the protagonist of JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (the prequel movie that remains my favorite part of this series), is assigned to execute Yuji. Okkotsu is such an awesome character, arguably a more compelling protagonist than Yuji, and seeing him back in action is a thrill. With Gojo out of the picture, the world of the sorcerers has become topsy-turvy, with various forces vying for power. Of course, as the vessel of Sukuna (15 fingers deep now), Yuji is seen as more of a threat than ever.

I don't want to get too deep into what the new material contains, because fans won't want to be spoiled, and it will be meaningless to the uninitiated, so there's not really a point. But I'll just say that I'm extremely excited to watch Season 3. The action scenes are incredible, featuring such dynamic and interesting animation that really feels like the show is breaking new ground. There are some fascinating character interactions at play, some uneasy alliances that could play out in fun ways. And there's a clear direction for where the show is heading next, complete with a great cliffhanger that has me hungry for more.

(One very funny bit. The "Culling Game" name of this arc refers to a death game being set up that our heroes will presumably end up in. At one point during Execution, the rules pop up, and the subtitles fly by so fast that it is impossible to read even one complete sentence. Like, clearly we're not supposed to be able to read them, but it was still funny they even bothered translating them at all. The audience had a good laugh during this bit.)

While I've been a mild fan of the series since starting the show proper (while being a true lover of 0), watching Execution made me think there's hope for me yet, and maybe I'll find more to love as I continue moving forward with JJK.