©Courtesy of GKIDS
Three of the biggest anime franchises share certain similarities. In Chainsaw Man, they fight devils, while in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba they do indeed slay demons. In the case of Jujutsu Kaisen, human “Jujutsu Sorcerers” battle so-called “Curses,” demonic monsters that coalesce from the excess negative energy humans release into the air. The young protagonists of each popular series must confront evil, while coming to terms with the toll their heightened powers and responsibilities exact from their own basic humanity. Unfortunately, Yuji Itadori will have little time for reflection. Instead, he fights Curses and rival Sorcerers throughout almost every frame of Shouta Goshozono’s anime feature Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, based on Gege Akutami’s manga and produced by the MAPPA animation house, which opens this Friday in theaters, courtesy of GKIDS.
A horde of Curses descends on crowded Shibuya Metro station. Senior Sorcerer Satoru Gojo stands against the most powerful entities, while Itadori and his friends (like hammer-wielding Nobara Kugisaki) wage various side battles. Despite their efforts, the so-called “Shibuya Incident” ends tragically, as fans well know. Essentially, the first half of Execution condenses multiple episodes from the anime series’ second season into a supercut barrage of magic-infused martial arts action.
Frankly, even if they have watched every previous installment of the anime series, audience members will be hard-pressed to impose a narrative throughline over the first forty minutes or so. Still, you also might start to understand why Jujutsu Kaisen inspires intense fan loyalty, judging from the spectacularly violent but slightly surreal imagery and the driving musical score. Even during the most disorienting sequences, the sky-high stakes are always readily apparent.
©Courtesy of GKIDS
About halfway through, Goshozono and screenwriter Hiroshi Seko finally start advancing their narrative, rather than simply revisiting the franchise’s greatest hits (which admittedly have plenty of pop). For reasons not fully explained (but presumably with scapegoating in mind), the Jujutsu Sorcerers’ governing body sentences Itadori and his ally Choso to death. Their respective executions will be carried out by two powerful senior Sorcerers, Yuta Okkotsu and Naoya Zen’in (names that hold great significance for established fans), who form a temporary alliance to complete their deadly missions.
Of course, this gives rise to even more spectacular magically-enhanced martial arts sequences that are only intermittently interrupted by flashbacks to Itadori’s painful family history (which will probably confuse more than enlighten franchise newcomers). Eventually, Execution hints at “the Culling,” an upcoming survival tournament for Jujutsu Sorcerers that follows points-per-kill rules not unlike that of the “Kodoku” game in Last Samurai Standing, but for patrons of the film, this merely represents a teaser for future series episodes.
Without question, Execution presupposes familiarity with the previous story, which it basically picks up in mid-flow. Consequently, it does not stand alone easily, especially compared to Chainsaw Man – Reze Arc, which was also co-written by Seko. It is a dazzling highlight reel—that could possibly induce sensory overload amongst the overly sensitive.
©Courtesy of GKIDS
Nonetheless, the concept of negative human emotional energy generating the monstrous Curses is a richly archetypal concept. It expresses a keenly Calvinist notion of human nature, suggesting the monsters that plague our world do not come from alien planets or Lovecraftian dimensions. They are the product of the darkest corners of our soul. Perhaps the anime and manga more fully explore the potential philosophical implications of this premise, but Execution hardly allows viewers time to take a breath. Rather, it blasts us in the face with a fire-hose of Jujutsu combat.
Of course, diehard fans will appreciate the opportunity to see Itadori and Choso pushed to their breaking points by Zen’in and Okkotsu. This film is all action, all the time, so fortunately, Goshozono and company have a talent for realizing uncanny mele through animation. Recommended for fans but not so much the uninitiated, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution opens this Friday (12/5) in theaters.
©Courtesy of GKIDS
Grade: B-
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Here’s the trailer of the film.