Jujutsu Kaisen Reviews

Real talk: I saw an image of Maki Zenin from the manga and I was… “that’s a cool design”. Also, I’m the type of guy that would watch something just because there is a hot femme in it. So, it was obvious that I was going to give it a chance. Besides, the animation looks pretty, so why not?

Well, turns out there are a lot of reasons to say no.

The show actually started kind of okay, I mean, I liked it a bit, nothing special but enough to continue. The anime was lucky to have those first 6 episodes, cause, it got really shit afterwards. All of the shonen anime tropes yet again sometimes done worse than usual, which is funny because a character makes fun of tropey cliche horror movies. Talk about self-awareness.

Now, tropey or cliche is not bad by itself, is when writers don’t do even the bare minimum to make it their own. Like the story with the bullied kid, it happens in real life and everything, but the way that was done was almost exactly the fucking same that other bad animes that I seen: incredibly basic, exaggerated, pretentious, sort of nihilistic, very emo shit. What is the unique lens and perspective of the author? Who knows.

“People have no hearts” Is this kid retarded?

The answer is yes, since he thinks that the weird looking dude that brutally murdered some children for talking to loud in an empty movie theater is a good person. I know he’s biased, but Jesus fuck, man.

Now, at the very least that guy gets manipulated by a villain and that could be cool, but again, that was also, very, very, painfully basic. Also, the villain. I thought he was fucking dogshit at the beginning, he had a very common personality for anime villains, that exaggerated childish and bubbly behavior, contrasted by exaggerated sadistic behavior. But, he is a child, technically, so I guess it makes sense, also, he is born of just pure evil emotion. He is a main villain, so I would give him some leisure to develop and be better, but I won’t hold my breath, the anime hasn’t earned shit from me. I’m just extremely good faith sometimes…

That whole arc was boring as fuck, tho, super edgy, super shit. I almost quit.

But no, I stayed for the even more boring tournament arc. Now, I’m not gonna say much about that cause… why would I bother? I fell asleep.

That arc illustrates one of the worst aspects of this show: the sheer inability to correctly deliver information, and giving unnecessary information in bad times. In other words, the exposition is dogshit. And that is the central theme of my thesis…

Not only do characters explain shit outloud for no reason about their abilities and backstories in battle, but they also explain their abilities in internal monologues to… themselves? Like WTF? They do not only make that basic mistake of explaining what every character around already knows, but they also explain in their MINDS shit that they already know about themselves. That’s insane, do you understand?

“I can do this shit, and invoke this many motherfuckers to do this and that…” Who are you talking to, my dude? Stop it.

And they often do it in the middle of a battle, stopping the flow of said battle. That is not how you deliver information in an audiovisual medium. Why are the other characters listening to this shit? I thought you bitches were fighting.

Is the clumsiest and most artificial way of letting the audience know what’s happening or can happen with their powers. I’m not retarded, I can understand what’s happening by seeing it, you don’t need to tell me in the middle of the fight. You can explain later what is not self-explanatory or explain it before in a natural way. Or even during, that could be fine, but it has to be natural, it has to make sense.

“He used it as a decoy and released it?” Yes. I just saw it. Why are you telling me, close eyes? I saw it with my blood-filled eyes because you´re giving me cancer!

“Water? I’m being swept away by the volume and pressure?!” OMG, dude. I’m seeing it. Right now! Why are you narrating? What’s going on!?

I fucking hate that guy. Emo boy is no better, he explains part of his philosophy in the middle of the fight. Why? It doesn’t matter. Just punch him! That was annoying, but the monk guy? Oh, the monk guy…

“I’m doing this for my momma, I can’t lose”. Dude, shut your mind!! “I need to keep pretending” NOOOOOO.

Why are they telling me all the secret motivations for this people and the secret things that they are doing and thinking? Those things are plot twist, mysteries, revelations that allow you to see characters in a different light. But no, the show is allergic to these compelling things, instead opting for letting you know every single thing about them when is not fucking relevant. This is not the time!

What’s the point of Nobara remembering her friend? It means nothing to the story at hand and its just distracting. Just let us know that she REALLY wanted to leave her hometown and way later, when I give a shit and is important, explain why.

One last thing about that episode. I thought the point was to see what would she do in a dire situation like that, what hard choice would she make. But then the protagonist helps her, completely destroying said moment and… then what? I didn’t learn anything. She wasn’t force to act, it got cut so fast. What would she do? I don’t know.

Lost opportunity to learn her way of thinking. She does say something important in the final episode, but there’s no context as to how or why she got there, she just does, which is fine!! But is kinda underwhelming considering that early scene. Does that kid have a sit in her life? Humm.

The only one that matters is the twins story, the rest were not necessary at all. And even that one was bad, very poorly explain. Oh yeah, that’s also the thing, the show is very bad at backstories, they are always so short and vague and could be cut off and lose nothing. The only good one is the one from salaryman. Is was not important for the plot, but it did help to understand him more.

“Liar”, thought Mai.

I’m sorry, is she holding her sister accountable for what she said when she was like 6 years old? Fucking LOL.

Continuing with the unnecessary information in bad moments, another example is the evil brothers of the last arc. We fucking learn that they are at least part human BEFORE the main characters do, so instead of being shocked that they are not disappearing after death along with them, we already know, so it means nothing. The revelation is underwhelming.

Why tell me their origin story? Huh? Leave it for later, man. Is not important at the moment and it would be WAY more impactful if we learn it along with the characters. Stop telling me the backstories like they're fucking TED Talks… And now that we are on that note. Stop explaining me stuff like a fucking PowerPoint presentation. The glasses guy randomly appears to explain things like the Rat in Horrible Histories. Is dumb.

Another example of unnecessary information in bad moments, is the old guy literally thinking to himself and remembering the evil secret plan he just hatched. My dude, my brother in Ala, can you please stop?

I would say tho, in good faith, it kinda works, cause, spoiler, his plan dies like immediately and is sort of SNK moment when the colossal titan reappears, you remember? When Eren is talking big shit and BOOM, surprise motherfucker!! Kinda like that.

Still, is really dumb. I could and should have happen in real time, like with the meeting, because yeah, is not illegal to not have a mystery or secret plan in certain moments, that’s not what I saying, is just that the show does it all the time. It happens the way that it happens not because is more effective, but because that’s the only way the show knows how to deliver information.

So, that’s my special issue with this show, is probably the worse anime I ever seem in the exposition department. It damages everything it touches. That’s the only reason I wrote this review, because I’m not only complaining yet again about a shonen being cliche crap.

I still think the show has potential, but that could only be my thirst for Maki speaking.

There are some okay stuff, like Todo. I actually… don’t hate him. He was really shit at the beginning, but he actually has an interesting way of seeing stuff. Besides the retarded “what type of women do you like?”, he’s obsession with the idol (that only works for Shinpachi), and his ridiculous personality, he has cool standards for what a friend should be, and he would let you die if you don’t fulfill that. That’s actually interesting.

I’m hopeful for Maki as well.

And that’s it.

3/10.

PD: I bloody hate Kamo.

PD2: What is up with those after credits scenes? You’re not Gintama, show, you’re not that funny.