Jujutsu Kaisen 2: Does it live up to the hype?

After the wild ride that was its first season, and the insane amount of hype it carried, it's kinda surprising how cool everyone's been about this new season of Jujutsu Kaisen.

You'd think some people would be sharpening their pitchforks, ready to dive into chaos just to prove a point, but nope! It's all pretty civil. Why? Because, well, it seems everyone agrees - this season is great so far.

Flashback, Madness, and the Shibuya showdown
Season 2 starts with a flashback, then gradually brings us back to the present day. You have to know what went down in the past to get why things are the way they are now. It's like connecting the dots, and it all leads up to the highly anticipated Shibuya Incident arc.

Some reviews claim Suguru's descent into madness is rushed, and I kinda see where they're coming from, but I think it still hits the mark. The sudden change seems intentional, like they want to highlight a contrast. This arc isn't meant to drag on; it's just a message that needs to be delivered. And finally, when we hit that "Oct 31st, 2018, 8:31 PM. Satoru Gojo arrives" moment, it's both amazing and chilling.

If you've noticed that, apart from a couple of characters, the rest are strangers at first, don't worry. This season will fill you in. The regular cast is just taking a little detour before the showdown. And if some new characters look suspiciously like the old ones, it's a deliberate choice by Mappa.

Visual and musical delights
The animation style's had a little tweak, but it looks great. With a change in directors, you'd expect some differences, but in my opinion, that’s not a bad thing. Fights are as smooth as ever, if a tad lighter on the details. The general scenes are good, and the comedic moments, especially the chibi scenes, are on point. The highlight, though, has to be ep 33 when Gojo takes on the transfigured humans. The first season was more detailed, but this still looks amazing.

Season 1 had a great soundtrack that really helped set the mood.
It's crucial that the on-screen action syncs up with the music; otherwise, those standout moments can fall flat. You can see it as early as the first episode of this season, the way the soundtrack complements Mei Mei and Utahime exploring the cursed mansion. Sadly, two of the original composers didn't return, but it's still good.
Also, the first opening – musically, it's as good as it gets. The ending theme is pretty catchy as well.

You'd have to be pretty elitist not to enjoy even a little bit of JJK S2. It's a solid show that checks a lot of boxes for what I want from a modern shonen. Sure, it's different from the first season, but it's still a ton of fun, and definitely features some of the best scenes yet.