*All Reviews Are Spoiler-Free Aside From Any Spoiler Sections*
*This is a bare-bones/lite review made after only a single viewing. (Hence there not being any replay rating)*
Riko is rescued, but a bounty has been placed on her head by the Sorcerer Killer! She refuses to go to Jujutsu Tech until she absolutely has to, opting to go to school like normal instead, making her a walking target for Curse Users looking for an easy paycheck. Plus, Gojo's technique is finally explained, and it seems like he has some other secret behind his power?!?! WHAT COULD IT BE?! FIND OUT LATER THIS ARC!!
I am so happy the Six Eyes has finally been name dropped. Don't know what it is? It doesn't matter, the name tells you nothing really and I won't explain it since it's a spoiler, but it should have been introduced in Season 1 but wasn't and now that it's an actual future plot point it has to be introduced thank god. Anyway, the story is golden, the emotions I feel watching it are incredible and so much better than what I felt reading the manga. Plus this really expanded upon the quaint and simple vibe of this arc in the manga, giving a lot of slow moments, although perhaps too many to be honest. This episode is also absolutely hilarious and we finally get some proper action, though really it's all very simple and not too bombastic, which is a shame but we still have more to come so I have high hopes. That aside, since this isn't the place to talk about action, the exposition could definitely use some work, but the episode really makes us play catch-up, with characters having stories and taking actions that we don't get to see, mentioning things we don't know about, making the world feel real. Although I could do without the hamfisted betting metaphor throughout the whole episode. The ending is too fast, and a few other parts are too, but the ending really is pretty bad, there's no real tension behind it, especially as a manga reader, so that wasn't a great note to end on, but aside from that, this really was a fantastic episode with cool moments and hilarious moments both! Riko is precious, she must be protected at all costs.
The acting is perfect, the Sorcerer Killer (I legit forget if his first name has been said yet so I'm not gonna call him it even though it's known from the announcements) has grown on me, as expected, being a perfect voice and an absolute menace. We have more side characters and villains too, all of whom are amazing, each standing out in their own ways, and the main characters are as perfect as ever! 10/10, nothing else to add.
Okay, look, I'm gonna say it, I am in the camp of preferring the old JJK animation. It might have had its issues, but the fluidity of this new style throws me off, especially since it seems like Mappa is scared to really go crazy with it, making me fear that they don't know how to do an actually epic fight scene with it. Now, there are parts of this episode that make me hopeful, and the fact that I could spot no 3D when this is Mappa so there was almost certainly 3D somewhere, makes me very happy, and the off model animation was great too. The animation sadly is my greatest gripe, with the fights feeling anticlimactic, although that does narratively make sense. It feels like Mappa spent more time animating Geto making tea than they did making Gojo's eyes sexy. You can debate which is more important. Still, this is a massive step up from the first episode of this season and aside from everything I've said I have few other complaints. The stinger is... well it caught me off guard to be sure, I don't really have anything to say about that yet I don't think. The set design was great but in a few places it felt lacking or like it was too much for what it was. The cinematography also has one particular scene where its metaphor is way too obvious and one particular scene where the shot just flat out feels way too artsy to really work. The music and sound design were great, the lighting is out of this world, I've got no other complaints really. Stunning work from Mappa and I hope it only gets better.
All in all, a big step up and another episode of making my least favorite arc actually really enjoyable. I loved the comedy, though the exposition and metaphors could be done without at times, and the characterization and somber moments really just work incredibly well. The acting is perfect, no change there. The animation is much better with no weird 3D malarky and more action, albeit pretty simplistic. Still the animation is beautiful and much improved with lots of signs it will only get better. I don't really have a lot to say because of how great this episode was, but I can't wait to see next episode because it's only going to be better, I know it already!
Total - 9
Plot - 9
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Story - 10
Pacing - 9
Dialogue - 9
Narration - NR
Exposition - 8
Adaptation - 10
Enjoyment - 9
Twist/s - NR
Resolution/s - NR
Ending/s - 8
Acting - 10
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MC/s - 10
SC/s - 10
BG/s - 10
Narrator/s - NR
Animation/Effects - 9
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Music - 10
Voice Effects - 10
2D Animation - 9
3D Animation - 10
Set Pieces - 9
Designs - 10
Action - 8
Cinematography - 9
Sounds - 10
Replay - NR
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Re-Enjoyment - NR
New Details - NR.
