Anime 48561 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Movie Reviews

(Spoiler-free review)
In 2019, Kimetsu no Yaiba took the anime world by storm and then followed up with a movie in late 2020 that smashed all box office records to become the top grossing movie of all time in Japan. Jujutsu Kaisen seems to be following the same strategy, having been arguably the most popular anime series released in 2020, and judging by how absolutely packed the movie theater was, it will probably be another record-setting anime film in terms of financial success. However, how is the movie in terms of actual content? Pretty damn good I must say, even coming from someone who enjoyed the ... anime but did not buy into the hype train at all.

The story is a prequel to the series, and stars previously unseen character Yuta. This movie shows the incident with the mysterious villain Getou, which was only mentioned in passing/hinted at in the series, and finally fleshes Getou out as a complex character with interesting motives and backstory. The story itself is rather straightforward and nothing to write home about, but serves its job well of further world-building and character introduction.

The prequel sees the return of series favorite Gojou-sensei, with the sempai trio Maki, Panda, and Inumaki also getting ample screen time. It showcases their characters a bit more than the original series did, which was a very welcome usage of running time. Nanami and the Kyoto school team also make an appearance, and although they do not have an influence on the story, their fight scenes/cameo were much appreciated.

My one gripe with the characters is with Yuta, the movie’s main protagonist. Personality-wise, he is like a slightly less annoying version of Shinji from Evangelion. His powers are poorly-defined and kind of overpowered, a deviation from the “technique-based” fighting styles that all other characters are introduced to have in the series. His backstory is also very cookie-cutter generic for anime protagonists. However, he did not annoy me as much as Shinji does and I grew to like him by the end, so this was not a huge complaint.

As expected of Mappa, one of the few studios that can rival the likes of Ufotable and KyoAni in terms of animation quality, the animation here was top-notch. All of the fight scenes (half the reason I went to see it on opening day) were crisp and an absolute pleasure to look at. There were some awkward CGI-assisted shots and far-away shots that did not look as good as the rest of the movie, but they were sufficiently few and far between that I was not bothered.

The soundtrack for the film was great, but nothing outstanding or particularly memorable, working well as background music. The ending songs were kind of generic and not my cup of tea, but I might grow to like them with repeat listens.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this movie and really liking the plot threads it sets up that should be further explored in future seasons, and it got me excited for the future of this franchise.

(Side note: JEREMY LIN spotted in the film credits haha.)

Overall: 8/10
Story: 7/10
Animation: 9/10
Sound: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

So basically i don't even know what's going on. I'm just gonna jump into the points because i suck at writing.

Story (2)
Tbh, the story sucked. The plot is just going backward and forward, as the flashback is too much and keep repeating. Also at 30 min from the beginning, the story is so plain, too fast, and confusing that i can't even enjoy it as a proper "movie". I feel that they are really sacrificing all the story plot just for the animation and graphic.

Art (9)
Yeah, just as the tv series the animation is good. Also to remind this is a movie, so the art ... is just keep going on and on.

Sound (6)
The bgm is good, and the song is really good especially the one at the beginning. Really fit with the fight scene. But what went wrong, it just at some (many) point the sound just went up loud like from a normal volume then instantly went up by 300%. It's just too damn loud like there a huge concert behind the fighting scene

Character (5)
Seriously, the mc suck. I don't know if he was exactly like that in the manga, but it just feel like a "tryhard fitting mc". He is seriously like a dumb face idiot person who just luckily have the most op power in the movie. Even he train his strength as the minute passes, that dumb face is still there which is somewhat "why". The rest character is good, and also the antagonist are also good.

Overall (4)
Honestly, it feels more like OVA rather than a movie. I seriously can't think about the story they bring here, it just awful. Like i only feel the enjoyment when the "final" fight begin. The early minute is nothing like a movie at all. No explanatory or nothing. Many anime movie that I watched are more significantly better than this.

omega-mid

-captivating key animation:
Great movement of characters. Despite the fight scenes using extremely fast cuts, the viewer is still able to understand the action on screen without being disoriented.

-little direction, essentially:
"power-hungry ethno-fascists need to try having friends," also "I need to protect my friends and loved-ones (but only for the sake of protecting them because they are my friends despite only knowing said 'friends' for a few days)." This movie is not only extremely cliched, but the director and writers failed to at least subvert the viewer's expectations or add any originality to such a generic story.

-poor pacing:
The first 30-ish minutes reveals ... little to nothing about the characters and only establishes setting which should have been done alongside character exposition and development; this film could have easily been under 90 minutes long. The primary message this movie wanted to share with its audience is the experience to let go of a loved one after they pass on. However, this is barely addressed throughout the film, once to establish why the main character is cursed by his childhood wife(?) and is then resolved at the climax.

-poor use of characters:
There is too much emphasis placed on background characters who do not support the main story line besides solely existing for the sake of moving the plot (e.g. big city battle). Even supporting characters like Inumaki and Panda who fail to provide much to the development of the story besides moving the plot or being cute for the sake of being cute.

-poor use of medium
One of the main pitfalls of JJK is its use of the extremely cliched shonen anime trope: telling instead of showing. Several times throughout the film, the entire plot and all action on screen will completely stop to explain some random mechanic of the a character's abilities, like it's a power-point. Spoon-feeding the audience in this manner is a great example of lazy and unimaginative writing.

-decent art
The backgrounds and environments are pretty to look at but again, there is little to no use of mise en scene; not a clever or thoughtful way to tell a narrative.

-poor audio mixing and sound design
Extremely corny soundtrack trying to force a feeling -- especially during the final fight scene I felt like I was watching an AMV from 2008. Sound editing was annoying at best, there were several moments when sfx foley were so poorly mixed that it literally hurt. Loud=emotional. Bassdrops=emotional.

Overall, 3/10, this film does not tell a thoughtful story, and prefers to tell the audience what is going on rather than showing it by using cliched and uncreative motifs to force emotions onto the viewer. The only redeeming quality JJK has as a franchise is its eye-catching key animation (nevermind MAPPA being notorious for not compensating their employees fairly). At best, this movie and series is ultimately just eye-candy.

(Contains Spoilers) my 2nd review
Just watched it on the release day

Story - Even though it is a simple story about Yuta when he was a first year student , they did an outstanding job making it very entertaining, and end the story with a good conclusion.

Art - As expected from MAPPA, amazing animation throughout the whole course of the movie. The fight scenes are VERY GOOD, especially the fight between Yuta and Geto.


Sound - The music is OUTSTANDING it fits every scene in the movie.

...
Character - Love the characters. The story of when Maki and the other second year students were first year students, the reaction on when they met Yuta for the 1st time, and especially the character development. There were also appearances of the students from Kyoto.


Enjoyment - It was very enjoyable. Every second of the movie was worth my time.


Overall - After watching the movie, I think it is better if they made Yuta as the main character instead of Yuji, but it's still good either way.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is basically a setup for an epic but inconsequential final fight, with competent but unremarkable and simple story. This story however undermines the plot of the main series and leaves stupid, unnecessary questions that lay unanswered.

Plotline is as generic as it gets: a protagonist which wants to save his loved one from a curse and antagonists which believes that might makes right and weaklings should worship him as a god. The only strength of this story is Yuuta's development. Our protagonist starts out as a shy, scared and bullied boy which gains confidence and friends throughout the runtime. Nothing original, but execution ... is good enough to make it somewhat compelling.

Maybe it's me, but i found relationship between Yuuta and Rika very weird. I know that falling in love with someone at a young age is a popular trope in Japan, but it still weirded me out enough to never take this relationship seriously.

Protagonists strength is also a problem, he basically can one shot the main antagonist of both the movie and the main series undermining Getou's threat as a villain. Yuuta's absence is also unexplained in the anime. I had to google if there was a reason at all and it is there, mappa just doesn't care to put it in their work.

Talking about unexplained, fate of Getou after the movie is also totally cut out from the anime. With how he ended up in this movie you would expect something referencing his past in the anime but nope.

Another thing about this movie is that it is a terrible idea for a prequel.
Yuuta much like Itadori is new to the Jujutsu high school and so movie has to often stop and explain how things work to its protagonist. It would be fine if it wasn't the second time we have to hear those explanations.
Not only pacing of this movie suffers from constant explaining but there is also no tension as we know who survives and don't feel anything when characters get into tough spot. We know they are gonna be ok so who cares if it looks like they are about to die.

Let's talk about the finally which suffers from the same issue. The scale of what is happening is enormous. Basically if villains win its the end of the world, what does it mean? It means that they won't win. We know that Tokyo, Kyoto and jujutsu high school survive this movie so antagonists have to fail from the start. It is a fundamental failure in concept which should have stakes at a much smaller scale. to be compelling. It is also funny how unresolved the final fight in the cities is. Movie doesn't even bother to show a resolution to a duel between two of the strongest humans out there.
Final fight between Yuuta and Getou is also unsatisfying as our protagonist is op and far stronger then the antagonist.

I should also say that this movie has a lot of cringe humor which made me feel like a weirdo for watching it in a cinema.

Technically zero is much better then plot wise.
Mappa put all of their hearts into making a spectacle and they succeeded.
Their high quality of animation features a lot of movement and crazy fight scenes with camera panning around to showcase crazy choreography (which sometimes feels like it defies gravity). Outside the fights some of the more simple scenes looked nice as well, with simple walking in the corridor feeling good.

Sound effects were always on point whether it was a fight scene or sounds of footsteps. I had some mixed feelings about the soundtrack. While the quality and variety was very good I felt like it sometimes was inappropriately intense for what was going on. I also have to say that iconic voice of Shinji from Evangelion worked really well for the protagonist and i enjoyed the performance of the voice actors as a whole.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a mixed bag of amazing animation, mediocre personal story and overall bad plotline.

I don’t think I have ever encountered an anime movie that has better spacing than this. It built up to the fight with heartwarming character development while still managed to show off what the other side’s fighting for. The balance of the jokes and the sadness was just as good as it was throughout the series. The senpais got the screentime which they didn’t get during the anime so that’s also great as all three of them are wonderful people (and panda).
I really enjoyed the glimpses of Satoru and Suguru, it didn’t get emotional over them at all so you can put your emotions ... to it if you want to, it’s up the watcher.
The big fight hit it up with new characters too, which makes you wait for the next series, good move.

And then there was Okkotsu. That’s a character to love and want to protect at all cost. The drop in the end was also nice even if you kinda expect it. (Giving him to Ogatasan to voice was a great choice too.)

I’m not a fan of King Gnu but both the op and ed were great giving it a beating start with a beating ending. I liked that it didn’t end with a ballad even though it had a heartwarming ending.

I don’t need to say much about the animation right? I mean it IS mappa after all.

My god this movie is soo boring. Me and my wife were literally struggling to watch this movie as the first hour was a snooze fest. At the interval is where we discovered that we fucked up coming to this movie. Because the second half doesnt get any better. The Comedy didnt land at all in any place. The MC is just there, as usual tragic backstory, gets powered up with his friends are hurt and comes in peace with his inner demons. And i could see a Mile away of the twist these guys conjured thinking it might make the watchers scream. Well guess ... what it didnt. This story is bland, here aand there action sequences where good but it gets over very quickly. and it gives no time to feel and admire or soak that adrenaline rush in our body.

Story:4/10
Art : 9/10
Characters: 4/10
Music: 7/10

Overall i feel like i should have waited for this movie to come in OTT or something. we both feel like we could have got something better to eat and get our stomachs full than watch this movie.

First viewing of a non-english speaking film in a cinema, so that was a nice experience.

I consider the volume 0 manga counterpart to be better than the main series, and my feelings here remain the same; the film is better than the show. Its central narrative premise is intriguing, containing a rather saddening concept that beats out Itadori’s generic shounen story.
Because I have similar feelings of this to the manga original, that means I share the same problems. Mainly how the fighting exists just because there needs to be action. The transition in focus from Okkotsu to “war” felt like 2 non-correlating threads just ... forced together. I must add how all tension is lost too, either from already knowing the outcomes because of manga, or knowing outcomes due to callbacks in the original show (they mentioned how Okkotsu was away overseas). Film also did a good job of being a prequel that you can watch first before the show, giving brief explanations of the world.

Adaptation wise, it was a well done job. Mappa is of course extraordinary with animation, really setting new standards and proves they utilise a movie budget perfectly. The soundtrack is more effective and memorable compared to the tv series also. If I had to pick out something, it would be how obvious it was that this is just 4 continuous episodes as a film. No fluidity between them, quite disappointing.

I got out of the theater recently for this movie, JJK0 having a theatrical release in the states starting March 17 (least in my state).

So one thing to get out of the way real quick is a conversation me and my brother had about this movie, which is whether it was canon and relevant to the the JJK series currently running in Shonen Jump and its anime adaptation. The answer this reviewer has is "it probably is". My brothers take, given he knows the manga better than me is "This movie maybe should have come after the next season". Which on reflection, I don't think ... it matters. You just get different effects on viewing experience of the series. One could have read JJK0 (the manga) part way through reading JJK and had a similar head scratching event on their own.

I digress though.

One thing I want to make abundantly clear is that this film is based on the four chapter Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 0, and it is faithful to its source material to a fault. I assume anyone going into this may know of Volume 0, but I wanna touch on that fact cause it actually is a major flaw in this film.

I've speed read Volume 0 real quick, and all the beats I remember seeing in the movie are there. The movie is faithful to a fault.

There's a couple additional scenes in the film, most notably a montage of all the characters we know from the main series appear in the film to either have a moment of glory or just to appear during part of big final battle. But these characters weren't in Volume 0, so their addition is mostly fan service that adds nothing but padding for screen. Don't get me wrong though, it was fun seeing these characters, but this movie has a pacing issue that did not at all sit right with me.

JJK0, the manga, is essentially a one-shot though. It's a good read by itself mind you, but when bringing this story to the big screen I would have argued that the plot be rewritten drastically to better accommodate a theatrical film and take some extreme liberties.

As it stood, it felt like I was just watching a two hour special on the big screen. This isn't the first time I had this feeling, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train gave me a similar feeling until its big final battle where they really ramped up the quality of the film and made me bawl my eyes out with tears.

I will admit, I am looking at this from at least the perspective of "I'm here watching a movie, I kinda expected this thing to hold itself up on some higher standards in conveying plot". But I've also been spoiled in some ways by other Japanese animated films of the last decade or so.

However, the films that have spoiled me are not from the likes of Makoto Shinkai or Mamoru Hosoda. I think some of Ufotable's finer works from what I've seen from them are Kara no Kyokai films, along with the Heaven's Feel adaptation that just goes the extra mile in all the right ways.

So just to clarify, I wasn't coming in to this movie expecting the next Miyazaki. I just feel that MAPPA has done a stellar job with really selling the anime series to me that I was hoping they would in their own way knock my socks off with JJK0. And I also feel that being faithful to the beats of its source material was more of a detriment than anything else.

There's one moment to recollection that's just not in the manga, towards later half when Maki is talking to Yuta about her being a "Failure" and her having flashbacks to her childhood. That struck a chord with me and was really memorable to the point I am recalling it right now. There's a certain quality in that addition that I would have liked to see in the whole of this adaptation.

But I'm speaking purely from the perspective of "I wish the plot of this two hour film I actually saw in theaters for $15 was more than a really expensive and careful adaptation of its source material".

I will at least give it that though, it's faithful to its source material, carefully adapted, and well-executed. You really wouldn't need to read Volume 0, I don't think they leave anything out from what I can tell. It's well animated, very pretty to look at, and had a lot of moments that really made my eyes widen just to drink in the visuals or animation.

If you're already hooked on Jujutsu Kaisen, this is likely worth your time as is.

Nothing special here. Mostly a mediocre straightforward adaptation that adds nothing new

Jujutsu 0 is an adaptation of a good spinoff/prequel to the main series.
Demon Slayer managed to add gorgeous fight scenes to an already good source material. On the other hand, Jujutsu and Jujutsu 0 is a straightforward, standard anime that is good but adds nothing to the Shonan formula.

Story: 6
Straightforward Shonen story. I’ve seen it many times. Boy fights to save damsel in distress etc… Usual “enrollment in supernatural academy”-type plot

Art: 7
Art is decent but inferior to Demon Slayer and other top-level battle anime. MAPPA is a mid-tier studio. Jujutsu really showed the limits ... of this studio. MAPPA has recently been taking a money first approach, prioritizing profit over quality. Jujutsu 0 is nothing to marvel at. There are other far better studios out there like WIT and Ufo.

Sound: 6
Nothing noteworthy here. I felt the laser beams by the elephant cursed spirit had weird sfx. Sounded like scifi laserbeams which was very out of place.
Ending music was good though

Characters: 7
Not enough time to flesh out the side characters.
Okkotsu is a good protagonist. Way more likable than Itadori. I’ve seen many Japanese fans say “make Okkotsu the MC” for the main manga. But is it just me or does Okkotsu feel way too like Shinji? (Akutami is a big Eva fan btw)

Enjoyment: 7
This is subjective so I will not comment

Overall:7
I expected more from MAPPA. Ufo took demon slayer to new levels. So did WIT with Shingeki. MAPPA adds nothing new to an already good manga. This is a one to one adaptation not worth watching if youve already read the manga I’m afraid. Great for newcomers tho.





Additional Note:
I seem to have upset a lot of 13 year old emotional JJK fanboys. They think I’m a Demon Slayer fanboy. I’m not. Both are mediocre typical Shonen anime. However, it is undeniable DS got a far better adaptation than JJK because Ufotable is leagues above MAPPA.

Ok....... let's see.......
Jujutsu kaisen "0".........
So what it is ???

It's basically a prologue of the series with different main character.......
( This movie doesn't have our main trio )

So let's see the good things about the movie

1. MUSIC :
... MUSIC was good.......but one thing that I specifically liked was the OST called "greatest strength".........the introduction of Yuta ( mc ) with this song was fire.......I really got chills..

2. CHARACTERS :
Let's talk about our mc Yuta.........he becomes the my 2nd favourite character of this series after Todo....aside from him I really love the interactions between him and maki...

Now let's talk about the biggest problems of the movies......

1. NOT IMPACTFUL :
now the thing is it's more of a prologue.......U will never be concern for any other characters when they are lying unconscious in a pool of blood or fighting.........if U seen the tv series first.........there are handful of moments where I thought things would be lot more impactful or intense if I seen the movie first......I already knew curtain character not gonna die which destroyed the tension........aside from Rika and maybe some background NPC U never felt the tension

2. STORYLINE :
So storyline in itself isn't a problem here.......but as I say it's a prologue (with different mc )......it's not a continuation of the series like MUGEN Train........so even if U totally skip it it's not gonna effect the main storyline.....

So let's conclude some key points

<1> ANIMATION........was fucking great.......
<2>CHARACTERS.....might not be the most well written but they r enjoyable
<3>MUSIC was awesome
<4>STORYLINE wasn't that impactful
<5>PACING........was good ngl

So should U watch it ????

As I say it's perfectly skipable........U aren't gonna miss anything........but if U r a big jjk fan than watch it...... movie isn't bad....

Also if U haven't watched the series yet start with the movie....... this movie would be lot more impactful if U don't know about the series....

Signing off.......

And the weeb said unto them: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the studio of MAPPA a Savior of Anime Movies, which is Jujutsu Kaisen 0.” – Otaku 2:10

Hyperbole aside, do you remember being excited for theatrical productions of your favorite anime? Do you remember looking forward to them because you knew they would have significantly better animation and general production value than the show? Well, those times are long since passed. Gone are the days when a movie was something to look forward ... to, as opposed to just more obnoxious filler content to skip.

By the end of the 2000s, theatrical releases had lowered the bar for themselves all the way to the ground. When the 2010s came around, the bar was already 6 feet under and anime movies were nothing more than just longer episodes with no improvement in animation, OST, direction, or just general presentation in any way whatsoever. Just look at how the original Naruto TV show stacks up against the original Naruto movies, and then compare that to how the Shippuuden TV show stacks up against the Shippuuden movies. The Road to Ninja movie, at times, looks legitimately worse than the series. The Naruto vs. Menma fight from the movie is just straight up a poor man's version of the Minato vs. Obito fight from the TV broadcast. It’s pure, unadulterated ass – both visually and conceptually. There’s no comparison. It's not even the same sport.

That is not to say that good movies didn't still come out, they did, but they were typically standalone works. Franchise movies were just dead in the water. Toei kept the tradition alive with the impressive One Piece films starting with Strong World, but other than that, it was slim pickings.

The Heaven’s Feel movies don't count. Studio Ufotable is an anomaly. I'm convinced they use alien technology to animate their properties. It's in the name! Open your eyes, sheeple!

Enter the next gen of shounen. My Hero Academia has shown us that modern anime movies don't have to suck, but they're still hamstrung by the fact that other than some great sakuga at the end, they don't have much to offer, for at the end of the day, they're still not canon content. Besides, other than the finale, the Two Heroes movie didn't register to me as looking any better than the show.

That's what JJK 0 does differently – beautifully even. From the get go, every element of its presentation, from the increased frame count, to the improved direction, to the improved sound editing, all the way down to the aspect ratio, it all establishes this as a superior experience you can expect great things from – a proper movie, not a longer episode!

0 is a prequel story to the events of season 1. Part of what makes it so great is that it follows a different protagonist and has nothing to do with the main series’ principal trio, no offense.

Since there is no point in watching this movie without having seen season 1, I will simply assume you're familiar with S1. Do you remember how, during the Kyoto sister-school exchange event, Maki said that the Tokyo team dominated the previous year’s exchange event because of the presence of a currently missing classmate, Okkotsu Yuuta? Remember how Toudou kept going on and on about how he wanted a rematch with Okkotsu? No? Well, no matter, because regardless of whether you remember him or not, you’re gonna learn all about him in this movie, for he is our protagonist.

A completely canonical theatrical release, JJK 0 is an adaptation of Akutami Gege-sensei's eponymous prequel manga, previously named Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School – bit of a mouthful. It essentially serves as Yuuta’s origin story. The manga is only 4 chapters short, so if you'd rather read that first, be my guest, but as an animation chauvinist, I would not recommend it.

A tendency many anime movies have – shounen movies in particular – is to have a completely braindead and generic story (as if to make my point, Two Heroes was just dollar store Die Hard), and only kick it into high gear with amazing sakuga in the final act providing a fuckfest of fanservice gratuitously showing off all of your favorite abilities for no particular in-universe reason. Instead of being engaged in a proper story, I feel like these movies, more often than not, rather come off as theme park roller-coasters.

There is some semblance of that here, but with several qualitative differences.

First of all, the fact that the story is canon represents an advantage that cannot be overlooked. There is a fundamental difference in the way people interface with filler vs. non-filler content. When watching filler, even if it's engaging material, say, Bleach’s DiamondDust Rebellion, at the end of the day, in the back of your mind, on some level, you still hold onto the notion that none of this actually matters, because none of it is real and none of it will change anything. When it's all said and done, the setting and characters have to revert to their original states in order to be able to continue the canon story. So, for better or worse, all newly introduced characters and concepts will have to be retired by the end credits, never to be seen or heard from again. Having no consequences means having no stakes.

Additionally, prequels typically suffer from the ailment of having foregone conclusions. Oh, no, I'm so worried about Legolas fighting that one orc in Desolation of Smaug. Boy, I sure do hope he doesn't die! Oh, yeah, never mind, he’s in Lord of the Rings. Oh, no, I wonder if either Kirei or Kiritsugu are gonna die in their duel in Fate/Zero? Oh, yeah, never mind, they're both in Fate/Stay Night. However, seeing as you learn next to nothing about Yuuta in season 1, you wouldn't have any meaningful built-in expectations about his character development – one way or the other – so you have every reason to fully enjoy a ride into the unknown!

The only thing I'll hold against 0’s narrative is the fact that its 3 acts are completely isolated from each other. The movie itself lives and dies in the 3rd act. Now, that's not as bad as it sounds, for the 3rd act is plentifully long and compelling. It is also not fair to say that the lead-up to it is boring. The 1st and 2nd acts are also fairly interesting in their own right. It's simply the case that the narrative line connecting them is tenuous. Rather than one big comprehensive movie plot, 0 felt more like 3 unrelated short stories strung together – 2 prequel episodes and then 1 bigger movie-worthy story. I dare say that by the time you’ve finished the movie, you will struggle to remember what even happened in the first 2 acts.

Still, like I said, they're all very compelling in their own right, neither one is skippable, and they do subtly set up the conflict of the 3rd act. In the main, they serve the purpose of establishing and developing Yuuta’s character and powers. I was shocked by how enthralling I found his backstory and internal conflict. Shit was straight up nightmare fuel in the best way!

As for the aforementioned fanservice fiesta during the climax of the third act, consider the following. What you'll notice in most apocryphal movies is that you only ever get to see abilities and moves that have already been revealed in the canon story. It very much feels like a cynical capitalization on investment and hype. “Hey, remember that cool move you really liked from the show? Well, here it is again randomly, no questions asked! Look, he did the thing! Enjoy!” I’m particularly thinking about how unceremoniously Zoro used Ashura against the scientist clown from Strong World. I didn't even remotely get the impression that he was anywhere near pressured enough to have to use it, but rather that Toei wanted to generate some soyjack screams.

By virtue of being canonical, JJK 0 doesn't share this problem. You'll get your fair share of fanservice, which is all fine and dandy, but you will also see some characters in action whom you've never seen before. One in particular was spectacular.

Just so we're clear, Mei Mei is my wife. You can't have her. Wouldn't want to get crossed wires or anything.

0’s only real problem is that the villain is fairly thin – awesome, make no mistake, but thin. Suguru Geto is the Grindelwald to Satoru Gojo’s Dumbledore. I refuse to believe that the similarities are a coincidence or mere inspiration. All the way down to my very soul, I am permeated by the conviction that Geto is an intentional and direct reference to Joanne’s Gellert Grindelwald. You cannot change my mind.

He's technically present throughout the whole movie, and directly responsible for all of the plot, but before the 3rd act, he literally only makes 2 cameo appearances, which felt a bit underwhelming. I don't want to be told that he was responsible for everything all along. I want to be shown.

As such, here's my own controversial take. The intended moment to watch JJK 0 is in-between seasons 1 and 2 of the anime. I, on the other hand, would advise you start with the 5 initial episodes of season 2 and then afterwards watch the movie. The first 5 episodes of S2 are a flashback arc about Gojo’s past and show you exactly who Geto is as a character and lay the foundations for why he acts the way that he does. If you watch the movie first, all that Geto effectively amounts to is a powerful evil guy doing evil for the sake of being evil – doesn’t change how cool he is, but like I said, it's thin. It is my contention that the flashback arc about his and Gojo’s past would provide the appropriate understanding of- and investment in him as a person.

Moreover, watching the flashback arc after the movie also felt underwhelming because Geto is old news at that point. I appreciate the insight into who he is, or rather was, but it's a day late, a dollar short. He’s already been dealt with. I'm essentially describing the problem with the Black Widow movie. Nobody cared about the character anymore by the time her solo film came out.

Again, I want to make this as crystal clear as I possibly can. What I am suggesting is unorthodox. The official watch order is movie first, then S2, but I hope I succeeded in making you understand my reasoning as to why I'm suggesting you watch the first 5 episodes of S2 first. Take my advice with a grain of salt, is basically what I'm saying.

All in all, JJK 0 starts out as a fairly slow, but compelling burn, with plenty of great character building in its first 2 acts, and then, in no time at all, morphs into a full-blown no holds barred action romp in its 3rd act that will not let you look away for even a single second to scratch your balls, lest you miss even 1 solitary frame of delicious sakuga.

I take back everything I said about MAPPA’s unimpressive animation in S1. JJK 0‘s visual presentation delivers and then some. It’s every bit as good as the best that Bones has got to offer, but with its own distinctive style.

Enjoy! You will not regret these 2 hours.

P.S.: JJK 0 features an – how best to describe this – unconventional performance by Kana Hanazawa. See if you can recognize her. It's a far cry from the bright and colorful human valium main heroine she usually plays.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The movie that makes you think about the main character that could've been Yuta Okkutsu.

Our prequel to the critically acclaimed Jujutsu Kaisen and fully introduces JJK fans to Yuta Okkutsu. One could argue that Yuta Okkutsu is more suited to be the full time main character of the franchise.

The movie does an excellent job of developing Yuta's character as we first see him as a gloomy and extremely depressed teenager who has nothing to live for to a young Jujutsu sorcerer who has found something to live for and will risk his life for his loved ones as shown in the final ... battle.

We are also introduced to Geto in this movie as we see bits and pieces of his history with Gojo Satoru and his motivation for the climax in the movie.

The rest of the cast aren't as fleshed out in this movie as they are the same characters we would see in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime.

As for the art and sound the movie absolutely NAILED it with it's amazing battle scenes. The guitar riff in that played during a killer punch in the climax of the movie absolutely sold it for me in terms of the sound and all the fight scenes were just extremely fluid and a joy to watch.

If you were to take out some scenes that were tie ins to the original anime such as Kyoto fight scenes and introduced us to some more characters that got screen time such as Nanami and the JJHS principal you would have not just a great prequel movie but a great stand alone movie.

[DISCLAIMER: This review contains minor spoilers.]

"Jujutsu Kaisen 0: A Chaotic Journey To Self-Acceptance"
Jujutsu Kaisen is the latest shounen series that has been gaining a lot of mainstream audiences both due to its incredible premise shown in the manga and amazing execution, especially in its animation. The latest entry to the animated series, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, is no exception to this. From the captivating cinematic shots of the scenery that sets its story, its chaotic yet fun soundtrack, and the adrenaline rush constantly putting you on the edge of your seat, the movie offers an all-in-one experience in one sitting that kept my eyes on the ... screen every single frame.

STORY
The given plot of the movie is simple at its core, where we follow Okkotsu Yuuta, a weak and bullied student, with his cursed childhood friend demonic ghost-entity sidekick, Orimoto Rika, who protects him from bullies and utter danger (by monstrously killing everyone who dares to lay a finger on him as vengeance). As his life continues, Yuuta felt immense guilt for the pain (and death) he has caused others and decided to isolate himself until Mr-Handsome-Sensei Gojo Satoru enrolls him into Tokyo Jujutsu High. There, he learns how to control Rika's power and, most importantly, how to rediscover meaning in his dark life through his fellow first-year classmates and friends.

Although it did not offer a deep, convoluted story with multiple plot twists, given its circa 200-page long source material, the anime adaptation did an incredible job at pacing the story in its 1-hour 45-minute long run. The movie functions as a prequel to the main plot, laying out the foundations on the characters, world-building elements, and for what I assume to be, the main story for later seasons, despite it being entirely skippable. One is not obliged to know and comprehend the prequel to understand the events and motivations of the characters in S1. However, the movie provides a clearer understanding and visualization of its world and its characters (more on to characters later). I find the movie helpful in reminding me of the sorcery element of the Jujutsu Kaisen world while also filling in the gaps of misunderstanding or unclearness that I had when watching the series. It also provided the background for the main villain, which was previously absent in the main series, creating a sense of confusing mystery behind the conflicts, that took place in the first season. It's the missing piece of the puzzle, that we have always wondered about.

ART & SOUND
As expected of Studio MAPPA, the entire run of the movie was filled with sakuga after sakuga, feasting the audiences' eyes every single frame. From the beginning beauty-cinematic shots of the setting, the fluidity of fights, colorful yet grim explosions, and of course, Gojo's eyes. Every single fight was animated beautifully, as the studio paid every single bit of attention to even the minor fights the characters had. Every single punch, every single cursed speech, every single sword fight, every single explosion, every single bit of sorcery was done with the utmost degree of justice, eventually leading up to the climax. There is no way I could describe it in words as it wouldn't do it justice. I guess one way of comparison is to imagine the best fight scenes from S1 and multiply it a thousand-fold.

Albeit not having the same emotional impact as other soundtracks from other movies, Jujutsu Kaisen 0's soundtrack has done its job excellently, providing necessary tension while also painting excitement and thrill into each of its fights. One highlight would be how chaotic yet jazzy it felt, making the fights seem like exquisite fluid dances (with lives at steaks). The stunning sound design mixed with the soundtrack creates extra layers of depth to a heck of an extravaganza, fitting perfectly into every situation.

Besides the festival of fights the movie has offered, there were also snippets of comedic instances included in the story, which was successfully delivered through the chemistry of the usual chibi-esque art style and silly sound effects.

CHARACTER
As a prequel, the movie offers a fresh look at some of the familiar faces we've met through the first series, especially the second-year students: Zen'in Maki, Inumaki Toge, and Panda, in their first year of high school. There were moments in the movie that finally provided the depth they needed as characters. The movie also marks the appearance of the previously-known Jujutsu High teachers and gives them the stage to show off their true powers. Through this movie, one will finally realize how strong Gojo Satoru is.

The highlight, however, goes to the central duo of the movie: Yuuta and Rika. As a Hanazawa Kana fan myself, I was extremely satisfied to hear her voicing Rika. Her voice made every touching scene between the duo more impactful than ever. Additionally, her distorted voice was never more perfect than ever. I had chills and was astonished hearing how she sounded as a cursed entity, spotlighting her presence as this super powerful entity even frightening to the audience. Ogata Megumi, the voice actor of Yuuta, has also done a very excellent job in delivering Yuuta's feelings through the big screen. His cowardice, fear, timidness, and sadness felt so surreal, which later made his character development feel better than ever.

Nevertheless, there were also some flaws character-wise. Albeit having such a small amount of run time, the movie introduced too many characters, some with intriguing premises and so much potential. Therefore, making them feel less impactful to the audience, as there is not much leeway for longer screen time.

ENJOYMENT
Personally, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 has been a fun ride. With the introduction of the ever-mysterious senior, Okkotsu Yuuta, who has never appeared officially in the main series, and other familiar faces, the movie adds to the overall enjoyment of the Jujutsu Kaisen franchise. Seeing the relationship between Yuuta, his friends, and Rika, and his chaotic and twisted journey in finding self-acceptance and love through jujutsu sorcery, made me realize how important relationships are in people's lives and how, according to Gojo Satoru's hypothesis, love, is the most twisted curse of them all.

This guy reminds me of Shinji. Checks MAL. . . Hey it's Shinji's VA! It is Shinji. Nice!

JJK 0 is decent. It's not as good as the TV series. I thought of it like a two or three episode prequel arc. It's not going to any places we haven't been before with JJK. But it's solid and features our secondary trio of students.

Story
The story is based on the power of childhood love. Child Shinji-lite has a girlfriend and they love each other. He gives her a promise ring. Truck-kun breaks up the cute couple and Diet-Shinji is traumatized so badly that a curse manifests ... from his girlfriend. He grows up and has to learn to deal with his demons. Not a bad set up.

Gojou recruits Shinji to JJK school and he meets and trains with Maki, Toge, and Panda. Unbenowst to them, there is a bad guy moving in the midst to take advantage of Shinji.

The story is pretty basic and that's fine. Mysteries, plot twists, and nuanced storytelling isn't what JJK is about. JJK is a battle shounen. Did I care about the story? Yes, enough to get me through the hour and a half runtime.

Characters
The characters are a plus part of the JJK experience. Characters in JJK are likeable. They feel like real people who grew up in our modern society. The characters are rarely holier-than-thou, detached, warrior-monks that some shounen-type portray (Jedi types). Even our invincible man Gojou is wacky and has you wondering if he really should be doing what he is doing.

The characters in the movie are good. Yuta (Shinji) is the MC. He's your stand-in for the loner high school type. Maki calls him out for having no friends, being insecure, and the like and she is spot on. Maki has a healthy amount screentime (that's a good thing) and she is exactly the way she was in the TV series. Toge, Panda, and Gojou are here too.

The bad guy is someone from the TV series that I didn't remember. He is casual like Gojou and has a plan.

The best part about the characters was Yuta and the trio's interactions at school. I really enjoyed the parts where Yuta was asking Maki questions and she shut him down. She seemed cold to him at the time and he was taken aback. But he realized later that he got shut down because were sensitive subjects to her (family name & cursed energy) and realized that she wasn't actually trying to be mean to him. That's a good lesson in life and making friends in general. Yuta had other moments like that where he realized that Toge and Panda were his friends too. It was good stuff.

We see other characters too: The staff from JJK, the Kyoto crew, and Nanami. They show up quickly and have their moments but ultimately don't do much in the movie.

Art & Direction
The art was enjoyable. The TV series art was really good and the movie is at +1 on that. I'll just say that it's theatrical quality.

The action direction is top notch. It's awesome. They reuse some things from the TV show (the superman followup, the advantage switcheroo, misdirections) to good effect. When the music comes on, you know shit is going down.

The way the Black Flash is used is beautiful. I pumped my fist when it landed.

Sounds
The best parts of the TV series were the insert songs. When they play the music, you know that hype is coming. It's here too but songs don't land as hard as some of the moments in the series. Still good though.

As mentioned above, Yuta was voiced by Shinji's VA. It's very fitting.

Enjoyment & Overall
It's solid. I had a good time. I'd say that this movie is about as good as the eps 10, 11, 12 in the series. It's not as good as the second half of the series. Overall, it's worth the time and money.

Misc good point: Gojou's invicibility didn't automatically solve everything. Would have taken the piss out of the movie.
Misc bad point: I wish the story had a few more folds to it. I'm not mad though. I know what JJK is and it delivers.

Jujutsu kaisen either the series or movie has some really crazy production values in the animation looking clean as fuck as well as really fluid secuences of fightings and overall every single movements (which is not common standart to see in most animes).

What i have more than understood after having watch the series and now this movie is that what exceds in an outanding animation and really beautiful ost lacks in all the others aspects like characters developing, story, pace, and narration. Shonen animes never had as an strong point the complexity and intrincancy of their stories neither their characters, but here what separates ... an bad or mediocre series from an actually good or amazing one its how well the plot and characters are handled this wasnt the case although and i can mention some that make an good job like hunter x hunter, one piece, naruto, bleach (skipping almost all the fillers).

I dont gonna go deep in every detail but characters wise like in the series with the protagonist and others ones of the cast were too flat and rushed as fuck in their developing (in this movie its more of the same), my problem is not the archytype that we can see in most cases but an really poor treatment in the direction and portraying of them.

This movies felt like forced some moments making it really hard to actually feel any kind of emtion toward the character in this case Yuuta Okkotsu in all his past and actual events that took place in the movie, funny enough one of the few characters that were more than decent and i could even go so far like good were gojou and getou (to name some) and the reason is very simple those ones so far until this movie had an more organic progression even if their screen-time is relatively short in comparision to other ones were so much more well full fleshed ones.

To me jujutsu kaisen as an whole really left me indifferent its feels hollow in essence, besides some really crazy fighing moments accompained with nice soundtrack just doesnt detaches any kind of emotion to the viewer it fail in the more important things (under my opinion) that make an memorable series, there is an certain degree of attention that its needed to put (independently of the genere) to the plot and cast to deliver something that at least its good.



RESUME

Jujutsu kaisen 0 its more of the same in a bad way, the series and this movies are an forgetable experience, both have beautiful scenearies and animation but it just end up there, its frustraiting how bad handle are most things and yeah i could appreciate some things but in the big scheme feels really bland. This is an good example that high production values doesnt equal an good series, i have seen so much better shonen with more poor animation but that surpass in anyhting else to this one.

I think I might have enjoyed Jujutsu Kaisen 0 more than the series itself, especially because it managed to be so much in just a less than 2-hour duration without leaving any major loose ends. Having experienced it on an IMAX screen, which was a one of its kind experience, I totally enjoyed the film and never realized when time flew by watching it. This is a highly enjoyable action fantasy that works for both who have seen and have not seen the original series.

First things first, MAPPA does a great job with the animation, especially during the battle scenes in the second half, ... and the character development is intriguingly presented. Yuta Okkotsu turns out to be a well-written protagonist and I wish to see more of him in the next seasons of the series. His bonding with every character seems impressive, be it Maki, Panda, Inumaki or Gojo. Also, Suguru Geto as a villain is written with complexity; he's a villain but he's also very calm and disciplined throughout majority of the duration, which made me doubt if he actually was a bad guy. Some characters from the original series make brief appearances, and as someone who watched the series a year ago, I was delighted to see them on the big screen.

The action is the biggest positive of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 as it is stylishly choreographed. beautifully colored, brilliantly drawn and overall stupendously executed. The colors are gorgeously used during some of these scenes and that's where I felt my excitement rising to unprecedented heights. Also, the music is good and suits the film's tone and narrative. Some humor is also present, and it's really hilarious. There's emotion too, and it's handled very well. And all this happens in a duration less than 2 hours, which is commendable. If you enjoy action-packed shounen anime, do NOT miss this film on the big screens, especially after PVR cinemas gave us Indian anime fans the biggest gift in years. Must watch.

Short Review (Spoiler-free):

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Movie is a great, if slightly short of amazing, experience where the main purpose, introducing us to the soon-to-be important character Yuuta Okkotsu, is well served. As far as mainstream shonen goes, the movie is filled with stunningly animated scenes, blood-pumping action sequences and quite the moving conclusion.

Expectations and fulfillment: I did not expect much from this anime besides the excitement of action and some creatively weird supernatural visuals (after watching Season 1, I have taken these to be the bread and butter for this franchise). It certainly met those expectations and then some.

Baseline quality: 8.8/10. Slightly held ... back to 8.5/10 by questionable treatment of traditional themes such as love, dedication and friendship.

Recommended to: Fans of battle shonen. Fans of elaborate combat mechanics (such as JoJo and Hunter X Hunter). Fans of bromance. Fans of "pure love" (the show's depiction of this concept might make you facepalm though, so you are warned). People hesitating about diving into Jujutsu Kaisen franchise (some weird jargons might need some getting used to, but overall this is the best Jujutsu Kaisen experience so far for me, a non-fan. So that's saying something.)

Not recommended to: People who dive into the most typical and mainstream shonen looking for the most original experience (why would anyone do that? But seeing the scathing negative top reviews here on MAL, such people certainly exist and many people rushed to upvote their reviews). People who are allergic to elaborate fantasy mechanics. Faint-hearted audience who might find demonic sights in supernatural anime too disturbing (again, the movie is literally titled "Curse Battles", and that should be pretty self-explaining).

What worked really well for me:

+ Poignant and moving main plot involving lost first love. It's not the most original idea, but when it's treated with so much care and sincerity, it works, albeit with supernatural and morbidly demonic elements. The movie made sure that audiences are given enough time to let the emotions sink in. The one-two punch at the end of the movie, where one character made a decisive sacrifice and commitment followed a teary farewell, is quite powerful that I almost shed a tear.

+ Balanced and respectful treatment of a "Shinji archetype" MC that allowed him to shine despite the clichés. For those who already know the ABCs of Yuuta Okkotsu, this might not be a surprise. But for me, a non-fan, this movie works surprisingly where countless other anime frustrates (Yuki in Future Diary, for example). This goody-two-shoes crybaby (a side character called him out on that) should not be compelling to watch at all, yet for some reason he is. Perhaps this is what happens when an anime treats its central characters with enough care. Perhaps there are no inherently awful character archetypes, only indecent, hammy, overdone or otherwise misguided depictions of them.

+ Some side characters from the main series got quality screen time and had their uniqueness fleshed out. If you are a fan of Panda, Sensei Satoru Gojou or Maki, you are in for a treat. Panda is adorable, ferocious and hilarious as ever in this movie. Satoru got to shine in some moments more brightly than in Season 1.

+ Highly detailed and stylized animation, as mentioned above. Coupled with nail-biting supernatural sequences fighting choreography, the visual impact of the movie is quite impressive.

+ Jujutsu jargons are relatively easy to follow, and the elaborate mechanics, though clearly fabricated, are usually self-explanatory if you pay attention to the amazing visual storytelling. "Show, don't tell" is a frequently mentioned philosophy/technique nowadays. In my opinion, this movie is one of the best examples of appropriate application of this philosophy. Taking Toge Inumaki's scenes for example, Most important info about his abilities are shown through a very thrilling battle. The prowess of his secret technique and the toll it takes don't need much dialogue to explain.

+ Bold, wicked and hilarious lines. There's a line about love being the most twisted curse. Some quips and comebacks are also gold. You won't miss them. Given their contexts, I laughed out loud at their boldness and ridiculousness.

What did not work too well for me:

- Certain aspects of this core relationships could have been fleshed out a little better, but given the limited length of a feature-length movie, I was not bothered that much.
- A few pivotal moments seem too sketchy. An example is a pivotal scene where several characters get neutralized with serious injuries. Apparently they fought valiantly before falling, but only the result is shown.
- Like Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man, this anime likes to get wickedly playful with traditional themes such as "friendship" "undying love" or "mortal commitment" before hammering their point home in a pretty traditional way. I am not the biggest fan of such curveball stunts in storytelling, nor am I a hater though. I am just not sure if, for example, equaling love with curse/power sits well with my personal philosophy. Then again, this is an anime where heroes supposedly "fight curses with curses". I just hope the mangaka and writers know what they are doing and substantiate on these edgy elements in a meaningful way, eventually.

Like with Season 1, I still have certain reservations with the franchise. This prequel movie mostly overcomes the apparent identity crisis of Season 1. I just hope that trend continues with Season 2, which I am looking forward to thanks to this movie.

Almost after a month of watching Jujutsu Kaisen in cinemas, I'm finally here for its review which probably no one gonna read(˘_˘٥) well whatever.

JJK 0 felt the exact opposite of what I felt watching Mugen train. Mugen train surprised me with its last 30 minutes on the other hand JJK 0 somewhat bored me in its climax. That's a shame considering how good all of its trailers and songs felt. Well, it's not like this movie was terrible but it could've been much better. So let's just talk about its praiseworthy aspects and shortcomings.

Appreciable aspects of this movie:

_Animation - without a doubt the best ... animation I've ever seen in any anime and ya it was better than Mugen train though it can be debated when compared with that Tengen vs Gyutaro fight from KNY season 2. Still, I'll certainly go with JJK. So without a doubt animation was a 10/10 for me.

_The opening 30 minutes of this movie - this movie does a good job with all of the initial scenes with Yuuta. We learn about his past along with a banger opening song which was quite a good opening for this movie. We get to see much more of Gojo vs Higher Ups.

_It's canon - a canon plot that is connected to the main story is indeed an appreciable aspect of any battle shounen movie

_Action - with animation being so good it was inevitable to have too many good fight scenes. The choreography in Nanami and Gozo's fights were really good.

So where does this movie fails?

_Lack of proper BGM and weird positioning of Songs throughout the movie - this is the thing that bothered me the most throughout the movie. This movie doesn't have any part of "One Way" by King Gnu (btw it was marketed as the theme song of this movie) or Sakayume also by King Gnu, instead what they did was to play both these songs one after another during the credit rolls after the ending of movie which was quite dumb.

_Action and emotional scenes- ya I'm putting action in both of its good and bad aspects. Despite all its well-choreographed and animated action scenes, the lack of music made those scenes soulless. Just consider the first season we had "Your Battle is My Battle" during Gojo vs Jogo, "Fight Again" during Itadori and Todo vs hanami, "Remember" during Itadori and Nobara vs cursed brothers also who can forget the Hollow Purple theme, and many more which made all those fight scenes far more epic but the same can't be said for the movie. It lacks music throughout its scenes

_Flashback Frequency - don't get me wrong it's not like this movie is filled with flashbacks but it was noticeable that they used it quite often which kind of annoyed me at some point. I mean that's what I like most about JJK, the minimal use of flashbacks in storytelling.

_Yuuta as a protagonist - As I told earlier initial scenes of Yuuta were good but with time his character came off as nothing but another bland shounen protagonist much like Deku from MHA (well not that bad at least), it was neither bad nor good.


Final Thoughts -- Despite mentioning all these negatives, I think this will be a good one-time watch for any shounen fan. It's a canon movie featuring some of the major events in the JJK universe so I would recommend it to every JJK fan.

Easily the best animated movie to come out in 2021 since it only came out in japan
Really MAPPA has did a lot of work in this movie Really Enjoyed it seriously the animation made it godtier.

Story-9
First of all the the story was really good there is the main character named Yuta, who had a childhood female friend who loved him and wanted to marry him but sadly died in a car accident and became the curse of Yuuta and not being able to control the curse of several years and killing everyone that bullied him he is approached By Gojo Satoru which brings him to ... the Jujutsu School And the story begins from there. And personally the story was really good.

Art-10
Now the thing is that the most Best thing in this movie is the animation, the animation made this movie almost An 10/10 for me seriously Mappa Has did a great job on Both Jujutsu Kaisen and Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

Sound-10
There were really some good soundtracks in between fights which were really good!

Character-9
The main lead clearly had an really good development from being bullied and being scared to defeating curses and saving his friends and he was pretty good but at same time the main lead development takes a little longer than expected so yeah 9 in the character.

Overall-10
Overall the enjoyment and the fun i had watching the anime is 10/10 for me really good the animation is just top tier loved the whole anime series and the movie.