“Jujutsu Kaisen,” is an anime that is popular around the globe. Its premiere season started in 2020 and finished in 2021. On March 25, the trailer for the show’s second season was released, reviving the fans of “Jujutsu Kaisen,” who have lain dormant since the release of the movie last spring. Within hours there were hundreds of edits on TikTok.
The release of this trailer also marks the animation of a long awaited story line, as this season will be a prequel. However, a prequel already exists. The movie “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” takes place a year prior to the main story line. In an interesting and convoluted twist that can be expected of author Gege Akutami, this will act as a prequel to the prequel. This season marks the beginning of a different story, one that transports the audience back to 2006 and includes both new and old characters.
Following fan favorite Gojo Satoru in his teenage years, this story will also reveal the complex friendship between him and Geto Suguru. In its own way, this season represents Geto’s villain origin story, as he grapples with his own questionable morality and self righteousness. These elements are reflected in the trailer, with each moment creating an overwhelming sense of dissonance.
Dissonance can be seen from the music to the choice of scenes. The trailer begins with music that does not quite match up with what is playing on scene, almost tricking the viewer into thinking the video is lagging. The music shifts from energetic to soft at certain points, aligning with whichever character is on screen. The notes in the music clash with themselves, creating chaos. It’s jarring, coinciding with the onslaught of image after image. The editors did not choose to linger on any one scene.
The order of the scenes is also significant to the way the story will unfold. The first character to make an appearance is Gojo, markedly younger. A split second later the audience sees teenage Geto. Following this is an image of a young woman, who is unknown to the anime-only fans, but for manga readers is identified as Riko Amanai. The final person is the polarizing character of Fushiguro Toji, setting up the circle of those the story will revolve around. The particularity of the pairings alludes to the way that the first two, Geto and Gojo, will be somehow impacted by the others.
Every aspect of this trailer echoes the idea of inconsistency. Dissonance exists in the fundamentals of this story, the lack of coherence between the beliefs one holds or between one’s actions and one’s belief. It mirrors the journey that will be made not only by Geto, but also Gojo. The idea that one’s beliefs do not align with one’s actions ultimately hint at the reality of their roles in the main storyline of “Jujutsu Kaisen.” This season will provide an explanation as to what happened that led to Geto’s role as an antagonist and Gojo’s role as a mentor.
In chapter 65 of the manga, Geto says, “Society should protect the weak and keep the strong in check…jujutsu exists to protect non-jujutsu users,” which directly conflicts with the views he holds later in the series. In the movie, he posits that non-sorcerers are lesser and seeks to eradicate them. The abandonment of his morals radicalizing to the extent of mass murder inevitably creates the question, “what happened?”
The same could be said of Gojo, who expresses something akin to contempt for the weak, but later becomes an advocate for those who cannot stand up to the authority of the “Jujutsu Kaisen” world. He functions as a proponent for main character Itadori Yuji, who would have been executed if not for Gojo’s defense. These plot points would indicate an interchange of beliefs, each acting as a countenance for the principles the other held prior to the altercation involving Toji and Riko.
The trailer teases these nuances and prepares the audience for the action and humor of “Jujutsu Kaisen,” but also the gut-wrenching emotional aspect of it as well.
Kirsten Abbey is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kirsten know by emailing her ka239920@ohio.edu.
