Well, that didn’t take long. Yuji, Megumi, and Panda infiltrated the underground fight club run by their jujutsu senpai’s, Hakari and Kirara, to recruit them for the Culling Games. Unfortunately, they’ve been made! Now, since they’re not going to do this the easy way, they’re gonna have to do this the hard way. Which is fine by me, because it gives us a chance to see how our protagonists measure up against their senpai’s. That, and we got confirmation that Megumi is ripped as they come!
I Don’t Get Kirara’s Power
So, while Yuji was upstairs talking to Hakari, Megumi and Panda were trying to sneak into the fight club in case things went south. Unfortunately, they were spotted by Kirara (who we will use they/them pronouns for). They think the two are working for Jujutsu High’s higher-ups (who are toxic conservatives), so they alert Hakari. That leads into Hakari throwing hands with Yuji as we saw at the end of the last episode, and now things have to be done the hard way.
To Kirara’s credit, Megumi and Panda are from Jujutsu High, but are just choosing not to follow the higher-ups orders. And even when the two tell them that they sought their help because Gojo was sealed, they don’t buy it. If we hadn’t seen it for ourselves, I doubt the viewers would believe it, either! But the only reason that this happens is so that the story can show off what Kirara can do with their cursed techniques. And it’s…pretty complex.
I love the shonen genre; I’ve always loved it. However, one thing that’s always bugged me is how some series have power systems that can be downright confusing to understand. The biggest offender is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, especially in the later parts, but JJK can be just as hard to understand at times. Case in point, I had a hard time wrapping my head around Kirara’s Cursed Technique. The basic idea is that it marks people and items based on the stars in the Southern Cross constellation. You have to approach each mark based on its order in the constellation, I think. And if you don’t approach in the correct order, you get repelled like being Force pushed.
I’m sorry, but that kind of power just doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest. It’s too confusing to wrap my head around and I think that saying Kirara could repel things they touch would be simpler. It’s only thanks to the show’s superb animation that I was able to maintain my interest. It doesn’t really matter, though, because Megumi and Panda win and convince Kirara to hear them out.
Hakari, on the other hand…is too fired up to listen as he and Yuji come out of the monitor room in a fist fight.
I Respect Hakari’s Love for Passion
Here’s the thing about Yuji as of this moment: he’s not in the best mental headspace. He was talked into coming back with his friends and half-brother, but what happened in Shibuya is not something he can get over. He already put little value on his own life, but after Sukuna’s rampage and what Mahito did, it’s devolved to the point where he sees himself as a cog in a never-ending war. His only purpose is to kill Cursed Spirits and help his friends, and nothing else. As much as I like seeing people act selflessly, though, there’s a point where it becomes detrimental to one’s well-being. And it’s this way of thinking that gets on Hakari’s nerves the most.
Crazy battle with lower graded People but they make the most of the show! cant wait for more and see what our team of people will do!
Unlike Yuji, who’s entire reason for living is to help others, Hakari embodies the concept of putting one’s own interests above all else. He’s passionate about what he loves, and likes seeing that kind of passion in other people. It sounds selfish and greedy at first glance, but when you think about it, everyone wants something more than anything in life, even if it’s something selfless. He wants to see a world where people are free to do what they love the most, which is why he initially can’t stand seeing Yuji think so little of his own existence. To put it bluntly, it pisses him off.
Ironically, it’s this very mindset of Yuji that gets Hakari to finally hear him out. Yuji Itadori’s so determined to stop the Culling Game that he tanks every one of Hakari’s punches, which just makes him angrier. It gets to the point where Kirara calls out how riled up Yuji’s resolve has gotten him. By his own logic, Yuji has passion.
The timing couldn’t be better. A new rule has been added to the Culling Game by one of the players: players can see the status and location of all other players. This rule was added not by them or any of their allies, but by one of the players who’s already at work. To make it worse, it’s one of the Sorcerers who was brought back by possessing someone else. Their name is Hajime Kashimo, and judging by what he says in his first appearance, he’s a real blood knight. The whole reason he added that rule was so that he could track down and fight Sukuna.
JUJUTSU KAISEN SEASON 3 EP. 6
Finally Kashimo is here ⚡ mf wants to fight Sukuna… well we all know how that went lmao. pic.twitter.com/WkEZog2jwG
The preparation for the Culling Game continues. Maki may not have gotten the cursed tools of the Zenin Clan and lost her sister, but she did wipe them all out. No more of their toxic influence and Game of Thrones scheming. Meanwhile, Yuji and Megumi have to go and convince a senpai on bad terms with the authority figures to help them in the Game. And this guy is a real rebel who believes in following one’s passion to the fullest!
Which is fine by me, as I like people who want to follow their dreams even if they’re crazy. And anyone on bad terms with the leaders of the Jujutsu world gets bonus points in my book. Plus, it helps that their seiyuu is the guy who plays Roronoa Zoro!
Those Old Geezers at JJ HQ are on my Hate List
If it hasn’t been made clear by my reviews of JJK, or some of my other writings, I hate toxic conservatism. By which I mean I hate dogmatic people who insist on maintaining things the way they are, even when changing with the times would benefit them. And the leaders of Jujutsu society that aren’t named Satoru Gojo all qualify as such. Not only did they try to kill Yuji and make it a crime for Gojo to be unsealed, but this episode opens with one of their most heinous crimes: the murder of Principal Yaga.
Yaga was the one who created Panda, the first self-sustaining Cursed Corpse. HQ wanted that secret technique to create their own army of puppets to enforce their rules, but Yaga refused. And he made sure that before he died, he only told his fellow Principal Gakuganji the secret because he saw that knowledge as a curse. And this actually manages to get to the old man! Even more so when Panda comes along only moments after Yaga died and says that he’s not mad at him for following orders.
This entire thing was genuinely heartbreaking for me to watch. This is the equivalent of Pinocchio coming home to find Geppetto dead because some jerk ordered a hit on him. It’s downright tragic to watch, and even Gakuganji is shaken by his fellow educator’s death. When Gojo is unsealed, those higher-ups shouldn’t even bother praying, because they already signed their own death warrants.
I Like Hakari Already
While all of this is happening, Yuji and Megumi are on their own mission: to find and recruit their senpai, Hakari Kinji. He’s a third year at Tokyo Jujutsu High, but he’s been suspended by the higher-ups for being a good-for-nothing, headstrong rebel. As the two first-years see for themselves, that’s not an unwarranted opinion; he’s running a fight club for Sorcerers.
Even before we meet him, it’s clear why the conservatives running Jujutsu society hate Hakari. They’re rigid traditionalists who hate any concept of changing with the times, while Hakari is the new blood chafing under authority and longing to break free. He’s the kind of guy who encourages people to indulge in what they love and find passion in, because without that, what is life even about? Hence, his main reason for clashing with the higher ups is because wants encourage everyone in Japan to follow their passions. And for him, that means wanting to legalize his fight club and gambling in Jujutsu society.
I have to admit, I was pretty sold on Hakari before we even got a chance to meet him. Firstly, it’s because HQ hates him. Secondly, while I dont exactly approve of a fight club, I respect the hustle. Thirdly, he’s voiced by Zoro’s seiyuu, which gives him bonus points for aura. And once Yuji meets him, his aura only manages to get even better.
The entire meeting between Yuji and Hakari has to be one of the best scenes in the entire anime. It’s just one continuous shot with no change in perspective, camera angles, or anything. It’s impressive, crazy, and somehow manages to work. Then again, chaos seems to be what this series is about to run on, so I’m not surprised.
"Jujutsu Kaisen S3 Episode 4"
LMAO 4+ min single-camera-angle shot, only JJK can pull this unusual stuff in every ep. 😭 tho idk if any anime did that already. pic.twitter.com/6vkCtvzI2N
The Uchiha Clan Massacre, one of the defining moments in the backstory of the Naruto series. In a single night, one lone ninja proceeded to slaughter almost the entirety of his powerful clan, save for himself, the guy who helped him, and his little brother. And he did it all under the orders of a man who had no authority to make him do that. It was a tragedy that could’ve been prevented, and in the long run, it caused more harm than good for everyone involved. Why am I bringing this up now when we’re talking about Jujutsu Kaisen? Because the anime just gave the Uchiha Clan Massacre 2.0. Except this time, it’s entirely justified, the one doing the killing is in the right, and the clan in question deserves everything happening to them. Maki did what she had to do.
F the Zenin Clan
So, after spending the last episode focusing entirely on exposition as Tengen, Yuji, and all their allies prepare to stop Kenjaku’s plans, this one is focused on the actual preparation. Their first order of business is to retrieve all the weapons and gear the Zenin Clan has locked in their storehouses. So Maki heads to their compound with the authority of her cousin Megumi, who is now the clan head, remember, to do just that. The Zenin Clan, though, has no intention of playing ball whatsoever.
Let me remind you what I said in my review for the preview movie: the Zenin Clan sucks. They are one of the three biggest and oldest clans of Jujutsu sorcerers in Japan, and a family of backwards thinking, ultra-conservative, sexist jerks. Not to mention how they’re convinced that they’re in a story like Game of Thrones where it’s all the intrigue and scheming. Because even though they are facing the existential threat Kenjaku is bringing to Japan, all they care about is their own power. They have no intention of letting Megumi be clan head, with their leaders using those dumb orders banning Gojo from being unsealed as an excuse to try and off him. And when Maki comes back, all they do is look down on her for having zero cursed energy and being a woman. Naoya even says she’s worthless now that she’s got all those scars on her. But that’s only the start, as Maki goes to the vault, and all she finds there is her deadbeat dad and her mortally wounded twin sister, Mai. And then her dad almost kills Maki and leaves them both for dead.
Time for a quick tangent, by the way. Gege, you are an absolute master of the art of making characters whose existence people can loathe with their entire being. Naoya was already a arrogant, sexist jerk that deserves a punch to the face. But the girl’s dad? All he does is whine about how he’s not the clan head and blaming it all on his daughters’ existence. He even says that “children shouldn’t hold back their parents,” with a straight face. This is the definition of a deadbeat parent, and while there are a lot of things I hate, there’s nothing worse than a bad parent.
Which only makes what happens next all the more satisifying.
All my Homies Hate the Zenin Clan
There’s a reason why Maki has no cursed energy whatsoever. The rules of Jujutsu treat twins as the same person. So when twins are born, they get restricted. In the girl’s case, Mai got all the cursed energy, while Maki should have gotten a superhuman body like Toji did to compensate. So long as one lives, the other can’t reach their full potential. Which is why Mai, who never wanted to be a sorcerer, chooses to let herself die so that her sister can unlock her full potential.
This is an absolute tragedy, and even though I wish that the anime could’ve spent an entire episode on just this, I think it manages to hammer that aspect home. All Maki wanted was to change the Zenin Clan so that it could accept her and Mai and give them the home they wanted. But the Zenin Clan was so rigid in their beliefs that they refused to let that happen, even when it would’ve benefitted them in the long run. Thanks to everyone’s stubbornness, Mai has died, and Maki has lost everything.
But thanks to their arrogance, the Zenin Clan didn’t kill the twins when they had the chance. Because now, it’s time for their own Uchiha Clan Massacre.
Toji Could’ve gone Full Kratos on the Zenin Clan if he Wanted
Fans of JJK know who Toji Fushiguro is. Born to the Zenin Clan with no cursed energy, he bailed on them and discarded his last name due to them treating him like dirt. They shouldn’t have, because the universe chose to compensate him for his lack of cursed energy by giving him a body as strong as steel, with superhuman senses and strength to go with it. That meant that he could kill Jujutsu sorcerers with hardly a scratch, and made him their absolute worst nightmare. He could’ve killed his entire clan for treating him like garbage, but chose to take the high road on it.
Maki, on the other hand? Let’s review everything all the crimes the Zenin Clan has committed against her:
A lifetime of emotional and physical abuse
Disobeying a direct order from the head of their clan
Murder of her sister
Multiple accounts of attempted murder
The verdict is guilty, the sentence is death, and the executioner is Maki, courtesy of the sword Mai made her before she died.
The Massacre Straight out of Kill Bill
What happens next isn’t just the Uchiha Clan Massacre for a new generation. It’s the Uchiha Clan Massacre fused with Kratos’ rampage against the Olympian Gods. And it is as close to perfect as possible…at least if you’re from the West.
It’s common to find anime fans from the West disagreeing with their Japanese counterparts, but there’s something special about how our reactions to this episode of JJK. Everyone I’ve seen stateside has been calling the best episode of the series. They’re looking at the scene of Maki wasting those mooks and are saying how it’s just like the Bride killing the Crazy 88 in Kill Bill. I looked up a clip of the scene on YouTube, and everyone’s commenting just that!
And the part where Maki tanks the hits from the Hei unit! That one guy dies thinking that he helped kill Maki, but she just walks away with the head of another Hei member and throws it into a pond!
And that fight with Naoya! Even if he gave us one of the first memes of the year, everyone agrees Naoya deserves to get his face caved in! And the anime didn’t disappoint as Maki absolutely embarrasses him! They repeated the clip of her breaking his skull four times, and it’s still satisfying! And her carnage didn’t stop at the compound! She hunted down any Zen’in clan members who weren’t there and killed them all! Is it any wonder why those with Maki stock are taking a victory lap?
So why are the Japanese hating on this? From what I’ve heard, cultural differences.
Japan Didn’t See this the Way Americans Did
According to what I’ve heard, a big issue they have with the episode is how it portrays the massacre. They don’t like the upbeat and energetic music and pacing. To them, this event is supposed to be a somber tragedy because of what happens to Maki and Mai. And I do agree with them on that part. What happened to Maki and Mai is indeed a tragedy brought about by Maki and her clan’s mutual stubbornness. Had Maki not tried to spite the family that didn’t deserve her and just walked away with her sister, Mai wouldn’t have had to die. And I do think that the anime could’ve made this entire thing more menacing to respect Mai. Remember, despite thinking it had to be done, Itachi hated himself for having to kill his clan and wanted to face justice for it, even if others might not see it that way. But while what happens is a tragedy, Westerners don’t see it like that.
We often consider getting revenge to be a costly, self-destructive act. At the same time, though, if we find the ones who are the targets of said revenge to be utterly reprehensible, we’re willing to justify it. And, admittedly, there’s something satisfying on a primal level in seeing the hero beat the snot out of a villain who greatly wronged them. Ergo, while we may mourn Mai’s death, I couldn’t help but smirk as I saw Maki bury the backwards, sexist, backstabbing Zen’in clan six feet under. Even more satisfying is seeing Naoya go out like a chump at the hands of Maki’s dying mother.
So, despite what the Japanese have to say about it, and despite me wanting an entire episode dedicated to Maki’s killing spree, I still loved this. I have been wanting to see this animated for a while now, and while it wasn’t quite what I expected, it’s already one of my favorite anime moments of the year. Maki, you have effectively solidified your place as THAT girl! All hail the Queen of Jujutsu Kaisen, Maki!!
My fellow Jujutsu sorcerers, Jujutsu Kaisen is back! Well, it’s been back for about a week by the time I’m writing this, but I didn’t write about the first two episodes. There was no need to, since I had already covered them in my review of the compilation movie. But now that they’re out, I’m free to cover everything going forward as we get into the Culling Games. I’m going into this basically blind, but from what I’ve heard, and based on how crazy the new OP is, this is going to be absolute chaos!
What is the Culling Game?
So, where were we when we last left off? Yuji was a fugitive from the corrupt Jujutsu heads alongside his half-human, half-cursed spirit half-brother. Nagoya “Dbag” Zen’in tried to kill Yuji. Yuta showed up like an absolute CHAD and helped Yuji fake his death. And now all the good guys reunite at Tokyo Jujutsu High to meet Tengen, the immortal responsible for the barriers protecting the high schools in Tokyo and Kyoto. This brings us to this episode, which is more or less dedicated to exposition dumping on what the heck is about to happen.
Which is good, because I’ve always had a hard time understanding the power system in JJK, and I’ve had an even harder time trying to understand what the end goal of the antagonist’s is for the Culling Games.
To sum it up as best as I can understand it, it’s like the Infinite Tsukuyomi from Naruto meets Fortnite.
No, really. The ultimate plan of Kenjaku, the sorcerer who has possessed Geto’s corpse, is to force humanity to evolve by giving everyone access to cursed energy. His plan is to have humanity fuse with Tengen, who has evolved to become less a human and more an abstract entity, granting them all curse energy. To do that, he needs a massive amount of cursed energy be unleashed, hence why he’s been working behind the scenes for a thousand years trying to make the Culling Games happen. He made pacts with ancient sorcerers to have them participate in exchange for bringing them back in new bodies, which he did by feeding people cursed objects containing their souls. He also found people with cursed techniques who couldn’t use them and modified their brains so that they could, using the disaster curses and others to accomplish this. And since users of the Six Eyes like Gojo kept foiling him in the past, he made sure to seal Gojo so the technique wouldn’t pass on to someone else. All of this culiminated at Shibuya, where Kenjaku used everything to awaken thousands of sorcerers, both ancient and modern-day, and unleashed countless cursed spirits across Japan.
Da Rules
So, there a boatload of sorcerers who appeared out of nowhere, hordes of cursed spirits that have formed colonies across Japan, and Kenjaku is forcing them all to fight in the Jujutsu equivalent to Fortnite. All so he can merge humanity for the sake of transcending their current limitations. And to make matters worse, joining the Culling Games is non-negotiable for those picked. There are rules that even say so!
Anyone who gets a cursed technique has to join nineteen days after awakening said technique by entering one of the colonies.
Refusal to join will lead to players deaths by removal of cursed technique.
Non-players who enter colonies become players by default.
Points are gained by killing players and non-players
Point values are determined by game master
Players who gain 100 points can ask game master to add a new rule to the game. No takebacks!
The game master must agree to new rule as long as it doesn’t mess with the game.
Players whose scores haven’t changed after 19 days will die.
And to make sure that the game can’t end if he dies, Kenjaku made it so he isn’t the game master. This Shinigami thing called a kogane is!
Credit where credit is due; as someone who enjoys games myself, Kenjaku really thought this out. A pity that he’s doing this for the sake of evil. And with Gojo sealed in the Prison Realm, and the tools needed to free him destroyed or out of energy, there’s no way for him to stop Kenjaku.
Or is there?
One Chance
As fate would have it, one of those reawakened sorcerers, Angel, has a technique that can nullify other cursed techniques. Which means that she’s able to open the back door to the Prison Realm and let Gojo out. So, if they want to stop this madness, then they’re going to have to find Angel. But since this episode already gave us plenty of exposition, the anime decided to cut us some slack and give us this video explaining the good guy’s plans.
Everyone has their marching orders now, and so everyone must get ready to play the deadliest game of their lives.
Now, some people are no doubt asking why Kenjaku decided to make the rules as they are, let alone give players the chance to alter them or provide an out. That seems counterproductive to his evil plans for forced assimilation. The thing is, he probably doesn’t care if he ends up failing. His only goal is to force humanity to evolve, and conflict has always been a surefire way of seeing this happen. Think of how many leaps and bounds in technology have been made thanks to war making them a necessity. Even if he fails and even if the game falls apart, that won’t change the fact that he’s shaken Jujustu society to its core. They have to change now.
Great Exposition
Personally, I liked this episode. It might have to do with growing up watching Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I enjoy hearing exposition so I can better understand what’s going on. And judging by the comments on that Crunchyroll video, there are plenty who are having a hard time understanding how this whole thing will work. But what I think is my favorite part of this episode has to be the ending as we get our first look at one of those awakened sorcerers. I read about him on TV Tropes, and from the sounds of it (and how he is in the OP), he’s going to be pretty funny. Heaven knows we need that considering what’s about to happen.
All the Anime RJ Writing Ink is Looking forward to in 2026 (So Far)
Looking back on 2025, it was pretty much a golden year for anime. There were so many amazing series, both new and returning, that graced our TVs, smartphones, and computers. But with the new year upon us, that means new anime to appreciate. So much so that my poor brain is struggling to remember everything we have to look forward to. However, that will not stop me from going over all the confirmed series that I think most people will want to see.
Sentenced to Be a Hero, January 3rd
You would think that getting to be a hero would be a sweet gig, but then you remember all the peril that would involve putting yourself in. Then you have what’s going on in this anime, where being a hero is considered a punishment for criminals wjo are forced to fight against demons. Not even death can save them from this fate, as they just get revived and forced to go through it all again. What makes this anime stand out isn’t the story, though. It’s the animation. The directors behind this anime adaptation are the ones responsible for the best scenes from Mushoku Tensei. The first season of that isekai has some of the best animation you’ll find in an anime, so this could end up being one of the most beautiful anime of the year. I’m very tempted to review it myself!
Speaking of which…
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3
One of the pinnacles of the isekai genre will be returning for its third season sometime in 2026, and I’m absolutely stoked for it. A lot has changed in the life of Rudeus Greyrat. He’s back home with his mother and the rest of his family, he’s now married to both Sylphie and Roxy, and to top it off, he’s now a father. All seems right with the world for Rudy, but as we see in the trailer, things are only going to get crazier for him. The return of his ex-girlfriend Eris is just the tip of the iceberg, as things will be revealed that will reframe the entire story thus far. And as someone who read ahead, I’ve been keeping my mouth shut about everything long enough!
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, January 5th
My Hero Academia may be over, but we still got the prequel spin-off series to look forward to as it returns for its sophomore. After the events at Narufest at the end of the first season, Koichi and Pop are surprised when Knuckleduster up and disappears, leaving them on their own. Nonetheless, they strive to continue their roles as Naruhata’s friendly neighborhood heroes without their mentor. Anyone who misses MHA will be able to rest easy knowing that we won’t be leaving the world of MHA behind anytime soon.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, January 9th
Ladies and gentlemen, peak shonen is about to return. I already talked at length about what we have to look forward to with the third season of JJK in my review of the movie preview, but I just want to remind us that things are going to get crazy. Yuji is a fugitive from a corrupt Jujutsu society, Kenjaku has turned Tokyo into a warzone, and one of the craziest arcs in the story is about to begin. And that’s not even going into the sub-plot about the Zen’in clan!
Frieren Beyond Journey’s End Season 2, January 16th
I have yet to watch the show for myself, but even I’ve heard about the fantasy greatness that is Frieren. And now that greatness is coming back for more. I think that’s all that needs to be said.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Season 4, April
We here at the D&A Anime Blog are big fans of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and for good reason. It’s another example of what I call the Seven Summits of Isekai, and 2026 is looking to be a good year for Slime fans. Not only are we get a new film about Rimuru and the others going on vacation in February, but it’s reported that season four of the anime will be premiering sometime in April. In short, we’re going to be eating well this year.
Dr Stone: Science Future Cour 3, April
Another long-running Shonen series is returning for its final act in the form of Dr. Stone. Despite knowing how things would turn out, I more or less abstained from the second part of the final season because it was way too depressing for my tastes. However, considering how the ultimate goal of the Kingdom of Science remains getting to the moon, I cannot help but want to watch what comes next.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, March 19th
The legend returns, and that means it’s time for everyone to brush up on their JoJo poses and memes. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure will be returning for Part Seven, Steel Ball Run, this March exclusively on Netflix. Set in an alternate timeline from the one we’ve known, Steel Ball Run is Araki’s take on the spaghetti western as we see an alternate version of the original JoJo, Johnny Joestar, participate in a race across the United States that hides some deadly secrets. Steel Ball Run is the biggest shake-up to the long-running Shonen series since Stardust Crusaders, but JoJo is still JoJo. So, expect gorgeous artwork, epic posing, and plenty of memes to be made starting in the spring.
One Piece, Elbaph Arc, April 5th
It’s crazy to believe that One Piece will now be a seasonal anime, but it’s for the best. It means that Oda will not have to worry about keeping the manga ahead of the anime, and that the anime can focus more on quality over quanity. And given how the next arc is also the biggest yet, that is saying something. As the Straw Hat Pirates finally make it to the homeland of the Giants, fans will be in for an experience unlike anything we’ve seen up to this point. Having been reviewing the manga on my personal blog, I can say that Elbaph will be worth the wait.
And this is only the anime that I’m aware of and want to watch. There is going to be plenty more to look forward to in 2026. Happy new year, everyone!
Attention, Jujutsu Sorcerers! The Culling Games shall commence in approximately one month! So if you could make your way to your nearest theater to see JJK: Execution, you may receive your briefing on what’s happened as well as what comes next.
Two years ago, Jujutsu Kaisen gave us one of the absolute coldest arcs in Shonen History, the Shibuya Arc. Or as I like to call it, the worst night of Yuji Itadori’s life. One mentor was sealed away, another died, many of his friends and comrades were killed or maimed, and worst of all, Sukuna was let off the leash. Needless to say, any lightheartedness that the series had was gone as Yuji had become a fugitive. After that, fans had to wait for season three to come out, and while we still have a month to go, Shonen Jump’s got us covered. I went to see the compilation film Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, and not only does it recap the Shibuya Incident, it gives us a sneak preview of Season Three. And, boy, are we going to be in for a show come January!
You are my SpecialZ
Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution can be split up into primarily two parts: the first part is recapping the events of the last season, namely in Shibuya. Normally, I would gloss over everything to get to the previews for the new season. However, I want to make an exception in this case because the recap is just so good! It starts off with what is arguably the most important moment of the series: the capture and sealing of Satoru Gojo. Until that point, Gojo was basically the series’ nuclear deterrent, allowing the main characters to relax a little since they had Gojo to look after him. He was so overpowered that they had to write him out of the story for the foreseeable future just so the stakes could be raised enough for us to worry. And the second he went inside the Prison Realm, all hell begins to break loose.
From there, we are treated to a greatest hits montage as we see the biggest moments of the first half of the Shibuya Arc take place, all to the song “SpecialZ.” It’s awesome, you guys. All of the fighting, pain, and suffering rolled into a single montage, all building up to the moment when Sukuna is let off the leash. We then get another montage showing his subsequent rampage, leading up to the moment when Yuji awakens to the sight of the black hole that was once Shibuya. I chose to see it in dub, and I have to say, Adam McArthur sells it when showing just how traumatized Yuji is. And then he has to see Nanami die and Nobara get half of her face blown off at the hands of Mahito. I almost forgot just how much of an insufferable jerk that Curse is. Of course, it only makes his defeat and death all the more cathartic. It’s not much comfort, though, considering how Kenjaku escapes with the Prison Realm and having unleashed an army of Curses on Tokyo. And then we learn that not only is Yuji marked for death by the corrupt higher-ups, but that his executioner is none other than Yuta Okkotsu, AKA one of the other GOATs of Jujutsu Kaisen.
If you haven’t seen the movie Jujutsu Kaisen: 0, then I recommend you go watch on Crunchyroll. However, here’s the short version about Yuta. He’s a second-year at Jujutsu High, and next to Gojo, he’s the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer alive. He’s so strong, in fact, that when his best friend Rika, got killed by a car, she accidentally turned her into a curse that haunted him for the next ten years. And he was also the one who beat Suguru Geto. And now, he’s come back from abroad to hunt down Yuji…or has he?
With everything now in place, we get to the start of the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen with what I believe are the first two episodes. Spoilers are ahead, in case you wanted to wait until January.
Itadori: Fugitive!
The first episode opens on a moment that I thought was very surreal as we see Yuji trying to wash his hands clean of blood. I loved the symbolism behind this, as it demonstrates the guilt that Yuji is feeling. He thinks the blood of everyone that Sukuna killed is on his hands, and I get why he would think that, since Sukuna was using his body. However, I don’t see what happened as his fault; he wasn’t in control of his actions, so he shouldn’t be held accountable. That was all Sukuna’s doing, and he did it to hurt Yuji because of how much of a good person he is. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Jujutsu HQ has reinstated his death sentence now that Gojo was gone, so he’s now a fugitive. He’s continued to take down Curses running rampant throughout Tokyo, but he won’t risk going back to Jujutsu High. The only good thing about all this is that he’s not alone. He has his older brother.
Continuing from the transformative nature of season 2, we begin with an original cold open that establishes an oppressively somber vibe, still thick with Yuji's regret in the aftermath of Shibuya. Gosso went for something similar in the S2 finale, but here it's fully realized. pic.twitter.com/fPAGp16iEE
During the Shibuya Incident, Yuji met and fought Choso the Death Painting, one of these nine Human-Cursed Spirits hybrids Kenjaku created in an experiment in one of his previous hosts. Furthermore, a flashback to Yuji’s infancy revealed that his mother, Kaori, had the same stitch marks that Geto now has as Kenjaku’s host. In other words, Kenjaku is technically Yuji’s mother, meaning that the Death Paintings are his half-siblings. Yuji and his friends had killed two of the Death Paintings before the Shibuya Incident, but after Choso learned they were technically related, he dropped all intention of killing him in favor of protecting him.
Admittedly, Choso is a bit of a creepy character, and I can understand why Yuji would be a little uncomfortable with him repeatedly calling himself Yuji’s older brother. However, I could tell that he’s a good person at heart, something that he demonstrates by constantly looking after Yuji’s well-being like any good older sibling would do. He also acts as an anchor for Yuji, keeping him from going over the edge into madness over the guilt of what happened. If he weren’t around, I don’t think Yuji would have survived on his own.
This especially becomes apparent when Yuta and someone else come after Yuji. That someone else being one of the most vile, disgusting, and detestable characters in the series: Naoya Zen’in.
The Zen’in Clan Sucks!
It’s backstory time: the Zen’in Clan are one of the three strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer clans in Japan, and the clan that Toji, Megumi, Maki, and Mai belong to by blood. Like a lot of the leaders of Jujutsu society who aren’t named Satoru Gojo, though, they’re also a clan of backwards-thinking, toxic conservatives who measure one’s worth by their skill as Sorcerers, not to mention being unbearably sexist. No joke, when we see Naoya at the Zen’in Clan’s mansion, he’s making the twins mom walk behind him in silence while also hoping that his dad, mortally wounded at Shibuya, dies so he can become Clan Head. And then he calls Maki worthless now because of her ruined looks since he thinks the only things she had going for her were her pretty face and body. It’s disgusting. No wonder Toji took his wife’s last name after they banished him!
At any rate, the death of the clan head means that there’s a succession crisis. According to the Naobito Zen’in, Naoya will be named the next clan…is what would have happened! Secretly, Naobito had made a deal with Toji before they died about his son, Megumi. If Gojo were incapacitated when Naobito died, not only would Megumi be brought into the clan, but he would be made the next head. Needless to say, this pissed Naoya off beyond belief. So much so that he decides to flat-out kill Megumi, leading him to hunt down Yuji in the hopes of using him as bait.
See what I mean? Naoya is a piece of trash. The Zen’in are trash outside of the people I mentioned. And to further prove that point, Naoya doesn’t even come close to taking down Yuji. Instead, he gets bodied by Choso, who can’t understand why Naoya would hate his own brothers so much. Extra points for the fact that Choso says how an older sibling’s role is to show the younger what to be and what not to be.
The real highlight, though, has to be the fight between Yuji and Yuta. Both of them are powerful sorcerers, each of them has main character energy (Yuta was the original protagonist of JJK: 0). The fight is short, but epic…and it ends with Yuta seemingly killing Yuji.
Except he didn’t.
PSYCH!!
Dialogue sequences are anything but neglected. The scene is set by the unstable, hostile light of a hanging lamp or a warm campfire in the darkness. Exaggerated framing and body language created palpable tension in the Zen'in meeting, for example, which was extremely fun. pic.twitter.com/5rjuZ2KvVC
Like Yuji before him, Yuta had once been sentenced to death thanks to Rika being the strongest Curse ever, but Gojo stepped in and saved him. There was no way that Yuta was going to let HQ pull the same thing with Yuji, which is why Gojo secretly asked him to look after his junior if anything happened to him. He conned HQ into thinking Yuji was dead (again) by stopping then restarting his heart at the same time. A true Batman gambit if there ever was one. It won’t fool HQ for long, but it buys the good guys some time to think of a plan. More importantly, it gives Yuji a chance to reunite with Megumi. And despite still feeling guilty about what Sukuna, Megumi is able to talk him into coming back to Jujutsu High because the entire country has been plunged into complete anarchy thanks to Kenjaku.
Here’s where things stand right now. Thanks to the Shibuya Incident, Kenjaku has managed to awaken hundreds of new Jujutsu Sorcerers across Japan. He’s unleashed tens of millions of Cursed Spirits that are wreaking havoc on Tokyo. And there are a bunch of barriers that have created sealed off sections of the country to fight something that Kenjaku calls the Culling Game. Think of it as like PubG or Fortnite for Jujutsu sorcerers. Not to mention that they need to find Gojo and free him in case Sukuna gets off the leash again.
The film ends with Yuji, Choso, and Megumi regrouping at Jujutsu High with their remaining allies to figure out a plan, and that leads them to meet with the one keeping the Jujutsu world together: Master Tengen.
Let the Culling Game Begin
I don’t know the specifics of what happens next in the story beyond a few things. What I do know, though, is plenty of people were upset with the way the series originally ended, so maybe the anime hopes to fix that. Beyond that, I only know one other thing: this season is going to be crazy. And I’m looking forward to covering it in 2026.
Also, this is a PSA to all Jujutsu Sorcerers: you don’t have to follow orders from HQ when they’re acting like jerks. Fight the system!
The Shibuya Incident, AKA the turning point of the original Jujutsu Kaisen manga. On Halloween night, 2018, Jujutsu society was rocked by an event that would change it forever and take a dark story and make it even darker. With season three of JJK coming next year and a compilation movie set to release in December, now is the perfect time for us to recap what happened on that Halloween Night. If you haven’t read the manga or seen the anime, then I highly recommend that you stop reading this, because there will be spoilers from here on out!
How it all Started
The root cause of the Shibuya Incident stems from the existence of one man: Satoru Gojo, the CHAD-master and strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer alive. Time and again, the group of “Geto” and the special-grade Cursed Spirits had tried to kill Gojo, only to fail. So long as Gojo was around, they could never enact their plans of causing chaos in the Jujutsu world. So they decided to change tactics by doing the next best thing by sealing him away. Over the course of several months, their group gathered allies and tools they would need to fulfill their goal. And by Halloween night, 2018, they were ready, with the Shibuya District chosen to be their stage.
At 7 pm local time, a massive curtain was drawn up around the Shibuya District. All civilians and non-sorcerers were trapped inside and unable to escape, and all phone service was cut off. The only way they would be let out is if they started demanding the arrival of Satoru Gojo. So the leaders of Jujutsu society (who are total jerks) told Gojo to head in and take care of the people responsible for this, alone. Four other squads would remain outside to act as backup.
Being the Jujutsu equivalent of Superman, Gojo would be able to handle everything inside the curtain on his own. That’s why Pseudo-Geto and the Curses rigged everything in their favor. The civilians would slow him down while Mahito transfigured hundreds of random people to slow him down even further. Being Gojo, though, he manages to deal with all of this in about five minutes or less while also battling the Curses. But that was all the time that Pseudo-Geto needed to get the Prison Realm close to him and activate it. In one stroke, Satoru Gojo, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, was sealed within it, much to the shock of all of his comrades. Yuji’s team races to get to the Prison Realm before the enemy can escape, but they already prepared for this. They’ve filled Shibuya with Curse Users, Cursed Spirits, and transfigured humans to attack anyone that gets inside the curtains. It’s pretty much open season as everyone starts fighting all over the place. But this was only the beginning, as two even bigger threats soon join the fray: Toji Fushiguro and Ryomen Sukuna.
The Return of the Chick Magnet Toji
If you know Gojo’s backstory, then you know about Tojo Fushiguro, the father of Megumi, AKA the man who came closer to killing Gojo than anyone else. Despite not having any cursed energy, nature compensated him by giving him strength and durability beyond that of any sorcerer alive, allowing him to make a living hunting them. Gojo only survived because he unlocked his reverse curse technique. And in the midst of all this chaos, this old woman decoded to use her grandson as a medium to call Toji’s spirit back to the land of the living. Her plan was to use the strength it gave her grandson to have him start killing all the sorcerers they could find. But it backfired when Toji’s spirit overtook the grandson and left him in full control, bringing him back from the dead. And since he didn’t use cursed energy, there was no way to stop the technique. It’s honestly surprising that that old woman didn’t think this through in the first place!
Toji would proceed to go on a rampage throughout Shibuya, fighting anyone with cursed energy. At one point, he even entered the domain of one of the Special Grade Curses the others had been fighting, and proceeded to slay them without almost no effort. His relative, Maki, and her comrades had been struggling, and he did it so effortlessly. After that, he went after Megumi as he tried to escape. However, that proved to be unnecessary, as Toji stopped his assault as soon as he realized that Megumi was his son all grown up. Rather than keep on killing, Toji regained his senses and, content that Megumi had taken his mom’s last name, chose to take his own life, removing himself from the equation.
But that was just a prelude to the real carnage that was about to go down.
The Dawg Has Returned
In the middle of all this chaos, Yuji is trying to make his way to Geto, whose currently guarding the Prison Realm. However, he gets waylaid by multiple Cursed Spirits, Curse Users, and lastly, Choso, the last of the Death Paintings, these hybrids of Cursed Spirits and Humans that Yuji and his friends defeated. They fight, and Yuji ultimately loses. But before Choso can kill him, he gets these memories that tell him that, somehow, Yuji is related to him. But before that can be explained, he leaves, and then these two girls that were raised by Geto show up and feed Yuji one of Sukuna’s fingers. They wanted Sukuna to save Geto for them, but all they were doing was sealing their own fate. Then Jogo the Special Grade Curse shows up and proceeds to feed Yuji ten of Sukuna’s fingers. And this feeding session was all that was needed for the dog to be let off the leash. And without Gojo around to stop him, he wasn’t going to pass up this chance to let loose.
The first thing that Gojo did was murder those two girls for trying to order him around by saving Geto. Jogo was a little more tactful, though, and Sukuna was in a good mood from the fingers. So they made a deal: if Jogo could land one hit on Sukuna, he would work under him and kill everyone in Shibuya except for Megumi. But this was just Sukuna wanting to play with his food before going in for the kill.
Sukuna proceeded to go on a rampage, throwing off everything Jogo and everyone else threw at him while killing anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way. Jogo can’t keep up, and while the King of Curses says he put up a good fight, Jogo still dies. And then he proceeds to go after Megumi, saving him from another enemy just so he could fight him himself. Not even Megumi’s Mahoraga is able to stop the King! But Sukuna stops just short of killing Megumi, leaving him with his allies. And with his control over Yuji running out, his last act is to head to where the Shibuya Crossing once stood just so Yuji can see the full carnage for himself when he comes to so he can break the kid.
And it works. When Yuji regains control and sees what has happened, he is absolutely traumatized! But his suffering was not over.
Mahito is a Worthless Nobody
At this point, the only major enemies left were Pseudo-Geto and Mahito, the latter of whom was continuing to hurt innocent people. He made Yuji watch as he killed his mentor, Nanami, and proceed to main Nobara. And for a long time, we weren’t even sure if she made it out alive or not. Not to mention how he kept mutating innocent people, forcing the Sorcerers to kill them. And all of this just destroys Yuji in mind and spirit. The young man is scarred for life by what’s happened. But it is at this point that Yuji crashes out.
Thanks to the arrival of his self-proclaimed brother, Aoi Todo, Yuji locks in with the single-minded goal of making Mahito pay. The sadistic embodiment of Mankind’s hatred of itself throws everything he has left at the two, but it’s not enough. They plow right through it until, finally, Mahito runs out of gas in the tank. And then Yuji just looks at him and tells him that his existence is less than worthless, and that he needs no reason to kill him. Terrified, Mahito runs, only to be stopped by Pseudo-Geto. Instead of helping him, though, Geto decides he has no use left for him and proceeds to absorb him into himself. Crazier still, Choso shows up and reveals that “Geto” is an imposter whose been jumping from body to body for centuries. And in one of those bodies, he had been the creator of the Death Paintings, and might somehow be related to Yuji.
That’s when the fake Geto reveals he did all this to unleash chaos by making cursed energy users stronger than ever. To that end, he activates a technique that causes hundreds of people across the country to awaken as Jujutsu sorcerers, some of whom being possessed by the spirits of sorcerers from ages past. With that done, Geto manages to escape with Prison Realm, despite the best efforts of everyone to try and stop him.
Thus, the curtain falls on the Shibuya Incident, AKA the worst Halloween Japan has ever seen.
Where Season 3 Picks Up
The next episode and chapters show how Japan has been plunged into chaos in the aftermath of the Shibuya Incident. Hundreds of people are dead, hundreds more have become Jujutsu Sorcerers, and tens of millions of Cursed Spirits have been unleashed upon Japan. Tokyo’s a warzone, the economy is in shambles, and the existence of the Jujutsu World has been exposed to the entire country. Jujutsu Society has been rocked to its core, and it only gets worse thanks to the leadership.
If you’ve read or seen Jujutsu Kaisen, then you should know by now that the leaders of Jujutsu Society are the epitome of toxic conservatism. They’re made up of a bunch of backward-thinking, sexist old men who refuse to change with the times and run things the same as always even when it’s clear that won’t work anymore. The forward-thinking Gojo has been their greatest opposition due to being the strongest and able to keep them in check. But now that he is gone, the higher-ups decide to do everything they want, declaring him an accomplice of Shibuya and unsealing him to be a crime. They sentence his and Geto’s teacher to death, reinstate Yuji’s death sentence, and assign it to be carried out by Gojo’s other student, Yuta Okkotsu. Thus, Yuji has to go on the run, while his allies are left to deal with the aftermath of everything on their own.
And with that, we have now covered a general overview of the Shibuya Incident. Hundreds are dead, Japan is on the brink of collapse, and the main protagonist is a fugitive. Yet the real fight has only just begun. In January 2026, we will see the start of the Culling Game Arc with Season Three. However, a compilation film will be released on December 5th, covering the Shibuya Incident and giving us a look at the first two episodes of Season Three. That should be plenty of reason for fans to get excited!
When the hit Shonen manga Jujutsu Kaisen came to an end last year, fan reactions were mixed. On the one hand, people were happy to see the protagonists come out on top over Sukuna and the corruption of Jujutsu society. On the other hand, the final chapters did little to wrap up the emtional loose ends. That, and people were upset over Satoru Gojo dying. That man was basically Kakashi 2.0, and many likely won’t forgive the mangaka for taking him away from us.
Now, Gege did make an effort to provide the fans with further closure with an epilogue omake, but that can only do so much. And with a world as interesting as the one created by Jujutsu Kaisen, there were more stories to be told. And Gege Akumatai has delivered! Much like its predecessor, Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen has a sequel about the next generation, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo. And this time, aliens are involved!
Welcome to the Future!
It’s now the year 2086, 68 years since the Culling Game and the defeat of Sukuna. In that time, Jujutsu society has reformed as Gojo wanted, free of the archaic ways of the past and the corruption of the leadership. Yuji, Gojo, and their generation of Sorcerers have gone down as legends, but most of them are now either dead or super-old. The task of protecting people from Curses now falls to the next generation.
Meet Yuka and Tsurugi Okkotsu, the twin grandchildren of Yuta Okkutsu and Maki Zen’in. The two are following in their late grandparents’ footsteps as Jujutsu Sorcerers, but there’s a little tension between them due to the older generation’s beliefs. Then all of a sudden, a group of aliens called the Simurians arrive on Earth asking for refuge, and they can also use Cursed Energy. In order to see if Earth would welcome them, they send one of their own, Marulu Val Vol Yelvori, to observe the Okkotsu siblings. And this is where our story begins.
To be clear, there is only one chapter of Modulo out at the time this was written, and the series will not be that long. At best, Gege intends for it to last around three volumes, meaning about 30 chapters, if we’re lucky. Yet even with the one chapter already out, we’ve already got a pretty good idea of what Jujutsu Society is like in the 2080s.
Gojo, Your Dream Came True
Those who read the original series and watched the anime already know this, but the Jujutsu world was a fairly corrupt one. The higher-ups in charge were explicitly self-serving, archaic, and refused to change with the times. Needless to say, Gojo was right to want them gone, and while he didn’t live to see it, the students he trained would change Jujutsu for the better. These days, Yuji and Gojo are considered legends who people still try to measure up to. Which isn’t exactly a good thing, as Jujutsu Sorcerers are getting weaker.
The downside to the peace that Yuji, Yuta, and the others fought for is that the following generations won’t face threats like Sukuna or Mahito. As a result, Yuta and Tsurugi, while strong, are nowhere near their grandparents level yet. Which makes their job of fighting Curses evil Curse users, and protecting good Curse users harder.
The other big change to the Jujutsu world is the fact that it’s no longer a secret. The Culling Game has made the entire world aware of the existence of Cursed, Cursed Energy, and those who wield them. The upside is that it means Jujutsu is more widely accepted by the public, and Japan is considered the global expert on the paranormal. The bad news? Because Cursed Energy is found almost exclusively in Japan, and it’s a great alternative to fossil fuels, Japanese citizens are a hot commodity. So now, Sorcerers have to protect anyone with a modicum of Cursed Energy who can’t look out for themselves, like kids. It’s dealing with this very problem that serves as the catalyst for Yuka and Tsurugi meeting Maru. But that’s only part of what it looks like the series will be about. The other half seems to be focused on the legacy of Yuji and Yuta’s generation and how it’s affecting Jujutsu Sorcerer’s in the 2080s.
The Next Generation of Sorcerers
By the time Modulo starts, Yuta Okkotsu and Maki Zen’in have passed away, and while there’s a chance that members of their generation, like Yuji and Megumi, might pop up, there’s a good chance that most of the cast of Jujutsu Kaisen is dead. Yet their accomplishments were so incredible that they’re still idolized as heroes. Much like their mentor, Gojo, they came to be considered the peak of Jujutsu Sorcery, one that their descendants are struggling to surpass, with Yuka and Tsurugi being examples of this.
When they were kids, Yuka and Tsurugi were close to a different grandparent. Yuka adored her grandfather, Yuta, and loved spending time with him. The feeling was mutual, as Yuta chose to entrust her with his most prized possession: the engagement ring he got from Rika when they were kids. Now a Cursed Object, Yuta hoped Rika’s Ring would protect her like it did him. However, this sentimentality flew over the rest of the Gojo clan’s collective heads, as after Yuta died, they took the ring and gave it to Tsurugi, who they saw as the stronger of the two. But Tsurugi didn’t see it that way.
Like his grandmother Maki, Tsurugi was born with a Heavenly Restriction, basically giving him great power in exchange for nerfing his cursed energy. He wanted to prove to everyone that he could make it as a Jujutsu Sorcerer like his grandma on his own terms. So when the clan gave him Rika’s Ring, he took it as an insult with them saying he wasn’t strong enough on his own. So while Yuka’s goal is to take the ring back by proving she’s stronger, Tsurugi’s is to prove he doesn’t need it, sparking their sibling rivalry.
Here’s a Bright Idea…
I understand the driving force behind this conflict, and it does sound interesting. Yet, I cannot help but be reminded of the many times in anime and manga where poor communication leads to unnecessary drama. There are probably rules in place, but from my perspective, there’s a simple solution to this problem: Tsurugi just gives his sister the Ring, and if the Clan objects, tell them off. It probably won’t work, but it feels like the best solution possible. Then again, I’m sure that the series will give us further reasons why this won’t work, but for now, I just wanted to make my opinion known.
At any rate, I’m probably going to end up reading Modulo as it progresses over the next several weeks. I was never that big a fan of JJK, but with the third season of the anime coming up, I feel like it’s worth paying attention to. But what do you guys think? Let’s talk in the comments!
RJ Writing Ink’s List of Anime to Look Out For in 2025
Anime fans, we are going to be eating like kings this year.
By the time you’re reading this, the year 2025 will likely be here, and it is promising to cook a feast for anime lovers around the world. From popular anime returning with new seasons to newcomers on the block, the year is going to be filled with so many potentially great anime. So much so that for the first time in recent memory, I actually had to stop looking to keep my brain from overloading. That’s how much we could end up eating this year!
I’m RJ Writing Ink for the D&A Anime Blog, and this is my baker’s dozen of all the anime I will be paying attention to in 2025.
Solo Leveling-Arise from the Shadows-January 4th, 2025
Only a few days into 2024, the world of anime got its first big hit in the form of Solo Leveling. Based on the Korean manwha of the same name, this megahit told the story of Sung Jin-Woo as he started going from being the weakest Hunter in the world to a contender for the title of That Guy. And he’s going to get even stronger.
At the end of the first season, Jin-Woo gained the ability to raise the dead as shadow warriors, giving him the means to build his own army. This upcoming season will see him grow his forces while continuing to level up his skills. And the stronger he gets, the more attention he will end up attracting. And, having read the entire manwha to the end, I can promise you when I say that we have seen nothing yet!
Zenshu-January 5th, 2025
This next anime is unique on this list, as it’s the only one that wholly original. Created by studio MAPPA, Zenshu takes the all-too-familiar concept of the Isekai and puts someone who works in the anime industry into the protagonist role. When the young animator Natsuko Hirose apparently dies from exhaustion at work, she wakes up in the world of her favorite anime. Unfortunately for her, said anime is one where anyone can die, like its Game of Thrones. The good news is that she learns that she has the power to re-animate scenes from the story, thereby changing it in the process. So, she does what any fan who doesn’t like how a story turns out: she gets to work fixing it.
These days, Isekai are a dime-a-dozen, and creators have to get creative to help themselves stand out in the crowd. That being said, the premise of someone rewriting the world of her favorite series because they hate what happens is something plenty of fans can relate to. Take, for example, the recent ending to the Oshi No Ko manga. Plenty of disillusioned fans would love to fix that controversial ending! Not to mention how the last two seasons of Game of Thrones need a complete overhaul! The bottom line is that Zenshu is the power fantasy for every fan disillusioned by a story gone wrong, and we should give it a shot.
Dr. Stone Science Future-January 9 2025
We’re ten billion percent ready to return to the world of Dr. Stone, the sci-fi manga with an emphasis on science. Following the events of the third season, Senku and the Kingdom of Science to acquire one of the mysterious devices that caused humanity to petrify. In addition, they also learned the device and its brethren were getting their orders somewhere on the Moon, meaning they would have to travel there to uncover the truth behind the Petrification Event. Doing that will require more resources, meaning Senku and the others will have to travel the globe and gain new allies…and new enemies.
While I never watched Dr. Stone past season one, the anime has caught up to the part of the manga where I started reading it every week. Since I know what happens, I know how interesting things are going to get. And while it might not be the most exciting Shonen series, Dr. Stone balances learning about science with goofy humor, making it interesting enough for me to watch. That, and the dub voice cast is pretty good.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2-January 10 2025
Everyone’s favorite apothecary detective returns with a new season! If you don’t know what The Apothecary Diaries is, it’s an anime that premiered back in 2023 before running into the following year. It tells the story of Maomao, a talented young apothecary forced to work as a lowly servant at the palace of an Emperor. Once she starts using her talents to solve mysteries, though, she starts taking on a much greater role. With the new season heralding the arrival of spring, there’s sure to be more mysteries to solve. And more importantly, more chances for Maomao and Jinshi to mess with each other!
Normally, The Apothecary Diaries wouldn’t be the kind of anime I would be interested in. However, the combination of good voice acting, mysteries, and the dynamic between Jinshi and Maomao is enough to pique my interest. With how many popular like to cosplay as characters from the series, it’s apparent that it’s got a pretty big fan base already, and will surely grow bigger with the new season.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2-January 12th 2025
The ultimate sigma harem anime returns at last! For those who don’t know (or didn’t ready my review of the series), 100 Girlfriends is, as the name suggests, about a boy who’s destined to meet and have 100 girlfriends. As of the end of the first season, our protagonist/the ideal every boyfriend should aspire to, Rentaro Aijo, stands at six girlfriends. Given what the trailer revealed, he’s due to make it to the double digits before the end of the season.
Harem doesn’t have the best reputation in the anime community, but as I said in my review, 100 Girlfriends is the exception to the role. Not only does it have a protagonist who actively gives his partners reasons to like him, but each partner serves as a deconstruction of a different female archetype. I.E., Karane’s tsundere-ness is something she hates due to it making her too insecure to say what she’s really feeling. Or Shizuka’s muteness is not by choice, but due to her extreme shyness. The point is that each girlfriend has more depth than you would think. Not only that, but the series is pretty funny.
One Piece-April 2025
This fall, One Piece shocked fans everywhere when, for the first time in its 25-year history, it went on hiatus. Fans have had to be content with a retelling of the Fishman Island Saga over the course of the fall and winter months. However, all of that ends April, 2025 as One Piece returns to the actual story.
For those not caught up, the series went on hiatus in the middle of the Egghead Island Arc. That arc has the Straw Hats meet the genius scientist Dr. Vegapunk, who begs them to get him and his clones as far away from the World Government as possible. While the arc has already been filled with plenty of epic moments, I can promise you that you haven’t seen anything yet. Expect your mind to be blown into a million pieces, put back together, and then blown again before the Straw Hats leave Egghead. No spoilers, though!
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes-April 2025
My Hero Academia might be heading into its final season, but there are still stories left to be told in this world of superpowers and heroes. Case in point, we have the anime adaptation of the MHA spin-off/prequel, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Set five years before the events of the series, Vigilantes follows Koichi Haimawari, an aspiring hero who opts not to become a Pro Hero in favor of becoming an illegal vigilante.
Anyone who has read an American superhero comic knows that vigilante heroes aren’t a new thing. Technically, most of the superheroes in Marvel and DC comics are vigilantes that have charges pressed against them. The only reason that doesn’t happen is because the heroes are all fairly competent at what they do. Having a spin-off that brings the concept of superheroes back to its vigilante roots should provide a new and interesting perspective on how heroism works in the world of My Hero Academia. That, and it will keep the fandom alive for a little bit longer.
Dan Da Dan Season 2-July 2025
If you read my reviews of Dan Da Dan, then you know I consider it to be the best anime of 2024 hands down. Unfortunately, the first season ended on a pretty awkward vote: Okarun and Jiji found a secret room in Jiji’s house, and Momo was under attack from a bunch of creeps. Thankfully, fans don’t have to wait years to find out what happens in anime form, with the next season due in just a few months.
Continuing the story where the last episode left off, Okarun, Jiji, and Momo will have to face both a deadly cult and an evil spirit known as the Evil Eye. Given everything that we see in the trailer, including Jiji being possessed by the spirit and the image of an erupting volcano, things are going to get wild. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
My Hero Academia Final Season-Fall 2025
It’s been a long, long road, but My Hero Academia is finally nearing the end of its run. The last season ended as the final battle between the heroes and the villains was reaching its climax. As Deku continues his fight against Shigaraki, All Might fights to stall the evil All for One from reaching his apprentice so they can merge and become unstoppable. With all the other battles now out of the way, the series can focus on making this the finale that the fans deserve.
Once again, this is a series where I read the entire manga in advance. Thus, I know how things are going to turn out and care more about its executed. If Studio Bones does this right, then it will cement MHA in the Shonen hall of fame. If not…you remember what happened with Oshi No Ko, right?
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2-Unknown Release Date
Here’s another up-and-coming Shonen anime that’s getting another season, Kaiju No. 8. At the end of the last season, Kafka Hibino managed to prove his humanity despite being able to transform into a Kaiju. As a result, he’s getting another chance with the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force. With the threat of Kaiju No. 9 and other intelligent Kaiju still looming, the JAKDF will need all the help they can get.
Sadly, a concrete release date for the new season has yet to be announced. In fact, every entry beyond this point has no clear release date.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc-Unknown Release Date
Right when it looked like it may never continue, Chainsaw Man bursts back onto the scene in all of its bloody glory. Some time ago, it was announced that the next arc of the popular Shonen series, the Reze Arc, would be made into a movie. However, with no news after such a long time, it began to feel like we may never get to see the Reze Arc play out. Thankfully, our wait may not be for much longer.
While we still don’t have a concrete release date for the film, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s coming in 2025. Given how popular the anime is, fans will likely line up in droves to see this next chapter in this bloody, unhinged story.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba-Infinity Castle Movie Trilogy-Unknown Release Dates
Speaking of popular Shonen series getting the movie treatment, it seems that Demon Slayer is returning to the movies not once, not twice, but three times in 2025. With the fourth season covering the Hashira Training arc and the start of the final battle against Muzan, the studio behind the anime must have decided to give Demon Slayer the send-off it deserves. Thus, it looks like they’re adapting the Infinity Castle arc into a trilogy of films, giving Demon Slayer the stage it needs to play out its final act.
At the moment, it’s currently unclear if the Infinity Castle movies will premiere in theaters in the West. It’s not even clear if the movies will finish the series as a whole or just cover the Infinity Castle Arc. However, I’m hoping that they do both. With how cinematic Demon Slayer has proven to be over the years, it feels right to have it end on the big screen. Just like the series finale to Avatar: The Last Airbender should’ve aired in theaters.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 (I Hope!)
JUJUTSU KAISEN "Culling Game Arc" Officially Announced!
This last one is less of a confirmed release and more like wishful thinking, but given how the JuJutsu Kaisen manga ended earlier this year, it would be appreciated. After all, the second season of JJK ended on a pretty bleak note.
To quickly recap what went down in the second season of JJK:
Gojo was sealed inside a cursed prison with his enemies in Jujutsu society forbidding his rescue.
Sukuna made Yuji level most of the Shibuya District, killing hundreds in the process.
Tons of new curse users have been awoken alongside many cursed spirits.
Yuji’s execution has been re-instated.
With the next season set to adapt the Culling Games Arc, this is JJK’s chance to regain much of the love that was lost due to how the manga ended. Hopefully, more news will come in the next few months!
What other anime are you looking forward to seeing in 2025? If you have any recommendations feel free to leave a comment about it! Happy New Year!
Few things in this world inspire as much awe, and fear, as a ninja. Spies, assassins, boisterous protagonists of some of the greatest Shonen Manga, ninjas are everywhere. And when Toonami announced that they would be coming out with an original series, Ninja Kamui, people took notice. Especially given how the anime involves a former ninja going on a quest to avenge his dead family. It’s like John Wick, but with ninjas.
Somwhere in rural America lives Joe Higan, a family man with a happy life. He’s got a beautiful wife, a cheerful son, and a successful farm, and a cool motorcycle. In other words, he’s set up as the man who’s living the peaceful, rural American Dream. However, not everything is as it seems.
Truth be told, Ninja Kamui is very cagey about who Joe is and what his past was like in the premiere. Throughout the first act, the anime drops hints that Joe is running from something. When news reports of brutal, identical murders across the country start making the rounds, they put him and his wife on edge. They know who is doing them, but they try to reassure themselves that they’ll be fine.
As expected from Sunghoo Park, the action sequences in Ninja Kamui are stunning pic.twitter.com/8X2XmPwQ9D
Then comes the moment when these assassins do come for them. Even with how obvious it was that this would happen, it doesn’t change the fact that the fight that follows is brutal. There’s blood everywhere, heads roll, and Joe’s forced to watch as his wife and son’s dead bodies grow cold on the floor in front of him.
The show’s second act adds a pair of FBI agents working on the attack, sensing it’s connected to the other murders. They’re not wrong, but when the culprits come back to finish the job, they can’t even do anything. There’s a chance that they’ll play a bigger role in the series, if only because they’re named.
a very strong debut of Ninja Kamui along with Sunghoo Park delivering on the fight choreography and action animation as expected since it is his bread and butter pic.twitter.com/xZBWUhAupO
The real highlight of the episode, though, is the moment those assassins come back for a still-alive Joe. If the entire sequence, which is bloody yet has a dark beauty to it, seems similar to Jujutsu Kaisen, there’s a good reason. Sunghoo Park, the man who directed the episode (and runs the studio that made this anime) directed the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen. The results speak for themselves as Higan goes on a rampage, killing his would-be assassins, and saving the man who killed his wife last.
Higan become the John Wick of Ninjas
The end of the episode only adds on another layer of mystery surrounding Joe Higan. His family’s dead bodies hinted at it, but it isn’t until Joe pulls off his face that we get confirmation: they were wearing high-tech masks. Between this, the military-grade gear his assassins used, and the savviness they have with technology, paints a grim picture about this group. Whoever they are, they’re dangerous.
While the ones who directly killed his family are dead, Higan knows it’s not over, leading to some payoff for a good instance of foreshadowing. Earlier in the episode, Joe found his son playing with an Oni mask, something that he and his wife were uneasy about. Given their killers similarities to Oni, it’s a big hint that they were once part of this same group of ninjas. Seeing Higan pull out an Oni mask out of the secret hole in his house is just confirming what we already knew. That, and that Higan is about to go John Wick on these ninja’s butts.
As far as premieres go, Ninja Kamui does a good job of balancing the thin line needed. It provides the basic setup and premise to use, but at the same time, it leaves enough unanswered to keep people in the dark. And when people are left in the dark about something, they tend to want to know more. What is the name of this group of ninjas? Why did Joe and his wife leave them behind? Those questions will be answered over the course of the next eleven weeks, and I’m looking forward to it.
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