Welcome back to school Jujitsu school sorcerers and wannabe sorcerers. Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie has just been released in theaters and we had the opportunity to preview both the subbed and dubbed version in a private screening. After watching both versions, audience members who choose to watch both versions will notice some minor differences in the actors’ delivery and some dialog changes. Thankfully, none of these changes make the movie drastically different. For those who are worried about seeing this movie before the show, you do not need to watch the first season of the show to understand the plot.
Story
Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie focuses on Yuta Okkotsu, a student with a recently enrolled Jujutsu sorcerer with a special grade curse bodyguard. After an incident at his school, Yuta is enrolled in Jujutsu High. Upon enrollment, Yuta is introduced to Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, who are first-year students. For those who are familiar with the first season, these are the second years that Yuji meets and fights alongside. Yuta has one goal in mind, breaking Rika’s curse while protecting others. Geto, the overarching villain of the movie, has other plans.
Geto is determined to eliminate all humans who cannot see curses. With his ability to manipulate cursed spirits, Geto declares war on the Jujutsu High sorcerers. On the night of curses, Geto releases a thousand curses to kill normal humans. Geto has ulterior motives and we will leave the rest for you to discover.
The story in itself is a bit predictable but doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. The movie can inspire those who haven’t seen the first season to go out and watch it. Meanwhile, it will leave those who have, craving more.
Acting
The Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie is full of great voice acting. Yuta Okkotsu English and Japanese performances are delivered masterfully where you feel the character’s anguish, growth, sorrow, and joy. Certain characters are more believable in English compared to their subbed counterparts. Personally, I prefer Satoru Gojo’s English voice over the Japanese; he feels more cocky and full of himself. Unlike other animated films, each character has their own unique personality that stands out on the screen.
If you go see Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie, you won’t go wrong either way.
Sound/Music
With Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie, you can feel underwhelmed. Out of the review categories, this is probably the weakest. Nothing from the movie’s score really leaves you stunned. There is no epic battle music, a sad composition, or training montage music to add, unlike its series counterpart. The music in the movie walks you through the scene and sets the mood, but beyond that it’s forgettable. This can be different for others depending on what they like, but as a whole, it barely leaves a lasting memory.
Cinematography
This movie has a beautiful art direction. Although the pacing of the movie is a bit off as we previously mentioned; it does manage to expand the world that audience members are getting to see for the first time. We get to learn more about characters that we meet along the way in the main series while introducing us to a new character. Visually, it does a great job between its special effects and its scene cuts. In fight scenes, there are little to no motion blurs and each character’s artwork is clean all the way through. Raindrops look realistic and at times, certain scenes look like they were ripped out of real life.
Entertainment Factor
This movie’s biggest sin is its pacing. Certain artwork and scenes feel unneeded. Fight scenes in the movie feel pretty basic with nothing over the top or extravagant. As a prequel movie, it does a good job letting the audience learn more about the character they know from the main series; additionally, it helps with explaining each character’s motivations. The movie is enjoyable enough to watch two times within a 48hr window, especially if in a different language.
If you are used to the first season, the movie will feel a bit slow, but it is still enjoyable. Plus the end credit scene is a fun teaser to what is going to come in the anime; manga readers should know all the interesting things that are to come.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie has a compelling story and does a good job building fleshing out their world. Some of the characters that you meet in the first season get enhanced by this story despite not being directly connected. The overall pacing of the movie is a bit off at times. Some scenes feel like they are meant to be cut up for the non-theatrical release similar to Demon Slayer: Muggen Train movie. The story in itself is very predictable and for most non-anime watchers, most can guess what will come next. For those who have watched a good variety of anime, it can become boring.
In the end, it’s an enjoyable experience that’s worth watching, helps flesh out the world, and makes you want to reunite with Yuji. Yes, you will hope to see the rest in the future, but you walk away with a better understanding of their world and each character’s background. A better musical score could have made the movie more significant, but overall, the soundtrack does what it is meant to. Visually, it is a beautiful movie that will leave you questioning how they actually did it.
After watching both versions of Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie I felt content. The movie is enjoyable but is ultimately a bridge movie for the next season. Yes, it’s worth watching, but you can take your time to decide when to do so.
For another anime review, check out Brett’s Sword Art Online Progressive Aria of a Starless Night review.
Copies of the Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie were provided for review purposes
