As we have been sharing here for the last month, the students behind ITHACON have been playing guest columnist at With Further Ado, and here’s the last of our student winners. This one shows off Ellie’s deep anime passion and knowledge. Enjoy!
Binding Vow to Greatness
Jujutsu Kaisen Season Three Exceeds Every Expectation
By: Elijanna Kennedy
Disclaimer: Potential Spoilers Ahead
Season three, Part One of Jujutsu Kaisen didn’t just live up to the hype surrounding its release; it completely overwhelmed it. Every episode feels like it’s trying to outdo the last, and somehow it keeps succeeding. It’s clear that this isn’t another installment; it’s a statement. Grander fights, deeper stakes, and heavy emotional turbulence make it feel like the series is operating at full power.
To begin, the animation so far has been nothing short of impressive. Not to say that the animation wasn’t always fantastic, but MAPPA Studios truly wiped the floor with this. Scene after scene felt just so clean and intentional, ranging from the Zenin Clan Massacre to the Opening Series Fight including our main character, Yuji Itadori, and fan-favorite Yuta Okkotsu, not a single detail was missed. Every hit lands, lines were clean, and even the background characters felt alive. I give MAPPA and the animators who have given their time to make this masterpiece all of the admiration and gratitude I can give.
At this point, I’m convinced that the real special grade sorcerers are the animators. They might even be the strongest! With the exception of Satoru Gojo, of course.
As impressive as the animation is, what truly makes this season stand out is how much the story has grown. As a manga reader, I knew the story well, with the Culling Games being my all-time favorite arc, however, seeing it animated feels like a completely different experience. The execution of the story has just been phenomenal. The pacing might be fast, but it NEVER feels rushed. There’s constantly something going on, stories overlapping. Whether it be a fight scene, a conversation, and explanation, you won’t want to look away. This season does not wait for you.
Another thing that really stood out to me was the voice acting. You can really tell that the cast is putting their whole souls into it, and it really does make a huge difference. The emotional scenes, like the final talk between Mai and Maki, just hit harder, and it pulls you so much deeper into the story. We caught a glimpse of this in the second season with the Shibuya arc, but this is on a whole new level.
The characters themselves feel more developed than ever. Even within just the twelve episodes we’ve gotten so far, every character has grown in some sort of way, new and old. And that isn’t always in a good way. We got to see a new side of Megumi and his feelings in episode eleven, something that wasn’t so face-value before. This season genuinely pushes the characters to the brink; emotionally, physically, and mentally. Not one person is coming out of the Culling Games unscathed, and that’s honestly part of the draw to watch.
The overall tone of this season is much darker than anything we’ve seen before from the show. As I’ve mentioned prior, we got a small glimpse of the dark tones in the Shibuya Arc, but nothing like we were currently seeing. You can cut the tension with a butter knife, but it honestly never feels like too much. The darker themes surrounding the season add to the story, especially exploring themes of power, sacrifice, and what it really means to be “strong”. It’s not about who can win anyone, as we saw Satoru Gojo get sealed last season, it’s about how much the fight costs.
If I had to point out one downside, which I REALLY had to think about, I guess its intensity can feel just a little overwhelming at times. There’s not a whole lot of room between episodes to breathe, no joyful silly moments, no time to think. Sometimes you just need a moment to process. If I hadn’t read the manga, I might be just a little bit confused about how the Culling Games actually work, due to how fast the show moved on from the rules. However though, this non-stop energy is what makes this season in particular so memorable.
By the end of the current running season, it is evident that Jujutsu Kaisen has reached an entirely different level. It’s not just another strong season, but an absolute turning point. The kind of season that viewers will end up rewatching time and time again.
At this point, calling it limitless wouldn’t even do it justice.
Season Three part one doesn’t just raise the bar for new gen animes, but it completely shatters it. And to tell you the truth? I’m still in shock.
