It's time to talk about anime's dreaded c-word: compilation. In recent years, studio decisions to package recaps of prior seasons alongside a taste of upcoming episodes has quickly become anime's hottest – and lamest – trend.
Far from feeling like an iron-clad reason to be seated in cinemas, compilation movies often feel like a straightforward way to bring in quick money or, worse, capitalizing on eager fan interest – a middle finger to those who will seemingly watch anything if their favorite anime is involved. Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling, and Jujutsu Kaisen have all been recent beneficiaries to this approach, and it's setting an unwelcome precedent.
Which brings us to Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution. The latest compilation offering gives fans a chance to relive key moments from the second season's Shibuya Incident arc while also providing the first two episodes of January's Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 – a continuation of the cliffhanger that saw series protagonist Yuji Itadori marked for death.
Movie magic
Yet, it works. It's still a baffling experience for newcomers hoping to find a perfect jumping-on point in favor of binging nearly 50 episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen, yet there's something intangibly brilliant about how it's presented this time around.
Instead of a bland, YouTube-style recap of the previous season's Shibuya Incident (a near-cataclysmic event housed almost entirely in Tokyo's bustling entertainment district), Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution kicks off with a fizzing sensory overload as plot beats are recounted, major deaths are relived, and Yuji's trauma is only intensified by its truncated nature.
It takes something I felt was inessential and has flipped it on its head in my eyes: a perfect teaser for those getting into anime after curious glances at Demon Slayer or Chainsaw Man after their box office successes, or a high-octane teaser for those who have yet to get around to Jujutsu Kaisen.
Better yet, it leaves just enough narrative gaps to intrigue, all without short-changing audiences. Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution may still leave a sour taste in the mouths of those who want full-fat cinematic adventures in the shape of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 or Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (and I've spoken about that welcome emerging trend before), but this proves compilations are no longer automatically the toxic bundle that felt like an awkward halfway house between something old and something new. Instead, other anime series would do well to borrow Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution's space for curiosity; a surefire way to get lapsed and newfound viewers engaged in the months leading up to a new season.
Let the Culling Game begin
The season 3 footage is the real reason audiences will be there for this limited release, though. While we won't go into plot details here, long-term fans will be pleased to discover the beginning of the Culling Game arc continues to showcase Jujutsu Kaisen's canny knack for twist-laden drama amid visceral fight scenes.
The Culling Game itself may be Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution's real misstep, however. The battle royale-style setup is only briefly addressed (a matter for another day, clearly), and the rules of the Culling Game are rushed through in laughable fashion, with only those fluent in reading kanji able to parse the full context of a war that is about to envelop all of Japan.
If the sugar-rush speed of Shibuya Incident's recap worked in its favor, recapping something that will operate as the narrative crux of most of the third season is a head-scratching choice.
Still, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution – despite my doubts – is a net win, whether you've not stepped into the halls of Jujutsu High yet or are well-versed in the anime. Better yet, it could act as a blueprint to entice newcomers to step into the weird, wonderful worlds of anime – without needing them to invest dozens of hours first.
For more, check out our complete guide to the new anime coming your way very soon. Then discover what's awaiting you in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle 2.
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