Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution represents Mappa’s opportunity to revisit one of the franchise’s most debated confrontations with full cinematic refinement. The film stitches together crucial moments from season two and then moves into two early episodes of season three, clarifying how Sukuna’s devastation in Shibuya segues into the next arc — a sequence that finds Yuji on the run from a lethal Yuta, a character first introduced in Jujutsu Kaisen 0. While some viewers hoped the movie would correct earlier missteps, many are simply eager for a first look at where season three is headed; those hoping for fixes may leave underwhelmed.
Rather than expanding the contentious Shibuya clash, Mappa trims it and pivots toward the season-three preview as the film’s principal attraction. That preview delivers spectacular animation and kinetic set pieces, but ultimately functions as a teaser for episodes that will arrive in a few weeks — impressive, yet not a full reimagining of what some fans expected.
Mahoraga versus Sukuna
The original Mahoraga–Sukuna clash, released two years ago, felt bold and experimental but ran into runtime limits that left viewers wanting more. The Blu-ray later restored several moments and tightened the choreography, improving the sequence substantially. Given that history, the theatrical edition had a real chance to present an expanded, definitive version — but the film instead compresses that confrontation into a single, brief set piece.
Execution’s opening dozen minutes sweep through several conflicts in montage form, but the Mahoraga–Sukuna encounter appears as one uninterrupted scene largely taken from the Blu-ray enhancements rather than an expanded cinematic treatment. There are no new beats added, only slight edits, which will likely disappoint fans who hoped for a fully realized, feature-grade rendition of the hype surrounding that battle.
Still, for viewers who have watched the series grow from its idiosyncratic first season into a more stylized second, the film’s latter half is a clear signal that Mappa is taking an increasingly ambitious cinematic approach heading into season three.
A look at Jujutsu Kaisen season 3
After a brisk recap of Shibuya, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution largely becomes a showcase for the first two episodes of season three, which adapt the Yuji Extermination arc from the manga. In this storyline, the council sanctions Yuta to pursue and eliminate Yuji — a chase that casts Yuji’s anguish against devastated urban backdrops, from shadowed stairwells behind stained glass to streets ruined by his own choices.
The initial episode captures Yuji’s fatigue and the grimness of his mission; the follow-up frames Yuta as a relentless, almost mechanical force determined to stop him. The contrast is jarring: despite Yuji’s growth, he’s repeatedly outmatched by Yuta’s precision and resolve. Fans aligned with Yuta will find the sequences gratifying; those rooting for Yuji may find them emotionally bruising.
Visually, the season-three excerpts are sumptuous — every frame is composed with an almost poster-ready polish. The animation quality reads like a feature film, prompting the question of whether future arcs might bypass weekly television and move straight to theatrical release, as other franchises have recently done (see: Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc). Given that focus on new material, it’s perhaps understandable that Mappa didn’t devote more resources to polishing earlier sequences, but the movie could reasonably have included a fuller Shibuya presentation within its recap.
Ultimately, Execution does an excellent job whetting appetites for season three, but it doesn’t deliver the amplified Shibuya spectacle many hoped for — particularly the expanded Mahoraga–Sukuna duel. Outside of the film’s opening portion, most of the runtime functions as an extended trailer for episodes arriving soon, rather than the lavish compilation event some theatrical adaptations strive to be.
Source: Polygon
