2025 has been quite an exceptional year for theatrical anime distribution. Several months after it first came out, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is still holding strong at the box office, climbing up to $700 million worldwide and earning a spot in the top ten highest grossing films of the year. Not too far behind is Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc, a gorgeously-crafted triumph of the medium and a creative high point for that beloved franchise. Looking to squeak by before year’s end is Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, a continuation of the wildly popular anime series that began in 2020, based on the 2018 manga created by artist Gege Akutami. Perhaps continuation is something of a misnomer; Execution is technically a compilation film, offering a recap of the entire previous season of Jujutsu Kaisen while also editing in the first two episodes of the series’ upcoming and hotly anticipated third season, effectively creating a feature-length teaser to goose excitement for fans. Some could argue that this is a cynical cash grab, but for those looking for a crash course recap on Jujutsu Kaisen’s most recent story arc — which was impossibly jam-packed with incident — as well as a sneak preview of what’s to come, Execution delivers the goods.
So perhaps the place to start is here: just what is Jujutsu Kaisen, exactly? The series depicts a world run rampant with negative energy known as Cursed Energy, and this energy can manifest itself into living, tangible, troublesome beings known as Curses. These Curses could theoretically impose a threat to mankind, but they are kept in check by Jujutsu Sorcerers, a class of specialized warriors who can wield and manipulate Cursed Energy to exorcise these monsters and maintain order on the planet. The strongest of these sorcerers is Satoru Gojo (voiced by Yuichi Nakamura), an affable figure of immeasurable skill and power, who also teaches students at Tokyo’s Jujutsu High School. One of Gojo’s pupils is First Year student Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki), our intrepid teenage protagonist who is new to the jujutsu game, particularly because he also happens to be the vessel for Ryomen Sukuna (Junichi Suwabe), the deadly “King of Curses” whose return would spell certain doom for humans and Curses alike. Under Gojo’s tutelage, Yuji learns to harness his newfound Cursed energy and emerge as a capable sorcerer himself. This description barely scratches the surface of what Jujutsu Kaisen has to offer, but a full summary would sincerely take an entire day to get through, so know this: Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution is strictly for the fans, and trusts that all viewers are caught up on the material before diving headfirst back into the world of Curses and Sorcerers. Casual viewers would be wise to steer clear, if only to spare themselves from some intense headscratching.
The first half of Execution is given the thankless task of condensing Jujutsu Kaisen’s entire Shibuya Incident — by far its meatiest and most celebrated arc — into a 40-minute recap. A quick refresher for all: on Halloween night, 2018, a squad of Special Grade Curses led by the seemingly reincarnated Suguru Geto (Takahiro Sakurai), a deadly Sorcerer and Gojo’s former best friend, carry out a mission to place a veil over the city of and seal Gojo in the Prison Realm, a magical cube that would otherwise render him incapacitated. Geto’s plan succeeds, but not without facing the maximum effort of Yuji and the Jujutsu Sorcerers, who valiantly battled against Geto’s forces. Heroes are tragically cut down, the city of Shibuya is decimated, and thousands of Curses are released all over Japan. Once the recap concludes, we head into the real filet of Execution, commencing what will be the Culling Game Arc with its first two episodes.
Picking right where the Shibuya Incident left off, Tokyo is now overrun with Curses, and Yuji, who has teamed up with newfound older brother Choso (Daisuke Namikawa), set out to exorcise any they encounter. For his role in the Incident as the unwitting vessel of Sukuna, Yuji is also marked for death, and Second Year student Yuta Okkotsu (Megumi Ogata) is tasked with carrying out his execution. Meanwhile, the Zen’in Clan — a powerful family of sorcerers, akin to the mafia of the Jujutsu world — learns that their leadership has been passed down to Megumi Fushiguro (Yuma Uchida), Yuji’s best friend and a fellow First Year student. This angers Naoya (Koji Yusa), a Fredo-esque Zen’in who feels wrongfully stepped over. Meanwhile, the remaining Tokyo Jujutsu Sorcerers set out to uncover the horrible truth behind Geto’s return.
Since Execution only covers the first two episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen’s third season, most will not find the film to be remotely narratively satisfying. The feature is best experienced as a decadent amuse-bouche of what’s to come, and judging from what’s been seen thus far, the Culling Game Arc means business. Most improved is the animation, with the MAPPA continuing their reign as industry champions, turning in some visually formidable work as fight sequences are rendered with gorgeous, fluid choreography. (None of the limitations of Season Two appear to be present, though let’s hope those animators received a decent raise for their efforts). Even a potentially stagnant scene like the reading of the Zen’in Clan will becomes a dynamic sequence that plays with light and shadow. Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution is not out to bring in new fans of the franchise, but for those already on board, the compilation film is an extremely promising look at the pleasures to come.
DIRECTOR: Shota Goshozono; CAST: Asami Seto, Junya Enoki, Yuichi Nakamura, Daisuke Namikawa; DISTRIBUTOR: GKIDS; IN THEATERS: December 5; RUNTIME: 1 hr. 30 min.
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