Anime Review for Jujutsu Kaisen, Season 1 Episode 1 - "Ryoumen Sukuna"

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(Image credit: "www.imdb.com")

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(Image credit: "www.netflix.com")

Show: Jujutsu Kaisen, Season 1 Episode 1 - Ryoumen Sukuna

Reviewer: shortshots

Summary: "Itadori Yuuji is a high school student with exceptional physical abilities. On the night his grandfather dies he meets Fushiguro Megumi from Jujutsu Tech." (Text credit: play.hbomax.com)

Categories:
1. Opening Scene - Dub Score: 0.5, Sub Score:1
2. Plot & Characters - Dub Score: 1, Sub Score: 1
3. Dialogue - Dub Score: 0.5, Sub Score: 1
4. Animation - Dub Score: 1, Sub Score: 1
5. Sound Effects - Dub Score: 0.5, Sub Score: 1
6. Music - Dub Score: 0.5, Sub Score: 1
7. Action & Humor - Dub Score: 1, Sub Score: 1
8. Voice Acting - Dub Score: 0.5, Sub Score: 1
9. Likability - Dub Score: 0.5, Sub Score: 1
10. Wow Factor - Dub Score: 1, Sub Score: 1

Total Score:
Dub Score/ Grade - 8/ B
Sub Score/ Grade - 9.5/ A+
Average Score/ Grade: 8.75/ B+

Critique/ Honorable Mentions (Warning: SPOILERS):
1. The opening scene is spooky because of the lanterns, paper talismans on the wall, Satoru wearing a blindfold, Yuuji being tied up, and finding out from Satoru that Yuuji is going to be secretly executed. I gave sub a higher score than dub because Satoru sounds a little goofy in English but way cooler in Japanese.
2. I liked the plot and characters, especially the idea of high school kids accidentally summoning evil spirits after playing with a genuinely supernatural object. Yuuji’s grandfather dying was sad and sudden but acts as a good motivator for why Yuuji tries to save his friends later and then swallows the finger in order to become strong enough to defeat the big evil spirit at the end. The ending is cool because it shows that despite Yuuji defeating the spirit after swallowing the cursed finger, he’s now possessed by an even stronger evil spirit.
3. The dialogue felt stronger in Japanese, more dramatic and emotional compared to the deadpan and sometimes corny English voiceovers which is why I gave sub a higher score.
4. The animation is good and the opening theme is a beautiful blend of 2D animation and CGI, plus the fight scenes are super smooth.
5. Sound effects are louder and clearer in sub than in dub, which is why I gave it a higher score.
6. The music is good, especially during the final fight scenes but it’s louder in Japanese.
7. The action is good, lots of very-well animated fight scenes with a little bit of blood and lots of destruction to surrounding areas. Not really a lot of humor in this first episode but I wasn’t bored.
8. Voice acting is okay. I gave sub a higher score because lots of characters sound better and more emotional. Satoru sounds goofy in English but cooler in Japanese, Yuuji comes off more sad in Japanese when his grandfather dies compared to English, and Megumi sounds more frustrated and exhausted in Japanese during the fight scenes. Although the evil spirit that possesses Yuuji at the end sounds great in English and Japanese.
9. Overall, I liked the episode and thought it was well done but preferred it in Japanese.
10. The fight scenes were great and I liked the reveal at the end that Yuuji is possessed now.

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