Jujutsu Kaisen s2 finale, episode 23 review - "Shibuya Incident - Gate, Closed"

Jujutsu Kaisen just dropped a finale that's got me counting the days until season 3 and has me forgiving every filler season 2 had. Episode 23, “Shibuya Incident – Gate, Closed,” was an exhilarating rollercoaster of emotions, revelations, and a revival of the series' horror theme. This episode, though slow on the action, perfectly sets the stage for what promises to be an epic next season - the Culling Game arc. I lowkey hate the insinuations of the next arc's title.

In my humble opinion, this second season was much better than the first one regarding lore. The first five episodes, dedicated to Gojo and Geto's backstories, did the characters justice and gave us a really intense narrative to swallow. For those who haven't seen this season yet, why are you reading this and here's the best way to watch it: Episodes 1-5 first, then the best anime movie ever Jujutsu Kaisen 0, then the remaining episodes. It will help make more sense as to why my jaw was on the floor in this episode.

Without further ado, let's talk about this finale and and it means.

SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO DARE VENTURE PAST THIS SENTENCE - I'm discussing the entire season finale in detail!

The episode, a perfect blend of tension and information, had me glued to my screen. Yes, there's a lot to digest – with Kamo Noritoshi's bold moves and Yuki Tsukomo's pretty unnecessary dialogue, the storyline has thickened like a well-brewed potion of intrigue. The sheer dump of information might seem overwhelming, but trust me, it's like fitting the last pieces of a puzzle - suddenly, everything makes sense, and you can't help but feel good about finally seeing where this is all going.

It was only a matter of time for Geto to finish absorbing Mahito's transfiguration curse technique, which is terrifying. But, instead of fighting an even bigger fight, He decides to peace out with Gojo-in-a-box while Yuji and company are left screaming in disbelief and citizens face an impending curse attack that could devastate Tokyo - if not the whole country. The whole bit where the government officials know what's going on but don't disclose things until it's too late is a bit too realistic, with the scenes where the news reporter and cameraman get killed live followed by viewers being killed by curses shortly after with no sort of warning becoming absolutely horrifying moments.

Jujutsu Kaisen completely revisits its horror genre in this arc, especially this last episode - the grocery store scene gave me chills. A homeless girl stuffs her face with sushi as a horrific curse tries to lure her out of the store and to her death, and we see the culmination of what Japanese horror is. Also, in that very moment, I screamed as we see Yuta Okkotsu - the main character from Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the kid whose dead ex-lover, Rika, turned into a curse and kills for him - come out of nowhere and save her life.

That's both excellent news and horrible timing. He's there to carry out Yuji's death sentence, which has been put back in place because of Sukuna's senseless killing and destruction in Shibuya. Also, with the handsome Gojo Satoru still living in a box, Yuta is basically our Gojo 2.0 until he comes back and proves to everyone that he was not part of this plan to destroy Shibuya like he's been accused of.

But the real jaw-dropper? The statements at the end of the episode: Geto's death sentence being reinstated, the expulsion of my anime husband Gojo from Jujutsu society and making any attempts to free him from his timeout box a crime, Yuji's death sentence also being reinstated and Yuta being the one charged with carrying it out, and the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu high being sentenced to death for apparently inciting Gojo and Geto into committing these crimes. Talk about the perfect setup for the next arc! We see the deeper, corrupt political machinations within the Jujutsu society. This isn't just a battle against curses - it's a chess game of strategy and power, and our boys and girls are not being fairly judged right now.

On the same day, MAPPA has launched a season 3 announcement trailer, and I just... can't wait. With no confirmed release date or any info, all we have to do is sit pretty, rewatch all of these episodes again, and wait.

In summary, while this episode may have bombarded us with information, it's a necessary setup for the explosive storylines to come.

It's like the calm before the storm, and if this episode is anything to go by, we're in for a hurricane of epic proportions in season 3. Jujutsu Kaisen is the best anime of its time, continuing to mesmerize and surprise us, and I'm here for every single curse-ridden, action-packed moment of it.