Jujutsu Kaisen: Why does Season 2 have a different art style?

The art style is the most noticeable change between the two seasons of Jujutsu Kaisen. While Season 1 has a more detailed and intricate animation, Season 2 is more uncomplicated and sleek.

MAPPA has completely changed the art style for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 by making it more simple and fluid. There’s a blue tone that gives a summer vibe, which is perfect for a high school theme of the flashback arc. 

More detailing can often deviate attention from the focal point and make the short look more chaotic. However, art is subjective, and the varying opinion divides the JJK fandom in two. Most fans appreciate the simple animation’s beauty, while others miss the level of detail.

However, there’s no denying that the sudden change piques the viewers’ curiosity as they wonder why the art style of Jujutsu Kaisen changed so suddenly. Several reasons contribute to that.

The reasons for the different art styles of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

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The primary reason is the change in directors from both seasons. Shōta Goshozono has replaced Sunghoo Park as the director in the second season. Park’s detailing and close-up shots are better than the new season. However, Goshozono has a very different and unique perspective when it comes to transitioning between the scenes. 

Another reason could be MAPPA taking on several big projects simultaneously. The studio is infamous for overworking its animators, and we can see why that’s the case. Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hell’s Paradise, Trigun Stampede, Vinland Saga, and several more popular anime are often under production at the same time.

Crunchyroll

Therefore, it’s safe to say that the studio has taken down the level of detail to save some time. On the bright side, it does allow them to create more intense and fast-paced action scenes. In the image above, Toji’s scene where he approaches to attack Gojo is perfectly executed. 

There’s a brief moment when Toji comes close to the screen and then rushes back to come forward again. All this happens for about two seconds, but the lack of detail helps keep all of our attention to only Toji. Viewers get a better understanding of Toji’s superhuman speed. Compared to that, the highly detailed background can sometimes be distracting.

This could be one of the reasons that MAPPA opted for a simple art style since it helps them create better and more fluid action scenes. The first episode clearly proves that the animation has maintained its consistency in every scene, which was lacking in the first season. 

Jujutsu Kaisen can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix. In the meantime, check out our other anime coverage below:

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