'Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie' Review: Stunning animation and inventive action make this manga adaptation a winner

A still from the film

Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie
Dir: Seong-Hu Park
Cast(voice): Chinatsu Akasaki, Aya Endô, Kana Hanazawa
Rating:3/5

This movie is based on a popular anime TV series, which in turn was inspired by best-selling Volume 0 of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga (also known as the "Cursed Child").

When high school student Yuta Okkotsu inadvertently starts harming some classmates, the great jujutsu sorcerer Satoru Gojo, recognizing that he has a "curse" attached to him, brings Yuta to Jujutsu High, a special school for training on how to manage his power. There, he forms a tentative bond with three classmates - Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda. He also gets to understand how and why a childhood friend, a girl named Rika Orimoto, who died in a tragic accident, has morphed into this curse that he carries.

When Suguru Geto, a former Jujutsu High student who was expelled for slaughtering innocent people shows up and gets into organizing the "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons" that will unleash havoc upon the citizenry, Yuta and pals are charged with stopping him.

The mixing of fantasy and human drama is skilfully accomplished here. The narrative enthrals with inventive action sequences with the climactic battle between Jujustu High students and the parade demons, turning into an exciting endplay. Beautifully designed creatures are factored into the wonderfully rendered animation.

This movie is basically catering to its existing fan base. The narrative is studded with fairly memorable characters and there's a strong thread of unbridled humour running through it. The plotting is imaginatively done and is easy to follow even with subtitles and dubbed voiceovers. Fascinating action sequences, stunning animation in a story that is quite memorable, will keep the young ones and the adult folk accompanying them interested, intrigued and entertained.