Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen series is currently one of the most popular ongoing series on the planet. Studio MAPPA is doing everything it can to animate Gege Akutami’s magnum opus to life with its incredible talents, even securing the Anime of the Year award along with 8 other awards at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024.
But to everyone’s surprise, a recent fan animation clip in chapter 260 of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga has managed to impress the entire JJK community with the incredible attention to detail that they put into it. And fans were all in for the hype train that fans were coming into.
MAPPA Outdone? Fan-made clip proves Jujutsu Kaisen’s animation could reach new heights
Jujutsu Kaisen season two captivated fans with its incredible animation. Given the hard work and sleepless nights that the animators from MAPPA sacrificed for it, fans are beyond excited to see what they will bring for the third season. But now, a fan-made masterpiece seems to have taken all the hype that Studio MAPPA has generated in the last season.
A 2D artist by the username @REAL_SIXER121 on X posted a short fan-made clip of the fight between Yuji Itadori and Sukuna from chapter 260 of the JJK manga. This clip, which was posted on July 21st, has now gotten over 1.5 million views on X. Perfection would be an understatement of how well the fan animation managed to capture the essence of the fight.
Fans on the social media platform went wild in the comment section, praising the animator for his incredible work, with some even hilariously pleading for MAPPA studio to spare the animator. Here are some of the comments from the post.
don’t let MAPPA see this, because this actually GOES INSANEEE
— 🔞Rayne-Arts (@ArtsRayne) July 21, 2024
bro HOW hide yourself from mappa EXPEDITIOUSLY
— Zedless (@Zedlless) July 21, 2024
don’t let mappa see this 😭😭😭
— maya | #1 🩸💫 shipper in the nation (@berry__raccoon) July 21, 2024
Peakkk! 🔥 one of the best animated versions of this scene I’ve seen
— dessa (@dwessane) July 21, 2024
What is this man? I thought it was a leak from the studio or that the third season had been shown and I was not paying attention❤❤
— I HAVE NO ENEMIES (@IHavenoenemi228) July 21, 2024
Studio MAPPA has been known for overworking its animators in the past. Especially when Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 was airing, fans feared the show getting canceled midway given how tense the situation in MAPPA was.
Animators in despair as they speak out about the grueling work conditions of MAPPA
Studio MAPPA has been known for producing some of the most popular anime series in the past 10 years. However, producing some of the best-animated scenes did come with a cost. The animators in the studio, getting the short end of the stick.
With some of the episodes being released prematurely, an animator from studio MAPPA posted a tweet on X venting out his frustration with himself and his work, as he was unable to overcome the work pressure of the studio. The tweet by @azureoekaki would be reposted on Reddit later, which would gain a ton of traction. In the X post, the animator wrote:
(Translated by Google): Everyone is not trash like me, so I know that everyone’s sympathy and encouragement must be from the bottom of my heart, but right after releasing something that I’m not satisfied with, that kind of thing will have the opposite effect, so for now, I’m just …I want you to leave me alone.
I’ll make up for it in my future work. Until then, I will live my life as the worst animator who has ruined a masterpiece.
Studio MAPPA despite producing incredible pieces of work, has faced tons of criticism for how they treat their staff. Going forward, it will surely be interesting to see how the 3rd season of Jujutsu Kaisen will turn out.
You can stream Jujutsu Kaisen on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Itadori ‘Soul Dismantle’ animation an official Jujutsu Kaisen clip from MAPPA?
No. The article makes clear it is a fan-made edit, created and posted on X by a 2D artist using the handle @REAL_SIXER121. It is not an official release from MAPPA, the studio that animates the Jujutsu Kaisen TV anime. Fans praised the edit’s attention to detail and joked that MAPPA shouldn’t see how good it looks.
What is Itadori’s Soul Dismantle, and what does the fan edit depict?
The edit animates Yuji Itadori using Soul Dismantle during his fight against Sukuna, a sequence from Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen manga (around chapter 260). Soul Dismantle is Itadori’s own refined version of the Cleave/Dismantle slashing technique: rather than tearing the body, he targets the soul itself, hitting the space between Sukuna and Megumi to force Sukuna out. It is canonically Itadori’s ability in the manga, not just the artist’s invention.
Has Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 covered this fight in the anime yet?
No. As of this article, the Soul Dismantle vs. Sukuna arc had not been animated, and fans were so impressed by the fan edit that they joked they wouldn’t have to wait for Season 3 to see it. The piece does not confirm a Season 3 release date, so treat any unannounced timing as rumor and check official MAPPA or series channels.
