Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2: Mappa Elevates Mahito's Death Scene In A Way The Manga Failed
Ever since its release, Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 has proven to be a complete game changer for the series. Fans all over the world have praised the animators at MAPPA for their hard work in bringing the Shibuya Incident arc to life, as it managed to break several records and surpass expectations.
Not only that, MAPPA adapted some of the most crucial moments from the manga in a near-perfect manner that has certainly done justice to the source material. One such moment came in Episode 22 of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, where the Cursed Spirit Mahito met his end at the hands of Suguru Geto (Kenjaku) in a rather brutal fashion.
The moment generated an immense amount of praise from the fans, who were delighted upon seeing the scene get animated perfectly and believed that it elevated the brutality of Mahito's death.
MAPPA makes Mahito's death in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 much more brutal than the manga
Throughout the entirety of the Shibuya arc in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, Mahito established himself as one of the most powerful and evil villains of the entire series. After making it his personal mission to make Yuji Itadori's life miserable, he proceeds to kill Kento Nanami and Nobara Kugisaki right in front of him, thereby shattering his resolve to fight.
Fortunately, Aoi Todo arrived at the scene just in time to save Itadori's life, which motivated him to fight once again. After an intense battle, Todo was left gravely injured by Mahito. Despite that, he managed to assist Itadori in successfully defeating the Cursed Spirit. After beating down his archrival to a pulp, Itadori chased down Mahito and vowed to put an end to his life. As Mahito tried crawling away from Itadori, Suguru Geto/Kenjaku suddenly appeared in front of him, asking if he needed to be saved.
Yuji Itadori as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (image via MAPPA)
Just as Itadori started advancing towards Kenjaku, the latter managed to effortlessly keep him at bay and overpower him with his vast reservoir of Cursed Spirits. A beaten-down Mahito tried to take advantage of the moment by attempting to attack Kenjaku while his back was turned toward him. However, Kenjaku was able to anticipate the attack and counter it by absorbing Mahito with Suguru Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation. Following that, Kenjaku consumed Mahito after extracting his Idle Transfiguration for himself.
This moment in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 marked a definitive end to Mahito's rampage, as he seemingly met a death befitting his horrendous actions throughout the season. However, this particular scene was done in much more detail in the anime, as it showcased Mahito's agony while being absorbed. He was seen writhing and screaming in pain, which the viewers deemed to be a much-deserved end for him. In the manga, however, his death was done in a single panel, which lacked any kind of emotion or satisfaction.
It's safe to say that Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 perfectly elevated Mahito's death. After ending the lives of some of the most beloved characters of the series, Mahito became perhaps the most hated antagonist of the season. Thereby, fans were certainly satisfied upon seeing the Cursed Spirit meet a more horrifying end in the anime than in the manga. Some fans even expressed their joy on social media upon seeing Mahito finally get what he deserved, and they expressed their gratitude to the animators at MAPPA for their hard work in bringing this moment to life.
Final Thoughts
Mahito has been a constant thorn in Yuji Itadori's side since the first season of the series. Seeing him finally meet his end in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 after killing almost everyone Itadori cared about finally brought some peace to the fandom. Furthermore, the animation quality of the episode received overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans, who were delighted to see such a crucial moment of the manga get animated perfectly.