Crunchyroll's Shibuya Arc Receives Mixed Reviews, Jujutsu Kaisen Fans in Disarray
Fans worldwide express disappointment with Crunchyroll's Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 as the highly anticipated Shibuya Incident Arc begins, citing subpar animation in the fight scenes
After the premiere of the Shibuya Incident Arc in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, fans worldwide were disappointed with the animation of the fight scenes, considering them to be unwatchable. Fight scenes are crucial visuals in a Shounen anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, so the fans were understandably upset when they noticed ghosted and dimmed fighting scenes.
However, things took an interesting turn when the official Twitter page of the anime released some visuals that hinted at possible blame on Crunchyroll instead of MAPPA. The released images were from the same scenes that looked terrible during the airing, but they were not dimmed or ghosted. This led fans to speculate that Crunchyroll deliberately released a subpar version of the episodes.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 2: Fans left vexed at Crunchyroll for poor quality episodes
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During the premiere of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 Shibuya Incident Arc episodes, fans noticed a decline in the animation quality of the fight scenes. This caused frustration among the fans who initially blamed MAPPA for the issue.
However, a recent post on the anime's official Twitter page revealed that an unaltered version of the episodes with better animation exists. This led fans to believe that streaming site Crunchyroll intentionally released a lower-quality version of the episodes.
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Afterward, fans began petitioning and using the hashtag "#Release_JJK_without_ghosting" to urge Crunchyroll to release the unedited and unfiltered episodes. However, fans remained uncertain about whether Crunchyroll would respond to their requests. Although some fans believed that the streaming service pays attention to their feedback, none of them believed that the staff members were genuinely concerned and proactive enough to address these concerns. This perception was based on the streaming service's tendency to not upload improved versions of anime episodes, even when they become available, and their reluctance to make any alterations to their library.
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Some fans expressed their willingness to rewatch the entire season of Jujutsu Kaisen if Crunchyroll were to re-release the episodes for an improved viewing experience. This prompted other fans to defend Crunchyroll, arguing that the poor-quality release was unintentional and instead attributed it to the anime studio MAPPA, who had initially shared high-quality still images for promotional purposes. This theory appeared more plausible considering the workings of the anime industry.
The difference in quality between a trailer and an actual episode of an anime is extremely noticeable, which is why fans speculated that a similar situation had transpired with Jujutsu Kaisen season 2.
One fan speculated that MAPPA, particularly its CEO Manabu Otsuka, intentionally created the turmoil surrounding Jujutsu Kaisen season 2. Typically, after an anime is released, a Blu-ray version follows. Fans, noting the consistent high quality of MAPPA's anime, theorized that the studio deliberately released a subpar version initially in order to later sell a superior Blu-ray edition.
Since there would be no incentive to purchase the Blu-ray if there were no distinctions between the two versions, it is likely that the studio chose this deceptive strategy. However, for now, fans will have to wait and see how Crunchyroll and MAPPA respond to the negative feedback surrounding Jujutsu Kaisen season 2.
