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Jujutsu Kaisen: 19-year-old animator speaks out after epic Season 2 fight

Tulisha srivastava
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Aoi TodoCrunchyroll

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 recently featured an epic fight crafted by a 19-year-old animator – here’s what he has to say about it.

As the Shibuya arc is nearing its end, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is more intense than ever. The recent episode features Aoi Todo’s unexpected arrival in Shibuya as he gives Yuji much-needed motivation. The episode was both bittersweet and thrilling for fans.

However, an exciting fact about the episode is that one of the key animators is a 19-year-old Kouichi Akahiro. He created the epic sequence where Todo powers up and prepares for a Black Flash against Mahito.

Tokuno Yuji, the director of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 20, shared a note from the young animator. Delve deeper to find out what he had to say to Jujutsu Kaisen fans.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 20 director shares message from young animator

Yuji said: “Mr. Akahiro is a 19-year-old animator who has the power to create such hyper-like animations. All of the creators involved in Jujutsu were extremely young and had overwhelming talent, which was extremely stimulating. I’m looking forward to the future of everyone involved!!”

Additionally, the director also shared a note in Japanese from the young animator. Twitter user Soukatsu_ shared an English translation of the note, which read: “My favorite actress is Emma Stone. I’m really grateful to my colleagues at MAPPA who rushed over to my house when I fell sick, and to Aoi and Itadori, with whom I’ve shared so many ups and downs. It’s just a small taste, but this is the fruit of our blood, sweat, and friendship so please enjoy.

“Thank you to everyone for your hard work on Episode 44. It’s so cool to have a hero who can make everyone feel positive again just by showing up, right? Tokuno-san’s storyboard directing, super cool and feel-good cuts, composition, and frame processing were just the absolute best.

“I’m also very grateful to animation director Yamazaki-san, for making the characters the best they could be with his artistic ability. The voice actors and sound direction team were outstanding, and the art and photography team improvised a lot, which made me laugh.”

The young animator further shares his experience with other animators at MAPPA. “I was allowed so much freedom and had a lot of fun expanding on parts of the storyboards alongside Honehone-san and the others, such as how to handle the close-up kissy face and Todo’s replica,” he said.

“Truthfully, it’s frustrating that so few cuts made it to the key animation stage. But I hope the scene can make MAPPA, the team, and the viewers laugh and feel more energetic! I also have so much respect for Matsumoto-san, the producer who kept on working right until the very end.

“There are a lot of things I need to reflect on, such as my poor drawing ability and the composition of the movements, but everyone that joined the team at the same time as me did their best work on the other parts of this episode too, so it’s become one of my favorite episodes. Sorry this note became so long… I’ll be rooting for everyone for the last three episodes!”

How to watch Crunchyroll from outside your location in 2023

Crunchyroll is the world’s best hub for streaming anime, whether it’s One Piece, Attack on Titan, or Jujutsu Kaisen – and thanks to ExpressVPN, you can access the platform’s full library even if you’re outside the US.

If you’re abroad, here’s what you need to do to access Crunchyroll’s full selection – and it really is this simple:

  1. Sign up for ExpressVPN, which has ultra-fast servers and offers a secure, private connection wherever you are in the world
  2.  Connect to a location anywhere in the US; Express VPN allows you to choose from 24 different spots, from New Jersey to Santa Monica
  3.  Visit Crunchyroll online and start streaming all of your favorite animes – and perhaps some you’ve never watched

Accessing Crunchyroll’s US roster makes a difference; for example, Hong Kong users only have access to less than 100 titles, while the US has nearly 1,000 movies and TV shows.

You can also stream anime on Crunchyroll for free with an ad-supported plan, or you can pay for a subscription – there’s even a 14-day free trial if you can’t quite make up your mind.

See our other JJK coverage below, and you can check out our other anime coverage here.

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