Release Date February 4, 2020 Story & Art Gege Akutami Publisher Viz Media Letterer Snir Aharon Translator Stefan Koza Amazon

The first volume of Jujutsu Kaisen proved to be a delightful surprise to this reader. Rocking up to the already crowded Shōnen table with something to prove, Akutami delivered an entertaining and intense introduction to the world of Curses and Jujutsu Sorcerers which was every bit as hilarious as it was action-packed. However, the difficult second album (or volume, in this case) is always a possibility. And the last volume certainly left us with one hell of a cliffhanger to chew on. It’s time to see if Jujutsu Kaisen volume 2 can continue to impress and if it’s still worth reading!

Let’s go all out!

As I mentioned, we left volume 1 with our favourite Jujutsu Highschool first-year trio in a bit of a cursed pickle. Going up against a Special Grade Curse that was well above their weight class. However, the sudden return of a major antagonist in the form of Ryomen Sukuna threw a curveball into the brawl.

Volume 2 picks up right where that high octane action left off. While seeing Sukuna go to town on an increasingly desperate Fushiguro is intense. The real treat of there early chapters come with the meaty chunk of development dished out for him.

Megumi certainly made a strong first impression for his stern attitude and Shikigami summons in the last volume. What I wanted to know a bit more about, was what made the guy tick? Turns out the kid had a pretty rough upbringing, and life wasn’t very fair to him or those he loved. As a result, he wants to use his power as a Jujutsu Sorcerer to bring a little more fairness to life.

In what turns out to be quite an emotional encounter. He explains this while opening up to Sukuna at the climax of their battle. Revealing why exactly he decided to save Itadori at the beginning of the series. It’s a testament to Akutami’s strong character writing that they’re able to tug at the heartstrings so effectively at such an early point of this series. I was praising Itadori’s charm and likability last volume, but Fushigiro really steals the show here.