Pokémon Is Responsible For Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2’s Most Controversial Scene

Jujutsu Kaisen‘s second season has elevated the show to unprecedented heights and is cementing the show as a top shonen anime, but the visuals in certain scenes have sparked controversy among fans. Not many of them, however, know that the reason why certain scenes in Jujutsu Kaisen were altered actually dates back to the early seasons of Pokémon.

While season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen has received its fair share of praise, there has been criticism regarding the visuals in certain scenes. Known commonly as dimming, some scenes appear darker than they should be. This happens usually in fight scenes or in brighter and more colorful situations. For a lot of fans, this ruined the flow of the show and people took to social media to express their concerns.

Dimming has been used as an animation technique for a long time. Although it may not be visually appealing, it is primarily used for the safety of viewers, especially children who may be watching the anime.

The Porygon Incident Changed The Animation Industry Forever

The dimming was more prevalent in the Shibuya Incident Arc, starting with the fight between Mechamaru and Mahito. However, fans became increasingly frustrated during the fight between Itadori and the grasshopper curse. This is where dimming became controversial, but it’s not MAPPA’s fault as they are required by law to use this technique after an incident regarding Pokémon. On December 17, 1997, the 38th episode of Pokémon season 1 sent approximately 600 Japanese children to the hospital after suffering epileptic seizures due to the bright and repetitive visual effects. A massive investigation was launched and Bandai Namco’s stocks took a hit due to the incident.

The episode called “Electric Soldier Porygon” was taken off the air quickly and the anime went on a four-month break. This incident became famous all around the world under the name of “Pokémon shock” and even the Simpsons made a reference to it. Since then, stringent regulations have been imposed to prevent such incidents from happening again. One of these regulations is the use of dimming and ghosting, which is a blurring effect that helps prevent triggering seizures. These regulations apply to some of the best fights in anime, like Naruto & Sasuke vs Momoshiki and Midoriya vs Overhaul, and Jujutsu Kaisen is no exception to this rule.

As much as fans have been raving about it, season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen has had its fair share of controversies. The working conditions of their employees are a major source of criticism for MAPPA. While there is a lot fans can complain about in that regard, the dimming of fights is for the benefit of kids who are at risk of epileptic seizures. Studios in Japan are required to do this, and undimmed versions of the anime are easy to obtain with the release of the Blu-ray. Dimming is thus a necessary evil that is for the safety of viewers, and Jujutsu Kaisen remains an incredible anime, with season 2 raising the bar even further, despite its fair share of controversy.

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