Cinema-goers could watch the new anime film of Jujutsu Kaisen. However, the film Hidden Inventory / Premature Death was so disappointing for MeinMMO editor Jasmin that she is considering which films to go to in the future.
Although snack prices continue to soar into astronomical heights, I am still a passionate cinema-goer. I especially enjoy animated films, whether American or Japanese productions. I even watched the film of One Piece twice in theaters – although it was ruined for me just as often.
Jujutsu Kaisen received a new film for theaters with Hidden Inventory / Premature Death, which was made available to MeinMMO as a screener. Since I had already seen Jujutsu Kaisen 0, I was curious about the new film – but was disappointed already by the synopsis of the new flick.
Anime film connects episodes together
The film shows the backstory of Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, when they were still friends. The two must protect the student Riko Amanai, who is to be sacrificed as a star plasma vessel. Nothing can happen to her until her sacrifice.
With time, the group gets to know Riko better and allows her to have a few last enjoyable hours. During this mission, so traumatic experiences occur that Geto later becomes the enemy we know from the Jujutsu Kaisen anime.
If the film’s content seems familiar to you, that’s no surprise: the film simply consists of the first 5 episodes of the anime. Only the opening and the ending have been removed.
For fans of the anime, there are two additional scenes: At the beginning, the protagonists of the film discuss whether eating Mochis helps them not to need the restroom during the film. This takes place in a cinema hall where the film is also currently playing. The essence: it is not proven.
At the end, there are also new montages of photos from the characters’ academy days. An acoustic version of Ao no Sumika plays in the background. Otherwise, everything in the film is identical to the series version, similar to earlier this year with the film for the finale of Attack on Titan.
Is it worth it? I watched the film again and have to say that it wasn’t worth it for me. Those who, like me, already know the scenes from the anime find nothing new in the film. According to Anna Nagase, who voices Riko in the film, the emotional highs are supposed to feel even more painful to the viewer due to the montage (seen on gamer.ne.jp).
Furthermore, the ending is also said to potentially tug at the heartstrings again. For hardcore fans of Gojo, the anime film could be worth it since it showcases his beginnings. However, those who simply want to follow the story of Jujutsu Kaisen, like me, will be disappointed.
I have experienced this before with other animes like Demon Slayer, which summarize part of the story. However, there are two advantages here that the producers improve upon:
- The films were released each time before the start of the arcs in theaters. This allowed you to conveniently skip a few episodes from the new season to save time.
- The episodes were not just lined up one after the other, but cut down to the necessary plot. This also saves time and allows you to experience the most exciting moments as a film.
However, if a film is just a collection of scenes that are exactly from the anime, I can’t find any enjoyment in it. Especially not when it is still not known when season 3 will be released.
The film would have been a good option to serve as a recap of what actually happened in season 2. Just before season 3, some moments from season 2 could have become important again. But by the time season 3 airs, I will probably have forgotten some scenes and will have those “Oh right, that’s how it was” moments.
As a cinema visit becomes increasingly expensive thanks to techniques like IMAX and the mentioned snack prices, it is worth considering which anime films I want to see in theaters in the future. In this case, we were fortunate that the film was provided to us; otherwise, I would have been upset.
There are now so many anime films released each year that I have decided to only go to those that consist of completely new footage. Some examples are the films of Detective Conan or Demon Slayer.
However, if you are a big fan of Jujutsu Kaisen or see Gojo as your personal husbando, you might enjoy the film.
What do you think about it? Which films do you go to the cinema for? Write it in the comments, as I am curious about how you handle new films.
By the way: MeinMMO has a list of anime films that will be playing in German cinemas this year. So you won’t miss anything. The complete overview of all films can be found here: All anime movies coming to cinemas in Germany in 2025
