Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is quite easily one of the best anime of 2026 already. After a chaotic end in Shibuya, the Jujutsu Kaisen anime went on a 2-year break and returned with a bang, with the third season marking the beginning of the Culling Game. As has been established already, JJK Season 3 is going to be split into two parts. Part 1 is going to consist of 12 episodes, and then another part is going to premiere at some point later down the line in 2026, marking a true climax of the Culling Game Arc.
JJK Season 3 Part 1 is now already close to its end, with the series being over halfway done already. The climax of the season is now finally coming, and it is surely going to feature some of the best content that fans have seen in JJK altogether. Unfortunately, JJK Season 3 Part 2 is likely not going to be as good, because the most talented director and storyboard artist that worked on the show is rumored to be moving away from the series altogether.
Shouta Ghosozono Is Rumored To Leave Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3
in the world of anime, a healthy production under the vision of a talented director with a good team is what leads to a phenomenal product being delivered. Jujutsu Kaisen was brilliant from the get-go, with Season 1 being under the vision of Sunghoo Park. Right from the very first season, it was clear that Jujutsu Kaisen was going to be a very solid anime adaptation, but this brilliant first season was eventually improved upon when Shota Goshozono took the helm in JJK Season 2. In terms of art direction, storyboards and an overall artistic vision, JJK Season 2 was an upgrade in just about every way on the first season.
Shota Goshozono is quite easily one of the most talented directors of all time in the current Japanese anime industry. It can even be said that Shota Goshozono, often known as Gosso among the fans, is the most talented director and storyboard artist out there. For him to be on the helm of JJK Season 2 and now JJK Season 3 was a brilliant gift to fans. JJK's production couldn't be more blessed to have such a talented man at the helm, but now, things appear to be changing.
For those who do not know, Shota Goshozono has been at the helm of the first part of JJK Season 3. The entirety of the first part of Culling Game has been storyboarded by Goshozono himself, with him also taking charge of direction for the vast majority of the episodes. Now, it has been revealed that Gosso might end up leaving Jujutsu Kaisen permanently after the conclusion of the first part of the Culling Game.
The reason behind Shota Goshozono leaving remains unknown for now, but if rumors are to be believed, it appears that the director is leaving on his own accord. He was contracted to work on the first part of the Culling Game arc of JJK, and he has already done that job exceedingly well. Under his artistic vision, some of the best parts of JJK were brought to life, and out of all these brilliant episodes, the massacre of the Zenin clan truly stands out. Shota Goshozono elevated what was already a brilliant chapter in the manga to a completely new level, and it will stand out as one of the best animated and directed episodes of 2026.
Ghosozono Storyboarded Part 1 Of The Series Himself
When JJK Season 3 Part 1 began, fans wondered as to why Shota Goshozono was taking charge of direction for almost all the episodes himself. At the same time, it has already been revealed that this talented person has storyboarded the entirety of the Part 1 of JJK Season 3 by himself. Usually, different directors and storyboard artists take charge of different episodes, but for JJK Season 3 Part 1, all this has been solely handled by a singular person. This was rather strange at one point, but now that the news of Shota Goshozono leaving MAPPA has broken, it all suddenly makes sense. This is his final gift to Jujutsu Kaisen fans and possibly even to Japanese animation as a whole. If rumors are to be believed, this talented director is moving far away from Japanese animation studios, and joining Illumination Studios Paris in France, who have previously worked on things like Despicable Me.
Jujutsu Kaisen Will Have To Find A Worthy Replacement
As far as JJK Season 3 Part 2 goes, work on it should already have begun, which means a new director has likely taken the helm. It is possible that the old director has been brought back or someone else has been given charge of the new season, with a new artistic vision.
It will be incredibly difficult to replicate what Shouta Goshazono did with JJK Season 3 Part 1, but that doesn't mean that JJK Season 3 Part 2 will not be good. There are a ton of talented directors and storyboard artists in the Japanese animation industry that can do a stellar job. The product will probably not be as good as JJK Season 3 Part 1, but it can still be absolutely stunning.
- Release Date
- October 3, 2020
- Network
- TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC
- Directors
- Ryohei Takeshita, Masataka Akai, Chie Nishizawa, Daisuke Tsukushi, Tomomi Kamiya, Kakushi Ifuku, Ken Takahashi
Cast
-
Junya EnokiYuji Itadori -
Yuichi NakamuraSatoru Gojo
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Mappa's battle shonen anime envisions a world where Jujutsu Sorcerers battle against entities born out of Cursed Energy. One day, a teenager named Yuji Itadori is dragged into this conflict when he eats a possessed finger.
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Gege Akutami
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
