Jujutsu Kaisen animator apologises to fans following backlash over Todo’s cross-dressing scene
In the latest episode of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, the anime community witnessed the apparent scandal of Aoi Todo briefly cross-dressing in his imagination and stirring discontent among Islamic viewers. Yes, an animated character’s choice of clothing seems to have real-world consequences.
What
On December 15, 2023, animator Sota Shigetsugu, a regular contributor to the series, took to addressing the criticism he received from members of the Islamic community, offering a formal apology for the ‘contentious’ scene added to Episode 21.
In the name of criticism, one of main animator of JJKS2 was attacked, harrassed, discouraged & even received death threat
— JJK (Mya) (@JJK_Mya) December 15, 2023
All cuz they animated that extra scene of Todo, especially him in cross dress
Yet the animator apologies due to his beautiful soul. Shame on those JJK fans pic.twitter.com/O0HmbuwnCo
The scene in question unfolds in Todo's imagination, where he briefly cross-dresses alongside Takada-chan, a popular Japanese idol.
LMFAO WHAT? THEY TURNED THE NECKLACE SCENE INTO THIS PEAK ANIME ORIGINAL 😭
— - 🍥 VIN KZKUII 🦊 - (@kzkuii) December 14, 2023
TODO CAN'T BE REAL MAN #JujutsuKaisen #jjk #呪術廻戦 pic.twitter.com/IKn5ycadbh
The sequence, absent from the original manga, injected a humorous tone into the episode, as Todo and Takada executed a lively combo set to the tune of Takada-chan's "Climax☆JUMPING!" song, aiding protagonist Yuji in a pivotal fight against Mahito.
Known animation style
Despite the scene aligning with Shigetsugu's known penchant for injecting comedic twists into the narrative, it prompted criticism and online abuse.
Shigetsugu is notably recognized for his playful protest against MAPPA, the animation studio, in a prior episode where he humorously illustrated the destruction of MAPPA's production floor in Shibuya. This incident was explained as an inside joke, showcasing Shigetsugu's idiosyncratic approach to animation.
Context: this is the mappa office that sukuna wrecks and the animator drew this as a little joke lol. (FUCKING BASED BTW FUCK MAPPA).
— makiway galaxy 💫 (@konoraora) November 17, 2023
Criticism of the cross-dressing scene emerged prominently under one of Shigetsugu's social media posts. Subsequently, both the critical comments and Shigetsugu's apology on December 15 were deleted.
Oh no my hand slipped and showed all of their accounts pic.twitter.com/9iTr3QvCZK
— JJKContent (@JJKContent) December 14, 2023
Severity of offense
While a search of Arabic-language posts suggested a variety of responses, a significant portion of fans appeared indifferent to the perceived offence, questioning the justification for harassment and death threats directed at the animator.
To the ‘fans’ Harassing honehone on twitter for adding the Todo scene.#呪術廻戦 #JujustuKaisen pic.twitter.com/uEL2QkDtoQ
— JJKContent (@JJKContent) December 14, 2023
While some fans defended Shigetsugu, others questioned the severity of the outrage, wondering why an animated gender-bending moment should lead to harassment or death threats. Because, of course, nothing says "reasonable discourse" like threatening someone over a fictional character's wardrobe choice.
تسبب فانز Jujutsu kaisen العرب في جعل الانيماتر صاحب فكرة إضافة هذا المشهد ل Todo في هذا الزي بحذف تغريدته من خلال التنمر عليه
— KAIZEN 改善 🇵🇸 (@KAIZEN870) December 14, 2023
فخر كوميونيتي الانمي العربي، لاتوجد تساهلات و الدفاع المستميت لكل صغيرة و كبيرة مثلما يفعل فانز انميات اخرى...رجال #JujutsuKaisen #呪術廻戦 pic.twitter.com/HjysfJwj0J
However, in the grand scheme of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 controversies, such as the alleged sins of the animation studio MAPPA, this cross-dressing debacle seems almost quaint.
Despite the tiny debacle that has resulted from the recent episode, the broader challenges faced by animators this season including criticisms of MAPPA's ghastly production schedule, may overshadow this specific incident within the general fandom.