Jujutsu Kaisen continues to be the must-watch anime this season, and a lot of that has to do with studio Mappa being deep in its arthouse bag this time around, adapting Gege Akutami’s popular Shonen Jump manga series. In a short span of time, the show has already gone triple platinum on TikTok for its Kill Bill-inspired Maki episode, and it’s even got the average anime fan appreciating art history referenced in its opening. But the artistic sorcery on display in the anime’s color scripting is just as awe-inspiring as the episodes themselves.
Getting glimpses of behind-the-scenes production material for anime is pretty much the only reason any self-respecting fan still keeps X/Twitter around, at least until more artists jump ship to BlueSky. For those who are still using the app and have managed to train their For You page on all things anime, they’ve been greeted with weekly key animation drafts for shows like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
While Mappa is no stranger to showcasing key animation for airing shows with the world, having played double duty between its work on Hell’s Paradise and Jujutsu Kaisen this season, its color script showcases are worthy of being framed on the wall of any museum.
《咒术回战s3》第53画原画参与，感谢MAPPA能够给我这个机会参与这个作品，我在其中学到了不少的东西！ pic.twitter.com/aCui27XfPv
— 魚人 (@runyang16) February 5, 2026
In animation, color scripts do a ton of heavy lifting in mapping out the visual aesthetic and emotional cadence of any given scene. Think of it as a roadmap that defines how a scene is lit, its atmosphere, and its tactile feel before it’s finalized in an episode, film, or what have you. In layman’s terms, it’s the ambiance and vibe of a sequence of animation. And for Jujutsu Kaisen, its color scripts are the lush color palettes that make you go “Ooh” at a neon-drenched night bar, a golden sunset, or a fight scene that strips color entirely, leaving only red, a la the Maki episode.
Alongside Mappa key animators sharing sequences they worked on with new episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen, the X/Twitter account for Gokinjyo, a Japanese visual production company that has worked on anime like Sakamoto Days, The Dangers In My Heart, and Jujutsu Kaisen, has been sharing the color scripts of Culling Game Part 1 as well as the handles of the artists we have to thank for their picturesque paintings. Here are a few of our favorite color scripts from Jujutsu Kaisen for your viewing pleasure:
アニメ『呪術廻戦』にて、ゴキンジョがカラースクリプトを担当しています。
53話の一部を掲載させていただきます。
熱いエピソードでした、、、！！🔥🔥🔥#呪術廻戦 #JujutsuKaisen pic.twitter.com/3ghqknV0Ox
— ヒロ/Hiro(ゴキンジョ/Gokinjyo) (@hiro_gokinjyo) February 5, 2026
アニメ『呪術廻戦』にて、ゴキンジョはカラースクリプト制作を担当しています。
50話の放映にあわせて、その一部を掲載させていただきます。
制作に関わった皆さま、視聴者の方々とともに、放映を楽しんでいけたらと思います💐#呪術廻戦 #jujutsukaisen pic.twitter.com/Mg0ofrrjVC
— ヒロ/Hiro(ゴキンジョ/Gokinjyo) (@hiro_gokinjyo) January 15, 2026
We can truly go on for days about how Mappa has evolved Jujutsu Kaisen‘s visual style from a bog-standard shonen in its earlier seasons to a bespoke anime filled with inventive mise en scène in its third season. But as the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and Mappa’s heavy lifting, adapting Gege’s sometimes hard-to-decipher manga art, truly speaks for itself.
New episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen Culling Game Part 1 stream every Thursday on Crunchyroll.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
