Summary
Spoilers ahead for Jujutsu Kaisen manga up to chapter #265.Things have changed a lot forJujutsu Kaisensince the Shibuya Incident arc, but I love it. Reception of the manga’s unexpected turns has been mixed for the devoted fans keeping up with it. However,recent twists leading toJujutsu Kaisen’s impending endalsomade me rethink its direction — in a good way.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s anime second season ends after the Shibuya Incident arc. The arc is beautiful and suspenseful, butJujutsu Kaisen’s most controversial decisions all come after, in what is currently manga-only material. I know a handful of anime-only fans who have been driven away from reading the manga by how it’s discussed online, so withJujutsu Kaisenseason three on the horizon, I want to make a case for whyJujutsu Kaisenis in better shape than ever.
“A Different Approach”: Jujutsu Kaisen’s Creator Reveals The Series Was Always Meant to Be Naruto’s Opposite
Gege Akutami has finally confirmed a comparison fans have been making for years, revealing the series was inspired by Naruto but in an unexpected way.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Stakes Only Get Higher
The Shibuya Incident Lit The Fuse For A Total Explosion
The biggest moments in the series all start after the Shibuya Incident arc. The world iseffectively in shambles following it, and curses roam freely. This setting provides the background against whichJujutsu Kaisen’s relationships will grow ever deeper, its conflicts more dire, andits stakes the highest they’ve ever been.
Yuji’s execution is now a priority, leading him to fake his death once more. Later, Megumi’s sister is made the center of a battle royale hosted by Kenjaku called the Culling Game, which Megumi convinces Yuji to join in order to aid her rescue. The events which follow lead to the Shinjuku Showdown arc, whereSukuna takes over Megumi’s body and then battles one sorcerer after another. Kenjaku and Sukuna’s goal isto merge all life in Japan with Master Tengen, who Sukuna intends to fight after all is said and done, while Kenjaku apparently is only curious to see what will result from the merger.
The Combat Just Keeps Getting Better
Few Series Use Battle To Greater Effect ThanJujutsu Kaisen
“Hype” alone does not a good battle shōnen make. Any tenured anime fan knows that a “hype” fight falls flat unless the fight and its context are interesting. A battle shōnen trying to be “hype” isonly worth as much as the characters and scenarios it establishes.Jujutsu Kaisenhas always been a particularly hype franchise, but it outdoes itself in the arcs following the Shibuya Incident.
The manga-only portion ofJujutsu Kaisenhas some fantastic fights. Beyond just the elements of excitement and anticipation,thesituations established can be very creative. My favorite example of this so far is between Kenjaku and Takaba. Taking place between a comedian-turned-sorcerer and the cursed spirit user donning Suguru Geto’s body, the battle is one ofJujutsu Kaisen’s emotionally complex fights, as Takaba’s technique puts the two in a variety of dangerous confrontations masquerading as comic situations.
The explosive,long-anticipated battle between Satoru Gojo and Sukunaalso finally came to pass. What’s incredible, though, is the steady momentum of the majority ofJujutsu Kaisen’s manga-only fights. While not every fight captivates as much as Gojo vs. Sukuna, none underwhelm. They’redeftly worked into the broader struggle at hand, fleshing out characters emotionally and making great (but realistic) use of resources available to sorcerers - even, often, other sorcerers.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Creator Reveals Which Legendary Manga Inspired One of the Series’s Most Shocking Moments
Author Gege Akutami reveals in a recent Jujutsu Kaisen exposition the inspiration behind one of the most shocking moments in the series.
Yuji Reclaims The Spotlight
But More Than That, He Shows Why He’sJujutsuKaisen’s Protagonist
This excellence at structuring the series' battles extends to Yuji. In fact, they make him the glorious protagonist viewers and readers have always hoped he would become. For a while,Yuji took somewhat of a backseat in the manga, drawing ire from fans who felt the series was becoming unfocused. However, a series of major power-ups recently haveshown Yuji to be an unstoppable force.He lands several Black Flashes on Sukuna in a row and even expands his domain at long last in one of the series' most satisfying moments yet.
He’s also been givena far more significant attachment to his allies, the world, and its stakes. As regards Sukuna, the revelation that Yuji is the son of his reincarnated twin is shocking. With Megumi, Yuji’s acceptance of the offer to join the Culling Game and save his sister would lead to the connection between the two becoming deeper than ever. After Sukuna takes over Megumi’s body, the irreplaceable relationship between the two undoubtedly plays a part in Yuji’s decision to make a binding vow so that his Dismantle stands a chance of separating them without harm to Megumi.
As things progress, Yuji joins hands with other sorcerers, including some new and endearing faces like Hiromi Higurama. In an extremely clutch intervention, his best friend Todo even makes an appearance to save the day, which is where the manga presently leaves us.Yuji’s power and depth only continue to climb. When he’s put back in full view, Yuji demonstrates that, despite many arguments thatone character or another is the true protagonist ofJujutsu Kaisen, he’s still on top.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Toughest Choices Require A Different Perspective
Tackling Tricky Themes PutsJujutsu KaisenIn A Troubling Spot
One’s life and legacy are in the fragments one leaves of oneself — that’s what gives meaning to life and death alike.
During Yuji’s aforementioned domain expansion, some core themes are driven home, giving a crucial reason for all the decisionsJujutsu Kaisenhas made -even the most painful or questionable ones. In Yuji’s domain, he talks about how his outlook on life and death has changed. He had essentially realized that the manner or means of one’s death doesn’t matter, in comparison to the fragments one leaves to ripple through the world.
Jujutsu Kaisenhas never been a franchise that’s afraid of killing characters off. Many believe that the sheer number of dead sorcerers left behind in the endless destruction is excessive. In reality, I think this trail of regrettable carnagereaffirms one ofJujutsu Kaisen’s most difficult themes: one’s life and legacy are in the fragments one leaves of oneself — that’s what gives meaning to life and death alike.
Gojo’s death and failure to shut down Sukuna was disappointing to his many fans, and the fact it cameso shortly after his release from the Prison Realmmade matters worse. However, something that happens later retroactively reminds of Yuji’s domain expansion: Yuta, once Gojo’s student and Yuji’s sworn executioner,takes over Gojo’s body as part of the grand offensive against Sukuna.
Far from being disrespectful to Gojo, it was actually handled cleverly and gracefully. Yuta tries to take advantage of Gojo’s powers via his copy technique. However,because Yuta wasn’t used to Gojo’s Limitless, he fails to perfectly mirror Gojo’s technique. Far from staining Gojo’s body and memory, it’s - in a weird, roundabout way -actually a celebration of Gojo.
Yuji, at this point,isthe pile of fragments left behind by those beloved characters who died.
In chapter #265, I saw the faces of the brilliant characters who I once indignantly believed were taken away from me by bad or sadistic writing. Nanami and Nobara, for example, were all-time favorites of mine. At that instant, I realized the writing was only sadistic to the extent that I was unwilling to grasp a different, more important message:the franchise’s central meditation on grief and meaning. Yuji, at this point,isthe pile of fragments left behind by those beloved characters who died.
In essence, I felt that the journey had been worth it - they had been recalled, the individual reasons I became attached toJujutsu Kaisenin the first place. They weren’t the only ones who died in the series, but they were the ones I got to know, and whose memory I would become attached to. So, as Yuji recalls them, I feel a glimmer of what he feels as he calls on his friends' memory to boldly but indirectly tell Sukuna he doesn’t care how he diesbut for the fragments he’ll leave behind.
When Yuji then matter-of-factly tells Sukuna he can kill him if he doesn’t leave Megumi’s body, expressing his pity in turn,Sukuna’s vicious response signals the end of the journey nearing. The emotional cost is totaled, Yuji is at his strongest ever, and the final showdown is on the horizon. With the exact date for the conclusion of the series already announced, I will be on the edge of my seat, grateful I took the time to catch up withJujutsu Kaisen.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenis a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
