Jujutsu Kaisen: The Best Modern Shonen in the Making?
Jujutsu Kaisen is the best new anime around, and I’m gonna talk about why that is.
Not gonna lie, I still consider myself new to the anime and manga fandom. I became a “serious” fan in Summer 2019.
To make up for the lost years, I spent most of my 2020 quarantined away binge watching as many anime shows and movies I could get away with. And I’m quite proud of myself. Now I’m sitting at 113 completed anime (movies and TV) and currently watching 8 shows.
Not only that, but I also used 2020 to learn more about the creative process behind anime. I read up on which animation studios were responsible for the most highly regarded shows, the different genres of anime, the production process behind anime, and the reason(s) why so many damn shows don’t get picked up for a second season.
Last May, the news broke out that animation studio MAPPA was going to take on Jujutsu Kaisen, the next Shonen Jump manga in line for an adaptation. I started to get excited. This would be the first big premiere I would be experiencing!
I read the first volume in preparation and was quite impressed. My hype started to increase. I began to invite my friends aboard the hype train. “Dude, Jujutsu Kaisen is gonna be the next big thing, trust me.”
Well, I definitely wasn’t wrong about that regarding the show’s popularity. It’s arguably the biggest new anime of 2020. But what I underestimated was the sheer quality of the show itself…
Jujutsu Kaisen is shaping up to be one of my favorite Shonen anime. I really wanna talk about Jujutsu Kaisen and why it’s so great, and hopefully persuade you into checking it out if you haven’t already.
Here’s a quick synopsis of the premise for those who know nothing about Jujutsu Kaisen. (Warning: minor spoilers for the beginning of the story ahead)
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, everyone has something called Cursed Energy flowing through them. Most people cannot control their flow of Cursed Energy. This causes them to lose some of it over time. When it leaves their bodies, Curses are formed and run amok in society. Jujutsu Sorcerers are people who can control the flow of their Cursed Energy. Some Jujutsu Sorcerers use their Cursed Energy to fight Curses.
Our story starts with introducing us to main character Yuji Itadori. He is a typical high schooler who has the physique for sports but an interest in the occult. As a result, he spends most of his free time hanging with the occult club at school.
One day, Yuji’s occult buddies get ahold of a legendary cursed item. The item in particular is a rotting finger (yuck) belonging to Ryomen Sukun. Sukuna is basically the Satan in the Jujutsu Kaisen world. This gets the attention of some Curses whom attack the school. Desparate to defend his friends, Yuji ends up swallowing the finger (double yuck).
In this process, Yuji becomes the new host for Sukuna’s spirit. Miraculously, Yuji still has control over his body most of the time. Witnissing these events, Jujutsu sorcerer Megumi Fushiguro and his teacher Satoru Gojo decide to take Yuji in and train him at the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School.
The premise definitely has some tropes that are common in other popular Shonen. We have a normal high school boy who comes to obtain a power that sets himself above the rest. Then this boy gets enrolled into a special school for high-school aged people with similar powers. Similar anime and manga that immediately come to mind are My Hero Academia and Blue Exorcist.
What I really like about Jujutsu Kaisen’s premise is how it takes its supernatural horror roots and goes with a more “hardcore” approach. The story doesn't shy away from being brutal, and there’s a good amount of gore and death in the series. I mean, Yuji gains his powers through swallowing a severed finger. The Curses themselves are pretty ugly and disturbing, with many having their own malice intent. It makes me pretty uncomfortable at times watching them squirm or move around on screen.
Oh, there’s one plot point I forgot to mention… Gojo decided to enroll Yuji so he can forsee him eating the rest of Sukuna’s fingers. And then once that’s done, Gojo will kill him. Effectively ridding the world of Sukuna’s terror once and for all.
This really help Jujutsu Kaisen stand out among it’s competition. We’re blatantly told early on that there’s a high chance the story will end without Yuji making it. And let’s not forget the most powerful Cursed being in the world is lurking inside him. He can come out at any moment… This adds a lot of uncertainty and tension to the narrative. And in a genre that often times thrives on predictability, this is nice.
Besides its premise, there are other specific events that unfold throughout the episodes that have genuinely surprised me. I don’t want to get into the details about them for spoiler reasons, but there are story arcs early on that are roller coaster rides of shock and awe. I was glued to the screen in the not-sure-whats-gonna-happen-next sort of way.
The grime-y horror mixed with it’s captivating plot gives Jujutsu Kaisen a strong backbone. And I’m not claiming that Jujutsu Kaisen is unique for this, Shonen Jump has been on a trend with horror-based stories. Other examples include The Promised Neverland, Demon Slayer, and Chainsaw Man. But among these, I think that Jujutsu Kaisen tells a definitive action-horror story.
I groaned when I heard there was going to be a “school event” arc coming up in the anime. I am not a big fan of these, as I find them to be kinda boring and serve as filler. Having said that, Jujutsu Kaisen has one of the best school event/training arcs I’ve seen in anime. And the characters are what made this arc so great.
Jujutsu Kaisen has some extremely likable characters across the board. Our main character Yuji is very likable and charasmatic. He has an optimistic attitude and when push comes to shove, isn’t afraid to get serious. He’s also a jokester, and many of his anecdotes are very chuckle-worthy. On top of all of this, Yuji lives by a strict moral code passed on to him from his grandfather, “always help people”
All that makes up for a pretty likable hero, if you ask me.
Nobara Kugisaki is one of Yuji’s hotheaded classmates. She usually comes off as quite brash or upfront, and is quick to criticize Yuji for his behavior. Despite this, it’s easy to tell she acts this way because she’s a caring friend. And not only that, she's a complete badass when using her cursed energy.
Aoi Toudou is another student at Yuji’s school. At first he appears to be the stereotypical bro-dude among the group. But once we get to know him, he turns out to be quite an oddball. Upon meeting Aoi, he will ask you “what is your type of woman?”. And if you give him an answer he likes (in which Yuji did), he’ll want to be your best friend.
Some supporting characters that are noteworthy include Kokichi Muta. A student from Kyoto Jujutsu High, Muta is very weak and fragile. In order to attend school he uses his curse energy to control a mechanical body called Ultimate Mechamaru. Another cool supporting character is Panda. Yup, that’s right… an actual anthromorpic Panda bear is a supporting character. Need I say more?
The biggest fan-favorite of the bunch is Yuji’s teacher Gojo. He’s pretty much the coolest of the bunch. Very carefree and funny. He’s a master at using his cursed energy. Some might consider him to be too overpowered, but I can’t complain. He steals the show in every scene he’s in.
The villians are also very entertaining to watch as well. We often get scenes from their perspective that show us their motives and give them a little more personality. We have one villian who has a freakin’ volcano for a head, with a singular eyeball right in the middle. There’s another one whom has tree roots where its eyes should be. And Sukuna himself is… menacing. The uneasy thought that the main baddie is always around in a dormant state adds that special danger to the show.
When I watch these characters interact with each other, it feels like I’m watching real conversations play out. These are the types of conversations that make these fictional characters human.
Good characters are essential to have in a show. And they all don’t have to necessarily carry the deepest meanings or undergo the most developed characer arcs. And the more humorous and relatable they are, the more I am going to want to watch their adventures unfold. Specifically for Jujutsu Kaisen, the characters’s personalities help take the edge off of the dark and edgy story, making a more balanced viewing experience in the process.
Now it’s time to talk about the best part of Jujutsu Kaisen. The cream of the crop. The biggest selling point for the entire show. And that, is the animation ladies and gents.
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the best animated shows I’ve watched. Ever. It stands at the top among the likes of Fate/Zero, Attack On Titan, and Hunter x Hunter. Every episode looks better than the one before. The fights become more intense. The stakes are raised. It’s an amazing sight to behold.
I don’t want to go into too much detail. But I’ll talk about a fight from the beginning of the second episode. If I recall correctly, the fight from the manga was about 3–4 panels. MAPPA, being the badasses they are, extended that into a 90 second extravaganza. Sniff, It was beautiful.
And the character drawings look GORGEOUS. The manga has a very distinct and gritty style. MAPPA does a wonderful job bringing that to the screen while layering it over with their own signature style. I love that blurred out effect you can see in the world and characters. This style can be seen in other MAPPA shows such as Banana Fish, Dorohedoro, and The God of High School.
It’s worth noting that MAPPA is a studio known for using CGI in their work. Personally I’m not the biggest fan of CGI, but I know and understand its purpose. 2D animation is not cheap to make, and re-usable 3D models can do wonders to a shows budget.
Good news is MAPPA without a doubt has the best CGI I’ve seen in anime. It doesn’t take any enjoyment out of the show whatsoever. And many people might not even notice CGI is used, because MAPPA is just that good.
It was an absolute blast watching the show premiere a new episode every week, with each new episode somehow topping the previous one. In the era where most shows are binged or released in season-chunks, I find it incredible rewarding tuning in weekly to a show one episode at a time as it’s released. Especially in the case in which the sheer quality of the show
While on the topic of the production of the show, the sound design and soundrack deserve a shout-out. The fights are always backed up with some killer tracks, and the sound effects of the curses give them a truly creepy vibe. I can hear their ghastly groans in my head as I type this.
Both the shows opening songs are absolute bops as well. The first opening “Kaikai Kitan” is a frontrunner for best opening of 2020. And the second opening “Vivid Vice” definitely brings out the alt-rock edgey headbanger within me.
I believe that Jujutsu Kaisen is hands down the best animation MAPPA has produced. There are a few shows of theirs that I haven’t seen yet (such as Zombieland Saga and Yuri On Ice), so I can’t make that statement with upmost certainty. But Based on what others in the community are saying, I don’t think my claim will be refuted.
With 2020 being such an awful year, Jujutsu Kaisen made it a bit brighter. While I don’t consider it to be a groundbreaking show by any means, it excelled in so many levels. It’s not only my favorite anime of the year, but my favorite show on television from this past year. The premise is intriguing, the characters are charming, and it’s an absolute spectacle to watch.
I’m well aware that its competition was a bit sparse as many other highly anticipated anime were delayed. But even if it aired in a normal year, I’m confident that Jujutsu Kaisen could hold its ground.
Word on the street is the source material keeps on getting better. If that’s the case, at this rate we will have a modern Shonen masterpiece on our hands…
This is one of those anime that I don’t hesitate recommending to casual anime watchers. And I would even go as far as to recommend it to people who watch very little anime or non at all. Fans of horror and action horror would get a lot of enjoyment out of this show.
As far as I know, the only way to watch it is through Crunchyroll but I believe it will be on Netflix later this year.
And it was annouced there will be a movie coming out this Winter focusing on the prequel volume, Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Yay, more Jujutsu Kaisen is coming!
So stay tuned and please give Jujutsu Kaisen a chance, Gojo will be waiting…
