WHY READ JUJUTSU KAISEN?
The truth is, after finishing the anime I have been trying (without any luck yet) to get my friends to watch it so I can discuss it with them. As it usually occurs right after finishing a really good anime, I am very keen to start the manga. So, it didn’t take long before I was browsing all the local bookstores for a copy of volume 1.
Because of the complexity of the story it is hard to explain the plot to others without leaving them confused. But I feel like this is the point of the manga, the first few chapters leave you with so many questions and then things are gradually explained. But just as you are thinking “oh I think I know where this is going”, the story really surprises you! I can tell Gege Akutami is building a great story ahead and it only continue to get more epic (and popular), so make sure you jump on the bandwagon early on!
THE PLOT
I have to be honest, Jujutsu Kaisen is not the sort of manga that will instantly blow you away with its original story. It starts off like any typical manga but slowly you realize its far from what you expected. The story successfully weaves comedy and action, mixed with compelling and memorable characters, it will be hard to not get attached!!
In Jujutsu we are introduced to the world of “curses”, demon looking creatures generated from the various negative emotions and energies produced by humans, and jujutsu sorcerers, individuals who risk their lives to fight the evil. Yuji Itadori (our main protagonist) is thrusted into the world of curses, when in his attempt to save his friends and Megumi, a jujutsu sorcerer he just met, he swallows a cursed object. The cursed object he swallows is Sukuna’s finger. But Sukuna is not like any other curses. He is the father of all curses, and is now sharing a body with our main protagonist.
That unfortunately puts our main character on Jujutsu Sorcerer’s “we-must-exterminate” list. Despite the threat Itadori manages to strike a bargain with the Jujutsu Sorcerers that will delay his execution: first, he must must join the mysterious academy and find and eat (yikes) all of Sukuna’s fingers to prevent more people from dying. That’s when his journey starts.
THE CHARACTERS
Yuji Itadori
Our self-sacrificing, chaotic dork, who also happens to be the main protagonist of the series. A lot of times when main characters have this strong sense of duty, driven by their need to save everyone and “do the right thing”, it can get tedious and predictable. But because of how charming and still morally “innocent” Yuuji is, I found that his “help people whenever he can” because he believes “everyone deserves a proper death” attitude, to be endearing. Because he is so sensitive about death, it makes it even more emotional when he is put in a situation where killing is the only option, because you can tell it really has a big toll on him mentally. Which is why I am glad he has Megumi and Nobara to ground him and don’t let him drown in his dark thoughts. He is a very goofy protagonist that has a heart of gold, there is just something so precious about his character (which is arguably why everyone that meets him calls him their “brother” … I mean seriously what is up with that? he is just collecting brothers left and right). But he is also very chaotic. I love how he has different energy/attitude with different people he meets. My favourite dynamic (beside the main trio ), is his relationship with Nanami, their personalities could not be more opposite but they somehow make it work.
He is very hard on himself, he pushes himself to learn more and be better, something that I find very admirable about his character. I am very excited to see how Itadori’s character will progress within the story. I am very glad he has people like Megumi and Nobara to ground him. For some reason while watching the anime and reading the manga I couldn’t help but find myself comparing him to Ed from fullmetal alchemist brotherhood… I feel like if he and Ed where to meet chaos would ensue :D.
THE WOMEN!!!
Before even writing this review, I knew I wanted to dedicate a whole section talking about the women in Jujutsu Kaisen. More often than not, in shonen series, we see women overshadowed by their male peers or overly sexualized. Jujutsu Kaisen takes every sexist trope and slams its fists through it, yelling “not today Satan”. Women in JJK are unapologetically strong, they are not just an accessory to the story, or just there to add to the main’s character journey and serve as love interests, but are powerful individuals with their own strengths and personalities, serving an important role within the story.
One of my favorite scenes within this story is a fight between Nobara and Momo, when Momo brings up the difficulty that comes with being a female jujutsu sorcerer, and the expectation that comes with it. During the fight Nobara delivers one iconic line: “What makes us obligated to meet such perfection or such absurd demands?! I don’t give a damn about ‘men’ this and ‘women’ that! I love myself when I’m pretty and all dressed up! And I love myself when I’m strong!”.
Kugisaki Nobara
Speaking of the devil, Kugisaki Nobara is undoubtedly one of my favorite characters of the show. I love how unapologetically herself she is. She has unshakable character and is very confident in her skills and would literally fight ANYONE who crosses her. I would argue that even though Yuuji is the main character, she is undoubtedly the leader of the group. Her dynamic with Yuji and Megumi is so hilarious. She is the type to match the energy with the person she is with, which is why I love how chaotic her and Yuji get when they are together. Furthermore, I really appreciate the fact that there is no romance involved between our main trio. They are best friends clowning each other every chance they get but are also the ones to have each other’s back and would drag anyone who tries to go after their friends to hell and back.
Megumi Fushiguro
Megumi is undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters in the show. He is like a puzzle. He is calm, collected and calculating and unlike Yuji, he saves people selectively and does not view himself as a hero for doing so. I feel like we still haven’t even seen 1/3 of his power, so I am super excited for him to unleash his full potential. I am just worried what that would mean for the story. There obviously is a motive behind Sukuna’s obsession with Megumi and I am looking forward to more interactions between the two in the future. There is still so many things we don’t know about his family and his past so I am definitely more excited to see his character growth and power develop in the next arcs. By far my favorite friendship dynamic is his and Itadori’s. They genuinely have such a beautiful and caring friendship. They trust each other and want to protect each other’s feelings. They might not see eye to eye with everything, but they always have each other’s back. Itadori even calls Fushiguro “dependable” and I think that is the perfect word to describe him.
In conclusion, why read it?
1) Fantastic Characters
2) GREAT plot
3) Memorable villains
4) Doesn’t follow a lot of the stereotypical Shonen tropes (or does them even better 😉 )
5) If you liked manga like Fullmetal Alchemist you are really going to enjoy this one.