Intro
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the best fiction works of all time. Its popularity is well deserved. The author, Gege Akutami, and anime adaptation studio, Mappa Studios, are both competent overperforming professionals. The series is much darker in tone and atmosphere than other shonen series in the genre, but it pays off in dramatic tension. This is a show in which important characters die unambiguously. It ratches up the stakes of the main conflicts and provides interesting tension to the story. If you are fainthearted, I can understand skipping the series even though I would advise against anything but voraciously keeping up with the story.
Series Start
Series protaganists
The series starts off as the main protagonist, Yuji Itadori, is abducted into the world of jujutsu sorcery as a first-year technical college student at Jujutsu High. Special students with sorcery powers learn to battle “curses” that terrorize normal humans at this school while also hiding their profession from the general populace. The early threat that curses hold and their depiction is dark and stylistically beautiful. We’re introduced to a lively set of distinct characters that are entertaining to watch. The lecturer, Gojo Satoru, was an immediate fan favourite for his strength contrasting against his goofy personality. Yuji is a generic, heroic, protagonist but that works especially well against the especially sinister nature of the enemies. The series twist is Yuji’s inner demon that he absorbed in a sorcery accident. This inner demon is special in that he is unreformable. He has an independent, unwavering personality with awe inspiring talent, malice, and might. Yuji’s inner demon adds a strange, delightful shock value combined with dread.
Season 1
Jujutsu Kaisen season one works as a good introduction to the world. The series drip feeds its worldbuilding as the protagonists go on various deadly missions as jujutsu sorcerers. The magic system in the show is one of the best I’ve ever seen. It has great stylistic value alongside abilities that are easy to understand and rational in the way they work. It never feels like characters get an unearned dues ex machina to save the day but there’s enough flexibility in order pull out surprise twists. This makes the fight choreography interesting and breathtaking to watch. The main antagonistic force is building up during season 1 with a lot of foreshadowing for later arcs for even greater payoffs. This can sometimes slightly slow the pace of the story as some points of the story aren’t immediately clear but nonetheless, the story has a strong throughline that’s engaging. The series has a fantastic cast of characters to suit almost everyone’s taste. The author knows how to maintain a unique voice and role for each one of them. At this point of the story, I would consider the series as strong but not one of the best of all time.
Season 2
This season is split into two separate sections. One side covers a backflash during a key character’s past while the other half continues from where season one left off. We get to see a diversity of environments and older character in a new light in this season. The world feels a lot more expanded during this season and a lot of details from the past season are clarified making the series feel simultaneously satisfying and novel at the same time. This season cemented the show as one of the best fiction works of all time. The foreshadowing in season 1 alongside the worldbuilding snowballed into a fantastic plot with massive surprises throughout the show that never felt wrong. Warning, the show became darker during this season as the antagonistic force unleashes their plans. The grim points of the story can be excessive for viewers whose favourite character dies underdeveloped. The series casting pulls a lot of weight in mitigating the loss though. There are a lot of other characters that you are sure to connect with if one falls out even though losing your attachment to a character can be painful. The tension in the story derived from the villains complex, interesting plans grips me so that I can’t put the series down even as I feel the loss of one of my favourite characters in the show. This season is what cemented the show as one of the top fiction works of all time in my mind.
Manga Going Forward
The manga is gorgeous but starts moving faster going forward from the show’s season 2. The pacing of the story gets fast as the villains plans are coming to a conclusion. Although the series maintains very high quality, fantastic worldbuilding, and choreography; it can feel a bit frustrating to skip over some important moments. There is a moment near the end of the series that is comically skipped over. It makes you wonder what the author is even thinking. Besides that, more characters are introduced or reintroduced that create very exciting moments alongside the villains masterful plans. The series depth is unmatched. The ways that old pieces of information are used alongside new information and scenery is incredibly satisfying to watch. Despite the faster pace, the Jujutsu Kaisen maintains perfect quality with a few gripes here and there.
Overall thoughts
The series at this point is well developed and long running. Jujutsu Kaisen is sincerely one of the best fictions ever created. I don’t know how the author managed to make it so cohesive and diverse at the same time. The art is amazing. The characters are interesting. The plot is engaging. The only sticking point is the dark atmosphere that may put off some viewers, but I can’t see anyone not appreciating the sheer talent of the team behind this. Jujutsu Kaisen get a 9 out 10.