“You should use your strength to help others.” – Jujutsu Kaisen
These were the dying words entrusted to our main character Yuji Itadori by his ailing grandfather, from which he spun the idea that everyone deserves a proper death. This exchange serves as an anchor to Yuji’s psyche as a Jujutsu sorcerer, something he often falls back on at his harshest of times.
Ah Jujutsu Kaisen, as I first watched the 24-episode show, I immediately realized that the series was a breath of fresh air into the Shonen genre.
Unlike many a shonen before it, JJK is actually set in a more modern time period, something which has been lacking with other shonen staples. The modern vibe to the series gives it the flexibility it needs to experiment with and highlight issues that indeed are faced by many a person in life. Underneath all the gorgeous animation, light-hearted exchanges and action sequences lie much deeper questions put forward by the show.
“Curses” or cursed energy serves to JJK more or less the same role as Ki does to Dragon Ball Z. Cursed energy, however, is a double-edged sword, you either control it, or it consumes you.
As would be the case with every shonen, this cursed energy is used for both good and evil. With the villains seeking the complete eradication of humankind. Humans are portrayed as meek feeble creatures, who aren’t attuned to reading cursed energy and are very susceptible to attacks from cursed spirits.
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However, there are a few, who have been blessed with the power to manifest cursed energy of their own, they have come to be known as Jujutsu Sorcerers and have been entrusted with safeguarding humanity from attacks by cursed spirits.
This sets the tone for the rest of the series, as our young MC gets drafted into one of two Jujutsu schools in Japan to hone his powers. But Yuji’s powers aren’t that of the ordinary, after engulfing a cursed artifact to save his friends, an ancient demon manifests inside Yuji. However, to sukanu’s (the demon) shock, the petty human seems to be in control of the body, demonstrating this against Gojo, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer. However, this isn’t the end of Yuji’s troubles, not by a long shot.
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Now when you take a quick glance at the show, you could be misled to believe that it just looks like a Naruto clone, with the three main characters being rip-offs of the Naruto franchise and you’d be forgiven for thinking that, initially at least.
Jujutsu Kaisen is an anime well worthy of praise in its own sense, unlike shows such as Naruto or Fairy tail (oh gosh, especially Fairy tail) where strength is built up by the power of friendship and uniting in the fight against the villain, in JJK, Yuji trains intensively by…. Drumroll please…. watching movies! YES! You read that right, it also helps that he has a demon possessing him, and said demon just so happened to be the most gifted curse user at one point in time.
So what if he borrows traits from other shonen MCs, it is what makes our pop culture referencing movie watching pink-haired delinquent of a hero unique.
And in the same sense, the fact that JJK takes in hints from various other anime shows but retains its own identity is a testament to the uniqueness of the show, altogether making this one a must-watch!
