Jujutsu Kaisen is crazy popular and if you ask me, rightfully so! I’ve watched the anime adaptation and started reading the manga and I’m absolutely in love. The manga is still ongoing and I haven’t finished reading all the volumes yet but I wanted to write a review based on the first season of the anime and that’s what I’m going to do. As always, please beware possible spoilers!
At the beginning of the anime I thought that the story was going to be a typical shounen adventure with supernatural elements and in a way that’s what Jujutsu Kaisen is but what made the series so intriguing was the way the characters were written and how they interact. Personally, I see Yuji Itadori as this silly, kind-hearted idiot who didn’t have specific goals in his mind and was just living his life until his grandfather died and things began changing drastically. All of a sudden he’s faced with decisions and his own gruesome fate. Becoming a vessel for the ‘king of curses Sukuna‘ and eventually, to be executed.
Yuji may seem a bit simple minded but he’s got heart. I immediately started to like him as a character and a protagonist (though I wouldn’t say that he’s the only protagonist in this series) because while he’s physically strong we see him struggling and growing as the story progresses. His personality has depth and he grows on you the more you see him struggle and overcome his own weaknesses. I could probably write an essay on why I love Yuji and he’s not the only well-written character in Jujutsu Kaisen. Yet, his introduction made me feel entertained and I started caring about Yuji as a character. This is of course my personal opinion but there are many reasons why I think the show was great.
Satoru Gojou was, for me a funnier version of Kakashi-sensei (Naruto) and therefore, I enjoyed him as a teacher for Yuji and the others. I didn’t really care all that much about Gojou when he was first introduced and at first, I didn’t think he’d be all that important for the story. When I started watching the anime (and reading the manga) I had no idea how absolutely gorgeous he is but damn! He’s one of the most beautiful anime men that I’ve seen in a very long time, so there’s that. I know that not everyone likes Gojou as a character but I gotta say that I’ve come to enjoy him quite a bit and not just because he’s insanely pretty! He’s cocky, rude and silly and he’s also crazy strong, so it seems somewhat deserved but it also makes him someone most of us can’t relate to. He seems alienated and his strength doesn’t change the fact that he too, can be powerless. I’ve watched a very interesting analysis on Gojou which I’d highly recommend! Anyway, back to my review and thoughts on the characters; I’ve come to love Gojou and I can’t wait to learn more about him. At some point in the manga we get to know about his childhood and early youth and I believe that Gojou is the kind of character whose backstory gives his character more depth and provides an understanding for who he really is. As you can guess, I could probably write essays on him as well…
One of the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen are it’s female characters! Especially, when talking about shounen usually, female characters merely exist as love interests or need to be saved by the male protagonists. I’m not saying Jujutsu Kaisen is the only shounen series that does this but I still think that it’s important to mention how badass the female characters are written. Kugisaki Nobara is one of the funniest characters in the show and I love her abilities and how badass she is when she uses them. There are moments she’s saved by her teammates but she never acts completely helpless or whiny during a fight. She is both girly and tough and I can’t get over it! I also like her relationship with other female characters like Maki who is an absolute queen if you ask me. Nobara is loud, aggressive and bold. Maki is more on the quiet, laid-back side but she’s got guts. Her fighting style is awesome and she is one of the stronger senpai. All the female characters in Jujutsu Kaisen have their own personality and goals. They are well written and don’t serve as accessories for male protagonists. I know, this has nothing to do with strong female characters but I kinda want Nobara’s hair style. It’s so cute!
The show has its funny moments but the emotional scenes are just as engaging and I enjoyed the fight scenes a lot. The choreographies aren’t THE BEST but they are done well enough and I think that the animators did a great job. I also love the scenery and music and I think that the character designs are done well. Personally, I wasn’t sure about Jujutsu Kaisen at first because we all know how shounen shows can be and I wasn’t the biggest fan of anime like God of Highschool but this anime kept me interested and I’m currently reading the manga like a mad woman. This review is merely based on the first season of the anime, and I’m sure there will be a second season some time. So, for those who have read the latest manga chapters, I can’t say if I’ll like all the story arcs (probably not) but overall, I enjoy the characters and the story. I recommend giving Jujutsu Kaisen a go and decide for yourself!
There are a lot of topics I want to cover concerning this series but I’ll have to find a place to start first. I think that the sibling relationship of Maki and Mai is very interesting and I’d like to analyze Megumi’s philosophy a bit more but I also want to know more about the manga before I dive into that.
As always, I hope that you enjoyed this quick review and stay tuned for more anime/manga analysis!
Patsie
Desudesuanimu 