Courtesy of HBO Max
Let me preface this review by saying that I am not an avid manga reader. Please refrain from posting spoilers upon reading this. Now that’s been established I would like to explain why you should watch Jujutsu Kaisen. Whether you want to get into anime, have been watching for years, or just want to get into a new series overall. Not to mention if you’re a fan of Shonen and all things supernatural, this is the perfect anime for you.
Jujutsu Kaisen takes place in modern day Japan where our main protagonist, Yuji Itadori becomes a living vessel for a cursed spirit named Ryomen Sukuna, this happens because Itadori consumes a cursed object which happens to be one of Sukunas twenty fingers. I know, sounds like a lot going into the show blindly, so let’s backtrack a little.
Yuji is a high school student who possesses extraordinary athletic abilities but refuses to take part in many sports or extracurricular activities so he can visit his grandfather at the hospital every day in his last moments. Despite his indifference towards joining the track team, he does take a great interest in the school’s occult club, where they search for various cursed objects. Itadori has a very close knit relationship with his grandfather as he is the only family he has left. On his deathbed, his grandfather imparts two powerful messages within Yuji: "always help people" and "die surrounded by people". These two ideas ostensibly stem from his grandfather's own regrets in life Upon his grandfather’s passing, Itadori interprets his last words a such, everyone deserves a proper death.
Later in the pilot, Yuji is then confronted by Megumi Fushiguro, a sorcerer who informs him of a high-grade cursed charm talisman in his school that Yuji recently made contact with. Megumi stressed the importance of NOT unsealing the talisman under any circumstances, or else who ever discovers it will face an impending doom. Little did they know, Yuji’s friends in the Occult Club unsealed the talisman revealing a rotting finger, which attracted Curses to the school. These creatures, or cursed spirits are brought about through negative emotions and are strengthened by consuming magical powers present in sorcerers. Yuji’s first instinct is to help Megumi retrieve the cursed object and save his friends. However, he is unable to defeat the curses due to his lack of magical powers. This causes Yuji to swallow the finger to protect Megumi and his friends, causing him to a host of the precariously powerful Ryomen Sukuna.
I could go further in dept with the plot, but I don’t want to explain the entire plot to you in this one review. I was instantly gravitated towards JJK because I could not find a single character in this show that is truly unlikable. My personal favorites are Gojo Satoru, Kento Nanami, and Toge Inumaki. Every single character has indescribable strengths and cursed techniques whenever they are in battle. It is mesmerizing, and you could binge the entire season in 2-3 days if you decide to go to sleep that night. The soundtrack and art style is also very modern and upbeat, it showcases the newer generation of shonen anime flawlessly. Jujutsu Kaisen also has plenty of lighthearted segments (Juju Strolls) to help the viewer get a good laugh in after watching a very intense fight scene. Again, I could go on forever about why you need to watch, but at this point you need to see it for yourself.
** Jujutsu Kaisen can be streamed on CrunchyRoll or HBO Max. Both services have Sub & Dub available.
Leave us your opinion of Jujutsu Kaisen in the comments below.
Follow The Movie Nerds on social media:
Instagram- @themovienerds_
Twitter- @themovienerds_
Comments