Summary
Shonen anime is the most sought-after genre due to the allure it holds. Bursting with action and epic battles, shonen anime never fails to captivate the hearts of fans worldwide, especially young action-loving viewers, the demographic it is directed toward.Jujutsu Kaisenhas made its name among those shonen anime as one that stands out, offering a new experience only a few shonen series can compete with.
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Gege Akutami’s masterpiece has quickly earned a large following through its masterful execution of the Shonen genre conventions and its willingness to break free from them. Here are some thingsJujutsu Kaisendoes betterthan most other Shonen animethat make them stand out.
10Commitment To Psychological Complexity
Beneath its action-packed surface,Jujutsu Kaisenexplores complex subjects like morality, existentialism, and the consequences of one’s choices, adding a layer of intellectual depth to the narrative, immersing the viewers, and prompting one to ponder the complexities of living in such a world. The motivations of the antagonists are also simple but thought-provoking.
Geto Suguru’s intentions to rid the world of cursed spirits are good, but his manner of approach, which involves killing all non-sorcerers or forcing them to evolve into one, is heinous and wrong.
9Fluid Animation And Visual Brilliance
MAPPA Studios blessedJujutsu Kaisenwith some of the best animation ever seen in the Shonen anime demographic, with the only anime series that come close being Ufotable’sDemon SlayerandFateseries.
Boasting animation that is as dynamic as it is captivating, the anime series brings intense battles to life with fantastic fluidity and detail, watching jujutsu sorcerers take on cursed spirits in visually stunning ways. The meticulously crafted fight scenes are a visual spectacle that arguably better depicts the fights than the manga.
8Real-Life Theme Of Discrimination
In the world ofJujutsu Kaisen,the Big Three Jujutsu Families hold the most prestige among the sorcerer familiesdue to their innate talent for jujutsuand their techniques which are passed down. Those who are born into such families without cursed energy are maltreated by their relatives, often cast aside and mocked—even those who possess cursed energy but are mediocre sorcerers are treated similarly.
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A few examples areToji Fushiguro and Maki Zen’in, who turned their backs on the Zen’in clan due to the discrimination they faced.
7No Cliche Romance
Romance in shonen anime is not bad; if used well, it can be an incredible plot device that can resonate significantly with viewers, but if done poorly or forced, it can affect the dynamics of characters in the show and leave a sour taste. Just like Eiichiro Oda’sOne Piece, Gege Akutami’sJujutsu Kaisenprefers not to indulge in romance stories, just to be on the safe side.
A few characters have complex relationships that cannot be defined, like Yuji, the protagonist, and Nobara, his female best friend.
6Higher Stakes
Shonen anime is usually filled with high stakes for the protagonists trying to save their loved ones or achieve their goals. However, the protagonist ofJujutsu Kaisen,Yuji Itadori’s stakes are doubled because he’s not only targeted by the villains. Being the vessel of the feared and revered Ryomen Sukuna means even the higher-ups in the Jujutsu Society want him dead.
Gojo Satoru’s warning to the elders stops them from acting out on their thoughts. They even go as far as employing underhanded tactics like asking thestudents of the Kyoto Jujutsu Highto dispose of him during the Goodwill Event.
5Willingness To Kill Characters
Unlike most other shonen anime,Jujutsu Kaisenis not scared to kill off essential and minor characters. Whether to conclude a storyline or give character development, the show has been quick to eliminate some characters despite being fan favorites. Many more friendly faces will kick the bucket when later manga chapters get animated.
The death of Junpei Yoshino shocked everyone, mainly because the anime’s first opening theme teased him in a Tokyo Jujutsu High uniform, leaving anime-only fans thinking he would play an integral part in the story.
4Incredible Female Cast
Jujutsu Kaisendoes right by its female characters, unlike many other Shonen anime that mostly sideline them. A lot of anime in this demographic love to mock their female characters, subjecting them to gimmicks and a lot of disrespect.
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Jujutsu Kaisenaims to combat that by making their female characters aware of the injustice against girls in their world. These characters—Maki and Nobara, among others, play an essential part in the series' progression. They are fully fleshed characters that do not depend on the male characters or fan service to be relevant.
3Horror Elements
A lot of shonen anime prefer to go down the lighter route, but Jujutsu Kaisen, just likeBleach,has no problems mixing it up.With cursed spirits thatlook like Eldritch monsters and cursed techniques that send shivers down the spine of viewers. The tension and dread are accurately depicted whenever Mahito is onscreen, transfiguring people’s souls and physical bodies into something unrecognizable.
The locations haunted by the cursed spirits are well-designed to unsettle the viewers, and combined with the ominous audio, it does an outstanding job.
2Intriguing Overpowered Characters
Power dynamics are among the most critical things in anime, especially shonen, and as a result, there are a lot of characters with immense strength. Due to their tremendous power and ability to end fights on a whim, keeping such characters interesting to the viewers is not an easy task.Gojo Satoru, the strongest characterinJujutsu Kaisen,has quite the personality to go with his powers.
The intricacies behind his limitless abilities are also mind-boggling and intriguing, a testament to great character writing by Gege Akutami.
1Intricate Power System
The power system in Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the most unique in all of anime. It employs the generation and manipulation of cursed energy that flows from humans because of their negative emotions to perform cursed techniques.
These techniques have many variations, each with its limitations, from space to time manipulation. Cursed energy can even be embedded into weapons in small amounts over a small period to strengthen them or in medium amounts for long periods to make them cursed tools with specific abilities.
