Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Watching Jujutsu Kaisen season 1 again, that too after season two, just hits different. If you haven’t seen the series at all, now is a good time to start, you’ll be able to understand all the little plot-twists and actions in season two and three, without having to wait for years like the rest of us fans. Or maybe simply wait for the entire thing to get over, although who knows when that will happen? Look at ‘One Piece’, the anime started airing in 1999 and is still ongoing (at least at the time of writing this)!
“It is not the time to worry about other people, Itadori Yuji. A secret execution has been imposed upon you.”
Titled “Ryomen Sukuna,” Episode 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 opens with a visibly bruised teenager tied up inside a creepy room covered in talismans, as a nonchalant older man announces that he is to be executed. The scene is tense, intriguing, and will hook viewers instantly.
Also Read: Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Review – Curse-tastic Prequel
Two of the show’s most pivotal characters are introduced within its opening seconds: 15-year-old Yuji Itadori (voiced by Junya Enoki), an ordinary high school student until he swallows a powerful cursed finger belonging to Ryomen Sukuka, and Satoru Gojo, a special-grade jujutsu sorcerer initially tasked with executing him. Instead, Gojo persuades the jujutsu higher-ups to postpone Yuji’s execution until he has consumed all of Sukuna’s 20 cursed fingers. They of course, also need to locate these fingers first. Until then, Gojo takes the teenager under his wing, training him at the Tokyo Jujutsu High School, along with Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki.
For those who have not read Gege Akutami’s original manga series, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 is laden with enough exposition for non-readers to quickly grasp the basics of this dark-fantasy world of cursed objects, demons, ghosts, curse users, and Jujutsu Sorcerers. Over the course of 24 episodes, both Yuji learns how Jujutsu sorcerers channel their powers to fight against malevolent spirits, while also growing closer to new comrades Fushiguro and Kugisaki.
A parallel storyline in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 follows a cabal of powerful curses – Mahito, Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon – who you can pretty much consider the season’s primary villains. Assisted by the mysterious Suguru Geto, they plot to neutralize Satoru Gojo (because apparently defeating him is nearly impossible, not that they don’t try) and revive Ryomen Sukuna to his full strength, hoping to win the King of Curses over to their side.
Although, the most entertaining conflict in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 isn’t between Yuji and the curses he fights, but the one inside his own body. By consuming Sukuna’s fingers, he is forced to share it with the ancient ‘King of Curses’, creating the constant threat that Sukuna could seize control and erase Yuji’s consciousness altogether. That isn’t to say the supernatural battles aren’t as exciting. Quite the opposite. Every clash between Yuji’s gang and the grotesque curses is thrilling, tense, and elevated by a pulse-pounding soundtrack which perfectly complement the mortal danger they are in.
The character designs for these non-human antagonists are, of course, faithful to the manga. As someone unfamiliar with the source material, I found Jogo’s design absolutely hilarious. The poor guy looks like a giant blob of jelly with a volcano stuck on his head. Depending on your imagination, his head could also pass for a caramel pudding or a chocolate lava cake. For the most part, Studio MAPPA has done a fantastic job of bringing Gege Akutami’s work to life. And despite the massive cast in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, the character designs are so distinctive that you’re never confused about who’s who.
Things get really fun in the second half, where a whole bunch of new Jujutsu Sorcerers are introduced. The plot turns to a friendly showdown between Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High students, but this tournament quickly descends into mayhem when the curses crash the event to steal Sukuna’s fingers. Yuji has problems on both fronts, because while curses want Sukuna, some of his fellow sorcerers simply want Yuji dead.
The series doesn’t hold back when it comes to killing characters or depicting the brutality of its cursed world. Mahito, an unhinged cursed spirit, emerged as my favorite antagonist in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 due to the sheer, unfiltered sadism he exhibits when killing humans. He has zero remorse and is a completely black-and-black character.
Talking about the characters of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 would turn this article into a mini-book, so I’ll just say that my absolute favorite is the protagonist, Yuji Itadori, even though the series is packed with fascinating Jujutsu sorcerers. Yuji strikes a fun balance between childlike playfulness and a genuine desire to do good in the world, even if it means constantly putting his own life at risk.
If you’re a fan of dark-action fantasies shows like Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen is absolutely worth a watch… and maybe even a few rewatches.
Watch Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 on Netflix or Crunchyroll.
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