Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is the movie adaptation of the one-shot manga of the same title. The movie has been immensely successful, as it grossed over $18 million at the North American box office in the opening weekend alone. The film follows Yuta Okkotsu, a teenage boy afflicted by a vengeful cursed spirit named Rika. Yuta seeks to control this curse and ultimately allow Rika's soul to pass on.
Fans have been praising the movie since its release. Animated by MAPPA, the film effectively tells Yuta's story. Some fans believe that Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is the best anime movie ever made.
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead For Jujutsu Kaisen and Jujutsu Kaisen 0!
10 The Movie Is A Great Place To Start For Those Who Are Interested In The Series
There's no better place to start a series than from the beginning. Since Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a prequel to the main series, Jujutsu Kaisen, it's the perfect place to start for new fans looking to give the series a shot.
There are no significant spoilers in the movie for the rest of the series. It provides plenty of insight into the events of the jujutsu world before the arrival of Yuji Itadori. While other anime films tend to rely on what's already been presented in the main series, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is an excellent standalone story.
9 Fans Of The Series Can Pick Up On The Subtle Foreshadowing & Parallels Of What Is To Come In The Main Plot
While the movie is a good starting place for brand-new fans of the series, established fans can pick up on the subtle foreshadowing and parallels throughout the film as to what is ahead for the main story.
Some are obvious, such as the parallels between Yuta Okkotsu and Yuji Itadori. Others, however, are more subtle. The fans who have read the manga picked up on the subtle signals of what lies ahead for prominent, fan-favorite characters, such as Kento Nanami.
8 The Movie Gives Context To Major Events That Happened In The Past
In the anime, Yuta Okkotsu's name is thrown around quite frequently. Megumi states that Yuta is the only upperclassman he's able to respect. Because of Yuta's strength, he was too powerful for the Kyoto Jujutsu High students during the 2017 Goodwill Event — including Aoi Todo. The movie provides context to Yuta's reputation.
Additionally, the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons is one of the movie's main plot points. It's frequently alluded to in the anime, so fans will get context as to what happened that day.
7 Certain Characters Are Introduced In A New Light
For fans who have only watched the anime, this movie introduces some of the most intriguing characters in a brand-new light. Fans will learn more about characters — most notably, Suguru Geto — from watching this movie.
Additionally, a few fan-favorite characters are seen in a brand-new light as well, such as Satoru Gojo and Maki Zenin. The movie delves just a bit into explaining their backstories. Since the characters who are second-years in the anime are the film's focal point, fans will see them in an entirely new light. Toge Inumaki and Panda certainly have their moments to shine.
6 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Has A Very Emotional Story
As Satoru Gojo states in the film, there's no curse more twisted than love. The movie's protagonist, Yuta, is haunted by a special grade vengeful cursed spirit named Rika Orimoto. Rika and Yuta were each other's first loves as children. When Rika was killed in a tragic accident, she immediately latched onto Yuta.
As a cursed spirit, she protects him from bullies and anything she deems a threat, and she's strong enough to be considered the Queen of Curses. However, Yuta's goal in the film is to allow her to pass onto the afterlife. Additionally, the film follows Yuta's journey out of timidness and into confidence — something that many fans will find touching. Fans will feel the full range of emotions from this film — amusement, sadness, anticipation, and the like.
5 The Film Strictly Adheres To Its Source Material
Devoted fans will be pleased upon seeing the movie. The film strictly adhered to its source material, volume 0 of the series' manga. The source material was handled with care, and it even exceeded viewers' expectations. MAPPA did an excellent job retelling the events of the Cursed Child arc.
Additionally, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 goes above and beyond in recognizing the source material. On a fundamental level, the film fully grasps the importance of the content to the main plot. In the grander scheme, however, the movie exceeds its adherence to the source material through the power of gorgeous animation and expert character building. This movie handled the source material with absolute grace and precision so that fans couldn't be happier with the end result.
4 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Has An Outstanding Soundtrack
Jujutsu Kaisen has always been recognizable for its outstanding, memorable soundtrack. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 certainly keeps this trend going, and it even exceeds what's traditionally expected from the series.
There are several memorable tracks heard in the movie that fans saved to their playlists instantly. Primarily composed by Hiroaki Tsutsumi and various other artists, the soundtrack perfectly captures the films' essence. While other anime films have soundtracks that feel out of place or even cringeworthy, the musicians featured on this soundtrack perfectly understood the implications and themes of the film.
3 Studio MAPPA Delivered Phenomenal Visuals
MAPPA is one animation studio that never disappoints. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 features some of the most exquisite details ever seen in an anime movie. The animation in the film is phenomenal, and fans couldn't have asked for more.
Jujutsu Kaisen is already known for its outstanding visuals. Still, this movie went above and beyond in its effort to bring the story from manga pages into a masterful production. Even simple walking scenes appeared as full-blown masterpieces. The movie is pleasing to the eye, and even the most grotesque cursed spirits had an air of elegance to them because of the artistic style of this film.
2 The Movie Is Action-Packed With Well-Choreographed Fights
While other anime movies severely dropped the ball with choreographing their fight scenes, Jujutsu Kaisen 0's fights are beautifully choreographed and masterfully executed. Even the scenes where Maki and Yuta are sparring during training were handled with utmost care. The major fight scenes are uniquely choreographed and paired with MAPPA's exquisite visuals.
Several scenes aforementioned in the anime were given screentime during this film, such as Kento's record-breaking performance of four consecutive Black Flashes. Such scenes were executed and animated beautifully, and gasps were heard throughout theaters when these scenes occurred.
1 Yuta Okkotsu Is The Perfect Protagonist For This Film
Yuta Okkotsu is the perfect protagonist for Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Interestingly, Gege Akutami initially intended for him to be the protagonist of the main series instead of Yuji Itadori. However, he's much more suited to be the main character of this prequel rather than the whole series.
Viewers will have their hearts stolen by Yuta Okkotsu on his journey throughout the film. His story isn't solely about jujutsu sorcery and afflictions with a cursed spirit. It's about finding confidence in himself, growing stronger, forming meaningful bonds, and taking accountability in the name of love. Yuta's character growth in the film is immense, and viewers may find his journey relatable.