Yuji's limitless potential and Megumi's stoic personality are nothing new to the world of shonen anime, but that doesn't mean that Jujutsu Kaisen hasn't introduced some incredibly innovative story aspects since its anime debut.
Jujutsu Kaisen has pulled in a number of anime fans by bringing something new to classic shonen anime tropes. This innovation offers up a new way to look at the world of shonen anime and therefore introduces new ideas that fans may never have considered. The list below marks 10 different novelties that Jujutsu Kaisen introduced to the world of anime.
10 Gege Akutami Masterfully Blends Doom & Boom
The first thing that anime fans should be celebrating when thinking of all the new shiny things that Jujutsu Kaisen has brought to anime is the mangaka behind the source material, Gege Akutami. Every fan of JJK knows that the world of anime can thrive with a creator like Akutami offering up his content to animation studios.
Since Akutami adapted his work from manga to anime, the anime fandom has become much more accepting of horror shonen series like JJK. Of course, JJK is not the first dark shonen series, but it is one of the first that leans completely into its horror aesthetic and still manages to build up a massive following.
9 Cursed Energy, Cursed Techniques, & Domain Expansion Make Up A Unique Power System
Complicated power systems are not new to anime, but nothing quite like Cursed Energy exists outside of JJK. Building a power system that is powered by the negative emotions humanity feels toward the places, objects, and spaces around them is a brilliant way to convince fans to look at themselves and question what they could be powering with their negative emotions.
Nen is another equally confusing power system that fans of Hunter X Hunter have spent years trying to make sense of, but it does very little to motivate fans to think through their own negative emotions. Akutami even goes a step further to introduce Domain Expansion as an application of cursed energy that can literally change the setting.
8 Satoru Gojo May Look Familiar, But Nobody Is Quite Like Him
One of the few jujutsu sorcerers who can create his own personal domain goes by the name Satoru Gojo, though it is unlikely that fans of the series need to be reminded of his name. Despite looking like and filling the same role as Kakashi from Naruto, there is no one quite like Gojo Sensei, and the sparkly blue eyes hiding behind his blindfold prove it.
7 Meaningful Deaths & Meaningful Injuries
Fans of shonen anime have become quite used to characters dying only to be resurrected in the following arc. Goku has died two times in canon, and both times he returns as a stronger version of himself.
When characters die in Jujutsu Kaisen they either stay dead or return only by sacrificing a part of who they are. Even injuries stick around in the world of JJK, despite the fact that reverse cursed energy has the power to heal injured characters. For example, the Maki fans know in the manga is drastically different today than she is in the anime because of the injuries she has sustained while fighting against cursed spirits.
6 Lightning Fast Pacing Keeps Even The Most Avid Anime Fans Guessing
Most shonen anime moves at a faster pace than traditional western media, but Jujutsu Kaisen moves even faster by replacing training arcs with more action scenes.
JJK even masterfully uses the time-skip every time it could risk slowing down the pace of its series. Other shows would be wise to learn from JJK's unmatched pacing or else be left in the dust when the series really ramps up its action with its next few arcs.
5 Gojo's Socio-Cultural Teaching Methods
Gojo Sensei doesn't only add humor and a pretty face to JJK. He also introduces fans to teaching methods that are rarely seen in anime. While most anime teachers lean into the traditional teaching method of beating their students until they absorb the information they need to learn, Gojo teaches with his student's social lives in mind.
When teaching Yuji how to control his flow of cursed energy, he assigns the young man a movie marathon in order to test him. Later on, Yuji is able to use this training to both control his flow of cursed energy and relate to Junpei. There are other anime teachers who lean into unconventional teaching methods, but few aim to first relate to their students before ever assigning them homework.
4 Modern Day Tokyo With Modern Day Characters
Slice-of-life anime have set themselves in modern-day Japan prior to JJK, but few have given viewers such an extensive look at modern-day Tokyo. In fact, the way Yuji, Nobara, and Gojo act like tourists in the glowing Tokyo only makes the city feel even more real.
Even just watching Megumi poke at his cell phone while ignoring Satoru Gojo is something new for fans who have been waiting for content that accurately represents the new generation of anime fans.
3 The Tropes Aren't Forced
Too many modern shonen series lean into certain tropes simply because they are common across other shonen series. Black Clover is a great example, as the majority of the magic knights who carry the mark of the Black Bulls are just caricatures of shonen protagonist tropes. This isn't meant as a bash to Black Clover - because who doesn't love Luck and Charmy - but it should be made clear that JJK doesn't include tropes unless it enhances the story. Even the baseball episode trope is used to nurse the character's mental health after they were attacked by a special grade cursed spirit. In JJK, every trope has a purpose.
2 Ryomen Sukuna & The Irredeemable Villain
Shonen anime have long made a tradition of turning villains into friends the moment the hero is able to assert their dominance over their foe, but JJK ignores this idea entirely in place of building complicated villains who are willing to die for their ideals.
Ryomen Sukuna is the perfect example of this. Despite showing admiration for Megumi and literally being forced to walk a mile in Yuji Itadori's shoes, Sukuna refuses to concede his bloodthirsty ways.
1 Yuji Itadori Is A Cursed & Doomed Protagonist From The Very Beginning
Many shonen protagonists have been forced to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, but few have been sentenced to death within the first few episodes. Regardless of whether good triumphs over evil or evil wins the day, Yuji is still doomed. This never-ending sense of doom is something no other shonen anime is willing to place on their protagonist. Luckily, JJK has a number of different interesting characters who can take Yuji's place if he ever does bite it.