Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen is a smash hit on all accounts, landing on the New York Times bestsellers list in 2021 with over thirty million copies sold worldwide. With a brilliantly unique art style and an intriguing cast of characters, it's obvious why the series has such global appeal.
However, several elements set Jujutsu Kaisen apart from its contemporaries. In many ways, the series has reinvented the modern shonen genre by defying expectations and offering something entirely revolutionary to an otherwise formulaic landscape. While it certainly plays up several themes and tropes associated with shonen, its execution is always innovative.
10 Jujutsu Kaisen Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously
While other dark fantasy shonen series like Attack On Titan tend to take themselves too seriously, Jujutsu Kaisen has always retained its sense of humor. Shonen is known for its crude jokes, but Jujutsu Kaisen's style of comedy has a unique voice. Yuji Itadori isn't afraid of self-deprecating humor, making him more relatable to the average viewer. On top of that, he's made a couple of pop culture references that the audience can immediately pick up on, such as his reference to Wilson.
Some characters are unintentionally funny, such as the brutish Aoi Todo or the salaryman-turned-sorcerer Kento Nanami. Every character has a distinct comedic sense that differentiates them from the rest, once again proving that the series does an excellent job of fleshing out each cast member.
9 Satoru Gojo Isn't Like Other Overpowered Characters
Other famously overpowered anime characters like Dragon Ball's Goku or One-Punch Man's Saitama have become iconic, but they start to feel predictable after a while. Plus, they're the protagonists of their series, so they're always in the spotlight. However, Satoru Gojo breaks the mold for overpowered characters.
Gojo understands that he's the strongest sorcerer on the planet and uses it as political leverage against the jujutsu higher-ups. On the flip side, however, he maintains a cocky attitude to live up to his family's name. In Gojo's Past arc, it becomes apparent that he's doing the best he can while under immense pressure. While other characters are overpowered just for plot armor, Gojo's tremendous abilities reveal a lot about him and jujutsu society.
8 Jujutsu Kaisen Is Full Of Unique Fight Scenes
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There are so many battle shonen titles nowadays that it's hard for any one anime to stand out for the choreography of its fight scenes. However, Jujutsu Kaisen's action-packed battle scenes never disappoint. The first season ended with one of the best fights of the decade when Nobara and Yuji teamed up to take down Eso and Kechizu, but several other unique fights happened in that season alone.
Other fights later in the series, such as Gojo's second round against Toji Fushiguro and Maki's attack on the Zenin Clan, are sure to astound anime-onlies and keep their eyes glued to the screen when they get animated.
7 Cursed Energy Is A Complex Power System That Feels Familiar & Brand New At The Same Time
Cursed energy's premise is similar to Naruto's chakra or Hunter X Hunter's Nen; like those two, it requires a sorcerer to channel it into producing a powerful attack. Cursed energy relies solely on negative emotions like rage, sorrow, and contempt. Almost everyone has cursed energy, excluding people like Toji, who are bound to Heavenly Restriction.
Jujutsu sorcerers are scarce because having enough cursed energy to see curses is a rarity, and it's even rarer to manipulate cursed energy. Since cursed energy comes from humanity's transgressions, it forces the heroes to rely on their darker personality traits to save the day.
6 Most Of Jujutsu Kaisen's Villains Can't Be Redeemed
Many of Jujutsu Kaisen's most despicable villains are incapable of being redeemed — not that they'd even want that, anyway. They're evil just for evil's sake and want to wreak as much chaos on society as possible before a sorcerer takes them down.
Mahito's happy-go-lucky approach to unethical human experimentation is disturbing, and he takes pride in having spawned from humanity's vitriol. Kenjaku is a mad scientist who wants to force humanity's evolution through jujutsu terrorism. In My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer, the villains are easy to sympathize with. However, Jujutsu Kaisen's foes are pure evil and prove how dark the series can be.
5 Yuji & Sukuna Entirely Reinvent The Classic "Monster-Within" Trope
The "monster-within" trope is a tale as old as time, with famous examples such as Naruto Uzumaki, Ichigo Kurosaki, and Eren Yaeger. However, Jujutsu Kaisen's take on this trope is unique. Yuji's inner monster is the ultimate big bad to end the rest. Everyone fears Sukuna, and his name sends a chill down everyone's spine.
He makes it clear that he won't help Yuji, and if he gets control, he'll cause widespread destruction. Unlike Eren's Titan form or Naruto's Kurama, Yuji can't call upon Sukuna to help him. He's unreliable and only cares about self-preservation. Sukuna is a unique case in the trope because he's a well-fleshed-out individual with complex motives and distinct personality traits, compared to other monsters lurking inside shonen heroes.
4 Jujutsu Kaisen Has A Strong Female Cast
The combined might of the hammer-wielding powerhouse Nobara Kugisaki and the ever-defiant Maki Zenin is enough to prove the strength of the series' female cast. However, plenty of other women in the series deserve just as much recognition, like Mei Mei, Miwa, and Yuki.
A common complaint about shonen is that the female characters are often put on the backburner. Sakura from Naruto is the definition of wasted potential, and other characters like Orihime feel like they're hanging around to prove the male protagonists' strength. By comparison, Jujutsu Kaisen's strong female cast is refreshing.
3 The Shibuya Incident Proved The Series' Audacity & Is One Of The Best Shonen Arcs Of All Time
Not many other series dare to up-end their entire world mid-way through the plot, but that's exactly what happened during the Shibuya Incident. It's one of the greatest arcs in shonen history, and it proved that Jujutsu Kaisen wasn't afraid of taking risks with the plot.
With Gojo getting sealed in the Prison Realm and other fan-favorite characters being taken out of commission, it was quickly made obvious that the story wouldn't be the same after this incident. Yuji's response to the overwhelming trauma he endured in this arc cemented him as a top-notch protagonist who, despite his resounding willpower, feels incredibly human and relatable.
2 Jujutsu Kaisen Relies On Classic Shonen Plotlines But Rarely Feels Formulaic
Most battle shonen follows a similar structure and relies on the same arcs over and over. A significant tournament arc always follows a brutal training arc. However, Jujutsu Kaisen puts an innovative twist on these formulaic arcs and gives the series a uniquely charismatic feel.
Instead of an excruciating training arc, Gojo told Yuji to hone his cursed energy by binge-watching classic movies. Though the Goodwill Event was a pretty high-stakes tournament, its baseball match at the end set it apart from its contemporaries like the Chunin Exams or the U.A. High Sports Festival because it was another shot at humanizing its characters. The Kyoto and Tokyo students might have been at each other's throats in the forest, but they had fun playing baseball after getting mobbed by cursed spirits.
1 Yuji Reinvents The Model Of A Shonen Protagonist
While other shonen protagonists are gung-ho teenagers with dreams of saving the world and being the very best, Yuji Itadori didn't have a choice but to join the world of jujutsu sorcery after swallowing Sukuna's finger. He was ready for the job but quickly realized the harsh realities of being a jujutsu sorcerer.
Yuji always had realistic reactions to the traumatic events he's endured in the series, such as the aftermath of Shibuya or when he lost his hands against the Finger Bearer. However, Yuji never lost his great sense of humor and continues to prove why he's a top-tier protagonist. Yuji has the unwavering courage and resolve to take down all his enemies, but his fears and weaknesses are never pushed on the backburner. He bravely confronts them, and it's inspiring for the audience to see.