When it comes to demon-hunting anime, very few have become as beloved as Bleach and Jujutsu Kaisen. Both series are considered some of the best that the entire shonen genre has to offer. It might be no surprise then that the two series actually share a lot in common.
Jujutsu Kaisen is a relatively new series, having only been in publication for the last few years, but has already managed to take the world by storm and become one of the biggest franchises out there. With great characters, an incredible story and beautiful art, it's no wonder why so many people love it. Coincidentally, this is how many people felt about Bleach when it first began, however unlike its predecessor, Jujutsu Kaisen has the benefit of learning from the mistakes of the earlier series.
Not Afraid of Its Own Darkness
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For many fans of Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen feels very reminiscent, yet new at the same time. Bleach always felt a bit darker than other members of the "Big 3", but it didn't dive into those themes as much as Jujutsu Kaisen. It wasn't as clear back then, but this might have been a mistake as Jujutsu Kaisen's darkness is one of the best things about the series. The themes, characters and plot go all in and embrace the darkness of the tale it is crafting, blending many horror elements that aren't normally seen in shonen manga. It's these elements that also make the book feel new and original compared to Bleach.
At the beginning of Bleach, there were also certain horror elements, mainly through the series' use of the Hollows. They were grotesque creatures of many shapes and sizes that were named after their very cursed existence. They were called Hollows because they lacked a soul and were constantly trying to consume the souls of others to fill the void that is essentially their entire existence.
This was further explored during the Arrancar arc. It was revealed that the hunger of Hollows was so great that some start consuming each other with entire regions of their home being dedicated to these very acts. Unfortunately, it never explores these themes much deeper than that, even with its Hollow and Arrancar characters. Bleach never commits to diving too deep into the origins of this kind of existence. If Hollows start out as human souls that have fallen to despair, then shouldn't their original existence have some impact on their new one?
Jujutsu Kaisen on the other hand takes a different approach. The curses the sorcerers fight are born from the negative emotions of human beings. In this way, a connection between the curses and sorcerers is established as they must use their own negative feelings to exorcise the curses. Furthermore, as beings created by human emotion, curses act as reflections of humanity that the story uses to examine the human nature and the existence of its cast of characters. Jujutsu Kaisen's curses represent the very worst of humanity as a whole's thoughts, which is far deeper and more terrifying than the existence of the Hollows.
A Stronger Supporting Cast
Jujutsu Kaisen also manages to handle it's cast far better than Bleach. One of the biggest problems in Bleach was that so much time was spent on Ichigo that other characters were never able to develop beyond being "Ichigo's friend." However, in its spiritual successor other characters are given as much time and attention as the protagonist Yuji Itadori gets. Megumi Fushiguro and Yuta Okkotsu in particular are given more spotlight in Jujutsu Kaisen than any of Ichigo's rivals, currently acting as full protagonists in the current arc.
Jujutsu Kaisen also escapes a classic shonen trope by having powerful and well-developed female characters. Rather than use women as a method of sex appeal, the women in Jujutsu Kaisen are each given unique personalities, motivations, and moments that showcase their strength. In other words there are no damsels in distress, which was a concept that made up 2/3 of Bleach's plot. There are no "rescue arcs" because none of the women need any man to save them the way Bleach implied most of its female cast did. It's a refreshing change of pace to be sure.
A More Interesting Protagonist
Another way that Jujutsu Kaisen improved on Bleach's formula is that as strong as Itadori is, he never feels completely overpowered like Ichigo did. For most of Bleach's story, Ichigo's only purpose was to keep getting stronger so that he could protect his friends. This inner journey for strength became so important that it became Ichigo's defining trait, which was ultimately boring. As strong as Itadori is though, it's been made clear throughout the story that there are many people out there stronger than he is, but rather than focus on that, his inner struggle is much deeper.
Itadori isn't concerned with being the strongest and has actually made up his mind to eventually die once he consumes every one of the curse Sukuna's fingers. Until then, he's hoping to help create a world where no one dies an "unnatural death." To reach this goal, Itadori has faced many hardships and questioned his very existence. Itadori is a character who in many ways has given up on his own happiness and even his own sense of morality at times, considering himself a "cog" in a curse killing machine. Even his eventual death is meant to be an act of killing the ultimate curse, Ryomen Sukuna.
This is a much darker mindset than most shonen protagonist, but what's great is that it isn't done just for the sake of being edgy. Rather, it's used to examine the state of Itadori's mind and growth as a character. It explores the utter hopelessness that he feels with the current state of his life. He can't think of any other way to help people other than to be just another cog, regardless of how deep into the darkness he must sink. This makes Itadori much more compelling to follow as a result.
While it might seem like this article is trying to imply Bleach is a bad series, that assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Bleach is great in its own way. The arcs might be drawn out, but it still provided great character moments. Ichigo might be too strong, but it was always exciting to see just how much stronger he was going to get every arc.
Bleach might have never fully committed to its horror themes, but it focused instead on its action set pieces and exploration of its main characters origins. Bleach isn't a bad series, it's just that Jujutsu Kaisen, the show it's most often compared to, is better.