Review: What we should do while we are here

BY JOHN CARTER JR

Based on the 2018 Manga series of the same name, Jujutsu Kaisen is an anime series released in October 2020. The story centers around teenage Jujutsu sorcerer and cursed vessel Yuji Itadori as he faces his impending death, and the king of curses Ryomen Sukuna. At first, after the death of his grandfather, Itadori is determined to make sure people have a “proper death” with this theme emanating throughout much of the first part of the show. However, as his journey goes on and Yuji himself experiences very close encounters with the end, it becomes more apparent what the show is about. Jujutsu Kaisen isn’t about how to have a proper death but shows us how we should live. Living now, while we are here, with passion and compassion.

The show excellently conveys this thematic arc throughout the entirety of the first season’s run and Yuji shifts focus from how to have a proper death to his focus on how to live with the time he has left. This can be similar to how people who are confronted with their death come to peace. Often we avoid the limited nature of the time we have on this planet and when we are gone, we are gone. 

Whether there is anything after or not is irrelevant to the point we are given one moment here and now. The show conveys what an exciting, happy, and scary prospect that is. We have to exist. We have no other option. Will we succumb to the darkness of the current illnesses of the world or find solace or maybe even happiness in the good that has to offer at this moment? 

We see this specifically when the character Mahito is introduced and the way he victimizes people. He is less concerned with killing and more concerned with the corruption of the soul, damaging humans beyond repair and forcing them to live that existence. This idea becomes apparent when some of these corrupted humans beg Itadori to kill them. This makes him a perfect villain for Yuji Itadori and company, along with the main antagonist Sukuna. It becomes even more personal when a friend of Itadori’s, Junpei, gets trapped in Mahito’s web of gaslighting and twisted justifications. This will eventually lead to more intense confrontations for Itadori and deeper personal development.

The exciting aspect concerning the show’s production is the level of care the color palettes, art design, and animation has. This is a product of years and years of work put in by the Shonen anime animation industry. To have action Animation to this level while maintaining style and its unique horror and big fight aesthetic is comparable to the quality of some recent OnePiece animation. This is only the show’s beginning, and already we have a delicious serving of well-choreographed fight scenes with fabulous characters like Satoru Gojo, Panda, and Yuji Itadori himself.

In conclusion, Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the best modern action anime. Not only for its excellent choreography, coloring, and art style but its philosophy on how to live our life. The show holds up these themes and messages through its wonderful visual spectacle. We can only hope for more of this excellent balance between concept and execution in future seasons and films in the Jujutsu Kaisen franchise. 

I give Jujutsu Kaisen 10 out of 10 curse objects for its themes, action sequences and beautiful colors.