Am I Blessed or Am I Cursed? || Jujutsu Kaisen

What’s up, BAYOG fam?! It’s been another long hiatus since my last post but there is a series currently airing that’s been holding my attention for a while. In fact, it’s another series I’ve been keeping up with on Shonen Jump. Jujutsu Kaisen, was a series that caught me from the beginning, from the art, the quick synopsis and into the first few chapters. I quickly realized how great this story was going to be.

An description from Shonen Jump, “In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna were lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of Jujutsu Sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!“

It actually took me a really long time before I started reading it even though I thought it was really interesting. I just have a tendency to bookmark/queue up series that I think I’ll enjoy but I usually finish another series before starting something new. Once I started reading though, it was difficult to stop. Going on a reading binge isn’t something that’s uncommon for me BUT this series was addicting nonetheless.

First off, I have to mention the banger OP they got for the show. I was nodding a bit during the first ep but afterwards I can confidently say this song is a BOP. I’m not a huge fan of the sequence showing all the characters and potentially spoiling things. But I do have this hope that viewers who only watch and have never read the manga, try to create their own theories about whom are the main cast, supporting, etc. I do think it’s a little obvious at times but I think meeting each character for the first time without seeing them from the OP has a better impact. I will say that there is an odd focus on some characters during the OP though, which gets me thinking about where it’ll end after 24 episodes.

I definitely have to mention the ED as well, it’s so different in comparison to the OP. Much more chill, laidback, and dance vibes. The animation sequence for this is also really cool. I don’t know what it is about this art style but I really love it. Seeing the characters have a dancing sequence with the music is great and I love seeing that in any anime. I still really love the Wotakoi OP because one, it is a fantastic song but also the simple and wholesome dancing between the characters is great.

Now I want to give a little insight into the VA’s chosen for some of the characters versus what my mind has been making whilst reading. I feel that Junya Enoki is doing a fantastic job as our main protagonist, Yuji Itadori. I don’t recognize him from many shows but it seems this might be his first time as a main role in a SJ series. As far the other side of the coin, Sakuna Ryoumen is played by Junichi Sawabe, whom most might know as Eraser Head from MHA, Archer from the Fate series, Yami from Black Clover and as well as a shit ton more. I don’t have too many differences in terms of the voices, I think they were all very well chosen. My only concern so far is Suguru Getou, whom we’ve been briefly introduced to in episode 6. I just think his voice is a smidge too pleasant but it could definitely change over the course of the series. I also think they chose his voice actor based on the demeanor of the character itself. I may have subconsciously made his voice sound like Byakuya from Bleach in my head whilst reading because they look a little similar.

Are seeing this shit? Doesn’t this fight scene look amazing? I fucking love hand to hand combat animations. When it looks this crisp and fluid, the way they rotate the camera to denote the change I just get goosebumps watching it. When I think hand to hand combat animations, my first reference is always Hajime no Ippo, albeit a little exaggerated in terms of boxing, the intensity still remains. As it so happens, studio MAPPA are the ones working on Jujustsu Kaisen AND they’ve also worked on Hajime No Ippo: Rising with Madhouse.

For this series in particular, I really enjoy all the characters and what they bring to the table. I think they all bring a ton of uniqueness and the dynamics it creates is very entertaining. We’re at a point in the series where more and more characters will start to show up. I’m excited for one character in particular that has been one of my favorites, to make his debut. Once the story flushes itself out a little more, I believe everyone will be really hyped for the rest of this series. If anything, after the way episode 6 ended, fans should be anxious to see the self proclaimed strongest jujutsu sorcerer in action. I can say without a doubt, if you weren’t hooked at the start like I was or maybe you’re on the fence for some reason, things are definitely ramping up.

I hope anyone that wasn’t watching before might consider watching now or when it’s finished to give yourself something to binge. Any fans of the shounen and fantasy genre are sure to love it, that’s my 100% guarantee! As always thank you all for taking the time to read this. Let me know what you think of the series so far or what you’re expecting from the series, in the comments!