Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Review: Bloody, Action and Powerful Prequel

When it opened on December 24th, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 sold more than 1 million tickets and earn more than 1 billion yen. Over the weekend, the prequel to the popular anime Jujutsu Kaisen, based on the manga by Gege Akutami, which almost tripled the box office, giving break record Demon Slayer movie a run for its money. This is no Christmas miracle. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 earns success by doing what so many previous installments have failed to do: tell a satisfying story that connects and elevates the main series while welcoming newcomers to the franchise.

Set in a world where humans emit Cursed Energy that can create terrible beings known as Curses/Cursed Spirits, Jujutsu Kaisen The anime focuses on Yuji Itadori, a high school student who becomes a vessel for Ryomen Sukuna, one of the most powerful Curses in existence. Later, a group of Jujutsu Mages – who can control their Cursed Energy to fight evil spirits – enroll Yuji in Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School to help him control his powers in while keeping an eye on him. That’s the naked synopsis of the anime that aired from October 2020 to March 2021… and the basic synopsis for Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

The prequel tells the story of Yuta Okkotsu, a high school student who gains control of an extremely powerful Cursed Spirit and is enrolled by Jujutsu Sorcerers at Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School to help him control Control your power and keep an eye on him. Yuta and Yuji are two very different people, the first comes from a shy, gloomy, bullied kid, and the second is an energetic extrovert with strength and stamina. make Batman jealous. However, the similarities between the setting of the TV series and Jujutsu Kaisen 0 cannot be ignored. It’s almost like the movie is both a prequel and a remake. A premade version? Request? Whatever you want to call it, the 105-minute film scores much like the movie by using a character other than a living weapon to introduce audiences to the world of Jujutsu magic and Cursed Spirits. , etc

Image: MAPPA / Toho Ltd.

There’s plenty to enjoy for longtime fans. First of all, Yuta Okkotsu is not a new character, has been mentioned in the series a few times but never appeared until now. And he’s given a beautifully tragic backstory, as it turns out that the Curse of Power that clings to Yuta is his childhood love, Rika. After dying in a traffic accident, the gentle and caring girl has turned into a fang-haired, snake-haired monster that may not have the most disturbing design out there but is more than made up for with… the way she acts. When Rika was cursed to talk to Yuta in the voice of a child about how much she loves him or kills people who bully him without looking bad about it, the combination of a terrifying appearance with a sweet but sometimes erratic attitude, like one child led to one of the most memorable things Jujutsu Kaisen cursed souls.

The series also brings more emotion to its antagonist, Suguru Geto, who has appeared frequently on the TV series. Jujutsu Kaisen, though mostly in the back seat for Big Bad resident Mahito. In Jujutsu Kaisen 0, despite this, Geto is brought to center stage, where he begins to mate with much interest. Geto is an incredibly hilarious villain with a larger-than-life personality that is finally fully shown in the movie. You can really see why Curses and the other witches are attracted to him, and how his cheerful demeanor while attempting to commit atrocities will anger the main characters of the film. .

This leads to a big fight between him and Yuta. With camera movement that attempts to recreate the feel of a normal sized character moving at lightning speed to fight Geto’s Giant Curse – including the Blob kaiju made up of children Fat Devil – The battle is further enhanced by Yuta’s sudden rampage, adding an entirely different layer to the experience. But that’s to be expected from the fight scenes overseen by director Sunghoo Park, who you might remember. The god of high school animated series and its breathtaking battles. It is more than enough to keep Jujutsu-satisfied throughout the 105 minutes of the movie.

Image: MAPPA / Toho Ltd.

But newcomers will make the most of it Jujutsu Kaisen 0. The prequel is basically the essence of Jujutsu Kaisen cuts down on its most accessible elements, which is not surprising given that the film is based on a manga that actually predates Jujutsu Kaisen humor. First published as Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School in Jump GIGA in 2017, this Jujutsu Curse and Witch indie short series will end in just four chapters. But it quickly became popular enough for Gege Akutami to expand on the premise and world he only hinted at in the original manga, eventually culminating in the birth of Yuji Itadori and the story taking it by storm. world.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 very simple, mainly focusing on Yuta, his teachers Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, and the second year Tokyo Jujutsu High School students that fans know from the TV series: Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki and Panda. Most of them get a full explanation that allows complete novices to follow the story and possibly convince them to later plunge into the deep waters of anime. For those less familiar, Jujutsu Kaisen concerned about Yuji trying to give everyone a “proper death.” However, in order to determine first what a proper death is, the anime spent a lot of time figuring out what is a proper death. life mean. Through Kento Nanami’s characters, the show explores the value of helping others rather than money, while Maki’s part is a story that goes against the flow and the comfort of being part of a family. group/family and do your own thing. Even the cursed women in the final episode of the TV series explore the “right” way to live as the characters are truly touching examples of the importance of family.

There are traces of this theme in the film; One can interpret Yuta’s story as a lesson in letting go and moving on. His choices around Rika are causing a stir but the anime goes much deeper into its philosophical messages. That’s okay, though, because by keeping things simple, the movie makes you want to than, gently lead new fans to the TV show. And any media that manages to refer more people to a show redefining shōnen anime anime definitely doing something right.

So whether you’ve been following Jujutsu Kaisen for years or just hearing about it for the first time, check it out Jujutsu Kaisen 0 if you have the chance. This is the kind of rare movie that really has something (great) for everyone.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Now released in Japan. The film currently does not have a US release date.