Jujutsu Kaisen vol. 0 by Gege Akutami

Following the recent theatrical release of this volume, I discuss the prequel to the Jujutsu Kaisen series, Jujutsu Kaisen vol. 0 in this edition of Khuyen’s monthly manga reviews. I read the actual series before reading the prequel, but I believe if you start off with this novel with no prior knowledge, you should be fine reading it. If you are interested in reading the series, I wrote a blog post on it awhile back! However, in this post, I will be mentioning spoilers for both this volume and the actual series itself. 

SUMMARY

In Jujutsu Kaisen, the negative emotions and energy that flow out of people result in physical manifestations called curses. Everyone has this cursed energy inside of them, but the select few who can see curses and use their energy are called Jujutsu Sorcerers. There are cases where these sorcerers use their energy for evil and are thus called Curse Users. Places such as the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School help Jujutsu Sorcerers train their cursed energy and provide a residence for them. 

The story of Jujutsu Kaisen vol. 0 follows a sixteen-year old Yuta Okkotsu who has been cursed since he was ten. He is haunted by the spirit of his childhood friend Rika, who died six years prior in a traffic accident. Her love for Yuta protects him from anyone against his will but her immense power makes her difficult to control and even unintentionally hurt others. After gravely injuring his classmates with Rika, Yuta is taken for execution by the Jujutsu higher-ups. However, Satoru Gojo, the most powerful sorcerer and teacher at the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, vows to take Yuta to train his cursed energy and to control Rika. At the school, he joins three other first years: Maki Zenin, a cursed tool wielder who was born unable to use cursed energy, Panda, a cursed corpse, and Toge Inumaki, a cursed speech user who speaks in the ingredients of rice balls to prevent unintentional cursing. During his time at the school, Yuta comes to a revelation that he may have been the one who cursed Rika, and not the other way around. He now sets his goal as breaking Rika’s curse all while learning how to manifest her cursed energy and wield a blade. However, he and everyone else must fight against Curse User Suguru Geto, who wishes to eliminate all non-jujutsu sorcerers and create a world where the weak cannot rely on the strong to survive.

REVIEW

Just like my opinion on the main series, I loved this volume. As someone who read the main part first, it’s really interesting seeing all of these events and getting so much more background. It gave a lot about the characters’ motives and backstories. Additionally, I loved seeing the parallels with the characters in the prequel and the main series. Yuuta is very similar to Yuuji (the main character of the series) in that they were both burdened with a curse and had little control over it, causing them to harm many people. In one of the later volumes, these two characters actually meet each other and Yuta recognizes and empathizes with Yuuji's situation, since it was so similar to his. Yuta's character development was also something that really stood out to me. In the beginning, he was extremely negative and harsh on himself, even willing to lock himself away for the rest of his life if it meant he couldn't harm people. Over time, he grows more confident in his abilities and is substantially stronger. His main motivation throughout was convincing himself that it was okay for him to live, that he can be of some use. Along with that, protecting the ones he loves becomes part of the reason why he fights. In general, I love how this manga captures the relationship between the characters. The bond between the first-years especially is really heartwarming to see with how they risk their lives for each other and always defend each other. I also love how they all push each other to become stronger and there still being such a light air around them. Another relationship I thought was really interesting to see was with Suguru and Satoru. Though Suguru is the antagonist in this novel, he used to be a former student with Satoru and many others and even had the opposite perspective of his current one. Despite all of his evil doings, Satoru still refers to him as his “best friend, his one and only.” I think their dynamic is distinct and yet makes parallels with other duos in the series. The characters of Jujutsu Kaisen are what make up the entire story for me and the author does it in a way where you’re so drawn into them, you can’t help getting attached to them. Volume 0 had me through a whirlwind of emotions and I couldn’t stop thinking about it after reading it. The novel was fast-paced, had an interesting plot, a well-developed antagonist, and everything else you could look for in an action manga. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in this genre. 

-Khuyen