Jujutsu Kaisen is an anime that does not take any obstacle as a reason to stop it from succeeding. It was recently announced by the Guinness Book of World Records that Gege Akutami’s masterpiece is the world’s most in-demand anime. Not only did it surpass the Big Three, but it did so by being decades younger than Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach.
While many would find it confusing as to why Jujutsu Kaisen was able to rise the ranks in a way no other anime could, there are many factors that come into play here. Out of which 5 stand out more than others.
1. Writer’s Discretion Over Viewer’s Opinion
Gege Akutami is perhaps one of the bravest mangakas in shonen works because of the way they kill off characters without any fear. In the wise words of Tatsuki Fujimoto, “Kill your darlings.”
In a project as large-scale as that of Jujutsu Kaisen, it takes a great amount of effort and bravery to even decide on who to kill and who not to. Characters are mere pawns for a writer, who with a pen, is a God. This power is difficult to balance. While some might never kill a character, others would do it in a way to cause discourse.
Akutami does neither. The most significant examples would be Kento Nanami and Gojo Satoru. One was loved by the mangaka, the other was loved by the audience. Both of them met their tragic fate. It is difficult to get rid of biases but more difficult to realize thatl with public opinion. A risk that the mangaka decided to take with a grain of salt.
2. To Please an Audience Without Pleasing an Audience
Jujutsu Kaisen fans are infamous for their lack of censorship when it comes to their love for the characters. Whether it comes from fan edits or fanfiction, the expression of creativity is liberating. While MAPPA has taken some creative freedom in changing character designs in certain aspects, namely with Gojo, Geto, Choso, and Nanami; Gege Akutami hasn’t indulged in the same as much.
Fanservice is one aspect of anime that remains a constant when the genre is especially shonen. Unnecessarily sexualizing women is especially a problematic concern that is often overlooked. Jujutsu Kaisen completely disregards the need to sexualize its women and men in the manga specifically.
While the anime does diverge a little here and there, the very source material stands strictly against the idea of it.
3. Keep Them on Edge at All Times
Jujutsu Kaisen classifies as a shonen manga and anime. That means there are specific tropes and genres it is likely to follow. It does. However, the series takes it up a notch. There are repetitive patterns that the story indulges in. Pattern and repetition is a part of literature, but there is a way to do it. While poetry finds its use the most, graphic novels such as mangas can also find use of the same.
Gege Akutami uses parallels quite often, but at the same time, they know how to keep the audience biting their nails in anticipation. If a chapter sees the fight between Uraume and Hakari, the very next scene could switch to Sukuna and fans would have no idea when the other side of the battle would appear again.
The unpredictability of the series is something many fans keep in high regard. Miguel may appear in one chapter and fans would automatically assume that he would be the center of attention for the next chapter. Surprise – surprise, Yuji Itadori gets to finally prove why he is the protagonist and not Yuta or Gojo.
4. The Best Meals are Made on Low Heat
Sukuna’s battle against the Jujutsu sorcerers may seem to be dragging out in the eyes of the fans. When in reality, it takes place only in a span of a couple of pages in one volume. The format in which the chapters come out, with the gap that they are released makes fans feel like Jujutsu Kaisen drags on its stories more than it should.
That is far from the truth. The story has never tied itself to fillers, relying instead on the actual story. A filler would not even last longer than half an episode. It is fast-paced but balanced at the same time. Letting the pot broil before the food is served.
5. Accessibility Brings Popularity
Jujutsu Kaisen had a lot of advantages some anime and manga could not factor in. One of the biggest supporters being social media platforms such as X, Instagram, Reddit, etc. The speed at which theories started flying around. Opinions could be immediately shared and the sheer number of memes made on the series contributed to its growth on a scale no other anime could even measure.
On top of that, there was hype for characters such as Gojo Satoru that even non-anime fans could not escape from. The impact that the series has on the world is unmistakably commendable. It deserves the credit because popularity alone did not make it the most in-demand anime in the world.
