Jujutsu Kaisen has undoubtedly set new standards for action sequences. Gege Akutami’s genius of taking common themes of ‘team spirit’ and ‘friendship’ in mangas and diving deeper into it during fight scenes is a major reason for JJK being a standout in the world of shonen.
Inspired by Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen has a unique power system that consists of the ability to wield Cursed Energy, trapping people in tricky Domains, and objects that can seal sorcerers for an eternity. Teamwork becomes essential in the manga since the negative emotions of villains like Ryomen Sukuna fuel cursed energy.
Not only does JJK have an intriguing power system but it also focuses on a common aspect of mangas that other writers fail to address in the fight scenes. Rarely do heroes come together and ‘equally’ give a challenge to villain. However, it’s all about strategic team play in Gege Akutami’s magnum opus.
How Has Jujutsu Kaisen Portrayed Friendship and Teamwork Unlike Other Top Shonen?
Shonen mangas usually revolve around an overly powerful protagonist who overcomes various hardships to get to that level. In both Naruto and Bleach, the titular protagonist is born powerful but have to hone their skills. Naruto Uzumaki harbors the Tailed Beast named Kuarama before eventually being able to tame it while Kurosaki Ichigo in Bleach is born with the hybrid powers of Soul Reaper, Quincy, Hollow, and later develops Fullbringer powers.
Even though Naruto and Ichigo have teamed with other characters to end the tyranny of a villain, they have also defeated major antagonists singlehandedly like Pain and Sosuke Aizen. This is where Gege Akutami’s manga becomes special on its own. The frequency of tag teams in Jujutsu Kaisen is more compared to the other shonen.
In the latest chapters, Yuji Itadori is fighting the powered form of Ryomen Sukuna. The central character of Jujutsu Kaisen has been featured in almost every fight although with an ally. Higurama is aiding him in his fight with Sukuna while Itadori has previously teamed with Aoi Todo to defeat Hanami, and partnered with Nanami and Megumi to fight multiple cursed spirits in the series.
There have also been times when Yuji singlehandedly fought an enemy but rarely succeeded. Akutami, like other mangakas, has stressed that there is strength in unity.
Also Read: What Makes Itadori Yuji and Kamo Choso Siblings in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Why The Power Tiers in Jujutsu Kaisen Is Important?
Jujutsu Kaisen has a power tier that is based on ranks that are termed to be ‘Grades’ in the manga. Starting from Grade 4, it goes up to Grade 1. The top of the list actually belongs to ‘Special Grade 1’ sorcerers like Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo because of their ability to manipulate immense levels of cursed energy.
In most cases, Akutami pits sorcerers with similar grades against each other, and only those that have the numerical advantage or best tag team play bag the win. Aoi Todo and Yuji Itadori fought Mahito and defeated the special grade 1 cursed spirit, albeit with a few sacrifices, even though they belonged to the same tier in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Gege Akutami did develop a ‘tier system’ in JJK to analyze the abilities of each sorcerer. However, it has been disregarded like when Sukuna killed the blue-eyed sorcerer Gojo despite not using his current powered version. The sudden exit of the strongest sorcerer in the world has plunged the power system into chaos, which is currently ruled by 20-finger Sukuna.
Also Read: Fans Pit Jujutsu Kaisen’s Satoru Gojo Against Chainsaw Man’s Makima in Epic Fight
