Jujutsu Kaisen’s recent flashbacks raise questions about why this anime is particularly interested in the past. And what might this reveal about its future?
The Shibuya Incident plot in Jujutsu Kaisen brought us back to the present day after a series of flashbacks. The focus on the characters’ pasts raises questions about why Jujutsu Kaisen cares about the past and what this might say about its future.
Artist Gege Akutami has said that the Jujutsu Kaisen manga will end at the end of 2023, and fans have come up with theories surrounding the story’s ending. Considering the series’ themes and messages can help narrow down the possibilities for the ending. We can expect that in the future, the series will continue to explore these elements in more depth and provide development and resolution to major story arcs.
SEE MORE: Jujutsu Kaisen: Which main character has the best chance of survival?
How Jujutsu Kaisen’s past impacts the present
In Jujutsu Kaisen, the past has a major influence on the story’s present. In season 2, the “Gojo’s Past” storyline, we see the influence of the past through Geto’s defeat. Through his work, he witnesses heartbreaking events such as Riko’s death, Haibara’s death, and the cruel abuse of Nanako and Mimiko. These experiences, combined with the constant consumption of destroyed curses, transformed Geto’s initial thoughts of protecting the weak into a desire to kill all non-magicians and put an end to the curse. stop creating cursed souls.
In the past, Geto died and his body was possessed. This led to the appearance of Pseudo-Geto, who used Geto’s corpse to further his plot. Pseudo-Geto is also the mastermind behind many of the events in Jujutsu Kaisen’s current story. This person also recruited many other jujutsu witches to form an organization called Q.
In addition, the past also represents Geto’s old friends’ cultural opposition to treating children as unpaid labor. These small manifestations show changes in the world of jujutsu, and especially changes in the thoughts and actions of the main characters. Exploring the characters’ pasts not only helps us better understand their personalities and actions, but also helps us feel the story’s development and changes over time.
Important themes in Jujutsu Kaisen predict how the story will end
Analyzing the past and the stagnant change in Jujutsu Kaisen has given us a clearer view of the story’s potential endings. The film criticizes the current state of affairs through the main characters, especially Gojo’s conflicts with high-ranking officials, such as delaying the execution orders for both Yuta and Yuji. Three magician clans – Zenin, Kamo, and Gojo – are criticized for their unfair expectations of women and cruelty towards non-magicians in the family.
The film also explores generational cycles by showing how Yuji and Megumi parallel Geto and Gojo. Both pairs have different ethics about what it means to be a jujutsu mage. Yuji cares about saving as many people as possible. Megumi chooses to only protect those who will not harm others in the future. Yuji and Geto share the same motto of protecting the weaker. Gojo and Megumi are more optimistic, and both inherited a powerful technique from their clan: Zenin’s Ten Shadows Technique and Gojo’s Six Eyes Technique.
However, all three magician families face major challenges in making changes. Change can lead to the breakdown of the system, but it can also lead to a better future for the protagonists. So how will the story end? Will the characters be trapped in an outcome that harms them, or will they find a way to build a better future? The end can be a maintenance of the current state, or a change to break the cycle of suffering and build a better future for both the necromancer and those around them.
