The central backbone of “Big Three” in anime, especially inthe shonen genre, has set the standard for how other series may play out when eventually being adapted from their respected mangas into animated features. Every anime genre has its stereotypes and self-set expectations, but the current standing of the current Big Three —Naruto,One Piece,andBleach—is at risk of being overshadowed by relative newcomers to the shonen genre.MAPPA’sJujutsu Kaisenhas rightfully earned its current popularity, has kept in stride with the Big Three when accumulating a mass following, and perhaps even surpasses it when it comes to examining where this individual series succeeds.Jujutsu Kaisenis able to outpace the Big Three due to its ability to eliminate the need for excess filler episodes and tell a streamlined story that cuts out any sluggishness. This anime in particular also has a more mature appeal to it, and its darker tone invites risk-taking when bouncing off of a shonen foundation. The series introduces more complex characters, themes, and takes advantage of the opportunity of being more intense without feeling the need to limit itself.Jujutsu Kaisenhas also been praised for its animation quality, which improves watchability compared to the Big Three.
Jujutsu Kaisenwas released in 2020 and takes after the manga of the same name, which first debuted in 2018 in Shonen Jump before entering weekly circulation. The anime follows budding Jujutsu Sorcerer Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki) as he teams up with others to take down Ryomen Sukuna, a powerful Curse.Jujutsu Kaisen, or “Sorcerer Fight” in English, promotes the idea that all life in the anime’s universe is subject to Cursed Energy, which is generated by negative emotions. The responsibility of regulating the Cursed Energy is taken on by the Jujutsu Sorcerers, and Yuji’s bold act of swallowing a talisman to protect Megumi Fushiguro (Yuma Uchida) suddenly launched into his own unexpected career as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. While still a fairly “young” anime,Jujutsu Kaisenhas only spanned across two seasons and a movie —Jujutsu Kaisen 0—yet its more recent beginnings have resulted in extreme popularity.Jujutsu Kaisen’s exceptional audience receptionhas been similar to ongoing affection forNaruto,One Piece, andBleach.While the Big Three have set a standard for how shonen anime may typically look and feel,Jujutsu Kaisenwas able to elevate itself past set standards.
Jujutsu Kaisen
A boy swallows a cursed talisman - the finger of a demon - and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman’s school to be able to locate the demon’s other body parts and thus exorcise himself.
‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Avoids Filler Episodes
Funnily enough,Jujutsu Kaisenis one anime that wouldn’t suffer from more filler. The glimpses of filler that are given throughout the series so far have kept the show’s central plot moving forward while sharing a slice of life that’s not as intense as the overall scope of the anime. That being said,Jujutsu Kaisenmasterfully sidesteps the need to rely on filler episodesin order to keep up the momentum (or lose it).One Pieceis notorious for its daunting episode count, logging over 1,000 episodes as it slowly yet surely marches towards finding the fabled treasure that it borrows its namesake from. Filler episodes are a staple to the shonen genre —Jujutsu Kaisenknows this, and yet it takes notes from the Big Three when avoiding one of the trio’s greatest annoyances. The decision to bypass any fluff is a stand-out trait forJujutsu Kaisenin comparison to senior shonen anime and supports the idea thatthis title in particular favors quality over quantity. That’s not to say that the Big Three doesn’t do the same, but theamassed backlog of fillershared between them questions how good they really are, or if they’re safe starter anime.
‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’: Characters to Know Before Catching the Movie
Many of Jujutsu’s familiar faces are here, but through the lens of a new protagonist.
Choosing not to have heavy-hand filler content allowsJujutsu Kaisento contrast itself from the Big Three when examining the anime from a broader narrative scope. While there are tens ofepisodes in each season, with a total of 24 episodes inJujutsu KaisenSeason 2, the animated series rarely feels self-hindered and remains self-engaged.Jujutsu Kaisenis character-driven and aligns consistently with the manga’s vision. Too much filler,as seen in the Big Three, can easily distract an anime from achieving its main goals while losing sight of how important each arc should be. It lets the Big Three linger too long on points that aren’t always relevant at large and puts them at risk of becoming uninteresting.Jujutsu Kaisen’s even pacing and moderate tempo swiftly move the show along and prioritize making sure the anime’s core narrative thrives without self-distraction.
‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Uses More Mature Themes
The Big Three excels at being more appealing toanime newcomersdue to their milder nature in comparison to other series, such asJujutsu Kaisen. WhileOne Piece, Bleach,andNaturodo place more weight and heavier moments on their fight scenes, they adhere to certain limitations and refrain from being more graphic. This moderation of how intense combat scenes can become allowsJujutsu Kaisento surpass them, as it breaks the standardsfor how shonen fights are depicted. As an animation studio, MAPPA has taken the opportunity to go all in when it comes to gore and violence with anime similar toJujutsu Kaisen, such asChainsaw Man,Vinland Saga,andAttack On Titan. Graphic gore alone does not makeJujutsu Kaisenbetter than the Big Three but does contribute to its maturity as a shonen.One Pieceis particularly more tame when it comes to death, loss, and grief; some backstories are more grim, as areNaruto’s, butJujutsu Kaisenapproaches gritter topics that these shows wouldn’t dare touch. Because of these more adult traits and the desire to be darker,Jujutsu Kaisenhas turned itself into a more interesting watch. It’s a step up from the typical childlike nature associated with some shonen.
Jujutsu Kaisenhonors its shonen roots by setting high-school-age characters center stage but challenges them to become more complex by facing supernatural hardships as Jujutsu Sorcerers. Some Curses are given heavy backstories that pack even more emotional weight into the series.Even fan-favorites such as Satoru Gojo(Yuichi Nakamura) or Kento Nanami (Kenjiro Tsuda) must face incredibly undesirable and upsetting realities, andJujutsu Kaisenmakes it clear that it’s not a traditional feel-good anime or light binge. The tense tone ofJujutsu Kaisenis a distinguishing and memorable asset that the Big Three can only partially claim for themselves.
‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Has Outstanding Animation Quality
For the anime snobs whoneedgood animation quality and an aesthetic art style to actually enjoy a series,Jujutsu Kaisenscratches that visual itch. Not only is the show pleasing to look at,the animation is nearly flawless. It truly is beautiful, and because of how genuinely invitingJujutsu Kaisenisfrom an artistic standpoint, already places itself above the Big Three. It’s fair to acknowledge that becauseOne Piece,Naruto, andBleachfirstaired in the late ‘90sand early aughts, the shows did not have access to the technological advancements and animation tools commonly used in the industry now. That being said, the Big Three’s early art style is notable as a weakness of each of these series during their earlier seasons. When compared toJujutsu Kaisen, these three anime series cannot compete.Jujutsu Kaisen’sanimation quality, in conjunction with a genuinely impressive art style, has a much stronger impression upon initial release. A strong art style tied together by seamless animation has a greater ability of demonstrating an anime’s growing success, even without decades worth of legacy behind it. The correlation between animation quality and the overall quality of an anime doesn’t always have to be linear, but it is common for the two to go hand-in-hand, which is the case withJujutsu Kaisen.Jujutsu Kaisenis well aware that it has a strong story to work off of. It’s MAPPA’s animation team that transforms a good anime into a great one.
Because ofits aversion to filler, tonal structure, and modern animation style,Jujutsu Kaisenhas surpassed the Big Three. That’s not to discredit their achievement in popularizing anime internationally, but as time goes on, anime must improve upon itself to become more than just the foundations thatOne Piece,Bleach, andNaruto(which recentlycelebrated its 20th anniversary) have left behind.Jujutsu Kaisenhas introduced itself with a promising start — it’s exciting to look forward to where the series will take itself next.
