The dark and gritty manga series, Jujutsu Kaisen created by Japanese manga artist, Gege Akutami debuted in March 2018, and quickly rose among Shonen manga ranks to become a fan favorite due to its blend of spine-chilling horror and intense combat elements.
The manga was so successful, that it received an amazing anime adaptation from MAPPA Studios, which was responsible for animating other well-known anime like Yuri On Ice and Ushio and Tora.
The anime soon followed the manga’s success, and it’s smooth animation did a wonderful job of bringing the manga’s chilling atmosphere to life, thus introducing an even broader set of audience to the world of sorcery.
Megumi’s Inner Demons
One of the reasons for the series’ wave of success, is its heart, i.e., the protagonists who are flawed at their core, and yet, they try their best to overcome there flaws to continue to fight against curses.
Yuji, Nobara and even Gojo, who is considered to be the strongest sorcerer, have their own inner demons to deal with. And among such flawed and burdened characters, Megumi Fushiguro’s internal battles stand out.
The feelings of abandonment, hatred towards his father, and not being strong enough to protect the one’s he loves are what fuel him. Despite all these struggles, he chooses to endure them alone, and this speaks a lot about his character.
Toji and Megumi in Shibuya
During Gojo’s Past Arc, fans got to witness Megumi’s father Toji being killed by a younger Gojo, and this made them wonder if they would ever see Toji being mentioned again.
This death however, would change in the Shibuya arc, with one of its core moments being an unforgettable one for fans of Toji. We got to see Toji Fushiguro reappearing in the series due to the Cursed Technique of an evil sorcerer, which reanimated his soul into a different body.
Once reanimated, Toji, with his immense strength, wrecks havoc in Shibuya, battling cursed spirits, and sorcerers alike. Eventually after fighting, and killing a powerful cursed spirit, the Sorcerer Killer turns his attention towards his own son. This sent the fans into a frenzy as they saw the father and son fight each other, unaware that they are family.
Robbed Of An Emotional Reunion
Once he realized who he was fighting, fans expected an emotionally charged reunion between a father and a son, which would result in Megumi getting the closure, and explanation that he longed for, but what they got instead was Toji asking him for his last name, and killing himself, so that he doesn’t have to fight his son anymore.
A well written moment of healing and emotions being the two would have served to give a boost to Megumi in terms of character growth, and would have helped him feel better about himself in the future chapters of the story. But what we got instead was a confused Megumi, who probably though that his opponent just gave up fighting.
Giving Megumi a warm moment of closure with his father would have been a great payoff to his backstory, and to the fans who had hoped for a wholesome resolution for him. But alas, one can only imagine what the rest of the story would have been like, if he was given the chance to talk to his father in Shibuya.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Frequently asked questions
Why do fans feel Jujutsu Kaisen robbed Megumi of an emotional reunion with Toji?
During the Shibuya arc, a reanimated Toji Fushiguro fights without realizing he is up against his own son. When he regains his senses, fans expected a charged father-son reunion and real closure. Instead, Toji only asks Megumi’s name, and on hearing ‘Fushiguro’ rather than ‘Zenin,’ he takes his own life so he won’t have to keep fighting his son, leaving Megumi (who never even knew the man was his father) without the explanation or healing many fans hoped for.
How does Toji Fushiguro return during the Shibuya arc after dying earlier?
Toji was killed by a younger Gojo years before, in the flashback arc covering Gojo’s past. In Shibuya he returns when the curse user Granny Ogami uses a resurrection technique to reanimate his soul inside her grandson’s body. Too powerful to control, the reanimated Sorcerer Killer breaks free and rampages through Shibuya, battling both cursed spirits and sorcerers before crossing paths with Megumi.
Who created Jujutsu Kaisen and which studio animates it?
Jujutsu Kaisen is a manga by Gege Akutami that began in Weekly Shonen Jump in March 2018, and its anime adaptation is produced by studio MAPPA. The article notes the series is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
