#i believe geto isn't worth gojo

[linkspooky]

The Next Gojo Satoru

As you've probably guessed I have a lot to say about this chapter. However, right away I want to start out by pointing out once again that the fandom is taking a mostly gojo-centric view of this chapter. Which I understand it's Gojo's body that's being puppeteered around and dehumanized in the exact same way that Kenjaku one of the sickest and most inhuman characters used Geto's body.

However I think it shouldn't be understated how shocking it is to see Yuta betray all of his values like this. The most human character who represents love in the cast has given up on the cast and betrayed someone he loves. So let's talk about what this all means for Yuta under the cut.

GOJO GETS AN F IN TEACHING.

I understand why most of the focus is on Gojo, because yes Gojo's body is the one being violated here. He's not even allowed to rest in death after fighting on the front lines against Sukuna to the point where his brain was hemmoraging in the middle of battle and he was brutally cut in half.

Considering how much horror Gojo experienced when he saw Geto's body taken from him and made into Kenjaku's pupet. Cosidering the horrible pain that Nanako and Mimiko endured just seeing Geto's body still moving around denied a good death (Nanako and Mimiko were tellingly willing to let go and not try to take revenge against Gojo for killing Geto because of their friendship even though Geto was their whole world, but they'd never forgive Kenjaku for taking his body). Considering that Gojo even went out of his way to say he wanted to kill Kenjaku / Geto on Christmas Eve again in order to give him a proper burial it's understandable how horrifying this update is.

This is also a series where the two main antagonists are parasites who take the bodies, and steal away all bodily autonomy from characters like Yuji and Megumi and then force them to do horrible things they would never do and bear witness to it, such as the slaughter at Shibuya, or the murder of Tsumiki at Megkuna's hands.

It's understandable how people had such a visceral reaction to this chapter. However, I think the fandom has a tendency to paint Gojo like he's the central victim of all of Jujutsu Society when he's both victim and perpetrator.

Gojo is someone who has only been regarded as the strongest his entire life, and been used as a tool to keep Jujutsu Society stable his entire life. Gojo is also someone who never tried to be anything other than the strongest, never tried to empathize with anyone other than those who were just as strong as he is, and who raised all of his students to be tools too.

To illustrate my point here's an incredibly similiar character from Tokyo Ghoul: Arima Kishou. They are so similiar that they're both white haired mentor characters to the protagonist, they're both the strogest in their respective worlds, and Gege straight up copied this section of panels from the Tokyo Ghoul Manga.

Arima is a breeding project, who was bred by the Washuu Family who mxies blood between humans and ghouls through a series of controlled marriages for the purpose of creating hybrid ghoul human children. Arima isn't the ideal hybrid they were looking for, but he was so ungodly talented he quickly rose to being the most powerful and well-respected investigator in the CCG.

However, this is how Arima reacts to the fact that his entire purpose in life was just to be a weapon to kill ghouls.

Arima loathes violence, he loathes being an investigator, he loathes himself most of all and designs his entire political revolution around him finally being killed by Kaneki - to punish himself and also to relieve himself of the burden of living a life where he was only meat to kill others.

Gojo on the other hand loves being the strongest, he lives for Jujutsu. Arima's death is tragic and nihilistic believing his life had no real worth because all he ever was was a weapon to hurt others, whereas Gojo died satisfied.

Arima's last battle against Kaneki is grim, silent, and tragic, he does everything he can to make Kaneki despise him, to force Kaneki to kill him by being the worst version of himself and when Kaneki still wants him to live he just slits his own throat because even if Kaneki forgives him he can't forgive himself. Gojo laughs his head off and has the time of his life fighting against Sukuna, and going out in a blaze of glory.

Gojo dies smiling, Arima dies finally breaking into tears after a life of pretedig to be cold and emotionless. Gojo's dying regret is 1) that Geto wasn't there to say goodbye to him, and 2) that he wasn't able to draw out all of Sukuna's strength. Arima's dying regret was all the pain and suffering he caused throughout his life and how he was never able to rise above his circumstances and be anything other than what he was born to be.

These two characters are incredibly similiar, they are both the strongest, and they were both made into tools by a dehumanizing system they were born into. However, their attitudes are entirely different. Gojo enjoys being strong, and yes part of it is that Gojo himself doesn't realize he's a victim or what society has groomed him into becoming, but the other part is just because it's an ego trip for him. Gojo doesn't see himself as the tragic victim his fandom makes him out to be.

If you were to transplant him into Tokyo Ghoul Gojo would be happily killing ghouls, and he would think killing ghouls is fun because he's the strongest and best at killing ghouls. This is the complexity that is Satoru Gojo, he has been dehumanized and put on a pedestal his ow life, but Gojo also enjoys being on that pedestal and won't ever step down from it willingly.

I'm not saying that Arima is a better person than Gojo. I think the fact that Gojo doesn't think of himself as a victim is tragic in its own right, because he lacks the self-awareness to actually grow and change as a person. In the end both Arima and Gojo believe they couldn't be anything better than what they were, and their only release is death which is just insanely sad to me because as long as the future exists people always have a chance to get better no matter who they are. To give up on the future, to see an early death as a good thing simply because you can't endure life any longer is one of the most hopeless things imaginable.

Gojo's not sad because he was born to be a tool exploited for society's benefit, he's sad because he was lonely. He doesn't even realize it's his own darn fault he's lonely, because not only has Shoko said that he's not alone she's always been right there, but this chapter we get a repeat of Gojo's students begging him to let them in and Gojo himself decided to draw that line between himself and others and thinking an enlightened, godlike being like himself can't possibly be understood.

All of this to say I think Gojo is the sole victim here, but he's the middle of a chain of of victimhood. I think ultimately the biggest victim here is Yuta, and yes I will not only play trauma olympics here I'm going to win.

If this chapter goes to show anything it's that Gojo has completely failed in his ideals of protecting the youth from the dehumanizing system of sorcerers that takes children and reduces them to cogs in a machine.

A lot of people criticize Jujutsu Kaisen for dropping basically all of its political elements and themes of reform in the second half after Shibuya, and while I understand the criticism I think Gege intentionally shifted away from politics because Gojo's political revolution was never going to succeed.

From the beginning Gojo's solution to reforming Jujutsu Society and it's habit of taking away the youth of children and raising them up instead as child soldiers is... to make stronger child soldiers.

This is Gojo's blindspot and it has always been Gojo's blindspot.

It's why Gojo is completely okay with someone like Mei Mei who at the best uses her brother as a human shield to get out of curse domains and has stolen his entire childhood away to make him own pet little shoulder, and at worst actively molests him.

It's why Gojo is stated in the databooks to have only taken an interest in Megumi and Yuta because they were strong.

Gojo understands that he's being exploited by Jujutsu Society, but doesn't understand you need to deconstruct unfair systems of power and exploitation in order to build something better. Gojo from the beginning only had one plan, and that was to replace the people at the top with his own allies who'd support his agenda. He just thought waiting for them to die out and the children to grow up was the more peaceful way of doing it.

Gojo's political revolution was doomed from the beginning and that's why we see him go back on his word this chapter and just slaughter everyone at the top. His choice of a new leader for Jujutsu Society is hardly better than the elders, the person who executed Gojo's teacher and tried to get all the children to kill Itadori early on. Good choice.

This is what Gojo said would happen though, if he just wiped everyone out at the top no real systemic change would occur because they'd just be replaced with someone who wasn't that differet. Gojo's just given up on the notion of lasting change out of pragmatism.

Which is why Gojo himself is not that different from the elders in the first place, not because he's a bad person but because he was shaped by that same society and he's the pinnacle of that society.

I think the thing is and this point often gets ignored - a lot of the choices the elders make are because of outdated traditions like choosing to oppress Maki and Toji just because they challenge the traditional notions of cursed energy.

However, some of the decisions they make are out of cold hard pragmatism. Gakuganji actually turned out to be right in his assassiation attempt against Yuji Itadori. If they had succesfully killed Yuji, then the massacre in Shibuya would have been prevented and likely Kenjaku's plans would have been pushed back. The elders didn't sentence Yuta to execution just to be cruel, or just because they're superstitious but because he's already had several incidents of nearly killing people because he can't control Rika.

It's easy to dismiss the Elders as evil because they're just faceless entities, but then we witness in this very same chapter the main characters making the same heartless decisions out of the same sense of pragmatism.

Gojo understands Jujutsu Society is flawed, but doesn't understand exactly why it's wrong. He doesn't raise his students to be independent free thinkers because then they might question him, he raises them to be very powerful because that's more pragmatic.

Here are the next generation of sorcerers who are going to bring about the change to Jujutsu Society that Gojo so desperately seeks.

Nobara Kugisaki: Dead

Hakari Kinji: His greatest ambition is to start a fight club

Yuji: Actively calls himself a mindless cog and just wants to kill whatever society points him at and tells him to kill.

Maki: Mass murderer.

Yuta: Just stole Gojo's body and said he had to become a monster i Gojo's place.

Megumi: Begging to be killed.

Inumaki: Tuna Mayo

Panda: Is a Panda

(Joke lovingly ripped off from @kaibutsushidousha)

I understand that fighting Sukuna takes precedence now, but do you think once the dust settles any of these characters are going to do anything to make lasting change?

Are we going to see anything for them at the end of the road other than a mountain of their fellow sorcerers corpses?

Gojo didn't nurture his students to grow into healthy adults, he raised them into stronger child soldiers and yes that's the pragmatic thing to do to help them survive in the Jujutsu World, but the elders make those decisions out of cold pragmatism as well.

MHA is also showing a story where the children are failing to learn from the previous generatio's mistakes, but it's far less frustrating to watch in JJK because it almost seems like that's the point?

Maki sacrificed Mai for the sake of becoming someone strong enough to reform the Zen'in Clan, only for her sister to die and Maki to slaughter the rest of her family failing in both her goals to reform her clan and protect Mai.

Yuji became the host of Sukuna in order to help others, because the total deaths of people in the world would go down if he ate all the fingers. Not only did that decision lead to the death of thousands in Shibuya, but he's even lost his role of being Sukuna's host to Megumi.

Yuta wanted to find a reason to live and a purpose in protecting his friends, and also wanted to pay back the man who saved him, not only is Yuta choosing to die in a way that breaks his friends heart he's also violating his beloved teacher's bodies.

There's a lot of arcs like this where characters fail in what they set out to accomplish, because like in most tragedies they don't try to grow as people they only care about getting stronger. It's the same choice over ad over again, a decision made of cold pragmatism that brings about their tragic ending.

I think it speaks to why systems like this perpetuate themselves, because it becomes so hard to hold onto your humanity that even trying gets you actively punished all the while people like Mei Mei crawl to the top. However, even if you throw your humanity away purely as an act of survival you're still helping perpetuate that system instead of fighting against it.

Anyway, that's enough hating on Gojo, onto the main event.

THE NEXT GOJO SATORU.

It's almost masterful how perfect the foreshadowing for this chapter's twist was. Yuta sharing a common ancestor in Sugawara with Gojo.

The irony that Kenjaku said out loud that someone like Yuta could never become Gojo, on top of the fact that Yuta's true power comes from detaining his loved ones soul. He's turning Gojo's body into a weapon the same way that he once used Rika's vengeful cursed spirit as one (he even channels her strength into a sword, the same way Maki uses the sword that Mai gave her life to create in battle).

The way that Yuji's first impression of Yuta from his powerful presence and cursed energy alone was calling him someone even creepier than Gojo.

The idea that Kenjaku has been trying to get his hands on the six-eyes for years, which is what led most of the fandom to theorize a possible Kenjaku return by stealing Gojo's corpse. The fact Tengen said the six eyes, himself and the star plasma vessel are all connected and one time Kenjaku killed the six-eyes from a child only for another one to appear right away.

Yuta being told he could never reach Sukuna's heights because he lacks the selfishness of a calamity.

Even Yuta trying to tell a nameless assassin Uro to be less selfish, only to be chastised by her for not understanding because it's impossible for someone as blessed as he is to know what it's like to not have a name, to not have a face, to not be someone important.

Now here Yuta is, not only is he making the selfish decision to use his teacher's body as a tool, he's also most likely in five minutes going to die in someone else's body, having sacrificed not only his name, and face, but also his personal values in order to become a monster.

This arc makes it seem like Yuta's gone against everything he's stood for, making his arc a complete circle from Jujutsu Kaisen Zero and that's kind of the point. Heck, even something as small as Yuta's decision to show mercy to Ishigori was rendered pointless because Sukuna immediately killed him soon after taking Megumi's body.

If Yuta's regressed in his character it's because Gojo's purpose was not to raise these children into healthy adults, but strong soldiers.

What happened to Yuta is a direct consequence of the way Gojo recruits these children, and the underhanded motivations he has behind those recruitments.

Yuta's decision to take Gojo's body is more tragic on Yuta's part then it is on Gojo's, because Yuta is a child, and Gojo is an adult.

It is sad that Gojo is all alone, that he's forced to become a tool to society, but Yuta shouldn't be the one who feels responsible for that. Gojo is supposed to protect Yuta, he's the adult, the teacher, the one with power and Yuta is the child. Yuta is not the one who should be making this speech because it is not Yuta's responsibility to do any of this - but Yuta thinks it is because he owes Gojo.

However, when Gojo recruits people it's with the unspoken implication that they now owe him. He wants them to feel indebted, because then they'll be easier to use as pieces in his intended political revolution. We see this blatantly with the way he recruited Megumi.

I'll make sure you and your sister don't starve but you owe me in the form of labor later on in your life.

Gojo saved Yuta because he thought Rika was powerful and the elders were foolish for executing a potentially powerful sorcerer for THE GREATER GOOD instead of teaching him to control his power out of fear. Gojo recruited Yuji, because someone with Sukuna's power and who could eat his fingers as a vessel had the makings to be an incredibly powerful sorcerer. Gojo didn't even think of Megumi until after Geto defected, and Gojo decided he needed to start making changes to Jujutsu Society.

While Gojo's pragmatism is understandable to a point it also poisons his more nobler intentions. Since Gojo expects payment in return when he sticks his neck out for people, because these children are assets first and children secod.

I think Gojo likes Yuta. I think he gets along with him well. Yuta clearly respects him as a mentor. He did in fact go to great lengths to save Yuta from execution. He was right that it was more ethical to teach Yuta to control his powers rather than execute him for the danger he might represet. He even gives Yuta emotional advice a couple of times.

However, if Yuta was just like a grade 4 sorcerer with no special talent I doubt Gojo would have blinked at his execution. He sees Yuta for his talent first, and his potential to become someone like him. If anythig there are clear comparisons to both Megumi and Yuta. They're both prodigies born with incredible techniques, but Yuta is a lot more receptive to Gojo's grooming than Megumi is who's too traumatized to function. Gojo's not just grooming Yuta into being a powerful sorcerer, but another version of himself.

So it's almost karmic that not only does Yuta basically turn his back on everything that makes Yuta himself (his love for people, his desire to live and be surrounded by others), he also does so by literally becoming Satoru Gojo and transplanting his brain into Gojo's body.

Because Yuta is despite possessing a similiar level of talent as far from Gojo as possible. Gojo is not well liked by his comrades, he's there because he's needed due to his power. Yuta on the other hand has everyone vehemently disagreeing with his backup plan in the event of Gojo's death because they don't want to lose him.

People need Gojo, they want Yuta because of the connections that Yuta has made with them and because they care about Yuta as a person. Gojo is someone who deliberately draws a line between himself and others because he believes the strongest can't be comprehended, Yuta only fights for the sake of being accepted by others because he needs their approval in order to live.

Yuta's now turned his back on those two things, his tendency to put his loved ones first, and his desire to live, both because he feels he owes Gojo.

This comes about because of two factors, number one Gojo helping him with the implication that this help means that Yuta owes him something which makes Yuta desperate to pay him back and therfore easy to mold, and number two Gojo's intentions to begin with to take Yuta and make another Gojo out of him. To make a successor who would carry on the same burdens that Gojo did.

Gojo succeeded one hundred percent in making his successor as opposed to Megumi who turned out to be too different from Gojo i the end. He took what make Yuta unique and ironed out all those wrinkles until he was left with someone willing to make the same inhumane, pragmatic decisions that Gojo was.

I think it's tragic that as much as Gojo wanted to make things better for the next generation, he basically led Yuta down the same road he did, to make the same choice to throw his humanity away along with all of his loved ones. Especially since Yuta started out in such a different place.

Yuta has learned to become selfish like Gojo, because selfishness is apparently now the only way to get by in this world. A cycle that has been started with the elders, and continued on with Gojo, remains unbroken as Yuta becomes just another link in the chain. Yuta's likely going to die in a stranger's body, leaving all of his friends behind to mourn him, but even if he lives what life will that be exactly?

It speaks to the arcs in Jujutsu Kaisen that they're all kind of circles at this point. We have this heartwarming goodbye of Rika telling Yuta to live, and Yuta's whole arc was to learn to try to live without Rika and make new friends, but it's now likely goig to end with Yuta dying a year after Rika finally moved on.

Choso was told to try living on as a human and Yuki even sacrificed her life to give him the opportuity to escape the fight, and he only lived a month longer to die right in front of Yuji's eyes.

Gojo put all of his hope in the next generation, but now not only did he put all the power in Gakuganji's hands but he ended up dying a year after Geto did just like Yuta will likely die a year after Rika.

I think these character arcs are turning out to be circles because the characters aren't actually doing anything to try to break the cycles that they're trapped inside of - they're only trying to get stronger. Which is why they end up resembling the actions of the villains, Yuji becoming more curselike, Yuta stealing Gojo's body the way Kenjaku did with Geto's.

It reminds me of a quote from Critical Role that I absolutely adore.

“I have just taken an audience with the Raven Queen who has snuffed any hope of my redemption, for which I am truly grateful. With new clarity, I can finally see my life as a series of compounding, poor choices.” Vax winces. “There was nothing I could’ve done to save my family, yet I still sold my soul in search of vengeance. Later I allowed Ripley to leave, knowing full well she was a greater threat to the world than the Briarwoods would ever be. I traded the world’s safety for the belief that I could murder my way to peace; that if I could be a greater horror, it would bring my family back. And once this lie was shattered I scrambled to find asolution, to make a deal, to undo my mistakes and balance the scales. I nowunderstand that there are no scales, there is no redemption, and no ledger that judges me good or evil. I am free to simply be myself and live with the terrible mistakes I’ve made."

Especially this sentence: I believed I could murder my way to peace; that if I could be a greater horror, it would bring my family back.

Maki is a character that I have not found all that interesting in a while because she committed such a huge mass murder, only for it to have no consequences in the narrative and never be mentioned again, but this chapter she suddenly became an interesting character again.

Maki who lost everything but gained strength, doesn't seem all that bothered by the loss. People compare Megumi's reaction to losing Tsumiki to Maki's reaction to losing Mai, but Megumi's reaction is much more interesting because it's always better to see a character be weak and fall apart then to be strong and power through things.

However, maybe the reason Maki hasn't experienced any grief at all towards Mai and has instead delighted in her newfound strength and independence is because of this, because she still had Yuta.

Maki is a character who's not really said anything other than exposition the past like twenty chapters, but now she's the most vocally against Yuta sacrificing himself for the greater good. Yet this is against Maki's own ideology of doing everything you can to be stronger, to win. Maki was always about individualism, not about friendship or the bonds between others, she severed her own bonds to be free. Yet, she can't stand to see Yuta do the same thing as her, to become more like her.

This might be the consequence of Maki's continued choice to value freedom and the power to achieve that freedom over all else. Now, the one time Yuta is trying to throw away the same things that she threw away she can't say anything meaningful or convince him to stop him.

Which reminds painfully of this chapter as well.

Mai killing herself in order to free Maki from cursed energy is an obvious parallel to Sukuna devouring his own twin in the womb, but the difference is in this situation Maki didn't want Mai to go, she begged her not to. However, just like with Yuta there was nothing Maki could ahve said or done by that point to convince Mai to stay. Maki has always chosen power over her sister, she's always abandoned Mai, so what exactly can she say to convince her that she cares more about Mai more? That her dream of defeating the Zen'in and having revenge against them isn't worth the price if it comes at the sacrifice of Mai?

Maki didn't want to abandon Mai, or for Mai to sacrifice herself, but tragically her every action indicated otherwise. It all comes down to this: I believed I could murder my way to peace; that if I could be a greater horror, it would bring my family back.

Maki seems to have achieved peace by murdering the Zen'in, but we see the same kind of circular arc that we have for Yuta.

Maki gave up on everything for strength, but Maki's not strong enough to finish Sukuna then and there, forcing Yuta to sacrifice himself the same way Mai did.

Maki can't talk Yuta out of making that sacrifice, or come up with any convincing argument with why he shouldn't because of all the choices she's made before this.

Maki chose to murder her way to peace, but it came at the cost of her humanity and growth and thus she's faced again with the exact same situation with Mai and she's forced to watch her heart be taken from her again.

It goes to show that we think these characters are getting stronger but they're actually sacrificing something vitally important.

These characters are just going to keep going around in circles and you have to wonder just when is it going to stop?

[estellan0vella]

Is This Love? ❀ includes: Gojo, Geto, Nanami, Choso, Sukuna, Toji, Yuta, Yuji, Megumi & Toge (REQUESTED) Masterlist

Gojo

Gojo's laughter echoes in the quiet room, his blindfold dangling from his fingers. He watches you try to reach the high shelf, a playful grin dancing on his lips. Suddenly, he realizes the warmth in his chest isn't just amusement—it's affection. Your determination, your kindness, the way you look at him with unguarded trust. It's like a veil lifts from his eyes. The invincible Gojo Satoru is vulnerable, caught off guard by love. He steps closer, gently taking the book from the shelf for you. "You know," he says softly, his voice uncharacteristically tender, "I think I'm falling for you."

Geto

Geto watches you from across the room, your head buried in a book, completely oblivious to the world around you. His heart swells with a mixture of pride and affection. He’s always admired your strength and resilience, but now he realizes it’s more than admiration. He loves how you handle every situation with grace and intelligence. As you look up and catch his gaze, giving him a warm smile, he feels a rush of emotion. He smiles back, a gentle determination in his eyes. He’ll protect you, cherish you, because he loves you.

Nanami

Nanami’s day is meticulously planned, every moment accounted for—until you walk into his life. He watches you laugh at one of his dry jokes, and something shifts. The weight of his responsibilities feels lighter when you're around. He notices the small things—the way your eyes light up, the way you care for others. He’s always believed in logic, in structure, but you make him reconsider. His heart flutters in a way that's both unsettling and exhilarating. He catches himself smiling more, thinking of you. It’s clear now: amidst the chaos, he’s found his sanctuary. He’s in love with you.

Choso

Choso feels an unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest as he watches you tend to his wounds with gentle hands. Your touch is careful, your eyes full of concern, and it strikes him how much he cares about you. He's been so focused on vengeance, on protecting his brothers, that he never considered this possibility. But now, with you so close, he feels it—the undeniable truth. His heart beats faster, his breath catches. He’s found something worth fighting for beyond his brothers. You. He’s in love, and it's both terrifying and beautiful. "Thank you," he murmurs, his voice filled with newfound emotion.

Sukuna

Sukuna watches you from his throne, intrigued by the way you navigate the world with such tenacity. You’re different, unafraid to stand up to him, and it amuses him. But today, as you speak with passion and conviction, something shifts. He realizes he loves the fire in you, the way you challenge him and make him feel alive. His smirk softens, and he stands, approaching you. “You’re interesting,” he says, but there’s a deeper, unspoken admission in his eyes. For the first time, the King of Curses feels something more profound than amusement—he feels love.

Toji

Toji’s eyes follow your every move, the way you handle yourself with confidence and grace. He’s always seen you as a comrade, a trusted ally, but today, something changed. As you laugh at a shared joke, your eyes sparkling with joy, he feels a warmth in his chest he hasn’t felt in years. It dawns on him that he loves you, not just for your strength but for the way you make him feel human again. He reaches out, brushing a stray hair from your face, his touch lingering. “You’re something else,” he murmurs, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Yuta

Yuta’s heart pounds as he watches you from across the training field, your movements graceful and fierce. He’s always been reserved, haunted by his past, but you bring a light into his life he never thought he’d see again. The way you encourage him, and believe in him, it makes him feel whole. He catches your eye and smiles, the realization hitting him like a wave. This is love. Pure and simple. You’ve given him hope, a reason to fight beyond his own redemption. He walks over, his heart in his throat. "You make everything better," he says softly, meaning every word.

Yuji

Yuji’s laughter echoes through the training grounds as you playfully tease him. He’s always enjoyed your company, but today, there’s a new feeling in his heart. Watching you laugh, so full of life, he realizes he loves you. It’s sudden, but it feels right. He loves your kindness, your strength, and the way you make even the toughest days brighter. He stops mid-laugh, his expression turning serious. “Hey,” he says, taking your hand. “I think… I think I love you.” His cheeks flush, but he holds your gaze, hoping you feel the same.

Megumi

Megumi is reserved, focused, always carrying the weight of responsibility. But you, you slip past his defences effortlessly. Your laughter, your kindness, they fill his heart. One quiet evening, as you both watch the stars, he realizes. Love. It’s gentle, unexpected, but undeniable. He wants to protect you, to be the reason you smile. The thought of you in danger terrifies him. He reaches out, taking your hand in his, a silent vow of his feelings. You squeeze back, and in that moment, he knows he’s found something worth fighting for.

Toge

Toge watches you laugh, his heart swelling with a warmth that’s new and exhilarating. His cursed speech has always been a barrier, but with you, he doesn’t need words. You understand him, see him, in a way no one else does. He realizes he’s in love during one of these quiet moments, your presence filling the silence with unspoken affection. It’s a profound revelation, one that makes him smile behind his collar. He reaches out, his fingers brushing yours, and in that simple touch, he conveys everything he feels. "Salmon," he says softly, his eyes shining with love.

[thenyoumightaswellwrestleangels]

- masterlist

disclaimer: these are collections of scenes that happen with one couple within their story / verse, not traditional chaptered fics. you can read them standalone or in whatever order you please. they're organized in chronological order here

and I will do the best I can, with the little that I know tim drake x reader x conner kent - please just stay with me tonight (and please don't let tomorrow come) - this shadow is not my shape anymore (and I fear it will swallow me whole)

bloody nose and a crooked tongue (I always wanted to be someone) tim drake x reader - my life does not belong to me (but these secrets are my own) - these hands may be bloody (but they're still mine and I'm still yours) - have I trapped you in this web of mine? (will you let me pull you out?) - I've let this wolf into my home (I feed it even when it bites) - like a watchdog at your door (like a veil over your heart) - there has never been enough of me (and I have nothing left to give) - this devotion of yours is misplaced (but this love, perhaps, is not)

carry me slowly, my sunlight (these colours, they fade for you only) damian wayne x reader - like a lamb led to slaughter (my heart held in your hands) - ask me about my sins (and I'll tell you about my love) - reach for me in the dark (and I will always take your hand) - coming soon - is this my soul, still? (is this my ghost, again?) - this goodness hurts (and I'm drowning in it)

comfort came against my will dick grayson x reader - there's nothing here for you (and there's nothing left of me) - I'll find you always (but I'd rather go alone) - nothing in my life is as easy as you (and nothing in my life is as hard) - you've been holding out on me (but I can't find a way to hold onto you) - it isn't always easy (but how lucky I am to be known) - remember me as small (I fear I've swallowed the sun whole) - Is it worth it, this love? (is it fair to you, this life?)

damn your love, damn your lies roy harper x reader - we're strangers these days (but that has to be enough) - will you come when I call? (will you answer when I beg?) - is there a home here for me, still? (is it the heart inside your chest?)

hope here needs a humble hand platonic bruce wayne x reader, platonic batfamily x reader - it comes and it goes (but it always comes back) - the past is not dead (you buried it while it still breathed) - there's an anger in me (I think I learned it from you)

love is not designed for the cynical jason todd x reader - there is no home for me there (and no solace for me here) - I'm not me anymore (and maybe you're not you) - this pain is inevitable (it sleeps with me while you're elsewhere) - remember me, please (don't let me die a second time) - this may be my grief (but it's you who's made a mess of it) - do you know that I love you? (do you know that that you shouldn't?) - my love has no direction (and my anger is a vice)

let me wrap my teeth around the world poly marauders x reader - I don't know you anymore (maybe I never really did) - please forgive this fear of mine (it used to keep me safe) - there is love in me, I swear (tell me there's something in you, too) - Is there hope in us, still? (is there something worth believing in?) - you are not poison here (and you never really were) - but I'm not much of anything (but you're everything to me) - let me stay small, please (let me wait a little longer)

absinthe makes the heart grow fonder rockstar au // poly marauders x reader - you said you'd stay with us (you swore you'd still be you)

this is how it feels to take a fall takami keigo x reader - are we human, still? (have we become something more?) - this sweet plague that follows me (this violence that I call my one)

you will know me, though I have no name kuroo tetsurou x reader x kozume kenma - may I build myself a home here? (may I please call you mine?)

your small hands in the palm of mine gojo satoru x reader x geto suguru - please save me from this light of mine (please stay with me in the dark)

but isn't bite also touch? simon riley x reader - I need an altar to pray to (I need a hand on my shoulder)

this lust is a burden that we both share din djarin x reader - this fear is a part of me (please don't take my hope away)

[ivyial]

okay time for some delulu gojohime analysis that's a bit of a reach.

so earlier today, i was rewatching a compilation of gojo and utahime's scenes from season 1 and it rang a bell (also, i just want to say, mappa gotta have gojohime shippers on the team cause some of the s2 gjhm elements weren't in the manga). ANYWAY.

so in episode 14 (the beginning of the tokyo-kyoto goodwill event arc), utahime is introduced (and i'm not gonna say that her literal second sentence onscreen ever is inquiring after gojo, but i am going to say that). then gojo comes in with gifts for the kyoto students - some charms from a tribe. this is how the panel goes in the manga:

nothing specific about those charms/souvenirs. gojo also explicitly mentions that they're for the kyoto kids - nothing for the staff.

now here's how it goes in the anime:

unfortunately i don't have the japanese script for this scene or the exact intended meaning, so i'll have to use the english translation :')

in the anime, there are two changes to gojo's dialogue:

the tribal charms are specifically protective. whether they work or not, they were made with the intention of protecting the user in mind

"the kyoto kids" becomes "everyone from kyoto" (including staff, technically)

now assuming that these changes are correct, it makes the scene way more relevant to gojohime.

as we know, gojo thinks utahime is weak. he says it to her multiple times and it's pretty much his go-to insult for her. we also know that gojo is loaded with cash, so spending a few more bucks isn't an issue. and yet... he didn't get her one of those. this is one amazing opportunity for gojo to make fun of utahime, by giving her one of those charms and implying that she needs it because she can't defend herself. but for some reason, he didn't take it.

there are a few ways to interpret that:

gojo is a decent enough guy to not embarrass her in public in front of other people. although, this isn't true, since he does do it in front of other people all the time: see season 2, episode 1, when he calls her weak in front of mei mei and geto. so maybe he just doesn't want to embarrass her in front of her students. again, not exactly true, since he puts her on the spot later in the goodwill event arc:

pretty 'eh' to ask her to give a speech unprepared in front of all of the students, especially since she ends up performing very poorly. maybe he draws the line at calling her weak in front of her students, because he understands that they look up to her.

2. gojo didn't give her a protective charm because despite calling her weak all the time, he doesn't fully believe that and he knows she can defend herself. it is vaguely reminiscent of their recent shared scene in the manga, in which *spoilers for the current arc* utahime's cursed technique is revealed and she acts as an amplifier for gojo's. he definitely trusts her enough to team up with her, just like he did to find the traitor at the kyoto school.

3. utahime doesn't need protection, because he is there. for this interpretation, i'm drawing a parallel between this scene and this post explaining how utahime is metaphorically always under gojo's eye. even without that detail, there's his whole spiel in 2x01 where he dramatically announces "i'm here to save you, utahime". it's worth noting that he pretty much came round to help her out because he knew she was in danger (i think? someone correct me if i'm wrong please).

one thing's for sure though, it's that gojo doesn't truly believe that utahime is too weak to be a sorcerer. is she weaker than him? sure, but that doesn't make her incompetent. and if she needs to be protected, he's more than happy to do it for her.

[karmaholik]

What Happens in Vegas

Suguru Geto/Satoru Gojo

Note: For those of you who don’t know. Las Vegas is a city in the United States. People tend to gamble, drink, and get married (sometimes in that exact order). Canon divergence where Suguru doesn't defect and they are both teachers.

--

Satoru’s blue eyes fluttered open, still bleary with sleep. His head is pounding, which isn't unusual for him but he doesn't remember overworking Six Eyes as of late. The light filtering in through the expensive looking curtains felt like stabs from a knife into his eyes. Even though he's half asleep and his head feels muddled he could tell this wasn't the apartment he shared with Suguru. Satoru rolls onto his back, he winces as a sharp pain shoots up his spine, before bringing a hand up to press into his eyes. He takes in a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds letting it out. His hands fall away to the bed and he looks towards the person he feels before sees. Suguru is sitting on the side of a large, unfamiliar bed, dressed only in his boxers.

“Where are we…?” Satoru questions his best friend, groggily. Suguru glances back at him but quickly brings pretty violet eyes back to stare at the wall he's facing. Satoru sits up slowly, ignoring the hot pain in his lower back.

“A honeymoon suite… In Las Vegas.” Suguru replies. Satoru tilts his head to the side at the odd tone in his friend’s voice. He's remembering a bit more now. He's on a much needed vacation. He, Suguru, Shoko and Utahime decided to make a few stops in the United States. They are currently in Las Vegas, Nevada, trying to spend a nice chunk of the Gojo family fortune. Nanami and Haibara stayed back to cover Satoru and Suguru's classes at Jujutsu Tech. This definitely wasn't the modest two-room suite Utahime booked for them.

“Look at your right hand, Satoru.” Suguru directs softly, tongue rolling over his name like usual. Satoru raises an eyebrow before complying, tipping his head down to inspect his hand. A pretty silver ring adorns his wedding finger, his eyes flying back up to Suguru's form. The younger man holds his hand up to show Satoru a matching silver band on his ring finger.

“So," he draws out.

"Apparently we partied a little too hard last night. If you haven’t realized yet…You’re naked.” The words are blunt and Suguru sounds a little bit like he can't believe it himself. Satoru starts slightly after looking down to his body. He instantly grabs the sheet in his hands and huddles it to his chest to hide his nudity. Suguru laughs at his actions.

“No need to hide. I apparently saw all of that last night.” A flush creeps over Satoru’s cheeks, the other's words and stutters out a shut up. Wow. Wow. Satoru's mind races. What the fuck did they do?

“So… Do you remember anything? Because I don’t.” Satoru isn't sure if he wants to know the answer. If he wants to know the depth of Suguru's thoughts and opinions about this matter. This is territory they've been skirting for a long time. Suguru simply shrugs at him before answering.

“Bits and pieces of the evening but nothing too substantial. I mainly remember fucking you.” He's being a little mean but Satoru sputters out an intelligible reply and the flush on his cheeks is worth it.

“W-well… We need-“ Satoru’s words are cut off by the knock on the door. A muffled voice sounds behind it but neither Suguru nor Satoru can make out the words. The handle turns and the door fully opens to reveal Shoko. She walks in, looking perfectly put together, with a mischievous smile on her face. She waves around the supposed keycard to the room.

“How are the newlyweds doing this morning? It seems you had a good night after I dumped you in here.” Shoko says as she eyes Satoru’s nakedness with a smirk. To which Satoru gives her a glare that Shoko has never found very threatening and cuddles more into the bed sheets.

“Are you implying that you were actually coherent last night?” Suguru’s question receives a smug nod from Shoko.

“And you let us… Us… Get MARRIED?” Shoko nods again with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. Suguru is pinching the bridge of his nose, body language giving off pure exasperation.

“I thought it was a good idea at the time.” Satoru’s mouth falls open. Shoko looks unbothered, as usual.

“What? It isn’t like you two aren’t practically married anyway.” She purses her lips and flips the keycard between her fingers. She wasn't wrong. They did everything together. Worked at the same place, lived in the same house. Ate every meal together. Co-parented four children together.

"Shoko, we were drunk." Suguru is using his teacher voice and Shoko rolls her eyes at him.

"Yeah, and? It's not like it's legal where we are from."

"Shoko, that isn't the point. We-" he trails off and looks over to Satoru, who's staring back at him with wide, guarded eyes. He looked like he was steeling himself for Suguru's next words. The dark-haired man's mouth feels dry. He's treading into territory he knew they've both been toeing since they were sixteen.

"You?" She smirks like she knows something. Because she does. She's been yelling at both of them for almost as long as they've been quietly holding these feelings of more for each other.

You love each other. She would say. I don't want to hurt our friendship. The one she was speaking to at the time would reply. She would frown and then pull out a cigarette to smoke. One she never offered because Satoru didn't smoke, and Suguru quit a year ago because Satoru wanted him to.

"Well, it was hard to try to stop you last night." Her tone shifts, away from teasing. Suguru and Satoru continue to stare at each other.

"Those smiles... Hm. I've never seen you so happy." Shoko says softly, a warmth to her voice. Satoru's eyes flick away for a moment then they're back and Suguru's staring into the most beautiful blue he's ever seen. Satoru smiles then, small and happy. Suguru's heart stutters in his chest.

Shoko tosses the keycard to the room onto the bed. As she turns and walks to the door she says:

"I'll see you later, Utahime and I are going ziplining today." She pauses when she's halfway out of the door.

"Oh, by the way." They both look at her. She glances back at them with a smile.

"I booked you another night." With that, Shoko is out of the room. The two men blink after her as the door clicks shut. There's a few moments of silence that follow that Satoru can't help but break.

"I can't believe I don't remember our first kiss." Satoru groans, falling back into the multitude of pillows on the bed. Suguru looks back at him, eyes roaming over how the sheet covering him slips to expose more of his nakedness. The nakedness Suguru remembers in full, wonderful detail. He remembers hands all over each other's bodies, the kisses, hot and wet... Satoru tracing the column of his neck with his tongue. Remembers Satoru's mouth falling open when Suguru finally pushed inside of him.

Suguru lets out a slow exhale to calm himself.

"And..." Satoru's voice makes Suguru look up to his face.

"The sex. I don't remember the sex." The white-haired man's eyes are averted away as a pretty blush dances across his pale roundness of his cheekbones. Suguru gulps. Oh. This was the figurative olive branch. Satoru's way of laying all of himself in front of Suguru, offering a complete vulnerability and tipping the scale. Suguru has all the power, the chance to make the next move. He could step back into the familiarity of their friendship or forward into the unknown of something they both know burns within them.

Suguru looks down at the ring on his finger and Satoru waits. The white-haired man would never admit it but he was trembling, an uncharacteristic nervousness enveloping him. He's unsure if he would break if Suguru decided to go back to their normality of only best friends but he knew he'd need to curl into a ball and cry for a little while. He sighs, a soft and quiet sound. The wait is excruciating.

The bed dips next to him. Fingers curl around his chin and guides his gaze to meet Suguru's. The other is poised over him, silky black hair falling over his shoulders and the light coming in from the window eliminating around his head like a halo. Absolutely beautiful. It steals his breath away.

"Well," Suguru whispers, airy as he leans in close.

"Would you like me to help you remember?" He asks and Satoru knows, beyond anything else, this was the step forward. He smiles, eyes crinkling.

"I do." He answers. Suguru on him, pressing up against him, skin against skin. Satoru's cranes his neck up to meet Suguru's mouth, their lips sliding and fitting together perfectly. A moan rips from one of their throats at the action. They don't know how long they kiss, mouths melting together languidly. After what feels simultaneously like an eternity and only a few fleeting seconds, they pull away. Suguru knocks their foreheads together as Satoru's fingers thread through his long tresses.

"You know..." Suguru murmurs, their lips almost touching. Satoru hums at him in response.

"I'm having a little trouble remembering as well." Satoru laughs. A lovely, melodic sound

"Need some help remembering, Suguru?" The dark-haired man hums, fingers stroking down the side of Satoru's cheek.

"I do.”

[animehideout]

hi! i really like your mbti personality posts, may i request one for ISTJ?

Your MBTI, Your JJK Characters Part 7

Includes : ISTJ + ESTP

a/n: Thank you anon, @2-yveee for requesting ISTJ, also thank you @suchasecretiveninja for reading this series. I hope you like it 🫶🏻💗.

Divider credit : @cafekitsune ✨💖

ISTJ:

Choso Kamo = Husband.

Married couple goals. Both ISTJs and Choso emphasize the significance of family as a central aspect of their lives. Your strong family-oriented approach , makes your relationship unbreakable. Once you got married, you'll stay loyal to each other for life, you'd solve your relationship problems rationally without further emotional upheaval. Choso's personality aligns perfectly with what ISTJ seeks in a partner; a sense of stability and kindness. Though Choso is often calm, he isn't the distant or cold type, his presence exudes warmth and protection. You can definitely rely on each other, especially that ISTJs have a great sense of duty, commitment and responsibility and that's something that Choso really appreciates in a partner. You would be his one and only. You have a vanilla kind of relationship, despite relying on your rationality most of the time, you still have that soft side just for each other. You mainly show your love through acts of service and gift giving.

Toji Fushiguro= Ex-lover.

Although you both share common traits like being rational, practical, and having a logical mindset, you faced challenges that failed the relationship. His manipulative tendencies and deception were a major deal-breakers for you, making it difficult to continue together as a couple. As an ISTJ, you put a great emphasize on trust, but Toji broke it by his manipulative behavior, he would even attempt to manipulate you into things, but being an ISTJ, you have the upper hand to sense it. Toji might also run away from a healthy conversation and won't admit his mistakes, which is the complete opposite of you since ISTJ is able to take constructive criticism well. So clashes always occur between both of you, especially when taking decisions, he isn't open to others' opinions.

Geto Suguru = Ally.

Between ISTJ and Geto, there's a collaborative effort to establish a stable and structured environment. Geto as an INTJ, he complements your ISTJ traits, making you a well-suited pair. With both being organized, punctual, and skilled planners, there's a natural synergy and chemistry between you two. Geto, being an INTJ, would entrust you with his plans and missions, recognizing your reliability and organizational tactics. Together, you thrive on efficiency, creating a harmonious dynamic that benefits from the strengths each of you brings to the table. You would definitely be on Geto's side. You may have some romantic moments and sexual tension, but you always focus on work more than feelings, both of you believe that emotions may get into the way of you achieving greatness.

ESTP:

Yuuji Itadori = Boyfriend.

Literally couple goals. Everyone is envious of your perfect relationship. Both of you are walking green flags. As an ESTP, you're drawn to excitement, your type is literally someone who is fun, playful yet respectful and supportive. And Yuuji's generous spirit aligns with what you want. The two of you, felt the connection from the first encounter, since you smoothly match each other's energy and vibe. You are the spontaneous couple who turns any kind of gathering into a joyful experience, literally uplifting the spirit of those around you. Also, you share a lot of other values like being protective, brave and courageous for each other and for others. Yuuji would also help you with your commitment issues, proving to you that commitment is worth it when it's the right person. ESTP and Yuuji are both a free spirit driven by your guts.

Gojo Satoru = Soulmate.

Your relationship could have taken another route that includes romantic emotions, but it would have turned into a situationship given both ESTP and Gojo's commitment issues.. so you developed it into a safe bond..soulmates. Your impulsive and energetic sides brought you together and unified you. Both of you are confident af, but the difference is that ESTP is confident but humble while Gojo is confident but arrogant. You always manage to effortlessly solve problems and get what you want but no one can get to you. ESTP and Gojo enjoy flirting with each other for fun, you start showing off, and exchange physical touch. You act needy around each other even though both of you are extremely independent.

Mahito = Love Hate relationship.

This man, would flirt with you during fights, given your prudent nature, you might take it as him trying to distract you or seduce you to his side, but he actually means each word he said to you. Mahito's personality could be classified as your type except one thing;...betrayal. Mahito knows exactly how to attract an ESTP. He would give you the attention you need ( kinda attention from the wrong person ). He publicly acknowledges your skills, and praises your abilities and competences. He also got a playful banter that makes your fights exciting, full of thrill and adrenaline. He loves the way you stay composed and reply with witty comebacks instead of getting offended, you act on impulse and don't care if other's judge you or comment on your actions. You're a free soul, something that Mahito highly esteems and carves to own. But he hates you for the same reasons that made him attracted to you; your sharp senses, observant, flexible and rebellious nature. You always crash his plans, block his attempts to get closer to you and offend him with your overly blunt words.

Remember this piece of writing is for entertainment purposes only, so it's not necessarily accurate 🫶🏻✨

[neonscandal]

some questions about jujutsu I would appreciate it if you could answer me. 1. do you think megumi and itadori are a comparison to geto and gojo? 2. What do you find most tragic about geto and gojo's relationship? 3.if geto didn't exist, who would you ship gojo with? ps; I would ship toji and gojo.

Answering these out of order to hide spoilers!

3. If Geto didn't exist, I would ship Gojo with Nanami. Nanami would be bothered 600% of the time.

2.Most tragic is the fact that, while Gojo always looked at Geto's soul and accepted him unconditionally, Geto thought their relationship was over the moment he chose to leave Jujutsu High and they never reconciled this disparity while living. If you want an exhaustive list of the things that rot my brain and prevent me from remembering basic things like my childhood and the Pythagorean theorem, please, feel free to read this recently updated and ongoing list. 😭

Lastly, yes, I think ItaFushi are meant to be a parallel to SatoSugu. See below for why!

⚠️ Spoiler Warning through JJK chapter 247.

The comparison isn't perfect but I don't know that it's meant to be.

I feel like I reference Naruto a lot for having not seen it but I'm pretty sure it's a solid example of the generational failures of the Uchiha clans and the Hidden Leaf Village as overcome by Sasuke and Naruto, respectively.

I think that JJK could be a circular story (check out the Rick & Morty progression, in particular) and that SatoSugu and ItaFushi seem to run as parallels. To simplify, we'll break it up by the OG for parallels:

SATORU

and Megumi (he got blue eyes when he's supposed to have green.. 💎👄💎)

Born of Jujutsu royalty with a familial technique

Familial technique damns them to a burden of responsibility. Gojo became the head of the Gojo clan, Megumi is bought and sold but effectively abdicates his place with the Zenin

When given the chance, relents to leverage the value of his cursed technique to protect others that they deem deserving. Gojo protects Megumi, Yuta and Yuji; Megumi protects Tsumiki and later, Yuji.

In spite of the above, will execute their responsibilities of a sorcerer but will also pick and choose if they will do something outside of that obligation. Think back to Megumi's moral judgement when it came to those in the detention center and Gojo's willingness to act outside of direct orders because... he could.

Just leaving the visual evidence of these little weirdos

and Yuji

The Sun characters but not without shadow.

Blessed births, even though Yuji's was... untraditional, it forged him as a powerful vessel with inhuman strength without a heavenly restriction.

Anomalous strength. Gojo for Six Eyes and Limitless which haven't been seen together in one user in over 100 years. Yuji is able to produce Black Flashes at will and at a rate which is canonically uncommon.

Experienced death and rebirth which brought about change in them. Gojo found enlightenment; Yuji, while in hiding, experienced loss, the tragedy of which marked him noticeably.

They both know the alienation of greatness. Both undergo power ups shattering the ceiling of their previously understood power thresholds and go beyond the comprehension or without the knowledge of their counterparts. Gojo, I think, knew that it would foundationally upset something between he and Geto. Yuji probably just thinks he is getting acclimated to the new world he finds himself within and doesn't realize how insane his glow up has been.

Guilt for not being able to save someone "close to them". Gojo, obviously, with Geto and Yuji with Junpei, initially, but that list has grown. Exponentially.

SUGURU

and Megumi

The Moon characters but they have something worth fighting for that gives them an air of light.

Both believe in and will act on behalf of the weak. Geto believes the strong should protect the weak and keep the strong in check. Megumi believes that if someone cannot observe the basic tenet of don't kill me, I won't kill you, he should exact punishment whether the person infringed on this basic law with him or not.

Despite their code, they still develop or have a discerning application of their morals.

But what happens when that morality is tested? Geto realizes the weak are capable of harm when he discovers the abuse of Nanako and Himiko. Megumi, if he hasn't already, will eventually come to understand that saving Yuji came at the cost of countless lives, including that of Tsumiki, in a way, even if she died by his own hand.

Know intimately the loss of someone they were close with only to find that person returned to them.. but different.

Feeling left behind by the power ups of their counterparts, they are left to their own devices. Notably, Geto spirals into depression and PTSD, Megumi, citing the difference, asks Gojo for additional lessons so he doesn't fall behind.

Doomed by the narrative? or at least by their power. Kenjaku covets Geto's body for the hold it has over Gojo and, possibly, the cursed technique that enabled him to espouse Mahito and Tengen's techniques. Sukuna covets Megumi for Ten Shadows.

Subsequently, both are possessed by something that easily outclasses them but they still are able to rebel when fighting against their counterparts. Geto's corpse strangles Kenjaku in Shibuya; Megumi manipulates how much cursed energy is output when Sukuna fights against Yuji.

Both of them recognize that, despite their counterpart's strength, they are still deserving of concern and worry. This is likely informed by the knowledge of their own weakness and inability to protect.

and Yuji

Outsiders to jujutsu society

Get their power/strength from ingesting something unholy; curses or cursed relics. Either way, both seem to beg the question of how long one can you these things before it poisons something within you?

Earnestly want to help people with a martyr mentality. The idea being, if I am the only one with this power then it's my responsibility to do something; Geto with his role as a sorcerer and Yuji as the only person who can consume Sukuna

Subsequently damned by this noble desire. Geto finds that the sacrifice is no longer palatable after the sacrifices of Riko and Haibara and the abuse of Nanako and Himiko. Yuji experiences survivors' guilt for every slight Sukuna is able to inflict while he continues to live.

A pattern of failure to protect (Riko and Junpei) followed by the loss of a companion (Haibara and Nanami, and what a way for their deaths to mirror one another...) as an impetus for great change in their characters.

The wealth of their goodness has the potential to cause just as big a vacuum of negativity when they break. Arguably this is what pushes the invisible hand that guides the events that radicalizes Geto and informs Mahito's insistence to break Yuji's soul.

Speaking of souls - this idea of their soul's in particularly. Gojo seeing and recognizing Geto's. Mahito feeling the edge of Yuji/Sukuna's soul. We see that Sukuna can aim attacks at Megumi's soul but... why did the goodness in Geto's persist for Gojo to love him unconditionally? How did Yuji's soul withstand external attacks from Mahito and internal attacks from Sukuna?

Where SatoSugu's fatal flaw was hubris, we don't see that with ItaFushi and that, perhaps, is the biggest indication that they're correcting the faults of their forebears while also suffering the repercussions of their failure.

Gege Akutami could absolutely have the whole story end in flames, don't get me wrong. I would 10,000% be invested to the very last page. There's no guarantee that this is a circular story, that any of these characters find peace or that any of them even survive but I can't help but see the similarities, at least as far these four are concerned.

[duckiemimi]

Im really interested in why you thinking leaning into fatalism esp w geto & gojo isn’t good? I’m really interested in ur thoughts regarding that!!!

because if i believe that they were always meant to fail, then i'll be disregarding the fact that the system is at fault! they were not born to repel each other. they were not born flawed. no one is born flawed, not even non-sorcerers! if i lean into fatalism when it comes to geto and gojo, then i lean into the idea that they could never have gotten better. if i lean into fatalism at all (at least, up to a certain point in the story), then i lean into the notion that change is impossible and not worth trying for. that hope is nought. but isn't that what our characters are trying to do? to persevere despite? perhaps this is just a reflection of my own principles, but i want to believe in more! but that's just my interpretation of the story!

[beautiful--macabre]

KOOOOOOOOO YOU MADE THE HORRIBLE MISTAKE OF INTERACTING WITH ME WHEN I NEED TO KISS >:)))))))))

AKA IM HERE WITH SELFSHIP QUESTIONSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

SOOOOOOO. first of all. I NEED YOUR FAVES!!! GIMME TOP FIVES

then!!!!!! who holds your hands … and who holds … not your hands . specifically i’m talking faves who grab your waist, neck, hips, shoulders, etc :33

and!!!!!! ofc who likes pda and who HATES IT … who loves kissing you in public vs who gets nervous even touching you in front of other people …

I LOVE YOU I ADORE YOU SO MUCH KISSING YOU MWAH MWAH MWAHHHHHDHSJCJ

Ahahaha yaaaass I'm so here for this omg.

Sticking with jjk? Top 5 are Suguru, Choso, Mahito (I know I know 😅), Nanami aaaand probs Gojo. Okok omg here we go.

Choso would hold hands innocently, he'd be afraid of pda at first but I'm for sure getting him comfy with it and we'd be attached at the hip all the time altho I think he's probs super... reactive... so uh, I'd have to be careful about how touchy I am heheh. He's like, the quiet shy version of Gojo, absolute sweetheart I love him so much. Sweet kisser, gentle deep kisses or quick pecks but does gets flustered easily (and honestly same, we'd be red blushy messes together)

Satoru loooves pda, he would be flamboyant about it too. Holding hands is like spinning me around and swinging them back and forth. He's like clingy boy shit fr and he would be a tease in such a bratty way too. He gets all the smooches, lots of little kisses all over the face and one final big one on the lips and would giggle after. Hes handsy af toooo, and looud imo, makes kissy noises n shit. He'd loudly proclaim his love and shit and grin when I turn red!! Hip holder for sure, likes to try to sneak his hands down to my ass or under my shirt to touch my skin, lots of swatting at his hands in public.

Suguru doesn't initiate pda unless he notices I'm uncomfy and he's trying to comfort me oorrr he notices someone else looking and he'll throw an arm around me possessively. Doesn't hate pda, kinda likes it tbh but mostly when he can use it against me. Like, waits til I'm begging for a kiss or to hold his hand then makes fun of me for being clingy, saying it's cute n shit yknow? He's a prick but not toxic imo hahah (whereas Toji would just be straight toxic about it lmao) If he's holding anything it's my waist or hand, will interlock our fingers. Likes to lean down to my ear to talk to me and will also tuck my hair behind my ear then kiss it bc he knows I'll blush aaahhh

Kento isn't a pda person at all, he gets super uncomfy and awkward. Like Geto, will hold my hand or waist if he notices I'm upset or uncomfy. If I hold his hand he won't let go first though. If I make him flustered in public I'll pay for it later iykyk hehehe. In private his hands are on my hips, tummy or back, usually bc he's hugging me to his chest. King of forehead kisses!! Will do them in public if he's stepping away for a minute like to take a call. Ohh and the holding hands and lifting them up to kiss the back of mine 🥹

Mahito, look, I know okay, I knoooow but I LOVE HIM. Okay he'd be 50/50 on pda. If I try anything he'd probs get annoyed tbh but he'd be oddly handsy trying to get reactions out of me. I think if I truly sucked up to him I'd get a kiss or smn but I'd have to make it worth his while. Look, he's a freak and not just in the kinky way, and honestly I'm here for it 😅 He'd grab the back of my neck like I'm a fkn puppy, squeezing to get my attention or redirect me. He'd be all over the place with kissing, trying different things everytime and almost always catching me by surprise. Definitely toxic af lmao but if nothing else he'd believe in living as your truest self which I vibe with

Okay omg sorry it took so long to reply, I got dragged out of the house and just got back. Also some fun fact for ya, I dress almost exactly like Ino! I almost always wear beanie (not a balaclava tho) aaand I have stretched ears like Geto (okay I know canonically they're not stretched but like, they're basically stretched in appearance so xD). I'm pierced and tattooed and have longish blonde-grey hair with the sides shaved and I'm telling you this bc my appearance would make me look like Nanamis son more than his bf 😂😂 and that's cursed info I want someone else to have.

Thankyoouuuu for the aaskkk!!! And I ADORE YOU TOOO OMGGG ILLYYY 🩵💜🩵💜

Gonna go drop the same q in your ask now hehehe

[runabout-river]

with gojo, geto and even kenjaku dead, do you think satosugu's story is completely over? because for me personally, if this is the end of their story, it feels kinda unsatisfactory and inconclusive. i hope we get more content and there are so many questions about their story that still need to be answered. i dont expect gojo's censored last words to geto to be revealed ever but i hope we get at least a somewhat conclusive ending.....

I'm on team "Gojo will survive" so yes, I believe that their story isn't over yet. At the least, we'll revisit the airport again either because Gojo is going to be kicked out or someone else is going to arrive after being hacked to pieces by Sukuna.

It's also worth pointing out that both Toji and Geto are bound to go to hell, so the happy afterlife of stsg would not happen in the foreseeable future either way. Maybe Gojo should get back to the world of the living and do some good in Geto's name so that he won't be in hell too long.

[imaginarylungfish]

I've been thinking about Good vs Bad and how it is portrayed in the media I consume. I'm noticing the binary-ness of Good vs Bad in each story is different.

I will be talking about Death Note, Jujutsu Kaisen, and My Hero Academia. There are anime and manga spoilers. So, if you are not up to date with either, do not continue reading.

In Death Note, there is a pretty clear picture of Good vs Bad. Sure, we see the cliche of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" through Light's character arc. But even though he started out with Good intentions (punish people who commit crimes), it clearly portrayed that he crosses the line after murdering people whose only crime was wanting to catch Kira. It becomes clear that Light slowly descends into Bad. And Bad has a clear definition: killing innocent people. And in the show as a whole, there are The Good Guys (L and the police) fighting against The Bad Guys (Kira). Viewers see the binary of Good vs Bad pretty clearly.

In Jujutsu Kaisen, I think the lines are more blurred but not totally unrecognizable. We see how Geto started out Good (ie. protect non-sorcerers) yet his morals slowly chipped away at him by the injustices of the jujutsu world. He became fed up with protecting non-sorcerers who never knew or appreciated the sacrifice he and his fellow jujutsu sorcerers made for them. Geto turned Bad even though he started out Good. (This doesn't mean continuing to love someone who is Bad is Bad too. Gojo still cared for and loved Geto through his defection and descent into Badness. But that is a post for another time.)

I mention Geto first instead of Yuji here when talking about JJK because most of the narrative revolves around the fact that Geto and Gojo were so close and Kenjaku could use Geto's body to enact his plan in Shibuya. Geto and Gojo are central to JJK. There isn't much story to tell if we leave those two out.

But if we return to our MC here, I think we still see a clear definition of Good vs Bad through Yuji even though his original worldview was less clear. At first, Yuji believes that he must save people equally--that everyone, no matter if Good or Bad, should receive a proper death. But slowly, he changes his mind. (If I recall correctly, I believe Megumi's opposing belief of saving people unequally as well as Nanami's wisdom influences Yuji's mindset change, but I can't remember exactly. What I'm trying to say is not dependent on what caused Yuji's mindset change though.) Yuji learns more nuance in his original worldview. He realizes he must choose between which people to save. I see this as creating a more binary idea of Good vs Bad because if you're going to save unequally, you're prioritizing some people over others. You must mentally label people as Worth Saving (Good) vs Not Worth Saving (less Good, and potentially therefore Bad).

Plus, the curses/curse users like Sukuna and Kenjaku are presented as fully Bad. We have not, at this time, seen any backstory as to why these curses/curse users became Bad. Therefore, we have no context and no reason to believe they toe the line at all. So, that's why I think JJK has a fairly clear Good vs Bad Guys trope (even if the lines were slightly blurred with Geto).

But in My Hero Academia, the lines are very much blurred. The villains are Bad because of their traumas. We are given reasons as to why Shigaraki, Touya, Toga, Spinner, etc. act the way they do. We are shown that the Bad Guys are that way because Bad was done to them. And I do think Horikoshi is not trying to give excuses, just explanations. Regardless, this poses the questions: who even is Bad? who even is Good?

Deku fights to save everyone, regardless of their Good or Bad label (just like Yuji's original mindset). This is clear as Deku plans on saving Shiggy even though people around him do not share his goal. So, even though this MHA universe has Good vs Bad (ie. Heroes vs Villains), we are presented with ways that question this worldview through our MC's perspective. Deku, I would venture to say, has a foggy definition of Good vs Bad. Therefore, MHA as a manga/anime has a foggy definition of these concepts too.

Alright, that's all I've got for now. I find it interesting which worldview each mangaka takes on to portray in their story. I'd love to hear any ideas in the comments about what anyone else thinks. Please just be nice about it! Thanks!

[linkspooky]

SUKUNA, YOU ARE ME

Now that we're in the last few chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen it's time to do a deep dive into Yuji and Sukuna's relationship. Is what Yuji showing Sukuna here truly empathy? Does Sukuna's death and Yuji's attempt to reach out mean Sukuna was human all along? We'll discuss that, the parallels between this and Mahito, and what Sukuna's exit means for both himself and Yuji as characters underneath the cut.

I AM YOU

While this post is about the connection between Yuji and Sukuna, I'm going to say the majority of this post will be about Yuji. I stated this in a previous post, I don't believe Yuji's showing Sukuna empathy here. While his offer to let Sukuna live inside of him may be genuine, it doesn't come from a place of genuine understanding. Sukuna himself isn't written as a character to be understood or empathized with.

Look at the words Yuji said. "You are me." He's not saying he's like Sukuna, he's saying Sukuna is like him. He is projecting himself onto Sukuna. Everyone in the story does, even Kashimo and Gojo who both considers themselves the strongest of their time and who naturally should have been able to understand the isolation of being someone as incomprehensibly strong as Sukuna were just projecting their own personal experiences on them in the end.

Of course we could dig a little deeper on the topic.

How much can one person truly understand another? It doesn't have to be a curser, or a borderline incomprehensible deity like Sukuna. How much do you understand your own best friend?

Gojo mentions that he felt loved by everyone, but also that he was so beyond their understanding that they may as well have been plants in comparison to him.

Of course, Shoko herself says that Shoko was always right there next to Gojo trying to offer him support and Gojo just chose to keep her at an arm's length. Gojo also believed that only someone as equally as powerful as him like Sukuna could understand him. Only to find that Sukuna didn't care about Gojo's feelings of isolation at all, nor was he troubled by love in the least.

Gojo makes himself out to be someone so superior to other human beings that he's beyond their comprehension, but that's Sukuna. Gojo did feel understood once, by Geto in his youth. The thing was that Gojo assumed that Geto could understand him because they were both euqal in power level. However, years after the fact when Gojo has long surpassed Geto, their friendship remains exactly the same.

The one that Gojo pictures patting him on the back is adult Geto, not teenage Geto. The one who Gojo truly would have been satisfied by in the end was Geto, not Sukuna.

So maybe what makes Sukuna so impossible to understand by others is that same reason why Shoko can't be close to Geto. Sukuna can't be understood by others because he doesn't care to be understood by them.

Perhaps, understanding isn't the end all be all of human connection. Gojo accepted Geto, and he didn't accept Shoko. Maybe Shoko would have been able to understand Gojo if Gojo ever tried to be emotionally open with her the ever way he was with Geto then he might have felt understood.

Then there's Ryomen Sukuna who rejects love and every notion of humanity along with it.

Therefore empathy means nothing to Sukuna. Yuji's empathy in particular. No, Yuji's attempt to save Sukuna is more about himself than Sukuna. It's a reflection of a change of Yuji's state of mind that he's willing to accept living with a curse like Sukuna. That he'd even try to understand Sukuna. Curses that Yuji previously dismissed as not even being worth understanding.

The first time Yuji said these words was when Yuji tried to make an offer to Sukuna to let him take control of his body in order to heal Junpei, in order to be laughed at by Sukuna. It was the last time Yuji ever asked anything of Sukuna.

Remember, in the very beginning of the manga Sukuna seemed like a standard inner demon character like the nine tails, or hollow ichigo. Yuji even thinks he can use Sukuna to switch out to help fight for him like against the special grade cursed spirit. However, we and the audience quickly learns that not only is Sukuna not just some evil half of Yuji, or a convenient power up, he's an actively malevolent entity with a will that will do anything to escape.

When Yuji realizes that Mahito and Sukuna are both curses, he starts to see Sukuna as an enemy trapped within him. Something he's reminded of again and again, especially after the Shibuya Massacre. From that moment Sukuna and Mahito become like villainous foils to Yuji, the dark to his light, the enemy for him to kill.

Yuji defines Mahito and Sukuna as his opposites and his enemies By killing them, he also gives himself a role. It's Sukuna and Mahito's actions in taunting is the first time Yuji uses the language "kill" when dealing with curses.

Mahito compared himself to Yuji and by saying as a curse he mindlessly kills humans. The same way that Yuji as a sorcerer, mindlessly kills curses. They are on the opposite side of the same cycle with no end in sight.

Yuji decides to embrace this violent cycle because it at least gives him a role to play. If curses are the shadow of humanity, if they're a reflection of humanity then what exactly is you saying here?

Yuji says he is Mahito, and then immediately that he's going to kill Mahito. It's not a statement of self acceptance, or accepting your shadow, but rather a statement of self destruction. Even though Mahito is a chaotic evil curse who enjoys killing humans, Yuji's decision to throw away his humanity just for the sake of killing him isn't a healthy way.

When Mahito said "You are me" he was attempting to drag Yuji down to his level. Yuji then willfully descends to Mahito's level as long as it gives him the strength to kill Mahito. It's character regression on his part. Yuji once said he didn't want to kill because then the value of life might become vague to him.

In a way it did, because Yuji began to devalue his own life. Yuji wasn't able to see any meaning in his life besides a "role' that someone else assigned him. Not only was he willing to throw it away at the drop of a hat, but he also didn't feel like he had permission to live.

Unlike Yuta who actively sought affirmation from others, Yuji rejected that affirmation and tried to push everyone including people like Megumi and Choso away. They were right next to him, but Yuji became unable to accept their love and support.

Yuji is a strange paradox because he presents himself as an all-loving hero who just wants to save as many people as possible, but then you read his dialogue and he's like "I'm just a cog in the machine, I will continue to kill curses until one day I die. Then I'll just be replaced by another cog. There's no meaning at all to this sequence. Life is an endless nightmare."

I'm exaggerating, but underneath Yuji's sweet nature and goofing around, there's this very bleak attitude that his life means nothing except for the labor that he produces, and one day he'll be tossed aside and that's fine because it's what he deserves.

If Yuta seeks self-affirmation, then Yuji is seeking self-destruction. His self-loathing leads him to practically lay his head down on the chopping block and offer his neck up for execution by Higuruma's domain during the fight with Higuruma, even when Higuruma himself points out that Yuji isn't the one at fault because he wans't in control of his own body. Yuji will still take the blame, anything to punish himself further.

So, the words Yuji uses in his triumph against Mahito also signify the destruction of his own ego. That is what Yuji does when he adapts his cog mentality, he denies his own sense of self.

What Yuji experiences is basically a prolonged ego-death.

Ego death is a "complete loss of subjective self-identity".[1] The term is used in various intertwined contexts, with related meanings. The 19th-century philosopher and psychologist William James uses the synonymous term "self-surrender" and Jungian psychology uses the synonymous term psychic death, referring to a fundamental transformation of the psyche.

I brung up Ego-Death in the Jungian context, but in Yuji's case, resigning himself to being a cog is also an act of self-surrender. Yuji basically moves away from all of his previous ideals. He only sees himself as a tool to kill curses. Saving others, or helping guide others to a natural death, those things get put on the back burner as a tool doesn't need ideals.

He's abandoned all kinds of idealism and higher reasoning. In fact that is what Mahito wanted him to do, to abandon the higher reasoning that belongs to human beings and act on instinct like a curse. Mahito successfully pushed Yuji to abandon human reason and become an unthinking cog.

Jung defines the Ego-Death as the stripping away of everything else to revert to your natural self. According to Ventegodt and Merrick, the Jungian term "psychic death" is a synonym for "ego death":

In order to radically improve global quality of life, it seems necessary to have a fundamental transformation of the psyche. Such a shift in personality has been labeled an "ego death" in Buddhism or a psychic death by Jung, because it implies a shift back to the existential position of the natural self, i.e., living the true purpose of life. 

Megumi also experiences an ego-death over the course of the manga that mirrors Yuji's own when Sukuna takes over his body, soaks his soul to bring Megumi near evil, and then kills Tsumiki. At this point both Yuji and Megumi both lose what were their reasons for fighting. The so-called "dignity obtained by human reason" is lost. After having those reasons stripped away from them and experiencing their ego-deaths both of them surrender control. Megumi becomes helpless and stops trying to fight Sukuna. While Yuji may not seem like he's given up on anything since he keeps trucking along, he too has given up on thinking for himself. Yuji has essentially given up as much as Megumi has, there's just less plot consequences for it.

Either way they are both brought to their lowest point by ego-death, in order to bring them to their lowest point, and make them experience a rebirth of sorts.

The persona in Jung is the face you show the outside world. it's one part of personality, with the other being the shadow. The shadow is the repressed part of peresonality. Just like curses are made up of repressed human emotions that leak out from our collective subconscious. Curses serve as the shadow of humanity collectively, especially Mahito who is made up of everything humans hate and fear about other humans. The physical embodiment of human cruelty.

However, a person can't live without their shadow. There's no such thing as a human without flaws after all, and you don't become a better person just by ignoring your own flaws. The kinds of people who are unaware of their own flaws tend to unconsciously repeat the same mistakes again and again and again.

Yuji despises curses as inhuman monsters that he can slaughter like they're enemies in a video game, but they're like... made of human vices. They are the product of humanity's emotions. Yuji's habit of only looking at the good makes him unaware of both his own shadow, his own shortcomings, and also the darker shades of grey in the world around him.

Megumi and Yuji both are characters who, need to be dragged down to the darkest point of the shadow and forced to confront their own flaws in order to learn about themselves. It's not a coincidence thaT Yuji who puts humanity on such a pedestal is a human and curse hybrid. That his older brother who's shown to be a source of overflowing unconditional love is also a human / curse hybrid, and who Yuji nearly killed because he blindly, obediently decided to kill curses. That Yuji killed two of his other curse / human hybrid brothers in spite of noticing they were different from other curses and had a family bond with each other.

It's not a coincidence that Yuji who puts humanity on such a pedestal devoured the corpses of all of his other brothers the same way that Sukuna ate his own twin in the womb to gain the power to defeat Sukuna.

Yuiji lacks a lot of self-awareness. That's why I've always said he doesn't quite live up to the "all-loving hero" he sees himself as. Savior is just a role that Yuji has adopted in order to give himself a purpose in life, but he falls short of that. The reason that he falls short is ironically that Yuji tries so hard to be superhuman, that he can't forgive himself for having basic human flaws.

It's why "Being a child is not a sin" is such a meaningful line coming from Nanami. In Yuji's eyes being a child is a sin. He constantly blames himself for not being able to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders, for not being able to save everyone by himself even though he's only been a jujutsu sorcerer for a few months.

It's why Yuji gets excited for a moment when Kusakabe mentions that Yuji is developing very fast by sorcerer standards, because he wants to be someone monstrously talented like Higuruma or Gojo - and why he immediately looks so disappointed when Kusakabe says it's not because Yuji is talented it's just because of Sukuna.

Yuji feels an overwhelming amount of responsibility and wants to be a special person who is strong enough to actually carry all that responsibility on his shoulders. That's why I say Yuji isn't a true all-loving hero, because it's more about Yuji's own feelings than the act of saving others. His guilt complex over Sukuna.

His desires to be someone special and meaningful. Yuji wants to be a good person who saves others because it gives YUJI and purpose and it gives YUJI a sense of fulfillment. If you've read Tokyo Ghoul it's like Kaneki's reason for participating in the Anteiku Raid. Not because he genuinely wanted to save others, but because he "was tired of not being able to do a thing."

(I'm keeping the meme panel because it's funny)-

Yuji wants to be strong and wants to be a savior because Yuji feels insecure in himself and loathes himself for his own weakness. However, this pushes Yuji farther away from his goal of saving others and making connections with other people so he can die surrounded by people BECAUSE people empathize with each other over their weaknesses.

Yuji wants to become someone strong and unbreakable who will never falter, never feel pain, and most of all never lose. He basically wants to become Satoru Gojo, but if Yuji were to ever rise to Gojo's level like that just by getting rid of all of his weaknesses he'd fundamentally lose his ability to connect with people the way Gojo and Sukuna have.

Yuji defines himself in strength, and suffering, and always overcoming, but then what is his heart for? He strives to become someone stronger than Gojo or Sukuna to protect his friends, but if he loses his heart that loves and cherishes those friends in the process then what even is the point?

Yuji walks a dangerous road from the culling games up until the Shinjuku incident, into nearly becoming like Mahito or Sukuna in his attempts to be stronger than them. I don't think he was ever in danger of going on a murder spree, but I do think he was risking becoming someone like Gojo.

Gojo made himself a tool for Jujutsu Society for the greater good and look what happened to him in the end. Not only did he die in the line of duty, his corpse was turned into a puppet to use as a weapon against the enemy. He made himself into a monster even when people like Yuta were begging Gojo not to. Yuji was on a similiar path of cutting off all the people who loved him and just becoming a person exploited in both life and death for the greater good.

So what stopped him?

Megumi.

YOU ARE ME.

A few people said that Yuji's abandoning the cog mentality suddenly happened too fast, or felt unearned but I think if you look at the culling games arc from higiruma's fight onwards as a whole it's actually a natural progression.

It all starts with Higuruma and Yuji's conversation:

Higuruma: "You're innocent. You didn't commit that crime." Yuji: "Even so, it's my fault." Higuruma: "Why?" Yuji: "...I see. Itaodri, there still may be a lot of people who are weak like you."

Yuji is someone who loevs humans, but puts humanity as a whole on a pedestal. He loves humanity but hates human weakness, especially his own weakness. Ironic because Higuruma is also someone who became jaded by having to work in the corrupt justice system and was forced to look at human ugliness day after day after day even though he wanted to be someone who valued people for their weaknesses.

Yuji doesn't learn to empathize with human weakness until Megumi's weaknesses are the one he's forced to confront. He doesn't abandon his notion of roles until he's robbed of his roles by Sukuna when Megumi becomes the possessed one instead of him.

Yuji is fine with being a sacrifice for the greater good, but he is not fine with sacrificing Megumi. By knowing exactly what Megumi is going through and wanting to save Megumi from Sukuna's possession, Yuji is in an odd way forced to empathize with himself. Like, it's a double standard on his part that's being challenged. Yuji blames himself for all the people he hurt as Sukuna, but he'd never blame Megumi for letting Sukuna kill tsumuki while possessing his body.

In his refusal to sacrifice Megumi for the greater good, even when Megumi is begging him to do so he rejects the common Ethos that sorcerer's are expendable cogs who are expected to sacrifice themselves and their comrades in the eternal fight against curses for the sake of public safety.

Yuji carries with him this grandiose notion of saving as many people as possible. However, when the option comes to make a sacrifice that would save hundreds of thousands of people from the merger by fighting to kill Megumi instead of save him from Sukuna's clutches Yuji can't do it. Even though Megumi at that point would be a completely willing sacrifice.

Yuji has to abandon his cog mentality to save Megumi, because an unthinking cog wouldn't put Megumi's life over the lives of everyone in Shibuya. A cog, especially a sorcerer would kill that one kid in order to save thousands of lives. Heck, Kusakabe more conservative sorcerer even brings up that argument that everything would have been avoided if Yuji was executed to begin with.

In order to save Megumi, Yuji must also reclaim his own humanity. There's a reason that Nanami, and Nobara, die right before Yuji adopts his cog mentality. Nanami, the most ethical of the first grade sorcerers who tried to teach Yuji to value his own life because he was a child, and Nobara the only kid in the main trio who was a normal person are both representatives of Yuji's humanity.

After losing both Yuji becomes reckless, he stops valuing his own life. As I said far, far bove, Yuji never listened to the advice Nanami gave him that it wasn't a sin to be a child. Yuji has this entire time thought it was a sin just to be weak, just to need the help of other people, just to not be able to accomplish everything on his own.

After Yuji starts reconciling with his own humanity though, he regains his connections to both Nanami and Nobara. Nanami comes back symbolically in the form of Higuruma, someone Yuji tries to encourage to live instead of taking the same suicidal path that Yuji was bent on. Whereas, Nobara herself actually comes back from the dead in time to land the final blow, the same way she reminded Yuji of her presence and that she wasn't alone in the Mahito fight.

Yuji also regains these connections when he's processed the grief for both people. He remembers Nanami and what Nanami left him in a more positive light. In my interpretation the line "I am a sorcerer" refers to Yuji developing a more healthy version of being a sorcerer. That instead of Yuji seeing sorcerers as slaves who have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good like Geto did, Yuji can see the camraderie between sorcerers who fight and put their lives on the line together.

Either way, I think the moment Yuji truly reconciled with the grief of death is sadly enough with Choso's death. If you want proof that Yuji's revelation wasn't rushed, that he didn't skip from point a to point b, then it's right here.

Choso apologizes to Yuji for leaving him ahead of time, and Yuji tells him not to, because Choso was always by his side when he was at his lowest point and that brief time they had together was enough for him.

Yuji's relationships so far have been defined by his fear of losing people. He wants to have a natural death, he wants the other people around him to have good deaths, he doesn't want people to die too early. By focusing on the fear of losing people, he hasn't yet been able to enjoy the time that they were around. However, in this moment he realizes how much Choso meant to him, even if their relationship was brief, and even if it came to an end. Yuji learned you can still love someone even if you inevitably lose them.

This is when Yuji finally accepts mortality and fragility as a part of life.

This is also what Sukuna can't accept. That life is fragile. That life is weak. That life comes to an end. Sukuna's entire goal is to maximize pleasure and live as long as possible, and therefore he's rejected all of the unpleasant parts of reality. Sukuna doesn't want to live in the real world like a human being, he wants to exist only in the world of Jujutsu where he's a god.

This is what Yuji represents to Sukuna, The human vulnerability, and mundanity that he threw away, by literally cannabilizing his own twin and throwing away part of his soul. The part of his soul that Sukuna threw away was taken by Kenjaku, and used as a science experiment to create Yuji. Technically, Sukuna is Yuji's uncle but symbolically Yuji is the twin that Sukuna cast aside. Especially since in this world cursed energy treats identical twins like they are the same person.

Yuji for the longest time tried to do what Sukuna did. Tried to throw his own humanity away so he could be as strong as Sukuna. He literally even ate the corpses of his own brothers.

Yuji and Sukuna are symbolically twins, but Yuji learns to embrace the things that Sukuna threw away. Sukuna threw away his own soul's twin in order to grow strong. He became all powerful in the jujutsu world because he ate his twin and gained an extra pair of arms and a mouth. He's like if Maki chose to kill Mai instead of Mai sacrificing herself for Maki's sake.

Yuji chose companionship with others over power. Sukuna doesn't need others people to satisfy him, and Yuji begs Megumi to come back from the dead because his life would be lonely without him. Yuji doesn't have some noble reason for going this far for Megumi's sake. He's not saving Megumi for the greater good, but because his connection to Megumi is important to him. Because he doesn't want to go through life without Megumi.

Yuji loathes weakness like Sukuna. Yuji desires to be someone special like Sukuna. Yuji has a grandiose sense of self importance like Sukuna. Yuji desires power like Sukuna. Yuji looks down on weak people like Sukuna does, he just condescendingly wants to save them instead of Sukuna who just wants to stomp on them like ants.

Yuji is also literally Sukuna. He was created by an offshoot of his soul. The same way that Sukuna was born with a body perfect for Jujutsu, Yuji was born stronger than anyone his age, and develops at an extreme rate as a sorcerer BECAUSE he was Kenjaku's science project to make the perfect vessel for Sukuna.

They are totally twinsies in so many ways, the only difference in the end is that Yuji learns to value human connection. In Sukuna's book there is no meaning to life, except for the pleasures he pursues as an individual. Therefore Sukuna is the only real person that matters or even exists. The narrator says as much he alone is the honored one, all that exists is his pleasures and displeasures.

In Buberian terms Sukuna only experiences existence and I and It relationships.

Buber's main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways:

The attitude of the "I" towards an "It", towards an object that is separate in itself, which we either use or experience.

The attitude of the "I" towards "Thou", in a relationship in which the other is not separated by discrete bounds.

Sukuna is the "i" and everyone else is an "it." Sukuna is the only real person who exists, and everyone else is just an object for their amusement.

Whereas, Yuji experiences "I" and "Thou" relationships. Yuji learns to see other people as different from himself. Yuji appreciates people as separate entities. While Sukuna gets amusement from his life by treating other people like toys, for Yuji the value in his life comes from the people who have entered into his life in some form. He appreciates the relationships he's formed with people and the memories they've left behind, no matter how brief the time they spent together was.

This is why Yuji's words reach Megumi, because he respects that Megumi feels differently than he does. He doesn't tell Megumi to just suck it up and keep fighting because that's what Yuji would do. He understands that he's a different person than Megumi, and he can't say he understands the grief and pain Megumi is going through right now.

That's Yuji's big revelation, in just a few short months as a sorcerer he's met so many people who left an impact on him. Some of those relationships came to an end early, but that painful ending doesn't negate what they meant to him.

The few months he spent with Choso have value even if it's not the same as the one hudnred and fifty years Choso spent with the rest of his brothers, because Choso supported Yuji when he was at his lowest point. Yuji finally sees that what gave his life meaning was the memories he made with other people while they were alive together. Not the way that they died.

So Yuji is finally willing to let himself exist outside of a role.

That's what he's offering to Sukuna as well. Maybe not empathy or understanding, because if Yuji had truly learned empathy maybe Sukuna might have accepted his offer. No, Yuji is simply willing to offer Sukuna the chance to live alongside him.

Sukuna rejects bonds of all kinds and Yuji is now embracing them. Yuji no longer seeks to annihilate curses because they're a fundamental part of life. Yuji wants to live on with his curses and burdens. He's also willing to give Sukuna a chance to keep living too.

Even Yuji points out that both of them are totally twinsies. Sukuna was born as a curse because he devoured his twin brother in the womb. Yuji was born as a curse because he was created to be Sukuna's vessel. The only way that Yuji is the way that he is is because he was raised as a normal child by his grandfather. If Yuji hadn't then he would have turned out entirely different. It's the same way that Choso became human because of his love for his brothers, even though he was born as a curse human hybrid and tossed aside by Kenjaku as a failed experience.

Yuji acknowledges both his capacity to have turned out like Sukuna if not for his grandfather's sake. This time when he says You are me, he's not saying it to threaten and destroy the person he sees as his shadow. This time Yuji is trying to reconcile with his shadow. He's looking at the person who represents the absolute worst of humanity, and the things he hates about himself and is still willing to give them the chance to keep on living together with him.

When Yuji says "I am you, so I'll kill you" to Mahito, that signals his first step on the road to self destruction.

When Yuji says, "I am you, so I'll save you" to Sukuna, that signals his first step on the road to self-acceptance.

It's Yuji allowing himself for the first time to just exist as a normal person not as the hero of some epic story. He even gave Sukuna that chance too, to just continue living alongisde him, but sukuna rejected it to keep on living as a curse until the end.

So, while Yuji saying "You are me" to Sukuna isn't true empathy, it is Yuji learning to accept himself and his flaws. . Because if Yuji is willing to forgive someone like Sukuna, then perhaps he might just learn to forgive himself.

[pocketramblr]

(Sorry if this is a repeat but tumblr is being weird =_=U) So thanks to Epic the Musical I've been having DOZI in a very back of my head a lot lately (specifically that Stray Gods sorta crossover with the cool Aphrodite kid), but it wasn't until finding this vid ( youtube*com/watch?v=vpdyeKqdOkg ) that I decided to bother you about it. Literally the first thing that came to my head was "so this was young Inko" and it made me envision DOZI!Izuku as a very justified momma's boy. That being said I'd like to share some of those thoughts on the Stray Gods crossover so I can exorcise them from me.

See, I feel like if the Gods situation were closer to SG:TRM than to PJO it may change the dynamics inside the camp and between the demis A LOT. After all, in PJO there's this comradery between the kids based on the shared understanding that even if their divine parents may suck, they at least have each other. But now all of a sudden, the Gods have a perfect excuse for not being present. And let's face it, what kid wouldn't rather believe that one of their parents would really and truly *want* to be part of their life rather than just ignore them... Which brings me to my awful headcanon involving eidolons, vessels, quests and jjk.

It's SG:TRM canon that sometimes Gods just "wake up" just as suddenly as they "disappear" but add in the fact that both the demis and the monsters get access to prophecies and you could very easily get into a situation kinda like when young Gojo and Geto were assigned to "escort the Star Plasma Vessel to Master Tengen as curse user groups conspire against them". Can you imagine the kind of pressure a quest like that would put on a demi??? And whether it goes well or not there's no way something like that would be a cakewalk or that everyone would be left unscathed afterward. Like, imagine *Inko* had that quest. She could have aced it or screwed it and the expectations for Izuku would still be through the roof, only if she screwed it he'd be seen as having to "redeem" past mistakes instead of having to achieve things on his own. And what if it was our poor precious boy who got roped into that nonsense??? A quest as dangerous as this could be seems like just the kind in which his Aphrodite kid friend may end up dying and fail or succeed that could *definitely* help foster our boy's preference for human heroes over his godly ancestors.

Ok, hopefully I've purged myself of this idea now. Peace out! ;)

yeah an eidolon situation would v much shake up the dynamics. like you turn up at camp and can waterbend and now everyone is like 'oh huh guess posiedon isn't dead after all' but then you ask where he is and they're like 'oh no clue. sometimes gods are 'asleep' and live lifetimes unaware of it and their kids get powers. sometimes gods wake up. sometimes they vanish. or they pass on their eidolon and forget everything for a while.' and you're like. well ok i'm twelve and i guess thats a better excuse for never knowing my father than others but also what. you guys live like this??

i don't know the quest comparison being made but from context im gonna assume its a "hey, child of aprhodite, we need you to escort your mother's newest vessel, who has no memory of any of the centuries of her lives yet, to safety while she is in the midst of getting her powers dropped on her good luck" type thing and uh. yikes. i'd check out and just only deal with the mortal side of things too. just isn't worth it.

[dysiver]

I'm having fun blocking all the clowns on twitter crying "that's isn't Geto!" because they're in such a deep denial of his negative traits. Love the people mocking your 'lack of reading comprehension" too and saying you're "thinking Geto is Kenjaku" when that's not what you were saying at all and were discussing his behavior before he died and had his body taken over.

Yeah, like I don't even dislike Geto, I like him as a character and I was just trying to explain why some people MIGHT have issues with him after he went rogue and decided to form a cult and fuck with humans. That's all.

This kind of extremist behavior is also ALL OVER JJK. It is part of it, and i'm not saying gege is having fun writing fucking fascist characters and all of them are racist but he very obviously added those toxic traits into his manga to make how glaringly evil some people are or how they skewed from the right path!

The Zenin clan is another HUGE example, with how they only care about members that are born with cursed energy while believing those that don't have it, no matter how extremely talented they are, aren't worth anything. He even added how some of them are extremely misogynistic. Maki and Toji are both victims of this kind of system and both of them managed to break free from it in their own way.

Then we have Gojo, the complete opposite of that, someone that was born with talent beyond anyone else to the point that the balance in the whole world shifted. And yet, he still hates this system. The one that thrives the MOST in this kind of system, in this kind of world, hates it so much he has been wanting to kill the elders for YEARS because he knows is wrong.

This kind of stuff is all over JJK and they all sound so surprise when I'm talking about it like, how did they all not see this??? This is exactly why Geto didn't just became some sort of anti-hero but a straight up villain.

[halt-kun]

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 240 - Idiot Survivor ~Live On~

Is Kenjaku going to die ???

Or the other guy that makes jokes ?

We know Kenjaku probably won't die right away but he might be weakened and fail to notice some people are coming after him

potentially saving joke guy before he's killed

Very nice artwork

Yuji has a cursed tool ????

Okay micro flashback

I agree with Angel, don't let him roam freely like that

Okay I agree yet again

Winning against Sukuna would be hard too but we will

and I doubt they'd be in a good enough condition to fight Kenjaku after that

It was a reasonable choice too

Mei Mei, you're strong enough, don't undervalue yourself

You have the special grade for a reason too

REALITY WARPING

SAY IT

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I wanted to be sure about it

well if he stops believing it's fun he dies

I'd die immediately too

his mental health is either way too good or in shambles to be able to use that technique

REALITY WARPERS ARE SCARY

Yes Kenjaku, find out how dumb techniques can fuck everything you know

Don't let your guard down, his sense of comedy must be so twisted

he finds the worst things funny

HAHAHA

COMEDY

isn't what it used to

THANKS KENJAKU FOR ONCE

You shouldn't have talked, he's going to destroy your self worth and then your technique will stop working

POOR GUY

Kenjaku is good at trash talking who would have known ?

Also h's into comedy, okay, does he know killing everyone in Japan will greatly affect the number of funny things happening ?

WTF

HAHAHAHHA

no I lost

It's only going downhill for you

I'm scared my guy

Geto is a thirst trap walking around, WE KNOW

please don't start wanting to bone him, you'd anger Gojo

OH NO

I was so convinced Hazenoki survived

well shit

Not fun my guy

you see Takaba, he isn't funny at all, don't think he's

He's not funny and you are

You're not fun

So he isn't dead yet but maybe we'll see a switch in how he uses his techniques

[vagabond-umlaut]

SHE’S AN IDIOOOOOT *blares megaphone* Haha, got around to reading ramé 4.0 yesterday and omg— MC, girl, what the fuck are you doing? Are you seriously this daft? Like, who else does Nanami and Geto know that they’re going to have said secret admirer’s contact info? Not fucking Naoya, that’s for sure. Fuck that dude every which way. Geto and Nanami are haters of that dude 110%, without it a doubt. Especially within the jujutsu world that’s got such a limited amount of people within in it? BUT AY, SHE’S MOVIN’ ABROAD? Aw maaaan 😫 You got two hours to get some balls and confess, Gojo Senpai. Who would’ve thought Gojo would believe the fictional writings of romance and love got it right? That’s definitely something I wouldn’t expect to hear out of him for sure, but then again, he is someone who I find to have a complex personality and probably quite a few layers to him from canon (when you look at him beyond his power and craziness imo). God, Kit, why must you do this to me? 11/10 work once again, but omg, I want to see the next part already 😆

MC SURE IS AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!

yet yet yet, there seems to have been a major confusion, babe

mr. six eyes doesn't believe in books and movies being right

our dearest mc ain't moving abroad

well, u see-

"how does your first love feel? beautiful, right? the way it's in books, songs and movies... isn't it?"

gojo takes a moment to mull over your query.

it is... yet it isn't.

gojo's neither agreeing nor denying in response to mc's ask

the flutters in his heart when you skip past him in the corridors with a beam; the butterflies in his stomach when you plop on the chair next to him in the cafeteria; the dizziness in his head when your face is too close to his; the utterly-unplatonic thoughts of you plaguing him, day and night, dusk and dawn...

the fictional works sure have got this aspect of love right.

the sorcerer agrees here, yeah

but they aren't right in so many other aspects of it.

only to disagree in the very next line of thought

falling in love with you isn't love-on-first-crash nor is it from a magical transformation in one of you nor is it after ages and ages of ignorance and denial and the final mind-numbing feeling that oh shit! you're the one for him; always have been; the girls with whom he's been till now are mere mirages of you; but it's too late now... you're moving abroad on a flight in two hours, with a boyfriend who's far better than him.

here. here, by moving abroad, he's referring to there where there's a playboy and there's an innocent childhood best friend girl, and there's three hours of every possible trope playing on the screen before THE ULTIMATE LOVE CONFESSION occurs at THE AIRPORT, and the girl dumps her boyfriend to be together with the best friend.

the second-year simply wants to say the mc's and his response isn't as melodramatic as that. it's way simpler and cooler!

the mc isn't moving abroad anytime soon, dw! :))

no.

the goggles-wearing sorcerer's catching feelings for you is way more realistic and easier to digest than that.

the two of you are friends, friends, friends - until the morning the two of you are munching on an ice cream tub, and with a casual glance at you, the boy muses what he feels for you is weird, not like his feelings for his other friends - and after a month's worth research, reaches the conclusion of him being in love with you.

quick. direct. smart.

just like the heir of the gojo clan himself.

hope the above paragraphs and my answer solved whatever doubts u might hv had! :D

TYSM FOR UR ASK, @ancient-vivarium!!!! NGL, UR ASK IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AMONGST THE RESPONSES MY STORIES GET!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️