#now yuji I'm not completely sure so it's more of a coincidence

[epickiya722]

I just realized another thing Yuji and Miruko have in common!!

Somehow, they're associated with tigers and rabbits!!

For Miruko, her quirk is Rabbit. Her last name literally has "rabbit" in it! (Her name is Rumi Usagiyama.) For the "tiger" bit, during her high school days she went by "Tiger Bunny" and wore a tiger striped mask. (Which references Tiger and Bunny, the anime, I believe.)

For Yuji, his nickname from others is "Tiger of West Middle". For the "rabbit" bit, he was seen petting Megumi's rabbit in that one scene. (Later, the rabbits actually fight Toji similarly to how Yuji would fight someone, I kid you not.) There was also that one scene with Mahito where he (Yuji) was like a wolf pursuing Mahito who was the rabbit in that scenario.

[cursedvibes]

why do you think yuji was born? i know jin wanted kids by why do you think kenjaku went along with it? if sukuna hates them what do they gain by making a vessel for him?

Tough question. Big part of that is only speculation for now. However, just because Sukuna hates Kenjaku doesn't mean he can't be useful (many people hate them and still serve a purpose). He's basically walking chaos and that's exactly what Kenjaku needs for the world they want to create. But they can't just let him walk around like he wants to. That would only get him prematurely killed and serve no purpose. If he had taken over when Yuuji swallowed the first finger, he would've just been killed by Gojo and then you need a new vessel for the next finger and so on. That's just tedious and would also lead to Sukuna not unleashing as much chaos as he can at this current point. He needs to be detained to gather his strength and only come out when it is convenient.

He's also a catalyst for Yuuji. Through exposure to his cursed energy Yuuji was able to see curses and his purpose as a vessel got him into Jujutsu Tech where he learned to control his cursed energy. Jujutsu Tech and Sukuna also got him into a lot of dangerous situations that could further his development, while making sure that Yuuji wouldn't accidentally permanently die. Why exactly Kenjaku wants Yuuji to grow further and further is hard to say. Could be to make him something similar to what Sukuna was in the Heian era. Like a natural disaster destroying everything he comes across. I think that's unlikely though because in that case there would be no need to let Yuuji experience a relatively normal childhood. It would be far easier to get him into that kind of mindset by having Kenjaku "raise" him themselves. Building him up to have him fall harder is a way to go but that would require more time and even then I just don't see Yuuji becoming as cruel and bloodthirsty as Sukuna. So it must be something more complex.

It's probably closer to what they want from the merger curse, only instead of optimizing cursed energy to the furthest extent, they want to push humanity to its brink, Yuuji being one specific research case. Could fit with his abilities being based so much on physicality. He gets a somewhat nice upbringing where all the best qualities of humanity like compassion, camaraderie and willingness to help others are instilled in him and then systematically break it down and see what happens. So you have a strong body combined with exceptional control of cursed energy, which would be the best humanity has to offer. Heavenly Restriction could push the body even further, but you would lose the cursed energy aspect and Kenjaku clearly isn't a fan of that approach, that's why they turned regular people into sorcerers and such. And onto that you add a humane personality.

Not sure why he would need to be Kenjaku's kid for that to work, except for the parental urge to see your children surpass you (which Kenjaku clearly has, see Shibuya). So Yuuji gets the exceptional body from Kaori (and maybe some remains of Sukuna?), the cursed energy manipulation from Kenjaku and I guess the humanity & compassion from Jin (literally what his name means). But I'm just spitballing here, could be something completely different. Jin wanting kids was probably just a nice coincidence and made the adjustment easier, with Kaori being the main reason they got close to the Itadori family in the first place. Could be that the family is also somehow distantly related to Sukuna (he didn't have any children though, so it must be through a sibling or cousin or something), but in that case his physicality is probably less important because Jin is like the total opposite of Sukuna appearance-wise. And Yuuji clearly takes after his father...but buff.

[neonscandal]

Manga with Me: Dark Trio Anime Adaptation Edition

Mappa Animators Are Troll Gods and You Can't Change My Mind

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: covers major plot points through JJK chapter 120 and CSM chapter 79. If you want to hear out the essence of this argument, I put spoilers under this ‼️ symbol below the jump so feel free to read along even if you don't intend to read the manga.

I'm going to immediately address what you're already thinking. Hell yea, this is a little bit of Mappa dickriding. Have you seen the cult classic nods in the CSM OP? HAVE YOU SEEN THE UNIQUE CSM EP'S WITH CLASSIC ART ALLEGORIES PERTAINING TO EACH EPISODIC STORYLINE!? 😘👌🏾 Chef's kiss, we are not worthy and so, we ride!🧎🏾‍♀️

To be fair, this initially started as a lil snippet of an observation, a figurative comment under my breath on the internet but the more I think about it, the more I'm like... I need to say this with my whole chest. Mappa has the reigns on adapting the Dark Trio of shonen manga and they are embracing and taking this responsibility with every intention of inflicting as much emotional damage as possible.

If you're unfamiliar with the Dark Trio, it includes Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji Kaku's Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku and Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man. Known for their gritty (sometimes teetering on vile) artwork, macabre rich storylines and overlap with the occult, these works make for an unholy trinity. They are similarly unified by the fact that they tend to subvert typical shonen tropes where the power of friendship ✨ can overpower any foe which generally leads to a happy ending for readers.

In a typical shonen, we kick things off with a weak or underpowered MC (parents, where?). They go through a rigorous training montage, sometimes capped by a tournament of sorts as they always want to be the very best hero, fighter, trainer, athlete, what have you. All while cultivating a found family, typically balanced in a trio that finds strength in rivalry and in one another.

While we may see some similarities to the generic shonen formula, expecting either of these series to stay true to the genre is sure to lead to heartbreak as these series are marked by shocking losses. This is where the Mappa supremacy comes in. Captivating animation aside, they are really and truly digging into what makes these series great and unexpected which is sure to sink the hearts of anime only's (or CSM manga readers because we have all collectively blocked out everything we've read thus far).

My first example of this is not a spoiler, provided you've completed the first season of JJK.

JUNPEI CAMEOS DURING OP

I was an anime only before I voraciously inhaled the JJK manga (because how many rewatches would be enough?). With countless scenes illustrated of Junpei interacting with the main trio, when Yuji was finally introduced to him, it felt like another piece of the shonen puzzle falling into place. Sure, he'd gotten mixed up with Mahito, but a sunshine MC typically helps those who lose their way find redemption. So, imagine my surprise, after the two loners find a natural camaraderie, Mahito actually kills Junpei!? BRUHHHH. Now, having read the manga, that's true to the source material. But Mappa really incorporated him into several "romanticizing high school life" scenes to lull viewers into a false sense of security!

This, this could be overlooked. This could be a coincidence. But as anyone who has read and seen JJK 0, it is not. It is a set up and it's one they use over and over. Anime only's beware, spoilers below (beyond JJK 0). You can assume the heartache now or later, your choice ‼️‼️

NANAMI KENTO IS NOT IN JJK 0

Listen. At this point, we all know Mappa blew their animation budget on glossing Gojo's lips and the ungodly care to lengthen his white eyelashes. Mappa knows what side of their bread is buttered. So one might overlook the fact that Nanami Kento's inclusion in JJK 0 was strictly for the gworls. They literally killed off a bunch of nameless children just so Nanami could stride in like a man with medical insurance and a 401k and be the daddy he is father figure mentor who saves the day. Look, that was fan service and no one can change my mind. His butt even got a cameo, come on and the way he tied that tie!? Perverse. I loved it. I guess it also provided context for the four black flashes he's said to have produced in one fight which isn't covered in the manga... 🙄 but this is no accident. This is, once again, setting us up to believe Nanami is a much bigger character in the rest of the series than he is. In actuality, Nanami is more like a burning star, bright but for a short period of time. 💣

THERE'S NOTHING ROMANTIC ABOUT DECEMBER IN JJK

IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. But aside from the obvious JJK 0 reference, this incredibly beautiful EP (including the translated lyrics) is a standalone masterpiece. The way they capture perspective and movement and lend to the overall observation of how the characters innocently relate to one another? This? THIS? Is peak romanticizing high school life. It even encompasses the quintessential beach episode vibe while still being true to Akutami largely not sexualizing their female characters (at least not the students). The only thing about this is that the math truly ain't mathing on this little adventure. If you've made it through the Shibuya arc which takes place the Halloween that Yuji starts at JJT, you know that some of the characters in this sweet vignette don't necessarily survive to frolic on the beach that winter.

SINISTER AKI FAN SERVICE

If there's one thing fans love, it's a single daddy who works (questionable) two jobs, who loves his (non-biological) kids and never stops, with overly detailed hands and the heart of a fighter. It's just too bad that, for all this focus on the Hayakawa family home life and gratuitous focus on Top Knot himself, Aki is very much not a survivor. But he is voted most likely to steal your girl so why not twist the knife until the moment when that final blow lands because his death is particularly heart shattering and sentimental. Special care seems to be given in highlighting features Aki loses along the way which is actually quite sadistic. So I look forward to whatever Mappa has in store, considering.

At the time of this post, I'm caught up on CSM and JJK, though Hell's Paradise is still in my TBR. Given what I've asserted, I think I might complete the first season before I even touch the manga to test my theory. What do you think?