Jujutsu Kaisen’s manga might be complete, but the anime is still going strong, with fans discovering new things every day. While some might have come from an interview with series creator Gege Akutami, others have come from meticulous rewatches of the anime, combing over for any hint or easter egg fans might have missed.
Heads up, there’s going to be some minor spoilers for characters and scenarios from the manga and anime, and while most of them aren’t groundbreaking, they still might reveal information that steps into the realm of spoilers.
10Yuji’s Grandfather’s Death
Stubborn But Loving
We might not have had much time with Yuji’s grandfather, Wasuke Itadori, but his unexplained death led to a lot of speculation around what could have caused his illness. These rumors only grew as more of Yuji’s backstory was revealed and a complicated family history unfolded.
As it turns out, Wasuke, the kindly but gruff elder, passed away from complications of lung cancer and a refusal to accept early treatment. While it shut down speculations that perhaps there was some curse-related illness or side effect that plagued the old man, having Wasuke’s cause of death be something more natural helps ground the anime and make his death feel more tragic.
9Gege Akutami Isn’t A Gojo Fan
Still Love Those Eyes
Over the years of the manga’s publication, there have been quite a few times when series creator Gege has commented on the state of the manga and what the author is doing in their life. More than a few times, Gege has commented on one of the manga’s most popular characters, though it’s rarely something positive.
At one point, Gege mused about something that “Satoru Gojo doesn’t have…Probably a personality.” Dang, alright, Gege, tell us how you really feel. Oh, did you do it in another author comment? From chapter 91, the chapter where Gojo gets sealed in the Prison Realm, Gege said:
“Now that Gojo is gone, it’s looking like 2020’s gonna be a good year.”
8Tasting Sukana’s Fingers
Down In One
Over the course of the manga’s run, there was one overarching goal that Yuji Itadori was working towards, and that waseating all twenty of Ryomen Sukuna’s Fingers, though that goal was eventually dropped to defeat Sukuna after he manifested completely in a different body.
Even so, Yuji managed to eat nine fingers on his own and another ten thanks to the cursed spirit Jogo, bringing the total count up to 19. But what did the gnarled fingers taste like? Turns out, pretty close to soap thanks to a buildup of grave wax, also known as adipocere ,that developed over time.
7Who Trained Nobara?
The Family Business
Though it is never explicitly stated in the manga or anime, it turns out there’s a fair bit of history toNobara Kugisaki’s unique Straw Doll Technique. Nobara inherited this technique from her unseen grandmother, who also trained Nobara to perfect her technique.
From the Jujutsu Kaisen Official Fanbook, it was revealed that even though her grandmother taught her to use the technique, she did not want her to travel to Tokyo to go to Jujutsu High. Eventually, she relented and even provided the recommendation for Nobara to attend.
6Gege Pops Up In The Anime
Art And Artist Blended
In a blink and you miss it moment, you can briefly see a one-eyed cat at the very start of the second opening animation sequence from Jujutsu Kaisen. This little kitty is a subtle nod to the avatar that Gege uses during his Author Comments sections
The song that plays during this opening is Vivid Vice, which was composed and performed by the Japanese music group Who-ya Extended.
5The Main Cast Has Official Theme Music
Finally, A Good Playlist
Back to the author section of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, and we have a neat in-universe bit of trivia. Turns out, a bunch of the main characters have their own theme songs! Itadori, Fushiguro, Kugisaki, Gojo, Ijichi, Nanami, Geto, and even Sukuna have their own songs with some surprising picks.
Other characters like Geto like Two Door Cinema Club’s Come Back Home and Sukuna is a fan of Marilyn Manson’s (S)AINT, which seems wild.
4The Meaning Of Jujutsu Kaisen
It Represents The Show
Sometimes, the meaning of an anime’s title will be revealed over time, or the title reflects the main conflict of the show. Jujutsu Kaisen has a direct translation to English but doesn’t necessarily have the same impact. The direct translation is ‘Sorcery Fight’, which technically sums up the show, but is boring.
Leaving Jujutsu as it is, since it’s pretty straightforward, let’s take a look at what Gege says about the term Kaisen. The mangaka combined two Kanji, Kai, which means ‘to rotate’ or ‘circle around’, and Sen, which means ‘battle’. Bringing everything together creates a much more impressive interpretation of Endless Battle of Curses.
3Inumaki Is Talking The Whole Time
Speaking In Tongues
User of the Cursed Speech inherited technique, Toge Inumaki is a fearsome Jujutsu Sorcerer whose power has a huge drawback. In exchange for being able to infuse his words with cursed energy and forcing all who hear them to follow his command, he cannot speak regular words or sentences without unwittingly cursing others.
What he can say are the ingredients to various sushi rolls, including:
All these words have a meaning that many of the characters in the show seem to understand, but we have only a few confirmed phrases. ‘Salmon’ generally means yes, ‘fish flakes’ typically means no, while ‘kelp’ is often seen as a type of greeting.
2Hidden Messages In Scenes
Almost Impossible To See
There are tons of little tidbits to find in Jujutsu Kaisen, but this one is virtually impossible to catch by most fans. During episode 19 of season two, Mahito attacks Yuji after seemingly killing Nobara with a brutal blow.
With Mahito reaching a new level of power, he successfully lands a Black Flash against a stunned Yuji. In theimpact framesduring the black flash, you can make out the words BLACK FLASH written in the stylized flashes. Another scene with Mahito in the same episode has him expelling a number of transfigured humans, with one of them featuring the words “I will exorcise you” burned into the unfortunate soul’s skin.
1Images Linked Across Chapters
At the very start of volume one, before the manga even begins, we are treated to an eerie liminal illustration of a lit but empty hallway with what looks like a blood splatter right outside a door. We see it again at the start of volume 14, but this time Yuji is walking down the hallway, and the blood is steaming. It takes 13 volumes to get there, with 13 often seen as being a cursed number.
A similar thing occurs at the start of volumes 2 and 15, with what looks like a hotel lobby with an eerie black figure slumped in a chair. Fast forward 13 volumes, and we see Megumi leaving the room with the black figure gone.
Nobara gets her own creepy image as well, with volume 3 showing a many-armed curse at the bottom of a stairwell in what appears to be an apartment complex, only for the curse to be gone and Nobara sitting on some steps 13 volumes later in Vol. 16.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Cast
Jujutsu Kaisen is the story of Yuji Itadori, who finds himself sharing a body with the curse Ryomen Sukuna. He joins the Jujutsu Sorcerors in a bid to rid himself of the curse.
