#at the other end of the spectrum we have Geto

[symphonyofsilence]

Gojo stop info dumping on Yuta of all people about your failed love life, your broken heart, and your one and only, entirely unprompted. He's probably not as enthusiastic as you are about your Ex.

They had a rather memorable encounter that one time they met.

[duckiemimi]

hi i am going to ask a silly question as a newer fan. why do u (or other people) consider gojo morally grey? am I missing something about his characterization? i thought he was similar to yuji, but more "realistic", I suppose? i realize how crazy off that could be, I'm really asking out of curiosity!

hi! this isn't a silly question at all, don't worry!

to clarify, i don't quite consider him morally grey! i think of him as someone with motivations that align with the protagonists' big-picture ideology (i used to call them the "good guys," the colloquial way people usually refer to protags, but i think people get the wrong idea when i use that term, so i'll use "protagonists" from now on!). to put simply, his morality generally lies on the side of the perspective jjk is told from—a perspective pushed to be seen as favorable by us readers!

i think "morally grey" has become a buzzword people throw around to describe characters who aren't borderline altruistic or characters who don't have explicitly stated emotionally-driven motivations. could you really label a character "morally grey" if in their universe, combat is commonplace and power systems exist? what context-appropriate lines will we use to distinguish what's black, and white, and grey? we'll get to that later. now let's talk about the specifics: his individual motivations.

characterization-wise, i think most people consider gojo "morally grey" because of his teenage apathy and some of the less tactful things he's said (he's very point-blank and he doesn't sugarcoat). i also think that nanami's description of him in the afterlife scene retconned what was already established of him, in turn affecting the perception of his character as well (click for a post i wrote on this). and now the concept of "monstrosity" in relation to his character has been introduced into the story, too.

gojo is a very pragmatic character for the most part. i don't think gojo sees things through a rigid "right and wrong" lens. i think he sees them for their practicality in reference to what he already knows to be true. for more context, i'd say compared to geto (his foil), who put righteous meaning to his duty pre-defection and self-justified meaning to his ideals post-defection, gojo's idea of duty towards non-sorcerers is an extension of his learned role. it's not something he feels particularly strongly for—it's just something he was born and bred for.

but that doesn't mean he doesn't care! he does care, otherwise we wouldn't have a story in the first place. he just shows "care" differently, less towards the subject of jujutsu protection and more towards his peers, the people he's been surrounded by his whole life. but even then, he takes his duty of protecting non-sorcerers (protecting all of humanity, really) very seriously and that's apparent in the shibuya arc!

if we were to look at his actions (not surface-level attitude!) throughout the story, chapter 261 included, gojo has never done anything that isn't aligned with the protagonists' big-picture ideology. looking at it more abstractly, if we were to frame the major clashing ideologies in jjk on a "morality" spectrum with "good" on one end and "bad" on the other ("good" being analogous to the protagonists and "bad," the antagonists), then he'd be a relatively "good" person. he's never really been an ambiguous guy, i'd say. just emotionally constipated.

i think he could be compared to yuuji, yea! they both have this crippling tendency to place blame wholly on themselves. but i guess compared to yuuji, gojo is a very "do first, feel later" type of guy and he often compartmentalizes to operate. he's got the world on his shoulders—there's no time to think about what that means for himself, only for what it means for the world. alas, jujutsu's atlas has fallen. but yea! thanks for asking!

[perictione00]

Selfish

Ch 3: No Exceptions

Pairing: Geto Suguru x reader

Warning: Mentions of death and depression

Synopsis: You left the Jujutsu World behind the moment the source of your warmth turned cold. So what happens when you come face to face with that one episode in your life that you wanted to obliterate? Simple, you reap what you sow.

Jujutsu Kaisen Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Ch 2

2006

It was as if everyone avoided the apparent smell of defeat and the void it had exposed. No one knew how to approach it, so it was easier to discard the thought altogether. The death of Riko Amanai had left the Jujutsu world in disarray. It was evident that the broken beliefs in the state of generational heirarchy were too outdated to be followed anymore, but the comfort of familiarity and power weighed more than many lives, and the death of the plasma vessel was just an unfortunate outcome of it. The higher-ups were near omnipotent; through their influence, they could easily force an outcast superhuman with no cursed energy to become an assassin and destroy the strongest so much that they fall apart; maybe the latter was the case with Gojo and Geto.

After the mission, the synergy between the duo was obviously disturbed, if not totally demolished. Something had changed. Gojo had evolved into an even sillier version of himself, and Geto seemed almost lifeless at times. Hence, it was getting harder for you to gather enough courage to talk to Geto. You wanted to be there for him because the Geto you knew would always wear a playful smirk, pass on witty remarks, and help a friend in need. You were not sure if everyone observed it, but you did, so you knocked on his dorm room, saying, "Open up, Romeo, Juliet is here".

"Finally remembered about your long-forgotten lover", he retorted as he opened the door with a smile that looked so fake.

"You don't have to smile if you don't want to", you said, entering his room.

His silence, unkept room, dark circles under his eyes, and weak body answered a lot of questions. You held his hand in yours and sat alongside him on his bed, staring aimlessly at the front wall. Geto was not okay; he looked so far gone, so suffocated, somehow utterly helpless, and you didn't know what to do other than hold onto him. You stayed like that with him for what felt like hours, as you were scared to leave him alone, scared of what he might do. The whole time, he didn't say anything, and you found comfort in his presence alone.

Geto was lost. He was numb. It was tiring, the weight of being on the right side of the spectrum, because at the end of the day, it didn't matter; it would always crumble the moment he realized that even after everything, he would always remain powerless. He didn't like this, not one bit. He wanted to rewind time and make it all go away, but the reality was cruelty. What he had faced painted the ones he was supposed to protect as the villains. He was confused, or maybe he was not. Maybe he was unable to accept the truth or the lies. He desperately wanted to escape this; he wanted to let go and feel something—anything else—that could save him from drowning, and there you were, with him. And before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face; he was unable to breathe. He felt so bare but relieved at the same time. He was not alone, and that was enough.

You didn't leave his side that day or the day after. From that day on, you stayed with him every night as he hugged you to sleep.

2007

"I dunno. Maybe we're just supposed to be soldiers, you know. Sacrificing ourselves for the greater good, I guess", you said while braiding Geto's hair.

"Sounds...unfair. At least soldiers are recognized by society; their contribution is respected, while we just die protecting non-sorcerers from an enemy they created in the first place", he stated bitterly.

"They're ignorant, Suguru,", you replied plainly.

"You are so fucking entitled. Funny, how easy it is for you to say this just because it has not happened to someone you cared for", Geto said sternly.

You pulled him by his braid and asked, "What's with the aggression? When did this friendly, unpopular opinion chat turn so radical?"

He answered with hesitation, "Yuki Tsukumo, umm... she's a special grade and we were talking, you know...and like... she said stuff that made so much sense, but I don't know, it goes against our beliefs". After a long pause, he continued, "Curses exist because of the violent emotions of non-sorcerers, right, now wouldn't it be easier if there were no non-sorcerers at all?"

"Are you serious right now? That's your solution?", you were speechless.

"Or what? Does teaching non-sorcerers about controlling their cursed energy sound plausible to you?", he was pressing on every word.

"Yes, it does, at least it's much better than the option you're proposing", you countered.

"You're delusional", oh that was enough to tick you off.

"Oh yeah? So what's next? You're gonna kill all non-sorcerers right? Why not include your parents too? Last time I checked, they were non-sorcerers too, so why should they have the privilege to live?", the words were out already, and you could not take them back.

"Fuck, Suguru, that's not what I—I'm so sorry, that was out of line and I'm really really sorry. I just don't want you to think like that...I just don't wanna lose you", you said, sounding out of breath.

You didn't expect him to hug you and accept, "Hey, hey, it's okay, you're right, you are absolutely right."

He was right in front of you, devoid of his smile, his compassion, his jolliness, and his life. It was ironic how just the day before, Geto had called you out on your entitlement, and now someone you cared for was taken away from you. The most innocent soul on the campus of Jujutsu Tech had been swallowed up by the monster of human emotions. Your very first friend, who would always make you laugh, who would always look for the best in people, who would never run away from his duty, and who deserved much better than the death he got. On a sunny day in August 2007, Haibara Yu was killed in a mission against a Grade 1 curse.

You could feel your rigid ideals wavering. There was so much anger, so much rage, and so much pain, but there was no way out. Your hands were trembling. This was the reality of the Jujutsu world. There's no solace here, no endgame; you protect nameless, faceless people until you die, which you will, and the conclusion of such a sorrowful life will be just as horrifying. What a joke. You make a bunch of friends here so that you can have a few people show up at your funeral, and that's it. Perhaps Nanami understood that and left when he knew he still had a chance at a normal life. But you stayed, possibly because of your newfound fortitude to face the absolute or pitiful need to become strong and hide the scared little girl inside of you.

However, in the solitude of misery, Geto Suguru found out that his remedy was the very essence that the world was lacking. He was proven right time and time again; it had to be a sign. On September 19, 2007, during a mission, the vicious nature of humanity unfolded in front of his eyes, so he snapped. On September 29th, 2007, in accordance with Article 9 of the Jujutsu Regulations, it was announced that Geto Suguru was to be subjected to execution as a Curse User for killing 112 villagers. Achieving his vision of a world only for sorcerers meant, no privileges, no exceptions. So on the same day, his parents were found dead, with residuals of his curse manipulation technique.

Ch 4

[runabout-river]

I read something very sad that said that geto didn't love mimiko and nanako he only used them for his cult. I don't believe it I think he really liked them as his daughters what do you think was geto so cruel to that point?

Geto was cruel but not to Nanako and Mimiko and he didn't use them for his cult either, that's just... so blatantly false. If someone wanted that as a headcanon or wanted to write fic about it, then yes, do it but that's not a serious reading of the manga.

I don't have all the additional info from the fanbooks right now but from everything that has been shown in the manga (which isn't that much unfortunately) they treated each other like family and Geto was definitely more of a father to Nanako and Mimiko than Gojo was to Megumi.

Geto and his daughters and Gojo and Megumi are standing on opposite ends of the same spectrum here and due to circumstance, Megumi is actually the one who was used and pushed around by the adults in his life, Nanako and Mimiko on the other hand were saved and had (from what we can glean of their interactions) the freedom to do as they wanted.

Megumi on the other hand didn't have the means nor strength to dissolve Toji's sale of him to Naobito, couldn't guarantee the wellbeing of Tsumiki in the Zenin and in the end was contractually obligated to become a sorcerer of the JJsociety to escape his fate just because the strongest decided to intervene on his behalf on a whim.

The only thing one could argue with Geto, Nanako and Mimiko, is that Geto still brought them in to a death cult. He loved them sure, but he also hated humans and he imparted that hatred onto two small girls and we see them becoming killers later.

Geto at the airport might say something about that but his daughters were completely missing there just like Nobara.

[torgawl]

Thinking about Nanami's last moments before his death. A little recap: Haibara is shown pointing at Yuuji and instructing Nanami to tell Yuuji an undisclosed set of words to what Nanami responds that he can't say such a thing since it would become a curse for Yuuji.

This scene is, undoubtedly, quite similar to Geto's death. We, readers, are also not directly informed of what Gojo says to Geto and to what Geto responds with the well-known “at least curse at me a little at the very end”.

Gege talked about Geto's death befofe and stated the answer to our question was shown during volume 0. This led us to believe he was talking about that scene of Gojo telling Yuuta that Geto was his “one and only best friend”. But it's impossible not to associate this moment with Gojo's quote 'love is the most twisted curse of them all', directed to Yuuta in the first chapter of volume 0 right after Yuuta confesses he might have been the one to curse Rika. Gojo calls this a personal theory and, knowing Geto's fate at the end of the volume, it seems almost like a foreshadowing. This ends up pointing out to the hypothesis that maybe what Gojo told his best friend before having to perform his duty and kill him was an expression of his love for him. Or, as what I think might make sense, wanted to tell but didn't. And I'm saying this because Geto didn't end up cursed like Rika. Maybe here, considering Gege's words as well, it could make sense Gojo's last words to Geto being the ones calling him his best friend (as a way to avoid cursing Geto but still expressing his affection). Just like Nanami ended up telling Yuuji “you got it from here” .

And because both Geto and Nanami's death have this sort of parallel, it makes us question if perhaps Haibara, most likely a product of Nanami's mind, told Nanami (while representing Nanami's wishes since he didn't have a chance to express his fondness for his dead friend) to let Yuuji know how much he cared about him. We all know last words are very meaningful in the Jujutsu Kaisen world, especially.

I think this connection Gege created between love and curses is both beautiful and intriguing. Particularly, knowing curses are formed from negative emotions and love is, apparently, an emotion on the opposite end of the spectrum.

In a way, this seems to represent negative emotions or situations that might arise as a by-product of love, that humans sometimes feel towards others or themselves.

Nevertheless, it also feels quite sad. Until the end, it's like those who are destined to experience this path and which are stuck in a life of sacrifice for others cannot live sincerely as they wish, even during their last breath. Perhaps the curse isn't so much - or just - the cursed energy left behind after proclaiming the words representing their true feelings but the unavoidable tragic life they live as protectors of those unknowingly responsible for it.

[tyleroakley-obsessed]

Ed. Note. On October 31, 2017, at approximately 12 p.m. Central Standard Time, Memphis’ 98.9 The Vibe FM radio station switched formats. We are gathered here today, with contributor Wesley and feedback from other Memphians, to discuss.  98.9 The Vibe was necessary for my morning commute. Sure, Biggie’s “Juicy” was in such heavy rotation that you’d think it dropped last week, but sometimes I’d get treated to Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack”, which is the greatest song ever made, and I have backup on this. So imagine my surprise Wednesday morning when I hear Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” on the station. I figured, okay, it’s not throwback hip hop, but everyone loves Eartha Kitt. Maybe they’re weaving in a couple sexy Christmas songs with the regular rotation. I was wrong. A screenshot of 98.9’s new website. Nothing puts you in the holiday mood like lederhosen and Actual Predator Kevin Spacey While my requests for comment from the station were not returned, I did find this statement from the station manager: “We are really excited to offer a new and unique listening experience for the hundreds of thousands of people that enjoy non-stop Christmas music. ‘Christmas 98.9’ offers the River City an exciting choice as soon as you cross the bridge.” My thoughts… As you can see, there are dozens of us (dozens!!) in our feelings about this.  And the old school hip hop FM station 98.9 the Vibe has switched to 24/7 Christmas music….. NOOOOOO!!#itisntChristmastime!! — The Working Law Firm (@WorkingLawFirm) November 3, 2017 98.9 The Vibe has started playing Christmas music. It’s Halloween. Unacceptable — Huxley Brown Maury (@ouidahux) October 31, 2017 RIP 98.9 The Vibe. Can’t Cumulus keep anything??? — feeling sad — Aisha Raison (@aisharaison) October 31, 2017 Good question, Aisha! They can’t. At all. Let me show you: This is a timeline I made of all the formats 98.9 has held since they arrived in Memphis from Kennett, Missouri. That’s seven formats in 10 years, all with varying degrees of…popularity. click to expand (Ed. Note: I’ve been monitoring the situation online, and it’s only fair to say that there are plenty of folks who are in favor of this switch. There are others who are more concerned that we couldn’t even get through the entire day of Halloween before it was already Christmas music time. Most seem annoyed at the loss of a station they loved rather than just against holiday tunes in general. A search for “98.9 christmas” on Twitter and Facebook reveals strong feelings all around.) The format after the holiday season has yet to be announced. Hopefully we’ll get The Vibe back, but I’m not optimistic. However, Al Kapone, the Memphis rapper who was spearheading the station, actually is. As you all may know, 98.9 has changed formats even though our ratings were very high but I am working on broadcasting from a new station for my classic hip hop lovers and will post when I have something for y’all. I passionately love classic hip hop!!! Thanks for all your love & support! It’s Al Kapone – Al Kapeezy, Oh Boy! A post shared by Al Kapone (@alkaponememphis) on Nov 2, 2017 at 8:52am PDT We need 98.9 to remain a classic rap station because it added to the diversity of Memphis radio, and was a good alternative to Hot 107 and K97, which both played Top 40 rap. I listen to both of those stations, but sometimes I don’t want to hear Migos on a loop. Seriously, when “Bad and Boujee” was at its peak, it was completely common to hear that song being broadcast simultaneously on both stations. We’ve got 59 FM radio stations in Memphis, and now only two of them play rap music. And those two stations play the same songs. That’s boring. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not some scrooge who hates Christmas. I actually love this time of year, mostly because I hate hot weather and I get to listen to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio in proper context. But not all Christmas songs are worth listening to. Some of them might even be trash.  Most Christmas songs fall towards the “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas” end of the spectrum and not Donny Hathaway. That being said “Silent Night” slaps, especially when Boyz II Men sang it on that one Fresh Prince Christmas special. And before y’all tell me to just use Spotify in my car, I’m not trying to die in a wreck because I was driving and trying to search for “no scrubs”. Because typing and driving is a scrub thing to do. Anyway, here’s a list of ten songs on 98.9 The Vibe I’m going to miss the most: Lil Kim – “Crush On You” Geto Boys – “My Mind Playing Tricks On Me” DJ Zirk – “Lock Em In Da Trunk” Kanye West – “Through The Wire” Jermaine Dupri – “Money Ain’t A Thang” Missy Elliot ft. Ciara – “Lose Control” Ludacris – “Saturday (Oooh! Ooooh!) 2Pac – “Dear Mama” Digable Planets – “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” And of course, Mark Morrison – “Return of the Mack.” Which songs will you miss?   About The Author  Wesley Morgan Paraham loves the 901 so much that his cat is named Belvedere. If playing RPGs were a full time job, he’d be a rich man. He’s currently seeking a degree in public relations at the University of Memphis, and does freelance writing for I Love Memphis and graphic design in the meantime.   Holly has some more questions for y’all: – What do you think about the station’s switch? – If you’re not a fan of the switch, is it bad altogether or is it just too early? – Aren’t there other stations in Memphis that will play holiday tunes later in the season? – Do you think The Vibe should return on Dec. 26 or is there another kind of station you’d like to see in Memphis? This article is about our opinions. Feel free to leave yours in the comments! Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout http://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

http://ilovememphisblog.com/2017/11/my-mind-is-playing-tricks-on-me-98-9-switches-formats/

[duckiemimi]

we don’t see very many sorcerers who don’t come from sorcerer families, but some exceptions are yuji, yuta, and geto—all highlighted characters in the story who weren’t born into jujutsu society.

(slight disclaimer: while you can argue that both yuji’s birth circumstances and yuta’s familial ties with the gojo clan were invisible strings that in the end tied them to the jujutsu world, geto is the only character out of the three who was explicitly mentioned to come from a non-sorcerer family and background, only having his cursed technique, but i digress.)

this shared quality shows; all three characters value community (their fellow sorcerers, their friends, their “family”) but they position themselves outside of their circles, centering their lives around the people they care for. they all have a strong sense of responsibility towards others that often isolates them, sometimes to the point of self-sacrifice.

how this manifests in each of them:

1.) yuji and every single thing he’s done up to now;

2.) yuta and his promise to rika in exchange for her strength;

3.) geto’s teenage ideals and the way he took on a new ideal that still centered around other sorcerers.

guilt, love, spite—all three simultaneously selfless and selfish.

i’m guessing this commonality has a lot to do with how their respective introductions to jujutsu felt like a second chance in life; enrolling into jujutsu high gave them a purpose.

for yuji, it gave him something to work towards after the death of his grandfather. for yuta, it gave him newfound hope in life. and for geto, we know of his sense of purpose as a student—“the strong protect the weak.”

(all three of their introductions having something to do with gojo, too; ironic, considering he’s also felt “alone” throughout his life.)

all four also need therapy; by god, you are allowed to live for yourselves goddammit!! you don’t need a grand purpose or to be a cog to be worthy to exist!! you’re allowed to just be!!

although that might be too late for geto.)

yuji and yuta are the protagonists in their own respective stories and we got to follow their journeys from before they came into contact with jujutsu, but geto was introduced to us as a student in tokyo jujutsu high. we don’t know what he was like before his enrollment.

i imagine having growing up in a non-sorcerer family and in a non-jujutsu environment had to have taken a toll on a young geto; at one point, he probably realized there was no use pointing out the “monsters” he saw to anyone because nobody else could see them. perhaps his sense of purpose started from there, this burden of being the only one to see what others can’t.

this childhood burden regarding non-sorcerers, along with his downward spiral in relation to non-sorcerers later on, probably accumulated into a lot of frustration and resentment, anger and helplessness, which sent him to defect from jujutsu high with a new path, no matter how unachievable the destination.

to enroll in a school with people who were just like him must’ve felt like a breath of relief. but he’s a stranger to this society, an outsider—unlike his friends. i imagine he tried his hardest to fit in and belong as a student, going so far as to become gojo’s moral compass, a guiding light for someone who was born the pinnacle of jujutsu. maintain, maintain, maintain. before and after his defection, he’s always had to constantly remind himself of what he was working towards—“the strong protect the weak” and “kill all non-sorcerers”—as if he himself wasn’t entirely convinced of what he was saying.

this desire to make sense of his place in the world was ultimately what landed him on the opposite side of the spectrum—the jujutsu society doesn’t care for people like him, but it does take advantage of people like him (like yuji, like yuta).

aside from these three, there are other characters who come from non-sorcerer families/backgrounds, like nanami! he isn’t highlighted as much in that aspect, though. i wish we saw more of his high school experience, more of his thought process, but i can imagine being mixed in japan and being able to see curses was very isolating, so the school could’ve also been a safe haven for him at one point, especially considering how well he and haibara got along.

i think the main difference between him and the three i mentioned—and especially between him and geto—was that his life wasn’t contingent on the well-being of other people, there was no stated greater purpose that we knew of. alone after haibara’s death, his upperclassmen too busy, he left the school after graduating. that’s the difference, i think—his general self-preservation.

it’s probably why he was such a great mentor for yuji, too; the both of them have non-jujutsu backgrounds, but while yuji is so reckless with his life, nanami was more careful with his (he’s had first-hand experience with how detached and machine-like jujutsu society can be, how disposable yet indispensable sorcerers are in its jaws). yes, their general circumstances were different, but i’m sure nanami knew how yuji was feeling, being young and clueless, lost.

(though it does make me wonder about his family and how they treated him! i wish we knew more of his background!)