#it just evolved into Tengen :> | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thepersonperson · 3 months

Note

Backstory theory for Sukuna? I wanted to say Kenjaku and Tengen too but let's just stick with Sukuna for the sake of your sanity

(Written as of JJK 262 using TCB scans and raws. Click images for captions/citations. I want to see how poorly or well this ages.)

I already kind of went into how I think Sukuna’s birth occured answering this ask, and we know for a fact he was born as an unwanted little wretch. But that's not really a full backstory. I was a conjoined twin truther before the reveal so I'm definitely deranged confident enough to propose something.

What is Sukuna's deal anyways?

When I say Sukuna and Gojo are twin flames, I'm referring to how their internal logic and their narrative framing are very similar. For this reason, I believe how they respond to trauma is also similar.

Much of early JJK is a different reread knowing Gojo's specific trauma. His use of the childish Boku as his personal pronoun, his obsession with sweets, having Infinity on all the time, his avoidant attachment style, and his fierce desire to ensure teens enjoy their youth...all these little trauma-induced quirks hidden in plain sight, sometimes as humor, are now depressing reminders of what Gojo went through. You also start to see how paranoid he is about another Toji incident with how he treats Miguel and Hanami...

Sukuna's backstory has probably been set up in the exact same way. It's likely that most of Sukuna's actions and attitude are influenced by some unrevealed/hinted at trauma. Since he and Gojo are twin flames, I'll try to piece it together using Gojo as the blueprint.

Sukuna's Way of Speaking

In the same way Gojo's manner of speaking is unusual for his age, Sukuna speaks really weird even compared to other incarnated sorcerers. If you're not aware, Japanese pronouns do not carry gender, but they do indicate how the speaker views themself and the person they're talking to. (This wiki summary table is quite helpful for this sort of thing.)

Sukuna's personal pronoun is 俺 (Ore) which is very informal, rough, and masculine. And he uses お前 (Omae) as the you pronoun for others which is either a casual thing amongst peers or indicates the speaker's higher status. (It's probably the later given how arrogant Sukuna is.) These are also the same pronouns Yuji uses for himself and others. But because of his personality, we can infer that Yuji uses Ore because he's a sporty boy from the countryside and Omae because he's friendly and views everyone as equals. Same pronouns, but completely different characterizations that get lost in translation.

Sukuna also uses 貴様 (Kisama) as the you pronoun for Gojo. Historically, this was a formal way to show respect and then it evolved into an ironic hostile insult sort of thing, much more rude than Omae. Since Sukuna is 1,000 years old, uses Omae for Yuji, who he hates, we can reasonably assume him using Kisama for Gojo is the formal version. (This would be another very funny instance of Gojo thinking Sukuna hates him but he’s actually trying to be nice.)

All of Sukuna's pronoun usage combined with his personality suggests a very tough and rude individual, which he is. However that rough speaking style is exactly why his frequent use of flowery language, double entendre, clever wordplay, art references, and puns is bizarre.

The weird way in which Sukuna uses words is most known by how he speaks to Megumi during their fight at the detention center. (I'm paraphrasing all this person's translation work for this.)

Sukuna uses the phrase "misetemiro" which is commonly translated as "show me/show me what you’ve got". The caveat here is that the "mi" of "misetemiro" can be written as 見 or 魅. When using 見, translating as "show me" is most accurate. When using 魅? The better translation is "bewitch me/enchant me/charm me/fascinate me".

Sukuna, of course, uses 魅, which means he's saying "enchant me" when he uses "misetemiro". It should be noted that this exact phrasing is used for Mahoraga before it cuts off Gojo's arm. (This is apparently what what Sukuna finds to be enchanting. Violence against Gojo Satoru.)

The thing is, Megumi heard Sukuna say "misetemiro", so he likely assumed the common meaning "show me". This is either a case unintentional misunderstanding or Sukuna making his true feelings dubious. That in of itself is the best example of the double-meaning wordplay Sukuna gets up to.

Sukuna seems to be really fond of puns in particular (very old man of him). He calls Yuji 小僧 (kozō) which can be translated as brat, but it also means young/novice monk.

He also uses extremely outdated words. (An example of which was provided by this user.)

You have all of these conflicting speaking mannerisms balled up into one character. It's as if a gangster/ruffian majored in Literature Arts. And that’s precisely why I think he was of low status at birth.

Sukuna's Upbringing

We all know Gojo's Limitless Cursed Technique (CT) is a literal and metaphorical barrier between him and other people. His technique is his isolation. And how it developed informs us directly of how his interpersonal relationships changed with it.

Back when Gojo only had Blue and Infinity had to be manual, it meant that he had downtimes where he was vulnerable. That physical vulnerability doubled as emotional vulnerability and Gojo was able to form a close relationship with Geto and befriend Shoko. After he awakened, Infinity could be on nonstop. Gojo became untouchable to everyone at all times and it destroyed his relationships.

In the same way Gojo's CT compliments his changes from child to adult, I believe Sukuna's CT does the same.

As we all know by now, Sukuna's Shrine or 御厨子 (mizushi) could be referring to a Buddhist shrine used for storage or a imperial palace kitchen. I think it’s both at the same time. To me Sukuna's CT indicates he initially cooked for the emperor and then became an object of worship at a shrine. But I have some additional caveats to this theory.

We know that Sukuna learns by mimicking others. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say he picked up on formalities while being near nobility if he was of low birth. But how did a lowborn like Sukuna get near nobility in the first place?

So historical Japan had a social caste system called Ritsuryō (you can read more about its application in the Heian Era here). The upper class was called Ryōmin (good citizens) and the lower class was called Senmin (low citizens). Amongst the lower class there are the following subcastes:

Ryōko (dedicated to the imperial family or guards of imperial tombs)

Kanko (dedicated to public ministries)

Kenin (servants of high-ranking families)

Kunuhi (slaves of the court)

Shinuhi (slaves of families)

I think Sukuna was a Kunuhi or court slave during his time as an imperial cook. That would give him access to the higher art forms directly or by listening in while also explaining why his speech appears to be a mesh of two completely different backgrounds. (If he were of noble birth, his personal pronoun would likely be Watashi, Waga, or even Ware-Ware like most snobby upper class characters in Japanese media.)

Another trait of the slave class is their forbiddance from having a registered family name. Both Sukuna and Uraume use full names as a show of respect. The fact they only use single names for each other suggests that they have no family names at all and fall under this low class category.

The other thing to note about this caste system is that class mobility in both directions was possible. To what extent I'm not sure (there’s not a lot of in depth literature in English), but this would allow for Sukuna to rise from a lowborn status and fall back to it as the Disgraced One.

In summary:

Sukuna is born and branded an undesirable. (Some of his tattoos match up with markings for both criminals and outcasts. Particularly the single band around the wrist labeled Hinin, a term that translates to non-human used for the lowest social class.)

Sukuna is taken into slavery where his talents start to show. (Durable, 4 limbs, and quick learning make for great labor exploitation.)

Sukuna, as a slave, eventually finds himself working in the kitchen for the emperor where he meets Uraume, who is there under similar circumstances. (Heian nobles were fascinated by commoner life and sometimes took peasants into the palace for entertainment/exploitation. Please read this entire thread on Heian commoner life it’s very good.)

They rise through the ranks together because of hypercompetence.

Eventually Sukuna becomes so strong that he becomes an involuntary saint/warrior monk. (Heian nobles mobilized monks for rituals and maintaining power.)

The court nobles start a smear campaign out of fear of his power and lowly upbringing, which causes Sukuna to have his Joker moment and start eating people. (Based on the mythological Sukuna stories.)

Sukuna's Theoretical Coping Mechanisms

After Gojo endured the fallout from Toji and Geto, he developed coping mechanisms to deal with it. They're all quite unhealthy to be frank—Gojo is very stuck in the past and seems to be in a near-constant state of trying to relive it, but better.

Those traits were all initially introduced as gags. It all made Gojo appear like a very strange, childish, and questionable adult. In retrospect it's all tragic. So with that in mind, I want to examine some of Sukuna's traits that could be a manifestation of past trauma.

It goes without saying that being a slave is traumatic. And the coping mechanisms developed to deal with that level of dehumanization don't go away if someone escapes it.

Sukuna's extreme aversion to being told what to do and self-centeredness reminds me of the ex-slave character, Izutsumi from Dungeon Meshi. She starts out as a slave paraded around as a circus freak after being experimented on before she's sold to a wealthy clan and forced to be a retainer. A curse is placed on her to keep her from escaping in the form of a tattoo around her neck. When she finally frees herself, she is very cat-like in her selfishness, poorly socialized, and abrasive. (Also she is canonically aroace!)

If you noticed, her personality sounds like a description of Sukuna's, so I'm left thinking he has some variation of that backstory (kind of like a combination of Toji and Geto's). It would fit with him being an unwanted child, explain his bizarre manner of speech, and give him a pretty good reason to be the way that he is.

In the same way Gojo used Hanami to relive his trauma but control the outcome, I think Sukuna uses Binding Vows relive and conquer his enslavement. The vows he constantly makes and breaks with himself are a show of control over thing that hurt him.

When binding vows are first introduced, it's by Sukuna and with chains. In the anime the chains constrict Sukuna until they destroy him.

This imagery is rather oppressive in nature. Similar to a prisoner's chains or a slave's chains. (And it's quite common for prisoners to be used for slave labor too.)

I've previously discussed how I view Kenjaku as someone who exists through nonconsent and causes others to relive their trauma. Gojo's sealing illustrates how this kind of manipulation works. And since Gojo's twin flame is Sukuna, I believe Kenjaku did something similar to him.

We've already established how much Sukuna hates taking orders from people and how much he wants to fight Gojo. Everything he has done for the past 6 months was for Gojo. And guess who stops him from obtaining what he desires? Kenjaku through a binding vow.

Sukuna also calls Yuji an 檻 (ori) which can be translated as cage. The type of "cage" ori can refer to is either one for animals or for criminals. Kenjaku pretty much created Yuji to contain Sukuna in this manner.

So we have 2 forms of restriction encroach on Sukuna's boundaries in a way that would be reminiscent of slavery. If Sukuna and Uraume are former slaves, their treatment of Kenjaku and each other makes sense.

With Uraume, Sukuna is gentle and reassuring. He faces towards them when speaking and will initiate conversations, going out of his way to praise their work. This seems a bit out of character given how harshly Sukuna treats others, even those he respects.

Uraume is constantly apologizing to Sukuna in a way that suggests in the past they were punished severely for the slightest mess up. Given their relationship and how little Sukuna cares when they're not perfect, I don't think Sukuna was the one to make Uraume feel this way. If they're ex-slaves, this constant groveling would read as trauma response, and Sukuna's reassurance would be him showing consideration for someone who went through something similar.

With Kenjaku, Sukuna never makes eye contact, often has his back turned, and only responds when spoken to. Uraume is constantly pissed at Kenjaku's presence and tries to keep the two separate as much as possible.

Whatever binding vow Kenjaku has wrapped Sukuna in is clearly upsetting to the both of them. I imagine those were the tools used to subjugate people within the Jujutsu hierarchy. Wait I don't need speculate on that point, Yuta already did this for me when he was forced to execute Yuji via a binding vow with the higher ups.

And you know who else might have suffered the exact same way? Uro.

And boy is Uro strikingly similar to Sukuna, enough for Yuta to notice. She had no name, was groomed into being a weapon by nobles, discarded after being used, and is now someone who toys with sorcerers as she tries to become her own person while scorning bonds/love.

And if you recall, Sukuna obliterated the Fujiwara Subjugation Clan and Uro isn't really mad at him for that.

Not just Uro, but Ryu is similar to Sukuna as well in his hunger and seeing others as meals to satisfy him.

These parallels seem deliberate and may hint of how Sukuna was treated in the past and what his true motivations are. Uro seeing the incarnation as a chance at a second life as her own person is probably how Sukuna feels. But you know. Both of them are beholden to Kenjaku so that “freedom” came with a steep price.

What separates Uro and Ryu from Sukuna is that they acknowledge exactly why they're here. They reflect on their old lives and take action to address their problems. Sukuna seems to be in some kind of state of denial.

I have no doubt Sukuna is serious when his ideals don't go beyond himself. What's troubling is how unaware of why he feels this way. He won't even acknowledge his hunger for an equal which is obvious to everyone else. He also doesn't seem to know why he incarnated, dodging Kashimo’s question on it entirely. It reminds me of Gojo, who despite being blatantly motivated by Geto and Toji, never shows it except in fleeting instances. And those instances are either internal or deliberately vague to whoever is hearing it.

I think this is because acknowledging he experienced weakness at one point in his life is admitting that he can be put in a position like that again. That can be a scary thing to confront. Gojo doesn't deal with the fact he can be made vulnerable and does everything in his power to prevent it while pretending nothing is wrong. Sukuna is doing the same thing when speaks of the past as briefly as possible and crushes anyone who might have power over him.

Uro herself kind of puts that motivating trauma in the back of her mind until Yuta's Fujiwara heritage and ideas trigger her. Not wanting to recall your life as a nameless slave and having it incidentally brought up by the phrase "live for others" kind of sounds like the beef Sukuna has with Yuji.

And imagine if Uro was trapped in Yuta’s body, where this lucky individual, born free, decides to become a Cog of his own volition. She would probably never stop hating him. (I think Sukuna is mad Yuji chose the life he escaped.)

This would also fit well with his initial view of heriarchies. As long as he's the strongest, he doesn't have to worry about becoming a slave again.

And in a way, this is also him showing concern for Gojo. You’re this strong and letting these fudgers push you around? Kill them.

I also think that's why this Yuji quote is going to age poorly.

I don't think Sukuna ever had the chance to live normally. This would also make this exchange really interesting.

Sukuna suggesting he has suffered more than Yuji fascinates me. Of all the things that could possibly be worse than what Yuji went through, I think existing as a slave and being subject to discrimination since childhood would make for a pretty compelling case.

Rejecting Love as Cope

I’ve been on about how Sukuna hates on love as a cope in other posts. I think the former slave angle gives a little more weight to this idea, his poor social skills, and general aversion to other people.

Love is a type of tethering to another person. Sometimes it results in marriage, a legal contract that binds you to another with a myriad of social expectations. If Sukuna is a former slave, his aversion to that sort of thing is only natural. Relationships of anykind are a bond that comes with restrictions.

I keep bringing up Yorozu because analyzing the ways in which she upsets Sukuna is useful for understanding him. Sukuna is most dead-eyed when marriage comes up and he sees losing as the same thing as death. The common problem here is Yorozu’s desire to control Sukuna’s life.

If you know anything about ex-slaves, it’s that they would rather die than go back to that.

Sukuna being the strongest means that no one can ever hold that kind of power over him again. And like Gojo, he believes human connections and love are a point of weakness that need to be discarded to obtain absolute strength. If Gojo is using that excuse to run away from others, Sukuna is using it too.

Despite rejecting all forms of love for the sake of self-preservation, Sukuna expresses cravings for it in very roundabout ways. Usually with how he mocks it.

Another puntastic bit of foreshadowing with Sukuna and Yuji’s binding vow, Enchain also doubles as a discussion about love.

Here's a link to the full poem and context of it.

In summary, it’s about a soldier who is on the brink of death, having lost nearly everything after being abandoned by those in power, lamenting the happiest days of his life with his love are ones he can never get back. (Kind of sounds like how Sukuna ruins Yuji’s life.)

Sukuna canonically reads literature about love and he will use that knowledge to torment people. That’s pretty interesting for someone who hates it. There’s also the underlying theme of exploitation and discardment in this poem that reflects how Jujutsu Society treats sorcerers. And in both cases, the strength to survive and love can’t be had.

Sukuna calls Kashimo greedy for wanting both. But much much earlier Sukuna warns Yuji that there are consequences for being greedy.

I really wonder why he believes that.

Jujutsu Society and Labor Exploitation

The other interesting thing about Izutsumi is how aimless she is after learning the modifications to her body are irreversible despite obtaining freedom. She simply doesn’t know what to do with this. And that makes sense. Grand ambitions take a backseat when all you know is surviving. Her development involves slowly learning how build relationships with others that aren’t exploitative and coping with the permanent changes to her body. And it only comes about because the people she finds herself with are other social weirdos who give her the space and time to change.

That’s what seems to be the problem with Sukuna. He doesn’t have a space within sorcerer or non-sorcerer society where he’ll be accepted and won’t be exploited. But I don’t need to tell you that, Nanami will.

He’s miserable as a sorcerer or not. Might as well pick the one he is good at.

Later he recounts exactly what made him come back.

And if you noticed, his listlessness after escaping Jujutsu and “I always thought that having a 'purpose in life' had nothing to do with me” is very similar to Sukuna’s boredom and “I'd never though about it. ...Ideals. Desires that go beyond oneself”.

It’s weird that Nanami and Sukuna have similar realizations about their place in society while arriving at completely different ways to deal with it. I think that’s intentional.

From an interview with Gege:

"If there was one thing worth mentioning, it's that no one has the ultimate truth. The “good guys” and the “bad guys”. Some seek to kill the hero out of pure selfishness, but others are led to this decision by logical reasoning. If no one is really right, then no one is wrong either. Each character is guided by their own ethics."

I've interpreted this quote as the author telling me to consider the characters as having similar motivations, but completely different methodologies and logic driving their actions. With that in mind, I have concluded the following:

Every single character that’s kind of insane has recognized the same problem. Japanese work culture sucks. It grinds you to dust, leaves you with no freetime, and even corrodes your identity under the guise of collectivism. “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” is the go-to Japanese proverb to justify conformity to this suffering. Uro calls it out exactly.

Toji and Maki are beaten into place, used as scapegoats, and isolated by their families for being born wrong and staining the Zenin reputation by existing. Toji decided the solution was killing sorcerers and leaving Jujutsu society. Maki decided the solution was killing her family (she did nothing wrong) and building a better Jujutsu society with allies.

Geto, Nanami, and Gojo all broke from overwork that isolated them and never allowed them to grieve. Geto decided the solution was killing non-sorcerers and leaving Jujutsu society. Nanami decided the solution was leaving Jujutsu society and doing non-sorcerer work. Gojo decided the solution was reforming Jujutsu society and eventually killing the higher ups (based).

So despite all these different solutions, some of which are indefensible, I understand exactly why they became that way. They’re dealing with labor exploitations and dehumanization without the theoretical framework to be productive about it. (Gojo is the closest person to discovering what a union is.)

Geto snapped from a single traumatic event coupled with the knowledge that his labor would be exploited until he joined the mountain of sorcerers’ corpses. Though he was introduced as a mass murdering lunatic, there were always hints of how badly he wanted sorcerers to be free of exploitation. (Karl Marx could’ve saved him.)

Sukuna experiencing the most egregious form of labor exploitation, slavery would fit into these themes nicely I think. It's the ultimate form of dehumanization—becoming a literal commodity for people to sell, trade, and break. (And him deciding to be this wild about it would be understandable to me at least because I truly believe in the John Brown solution for slaveowners.)

Sukuna is fond of Megumi, Maki, Gojo, and Jogo. Megumi was sold by his father to a clan, the Zenins tried to make Maki subservient for being female, Gojo was bossed around and run ragged by the higher ups, and Jogo was puppetted around by Kenjaku. All of these characters are powerful individuals that for one reason or another were shafted by societal constraints that had them exploited by others weaker than them. Since Sukuna likes people similar to him, it's not a stretch to assume he’s recognizing their hurt as his own.

And just like Geto, instead of abolishing the hierarchy that subjugated him, Sukuna has chosen to sit atop it to escape. But unlike Geto, Sukuna doesn't dream of a world where he enforces it. (The guy clearly hates having responsibilities and doesn't want to be a ruler. He just wants to do what he wants whenever he wants. You know, having freedom.)

Sukuna existed within a society where it was acceptable to own people if you were strong enough. The fact he treats Uraume, a voluntary servant, so well and refuses to keep slaves speaks volumes. Sukuna may live for himself but he clearly has some form of ethics about it.

Wait, what about Megumi’s subjugation?

Well, sometimes people are hypocrites. Nanami, Mr. Would’ve Loved Unions and outspoken labor critic, is content with pushing all the work onto Gojo, who has suffered in the exact same way he has.

Maybe it’s resentment for his Gojo’s birth making curses stronger and therefore harder to deal with. Maybe he sees Gojo as everything wrong with Jujutsu and is lashing out. The point is, I don’t know why Nanami made the exception to his rules for Gojo and that’s why I’m clueless on where Megumi fits into this theory.

I’m not sure if Sukuna intends to keep Megumi as a puppet forever. For the sake of his own entertainment, he’ll probably release him after ingesting his final finger if Yuji can’t separate them first. And in a very twisted way, his treatment of Megumi could also be seen as a cruel training regiment. Sukuna thinks suffering and isolation brings strength. That’s how he’s justifying whatever happened to him.

But on the other hand, maybe he won’t. Because now Megumi has the blueprint for surpassing him. Defeat means being a slave again and Sukuna can’t have that.

#cactus yaps #I’m so excited to see how off I’ll be.#Sukuna was definitely exploited in the past. I’ll stake a toenail on it.#It seems that exploitation scales with power so whatever the fudge happened to Sukuna is worse than everyone else combined.#If I’m picking up on themes correctly then slavery will come up again.#Which not a lot of people picked up on Uro being a slave. The poor girl had no name and was used as a living weapon.#I think it’s because chattel slavery is more common in media.#When you get to the ‘‘less violent’’ kinds of slavery it can start looking like a sucky exploitative job.#And capitalism doesn’t want workers to make that connection because then they might demand better.#My other favorite ex-slave character is Isaac from Netflix Castlevania.#There's something so cathartic about watching him destroy the society that enslaved him. My fave quote from him is:#''You know… One day the last one of you will ask me; ‘Why did you work with Dracula himself to murder all the people?’#And you know what I’ll say? It’s because you’re all so fucking rude.''#ryomen sukuna #jujutsu kaisen #jjk spoilers #asks

48 notes · View notes

runabout-river · 2 months

Text

Descending and Ascending into a Curse

I’ve been thinking about Sukuna, his outlook on life and his origins a lot and while his birth and his act of cannibalism beforehand will get their own post, this one is about his ascension into a curse.

Right at the beginning of the story, there had always been confusion about whether Sukuna is a curse or not. Gojō talking about him being an imaginary god, a human-born curse like Naoya, didn’t help make that distinction clear even though Gojō specified that the people merely believed him to be one even though he was still human.

That distinction though had always been muddled in and out of story with descriptions of Sukuna like:

The King of Curses

Yuji calling him and Mahito a curse

Yuji calling him a curse again after he took Megumi’s body

Sukuna bathing in pure cursed energy

Gege himself categorizing Sukuna (and Kenjaku) as a curse

We could label that kind of description metaphorical; that Sukuna is just so inhuman in his conduct that he’s compared vividly with actual curses born out of negative emotions. But we’ve already been told through Tengen that his cursehood is meant to be literal.

After Riko’s death, Tengen changed into Metalgreymon a higher being. In that form, she was so much like a curse that Kenjaku was able to use Curse Manipulation on her. But more than that, Kenjaku explicitly makes a comparison between Tengen and Sukuna.

Meaning that Tengen’s new form is similar to how Sukuna is and has been since Heian. This process has been described as the next stage of evolution for humans, so an ascension into being a curse while we could describe the normal process of becoming a vengeful god a descent into one.

Normal but highly developed curses can become similar in their thought processes and feelings to humans, as we’ve seen with the disaster curses who in fact tried to replace humans. The only thing they can’t do is deal with positive energy.

Sukuna on the other hand can use PE without problems. We can’t say yet how far evolved he is compared to Tengen though (eg could Kenjaku control Sukuna with CM if Sukuna were to be weakened enough?)

As it stands, the path that Sukuna and Tengen chose to go on to elevate themselves above humans not only made them curse-like hybrids but also took them a step higher on the evolution chain than a normal curse or vengeful god could ever be.

In conclusion, while Sukuna is still human he also is a curse but not one born from a reduction of his self into negative emotions and cursed energy. Instead, he’s elevated into a curse (or a curse like being that deserves a new name) through a different process, one that no one else replicated except Tengen but only through a twist of her CT that took 500 years.

(The most interesting question on Sukuna's ascension is, how did he go on that path? What are his motivations and how did his pre-natal cannibalism and being born a "cursed child" (disfigured?) contribute to that? All to be discussed later.)

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #sukuna #fushiguro megumi #kenjaku #jjk tengen #meta #jjk kenjaku #ryomen sukuna #yuji itadori #itadori yuuji

40 notes · View notes

jojikawa · 1 year

Text

✿ Hashira Harem Headcanons ✿

One Headcanon for every Hashira (platonic for Muichiro) when they have a crush on you all at once!

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Warnings: Fem/Fem-Bodied reader, use of she/her, queer activity, love-polygon? Slight NSFW warning for some of them!

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

After killing 50 demons and slaying a member of the Kizuki, you finally became a Hashira. You wanted to use your abilities to help people because, from a young age, you felt as though you were the only one who would. That drive carried you to your goals. You knew that just by being promoted, things wouldn’t get easier. Demons evolve and get stronger just like slayers. But…demons weren’t the challenge. It was actually your fellow teammates that became obstacles and your obvious nature didn’t help. You had suspected that all of the Hashiras, or at least most of them, had become more than friendly with you!

Shinobu Kocho—

Shinobu comes off as calculated and often works in her favor. She pretends as if she doesn’t know you’re changing and walks in on you just to see your body. She then offers to help you with your uniform.

Muichiro Tokito—

Nonchalantly lets it slip that you remind him of his mom but in a good way. He finds being around you comforting and therapeutic. You’re not too sure how to take such a thing but he is a sweetheart and you could never reject such respect!

Mitsuri Kanroji—

Constantly and audibly blushing at you. Everyone notices except for you. She finds everything about you so cute and alluring, finding every excuse in the book to stare or just talk to you.

Obanai Iguro—

Avoids you at first because you’re pretty until Mitsuri never stops talking about you. He doesn’t know how to express himself at all so he and Mitsuri go and pick out cute accessories from different shops to give to you out of admiration.

Tengen Uzui—

Instantly thinks you’d be a great addition as a fourth wife. Doesn’t even hold a conversation with you before he goes and tells his three wives about you, getting them all excited before you get letters with his family’s seal with a marriage proposal. Flirts a lot and tries showing off a lot. If you’re still oblivious he just straight up says “Marry me!”

Sanemi Shinazugawa—

A total tsundere. The two of you are already dating in his head and shit-talks anyone who may openly express how they may feel about you, romantic or not. Often dictates how you wear your uniform because he hates that others get to see, although he never explicitly says it. Might ask people who may know you if you’re seeing anyone but hasn’t yet made a move.

Giyu Tomioka—

Is mostly quiet while others are around. He does subtle things like try to stand next to you and kinda just stares, perhaps in a perverted way. He looks upset and sometimes you feel like he hates being around you since he never verbalizes anything. You only find out once you make an off-handed comment about your appearance. He reassures you by calling you “cute.”

Kyojuro Rengoku—

Probably the most nervous Hashira out of everyone. He’s super outgoing and expressive and because of that, he is the most likely to make a fool of himself, always finding himself in lewd situations with you that make him look bad. If he sees anything he shouldn’t such as cleavage, panties, upper thigh, or inner thigh, he visibly turns red, heating up and blowing steam out of his nose while trying to keep his cool.

Gyomei Himejima—

Loves your energy. Can’t see but your voice alone gives him butterflies! Has a size kink bc there’s no way you’re bigger than him when your small voice is coming from all the way down there. Enjoys physical contact.

Maybe I’ll write more ❤️

#demon slayer headcanons #demon slayer #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer imagines #kny x reader #hashira x reader #fem reader #haram x reader

209 notes · View notes

cursedvibes · 1 year

Text

Two Types of Ultimate Strength in JJK

I wanted to take the time to break down the two types of The Strongest we meet in the story and the way these four people are representing them. In this case, "The Strongest" means: a person with the power to permanently change (jujutsu) society.

Raw Power

I struggled a bit with how to name the two categories, but ultimately settled on this. Raw Power refers to the people who get called The Strongest in text aka Ryomen Sukuna & Gojo Satoru. The strongest sorcerer in history and the strongest sorcerer of modern times. Their power lies in their attack strength and natural abilities. Their physical superiority lets them shape society and even affect things like the spawning of curses and the power-levels of sorcerers because the lethal threat they pose forces everyone to follow or die. In Sukuna's case there is basically only the option to die, although he did negotiate with the Fujiwara and they incorporated him into rituals and political plays (more like you would use an atomic bomb than him actively participating in discussions, I imagine), so he wasn't in kill mode 24/7. Gojo changed the behavior of curse users just by being born. He could kill the higher-ups at any point and put his own people in power to run society as he sees fit, nobody could stop him. He could block or instate any political system he wants. Recently it looks like that might actually be part of his plan.

Gojo and Sukuna have more differences though than Sukuna just being more destructive and forcing sorcerers to evolve or die. Gojo was special the moment he was born. Tengen literally designed him to be an indestructible weapon from a young age. He's smart too, but his physiology and innate technique already give him a huge advantage over anyone else and nobody besides Sukuna has even a chance at breeching that gap.

As far as we know, for Sukuna that wasn't the case. His cursed technique, Shrine, depends on taking other skills in and collecting them. Add onto that large reserves of cursed energy and quick learning skill. He has a strong understanding of cursed energy and the soul (without a physical advantage like the six eyes) and that is the basis for how he is able to perform techniques like an unclosed domain, turning himself into a cursed object and learning to regenerate his cursed technique after experiencing it once. It relies a lot more on experience and study than in Gojo's case, despite also having intrinsic advantages like his large cursed energy pool. He is also more adaptable than Gojo as his fight against Mahoraga shows very well. Gojo's attitude is more straightforward, but he also rarely gets challenged to do more than shoot his energy blasts very precisely and with a lot of power behind it. He rarely gets forced to rely on other skills or trickery. In that way, he's actually much more the brute force type than Sukuna.

Plotting

This is the category I made up for Tengen & Kenjaku. They aren't very physically strong, not in the sense that Sukuna and Gojo are. Actually they would very quickly die in a straight up battle against the two, but they are still more influencial than them. I mean, Tengen is the reason society exist in the way it does after all and Kenjaku is doing a very good job at breaking the system down. If Gojo and Sukuna are natural disasters that alter the balance of the world, Tengen and Kenjaku are the ones that guide the path these disasters take.

Tengen isn't a fighter, but she is still powerful through her understanding of cursed energy, huge energy reserves and mastery of barrier techniques. She created barriers around Japan to enhance the sorcerer and curse formation inside them (like a greenhouse for cursed energy). Society is dependant on her to exist as it is. If she's gone, all structure would collapse and curses would run wild. It would likely affect future generations of sorcerers as well. She is the reason Gojo even exist and Sukuna...well who knows what she did with him. She did all this "merely" through talking and building connections and subtly influencing people, like when she appeared in the Nara period and preached about buddhism and her vision for jujutsu sorcerers or how she facilitated the creation of the Big 3 and higher-ups and continued to guide them from behind the scenes.

Kenjaku is more of a fighter than Tengen, they know how to defend themselves, but it is not their first instinct and direct conflict is rarely their preferred plan of action. Due to having reduced their body to purely the brain, their physical capabilities rely heavily on the vessel they inhabit and even in the body of someone like Geto whose technique they use much better than the guy himself, they would still easily get killed by Gojo and they have to rely on Sukuna at the moment to not die to him. You can also see it in their fighting style. They rarely get close, instead prefer long-range attacks and tools. Their real speciality lies in using other people to let them do the work for them or enhance their plans in some other way. Even Sukuna and Gojo fall victim to that. Another specialty of theirs is the manipulation of cursed energy and the soul, only that in contrast to Sukuna they use it to create tools, recruit people and create barriers comparable to Tengen's (I think technically they could create the same thing Tengen does, they just lack the energy reserves).

However, both Tengen and Kenjaku get overlooked by history and their influence is pushed aside. Even when entire organizations criticize Tengen for very valid reasons, nobody takes it up with her or actually challenges her in a meaningful way because she is both illusive (the higher-ups are much more present) and also an integral part for the sustainability of everyday life. Take her away and society will crumble and most people don't want such radical change. Kenjaku wasn't known at all until recently except by selected "curse users", despite their clashes with the Gojo clan in the past (I blame Tengen for their late identity reveal). Their actions have great influence and at times even make it into the history books, but they aren't tied back to them personally, just their vessels.

TL;DR: Next to Gojo and Sukuna's very palpable, aggressive power, there is also a more subtle power represented by Tengen and Kenjaku that relies a lot more on manipulation and minimal, longterm actions than physical strength. All this can be seen in the way that both Tengen and Kenjaku often get overlooked, but have both influenced Sukuna and Gojo to a great degree and are even responsible for the rise and fall of jujutsu society.

Kenjaku and Tengen are both barrier users, a very defence-oriented skill, but furthermore heavily tied to mind & imagination and the manipulation of energy. The reason they are so successful is also tied to their experience. Gojo's and Sukuna's power allows them to skip the long game in most cases, while Tengen and Kenjaku rely on it to amass strength. I highly doubt Tengen was just born with the cursed energy reserves she uses for her barriers, she likely collected it over hundreds of years. Kenjaku's plans would also be barely effective if they only had one human life span to enact them. And the interactions with so many other sorcerers allow them to learn a lot more than the other two could ever hope to. Sukuna is kind of immortal now too, but if you take out the time he was just hanging around as a cursed object, he's actually pretty young compared to the Manipulation Duo.

Side Note: I think Maki and Toji could technically qualify too, they have the ability to facilitate change, but both haven't done anything with it so far, not on a larger scale at least. Toji killing Riko had major consequences, but he was ultimately a tool and a stepping stone for Tengen's evolution. I mean, isn't it a crazy coincidence that the people employing Toji have the same goals Kenjaku does? The Time Vessel Association also exists since the Nara period... either way, while Sukuna and Gojo are getting manipulated too, there is still purpose behind their actions. Both the Zenin massacre and Riko's death are more incidental. Their actions don't have the same consistency as Sukuna or Gojo, although Maki is still promising. She can still do something with her new powers. In terms of strength they don't quite measure up to the other two either. Maki might make it with a bit more training, but not based on what we've seen so far. So...I guess, they might be Type 3: unused potential.

#jujutsu kaisen #basically just my thoughts about how the physically weaker ones end up having more power over The Strongest #jjk spoilers #ryomen sukuna #gojo satoru #tengen #kenjaku

181 notes · View notes

artoriarts · 8 days

Text

there’s a lot of talk about missed potential in jjk, and I agree, while culling games onward was a good ol fight shonen, shibuya incident was something special, dark and painful but built on a core foundation of hope and positivity that drives yuji as a character, but it kinda peaked there, never hitting the same emotional depth after, with the exception of maki and the zenin assassination arc.

But from the many things I’ve seen brought up, one of the things I haven’t seen is just the core premise of cursed energy not being used like it could be from the getgo. Instead of just being Ki, it was something developed *through* the negative emotions that pool and spawn curses. This is just gonna be me spitballing but listen listen.

Yuta’s the best way to segue into this. A sensitive kid loses his best friend and spirals into grief, unknowingly channeling his cursed technique (instead of just being able to copy, him being able to replicate/leech soul ‘data’ in general) as he hangs on to every memory and memento of her, acting as almost ritual and binding her soul to his, resulting in the vengeful spirit we know of rika, his raw cursed energy output resulting from the feedback loop of negativity that comes from the mass guilt of the horrors rika enacts in his defense, as well as the guilt of trapping her with him in the first place when he learns it’s his fault. His power is the direct result of the weight he carries with him.

And in the same way, other characters bear their trauma in their power. Maki’s frustration and spite at the circumstances of her birth placing her under every disadvantage with the system as it is. Sukuna’s raw hatred and disdain for his fellow man. Gojo’s isolation from his own humanity as The Strongest, growing up both closer to everyone than anyone could ever know, as the six eyes’ ability to see the flow of cursed energy allows him to practically read people’s minds emotionally, and yet expectations and power have placed him on a pedestal so far away from humanity, pressured and forced into sorcery, not a single other interest permitted, from the moment of his birth. Yuji, being a newcomer, predominantly working off fear and the still fresh grief of his grandpa, along with the pressure he now feels as someone capable of sorcery to protect those who are not, one bornout of love but no less harsh, and after shibuya, like yuta, he gains a burning core of guilt for what his life has allowed to happen. Stretching more now but instead of becoming racist and getting skilljacked, geto breaking at the end of hidden inventory is where his character launches off from, instead of how it dooms itself to end; I would need to put more thought into it to make it make concrete sense but his want to rid the world of nonsorcerers and “evolve humanity” is not out of hatred for the weak but his love for humanity as a whole, he wants a humanity that can defend itself against the natural consequence of its existence that is cursed energy, and sorcerers are basically the only ones who can do that, so non-sorcerers are simply liabilities and sources of cursed energy that don’t pull their own weight, and kenjaku is maybe more like a symbiote to him, his patron that just so happens to have the same practical goals as him, albeit a different motive of pure scientific curiosity (assuming they still want the tengen merger or if they’re still in the story at all, they don’t fit into this brainbaby idea quite as well as everything else, but I digress).

And this isn’t just a story thing, it also affects the battle system too. Desperation while losing a fight actively makes you more powerful - also means consequently that like people who keep their cool like gojo (ignoring the minor insanity (and him seeing his ex-boyfriend)) have an inherent power limiter; he may be the strongest but he doesn’t get the same power buffs that everyone else can. Maybe positive energy actually like exists aside from mahoraga and rct. it’s harder to use because well people latch onto negative emotion easier than positive emotion and if you’re fighting obviously things are not sunshine and rainbows, but it is more effective against pure curses and can heal (also then if you can only rct off positive emotion, that power swing from negativity kinda shifts you into a glass canon with more damage but less ability to heal).

Do I turn this into fanfic. Do I do that thing where you make fanfic but break it so far from anything canon it’s basically just original content. or do I just keep it all locked in my head because I’m lazy. Decisions decisions.

#art #my art #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk spoilers #sukuna #jjk sukuna #I was gonna draw all the characters I talked about here labeled with their primary curse emotion #but then I didn’t want to #so now sukuna is just here to look pretty

24 notes · View notes

olivialau · 2 months

Text

Shadow's Embrace Ch. 12

Sukuna x Reader

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fanfiction based on the universe of "Jujutsu Kaisen," created by Gege Akutami. The original manga, anime, and characters belong to their respective owners and creators.

Notes:

This story unfolds in the Jujutsu Kaisen world, set in a slightly altered universe where Sukuna inhabits his own vessel distinct from Itadori Yuji's body, making him a separate entity.

Summary:

Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, becomes fascinated with a female sorcerer rich in potential but lacking control. Initially seizing her for his destructive plans, Sukuna aims to bind her abilities through a contract. Yet, as he tries to dominate her, he finds himself intrigued by her strength and determination. Over time, his interest evolves from strategic advantage to a deeper, personal connection.

---------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 12 - Veil of Lies

"Ugh, Gojo-sensei, can you please not recline the seat all the way back?" Megumi's annoyance was palpable as he wrestled with the limited space in the backseat. With him, Itadori, and Kugisaki already squished together like sardines, Gojo's decision to leisurely stretch out was pressing on his nerves as he struggled to stay composed.

Gojo chuckled heartily in response, his laughter reverberating through the car. He tilted his head back slightly, and his eyes sparkled with mischief as he glanced at Megumi through the rearview mirror.

"Sorry, kiddo," he mused, "No can do! My legs are beat from all that hard work, and I'm not getting any younger, y'know?". It was clear that he was enjoying the opportunity to tease his student.

Itadori then chimed in, with his trademark positivity. "Come on, you guys," he said, "It's actually kinda nice and cozy back here, huh?"

Kugisaki, who was squeezed in the middle, scoffed and crossed her arms. "Cozy?" she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If cozy means my personal space is non-existent, then sure."

Gojo turned his playful gaze towards Ijichi in the driver's seat. "Hey, Ijichi," he began with a grin, "next time, can't we just use a van? More space for everyone, right? And it'd look cool too."

Ijichi glanced down at the steering wheel with a resigned sigh, hesitant to disappoint Gojo, as he spoke "I'm afraid there's... no budget."

Gojo's carefree complexion faltered for a moment as he processed Ijichi's response. "No way!" he exclaimed, feigning disbelief.

He leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms with a mock pout. "Well, looks like we'll just have to make do with what we've got, huh?"

Kugisaki scoffed as she muttered, "That's easy enough for you to say from your royal seat in the front."

The next few minutes in the car were spent in silence, broken only by the faint hum of the engine and the occasional sigh from Megumi, still adjusting uncomfortably in his seat.

Finally, Ijichi broke the silence, announcing, "We're nearly there."

Itadori sighed in relief at the prospect of being able to save his classmate soon, but his words were tinged with worry as he silently whispered to himself, "Man, I can't believe we only managed to get a hold of Master Tengen yesterday. I just hope we're not too late..."

Gojo was quick to reassure Itadori, sensing his student's concern. "She'll be fine," he said with conviction, though his confidence contradicted his own lingering worries.

"With Tengen's information, we'll be able to break through the veil in no time."

As the car rolled to a stop, everyone except Ijichi exited, their steps quickening with a sense of urgency as they followed the familiar landmarks guiding them to the location they'd inspected previously.

Megumi's brow furrowed in concentration as he recalled the details of their last visit. "If I remember correctly, the barrier should be just up ahead, around that old factory," he said, his gaze fixed on the dilapidated structure in the distance.

However, when they approached the building further, they all came to a quick halt, as they stood in stunned silence. Confusion etched across their features until Itadori stated the glaringly obvious.

"Huh? The veil... it's gone."

-----------‐-----------------------------------------------------------------

- 2 hours earlier -

The nerves in your stomach tightened as you waited with bated breath for Sukuna's next move. Now that the intensity of the situation had died down, your body had returned to a state of normalcy, and the only reminder of the dire situation you'd just been in was the thick blood covering the concrete floor.

It dawned on you—the full weight of the deal you had just made.

You were now bound to him, your fate irrevocably intertwined with his. And this wasn't just a short reprieve from normalcy; this was forever.

The only thought that kept you from going insane was the knowledge that there was always a way out. You wouldn't let Sukuna corrupt you to the point of causing irreversible harm to others—you were prepared to take your own life to prevent this, if necessary.

But you knew that playing along to a certain extent was inevitable, even if it meant causing some minor harm in the process.

And you were prepared for that. You did not take the value of your own life lightly, not after all you'd been through.

You had promises to fulfill.

Without looking up from the floor, you could feel Sukuna's gaze settling in your direction, he was scrutinizing you.

"I can see the cogs turning in that little head of yours, woman," he chuckled, a teasing edge to his words.

He leaned in, his crimson eyes narrowing as he studied you even more intently. "But what could you possibly be thinking about?" he mused in condescension.

"Surely you realize that you've sold your will to me now."

Sukuna's entire being seemed to pulse with authority. "From this point onward, I'll be the one doing the thinking," he declared, with an undeniable power in his stance. "Your role is to obey."

He let out a derisive scoff, shaking his head. "Stupid girl," he spat, as his eyes roamed across the blood-stained floor, taking in the results of the chaos that had unfolded.

"Seeing how you've made such a mess," he began, before he crossed his arms and the corners of his mouth twitched into a cruel smile.

"Let's start by having you clean this up," Sukuna commanded. The idea of working you like a slave, of watching you scramble to erase the marks of your own blood, seemed to amuse him greatly.

Ugh. Sukuna's nerve bothered you to no end. You seriously wondered how you were going to keep this up. The way he patronized you was absolutely nauseating.

But you couldn't exactly refuse him, and so you had to swallow your pride and comply.

Sukuna raised an eyebrow, his impatience clear as he questioned, "What are you waiting for?" He gestured lazily toward the stairs that led outside the room. "There's a mop upstairs. Get moving."

You looked at him doubtfully, unsure of how to leave the room when a powerful barrier was erected around the bounds.

But Sukuna quickly picked up on your hesitation, and with a casual snap of his fingers, the oppressive energy of the barrier dissipated, the invisible wall of cursed energy that caged you in, vanishing as if it was never there.

"There's no need for the barrier anymore," Sukuna said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You can't run anyway."

His words were a stark reminder of the binding vow, of the invisible chains that now tethered you to him just as securely as any physical barrier ever could.

With gritted teeth, you made your way upstairs, scrambling around to find the mop. When you returned to the basement, you avoided Sukuna's gaze as you started cleaning the floor. The sound of the mop swishing across the cold concrete filled the room.

Despite your best efforts to focus on the task at hand, you could feel Sukuna's entertained eyes boring into your back. He observed you for a little while longer, before casually settling on the couch.

As he lounged with outstretched legs, he began to explain his plans for you, his voice smooth and calculated.

"I want you to return to Jujutsu High,"

Sukuna began, his words sent a wave of relief coursing through you. The prospect of being around normal- kind, people again brought a sense of comfort.

But as Sukuna continued outlining his plan, that sentiment became more complex, as it entangled with feelings of guilt and apprehension.

"Continue as a first year, get close to everyone, especially those high in command," Sukuna's tone was to the point and cold. "I want all the information you can gather, every whisper you hear. You will be my eyes and ears, a spy within their ranks."

He sighed, a hint of annoyance flickering across his features as he continued, "In the meantime... I will train you," Then his eyes seemed to glint with darker intent, as a subtle smirk tugged at the corner of his lip.

"And when the time is ripe, I will launch my grand attack," Sukuna declared, as he turned to lock eyes with you. "And you, little sorcerer, will be with me at the forefront. My personally molded weapon."

You silently listened to his plans, disguising your disgust behind a face of neutrality. To get through this ordeal you had to keep your emotions in check, you had to become calm and calculated. The more you resisted, the more Sukuna seemed to revel in taunting you, feeding off your struggles.

So instead of letting your true feelings show, you focused on gathering as many details as possible, preparing yourself for the challenges that lay ahead. You probed for more information, but it was clear that Sukuna was not planning on indulging you with the details.

He did mention, however, that Satoru Gojo and his brats were on their way.... without disclosing how he'd acquired this knowledge.

Sukuna elaborated that he planned to remove the barrier around the building, leaving you behind for them to discover.

He instructed you to pretend that you had just escaped from the basement and had not seen Sukuna in days. "I'm certain Gojo will see through your deception," Sukuna remarked, his voice laced with amusement.

"But that man will be intrigued enough to play along."

---------------------------------------------------------

- 2 hours later -

As you stood in the great hall of the abandoned factory, memories of Sukuna's brutal attacks here flooded back to you. The same metal pillars that Sukuna had slammed your body into stood as silent witnesses in the empty space. The crimson stains on the floor a reminder of your every tumble against the cold stone.

But amidst the haunting memories, there was also a glimmer of something else. It was in this very hall where you had experienced your first awakening. The first time you had ever felt a sense of control over your cursed energy.

And though you didn't want to admit it, Sukuna, despite his cruelty, had played a role in guiding you to that pivotal moment.

Regardless of the undeniable evil that surrounded him, there was a part of you that couldn't deny the allure of unlocking your true potential and gaining mastery over your abilities.

The prospect of learning more about your cursed energy, even if Sukuna would be the one to teach you, sparked a flicker of excitement.

But that excitement was greatly overshadowed by the anticipation of Gojo and your classmates' approaching arrival. The thought of deceiving them made your nerves run wild. The fear of being exposed as a traitor, a fraud, gnawed at your insides. Would they see through your facade? Would they sense the betrayal?

The walls seemed to close in around you, suffocating you with the weight of your own treachery, until a loud smash signaled the door being kicked in. You turned around, heart pounding in your chest.

There, in the entrance, stood Gojo. Hands on his hips, his leg still outstretched from the act of kicking in the heavy door. Though he seemed as if it'd been completely effortless.

Behind Gojo, you saw Itadori, the bright and kind-hearted boy you had befriended during the training, watching movies. His expression was a mix of relief and excitement at seeing you unharmed.

Beside Itadori stood Kugisaki and Megumi, the classmates you had briefly acquainted yourself with during the introductory week at Jujutsu High.

"Are you okay? Were you harmed in any way?" Gojo's words echoed through the space. They were filled with genuine care and concern, his bright blue eyes searching yours for any sign of distress or discomfort.

You were unable to mutter a word, as the nerves seemed to clamp down on your throat rendering you speechless. So instead you nodded slowly.

When Gojo had confirmed you were okay, his attention shifted to the next pressing concern—Sukuna.

He scanned the room with a focused gaze, assessing the situation before deeming it safe enough to approach. Your classmates followed closely behind him, their guard clearly up as well.

"Sukuna's not here?" Gojo inquired, his voice calm but with a hint of caution. The mention of Sukuna's name sent a shiver down your spine, but you forced yourself to breathe and calm down.

"I haven't seen him in days," you answered. There was a slight tremble in your voice and you could only hope that they didn't pick up on it.

You continued to explain that Sukuna had held you captive in the basement, and you had only just managed to escape.

Gojo's sharp eyes took in the red stains on the floor, contrasting them with your perfectly unharmed appearance. The contradiction seemed to give him pause, a thoughtful expression crossing his face as he processed the puzzling discrepancy.

"He didn't say anything important before he left? Anything I should know?" Gojo inquired, his eyes searching yours for any hint of deception. You shook your head in response, whilst avoiding his gaze.

Luckily Itadori disrupted the nerve-wrecking questioning, as he ran up to you in excitement and grasped your hand. "I'm so glad to see you," he beamed, his smile infectious and genuine. The warmth of his gesture and the sincerity in his eyes eased some of the tension that had been building within you.

You reciprocated Itadori's warmth with a smile of your own, telling him that you were glad to see him too. As you glanced behind him and met the gazes of Megumi and Kugisaki, you added, "I'm glad to see you all too."

Kugisaki waved at you happily, bubbling with energy. Whilst Megumi scratched his head, more reserved and slightly flustered as he muttered a quiet "Yeah, same."

Gojo's previous suspicion seemed to melt away as he returned to his usual gleeful and carefree manner. He swung his arm around your neck in a friendly gesture,

"You must've had it rough. Let's head back, and then we'll talk about it later."

As they led you out of the building, a sigh of relief escaped your lips as you felt the cold, fresh air against your skin and heard the birds chirping in the distance. The same birds whose songs had been your only connection to the outside world during your captivity in the tiny basement.

Itadori, Megumi, and Kugisaki guided you towards the car, their questions about what Sukuna was like filling the air.

Gojo was a few meters behind, as he glanced back into the building one last time, a hint of concern breaking through his carefree features.

His whispered words, barely audible, carried a weight of unease as he muttered to himself,

"Something isn't right."

---------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading! I appreciate the support 🙏❤️

Taglist: @sukunasthightattoos , @tomiokasecretlover , @6demonize6me6 , @blindbabycadder , @domainofmarie , @marcoschuitmaker , @geniejunn

If you want to be added to the taglist, so you don't miss any updates, please let me know in the comments or with a private message. Thankyou!

34 notes · View notes

lxmelle · 4 months

Text

Overthinking as usual and I’m just going to blab a bit about the “preciousness” of life in JJK.

I think the JJK world is quite heavily influenced by Buddhist principles and beliefs. I could be wrong though; hence me writing this as I try to figure out my thoughts. It is my understanding that in Buddhism, every living creature’s life is precious. Life, birth, death are of importance.

Since there is a belief in reincarnation, every creature’s life is to be treasured as much as possible. From a compassionate point of view, every creature’s life is important to itself. As a human being with higher awareness (for, and of, others), we have a responsibility to care for them and protect. According to the belief over karma / the karmic cycle, this lends itself to a good life, and subsequent death and potentially the rebirth in the next life / realm. (This also explains the emphasis of a good death in JJK).

And from a reincarnation point of view, any animal could have been one’s parent through the infinite lives a soul can reincarnate in the karmic cycle. Thus killing an animal is considered cruel when one has this awareness of the preciousness of life and the soul. This is why many devout Buddhists observe vegetarianism...

In JJK, there is a rule that their powers must never be used to harm humans, which was exploited to use Toji to assassinate Riko to prevent Tengen from renewing its form. This rule was historically instated by Tengen themselves, who travelled to spread their beliefs (if I am not mistaken).

Now of course we understand as humans in this world, the importance of the survival of our race and we know the unspoken rules about morality, compassion, etc.

But going back to if “every life is precious” … I kinda wonder, why is sacrificing crows OK as a means to an end (Mei Mei) and sacrificing humans not OK?

Geto viewed those unable to evolve as the source of cursed spirits. He was willing and open to exterminating the entire human race in order to protect a few.

Gojo (and others I guess?) viewed some sacrifice as “acceptable” as a means to an end, or towards a better good/outcome. This includes sorcerers and students (sorry, but this is true).

I think to answer my own question: This becomes a debate about intentionality. And moral greyness. In our world, necessary sacrifice appears in various forms. We accept (sometimes with understandable difficulty) the fact that we simply can’t save everybody (humans, and any creature of our selection: e.g. dogs/cats but not a vermin). We are also OK with exterminating some creatures, especially if there is what we can rationalise as a just cause. We are selective. It depends on our worldview and what we cherish.

I see how this is what Gege wishes to do when he portrays different characters with different principles and intentions. They’re all debatable and their perspectives are valid (to themselves) but also questionable.

Mei Mei’s characterisation has been interesting where she can be pitted against those who are more righteous, say, like Nanami. Her morals have been depicted as sketchy anyway, as she is driven by the material, personal safety over that of other people, and her relationship with her brother is odd at best. She is one who is likely 100% OK with others (like the lives of infinite crows) being sacrificed for her personal interests.

Others in the recent chapters don’t seem to give much of a thought to the lives of humans, in fact the focus is again on their existences as sorcerers and humans are lowered to the level of “necessary sacrifice” (like ants or animals) towards the merger, for example. I guess this depicts the Heian brutality / worldview.

Tengen themselves were willing to sacrifice a person to ensure they could remain immortal and continue to manage the barriers in Japan. Again, is this what one can view as a necessary sacrifice? It probably highly depends on which character you’re asking. Yuki would say no, and Riko didn’t want to in the end either. Megumi didn’t want Yuji to die, but Yuji wanted to be the necessary sacrifice.

I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I just thought it was interesting.

I feel like my small brain is missing something though. Thoughts?

Anyone who studied philosophy and ethics care to enlighten me / share their views?

40 notes · View notes

hxhhasmysoul · 5 months

Text

mother's plans are so interesting

so after talking with @cursedvibes about the leaks, this is how i understand kenjaku's action.

they probably extracted the twin's soul while they turned sukuna's soul into cursed objects.

they did it either to experiment or for their plan.

it could've been just an experiment in reincarnation, they wanted to do with a soul what tengen did with bodies (star plasma vessels and six eyes), so a reincarnation that is bound by fate. thus the soul would reincarnate and be tied to kenjaku by fate.

or they already had a falling out with tengen, possibly about the evolution kenjaku wanted to spark. and they had conceived of a plan where they'd use sukuna as a counter to the six eyes that tengen used to protect herself from kenjaku.

because twins are seen as one, by absorbing the twin's soul, sukuna took the twins powers. so that means that the reincarnated twin had no powers. but as we've seen with megumi and maki, and noritoshi and the gojous, techniques can be inherited but it's not straightforward. they can jump generations, or be inherited not in a straight line. so it's likely that kenjaku had to try with several incarnations of the twin until they got the kid they wanted, a kid who could use the same techniques as sukuna and be strong enough to cage sukuna.

i wonder if the twin or kenjaku got emotionally involved along the way. did the twin cooperate or coordinate with kenjaku. was that why jin was chill with kenjaku? because he knew that him and kenjaku are creepy soulmates conspiring to kill and immortal sorcerer, upturn the system she built and evolve humanity... cursed cat, please give me creepy soulmates, it can be jujutsu nerd soulmates, not necessarily romantic.

like i'm not super happy that yuuji is related to sukuna, i wish he was his own thing because the fandom will and probably already has used it against him. and it would've been more interesting if kenjaku'd come up with something sukuna unrelated. but i love a nice twisted kenjaku plan, mother is so missed.

#jjk spoilers #jjk leaks #jjk 257 #jjk manga spoilers #kenjaku #itadori jin #sukuna #tengen #itadori yuuji

38 notes · View notes

tatertotcosmonaut · 4 months

Text

A really common take is that JJK is a story about the good guys never winning, about good people (or people trying to be good) failing no matter what— and Imma be real, I kinda disagree with this take!

Obviously you can interpret this story however you want and I see how people would come to that conclusion. But I don’t think Gege is passively nihilistic, or making a story like that. I think that Gege is just someone who is pretty critical of modern society and has just personified those critiques in the form of curses and a grimey setting.

Heavy stories or dark stories like JJK kinda fall prone to this “ah it’s just a nihilistic all hope is lost” story viewpoint, and while that can be true sometimes these stories usually are about holding onto hope, brutal but steady change, inner or societal reflection, fostering new generations, or persevering through it. Horrible things happen in these manga, at times it really does seem like a pointless endeavor— but there are always characters that move forward and hold onto hope. Always a flourishing forest after the large fire.

And I think JJK is definitely one of these stories, a story where after that storm there will be new life afterwards. Not everyone will be alive, but it will be bittersweet.

Gege is an author that has never really been afraid to critique Japanese society. Maki and Mai and the result of the Ze’nin are critiques of sexism and heavy traditionalism. Toji, Maki, and Mechmaru could definitely be seen as a critique on ableism and how disabled people are treated in society. Nanami is a critique on the brutal work system in Japan. Higuruma is a critique on the justice system in Japan. Hell, a lot of our main characters are the social outcasts of society (due to physical traits or just philosophical outlooks). And the recent critiques of racism, especially anti-blackness, in Japanese society with Miguel.

The higher ups of the Jujutsu Society are definitely a way of dissecting the disconnect older politicians or generations often have with younger generations, passing laws that will not better future generations and being stuck in conservative ways (hell Gojo blatantly calls them idiot conservatives).

Suguru Geto is an example of how lost youth without any support systems can get lost in the cracks. He gets so consumed by his depression, the tragedy he witnessed around him, and his anger that no one is doing anything about the fact that youth are dying that he turns to cults and extremist ideology.

While these events seem fantastical due to the existence of curses and people causing city wide destruction via cool martial arts combat, these situations of societal collapse and failing do indeed happen, and are happening and becoming worse at an alarming rate.

Even the nature of curses themselves can be seen as a personification of the anxiety and fears literally consuming and killing humanity, most notably the younger generation. Snuffing out hopes, or any motivation that the world will become better. Curses are literal manifestations of people’s fears and negative emotions, whose strength depends on the amount of fear humanity has of the concept. This literal and emotional consumption of the youth is even seen in the entities from the Heian Era.

Tengen, Kenjaku, and Sukuna all continue to live depending on the body of someone else, erasing who this person was and would have been. Tengen needs plasma star vessels so she does not evolve beyond the form she has now, Kenjaku puts their brain in the body of another, Sukuna needs a vessel to consume his fingers and when they do he immediately subjugates their soul.

All of this to say, I don’t think that JJK is a story about good people failing. It’s about society failing good people, it’s about broken customs and rules sucking the youth out of younger generations, it’s about cycles that need to be broken that CAN be broken. It’s about society that continues to slap bandaids on a knife wound and doesn’t address the fact that it’s still slowly bleeding out—

Yuki was on the right track, finding a way to nip the problem at the root. But look at how she was treated by others, about the rumors that spread of her. She was seen as useless, a dead weight, chasing after naive endeavors. But why is it naive? Shouldn’t resources also be spent on finding a way to stop the problem at the root? Or is the power, the control, the prestige (in the eyes of the higher ups and big three clans) of being a Jujutsu Sorcerer too much to lose if they were able to find a way to stop curses at the root?

This is not a hopeless world. Gojo tried to not make it such a hopeless world, Nanami bet on the future and admitted that was odd for him, love still exists even if it can hurt. People are able to overcome their demons, Maki did, Takaba did. While Maki’s development wasn’t one without hardship, without loss, she quite literally struck down most of the Zenin in her anger and a grief, a final wish from Mai to "destroy everything sister". Everything that abused them, everyone so stuck in their ways, everything that made the Zenin a bloated snake of corruption eating its own tail. And when Naoya came back she struck him down once again, with some struggle, but she overcame a past demon with help from two random ass guys that just happened to be there and happened to be nice enough to want to help.

Maki didn't lose her drive or her will, she didn't "become another Toji" that lost faith in the world and started drifting around with no meaning or consumed with apathy. She still loves her friends, she still cares for them, she still fights for them and goes through hardship for them.

There is still community in this world. There is still love, even if it hurts and it's love that makes us flawed. There's still a chance and a choice to hope and bet on the future. A better future in this world is worth fighting for, SHOULD be fought for. It is just unfortunate now that the youth themselves have to do it alone now.

There’s an interesting meta aspect to this, to the way readers have let the hopelessness convince them that there can be no happy ending. No one will come back to life, the ending will be bittersweet, there will be more death- but that does not mean it is the end. Maybe we, like Yuuji, have become jaded. Maybe we have also let this pain convince us that all the characters are destined to be is cogs in a machine. If that was the case, even if Sukuna were to die— if the characters were to fulfill their role as cogs and kill the evil of all evil— it would all be for naught. The cycle would still continue churning and churning.

Systems can be changed, one just has to have the stubbornness to change it. Yuuji just has to realize that once again.

————

Articles to read down below about the issues I mentioned in my yapfest:

Youth Issues in Japan:

- https://online.ucpress.edu/currenthistory/article/120/827/240/118342/Japan-s-Younger-Generations-Look-for-a-New-Way-of

- https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/d00800/

- https://www.npr.org/2021/10/29/1050620562/low-turnout-among-young-voters-in-japan-may-mean-the-ruling-party-stays-in-power

Work Culture in Japan:

- https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/karoshi-deep-look-japans-unforgiving-working-culture

Radicalization into Extremist Ideals:

- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sdr.1749#:~:text=The%20root%20of%20violent%20radicalization,72). (Root Causes of Radicalization: the Terror Contagion Hypothesis)

- https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-south-korea-s-young-men-are-turning-conservative.amp

- https://nuts2406.medium.com/why-we-should-worry-about-the-growing-radicalization-of-young-men-8cd6babb8bb8

Cults:

-https://encompass.eku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1905&context=honors_theses#:~:text=In%20contrast%2C%20cult%20leaders%20develop,disorder%20(Goldberg%2C%20n.d). (The Making of Cults: The Factors that Contribute to Membership and the Leaders’ Influence).

- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8234595/#:~:text=These%20variables%20include%20(a)%20generalized,abuse%20or%20neglect%2C%20(f)

Japanese Court System:

- https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/05/25/japans-hostage-justice-system/denial-bail-coerced-confessions-and-lack-access

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #itadori yuuji #itadori yuji #geto suguru #gojo satoru #ryomen sukuna #jjk spoilers #faust.speaks #yuuji itadori #yuji itadori

33 notes · View notes

heian-era-housewife · 3 months

Note

what do you think sukuna's backstory is like

Ahh the thousand-year-old question! This calls for tea. Come, let's have a chat. 🫖

Heads up! Spoilers below the break.

What we know:

• Sukuna started his life as a cannibal "foodie" all the way back in the womb of his starving mother after eating his twin. (Sorry Jin, nothing personal.)

• He's made several references to being an "unwanted child", but seems fuzzy on the details. Has also been referred to as the "Disgraced One".

• No spouse, kids, or friends. Just one very loyal servant. (Looking at you, Uraume)

• Wears a woman's kimono for maximum comfort. We stan a King with zero toxic masculinity. 👏

What we *sort of* know:

• Human -> Cursed Object transition via sketchy, back-alley deal with Kenjaku.

• Existed in four-armed, two-faced, stomach-mouth form prior to defeat and whilst in human form.

• Not a hugger...?

• His name means "two faced" - likely a reference not only to his would-be life as a twin, but also other aspects of duality throughout his existence. Possibly even an allusion to past or future betrayal that did (or will) define his character in some way.

What Yuri likes to believe:

(The following is a collection of headcanons, bold assumptions, and full-blown delusions.)

• From birth (and even before it) Sukuna's existence was founded on strength and survival.

• His mother either died or rejected him. *I do think it's worth mentioning the theory that Tengen is Sukuna's mother, and I don't find it totally impossible.

• His "true form" likely evolved with his mastery of cursed energy. The more fearsome he became, the more his body changed in time.

• His tendency to live and care only for himself stems from his forced independence from day one. (It's not his fault, guys. We can fix him!)

• Despite a millenium of mischaracterization, his ideas of love, relationships, and loneliness are more complex than those around him, and he has the capacity for all of the above.

In Summary:

• Mommy issues

• Abandonment Complex

• Just out here trying to survive

• Probably could use a hug ♡

In truth, dear anon, I have neither the knowledge nor the speculative skill to weigh in on Sukuna's backstory meaningfully. I am but a delusional young woman thirsting over a fictional character who is known for his murderous tendencies and numerous bodily anomalies. Perhaps it is I whose backstory should be in question? How did I get here? Why am I like this?

But at least, it seems, I'm not alone.

Much Love,

~ Yuri

9 notes · View notes

epickiya722 · 4 months

Text

What About Tengen?

Alright, folks, time for "What thought Kiya wants to share today because if she doesn't, she'll freak out"! Ha ha... yeah...

Now, before we get onto this I don't expect anyone to agree or let alone be for the idea. This is just me, again, sharing a thought I had. I wouldn't even say it's a genius thought. Just a thought. In fact, a wild one.

After rereading some chapters and writing a whole fic, I've been thinking about this idea I haven't seen much about before that I haven't recalled and that is...

Can Yuji be a Vessel for Tengen? Let alone is it a possible ending for Yuji?

I already know this is about to be a lengthy post and to be honest, I don't know how to exactly put this into words, but I'll try my best. I'm still getting into understanding how jujutsu and all that works, so bear with me.

☆☆☆

Chapters Referenced

145

249

257

☆☆☆

Back in chapter 145, Tengen notes that because of the failed merging with Riko Amanai (she was assassinated by Toji due to the Star Religious Group believing a merging with Tengen is impure), their aging accelerated and that's what lead to their current physical state. Also, a bit later, Tengen states how they evolved pass the point needing a specific Star Plasma Vessel. So it's not impossible for them to merge with anybody else.

Which, thinking about it, Kenjaku might have been the one to orchestrate that assassination because of that reason (Tengen evolving). That's canon, right? I believe that's canon... anyways!!

The whole point of a Star Plasma Vessel is to "reset" Tengen's technique, Immortality, as noted back in chapter 66 (conversation between Gojo, Yaga and Geto).

When Tengen merges with a capable SPV, it prevents them (Tengen) from evolving. If they evolve, they lose their sense of self, lose their sense of will. They can become a threat to humanity.

"Master Tengen will no longer be Master Tengen."

Now how this applies to Yuji?

Okay, so because Tengen has evolved, anyone can be a Vessel for them, possibly. With that in mind, that could include Yuji. But is Yuji capable?

Well, if Yuji could hold Sukuna, I say it's possible. Yuji was made to be Sukuna's vessel, his cage. When Yuji first swallowed Sukuna's Cursed Finger, it a slim chance he'd survive. And he does! Not only does he survive, but he showcases he's able to control his body from Sukuna. Keep in mind, Sukuna is a very powerful being. Anybody who have swallowed that Finger would have either died (due to the Fingers being like poison) or never got their body back.

Let's also consider the nature of Sukuna. He's human, but not human. He's a Curse, but not like a Curse. Sukuna is human, but his behavior is that of a Curse. Tengen is something similar. They evolved more into something of a Cursed Spirit than a human.

If Yuji could handle Sukuna who in a way is similar in a way to Tengen, what if Yuji also could be a vessel for Tengen? And not just that. It's implied that with Tengen, whoever become their vessel, "dies".

Well, what if for Yuji, as he was able to with Sukuna, he could still maintain his sense of self?

Keep in mind, Yuki Tsukumo (first name similar to Yuji's) was a temporary SPV for Tengen and she came out fine. Sure, she's a Special Grade, but at the point of the story we are at, Yuji had been declared at Sukuna's level, who is considered Special Grade. Hmm...

Sliding in right here to add as of 257, it's implied that Yuji was born with one of Sukuna's fingers already sealed in him. Which makes me think even further about this.

Kenjaku, Kaori and Jin are human. Therefore, Yuji is human... so even as an unborn baby, he should have died when that Finger was sealed in him, right? Unless, it was a ruse this whole time that Sukuna's Cursed Fingers would kill someone upon consuming them to keep people from swallowing those Fingers. (But I kinda doubt it was a ruse.)

What if because of the Finger, it didn't kill Yuji but altered his composition so that he already was somewhat like a Curse? Better yet, like his brothers the Death Paintings who are part Curse, part human? Who also happen to be aborted? So, the "Death" part of that title is fitting. But also... maybe it can apply to Yuji, too? As I said, that CF could have made unborn Yuji part Curse, part human. You could say that the CF "killed" some part of human Yuji.

Reminder that because he is Sukuna's vessel and he swallowed that Finger, he was seen as being part Curse, part human. What if this whole time, he already as such?

And one of the subtle hints to Tengen and Sukuna?

Speaking of Death Paintings!!

Something else I want to point out from 257 is that is had been revealed that Yuji and Sukuna both ate their siblings to gain something from them. For Sukuna, it was to survive. For Yuji, it was to gain the Blood Manipulation technique.

Their siblings, at those times, were not like full grown or anything. No... they were fetuses.

And guess what? The last time we get a look at Tengen's current state before being sent off to Sukuna was in 249. And what did Tengen look like?

This. Small and almost fetus-like, you can say.

What if at some point, the others somehow get hold of Tengen with them in this state? Like how Death Paintings are, Tengen can't function independently in this state. What if like those DPs, Tengen will need a new body? A new vessel?

And the chosen vessel? Yuji Itadori. And how? By consuming Tengen.

I know, I know! It's crazy!

But thinking about all what I have so far said, I wouldn't even say it's impossible. Oh, I'm not done.

In another post, I talked about how it seemed risky that Yuji consumed 6 DPs and not one took over his body. Even though, he could control Sukuna, wouldn't it still be considered a gamble that his body could have been taken over by a DP? Maybe they figured because he previously had been Sukuna's vessel, it would turn out okay. Which it did and it makes sense!

Yuji isn't just a vessel. He's a cage. And what if he wasn't just a cage for Sukuna, but for anything?

What if Kenjaku practiced run experimenting making DPs to prepare for someone like Yuji? DPs take complete control of someone's body and forge it into their own. Yuji's does the opposite.

He remains conscious of himself and his body adapts. What if that can work with Tengen?

I think about how Riko was meant to be Tengen's vessel and there was a guarantee she wouldn't be Riko anymore. Opposite of Yuji. Amazingly enough though, for two characters who never met (Yuji was three when Riko died), they sure do have a lot in common. [This post here!]

I'm not saying I'm an expert on analyzing stories, let alone Gege Akutami's works, but I noticed that some subtle hints of foreshadowing are sometimes done when two (or more) characters tend to have commonality. Riko and Yuji happen to be a pair. While alike, they're also opposite. And as I mention, one thing they're opposite in is that Riko's existence was at sake merging with Tengen. Yuji? He keeps his control.

Another is that Riko, at first, she accepts her death when becoming Tengen. She felt like a loner because of that fate. However, she changes her mind at the end and wants to live.

Yuji also accepts death as Sukuna's vessel and before thought of himself as a loner, but he is also a fighter. His grandfather told him to help others so he can be surrounded when he dies.

What if, in reverse, Yuji will give up on that goal at the end? Tengen is, too, a loner like Yuji and Riko. What if Yuji gives up and accepts such a fate as being a loner, taking Tengen's place? Maybe, be surrounded by those who remain as he "dies" to take Tengen's place before going into solitude?

It's a tragic ending, I know. But with JJK, a lot of these characters do have tragic endings.

Simply overall, what if this is a possible ending that has been hinted at this whole time? What if at the end, Yuji is the one to become the next Tengen of sorts? And if he does, he can still be him?

I'm not saying this is a guarantee, let alone you have to agree. [But if you don't, keep it to yourself, I don't care to argue with someone over my thought.]

But it's a thought I have had for a while (since... February...)

#just kiya's thoughts #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk manga spoilers #jjk spoilers #itadori yuji #yuji itadori #yuuji itadori #itadori yuuji #tengen #tengen jjk #ryomen sukuna #sukuna #sukuna ryomen #kenjaku #kenjaku jjk #jjk meta #jjk theory

46 notes · View notes

linkspooky · 2 years

Text

Jujutsu Kaisen, Chapter 202 Thoughts.

The most interesting aspect of Kenjaku as a character to me, is how much he is a hypocrite to his own stated ideals. He claims that everything he does, torturing Choso’s mother, dragging innocents off into the Culling Games, and even threatening to feed practically every non-sorcerer to Japan into a cursed spirit is because of his desire to see something new and outside of his predictions and control, but Kenjaku himself is a control freak. Kenjaku and Tengen are the focus of this week’s chapter, and they foil each other in an interesting way because they are both hypocrites.

1. Kenjaku the abusive Father (And Mother).

Before I start writing letmeexplain the title. Kenjaku is literally an abusive parent because he abandoned Choso and his brothers after deeming them failures, and also treats Yuji as his expendable tool. Kenjaku is also metahorically an abusive parents, because he’s a representative of a pattern within Jujutsu Society as a whole.

What is an abusive parent, if not someone who is supposed to protect and raise a child, but neglects that duty and harms them instead?

The central conflict of Jujutsu Kaisen, and the ideals that Gojo and his students are fighting for is that the previous generation shouldn’t be harm the youth. Jujutsu Society is one where the children instead of being raised and protected are treated as expendable, and often harmed so the old guard can remain in power.

This is repeated in many of the backstories of the characters. For instance, if you want an extremely direct exmaple Ogi the parent of both Maki and Maiblames his lack of sucess on the family head on his “worthless children.” Rather than Ogi serving his duty as a parent protecting and raising both of his daughters, he thinks his daughters exist for his own sake.

The microcosm of parental abuse in a single household, is also a metaphor for the macorcosm of the ills of Jujutsu Society as a hole, children are continually sacrificed instead of being raised. Children exsit to serve the elders, the elders don’t put any thought into raising the next generation.

The discussion of this chapter consists of Tengen, and Kenjaku, both being entities that regularly use children for their own sake. Tsukumo directly calls this out, Tengen was willing to accept child sacrifices for generations. When it failed however, it turned out she (They?) didn’t even need to do them in the first place that they were capable of living on without sacrifices.

Which means the children weren’t sacrificed because it was an absolute necessity, but rather repeating this pattern in Jujutsu Society that children must continually give up their youths and everything else, to protect the current status quo and the people in power. Riko is the ultimate metaphor for a lost youthin the series. Everything about the current conflict went wrong starting with Riko’s death.

If Riko had lived, Geto would never have become disillusioned with the sorcery world. If Riko had lived, Geto and Gojo wouldn’t have fallen into conflict, eventually resulting in Geto’s death, and Kenjaku taking over his body. RIko is important because she’s a metaphor for Maki, for Mai, for Megumi, for Yuji, for Nobara, for Yuta, for Inumaki, she is another child who just wanted to live out the days of her youth and grow up. Riko had the right to grow up and live in the future and be surrounded by friends just like everyone else, but Tengen considers her ultimately expendable.

Why is Tengen more important than Riko? Because she’s immortal? Because she’s powerful? If Tengen was capable of evolving all along then there was no reason Riko had to die, and yet Tengen simply accepted both Riko and every single sacrifice before her as inevitable, because that is status quo, because that keeps the power in the hands of the powerful.

Toji, the one who killed Riko was also created by the abuse of the previous generation on the next one. If Toji had been accepted by the Zenin clan rather than continually punished for simply being born as he was, he could have been as powerful and as great a sorcerer as Gojo, and instead abused and harassed all his life he turns into the immoral sorcerer killer. Yet another person sacrificed pointlessly, because the old guard wants to resist change.

Here is where, Kenjaku and Tengen might seem to be opposites, but they are in fact exactly the same. They claim to represent opposite ideas, Kenjaku desires a world of unpredictability and change.

But, Kenjaku ignores the fact that he never lets things grow and change on their own. He essentially takes a stranglehold on things with all of his manipulation. He always has to be the one in power, he has to be the one inciting change. He even says he wants to bring up something he can’t imagine, but in the same breath he then says he’s going to put the world back to the way it used to be in the golden age of sorcerers.

Tengen is an all knowing entity, he talks about everything that’s predetermined and destined. Everything is inevtiable. Nothing can be helped.

Kenjaku and Tengen seem to represent opposites, a pre-determined fate, and a future of possibilities and chaos beyond imagination, but they actually do the exact same thing. They are both, continually sacrificing children in the name of a status quo. They both act like all-knowing, all-seeing entities, who really just repeat the way things are. It can be seen in the difference between the way Kenjaku and Choso regard Choso and his siblings. Kenjaku expected great things from them, and then immediately gave up on them and lost interest because they were too normal. He made no effort at all in nurturing them. Choso says he wanted cursed spirits to evolve along with sorcerers, but he literally ate all of his cursed spirit allies, including Mahito, before they even had a chance to change.

Whereas, Choso’s ideals are the opposite of Kenjaku’s entirely, and fall in line with what Gojo is fighting for. While Kenjaku neglects his duty as a parent and sees his children as existing only as tools for his own benefit, abandoning them immediately when they stop being useful, all of Choso’s pride comes from his role as a big brother, and his duty he has in protecting his younger brothers.

Choso argues back, that his role as the oldest to nurture the younger ones that come after him. Whether eh’s superior or inferior, whether he makes terrible mistakes he’s always going to serve as an example, that’s why he does everything he does for the sake of the ones younger than him.

Therefore we have two confrontations this chapter, Tsukumo Yuki and Choso both believe that it is their duty and responsibility towards others to try and protect and not forget the younger and more helplessly lives.

Then there are Kenjaku and Tengen who have already written those people off as expendable. The former is capable of imagining a better world, while the latter will always be stuck and stagnant due to their lack of imagination.

#jjk 202 #jjk meta #jujutsu kaisen 202 #jujutsu kaisen meta #jujutsu kaisen #kenjaku #noritoshi kamo #tengen #tsukumo yuki #choso

320 notes · View notes