#jjk discourse

[jjk-confessions]

This is gonna be a mini rant of at least something I’ve noticed in the fandom.

Yuji and Gojo have such a good freaking relationship and have so many parallels between them. Yet for some odd reason I don’t see it get talked about enough. Or at least outside of the common boring “they are so father son coded” which I don’t think btw. It gives more friends vibes or older brother younger sibling vibe.

That being said, I remember when I first got into jjk and they were my favourite dynamic. Up until everything fell apart post Shibuya and different characters got introduced and Gojo went missing for a while blah blah blah. And I know people lovvveeeee to center Gojo’s character now all around Hidden inventory or shinjuku, but I kinda miss early series Gojo too.

As for their parallels:

An aspect people don’t tackle with Yuji’s character is his inherent loneliness. It’s one he’s grappled with since he was a kid, he even says so himself when he was talking to Kamo during the baseball game and when he spoke to Megumi about how his physical strength always isolated him in ways that sometimes he couldn’t understand the pain of ordinary people because he was always able to bear it, especially when his grandpa got sick but chose not to do any treatments.

And multiple times it can be inferred from the fact that he never even had a phone prior to coming to jujutsu high, or the fact that the occult club members were the first people he ever actually almost considered friends. I even remember that cute scene where Yuji bonded over movies with Junpei and asked for his number but wasn’t sure how to add contacts on them.

Same could be said with Gojo. Raised as the future strongest of his generation and probably never had any friends until he got to jujutsu high and he finally met someone who he felt he could relate to on the only thing he’s ever prided himself on: his strength.

Where Gojo and Yuji differ tho, is Yuji’s willingness to embrace a different kind of future. A future where he doesn’t have to be lonely. Where he can have friends and let them in regardless of their strength, morals, or backgrounds. To just be….

Gojo unfortunately never got to really experience that and I wish he did.

People bemoan and rant about how Gojo was treated like a weapon and never really loved by everyone but never actually acknowledge the part Gojo played in that. He drew the line between himself and others, he was the one who placed too much value on strength and trying to replicate a time in his life that he couldn’t get back to. This isn’t to chastise him of course, but in a way his own shortsightedness kept him from seeing the bigger picture sometimes.

Which is why I really loved the final conversation he had with Yuji and how it ties into 236. When Nanami told him that in his final moments he had chosen to bet on the future ( which he never did before), you see Gojo resign himself and finally feel a sense of hope and a little bit of satisfaction because of that conversation and realisation he had with Yuji.

He recognised the ways in which Yuji differed from him. He recognized Yuji’s strength lied not only in his physical capabilities but in his heart as well. His strength to forgive and see things beyond just strength as a sorcerer. It’s what ultimately ended Sukuna’s curse too. By Yuji choosing to tell Sukuna that they could try again, despite everything, to choose to do better, choose a different path; it touched Sukuna in ways that just punching him and defeating him wouldn’t have worked. Wouldn’t have calmed the rage of his curse that had been eating him from within since the day he was born.

And that’s what Gojo wanted. For Yuji to lead the next generation with a different kind of strength. It’s beautiful and I wish people talked about this more.

Idk if it’s the fear of being seen as a shipper or whatever if you speak of Gojo in any other context outside of HI but yeah this is soooo underrated imo.

.

[veroverse21]

Gojo being racist was not in my 2024 bingo card 😭

At least he apologized unlike most people in real life who just get more angry and don’t even apologize or acknowledge their racism. I’ll give him that

I don't keep up with anything anymore, but I hope JJK didn't become woke cringe.

[leelifeless]

Jjk analysis and discussion with my one friend who is mostly caught up with the manga but they get progressively more unhinged as time passes part 1 (not spoiler free):

(Half of this is in French because he is Belgian and speaks mostly French and i grew up in Montreal so I also speak French)

(Also if any of the points I made involving religion are incorrect, I sincerely apologize - it’s been a while since I’ve had to dust off that knowledge. I did do some quick googling for the parts I was unsure of. If any errors are pointed out I’ll edit this post to include that!)

If anyone here wants to have unhinged jjk discussions with me please feel free 🫠

[asukachii]

Where Our Blue Is

(I don’t like putting watermarks so, PLEASE, if you want to post this gif somewhere GIVE CREDITS! Also, don’t use it in edits/videos. Thanks~)

[arottenlust]

‘I can write xyz character however I want bc they’re fictional!’

yeah ofc! people are still allowed to complain. to critique perceived mischaracterizations. should they be rude? No. but if you yourself are admitting that you are changing a character (bc it’s ur right and they’re not real yadda yadda yadda) then why are you mad that people are pointing it out ? If it is not rude, if it isn’t a direct attack, if it’s a simple observation, then what is the issue? idk

Another thought, one that idrk how to communicate so bear with me, is I feel that a lot of people are extremely resistant to any form of conflict or critique, basically anything that isn’t support or silence. and it’s a little off putting to me, like how is anyone meant to improve without input from others? furthermore, a critique of your work is not an attack on you, but more an observation. so why is it so wrong to share? are creative spaces not a place for discussion?

but I also do think u have a right to reject advice wether its constructive or not. if u do not want it then it shouldn’t be forced on u. a hobby can be a hobby without the need to get better or improve, like if it’s smth u do for the joy of it then thats that.

both of these sentiments ring true to me.

so idk how to even explain what I feel. idek what I feel tbh

bleh

[redrocketpanda]

Something that has been driving me insane about the credits are these sections with the fish so please bear with me whilst I do a mini deep dive (hehe) into fish discourse because YO, we need to talk about these fish!

Notice how at the beginning of the credits we actually have two white fish swimming along beside one another; one with bright turquoise eyes and the other with black.

A little while later the fish begin to circle each other and a droplet falls into the water between them. As the disturbance ripples out from the center, one of the fish dives deeper into the water and changes its colour to black; symbolizing Geto's change and descent into darkness

Then we have this heartbreakingly beautiful moment with Gojo and Geto:

I cannot stop thinking about how long Gojo watches the black fish for as it swims across the screen, whereas Geto's eyes are lowered the moment the white fish appears and he closes them as it swims past.

Gojo cannot bear to tear his eyes away, whilst Geto cannot bear to look

Throughout the credits, Gojo and Geto have been making their way towards each other through the pouring rain (or mostly sitting and waiting in Geto's case). At the end, they meet each other under a bridge and as they walk away together we see the fish a final time, swimming together again in a puddle formed by the heavy rain.

Geto walks on the left in the light, as the white fish swims close to his head, almost invisible in the brightness of the light. Whilst Gojo walks on the right in the shadow with the black fish swimming further away but still close by.

The fish speed after the two men before disappearing completely under the water just before the camera pans up and we watch as Gojo pulls Geto in for a hug as they walk away, before he's playfully shoved away by Geto.

There's a lot going on the credits (+ opening) that is absolutely killing me but man, these fish?! Breathtaking.

[dorky-kawa]

I interpreted it as gojo talked to yuuji about yuuji. It's not impossible, but I also don't think it makes the most sense that gojo would tell yuuji about the contents of the letters, especially like 'yeah I'm finally letting megumi know that I killed his dad but guess you're finding out before him'.

Why the hell is JJK 270 called Dream's End?

JJK 270 being titled Dream’s End is so fudging ominous. That’s some Umineko type beat. I’m not sure if I should even judge this chapter as presented because of this. In fact, I'm holding off on posting the other analysis I had for today since I no longer am certain of what JJK 268–270 are.

There's two lines of thought I have:

1) Gege suffering from burnout and bad working conditions plus rushing has caused the writing to decline.

2) Gege still has a hidden ace saved for the final chapter and the weird writing is deliberate.

I'm going to humor Option 2, but only because the title of this chapter is called Dream's End.

(The most 'hear me out' discussion under the cut. Using TCB scans and leaks. Click images for captions/citations.)

Preface

"Without love it cannot be seen."

This is a phrase and philosophy I have borrowed from Umineko since I've started these JJK yapfests. It essentially boils down to 'discard your negative biases and try to examine things in good faith.'

JJK 268 & 269 have fudging tested that for me. I've been giving Gege and the characters a pretty hard time with the caveat of knowing how exploitative the manga industry is. I initially rejected the idea that these chapters were to be taken at anything other than face-value because of this. In fact, I cited the JJK 268 chapter title of Finale as a reason I've accepted things as is.

And with that same logic, I'm now doing the opposite... So hear me out! I've got some pretty good reasons to be doing this.

What's wrong with JJK 268–270?

There's a lot of things in these chapters that are fundamentally inconsistent with what's been established in throughout the manga. If we use Option 1 to explain these contradictions, these are last second retcons because Gege forgor.

Option 2? We're about to have the rug pulled the hell out from under us because the last 3 chapters have been delusions.

What first tipped me off to something possibly being wrong on purpose was the fate of the incarnated culling game players in JJK 270. Not too long ago it was established that the souls of non-sorcerers in vessels were unsavable.

The souls are suppressed in a way that distorts them permanently or their consciousness is outright destroyed. They were gambling on Megumi's survival due to him being a sorcerer and Sukuna's incarnation method being unique. 99% of them will die and those who survive will likely be vegetables, so why is there a sudden gamble on their survival in JJK 270?

It's such a neat and fine bow to tie this mess up that goes directly against existing lore. It's so ideal that it has me suspicious.

Brain damage from sorcery on non-sorcerers has been established as extremely taxing. I think about Gojo's Unlimited Void (UV) the most when it comes to this. Non-sorcerers were hit by it for 0.2 seconds and required medical intervention for 2 months to fully heal from it. Sukuna, the absolute strongest, tanked some of it and it affected him for the rest of the battle. ...And then we have Megumi who was under it for about 6 minutes and seems to have very little problems from it.

This is bizarre. Someone who underwent the month long bath and UV without Reverse Curse Technique (RCT) should be struggling to even stand after waking up. Sukuna had RCT and the Gojo brain damage still took him out. This screams of inconsistent writing unless...this is a deliberate hint that something is amiss.

I want to draw attention to the panel Megumi's UV damage is addressed. Just about everyone has been seemingly waiting around in the same spot for him to wake up. It's a bit weird given that sorcerers don't usually do that. They usually get a move on asap. And after the destruction of Shinjuku and the Culling Game Players still running about, why would they take a breather to discuss their plans that worked?

But that's not what started bothering me about that panel after reading JJK 270. It's that characters who aren't in the room, start appearing without warning. Look who is behind Maki and to the left. It's Kusakabe. And to her and Yuta's right? Inumaki. So why is it that Hakari, Kiara, and Ino are in Kusakabe's place while Todo spawns where Inumaki is? (And Yuta is facing the wrong direction too.)

That's pretty fudging weird right? You can chalk it up to Gege forgor but it doesn't stop there. Higuruma enters the discussion in a way that causes Yuji to pause.

Why is Yuji surprised to see him? (And where the fudge did he come from?) Shouldn't he know of his survival by now? And why is he in a cast? Higuruma had learned RCT and fully restored his arms before leaving the battlefield. If he's conscious, then he should be able to heal himself fully no problems.

And that got me thinking... Why is Yuji still missing his fingers?

It was established that he kept his fingers unhealed to help with Yuta's plan. This means that if he won, he has no need to keep them missing. Yuji has fully regenerated missing chunks of his face, including his eye, and stomach. He has RCT just like Higuruma. But it doesn't end there either. Yuji's number of fingers on his left hand keeps changing.

4 fingers, 3 fingers, dubious amount of fingers, 5 fingers. Once again, you can chalk it up to Gege forgor, but JJK 270 came out and the same problem started happening with Megumi's scars.

The same mistake is made within the same set of panels and very big page. That's weird.

ONCE AGAIN, you can chalk it up to Gege forgor, but when these errors occur, like with Yuta mistakenly having his ring on in JJK 251, Gege will note the mistake outright. Gege has made no such comments for Yuji's fingers or the scars. This many 'errors' in row when Gege has otherwise been careful with these features could indicate it really is on purpose. (Kind of like Sukuna's everchanging mask. The thing was just moving around and pulsing. That was deliberate not inconsistency.)

What does this mean?

I think it means what we are seeing isn't reality. After all, the most common way to tell if you're dreaming is being unable to count the number of fingers on your hands. Another way to tell is the distortion of faces.

Readers have noticed that something is wrong. The weird timeskips, the lack of lasting consequences, design inconsistencies, characters behaving like similes of themselves, death and pain being glossed over like it's nothing. It all feels so off. But it's still close enough to the original to be somewhat believable. ...Is that not what it's like to dream and not know you are dreaming?

Why is it that the chapter titled Dream's End ends with the hunt for a curse user whose ability is to distort the perception of reality?

Dreams and Delusions in JJK

We already know Gege weaves Buddhist symbolism and ideas heavily into JJK. I'm not an expert in Buddhism at all, so there's a lot of it that goes over my head. So I decided to look into if dreams are significant in Buddhism and boy howdy are they. Quoted directly from the source:

"Dreams can be a message from a Bodhisattva, an ancestor, or a god, The intent of the dream may be to test the dreamer’s resolve: is he non-retreating (avaivartika) from Bodhi (enlightenment) even when sleeping? The purpose of the dream visit may be to communicate information vital to the dreamer’s well-being. The Buddha himself had five dreams of catastrophes, falling stars and worlds in collision just before his enlightenment. The dreams were sent to him not by a benevolent Dharma-protector, but by an malevolent sorcerer, intent on disrupting the Buddha’s samadhi and preventing his awakening."

In summary, (correct me if I'm wrong) dreams appear to be seen as another state of being just as valuable and impermanent as reality.

There's also this other bit I'll quote directly.

"The most common use of dreams in the literature of the Mahayana, or “Northern School” of Buddhism in China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam is to see dreams as a simile for sunyata, (emptiness) the hollow core at the heart of all component dharmas (things). For example, in the well-known Vajra (Diamond) Sutra, the Buddha taught that:

“All conditioned dharmas, are like a dream, like an illusion, like a bubble, like a shadow, like a dewdrop, like a lightening flash; you should contemplate them thus.”"

That's starting to sound like what Yuji's Domain does, right? He projects memories that did happen and mixes them with delusions and dreams. Sukuna and Megumi both experience this in full.

It's incredibly suspicious that it hasn't been named yet. Yuji is the son of Kenjaku who has a domain based on the Womb Sutra/Realm...which is paired with the aforementioned Diamond Realm to encompass the entire Dharma. It's very likely this is what Yuji's domain is—a realm of dreams and reality combined as one.

Unreality Runs in the Family

When Sasaki Setsuko "wakes up" as the Culling Games begin, Kenjaku explains her situation with this:

What follows is a sequence that cannot be described as a dream. It seems to be a blend of reality and hallucinations. But that's not anything strange, Sukuna does it too with Kashimo in reverse.

As you can see, both the positions of the characters and even the backgrounds change suddenly from reality to ??? and from sequence to sequence. It's all incredibly dream like.

Another strange thing about this space is Kenjaku creating it as a part of an escape route Binding Vow. You know, the kind Sukuna uses for Malevolent Shrine.

What I want to draw attention to here is this reality-dream state somewhat requires consent (in the loosest possible definition) to appear. The person entering this state has to desire it themself. We see this with Jogo and Gojo who are mutually interested in having a relationship of somekind with Sukuna. (Same with Kashimo.)

(It's also very hard to tell if they are dead or still in the process of dying during this.)

This is where the delusions Yuji projects differ. They are forced onto others when he is near death or severely injured, seemingly as a defense mechanism.

And would you look at that...the syntax is identical for Todo and Choso's Brother Yuji Delusions. "At that moment, a memory was born inside X's brain...of a past event that never happened." It's kind of like how Yuji replaces Gojo in Megumi's memory to reach him. It's also very strange that Sukuna, Choso, and Jogo go "What is this?" to this in-between space.

My point here is that Yuji having access to this space has been hinted at since the start of this manga and that it was inherited it by blood. (Totally Not Kenjaku showing up with Takaba Mr. Reality Warping CT in JJK 270 supports my case too I think.)

What does this mean for JJK 268–270?

The battle ended in JJK 268. Of that I'm certain. What I no longer know is if anyone survived.

A common complaint about Sukuna's death is his lack of an afterlife scene. Everything ended so abruptly. And then Megumi wakes up.

It's so jarring in out of place. ...But that's how all scenes involving the space between dreams and reality begin. Sasaki Setsuko "wakes up" once and then again. Most of us have experienced those kind of dreams right? (They made a whole movie about it called Inception which is based on the movie Paprika.)

There's one other thing I need to draw attention to. Yuji's Domain shattered after Sukuna cast Domain Expansion (DE).

When a sorcerer withdraws their domain voluntarily, it does not shatter. Gojo has demonstrated this for us in quite clearly.

When a domain is broken by force, it will shatter and shards will scatter. When a domain is withdrawn, no shards are left behind. Yuta uses these facts as a part of his plan. In JJK 252, it's revealed by Kusakabe that Yuta shatters his own domain on purpose to trick Sukuna into thinking he won.

What this means is that some kind of violent action needs to be taken to shatter a domain. Yuji's domain is massive and his attacks only targeted Sukuna. What could've shattered his domain all at once? He's not had the time to practice shattering parts of it like Yuta.

Gojo has shown us what a uniform domain shattering looks like—it happens when Malevolent Shrine activates. (Please note that the sfx used for Sukuna breaking Gojo's domain is カシャア. It's the same one used for Yuji's domain shattering.)

I'm proposing that we've been in unreality since the end of JJK 266. Sukuna and Yuji are both severely injured, on the verge of death, and have a connection with each other. These are all conditions that trigger the space between dreams and reality.

And I must remind you that Yuji first triggers this event with Todo after a severe head injury. Right before Sukuna casts his domain, they do this to each other.

Everything that has come after has been perfect for Yuji to a unbelievable degree. Everyone whose death was uncertain is alive and the living are getting exactly what they wanted. The effort behind it and the logistics are all missing. And yes a rushed ending can explain that, but that too can be part of the ruse.

Another massive complaint is that mourning has not occurred. Not for Gojo or Choso despite how much Yuji cherished them. It's like they're being willfully forgotten by the cast despite being crucial to their success in Shinjuku. It feels out of character, especially since Yuji is of the few that showed concern for them no matter what.

But if this is a delusion on the brink of death designed to bring happiness, why would Yuji think of the dead? He's always been so avoidant with it. When his grandpa is dying and trying to talk about his parents, Yuji tells him to shut up. When Nanami dies, he thinks of him then and then never again directly leading up to his talk with Sukuna. When Megumi tries to discuss Nobara's fate, Yuji ends the conversation as quickly as possible.

The only people in this world are the ones who may or may not be dead. He saw Yuta in Gojo's corpse. The only way that can happen is if Gojo is dead. Yuji has no choice but to believe it. Choso burned away before his eyes. Yuji has no choice but to believe it. He went through some of Megumi's memories and saw Tsumiki's corpse. Yuji has no choice but to believe it.

And since Tsumiki is the only person Yuji wasn't close with, she's the only death that has been outright acknowledged. But not for too long! That would make Megumi sad.

Another complaint is that Sukuna really didn't kill anyone in the final battle outside of those two and Kashimo. The dudebros call it Disney Kaisen. But the fairytale-like idea that everyone is ok? Todo was the one who put that idea in Yuji's head.

And Yuji has always been one to fall to story-like logic when things look like they're finally wrapping up.

"And then everything will be just fine." (Yuji before the worst possible outcome for both him and Megumi happens.)

This is similar to the line Gakuganji uses in JJK 270. "Everything is fine." This line is the whole reason I sat down and wrote this all out without stopping. I know Gakuganji. He'd never say that. This man has been in a state of worry over Jujutsu Society since his first appearance. He doesn't even fully believe in Gojo's cause as someone who values tradition. He's a stickler for details and will do everything in his power to ensure stability. For him to toss Sukuna and Tengen's remains in a shrine and call it a day? Who is that? He's changed but not that much.

And so I compared the raws.

It is very much the same 大丈夫 (Daijoubu). These are Yuji's words.

What I'm proposing is that JJK 267–270 are Yuji's delusions of the happiest possible ending. It's a picture perfect little end where all the trauma and death has no effect on the living and people move on like nothing happened. I don't know if this means he's dead or if Megumi's dead or if they're all dead. But what I'm seeing now? I don't think it's real.

Reexamining JJK 269

CW: Brief discussion of suicide.

Even if this turns out to be a part of the smokescreen, I'm always going to hate JJK 269. But I do want to give it some grace under the assumption this chapter titled Examination (which can also be translated as Reflection) is about Yuji's guilt. Both him and Megumi's tbh. I think their feelings for each other and their situations are driving these delusions. That's one thing about this space that's real—the feelings behind them.

Yuji has a lot of guilt surrounding his existence after ingesting Sukuna, Megumi does too. Straight up Yuji has been seeking death over it since JJK 9.

He struggles to forgive himself for being the centerpiece to violence he had little to no control over. The only thing that upsets him more than that is knowing that his death will break Megumi's heart. He doesn't want Megumi to feel any guilt for it whatsoever.

The kicker is, Megumi already knows Yuji is planning to die. And he wants to do everything to rid him of that guilt. Up until they connect inside of Yuji's domain, they were unaware they shared the same goal for each other.

And that's what JJK 269 is. It's a very cold and harsh breakdown that allows them to forgive themselves. Blame is passed around and ultimately pinned on a combination of Gojo and Kenjaku. (It's really weird Sukuna isn't blamed either, but that's not the point of this for now.)

Kusakabe's comment is especially harsh. Straight up telling Yuji he should've died and that both sides on the issue were valid? He may have believed that to an extent, but he made a point of not telling it to his face. Why have a whole chapter discussing how kind he is only to turn around and do this?

If this is all a delusion, a manifestation of Yuji's guilt and trying to absolve himself of it for Megumi's sake, that makes sense. This version of Kusakabe is what Yuji feels guilt over the most—Everyone's lives being better if he died.

In the same breath Kusakabe tells them to solely blame the adults. It's very reminiscent of Nanami telling Yuji that being a child is not a sin.

It should also be noted that every single time Megumi tries to apologize for being possessed, he's stopped. Maki tears into Yuta without checking in on him, but she asks if Megumi is ok and tells him to not blame himself. JJK 270 is full of this too. He tries to apologize to Tsumiki at her grave and Shoko tells him not to sweat it. He tries to apologize to Hana and she hits on him instead.

This delusion is crafted out of love. It allows Megumi to live in a world where he can move on from the guilt surrounding his possession and saving Yuji. It's all Yuji has ever wanted for him. And now that Yuji knows Megumi wants him to forgive himself, he has no choice but to do that too.

It's a perfect ending for Megumi that's too good to be true.

It must be a dream...

There's another thing I can't reconcile about JJK 269 unless it's a delusion—Todo's explanation for Yuta's plan. It's another one of those glaring contradictions.

In JJK 269 Todo claims Boogie Woogie can't target Maki. But in JJK 259? Todo makes plans with Mei Mei knowing that it works with her.

Either Todo lied...or Yuji never fully knew the plan and that Boogie Woogie could target Maki. Otherwise she would be dead. Her surviving Sukuna's flames would be impossible.

I've already talked about how Yuji believing those who may or may not be dead are alive is Todo's doing. He's always been the one to save Yuji from his breakdowns. But let's talk about his speech in Shibuya.

"Looking for meaning or logic in death...can at times defile the memories of those we've lost!"

Everyone who has read these past 3 chapters has really felt the defiling of Gojo's memory. And it was all in service to a strange logic that helped them cope with all this death. Acknowledging how massive Gojo's sacrifice was would riddle both Yuji and Megumi with immense guilt, so it's best to ignore it for Megumi's sake. (And perhaps that's why Yuji replaces Gojo in that memory.)

"What have you been entrusted with? You don't need to answer right now. However... Until you find your answer, never stop moving."

In a way, JJK 269 is an answer to the question Todo proposed. Yuji was entrusted with saving Megumi. Saving Megumi requires Megumi and Yuji forgiving themselves. And Yuji won't stop moving until it's done. All these time jumps and rushed developments are Yuji moving Megumi forward. He's getting that happy ending even if it's to the detriment of everything else.

What about Sukuna?

When Sukuna respects his opponents and they have a connection, he gives others these dreams before they pass. He's been very impressed by Megumi since JJK 9. It's not out of the ballpark for him to allow Megumi to die satisfied in the way Gojo did. Yuji also seems to understand that Sukuna was manipulated by others just as much as he was. I think that's why Sukuna is spared of the blame for the most part.

I don't think Sukuna won. He's probably dead. But he did warn Yuji not to underestimate him. I think the worst absolute last fudge you to Yuji he could give is this happy ending dream before ripping it all away as he dies.

In Conclusion...

I'm not sure that we're going to get that happy ending. Reggie Star warned us not too long ago.

"...it all comes down to a sorcerer's lies."

Reggie is a lot like Sukuna here, outwitted by modern sorcerers and dying to someone he loathes. Sukuna is good at tricking people. He let Gojo think he won before tearing it all away. Yuta did the exact same thing to him. Or did he?

"Can you do me a favor? After all, you've killed me. Let fate toy with you, become a clown, then die."

If the last 3 chapters are delusions...Megumi will be playing the part of a clown.

Gege said the manga would end with either 1/4 or 3/4 of Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, and Gojo surviving. This of course, could be changed throughout its development, but Gege said the manga is ending in its original vision. There's a real chance that it's only Yuji or Nobara surviving.

Remember, Gege is a troll first and foremost. Somehow Gojo was revived, but in the worst way possible (Yujo). Somehow Gojo did tell Megumi about Toji, but in the worst way possible (dead man's final letter).

Gege also said this about the final chapter:

"I am working hard to create a final chapter that will (hopefully) satisfy as many people as possible who have supported Jujutsu Kaisen. So everyone, please bear with me!"

I can't think of a better way to appease everyone than by making the last 3 chapters nothing more than dream.

[cinderella-ish]

It’s so interesting to me how some fans see Megumi as obviously gay, and some see him as obviously bi/pan. (And hilarious to me how no one bothers to argue that he’s straight because… well…)

Also interesting is how it all comes down to how these fans interpret the scene with Todo before the goodwill event.

In this essay I will-

[jjk-confessions]

@”The final arc of Jujutsu Kaisen sacrifices the arcs and themes of several major characters to center everything around Sukuna. This is my personal issue and opinion with the ending of the story.”

I have the same feeling!

Especially with Gojo!

Gojo tried to reach Sukuna and showed more interest in him than he ever showed for trying to reach curse user Geto. I don’t need to be a SatoSugu shipper to think that this is nuts!

When Geto left, Gojo learnt that you cannot save someone that does not want to be saved. It perfectly explains why we never see him trying to talk-no-jutsu Geto out of his plan.

But he tries to reach Sukuna? Sukuna and not Megumi? You know, the kid that not only lost the person he cared the most for but was also forced to murder them?

And Gojo, who knows this pain more than anybody else of the cast, tries to reach Sukuna instead of Megumi?

Sukuna does not want to be saved by Gojo! He does not want be taught about love by him!

Why is Gojo still trying and going against the lesson he learnt when Geto left?

Is Akutami implying that Gojo tried to “save himself” by talking to Sukuna?

Why now and not when Sukuna was still a part of Yuji?

Gojo also never got a personal afterlife talk with Sukuna like Jogo and Kashimo did, so what was that about?

.

[gotorux]

Fandom Culture, Forced Shipping, and the Blurred Line Between Representation and Projection!

I know I am mostly just a lurker but I’ve seen an increasing amount of problematic behavior I feel like needs to be called out.

In recent months, the engagement in fandom has often taken a more aggressive, absolutist tone, particularly around topics like shipping, representation, and attraction to fictional characters. The result is a space where important distinctions are lost, bad faith accusations are rampant, and people are silenced for engaging with media in a way that doesn’t align with the loudest voices in the room. And this is not only excessively problematic, but alienating as well.

Let’s start with shipping.

Not every ship is canon!

In many fandoms(especially those centered around shonen anime) intense, emotionally rich male friendships are increasingly interpreted as romantic by default. It’s no longer enough for two male characters to share trust, trauma, or growth. If they’re close, they must be in love. And if you don’t ship them, or worse, if you insist they’re just friends, you’re suddenly accused of being homophobic or “anti-queer.”

But this isn’t about homophobia. It’s about preserving narrative integrity and celebrating platonic male intimacy, which is just as rare and precious in storytelling as authentic queer representation.

Take JJK. The bond between Gojo and Geto is complex, layered, and filled with emotional weight…but it is not romantic. Canon sources back this up clearly. The JJK fanbook confirms that Gojo likes women(also parts of the anime/manga), and even states that he moved on from Geto’s defection relatively easily, contrary to the tragic soulmate narrative pushed by fans.

The characters have ideological differences, not romantic tension. Their story is one of parallel evolution, not forbidden love. And yet, fandom discussion around either character often cannot exist without centering the other in a romantic framework.

This pattern repeats across nearly every popular shonen series: Yuji and Megumi, Levi and Erwin, Gon and Killua, Naruto and Sasuke, Deku and Bakugo.

These dynamics are written as bonds forged in hardship, friendship, loyalty, and sometimes rivalry…not as romances. When fandom insists otherwise, it flattens emotional complexity into shallow tropes and undermines both queer representation and male friendship.

Worse, it perpetuates toxic masculinity: the idea that men can’t express love, loyalty, or emotional vulnerability unless it’s romantic or sexual. That’s not progressive! It’s regressive.

The insistence on romantic shipping as a form of queer representation also reveals a disturbing double standard. If fans truly wanted more visibility for LGBTQ+ characters, we’d see more support for female/female (F/F) ships, which are often canonically or subtextually queer. Like Ymir and Historia in Attack on Titan.

But these ships rarely receive the same level of obsession or cultural reach. Why? Because in many cases, M/M shipping isn’t about queer advocacy at all, it’s about indulging in aestheticized emotional fantasy between attractive male characters. That’s not inherently wrong, but it should be recognized for what it is, rather than masquerading as activism.

Queer representation matters. But it needs to be authentic, deliberate, and earned; not projected onto stories that were never meant to carry that weight.

Respecting Canon Isn’t Homophobic.

Choosing not to ship a pair of characters doesn’t make someone homophobic. Refusing to see a romance where none exists isn’t hate, it’s media literacy. It’s about engaging with a story on its own terms, rather than demanding it conform to fan fantasies.

It’s deeply hurtful to be labeled anti-queer simply for seeing value in platonic bonds. That kind of moral weaponization doesn’t uplift the queer community; it silences those who see emotional depth without sexual tension.

Now to my next topic.

Fictional Attraction and the “Minor” Discourse:

Another area where fandom discourse has become both toxic and confused is in the discussion around attraction to fictional characters, particularly those labeled as teenagers in-universe.

Take Megumi Fushiguro, again from Jujutsu Kaisen. He’s described as a high schooler, but designed with adult features: tall, mature, emotionally restrained, and drawn with adult proportions. He looks and acts like someone in his early 20s.

Yet fans who say they find him attractive are often accused of “liking minors.” This kind of accusation is not only wrong…it’s deeply irresponsible.

Fiction ≠ Reality

Being attracted to a fictional, adult-coded character is not the same as being attracted to real-life minors. There is a vast and meaningful difference between responding to stylized, idealized character design and holding dangerous views in the real world. Conflating the two trivializes real child exploitation and erodes the seriousness of actual abuse.

That said, there is a line and it’s when characters are child-coded…that is, when they are drawn, voiced, or characterized in ways that deliberately evoke youth, vulnerability, or prepubescence.

Examples include: Nezuko from Demon Slayer, whose tiny frame, infant-like behavior, and childlike mannerisms are clearly designed to evoke a little girl. Deku from My Hero Academia, who is introduced as either 14 or 15 with a young, innocent personality and childlike appearance.

When people sexualize characters like these, it does raise ethical concerns, because the appeal is rooted in traits associated with childhood. That’s a different conversation entirely, and it deserves to be had.

Attraction to adult-coded characters with stated ages under 18? Not inherently problematic. Depends on design and context.

Attraction to child-coded or loli/shota characters, regardless of “age?” Concerning. Context matters more than labels.

Conflating all attraction to stylized characters as predatory? Harmful, misleading, and erases real harm.

This is about critical thinking, not knee-jerk labeling. We must be able to distinguish between what’s a fantasy, what’s fetishization, and what’s actual danger.

Fandom has always been a place of personal connection, but somewhere along the way, nuance got lost. Every emotional bond became romantic. Every attraction became a red flag. Every disagreement became a moral failing.

But not everything is a ship.

Not every fictional character is a stand-in for real life.

Not every headcanon is representation.

And not every boundary is bigotry.

It’s time to bring context, compassion, and clarity back into fandom conversations. We need to protect the things that actually matter, without shaming people for simply engaging with fiction in a way that’s honest, respectful, and thoughtful.

Let friendships be friendships. Let attraction to stylized adult characters exist without slander. And let’s stop calling everything abuse because that only blinds us to the places where it really exists.

[veroverse21]

Ppl are seriously freaking out over that scene in JJK with Mei Mei and her brother like what made yall think something naughty happened?

I mean yeah it was weird but it’s JJK so I wasn’t surprised.

Everything is weird and fucked up in JJK because not everything has to be sunshine and rainbows in anime.

People love getting outraged and freaking out over fictional content. They have nothing better to do with their lives clearly.

[fushitoru]

note how if i have an opinion about something, i'll tag it as discourse? very demure. very mindful. i don't go clogging up x reader tags just so i can gain more exposure and ragebait more people! very cutsey, very modest. i also block people who make content i don't like instead of sending anon hate! very classy. very considerate.

[bunnyshideawayy]

responding “22 years old btw” to me during fandom discourse is so hilariously odd like do middle schoolers think people stop enjoying things once they reach the ancient age of 18?

[goneforawhileever]

'Sibling Coded'

People calling some relationships ‘sibling coded’ nowadays make me roll my eyes because this idea that people can't fall in love because they're good friends is strange. Like I get it if the show goes out of its way to define the two of them being nothing more than platonic besties (ItaKugi for example, the show beat that ship over the head with a shovel and shot it behind the building), but sometimes it's just two characters that are good friends that have enough in common to feel as if they could one day fall in love, which is the core principle of shipping after all, but some human in the top percentile of dickheadery will scream in your ear that they're 'sibling coded' and should NOT be shipped because it'd be WEIRD!!!! (even though they're the ones that projected a sibling archetype onto the pair, solely them.)

Another variation of this is sometimes worse lol people will see two characters with straight up undeniable romantic implication in the series but will die on the hill that they're just friends or sibling coded (We all know at least one of these)

[kanachaka]

Talking abt the Mary Sue shit again bcuz the only reason people don’t like it is bcuz they’re looking at it from a writing perspective (for the most part) but when I’m actually in these realities where I’m “overpowered” people are always grateful because they feel safer, like how selfish do you have to be to be like “dont make yourself overpowered it makes your dr boring” like I’m literally going there to save people’s lives?? I don’t care if it’s boring or not

[nevermeyers]

There's absolutely no way people are now saying that all the gege-hate train is just an internal joke of the fandom. There's no way you're this out of touch with what has been happening.

I've been in the fandom since 2020 and it doesn't take a lot of smarts to see there's been a change in tone in the way some people say that in the last year. Since this new arc of history began, destructive criticism, massive hate and threats have overflowed into hundreds of profiles. It's no longer "oh, I hate Gege akutami" now and for a while now it's "I hate Gege akutami - his manga is horrible I'm gonna drop it (they never do) - he doesn't deserve popularity - he doesn't know how to write - he pretends to have an illness."

And yet, it's not normal to make jokes about wanting to kill someone, hon. Go check yourself if you find that funny, you're no better than let's-joke-about-sensitive-issues reddit incels