"You were bullied, weren't you? Thought so. I'd totally pick on you too."
- Maki, Chapter 1.
For a four-chapter one-shot, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 does what it needs to do.
This may sound like limited praise, but it isn't. It establishes the characters introduced and explores their early relationships with each other and also paints a brief, but intriguing, picture of the world that the Jujutsu Kaisen exists within. If you read this short story before the main series then it will definitely leave you wanting more. If not, then it will add a little more backstory to some of the less explored characters from Jujutsu Kaisen.
The plot and pace can feel a little bit clunky due to the constraints on page numbers; especially during the latter two chapters where most of the fighting is omitted or condensed to as few panels as possible. It can be argued that this works in the wider series' favour as it does not potentially spoil any of the action that comes later. It definitely lays strong foundations to be built upon.
The characters contain a glimmer of who they will become, but it is nice to see them in their younger years; not rehashing the usual dynamics that are seen in Jujutsu Kaisen. One of the best reasons to read this short story is to get an understanding of who Yuta is; establishing his abilities, his priorities, and the lengths he is willing to go. While the other students, especially Panda, tend to take a back seat, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 establishes enough about them as characters to make you care about them. The rest of the characters are well designed and carry enough mystery around them that you want to follow their story.
Perhaps this one-shot's weakest area is the art. In places, it can feel a little cluttered and compact; something that Akutami definitely improves on in their later work. This also resembles the pattern usually present at the beginning of longer series as the creator's skill improves over time. This critique also does not mean that the art is bad; far from it. It carries and conveys the tone of the story well, being very atmospheric. This is especially true for the darker scenes. Unfortunately, a four-chapter story doesn't allow for this stylistic growth, but that isn't the fault of the artist and it showcases their talent well enough.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 works best as a prequel. It carefully establishes the world and characters while keeping most of its cards close to its chest. This, in turn, means that there are enough interesting plot threads at the end of this short prequel to ensure that the following series is an even more intriguing read. If you haven’t read this prequel, then give it a shot.
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