"Jujutsu Kaisen 0" was a beautifully animated adaption of Akutami's novel of the same name.

I always push the narrative that this is a story about love. Love comes in many forms and can be complicated, because people are complicated. Whether we're discussing it as a feeling, emotion, or action, I enjoyed the way curses and love are talked about like they're two sides of the same coin.

I love how this isn't simply Rika and Yuta's story, but also- Geto and Gojo's- and just as the events of Gojo's youth continue to haunt the rest of "Jujutsu Kaisen", I felt as if Geto and Gojo haunted the background of this movie. Not so far in the background, of course, but having had friends who've both watched this first vs. watching the main series first, the weight of their history together is persistent. I feel as if their narratives could also be described as two sides of the same coin.

In addition, Akutami gives characters a depth that gets misrepresented at time, and I find that these characters, especially Gojo and Yuta, are more complicated than the anime tropes that get attributed to them. It isn't simple enough to put either of them in a box, and them as a student/mentor duo is just as compelling as Gojo's relationships with his other students.

Unfortunately, this anime has always been a shining example as a victim of the way content has been consumed since the pandemic. Lots of seeing clips, leaks, and spoilers, and the general removal of the context that the events exist within. The nuance or background of specific scenes often gets stripped down, and it can go even a step further as well that while I feel as if Akutami did a great job making well-rounded characters instead of one-note tropes, there are specific tropes that are common in media that don't necessarily make it poor writing. I feel as if there can always be a good balance struck between appealing to its intended audience and what is expected of the genre while also being its own creation.

One example can always refer back to the power systems in many shounen anime. These systems are not terribly unique, and I could draw a million parallels between them; however, this is an example of something I don't think is a bad thing. I think it's integral to the genre, and more of a charming feature. Wanting a completely unique story that draws no inspiration from anything and uses no devices of those stories that came before it is simply impossible, in my opinion. Obviously, it's not immune to criticism, but the criticism it faces on social media often feels unfair and as if it's trying to drive people away from it.

Rewatched for Valentines' Day 2026, and I also can't emphasize enough how much work the animation does for it. It's so captivating. I can never casually watch this, as I always want to glue my eyes to the screen.