The Yuji Itadori Main Character Complex

[@eldenlean5221]

With the anime adaptation I noticed a pretty neat detail. Right after itadori drops his "cog in the machine" bar; in typical gege irony, kenjaku shows up. Someone who sees itadori as nothing more than a part of his schemes from the moment was born.

[@mandothemandalorian2392]

Worst part about that is he still cared more about itadori then his other kids (care is a strong word for what he feels but he still was glad he had friends and such perhaps that just fit his plan better but still)

[@estevancervantes4385]

@@mandothemandalorian2392 this is only kind of a meme answer, but do you think that Kenjaku may have actually cared about Yuji more because he was Yuji's mother and gave birth to him and adopted some maternal instincts for him, while for the death paintings he was their father?

[@centraltension8790]

@@estevancervantes4385 Possibly.

[@aangel4869]

@@estevancervantes4385I think so because he does take on traits from his victims right?

[@kanyerahming]

Never thought about that

[@eliuryes2778]

Yuji is such an interesting MC. He's sidelined in his own story, ridiculed for his naivety and he doesn't have a clear long term goal of his own. Other than his personality and behavior, he's like the anti-shounen protagonist. But we can't help but root for him still. We want to see him succeed even though we don't know what for.

[@ItBeKylen1234]

his burden is all his dead allies lies that on his back and we believe Yuji can carry that. And with other people around him giving hope, it seems like he may succeed.

[@someone_7233]

He is still 15 or 16 (i dont exactly remember) a *very* young man raised by a grumpy grandpa without knowing almost anything about his parents ... Seeking validation and connections from people by helping them over helping himself is the natural and more reasonable thing to his character, after all no one has taught this teenager that being a bit selfish is good sometimes , he was told to "save as many as possible" by the only adult who was like a parent to him

[@t.7124]

If you've caught up in the manga, it's weird how all of the flaws you can throw at Gege for his writing of Yuji actually uniquely makes him a more likeable character. Yuji is done so dirty both in and out of the story, and so he's the ultimate underdog. I don't think it was intentional, but I fucking love Yuji even more because I want to see him get his moment, he's such an underdog that the author literally has him be in the background of his own fight.

[@RobertFierce]

What a huge contradiction within your first 11 words. Interesting mc that's sidelined in his own story? What fkin story dude he's just a stupid untalented and useless kid that finds himself in a world surrounded by talented and powerful people. His whole shtick is a plothole, has no cursed energy, can't even save nobara lmao. Naruto for example held back the nine tails inside him as to not hurt anyone around him but the bad guys while yuji goes to bed when Sukuna wipes out everything and everyone. The kid's got no character at all.

[@MaxIronsThird]

The ultimate underdog that without any proper training, throws out black flashes willy nilly, learns Reverse Cursed Technique and fights special grade curses and sorcerers, doesn't die for some reason. @@t.7124

[@epitaph4606]

I think an interesting point to your thesis is yujis love for movies. From his conversations with junpei to his training at the beginning of the series to author notes. So I think it’s fitting he sees everything narratively because he was raised on fiction.

[@R7dman]

Amazing point!

[@aka_jr]

I didn’t even think about that but my god that makes so much sense

[@svolozhanin7627]

Oh yeah, he quated shonen manga. lol.

[@bu11ymaguire]

​​@@R7dman dude I like your passion for jjk.. I also see the story in a different way like you. I want to share some points to you for future. I can't stand people saying it's another shounen. Its going to be long so bear with me. I guarantee you will get something out of it if you are a storyteller. humans have always given tiers to what the most big brain thing.. Philosophy comes at the top on that list. Because it makes you think on a different plane. So naturally Philosophers are said to be the smartest and those who try to understand them are usually the cockiest. because everybody is gonna have philosophical animes or those with hints of philosophy in their top list. Vinland, death note, monster, mononoke, aot, berserk, bebop. Aot and deathnote are similar with their trope of which side is good and bad that questions your morality. Aot also adds the reality of war.. but they still are common somehow with one another. Jjk however shines better than all of them is natural screenplay.. in deathnote the focus is more on thrill than screenplay.. light finds himself in situations and the screenplay doesn't go naturally...its all about thrill and shock.. Aot has very good screenplay, but most of the time adds things out of nowhere.. gabi a little girl doing whatever she wants without any gear and strength or titan power.. eren understanding the world and becoming ready to do things out of his own volition but cries that he didn't have any choice at the end instead of knowing he did have the choice if euthanisation which would involve no killing but chose the other path for his next generation. They didn't double down on erens action and that makes the ending shite. There are many more scenes which do not have natural progression. Vinland saga s2 however a masterpiece in storytelling and narrative and screenplay still lacks in a perfectly believable character in form of thorfinn..who completely gives up violence through death of one guy who he wanted to kill... While the relationship progression of askeladd and thorfinn was nothing short of phenomenal but still thorfinn giving up even slapping wasn't ideally a natural progression.. and thorfinn going head first in the era of brutes and killer kings while confronting them without violence is while cinematically beautiful and believable with how way things turn out isnt necessarily life like progression. Now even though with jjk and its loads of powers it would be hard to build around a life like progression screenplay..gege still does it while not giving in to charcters but only to plot..you get a sense by watching screenplay that some things have high chance of happening...and then.. they happen. You dont wanna believe it happened but it happens again. For example, dagon was in the domain... And since gojo is sealed and not many sorcerers are around and jogo choso and mahito are free after the gojo sealing.. so the most natural progression is mahito and choso are finding yuji while jogo would look for dagon after hanamis death.. so the moment toji breaks the domain expansion after killing dagon,, jogou is there.. toji goes after Megumi..and leaves jogo with the other three... Again you know whats coming. Jogo incinerates them three. Now the natural progression. Zenin head dies, nanami barely survives because of the cursed energy increase in overtime, and maki survives because of heavenly restriction.. since jogo speed blitzed the other two he just lit them up to the point he thought they were dead and went all out on the last one that is zenin. Now he would complete the job but sukuna comes up. Gege uses a situation and just goes in his head what would happen if it happened in actuality... and then does that. when gojo is unsealed, most animes will do loads of bullshii.. but he directly goes to sukuna and challenges him..which fits his personality perfectly. Now what would happen if the two strongest fought with nobody close to them in terms of power?? Nobody can stop them and one of them is going to die. Thats exactly what happens. You can find it in almost every scene. Even though the world is fantasy the things go in the most possible natural way.. and the progression of story and theme setting in is narratively brilliant. Yuji going from happy go lucky even after listening to gojos words about his most probable death and destruction of world.. most anime would go dark instantly.. but even after listening those words yuji didn't understand their weight and its natural because nothing really happened to him. But after junpei yuji started scratching the surface.. he still didn't really understand the weight but it weighed in his heart.. he was still hopeful and joyful and committed.. but in shibuya things really started to settle in.. he was still goofy at the start.. but after seeing the destruction... he still carried himself because it didn't happen to his loved ones.. Thats when he sees nanami with mahito... The voice actor of yuji did a great job of conveying his confused and scared emotion when he said "nanami". This is the most natural progression of guilt and pain i have ever seen.. I too would feel bad if many people died that i didn't know in relation to me.. but the real pain would come when my loved one will die.. I dont think there is ever anything like jjk..the screenplay is goated even in such a complex power system.. its the hardest thing to do in my opinion. great characters, goated progression Mix of philosophy which has 0 cringe and feels much more natural unlike other animes. It has something for a berserk, vinland saga fan and also something for a demon slayer and naruto fan. You saying its not top 10 is objectively false. Maybe people couldn't look past its animation and fights. Its much deeper and probably the hardest thing to do for a writer... Such natural progression. Mangakas usually take the easy route to build narrative in sacrifice of a perfect flow screenplay. Gege is smoking some scorsese pack. He dont care about the chracters too. The plot and its natural screenplay is most important. its one of a kind.. dont let s1 fool you its just a mature shounen. Yuji thought that too, lmao. My favourite after vinland saga and monster. Monster has great natural progression too but its much easier to do it in there compared to jjk world. Gege really is the one of the best.

[@bu11ymaguire]

​@@R7dmanShibuya arc is also so good because Yuji is the centre. Other than that The contrast bw nanami and mei mei...nanamis arc..yujis downward spiral and the villainous plot at play with some of the best screenplay of all time. Yuji isn't son of a powerful character. He is son of a smart character. And he isn't supposed to be the mc.hes just the centre of tragedy. He's just born to bring the king of curses in the world. People actually suffer because of him. He's the cog just to make things easier for somebody. He isnt the most gifted out of all of them. Toji, maki, Megumi, gojo, yuta, todo are all stronger and better than him. And he won't be better than them at the end. Nobody is hoping for yuji to become the strongest. They are just curious if he will even have a happy ending. he has actually suffered unlike other fake sufferings. He is the centre of death all around him. What could be more tragic for a person when he just wants to save people but he becomes the cause of death for everyone. And Yuji isn't mentally strong or a punk that don't care. It actually weighs his heart.

[@twinmxkz]

Yuji character has significantly grown on me throughout the shibuya incident

[@R7dman]

We love to see it, the anime adaptation has done wonders for him. Yuji's voice actor is so good

[@ragexlukii2517]

@@R7dmanomg jies the voice actors of JJk deserve awards, havent seen voice acting on that level since like 2015-2016

[@Unbidleaf]

Curse energy runs on negative emotions, so it is for sure Yuji has grown stronger after the incident.💀

[@Chosen_Ash]

Yuji has always been goated

[@Zokalex]

Same happened to me when I read the manga. Started to care for the kid in Shibuya

[@lordofcringe2189]

This effect requires GPU acceleration

[@R7dman]

LMFAO the render tripped out

[@headcrap6152]

was there a 3d model of yuji getting backshotted what affect is there lol

[@someone_7233]

He is still 15 or 16 (i dont exactly remember) a *very* young man raised by a grumpy grandpa without knowing almost anything about his parents ... Seeking validation and connections from people by helping them over helping himself is the natural and more reasonable thing to his character, after all no one has taught this teenager that being a bit selfish is good sometimes , he was told to "save as many as possible" by the only adult who was like a parent to him

[@fabulousmaggot1124]

he's only 15 yes :(

[@citrustron4474]

This is a really good point and I honestly think this is what makes Yuji relatable to me and maybe others who didn’t grow up with ideal parents. I don’t think my mindset was as twisted as Yuji’s but as a kid/teenager, I would do things that seemed selfless, but were really just to be validated by others. Specifically teachers and my friends parents. Yuji Itadori is becoming one of my favorite characters in fiction and I’m really excited to see how his character evolves as the series is near its end.

[@ILiekFishes]

isn't that what the first meeting with principal yaga was about? yes he wants to live up to his grandfather's words, but at his core he couldn't live with himself if he knew people were in danger and he gave up a chance to stop it.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@FirmlyGrasp_IT]

Hold on. The more I think about it the more it becomes clear to me that Gege Akutami wrote JJK as a critique of Japan. There is Higuruma's story that very obviously critiques Japan, but it goes much deeper than that, all the way to the series core fundamental themes. The themes presented in JJK can apply to pretty much the whole world, but it especially hits home for the Japanese work culture and lack of individuality in that culture. As a society, Japan is the very epitome of a system run on cogs and it embodies the cog mentality far more than say a western culture like the U.S. where individuality is often preached and rewarded. The Japanese don't respond kindly to individuality, standing out isn't a good thing. Keeping your head down and not complaining is the standard in Japan and this attitude is exploited by higher-ups. Look at the anime industry, animators are the cogs, many animators are aware that they are not givern sufficient time or rewards for their efforts, but they stay around because of their passion and that passion is exploited endlessly by the industry. From his interviews and chapter comments, Gege has always struck me as a sort of rebel or someone that is very privy to how sad Japanese work culture and societal standards are and what the higher-ups do to people. I can't remember if they were fellow mangaka, assistants, or editors, but I recall on multiple occasions of people calling Gege something along the lines of strange or different, Gege is talked about as if he's kinda a weirdo. Connecting it back to JJK, the crazy part is that despite Gege critiquing Japan for its cog system, he himself still conforms to the cog system. Yuji and Gege are both people with good intentions that have sacrificed themselves for others, in Yuji's case, it is for protecting humanity, and for Gege it is to tell a story that brings joy to people's lives. Both suffer tremendously because of the paths they themselves chose. We all know how difficult it is to be a mangaka after all and the pay is nowhere near good enough for what they go through. Yuji and Gege's selfless motivations as cogs resulted in bad things occurring to not only themselves but also to others. Despite his good intentions, Gege is feeding the awful manga and anime industry its sustenance, especially when you consider JJK is one of the most profitable anime/manga ever. We've seen how Mappa staff suffered throughout JJK S2 and it won't stop there. This connection between Gege and the themes of his story are quite disturbing to me, so I'll stop now, but this is just crazy to think about.

[@kakashihatake377]

Damn never looked at it from this angle 🤯 that's insane to think about

[@ContractorOfEnten]

Stand proud You can cook.

[@arielsalinger-kraft6197]

It's not crazy. I specifically looked through the comments to see if anyone else noticed. However, something to keep in mind is how unusual it is for someone who's only known one culture their whole life to see said culture from a far enough detachment, psychologically, to see it from something akin to a foreigner's perspective. (For a physical real-world equivalent, try looking at a refrigerator from only one inch [or two-and-a-half centimeters] away, and try to extrapolate what a refrigerator looks like using only that reference [and disregarding the fact you've seen a refrigerator farther away before]. [You can't forget what it looks like in its totality, can you? That's part of the point. Some things can't be unseen, conceptually or otherwise.]) To take ita step further and share it via story is incredible. I have to wonder if any of the characters who have died in-story have had anything akin to real-world counterparts, as death from overwork is higher in Japan than anywhere else on Earth. One random last thought: While there aren't tones in the Japanese language [to my knowledge], the choice of "Gege" as a name is interesting to me, as in Chinese, it can mean "older brother."

[@sentientbeing8738]

The U.S. does a good job of turning individuality into a bad thing. In the U.S. everyone wants to be special but don't actually think for themselves. The result is people who are still mindless drones that conform but they do it with high self-importance and grandiosity.

[@Ichigo29ify]

Damn...

[@Dutchman451]

Yuji almost perfectly epitomizes the Identity vs Role Confusion developmental crisis in Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. It's awesome how thematic his character is while not at all being the typical good natured, hero most protagonists are framed as. At the end of the day, he's a confused teenager who just doesn't want to think too hard about it so long as he has something to do, some rationalization of his actions. His self discovery will probably be a major plot point in the conflict between sorcerers, I expect

[@NaisanSama]

A bit relatable

[@Dutchman451]

@@NaisanSama the best characters and stories are

[@bu11ymaguire]

He isn't a typical good natured guy who overcomes all obstacles. But he is genuinely good at heart and wants to be of some help and have a role, so he can feel good. And when things doesn't go his way, he goes in trauma and comes up with another half assed perspective so he could keep going.. Lmao, i love Yuji.

[@ioele1000]

It's kinda of like when Geto discovered himself over time.

[@dareelantonio.3056]

Yuji is basically a confused young adult constantly changing

[@emerilmacayaon5186]

Damn, Yujis selflessness really bit him in the ass when things were just about to go right. Yuji was more caring to those around him than to put himself into consideration thus prompting sukuna to switch bodies. His self hatred and the dwindling feeling of his self- worth coupled with the burden he has to carry just cause he felt responsible for others drives Yuji into a self destructive path where the people he's closest to dies due to his selfless actions. I hope Yuji gets to decide for himself and break free from his self loathing Mindset.

[@zynergx6973]

This right here might EXACTLY why Sukuna sees Yuji as boring. To start off, one of the main themes of the series seems to be about selfishness. Yuji is a representation of selflessness while Sukuna is all about being selfish. Sukuna was an unwanted child but had a desire to survive and achieve HIS own goals. Yuji on the other hand, was born loved but wouldn't hesitate to throw his one life away for others. Heck, his own goal to help others so that he wouldn't die alone wasn't his to begin with but rather something his Gramps dropped on him before his passing. You could even say it was a curse. Not to mention Yuji was contempt to dying once he reached his goal of consuming all of Sukuna's fingers. It's even more apparent when Yuji currently has the mindset of being a cog. It's another reason why Sukuna doesn't give a crap if Yuji dies even if it inconvenience him. Another thing is that in this series Self-Sacrifice is looked down upon. When one sacrifices themselves there's little reward backed with massive consequences. Long story short, if Yuji doesn't cherish his life then Sukuna will treat him as such.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@Silver19897]

Yuji’s claim to the role of main character isn’t entirely stripped away, as he remains the only one who can contain Sukuna as opposed to just housing him.

[@алексейпугачев-л9й]

Actually Sukuna stated that Megumi is also capable of suprresing him thus he waited until Megumi's state of mind would be at it's lowest,that's precisely why he didn't took over Yuji's body at first moment he got near Megumi.And even after this he was still capable of holding back Sukuna from killing Yuji and Maki,only after cursed spirit bath and killing his sister he finally gave out......

[@mirkajelic8583]

yea i saw someone on tiktok once say that megumi is the perfect host and yuji is the perfect prison, its pretty true imo

[@THEPIRAOLA]

​@mirkajelic8583 well, thats something Sukuna said

[@doublereel-real]

@@алексейпугачев-л9й I've gotta disagree, while we've seen Megumi supress Sukuna to an extent, such as by disrupting Sukuna's cursed energy, Itadori is the only one who can fully suppress Sukuna. I think that this is the reason Kenjaku created Itadori, in order to have a perfect housing for Sukuna. Megumi on the other hand is controlled by Sukuna, but doesn't transform. Just before the battle with Kashimo, the narrator states that Sukuna unleashed the transformation into his Heian-era appearance, which he was suppressing. This might be wrong, but I think that Sukuna could not do such a thing while Itadori was his host. Megumi on the other hand cannot resist Sukuna in the same way, and was only kept alive so that Sukuna could use the 10 Shadows vs Gojo. TLDR: Sukuna was suppressing the Heian era transformation so he could use Megumi's 10 shadows technique vs gojo. I could be completely wrong though.

[@Hikari12217]

​@@doublereel-realNope, it was explicitly stated that Megumi can suppress Sukuna too, Sukuna himself explain this to us in chapter 213, saying that he was just waiting to recover his power and for Megumi's soul to shatter, otherwise Megumi would have been a cage too instead of a vessel, so this is not debatable, since it's explained by the person that took over his body and knows better than everyone else how this process works.

[@AtenSol12]

28:49 this is one of my favorite aspects of jjk. Naruto is often talked about for his ability to find the contradiction in his enemies and ultimately it may lead to their philosophical defeat. the very contradiction of Yuji and Todo's relationship being built on vibes and non existent past events/memories is incredible when it clashes against Mahito's "Life has no meaning" philosophy. not that Gege is directly saying this or maybe they are, but what can be gleaned from this is, "life is given its meaning by those that live" as a response, which doesnt inherently negate mahito but it does say there is more to life than the cursed spirit is giving credit for. cause yuji an todos relationship is bonkers. and doesnt make any sense. nevertheless, they find value in it. we the audience finds value in it. so it has meaning. same thing can be said for life. when you find the values in it, you have given it meaning.

[@DarkSharkDomilian]

Mahito's thing isn't "life has no meaning" per se, but rather his stance on life is that he doesn't care for it. He's only briefly shocked at Hanami dying, we get no reaction on him over Jogo and Dagon, and he toys with humans. He doesn't care for the lives lost as long as he does his thing. He's entirely about finding himself and embracing his very essence of being. That's his drive. The feeling of death and pain even inspires him to develop Self Embodiment of Perfection, and his Black Flashes on Yuji and Todo inspire him to develop his perfected self. As a curse, his entire existence has a defined path, and he embraces it with glee and pushes forward on his path. He's believed to just be immature, egotistical, and such, but a character's whose entire thing is "embracing nature," I think his flaws are the result of his status as a curse born from the fear and hatred of humans. It contradicts Yuji in such a great and developed manner, but not in the way you think. He's humanity's worst flaws forced into one being. An uncaring evil who would throw anyone below his feet and trample them. It's in his nature to be the worst, most vile being he can. Yuji contrasts that. He's so giving, and kind. He recognizes Ozawa easily, despite the drastic glow-up. He is the one guy who really gets along with Todo, as all the other students seem to dislike him. He can still get along with Nobara despite her being a bit of an ass sometimes, and uplifts the often gloomy and moody Megumi. It's in his nature to be the best, most kind being he can. He doesn't really embrace the whole, "saving just to be the hero" stereotype. He's a great human because he grows to genuinely care for the people he cherishes, but still does demonstrate kindness towards people he doesn't necessarily prize. It's why, despite the fact that Sukuna is also so cool, I don't like the fact that he's the main villain. Sukuna does the "demon possessing a child, condemning the child to be despised" shtick with Yuji better than Naruto and Kurama imo, but Sukuna should have been the final threat, slowly building up as Yuji slowly minimizes Sukuna as the jerk riding shotgun in his body, distracted by a curse truly opposing Yuji.

[@actuallyreallybored]

⁠@@DarkSharkDomilian "Life has no weight or particular value. Just like how water flows through the earth… …life simply flows. For you, me and everyone else-it's the same. Without meaning. Without value. That’s why you can do whatever you want. Live the way you want. Don’t limit yourself to just being indifferent. There's no reason to live by such a restricting philosophy. If you're hungry, eat. If you hate, kill. I support everything you represent, Junpei." This is why Mahito fumbled his Ideological Superiority and thus was narratively guranteed to lose. The quickest way to check whether a Moral Nihilist is truly a Moral Nihilist is to point a gun to their head, and ultimately Mahito *ran* not shamelessly without care, which would have matched everything he said, but because he was scared for his own worthless life. Philosophically, Sukuna has bested Jogo, Kashimo and so on. He is undefeated with only Yuji actually holding out. Whereas Mahito was winning, then Yuji gave his “cog” speech followed by Mahito dropping the ball like it suddenly became a game of Hot Potato.

[@DarkSharkDomilian]

@@actuallyreallybored Ah right, let's trust the words he spoke in order to lie to, manipulate, and play with Junpei, and not his actions. To be frank, I would rather trust the blatant facts than simply the words he spoke during the time he was playing around with the guy he spoke those words to. It's not that he believes lives have no value, just not to him, and not at the moment either. Mahito DID have the gun pointed at him. He did run shamelessly, without care. We see this at the school, when he fights Nanami and Yuji. He's locked in a brutal beatdown combo, his internal monologue has him admit, without any chance of lying, that he's about to die. And it doesn't make him run in fear like the famous "I'm you" scene. Instead, he's happy, and it inspires him to develop a Domain Expansion. The difference between before, and this time, is that he's matured. His perfect form was more than just a simple power-up. At that point, he had fully come into his own. Fully accepted his nature as the curse representing humanity. According to the wiki for his perfected form, in that form, he can't change his entire body. Only his hands for Idle Transfiguration, and the black tendrils on his elbows and head. Developing this new form was literally him becoming something different. Instead of having any path he chooses, his perfected form, when activated, locks him on one path, and he can no longer do just whatever if he wants to use his potential to its best. This is affirmed with the narration earlier. The "But now, all three have brought out 120 percent of their potential" line. The Black Flashes he performs on Yuji and Todo extend his potential, and it allows him to actually evolve into his superior form. As the curse representing the fear and hate of other humans, this does actually reflect in how humans grow, mature, develop, and evolve. Yuji, who was just previously totally distraught over the lives lost has matured enough to begin to accept the loss and move forward. Mahito, who was just previously totally uncaring over the lives lost has grown into something that does care for lives, if only his own. This matter even harmonizes with Jogo and Sukuna. Jogo was a curse representing an unrelenting force of nature, something that shouldn't have cared so much, and admittedly by Sukuna, should have just kept destroying and destroying. Mahito was a curse representing humanity, something that could have cared so much, didn't and in some perspective couldn't, being the worst of humanity, our lost morals, ethics, and care. In the end, both get destroyed by the same body, Jogo to Sukuna, and Mahito to Yuji.

[@aHeroWith1000Names]

Love in-depth discussions such as in this amazing thread. Keep yer wits sharp and analyses expansive yall.

[@ianharrison5758]

@@DarkSharkDomilianto me Mahito always seemed less like a nihilist who believes life objectively lacks meaning and value, and more like an absurdist driven by apathy. His “life has no meaning/value is less existential and more practical & subjective. In the most simple sense, Mahito exists to be a curse, he takes pride in his capacity for carnage and pleasure in the suffering he inflicts. That doesn’t mean his life has any more value or meaning than anyone else’s. He exists because he does, and lives in accordance with his instincts because that gratifies him. He exists for no reason, and thus lives for no reason. He’s the embodiment of humanities hatred and fear of itself, a walking representation of cruelty. To ascribe meaning or purpose in that makes no sense. It’s just a byproduct of how reality works, just as humans existing has no purpose, and is just a byproduct of how reality works. From my interpretation, when Mahito is talking about life having no meaning or value, (especially to junpei, tho he definitely was instigating with that speech) he’s essentially saying “You exist for no reason, so do what you want. Enjoy life, just know you aren’t special.” He existed in accordance with his instincts, and even fled in the end because of those instincts, in response to a feeling he’d never truly experienced before: fear. Mahitos been wary and shook, but he was so young his near death experiences all felt like a game. Till the end, he experienced true fear and what’s anything’s first instinct when scared? Flee. Even in the end Mahito wasn’t a hypocrite, he never valued his own life any more than anyone else’s or at all; he just wanted to continue living it.

[@CactusMaractus]

Yuji is actually a perfect reflection of jujutsu society, just like how the entirety of jujutsu society is literally fighting demons other people can't see and they don't tell other people, Yuji is psychology fighting demons no one else can see and he doesn't tell anyone

[@1ViivviiX1]

You cooked, and it was exquisite. Thanks chef. 🤌🔥

[@nichescenes]

@@1ViivviiX1 yuji reminds me of ichigo from bleach. People hate him for not screaming his goals every episode like naruto or one piece. Its a more mature level of storytelling and people just cant get with it. They hate it for not being more generic cause they think all shonen should be generic.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@thegiantjj]

I feel like he will die and become a curse at some point but im anime only so i might be wrong but everything seems to be leading up to him seeing the other perspectives and I feel the story would end with him dying a vengeful curse understanding everything rather than him collecting all the fingers and being executed.

[@drifterhbu]

​@@Heytheyfello1234 brother you copy and pasted your chat gbt ass response from your other comment?!

[@birdup2141]

I think yuji also kind of is a little self aware towards the beginning, when he's fighting the curse that's attacking megumi, megumi says that a curse can only be exorcised by another curse to which yuji says "I have a curse of my own." referencing his grandpa. So he views the ideology his grandpa passed down to him as his curse. In a way he's a lot more than just a vessel for sukuna, but for ideas too. From the way he's characterized and his role in the story, to even the fact that he lacks a cursed technique, the word "empty" is something that wouldn't be far off to associate with him.

[@kanyerahming]

Surprised someone else noticed that Yuji was self aware from the start

[@louiscalaunan5857]

Basically Yuji is similar to Spinner in MHA.

[@riririyou]

I also love how Gege doesn't give Yuuji a satisfying win. Almost every fight with a major villain end up being abrupted by someone. Mah boy just can't get a proper W

[@gerarquiaFM]

I alway interpretated this as him not killing anyone with hate, like he was going to kill Mahito for personal reasons, but he didn't in the end because of fake geto intervention

[@nichescenes]

Gege chooses challeging the reader by giving them what they don't want or arent used to. It angers anti fans cause they claim they want unique deep shonen and really they just want fairy tail. THey hate that the main bad guy is strong, they hate that they dont get melodramatic deaths, they hate that the story is fast paced all the while saying nothing happens, they hate that yuji doesnt say he wants to be pirate king every episode so they remember his goal. They hate that each character seems like a normal person cause they want them to each have one quirk to claim their deep. They hate that they dont dive into every world to say their is world building, they also hate that its not long at the same time hate that its not short. They just hate. Then people agree with them but all the while its the most popular so they hate it cause they cant enjoy it then watch it every season.

[@Cottalken]

@@nichescenes yall I think bro cooked 🔥🔥

[@nichescenes]

@@Cottalken lol 😂 I was just ranting. Jjk is it right now. Glad. Not much shonen left soon for shonen fans. Gonna be just slice of life after one piece ends if we don’t get a big hit lol. 😂 maybe the young blood shonen can pick up the ball. Sakumoto days, dandadan etc. won’t be another jjk for a while. 🥲all the while anti fans will tell you it’s trash. Wish they told me the better action based alternative. Even berserk is on break. Shonen fans are starving.

[@tinnitusintensifies]

@@nichescenesrumors of hxh returning

[@MANJYOMETHUNDER111]

The fact that Yuji's desire to self-sacrifice led to Sukuna possessing Megumi is such a good bit of writing.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@MANJYOMETHUNDER111]

@Heytheyfello1234 Yeah I'm not reading all that. Yuji's fine, and your shallow understanding of art is on full display here. None of your criticisms are valid

[@Heytheyfello1234]

@@MANJYOMETHUNDER111 Have you ever seen Yuji interact with the vast mijority of JJK character???

[@MANJYOMETHUNDER111]

@@Heytheyfello1234 Have you ever had sex with a willing partner?

[@Nandomo00]

​@@Heytheyfello1234Yes? the only one he hasn't interacted with is Kenjaku, tell me even just one major character Yuji hasn't interacted with? Yuji works well in jjk, and in any case he has more screen time than all the characters, Gege gives a lot of importance to the secondary characters, but if you reread the manga from the beginning you will notice that Yuji is the one you see the most... among other things he is one of the best written characters in jjk, in the top 3 for sure, for example, Naruto in his manga is not even in the top 3 in writing, Itachi, Madara, Sasuke, Kakashi, Obito, they are all written better than him, or Luffy, he's not in the top 3 in his manga...

[@andyzhang7890]

this made me appreciate the writing in JJK so much more, makes me wonder how Gege is gonna finish off the story in a thematically satisfying way...

[@ivanmarquez2218]

I want to see if Gege can pull off a "we defeated the big bad evil, and that somehow turns out to be the bad ending". Sort of like, yes, they killed Sukuna but the systems that made them miserable remained in place, and their only real shot at changing things just slipped away. I have so many scenarios in my head, if the ending of JJK is a tragedy about "unchanging systems and the people that maintain the status quo" I will fly directly into japan to kiss Gege.

[@silverprimus321boi9]

Probably won't. Gege's itching to end JJK so he can start his/her idol manga, and its showing by how rushed the manga is getting.

[@abthegoatt]

@@silverprimus321boi9 its not rushed

[@silverprimus321boi9]

@@abthegoatt it is

[@shmelzy82]

sukunas gonna win because he’s geges favorite character clearly

[@carrysound]

I always felt a major issue that causes Yuji to lose time and time again, whether it’s a fight or losing people, was because he’s so resistant to accepting his role as the main character. He’s quick to find his side character role whenever he thinks he can’t win or is beyond saving more than have died. Like with Choso, once he realized he may not win he decides his role is a sacrifice to stop him. Time and time again he finds a different job as a cog, never fully accepting his MC role.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@sowergamingbro5885]

​​@@Heytheyfello1234 it's made by ai wasn't it?

[@sanigdhaya2488]

i think todo's role is simplified here quite a lot though. yes he is a cog in the system, but he also prioritizes himself and his own thought, he didn't kill yuji when gakuanji asked him to do, which in turn would remove the only other thing, other than the prison realm that could rival gojo, but because he simply saw yuji as a brother, he decided not to kill him, hence questioning the society he is a part of and how it casts aside everyone it can't or deems too dangerous to make use of. I think Todo isn't exactly telling Yuji to simply become a cog(though that might have been how yuji interpreted it) but rather that find out what ultimately yuji wants, but till he arives at that answer, take the path that would minimize innocent death

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@july4792]

How would i not creat a connection with such a good character like Yuji? His emotions and determination of keep going regardless every shit that has happened to him is such a motivatiom honestly. My fave mc of new gn.

[@hammerboy4000]

wtf is new gn

[@hellothere-dw3sf]

@@hammerboy4000 new generation of anime/manga. aka the new stuff

[@MK-vi2cm]

right? just spell the fkn word out. gn means good night how are we supposed to infer it meant generation here?@@hammerboy4000

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@amethystpaice1451]

When an anime gets popular, its inevitable that a lot people misinterpret the story writing. This video was so refreshing because it hit the nail on the head with every part of it. I wish I could force all JJK fans to watch it. Something this video reminded me of are the parrelels between Riko and Yuji. Both start off fully prepared to die for the sake of Jujutsu society, believing it is their purpose. However, Riko's moment in the aquarium represents what Yuji fails to realise; that life is beautiful when you live for yourself. That scene made me sob when I saw it animated

[@rebellefleur2993]

I hope yuji realize it soon

[@Cmygo]

"Most people are too dumb to understand. You however are one of the smart ones, since you share the same opinion as me😏I wish I could force my opinion on everyone." That's what you sound like. Be better!

[@amethystpaice1451]

@@Cmygo I’m so sorry for the misunderstanding. I think at the time I wrote it I was kinda angry lol, so I changed it a bit to be less pretentious. To clear things up, I’m fine with interpretations that I don’t agree with, as long as they are thought through. I disagree with statements like “Nobara was wasted as a character” and “Gojo’s students are what is most important to him” but I think they are valid and have evidence to support them. There is no single right answer! However, the misinterpretations I was referring to with my original comment are idea going around TikTok like: - Toji is a great father - it is all Yuki’s fault that Geto turned evil - Gojo is the real main character There is no single right takes but there are definitely wrong ones. Hope this makes sense

[@Cmygo]

@@amethystpaice1451 Be better!

[@aHeroWith1000Names]

​@@Cmygo "This person wrote the comment under some emotions, acknowledged their bias later on and calmly elaborated their opinion. I'll ignore all that and just repeat my prior imperative of moral highground." That's what you kind of sounded like... You can be better than that.

[@PrivateJin]

I’ve always liked Yuji but I always felt like I didn’t really know him. I’m glad I watched this video because I officially made him my favorite character on the show

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@DVMMIE-c7n]

I think many among the audiences confusing the difference between 'strongest character' and 'main character' Yuji is MC because the story starts with him, his decision to throated Sukuna's finger, unknowingly kickstarting Kenjaku's masterplan to resurrect Ryomen Sukuna Gojo/Sukuna are strongest characters in the show, due to universal aspect of Jujutsu, these two are the most knowledgeable and have the utmost understanding about Jujutsu than anyone, maybe aside from Kenjaku. Maybe they are too familiar with mainstream shonen MC being the strongest and practicallly invincible in some regards, that when MC like Yuji suffers and facing consequences it is such a bizarre concept, leading to shallow interpretation of him being a 'fraud'

[@MarukaiX]

I really get annoyed by the Yuji disrespect as he's a very good protag, the fact he isn't the strongest (at least not now if that's the case) is better imo

[@sorendds7337]

This!

[@rainofkhandaq6678]

The MCs are never the strongest until the end of the story unless we're talking OPM

[@DVMMIE-c7n]

I'm starting to think that Gege planned to end the story as Sukuna triump over the modern sorcerers, essentially put the responsibility of the end of humanity on Gojo/Yuji for nurturing his resurrection and not eradicate a vessel like Yuji earlier when they have a chance. At least, I hope, it would be depressingly beautiful for a shonen to end like that

[@DVMMIE-c7n]

@@rainofkhandaq6678 Tanjiro basically being a universal breathing technique user Ichigo have vast amount of Reishi since the beginning, then he eventually gain all of the traits that differentiates groups from one another(Hollow, Visored, Quincy) Goku was pretty much unbeatable, even without his Saiyan heritage

[@MaxIronsThird]

Anyone can become a Vessel to Sukuna or any sourcerer that has been turned into a cursed object, Yuji is special bc he doesn't lose control of the body. Sukuna later chooses Megumim bc of his techniques, not bc he's a "good" vessel.

[@donutbevil9669]

It was stated that most people who consume a finger would die.

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@donutbevil9669 most normal people, plus Megumin very far from being "most people".

[@diegoechavarria209]

@@MaxIronsThirdyou said “anyone”

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@Nov0320]

This was a nice video. One thing I’ve always liked about Yuji’s character is that on some level he is both simple and a bit complicated. Mostly because of how he chooses to deal with his struggles. Not always saying what is on his mind but simply going for the next goal he’s set his mind to. He’s a character that doesn’t define what happens around him like other shonen mc’s we are used to but he comes out defined by his circumstances. Both sad and I suppose ties into the lack of agency his whole life was made to be. The story does not reward his heroism nor his altruism. He could easily run away or move on despite never truly succeeding right now but he wants to believe there would be meaning to all this maybe not even in his lifetime but centuries after his death and I respect that. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea for a lead character in shonen but I think it’s the only way jjk as we know it would work

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@AdaptingStrike]

He is a character that was sucked into a different world. And so we watch a young man in his important development at his age…crumble and then built again….then fall and then get back up. The cogs in this story are so amazing…you can really get so many types of stories from this manga alone.

[@zynergx6973]

So far in the current story Yuji has acquired some major buffs. However That still may not be enough since he's behind most of his peers. Therefore there are two things that Yuji will ABSOLUTELY need if he were to truly evolve: Selfishness and Individuality. Yuji has been in a downward spiral especially since post-Shibuya where he has a Cog mentality where he has no regard for himself as long it makes an impact for others. For this it all traces back to the "curse" (although well-intentioned) from his already passed Grandfather where he told Yuji to help others so that he won't be alone until his death. This unintentionally made Yuji think his purpose in life is to help others and nothing more. So when Sukuna destroyed Shibuya along with the many lives of people it completely shatters Yuji's purpose or otherwise existence thus condemning himself to death. Also why he later aqquires the Cog mentality as a way of coping. This leads into my first point of that being Selfishness. JJK is one of many unique series where Selfishness is pushed forward unlike other Shounen with the power of friendship, nakama, or whatever. This message is constantly portrayed throughout the story. When Yuji was first indoctrinated to Jujutsu Tech, Yaga asked Yuji of what his motivation for becoming a Sorcerer is and when he mentions helping people Yaga is not satisfied. The reasoning behind his unsatisfaction was that Jujutsu Sorcery is an occupation where they face the possibility of death on a daily basis along with regrets and no gratitude. Which made him ask Yuji if he's ever faced with the possibility of death will he curse his grandpa for he was the one to set Yuji on that selfless path. It's only when Yuji makes his motivation sound a bit more towards himself (making it a bit selfish) that Yaga accepts. It's basically a known fact that very good-natured people don't last long in their line of work, the best example is Suguru Geto. Despite Geto and Yuji's differences their motivations were very similar. However after some unfortunate events along being exposed to the dark side of reality that Geto starts resenting the humans he once prided himself protecting. It especially didn't help when he discovered that humanity itself is the reason why Curses exist to begin with due to them not being able to control their leaking cursed energy. Meaning if it weren't for them Geto wouldn't have forced himself to Devour Curse after Curse just to temporarily stop them. It's probably because of Geto that Yaga is unwilling to accept someone who's motivation while well-intentioned, but will ultimately be the reason for their downfall. Another thing I've noticed in this series is that Self-sacrifice while praised in others is looked down upon. One example of this is Yuji in his fight with Choso, when Yuji resigned himself in a role that he doesn't have to be the one to save Gojo, he may as well forsaked himself because moments later Choso won only not killing the guy due to some mind scrambe about possibly killing his own brother. The negative result of Yuji resigning himself of the course would be the temporary resurrection of Sukuna and you know the rest. This happens yet again when Sukuna uses enchain to takeover Yuji's body and tries a gamble of ripping out his finger supposedly risking the rules of the binding vow he set. This gamble ultimately pays off in the end why? Because Yuji subconsciously disregarded his well-being from the people Sukuna shouldn't be able to harm. Yuji once again unintentionally screwed over everyone with his act of selflessness. JJK has shown us a right way you could grow stronger. A prime example of this during Megumi's training, Gojo told him he had an troubling habit of resorting to his powerful trump card due to him not having self-confidence in his own basic strength/abilities. Man basically told him to be more Greedy and the moment Megumi took that to heart he violated the Special Grade. He quite imagined his victory and took that mentality forward to the rest of his battles. It's good to have allies but at the end of the day Jujutsu is an Individual sport so when you die, you die alone. My second point in all this I'd like to bring is having a Sense of Individuality. The three which Yuji's currently behind each have this. Yuta although humble most of the time has a iron foundation of assurance. Like Yuji he's compassionate but that doesn't completely define his existence. In fact even during his last struggle with Ishigori (a Sendai Colony Boss) he had the option to quickly end the fight but chose to indulge the guy's sweetness for battle. Maki is someone who rebel against Jujutsu Society's values unlike Yuji who'd just lie down and die because that's what Jujutsu Society that he's a Cog in decided for him. Lastly, Hakari is someone who lives with his "Fever" doing what he wants and how because of it. If someone has a problem against it then that's on them. The thing is Yuji DID once have this Selfish mentality, waaaay before the current story of JJK. When decides on something and how wants to it, nothing or no one can change his mind. This sort of mentality is eerily reminiscent of Sukuna. So I feel that the only way Yuji can TRULY grow is if he can rediscover that old way of life.

[@dezm17]

holy shit man that is actually really well said I totally agree with every part of what you said I just hope this last bit of yuji’s character can be developed properly before the manga ends but I cant help but at least worry a little bit if it the manga is said to end in 2024 I feel like yuji should’ve been developed more prior to this current arc

[@doublereel-real]

This might be a reach, but Itadori also lacks a cursed technique, which reflects his lack of individuality. In a series where fighting is as common as breathing, Yuji has nothing that makes him stand out in a fight.

[@kanyerahming]

No, his superhuman abilities are what make him built different and are commented on repeatedly.@@doublereel-real

[@kanyerahming]

Epic analysis but I disagree that he's weaker than most of his peers.

[@zynergx6973]

@@kanyerahming Is he capable of the following then: - Winning a three way battle between Sendai Colony Bosses Ryu and Uro. - Defeat a Special Grade Vengeful Spirit Naoya with a broken domain Expansion. - Defeat the most powerful Reincarnated Special Grade Sorcerer from the previous era (Edo period).

[@CasualIvory]

Yuji's reaction to losing his grandfather actually spoke to me quite a bit. It shows off two realities in grief you rarely see in fiction: that of denial and the fact that you must keep moving otherwise you fall entirely to grief. I lost my stepfather in 2017, and yes, there was an initial reaction, but by end of day, my entire mindset was geared towards being there for my mother. In some ways, I was in complete denial that this was happening, acting as though if I just made sure my mother was okay, everything would go back to normal. But I also knew that if I stopped, I would fall apart, and no one would be there for my mother or myself. It wasn't until much later that I was able to process and grieve on my own time. Some people just don't handle grief how you might expect, and that to me is exactly why the death of Yuji's grandfather IS that lynchpin in the story. The problem is Yuji has never and likely will never get that moment of quiet contemplation to fully accept the death of his grandfather.

[@AngDevigne]

This video has just made it onto my list of All Time Favorite KZbin essays. Thank you so, so much for taking the time to thoughtfully and empathically break down Yuji's character for us. It changed my outlook on him and the story in so many ways.

[@log5531]

Great video. I think you're the only youtuber that goes in depth on the narrative of jjk instead of powerscaling, and I really appreciate it.

[@jd7337]

There is barely a narrative that's why

[@ianharrison5758]

@@jd7337idk how you’ve read the series and think that lmao

[@NeoZero369]

@@jd7337this is ironic considering the story literally has the fandom complaining about the numbness of death and it was thoroughly explained that would happen in season 1 episode 2

[@silverprimus321boi9]

@@jd7337 correction: there is a narrative, it just comes into existence 0.2 seconds before any events take place.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@staser]

39:57 “This effect requires GPU acceleration” literally split me in half

[@FrayTheHunter]

Every time you upload, I get very excited to see what you've got posted up. Your content is very well made and I'm always impressed!

[@R7dman]

Thank you so much, that means a lot!

[@RACH90810]

​@@R7dmanYuji was master planner and the moment Hana said Sukuna always win the evidence goes to Yuji.

[@MichRoyal]

Wow! Absolutely phenomenal video my friend! So much effort in the editing, inclusion of evidence, and methodical breakdown of Yuji's character. I will definitely be referencing your video anytime I desire to explain to someone why Yuji is one of my favorite protagonists of all time. I myself could never really pinpoint why; I knew Yuji's selflessness and conflict of character were always key points that made me adore him, but what I also was missing was how these traits differentiate from other selfless characters in manga (which there are plenty) and you perfectly highlighted it. Because from the framework of JJK, these are inherent flaws that do not help you for the most part. It really hits home for me that I love Yuji because like many of us in reality, he is a flawed individual who's afraid to admit their kindness and "selfless" actions come from a place of selfishness, and grappling with that truth is a hard thing to overcome. Yuji is an embodiment of this mental turmoil and I appreciate you so much for going into the effort of making this! There's so much one can learn from Yuji's character.

[@Malthizar]

I think one of the most interesting things about JJK is that it seems to paint Gege as a very cynical person on some level. It seems that they see the world where the scum bag gets the promotion, the douche gets the girl, and the honest citizen gets their house taken away from them. From that perspective, Yuji is almost a denouement of Shonen MC protags, as he is put "in the real world" unlike characters like Ichigo, Luffy, or Naruto, who always can pull a win at the last second due to being "utterly selfless and pure of heart"

[@MichRoyal]

@@Malthizar Oh most definitely! I am convinced that Gege must be a pretty cynical individual irl. Though I have my own thoughts on cynicism in and of itself, I do love how he developed Yuji as a character. As you highlighted, it seems most stories rarely explore the darker sides of selflessness or the implications it comes from a place of selfish desire. Most selfless protagonists are earnestly selfless. The implication they are selfish because of it is rarely if ever explored, and as you also mentioned, often rewarded at the end of the day. It seems Gege is trying to make Yuji suffer everytime he lets his selflessness be the driving factor, and perhaps he will only achieve victory when he adopts selfishness as his primary motivation. Sort of the polar opposite of most stories. As proposed in the video, I imagine Yuji's selfish desire will be to kill Sukuna no matter the cost, even if it means Megumi's life. However, as someone who was meant to be the sacrifice and not Megumi, plus his obsession with selflessly saving others, this is Yuji's ultimate punishment. How it'll play out will certainly be interesting, I just love the mental tug-o-war that Gege presents here, regardless of the outcome. It's an interesting and nuanced conversation.

[@Bladings]

In regards to your comments about Jujutsu Society, I'd like to point out that there's only 3 (and mayyybe a 4th person) that truly transcend the system. Before I explain who those 3 (and maybe 4th) characters are, I'd like to explain why Sukuna, Gojo and Tengen do not. Gojo was used by the system ever since he was a child. He thinks himself the Honoured One, a being above the Jujutsu Society, but he failed to protect anyone from it. Riko is the symbol of his failure, and so is Yaga. Sukuna, on the other hand, exists as the actual peak of the system. The painting that depicts him fighting the heian-era generals puts him literally above all the other sorcerers. Still, his idea of what society should be is a world where might makes right, where innate techniques and skill go above anything else. He arguably literally created the Jujutsu system. Tengen is the easiest to explain, she literally maintains the "walls" of the Jujutsu Society. But then, we have these 3 characters; Yuki, Geto and Kenjaku. All 3 have ambitions that would significantly alter the direction of JJK, and all three are interlinked. When Gojo asked Geto if they should just go and kill all those people, Geto refused. That cemented Gojo's character as someone incapable of taking meaningful action, but it also tormented Geto for a looong long time. That was until he met Yuki. She introduced what will probably become the crux of JJK: how to get rid of the curses, something that would completely destroy the current system. For Yuki, this was achievable through the complete removal of cursed energy. She was also characterized as someone that never took on missions, and was completely outside of the system. Geto, on the other hand, combined that idea with his hatred of non-sorcerers, and decided that the best way to proceed was the removal of cursed energy waste through the eradication of non-sorcerers (humans cause curses because they cannot control their output of CE, whereas sorcerers do not). We then have Kenjaku, who, 1000 years ago, started to work on his plan to "optimize" cursed energy. Make a single vessel capable of literally evolving passed cursed energy. It's not a coincidence that he's the one that takes over Geto's body, and kills Yuki. All three of their approaches were tested, and its Kenjaku that emerged victorious. This is where it gets interesting, and it loops back to Yuji's character. Yuji was, one way or another, directly influenced by them. Yuji was made by Kenjaku, who considers him his only successful creation, likely to bring upon this "optimization" of cursed energy. Yuji was also given Yuki's soul book, and is likely continuing her work. While he's been influenced by Geto to a lower extent, all of Kenjaku's interactions with Yuji were done in Geto's body, and as far as Yuji knows, they're the same. There will be a certain point where many revelations will be made about Yuji's place within all of this, and if he truly wants to change things for the better, his only hope is to go down his own path. HE needs to fully claim his agency. And while you characterized him as a character that lost much of what made him special, I'd argue it's all been red herrings. Kenjaku obviously cares for Yuji a lot more than he let on, considering his inner thoughts were pure love towards Yuji, even thanking his schoolmates for being his friends. He characterized him as the "eye" to Sukuna's '"storm", claiming that as long as these two continue to exist, his plan will come to fruition. Also, what made him special was not his ability to house Sukuna, it was his ability to contain him. Yuji has the unique ability of being able to fully contain and control any cursed spirit, object, or technique within him. And its very likely that he's now consumed his remaining brothers, and will also likely manifest Sukuna's CT (which I don't believe to be Cleave or Dismantle) very soon. Because of this ability, he also has an uncanny understanding of the soul. It's also worth to note that Sukuna has always considered Yuji to be of great potential, considering he believed Choso, a special grade likely in the top 10, to be "riffraff" compared to him, without even having a CT. There's obviously something here. I hope all this made a semblance of sense, and I'm very excited to see Gege taking this in unexpected directions.

[@AngeloSama]

Fam thanks for your hindsight It has been a blast to read and made me think of the story in a different way for sure!!! Appreciate it🫡

[@josephcohen5236]

let him cook

[@Nullicity]

"Because of this ability, he also has an uncanny understanding of the soul." damn, he really is mahito

[@navalinomilzamashshidqi5384]

​@@Nullicity "Yuji: I am you" okay Joke aside I found a comment that say something like, the person who is actually the same as Mahito is Nobara. And it got me thinking....... ooooOOOOOHHH THAT TRUE The true natural enemy of Mahito is not Yuji, but Nobara. Because Mahito CT actually can heal people, It even can heal something that cannot be heal by RCT and that is Heavenly rescriction, with the example of this is Mechamaru HR body that cannot be healed by RCT because his body was already "healed" or still "normal" but with Mahito CT he can get a "normal bodies" (real life example is: you born with a autism which is something that cannot be remove but in turn of that you get a incredible memory, but Mahito can remove that autism without removing the incredible memory parts. Or you want to buy Apple, after trading you got an apple but lose the money but with Mahito you can get your money back without exchange the Apple back) but Mahito in bad guy side And Nobara CT "Resonance" that can attack your with your disconnected body part and it can even attack inanimate object that make it lose it function which we already seen with Momo flyng broom, and from her fight with Mahito we know that "Resonance" ATTACK SOUL and the damage is devastating, one CT attach from Nobara is doing more damage than Yuji black flash. And she is in good guy side. Remember, Yuji can damage Mahito soul is just side effect of Yuji unique bodies that can countain and sustain another soul in his bodies, and Mahito cannot use his Technique and Domain again Yuji is because the soul that Yuji contain right at the moments is Sukuna, and Sukuna is a d*ck, he will kill Mahito if Mahito touch Sukuna soul not because anything but because he CAN. But Nobara can damage Mahito soul is because of her Curse Technique, HER OWN CURSE TECHNIQUE. Same as Mahito, he can interact and manipulate with himself and other soul is not because he is a Curse, but because that is HIS OWN CURSE TECHNIQUE IS. The same can also be said about their mindset is, Mahito said does'nt care about killing human and he will Embrace his role as curse, and Yuji only say he is the same as Mahito after he was going Through suffering, but Nobara already does'nt fell anything about killing curse from beginning or even BEFORE she join Jujutsu sorcerer Their personality that match eactother, the Playfull menace nature that they take when they are fighting, smiling to their enemy, Nobara said to Momo that she like she is pretty but also like when she is strong too, Mahito that Embrace his evil nature as a Curse like to learning and enjoy fighting. And there is still Soo much stuft that we can talk about Mahito and Nobara parallel, we can also have a take on Yuji that he is actually parallel Sukuna (this Yuji-Sukuna parallel is i am still not sure about it, but I realize maybe thats because we ACTUALLY STILL DON'T GET THEIR FULL backstory YET PS: sorry for my bad English🙏

[@De1tAStreaM]

I would argue that Sukuna is actually outside of the system due to his strength alone to be free from the bonds of a society. The Jujutsu society is a system that was birthed by weak individuals to control the strong by gaslighting them they are in control. Hence the reason why they pit strong shamans against another to kill them selves. The system exist not because it glorify the strong but trap them inside with no hope for freedom other than death. Interestingly thats why Sukuna is portrayed as the Buddha while Gojo is portrayed as the monkey king. Gojo is the system incarcerated as they have all the power in the world but can't achieve anything.

[@kiwi4356]

I’ve always seen Yuji as a great protagonist and one of the best I remember in Shonen. It really shocked me when I saw the general opinion calling him as boring and generic.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@birdsareneat818]

Yuji truely has been cursed by the wishes of others. His grandfather and then Nanami. However i think nanami saying ill leave the rest to you is truly the only reason Yuji can keep going

[@zalomanakbar2350]

Yuji and Gon are up there in the favorite protagonist list, they offer two separate perspectives on two basic archetypes but expand on those archetypes to where it seems like their conclusion is the only realistic one. Both are equally naive, found in a good place, but still naive. The tragedy of both characters, Yuji thinking he can hold back Sukuna forever, but then eventually loses control, leaving Sukuna to murder thousands in his battle against Mahoraga; and Gon thinking that non of his friends would get hurt on his journey (because until the Chimera Ant Arc, none of them really got hurt), which made losing Kite hit so much harder because he wasn't prepared for it, as a child, he had a child like understanding at what he needed to prepare for, and because he wasn't prepared, he ultimately couldn't completely come to terms with what had happened to Kite. Just genius writing from Gege Akutame and Tagashi

[@killme5630]

Honestly yea. Itadori vs mahito rlly reminded me of gon vs pitou. Also reminded me of cell vs gohan. Love ot when the kind hearted character is just lets go. Amd it's not treated like smthing heroic or badass.

[@hinamakura]

this effect requires GPU acceleration (great video)

[@jejurome]

HAHHAHAAHA

[@R7dman]

Premiere Pro did me dirty LMFAO

[@courage8151]

maybe Yuji would’ve had a happier ending if he turned on GPU Acceleration

[@punctualwizard]

Gojo wanted this gen to be the broom of the system. Break or change jujutsu society for the better. Gege has done a good job at subverting genre tropes while fully embracing them at the same time. I think we will circle all the way back to them being this catalyst. Yuji’s potential technique: happy ending

[@nerdcorner2680]

It takes awhile to realize that JJK is more than just dumb fun. For me personally, it took until Sukuna taking over Megumi for me to realize this series actually does have a lot of depth, and in a second read through I noticed a lot more. A cool little thing is water in JJK symbolizes crossing over to the other world, and in almost every big fight the characters cross over a body of water in some way (a river, sewer grates, etc) showing that these characters are already dead or so close to death in every moment

[@ianmoeller266]

Absolutely amazing analysis of one of the greatest characters in anime!

[@MaddCB]

Great analysis! I would add that Yuji believes he has to do it all on his own. With his friends dying around him…it reinforces the idea of “the only one I can depend on is myself.”. I personally feel like the progression of Yuji development is almost like a flashback of maybe how Sukuna went through life before he became what he is. I’m sure Sukuna suffered a lot before he stopped giving a damn and decided to just live his life however he wanted. Sukuna probably took a lot of L’s just like Yuji. The story constantly compares the two and that “I am you” i personally feel like he wasn’t just saying that to Mahito but his subconscious was speaking to Sukuna. Yuji is just in denial about it now. Or maybe he isn’t? Perhaps he is fully aware of the weight of his words “he’ll do ANYTHING to kill Sukuna”. Like he is struggling with the possibility that he becomes what he despises. Accepting being a “cog” is much easier and safer( in comparison)than going to the lengths to be on par with someone like Sukuna. That reality is starting to crush him and his friends will pay the price for his denial . Can’t run away from his problems forever when it’s throwing world ending dismantles and cleaves at everyone. Maybe that’s what the ending is leading up to. Maybe Yuji like Maki can free himself and not turn into the extreme selfish mentality version of Sukuna. There is nothing wrong with being selfish especially when freeing yourself from toxicity and extreme self destructive behavior. Yuji doesn’t have to accept the crimes carried out by Sukuna. But he will have to learn how to free himself like Maki and Sukuna have done. I’m looking forward when he finally breaks his own chains and just be true to himself without conditions.

[@Nana-ng1kz]

Yuji can't really free himself tho cuz he was the one who CHOSE to eat Sukuna's finger in the first place it was his Biggest Mistake

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.

[@jospin216]

@@Nana-ng1kz Yuji can still free himself from that self loathing since he was always going to be sukuna’s vessel since it was kenjaku’s plan

[@stonestowers7416]

This vid totally changed how I viewed the story of JJK and the implications of self sacrifice. Great work

[@SleepDeprivedMatt]

everytime i see someone say yuta shouldve been the main, i immediately stop listening to their opinions yuta’s story has already been done. right now all he’s experiencing is the side quests, NOT his original problem which caused him to become what he is in the first place. his character development is completely done and no matter what you say hes not getting another one sure could be a subtle change but it wont change who he is. If you said megumi shouldve been one then thats kind of understandable because he has a good orgin story and a lot of potential that’s undiscovered until now, but yuji’s still better overall mainly because of his insanely opposite world view compared to a lot of the villains in the jjk world

[@yaninzarn]

AMAZING VIDEO, MY ONLY response is that around 21:00 you mention its megumi and yujis sacrifice that made sukuna use his domain, but i think in the fight with jogo, it was amde apparent that sukuna was looking for any excuse to let his domain out. He taunted jogo about not using his domain, knowing that his own domain would flatten jogos, and kill thousands. To me this seemed like he wanted jogo to use his domain so sukuna had an excuse to use his domain to traumatize yuji. I feel like no matter what happened, sukuna would have used his domain just to torment yuji.

[@luckymankwok]

I really appreciate this video because I had read a lot of other video essays criticizing Yuji being a bad written MC because of lacking a clear motivation/goals, or letting charismatic and determined side characters like Gojo taking the spotlight; I think it made more sense now to view Yuji as a MC that seeking for purpose by act of selflessness and all tne events and main conflicts of the story lined up by challenging Yuji's purpopse.

[@Fotoschiki]

I never noticed that Yuji has so much in common with Shirou Emiya, but I love it. In fact I need more of that! Allmost all Shounen protagonists are of the Naruto archetype. Yuji is also a simple guy with a tragic past superficially, but there is much more depth to his internal struggle than just "I want to be the strongest wizardheroninjapirateshinigamisayajin to save my friends". Great video, thanks for the new perspective. As an anime only (with a few spoilers already burdening me), I'm gonna show myself out now.

[@swagman2001]

I was just about to say the same thing both are a slave to their selflessness

[@Fotoschiki]

@@swagman2001 Exactly and at the heart of their selflessness is an emptyness and lonelyness they try to fill. Also their unhealthy path of selflessness eventually backfires and becomes a path of selfdestruction and in the end they harm more people than they helped along the way, which completely breaks them.

[@yewyangfoo]

This…….This is a true masterpiece. Respect to the guy for making a such a comprehensive vid

[@kassimomar3109]

This is why I love Yuji, he’s nothing more but a cog for the system that the JJK world, making him completely disregard his agency as nothing more but to feed the machine, the character parallel between him and Mahito, Sukuna, and Megumi. What I love about Yuji is even after receiving multiple breakdowns that destroy his mentality, he's still pushing. He's still fighting with the goal mindset of hoping after his death his actions will be more evident. The cog machine, the cope mechanics, is displaying the whole situation and how it’s shattering him further down the line.

[@kit65534]

This analysis was really helpful for me to understand the actual characters and their motivations in JJK. Thank you!

[@typicalpepe9722]

it was my favorite moment in jjk when sukuna said "this effect requires GPU accleleration" and jujutsued on that kaisen

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@painlesskun3959]

The addition of the new chapter really explains why Choso's brain got a flood of memories with Yuji as his brother, because they infact are, brother from another mother (pun). His growth astonishes me, and I want to watch him break freak kinda like maki, and seriously hope gege understands this. A Thank you note, This video and it's style are my favorites, there's soo much to speak and analyze about jjk and this video captures it. I am in love, subbed. I dont have anyone whom i can talk about/discuss with like this, and this gives me that friend. Thank you.

[@taikayedilbayev6941]

Yujis grandpa stated, you're a strong kid, so help people, while yuji does the opposite, he is weak in the world of sorcery and only lets people die an unimaginable death

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@Fozzythedog]

I think mahito represents humanity’s fear of death. Yuji not fearing death makes him a direct opposite to mahito. It also makes his technique make sense and explains his actions to tormenting yuhi

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@victorcartagena8524]

The thing yuji has if not the only thing he has left at all is this sheer stupidly strong determination and will, stoic in a way but I can’t help but feel in the point he is now, where it seems impossible to win and when life tries to swallow him whole he will somehow manage to come out of there alive, Yuji is the type of character who Id envision fighting off against a dragon and coming out of there winning, granted he would be in a near death state but still. He doesn’t care how wounded he is or how much it hurts, if he has too he is willing to do the impossible for his goal, or rather the goals that were passed down to him. His curses per se, the curse of burden, whether it be Nanami’s and Nobara’s death, megumi’s possession or any other trauma in his life, the very things that cause him pain feed him more towards them. I hope he gets his comeback, a moment of where he can finally let go, crazy thing I find here is that even wounded and hurt he is relative to a fully awakened maki, who knows the limits yuji could have if sukuna pushes him a little bit more. Needless to say I want my boy to beat his ass but in general I just love how Gege depicts and challenges the stoic approach itadori takes for the type of character he is. He is the embodiment of “wounded not beaten” he might be burnt, cut, and even shattered in his soul yet even then he walks forward knowing damn well the implications of doing so, he will keep going to see the way out, that’s the thing he always does, from his character I dare to say the only way he knows how.

[@yorickvlt1021]

Only watched the anime side, but it's been really well thought out and I love that you're structuring your videos like this. I've had massive JJK brainrot since I started watching a few months ago but don't plan on reading because watching alongside my friends has been half the fun, and not being able to watch essays, ranking videos or whatever the usual media side content might be was a little sad

[@-eight-]

I’m really enjoying listening so far! I had a different interpretation of Yuji’s “it’s something only I can do,” motivation. My read on it was that it actually still played into his selfless motivation. It wasn’t that he especially wanted to do it because no one else could, it was that he felt it was his responsibility because no one else could. I thought he was thinking of it in a “if you are the only one who can save someone and you choose not to, then they died because of you,” sort of mentality. I have no idea which read is “right,” but it’s cool that media is able to be interpreted in different ways like that.

[@bestbrothereverchoso3305]

My my, an almost hour long analysis on my favorite GOAT. Thanks Rad for serving up this fine analysis 📿🙏🗿

[@allengrove1864]

I think this video has show me exactly why I love this show so much because I suffer from a very similar thing that yuji does I tend to hold my feelings back worry about others way more than myself and have a really hard time asking for help or anything for that matter

[@amorencinteroph3428]

The latest chapter throws a wrench into the analysis because, despite the fact that his Cog mentality seems to be a bad complex, Sukana himself has acknowledged Yuji's convictions, and it annoys him. By Sukana's world view, Yuji should have long ago either died or learned his place as a weakling, as an ant for the titans like him and Gojo to step on or play with at their whims, yet he keeps getting back up and facing things that he's unable too. Frequently failing (the finger bearer, Choso) but sometimes succeeding (Hanimi, Mahito), and Sukana has acknowledged that so long as Yuji maintains this iron clad conviction, he'll never stay down. So while a lot of it might be bad internal coping, there is an ironclad conviction at the heart of it. Yuji just might not be entirely aware of it yet.

[@inyalgaico1563]

Yuji and Sukuna are very similar in the sense they do what pleases them before they think about the consequence or reasoning behind it. Ofc there is a deeper meaning but their fravalous nature is something they both share in common

[@rebellefleur2993]

Absolutely they are way too similar like almost rhe same person but have a personality disorder

[@zayahjohnson4632]

I never considered how Yuji failing to prevent sukuna from hurting his own body is the only reason sukana's plan worked. Great video

[@broncos435]

idk, that pissed me off. just thinking about it on a semantic level, why wouldn't his own body be included in "anyone"? seems kinda like a cop-out

[@rd6228]

​@@broncos435I honestly found it narratively very satisfying, as its consistent with yuji's self loathing.

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

Truly love Yuuji as a mc

[@bm8524]

Honestly I’ve had my share of analysis videos on anime characters but you captured Yuji’s essence and personality so perfectly and beautifully. Every time you brought up a new part of his morality and values it gave me like an epiphany about how he really views the world and how he believes he really has some sort of role he needs to play. I may be a bit biased because Yuji is my favorite character, but this for me was one of the best analysis videos I’ve seen in a while.

[@Grayson-Winchester]

Yuji had to endure more hardships in a short amount of time than any other Shonen protagonist. Both physically and mentally. Honestly, nobody would have blamed Yuji if he decided to walk away from all of this. Sukuna is out of him so he wouldn't be under the death penalty anymore.

[@victorcartagena8524]

that's actually crazy, since the higher ups are dead, and sukuna is out, he could've gone elsewhere, instead he choose to end this, i feel this was more of him feeling like he owed the world of sorcery, to be more specific: Nanami, Nobrara, Megumi, Gojo and the rest.

[@Nana-ng1kz]

Dude Yuji will end up DEAD because as you say Sukuna is out now and will go on a murder spree 😐 so Yuji's life just sucks 😂

[@frustratedsquirrel]

I'd say Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul comes close with the whole torture and centipede in the head thing he has to go through, but somehow Yuji's sufferings feel more grounded and grave, as it's the crushing weight of responsibility that haunts him, not just some personal torture.

[@Grayson-Winchester]

@@frustratedsquirrel Yuji was brutally beaten by Choso and Mahito in one night. Also Sukuna used his hands to repeatedly kill civilians. It was a personal torture. Also while Kaneki suffered tremendously, his personality was split. It was later revealed that his emotional role model (his mother) turned out to be abusive. He was lying to himself while already surpressing his childhood trauma. Kaneki was never really a socialble guy. He was already a mess before he became a ghoul. Honestly I wouldn't have been surprised if Kaneki was actually the one who caused his mother's death.

[@Heytheyfello1234]

Yuji Itadori, the main protagonist of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" (JJK). While he has his fans, many critics and readers agree that he is a poorly written protagonist. Despite this, he still holds appeal for three key qualities: 1. Relatability: Yuji's initial vulnerability and inexperience make him relatable to audiences, especially younger readers who may identify with his struggles. 2. Empathy: His ability to understand and connect with others, particularly his friends and allies, showcases a compassionate side that resonates with fans. 3. Determination: Yuji's unwavering resolve to protect his friends and fight against adversity is admirable and inspiring. However, his character suffers from several issues: - Limited screen time: Even in the manga, Yuji often takes a backseat to other characters, lacking sufficient development and page time. - Poor dynamics: His interactions with other characters can feel forced or underwhelming, failing to create meaningful connections or conflicts. - Lack of encouragement: Yuji rarely receives meaningful encouragement or support from others, making his growth and accomplishments feel unearned. - Limited accomplishments: He often relies on others to save the day or resolve conflicts, rather than driving the story forward himself. Fans have indeed expressed frustration about Yuji being sidelined, and his character development suffers as a result. While Gege Akutami's artwork and world-building are praised, his writing could benefit from improvement. To craft a more compelling protagonist, Gege could focus on: - Giving Yuji more agency and screen time - Developing his relationships with other characters - Showcasing his growth and accomplishments more effectively - Providing meaningful encouragement and support from others By addressing these areas, Gege can strengthen Yuji's character and create a more engaging protagonist for the series.🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@ashleyandanime4815]

14:47 the more you talk the more I realize i don’t only connect with yuji because of his bubbly personality.

[@kinko143]

New viewer here, loved your deconstruction of Gege's story beats, specially with Yuuji on this video. You gained a sub man, now to binge your other vids. Kudos!

[@R7dman]

Welcome aboard :)

[@dread_op]

?

[@fabulousmaggot1124]

still an anime-only so i'm devastated i can't hear the rest of your awesome analysis, but you said things about itadori, my favorite character in this series, that i've been hoping to hear someone say when analyzing him for so long. he's so psychologically fascinating and heartbreaking. he's just a kid stuck between a rock and a hard place and we see jujutsu society start grinding him into dust - i love how you analyzed him from the beginning, not just at the pivotal moments like vs mahito or shibuya. amazing essay, i'd always been nervous to see jjk content on youtube especially that of my favorite character because i worried they'd be misinterpreted, but you said everything that needs to be said. fellow yuji understander

[@Bruh-fi6fl]

“This effect requires GPU acceleration” 40:04

[@mylestheman]

Gege to Yuji: “You are not special”

[@balthazar422]

"You arent my specialz woh wah woahhhh woh woa

[@jonkbonk7107]

I feel like yuji is a darker depiction of the heroic protagonist, while we often see how the protagonist in shows like MHA, they learn and harness their power to become stronger, all the whole having support behind their back while they grow and grow. That's in an idealistic scenario, jjk puts yuji into a realistic and harsh scenario where the poor guy is thrown into the world and hunted by the majority of cursed spirits for Sukuna but also the upper echelon of the high school for the danger he possess. The guy very early on can't catch a break with the Kyoto students straight up trying to assassinate him during the rival school event on orders from the higher ups of the school, to having to ultimately embrace that despite his heroic nature, people will have to die in order to fight. The whole Shibuya incident is the cataclysmic chain of events that proves he's not only out of his league (at first) but also the severity of his Morals and how they are no more than compromised at every turn. He wants to protect those close to him, yet nanami and nobara are killed (nobara kinda) alongside many other sorcerers, and the climatic fight with Sukuna vs the 10 eyes demon (can't remember if thats his name) pushes yuji well past his breaking point to where he believes at that point he cant be redeemed. Every protagonist has ups and downs, and many instances where they fight themselves, but jjk paints a more realistic canvas for how the real world and power is; it's not sunshine and rainbows with power, but often a curse and a burden that not even the most lighthearted and positive people can bear

[@DingoDummy2026]

I used to think Yuji was a bad main character, but you've convinced me that is definitely not the case. Thx for the great video!

[@ws3240]

"I'm him" - Goatadori Yuji

[@GoldenBred]

🗣🗣🗣🗣

[@Rando1481]

Yuji midatori

[@SMandz]

loved this video man, you explained things that made me think about stuff I've never done so before

[@cube2475]

Great video and even greater analysis. This completely changed how I view yuji, his goals and the message of the series. Thank you!

[@Yggdraseed]

The only problem I have with this video is that I feel you misinterpet what Todo was saying. He wasn't saying "Repress your emotions forever." He was saying, "Right now, if you try to open it all, you'll blow up your engine. You're in a dangerous situation for one thing, and you're not thinking clearly for another. Compartmentalize your emotions until you can look at them objectively, and don't get so obsessed with answers that you stall. You find answers by moving forward, and can't wait for them to be given to you to progress." Just in fewer words,, and more poetically. Yuji corrupts this sentiment due to his strong sense of guilt and the trauma inflicted upon him in Shibuya, just like how he corrupts his grandfather's and Nanami's last words into a curse. He's not able to see himself or his circumstances objectively yet, and like most real people, it takes a long chain of very similar failures and repeated attempts by those who are more in the know than him to show him the right answer for it to stick. People rarely learn their lesson the first time, especially when we can't clearly see our culpability in what happens to us.

[@aen3536]

Finally someone with some reading comprehension

[@gmeister3022]

This is a brilliant video. I don’t agree with many of the points you raised but the fact it made me carefully consider each and every of your points and validating them in my head as I watched it shows how deep this video really is. On a final note I’ll say that I agree with you regarding the supposed trajectory of the series. I feel as though pre-Shibuya was a great exposition for his character, Shibuya has been a hard landing into the core of his soul, and the vesseling of Megumi serves as the catalyst for his significant character development. To realize he doesn’t truly want to be a cog in the machine, he first has to acknowledge that he currently is one, which he has. Now that he is consciously monitoring observing this notion, his psyche will undoubtedly begin to note the flaws that it inherently has. Characters like Harami and Yuta are terrific mentors who just by living prove this cog mentality inherently flawed.

[@iamthetruth21]

Amazing , an anime content creator that gives a disclaimer towards spoilers 🙏🏾 W content

[@HantaPapi]

"Nobara is also killed right in front of his eyes" why'd you gotta do him like that

[@R7dman]

My bad gang

[@JonathanThicklin]

That boy Yuji be going thru it. More than any other character

[@Zraeicro]

todo is brother todo is homie *todo is life*

[@WonderingGamerX]

Thank you I really needed to hear this from someone who has gone through what I am also going through in my freshman year

[@mrprotoman154]

Damn I never noticed that contradiction. Yuji’s cog nature vs his desire to be someone important or meaningful. Good shit.

[@bruhfunny8123]

This is such a great analysis. Lol it seems like anytime i start to feel disdain for the story I get reccomended a great analysis that bring my love back.

[@shamarbarrett9958]

Faxx i be on and off jjk since yuji hasn’t been in the manga as much and he was one of my favorite characters finishing shibuya arc and i felt like he had so much potential 😂😂

[@MichRoyal]

Radman, if you don't have any new video ideas, something I would love for you to break down for us is where Gege is going with Yuji and Sukuna's conflict. I'm sure you have your theories, and I'd love to hear them if you see this. Sukuna seems so out of reach for Yuji, and tbh, I'm not sure how Gege plans to have their story / dynamic come full circle. This is even more intriguing and perplexing to me after watching your Gojo vs Sukuna analysis. What purpose do you think Gege has planned for Yuji and Sukuna's character arcs in how they relate to one another? Just something to think about if you haven't already planned another video! Either or, thanks for your hard work and all you do!

[@reachthroughreality]

3:17 it's because that's what you do, bro. You just went through some shit, yea, but life is still happening. People still look to you, especially now, being worried about you and you don't want to inconvenience them. Besides, what are you going to do, curl up next to Grandpa and roast yourself? Nah, just keep on keeping on. It is the turning point, but Yuji has to make it just another Tuesday. Because all of the real turning points are just another Tuesday. Sometimes Wednesdays.

[@mohammadabdulrehmankhan7831]

All I wanna say is beautiful writing and a beautiful explanation

[@ThatWolfArrow]

I've never fully read or watched JJK, but this video made me wanna go out and read it myself. Great analysis.

[@joshawnthabeast]

Yuji is a great mc for jujutsu kaisen because he goes against everything the jujutsu world is about. No matter what happens to yuji he never throws away his humanity and keeps moving forward while everyone else in the story throws away their humanity for greater power even gojo is a byproduct of this. Sukuna is the embodiment of what the jujutsu world is which is why he hate yuji so much calling him boring because yuji is the opposite of sukuna ideals.

[@Christiaan-qj8fi]

Excellent video, an actual unbiased and genuinely insightful look at Yuji. Great stuff dude!

[@RickyUzumaki993]

Agreed

[@ltrain7715]

Yuji is my favorite mc I just love his personality and the fact that his powers are these hands After watching like 15 mins of this video I think I realized why I like Yuji so much, he’s like me, someone who just bottles up their emotions and keeps secrets and acts like everything is fine. Maybe this is stupid but I’ve never related with a character as much as I have with Yuji and this video made me realize it. Thanks

[@ItzNo0b]

yeah i was realizing and thinking about this too as I watched

[@MST545]

43:40 So it's safe to assume things would lead up to possibly a friend killing a friend, so would that imply that Gege wanted to make Yuji and Megumi's pairing a more up-to-date pairing of Gojo and Geto from years ago during the events of The Star Plasma Vessel arc to the events of JJK Zero?

[@Malthizar]

Another awesome video. I think you're really the only one that's cracked the code on what Gege is saying here. While it's obviously too late, I wish you'd have put this video out just a week later so you could include Sukuna's trial. It yet again shows your point on why selfishness seems to be the name of the game. Yuji and Sukuna are both put on trial for Shibuya and both found guilty. Yuji, because of his selflessness, guilt, and sense of weakness readily admits to the accusation even though it's not true. Sukuna, on the other hand starts the trial off saying he's bored and just wants to skip to the sentencing, not even interested in hearing about how many people died as a result (something Yuji allowed to be revealed during his trial) While both were tried and both sentenced to death, because of their respective views, the results are VERY different. Yuji, someone wholly innocent of the crime, loses access to Cursed Energy itself, essentially making him, for a time, not even remotely special. Sukuna, on the other hand, actually ends up in a better situation than he was just prior, as he only loses a useless cursed tool that was utterly irrelevant to his plans as a whole. The fact that it was created as a dying gift from Yorozu as a proclamation of her love is even more fitting. Really though, it's the fact that its confiscation (rather than Cleave) actually proves a BENEFIT for Sukuna as it caught everyone off guard and completely dismantled Higuruma's plan. Again, the comparisons on the two ideologies is blatant once you see what Gege is saying. And that's thanks to your stellar videos breaking it down.

[@secretcause8339]

I came up with this random theory a bit ago watching season 2, that Yuuji might reflect Sukuna's story, and I think it's maybe leading up to Yuuji being the new Sukuna. Not necessarily becoming a curse but potentially. I was mostily wondering what could even be a fitting end for the series and this is what I thought was fitting considering how Yuuji is treated by the narrative. Or idk he'll just get killed unceremoniously at the end.

[@abdelzaher8243]

Phenomenal video brother. I feel like you described yuji perfectly great work

[@mng1315]

Loved this analysis and character break down. Thanks!

[@RedShadowAMV]

Incredible video, I think. Great job breaking everything down into a super approachable way

[@matyusGG]

Bro, this was truly a very good video analysis, well done 👏

[@lies9927]

Yuji's main issue is: He is a good person, but he isn't a "nice" person. His livestyle is based on him being a weapon and nothing more, this fucked his notion of self worth, to a extend that he doesn't care if he's gonna die. When you put a kinded heart person around some very mentally fucked up people, you have a problem. The Higher Ups feared Itadori more then Sukuna itself, Gojo could handed Sukuna on his state before the Shibuya Incident but still, they didn't wanted two things: Itadori being able to control Sukuna, therfore being able to show how useless they were Give Gojo more influence since he would be the one who killed the King of Curses and being the "King of Sorceres", this alone would put the Gojo clan as the true ruler of the society Jujutsu has a lot of profit, Gojo and Mai Mai show this by being rich asf doing a odd job, Gojo being the nuclear bomb and her a information dealer. The higher ups sure has more luxurius lifestyle then most of the 1th grade sorceres, Gojo alone would take that from them just from being able to have more influence and power. So, what's the plan? Killing Itadori, they would put themselfs are the only group avaliable to protect and secure a future, and it would kept Gojo's influence down since he wouldn't have a finger on it. Now, Itadori is broken and Sukuna is free to cause rampage. This put well around the idea of a tool, the society of Jujutsu itself was a tool and a fucked up one, and when something came, they feared being broken and losing the status quo. Now, they lost their nuclear bomb and has a monster on the loose. Is kinda sad to see Yuji suffering from the mistakes of others, but his mindset needed to change somehow

[@Kaneki-mk2do]

Bro this was such a dope analysis, thanks so much for your hard work on this amazing series!