Warning: The following contains major spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen manga!!!Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen will be renowned as the most unique shōnen series that Shuesia’s flagship, Shōnen Jump, has ever produced. The key aspect of Jujutsu Kaisen‘s uniqueness in the shōnen genre stems from the depiction of various characters and its protagonist, Yuji Itadori. Although the series has done very well with every aspect expected from a Shōnen series, from heavy action to melodrama, Jujutsu Kaisen is far from perfect.
One of the major oversights of the series is how its narrative feels short. Although it features a broadcast of characters, many of them are not fully explored in ways that could deepen the story and give the series greater longevity. This missed opportunity is particularly evident in the portrayal of Jujutsu Kaisen’s female characters. While arguably, many male characters from the series have compelling portrayals, the series fails to leverage its female characters.
Utahime Iori Could Have Brought a Crucial Missing Element to Jujutsu Kaisen
Utahime’s Portrayal Could Have Added a Twist to the Manga
Only a handful of female characters ever get the chance to shine in Gege Akutami’s manga, despite having many opportunities to give these characters a pivotal moment. Utahime Iori is such a character from the manga that it could have taken advantage of and, in the process, fixed the series’ major issue of always undermining its female characters.
Utahime Iori’s initial depiction in the series was very minimal, showcasing her as nothing but a teacher from the Kyoto region of Jujutsu High. With her innate curse technique, which essentially allows her to help the other sorcerers increase the output of the cursed energy momentarily, Iori’s role as a supporting character couldn’t be more perfect in the manga. However, one aspect of Utahime’s character that has consistently caught fans’ attention is her potential romantic connection with the strongest sorcerer of Jujutsu Kaisen’s modern era, Gojo Satoru.
Their interactions, particularly Gojo’s teasing that often riles Utahime up, have led fans to speculate about a possible romantic relationship between Gojo and Utahime. Had Gege Akutami developed this angle further, Gojo and Utahime could have become one of the most iconic couples in the series, and, incidentally, it would have allowed Jujutsu Kaisen to explore a romantic twist that the shōnen series are increasingly avoiding. With her emotional connection to Gojo and her unique technique, Utahime could have made an even bigger impact during the final battle of the series.
Utahime Iori’s Cursed Technique Could Have Aided Sorcerers Exponentially in the Final Battle of the Manga
Her Potential Contribution to the Final Battle Highlights Jujutsu Kaisen’s Lack of Character Development Outside Its Main Protagonists
Utahime Iori’s cursed technique is one of the most notable in Jujutsu Kaisen, and its potential could have greatly benefited the sorcerers in their battle against Ryomen Sukuna. However, her role in the final arc was largely reduced to setting up Gojo’s entrance for his duel with Sukuna. This is evident when her technique enabled Gojo to unleash his Hollow Purple at 200% output, yet it didn’t leave a lasting impact. Considering Utahime’s technique allowed Gojo to double the strength of his strongest attack, it stands to reason that she could have similarly enhanced the abilities of other sorcerers.
This could have been particularly impactful following Gojo’s death in his battle against the King of Curses. If Jujutsu Kaisen had further developed an emotional bond between Utahime and Gojo, his death would have had a profound effect on her, potentially driving her to seek revenge. In her grief over losing Gojo, Utahime’s emotional turmoil might have awakened a new level of her cursed technique.
Unfortunately,
Jujutsu Kaisen
tends to focus character development on a select few, leaving others, including Gojo, underexplored
In the shōnen genre, emotional responses often trigger power-ups, and Utahime’s grief could have enabled her to amplify the cursed energy of multiple sorcerers simultaneously and across a wider range. Unfortunately, Jujutsu Kaisen tends to focus character development on a select few, leaving others, including Gojo, underexplored. By introducing a romantic connection between Gojo and Utahime, the series could have allowed Gojo to exhibit a broader emotional range, and not depict him only as a monster and a tool of the sorcerers.
Gojo Could Have Displayed More Depth Beyond Just Being the Strongest
By being the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, Gojo has often fallen victim to being used as a tool, called upon in desperate situations. He is frequently treated as the ultimate trump card for the sorcerers, and while one could argue that they had no choice but to rely on him, this instrumentalization reached a disturbing peak when even Gojo’s corpse became a tool. The tragic part of this outcome is how none of the sorcerers showcased any worries about Gojo, but their concerns were only directed towards Yuta, who suggested he would inhabit Gojo’s body after his death.
In chapter #261 of Jujutsu Kaisen, before Yuta enters the battlefield inhabiting Gojo’s body, the other sorcerers oppose this idea, exclaiming concern over Yuta and advising him that he doesn’t need to become a monster for this battle’s sake. Additionally, this chapter also showcases Gojo’s response to this idea, and while the sorcerer doesn’t mind what happens to his body after death, Gojo remarks he is surprised that not even Shoko Ieiri objected before accepting the plan.
Exploiting Gojo even after his death is also a testament to how the sorcerers were ready to accept Gojo’s eventual death from the get-go, highlighting a problem of Jujutsu Kaisen that Gojo was always seen as a mere tool by others and nothing. Therefore, Gojo’s romantic attachment with Utahime Iori in Jujutsu Kaisen would have allowed the series to not only use its underused character but also fix the series’ other problems: a lack of romance and Gojo’s human demeanor, which it has increasingly ignored.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
- Created by
- Gege Akutami
- First Film
- Jujutsu Kaisen 0
- First Episode Air Date
- October 3, 2020
- Character(s)
- Yuji Itadori , Megumi Fushiguro , Nobara Kugisaki , Satoru Gojo , Sukuna , Maki Zenin , Toge Inumaki , Panda
- Latest Film
- Jujutsu Kaisen 0
- Cast
- Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Asami Seto , Yuichi Nakamura
