I overthink. I write. I create.
JJK ◇ a lot of thoughts ◇ analyses
Fair warning: I have no idea what I'm doing. Somehow... it works out.
Currently causing problems in JJK and with a blindfolded idiot.
Read Sōten and Hayabusa :
🪶 Ao3 & Wattpad 🕯
Gojo Satoru Probably Isn't the Playboy Some People Think He Is 💀
You want a playboy? Fine.
But here's why I don't think Gojo Satoru is the character you should choose for that.
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Yo!
Before we start...
Disclaimers :
Write whatever you want.
Fanfiction, fantasies, imagination—that's what they're for.
But I'm tired of seeing characters with actual personalities, consistency, and depth being reduced to players. Womanizers or characters who only exist to be "the guy who gets everyone." 🫡
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And I already know what some people are going to bring up: the famous interview where Gege said he doesn't see Gojo being "faithful" to a woman.
So, I did some research: the word Gege uses is 誠実 (seijitsu).
Here faithful gives a very specific impression, mainly the idea of sexual fidelity or cheating.
But 誠実 (seijitsu) carries a much broader meaning.
It refers more to sincerity, integrity, honesty, and the way someone treats another person within a relationship. (I'm not a native Japanese speaker, so feel free to correct me if I got the nuance wrong. 😭)
So the question shouldn't simply be:
"Would he sleep with other people?"
or
"Does he sleep with everyone?"
A more interesting question would be:
"Would he be capable of being fully transparent, emotionally present, and genuinely committed to someone?"
That's exactly why 誠実 is so interesting when talking about Gojo. I feel like it says less about his attraction or his charm, and much more about his ability to truly connect with another person.
With that being said, let's start :
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First point :
Do we ever actually see Gojo flirt with someone in the manga or anime with genuine romantic or sexual intent?
The answer is no, not really.
Yes, Gojo is playful.
He looks for reactions. He provokes people. He likes being noticed.
He's an arrogant little shit (affectionate).
But he does that with enemies too.
He does it with his students. With his colleagues. With strangers.
Even curses.
Curses.
Being playful does not make someone a flirt.
( I repeat, for those who skipped that part 💀)
Being charming does not make someone a womanizer.
You can't take one aspect of a character and turn it into their entire personality.
Gojo plays with his role, his smiles, his expressions. With the way people perceive him.
He knows he's attractive.
He knows he gets attention.
But attracting attention doesn't automatically mean he's looking for intimacy.
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Or even sex.
That brings me to my second point :
Gojo probably isn't a "fuck anyone and anything" kind of person.
😶
Let's be for real.
Infinity is his technique, but in a way, it's also part of his philosophy.
This man literally lives behind an invisible barrier.
Physically and emotionally.
I'm not saying he's never been intimate.
That's why I find physical intimacy with him so interesting.
But... I do think he would have a hard time willingly lowering Infinity in a situation where he accepts complete vulnerability.
I'm not saying he's incapable of it.
Think about his life.
How many people want him dead?
How many people could betray him?
How many people could take advantage of a vulnerable moment?
Kenjaku did.
Toji did too.
And intimacy is a form of surrender.
The story repeatedly shows people taking advantage of the moments when Gojo lowers his guard or leaves an opening.
Surrender means vulnerability.
Vulnerability means trust.
It means allowing someone close enough that the control and distance he usually keeps between himself and everyone else disappear.
Now let me address the arguments I already know people are going to make :
"The person loves him. They'd never hurt him."
What if the person he is with took advantage of the exact moment when he wasn't at his highest level of awareness anyway ? Even if they love him ? Is love enough in this context ?
Or:
"It's just a casual hookup who doesn't know him."
Or.
"Their wrists are restrained."
What if the person lies? What if an attack comes from outside? What if someone else walks in?
Can Gojo Satoru really put himself in that position ? Make that kind of gamble ?
Or:
"Gojo is physically stronger."
Gojo isn't invulnerable simply because he's powerful. We know it. We've seen it.
Is he truly in the same state of awareness he usually is?
And yes, I know he can react incredibly fast. But in a moment where he's completely lost in desire, pleasure, or simply focused on someone else... Is he really at maximum alert?
And even if Infinity technically solved the physical risk, by for exemple wrapping it around them both, it wouldn't solve the psychological one.
And that's the core of my argument.
To be that vulnerable, trust is still required.
At the very least, it would be extremely difficult.
This doesn't mean Gojo never trusts anyone. It means he probably wouldn't become intimate with someone he barely knows or doesn't know enough to trust.
Not the :
Because that kind of trust doesn't come easily.
"I joke with you." "I tease you."
"I make you feel special." Kind of trust.
Actual trust.
The kind that takes. Time.
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And that's something Gojo rarely has.
Which brings me to my third and final point :
He doesn't have the time to...
😐
Brother.
This man barely has time to sleep.
He's not going to have time for a relationship. Let alone cheat between missions. 🥲
From what we can tell, he also lacks the mental space and the emotional energy necessary to build and maintain meaningful relationships.
Which might actually connect back to Gege's use of 誠実.
And if we're talking specifically about casual hookups, we're back to the same issue.
Not because Gojo is incapable of caring. Just because being genuinely present for someone requires things he doesn't necessarily have.
Trust.
He doesn't have the time to build that level of trust before intimacy.
Because even if he meets someone who doesn't know him at all...
And he certainly doesn't have the time to carefully create the perfect secure environment before completely letting his guard down with a stranger.
How could he trust them completely?
How long would it realistically take him to build that level of trust for him ?
And once you've spent enough time building that kind of trust...
Is it really a casual hookup anymore?
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At the end of the day...
Characterize him however you want. Imagine whatever you want.
I, myself, imagine and write Gojo in relationships.
Because reducing Gojo to "the hot, powerful guy who sleeps with everyone because he can" or to "the cheater" strips away much of what actually makes him an interesting character.
Just don't present your own headcanons as objective canon.
Of course, I can be wrong.
Maybe Gojo had relationships or hookups we'll never know about.
Maybe he even cheats.
But what the canon does show is a man who uses charm as a façade.
A man with a complicated relationship with vulnerability.
A man who was never written as a simple collector of conquests. Nor a cheater.
And man who spends what little free time he has taking his students out, eating alone, or trying new restaurants.
At this point, the man has a more developed relationship with food than with romance or sex. 😭
And... don't get me wrong.
I am not saying Gojo has no experiences. Or no desires.
That would be reducing him too...
I am just saying...
Don't reduce him.
Don't simplify him.
Love the character as a whole.
(Not just the pretty white-haired asshole.)
And finally...
Please don't start with:
"But Gojo is an adult man. He has needs."
Yeah. Okay. Sure. 🙂
But having needs doesn't automatically make someone a playboy.
And frankly saying "he's just an adult man with needs" is... once again... reducing him. 💀
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Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Also yes, I know I repeated myself a lot. This was written at 4 a.m. by an overthinker, be kind 🫡
And please, let's keep the comments respectful.
This is simply my interpretation of a character I genuinely adore.
You are absolutely allowed to disagree with this post. This is simply my personal opinion, just like you have your own. I only ask that everyone stays respectful in the comments.
Also, this is not an anti-ship or anti-queer post.
(Brother, I literally write queer relationships too 💀)
With that being said : Let's talk about SatoSugu.
We can't deny that they have a lot of chemistry. Or that there is a lot of ambiguity between them, and that's exactly what makes their relationship so interesting. Their ship makes sense. Really.
But (of course I have a "but", otherwise I wouldn't be making this post.)
Reducing their relationship to a simple romantic/sexual one because they are hot/cute together — even though yes, I have eyes and I know they are hot and that they work well together, in every sense of the word — is honestly a shame.
Because at the end of the day, I think we sometimes forget that friendship can also be a form of immense love. A relationship doesn't have to be romantic to be deep, devastating, or irreplaceable. And that's what makes SatoSugu interesting: their bond is so strong that it goes beyond simple categories.
The story itself highlights the uniqueness of their bond without giving it an explicit label, and I personally love that.
It's a relationship open to interpretation: you can ship them, see them as brothers, or as best friends. Whatever you choose. Your interpretation is valid.
But we really need to stop reducing them to just their relationship.
Bear with me :
First of all, they are two incredibly well-written characters :
Gojo Satoru is not just the hot teacher. The Strongest. The twink. The village idiot. Or Suguru's lover.
Geto Suguru is not just the handsome cult leader who wants to kill everyone. The villain from JJK0. The calm one of the duo. Gojo's malewife. Or Gojo's ex.
They are so much more than that.
Taken separately, they are:
Two unique and incredibly lonely kids.
Two people with their own personalities.
So when they are together, they should still remain their own individuals.
Let's put things into context:
Gojo Satoru has the Six Eyes.
He was born into the Gojo clan and was taken away from his parents before he could even walk or talk. He grew up in a strict environment, surrounded by people who worshipped him.
As a child, he would escape the Gojo estate and his guards to walk around the city. (Canon.)
He chose to attend Tokyo Jujutsu High because he wanted to escape his clan. (Also canon.)
And throughout the manga, we see that Gojo, despite being the Strongest, searches for human connections.
Why does he annoy Utahime? Why is he always looking for reactions from others ? Why does he welcome his kouhai with smiles? Why does he spend time with Nanami?
He was like this before AND after Suguru Geto's fall.
Geto Suguru, on the other hand, was born a sorcerer into a non-sorcerer family. Meaning he started seeing things (curses) , that other people couldn't see from a very young age. This is an easy conclusion to draw from what we understand about the original work.
Put yourself in his place.
He had been different from everyone else his entire life, just like Satoru in his own way.
What brought them together was this loneliness. This feeling of looking at someone and thinking: "Ah. You too."
Of course, their strength played a role, and the fact that Suguru wasn't just someone who supported or calmed Satoru. He actively participated in their dynamic. He was just as unhinged/bratty as him. Just in a different way.
Because, let's be honest: Geto Suguru is not a saint. This kid was not just the calm and nonchalant one who acted as the voice of reason. (Hidden inventory)
He was arrogant, playful, and sarcastic. He was a menace with a more polite smile and better social skills than Gojo.
So:
They both had overpowered techniques.
They both carried a form of loneliness that the other could understand and respond to.
They both completed each other in a unique way.
They were both the strongest.
That is what made them close in the first place. Their bond was not based only on a romantic or sexual interpretation.
I repeat: I have nothing against their ship. I am not denying that, maybe, they could have had that kind of relationship.
Their relationship: Whether it is platonic, romantic, or anything else, was important and real.
I am not looking for a debate here.
And if you want to write stories about them, please do 😭
A well-written SatoSugu fanfic? I am here for it. I will read it. I will devour it in five hours without taking a break.
But when writing characters like them, I only have one piece of advice:
Ask yourself if Gojo, Geto, or whatever character you are writing, would actually do/say this.
Because simplifying them or changing them according to our own wishes means losing the heart of these incredible characters.
Even so, yes!
Just like with every piece of fiction and every character, readers can and should form their own interpretations.
That is literally what makes fandoms so rich and interesting.
Having headcanons and your own way of seeing things is totally normal and import. But understanding that what you believe is not automatically a truth written in stone is also very important.
Unfortunately, it feels like a lot of people struggle with that.
They will say:
"Gojo has smaller hands than Geto, that's canon. You can't say he has bigger hands."
But they also have forty other headcanons about their relationship or personalities that have nothing to do with canon.
Double standards.
Like everyone else, I have my own interpretations too.
For example:
I tend to see them more as platonic soulmates.
But that does not mean I deny other interpretations of their relationship.
I have headcanons like:
Gojo likes motorcycles, has a collection of cars, etc.
But I won't deny someone else's interpretation if they say he doesn't have a driver's license.
What matters most to me is to keep what makes the characters them.
An interpretation can add things, explore possibilities, imagine "what ifs...", but we should always be able to look at the character and think:
"Yes, I recognize Gojo Satoru."
or
"Yes, I recognize Geto Suguru."
Otherwise, it is no longer really an interpretation of the character. It is a new character wearing their name.
Yes, when I write existing characters, I put them in situations that are not necessarily canon.
Yes, when I write Gojo, I will obviously see him in my own way.
Every author does.
But my goal is not to replace Gojo with someone else.
It is to explore a side of him that already exists in the original work.
And when I read a Gojo fanfic:
I want Gojo.
Not a Gojo who could just as easily be named Steve. 😭
And above all:
If they are together, I want them to be Gojo and Geto.
Btw, Geto Suguru is another example of a character who is often simplified.
But his evolution probably deserves an entire post by itself, so I'll stop here for now. This is already very long.
Sorry for the long rant, I had thoughts™ and they needed to leave my brain. 😭
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