jujutsu kaisen meta

here with more jjk meta (light novel) Manga posting is on @hermitw

[hermit-reads]

Summer of Ashes, Autumn of Dust

Currently reading the first jujutsu kaisen light novel (for the first time) and taking notes in the margins. I'll share my findings here.

Frankly I'd recommend reading this before the manga, because knowing what I know from that makes it feel like I'm spontaneously combusting. This would have been so useful in my predictions lmao.

If spoilers come up explicitly, I would use a read more line or tag those posts with jjk manga spoilers so it's able to be filtered out. So far I've been able to be vague with it, and just naming the season we might see the connection to.

So far we have jjk0 (movie), season 1 and season 2. I'm assuming that season 3 will end with an earthquake, then we'll have another movie, and jjk will end on season 4. This way, I can cater to anime-only and manga fans by vaguely referencing the future (iykyk, if you don't, you're safe from spoilers).

If you've already read the book, then this blog will probably make more sense. Or drive you insane bc you know things I don't.

There is sooo much foreshadowing and insight into relationships etc that just shows gege rly had the ending planned since the beginning... And it's so sweet but there's so much and it would kill the reading enjoyment for all of us if I spell that out. Trying to keep this blog anime-only friendly, only posting things that we wouldn't learn from the anime and the manga.

[redcallisto]

From his chapter in the light novel. I haven’t seen any fanart of it and wanted to make something (I’m sure there’s some out there though) I hold that chapter dear to me since I already have him under a microscope, but to find out he can feel grief,,, aaa :’(

[hermit-reads]

I'm onto the second chapter now and don't have anything useful to say yet (procrastinating) but I cannot get over

Gojo calling cookies n cream a boring ice cream flavor?? It's the best one wymmm I feel so... Like I hc Gojo as being a cookies n cream enjoyer but that was WRONG? Were the flavors translated off or are they just so different in Japan? Bc how is milk or chocolate better than cookies n cream. I want to fight Gojo until he explains himself.

If anyone does understand this please let me know. Maybe it's a metaphor like Mahito as the tuna during his fight w Mechamaru.

[missgoldnweek]

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧ for @tamananjdd

[hermit-reads]

Not even you could get lost on the Yamanote line.

Fushiguro says this because the Yamanote line will just continue going on in a circle. You won't get stranded anywhere unfamiliar. It's contained.

And while it is not a perfect circle, maps tend to depict it as one.

The name Jujutsu Kaisen means cycles of sorcery battles, or curse wars. The symbol is a circle with a spiral inside, toward another circle. Jujutsu sorcerers all wear this button - even Yuki Tsukumo.

(end of season 2 ahead - but also, the first anime intro has Itadori on the train) Yuuji calls himself just a cog in that machine. It's the role that he assumes. And on the Yamanote line, there are places of significance in jujutsu kaisen's plot - Shibuya (season 2), Tokyo (season 3) and Shinjuku (season 4).

It's like Yuuji is bound to the Yamanote line - he's a cog, set to spin in circles.

Yeah, upon seeing this, I had to save a Google earth project in case geography would reveal anything.

[hermit-reads]

Masakado's Tomb

When I looked up Masakado's tomb, I was afraid the address was wrong. It's between such tall buildings, in the middle of a city. Such a strange place.

Taira no Masakado is not someone to disrespect. One of the three great Onryo - a spirit with a grudge, whose haunting causes disasters. (illness earthquakes, fire tornadoes, freak accidents, even ghostly sightings)

All three of the great Onryo are real people from the Heian era - which is called "the golden age of jujutsu".

The significance on p.10 is that Masakado's grave is not to be disrespected.

Each time this tomb has been disturbed, a disaster would strike. And just keep getting worse until the government backs down and does pacification rituals. Lightning strikes, significant fires in Tokyo, have happened. Even when the US bombed Tokyo, somehow Masakado's grave remained untouched. Under US control, this tomb was decided to become parking lot - but the heavy machinery tipped over, killing the driver, and even the US backed down. That's so wild, and I wonder if it relates to (something we'll see in season 3).

Masakado's tomb is where his head was believed to fly to - when he was killed, his head was taken to Kyoto, as a message to those who would take his side. It's said that his eyes never closed, his head never rot, and could be heard grumbling at night (maybe he was cursed to stay earthbound, out of the afterlife). Until his head flew all the way back to this resting place on its own (back when Tokyo was a peaceful fishing village). The people there cleaned his head and respected it.

Even when this tomb was touched for up keeping renovations, and the basket of his head was found empty, an earthquake happened. The earthquake was not in Tokyo, but the place where Masakado's body was buried. (this screams the probably last scene of s3).

So even today, precautions are taken. Masakado is given a checking account with money in it. The buildings nearby are designed carefully - for example, cubicles set up so no one's back is to his grave. And that plot of land he has is worth so, so much money.

Masakado deserves a longer post on main. I'll link that here when it exists, but expect manga spoilers.

[hermit-reads]

Ameya-Yokocho is an open-air market.

Parque España is a Spanish themed amusement park.

I don't know where Megumi lived with Tsumiki, but it's far from Tokyo.

It's interesting that Gojo would take Megumi out on Sunday mornings (of course, it was a day-long trip, but the specific mention of Sunday morning), so close to the mention of Sazae... The last relief of weekend on Sunday nights.

[hermit-reads]

Sazae airs on Sundays.

Sazae is a slice-of-life family cartoon that began as a comic strip. It airs internationally on Sunday evenings. The scheduling choice was very intentional as it grew into TV - this was to preserve it as a way to end the weekend, or you might say, to maintain Sazae-San syndrome.

Sazae-San Syndrome refers to that melancholy, dreadful feeling with the harsh contrast of weekend freedom and the oncoming work week.

[hermit-reads]

Mita Komon always wins.

Who is Mita Komon? What are they winning?

Mita Komon, from the (Edo, the era of Samurai) period drama TV series, was based on a Samurai in real life, named Mitsukuni Mito.

Mita Komon travels around to "help the weak and discourage the strong" (which sounds a lot like Geto's ethics statement in s2e1, or Ch. 65 of the manga), vanquish evil, serve justice to the people, and teach moral lessons. The drama is known for its human qualities, with unique characters, comedy, emotion, history and culture.

[source]