Gege What Is This. - Tumblr Posts
I'm screaming inside bc it's so obvious this time but by now I'm sure that other people have probably made the same points. So far only 1 thing I've noticed is post-shibuya incident, but I'm still going insane and I don't want to be too annoying idk.
Yap part II got me thinking about more things uwu (I'm going to assume you've caught up on the reading linked however it will probably make sense if you didn't?
Content warning for SA topics
Cursed energy
Choso
Sukuna
((alternative methods to reduce cursed energy))
In reference to the SA statistics mentioned above (how it affects far more people than natural disasters, etc)
Reducing cursed energy doesn't mean eliminating non-sorcerers. A lot of curses could be avoided just by focusing on sex ed, consent, preventing these crimes from happening in the first place.
In addition to the weird, gropey curses, there were others from overworked employees, stressed students, and insecure children repeat things like "bento box" and "what time is it" and "no fair" etc.
But God, if cursed energy is from negative emotions, then why not address the causes of negative emotions?
Losing sleep and working to death for companies - I think Nanami's time as a salaryman taught him that jobs in general, not just as a sorcerer, are going to prey on the emoloyees' bodies. We all joke about how he looks 45 years old and is younger than Gojo, still in his 20s - the dude doesn't have RCT and the stress of work made him look like that, I swear. If Gojo weren't constantly running RCT, he'd look just as bad I think, maybe even worse.
The problems with jujutsu society in general are that they don't treat the cause, but only address the symptoms as a problem. And that they benefit the most, those who exploit others, often children.
If everyone has a better quality of life, safer environment, then curses would become fewer and weaker. But no one in power would push for that idea.
I want to elaborate a bit on Choso.
He accused Kenjaku of toying with his mother - with such anger - it felt like he was there, aware, watching it happen from his test tube.
And @thepersonperson mentioned Choso's guilt over the way he involuntarily repressed the original soul when he incarnated into some random guy's body. Choso gained knowledge of the modern world through that, but he isn't aware of anything about him, or his memories. It's like his soul is no longer there at all.
Choso is sensitive. He's very compassionate, emotional, and he is not afraid to change his mind, to admit that he was wrong, or to cry (he had tear stains immediately, like that's an integral part of his being). He holds himself responsible for his mistakes (even if he couldn't have known better).
Choso feels the need to justify his own existence (much like Yuuji after the shibuya incident) because his life is a product of rape - from both kenjaku and the curse that assaulted his mother.
People in his situation suffer from that awareness. It's easy to feel dirty, disgusting, unworthy of human decency or any kind of love. Not to mention that Choso's dad, half of him, is a curse. We all say that Kenjaku is Choso's father, and that's kind of true, but all he did was mix his blood in. Another layer of fucked up when you wonder what the real Noritoshi Kamo would feel about this. I believe that Kenjaku sought out his body specifically to run these abortion experiments. He needed to use blood manipulation for this to work (I'm assuming it also played a role in keeping Choso's mother alive through all of this, because abortions were more dangerous than childbirth with the methods used back then - though maybe it's different with a curse involved).
Still, Kenjaku is considered their parent - no one ever says "🤓 Um, actually" about this. He is granted the role of parenthood despite doing nothing to earn it, except for committing horrid acts of violence for his own curiosity.
It seemed weird, but he is responsible for their existence - the death painting wombs are only there because of what he's done.
It's less weird when I realize this is what certain rape victims have to live with - their abuser being accepted by society, by their family, as the parent. As a title that assumes responsibility, love and care. How sickening.
Yet, the death painting wombs were all locked away in the cursed warehouse - assumed to carry the evil of their father, these objects were feared and placed under a pact. They hadn't even incarnated yet, but were already demonized by the sins of their father. (this phenomenon is seen in real life as well, I don't have the heart to elaborate)
And Choso felt guilt for not only the way he was conceived and incarnated, but for allying with the curses and killing Yuuji. Though he forgives his brothers easily, he doesn't seem to ever forgive himself, like he's afraid that (albeit accidental) tragedy and violence are biologically placed in his fingertips, because his father and kenjaku live on in him.
As much as we want Choso to accept his right to live, he feels most at peace when he's able to sacrifice himself for his brothers (which is kind of ironic bc they're in the same situation, yet Choso doesn't see them as dirty or obscene). He seems to feel that he is alive to pay for his fathers' crimes.
Sukuna
This quote ^ got me thinking that, yeah, when he first appeared it was ugly. He made a horrible first impression. Sukuna came out craving violence, he wanted to lash out, he had anger to release.
Also I read through the lyrics of s(aint), the song Gege chose for Sukuna. It makes a lot more sense now than it did before I had caught up on the manga. It's also interesting that Marilyn Manson was a victim of csa from his neighbor, an older kid who liked to play "prison" (as in, he played this off as a game). This guy went on to kill his dog (that had heterochromia) with poison (sukuna's immunity to poisons). I read his autobiography when I was 15. It was disturbing and I don't recommend it. I doubt any other similarities between mm and sukuna are worth mentioning. The book is called the long hard road out of hell, and Sukuna was inspired by a deity of hell. Both of them are victims of abuse who continue its cycle. I think it also mentioned finding human bones in a graveyard, grinding them and smoking it, just to see what would happen which feels Kenjaku-coded.
Is there any meta analysis on momotaro references in jujutsu kaisen?
Reading the takaba vs kenjaku fight always takes me back to what Gojo said* in the hidden inventory arc.
I think these are all the momotaro mentions.
Pls help me. I can't stop thinking about it but I know nothing.
*Iirc, certain English translations like the dub leave out momotaro completely, and he said "grinding to endgame in an MMO is far more exhausting." similarly, they left out the name of the model on Gojo's phone background. I care too much about translation details.
Edit to add; there might be more references but without being named I wouldn't know. So any additions or context would be appreciated (ik it's a game and I looked into playing it but momotaro doesn't look fun to me r i p)
Edit 2: after looking into this, I believe there are more subtle references to Momotaro, even in the final chapter. I think it has a similar meaning to the satosugu breakup - the folktale vs. the game, are you using jujutsu for your own ethical calling or are you following the rules of someone else's game?
[anime-only friendly]
How old is that seance curse user we saw in Shibuya?
I never really thought about it but... Does she have potential to be Kenjaku old?
This post brought to you by... I had a dream where I met Gege and said "it's okay if you don't have an answer. I've been through jjk 12 times and cannot figure out how old she is." once again analyzing jjk in my sleep, coming up w things my conscious brain would not be thinking.
I've given her and the other old curse user in shibuya the least amount of thought bc they creep me out so bad. But now that I'm thinking about it...
The two of them show a duality of evil that really stems from disrespect of autonomy.
Her CT made it easy... But she also preyed on boys, kidnapping and grooming them as her "grandson". The one we see is not the first. So she has to be superhumanly old, right?
And old dude with the inverse CT - That really has no way to invade the autonomy of others. But he certainly thrives in doing it anyway, torturing people to death for no reason but "practice" bc his job is to kill people and he has to be good at it. As if all that was necessary. (this is, I think, the anime's most disturbing scene)
It's also interesting how Gojo's birth was blamed for cursed spirits becoming stronger, but these faces of evil has hidden away because of his presence. Like Satoru's life itself was a protective seal.
