JUJUTSU KAISEN arrived on Crunchyroll in October 2020 as a big, loud, fast-paced adaptation of Gege Akutami’s manga. The anime follows Yuji Itadori, a high school student who joins a secret organization of jujutsu sorcerers to fight curses. The show runs 26 episodes and carries a critical score of 8.6 out of 10. That number reflects a production that understands how to balance spectacle with character, even when the story leans heavily into action set-pieces.
The premise is simple to state and hard to sustain. Curses exist in modern Japan, and they are dangerous. The jujutsu world operates in schools, government offices and hidden shrines, with rules about soul energy and cursed techniques that govern every battle. The series starts slow, with a focus on Yuji’s recruitment and his first encounters with the supernatural. By episode six, it shifts into full gear, and the pace never slows down.
Trailer, via Crunchyroll.
Yuji Itadori Leads the Story
Yuji Itadori is the protagonist, and the series works because he is grounded. He is a normal high school boy who can run faster than anyone else in his class, which earns him the nickname “Itadori the Beast.” His physical strength comes from eating a cursed finger, which binds a powerful curse spirit inside him. That act is both heroic and tragic, since the spirit, Megumi Fushiguro, was once a human girl who died protecting her friends.
His ability to eat souls is the engine of the plot. He can absorb curses directly, which means he can survive attacks that would kill others. This makes him a frontline fighter, and it also makes him a target. The show spends time establishing why he joined the jujutsu world in the first place: he wanted to protect people from curses, and he believed he could do it better than anyone else.
His relationship with Megumi is the emotional core of the early episodes. She speaks to him constantly, and their conversations carry the weight of a friendship built on shared trauma. The show handles this relationship with care, letting the bond grow naturally through repeated interactions rather than forcing a romance. That restraint pays off, because the stakes of their partnership feel real.
The Cursed Technique System
The jujutsu world is built around cursed techniques, which are spells that draw on the user’s soul energy. Each technique has a name, a visual signature and a cost. Using a technique drains the user’s soul energy, and the system forces characters to make strategic decisions during battles. The show explains the rules clearly, so viewers understand the stakes even when the action gets chaotic.
There are three main categories of techniques:
| Technique Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Uses the body as a weapon | Yuji’s “Beast Form” |
| Spiritual | Targets the mind or soul | Megumi’s “Finger” |
| Combined | Blends physical and spiritual elements | Maki’s “Flame Lance” |
The system creates a rhythm. Characters build up their energy, use a technique, and then recover. This structure gives battles a sense of flow, rather than a continuous wall of effects. The show also varies the scale of fights. Some are small, personal confrontations between two students. Others involve entire schools of sorcerers and transform cities into battlefields.
The Supporting Cast
Yuji is not the only member of the group. Megumi Fushiguro, his partner, is a former exorcist whose family was killed by curses. She is a fighter, but she also carries the guilt of surviving while her comrades died. Her arc centers on learning to trust again, and the show handles her growth with restraint.
Nezuko Megumi, another member of the group, is a young sorcerer who was raised in a cursed environment. She is cheerful and energetic, but she also has a dark side that surfaces when she uses her techniques. The show uses her as a foil to Yuji, showing how different people handle trauma in different ways.
The show also introduces the Cursed King, a villain who seeks to devour the soul of the world itself. His presence looms over the entire series, driving the conflict forward. The final arc, which begins around episode 12, puts the group against a threat that feels genuinely existential.
Animation and Sound
The animation is clean and dynamic. Action scenes are choreographed with precision, and the backgrounds are detailed without being distracting. The show uses color effectively, with bright palettes for happy moments and darker tones for tense ones. The character designs are expressive, especially when they enter their technique forms, which transform their bodies in dramatic ways.
The music matches the tone. The opening theme, “KARADA GA KIKAI SHITA,” sets the energetic pace of the series. The ending themes vary between episodes, each carrying a different mood. The sound design supports the action, with impacts and shouts landing with weight.
Comparing the Early and Late Arcs
The show changes shape halfway through. The first half focuses on building the world, introducing the rules and establishing the relationships. The second half shifts to larger threats and more complex politics. This shift is not always smooth, and some viewers find the middle episodes slower than the opening or the finale.
Here is a rough breakdown of the pacing across the 26 episodes:
- Episodes 1–6: Setup, world-building, introduction of key characters
- Episodes 7–12: First major arc, focused on a specific threat
- Episodes 13–20: Middle stretch, slower character-focused stories
- Episodes 21–26: Final arc, large-scale confrontation with the Cursed King
The scoring of 8.6 out of 10 reflects this uneven structure. The strongest episodes are the ones that balance action with character development, and those tend to come at the beginning and the end of the series.
Where It Falls Short
Not everything lands. Some battles run together visually, making it hard to follow who is doing what. The middle episodes can drag, particularly when the show focuses on political maneuvering rather than direct conflict. The pacing issue is a real one, and it affects the overall experience.
The show also leans on fan service at times, with occasional scenes that feel designed to please a particular audience rather than serve the story. These moments are minor compared to the strengths of the series, but they are noticeable.
The Verdict
JUJUTSU KAISEN is a confident, well-executed adaptation that understands its own rules and sticks to them. The animation is sharp, the music is energetic, and the performances are strong. The story has a clear arc, even if the pacing dips in the middle.
It is a show that rewards attention, especially to the quieter character moments that sit between the explosions. Yuji’s journey from ordinary student to frontline fighter is compelling, and the supporting cast gives him reasons to fight beyond simple duty.
The series is available to stream on Crunchyroll, and it remains one of the standout anime adaptations of recent years. Its 8.6 out of 10 score reflects a production that delivers on spectacle while remembering to ground its characters in something real.
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