Jujutsu Kaisen: Volume 1 manga review

Jujutsu Kaisen Graphic Novel Volume 1 cover image

Jujutsu Kaisen is a manga series from Gege Akutami.  VIZ Media is publishing the series in English as a series of graphic novels under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 (“Ryomen Sukuna”; Chapter 1 to 7) introduces Yuji Itadori, a first year student at Sugisawa Municipal High School in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.  Especially fast and strong, Yuji should be an athlete, perhaps a member of  the school's track-and-field team.  However, Yuji chooses to be a member of the Occult Research Club.

He and the other two members, Sasaki and Iguchi, have gotten their hands on a “sealed cursed object.”  They don't know it, but their lives are in danger.  And Yuji is about to be introduced into the world of “Jujutsu Sorcerers” and a conspiracy involving a legendary and feared demon, “Ryomen Sukura.”

[This volume includes bonus manga.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Jujutsu Kaisen manga is perfect for me.  Demons, man-eating demons, demon fighters, curses, cursed objects, and secret societies of warriors:  it is all right up my reading alley.  Plus, I recently had to say goodbye to the excellent but short (five-volume) series, Black Torch, from creator Tsuyoshi Takaki.  So I need a new source of hot demon action.

Jujutsu Kaisen Graphic Novel Volume 1 rushes the reader into it world of Jujutsu Sorcerers and “special-grade cursed objects.”  Vol. 1 seems to offer two volumes worth of characters, plots, settings, and internal mythology, and creator Gege Akutami makes it all of it so exciting.  Jujutsu Kaisen is like a combination battle manga and horror comic book.  The comic book offers gruesome monsters and plucky monster-fighters, featuring a goofy, but charming young hero.

Stefan Koza captures the battles and the horror and transforms them into a seamless whole with his English translation.  Letterer Snir Aharon highlights the series' surprising sense of humor without denying the edgy action and drama.  I have to recommend Jujutsu Kaisen; I think the series has only scratched the surface of what it can offer, so it should be a fun reading journey.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of demon-fighting shonen manga will want to try the Shonen Jump title, Jujutsu Kaisen.

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8.5 out of 10