Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is such a movie, which portrays an unprecedented love story of a teenager.
The adolescent mind is more persistent than we know of. It sometimes can’t never let go of some important things, even more so if it’s loved ones.
Let us witness such a tale of persistence.
Opening of Jujutsu Kaisen 0
In Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the curtain rises on a violent scene of a group of bullies ganging on a frail-looking teenager. The leader of them is approaching the boy to hit him.
But the teenager is not resisting out of fear and telling not to come to someone other than the leader.
Just in time, as the leader was about to hurt the boy, a pair of monstrous hands came out of nowhere and dragged the leader away.
Later the crumpled bodies of all the bullies can be seen stuffed inside a classroom locker and the boy is sobbing on the floor.
This boy is the protagonist of the story shown in this movie. His name is Okkotsu yuta.
He is a cursed individual.
Later in Jujutsu Kaisen 0
As shown in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Okkotsu Yuta is locked up in a secluded location and it is decided by the curse management division’s authority to terminate him in secret with the consent of Yuta.
One individual was against that decision.
His name is Gojo Satoru, an elite Jujutsu user, who deals with curses and related problems.
According to him, a 16-year-old who can’t even realize the weight of his crime and isn’t directly involved in the crime can’t be punished much less his consent holds any value.
He decided to take him to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, where he could learn to control his curse.
First encounter
In the movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Gojo approaches Yuta in a calm and friendly manner, showing him a unique object, that he found in Yuta’s belongings, a knife with a twisted blade.
Upon asking he replied, that it was done by Rika when he tried to suicide.
Gojo told him that it was decided that he would be going to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, but he denied it, as he was sick and tired of hurting others. He chose to stay alone forever, locked up.
Gojo couldn’t accept him being lonely like this, so he suggested, that he attend Jujutsu High School and learn to use his curse for the good of others. He believed Yuta’s curse could be used for good if used properly.
First impression
Yuta was supposed to enroll in the first grade of Tokyo Jujutsu High School, which had only three students in that specific grade as specified in the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
Gojo being the homeroom teacher of that grade, tried to make the atmosphere merry to no avail.
As soon as Yuta entered the classroom, students there sensed the curse placed on him and the cursed spirit. They pointed blades and means of attack towards him.
One of them asked, why he was there as he could only be the target of a Jujutsu user, nothing else.
Jujutsu users
Gojo started to explain the concept of curses and Jujutsu users to him in this part of the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
In Japan, every year nearly 10,000 disappearances happen, most of them are works of curses and cursed spirits.
Cursed spirits are the result of the sedimentation of human’s negative emotions which become cursed energy and flow out of them.
Jujutsu users are such beings, who don’t let those cursed energy flow out, but circulate them inside their body and use them as an energy source to fight cursed spirits.
Tokyo Jujutsu High School is a school where students train to become full-fledged Jujutsu users.
Continuation
As Yuta was about to be attacked by his classmates, they were attacked by his curse instead and were beaten black and blue.
Classmates demanded an explanation from Gojo.
The secret behind Yuta’s curse
Now, the secret behind Yuta’s curse was unveiled in the movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
Everything started six years ago. Before that child, Yuta had a close childhood friend Orimoto Rika.
On a fateful day, Rika gifted him a ring and both of them promised to marry each other when they grow up and live together forever.
But their happy future wasn’t destined to become true. Rika died in a car accident.
This was a tragic event in the beginning phase of Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
At the moment of her death, Yuta was present. At that moment, Rika’s apparition turned into a cursed apparition and latched onto him reminding him of their promise of the future.
Since then she is always beside him throughout the movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0, hurting anyone trying to harm him as a special-grade cursed apparition.
There are three grades in cursed spirits/apparitions.
Grade three is the lowest, generally functioning in groups.
Grade two is somewhat stronger than the previous grade and more effort is required to defeat those.
The strongest of them is the first-grade cursed spirit.
There is one lowest, fourth grade.
Special-Grade is above the scale.
Continuation
Next, Gojo introduced Yuta to his classmates.
First is the cursed tool user, Zen’in Maki. She uses special tools to exorcise curses.
Next is a cursed speech user, Inumaki Toge. He reinforces his voice by using speech as the medium of curse to deal with the curse.
He only speaks in rice ball ingredients.
Finally, there is a panda named Panda!!
After the introduction, Gojo divided them into two, one pair of Panda and Inumaki and the other pair of Yuta and Maki.
As Yuta tries to be friendly with Maki she rejects his efforts.
She reveals the fact that she came to realize, he was being bullied.
That fact was sickening to her. The reason was, he plays the victim card even though he was being protected by Rika.
According to her, his resolve isn’t strong enough to stay in Jujutsu High.
First mission
Yuta and Maki’s pair were assigned the first mission at an elementary school.
Details of the mission were to retrieve two children, who went missing.
Presumably, those children were kidnapped by the naturally-occurring curse in the school.
They had to exorcise the curses and retrieve those children alive or dead.
After Gojo covered the area with a barrier from the civilian’s eye, their mission started.
At first, Maki took care of the small fries and later she found out none of the other weaker curses were approaching them.
She was doubtful about, Yuta being the reason. She asked him to show the school ID card to know his level and was shocked to find out that, he was special grade.
In that time of revelation, the biggest cursed spirit attacked them and swallowed them wounding and infecting Maki with a curse in the process.
Maki also lost her cursed tool in the process.
Inside the stomach of the cursed spirit, they found those two lost children, heavily infected by the curse.
At that crucial moment, Maki lost strength. Now everything depended on Yuta.
Through Maki’s motivation, Yuta somehow found the courage and enough willpower to fully unleash Rika.
He did so by using the ring gifted to him in childhood as shown in the memory of Yuta in the beginning phase of the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
He used that for the first time by accepting Rika’s feelings in the process, to deal with the cursed spirit.
In the meantime, he rescued those two children and Maki.
Continuation
While waiting for Maki’s treatment at the hospital, Yuta guessed that the curse he thought was placed upon him was placed upon Rika’s soul by his denial of her loss.
His excessive love for Rika could have been the reason for the situation.
Gojo was called by the Curse Management Organization’s head figures. They reminded him to keep Yuta in check.
They said, that if Rika fully manifests one more time then it could cause harm to civilians and then they will take drastic measures.
Gojo assured them and said he would just do as they said, but if they jumped the gun they would have to answer him.
Training
After everything was said and done, it was time to help Yuta utilize the power of the curse inside him more efficiently.
Gojo provided him with a cursed tool, a katana to channel his cursed energy through that. That could be possible because he already did that with the ring that Rika gifted him.
Before all of that, he had to learn how to use a sword and had to become strong enough to do that.
For three months he learned all of those from Maki.
Next mission
Yuta was provided with another mission as Inumaki’s support, who was the only second-grade Jujutsu user in the whole first year.
Gojo warned him not to let Rika fully manifest this time, otherwise, he and Gojo both be terminated.
This mission was at an old shopping district, the Hapina shopping district scheduled to be demolished to build a shopping mall.
The location was infested with many low-level cursed spirits, to be exorcised.
After buying medicine for the throat, Inumaki did just that using his cursed speech, which shocked Yuta.
But, after finishing the mission they got stuck in a foreign barrier with no exit.
A higher-grade cursed spirit appeared then.
They were caught off guard, and Inumaki got wounded and lost his throat medicine. He required that medicine because each time he uses his Jujutsu his voice becomes too hoarse for next use.
This time Yuta helped Inumaki even though he didn’t agree. Yuta worked as a diversion and delivered the medicine to Inumaki.
With joint effort, they terminated the higher-grade cursed spirit and left after the barrier lifted.
Geto Suguru
Later while finding the cause of the higher-grade cursed spirit’s appearance Gojo found out there were two other traces of foreign elements out of record.
Official support Ijichi informed someone did put a barrier over the barrier he did put during the mission.
Gojo guessed the culprit was Geto Suguru, the bane of non-Jujutsu users, who was banished from Tokyo Jujutsu High School.
Geto Suguru being a special-grade Jujutsu-user uses a unique Jujutsu of exercising and absorbing cursed spirits. Using this trait, he became a religious leader, using his influence to collect money, trust, and cursed spirit as well.
He envisioned a dream of building a world only for Jujutsu users. He built a team of Jujutsu users also to help him achieve this dream.
These dreams stem from some past regrets of him, which are spread throughout two different events.
One was from a very early event of his junior year as a student shown in the Hidden Inventory Arc.
The other one is shown in an episode of the second season, titled Premature Death.
His team consists of six members excluding him.
His first step in the plan was taking down Jujutsu High, the protector of non-Jujutsu users.
He didn’t like the idea of the strong unconditionally toil away for the weak always. He found the existence of non-Jujutsu users repulsive.
First contact
As shown in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Geto put his plan in motion very quickly. He paid a visit to Tokyo Jujutsu High School with his three other supposedly family members, who are also Jujutsu users.
Upon first contact with Jujutsu High first-year students, he became very impressed.
Knowing the existence of such impressive Jujutsu Users like Inumaki Together, Panda, and Okkotsu Yuta Geto Suguru became elated and guessed they could only be Gojo Satoru’s handpicks.
In the meantime, by the order of the principal, all the available semi-first grade and above Jujutsu users gathered around Geto.
He then started preaching about building a world consisting of only Jujutsu users and asked for Yuta’s help.
But he belittled Maki calling her the Zen’in family’s failure for not having any cursed energy. He also said that there was no place for her in the world he envisioned.
Yuta didn’t like that discrimination against Maki and right on denied Geto’s request with disgust.
Declaration
Geto finally did what he came for. He declared war on non-Jujutsu users.
It was a major event in the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
Geto said he would conduct a night parade of a hundred demons on the upcoming December 24 at the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo and Kyoto.
He and his team will unleash a thousand curses upon each place for the massacre.
He challenged Jujutsu users of Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High School to stop that if they could.
On his way back, Geto used his curses to surround students, so Gojo couldn’t apprehend him.
Continuation
Now a great predicament can be seen in the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
Teachers at Jujutsu High hold a meeting to discuss the upcoming predicament. They learned Geto owns nearly 2,000 cursed spirits. They concluded that he was a tough opponent.
Upon the principal’s decision, it was decided that all the alumni Jujutsu-users, all three major families of Jujutsu-users, and even the Ainu Jujutsu Society would be requested for help.
On the other hand, Geto was calculating his chance of victory, which was only 20%.
In the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Geto is shown to be a shrewd individual.
So he planned out a good way to turn this small chance into an overwhelming victory. That plan was, to kill Okkotsu Yuta and absorb his special-grade cursed spirit Rika.
Later they can use Rika’s strength to win against Jujutsu High and achieve many other things.
So the main reason for conducting a night parade of a hundred demons is to isolate Okkotsu Yuta and absorb Orimoto Rika.
D-day
Yuta was sitting in the empty class, concerned about outside and his classmates Panda and Inumaki weren’t at the dormitory.
Maki came inside and informed him about Inumaki and Panda’s whereabouts.
Inumaki was with their third and fourth-year students at Shinjuku as a backup.
Panda was with the principal.
Zen’in Maki
Out of boredom, they started to discuss the disposition of Maki.
She was ousted from her family Zan’in due to her inability to sense curse.
She can only see cursed spirits using a spectacle-like cursed tool and exorcise them using cursed tools.
But she still chose to be a Jujutsu user to show off to her family and planned to destroy it from within after becoming a first-grade Jujutsu user in future.
Continuation
Now, the major event is drawing near in the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
Geto had already infiltrated Tokyo Jujutsu High School, now he started putting barriers around the area, which Yuta and Maki noticed.
Maki went to confront him at first.
A disgusted Geto attacked her wasting no time.
Outside
On the other hand, while preparing to face cursed spirits Gojo seemed somewhat absent-minded. He found a hard opponent inside the crowd of cursed spirits, a foreigner Miguel, a Jujutsu user.
At that time Ijichi came to notify Gojo of something about Okkotsu Yuta.
After listening to the information, he immediately dragged Panda and Inumaki out of there and teleported them.
He gave them the reason, that both Yuta and Maki could die at any given moment.
Now Gojo became the target of all the enemy Jujutsu-users.
Battle at school
Upon his arrival at school, Panda found Maki passed out cold in a bloody puddle.
He struggled against Geto in a fight and finally was able to defeat him by surprise with the help of Inumaki.
It was their misconception that was their undoing.
Geto was just slightly wounded and caught them by surprise and incapacitated them.
Yuta saw the aftermath and was enraged.
First half
To kill Geto, he manifested Rika in her full form for the second time.
He started fighting on equal footing with Geto and secured Maki, Panda and Inumaki.
Rika became jealous of Maki seeing Yuta being caring towards her, but all it took was a good scolding from him to make her behave and concentrate on their target of hatred, Geto Suguru.
Second half
Yuta used a cursed object of the Inumaki family, “Snake Eyes and Fangs” to obliterate the lower-grade cursed spirit launched by Geto.
Now started the real heated battle.
Outside
It was hell outside. Cursed spirits were overflowing, but all the Jujutsu-users were fighting against them in full spirit.
Miguel, who was fighting against Gojo, was badly struggling to keep up, while Gojo was fending him off with ease.
At school
Geto now prepare for a close-quarter combat with Yuta. Yuta synchronized himself with Rika becoming more agile and precise.
While fighting, Geto told Yuta that, humans don’t accept someone better than them to exist while they rely on an omnipotent god whom they even don’t know exists.
This paradox and denial of being less than existing someone is in human nature, which he despised.
Yuta put even more cursed energy into his sword and attacked with more speed and accuracy.
As a result, his sword shattered, but he wrapped his fist in cursed energy which was previously impossible for him, and sent Geto flying away with a punch.
Decisive battle
Geto got serious and took out one special-grade cursed apparition “Tamamo-no-mae incarnate” to fight Yuta’s special-grade cursed apparition Rika.
He also combined his remaining 4,461 curses into one and got ready to launch a decisive strike named “Maelstrom”.
Outside
On the other hand, Jujutsu users were being overwhelmed by the curses in Shinjuku.
In that perilous time, came a grade one Jujutsu-user Nanami and turned the tide of the battle.
Jujutsu users of Kyoto were handling some humongous cursed spirits efficiently.
Final bout
Geto was getting ready with his attack “Maelstorm” to strike down Yuta.
This time, Geto finally felt what he only understood until now, the deep feeling Rika had held for him since childhood.
He also recovered his mutual feeling of love towards Rika that never actually waned.
The love they shared, the innocent yet profound love became the newfound strength to Yuta.
He requested Rika for the power to eliminate the three Geto Suguru facing in exchange for his never-ending love and his very existence.
His request was granted.
Watching his behavior Geto calls him a womanizer, which he denies by saying he and Rika’s love is pure.
Yuta and Geto both launched their strongest strike, which resulted in Geto’s pathetic defeat.
Aftermath
Geto was escaping with his wounded body while plotting to snatch Rika in future.
He met Gojo in such a situation.
He learned from Gojo that all of his team members escaped safely.
As he guessed Gojo sent Panda and Inumaki to confront him knowing they couldn’t beat him and he wouldn’t kill him.
He did all that to draw out Okkotsu Yuta’s full potential.
He could do this because he believed in his once best friend Geto Suguru’s nature.
After all clarification, he asked if Geto had any last words.
Geto said whatever anyone says he still hates normal, powerless and wicked humans but didn’t hate anyone in the Jujutsu High. He just couldn’t maintain a happy farce after all the misery he faced there.
Gojo ended his suffering.
Goodbye
Senseless Yuta woke up surrounded by his classmates, finding them safe and sound.
Orimoto Rika called out to him. Yuta slowly approaches him. The time to say goodbye to his classmates has come, as he promised his existence to Rika in exchange for power.
Listening to this fact Maki, Panda and Inumaki got upset and that very time Rika revealed his true form.
She revealed the form that Yuta used to see in his childhood, the human form.
Out of nowhere Gojo appeared and said that the curse was broken.
According to him, Yuta’s guess was correct, the curse was placed on Orimoto Rika, not on him.
He did some background checks on Yuta and found out he is a descendant of “Sugawara-no-Michizane” a historical Jujutsu user.
Now that whoever placed the curse has cancelled the bond, as long as the cursed one doesn’t seek any penalty then the curse is truly broken.
Yuta finally broke down understanding his wrongdoing. He understood every miss happening around him was due to his denial of Rika’s death.
Rika comforted him and thanked him for keeping her around him for six years.
In this way, Rika bid her final goodbye to Yuta.
Epilogue
Yuta is continuing to attend Jujutsu High and that ring is still on his finger. He has accepted the outcome of this unprecedented love story and stayed true to his own heart.
Orimoto Rika is always in his heart
If you want to read something on dark thrillers, you can check my Blog Post on, Another.
