This Jujutsu Kaisen beginner’s guide is written by someone who’s been watching anime since before most of you knew what anime was…
I grew up on Dragonball Z, stayed up past my bedtime for Naruto, cried during Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood like it was nothing — and I’ll stand on that. So, when I say Jujutsu Kaisen hit different? You need to take that seriously.
Because I don’t say that lightly, I’ve seen a LOT of anime come and go. I’ve watched shows blow up, disappoint, redeem themselves, and disappoint again. I’ve got the emotional scar tissue to prove it. And yet here I am, telling you with a straight face that JJK is one of the most important anime of the last decade.
So if you’ve been sleeping on it, this is your wake-up call. Let’s get into it.
What Is Jujutsu Kaisen? A Beginner’s Guide to the Basics
Okay, basics first. Jujutsu Kaisen is a manga series written by Gege Akutami that started in 2018, and the anime adaptation from studio MAPPA kicked off in 2020. The show follows Yuji Itadori, a ridiculously athletic high schooler who accidentally swallows a cursed object — specifically, a finger belonging to the King of Curses, a terrifyingly powerful demon named Ryomen Sukuna — and now has to deal with the consequences of that very bad decision.
The consequence being: he’s now basically a vessel for one of the most dangerous beings in existence, the jujutsu world knows he exists, and the plan is to let him eat all of Sukuna’s fingers and then execute him. Cool plan. Great system they’ve got going.
From there, Yuji gets thrown into Tokyo Jujutsu High, a school that trains “Jujutsu Sorcerers” — people who fight cursed spirits (think demons born from human negativity and fear) using their own cursed energy. Think of it like the X-Men, but if being a mutant also meant you were probably going to die young and traumatically.
And that last part? That’s not a joke. This show does NOT play around.
Why Every Anime Fan Needs to Watch Jujutsu Kaisen
Here’s where I have to be honest with you, because I respect you.
If you go into JJK expecting a feel-good shonen where the hero powers up and everything works out, you’re going to be shocked. This isn’t Naruto, where love and hard work conquer all. This isn’t Bleach, where the main character has an infinite supply of power-ups waiting in his soul. Gege Akutami writes like someone with a personal vendetta against his own characters, and the story is better for it.
What JJK gives you instead is:
Elite-tier animation. MAPPA went absolutely feral producing this show. The fight sequences are some of the best animated action I’ve ever seen, full stop. The Shibuya Arc in Season 2? Scenes that genuinely made me pause and rewind just to watch again.
Characters you’ll actually care about. And then feel terrible about caring about.
A power system that’s actually interesting. Cursed energy, Domain Expansion, Binding Vows — it’s complex enough to be engaging, clever enough to feel like it has rules, and wild enough that every fight feels fresh.
A villain problem that isn’t really a problem. By which I mean — the villains are incredible. Like, uncomfortably well-written.If you’ve ever played a game where the mechanics are so good that you stay up until 3 am just to do one more run — JJK is that, but anime.
Jujutsu Kaisen Seasons In Order: What to Watch First
Season 1 (2020) — The Introduction
This is the show finding its footing, and it still manages to be better than most anime at their peak. You get Yuji’s origin, his first real fights, introduction to the main cast, and the Kyoto Goodwill Event arc. It builds the world methodically and then, right at the end, puts its foot on your throat.
The Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie technically happens before Season 1 chronologically — it follows a different protagonist named Yuta Okkotsu — and I’d actually recommend watching it between Season 1 and Season 2. It adds context that makes Season 2 hit significantly harder.
Season 2 (2023) — Where It Becomes Legendary
I’m going to be careful with spoilers here, but I need you to understand something: the Shibuya Incident arc is one of the greatest stretches of anime television produced in the last ten years. I will die on this hill. The animation, the stakes, the decisions that get made, the things that happen that you genuinely cannot believe they animated — it’s exceptional.
Season 2 also gives you Gojo’s Past arc first, which is slower but rewards you enormously later. Stick with it.
Season 3 (2026) — The Culling Game
The story gets bigger, stranger, and more morally complicated. Some fans found it divisive. I found it fascinating. This is where Gege Akutami’s chaotic writing style either fully clicks for you or you start to have trust issues with the author. Both reactions are valid.
Jujutsu Kaisen Characters Explained: Who You Need to Know (For Now)
Yuji Itadori
Your protagonist. Built like a tank, heart of gold, personally carries the weight of every death in the series. The type of main character who actually grows instead of just getting stronger. Refreshingly written.
Megumi Fushiguro
The stoic, strategic one. Summons shikigami (spirit creatures) to fight. Megumi’s arc is one of the most interesting in the series, and Season 3 takes it somewhere genuinely unexpected.
Absolutely zero patience for nonsense, fights with a hammer and nails using cursed energy, and is one of the best female characters in modern shonen. She’s not a sidekick. She’s not a love interest. She’s just dangerous.
Satoru Gojo
The strongest. The most beloved. The man responsible for 90% of the show’s merchandise sales. Gojo is what happens when an anime creates a character so overwhelmingly powerful and charming that the story has to actively work around him. He wears a blindfold because his eyes are too much. He’s insufferable and magnetic, and you’ll understand completely why the internet lost its mind over him.
Sukuna
The villain. The King of Curses. What’s interesting is that Sukuna isn’t a villain with a tragic backstory or a sympathetic motivation — he’s just powerful, cruel, and ancient. He finds humans amusing in the way you might find ants amusing right before you ruin their day. He’s terrifying precisely because he doesn’t need to be understood.
Jujutsu Kaisen Beginner’s Guide: How Does Cursed Energy Work in Jujutsu Kaisen?
If you’re a gamer reading this — and you’re on Gritty Gamer, so presumably yes — the JJK power system is going to scratch an itch for you.
Every sorcerer has Cursed Energy, generated from negative emotions. Think of it as a mana pool. They can shape that energy into techniques called Innate Techniques — unique to each sorcerer, like a character’s special ability. Some sorcerers unlock Lapse or Reversal techniques, which are essentially upgraded versions.
The ceiling of all of this is Domain Expansion — a technique where a sorcerer creates a pocket dimension that guarantees every attack lands. It’s the nuclear option. When two Domain users clash, it’s basically the most broken PvP matchup imaginable, and the show portrays it accordingly.
There are also Binding Vows — you can actually increase your power by voluntarily limiting yourself or disclosing your technique to your opponent. It’s like playing a game on hard mode for extra XP. Wild concept. Executed brilliantly.
The Criticism: Because We Keep It Real Here
Okay. I love this show. But I’m not going to pretend it’s perfect. In this Jujutsu Kaisen beginner’s guide, we have to be honest!
Gege Akutami has a pacing problem. The manga in particular — and this bleeds into Season 3 — can feel like the author is moving faster than the story needs. Character moments that deserve time to breathe get rushed past. You’ll occasionally feel whiplash from how quickly the story moves.
Not every character gets what they deserve. The cast is large, and some people you’ll grow to love don’t get the arc resolution they earned. That’s a real frustration.
The Culling Game arc is messy. Intentionally chaotic, maybe. But messy nonetheless.
Here’s the thing, though — even with those criticisms, JJK is still doing things most anime don’t dare to attempt. Gege swings big. Sometimes that means misses. But the hits? The hits are all-time.
Should You Read the Manga?
Yes. Eventually. But watch the anime first — MAPPA’s adaptation is genuinely great, and the animation adds enormous value to the fight sequences. Once you’re caught up on the anime, the manga is worth continuing because the story has moved beyond what’s been animated.
Fair warning: the manga will do things to you emotionally. Bring snacks and a coping mechanism.
Where to Watch Jujutsu Kaisen Right Now
Crunchyroll — Has all seasons, subbed and dubbed
Netflix — Has Season 1 in many regions
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie — Available on Crunchyroll
The dub is actually solid if you prefer English audio, which, as a lifelong sub purist, I say begrudgingly but honestly.
FAQ — The Questions People Actually Google
Is Jujutsu Kaisen finished? The manga concluded in 2024. The anime still has story left to adapt.
How many seasons are there? Three seasons plus the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie as of 2025.
Is it better than Demon Slayer? Different shows. Demon Slayer has more consistent pacing and arguably better visual style. JJK has deeper characters and higher narrative stakes. Watch both. This isn’t a competition. (It’s a competition. JJK wins on story.)
Is it better than Naruto? Generationally different shows. Naruto built the template. JJK evolved it. If you grew up on Naruto, JJK is what you watch next.
Is the Shibuya Arc as good as people say? It’s better than people say. And I knew that sentence was going to stress you out. Good.
Jujutsu Kaisen Beginner’s Guide Final Verdict
Time to wrap up this Jujutsu Kaisen beginner’s guide. I’ll be honest, it’s not a perfect anime. It is, however, an exceptional one — the kind that reminds you why you fell in love with this medium in the first place. The animation is elite. The characters stick with you. The fights are creative in ways that genuinely surprise you. And Gege Akutami writes with a recklessness that, even when it frustrates you, keeps you glued to the screen, wondering what could happen next.
If you haven’t started yet, start tonight. Season 1, Episode 1. Clear your schedule.
And if you’ve been watching since 2020 and you want to argue about which arc is the best, find us on X @GamerGritty. We’ve been waiting.
Think we missed something in this Jujutsu Kaisen beginner’s guide? Disagree with our takes? Drop it in the comments. We read everyone.
