WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FROM Jujutsu Kaisen Manga!!!Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen Will be renowned as the most unique shounen series that Shuesia’s flagship, Shonen Jump, has ever produced. The key aspect of Jujutsu KaisenIts uniqueness in the Shounen genre stems from the portrayal of various characters and its protagonist, Yuji Itadori. Although the series did very well with every aspect expected of a shonen series, from heavy action to melodrama, Jujutsu Kaisen is far from perfect.
One of the main oversights of the series is how its narrative feels short. Although it features a cast of characters, many of them are not fully explored in ways that could deepen the story and give the series more longevity. This missed opportunity is particularly evident in the image of Jujutsu Kaisen’s Female characters. Although arguably, many of the series’ male characters have compelling portrayals, the series fails to leverage its female characters.
Utahime Iori may have brought a crucial missing element to Jujutsu Kaisen
The image of Utahime could have added a twist to the manga
Only a handful of female characters get the chance to shine in Gege Akutami’s manga, despite many opportunities to give these characters a pivotal moment. Utahime Iori is such a character from the manga That it could have benefited and, in the process, fixed the series’ main issue of always undermining its female characters.
Utahime Iori’s initial portrayal in the series was very minimal, showing her as nothing but a teacher from the Kyoto area of ​​Jujutsu High. With her innate curse technique, which essentially allows her to help the other magicians increase the production of cursed energy momentarily, Iori’s role as a supporting character couldn’t be more perfect in the manga. However, one aspect of Utahime’s character that has consistently caught fans’ attention is her potential romantic connection with the strongest sorcerer of Jujutsu Kaisen’s Modern era, Gojo Satoru.
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Their interactions, particularly Gojo’s teasing that Utahime often relays, have led fans to speculate about a possible romantic relationship between Gojo and Utahime. If Gege Akutami had developed this angle further, Gojo and Utahime may have become one of the most iconic couples in the seriesAnd, by the way, it would be allowed Jujutsu Kaisen to explore a romantic twist that the Shawn series has increasingly avoided. With her emotional connection to Gojo and her unique technique, Utahime could have made an even bigger impact during the final battle of the series.
Utahime Iori’s Cursed Technique Could Have Aided Sorcerers Exponentially In The Manga’s Final Battle
Her potential contribution to the final battle highlights Jujutsu Kaisens lack of character development outside of its main protagonists
Utahime Iori’s Cursed Technique is one of the most notable in Jujutsu KaisenAnd its potential could have greatly benefited the wizards in their battle against Ryomen Sukuna. However, her role in the final arc is largely reduced to setting up Gojo’s entrance for his duel with Sukuna. This was evident when her technique enabled Gojo to unleash his hollow purple with 200% output, but it didn’t leave a lasting impact. Considering Utahime’s technique allowed Gojo to double the strength of his strongest attack, it stands to reason that she could similarly enhance the abilities of other magicians.
This may have been particularly impressive after Gojo’s death in his battle against the King of Curses. If Jujutsu Kaisen Further developing an emotional bond between Utahime and Gojo, his death would have had a profound effect on her, potentially driving her to seek revenge. In her grief over losing Gojo, Utahime’s emotional turmoil may have awakened a new level of her cursed technique.
unfortunately, Jujutsu Kaisen Tends to focus character development on a select few, leaving others, including Gojo, underexplored
In the Shon genre, emotional responses often trigger power-ups, and Utahime’s grief may have enabled her to amplify the cursed energy of multiple sorcerers simultaneously and across a wide range. unfortunately, Jujutsu Kaisen Tends to focus character development on a select few, leaving others, including Gojo, underexplored. By introducing a romantic connection between Gojo and Utahime, the series could have allowed Gojo to exhibit a wider emotional range, and not portray him solely as a monster and a tool of the sorcerers.
Gojo could have shown more depth beyond just being the strongest
By being the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, Gojo often fell victim to being used as a tool, called upon in desperate situations. He is often treated as the ultimate trump card for the sorcerers, and while it could be argued that they have no choice but to rely on him, this instrumentalization reached a disturbing peak when Even Gojo’s corpse became a tool. The tragic part of this result is how none of the witches showed any concern for Gojo, but their concerns were only directed at Yuta, who suggested that he would inhabit Gojo’s body after his death.
In chapter #261 of Jujutsu KaisenBefore Yuta enters the battlefield inhabiting Gajo’s body, the other magicians object to the idea, exclaiming concern for Yuta and advising him that he does not need to become a monster for the sake of the battle. Additionally, this chapter also shows Gojo’s response to this idea, and although the sorcerer cannot control what happens to his body after death, Gojo remarks that he is surprised that even Shoko Ieiri did not object before accepting the plan.
The use of Gojo even after his death is also a testament to how willing the magicians were to accept Gojo’s eventual death from the start, highlighting a problem of Jujutsu Kaisen That Gojo is always seen as a mere tool by others and nothing. Therefore, Gojo’s romantic attachment with Utahime Iori in Jujutsu Kaisen would have allowed the series to not only use his underused character, but also fix the series’ other problems: a lack of romance and Gojo’s human demeanor, which it has increasingly ignored.