Jujutsu Kaisen: Zero review: Awesome gory action in anime's prequel

Jujutsu Kaisen fans have a reason to pick up their Cursed Weapons in delight once more.

Joining the mainstay animes of Demon Slayer and Attack On Titan, mangaka Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen's macabre violence and horror infused themes are what sets it apart from the rest.

The anime's movie premiered in Japan in December 2021 and will be slashing its way into cinemas this Thursday (10 March).

Oh boy, what a prequel it is. Jujutsu Kaisen Zero doesn't pull any punches, like most shounen manga. In fact, it feels like more of a brutally hypnotic introduction of a movie meant to ease new would-be fans into the horrific world of Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerors.

The movie's protagonist Okkotsu Yuta has almost the same expository premise as the anime series' protagonist Itadori Yuji, who both find themselves beset with extraordinary, untamed power and are deemed ripe for execution by the pusillanimous Jujutsu elders.

With Itadori, it was the fear of him reincarnating into the most feared Special Grade Cursed Spirit ever, the omnipotent King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. With Okkotsu, the elders fear the grotesque Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Orimoto Rika, that clings immutably to him, whispering sweet nothings in a baby voice in his ear and violently attacking anyone who remotely presents a threat to its master.

Perhaps the most memorable Cursed Spirit ever, Orimoto is swathed in serpentine hair, has fangs like swords and slender, cruel claws that would put Freddy to shame. That juxtaposed alongside her babyish voice and grating neediness for her host is enough to make one's hair stand on end.

To provide some context, Okkotsu witnesses a gruesome car accident in which his best friend Orimoto Rika dies. With her dying breath, she morphs into a powerful Cursed Spirit, proof of her grudge and desperation to stay in the material world to fulfill a promise to Okkotsu.

Okkotsu's name has come up a few times in the anime itself, but he finally makes his official appearance in Zero.

Beloved characters return as younger selves

It's also worth noting that this prequel predates the arrival of Cursed Spirit summoner Fushiguro Megumi, Itadori's partner and rival in Jujutsu school. Fans will be pleased to see that Mutated Cursed Corpse Panda, Cursed Weapon user Maki Zenin and Cursed Speech user Inumaki Toge all make an appearance but as First Year students.

We even get to see much more of Inumaki's unique Cursed Speech abilities in action, using his voice and words to release curses that devastate and mutilate Cursed Spirits with relative ease.

Let's also not forget our main bad guy Suguru Geto, who finally reveals the full extent of his sorcerous abilities instead of constantly lurking around and plotting in the background like he does in the anime.

Yet, in my opinion the true star of the show, the incandescent Gojo Satoru, does not truly unleash his trademark, overwhelming Spatial Manipulation techniques, despite being the most powerful Sorceror in the Jujutsu world and having a huge fanbase.

Much more focus was placed in developing the characteristics of Okkotsu and his relationships with his Cursed Spirit Orimoto as well as with his classmates, in particular with Maki Zenin and her estranged past with her family.

Although such development is not unwelcome, the fanatic otaku and Jujutsu fan in me still pined for more of the flashy and over-the-top action sequences with sorcerous spells and destructive curses that the series is most well known for, which unfortunately worked against the overall score of the movie.

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