MANGA REVIEW | "Jujutsu Kaisen" - Volume Twenty-Three
There’s a lot to unpack in the twenty-third volume of Jujutsu Kaisen. In fact, it’s right here where it feels like the end game is upon us. (Considering Jujutsu Kaisen ended this year, I’d say that feeling is correct.) But before the climax occurs, is there room for a little extra chaos on the side? When Kenjaku (AKA Suguru Geto) is in the picture, there’s bound to be squeezing room for carnage.
But first, Yuji Itadori’s got some hard pills to swallow. With Sukuna revealing that he’s the Disgraced One, and that the Angel inside Kurusu wants to kill him. It’s a tricky slope, as they need to kill the Disgraced One to free Satoru Goto, but doing so means killing Itadori. Of course, Megumi wants to find a way around that problem, but finding a solution for that will have to be placed on the back burner. Kenjaku’s making some interesting moves that need dealing this very moment.
Is it too much of a surprise that Kenjaku finds a way to convince the American government to get involved? Calling “cursed energy” an alternate source of fuel smells of grade-A horse shit, but the dude manages to sweet talk even the President of the United States into his plans. They even go so far as to talk about kidnapping Japanese citizens and doing experiments on them back in America! Erm…remind me again who the bad guy in Jujutsu Kaisen is supposed to be?
Yet even Kenjaku feels like there’s been too much talking. The time for fists and spells is upon us, as he faces off against Yuki and Choso. There’s the usual philosophical junk Kenjaku speaks of to justify his evil ways, all carefully worded to make it seem like he’s in the right. Thankfully, Yuki and Choso are smarter than the President of the United States to be swayed by those words, and instead start casting one massive attack after another.
Reading through these panels in both “Blood and Oil” and “Stars in Oil” makes you think that Gege Akutami is having a lot of fun drawing. The carnage, the creative spells, and the broken body parts are showcased with such beautiful and grotesque detail. It’s like they’re detoxing through art, taking all the wickedness that fits the average person’s heart & soul and puts them onto the page. Although a lot more rough around the edges than Junji Ito’s works, there’s a fine amount of attention placed on making what is undeniably a disturbing battle.
But I do have a problem with these battles. I know that Kenjaku’s the end game villain, but does it have to always look like he’s invulnerable? He gets his hand, his face, and even the top of his head completely ripped to shreds, but he shrugs it all off like it’s nothing. No permanent injuries, and nary a scratch are on his face. Is Akutami still waiting to showcase his true weakness, or is this their way of showing that humanity as a whole is doomed?
Despite that hinderance, this is still a very enticing volume of Jujutsu Kaisen. Although it’ll be a while before the final battle approaches, what’s seen here are the tracks that’ll lead to that moment. Great action, some ultimate plot points, and even seeing the good ole USA doing what it does best (SIGH) are what you can expect in the twenty-third volume of Jujutsu Kaisen. It won’t uproot your unhappiness, but it’ll certainly get your adrenaline pumping in a good way.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
