Jujutsu Kaisen fans mourn Yuji Itadori’s lost innocence

Jujutsu Kaisen fans have been subjected to death after death of their beloved characters. But things have now gone from bad to worse. Can Yuji Itadori recover?

Jujutsu Kaisen has had a difficult run in Season 2. From MAPPA’s seemingly constant controversies to an endless stream of high-profile character deaths, it’s all become a bit much for some fans.

Why? Following the death of the 9-5 sorcerer Kento Nanami – right in front of Yuji Itadori, which placed the heavy burden of blame on the young sorcerer – another death sent shockwaves through the Jujutsu Kaisen world. Mahito adds Nobara Kugisaki to his long list of victims in Season 2 Episode 19.

Fans were heartbroken, with some even taking to X/Twitter to declare that they could no longer watch their show. But no one was more affected then Yuji Itadori himself.

Fans react to Yuji Itadori’s response

Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen no longer resembles the shonen series we fell in love with, back in October 2020. Stakes were always high. But where Season 1 had plenty of humor to disperse the darkness, lighter moments are now few and far between.

The death of Nobara Kugisaki at only 16-years-old devastated the Jujutsu Kaisen, with Twitter exploding with fan reactions. But the way it impacted 15-year-old Yuji Itadori was even more heartbreaking.

It’s easy to forget just how young Itadori is, with everything that he’s been through over the course of the series. And it’s easy to forget how fun-loving and carefree he was before the spark that endeared him to everyone was slowly extinguished over the course of Season 2.

Yuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen has experienced more pain than most teenagers. In the first episode we saw his grandfather die. Then Mahito killed his friend Junpei, his safety net Satorou Gojo followed, and the Shibuya Incident arc took things to the extreme when he witnessed the deaths of Nanami Kento and Kugisaki Nobara.

And fans are not happy. With one even taking to Reddit to post, “Seriously with the rate main characters are killed who are we supposed to care for in future seasons?”

Over the past few months fans have taken to social media to express sympathy for Yuji Itadori. And they’ve also voiced their dislike of the endless suffering cycle. With one user posting on Reddit, “Welcome to the itadori pain train.” While another followed with, “… my poor boy Yuji just cant catch a break.”

Mahito’s impact on Itadori

Mahito is one of the least liked characters in the entire Jujutsu Kaisen franchise (and one of the most effective villains). You only need to talk to go on social media to interact with someone watching to show to know that fans can’t wait for him to meet his demise.

It’s clear watching Mahito claim life after life over the series, that he enjoys seeing people lose their loved ones. Especially in the case of Yuji Itadori. Over the course of the Shibuya Incident arc, we’ve watched Itadori go from being a happy and bubbly teenager to someone trapped in a dark cycle of depression.

The most prominent Jujutsu Kaisen Twitter fan account is leading the Mahito hate train, posting “Mahito needs to be stopped.”

Who is to blame for Yuji Itadori’s suffering?

It’s only natural that fans will search for someone to blame for Yuji Itadori’s pain throughout Jujutsu Kaisen’s Shibuya Incident arc. And, of course, it was only a matter of time before fingers were pointed at mangaka Gege Akutami.

The death of Satoru Gojo in September sparked significant backlash against Gege Akutami. And it has only worsened now that audiences have witnessed the demise of more beloved characters and the loss of Yuji Itadori’s light-hearted personality.

On Twitter, one user posted, “Gege give yuji a break”, while others have written slightly light-hearted threats, as shown below.

Jujutsu Kaisen won fans over when it first debuted thanks to its gritty undertone. While its sad to see so many characters dying and Yuji Itadori’s decent into depression, no one can say that Gege Akutami hasn’t crafted a gripping universe that we just can’t help but find ourselves trapped in.

How to watch Crunchyroll from outside your location in 2023

Crunchyroll is the world’s best hub for streaming anime, whether it’s One Piece, Attack on Titan, or Jujutsu Kaisen – and thanks to ExpressVPN, you can access the platform’s full library even if you’re outside the US.

If you’re abroad, here’s what you need to do to access Crunchyroll’s full selection – and it really is this simple:

1. Sign up for ExpressVPN, which has ultra-fast servers and offers a secure, private connection wherever you are in the world
2.  Connect to a location anywhere in the US; Express VPN allows you to choose from 24 different spots, from New Jersey to Santa Monica
3.  Visit Crunchyroll online and start streaming all of your favorite animes – and perhaps some you’ve never watched

Accessing Crunchyroll’s US roster makes a difference; for example, Hong Kong users only have access to less than 100 titles, while the US has nearly 1,000 movies and TV shows.

You can also stream anime on Crunchyroll for free with an ad-supported plan, or you can pay for a subscription – there’s even a 14-day free trial if you can’t quite make up your mind.

As we wait to see what happens in Season 2 Episode 20, you can check out our other Jujutsu Kaisen coverage here. And our other anime coverage here.

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