Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 Review
Gege Akutami's stylish, brutal supernatural shonen phenomenon.
By Web Admin
Every so often a battle manga arrives that makes the whole genre feel dangerous again. Jujutsu Kaisen is one of those. Written and drawn by Gege Akutami and serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from March 2018, it took a familiar shonen shape — a kind teenager, a secret school, monsters to fight — and drenched it in body horror, real stakes, and a mean streak most Jump titles never dare. This is our full review of Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1: what it is, who it is for, and why the fandom got so loud so fast.
The English edition is published by Viz Media, and Volume 1 (subtitled “Ryomen Sukuna”) collects the first four chapters across roughly 190 pages. It is a lean, confident opening that wastes almost no time getting to the point.
A stylish, brutal supernatural shonen with a killer hook and a magnetic cast. Darker than most Jump titles, and all…
Check price on Amazon$7.19as of Nov 13, 2026 10:27 am UTCOur verdict (4.6/5): A stylish, brutal supernatural shonen with a killer hook and a magnetic cast. Darker than most Jump titles, and all the better for it. Collects chapters 1–4.
What is Jujutsu Kaisen?
Jujutsu Kaisen is a supernatural action manga set in a world where human negative emotions — fear, regret, hatred — leak out and congeal into monstrous beings called Curses. A hidden society of sorcerers, trained at places like Tokyo Jujutsu High, spends its life exorcising these things before they can kill. Volume 1 introduces that world through Yuji Itadori, an unusually strong high-schooler whose quiet life ends the day he swallows a cursed object to protect his friends.
That object is a rotted finger belonging to Ryomen Sukuna, a legendary "King of Curses." By eating it, Yuji becomes Sukuna's living vessel — and is promptly sentenced to death by the sorcerer establishment. His stay of execution is brutal: he will be allowed to live only long enough to consume all of Sukuna's remaining fingers, so the King of Curses can be destroyed once and for all.
The story: a death sentence as a premise
What separates Jujutsu Kaisen from its shelf-mates is how quickly it establishes that this world does not care about the hero. People die in Volume 1. They die badly, and they die early, including characters a gentler manga would have kept around for arcs. Akutami sets the temperature immediately: this is a story where good intentions are not armor, and where the "power of friendship" comes with a body count.
Yuji's own philosophy — that everyone deserves a "proper death" — is tested against a world that hands out ugly, arbitrary ones. It is a surprisingly thoughtful spine for a book this violent, and it gives the fights weight beyond spectacle.
Meet the cast
- Yuji Itadori — the warm, freakishly athletic protagonist now sharing his body with the King of Curses.
- Megumi Fushiguro — a stoic first-year sorcerer who summons shikigami; the first classmate Yuji meets.
- Nobara Kugisaki — a sharp, confident sorcerer from the countryside who fights with a hammer and nails.
- Satoru Gojo — the blindfolded, impossibly powerful teacher who becomes the series' breakout star and, effectively, Yuji's protector.
- Ryomen Sukuna — the ancient curse riding shotgun inside Yuji, gleefully waiting for a chance to take over.
Why the fandom exploded
Charisma. The cast clicks instantly, Gojo in particular is an all-timer, and Akutami's dialogue is funnier and more modern than the genre norm. The 2020 anime adaptation by studio MAPPA turned that charisma into a global phenomenon, but the manga was already firing on every cylinder. If you have seen fan art of a blindfolded white-haired sorcerer everywhere and wondered why, Volume 1 is the answer.
It also helps that the book respects your time. There is very little filler, the exposition is doled out cleanly, and the cliffhangers are genuinely propulsive. This is a series built to be binged.
The art: kinetic, grotesque, expressive
Akutami's line is scratchier and looser than a polished Jump veteran's, and that works in the book's favor. The Curses are genuinely unsettling — lumpy, asymmetrical, wrong — and the fight choreography is easy to follow even when it is chaotic. Character acting is a real strength: a single reaction panel can swing from goofy comedy to dead-eyed menace. It is not the prettiest manga on the shelf, but it is one of the most alive.
Content warning: this one earns its rating
Be clear-eyed. Jujutsu Kaisen is rated for older teens and up, and it means it. Expect graphic violence, dismemberment, body horror, and a genuinely grim view of mortality. It is not gratuitous — death is the whole thematic point — but it is intense, and it is not a book for younger kids. If you want something in the same age bracket, Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man is a natural next step.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Instantly gripping hook and real stakes
- An outstanding, meme-worthy cast
- Clean pacing with almost no filler
- A generous, easy-to-start first volume (~190 pages)
Cons
- Very violent — not for younger readers
- Art is deliberately rough early on
- Ends on a cliffhanger; you will want Vol. 2 immediately
Which edition should you buy?
Jujutsu Kaisen is a long series — it concluded in 2024 at 30 volumes — so it is worth knowing your options before you commit.
| Edition | Collects | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 paperback | Chapters 1–4 | Trying it out |
| Individual volumes 1–30 | ~4 chapters each | Building the full run |
| Digital (Viz / Kindle) | Per volume | Reading on a phone or tablet |
For a first taste, the single paperback is the obvious pick. Because the series is now complete, it is also a great candidate for readers who like to buy in bulk once they are hooked — see our best completed manga guide.
Get Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1 on Amazon
How it compares to other dark shonen
The obvious comparison is Chainsaw Man, its Shonen Jump stablemate — both are violent, modern, and unafraid to kill. But where Fujimoto's book is chaotic and punk, Akutami's is more structured, its magic system more codified, closer in DNA to Bleach or Naruto than its edginess suggests. The difference is tone: Jujutsu Kaisen keeps one foot in traditional shonen (a school, a class of first-years, a tournament looming) while the other foot is planted firmly in horror. That tension is exactly what makes it distinctive.
It is also worth noting how disciplined the storytelling is. Akutami plants payoffs early, treats named characters as genuinely mortal, and resists dragging arcs out for the sake of the serialization treadmill. The result is a series that feels engineered to reward re-reading, with foreshadowing that only lands the second time through. That craft, as much as the spectacle, is why so many readers rank it among the best manga of all time.
Is it a good first manga?
It can be — with a caveat. If you already enjoy horror or dark action, Jujutsu Kaisen is a fantastic, fast on-ramp. If you are brand new to the medium and squeamish, we would point you at gentler picks in our best manga for beginners guide first. Either way, it sits comfortably among the standouts in our best shonen manga roundup.
The verdict
Volume 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen is the rare shonen debut that delivers on its hype. It is stylish, brutal, funny, and confident, with a premise that hooks in four chapters and a cast you will follow anywhere. If you want dark shonen done right, start here — then clear your shelf, because you are going to want all thirty volumes. Browse more essentials in our manga hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jujutsu Kaisen finished?
Yes. The manga began in 2018 and concluded in September 2024 at 30 volumes. That makes it a complete, bingeable series today.
Do I need to watch the anime first?
No. The manga is the original source and stands entirely on its own. Volume 1 is the intended starting point, and many fans prefer reading ahead of the anime.
Is Jujutsu Kaisen appropriate for kids?
Not younger ones. It is rated for older teens and adults, with graphic violence and body horror throughout. For all-ages picks, see our beginners guide.
Who created Jujutsu Kaisen?
It was written and illustrated by Gege Akutami and serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. The English edition is published by Viz Media.
Is Jujutsu Kaisen better than Demon Slayer?
Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer suit different tastes. Jujutsu Kaisen is darker, more modern and more complex, with a sprawling cast and a mean streak; Demon Slayer is a tighter, more traditional story with a big emotional heart and a clear ending in 23 volumes. If you want shock and complicated fights, choose Jujutsu Kaisen. If you want a cleaner, more heartfelt adventure, choose Demon Slayer.
Is Jujutsu Kaisen like Chainsaw Man?
Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man are often compared because both are dark, violent Jump series about young people fighting monsters, and both love brutal surprises. The tone is different: Jujutsu Kaisen is a more traditional battle manga with a school, a power system and big fights, while Chainsaw Man is stranger, crueler and more absurd. Fans of one often enjoy the other, but Jujutsu Kaisen is the easier first read.
What is cursed energy in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Cursed energy is the power at the heart of Jujutsu Kaisen: the energy generated by negative human emotions, which both creates Curses and fuels the sorcerers who fight them. Sorcerers channel it into techniques, and many have an innate cursed technique unique to them. Volume 1 introduces the basics, and the rules get more detailed and strategic as the series goes on.
How long does it take to read Jujutsu Kaisen?
Jujutsu Kaisen runs 30 volumes plus the prequel volume 0, and most manga volumes take under an hour to read. That puts the whole series at roughly 25 to 30 hours, which a committed reader can finish in a few weeks. The fights move fast, but the later arcs are dense with rules and twists, so you may find yourself slowing down near the end.
