Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"In a world where demons feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryoma Sukuna were lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of Jujutsu Sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the undead!
Yuji Itadori is high schooler who spends his days visiting his bedridden grandfather. Although he looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object, but little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal."
The Fearsome Womb Arc is the second arc in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga by Gege Akutami. This arc consists of chapters 1-9 of the manga and episodes 1-5 of the anime.
Vol.0 aside, this is the introduction to the world of Jujutsu Kaisen. Overall, this was a pretty solid introduction. There were plenty of character introductions and twists, and it ended up setting the tone for the series. The only reason I didn't give it a higher rating was because it is going to take a bit for it to hit it's stride.
Now, let's get into the details.
ART
I did mention most of the comments I am going to make in my review for Vol.0, but since this is chronologically first I will reiterate them here.
I do find the art, or at least the depiction of the characters, to be a bit odd. That could just be because I have watched the anime and the art in that is infinitely better, but some panels really did the characters dirty. I am thinking specifically of Sukuna, who looks like an reptile or amphibian when he is in manic mode.
One thing the anime did better than the manga was the subtle differences between Itadori and Sukuna's appearance. In the manga, Sukuna (aside from the tattoos) looks the same as Itadori. In the anime, Sukuna has his hair sticking up and he looks bigger and more mature, which I thought was the right choice because you can differentiate them that way.
I also still find the use of stark blackness as well as the architecture to be the manga's best features. The architecture is simply stunning.
PLOT
This jumps right into the catalyst of the story with not a lot of backstory given to Itadori. Usually, I like some info-dumping in order to give me some needed context, but we are going to learn about the characters and world on the way so it is mostly fine.
Right from the first volume, it starts to give you a real sense of the tone of the series and how brutal it is going to be. You learn right away that Yuji probably isn't going to it out of this alive. It also adds in a fair share of cliffhangers which keeps the reader on their toes.
WORLD-BUILDING
In terms of the magic system and world-building, it takes your typical fantasy shonen plot and puts a twist on it with the use of curses as the bad guys. Again, pretty typical, but effective nonetheless.
As per your typical shonen as well, the characters have their own distinct techniques. Itadori, as someone new to this world, is only able to siphon power through Sukuna and is pretty much useless otherwise so far. Nobara's technique is a bit odd and seems limited at this point as she uses a hammer and nails, and a stray doll. Fushiguro's technique is the most interesting though as he can control shikigami, which are familiar curses.
Finally, sorcerers and curses, along with objects and tools, are also ranked by grade which is always good to see as it gives the world some hierarchy and structure. Grade 4 is the lowest with special grade being the highest. This system is also a good way of sucking the reader in, as you will automatically be on the edge of your seat if a special grade shows up.
One last thing I wanted to note is that it is interesting the fact that sorcerers are rare in this world since magic in shonen mangas tend to be more widespread. This is contained to only a small percentage of people who can see curses and can use cursed energy. There are also only two jujutsu schools in Japan, with only a handful of students attending them.
CHARACTERS
We are introduced to out main cast - Itadori Yuji, Fushiguro Megumi, Kugisaki Nobara, Gojo Satoru and Ryoumen Sukuna.
As the main character, Itadori is pretty normal for the most part. Visually he doesn't stand out much among the other characters and the only thing he had going for him was inhuman speed and strength. He also had your typical MC disposition as well, as he won't sit on the sidelines and let people get hurt. This, though, does allow for a lot of room to grow in terms of both ability and personality.
I will admit, I didn't care too much for Nobara initially. Her personality is hard to get along with, and even her cursed technique seems odd. I have read past this point though to know that she does get better. She also looks a bit different in the manga compared to the anime.
As for the rest of the main cast, I rather like Fushiguro as I am drawn to silent type characters. Gojo is the complete opposite of him being a cocky manchild, but a lovable one nonetheless. Sukuna is also someone who you can't help but like as well, even knowing that he is probably going to end up wrecking havoc down the line.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
If you are thinking of starting the series, you can read it officially on Viz if you have a subscription.
Now though, I am going to go into spoilers as I wanted to include my reactions and impressions of the manga that I had while reading.
WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD - PROCEED WITH CAUTION
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Yuji reminds me of Ichigo from Bleach a lot.
Both of them were pulled into a supernatural world and were imbued with abilities from someone else
Ichigo also ended up having abilities of his own due to his parents, and I feel like since Yuji already is super fast and strong, he is going to end up having some innate abilities as well
We do get hints about it though because before his grandfather died, he said that he wanted to tell him something about his parents
The scene where Itadori eats the finger is different in the anime.
In the anime, he is captured by a curse and it flies in the air and he just ends up catching it in his mouth
In the manga, he realized that only someone with cursed energy can kill a curse, so he willingly ate the finger in order to get some
Honestly though, how on earth did Itadori manage to choke down a finger, sharp fingernail and all?
The manga does not do the Sukuna/Fushiguro staredown which ended up launching a ship which is disappointing.
I am curious to see whether or not they will reveal Sukuna's human name eventually down the line.
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