The latest findings released by data science company Parrot Analytics crowned Jujutsu Kaisen as the most requested anime, leaving fans of One Piece and Attack on Titan furious. While topping the rankings is impressive, is Jujutsu Kaisen objectively “better”?
I've said it before – an anime's popularity doesn't necessarily determine its quality. For example, despite all the love Demon Slayer received, I doubt if anything other than the animation quality or emotional quotient surpasses the others. No, no!
However, the growing popularity of Jujutsu Kaisen raises a question that needs to be answered – is the series really better than the two giants it beat?
While some One Piece lovers are stunned at the way an anime that's been running for over 20 years has been beaten by a newcomer with only two seasons, 47 episodes, and a ton of production issues, it's fair to say Having said that, Jujutsu Kaisen is definitely a worthy competitor to the long-running series.
Because, if the length of a series affects how good an anime is, then sorry One Piece fans, I think Sazae-San – a series that has been airing for over 50 years, should have won crowned the most requested anime show.
But that's not the case, is it?
Great anime can attract viewers for many reasons: impressive animation (Demon Slayer), engaging plot (Attack on Titan), thrilling action, great music or unforgettable characters (Gojo Satoru, anyone?). Ultimately, it's about sheer fun.
Now, back to the question, can we really say Jujutsu Kaisen is truly better than One Piece or Attack on Titan?
If I had to give a diplomatic answer I would say that comparing the three films is useless as they are not even in the same genre and to do so would be like nitpicking and spoil the fun.
But since I talked about the fun factor in general, let me compare them. I could list a number of reasons why the Jujutsu Kaisen anime or manga needs to be picked up, but let's briefly summarize here.
One Piece, AOT, and JJK all belong to the group of animated shows that are quite good and attract fans, a testament to how great they all are.
Attack On Titan is famous for its very unique premise and plot that can easily hook you. It gets you the gist of the story, before pulling the rug out from under you and turning into one of the best political stories out there. The impact of Rumbling will certainly be widely debated in the years to come!
What about One Piece? Its power lies in its ability to retain viewers for more than two decades. In fact, Oda remains tight-lipped about what exactly One Piece is, although he admits that he may have to think about it.
On the other hand, Jujutsu Kaisen, a fight that is different from the others, stands out as a top contender. It excels at what it sets out to do: immerse viewers in exhilarating battles.
A clearly defined power system, reminiscent of Hunter x Hunter, along with amazingly choreographed battles, make the series stand out. Not that it doesn't have a great plot, crazy foreshadowing, or solid world-building, but everything in JJK culminates in an epic and often exhilarating battle.
For example, the fight between Mahito and Itadori in Shibuya was more than just a battle of power, it was a clash of ideologies, and Jujutsu Kaisen pulled it off perfectly! The characters even develop, mature or even become evil (Geto Suguru) through the above mentioned battles.
While One Piece certainly has an overarching theme of adventure and camaraderie – a staple in the shounen genre, a good portion of it still includes battles, which pale in comparison to the we see in Jujutsu Kaisen.
The more you watch One Piece, the more all of these battles fit into a pattern—teammates get healthy and then stand up against all odds to win.
Jujutsu Kaisen, like Attack on Titan, subverts several shounen clichés. However, we need to note why Attack on Titan, which has been crowned the most requested show since 2020, lost out to Jujutsu Kaisen.
The first is that demand for AOT has decreased since the show ended its run – that too in a two-part episode released quite a while apart. And the second is that Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen, adapted from the Shibuya arc, is set to air in late 2023, causing demand for the show to increase significantly.
Despite all the hype it generated, Attack on Titan failed to end quite well, and that left a bad taste in my mouth. Jujutsu Kaisen could follow a similar path, but so far – the manga and anime adaptations (many thanks to the staff who worked extremely hard despite the terrible production schedule) have been consistently successful. labour.
If the Shibuya Arc pushed Jujutsu Kaisen to such heights then the Gojo vs. The upcoming Sukuna promises to be a grand event.
Just like I mentioned before, all three anime belong to different genres, but in terms of content, overall it's interesting, Jujutsu Kaisen seems to be ahead of the other two thanks to its high octane content. The manga has no downtime, as one major event follows another – that's just how Akutami sets up the series.
And for fans of the shounen fighting genre, these exaggerated battles that are absolutely fun facts are all they need!