Jujutsu Kaisen is a famous anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. Thanks to its extremely unique themes and attractive cast of characters, this work has become famous worldwide.
The plot revolves around Yuji Itadori, a high school student whose life is turned upside down when he eats a special level cursed object. Revealing that he has an inexplicable power, Yuji vows to eat all of Sukuna’s fingers before he dies.
Now, let’s dig deeper into the meaning of the name Jujutsu Kaisen.
The official English translation of Jujutsu Kaisen is “Sorcery Fight,” which unfortunately doesn’t convey the deeper meaning of the title in Japanese. Jujutsu (呪術) means “magic” or sometimes even “spell”. Jujutsu Sorcerers is also a common phrase in the series. In the series, necromancers use their powers in the form of energy from negative emotions such as anger or grief.
On the other hand, Kaisen (廻戦) is not a real Japanese word. Gege Akutami made up a title that fits the meaning of the story. So we can understand this word only by dividing it into two parts. The character “kai (廻)” means “to turn,” “to turn around,” or “to go around.” The characters also have “eternal” nuances. It comes from the word meaning “reincarnation,” referring to the cycle of death and rebirth.
Additionally, the character “sen (戦)” means battle or fight. So, when put together, the true meaning of Jujutsu Kaisen implies something like “the eternal battle of magic.” The curses in the world are born from negative human emotions. Therefore, as long as humans exist, the curse will continue to appear.
To stop those curses, Jujutsu spellcasters risked their lives. It is a war that has lasted for millennia and never seems to have a chance of stopping. When thinking about the true meaning of Jujutsu Kiasen, Gege Akutami could not think of a better title to perfectly portray the theme of his story.