Jujutsu Cinema

I'm ten episodes into Jujutsu Kaisen now and I find I'm enjoying the show's penchant for movie references. The main character, Yuji, trains in mastering his control of magical energies by maintaining them while watching emotionally powerful films. One scene shows him watching something clearly meant to be Fellowship of the Ring, something I was especially happy to see because the Lord of the Rings movies seem far less well known than the Harry Potter movies here in Japan. I even saw a motel called Hogwarts a few days ago.

In the last couple episodes, a film geek named Junpei (Yoshitaka Yamaya) is being turned to the dark side by a powerful demon. Junpei goes to see Human Centipede 3 when he's stunned to behold three of boys who bullied him get turned into twisted lumps of flesh.

Junpei is a little obnoxious but I dig him for talking about how lame the Scream movies are.

I think that poster on the right is supposed to be Joker.

I talked to a kid on Saturday that said he only thought Kimetsu no Yaiba was "so so". For some kids, Jujutsu Kaisen is becoming number one. The kid objected to me using the word "demon" for the monsters in Jujutsu Kaisen, I think because he knows the English title for Kimetsu no Yaiba is Demon Slayer. There are still plenty of Kimetsu no Yaiba fans, though. I worked at an elementary school in Osaka yesterday where a little girl had a matching mask and pencil case featuring Shinobu designs, one of the minor characters in Kimetsu no Yaiba. I've noticed now when I ask kids for their favourite characters, few of them say one of the main four--Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Nezuko, and Inosuke--instead staking claims on one of the dozen or so background demon hunters.

Jujutsu Kaisen and Kimetsu no Yaiba really aren't all that different. Jujutsu Kaisen has a modern setting while Kimetsu no Yaiba is set in the early 20th century. But they're both about kids in school uniforms fighting demons. Both shows can be pretty horrific with lots of dismemberment and vicarious pleasure in violence. I always find this fascinating considering what a tight lid some moral authorities try to keep on what the kids are exposed to. I guess no-one would dare try to staunch the tide of anime and manga.

Jujutsu Kaisen and Kimetsu no Yaiba are available on Netflix.

Twitter Sonnet #1450

Fluorescent waits around adventure's rock.
The time for hair to grow was late at night.
The movie seat contained a golden sock.
Beside it sat a mild, sleepy wight.
The cattle crossed the border late at night.
With waiting drinks the drivers divvied heads.
A turn at dice decides the lot aright.
The shady men return to shady beds.
The heavy cup was good but leaked a bit.
The greasy supper saved the dusty men.
Beyond the horse the saddle housed a wit.
No shark is waiting under ev'ry fin.
The knowledge flashed across the silver screen.
We'll start the script beyond the final scene.