Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a movie that serves as a prequel to the relatively new and popular anime, Jujutsu Kaisen. While it is not required to have seen the series before watching the movie, there are several references or easter eggs that will mean less to those who have yet to watch the series. I should also note that I have only seen the film with the Japanese audio and English subtiltles, so I cannot speak of the quality or contents of the English dubbed version. I will also try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but some stuff from trailers may be mentioned. First off, the Jujutsu Kaisen setting as a whole is connected to horror, which can be seen in the angles, lighting, and OST. While nothing is ever too gory, you're not going to see brain matter or even detailed gore, some of the images can easily be very frightening for young children. If you or your child can handle Demon Slayer (another popular anime) or the Marvel films, this film and series is generally around that benchmark in terms of violence, at least at this point. However, while I would consider this a semi-horror movie, I would not consider this a "dark" film--for reasons I will get into later. The film centers around a boy named Yuta Okkotsu, who is "haunted" by the cursed spirit of his deceased childhood friend and love, Rika. As a cursed spirit, Rika's feelings and desire to protect Yuta have been somewhat warped, causing her to violently lash out at those who threaten Yuta. The trauma of her death, the warped existence he has subjected Rika to, and the various people who have been hurt because of it has led Yuta to a pretty dark place. He is brought in by a group of Jujutsu Sorcerers, humans who exorcise cursed spirits, and is convinced to use his abilities to help people by training at Jujutsu High. Meeting his fellow students, Yuta begins to face his trauma and grow as a person. While I can't go into too many details because of spoilers, this is very much a hopeful story. While there are dark themes, there is undoubtedly a light at the end of the tunnel. The film has a powerful message about not only how a person doesn't have to be held down by their trauma, but with how they can use their own experiences to help others who have undergone similar things. There are other more minor themes, but the theme of trauma and dealing with it is very much the main theme of this film. The film also has great role models. Yuta Okkotsu is a good-natured kid, who feels sorry for those who have been hurt because of him--even when some of those people have bullied and harassed him. And despite her deeds as a cursed spirit, Yuta does not even despise Rika, and instead feels sorry for the state she has ended up in and wants to find a way to release her. Then there are Yuta's new classmates: Panda, Maki Zen'in, and Toge Inumaki. All three are touched on more in the series, but even here the bedrock of their characters is still plain to see. Maki, in particular, is an especially well-written character, and probably gets the most spotlight after Yuta and Rika; she's a fan favorite character for good reason. In terms of sexual content, there's a brief joke involving Yuta's preferences courtesy of Panda, which is honestly pretty tame compared to a vast majority of what kids probably encounter in both school and media on a daily basis. The only major thing is a woman who appears in the film, though the scene itself is rather short. She is afflicted by a cursed spirit that is mentioned to give her nightmares of being groped and assaulted--while none of these dreams are shown, the spirit itself is shown to be clinging to her before it is captured by another character. There is also some language, but nothing that couldn't be found in a Marvel film. In terms of animation and quality, the film is absolutely breathtaking. The scenery shots are gorgeous and the animation is incredible; the action scenes in particular are incredibly well-made. A great job was done in conveying the horror of the cursed spirits through the way they are designed and animated. To wrap up, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a wonderfully made film with great messages for those who can handle the horror aspects. The film can also serve as a test for whether one will enjoy the series or not (though it should be noted that the series follows a different character as the protagonist, one who doesn't show up in the film). If you're a parent wondering whether it's okay for your kid to watch this, honestly, I can't make that decision for you. I would definitely say that unless you're kid is really mature, I probably wouldn't show this to anyone under 12. But if your child has already watched something like Demon Slayer, then they'll probably enjoy and be fine with Jujutsu Kaisen 0 as well.

Lots of blood gore mild language not for teens OR KIDS