The premise of Jujutsu Kaisen is straightforward. High school student Yuji Itadori joins the organization of Jujutsu Sorcerers to fight curses and stop the resurrection of the curse Ryomen Sukuna. Jujutsu Kaisen’s manga is one of the most popular, especially with the breathtaking artwork by Gege Akutami.

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The manga has been adapted into an anime, and the two mediums have many similarities. However, certain things are done better in one than the other. For example, character development, villain arcs, and action scenes are all handled differently in the source material and the anime.
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Artwork
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The visuals by Gege Akutami in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga are on a whole different level. The detailed artwork is very sharp compared to the other characters that appear in the anime. However, that’s not to say the anime is completely lacking, as it shines in some scenes and really brings the manga to life. One watch of the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie will be enough to remind you why countless fans prefer on-screen adaptations over manga.
It’s common for some detailing to be lost in anime adaptations, and that’s the same with Jujutsu Kaisen. If you prefer a visual translation to words, then you may prefer the anime over the manga in terms of the art style, especially since the popular studio MAPPA worked on it. However, the detailing in Gege Akutami’s work is unparalleled. Characters’ facial expressions and backgrounds all look more alluding.
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Character Development
Manga
The anime version is no slouch when it comes to character development, but the Jujutsu Kaisen manga is totally different. The personalities and backstories of the characters are explored more in-depth, and you understand their arcs better. This makes sense, as the manga isn’t bound by time and can be at a slower pace. The anime, on the other hand, has time limitations and can’t develop the characters as intricately.
The anime provides a description of the characters and their abilities, but the manga goes deeper into their lore and why they are how they are. This can be better for you if you like connecting with characters on a more intimate level and knowing how their past shaped them and made them who they are. While the character backstories are explored in the anime to ensure watchers don’t find themselves lost, you just can’t beat being able to literally read what characters are thinking.
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Support Characters
Anime
The Jujutsu Kaisen anime makes the supporting characters more fleshed out and helps you relate to them on a more personal level. Compared to the manga, the anime explains the perspective and struggles of the supporting characters in-depth. Instead of focusing on just the main characters, the anime showcases characters such as the relationship between the two Zenin sisters.

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This is a deviation from a good deal of other anime, as most follow the chosen one, and the supporting characters become less than backdrops. Jujutsu Kaisen’s anime adaptation ensures you understand the personal dilemmas of the supporting characters so you can sufficiently connect with them. It also helps that you can listen to them, which sometimes creates a larger impact than just reading words. For example, while most of the Kyoto Jujutsu High characters were just glossed over in the manga, the anime does an excellent job of fleshing them out and making them feel like real, important characters.
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Story
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Both mediums of Jujutsu Kaisen are similar in terms of the story, but there are some differences in the anime that you might notice as a fan of the manga. The biggest change is that the anime starts from the second chapter of the manga instead of the first. Bits and pieces of the story have changed to be more appropriate for the anime adaptation.
This isn’t to say the anime adaptation is bad, but some things just have to be changed when bringing a manga to life. Words have a different impact compared to the visual medium, and some things can’t be added. For instance, lore isn’t as intensively explored in anime as in manga. So, while you should definitely check out the Jujutsu Kaisen anime, the manga is also worth taking a look at to answer any questions you may have.
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Villians
Anime
The Jujutsu Kaisen anime makes a significant change to the villains. They are more brutal and have a stronger hatred for humanity. While many of their actions are similar to the manga, they are more detailed and make them more scary. In one scene, the Curses are near children, and the anime hints that they have no issues with children being hurt in their mission. This deviates from the manga, where the scene is present, but no children are included.
The villains are still a roadblock in the protagonists’ path, and that hasn’t changed between the two mediums, but making the villains more scary adds another layer to their personalities. The anime is visual, so the change is more prominent in the villain’s facial expressions and is impactful.
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Character Design
Anime
Colorful depictions of the black and white manga characters are usually more visually pleasing, and the Jujutsu Kaisen anime is no different. However, the character designs in the anime see some reworking. Mahito has heterochromia eyes, with both eyes being different colors. The facial features of other characters, such as Gojo Satoru, are more detailed and look better.

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Some characters are given a slimmer look, while others are bulked up to look different from their manga counterparts. While it’s subjective whether the change is for the better or worse, the characters do look good visually in the adaptation. After all, there’s a reason you’ve likely come across countless edits of Gojo, especially when he doesn’t have his blindfold.
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Updates
Manga
As with most anime adaptations, the anime adapts content that the manga has already covered. So, while the anime’s second season showcased the Shibuya art in all its glory, the manga is far ahead and has even already concluded.
Some fans like watching weekly episodes of their favorite anime. However, it’s only natural that animating something takes much longer than drawing it, and while MAPPA is definitely faster in animating things than most other studios, there’s a good while until the anime finally sees the same conclusion the manga already delivered.
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Action Scenes
Anime
The fight scenes in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga are more raw, but the anime handles them better. The visual adaptation builds up the action and makes it considerably more detailed and longer than the manga. The Jujutsu Kaisen anime has one of the best action scenes in anime history, and they’re even spread across multiple episodes to keep the tension between viewers.

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This isn’t anything negative about the manga, as bringing action scenes to life with non-animated artwork isn’t a small task. However, the animated and visually stimulating actions add a layer of beauty that the manga can’t have. When you watch the anime, you are rooting for the characters and anticipating the next move to see how the fight ends. Of course, other things like angles, voice acting, and music also play a huge role in creating an immersive experience.
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The Verdict
Anime
The Jujutsu Kaisen manga has better character development because it’s the source material used for the anime. It also has a definitive ending, ensuring you don’t have to wait to see what happens next. However, other things are done better in the visual adaptation. The anime takes everything from the manga and tries to make it better.
It’s successful to a great extent, and things like the villains’ personalities and fight scenes are beautifully adapted from the manga. You should check out both, as each has its positives and negatives, but the anime does an amazing job of adapting and bettering the original.

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