I know how you feel. Before I share my own thoughts, I'd like to make this clear once more that I love Jujutsu Kaisen and always will. I legitimately think it is a largely well-written series, especially for Gege's first big piece, and as an artist I admire his willingness to take risks instead of following the path that others set out before him.

I also admire his ability to acknowledge where he may have faltered, because that's just the reality of making art – creations made by humans have never and will never be perfect because humans are not perfect, but it's part of what makes engaging with art such a soulful experience. Everyone brings different perspectives to the table, and no one could have written Jujutsu Kaisen like Gege, just like no one could have written Bleach like Kubo and so forth.

That said, I have my own misgivings about the series, many that I had before Kenjaku's departure. I think some things were ultimately mishandled or rushed, such as Nanako & Mimiko's death and how it discarded the theme of Sorcerer oppression nearly altogether, or how he really fucked himself by refusing to confirm Nobara's death either which way.

Kenjaku is definitely one of my largest disappointments in the series. I still adore his character and I think we will learn and see more about him in the series even if he's not actually coming back, but his conclusion just feels lackluster and out of place.

I'm glad we got the Culling Games, which I think really was the peak of the series – for me, anyway – and I LOVED the TakaKen fight. It fleshed out both Takaba and Kenjaku beautifully and masterfully portrayed their combined themes of loneliness and seeking connection.

But yes, as you said, I have also more or less checked out and my investment in the other characters is slim. I still like them, but it's more of a casual, "Oh, they're nice," rather than a deep investment like I had with characters like Geto, Kenjaku, or Tengen.

I also have just developed a hatred of Yuta which is so frustrating because I used to like him well enough, but his role in the story feels very invasive. I remember talking about it once before, but Yuta executing Kenjaku was such a slap in the face for both characters.

In universe, I understand and even support the idea of it. Yeah, why wouldn't Yuta pull something underhanded? They aren't heroes and honor has no place when you're fighting someone who could destabilize the world. But as a member of the audience, it was infuriating.

The reason why characters like Gojo and Sukuna worked, despite being the power ceilings, is that they either failed or caged. Gojo had all this power and could hardly save anyone. Sukuna was locked up inside of Yuji, so he was a lingering threat, but wasn't overbearing until he was allowed to break those chains finally.

Yuta just keeps getting win after win. He beat Geto after only a few months of training, beat Ryu and Uro, beat Yuji and was compared to Gojo, etc. etc. He was never allowed to really fail in a meaningful way.

That's why people were excited about the prospect of him fighting Kenjaku, which was teased since Shibuya. Especially after Kenjaku killed Yuki, he was really the only character who looked like he could pose a threat to Yuta.

I was excited to see Yuta struggle. Even if he won or if he failed but managed to escape, it would have acted as crucial development for him in my mind. Instead, we get a simple assassination and Kenjaku getting his brain eaten off screen.

Even his reaction to his defeat feels odd. People always say that Kenjaku fans "didn't really understand his character" but I would argue our complaints are in good faith. No one realistically expected Kenjaku to scream and cry. Mahito did that, and it worked for his character. Kenjaku never feared death, so him not being afraid at the end is perfectly in character.

The issue lies in that Kenjaku, who apparently set this all up for centuries and was smart enough to be able to reincarnate the dead via cursed items, somehow didn't think to do that to himself or have some other sort of contingency. He wanted to see the merger, even if it was nothing or something stupid, because he was chasing the experience of it.

Takaba was a wonderful experience for him, but I don't think people are being obtuse for thinking, "That's it?" when the main driver of the story dies. This wasn't Junpei or background character #26. This was KENJAKU, the character who literally set up the entire series. Not every character needs fanfare, but I think people are within their right to expect something more with a character of his stature.

Not only that, him never having a real interaction with Yuji, just— Ooof, I don't even know how to voice my disappointment. Why even bother adding the detail that Kenjaku is his mother if it's never going to be meaningfully touched on from either character's perspective?

I will continue to follow the series because despite the road bumps, I still love the series. I love the characters, the world, I respect Gege as a creator, and the story isn't finished. There's still a chance for him to rectify things he himself has voiced regrets on.

This current arc makes it difficult, because it's drawn out and it's easy to feel fatigue (I honestly am just waiting for it to wrap up 💀) but I'm hoping that after they stop throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Sukuna, I'll start to feel more enthusiastic about the series again.

In the meantime, I'll just continue to love Kenjaku, indulge in my AUs and OCs, and focus on other series like Demon Slayer 🙏

So, all in all, I'm faring well enough. Thank you for your question, starlight, and feel free to vent anytime you want. I hope you'll feel better soon and find some enjoyment in the process ♥︎

Hey there, thank you for the question!

Ah, Shoko and Kenjaku could've had such a cool interaction. Shoko is a fascinating character because she's so unbothered by things and I actually think that makes her and Kenjaku very alike.

Both characters can and do have people they care about. Both of them can be very emotional on specific occasions, but by and large, they're both pretty detached. At least in the sense that, like all sorcerers, they have some screws loose and aren't always going to react to tragedy and loss in a typical manner.

I don't even think Kenjaku would try to trick her. He may give a half assed attempt, but he knows she'd see right through it. She's too cautious to fall for something like that.

He'd find it amusing. I don't think he'd kill her, because what's the point of it? She isn't a threat and most of those on her side can use RCT anyway, so it'd just be pointless.

I can see him indulging in a conversation with her, though. Shoko may not be as inclined. Maybe she's curious herself, but even if she's not screaming or crying, I don't think she takes too kindly to him wearing her old friend's body like a suit.

It would likely be a brief encounter, but no doubt a memorable one.

I think it was kind of the point to make Geto's domain so similar to Kenjaku's theme. It's the same reason Sukuna and Gojo have so many parallels.

Geto = Kenjaku
Gojo = Sukuna

There are differences, obviously, but they have a lot of similarities. Kenjaku being so comfortable in Geto's body, Geto having a domain that feels right at home with Kenjaku, and Kenjaku getting an opportunity to finally start his plans all thanks to Geto and having "coveted" his abilities seems pretty intentional.

Especially because both Geto and Kenjaku are references to Kannon/Fukukenjaku Kannon.

As other people have pointed out, Geto's Technique acts almost like a Cursed Womb, so his domain being an amalgamation of pregnant women who likely spawn curses makes sense.

We just didn't see it in action because Yuki said no 💀

I absolutely get it and I'm angry that my opinion has shifted so much because Yūta used to be in my Top 10! I LOVED Yūta! But I just—

Even with Gojo and Sukuna, who were/are both the power ceiling: they failed. Gojo's whole deal was that he had so much power yet couldn't save anyone. He was tricked in Shibuya by Kenjaku and died at Sukuna's hand.

Sukuna was sealed away for most of the series and only allowed out on occasion. It made him a lurking threat, but he would always eventually end up back within Yūji's soul.

Yūta killed Suguru, another powerful special grade, was holding back with Ryu and Uro for their points, (temporarily) killed Yūji, and then killed (hopefully also temporarily) Kenjaku, a character he has no deep narrative ties to.

Kenjaku's potential battle with Yūta was so hyped up because Kenjaku was a wild card. He had stolen Geto's body, sealed the strongest, and killed the oldest Special grade of the modern Era. He wasn't as powerful as Sukuna, but he was a threat who might have actually been able to make Yūta struggle.

That's why it was so disappointing for most when Yūta sneaked him. I've gone on record many times saying I don't blame Yūta for the in-universe choice, because yeah— he made the right call. Why should he be expected to fight fair and honorably against a terrorist who might beat him in battle then go on to hurt more people?? Yūta made a smart choice. However; from a meta perspective, it's frustrating because what the hell?? Why are you going to hype up a battle that could actually do wonders for Yūta's development and then do nothing with it? Especially because it feels cheap to have Yūta kill Kenjaku.

Yūta has no relationship with Kenjaku. The only tie is that he's wearing the body of the man who tried to kill Yūta that one time. Kenjaku spoke vaguely about him once, and even if you want to tie in Yūta's speech about "not letting Gojo kill his best friend again," Gojo was already dead.

I'm not saying Yūta had to die in the fight. Retreating would have also made sense, but it's all so frustrating in retrospect. Especially because Kenjaku's "send off" still rubs me the wrong way.

Let's not even get into how Yūji is treated and compared to Yūta constantly to the point where it gets annoying. Yūta was the MC of JJK 0 and Yūji is the MC of the current story. Yūta had his time in the sun, his story as a lead is done.

I don't want to dislike Yūta, I really don't. I'm so happy there are people who still love and appreciate him, because there are things to like! His design is simple yet slightly unnerving, his ties to love, his relationships with others, etc.

But constantly giving him win after win in the most unsatisfying manner makes him incredibly frustrating to watch. Pair that with a fandom who CAN be genuinely obnoxious (not all, but a lot) and it's hard to stay attached to him.

I hope that recent loss against Sukuna is a turning point. I don't need him to die, I just need Gege to actually do something interesting with him! Make him lose Rika or gift her to Maki as a weapons storage! Make him struggle with his Technique! Anything!

Thank you, yes. I also like the idea of lady Kenjaku! Hot evil women are my favorite but can we please stop being so fucking weird about it? 😭

Kenjaku potentially crushing on Sukuna (which I don't even know if I agree with that reading, he just admired his strength. Enjoy the ship, but we don't know if it's canon) doesn't make him a woman and bottoming isn't an inherently demeaning act.

Idk. I feel bad sometimes for pointing it out because I know some people are just trying to joke around but it's like ??? Do you just see being penetrated as humiliating? Why is a character who is commonly depicted as a man suddenly having his supposed manhood question all because he had sex with another man?

Hello, Starlight! Thanks for the question and for your patience.

From what little we see, Kenjaku still functions like a normal human. His Technique allows him to transplant his brain, so I imagine like any other organ transplant, it functions normally.

He feels sensations, bleeds, breathes, etc. We also get little crumbs about him watching TV, so he definitely just lives a normal life majority of the time when he's not scheming, which includes the usual stuff like eating, drinking, sleeping etc.

When Yūta cut Kenjaku's head off, I think it might've been a snake situation. Like when you decapitate a snake and they can still bite? Obviously this would be more extreme because Kenjaku could still talk, but I don't think he could live permanently as a head.

His brain always striked me as a lot hardier than most just on account of his Technique (and maybe him experimenting on himself) but I don't believe he's just living in constant sensory deprivation.

Especially because he's pretty hedonistic and loves living, so I imagine not being able to feel anything would be hell for someone like him who loves new experiences

Very funny ship. I unironically LOVE when people make ships like that, because that is exactly the kind of energy people should have with shipping.

Shipping isn't supposed to have rules. It's not supposed to be a morality contest or a way to measure canon. It's literally just supposed to be a fun, "what-if?"

People shipping Makima with Gojo or Sukuna with Cinderella are genuinely my favorite because they embody what shipping is really supposed to be. Just a fun hobby.

As for the ship itself, I find it interesting. All sorcerers are a little fucked up, so I can see Gojo being amused by her, but I can also see him not looking kindly at her using Denji.

To be fair, Mei Mei uses and risks Ui Ui's life and Gojo and the others don't seem to care, so maybe it would be a non-issue.

The two strongest in their verse having this kind of fucked up situationship sounds pretty fun

I always just thought Kenjaku was Tengen's student and that they had a mother/son relationship that gradually developed into a more "equal" friendship (barring Tengen always condescending to Kenjaku)

Tengen is the eldest, then Kenjaku, then Sukuna.

Because I think Kenjaku was a Fujiwara, and it seems like the Fujiwara threw festivals (not quite sure if that's the right word for it) in Sukuna's honor, I imagine that is how they first met.

Considering Tengen's reputation, Sukuna likely knew about her and since Sukuna is so strong, it wouldn't be a stretch to say they all naturally learned about each other.

Kenjaku's not as strong as Sukuna, but he's ambitious and well-spoken. Sukuna is willing to listen to people if he deems them worth his time.

If Kenjaku knew that, he'd lean into it. What he was offering and how exactly he set up his plan, I'm not sure.

I don't imagine Kenjaku all the way back in the Heian era knew every step of his plan for the Culling Games or when they'd take place, it probably developed overtime.

I'd love to see how Gege writes the early stages of Kenjaku's plan and how he even sold it to people, not just Sukuna.

I think Sukuna at least likes Kenjaku enough to tolerate him and he probably respects his intellect and special skillset, but I doubt they're best friends or anything 💀

Hey there, Starlight.

Firstly, before I answer your question, you should not feel bad for struggling to understand the story or even parts of it. It isn't a measure of your intelligence, some stories just have a few more moving parts which can be a struggle for people to keep track of.

I guarantee you that everyone has forgotten at least one thing in the story. I certainly have. It's normal for a long form narrative.

Reading and analysis are skills that can be sharpened and honed. Neither are just innate talents. The more you use them, the better they'll become.

Now, to answer your question, I can pick apart the story because I have terminal brainrot. I almost never stop thinking about Jujutsu Kaisen, either in terms of my OCs or the actual canon story. I also discuss it a lot with my mutuals and we bounce theories off of each other.

I wouldn't say anyone has the "perfect" understanding, because we're not Gege. We didn't write this story, we're just fans. Even the most perfect analysis can be rendered obsolete with a new character or our understandings can change with new information presented.

There are people who I see write on here that genuinely makes me pause from just how thorough their research is. I think a lot of people forget that Jujutsu Kaisen is a Japanese story that relies heavily on Japanese culture and Buddhist inspiration. As most of us are reading translations, some things are ultimately doomed to be muddied or lost entirely in translation.

But the difference is the desire to learn and explore. I certainly don't understand every single aspect, at least not quite as deep as others maybe do. But I read. I read and I research and I keep expanding my understanding of the story and the inspirations it draws upon. The more I do that, the better I get at finding stuff within the narrative.

Just remember that Jujutsu Kaisen is a story. Stories are ultimately works of art and how people interact with art is different. There is no "right" way or "wrong" way to interact with art. Even the smallest comments and additions is considered interacting with art. They aren't measured on a scale of what is more valuable input.

Have fun with it. Find a character or detail you like, even if it isn't popular, and do your own digging. If people give you shit about it "not being correct," don't even give them the time of day. Analysis is supposed to be fun and characters and scenes can be read and interpreted in many different ways.

Wishing you well. Thank you for the question ♥︎

Thank you, starlight! You get it!

Yes, exactly. If it were canon, I would not care – they're not real. My frustration stems from people spreading misinformation and proclaiming something as canon when it isn't.

It'd be like saying Mahito murdered a puppy. Regardless of whether or not you think he'd do that, trying to pass that off as an action that happened in canon when it didn't is so frustratingly stupid

You can hate a villain or applaud their crimes without conjuring up random shit.

I, for one, love rapist Kenjaku in FANFIC. I read and write about it a lot, it's an interestingly dark topic to write about (same with Sukuna) but again, there is a HUGE difference between just saying, "Oh yeah, that'd be a cool headcanon/fic" and "they did this in canon and anyone who says otherwise is a rape apologist."

Other than my frustrations over the blatant misinformation, I get annoyed because so many annoying people use false information as a "gotcha" against Kenjaku and Sukuna fans.

How dare you like Sukuna and Kenjaku? They're rapists! How could you like a rapist?

But then when you call them on their shit and point out that, no, neither character ever canonically raped anyone, they deflect and call you a rape apologist for proving them wrong.

I just start blocking anyone who believes either nowadays because they're making shit up on purpose and if they're not, they're almost guaranteed to accuse you of shit for liking either character.

I hate that such deep, well-thought out and human villains are slowly getting reduced to "lol rapist" by illiterate fans 😒