Jujutsu Kaisen 0

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a manga by Gege Akutami, who wrote and illustrated it. It first appeared under the title Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School, running in Shueisha's Jump Giga from April to July 2017. When Akutami began the series Jujutsu Kaisen in 2018, this earlier work was renamed Jujutsu Kaisen 0, serving as a prologue, and was collected into a single volume in December 2018. Viz Media handles the English-language release in North America.

The story centers on Yuta Okkotsu, a high school student learning to become a sorcerer while trying to control the Cursed Spirit of his childhood friend, Rika Orimoto. Akutami wrote the story without specific themes in mind, focusing instead on designing characters that looked cool. Two editors frequently assisted him during the writing process. An anime film adaptation by MAPPA, directed by Sunghoo Park, debuted in Japan in December 2021.

The manga sold well commercially in both Japan and North America. Critics generally responded positively, often praising Yuta’s role and his bond with Rika. Many found Yuta more compelling than Jujutsu Kaisen’s main character, Yuji Itadori, noting that while the two share similarities, their personalities differ. Yuta Okkotsu is a shy 16-year-old student haunted by Rika Orimoto, the Cursed Spirit of his childhood friend who died six years earlier.

The two had promised to marry when they grew up. When bullies target Yuta, Rika defends him violently. In November 2016, Yuta meets Satoru Gojo, a Jujutsu Sorcerer who brings him to the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School to learn control over Rika. There, Yuta meets sorcerers Panda, Maki Zen'in, and Toge Inumaki, who attempt to exorcise Rika but are easily overpowered.

Yuta begins training in swordsmanship under Maki. During a mission, Maki encourages him to fight if he wants acceptance, and Yuta briefly manages to control Rika to destroy a Cursed Spirit. Over three months, Yuta grows more skilled, gaining better control of Rika and forming closer bonds with his classmates. On a mission with Toge, Yuta is spotted by Suguru Geto, a powerful enemy sorcerer and former friend of Gojo who aims to eliminate all non-sorcerers.

Geto attacks Jujutsu society and invades the school to take Rika by force. Worried for Yuta, Gojo sends Panda and Toge to the school, where they and Maki clash with Geto, who badly wounds them.