Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen are some of the most successful Shonen Jump series in the last few years. They have a massive fan following around the world that continues to grow each year. In fact, Demon Slayer has sold ten times more than any other manga in Japan. Not only that, the recently released Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train has become Japan’s biggest box hit of all time, surpassing Spirited Away. On the other hand, Jujutsu Kaisen has surprisingly exceeded Demon Slayer’s popularity amongst the Western audience.
The anime adaptation of Jujutsu Kaisen has garnered more views than Demon Slayer according to MyAnimeList ratings. The margin between the two is growing with each day and it has come as a huge surprise since no one expected that Demon Slayer will be surpassed by any show, at least for the next few years. Suppose the ratings are an indication of things to come. In that case, Jujutsu Kaisen might become the best anime of the last few years, surpassing Attack’s likes on Titan, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, etc. Let’s have an overview of factors that are working for Jujutsu Kaisen.
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, the jujutsu sorcerers use their ability to manipulate cursed energy to fight supernatural creatures known as Curses. The protagonist, Yuji Itadori had to swallow the cursed fingers of Sukuna, the King of Curses, which grants him unimaginable powers. He was given a death sentence for his actions later but it was decided that he will only be executed once he has swallowed all of Sukuna’s fingers to ensure that no one has to deal with the terrible curse.
Compared to Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen places a much stronger emphasis on horror and has a relatively mature and darker story. The protagonist of Demon Slayer is given a lot of time to grow before he faces dangerous adversaries, but Yuji, on the other hand, has to face much larger threats from the beginning of the story. Moreover, the worldbuilding and power system of Jujutsu Kaisen is way more complicated and better developed, which leads to some very creative and engaging fights.
The audience in Demon Slayer is slowly introduced to the dangers that Tanjiro has to face, and there are hardly any abrupt threats that Tanjiro has to deal with. In contrast, stakes are immediately high for Yuji who rarely has a chance to breathe. The story is fast-paced and consistently challenges Yuji with newer hurdles that keep forcing him to surpass his limits. Jujutsu Kaisen, despite being a Shonen series, is able to stand apart from the rest of the shows spinning a ton of Shonen tropes on its head. It is incredible how good the series is, even though it takes so many creative risks that most shows avoid.
There has been a growing demand for horror anime in recent years, and it almost appears that soon horror will take over the anime/manga world. Jujutsu Kaisen is at the right place at the right time with its unempathetic curses and overwhelming situations. The threat of impending doom is ever-present and the protagonist must face one hurdle after another to stay alive. Even though he succeeds and ingests all of Sukuna’s fingers, he will still be executed, so either way, Yuji has a dark future ahead of him.
Demon Slayer’s popularity reached its peak after episode 19 went viral because of its mind-blowing animation and action. The episode single-handedly pulled the show out of obscurity and made it popular all over the planet. Soon, the fast sale of the manga followed, and it went on to create new records. Demon Slayer is a great series overall with some exciting and fun characters. The storyline is also easy-to-follow, and the animation is just too good.
But, Jujutsu Kaisen has a much better narrative and horror elements that surpass Demon Slayers. It successfully surpassed the typical Shonen series and established itself as one of the best shows of the last few years. So, its growing popularity is not only impressive, but we should expect to see it break more records in the coming years. Jujutsu Kaisen just might be the best Shonen anime of the coming decade. Nerrisa rupnarine. 2020. Why Jujutsu Kaisen’s Anime Is Crushing Demon Slayer’s Popularity Online. 25th December. Why Jujutsu Kaisen’s Anime Is Crushing Demon Slayer’s Popularity Online. [Online]. [30 December 2020]. Available from:
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