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Jujutsu Kaisen made an enormous splash when it took dwelling the Anime of the 12 months award on the fifth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards earlier in February. The win isn’t stunning given the manga’s current explosion in gross sales within the wake of the anime’s rising reputation. The story of Yuuji Itadori, a physically-gifted excessive schooler-turned-jujutsu sorcerer (suppose “exorcist”) in coaching, has definitely struck a chord amongst anime followers and savvy critics, some going as far as to champion the anime as a noteworthy— even revolutionary work within the historical past of shōnen motion anime.
Whereas we watch for the upcoming Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film, now is a superb time to queue a pair new anime to tied you over till the seemingly inevitable announcement of Jujutsu Kaisen’s second season. With that in thoughts, we polled our employees to convey you 9 anime you must watch in the event you love Jujustu Kaisen.
Yu Yu Hakusho
Picture: Pierrot
Jujutsu Kaisen might or not be the supernatural shōnen anime du jour this yr, however earlier than both Jujutsu Kaisen was given satisfaction of place on the middle of the anime zeitgeist, there was Yu Yu Hakusho. Premiering on Japanese tv in 1992 earlier than airing on Cartoon Community’s Grownup Swim block practically a decade later, the anime adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi’s supernatural martial arts journey manga was heralded as probably the most widespread anime collection of its time and whose lasting enchantment and recognition endures to at the present time.
Yu Yu Hakusho tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a 14-year-old delinquent who, in an uncharacteristic act of spur-of-the-moment altruism, sacrifices his life to avoid wasting that of a small youngster’s. Having impressed the powers that be, Yusuke is recruited by the Grim Reaper Botan to change into a Spirit Detective, an arbiter of types between the bodily and spirit worlds who’s tasked with the accountability of investigating paranormal exercise and defeating malicious demons who prey on people. What Jujutsu Kaisen and Yu Yu Hakusho share in widespread is an emphasis on robust characters, fearsome preternatural foes, fantastically animated fights, and resonant themes of friendship and willpower within the face of overwhelming opposition. In the event you’re a Jujutsu Kaisen fan, a Hunter x Hunter fan (the 2 share the identical writer!), or only a shōnen anime fan basically and in some way haven’t watched Yu Yu Hakusho but, you completely should make it a precedence in your watch record. You gained’t remorse it! —Toussaint Egan
Yu Yu Hakusho is offered to stream on Hulu and Funimation.
Naruto
Picture: Pierrot
Naruto is clearly a shōnen anime staple, being probably the most widespread collection of all time. However actually, in the event you preferred Jujutsu Kaisen and you’ve got time to observe 700 episodes of anime, Naruto can be an incredible alternative. The principle characters share the same dynamic: you’ve gotten a loud mouth protagonist, a gloomier rival who helps the protagonist develop, a robust, badass lady, and a captivating, masked instructor. That isn’t to say that these characters are the very same, although — they could boil all the way down to some easy archetypes, however all of them have completely different motivations and personalities.
Whereas Naruto gained’t provide the tight pacing you get from a 24-episode anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, neither is it going to supply the nice character improvement we see in feminine characters like Nobara, in the event you’re on the lookout for one thing lengthy to mull you over till the following season of Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s completely value a watch. —Julia Lee
Naruto is offered to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Picture: Ufotable
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a simple present to advocate, and a fair simpler present to advocate to followers of Jujutsu Kaisen. A fantasy shōnen that takes place early twentieth century Japan, the present facilities across the accountable massive brother sort Tanjiro Kamado. As an alternative of vanquishing a demon within him, Kamado should discover a technique to rid his sister of a demonic curse. Each reveals introduce viewers to a solid of disturbed, convulsing enemies. Additionally, each have been launched prior to now two years and share a crisp animation type.
Followers of Jujutsu Kaisen would particularly recognize the motion sequences of Demon Slayer. The present persistently delivers nail-biting and fantastically choreographed fights. Every fighter’s powers are as attention-grabbing as they’re visually beautiful, watching the novelty of watching water peel off Kamado’s sword by no means wears off. Additionally, it’s on Netflix now so there’s nothing stopping you from selecting it up. —Ana Diaz
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is offered to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
Soul Eater
Picture: BONES studio
Followers of Jujutsu Kaisen keen to dig somewhat deeper into the anime catalogue ought to take a look at Soul Eater. Created by Atsushi Ohkubo (the thoughts behind Fireplace Drive), Soul Eater follows Maka Albarn and Soul Evans of their quest to defeat and eat the souls of corrupted people. Some characters on this planet (Evans included) have the ability to transmute into highly effective weapons. In every battle, Evans transforms right into a comically giant demise that Albarn wields.
Don’t let its Halloweeny artwork type idiot you. This present oozes in the direction of darkish locations and explores the interior struggles of its characters in stunning depth. Evans undertakes the same journey to Itadori, the place he negotiates with a satan within him with a view to entry his full powers and shield those he loves. And whereas a few of its battle scenes can really feel a bit drawn out, Soul Eater does comedy rather well. So anybody on the lookout for the same vitality to Gojo Satoru would doubtless get pleasure from a lot of its off-beat solid members. —AD
Soul Eater is offered to stream on Netflix, Hulu, and Funimation.
Dororo
Picture: MAPPA
Studio MAPPA’s 2019 remake of Dororo shares a few of the similar tonal-DNA that makes Jujutsu Kaisen tick, even when it’s premise strikes in the other way. Whereas Jujutsu Kaisen is a few cursed demon gaining his physique again from people, Dororo is the opposite means round.
Dororo is about in 1400s Japan and follows a younger ronin named Hyakkimaru, whose father made a pact with a demon. As a part of the pact, Hyakkimaru was born with out limbs or pores and skin, and to achieve them, he should search out the demons to which his father is indebted. The present is simply as darkish as Jujutsu Kaisen typically is and has the identical penchant for philosophical monologues. Every of those monologues is often punctuated with a wide ranging battle scene due to MAPPA’s completely attractive animation, which makes it an ideal technique to move the time whilst you watch for Jujutsu Kaisen season 2. —Austen Goslin
Dororo is offered to stream on Amazon Prime.
The God of Excessive College
Picture: MAPPA
One factor that almost each one who has watched Jujutsu Kaisen can agree on is that this: the battle scenes completely slap. Whereas after all that is to be anticipated of any noteworthy shōnen motion collection, the motion in Jujutsu Kaisen has been particularly spectacular, notably Gojou Satori’s transient however explosive bout with a Sekuna-possessed Yuuji within the collection’ second episode or Yuuji and Aoi’s tag-team onslaught in opposition to the cursed spirit Hanami in episode 19. You possibly can thank Keiichiro Watanabe for each of these stand-out sequences, a key animator whose work on anime resembling Naruto, Dororo, and now Jujutsu Kaisen has earned him effusive respect and notoriety amongst anime fanatics. The God of Excessive College, the Crunchyroll-produced anime adaptation of mahwa (Korean for “comedian”) writer Yongje Park’s ongoing Webtoon collection of the identical title, options Watanabe’s work prominently. As talked about in our evaluate of the collection final yr,
The fights are attractive. Like Demon Slayer, the collection finds a brand new technique to make motion visually putting. The place Demon Slayer gave its protagonists’ swordwork an ukiyo-e-esque high quality, with exaggeratedly drawn water following every motion of his blade, The God of Excessive College goes all-in on brush strokes. The characters look extremely polished, however their actions as they get into the thick of fights are adopted by daring, thick brush strokes, and notably intense moments.
In the event you’re on the lookout for a trendy motion anime that’ll maintain that adrenaline spike you are feeling whereas watching Jujutsu Kaisen pumping, The God of Excessive College is a certain wager. —TE
The God of Excessive College is offered to stream on Crunchyroll and HBO Max.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Photograph: BONES
If after Jujutsu Kaisen, you’re on the lookout for a present with robust and complicated feminine characters, attractive animation, monstrous adversaries, and smokin’ scorching mentor figures (that may be a pun), then Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood would possibly simply hit all these itches. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows alchemist prodigy Edward Elric and his brother Al, whose soul has been trapped in a go well with of armor, as they search for a technique to get better Als’ physique. However their search results in darker secrets and techniques about alchemy and the nation they dwell in, uncovering a sinister plot that threatens the entire world. Not like lots of shonen anime, which take viewers on a “let’s study curses/demons/Nen together with the protagonist!” arc, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood kicks off with out a lot rationalization, trusting viewers to maintain up. This permits the present to leap begin instantly, diving proper into the motion and complexities of worldbuilding. The plot is brilliantly executed, however by no means as soon as sacrifices the character improvement alongside the best way.
Honest warning: when you watch this present, each different anime you watch will pale compared. Simply placing that on the market proper now. —Petrana Radulovic
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is offered to stream on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
My Hero Academia
Picture: Studio Bones
One of the crucial endearing parts of Jujutsu Kaisen’s story is watching Itadori come to phrases together with his newfound powers. We get to see him wrestle to develop into his position as a sorcerer whereas he’s helped alongside by some skilled companions. His distinctive strategy to fight provides an unusual dynamic to the established norms of his story’s universe.
The identical holds true for the principle character of the superhero anime My Hero Academia. The story’s lead, Izuku Midoriya, additionally begins his story as a powerless no one and ultimately beneficial properties unfamiliar powers he should learn to wield. Whereas he’s clever sufficient to develop on his personal deserves, his acceleration as a world-class hero is helped alongside by his classmates and mentors.
Each tales mirror what it’s prefer to cross a threshold into an unfamiliar world. Every story follows a headstrong lead character who makes use of their outsider’s perspective to create a method of fight that’s all their very own. Whereas each characters acquire powers with limitless potential, their journey from an inexperienced newbie to a dependable power of nature is what carries the collection. Witnessing their development and the way their burgeoning energy impacts the stakes of their particular person tales can be key to their adventures. —Jeff Ramos
My Hero Academia is offered to stream on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
Mob Psycho 100
Bones Inc.
In the event you dig anime with dorky protagonists utilizing seemingly limitless supernatural skills to trounce would-be evil spirits, then Mob Psycho 100 is a strong suggestion. The anime follows the story of Mob, a introverted younger boy with a sort coronary heart with immense psychic skills who works alongside his mentor Reigen, a con artist posing as a strong psychic himself, to tackle assignments exorcising apparitions for money. Whereas the motion in Mob Psycho 100 is totally beautiful and the animation itself is electrifying and ingenious, the center of the collection rests on Mob’s emotional improvement and he grows much less depending on counting on Reigen to be his ethical compass, turning into extra assured in forming and sustaining wholesome relationships with others.
With the third and certain remaining season of the anime is about to premiere within the close to future, now’s as excellent a time as any to hop aboard the Mob Psycho 100 hype practice in the event you haven’t already, particularly in the event you’re antsy whereas ready for the forthcoming Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film to come back out stateside. —TE
Mob Psycho 100 is offered to stream on Crunchyroll, HBO Max, and Funimation.
HBO Max
HBO Max
Costs taken at time of publishing.
On prime of recent WB releases in 2021, HBO Max brings collectively HBO, DC , Cartoon Community, and Criterion libraries.
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