Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)

Last updated:
November 15, 2025

Jujutsu Kaisen 0, directed by Sunghoo Park, is a dark fantasy action film that serves as a prequel to the Jujutsu Kaisen anime series. Adapted from Gege Akutami’s manga Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School (later retitled Jujutsu Kaisen 0), the movie explores trauma, curses, friendship, and the painful cost of love.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Yuta’s Curse Awakens

The story follows Yuta Okkotsu, a timid teenager haunted—literally—by the spirit of his childhood friend Rika Orimoto, who died in a tragic car accident. Her spirit becomes a monstrous, overwhelmingly powerful curse that harms anyone threatening Yuta.
Because of this dangerous bond, Yuta is taken to Tokyo Jujutsu High, where he begins to learn how to control Rika’s power while also understanding the world of jujutsu sorcery.

First Steps at Jujutsu High

Yuta is mentored by Satoru Gojo, who sees great potential in him. He quickly befriends Maki Zenin, Panda, and Toge Inumaki, forming emotional bonds that slowly replace the crushing loneliness he’s lived with.
As Yuta starts missions, he gradually learns combat, curse control, and—most importantly—how to stand his ground without relying solely on Rika.

The Threat of Suguru Geto

The true antagonist, Suguru Geto, emerges with his extremist ideology: a world ruled by jujutsu sorcerers, free of “non-sorcerers,” whom he views as inferior. Discovering Yuta’s connection to Rika, Geto sets his sights on stealing this immense cursed energy for himself.
Geto launches the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, an event meant to distract Tokyo High while he infiltrates the school to seize Yuta.

The Battle at Jujutsu High

While sorcerers struggle in Tokyo and Kyoto to suppress Geto’s attack, the villain breaks into Jujutsu High and faces the students. An intense confrontation pits Geto against Maki, Panda, and Inumaki, all of whom take heavy damage, pushing Yuta into a decisive moment:
He must choose whether to risk everything—including himself—to protect his friends.

Movie Ending

In the emotional final battle, Yuta faces Geto directly. Realizing his friends’ lives depend on him, Yuta decides to fully unleash Rika’s power.
He does this by making a tragic promise:
He tells Rika that she can have his soul in exchange for her help, essentially offering his life.

This transforms Rika into her most terrifying form, allowing Yuta to overpower Geto in a climactic fight that blends raw emotion with explosive curse energy.
Geto is gravely injured, but Gojo arrives before Geto can escape. In a quiet, emotional scene that long-time fans find especially impactful, the two former friends speak briefly before Gojo ends Geto’s life off-screen.

Following the battle, Yuta prepares to accept death—believing his contract with Rika must be fulfilled.
But in a heartfelt twist, Rika appears in her human form, revealing the truth:
Yuta never cursed her.
Instead, she had accidentally cursed him in her dying moment, binding herself to him out of love and fear of losing him.

With the emotional closure between them, Rika finally passes on peacefully. Yuta survives and continues to train as a sorcerer, beginning a new chapter of his life with his classmates.

The ending leaves viewers with a mixture of sorrow, hope, and curiosity about Yuta’s future—setting up his reappearance in later arcs of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

Yes. There is a mid-credits scene featuring Yuta in Africa, eating with Miguel, showing their relationship after the events of the film. Gojo also appears briefly. There is no full post-credits scene at the very end.

Type of Movie

It is a dark fantasy action anime film with emotional drama, intense supernatural battles, and a strong emphasis on character growth. It blends high-impact action with psychological depth.

Cast (Japanese & English Highlights)

Megumi Ogata / Kayleigh McKee as Yuta Okkotsu
Kana Hanazawa / Anairis Quiñones as Rika Orimoto
Yuichi Nakamura / Kaiji Tang as Satoru Gojo
Takahiro Sakurai / Lex Lang as Suguru Geto
Mikako Komatsu / Allegra Clark as Maki Zenin
Koki Uchiyama / Xander Mobus as Toge Inumaki
Tomokazu Seki / Matthew David Rudd as Panda

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Alisa Okehazama, Yoshimasa Terui and Hiroaki Tsutsumi. The soundtrack mixes orchestral arrangements with modern beats, especially during battle scenes.

Filming Locations

As an animated film, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was produced primarily at MAPPA Studios in Japan.
While not traditional “filming locations,” the movie’s environments—Shinjuku, Tokyo Jujutsu High, and real-life city districts—are modeled on authentic Japanese architecture and urban geography, grounding its supernatural elements in recognizably modern Japan.

Awards and Nominations

The film received several honors, including:

Won Best Anime Film at the 2022 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
Nominated for Animation of the Year at the Japan Academy Film Prize
Received multiple nominations for music and animation at various international festivals

Behind the Scenes Insights

MAPPA significantly upgraded its animation pipeline, which is why certain scenes—particularly Rika’s transformations—look so fluid and detailed.
Director Sunghoo Park pushed for more emotional realism in Yuta’s animation, especially facial expressions.
The animators reportedly spent an extraordinary amount of time on the final battle sequence to make it as cinematic as possible.
The film incorporated motion-capture references to enhance fluidity in hand-to-hand combat scenes.
Gege Akutami was involved in supervising some character expressions to ensure emotional accuracy.

Inspirations and References

Based on the manga Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School, later rebranded as Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
Akutami cited inspiration from Bleach, Evangelion, and classic horror films, especially in the body-horror elements of cursed spirits.
Yuta and Rika’s relationship echoes themes from Japanese ghost folklore, particularly the concept of Onryō (vengeful spirits).

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

Early drafts of the script included an extended flashback showing more of Yuta and Rika’s childhood, but it was cut for pacing.
A few battle scenes were trimmed due to animation time constraints.
An alternate version of the ending reportedly had Rika’s final goodbye play out with longer dialogue, but the shorter cut was considered more emotionally focused.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The film is faithful to the original manga but expands several battle sequences, adding more animation-only action scenes.
Character interactions between the first-year trio and Yuta are expanded to deepen the emotional bonds.
Geto’s motivations are clarified more thoroughly in the film.
The movie provides extra Gojo & Geto moments not shown in the manga, adding emotional depth to their relationship.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Yuta summoning Rika for the first time in full monstrous form.
The classroom moment where Maki admits her struggles, strengthening her bond with Yuta.
The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in Shinjuku.
The final emotional confrontation between Gojo and Geto.

Iconic Quotes

Yuta: “I want to have the courage to live.”
Gojo: “You’ve got it in you, Yuta. More than you realize.”
Geto: “For the sake of sorcerers, I will reshape the world.”
Rika: “Yuta… together forever.” (especially powerful given the truth behind it)

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Yuta’s katana design subtly resembles Toji Fushiguro’s cursed tools.
Rika’s final form includes visual motifs from traditional Japanese ghost stories.
The film teases events from Season 2 through small Gojo–Geto moments.
Miguel’s rope weapon is deeply connected to African sorcery lore—briefly referenced in manga footnotes.
The final mid-credits scene subtly sets up Yuta’s eventual reintroduction in the main series.

Trivia

Yuta’s voice actress, Megumi Ogata, is also known for iconic characters like Shinji Ikari (Evangelion) and Kurama (Yu Yu Hakusho).
The movie was one of Japan’s highest-grossing films of 2021.
MAPPA used over 2,000 unique curse designs throughout the film.
The fight choreography was inspired by real martial arts recordings.

Why Watch?

Because it blends intense action with emotional storytelling in a tight, beautifully animated package.
If you appreciate supernatural battles, heartfelt character arcs, or high-quality anime films, this movie hits every mark.
And for Jujutsu Kaisen fans, it is essential viewing—especially for understanding Yuta’s importance in the future story.

Director’s Other Movies

The God of High School (2020, TV series)
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 (2020, TV series)

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)