Why This Popular Anime Prequel Movie is One of the Best Ever (2025)

Jujutsu Kaisen is a revolutionary name in the shonen category, and the anime has achieved this feat in just a few years. Gege Akutami’s story about a world where cursed spirits and sorcerers exist took the world by storm, especially with its complicated yet compelling lore. The reason why JJK works is because it impressively tackles a darker tone and themes without spreading it too thin. There aren’t any happy-go-lucky characters in the story, and characters drop like flies every time there’s a high-stakes battle.

Jujutsu Kaisen has already made a name for itself, but when the prequel movie hit theaters in 2022, it quickly became one of the highest-grossing anime movies of all time. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 became an instant hit, providing fans with a background story directly tied to the main timeline. But what makes JJK 0 one of the most successful anime movies?

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Managed To Garner Both Individual And Collective Success

Many franchise-related anime movies don’t live up to the standards because of the lack of connection to the original story or not having the same vibe and tone. Most anime series movies also tend to adapt stories and arcs that don’t serve the main timeline’s plot or characters. They are often based on separate adventures and work to elaborate the part of the source material that may or may not be fit enough to be in the series’ original events. This approach often makes such movies look like an expensive attempt at giving fans filler content. Shonen giants like Naruto still rule the anime scene, but its movies have consistently failed to live up to the audience’s expectations.

The Naruto movies aren’t involved in the main story and aren’t impactful enough to leave a lasting impression. Fortunately, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was able to break the trend by giving fans an actual background to the original story. The movie has been crafted in a way that makes it difficult to consider as a standalone project, and fans are forced to acknowledge its collective existence both as a movie and as a form of context to the series’ timeline. Although Jujutsu Kaisen has broken the long-lived shonen trope of making it all about the overpowered MC or the central trio, the film’s focus on other characters is commendable. The movie is an effective way of connecting the characters and the overall story.

JJK 0 Serves As A Necessary Context To An Existing Story

The Jujutsu Kaisen anime kicks off with action, and fans can tell that they’ve landed in the middle of something big. Viewers are introduced to Satoru Gojo as the greatest sorcerer of all time, but fans are never told how he got there. The most instant connection that the viewers have with the characters is their predefined archetypes. However, the scenario completely changes once JJK 0 is watched chronologically. It really puts the anime story in perspective and gives the necessary context to what conspired before that led all the characters to that exact moment. For instance, why is Gojo so soft towards Yuji Itadori and pushes to have him at Jujutsu High rather than on the executioner’s table? His actions are a culmination of what happened in his past, especially after Amanai’s death, but JJK 0 gives a better picture of his actions.

Before Yuji, Gojo did the same for Yura Okkotsu when he landed himself in trouble because of Rika. He fought Jujutsu Society to give Yuta a chance as a young sorcerer rather than treat him like a criminal. He understood the extent of Yuta's powers and relationship with Rika and guided him towards a path that would help Yuta control his power and even eventually be free of Rika’s curse. If fans watch the anime movie first, they can better understand Gojo’s decision to help Yuji instead of taking advantage of him for the sake of finding Sukuna’s fingers. Similarly, the mention of Yuta in Season One must have confused fans because the character doesn’t appear officially until the movie. Yuta’s journey in JJK 0 and his fight against Geto prove why everyone at Jujutsu High holds him in such high regard. One of the reasons why JJK 0 works so much better than many big-name anime movies is because it offers the smoothest transition possible.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Tells The Characters’ Stories In A Different Light

The main anime timeline introduces Geto as the notorious villain with a mysterious agenda. It isn’t until Gojo’s Past Arc that the viewers learn who the main anime timeline's Suguru Geto really is. By the time Geto gets to be in action, fans are already knee-deep in the Shibuya Incident arc and learn that it is actually Kenjaku controlling Geto’s body. So, who was Geto before that? The viewers know that he had a falling out with Gojo and the Jujutsu Society because of the depression caused by Amanai’s and Yu Haibara’s death. However, what the audience didn’t get to see was his real personality between that time and the taking over of his body. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 expands on the effects of Geto’s decision and the plans he made to achieve his goals. The movie shows Suguru Geto as the true villain he had become and the extent of his powers.

After leaving Jujutsu High, Geto made a personal army of his own and returned in JJK 0 to take the famed Queen of Curses for himself. He conspired the sinister terror attack known as the Night Parade of 100 Demons in Kyoto and Shinjuku to distract the jujutsu sorcerers, especially Gojo. It’s through the movie that the viewers are introduced to Suguru Geto, who was molded by tragedy into a smug villain and a “revolutionary.” Just like Suguru, the fans also get to see the first year days of Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki, and Panda. These characters are introduced as second-year students at Tokyo Jujutsu High in the anime, and by the time they meet the main trio, they’re already established as quite powerful and experienced sorcerers. However, in the anime movie, the fans learn of the brutal defeat the three faced at the hands of Suguru Geto.

These past events contextualize their need to become stronger, especially Maki Zenin. The movie provides a much-needed background to their relationship with Yuta and the reasons why they hold him in such high esteem. The cherry on top was that little yet impactful interaction between Geto and Gojo at the end. It came as a shock to fans who hadn’t watched Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 that Gojo and Geto used to be best friends. It was a very crucial moment for Gojo’s character, because he was both hurt and relieved to see Geto’s dying body, the only person who truly cared about him. This key scene is also critical to the buildup that led Kenjaku to believe seeing Geto alive would be enough to distract Gojo even for a split second to have him imprisoned.

The Change of Protagonist Impressed Fans

It’s no hidden fact that Yuji Itadori is the most ignored and sidelined main character in a shōnen series. Surprisingly, this little deviation from the classic trope serves the anime’s interest and makes it stand out. Not focusing on a single character allowed Jujutsu Kaisen to offer fans a spectacular supporting cast. Until Gojo’s sealing in the Shibuya Incident arc, it always felt that he was the show's main attraction. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 adopted the same approach and elaborated on the backstory of different characters rather than the anime’s main. Yuta Okkotsu only had the pleasure of being present in the anime series via his name. At first glance, it would seem that his existence is only there to highlight the fact that the Tokyo school had strong contenders. However, the movie proved to be instrumental in building Yuta’s character and importance in the main story.

Yuta Okkotsu will be playing a crucial role in the upcoming Culling Game arc in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3. His highly-anticipated cameo at the end of Season 2 had the fandom in a frenzy. Manga fans know exactly why Yuta is back in town, and that’s the primary reason why the movie was so successful. JJK 0 gave the background story of characters who are supposed to play a defining role in the latter part of the anime, whether it's Maki Zenin or Yuta. JJK 0’s deviation from the formulaic approach proved that other anime franchises need to look more towards connectivity between the anime and the movies rather than adapting arcs that can’t be included in the main timeline. Upon its release, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 became the fifth highest-grossing anime movie in the US and one of the top ten highest-grossing anime movies of all time.