I have two mani manga I want to complete this year. The first is My Hero Academia, and I have already started reading it, so check out my post for My Hero Academia Volume 1 here. The other manga I want to read this year is Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akumati, and I can already tell that this one will have my attention for the duration of the manga.

Yuji Itadori is resolved to save the world from cursed demons, but he soon learns that the best way to do it is to slowly lose his humanity and become one himself! In a world where demons feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryoma Sukuna were lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of Jujutsu Sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the undead! Yuji Itadori is a high schooler who spends his days visiting his bedridden grandfather. Although he looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object, but little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal…

This manga is a little more gruesome than My Hero Academia across the first volumes of each (we’ll see how things change as I read them), so that is one thing to note for casual manga readers or those tossing up between these two series for which to read first. If that is something you are squemish about, or you just want something a little lighter, My Hero Academia may be the better choice for you. But if you are like me and don’t mind the gory detail, which isn’t even that bad considering these panels are black-and-white illustrations, then Jujutsu Kaisen might be the manga you are looking for.

For me, the characters are a little more mysterious and attention-grabbing, with flashes of emotion and hesitation amidst high-intensity action sequences and the dark, alluring pull of curses. We only meet a few main characters in this volume, but the energy is electric, and the intrigue is palpable. I honestly couldn’t help but be immersed from the first chapter, flicking through the pages on my tablet with fervour, unable to look away for even a second. The panels give off the tone and atmosphere so acutely, shrouding every scene in a darkness that cannot be shaken off. There are brief moments of laughter and banter, allowing for characters to show a little more of their own personality and preferences, but the underlying feel is distinctly dark. I love this and am excited to see where this leads in future volumes.

The lore and magic system within this manga is so interesting to me, and I feel drawn to it so instinctively. I want to know more about curses, half-curses, sorcerers, training, and all the things that make these characters unique and complex. I want to meet more characters and find out about dynamics, relationships, conflicts, and so forth that will provide even more depth and nuance to the manga. I am just really excited, and at this stage, I think I have to say that Jujutsu Kaisen has a better first impression on me than My Hero Academia did. There is just something about this manga story world that I click with.

I’m curious to see what other people’s reactions to each first volume were, and if there are other manga series where the first volume felt exactly right for you. I am sure My Hero Academia will bring many fun and memorable moments for me to find in later volumes, but I might be reading Jujutsu Kaisen a little faster thanks to my initial reaction to it.