Jujutsu Kaisen season 2: Twitter goes into overdrive as Nobara vs. Sakura comparison resurfaces after episode 19

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 19, which was broadcast not too long ago, depicted the tragic death of Nobara Kugisaki. She met her end while fighting the curse of Mahito in the bustling district of Shibuya. This unfortunate incident has reignited a well-known discussion among enthusiasts of anime and manga, drawing parallels between Nobara and Sakura Haruno from Naruto.

Sakura Haruno has often been the subject of criticism due to the perceived stagnation of her character development, especially when compared to her comrades, Naruto and Sasuke.

Even though she became a formidable kunoichi, her character was largely defined by her infatuation with Sasuke. It led to her often being sidelined for the majority of the series. Despite possessing immense potential, she was rarely allowed to shine.

Naturally, fans of Naruto have felt that Sakura’s character deserved more depth and development. Consequently, within the animanga community, being compared to Sakura has become quite an insult for any anime character. It now appears that Nobara is being subjected to similar criticism, with viewers of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 characterizing her as a case of wasted potential.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

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Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 19 leads to fans pitting Nobara against Naruto’s Sakura

Sakura Haruno from Boruto anime and Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (Images via Studio Pierrot and MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, produced by MAPPA, has been faithfully adapting the much-loved Shibuya manga arc and making waves in the anime community.

Episode 19, titled Right and Wrong Part 2, not only delved deeper into Nobara’s backstory but also showed how she met her death while fighting Mahito. The moment of Nobara’s downfall was when she momentarily let her guard down.

While Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 19 should have seen fans mourning Nobara’s death, instead, it has sparked a heated debate among fans on social media platforms.

The topic of discussion is the similarity or difference between Nobara and Sakura. Some fans argue that Nobara's character is as pathetic as Sakura's, due to a perceived lack of contribution to the storyline.

Others, however, hold a different view, asserting that Nobara surpasses Sakura in terms of usefulness and character development. There is also a faction that believes that Sakura is superior to Nobara.

This debate has particularly resulted from a video about Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 19 by anime theorist and YouTuber Ohara’s video.

Without further ado, here are some of the notable tweets from X.

The main post that began the Nobara vs Sakura debate (Image via X/@Youngwiz)

X post criticizing Nobara (Image via X/@erzy33)

X user supporting Sakura (Image via X/@GlassesSonic)

X user gives their opinion on Nobara and Sakura (Image via X/@haremking_esq)

X user ridicules Nobara's death (Image via X/Fade_Coms)

X user defends Nobara (Image via X/@ColCrumbwallace)

X user comments on Sakura's wasted potential (Image via X/@MsLvcky)

X user defends Nobara (Image via X/No6IsFake)

X user claims Nobara is better than Sakura (Image via X/@Cubevoidthing)

X user demeans Sakura (Image via X/)

X user thinks Nobara made a bigger contribution to Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via X/)

While the Nobara vs Sakura debate will continue given the popularity of both shows, it is also true that, as many fans of Jujutsu Kaisen have pointed out, Nobara and every other female character is way more developed than the female characters in Naruto.

Mangaka Masashi Kishimoto has openly admitted his struggle with writing compelling female characters.

Regardless of where one stands in this Nobara vs Sakura debate, one thing is certain: both characters have significantly influenced the world of anime and manga.