Yuji showed Megumi a kindness that even Gojo could not, and Jujutsu Kaisen fans should learn from it

Modified Aug 19, 2024 08:30 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen: Fans should learn from Yuji's kindness (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 251 was the first chapter to reveal Megumi's actual condition and how it had essentially led him to give up on life. While some fans saw this as a realistic response to the situation, a significant portion of the fandom began criticizing Megumi’s conduct, believing he should have recovered and joined the fight against Sukuna.

While the entire fandom compared Megumi's giving up to Yuji's determination not to give up, Yuji himself began addressing Megumi’s choice in chapter 266. Chapter 266 is currently available for reading on Viz Media's official website and Shueisha's MANGA Plus platform.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Yuji gave Megumi his first choice ever

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Megumi and his circumstances, along with the loss of his loved ones and his father figure, have been a huge topic of discussion within the fandom ever since chapter 251, where it was revealed that Megumi had lost all will to continue living. This single chapter divided the entire Jujutsu Kaisen fandom, leading to analyses of Megumi’s situation and how it could have been handled.

Theories regarding Megumi’s eventual growth and the payoff of the buildup were discussed. However, a significant part of the fandom was furious with Megumi for not being able to move past the deaths of his sister and Gojo. The main arguments against Megumi boiled down to the idea that he could just get over the tragedies and take part in the fight against Sukuna, similar to what Yuji was doing.

While Yuji has gone through similar experiences, with almost everyone he had connections with dying at the hands of Sukuna, Mahito, and the three disaster curses, he kept pushing on and is currently fighting against Sukuna. Yuji’s determination and fortitude eventually became a point of comparison, leading some fans to criticize Megumi's conduct, disregarding his circumstances.

Megumi as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

While a substantial part of the fandom disregarded Megumi’s now-destroyed life and the fact that he is a 15-16-year-old needing time to process everything, Yuji himself addressed this issue in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 266. Yuji stated that his own strength and fortitude are abnormal, which hinders him from understanding people's decisions during difficult times.

Although Yuji couldn’t previously understand people's choices, after experiencing and learning about numerous tragedies during his time at Jujutsu High, he concludes that telling Megumi to simply move on and continue living would be too cruel. Yuji understands that the tragedies Megumi has faced are simply too much for him, and asking him to just get over it is unjustified.

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In these few panels, Yuji presents Megumi with a choice between returning to life or giving up on it. The paneling, with Yuji standing in the same alleyway where Gojo found him, might also be clever imagery from Gege. Gojo’s first encounter with Megumi essentially led to his adoption by Gojo instead of being used by the Zenin clan.

While many fans might think it was the better outcome, Gojo did not give Megumi much of a choice due to the sheer absurdity of the situation. Yuji acknowledging Megumi’s situation and struggles marks the first time Megumi was given a choice. This kindness from Yuji also ties in with his overall theme of being a truly enlightened, Buddha-like figure who is “more enlightened” than Gojo.

Final thoughts

Megumi's actual survival is still unconfirmed, and whether he will come out alive after the fight will only be revealed in future chapters. Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 267 will be released on August 25, 2024, and will mark the end of the Sukuna fight.