It’s official—Jujutsu Kaisen is the most in-demand animated TV show in 2023! JJK snatched this title from Attack On Titan, which has reigned since 2020. It even surpassed the immortal One Piece. What made this show dethrone these two anime giants?
Parrot Analytics, a data-analysis firm, measured the demand based on the number of streams, downloads, internet searches, and social media mentions. So, it’s not just about how often the show was watched but also how widely it was talked about across all platforms. In 2023, JJK gained a global demand rating of 71.2 compared to average TV shows. But, why are people so hooked on it?
Jujutsu Kaisen Breaks the Norm Set by The Big Three
Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach – these three big anime have set the standard for how shonen manga and anime should play out for decades. It’s usually a set of high school kids who go on an adventure and fight off bad guys and monsters. Well, that’s also the plot of JJK, but it got rid of this trio’s greatest annoyance—the never-ending fillers! Naruto is especially notorious for this crime.
Not just that, the convenient power of friendship solution is another thing that Jujutsu Kaisen broke. In most anime, friendship saves the day when the heroes lose their battles, and everyone’s about to die. It’s as if no matter how gruesome the plot becomes, it’ll all lead to a happy ending. JJK doesn’t do that. In fact, it’s quite famous for its reality checks and high death toll.
One instance the anime showed this is in Junpei Yoshino’s story. No matter how loved his character was, his situation remained hopeless, and he eventually died. The trio avoided this kind of realistic approach for fear of disappointing fans. However, JJK didn’t shy away from that! And in return, its commitment to realism, where even the most beloved characters can face death, has garnered the series a loyal fanbase.
What Makes Jujutsu Kaisen Such a Hit with Gen Z?
One notable factor that propelled JJK to its current title is its young viewership. About 71% of its viewers are 13 to 22 years old. Attack on Titan’s audience of that age range is 64%, while One Piece’s is 54%. But, why is that?
For one, JJK killed the gender standard. Its female characters, like Nobara Kugisaki, can singlehandedly fight strong enemies and not look like a man. Females are not sexualized and do not fight over men. In one of the Juju Strolls, the men of JJK even wore skirts when the situation called for it. Even a manly man, Todo Aoi, boldly expressed that if Fushiguro Megumi preferred men, that’s fine, too. These topics that the big three avoided are what JJK has freely ventured into.
Its flawless animation is another quality that made JJK appealing to the younger crowd. The Big Three can’t do anything about it since they were created in the 1990s when there were limited advanced animation tools. So, even if their episodes run today, they can’t deviate much from their original style. JJK, on the other hand, is different. It has MAPPA, a powerhouse studio that created its strong art style coupled with seamless animation. So, even if JJK doesn’t have a solid legacy behind it, it started on a strong foundation in animation quality.
Jujutsu Kaisen revolutionized the staple shonen genre. It took risks of going beyond what its predecessors had established. Risks come with a prize, either a fall or a breakthrough. But, it’s safe to say that JJK’s efforts helped it reach the top and be crowned as the most famous anime in 2023.
Mac Montoya