The 'Jujutsu Kaisen' anime just gave its fans the most heartbreaking summer arc ever and TikTok is here for every second of it
- TikTok (and this writer) are living for the "Jujutsu Kaisen" anime's summer arc.
- It's common for anime series to go down a lighthearted route during summer releases.
Spoilers ahead for the first five episodes of "Jujutsu Kaisen's" second season.
When June rolls around, fans of Japanese anime can usually expect lighthearted arcs that fit the season's summery vibes. But "Jujutsu Kaisen," an urban fantasy anime about sorcerers who fight and exorcise ancient curses, took its fans down a dark path — and we're living for it.
The "Hidden Inventory" arc, the first episode of which aired on July 6, explores a much-anticipated segment of the "Jujutsu Kaisen" manga. The arc is a flashback to the high school years of one of the season's most popular characters, Gojo Satoru. It also explains why a key villain in the series, Geto Suguru, ended up betraying his friends and becoming a teenage cult leader.
The season delivers the flashy fights shounen anime fans love, which tend to happen very often when two high-schoolers with magical powers are forced to fight a paid assassin.
But it also does what other some anime series shy away from — it highlights the obvious affection between Suguru and Satoru, and unravels the eventual end of that doomed relationship.
It isn't just this writer: People on TikTok are really going through it. Videos under the hashtag #satosugu, the name of the slash ship, have been viewed more than 866.7 million times at press time.
Some people are holding it together by compiling all the times Suguru's said Satoru's name. At least 44,000 people appreciated the effort, per the like count on this TikTok video.
Others are coping, it seems, by making jokes about KFC. It's pretty funny, considering Suguru and Satoru's dramatic final meeting takes place outside the fast food restaurant.
Either way, this writer has a fair warning for people who're just watching the anime: If you're heartbroken now, wait till the series' Shibuya arc kicks off this month. Get the tissues ready, it's going to be a wild one.