One of the most popular shonen series currently running is Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen, an urban fantasy series that follows a school of teenage sorcerers as they battle the monstrous entities known as Curses. The series has been praised for its action, comedy, and drama alike, along with the stellar animation and music of its anime adaptation — but if there’s one thing that makes Jujutsu Kaisen stand out from the crowd, it’s the series’ incredible cast of characters.
In just a few years, the cast of Jujutsu Kaisen have established themselves as some of the most beloved characters in modern shonen — you have the protagonist Yuji Itadori for starters, who grows from a lovable goofball to a truly courageous hero. There’s also the irreverent yet all-powerful mentor Satoru Gojo, the bombastic and offbeat Aoi Todo, and the perpetually overworked Kento Nanami, just to name a few. But the one thing about the cast of Jujutsu Kaisen that truly sets it apart from its fellow shonen series, it’s the series’ female characters.
It’s hardly a controversial statement to say that women have never been a major presence in the battle shonen genre. After all, the word “shonen” means “boy” in Japanese — over-the-top action shows like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, and My Hero Academia are considered to be series primarily aimed at young men. The idea that a certain genre is inherently tied to a specific gender is an antiquated one to say the least, but the effects of this idea still impact shonen to this day. Early shonen manga like Fist of the North Star and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure barely had any female characters at all, save for one-dimensional love interests and/or damsels in distress. Dragon Ball has had its fair share of powerful female fighters over the years, from Chi-Chi to Android 18 to Videl, but nearly all of them have retired from combat after their introductory storylines, settling down with their respective love interests and becoming stay-at-home moms.
While the popular shonen series of the 21st century tend to have more female characters in the main cast, but the leading ladies still tend to receive far less screen time and plot relevance than their male counterparts. Take Uraraka from My Hero Academia for instance, or Sakura from Naruto — they’re billed as some of the most prominent characters in the series, but come off as downright irrelevant to the story compared to the male heroes. Even in One Piece, which has some of the most engaging and well-written women in shonen history, the female Straw Hat Pirates like Nico Robin and Nami are often overshadowed by their stronger male crewmates.
As a general rule, the most powerful, plot-critical characters in shonen tend to almost always be men, with women relegated to supporting roles. There are, of course, exceptions to this — Part 6 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (soon to receive an anime adaptation) features the series’ first female protagonist, Jolyne Kujo. Meanwhile, the acclaimed manga Chainsaw Man (which also has an upcoming anime), despite having a male protagonist, features a cast of mostly women — nearly all of whom are nuanced, well-developed characters with crucial roles in the plot, not to mention deadly powerhouses in battle.
Likewise, Jujutsu Kaisen is yet another step in the right direction when it comes to the portrayal of female characters in shonen. While the cast is still mostly male, there are still several women in the series who are compelling and layered characters with significant roles in the story. First and foremost is the series’ leading lady Nobara Kugisaki, who forms the main trio of the show along with Yuji and their classmate Megumi. Nobara comes off as brash and irritable at first, but quickly warms up to Yuji, showing that she can be just as much of a goofy dork as he is. Since then, Nobara has been one of Yuji’s closest companions and staunchest supporters, even teaming up with him against the Curse brothers Eso and Kechizu in the Season 1 finale.
Fighting directly alongside the protagonist in a major battle is almost unheard of for a woman in shonen, but the final fight of Season 1 shows just how much of a powerhouse Nobara can be. In fact, she’s downright terrifying, wearing an almost-sadistic grin as she outwits and overpowers Kechizu. Nobara even manages to perform a Black Flash, one of the most rare abilities a sorcerer can use, marking her as a fighter with massive potential. But one of the most interesting things about Nobara has nothing to do with her strength, but rather her characterization.
Despite her aggressive personality, Nobara still embraces her femininity — she loves shopping for new clothes as much as she loves demolishing Curses on the battlefield. In her battle against Momo, Nobara expresses open disdain for traditional gender roles and societal expectations. As she says herself, “I love myself when I’m pretty and dressed up, and I love myself when I’m strong!” While most female characters, in anime or otherwise, can be clearly categorized as either traditionally feminine or not, Nobara is more complex than that. No matter what labels people want to put on her, she’s determined to stay true to herself.
There are plenty more memorable women in Jujutsu Kaisen, from the mysterious and powerful Mei Mei to the adorably awkward Miwa. But perhaps the biggest fan favorite of the entire female cast is Maki Zenin. Early on, Maki is established as one of Gojo’s star pupils and an equal to Yuji in power, despite the fact that she has no sorcery of her own. She manages to keep up with and even outshine her classmates with nothing but an arsenal of cursed weapons, her own strength and skill, and pure force of will. And in addition to being a powerful fighter, Maki is a well-developed character as well — born into the Zenin Clan, an elite family of sorcerers, Maki was looked down on by her elders for both her gender and her lack of sorcery. As a result, Maki fights Curses not out of altruism, but to prove her own greatness out of spite for the family that despises her. She’s fiercely determined to become the strongest fighter she can, but she’s also a devoted ally to her classmates, taking a leadership role among them. And while explaining the future of her character arc would involve major spoilers, manga readers know that Maki’s journey towards greatness is only just beginning.
Jujutsu Kaisen may seem like a standard shonen series at first — yet another story about teenagers with magic powers fighting monsters. However, what makes it great isn’t the premise, but the way that premise allows unique and memorable characters to flourish. And while the women of Jujutsu Kaisen may not be the stars of the show, they’re still a major part of the story and a big step forward for female shonen characters. Needless to say, fans of the anime can expect big things going forward from some of modern shonen’s strongest ladies.