Where are the parents in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Summary

• JJK has no parental figures; those present are toxic or deeply disturbed.
• Gojo mentors Itadori, Fushigoro and Okkotsu as a surrogate parent.
• Jujutsu High's faculty guides the students, helping them self-actualize.

Jujutsu Kaisen fans rarely meet the parents of Jujutsu High School students. In addition, several of the Kaisen's Jujutsu parent characters are toxic and neglectful. This detail is ironic given the emphasis on bloodline and inherited cursed techniques among the Three Great Families.

Instead, the faculty of Jujutsu High visibly fills the gaps left by JJK's absent caretakers. This theme becomes especially relevant considering the first year students at Tokyo Jujutsu High who are either orphaned or estranged from their families. Witnessing the bonds created between Jujutsu High School students and faculty highlights the fundamental role a teacher plays in developing their students into adults.

Parents are mostly absent in Jujutsu Kaisen

The few parents present are poor role models

There are few parent characters in Jujutsu Kaisen. The few who are parents either exist off-screen or are visible in minor roles. Yuji's grandfather, his main caretaker, dies in the first episode of the anime. Dialogue mentions Nobara's grandmother, but she never appears.

Then there are the parents who are present, but not in a healthy way. The best example of a toxic parental figure in JJK is Toji Fushigoro, who abandons his two children and sells Megumi to the Zenin clan. As far as Megumi is concerned, Toji is an outsider.

The last group of parents present in JJK are troubled people who are doing their best. These characters have flaws that can raise a beige flag, but they take care of their children as best they can. For example, Nagi Yoshino loves her son, Junpei. She is really excited when Junpei brings home a new friend, Yuji, for dinner. And Junpei confides in Yuji that he and his mother are close.

Unfortunately, Nagi is going through a rough divorce with Junpei's father. She gets by with drinking, even passing out during dinner with Yuji. Furthermore, Nagi depends on Junpei to bear much of the emotional burden in their relationship, to the point where he hides most of the bullying he endures to protect Nagi's feelings.

Gojo takes Itadori, Fushigoro and Okkotso

He advocates vehemently for them behind closed doors

Satoru Gojo plays a surprising role in the development of his students at Tokyo Jujutsu High School. Despite his reputation for having a big ego and selfish thinking, he steps in to fill the gaps where more parents are absent. For all intents and purposes, Gojo adopts Yuji Itadori almost immediately after the young man's grandfather dies. Furthermore, if it weren't for the powerful sorcerer's intervention, Itadori would die at the hands of the jujutsu council.

And then there's Megumi. After killing Toji Fushigoro, Gojo regularly checks on the orphaned Megumi and Tsumiki and supports them financially. He also negotiates with the Zenin clan, canceling their deal with Toji for Megumi. Finally, there is Yuta Okkotsu. The troubled teenager was on the verge of killing himself upon meeting Gojo. Fortunately, Gojo helped Yuta find purpose by showing him how his curse could become a tool for good.

There are other times when Gojo appeals to a natural parental instinct. The best example is the second day of the Kyoto Sister School Goodwill Event. After a devastating first day interrupted by hapless actors, the students of Jujutsu High are spent physically, emotionally and mentally. The supervising faculty almost canceled the event, ending the students' competition on a somber note. Gojo pushed Yaga and Gakuganji to continue the event, but the cunning instructor planned a coup.

Traditionally, the second day of the Goodwill event features a variety of one-on-one wizard battles – not a good idea given the current timing. Luckily, Gojo steps in, pulling a sleight of hand while drawing sheets of paper from a jar full of day two's challenges. Which contest is chosen? Base-ball. Is this Akutami's fan service moment? Maybe, but it serves the plot well. Gojo's emotional intelligence and compassion shine through here. He knows their future will be bleak and offers them an opportunity to be children, at least for a day. There is a lot of moral ambiguity in the jujutsu world. A net positive result may justify cruel tactics or physical/emotional exhaustion, forcing students to grow too quickly. Gojo wants more for its students, and that's huge.

High School Jujutsu teachers mentor and support their students

Their guidance enables students to self-actualize

High school is a pivotal time in a young person's life. Teens discover their values ​​and goals and how their actions affect the world around them, all while navigating the torrential growing pains of puberty. They are incredibly vulnerable individuals and how adults interact with them can make or break their future. The faculty of Jujutsu High features enigmatic personalities. Some are rebellious, like Gojo. Others are more pragmatic, like Kento Nanami. Then there are the skilled but ethically questionable teachers like Mei Mei. They are all flawed individuals, but they do everything they can to turn the young minds of Jujutsu High into the guardians of the future.

Despite Megumi's disdain for Gojo, the savage instructor positively affects the restrained prodigy. Gojo's conversation with Megumi, when she encourages the self-aware sorcerer to allow herself to lose control, results in a breakthrough that allows Megumi to achieve domain expansion for the first time. Maki attends Jujutsu High while fighting the negative prejudices of the Zenin clan. If it were from a more conservative wizard, the gifted combatant would be held at 4th rank indefinitely. Fortunately, Mei Mei, having experienced turning her underrated cursed technique into a highly valuable Grade 1 tool, recognizes Maki's potential and nominates her for promotion.

Kento Nanami leads his students by example. Despite his distaste for the world of jujutsu and what it causes its sorcerers, he nevertheless returns to the practice out of a sense of duty to others. His strength of character inspires Yuji to never give up, even when Mahito and Sukuna push the tortured teenager to his limits during the Shibuya Incident. Jujutsu High School teachers don't sit on a pedestal. They are no objectively better parents than their students' blood relatives. However, they demonstrate the importance of a good teacher in a student's development into adulthood. In some cases, a dedicated teacher can build the foundation of a family founded for students without a support system, thus initiating extraordinary change.