This Series on Hulu is the Perfect Introduction To Anime

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A handful of streaming platforms on the Internet offer a rich variety of Japanese anime series for new and veteran fans to enjoy, making this popular medium more accessible than ever before. The single biggest destination may be Crunchyroll, but new anime fans will probably be more subscribed to more mainsteam platforms like Hulu instead, so those platforms are a better pick for someone who’s trying out anime for the first time. When choosing a platform to watch, having a wide array of options and choices is definitely the optimal approach. Hulu, in particular, boasts a vast library of must-watch anime series, such as Jujutsu Kaisen.

Some of the anime series offered on Hulu are more geared toward longtime anime fans, such as the subversive anime Chainsaw Man, which appeals to fans already familiar with the conventions that the show subverts. Meanwhile, popular shonen titles like Jujutsu Kaisen are more accessible and beginner-friendly since they have some of everything that fans love about Japanese anime, and Jujutsu Kaisen is long enough to keep new fans entertained while also being brief enough to not be a massive commitment like Bleach or Boruto are. If an anime fan wishes to convince a Hulu subscriber to give anime a try, Jujutsu Kaisen is an excellent first taste of what anime is capable of.

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What is Jujutsu Kaisen All About?

A Brief Introduction to JJK

Jujutsu Kaisen is an action/horror shonen anime series that clearly drew inspiration from two of the original shonen big three, those being Bleach and Naruto. That means Jujutsu Kaisen hits a lot of the same story beats as those series and has a similar overall vibe, including the hero’s journey and the stakes created by the supervillain’s plans. This anime is set in Japan in 2018, where supernatural curses threaten humanity on the streets every day. Curses are formed when humankind’s negative emotions fester and swirl together in certain areas over time, coalescing into beastly spirit creatures that prey on humans. This has been a problem for generations, so there is an industry in place to handle the threat. Trained jujutsu sorcerers use their own curse energy and negative emotions to fight back against curses and shield humanity from their wrath.

The main story of Jujutsu Kaisen begins when 15-year-old Yuji Itadori, an athletic high schooler, explores his school one night with two of his friends to find ghosts. To their shock, spirits are horribly real, and a large curses goes on a rampage, threatening the three teens. Fortunately, the sorcerers Megumi Fushiguro and Satoru Gojo are on the scene, and they’re after the same thing the curse is: one of the fingers of Ryomen Sukuna, the king of curses. After swallowing that finger, Yuji gains curse powers and defeats the rampaging curse, thus beginning his adventures as a sorcerer who carries a heavy burden. Unfortunately, being Sukuna’s living vessel makes Yuji a target for his new allies and enemies alike, with the sorcerer world’s elders stating their intent to execute him. Only Satoru Gojo’s influence can protect Yuji from that fate.

From there, Yuji continues to train and fight as a newly minted sorcerer, and he even enrolls at the Tokyo technical institute for sorcerers as a first-year, giving him new friends and classmates like Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki, and Maki Zenin, among others. Yuji’s burgeoning sorcerer career is a difficult one, though, partly because he will experience terrible heartache after seeing people victimized by curses, and Ryomen Sukuna is more of a menace than an asset. Sukuna made Yuji into a half-other hero in the worst way, meaning Yuji’s mortal nemesis is right under his nose at all times, and the problem will only get worse over time. Meanwhile, Yuji and his friends will begin a war against a team of ambitious curses who scheme to wipe out all of humanity to create a paradise for curses, led by the noxious supervillain Mahito.

Why is Jujutsu Kaisen a Good Intro Anime For Hulu Subscribers?

Details That Make JJK an Instant Hit Among Various Audiences

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Jujutsu Kaisen is an excellent intro anime for many reasons, some of which are common among other shonen and some shojo series found on Hulu. An intro anime series will have some of everything that fans love about Japanese anime, giving new anime fans a thorough and balanced sample of what anime is capable of and how anime series tend to play out. An anime that focuses on one genre may appeal to non-anime fans of that genre, but if someone wants to get into anime as a whole, something more varied like Jujutsu Kaisen is a good call. Granted, this anime doesn’t have absolutely everything, since it lacks a strong romance story and has light to no science fiction or historical qualities, but as far as anime’s general vibe and style, Jujutsu Kaisen delivers.

For example, Jujutsu Kaisen has plenty of hard-hitting action, and while there’s more to the anime industry than action, the best action/adventure series tend to dominate and enjoy the largest, most divese fan bases. While shojo, seinen, and josei all have ample merits, experienced anime fans may agree that by now, shonen is the “main” demographic of anime, and that includes Jujutsu Kaisen. In this anime’s case, new anime fans are treated to exciting, brutal, and clever action sequences that show how creative anime action can be, more so than the simple punches of Tokyo Revengers or the video game action of Sword Art Online. Jujutsu Kaisen, in between its bombastic action scenes, also boasts substantial character drama and delightful humor, which helps balance out the grim action/horror elements while also showing new fans how anime tends to portray humor.

Jujutsu Kaisen is a strong intro anime on Hulu because of its design and production values, too. This anime boasts some of the finest animation of any series on Hulu, with crisp HD visuals, stylish character designs, fluid movements, rich colors, and some smart use of CGI that doesn’t hurt the immersion too much. This anime is also the right length for a new anime fan, having 24 episodes in its first season on Hulu, enough material for new fans to see what the big fuss is about while not asking a new fan to devote weeks or months of time to watching it. Notably, Season 2 and the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movies are not on Hulu, but if a new fans is impressed, they may also make an account on other platforms that have the rest, and/or seek out author Gege Akutami’s original Jujutsu Kaisen manga to continue the adventure where Season 1 leaves off.

Other Hulu Action Anime to Watch After Jujutsu Kaisen

A Few More Fan Favorites

Jujutsu Kaisen is the best-rounded anime for showing new anime fans what this industry is all about, and also happens to be one of the highest-rated series on Hulu, based on its scores on sites such as MyAnimeList and IMDb, among others. If a Hulu subscriber is impressed by what they see, then they can also see what other, similar anime series Hulu has to offer. That platform’s anime library has titles that should appeal to new JJK fans while also offering unique elements that expand the new fan’s concept of anime further. For example, those other series may include the school life genre, isekai, and historical fiction. Considering the literal hundreds of anime sprawled across the platform, finding something that a friend may enjoy isn’t at all out of the question. Suggestions and recommendations surely help with the task.

One excellent example is Demon Slayer, which itself may serve as a fine intro anime for new fans. Like its counterpart Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer is a well-animated and emotionally impactful action/fantasy series with trained warriors fighting monsters to keep humanity safe. In this case, the adventure takes place in 1910s Japan, where sword-wielding demon slayers fight the creatures of the night in a never-ending war against Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon king. The battle becomes personal for protagonist Tanjiro Kamado when his family is butchered by a demon and his little sister Nezuko becomes a demon herself, thus launching Tanjiro’s quest to cure Nezuko’s condition while also protecting innocent people from harm. New JJK fans will certainly enjoy the high stakes, as well as the phenomenal animation that Demon Slayer brings to the table.

One-Punch Man is best enjoyed after a new anime fan has tried an action series or two, so they can fully appreciate how One-Punch Man parodies the entire concept. This seinen anime is a satirical take on superheroes and shonen action, starring the bald superhero Saitama, who can win any fight with a single overpowered punch. Saitama finds it borign to be invincible, but his tedious life might take on a new meaning when he makes friends like Genos the cyborg and joins the Hero Association to become a part of something larger than himself. After watching a few anime series, a viewer will understand the dichotomy between parody and a more intentional story, while also valuing the beautiful visuals and the world-building of the show as a whole.

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The action/adventure shonen series My Hero Academia and Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-Kun! should appeal to Jujutsu Kaisen fans on Hulu. Both series blend fantasy action with the “school life” concept, showing new anime fans how much anime tends to focus on high school and special academies for young heroes. My Hero Academia is the lengthier of the two series, taking place in a future world where superpowered Quirks are everywhere and pro heroes are the norm, and protagonist Izuku Midoriya must train with his new, powerful Quirk to become the symbol of peace he always wanted to be.

Iruma-Kun!, meanwhile, sends its young hero Iruma Suzuki to the demonic Netherworld, where an elder demon adopts him as his grandson and sends him to the Babyls school for young demons. That may sound like a scary premise, but this anime’s demons are benevolent humanoids who embody core shonen traits like the power of friendship, the virtue of perseverance, and believing oneself.

Jujutsu Kaisen

A boy swallows a cursed talisman – the finger of a demon – and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman’s school to be able to locate the demon’s other body parts and thus exorcise himself.

Release Date

October 2, 2020

Cast

Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto

Seasons

3

Studio

MAPPA

Creator

Gege Akutami

Main Characters

Yuji Itadori, Satoru Gojo, Ryomen Sukuna

Production Company

Mappa, TOHO animation

Number of Episodes

47 Episodes

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