I laughed when CBR, and other websites back when Jujutsu Kaisen season 1 first aired exaggerated its female characters.
They were claiming this anime does “shounen right” with its empowered female characters and all the rest of that drivel certain voices are known for pushing (fan service, etc).
It’s not as if I don’t get it. I do.
I even did an article on JJK girls: Jujutsu Kaisen Female Characters
But it doesn’t seem like Jujutsu Kaisen female characters who were claimed to be “shounen done right” aged very well.
In the bigger picture, they seem overrated on some level.
Season 2 taught us that by giving us more perspective.
Let’s go down the list:
1. Nobara Kugisaki
Nobara Kugisaki is a likeable female character and a likeable character in general.
We see she comes from countryside life, and going into Tokyo with the intent to become a JJK sorcerer showed she had guts.
The first episode, second episode, and beyond until the last episode of season 1 showed this even more. Her most memorable moments being her “speech” about gender equality in the middle of a fight with Maki’s sister.
Nobara held her own with the lads of Jujutsu Kaisen as far as strength, and everyone ate it up like they were starving at dinner time.
Then Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 comes around, and Nobara Kugisaki is no longer as:
- Badass.
- Useful.
- Powerful.
- Strong.
- Relevant.
Compared to how she was in the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen, it can be argued that she was “never” all that great in the first place except where it was convenient.
It’s true that Nobara gave Mahito a relatively tough time, but then look at how they did Nobara as a character. Plus it was foreshadowed ahead of time.
Nobara also struggled against that blonde guy and was sloppy as well. She didn’t seem like that “strong” Nobara that season 1 had everyone believing due to hype and emotions.
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2. Maki Zenin
Maki Zenin has always been one of the female characters, maybe the only female character to be comparable to the male characters with strength.
She’s skilled, knows how to fight, can hold her own, and clearly has fighting potential. Her beating MIwa in a fight wasn’t the best way to highlight her skills in all fairness but it worked.
Season 2 didn’t do much for Maki Zenin. She was there, but that’s about it.
Why is that bad? Unlike Sukuna (despite being a villain) who was hyped from the beginning and ended up living up to it, Maki Zenin did not live up to her hype.
The writers didn’t want it to happen and that was clear compared to the male characters, but even as a stand-alone female character, Maki can be shown to be a lot more.
She’s far above other girls in JJK as far s quality though and not being so overrated.
3. Maki Zenin’s sister
The fact I call her “Maki’s sister” tells you how not so memorable this female character is.
I always judge an anime and its characters by how memorable someone is. If I can’t remember them without effort, are they really worthy of being a memory in the first place?
In the first season, she obviously has issues because of politics in the Zenin family, her history, and her comparisons to Maki. That was a relevant insight.
In a fight, she was good, but not good enough to defeat Nobara single-handedly.
In season 2, Maki’s sister seemed helpful but it was temporary and not much more than that. Almost like a “stand in” character.
She was LESS hyped than others, but still.
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4. Weird girl and her little brother
Mei Mei, I guess she’s called. She was introduced in the 2nd season of JJK.
She seems strong, capable and has her own quirky personality. She clearly stands out from that point of view. But beyond this, was she anything to write home about?
Was she one of those female characters where you say “YES, she’s the one” when thinking about the overall female cast?
People have a lot to say about anime like Fairy Tail, and yet characters like Erza, Lucy, Levy, Bisca, Mirajane, and so many more are true representations of what “good” female characters look like who are memorable.
JJK with Mei Mei is clearly NOT a slither of that. She’s overrated.
5. Girl on the broomstick
Momo Nishimiya is her name, but I know that only because I looked it up. The moment she shows herself along with Maki’s sister against Nobara Kugisaki is the moment she is only relevant for the moment.
Her showing up in the 2nd season to take on GETO, or what appears to be him, was a little meh along with the other characters.
It’s not as if she can’t have any likeable qualities, or that in general, she’s not likeable. It’s that beyond the generalities, there is nothing to see, hear, talk about, get excited about, or praise.
Yes, that happens with male characters of JJK as well on some level, but female characters are overly hyped by Western sites or Feminists who are too attached to narratives, so when they end up being lacklustre, it’s even more of a joke that needs to be shared.
6. Yuki Tsukumo
This woman is known mostly for the flashbacks in GETO’S past along with Gojo, and being the woman who influenced Todo’s mannerisms.
She clearly has a personality that can’t be forgotten. She’s memorable, unique, has her own flair, and doesn’t feel like other JJK female characters.
That aligns with the fact she doesn’t work with JJK High and all the politics of it and chooses to fight her own way, solo.
Still, beyond these facts, can we really say that Yuki Tsukumo is a GREAT or even a GOOD female character in JJK? If this is the measurement people use to define a great character, I don’t know what to say.
If she was removed from the story, would anything change?
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7. Miwa Kasumi
Miwa, after all, is said and done, is one of the most memorable characters in Jujutsu Kaisen but for different reasons.
In the first season, it was the comedy value. She was like Goddess Aqua from Konosuba with her “Hello, useless Miwa here?” when she took that phone call.
She added to the comedy side of JJK which is relevant. Her fight with Maki Zenin also became a highlight for its own reasons.
In season 2 Miwa is shown to have a relationship with Mechamaru we couldn’t have known about in S1, and this became one of the anime’s most wholesome and worthwhile moments of JJK S2.
But it also watered down Miwa to nothing but a love interest who has no business being on the battlefield, proven by the moment she did arrive on the battlefield she almost got WIPED off the map but was “Luckiyl” saved.
All in all, Miwa isn’t overrated like others in JJK, but she was been watered down which is disappointing in its own way.
What about the other female characters from Jujutsu Kaisen?
In the end, none of the other female characters are even worth mentioning for being overrated or otherwise.
They’re either not relevant enough, are support characters, or are characters who are only there to assist without being memorable themselves or playing any major role in the anime.
Anything relevant is extremely momentary in JJK 1 and JJK S2, making it not worth much of a conversation since it’s nothing to shout about.
Overall, JJK Female Characters are overly praised
Only in the anime’s comedic moments do we see the female characters in a better light. Not much beyond that.
Even an anime like Dragon Ball Z which doesn’t focus much on female characters is more deserving of praise because its female characters are so relevant and on point.
Bulma is the main one.
Same with Fairy Tail despite the nonsensical criticism it gets as a series (great, relevant, and memorable female cast).
Even Naruto, an anime said to be “not that good” with female characters did a better job despite airing so many years ago and having an author who apparently wasn’t the best for female writing.
And yes, even Sword Art Online has a female cast that ends up being more relevant in the grand scheme of things than JJK.
Nobara and Maki, and maybe Miwa are good but disappointing and as a whole, JJK aren’t what they were hyped up to be. I say this in spite of liking these characters.
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