Mlem

Jokes aside, the reason I love this character so much is because he's highly competent but truly humble; goofy, and completely unbothered when shit is hitting the fan. Nothing really ruffles his feathers. Traits I admire.

This is the look of a man who is concerned for people he loves. Semiu tried to put his mind at ease by downplaying the potential consequences of what she has decided to do, but I think he's still planning for the worst case scenario. I think he's troubled about what Rudo doesn't yet know versus appropriate timing on having that talk. His intuition allows him to see the best strategies to take in regards to mentoring Rudo, like having Zanka train him- which I think is just as much for Zanka's benefit because it develops him as a leader. But I think his intuition- whatever the explanation for why it is so accurate- has drawbacks and it's evident in how he seems to handle Rudo. He seems to have Riyo figured out entirely. He sees right through her, but they have been together the longest out of the three. Zanka joined after, and Enjin seems to have an excellent handle on his strengths and weaknesses, and how to develop them. He seems more lost with Rudo, which, you could chock up to him not having known him that long, however I think the story's introduction of Amo has ruled that out. With her, he seems to know exactly how to inspire her growth. He doesn't handle her delicately and that seems so harsh until I think about what Amo has been through and how her views of love have been shaped. Actions will teach her more than words; I think he treats her as he does to show her someone can say things that seem cruel or harsh, appear to reject you, but have your best interests at heart. That she can express her dislike towards him and he will not lash out or harm her.

But...

I think he's tired.

I think his backstory is tragic and I will cry like a baby.

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So, why people even compare this two at all?

Both of this character follow the very fan-favorite (I'm the fan) ARCHETYPE of 'Teacher/leader/guide of the main character'. I'm sure we can all think at least one example. this trope generally includes;

Character is generally older, (28yrs old is very popular for this trope for some reason lol)

Character is the first or one of the first to introduce & guide MC to something new, an environment for example.

Character is generally presented as strong in comparison to MC or even the whole power system.

Character is someone the MC has to reach in terms of strength and then surpass. "The student become the teacher"

The most blatant example of this and who is arguably the blueprint for this trope is Kakashi Hatake from Naruto.

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Let's talk about GOJO.

Both as a character and an individual, his most important characteristic is that he is the strongest. Is literally the first thing we learn about him five seconds after he appears.

This specific trait is his what I call a core trait/theme. Remove this one thing and his character ceases to make sense. (which is not a bad thing, a lot of characters revolve around one thing)

As an INDIVIDUAL this trait has shaped him from the very beginning. Allowing him to appear as careless, arrogant, make threats to people that should be over him in the hierarchy. He is literally untouchable, but this applies both to his enemies and his allies.

"I alone, I'm the honored one"

Gojo's biggest problem is his loneliness. He was isolated as a child. The only person that was once in his level he surpassed and subconsciously left behind. And even now with students that appreciate him and that he loves, he is still alone. Due to his strength that makes him stand at the top of the world, there is no one else to stand with him.

And in his arguably most important individual arc, (Teen Gojo arc), it revolved all around two questions regarding his strength.

"Are you the strongest?", posed by Toji's and his first defeat. Which was eventually answered by himself in defeating Toji and declaring himself the honored one. and "What does being the strongest mean to you?", both were inquired, but only the first one was answered.

Now, NARRATIVELY speaking. Gojo's purpose is a safety net. Literally everything bad that happens is because he either just isn't there or is being held back in some way. He is meant to represent safety both to the characters and the viewers. Not to mention the peak of the power system.

Gojo is a very tragic character in my eyes. He was never truly allowed to seek human connection. And an answer to whether his strength was all there was to him, a human weapon, was never really given.

ie. Gojo's mot important trait is his strength. It affects his personality and how he interacts with others, his inability to form close relationships being a consequence of this. In the narrative he represents a safety net that the characters have to learn to live without. AKA: Learn to live without him.

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Now, let's talk about ENJIN.

Disclaimer; Enjin is a more difficult case. As we know nearly to nothing about him when it comes to his upbringing + he hasn't had a centralized arc like Gojo did. So our information is more limited and might include a bit (lot) of interpretation from my part.

Now it was a bit hard to pinpoint it, but I believe Enjin's core trait as we know him is his connectivity (for lack of a better word). Contrary to Gojo, this is not something we learn from the get go or is directly fed to us and rather something we slowly pick up.

With connectivity I mean his ability to not only connect with others but to help people connect with each other as well. Creating a web of relationships with him in the middle, as the ensign.

Enjin is in no shape of form a genius at social skills. We see it by the way he is at fault for escalating the Amo's situation. Even though it was doomed to go wrong one way or another but I digress. Even with his obvious flaws he is so caring and loving to those around him. He doesn't coddle the younger ones like naive children but he gives them a space to open up and encourages them to reflect on themselves and keep going.

What I mean with helping others connect with each other I mean in how his pushes help them mature out of their own volition and reach out to other people like he did with them. Enjin helps Zanka who goes out of his way to teach Rudo or when Enjin helps Rudo who reaches out to Amo.

He makes mistakes and will must likely continue to do so, but when someone is at their lowest he will be there, and he will reach out, whether is by extending a hand or putting himself as the obstacle to overcome.

He is true to his name by gluing people together, which has also been his purpose in the narrative up until now. He in a way, represents humanity in the sense that those who have lost themselves can find a way back to their humanity with him. Riyo for example, is very similar to Enjin in many ways, probably because he is her biggest role model in how to be human.

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So, how can this characters relate to each other?

Apart from the fact they fit the same trope, superficially speaking, Enjin's introduction makes him seem like he is going to fulfill a role similar to Gojo's. Which is I think intentionally deceiving. Let's look at their introductions for a moment, ignoring all that we know about them further from their very first moments.

They both appear in a moment of crisis. In Gachiakuta, Rudo is being chased by monsters he is clearly overpowered by. In Jujutsu Kaisen, Itadori become some weird tattooed guy and is about to be exorcised.

They both appear to be careless in different ways, Gojo simply laughs at the situations and talks about food, While Enjin complains about Rudo being too loud while there is a bunch of beasts piling up behind him.

And they both do a show of strength. Gojo literally calls it "I need to show off a little" and Enjin wipes out a bunch of huge ass monsters in one blow.

Even if their personalities in the situations differ, they both give away that same feeling of "oh this guy gonna help", sure we logically don't know either character and their intentions. But where our protagonist is in need of help, we assume this newcomer to be that savior.

The only main difference in both scenes and what I think is their biggest differ is ego. (LOCK IN!!!, a lot of text incoming focus focus)

They both present themselves in a different way. With Enjin calling himself humble or simple, while Gojo directly addresses himself as the strongest, or the best. And this might seem like a minor nitpick but I think it's more than that.

With this introduction, Enjin who was already in a way seen as superior in Rudo's eyes, as well as the viewer's, is purposely grounding himself (for lack of a better word again lol). Not to put himself down in self-deprecation, but rather to try to eliminate whatever sense of superiority he gave off that would made a possible connection later on difficult.

While Gojo is doing the exact opposite, he puts himself up as undeniably and overwhelmingly superior. Leaving a sensation of awe that automatically makes us and Yuji see Gojo in a different light in comparison to other characters.

Curiously, I believe they both had similar purposes. With Enjin making himself more grounded, more reachable, someone Rudo could potentially stand close to in a sense of safety. Gojo goes for a different approach, with his overwhelming strength he makes himself a symbol of safety as in "don't worry, I'm the strongest and nothing will happen while I'm here."

Essentially they are almost exact opposites of each other and I find that so interesting. Gojo's biggest problem is his inability to connect with others, both because of how he grow up and because of how he is seen by others and himself, he is in multiple stances, nearly seen as a god. Meanwhile Enjin's biggest advantage is how he is able to connect with people by putting himself next to them, not down, not over, but next, at the same level.

ie; Gojo tries to look for the humanity he feels he is lacking in other people. Enjin is the humanity others character are looking for.

But notice how I said ALMOST exact opposite, you paying attention??. Because I do believe there is some similarities to them worth pointing out.

And this might be a lil theorizing from my part, but it seems to me that Enjin, like Gojo, is a lonely man.

And don't get me wrong, both of this characters have very important relationships with others. And they are not lonely because of lack of trying by others. To me both seem to have emotional walls so high up that sometimes it feels like the others can't quite reach out to them like they would want to.

It basically screams a fear of being truly vulnerable and open to someone else. I know I just talked about Enjin's ability to connect, but I don't see this two things as opposite statements. Enjin has no problem in being seen as flawed and as human as everyone else, he willingly presents himself that way, but is a completely different thing to have someone actually try to pry into your mind in emotionally intimate way. He left his old name and possibly who he was before being Enjin, and he isn't willing to show that past.

Gojo has this problem as well, but it just so much more clearer with him. Because we know that he has problems to create deep connections with other people, which we can safely align to having problems being emotionally vulnerable. While Enjin's is so well hidden at least up until now that is hard to pick it up without some personal theorizing.

I also believe they both share a certain apathy they can’t quite chase away. Enjin once states that he is not a nice as Rudo as to care for a ‘rando’s life’ and he is shown to be the rather apathetic for people he doesn’t quite know, as he is with Amo at the beginning and even Rudo. But when he is in a situation where a LOT of people are in danger he can’t just look away to a massacre. Similarly, Gojo is willing to have a few bystanders victims, but he as well had a limit to how many death’s can he carry on his shoulders which even the curses now from the sealing in Shibuya.

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Summary.

While Enjin and Gojo share one same archetype, their core traits differ. Gojo's character revolves around connection. While Enjin's is about human connection. They both represent different kinds of safety for the characters, physical and emotional.

But they can also be similar, in a way they both are beacons of growth to the characters. And seem to share a fear of emotional vulnerability.

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Final thoughts.

As I said before, I think Enjin was meant to be a character intentionally deceiving in the way he is portrayed. Meant to make us believe that as a character, he would function similarly as Gojo did. That first power scene, the way he is referred to as "THE Enjin", and maybe even the way he calls himself humble in what could be almost taken as sarcasm initially.

But he functions very differently, he was never going to be an overwhelming force in the way Gojo is. The characters in JJK needed strength, they needed someone that brought them hope in the way of salvation. The characters in Gachiakuta need connection more than they need strength, specially with how important is that Rudo doesn't get caught up on his rage and loses sight of what is dear to him.

This is also why I found particularly funny the Enjin fraud allegations. like damn, that initial deceiving really did a number on ya. Not to say I don't find it hilarious when it comes from his own fans.

Anyway moral of the story is that life is happier when you leave behind power systems and go into a deep dive of the central topics revolving sharing-archetypes characters! yay!

Yuji was named after his childhood classmate

Geto was named after the "Geto Korean Ski Resort", located near Akutami's hometown of Tohoku

he's slightly colorblind

he's a fan of occult, mystical practices and horror

he wears glasses

he cooks somewhat

he loves hot springs and scalp massages, he goes to dermatologist to maintain healthy skin

he exercises and he's trying to get in shape despite the busy schedule, workout is not as painful as it is boring

he's very grateful for his chiropractor bc of his stiff neck, he said that if he ever time-travels and meets his younger self he's gonna tell him "get in shape, seriously", he craves afternoon naps but tries to resist by eating sweets like Pikmin gummies (why's he so contradictory haha)

when Nakamura first debuted with the jjk cast and got to meet Gege, he was surprised by how young he looked. He also said that Gege has a calming voice

hobbies: he reads a bunch of novels and watches a bunch of movies whenever he can, he's busy with work most of the time

his favorite food is crispy thai pandan chicken

his favorite onigiri flavor is mentaiko, he loves Umaibo snacks, Schau Essen, potatoes, hayashi rice, ramen and seedless grapes

He's usually not a fan of name brands but he likes Balenciaga. He also wants to support Royal Host restaurant

he likes comedy podcasts like Arabikidan group

the first manga he submitted to Jump was a gag manga

when he was a student he found studying boring but he likes doing research on things that actually interest him (like engineering facts he needed for the manga)

when he was an art student, he didn't really like making drawings where the model stayed for hours in a specific pose. He preferred to sketch in 3-4 minutes

he relies too much on sketches, rough drafts and his editors (he says he's like a dog for the editors)

he has a habit of forgetting how to draw his characters sometimes

he's self-deprecating and he's sorry that he sometimes makes people feel awkward by being overly critical of himself *hugs him*

he finds it difficult to write Yuji bc Yuji and Akutami are fairly different, Akutami doesn't consider himself particularly athletic but he can relate to Yuji for being an "airhead" sometimes and does things when people tell him not to

he thinks he's clumsy and fucks up honorifics sometimes, he talks casually with his editor Yamanaka whom he has a beef with till this day, he reminds him to "respect his elders" (he's so Gojo coded lol)

He's so funny asdfghjhgfd

he's in good relationship with his parents, he respects them and they're very supportive of him

he cares about his mom's opinion on his manga

Toji's and Yuta's personalities are somewhat based on Akutami's dad, dad also reads the manga

according to Gege, jjk should've been a lot darker but editor didn't allow it

he's an otaku, he's a fan of Marvel, has Hunter x Hunter posters on the wall and enjoys Pokémon wii games, he collected Yu-Gi-Oh cards when he was younger, he's from the generation when Gintama was popular

He never felt hatred for Thanos from Avengers: Endgame (explains why he likes Sukuna so much lol)

his favorite Haikyuu character is Tendo and his favorite BNHA characters are Overhaul and Stain

he saw Brad Pitt in person wow

Idea for the pen name: Gege worked a part time job at the cleaners and learned what it's like to be humble in the world. "Gege" translates to a "person of lower status" or a "commoner"

he claims to be socially awkward with people he's not familiar with, he's not used to public speech but when he gets drunk he does a 180 and is blabbering a lot

people call him a genius with a great sense of humor, his editor Katayama says that he's a cheery and a cool person, much like Gojo

he bought a black mountain parka (like Gojo's) that's supposed to last for six years but he put it in storage after one week

he thought about dying his hair white (Gege stop with the Gojo cosplay)

he's a procrastinator, he's mentally preparing for hours to draw a manga chapter that would otherwise take him 30min. The truth is, he's getting tired of jjk and can't wait to finish it

he chose the cyclop cat avatar because drawing one eye is easier and no one hates cats

he said that he used to have a "type of girl" in high school but the more he grew up he realized that every woman is a good woman, he likes well-groomed women (although I think he likes girls with thick tights? he's a Hwasa fan)

he thinks that world can't be divided into black and white and that it's always a blur. Villains and heroes are treated the same because each of them have their own beliefs and ideologies that are valid

he isn't emotionally bound to any of his characters, he will kill whoever, as long as the story is interesting

he's deliberately not trying to sexualize his female characters, not just because of his parents, but also because he wants to leave a respectable impression. Mangaka profession is very looked down upon. He wants to change that

his net worth is somewhere around $12 million