Jujutsu kaisen is a very hot manga right now and even it's a new one it really is great. The action is just getting better and the art is always good.

Jujutsu Kaisen continues to lay down the rules of this cursed world across each chapter, and the students of Jujutsu High are definitely are finding their own place on the team. In Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 8, the 1st year students begin to make a name for themselves, but this volume ends up offering more insight into an older friendship.

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The story delivery of each chapter within Jujutsu Kaisen tends to lay out the rules for curses and abilities haphazardly. However, it becomes more apparent in these chapters that it’s mainly due to the sheer amount of curses this world plagues. The volume begins by showing the tail end of the fight between Itadori and Kugisaki against Eso, which weighs heavily on the consciousness of Itadori. This creates some unique dialogue between him and Kugisaki that I found enlightening to their personalities.

The students are coming up on a lot of responsibilities as the possibility of them ranking up is on the horizon. However, this will require them to face tough fights, making the upcoming chapters so much more appealing. Further, their friendship is just so charming in this entry as they riff off each other in some of the funniest conversations in the series to date.

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The action is subdued here, and we mostly just get exposition on what awaits the characters in the forthcoming volumes. However, we learn of a few secrets within the group about the state of the Sakuna fingers that rest inside Itadori, which raises the tension.

The volume is concluded with a few chapters dedicated to younger Satoru and Geto, and if there’s any reason to read this volume, it’s for these chapters. Until the end of the volume expect excellent character writing and a display of friendship that you know in the back of your mind is already damned.

The second half of the volume carries a different tone as it’s more action-focused, but Satoru and Geto fighting together are just way too overpowered. You end up feeling a little sorry for the enemies but in a comical way. As I’m writing, I think this is an excellent way to contrast the opening chapter’s emotional moments.

Each panel is beautiful, and no scene is wasted. The action scenes are well telegraphed, and the comedic exchanges between characters land thanks to how the panels are displayed. There are some stand-out panels as well, such as close-ups of the character’s eyes or full-page illustrations of scenes, which was nice to see.

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Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 8 is a well-paced volume. The emotional moments of morality in the opening chapter could have been explored further, but instead, we learn of some secrets within the group. The second half of the volume is perhaps the most significant since the first half is mostly preparing for what’s to come.

After getting through a harrowing battle with a rival school, the students of Jujutsu High have a brief moment of calm before diving into another encounter with cursed spirits. This time around they have a very specific mission to usher in the new form of Master Tengen, their principal who is immortal, but still ages. If he gets too old, he'll maybe destroy the world so they have to move his spirit to a star plasma vessel, which is easier said than done when two rival organizations are targeting it too.

Gojo takes much of the spotlight in Jujutsu Kaisen: Volume 8. He's a likable, albeit arrogant character. He's clearly very powerful and he's shown a fraction of his strength so far so it's interesting to see more of him. He makes short work of a soldier off panel to the point where the poor guy is ready to throw in the towel for his entire organization.

Creator Gege Akutami fleshes out the world of Jujutsu Kaisen a bit more with this volume, showing that it's not just rival schools and weird looking curses. While only a select few can see the cursed spirits, those are broken up into different factions, creating more enemies and allies.

The cursed spirits are just as varied and terrifying as ever. They often take the shape of these shifting masses of flesh and teeth, making them even more disturbing. The battles against these creatures are epic. Akutami delivers some great action, to the point where the images feel like they're moving on the page. I love the way the lines blur a bit when the fight intensifies.

This volume feels a little uneven in terms of its story as it's wrapping up the last arc and preparing for the next one. It's like an intermission of sorts, especially with Yuji taking a back seat for most of it. That being said, it ends with a shocking cliffhanger that could have huge ramifications for the series. It's clear this is a fascinating and terrifying world and we're just scraping the surface of it.

Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 8 concludes the confrontation with the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, and for those who read the release of Volume 0, a key detail dropped is given much more attention here. The manga series from Gege Akutami follows teen Yuji Itadori. In the act of impulsive heroism, he becomes the vessel for special grade curse Sukuna. Thrown into a world of sorcerers and curses, he enrolls at Jujutsu High and is teamed up with Nobara Kugisaki and Megumi Fushiguro. Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 8 is published in English by VIZ Media, translated by Stefan Koza, and features touch-up art and lettering by Snir Aharon. It has design by Joy Zhang and edited by John Bae.

The plot of Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 8 is best described as being broken up into two parts. The majority of it is a flashback, but Yuji and Nobara’s battle gets wrapped up before that. Their stunning teamwork in the last volume pays off. The Cursed Womb: Death Painting brothers exhibit emotion in the face of one of them dying, stopping the teens in their tracks. Everything Yuji and Nobara have learned about cursed spirits gets thrown out the window when the young sorcerers realize their opponents are flesh and blood. An absolutely marvelous panel sequence follows this fight. Yuji and Nobara have to reflect on whether or not they are murderers, and the way Akutami illustrates this through side profiles and long horizontal panels is brilliant. Even after reuniting with Megumi, further revelations illustrate just how close these three have become. There is something genuinely refreshing about the trio and the trust they have formed in each other.

A lighthearted chapter gives readers respite after the battle. It had this reviewer laughing out loud multiple times. Nobara and Megumi run into a girl who has a crush on Yuji and immediately must know more. Seeing even Megumi cave into the gossip is fantastic. It reminds readers that all three are dynamic, fleshed-out characters. Most importantly, though, it reminds the reader that these are kids. In between the horror, Akutami allows brief moments to let the teens be teenagers. It keeps the heart of this series beating amidst the action.

The majority of Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 8 involves their teacher, Satoru Gojo. It was revealed in the prequel that he and the series antagonist Suguru Geto used to be classmates and rather close. The manga goes back in time to their second year at Jujutsu High. The two butt heads, surprising no one, but it is in how they butt heads that is compelling. The younger Geto is completely different from the one readers have come to know. He preaches righteousness and believes it is a sorcerer’s job to protect the weak and non-jujutsu sorcerers of the world from curses. He talks about keeping the strong in check. Aside from viewing non-sorcerers as weak, it is almost completely opposite to his current views. Gojo, on the other hand, could care less. He finds secrecy and having to look out from others a pain.

The storyline will likely show just what caused the shift for both of these two, and its placement in the manga is well-timed. The two are assigned a mission to escort the next Star Plasma Vessel, a teen girl, so that she can merge with Master Tengen. Even more fascinating, lurking in the shadows waiting to strike, is Megumi Fushiguro’s father. He is revealed to be a known sorcerer killer and is out to sabotage the mission and eliminate Gojo. This portrait of the past provides such a stark contrast to the present that readers will find it very compelling, even when the action mission itself is rather by-the-books.

Akutami does an excellent job with character design in Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 8. The characters actually look like younger versions of themselves. On top of that, details such as Gojo using sunglasses rather than a blindfold reflect his more arrogant attitude. Even teenage Nanami is recognizable through body language, no small feat considering he has the most drastic appearance change.

Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 8 does a decent job following up the incredible previous installment. While the core adventures this time are pretty standard, the characters’ inevitable development will keep readers glued to the page as the story jumps back in time.

For thirty years I have watched anime and read manga. I have seen series be remade or rehashed and many common tropes. It is hard to come up with something new but Jujutsu Kaisen is fresh and full of edge of your seat excitement. I am reading the manga and watching the anime. At least three times each.

While the story is gory and deals with a lot of violence, the characters are wonderful and the battles are epic. I would recommend the series for older teens or adults because of the blood and gore.

Yuji Itadori is a phyically gifted kid. He lost his parents long ago, not much is said on that and his grandfather is dying in the hospital. Yuji helps his two friends by attending their occult club and helping them acquire weird things. One of the things he helps them get is a cursed finger that is sealed in wrappings. While Yuji is visiting his grandfather in the hospital a kid his own age stops him to ask about the cursed object. What Yuji finds out sends him rushing to help his friends and forever changes Yuji's life.

This is book 8 in the series and Yuji is still learning how manage his emotions while being a jujutsu sorcerer. He is a kind-hearted person and doesn't like hurting anyone, even if they are evil. Will Yuji be able to keep Sakuna under control? I just can't get enough of these characters and this world. Thanks so much Akutami!!!