First Try Doing A More Realistic Eye Digitally

First try doing a more realistic eye digitally <3

Redraw of this <3

It’s highly likely that Geto didn’t realise how important he was to Gojo. I made a blurb on Twitter/X about how I feel that Geto wasn’t a reliable narrator in that sense, but I feel the need to expand on it a bit more.

We now know that they both felt like they’d been left behind. I’ve talked about it before, and it seems evident that they left a wound the shape of each other in one another when they separated.

We know Geto’s intentions with leaving Gojo behind. The kind, polite, gentle Geto who always treated Gojo lovingly - pushed him away to a point where he thought he was unforgivable - thinking they were ex-best friends in his conversation with MimiNana. He shot him down in a way he never did before - “how arrogant,” he said - asking him of his identity, to think about his purpose and cautioning him not to be used. Turning away before Gojo could protest, to convey they were going on separate paths - a “do not follow me”. He gave him his blessing to kill him - showing that he understood there would be meaning in it. The recent JJK exhibition showed that Geto was drafted by Gege in the KFC breakup scene to convey that he thought it would be ok if he was killed by Gojo’s hand. Adding that Gojo should be careful not to kill anyone else but him.

The two presenting interpretations are - 1) just try to kill me alone amongst all these ppl with your overwhelming strength; or, it could also mean, 2) make sure you stay on your path until you decide what you wield your power for (although Geto already decided for Gojo who mustn’t follow him).

For 1) Geto supposedly hated monkeys, so Gojo unleashing his power shouldn’t be a bad thing. But that would be a bad thing because then Gojo would be another curse user like him who killed innocent people. So this demonstrates that Geto had Gojo’s self-interest in mind.

For 2) Geto turned away and gave Gojo a final lesson - to wield his power for the greater good and to not kill like he did. Don’t be a monster like him and he gave Gojo is permission to kill him. It wouldn’t be bad to die by his hand. That Gojo shouldn’t kill anyone unless they were at least as evil as he. Again, this demonstrates Geto having Gojo’s interests at heart.

Thus Geto foreshadowed his fate when he said to Gojo that it would bring meaning to kill him - Gojo was the only one whom he would let stop him. The light novel insinuated that Gojo had to be the one to carry the curse that was Geto Suguru too.

Gojo seemed to understand what Geto meant and decided for himself not to kill him then and there. And not for 10 years. As a reader we know he could’ve. But what did Geto understand and take from it all? Was he a reliable narrator?

Geto was surprised at the end of jjk 0 - that Gojo still had trust for him. The way he phrased it in the original Japanese seemed rather self-deprecating. It goes along the lines of, “to think you still have that (trust) for the likes of me.” And how can we forget the impact of Gojo’s last words... Geto was humbled by it and I HC he was careful all the way not to curse Gojo. So he said, “At least curse me a little at the end.” - as if to say, instead of the love you’re giving me, I know I deserve to be cursed for hurting you. I’m sorry.

So we can kind of see that Geto did not perceive himself as loved as he actually was by Gojo. He looked regretful here as he reflected on their friendship as aforementioned with MiniNana:

Gojo understood that he shouldn’t follow Geto, but we now know he actually felt left behind. In fact they both felt left behind by the other. And they both wanted to catch up. One was early and one was late... curse and blessing, absorb and repel, etc. I think we all are familiar with certain themes by now.

Gojo respected Geto’s need to walk separately and protected his love and desire to keep Gojo on that path. He allowed it. He could have taken the words of make sure you “kill only me” as a reason not to fire into the crowd, or he could’ve applied it to all humans, because this was what Geto also taught him earlier on.

But we know Gojo had the power to just grab and kill Geto on his own, ambush him at any time in the 10 years, and so also just plainly not regard those rules. In fact in jjk 0 Gojo talked about siding with Okkutsu with the higher-ups because he wanted to allow overwhelming power to be understood. His risk to make. So, from Gojo’s point of view that Geto might not be aware of, he took those risks upon his shoulders as the strongest and the executioner of the school, and let people like Yuta and Geto and later, Yuji, live. So just like in Shibuya, we also know that Gojo actually will take calculated risks and make sacrifices. If there is meaning. He determines it himself.

This being me to this point:

Kenjaku had access to Geto’s memories and from there, he devised his plan in further detail to trap Gojo to seal him in the prison realm. But he only knew what Geto knew.

He wasn’t wrong that Gojo fought best alone. We don’t know if he could’ve learnt to fight with someone alongside him, but perhaps after Toji, he didn’t see the need to, and preferred to “risk himself” seeing as he could be invulnerable with limitless, and he would be free to go all out with his destructive power.

Here we see him infer that Gojo would be deterred by the presence of humans - the possibility that there would be casualties. He is also not wrong, but we can see that this was based on Geto’s assumption - that he was in the way. He believed he was in the way. We don’t know why Gege scrapped the draft, but that was Geto’s intentions: to keep Gojo righteous. Not to follow him.

He was willing to damn himself in his friend’s memory so he wouldn’t be dragged into hell too. We can imagine that he felt left behind by Gojo in strength especially since Gojo also pointed it out in their exchange. He thought he wouldn’t be treasured in his friend’s memory, although he treasured Gojo (wearing the Gojo-kesa and also his views on loyalty through calling Yuta a “womaniser”). So I think he felt like he would be easily discarded by Gojo once he left and hypocritically pointed him in the other way, especially when Gojo let Geto decide for them both him just a year ago, and didn’t kill the people clapping at the hideout.

Someone pointed out that Gojo’s love was “I’ll go wherever with you and hold on forever” and Geto’s love was “I’ll let you go, and it’ll hurt but at least you’ll be safe.”

Sigh.

Whatever it was, he believed Gojo spared him because there were people present when he walked into the crowd. Stalling for time allowed him to get away.

Not believing that Gojo was conflicted and wanted Geto to live … or “come back home” like his character song given by Gege. He did the same thing in jjk 0 when he cautioned Gojo not to approach him because his students were “in his range”. So he must’ve believed it was a deterrent for Gojo.

Geto did not know how Gojo took the breakup scene or how he interpreted his words of parting.

To him, and to Kenjaku, the tactic of stalling for time allowed Geto to walk free. Human lives could be used against Gojo. In the 10 years, maybe Geto thought he was useful in getting rid of curses, etc. so he was left to his own devices. Gojo never came to execute him. We don’t fully know, but we got a glimpse of what Geto assumed - their friendship was but a precious memory and there was no trust from Gojo left. And though Geto heard Gojo’s confession at the end of his life, he was never to know that Gojo’s love actually ran that deep - because he was also surprised at the airport scene.

He did not know that Gojo felt left behind. In fact, the readers only found out a recently in chapter 261.

Gojo thought about what Geto positioned him with (who are you, the strongest, for?) and concluded that being strong wasn’t enough. He couldn’t save Geto who did not want to be saved. Did not want to be helped. Did not want his help, despite being the strongest. Gojo was not taken along. Wasn’t allowed to become a monster too. Geto would not use him. He could have all the strength but also not achieve or have what he really wanted. He was left behind. He could not catch up.

And then this from much earlier on has come to make even more sense:

That Gojo was trying to turn his grief into something that could bring him meaning and keep/respect his friend’s wishes alive in his life.

And by trying to retain Gojo’s righteousness, Geto had made himself all alone. Geto felt the need to go all by himself (much like their disagreement in HI “you lonely? Go by yourself.” “I hate righteousness - it’s for the weak.”) and cut everything off, including his parents and sorcerer family.

I don’t think Gojo particularly wanted to be left behind. He just… tended to listen to Geto’s wishes. Even Yaga questioned him, I previously thought he was asking why didn’t he chase to kill him as ordered, but some are debating this, saying it was more “why didn’t you chase after him?” (Why don’t you go with?) And Gojo replies, “Didn’t you hear?” (I’d been left behind). Who knows.

He came to believe that love was the most twisted curse.

Why?

Because love led Geto to do what he did and defect.

Because love made Geto turn away and not to bring him to hell.

Because love led Gojo to honour his friend’s wishes even if it pained him.

Love led them to love each other from afar.

Love was a curse that hurt each other and themselves…

…because they do it all out of love for the other, beyond the love for themselves.

Nevertheless: They were now both alone.

Over the years they tried to change that, being surrounded by others, family and students - but they had an empty seat with each others’ name on it. And they had ended up not being alone - just lonely.

He probably knew Gojo could have chased after him to kill him, but his main interpretation seemed to be what Kenjaku believed - he clung onto the principles of “protecting humans” first and foremost. Gojo ended up doing the 1% of his predictions and opened his domain in a calculated risk.

Interestingly Gojo asking Ichiji about the humans subjected by UV (before the fight to his death with Sukuna) reflects the side he lived protecting,

and Geto asking about his sorcerer family before his death to Gojo reflects the side he lived to protect.

The whole “counterpart” theme runs so deep: early & late, curse & blessing, absorb & repel, yin & yang, black & white... even down to the part where Gojo asked about the humans before his fight with Sukuna and Geto asking about his sorcerer family before his death. It demonstrated who they lived to protect and how one needed the other to survive (without humans = no curses = no need for sorcery).

Geto just was never really aware of how much Gojo loved him, perhaps because Gojo only realised it after he left. That love led them both to keep doing what they did.

That love was indeed a twisted curse. Because they loved the other so much that they’d sacrifice themselves - the very object of the others’ affection, hurting one another as a result of it. To love the other was to curse themselves... which then cursed the other.

In this twisted world...

Gojo was the only one who could save Geto and Geto was the only one who could save Gojo.

There would be meaning to it. Gojo was at Geto’s end.

Will we meet again? - the lyrics of the song goes. Geto met Gojo at the airport at his end.

Geto showed Gojo love and compassion - saving his soul.

Gojo showed Geto pure and unwavering love - saving his soul.

I’ve blabbed enough now... thanks for making it until the end.

Playing around with different brushes <3

I actually really like this <3

So happy I’m not the only one who hates this movie and realised this 😭

“Night Furies can’t fly long distances without rest.”

— Grimmel the Grisly.

The “Night Fury killer” everyone.