At The End Of Ch. 80, Gege Leaves This Note.

At the end of ch. 80, Gege leaves this note.

I tried to look for symbolism related to tuna that fits Mahito but idk if there is anything, or if gege just thought it was funny or felt like drawing another fish. (it was clear that Mahito turned into the fish, maybe he wanted us to know it's a tuna?).

Mostly I saw that tuna used to be a last resort food, but recently gained a much higher reputation - is this a sign that Kenjaku wouldn't eat Mahito in his current state, unless that's all there is? That Mahito would become something that he really wanted to absorb?

Kenjaku did look forward to the possibility that Kokichi Muta (mechamaru) would push Mahito into that state during their fight.

That's all I got, so I'm letting this one go. Let me know if you think of anything else.

Also I updated my character analysis of Mahito, but it's worse and more disturbing and I hate it (fr I only recommend this if you're already rly uncomfortable w him but haven't placed why) but I rly don't see it being related to the tuna

I'm going to be as vague as possible here, with only implied csa, heavier content warning for all the linked posts.

A while ago I was thinking about how Mai and Sukuna seemed quite similar. Secretly very hurt people who put on this edgelord show and pretend not to care or feel.

Since reading these posts about Mai, it got me thinking even more like. The triggers that caused sukuna and Mai to act in ways that made them unloveable characters.

Like when Nobara said "trouble sleeping? You've got open pores", I think that hit a nerve because Mai probably had insomnia and recurring nightmares. Her family would have scapegoated the victim (which is really common irl - somehow it's more shameful to acknowledge a predator in the family than it is to defend them).

And Sukuna with Mimiko - that always drove me insane. It made me resent sukuna for a long time, but gradually I grew this fixation to understand him. Anyway, I'd said before that it was feeling manipulated and told what to do that triggered Sukuna - but I don't think that's it.

Mimiko was terrified of him. They both were. But God, when else have we seen someone's head explode like that? Haruta got one slice. Nanako got cubed. Even the fingie curse that was afraid of Sukuna and attacked him instead of joining forces - that thing got five slices (and he intended for three).

Whatever reactions people had to Sukuna when he lived as a human (and in his current life), whether he was deified or demonized or enslaved, he was seen as a threat to restrain, he was an object of fear. I think the twins' fear of Sukuna hit a nerve.

The fingie curse wasn't trying to use Sukuna - it directly attacked him. But to be feared and told what to do, I think that mix really hit some unresolved trauma.

Edit to add:

another idea I forgot to include is that Sukuna would have known the twins were asking sukuna to kill kenjaku. I think part of him really, really wants to, but due to a pact or something he can't, and that also made him feel helpless. (tbh I don't totally understand this - kenjaku seems to have a covercive relationship with the reincarnated sorcerers. Not only are they taking over someone else's body without being invited to - but they seem rly uncomfortable with him. And it's like they try to get past that... But at the end of the Shibuya arc, Kenjaku said that the pacts he made w those sorcerers were voided when he changed bodies. I assume that, even someone who makes pacts often (like Sukuna) doesn't know that they become nullified when kenjaku changes bodies (how could they know? No one else does that). Or maybe they are only canceled on Kenjaku's end, but the other sorcerers might still face consequences (which I find less believable, as their old bodies are also gone, though maybe eating themselves was also a way to retain that bond).

If you want a deeper read w even more context (especially on sukuna), here's a link. (this post got me thinking so much, half of my drafts are in reaction to it probably)

MAAAAN THESE SUKUNA ANALYSES... THEY'RE SO GOOD... I've always related to him super hard just on first readings as a trans disabled person who is an ambulatory wheelchair user. I'm incredibly violent and confrontational, too. If I could just fuckin kill the people who dehumanize me constantly, I mean... that kind of power is tempting! The way you read him is so satisfying to my brain, and it definitely makes sense in the text as well. Overall I'm just really happy to see somebody managing to put into words what I subconsciously grasped the first time I watched and read JJK. I was literally internally like "omg omg omg they put it into words!! omg!!!" the entire time I've been reading these posts. I can't wait to see what other analysis posts you've made and if there's other stuff for fandoms I enjoy. Thanks a lot for what you do! People like me appreciate it so much.

Oh thank goodnesss you feel this way. Everytime I post always I think of this image.

Thank you for confirming I'm still at secret esoteric knowledge.

Sukuna is very cathartic for me as a character in that way too. He basically gets to act out where I would restrain myself.

It’s funny that you mention you’re trans. At the risk of tipping the scale to mental illness, I think Sukuna is a very gender character. I find his refusal to introduce himself very relatable. He just kind of lets everyone call him whatever. The only time he ever identifies himself is when not doing so could put in his life in danger.

That’s it. “I’m the Fallen/Disgraced One”. I don’t believe he ever refers to himself as a man either. He just uses a masculine speaking style.

I also like how he doesn’t seem to care about being associated with feminine things. The marketing leans into this for some reason, pairing him up with Hello Kitty, which I think is great.

He projects this “I’m too strong to care about gender” aura I’m obsessed with. It might stem from his dehumanization as well. Both himself and other people are not really sure if he’s a curse or a human, so why on earth would he outwardly identify as man? It's not like curses have genders to begin with.

But the moment anyone tries to concretely observe him, like Mahito or Yuji touching his soul, he flips out. That really captures the vibe of “acknowledge my existence, but do not perceive me.” And if you find that relatable you should read Umineko.

Sukuna is on the border of everything, so he reads like an allegory for multiple minority groups all at once.

He’s masculine in his presentation, but isn’t considered human enough to be called a man. That’s very trans of him.

He’s extremely ablebodied at a glance, but his abnormal features make normal day to day life a constant battle. That’s very invisibly disabled of him.

He may be Japanese by blood, but he’s deemed a monster and pushed out from society for not meeting certain physical features. That’s very biracial of him.

Hmm

Fuck I’m dead Gege killed me with his interview 🙃

It is with a heavy heart I announce my updating of Sukuna's Negative Rizz, again. Hopefully for the last time. In summary: Added a massive section analyzing Chinese poetry after being driven to madness by Sukuna's use of Enchain 契闊 (keikatsu).