Jujutsu Kaisen 0

is a 2021 Japanese animated dark fantasy film. It is based on the manga series Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which is itself a prequel to the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series, both manga series having been created by Gege Akutami. It was directed by Sunghoo Park and written by Hiroshi Seko, with stars Megumi Ogata, Kana Hanazawa, Mikako Komatsu, Kōki Uchiyama, Tomokazu Seki, Yuichi Nakamura, and Takahiro Sakurai. Produced by MAPPA, the film follows Yuta Okkotsu, a young student who becomes a sorcerer and seeks to control the Cursed Spirit of his childhood friend Rika Orimoto in Jujutsu High, alongside other skilled sorcerers in training. Originally intended as an arc of the television series, MAPPA changed the format of it during discussion. Besides the story focusing on Yuta and classmates, the staff decided to expand the narrative from that of the original manga by adding new scenes focused on the students' mentor Satoru Gojo and the antagonist Suguru Geto. King Gnu performed the two theme songs. Given the large budget for the movie, MAPPA aimed to make more appealing fight sequences than the ones from the TV series. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was released in Japan in December 2021 by Toho. Upon its release, the film received positive reviews for its accessible storytelling, the animated fight sequences, and soundtrack. However, it was also criticized for its short length as some characters felt underdeveloped when compared to the lead. It was the highest-grossing film at the Japanese box office from 2021 in Japan, and also took $196.2 million in revenues worldwide. Plot High school student Yuta Okkotsu suffers from being frequently bullied, when one day, his bullies are brutally killed by a Cursed Spirit that clings to him. The higher-ups of the Jujutsu Society wish to have the boy killed, as his curse is a dangerous spirit. However, a teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu Technical High, Satoru Gojo, recruits Yuta to join the school, thus saving him. Yuta explains that the Cursed Spirit is Rika, a childhood friend whom he had promised to marry when they grew up. Rika died in a freak accident and became an overprotective spirit that harms anyone who threatens him. Yuta meets fellow students Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, all with distinct abilities of their own.