Despite being a shonen series, Jujutsu Kaisen has been highly praised for its unique and well-written story. Shonen series have a reputation for mishandling female characters, often leaving them with underdeveloped backstories and little growth.
Despite the varying development of characters Nobara and Maki, Jujutsu Kaisen has received acclaim for its portrayal of female characters in the early chapters and first season of the anime. Fans have praised the series for delving into the struggles faced by female sorcerers in Jujutsu society while genuinely exploring the complexities of characters like Nobara and Maki. However, this contrast in character development also exposes both the successes and shortcomings of the series.
Please note that this article may contain spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series.
Jujutsu Kaisen: Maki and Nobara’s Parallel Paths
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, Nobara and Maki have emerged as highly praised female characters within the shonen genre, breaking the mold of being solely romantic interests for the protagonist. Prior to the Shibuya Incident arc, it was highlighted that the Jujutsu society held a negative attitude towards female sorcerers, requiring them to strive for perfection in order to earn recognition and respect.
Despite the initial expectations of fans, Nobara and Maki were unable to fully overcome the challenges and societal pressures as sorcerers. While Maki had been set up for a potential increase in power with the introduction of Toji in the Hidden Inventory arc, Nobara’s character development and battles were lacking and barely noticeable.
Nobara’s initial major battle was against Momo, who is commonly regarded as the least powerful sorcerer in the entire series. In the Shibuya Incident arc, Haruta surprisingly managed to defeat Nobara. However, Nobara did have a role in the showdown against Eso and Kechizu, where her technique proved to be a perfect match against both of them, but it was a collaborative effort between her and Yuji.
The Nobara vs. Mahito battle was a potential opportunity for her development, but it ultimately only involved a clone of Mahito who was unable to utilize Idle Transfiguration. As a result of the actual Mahito’s attack, Nobara suffered injuries and was unable to appear in the next 140 chapters.
Maki, on the other hand, experienced a significant power boost, leading her to annihilate the entire Zenin clan and emerge victorious against the powerful Special Grade cursed spirit, Naoya. She then engaged in a fierce battle with a 15-fingered Meguna, inflicting a crucial blow to Sukuna’s heart, which proved to be one of the most significant injuries he endured throughout the entire confrontation.
Despite Maki’s character development and multiple mini-arcs dedicated to her, Nobara was noticeably absent from the story for over 140 chapters and only made a sudden reappearance in the last five chapters. While her return in Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 267 was met with enthusiasm by fans, some have voiced their disappointment with how it was executed.
Final Thoughts
In Chapter 267, Nobara made a sudden comeback and used Resonance to attack Sukuna from afar. While Chapter 268 may offer some explanation for her absence of over 140 chapters, the manga is set to conclude in Chapter 271, leaving little time for Nobara to undergo the same level of growth as Maki. Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 268 is scheduled to be published on September 1, 2024.
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