Kagurabachi’s Flashback Packs More Emotional Punch than Jujutsu Kaisen’s Entire Storyline

Despite not being heavily similar to Jujutsu Kaisen, there are moments in Kagurabachi that prompt fans to draw interesting comparisons. One such example is the emotional impact of Hakuri Sazanami’s tragic backstory in the latest chapter of Takeru Hokazono’s manga, which fans feel surpasses the heartache of seeing Megumi Fushiguro’s doomed relationship with his sister, Tsumiki, in Akutami’s manga.

No doubt, the mysterious girl with the cold skin from Hakuri’s past had a profound impact on his life, much like Megumi Fushiguro’s fate did for Tsumiki. However, many fans believe that Hokazono’s creative brilliance stirred up more emotion with a single flashback than Akutami’s entire Megumi-Tsumiki storyline in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Disclaimer: The following article includes the author’s personal opinions on the most recent chapter of Kagurabachi and includes depictions of violence. Additionally, this article contains significant spoilers from the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.

Hakuri’s Traumatic Past in Kagurabachi: A Source of Strong Emotional Impact for Fans

In chapter 35 of Kagurabachi, titled “Cage,”the story delved into Hakuri Sazanami’s backstory through a flashback. This flashback showcased the events from when he was tasked with taking care of a merchandise woman for the Rakuzaichi auction. It was later revealed that the girl would be moved to the original storeroom after three weeks.

Until then, Hakuri’s top priority was to maintain her health. On the first day, the boy noticed that the merchandiser, known as “the girl with the icy skin,”had not touched her food. He asked her what was troubling her and discovered that she simply wanted someone to talk to while eating.

In order to participate in the Rakuzaichi auction, Hakuri willingly became the girl’s companion during lunchtime. From then on, until she was moved to the actual Rakuzaichi storeroom, they spent valuable time together every day. Hakuri also opened up to her about the trauma and abuse he endured from his family members.

The girl with the icy skin, as seen in the manga (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

As the girl with the icy skin observed Hakuri, she empathized with his situation of being confined in a cage similar to her own. Gradually, the young sorcerer grew fond of the girl and on his last day of duty, he unlocked her cage and invited her to have a final meal together outside.

In Kagurabachi chapter 24, the story continued with the girl holding a knife to her throat. She revealed to Hakuri that she had planned to end her life from the beginning. However, thanks to the boy’s intervention, she had to find a different solution to her starvation.

The girl with the frigid complexion apologized to Hakuri, emphasizing that she would rather die than be traded to a despicable individual. Upon seeing Hakuri, she also came to understand that there was no escape, even in the outside world. In the 35th chapter of Kagurabachi, the girl shocked Hakuri to his very core by taking her own life in front of him.

Hakuri and the ice girl, as seen in chapter 35 (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

Without a doubt, the flashback scene evoked strong emotions from fans as they were reminded of a relationship that was unable to thrive due to societal restrictions and the difficult circumstances that the characters faced. From the tragic death of the ice girl to Hakuri Sazanami enduring torture at the hands of his own family, the flashback scene depicted a cruel and heartbreaking tragedy that left fans reeling.

Surprisingly, @ThunderTheDevil, a fan on X (formerly known as Twitter), expressed that they sympathized more with the ice woman in a single flashback than Megumi’s sister who had appeared in over 200 chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen. It is undeniable that Megumi’s sister had a sorrowful existence.

Tsumiki, as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Despite momentarily appearing throughout the narrative, Tsumiki, Megumi’s sister, had a significant impact on him after being cursed by Pseudo-Geto, also known as Kenjaku. She, along with several other victims across the country, fell into a coma.

After being in a coma, Tsumiki participated in the Culling Game arc of Jujutsu Kaisen and joined Megumi and other players. She confided in her brother about the game and he promised to find a way to release her from its brutal rules.

Nevertheless, Jujutsu Kaisen later disclosed that Tsumiki was no longer in control of her own body. Instead, an ancient sorcerer named Yozoru had taken over her form. This revelation left Megumi in a state of confusion and uncertainty, ultimately giving Sukuna the chance to manipulate him and switch hosts from Yuji to Megumi.

Megumi Fushiguro, as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Despite possessing the young sorcerer’s body, Sukuna used the boy’s own Cursed Technique to kill Yorozu (and Tsumiki, who was her vessel), sending his soul deeper into an endless abyss. Although Gege succeeded in evoking feelings of despair from the Megumi-Tsumiki relationship in Jujutsu Kaisen, he was unable to elicit a strong emotional response from fans.

Despite being a part of Jujutsu Kaisen, Tsumiki’s character was never fully developed and instead served as a plot device for Megumi. Unlike Kagurabachi’s ice girl who had the opportunity to express her inner thoughts to Hakuri, Tsumiki’s identity solely revolved around Megumi.

The sorcerer only valued her, and the audience had little to no reason to care about her fate. As a result, some fans may have forgotten that Megumi even had a sister. However, both Megumi and her sister, Hakuri, had a dream that was shattered by their circumstances. This undoubtedly evoked more sympathy from fans.

How Fans Reacted to the Latest Comparison between Kagurabachi and Jujutsu Kaisen

Hakuri, as seen in Takeru Hokazono's manga (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha) — Hakuri, as seen in Takeru Hokazono’s manga (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

Many followers of @ThunderTheDevil’s opinions on X shared similar views. They believed that Megumi’s sister was merely used as a tool for Megumi’s character development, while the ice woman in Kagurabachi had a well-defined personality. Others attributed their lack of emotional connection to Tsumiki’s outcome to what they deemed as Gege Akutami’s subpar writing.

“Because Megumi’s sister was always a plot device and never a character”- A fan said

“Because girl in flashback gets to say her thoughts over period of time even if it’s brief and Megumi’s sister was only built as valuable to Megumi with not much reason for us to care. It’s not necesseraly bad way to write characters, but in this case it’s too surface level”- A fan felt.

“I cant tell exactly why but for some reason it feels like gege just does not know how to write”- Another fan said.

“The number of times I’ve forgotten that Megumi had a sister is ridiculous ngl.”- A fan mentioned.

Concluding Reflections

Without a doubt, Kagurabachi’s most recent installment has sparked intriguing parallels. Jujutsu Kaisen enthusiasts have drawn comparisons between the relationship of the Hakuri-Ice girl and Megumi-Tsumiki’s fate. However, in terms of eliciting intense emotion, Takeru Hokazono’s manga may have struck the perfect chord.