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Jujutsu Kaisen has swept the world. The incredibly animated MAPPA television series is winning over new people every day, of course. But, the original manga by creator Gege Akutami is where it all began. Akutami’s inspiration clearly came from the Shonen Jump legends of the past, but they also took inspiration from romance, Shojo, and horror manga, which led them to craft one of the most unique stories in the medium’s history.
Most importantly, Akutami was not afraid to include some real-world inspirations into his story. Whether Akutami is a gambler or not, we can’t say. But, it is clear that they are fascinated by the topic, as it plays a major role in the developments of certain characters, and their abilities. So, let’s take a look at the influence that gambling has on this manga masterpiece.
Hakari’s “Restless Gambler”
The most obvious gambling influence can be instantly spotted in the character of Kinji Hakari. A former Jujutsu Tech student, Hakari is a restless youth, who lives his life on his own terms. He is introduced as one of the strongest members of the team, with a mysterious ability that lets him summon pachinko machines.
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Hakari’s introduction as a rebellious youth with a gambling-based ability instantly sets him apart from the rest of the cast. The ability grants Hakari temporary invincibility. However, he has to get a jackpot while playing pachinko in order to succeed. Throughout the story, there is not a single fight in which Hakari does not get lucky. Some critics have pointed out that this is a subtle nod to the old stand-by, the house always wins. After all, “Restless Gambler” is Hakari’s cursed technique, making him the casino’s manager in this situation.
Binding Vows
Within the story of Jujutsu Kaisen, sorcerers can make “binding vows.” By agreeing to certain terms, their powers can grow immensely. However, breaking the terms often results in a terrible price to pay. Certainly, we can see a parallel between gambling and crafting a binding vow. Both require taking a major risk, in the hopes of getting a handsome reward.
Of course, there is also the instances where characters break these vows, and directly reference that what they are doing is a huge gamble. In one particular instance, the story’s main villain, Ryomen Sukuna, breaks a vow he made to Yuji Itadori (the protagonist), knowing full-well that the consequences could be disastrous. Yet, there is a small chance for a major reward, and Sukuna decides that the gamble is worth it.
On another occasion though, we are told that breaking a binding vow between two people is always more dangerous than breaking a personal one, as the consequences will be dire. From that point of view, we might compare binding vows to unique business transactions, more so than gambling. Though, many would argue that business and gambling also have a certain level of similarity.
The Black Flash
During a story arc focusing on an inter-school competition between the Kyoto and Tokyo branches of Jujutsu Tech, a fan favorite character makes his first appearance. Aoi Todo is a large, boisterous, eccentric student, who takes a liking to the main character. After they exchange blows, Todo teaches the younger Itadori a new technique; black flash.
The ability itself has nothing to do with gambling. It is actually a pretty standard super-punch, which amplifies a sorcerer’s punching strength to the power of two. However, where the similarities to gambling start is in the way that a sorcerer is able to make use of the black flash. Namely, no one can achieve a black flash at will, not even some of the greatest sorcerer’s in human history.
The black flash occurs in a moment of complete focus on a battle, when the flow of cursed energy times just right with the movement of the physical body. So, while black flash, at first glance might not have much to do with gambling, if we look into it a bit deeper, we can certainly see a similarity.