Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor
Anime is a long debated and frequently frowned upon part of society. The dislike of anime stems from certain aspects that are rooted in misogynistic and objectification culture, as well as language barriers and the perception of animated shows being aimed towards younger audiences.
However, there is a fast-growing population of anime consumers, especially within recent years, that have initiated anime’s mainstream media appearance through viral videos, media and demand. While many shows such as Demon Slayer, Naruto and My Hero Academia have garnered high amounts of publicity and box office appearances, the star of the show is none other than Jujutsu Kaisen — more specifically, Satoru Gojo.
Jujutsu Kaisen is a shonen anime depicting the journey of Yuuji Itadori — a high school boy who is thrown into the world of curses and jujutsu sorcerers. The series introduces a massive amount of extremely overpowered characters with a wide array of techniques, allegiances and goals.
One of the biggest talking points of the show is the lack of male fan service. It’s typical for there to be many sexualized female characters in anime series that are aimed to attract male attention. There is a noticeable lack of fan service for female characters, but a new phenomenon has taken place — female fan service. A majority of Jujutsu Kaisen fans are familiar with the superb animation and voice acting of the male characters, namely Kento Nanami, Fushiguro Toji, Ryomen Sukuna and the ever-so-famous Gojo Satoru.
From figurines and posters to Gojo shrines, drinks and businesses, the blue-eyed, white haired jujutsu sorcerer has captured the hearts of the masses. Gojo Satoru is known in Jujutsu Kaisen as “the strongest” in the anime verse, easily defeating some of the most challenging villains and curses in the first few episodes. He is at the top of the power rankings with a power called the “six-eyes,” a hereditary power that enables him to control and wield cursed energy much better than others. He developed skills such as the reverse cursed technique, which allows him to heal mortal wounds, and “limitless,” which allows him to control space to an extent to which no one can touch him.
While his powers are unique and the strongest in the series, his looks and personality granted Gojo favoritism and unending support from his fans. With pure white hair, shocking blue eyes and a slight build, as well as a glib, cocky and charismatic demeanor, Gojo Satoru has won the hearts of his fans. Most recently, superstar performer Usher has been selected to perform at the Superbowl. Usher’s hit Hey Daddy — Daddy’s Home — which has reached 123,096,622 streams on Spotify, has been used as a homage to Gojo Satoru within the fanbase.
A petition on Change.org has collected 36,181 signatures for Usher to perform “Daddy’s Home” in honor of Satoru Gojo, and many fans have taken to TikTok and Instagram comments to appeal to Usher directly. On Jan. 15, Usher posted a Gojo cosplay and earned 9.8 million views as well as 1.4 million likes, his sixth most popular video onTikTok.
Anime has been discussed before by celebrities such as Michael B. Jordan and Megan Thee Stallion, but Gojo Satoru may have the chance to gain recognition on the NFL stage, making a clear break into mainstream media as a singular character, which would be a notable feat.
Gojo Satoru has an ever-expanding fanbase that has gained the attention of millions of fans, including celebrities and international figures that will continue to shatter stereotypes and stigma around anime.
Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu
