Who is Kuroko Sato? Jujutsu Kaisen creator Akutami once again shows his Love for Togashi's Yu Yu Hak
Kuroko Sato, a character from the Yu Yu Hakusho series, has now made an appearance in a different work in the anime genre. In the vast realm of this medium, creators often pay tribute to their influences. One such creator is Gege Akutami, who recently included Kuroko in his magnum opus, Jujutsu Kaisen.
In this way, Akutami not only pays homage to Yoshihiro Togashi's beloved series Yu Yu Hakusho, he also straight-up confirms the existence of the series as a manga within the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. One such example is seen through the character Yuko Owaza and a reference to Kuroko Sato, delighting fans with this exciting link between the two iconic works.
Disclaimer: This article contains minor spoilers for Yu Yu Hakusho and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Jujutsu Kaisen: The Kuroko Sato reference
In the world of anime and manga, creators often pay homage to their influences, and Gege Akutami, the talented mind behind Jujutsu Kaisen, is no exception. With a keen appreciation for the classics, Akutami has once again demonstrated his love for Yoshihiro Togashi's iconic series, Yu Yu Hakusho, in a clever and subtle manner.
This time, the nod to Yu Yu Hakusho comes through the character Yuko Owaza and a reference to Kuroko.
In Jujutsu Kaisen episode 7 of the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 Shibuya Incident arc, fans were introduced to Owaza, a character with a unique connection to the past. What makes this appearance even more intriguing is the comment made by Nobara Kugisaki, one of the series' main characters. She amusingly compares Owaza to the real Kuroko, a character from Yu Yu Hakusho.
In the Yu Yu Hakusho series, the character named Kuroko Sato undergoes a remarkable transformation during the Beginning of the Three Kings arc. In her junior high years as a Spirit Detective trainee, Kuroko was overweight.
However, through rigorous training and an unexpected growth spurt, she experienced significant weight loss and underwent a stunning transformation. Kuroko Sato is then described as a tall and slender woman with jet-black hair, styled in a sleek ponytail. Her complexion is smooth and peachy. This transformation is a striking departure from her earlier years when she had shorter hair and carried some extra weight.
This transformation mirrors that of another character in Jujutsu Kaisen.
The transformation of Kuroko is directly referenced in Jujutsu Kaisen through the character Yuko Ozawa.
Similarly to Kuroko, Yuko Ozawa experienced a growth spurt - which coincidentally was an exact amount of 15 cm - and significant weight loss during her high school years. This striking resemblance did not go unnoticed, as Nobara Kugisaki, another character in Jujutsu Kaisen, jokingly referred to Ozawa as the real-life version of Kuroko Sato.
Final thoughts
Manga authors often pay tribute to their influences, and Gege Akutami, the brilliant creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, has also done the same. Demonstrating his deep admiration for Yoshihiro Togashi's masterpiece, Yu Yu Hakusho, Akutami subtly nods to the iconic series through the character Yuko Owaza and a mention of Kuroko.
Fans were introduced to Owaza in episode 7 of the Shibuya Incident arc in Jujutsu Kaisen, where Nobara Kugisaki playfully draws comparisons to the real-life Kuroko.
These references highlight the authors' reverence for their peers and set an exciting tone for the start of the highly anticipated Shibuya Incident arc in Jujutsu Kaisen.
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