Jujutsu Kaisen recently surprised fans with a brand new sequel called Modulofollowing the exploits of Yuta and Maki’s grandchildren as the jujutsu world faces a new potential threat – this time in the form of aliens. Whacky as it may sound, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo has already become quite a hit among fans who thought they’d forever bid farewell to the franchise just a year ago when Jujutsu Kaisen’s manga ended.
Even two chapters in, the sequel is proving to have quite a solid foundation, even reviving one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s most forgotten, unresolved plotlines from the Culling Game Arc. The subplot in question is that of Kenjaku’s meeting with the U.S. Government and the subsequent military invasion of Japan, the consequences of which make up the background of Modulo’s story and the ongoing political tension between Japan, America, and the Simurians. While this plot thread had no visible bearing on the main plot revolving around Sukuna and Kenjaku in Jujutsu Kaisen and was never fully fleshed out or resolved in the original series’ 271 chapter-long run, Modulo is finally exploring it in full – and quite compellingly at that.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Revives the Original Series’ Abandoned Military Subplot
Often dubbed by fans as the military subplot, this little plot thread takes root right in the middle of the Culling Game Arc, specifically in Chapters 200 and 201, which sees Kenjaku reveal the existence of jujutsu sorcerers and cursed spirits to the U.S. Government. Kenjaku baits them into sending their troops to kidnap Japanese sorcerers and civilians to conduct experiments on, over how this cursed energy, unique to the Japanese, can potentially be harnessed. The actual military invasion only takes up another two chapters or so, from 209 to 210, having quickly been dealt with by Yuji, Megumi, and the rest.
It was clear that sending these troops into the Culling Game was merely a way to produce more cursed energy for his grand plan involving humanity’s merger with Tengen. However, seeing as Kenjaku’s plan was never fully realized, this particular plot line always felt rather pointless and half-baked, with the general assumption among fans being that Gege Akutami never really got the time to flesh it out properly.
That said, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo not only picks up where this unresolved plotline left off but also builds on it. Right off the bat, Chapter 1 opens with the fact that the Simurians need to carry out diplomatic talks not with America but with Japan. The chapter later reveals that this is due to the Kyoto Paranormal Treaty that was enacted six years after Sukuna’s death, which gave Japan complete jurisdiction over paranormal matters, including diplomatic relations with the aliens.
Chapter 1 of Modulo also reveals that Japanese citizens are still being trafficked to harness cursed energy, which is a direct consequence of Kenjaku’s actions, and this, together with the Culling Game, is what prompted the signing of this treaty, which was likely intended to prevent other nations from interfering with jujutsu society as a trade-off. Chapter 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo dives even further into the stakes at hand with the revelation that any single misstep in dealing with the Simurians could lead to full-blown war, thus placing the fate of Japan and the world at large in the hands of teenagers yet again in classic shonen fashion.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.
What are your opinions on Jujutsu Kaisen’s famously abandoned subplot, and do you think it should still make its way into the anime? Tell us in the comments below!
