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estephaniarvn · 3 years

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Iori Utahime is weak.

I don’t know if this is a meta or an analysis? I just wanted to share some thoughts about canon. Is this an HC, I wonder?

Just some points regarding Utahime’s character which I want to support with canon:

1. Utahime is weak. 2. Utahime is a fighter. 3. Utahime is beautiful.

In canon, I see Utahime as someone who is more determined than strong. And that’s where her value lies. While I ship GojoHime, Gojo in canon really is just such an ass to her. He’s such a piece of work. Which is why I always write him as the heartbroken, desperate, pining one. He deserves it. He thinks they’re just fooling around. But his words have always been fact. And it just hurts.

First off, Utahime is weak.

1. Compared to her contemporaries, she is very weak.

She was a Grade 2 sorcerer when she was 18/19 years old and Mei Mei was already a Grade 1 sorcerer then.

When Utahime is later/earlier introduced at the present timeline, she’s just a semi-Grade 1 sorcerer. *The translation is misleading.

That’s nearly over 12 years of honing her powers. And all she’s accomplished is moving up a level.

2. Her cursed technique requires buffing time. Thus, she cannot exorcise a curse on her own.

3. She has the option to hone her skills in other areas, such as hand-to-hand combat and the use of cursed tools. But, she doesn’t seem to have mastery in either.

To be promoted to Grade 1, to the sorcerer level that is highly respected, a semi-Grade 1 sorcerer will have to exorcise a Grade 1 curse alone. And while we know that Utahime’s cursed technique requires support from allies because of her buffing time, she could’ve taken Maki and Mei Mei’s example and worked with cursed tools. Utahime could’ve trained since her school days to master fighting with cursed tools, to get stronger; knowing how inhibitive her cursed technique is.

But, she doesn’t. And we can only wonder why.

Is it because she doesn’t care enough to practice? Or is it because she’s just really too weak, has too little cursed energy, that using cursed tools won’t do much of anything?

For example, weapons specialist Maki has enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, durability and vitality. This is what makes her (and Toji) effective fighters even without cursed energy.

Utahime may just really not have much of either cursed energy and physical strength, which isn’t particularly a bad thing. As we’ve seen from the other characters, with enough determination, anything is possible! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

So, why does it seem like she doesn’t have mastery in other skills?

Maybe it would be infinitely easier if she had access to the better, more effective, and thus very expensive and elusive, cursed tools. But she doesn’t seem to; which now raises the question, are the Iori’s not a strong clan? Is Utahime not even from a clan?

4. I believe Utahime doesn’t come from a respectable clan. She may not have even come from a clan that could support her growth as a jujutsu sorcerer.

If we know anything about the world of jujutsu sorcery, it’s that connections matter. With the right connections, a sorcerer can move up in rank easily. (Look at the insufferable Gojo who basically won the clan lottery, everything about him is just raw, innate power.)

(And let’s not talk about the obviously made up Special Grade 1 level of the Zenin clan to delineate themselves from the other Grade 1 sorcerers and stroke their massive egos… when they can’t even compare to any of the Special Grade sorcerers. They’re all basically dead people really.)

…I digress.

We know Maki and Mei Mei come from prominent families. And they have easy access to the most insanely expensive cursed tools. Utahime, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have the same resources. I can only assume only has access to whatever is left behind in the vaults of Jujutsu High.

So, I can only conclude that she lacks resources because she isn’t part of a jujutsu sorcery clan. In that case, maybe she’s just really stuck with her cursed technique; stuck with a supporting role in every fight.

5. Gojo calls her weak. All the time. And, he has the Six Eyes. So, that’s pretty self-explanatory.

Utahime is weak. There is no doubt about it. But whether or not she’s an effective sorcerer is another thing.

She is a teacher. She goes on missions. She’s still alive.

And that means a lot in the world of jujutsu sorcery.

Her unyielding dedication to sorcery despite her lack of strength and innate ability just proves to show that,

Secondly, Utahime is a fighter.

1. She is a teacher in the Kyoto Technical College.

This shows that her experience as a sorcerer is respected by her peers, by the higher ups. This shows their regard for her expertise in the field.

Before Masamichi Yaga became the principal of the Tokyo Technical School, he was a teacher.

If this is the trajectory of teachers in Jujutsu High, Utahime may very well end up as the Kyoto School’s principal. And if Gojo, alternately, ends up being the principal of the Tokyo School…. only the heavens can save us all……

2. She regularly goes to missions.

3. And she’s still alive.

Not even considering the Shibuya Arc, a lot of sorcerers perish on the job. Most especially the younger, inexperienced students of the Jujutsu Sorcery Technical Schools.

And we see the scar on Utahime’s face. It’s the most striking aspect of her character.

The scar across her face just shows how close to death she was. How close to death she always is, every sorcerer is.

From the line of her scar, her attacker seems to have struck her with the intention of cutting her head off…….

If that fact doesn’t make you quit being a sorcerer……… I don’t know what else could be thrown at you to make you cower, cry and hide away.

But, Utahime doesn’t hide away does she? She doesn’t cower.

Add to the fact that she openly despises Gojo despite his status as the strongest sorcerer.

The fact that she continues to fight everyday proves to show how strong-willed she is, how determined. I have always given more respect those who have to work harder to catch up to those with innate talent. That’s why I love Maki so much. That’s why Mei Mei is so badass. JJK women are just the best.

While those born with talent may shape the course of history, may save more lives, may be untouchable, the hard work of the mediocre, the determination of the weak, is more striking to me. Because, while the talented may be strong, the triumph of the weak shows the greatness of their character, the strength of their character.

Unlike Gojo’s stupid perspective, there are other factors to consider when assessing a person. I believe he is developing, though. He seems to genuinely love Yuuji and his students. And he takes pride in their progress. (I identified Yuuji separately from the other students because Yuuji is Gojo’s son. And no one can convince me otherwise.)

Finally, Utahime is a beauty.

I believe in canon, in their universe, Utahime is a beautiful woman. (Everyone in JJK is so beautifully drawn that it’s hard to distinguish it.)

Utahime is a traditional Japanese beauty.

1. She is generally sweet, composed and quiet.

Composure is important to Japanese women. I am no expert, far from it, but I understand that, generally, Japanese women are brought up to be well-mannered and reserved. Japanese men typically prefer soft-spoken women, dutiful women; good homemakers.

Upon marriage, the traditional practice is that Japanese women quit their jobs and take care of the household, of the children.

In caring for her students, in her relief at their safety, Utahime shows her maternal side. And in the anime, she is voiced with in a soft-spoken and reserved manner. (When she isn’t riled up by Gojo’s shenanigans.)

In the wise words of our esteemed weeb brothers and sisters, Utahime is very waifu material.

2. Her uniform of choice is a traditional miko outfit.

This shows her preference towards the more conservative aspects of the Japanese culture.

I find this notable given the fact that the strong clans live traditionally. We’ve seen from the manga panels how the Zenin clan is in their daily way of life. It’s riddled with dutiful elders; wives keep to the compound, husbands meet with other men to discuss family matters. It seems very traditionally sexist to me, the expectations of Maki’s parents from herself and Mai.

Even their mother is a piece of work………..

Now, let’s wave to the dick Naoya.

At the panel above, Naoya basically identifies what the sorcerer clans value in women.

Their looks.

Their cursed technique.

Their power.

With that said, I’m certain that elders/matchmakers/sons looked at Utahime favorably before her scar. I think she has always been a highly sought out marriage candidate.

She is a sorcerer, and is thus powerful in normal standards. She is reserved and well-mannered. And she is tall enough (5 ft 5 in I believe), pretty and cute. Any man would be lucky to be matched with her. (I assume that arranged marriages are a norm in the strong clans.)

I mean, look how pretty Utahime is. Doesn’t she remind you of a traditional Japanese doll? And that’s just the manga panel. (They’re all insanely beautiful in the anime………………….. *excited muffled cries*)

Hi, Gojo! Your simping is showing~!

…Getting back to it………..

Naoya’s standards don’t stem from him just being a dick.

It’s a widely known fact.

Even Momo says so.

A woman’s value in the world of sorcery comes from their looks, their cursed technique and their power.

So, I can only assume that before her scar, Utahime was the perfect woman in their universe’s standards. (Also why I believe Gojo simped on her so hard when they were younger, because he legitimately had a crush on her.)

Which makes being, initially, the only woman in JJK with a scar on her face all the more striking. You know how in the typical anime way, when a female character willingly shortens their hair, they’re seen to have shed their beauty, their femininity, in exchange for strength? For skill? I believe that’s what scars on JJK’s women symbolize.

That’s why Maki is so OP.

That’s why Utahime is arguably strong. Her scar signifies the strength of her character.

This is in contrast to the sexist view propagated by the strong clans, a view that the manga/ the story continues to destroy.

JJK women are so fierce, I can’t even. What anime is like this? WHAT?! I thought Mikasa Ackerman would be my salvation from the stereotypical female anime leads, but I was sorely mistaken.

This is basically how I understand Utahime’s character when I write fanfiction stories following canon. I find her character so cool and strong, no matter what her character stats say.

I hope we get to see more serious fighting from Utahime. I’m looking forward to it.

Also, having looked at the manga and the divergences taken by the anime, I can only laugh at how the MAPPA animators seem to be forcing their GojoHime agenda in their work. 🤣

Firstly, in the manga, Gojo thinks of Yuuji and saves Gakuganji even before batting an eye at Utahime. If I remember correctly, in the anime, he looks to Utahime first………… (Edit: Sorry, rewatched the anime, this scene was an accurate depiction of the manga, Gojo looked to Uta last. 😆)

Secondly, it’s too funny to me how they zoomed into Utahime’s sentiment, when this is all that Gege-san bothered to draw. 🤣

Thirdly, how is my HC on Gojo and his sugar intake so accurate?!

I honestly thought he just liked sweet things. I didn’t know he liked things extra sweet??!

I don’t recall it that well, but it seems like their call scene was a pretty straightforward adaptation of the manga? Pretty cute haha.

But then again, I don’t think Utahime told Gojo to cut the crap in the anime. Haha. That guy can really run his mouth.

Finally, wth?!! The manga, why did I never read the first chapters???!! So many scenes. I legit fell for Mei Mei and Todo playing table tennis. It’s so cute seeing them together. Isn’t she like Todo’s woman goals? They’re so cute together because they’re poster models of peak feminine and masculine types. HAHAHA. I wouldn’t be surprised if Todo simps over Mei Mei. HAHAHAH. Not that I ship them.

Also, what the hell?! Yuuji had some romantic past? WHAT THE HELL. That was just so heartwarming. (Another thing to stab us in the heart when the inevitable finally happens to Yuuji.)

Hahaha! ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚

In conclusion, Utahime is a beauty in the anime. In the manga, I find her to be something more of a comedic relief haha. All the same, I love her! And it really shows, why a lot of us think that Gojo had/has a crush on her.

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