Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, the hotly anticipated spin-off to the immensely popular Jujutsu Kaisen, has finally released its very first chapter, and it is fair to say this story is shaping up to be a pretty interesting one. With talented manga author Gege Akutami back in the driver's seat, fans of the original series will find a lot to love here, especially with the new sci-fi aesthetic, which is giving this series a very different feel from what came before. However, while this spin-off has been doing a good job so far at standing on its own as something new and unique, there are still a few references that have already been dropped, which relate to another popular manga that is still ongoing in Shonen Jump.
Though these easter eggs can be very easy to miss, there's no doubt that eagle-eyed fans would have picked them up as soon as they appeared on the page, especially if they are fans of a certain straw hat protagonist. The first chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is packed full of intriguing characters and lore that have been the center of online discussions over the last few days, but it's time to take a look at the small and subtle references that were made to another well-known series, One Piece.
Shanks Gives His Straw Hat To Luffy
The Iconic Moment Can Barely Be Seen On A Page Early In The Chapter
- A manga panel in the first chapter is a clear reference to One Piece
- One Piece fans will instantly recognize this emotional exchange between Shanks and Luffy
Near the beginning of the chapter, fans are introduced to two new characters who are working together to take down a horde of skeletons as part of an on-rails video game. While the scene is obviously designed to give fans a clear idea of who these individuals are, and how they are related to one another, there's a very small image in the corner of the page which will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has read or watched Eiichiro Oda's One Piece. This isn't just any image either, as it's actually one of the most iconic moments from the series, though readers will admittedly have to squint their eyes a little to make out what exactly is happening on the page.
If fans look to the right of where the young boy is kneeling, they will see a small group of manga volumes splattered across the floor, with one being wide open. When looking closely, the page shows a figure, who is clearly meant to resemble Shanks, placing a straw hat on top of the head of a young Monkey D. Luffy. Though the image isn't packed full of detail, this does make a lot of sense considering it's only supposed to be a very small and subtle reference, but regardless, it's still nice to see Gege giving some credit to an author who he has always considered a close friend and rival.
"This hat means a lot to me. Promise you'll give it back to me when you become a great pirate" - Shanks to Luffy
This scene of Shanks and Luffy in particular takes place very early on in the One Piece story, and essentially acts as the moment where Luffy officially kicks off his pirate journey. Many people view this scene as a passing of the torch moment where the immensely powerful and influential Shanks is handing down his most prized possession to Luffy, who he believes will one day become the king of the pirates. This is already a pretty exciting easter egg to look out for, but this chapter actually contains another One Piece reference which will be a little more obvious to fans of the deadly swordsmen known as Zoro.
Tsurugi Borrows Zoro's Training Exercise
The Straw Hat Swordsman's Brutal Training Technique Has Been Replicated By A Sorcerer
A little later in the chapter, one of the new Jujutu Sorcerers known as Yuka begins to reflect on Tsurugi, and how strong he has become over the years. While fans are only given a small glimpse into Tsurugi's training regiment, the exercise that he can be seen performing is very similar to the one used by the swordsman of the Straw Hat crew, Zoro. Just like with Zoro, this method seems to have made Tsurugi incredibly strong from a physical perspective, which would come to be expected when considering how brutal it is on the person's body.
Tsurugi can be seen swinging a stick which has been wrapped with giant metal frames, allowing him to hone his body and physical strength to wield regular swords and blades with ease. This technique was actually first used by Zoro, who has been spotted countless times performing the exact same action with an absurdly large set of steel plates wrapped around his weapon of choice, so that he is able to wield his three swords a lot easier when it comes time to take down a dangerous foe.
"I will never lose again!" - Zoro
Of course, anyone would be able to try out this exercise for themselves if they can muster up the courage, but it is mostly associated with Zoro from One Piece, considering that he is the one who made it so popular. While it definitely looks pretty daunting to pull off, one thing is for sure, if it helped to turn Zoro into the unstoppable monster he is today, there's no doubt that keeping up this training method will do wonders for Tsurugi in the long run too.
Earlier One Piece References In Jujutsu Kaisen
Gege Isn't Shy About Sharing His Love For Oda's Work
- Gege has referenced One Piece before, specifically Luffy
- Eiichiro Oda has had a massive influence on all modern manga authors
On the surface, Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece might seem like entirely different series in terms of their style, characters, and stories. However, considering Oda has been publishing One Piece since the late 90s, it's only inevitable that most modern manga authors would take at least some inspiration from what has become one of the most popular works of fiction in history, resulting in there being a handful of other One Piece references scattered throughout the original Jujutsu Kaisen manga that some fans might have missed out on.
For example, there is a panel at the beginning of the Shibuya Incident arc which shows a gigantic crowd of people all coming together to partake in the festivities. Hidden away in the right side of the page is a curious looking pirate with a straw hat sitting above his head. Clearly, this is supposed to resemble Luffy, but because the panel doesn't actually show his face, it means readers need to look extra hard to spot him.
While it's evident that Bleach served as the biggest source of inspiration for Gege when writing JJK, he has still made sure to drop a sneaky reference here and there as a way to express his admiration for the Straw Hat Pirates, who he would no doubt be very familiar with. The fact that two references have been dropped in the very first chapter of the new series indicates that Gege might be a little more willing to showcase some of his influences to his audience as part of the story, so while One Piece may have been referenced this time around, readers can only imagine what other series might be shown off in the future.
- Release Date
- October 3, 2020
- Network
- TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC
- Directors
- Ryohei Takeshita, Masataka Akai, Chie Nishizawa, Daisuke Tsukushi, Tomomi Kamiya, Kakushi Ifuku, Ken Takahashi
Cast
-
Junya EnokiYuji Itadori -
Yuichi NakamuraSatoru Gojo
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Mappa's battle shonen anime envisions a world where Jujutsu Sorcerers battle against entities born out of Cursed Energy. One day, a teenager named Yuji Itadori is dragged into this conflict when he eats a possessed finger.
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator
- Gege Akutami
