Blue Spring

Spoiler alert! [Jujutsu Kaisen season 2]

As a quick disclaimer, I have only watched the JJK anime; I haven’t read the manga. Even though I haven’t seen the ending yet, I think I still grasp the deep meaning behind one of its fundamental premises: the friendship breakup between Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, which ultimately turned them into enemies — even if a third party gets involved later on. Reflecting on this through the lens of my own life experiences makes what happened between them feel both more heartbreaking and so much clearer to me now.

I truly understand why Geto became radicalized and chose the path he did. The corrupt institutions are just so relatable. The world failed him, and he cared so deeply, to the point where he believed there was no other way to fix things. What’s even more heartbreaking is that his choice was never just about himself. He did it because he wanted to stop the endless cycle of hell as fast as possible.

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Meanwhile, Gojo chose education. He chose to try and fix the next generation. It might sound cliché, but at least for now, I find myself leaning more toward his side. A friend of mine who studies Political Science once told me, “lasting change is gradual change” when I brought up the debate of being a “Revolutionist versus a Reformist.” It might vary depending on the situation and how that “rapid change” is enforced, but I think that answer perfectly fits the context of JJK’s story.

What I want to emphasize the most, though, is the bond between Gojo and Geto. After giving it some thought and reflecting on my own personal experiences, I feel like I can empathize more with Gojo.

Even though they were both sorcerers fighting against the same enemies, Geto chose not to tell Gojo what was really going through his mind. He assumed Gojo would never understand him, simply because Gojo’s overwhelming power made him a fundamental pillar of the world’s balance (it makes sense, but still… try first broo, WHY??). Aside from Gojo’s carefree personality, it was ultimately Geto who chose not to believe in his friend, letting Gojo find out about his darkness turn in the worst possible way — uhm, yes, massacred an entire village. (I just realized this resembles Naruto and Sasuke’s story. But still, right up to the very end, Geto remains firm in his ideology, which feels much more understandable given the storyline. And i guess the part of Gojo choosing education is more realistic and relatable for the real world problems)

Now I understand more why it might be incredibly hard for Gojo. Maybe the pain isn’t just about them parting ways over different worldviews. Maybe it’s also the pain of being misunderstood and not trusted by the one person he called his “best friend”. It must be incredibly sad for him, especially since, in the story, Geto was Gojo’s only true equal, his real work partner, and of course, his friend.

And just like that, Gojo blames himself. He carries the heavy burden of feeling like he can save everyone in the world, except his best friend. He probably tortures himself with questions about why he didn’t notice the shift in Geto. Did he not care enough? Was he too focused on himself? Would things have been different if he had just begged him to stay?

I wish I could tell him “no”. Because I’ve been there too — at least for the part of being misunderstood . A real friend wouldn’t easily misunderstand you like that in the first place. Even if there is a misunderstanding, a true friend will communicate because they value your actual perspective — and maybe the time to think things through. They don’t just give up on the relationship based on a narrative they made up in their own head.