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JJK Chapter 160: Kenjaku’s Stint Before The Culling Game!

JJK chapter 160 brings us the reappearance of Kenjaku and a couple more surprise characters right before the Culling Game arc finally begins.

JJK chapter 160, Colony, was nothing short of a wonder. Continuing the preface of the Culling Game from chapter 159, this chapter truly sent goosebumps in our bodies.

And we also had a few unexpected appearances in this chapter. I think I am going to say this with every chapter, but here I go anyway.

Akutami’s ability to create hype from even the bare minimum is so commendable. The man for sure has something in his hands to make everything so good.

Without wasting any more time:

A reunion with friends

SO! We begin by meeting Kenjaku (ugh) again, and as usual, he is up to something. But look at how fine Geto (okayyyy, his body) looks. Like, he did not waste a single panel he was in.

Thank you for these Geto-but-not-Geto crumbs, sensei. How I wish Geto were alive. T_T

Anyway, Kenjaku had come to take someone away from the barrier. Tengen had told us that all non-shamans in the colonies would get a chance to move out before the Game started.

Kenjaku rescues Sasaki

It was unclear how it would happen since humans can’t see curses or the barriers, but JJK chapter 160 made it clear.

But there was a surprise waiting for us. When I tell you I gasped when that “someone” was actually Sasaki?!

If you forgot who Sasaki is, she and Iguchi were the occult club members back from the first chapter.

It would be no lie that some mangakas forget old side characters, even if they played an important role earlier. We can’t deny their reasons either; it is just easier to proceed with the story with fewer complications.

But it is always nice to see how Akutami ties in previous events to build upon present ones. After all, Itadori’s resolve to protect his friends from the occult club is what led him to sorcery in the first place.

So, it was very cool to bring Sasaki back and show the preparation for Culling Games through her eyes.

It also reinforces that Akutami always employs Chekhov’s Gun in Jujutsu Kaisen. He does not spare even a single panel from upon building his plot.

Sasaki and Iguchi’s reappearance makes us wonder if we will see more such characters from the past in the Culling Games.

One such character that comes to my mind is Ozawa Yuko, the girl from Itadori’s school who had a crush on him.

A lot of fans had speculated that it was quite out-of-character for Akutami to include a slice-of-life centered around Ozawa. So, was it just to foreshadow her involvement in the Culling Game?

If it were to come true, her presence would certainly raise the stakes for Itadori. He would not want to lose another friend like he lost Nobara (HOPEFULLY NOT, please come back Nobara).

Only Kenjaku knows what will happen, though. Talking about him, though, we finally had the story confirm that Kenjaku was indeed Itadori’s mother.

We had seen a woman with healing stitches back when chapter 143 revealed Itadori’s parents. Since then, it was more or less confirmed that Kenjaku was controlling Mamadori. But this chapter made it official.

Kenjaku thanks Sasaki

It was kind of funny that Kenjaku was acting like a normal mother when a friend comes over to your house. xD

But then I realized that Kenjaku had been keeping an eye on not just Itadori but everyone around him for a long time. Then I thought it was so creepy and the fact that Kenjaku only said it to Sasaki was fishy too.

It also heavily implies that Kenjaku was in full power to manipulate and frame things in a way to make Itadori land up where he is now. *shivers*

Nonetheless, nice chat. Speaking of which, I have a question:

Is the Cursed Realm the Paths of Jujutsu Kaisen?

If you have watched or read Attack on Titan, you know what I mean.

Kenjaku’s appearance in a suspended realm of subconsciousness took me by surprise. JJK chapter 160 is the first time we heard of something like the Cursed Realm.

And I have, like, SO many questions.

Curse Realm

Who can access it? What even is it? Is it another one of Kenjaku’s abilities? Or is it something all shamans can see? How does time pass in it? DOES time pass in it? …to name a few.

From Iguchi and Sasaki’s conversation, it seems that Kenjaku visited the Cursed Realm to bring every non-shaman out of the colonies.

The whole setting of one person being in control of the realm while the other can only feel (?) reminded me a lot of Paths from AoT.

It is a different story that everything unexplainable could be explained by saying “Paths!” in AoT. Actually, I am hoping Akutami gives us some explanation of this hyperrealistic space we witnessed.

Can we talk about the panels?!

JJK chapter 160 was short. It was very short thanks to a bunch of double and full-page panels. But you know what? I am not even upset in the slightest bit because ALL OF IT WAS AMAZING,

First things first, the barriers look so scary from the bird’s eye view? I am not even there but I felt the dread people in the story will while seeing them.

We also got some more information about the barriers from this chapter. Some fans are speculating if all the barriers originate from a place of significance like we saw in this chapter.

I wonder if this “execution site” has some importance to the story. Is it actually Sukuna’s execution site?

JJK chapter 160 panel

Coming back, let’s talk a bit more of the visuals. The juxtaposition of Kenjaku and Sasaki walking in the darkness first and then the calamity that was actually happening…brilliant.

And you gotta notice how happy Kenjaku looks in the entire chapter. Even in the panels mentioned above, he is so casual, like taking a walk in the park. Nothing big.

Kenjaku’s smile also reminded me a bit of Geto smiling in JJK 0 before declaring a genocide. Sike. Such a great contrast to the last panels with Itadori & Co, who looks super serious and determined.

The panels really hit me with enormity and scale of the Culling Game once again. The next arc is going to bigger and worse (for my tears) than Shibuya. I am not ready for it to hit at all, but still super hyped.

And here we go.

As prepared as we are, so is our star cast. They have decided on a strategy for now, all of them except Kirara will enter the barriers. They had discussed beforehand that their priorities are to make a couple of new rules and find Angel.

It was also almost nostalgic to see Itadori and Megumi have their banter like earlier. We can almost convince ourselves that nothing bad happened. Sigh.

Itadori and Megumi in Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 160

And Hakari volunteered to fight Kashimo, so that is there. This matchup will FINALLY show us Hakari’s technique and why he is so awesome after all. Panda will accompany him because, well, Panda has a good nose. I chuckled.

Kirara will remain outside the barriers because it seems that there is no network reception in the barriers. There has been no information on Okkotsu, but I hope he is fine.

I also have this vision slash feeling that Hakari and Okkotsu are banter buddies like Megumi and itadori too, so I am waiting for their interaction soon.

All that was left was for our shamans to enter the barriers. And as the Kogane announced, a little more than a week before Tsumiki’s time limit is up, they all decided to participate in the Culling Game.

According to the rules, anyone who enters the barrier will become a player and cannot leave. Major Alice in Borderland vibe. We are finally there. I cannot wait to see just how this massive arc will run its course.

Do you think our stars will be able to save Tsumiki? And just what kind of trouble will they face? Let us know in the comments section how you liked this chapter too!

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