The latest manga/clothing collaboration from Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo are five new graphic tee shirt designs featuring art from Jujutsu Kaisen, the action-packed supernatural Shonen Jump manga series by Gege Akutami. Jujutsu Kaisen is about a group of sorcerers who hunt “curses,” born of the negative emotions of human beings, and the anime is one of the most popular series streaming now on Crunchyroll.
Uniqlo is promoting the release of these new tees with a giveaway to win the entire collection, ending tonight, September 29th, 2023 at 11:59 pm. All designs are relevant to the current events being adapted in the current season of the anime, namely the “Hidden Inventory/Premature Death” and “Shibuya Incident” arcs. The giveaway requires entrants to download the Uniqlo mobile app, and create an account. The member ID number is then entered on this Google form, which acts as the entry form for this contest.
On the collab webpage, Uniqlo has also created a “Virtual Shibuya Experience,” where people can experience the “Shibuya” in the anime! It works akin to Google Maps’ “Street View,” where you can click to move down a street, then drag your cursor around to see the surrounding sights. It was entirely directed and shot on location in Shibuya, Tokyo. The filming also included a photo shoot publicly available on Uniqlo’s website under the “Styling” button.
Aesthetically, Jujutsu Kaisen’s cast oozes with inspiration from urban styles. This leaves the Uniqlo designers to create some pretty cool manga tees. Among my favorites of the designs is that one panel of Gojo Satoru, the most powerful sorcerer. Towering midair above Toji Fushiguro, he looks down as he says: “Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one.” This is a phrase originally spoken by the Buddha, but here it’s evoking the irrefutable presence of someone superior. It’s one of the most badass scenes in the entire series, and the shirt looks great!
But if you aren’t a Gojo fan, that’s no problem. There’s a lavender design with Toji Fushiguro holding his cursed tool, and “Heavenly Restriction” stitched along the edge. The color looks very soft on the texture of the fabric, and the silhouette used for the design feels sleek and modern.
I am also a huge fan of the muted blue shirt with white outlines of Gojo and his best friend Suguru Geto, also in the “Hidden Inventory/Premature Death” arc. They’re wearing a traditional gakuran school uniform for boys, but their individual silhouettes are distinguishable because of their proportions and body language. The color isn’t too bright and I love how those uniforms evoke that ’90s delinquent manga aesthetic. I personally feel that it resonates well with the vibe the arc was going for.
Overall, this campaign seems to have gone all out on this next part of the Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration. Uniqlo is well-known for their collabs with manga properties–they also have a line of tees with art from the Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War anime, which is also currently airing.
Previously, Uniqlo has also promoted Jujutsu Kaisen‘s first anime season, and the prequel movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0. The continued release of these kinds of events and products makes the future seem a little brighter for manga and comics in the fashion industry. You can find all of Jujutsu Kaisen’s anime streaming on Crunchyroll.
Go to Uniqlo.com to see more Uniqlo UT graphic tees – but hurry! These tees are only available for a limited time, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.
