“Just like how water flows through the earth… life simply flows. For you, me and everyone else — it’s the same. Without meaning. Without value. That’s why you can do whatever you want. Live the way you want. Don’t limit yourself to just being indifferent. There’s no reason to live by such a restricting philosophy. If you’re hungry, eat. If you hate, kill. I support… everything you represent, Junpei.”
— Mahito to Junpei in Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 21: “Young Fish and Reverse Punishment, Part 3”
Junpei Yoshino
When Junpei Yoshino watches three of his bullies die brutal deaths just a short distance away from him in a movie theater in the middle of the day, he doesn’t panic. He doesn’t try to get them help. He doesn’t even savor the fact that people who tortured him in the years previously, won’t be able to do that anymore.
Instead, in a rush of ill-advised boldness, he chases after the figure he believes is responsible. A figure that he isn’t supposed to be able to see. He chases the potential for further revenge, for the chance to punish people for the pain he’s experienced at their hands.
That’s what leads Junpei to his ultimate end, the fast relationship that he develops with Mahito that he thinks is genuine. Drawn in by Mahito’s casual, cheery violence, and tempted by the lure of revenge alongside someone that understood him… Junpei follows Mahito to his doom.
Mahito
Mahito is one of the best villains in Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen. Second (TO ME) only to the King of Curses, Sukuna, Mahito is a character who thrives when everyone else is suffering. He’s a special-grade cursed spirit, born of “the hate spewed between people”. He’s a character who understands emotions enough to mimic them and manipulate others, as best seen in his brief but fascinating relationship with Junpei.
I love Mahito. He is so good at being the absolute worst. One of the best things about Mahito is that he has so much fun taking people apart. While I hate when he wins during a fight scene (see: Mechamaru, the fight with Yuji when he gets the upper hand during the Shibuya Arc), he just has so much fun causing harm. Some villains see the murder and mayhem as necessary to their cause. Mahito? He kills for the sake of killing, when the mood takes him… and he looks like he’s having so much fun while doing it!
The Ship Itself
It’s toxic. I cannot state this enough. This ship is toxic as hell. Mahito sees Junpei, this eager kid who just wants to know how he can hurt other people in return for the hurts inflicted upon him, and decides “I guess I’m bringing him home with me”.
In canon, it’s clear that no matter what Junpei thought of Mahito, Mahito only thought of him as a temporary amusement. But Junpei trusted him, especially after his mother is murdered by a curse… and Mahito places the blame elsewhere in order to redirect Junpei’s rage and trauma towards a more entertaining target. It is a delicious betrayal that steers the ship towards rocks that should sink it… unless you are determined to keep the dang thing going.
Pros/Cons of the Ship
Pros
- Size difference. Mahito is significantly taller than Junpei.
- Do you like corruption arcs? This ship is such a huge one.
- Hurt/No Comfort
- If you don’t kill Junpei off, you could probably ship them until the Shibuya Arc or something…
- Their dynamic translates well to non-curse AUs if you don’t mind doing the work on Junpei’s end.
Cons
- Mahito sure is responsible for Junpei’s transfiguration and ultimate death
- He also does hold a ton of responsibility for the death of Junpei’s mother
- And… yes he does see Junpei as a toy and not as an equal
- Oh and okay, yes, he does manipulate Junpei into believing they were friends before destroying Junpei’s life. That does suck.
- Junpei is not actually around long enough for most people to get attached to so you’re working with the memory of crumbs built out to be a sandwich, here.
(Unlike how I mentioned the almost decade-wide age gap between Treize and Wufei a few years ago, age is not a concern here as a) Mahito isn’t human and curses function so weirdly and b) what is age to a character who dies in canon as a third year?)
(Why) Do I Ship It?
I mainly ship it because I am a freak. I got so attached to the idea of this ship that I then proceeded to write tens of thousands of words where they end up together in some conflagration configuration. I think it is such a fascinating and fucked up ship, like watching a cat toy with a mouse it has cornered and that it has already wounded. I cannot look away even when it’d be better for my mental health to turn my head.
I am obsessed with this ship. It is one of the rarest ships for Jujutsu Kaisen because not too many people want to ship Mahito and next to no one even thinks about Junpei these days. I love developing plausible terrible scenarios for them. Even when I write a non-supernatural — or a different supernatural — alternate universe for them, I try to keep the vibes going. I try to keep boundary crossing and betrayal at the very top of my to-do list… and Mahito’s as well.
(And if you do read my stories, it’s clear that I did manage to (over) identify with Junpei to the point of doing the fandom thing and making him a trans dude blorbo. I can’t explain it and I didn’t expect it, but he’s a character that I’ve built out from my idle extrapolation when I’ve been procrastinating on my job. Gege gave a surprisingly Not Terrible foundation in the brief time Junpei was onscreen and interacting with Mahito. And I grew up in fandom, I’m good at building a house on that kind of foundation. )
Fanwork Recommendations
Obviously, I’m going to start out with my stories. I have spent most of the past year deeply invested in Mahito/Junpei as a ship. I bring it up whenever I talk to a new JJK friend. My nieces are sick of me alluding to it when they ask me what I’m doing.
And so, if I failed to rec myself… that would be such a mistake.
(Also you can and should assume that anyone that ships Mahito and Junpei are involving some level of boundary crossing when it comes to the relationships. That’s the least of it. So read and heed the warnings and make sure you really wanna dive in before you do!!)
Curse Popping Cherry
Junpei loses his virginity to Mahito.
Tiny Twink Gets Paid To Take It In All Three Holes
Junpei’s first time will be televised.
Follow Me to the Bottom of the Sea
Junpei has tried to keep to himself on the third-year trip. For the most part, he’s managed to dodge his bullies and stay safe. However, his luck runs out during an excursion to the beach on the second-to-last day that ends with the deaths of Junpei’s tormentors and a horrifying introduction to one of the creatures that lives in the waters off Chiba.
The Size Professor’s Assistant by Griselda_Gimpel
(locked to logged in users)
Two weeks after dying, Yoshino Junpei finds himself returned to life. He tries to move on, but later, Mahito finds him once more.
Toy by EnigmaticInsignia
One sight of each eye, and there’d been nothing Junpei could do but to answer and drown in the mismatch of Mahito’s stare.
“If they’re real, then a soulmate can’t be something you are,” Junpei whispered, “They’re something you become.”
When Junpei met Mahito, his life became a movie.
Common sense told Junpei to run. It’s Horror 101 not to stay near to a monster. To stick around—or worse, get closer—was all but asking to die.
If only being with Mahito wasn’t the first time Junpei was truly living.
Watch You Leave Me Further Behind by BitchBot3000
Some days—most days—he’s still angry. Everything still hurts in that same nauseous, hollow way as it did the first day. The difference, really, is that he doesn’t know who to be angry at anymore, besides himself, much less what to do with the feeling. Until he figures it out, maybe it really isn’t right for anyone to trust him. Maybe he understands why the higher-ups worry. It feels like it would be wrong, somehow, to say this to Yūji, who trusts him enough for the both of them, so he keeps it to himself.
For as long as he can remember, Junpei has wished for a friend like Yūji. One with loyalty and belief in him so unwavering that it would feel impossible to trust, if Yūji hadn’t already proven just how far he would go for him. Someone so kind and so honest that Junpei really wouldn’t have believed they were real, if he hadn’t seen for himself. He doesn’t deserve a friend like that. Not anymore.
Caress Your Soul by the13colonies
He was nervous at first; it was a dark and dank place, Junpei had never even thought to come down into the local sewage system, why would he? If he had known, he would have utilized the space way earlier in the school year for hiding; no one would think twice if he slipped away into the stone walls, much like he was doing now, but he wasn’t attempting to run.
Junpei was following Mahito, he wasn’t running away from the curse. He had no reason to; not yet.
The Shape of One’s Soul by 1thousandminus7
It’s either the cruellest twist of fate or the kindest, to put the means to change one’s body in front of one who hates their body so much. The difference lies in trust, and in the price one would be willing to pay.
Junpei makes a choice, and Mahito experiences something new: unconditional trust. At what point do things change for good?
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