Although the world of Jujutsu Kaisen barely has room for romance, given the bleak setting, the fandom still cannot help but ship characters with each other. It’s one of the fandom’s ways of lightening the mood and coping with the tragic developments in the story.
Maki Zenin is one of the characters who rarely show affection toward other people. However, she has one potential romantic interest in the story. Most JJK fans are even wondering whether the two of them are canon. If you’re curious about Maki Zenin’s crush, then continue reading this article to find out who it is.
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Who is Maki Zenin’s Crush?
Maki Zenin is not the type to be interested in romance, but she has developed a sort of special relationship with her fellow second-year, Yuta Okkotsu. You won’t see any of their interactions in the anime adaptation since Yuta was training overseas during the first season, but you will see a lot of them in the movie prequel Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
According to the Jujutsu Stroll in Episode 15, Maki’s type is someone who is stronger than her. This means that Yuta, who is a special grade sorcerer, definitely fits her type. Also, in Chapter 10 of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Panda noted that Maki is much softer when Yuta was around.
Who is Yuta Okkotsu?
Yuta Okkotsu was first introduced as a timid, anxious, and insecure young man who was cursed by his dead childhood friend, Rika Orimoto. Because of his personality, he was bullied a lot while growing up. His confidence and ability to connect with people plummeted even more due to Rika’s constant haunting. At some point, Gojo found him and brought him to Tokyo Jujutsu High where he met the other second-year students, Maki, Panda, and Inumaki.
Yuta is known for having an immense amount of cursed energy due to the cursed spirit attached to him. When he enrolled at Tokyo Jujutsu High, he was immediately registered as a special grade sorcerer despite having no prior experience with jujutsu. Initially, Yuta was having constant difficulty controlling his cursed energy like a total newbie. He recognized how weak he was when he barely got out of their first mission unscathed. Since then, Yuta trained diligently to become stronger. In just a few months, his abilities had grown exponentially and he is now considered one of the strongest sorcerers in the series—one who could even surpass Gojo Satoru.
Yuta is also admired and respected by his lowerclassmen including Megumi Fushiguro. According to Megumi, he respects Yuta because he is absurdly strong and the only one who doesn’t do ridiculous stuff, unlike Panda and Inumaki who always pull pranks and troll people.
Maki and Yuta’s Relationship
Yuta couldn’t have been Maki Zenin’s crush in the beginning. In fact, Maki was not the most welcoming person when Yuta transferred to Tokyo Jujutsu High. She acted indifferent towards Yuta and even openly expressed her annoyance when they were paired up for a mission. She thinks that Yuta is too nice for his own good and considering his attitude, he probably won’t survive in the harsh world of jujutsu sorcerers. But since they were in the same class, the two of them along with Panda and Inumaki often spend their days training together. Maki was the one who taught Yuta how to fight using a sword, albeit the hard way.
During the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, Maki and Yuta had a chance to talk in one of the empty classrooms. Maki opened up about her inability to see curses and told Yuta about her strong desire to become a great sorcerer in order to prove the Zenin Clan wrong. Yuta expressed his admiration for Maki’s determination and said that he wanted to be like her. Maki was surprised by his response since no one else has ever said something like that to her. Flustered by Yuta’s honesty and kind words, Maki awkwardly left the room while blushing.
After their fight with Geto Suguru that day, Yuta immediately ran to Maki’s side who was severely injured. Rika became extremely upset and jealous by this and got mad at Maki for having Yuta’s full attention. She even yelled at her saying that it’s unfair that Yuta only thinks of her. Yuta reprimanded Rika and explained to her that Maki is a friend who saved his life and that Rika should handle her as if she were a butterfly or a flower.
These are some of the few YutaMaki moments that make fans think that maybe these two have a special connection. However, despite these interactions, their real feelings toward each other remain ambiguous. We don’t know for sure if Yuta is indeed Maki Zenin’s crush, or vice versa. As of now, it seems like their relationship is founded on strong admiration and respect toward a friend, rather than a romantic one. Still, we know that the two of them deeply care about each other, so let us hope that it will stay that way in future chapters.