The Japanese theatrical release of the animated film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 featured several promotional campaigns designed to reward ticket purchasers with exclusive physical merchandise. These initiatives, managed by distributor Toho Co. Ltd., were intended to drive repeat viewings and sustain the film's box office momentum. The promotional strategy focused on a staggered release of visual posters and boards, targeting the film's dedicated fanbase.
Poster Giveaway Campaign
Starting on January 22, Japanese theatergoers who purchased a ticket to the Jujutsu Kaisen movie received a bonus poster featuring art of the movie's main character, Yuta Okkotsu. According to reports, this poster was a "clean" version of one of the film's promotional posters, featuring the original artwork without any logos or credits overlaid on the image.
This poster was the first in a series of new bonuses distributed by Toho Co. Ltd. The campaign included plans for two more as-yet-unannounced freebies to be released to ticket buyers who saw the movie after February 5 and February 19, respectively. The decision to release the bonuses in a staggered format was a strategic move to encourage hardcore fans to see the movie multiple times to collect the full set of merchandise.
Visual Board Giveaways
In addition to the initial poster campaign, the film released rare visuals starring characters Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto. This illustration, which featured the two powerful sorcerers together for the first time in a merchandise illustration, was distributed in the form of a visual board. This specific freebie became available to viewers in Japan starting on February 5.
The release of these promotional items contributed to the film's commercial success. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 achieved the second biggest opening weekend in Japanese film history and grossed over 8.5 billion yen (approximately $75 million USD) in less than a month. The film eventually surpassed 9.8 billion yen at the box office.
Context of Anime Theater Freebies
The practice of distributing freebies to encourage additional ticket purchases is common in Japan, particularly regarding anime releases. This strategy is often used to boost sales during a film's theatrical run. For example, the anime film Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon A Time released a newly revised version of the film featuring updated animation, which caused a spike in ticket sales. Similarly, the My Hero Academia movie World Heroes' Mission distributed exclusive manga chapters with ticket purchases. These methods have also been adopted by American anime distributors, such as Funimation, for some of their theatrical releases.
Fan Experience and Adaptation Notes
For fans outside of Japan awaiting an international release, the film serves as a prequel to the main Jujutsu Kaisen series and is considered 100% canon. The movie adapts the prequel manga Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School (published as Volume 0) and follows Yuta Okkotsu, a boy haunted by the spirit of his childhood sweetheart. The adaptation is reported to be faithful to the source material, retaining the essential elements of the manga, including the battles and animation quality.
While an international release date for Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was not announced in the provided materials, the first season of the anime series is available for streaming on platforms such as Crunchyroll and Funimation, and the manga is available in English from VIZ Media.
Conclusion
The promotional campaign for Jujutsu Kaisen 0 in Japan utilized a staggered release of exclusive physical freebies, including posters and visual boards, to incentivize ticket sales and repeat viewings. These promotional items featured key characters such as Yuta Okkotsu, Satoru Gojo, and Suguru Geto. The strategy aligns with broader industry trends in Japanese anime distribution, where merchandise giveaways are frequently employed to maximize box office revenue.