Jujutsu Kaisen: Here’s What ”Being a Child Is Not a Sin” Really Means!
Jujutsu Kaisen is a globally popular series, and we all know many of the characters from the franchise are globally popular. Of course, this also means that many of their quotes are quite popular, and in this article, we will discuss one particular quote – “Being a child is not a sin” – that Nanami said to Itadori during their shared adventure. In this article, you will find out what that quote means and why it is so important.
“Being a child is not a sin” is a quote by Kento Nanami, who said it to Yuji Itadori in Jujutsu Kaisen. The quote illustrates Nanami’s wisdom, as he wanted to tell Yuji that he should not worry about being young and inexperienced and that things will come at their own pace, i.e., that he should just simply enjoy the experience and take things as they come. He wanted to calm him down, as Yuji was burdened about being useless, and he succeeded in that.
The rest of this article will focus on Nanami’s quote, its meaning within Jujutsu Kaisen, and the relationship between Nanami and Itadori. Nanami was certainly an important figure in Yuji’s life, and this quote illustrates the nature of their relationship and Yuji’s role in the world he was dragged into when he consumed Sukuna’s finger for the first time. This is why we will provide you with a detailed explanation of everything related to this quote. This article will not be spoiler-heavy, but we must warn you that some spoilers might be present.
Who said, “Being a child is not a sin”? What does the quote mean?
Kento Nanami first met Yuji Itadori while working together on Junpei and Mahito’s case. Nanami was introduced as a skilled and intriguing jujutsu sorcerer who used his experience and skills to do the task at hand and protect Yuji. But, on top of that, Nanami was also a very wise and intelligent character, and he has helped Itadori in more ways than one, as his comments and his advice often hit the spot exactly when they needed to.
During the said mission, in the anime, of course, Kento Nanami said the following thing to Yuji Itadori:
“Please understand this. Being a child is not a sin.“
– Kento Nanami, Jujutsu Kaisen
To understand the meaning of this quote, you have to understand the situation Yuji Itadori was in at the time. The young boy had only recently been dragged into the world of jujutsu sorcery, and that happened by chance as he ate Sukuna’s finger to save those around him. Before that, he had absolutely no clue about the world he was in.
He was way behind everyone else when he first became a jujutsu sorcerer. He had powers, but he did not know how to use them. Also, he was quite young and had no experience, which played a role in his story, as Itadori was significantly burdened by the fact that he was in the position he was in. He wanted to help, but initially, he was severely limited, and it looked like he was more of a problem for everyone else than anything else.
Having said this, we can also understand how Itadori had the intrinsic need to prove himself and how he wanted to show everyone (himself included) that he was better and could not only be useful but also help when needed. But, his goals were not the reality he was ready for them; we have to admit that as well. Namely, Itadori simply wasn’t ready at the time – not even close.
And Nanami understood that. He not only understood Itadori’s position – as Itadori was still just a child who was dragged into a world of adults, a serious and dangerous world – but he also understood his problems. That is why he said what he did, to support and show him that it was perfectly normal for him to feel the way he did.
All of this definitely burdened Itadori, he felt useless because he was so young, and he wanted to become an adult quickly, but Nanami told him that he did not have to do it. He explained that everything he was going through was perfectly normal and that he had every right to feel the way he was feeling. Being a child is not an issue; it is a normal part of growing up, and one can be a child as long as he wants. Becoming an adult is a process; over the years, one becomes better and stronger.
This is what Nanami wanted to say to Yuji to make him feel more secure about himself and tell him that he shouldn’t rush things. He told him to just do things at his own pace and that things will come. And it helped Yuji, it really did, as Yuji was calmer about himself and less troubled by his own shortcomings in that situation, which shows just how relevant of a character Kento Nanami was in his life.
What are the differences in the quote between the manga and the anime?
Now, there is one additional thing we’d like to say about this quote. Namely, which is not uncommon in the world of manga and anime, the anime changed (tweaked) the original quote a bit; the original meaning was retained, but the phrasing was different. In the original, the quote was as follows:
“Please understand this. Being a child is by no means a crime.“
– Kento Nanami, Jujutsu Kaisen
As you can see, the meaning is the same, but because the anime is marketed to an international audience, the writers probably changed it to tone down the original phrasing, which is normal for Japanese audiences, so that it can be easier to process.
