I was nearing the end of the anime when I decided to pick up the manga. I was surprised to see that there was a prequel, and even more surprised to see that it was centered around the character of Yuta Okkotsu.

Yuta's story in this prequel beautifully mirrors that of Yuuji's in the main manga.
Both boys are thrust into the world of jujutsu sorcerers and forced to figure out how they want to live their lives within their new circumstances. The difference here is that while Yuuji is positive and bold, Yuta is more soft-spoken and has a much more pessimistic worldview (with the hopes to become stronger).

This short prequel gives us a compelling first glimpse into the world of Jujutsu High while also introducing us to the main story's antagonist as well as the other second-years at the school.

I personally love Yuta's character and I find him and his backstory pretty compelling. His interactions with the other second-years were pretty wholesome and gave a lot of context to the conversations the second-years have about him later in the series.

The artwork was beautiful, the action was exciting, and I really enjoyed the read. Yuta's story becomes really relevant to the series, so it is a great place to start if you are interested in reading the manga.