Subtitle, the anime fashion label founded by Liang Shi, announced its official apparel collaboration with Toho International for Gege Akutami’s anime and manga franchise “Jujutsu Kaisen.” The 18-piece collection, built entirely from the logic of the series’ characters, cursed techniques and world launched on the Toho Animation Store U.S., with the first of “Subtitle’s” multiple waves of releases.
The collaboration itself began in 2024, when Shi posted a cultural critique of anime merchandise on TikTok, presenting her vision for anime as a legitimate source of fashion design. The video reached more than 9 million views, while an earlier concept sketch of a custom “Jujutsu Kaisen”-inspired uniform had already garnered over 3 million views.
The response led to an official partnership with Toho International, a rare path to a major intellectual property deal that began with a designer’s point of view.
“’Subtitle’s’ approach stood out because their concepts interpret ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ through craftsmanship and quality,” says Kristin Parcell, general manager, Toho International. “The collection reflects the spirit of the series while introducing a fresh perspective on how anime can intersect with fashion and global culture.”
The uniform sets from the first wave are constructed from a wool-blend that references the material standards of authentic, high-end Japanese uniform dress reminiscent of characters from Jujutsu High. Yuji Itadori fans can also enjoy the Black Flash T-shirt, a black tee accented with red coverstitches referencing the cursed energy technique he lands in battle. In addition, there is also Yuji’s red hood shirt, a hooded dress shirt inspired by the character’s signature hoodie worn throughout the series as part of his Jujutsu High attire.
“If you know, you know,” says Shi. “But if you don’t, it still functions as fashion.”
Among other collection highlights from future releases, the Mahito Idle Transfiguration Jacket physically transforms with adjustable, detachable sleeves, nodding to the character’s cursed technique that allows him to alter the shape of souls; and the Geto zip-up captures the cursed spirit manipulator through visual design elements and distressing, representing his character arc.
The references hidden in the seams of the apparel collection were developed alongside Roberto Stefan, co-founder and design director, Subtitle. His background in hiring artisans at luxury fashion houses, including Gucci and Fendi, helped inform the quality and material standards across the pieces.
“I’m not creating merch, I’m building fashion from the stories that shaped me,” says Shi. “Designers have always drawn from literature, music, and even architecture. I’m just using the narrative medium I grew up with.”
Subtitle’s “Jujutsu Kaisen” collection is now available for purchase online.