Yuji Itadori Can Badge – Jujutsu Kaisen Cushion Series 56mm by Bandai
What You’re Looking At
This is a 56mm can badge — a pin-back character badge — from Bandai’s Cushion Series line, featuring Yuji Itadori, the protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen. At 56mm in diameter, it sits at the larger end of the standard can badge format, giving the artwork strong visual presence compared to the more common 44mm size. What sets the Cushion Series apart from ordinary flat-printed badges is the raised, soft-material surface treatment on the face of the badge, which gives it a tactile, slightly padded feel — a distinct format within Bandai’s character goods lineup. The badge is sealed in its original blister (clear plastic) packaging, with the character clearly identified on the pack, confirming this is a fixed character product rather than a blind or random-assortment release. The copyright notation on the packaging — referencing Gege Akutami, Shueisha, and the Jujutsu Kaisen production committee — marks it as an officially licensed item.
The Series and the Character Behind the Badge
Jujutsu Kaisen is a dark fantasy battle manga by Gege Akutami, serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump since March 2018. The story centers on a world where malevolent spirits called curses, born from human negative emotions, are hunted by trained sorcerers. The series gained momentum rapidly within Jump and has sold tens of millions of volumes in Japan. The anime adaptation, produced by MAPPA, ran its first season from October 2020 to March 2021, followed by the theatrical film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 in December 2021 and a second season from 2023 that brought the pivotal Shibuya Incident arc to the screen. The series is distributed internationally through platforms including Netflix, and the English-language manga has been in continuous publication in North America.
Yuji Itadori is the series’ lead character — a high school student with exceptional physical ability who, after swallowing one of the fingers of the ancient and immensely powerful cursed spirit Ryomen Sukuna, becomes the vessel for that entity. This places him in a morally and physically precarious position at the center of the story. He is visually defined by his pink-streaked hair and a dark uniform with orange accents, both of which are reflected in the chibi-style (deformed, compact) artwork on this badge. The chibi format is a well-established convention in Japanese character merchandise, translating character designs into a rounder, more approachable style well-suited to small goods like pin badges.
Can Badges in Japanese Fan Culture
Can badges are one of the most widely circulated categories of anime and manga merchandise in Japan. They are sold through specialty retailers such as Animate, at event venues, and as crane game prizes at arcades. Fans commonly attach them to bags, jacket lapels, and canvas totes as a way of expressing character loyalty — a practice tied closely to Japan’s oshi-katsu culture, the active fandom of supporting a favorite character. The larger 56mm format is particularly suited to display use, where the artwork reads clearly from a distance. Bandai produces can badges in several formats, and the tactile distinction of the Cushion Series gives it a recognized identity among collectors. Official Bandai character goods for the domestic Japanese market are not always widely distributed internationally, which draws interest from fans seeking items from the source.
Price: $13.76 | View on eBay
