Malaysia Airlines Exploits Kento Nanami's Tragic End to Promote Kuantan

In the latest episode of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, episode 18, viewers witnessed Kento Nanami's moving final moments as he envisioned a peaceful future in Kuantan, Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines cleverly seized this opportunity to promote Kuantan through a social media post, recognizing the resonance of Kento Nanami's dream.

The episode depicted Kento Nanami's tragic end as he suffered grave injuries from an attack by Jogo and fought against numerous transfigured humans, depleting his strength. Throughout the ordeal, his thoughts centered on abandoning his life as a jujutsu sorcerer and finding solace in the tranquil beaches of Kuantan, Malaysia.

Malaysia Airlines target Jujutsu Kaisen fans using Nanami's final moments

In Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 18, Nanami Kento considers leaving his role as a Jujutsu Sorcerer to seek a peaceful life elsewhere. He envisions the beaches of Kuantan as a desirable destination, stating, "Kuantan would be nice." Malaysia Airlines swiftly capitalized on this sentiment, targeting the anime's global fan base with an ad promoting Kuantan as a must-visit destination for fans looking to experience the same serene beach getaway as Nanami.

Nanami Kento, as depicted in season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

The poignant portrayal of Nanami's final moments showed him seamlessly transitioning between battling the transfigured humans and savoring the serene beach in Kuantan. While no one would wish to confront transfigured humans, fans longed to share in Nanami's peaceful vision during his last moments.

With such advertisements coming forth, people can expect many fans worldwide to visit Malaysia and possibly recreate Nanami's scenes on the beaches.

How fans reacted to Malaysia Airlines' advertisement

Screenshot of fans reacting to Malaysia Airlines' advertisement (Image via Our Website/X)

The response from fans upon discovering that Malaysia Airlines was aware of Nanami Kento's last moments was overwhelming. They were also amazed at how the social media team utilized the opportunity to promote Kuantan, Malaysia, and potentially attract fans of the series to visit the area.

Meanwhile, upon seeing the advertisement, some fans were overcome with emotion as they were still grappling with the impact of Nanami's death. Thus, being confronted with a reminder of the loss only exacerbated their emotional turmoil. Nevertheless, they found solace in the fact that Nanami had left a lasting legacy as an iconic character.

Nanami Kento as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (Image via MAPPA)In addition, there were fans who strongly objected to the Airlines using Nanami's final moments as a marketing ploy. To them, it was a deeply poignant moment, and seeing it exploited for commercial purposes was deeply unsettling.

Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of both Jujutsu Kaisen and traveling, Malaysia Airlines' recent advertisement campaign featuring Kento Nanami's tragic end has evoked mixed emotions within me. On one hand, I appreciate the airline's creativity and quick response in leveraging a popular anime character's aspirations to promote Kuantan, Malaysia, as a tourist destination. The advertisement manages to capture the essence of Nanami's longing for a peaceful life away from his duties as a jujutsu sorcerer, resonating with fans who were deeply moved by his final moments in the anime.

On the other hand, I can understand why some fans might find this advertisement to be in poor taste. Nanami's death was a significant and emotional moment in the series, and using it as a marketing opportunity could be seen as disrespectful or insensitive. While the intention may have been to pay tribute to the character and his dreams, it is important to consider the emotional impact on fans who are still grieving his loss.

Ultimately, I believe that the effectiveness of this advertisement campaign depends on how it is perceived by the audience. While it may be seen as a creative and innovative way to promote Kuantan, it is crucial to ensure that it does not trivialize or exploit Nanami's tragic end. Balancing creativity with sensitivity is key in leveraging pop culture references for marketing purposes.