diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 0e3a40a..c0ea449 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    implementation group: 'io.github.spencerpark', name: 'jupyter-jvm-basekernel', version: '2.3.0'
+    implementation('io.github.spencerpark:jupyter-jvm-basekernel:2.3.0') {
+        exclude group: 'com.google.code.gson', module: 'gson'
+    }
+    implementation 'com.google.code.gson:gson:2.10'
 
     // ------ for maven resolve and download ------
     // implementation 'org.apache.maven:maven-resolver-provider:4.0.0-alpha-2'
@@ -64,6 +67,17 @@ processResources {
     filter tokens: tokens, ReplaceTokens
 }
 
+//java {
+//    withJavadocJar()
+//    withSourcesJar()
+//}
+
+compileJava {
+    options.compilerArgs << '-parameters'
+    // ignore deprecation for jupyter-jvm-basekernel gson JsonParser api
+//    options.compilerArgs << '-Xlint:all' << '-Xlint:-deprecation' << '-Xlint:-rawtypes' << '-Xlint:-serial'
+}
+
 jar {
     manifest {
         attributes 'Main-class': 'io.github.spencerpark.ijava.IJava'
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e08b9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+org.gradle.warning.mode=all
+org.gradle.logging.stacktrace=all
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/IJava.java b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/IJava.java
index fc99ec3..43a5a86 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/IJava.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/IJava.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public static InputStream resource(String path) {
         InputStream metaStream = resource("ijava-kernel-metadata.json");
         Reader metaReader = new InputStreamReader(metaStream);
         try {
-            JsonElement meta = new JsonParser().parse(metaReader);
+            JsonElement meta = JsonParser.parseReader(metaReader);
             VERSION = meta.getAsJsonObject().get("version").getAsString();
         } finally {
             try {
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/JavaKernel.java b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/JavaKernel.java
index 9634555..c100932 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/JavaKernel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/JavaKernel.java
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@
  */
 package io.github.spencerpark.ijava;
 
+import com.google.gson.JsonElement;
 import io.github.spencerpark.ijava.execution.*;
 import io.github.spencerpark.ijava.magics.*;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.BaseKernel;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.LanguageInfo;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.ReplacementOptions;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.display.DisplayData;
+import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.display.mime.MIMEType;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.magic.common.Load;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.magic.registry.Magics;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.util.CharPredicate;
@@ -132,6 +134,10 @@ public JavaKernel() {
                 new LanguageInfo.Help("Java tutorial", "https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/nutsandbolts/index.html"),
                 new LanguageInfo.Help("IJava homepage", "https://github.com/SpencerPark/IJava")
         );
+        // todo io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.display.DisplayData putJSON, JsonParser.parseString
+        this.renderer.createRegistration(JsonElement.class)
+                .preferring(MIMEType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+                .register((data, context) -> context.renderIfRequested(MIMEType.APPLICATION_JSON, () -> data));
 
         this.errorStyler = new StringStyler.Builder()
                 .addPrimaryStyle(TextColor.BOLD_BLACK_FG)
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Display.java b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Display.java
index 885674a..2044095 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Display.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Display.java
@@ -23,12 +23,21 @@
  */
 package io.github.spencerpark.ijava.runtime;
 
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+import com.google.gson.JsonElement;
+import com.google.gson.JsonParser;
 import io.github.spencerpark.ijava.JavaKernel;
 import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.display.DisplayData;
+import io.github.spencerpark.jupyter.kernel.display.mime.MIMEType;
 
+import java.io.Reader;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.UUID;
 
 public class Display {
+    private static final Gson GSON = new Gson();
+
     public static DisplayData render(Object o) {
         JavaKernel kernel = Kernel.getKernelInstance();
 
@@ -43,7 +52,17 @@ public static DisplayData render(Object o, String... as) {
         JavaKernel kernel = Kernel.getKernelInstance();
 
         if (kernel != null) {
-            return kernel.getRenderer().renderAs(o, as);
+            return kernel.getRenderer().renderAs(parseAsJson(o, as), as);
+        } else {
+            throw new RuntimeException("No IJava kernel running");
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static DisplayData renderAsJson(Object o) {
+        JavaKernel kernel = Kernel.getKernelInstance();
+
+        if (kernel != null) {
+            return kernel.getRenderer().renderAs(parseAsJson(o), MIMEType.APPLICATION_JSON.toString());
         } else {
             throw new RuntimeException("No IJava kernel running");
         }
@@ -73,7 +92,7 @@ public static String display(Object o, String... as) {
         JavaKernel kernel = Kernel.getKernelInstance();
 
         if (kernel != null) {
-            DisplayData data = kernel.getRenderer().renderAs(o, as);
+            DisplayData data = kernel.getRenderer().renderAs(parseAsJson(o, as), as);
 
             String id = data.getDisplayId();
             if (id == null) {
@@ -104,10 +123,21 @@ public static void updateDisplay(String id, Object o, String... as) {
         JavaKernel kernel = Kernel.getKernelInstance();
 
         if (kernel != null) {
-            DisplayData data = kernel.getRenderer().renderAs(o, as);
+            DisplayData data = kernel.getRenderer().renderAs(parseAsJson(o, as), as);
             kernel.getIO().display.updateDisplay(id, data);
         } else {
             throw new RuntimeException("No IJava kernel running");
         }
     }
+
+    private static Object parseAsJson(Object data, String... as) {
+        if (data instanceof JsonElement jsonElement) return jsonElement;
+        String jsonMime = MIMEType.APPLICATION_JSON.toString();
+        if (Objects.isNull(as) || as.length == 0 || Arrays.stream(as).anyMatch(mime -> mime.contains(jsonMime))) {
+            if (data instanceof String jsonStr) return JsonParser.parseString(jsonStr);
+            else if (data instanceof Reader reader) return JsonParser.parseReader(reader);
+            else return GSON.toJsonTree(data);
+        }
+        return data;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Magics.java b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Magics.java
index c2f9dea..7e8f5e5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Magics.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/spencerpark/ijava/runtime/Magics.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public static <T> T lineMagic(String name, List<String> args) {
 
         if (kernel != null) {
             try {
-                return kernel.getMagics().applyLineMagic(name, args);
+                return JavaKernel.getMagics().applyLineMagic(name, args);
             } catch (UndefinedMagicException e) {
                 throw e;
             } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public static <T> T cellMagic(String name, List<String> args, String body) {
 
         if (kernel != null) {
             try {
-                return kernel.getMagics().applyCellMagic(name, args, body);
+                return JavaKernel.getMagics().applyCellMagic(name, args, body);
             } catch (UndefinedMagicException e) {
                 throw e;
             } catch (Exception e) {