Jujutsu Kaisen’s manga ending faced criticism, not only for not returning beloved characters like Satoru Gojo, but also because of the switch in the story’s tone and the underwhelming participation of many characters in the last chapters. This caused division among fans, who were uncertain if the finale was what Gege Akutami planned from the start and fitting to the story or an overall bad ending. But the release of volumes #29 and #30 confirmed thatthe final stretch ofJujutsu Kaisenwasn’t bad, just incredibly rushed.
Some of the backlash Gege Akutami received in the last chapters of the manga was due to the downgrade of the art. However, the new manga epilogue and corrections in the final volumes show thatJujutsu Kaisencould have had a much better ending if its author had been given more time.
The Improved Art inJujutsu Kaisen’s New Volumes Confirms the Series’ Production Issues
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Downgrade in the Last Volumes Was Due to Its Author’s Health
Gege Akutami’s artwork went through a big change duringJujutsu Kaisen’s serialization, changing style after the Shibuya Incident Arc but especially in the last stretch of the manga, becoming less detailed and rough. This is something that has affected other series likeLand of the LustrousandChainsaw Manand has sparked comments among readers. But even though in the case ofChainsaw Man’s part two the change in the art style is attributed toFujimoto losing the author ofDandadanas his assistantand switching to using thicker lines inJujutsu Kaisen, Akutami even released incomplete chapters or just sketches.
This is evident in the unfinished art of the fight between Yuta and Sukuna in chapter #262, which was only 7 pages long. Yet,Jujutsu Kaisen’s volumes #29 and #30 fixed this unpolished artwork, especially in Sukuna’s domain. The redraws, in addition to the epilogue and extra pages that give Choso a better closer, demonstrate that Akutami’s inconsistency in the finale was due to production problems caused by his incredibly taxing schedule. This was only seen inMy Hero Academia’s finale, which was affected due to its author’s fatigue from serialization, taking a big leap in quality in its recent epilogue.
Jujutsu Kaisen Closes Out the Manga With a Finale Expansion Dedicated to Choso (And It Has Us Sobbing)
Jujutsu Kaisen’s finale expansion includes a touching nod to Choso’s family, completing his character arc with a well-deserved heartfelt scene.
Gege Akutami has struggled with his health in the past years, which made him take several hiatuses during the manga run and change to a break every three weeks during its Shōnen Jump publication. Moreover, after chapter #262, just 9 chapters before the finale, the author had to take a 1-month hiatus to recover after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix. Because of this,Akutami was most likely burned out, and his declining health negatively affectedJujutsu Kaisen’s ending, making him rush while closing the different storylines, something that alsohappened withBleach’s finalewith itscreator, Tite Kubo.
Gege Akutami Could Have Delivered a Rounder Ending With a Change in the Manga’s Schedule
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Rushed Last Chapters Tarnished the Series
Weekly releases can cause serious health issues as the authors overwork themselves; this is proven byHunter x Hunter’sauthor, Yoshihiro Togashi, who has been on hiatus for years due to his back problems.Black Clover’s author even shifted magazines to prioritize his health and has been publishing some of the most exciting chapters ever since, which are elevating the climax of the story. But in addition to the physical strain they experience,the pressure that manga artists undergo also affects them mentally, which can be seen in Akutami’s afterword.
I was, of course, pushing myself to the limits to pull out everything I could for my creations, and after about 3 years of serialization, my already rough personality began to become absentminded. -Gege Akutami, Jujutsu Kaisen Afterword.
Many critics ofJujutsu Kaisen’s ending were due to the rushed pace in the last arc, which made the last fight between Yuji and Sukuna feel anticlimactic, and that major plot points were just scratched on the surface and lacked impact. This confirms howJujutsu Kaisenwas robbed of having a satisfying ending by not offering its author a laxer release schedule, not even bi-weekly likeMy Hero AcademiaorOne Piece’s authors.
Jujutsu Kaisen Confirms Gojo’s Successor With a Quiet Epilogue Update: What You Need to Know
Jujutsu Kaisen’s new epilogue solves one of the remaining and intriguing mysteries surrounding the legacy of Satoru Gojo.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s story had the potential to be further extended, with several moments that should have been better fleshed out, like Hakari vs. Uraume, the name and functioning of Yuji’s domain expansion, the resolution of optimization vs. eradication of the cursed energy, or the barrier in Japan. Nevertheless, what is certain is that Akutami clearly loves his work, as he continued to disclose more info about the series’ world in its last volumes. This way, maybe after he enjoys a well-deserved rest,Jujutsu Kaisen’s author can return to writing manga with a renovated mind and body to create a new masterwork.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenis a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
