Another shounen disappointment: The fall of ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’

By Charlie Cruz     10/1/24 11:06pm

Best Arc: Shibuya Incident

Rating: ★★★

After 271 weekly Shonen Jump chapters, Gege Akutami's “Jujutsu Kaisen” has reached its conclusion, and with it, a wave of frustration has swept across the shounen manga community. In a genre known for its iconic scenes but lackluster endings, “Jujutsu Kaisen” followed through, leaving fans in disbelief. What should have been a triumphant closing act for one of the most popular series instead fizzled out, leaving us all wondering: How did something so promising end so terribly?

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You might be living under a rock if you haven't heard of “Jujutsu Kaisen.” When the anime adaptation exploded onto the scene, it didn't just gather a massive cult following — it became a full-blown phenomenon. With jaw-dropping animation and stellar fight sequences, the series captured the hearts of anime fans worldwide. The story follows Yuji Itadori, the host of the King of Curses Sukuna, who becomes entangled in a world of curses and sorcery as he learns from the Strongest Sorcerer in the World, Gojo Satoru.

From the start, “Jujutsu Kaisen” carried a vibe reminiscent of Bleach, blending dark supernatural themes with intense battles and heartfelt moments. It was a modern take on a classic shounen formula, but with enough freshness to keep readers returning for more. The anime's success propelled the manga to new heights, quickly becoming a staple in the shounen genre. It was no surprise when season two of the anime ended with Gojo — the fan-favorite — sealed away; fans — including myself — flocked to the manga, eagerly awaiting the conclusion. Spoiler alert: We were left disappointed.

The biggest flaw in “Jujutsu Kaisen” has to be its main character, Yuji Itadori. He feels like the mascot of shounen mediocrity, a cookie-cutter protagonist with no real depth or growth. While JJK boasts an intricate power system and a world brimming with potential, Yuji's abilities always felt underwhelming and uninspired. Compared to the vibrant and complex side characters around him, Yuji lacked an interesting backstory, compelling motivation or unique techniques to set him apart. This flaw became glaringly obvious when Gojo was sealed away. Seriously, “Jujutsu Kaisen” can be split into two parts: Pre-Gojo and Post-Gojo, the first being significantly more interesting.

It wasn't that Gojo was the best character in the story (Maki Zenin holds that title for me), but “Jujutsu Kaisen” lost all its momentum without him. It became painfully clear that Gege Akutami didn't know how to handle Gojo's character, which speaks volumes about the writing and plot. After the Shibuya Incident, fans were given battle after battle — initially thrilling but quickly becoming repetitive and boring. The story lost the tension and pacing that made it compelling in the first place. It hurt to watch that decline week by week.

The final arc should have been the epic showdown we all anticipated — a climactic battle against Sukuna. But once again, the execution was poor. Sukuna, who should have been the terrifying pinnacle of cursed power, appeared to be bolstered with nothing but plot armor. What was meant to be the peak of the series ended up dragging on for over 50 chapters, each one more exhausting than the last. I remember flipping through the chapters, asking myself, "When will this end?"

Gege Akutami certainly knew how to use manga as an art medium to propel “Jujutsu Kaisen” forward, but unfortunately, the constraints of the weekly format hurt his storytelling. While JJK introduced fascinating lore and an intricate world, by the end of the series, numerous plot points and intriguing pieces of information were abandoned or left unresolved. What started as a fresh, exciting take on shounen battle manga slowly became a chore to read.

The final chapter felt like a slap in the face to fans, delivering more confusion than closure. Instead of wrapping up the story with a satisfying finale, it left us with more questions than answers. For a series that had so much potential to be one of the greats, this rushed, chaotic ending was a massive disappointment. “Jujutsu Kaisen” was a victim of its success, unable to live up to the hype it generated.

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