Outsiders might assume that creating a manga as successful as Jujutsu Kaisen guarantees a good life – where challenges like cranky editors, “know-it-all” fans, and deadline pressures seem worthwhile given the notoriety, accolades, and financial rewards. However, as Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami himself acknowledged, the reality of producing the series is far more intricate and demanding than it might appear.
In truth, he encountered numerous debilitating challenges that significantly impacted his mental health, personal life, and professional well-being. It’s important to remember that this is the mangaka who always appeared for interviews wearing a mask, and uses a pen name that roughly translates to “garbage” and “inferior”. Despite these hardships, however, he evidently remains dedicated to the art of manga creation.
Akutami Surprises Fans With an Unexpected Farewell to Jujutsu Kaisen
The Final Volume Contains a New Epilogue and an Afterword
Not particularly known for engaging with fans, Gege Akutami seized the opportunity to share personal reflections on Jujutsu Kaisen‘s final bound volume release – featuring an all-new epilogue chapter. In the afterword, he discusses his experience creating the manga series, guiding it through serialization and anime adaptation to its conclusion. Although the volume with Akutami’s comments is currently only available in Japan, renowned Jujutsu Kaisen fan Myamura recently uploaded a translated version of the afterword to his @Go-Jover account on X.
The new epilogue was an unexpected treat for fans who had believed the series finale, chapter #27, marked the end of all new content. To the surprise of the Jujutsu Kaisen fandom, news broke in early December 2024 that Volume 30, the final installment of the serialized publication — commonly referred to as the tankōbonn edition — would include an all-new, updated epilogue that’s intended to properly close out the story. While this announcement infused the fan base with renewed excitement, no one anticipated that it would also feature Akutami’s personal reflections on the series, given his history of limited fan engagement.
Akutami Proves a Well-Known Fact – Being a Mangaka Is Not Easy
Akutami begins by reflecting on what it was like to create a story he initially had no idea would “blow up” as quickly and widely as it did and then work to sustain that momentum for over six years. Judging by his comments, it was far from an easy task. According to the @Go_Jover post, Akutami described the weekly grind of producing new Jujutsu Kaisen chapters as being “pissed out”.
This phrasing underscores the intense and relentless nature of the work, which likely took a significant mental and physical toll on him. This description aligns with common accounts of a mangaka’s demanding lifestyle, but in Akutami’s case — given the immense popularity of the series — the pressures may have been even more grueling.
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One aspect Akutami emphasizes is the stress of his weekly workload. On the one hand, this pressure led him to push creative boundaries, likely contributing to the series’ unique yet compelling storytelling style. Indeed, Gege admits to writing “by instinct” for years, which suggests another reason the series occasionally deviates from the standard Shōnen Jump weekly manga format.
On the other hand, the intensity of his work began to negatively impact his mental focus. As Akutami himself described it, he became “absentminded.” This has led to him occasionally making minor errors and, at other times, becoming frustrated with others – likely editors – who felt the need to correct him or offer suggestions that he believed he was perfectly capable of discovering independently.
Nevertheless, he is thankful that there were people on the team, editors and assistants, who were responsible, patient, and supportive. To be sure, without them Akutami, admits the chaos of forgetfulness of his own actions would not have ended well for the series. Like the One Piece character Gecko Moria, Akutami states, he came to rely on them to do the right thing.
Akutami Admits Fandom’s Ability to Affect and Influence Content Creators
Akutami reserves his most captivating and thought-provoking observations for discussions about the Jujutsu Kaisen fan community. Indeed, despite its immense popularity, Jujutsu Kaisen’s fandom has always stood apart from those of other big manga like Dragon Ball, Naruto, or One Piece. During the series’ publication run, fans were notably vocal in criticizing Gege Akutami’s creative choices, such as his inscrutable subplot points or his decisions to kill off beloved characters like Kento Nanami.
While fan criticism is a common aspect of the manga industry, Akutami revealed in his afterword that these critiques affected him on a more personal level. To be sure, Akutami wrote about how this “pressure” forced him to doubt his own convictions and “silence” his creative urges to do something extraordinary – a hallmark of Jujutsu Kaisen storytelling. He goes on to confess how he initially felt it necessary to prioritize being a “good person” over being a “good author.”
This mindset led him to focus on pleasing fans rather than staying true to his own vision for the story and character development. While he gives no specific details, some likely examples include Nobara and Megumi’s return after months of being absent and non-factors to the story. There’s also perhaps the most bizarre return of a character, namely Gojo’s return via Yuta’s use of Rika’s ability to clone Kenjaku’s innate technique, then switching bodies with Gojo’s corpse. Indeed, if there was ever a convoluted means to bring back a character – that was it.
Akutami, however, highlights one significant benefit from his hard work on Jujutsu Kaisen: coming to terms with his own limitations. He jokingly admits to being “an idiot”. Of course, it’s unlikely that Akutami genuinely believes this statement —reflecting his well-known self-deprecating personality. But beneath the humor, Akutami reveals a valuable lesson learned – recognizing he didn’t know as much about being a mangaka as he initially thought.
This newfound humility speaks to the “education” he received over the years, acknowledging areas for improvement and growth. Perhaps most importantly, the process of creating Jujutsu Kaisen did not convince him to give up making manga but rather encouraged him to continue his creative journey.
Sources: Go_Jover
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is 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.
- Created by
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Gege Akutami
- First Film
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Jujutsu Kaisen 0
