Jujutsu Kaisen, a popular anime series by Gege Akutami, has suffered several character deaths in recent months. Many beloved characters have been sidelined or killed off, leaving fans to question whether the mangaka created the characters to kill off for the sake of the plot. The series gained popularity in 2018 due to its thrilling action sequences, gripping storyline, and interesting cast. However, with the deaths of several beloved characters, fans are questioning whether it is worth getting attached to the characters, since they all die for the sake of the plot.
Gege Akutami reveals why he kills his characters
The shonen series, Jujutsu Kaisen, is known for its fearless approach to character deaths, as shown in the second season’s Shibuya Incident arc. A third season focused on the Killing Game is in the works. In an interview, series creator Gege Akutami shared his philosophy on character killing and the decision-making process. Fans should be prepared for more deaths in the future.
The Shibuya Incident arc saw the deaths of several major characters, including Nanami, who was killed by Jūgo after a fight, and Mahito, who killed Yuji Itadori’s female classmate Nobara. The series also saw the deaths of Jūgo, Dagon, Hanami, Toji, and Mahito all, with Nanami being killed by Mahito on the hero side, while Jūgo, Dagon, Hanami, Toji, and Mahito all died on the villain side.
At the recent Jujutsu Kaisen exhibition held in Japan, Gege Akutami was more than happy to answer questions from fans. One particular question asked about the situation of Mei-Mei, a powerful cursed energy user who decided to run away when times were tough. Instead of killing her off, Akutami decided to leave her in the background while the mangaka dived into his methodology of killing off characters, “I don’t think a character should die if the readers don’t feel any emotion like sadness for them.”
While Akutami may choose to kill off characters based on which of the story would be most emotionally painful for the audience, the same logic can be applied to characters who are still alive. If they are not particularly meaningful to the audience, their deaths may also be considered unnecessary.
The Shibuya Incident arc features several deaths not included in the anime, causing confusion among Jujutsu Kaisen fans. These deaths are expected to cause a stir in the anime world once they are included in the series, as fans will have difficulty understanding the events.
Gege Akutami reveals that Nanami’s death was not intentional
Gege Akutami, the mangaka behind Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, has revealed that he never wanted Nanami to die during the incident, despite the emotional impact it had on fans. The Jujutsu Kaisen manga continues its Shinjuku Showdown arc, featuring intense battles where notable characters often die. The Shibuya Incident arc has seen a significant increase in the frequency of character deaths, leaving both manga and anime fans heartbroken.
This death affected not only the fans, but also the heroes of Jujutsu Kaisen. With each death, Yuji Itadori is losing more and more hope, and watching Nanami die at the hands of Mahito and not being able to do anything is what started it all. But Akutami tried to avoid it.
“Sometimes it feels like… the script progresses and develops based on the characters,” revealed Jujutsu Kaisen series creator Gege Akutami during a special art exhibition for the manga in Japan.
Akutami explained that he initially did not want Nanami to die in the Shibuya incident, but the story naturally moved in that direction, with Yuji being the inspiration. “I didn’t want Nanami to die at the time, but I was thinking there was probably no other way, but Itadori suddenly came in and said it, and well, you know how it happened. I initially thought Nanami had crossed over the script, but when I put it into words like that, Nanami was the inspiration and Itadori was the one who crossed over the script.”
Nanami’s death marked a defining moment for Yuji, leading him to the conclusion of the Shibuya incident and the subsequent arc, which triggered several significant deaths in the series, and there are expected to be even more deaths before Jujutsu Kaisen ends.
Akutami also explained why Mei Mei and some other characters have not been killed yet. Akutami apparently does not kill characters whose deaths “would not make the readers sad”, he named Mei Mei, Ino and Ijichi as examples.
If this is true, it could confirm many readers’ suspicions that Akutami has intentionally killed off many beloved characters to hurt the audience. Emotional appeal holds a strong hold in all stories, especially anime and manga, but a growing number of fans have expressed that they feel betrayed by the creator, feeling that many of the deaths in Jujutsu Kaisen were unnecessary.
Also read: Jujutsu Kaisen creator confirms Gojo’s death with new author’s note
